Rogue-likes have enjoyed a surge in popularity since the success of Hades on Steam. So it’s no wonder that other titles are also adopting the strengths of Hades. With 92% positive votes, “Realm of Ink” certainly belongs to those representatives of the genre that are well-received by players. Now, its disappearance is causing confusion.
Why has the game vanished? Realm of Ink launched in Early Access on Steam on September 27, 2024, and since then, it has received a bunch of positive reviews (viewable via Archive). But now, the game has seemingly disappeared overnight from the platform, and the shop page can no longer be found.
Besides Realm of Ink, it seems that all other games from the publisher have also vanished from Steam. Particularly since the full release of the game was most recently moved from January to March 2025 (via x.com), this situation has caused confusion and concern within the community (via Steam).
However, even the developers themselves do not yet know the reason for this. They wrote in a post via Steam:
We would like to inform you that Realm of Ink has been removed from the Steam store. Unfortunately, we do not currently know the exact reason for this action, but we are doing our best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Accordingly, the developers are working on a solution to the problem. However, it is still unclear whether and when the game will return to the store. Players who have already purchased the game still have it in their library and can play it as usual.
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Trailer for ‘Realm of Ink’ presents a Hades-style Rogue-Like
Much of Hades, but also enough of its own
Why was the game so well received? In Realm of Ink, you initially take on the role of Red, who wants to break free from her predetermined fate in a fictional world. While many parallels to the popular genre pioneer Hades become apparent in the trailer, Realm of Ink also offers a lot of its own.
The obviously Asian influences give the visuals a fresh touch. Additionally, you have cute companions with you, whom you can modify on your journey with something called Ink Gems. These also grant you new abilities. Over time, many other characters can be unlocked, with whom you can then make your escape.
Rogue-likes generally have a certain allure that quickly leads to spending countless hours in them. This was also the case for MeinMMO demon Cortyn when it came to being distracted from other games for just a moment: I wanted an evening of distraction, then 100 hours passed
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the new series Secret Level, different video games are the focus of each episode. Keanu Reeves is one of the actors who gives a face to the characters from the games. The creators of the series rave about the actor because he is so committed.
How did Keanu Reeves impress the creators? In the episode focused on Armored Core, Keanu Reeves plays an animated mech pilot. Two weeks before the filming of the episode, the actor had bad news for the creators of the series:
Dave, Tim, I have bad news. I broke my kneecap.
Creator Tim Miller and Executive Producer Dave Wilson were already preparing for Reeves to drop out of filming after this announcement. But the actor even responded that he had learned all the lines and could take off the brace for 5 minutes at a time to shoot.
Miller and Wilson were so glad about that that they accommodated Reeves. They suggested that Reeves keep the brace on and that his virtual version would simply be depicted limping with a brace.
You can watch the official trailer here:
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Teaser Trailer for Secret Level – the anthology series on Prime Video
Keanu Reeves is a Hollywood veteran with ties to gaming
How did the shoot go? After 2 hours, Reeves’ knee already hurt. Wilson recalls that the knee was the size of Tim Miller’s head. They offered the actor to take a break and come back tomorrow.
But to their surprise, Reeves completed the filming in just one day. He spent a total of 13 hours on set with the brace. In the meantime, he reportedly only left the filming location briefly to smoke a cigarette.
Besides that, Reeves also has several appearances as Neo in Matrix video games. He can also be found as a voice actor in video games: for instance, he voiced the character Shadow in the DLC for Sonic x Shadow Generations.
What kind of series is Secret Level? Secret Level comes from the creators of Love, Death & Robots and is available on Amazon Prime. In several episodes, video games like Concord are depicted with real actors and small stories are told. Each episode is independent of one another.
Made mistakes with the professions? Soon you’ll finally have a second chance to improve everything in World of Warcraft.
The profession system in World of Warcraft is as important with The War Within as it hasn’t been for many expansions. It is now possible to equip yourself excellently with crafted items. However, this system also comes with the potential to have made big mistakes. Something that couldn’t be corrected until now. In Patch 11.1 Undermine(d), this will finally be possible.
Currently, there is the Siren’s Isle – but soon there will be more goblin adventures:
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Siren Island – The New Content in WoW Patch 11.0.7
Players in WoW get a new chance with professions
What’s coming with Patch 11.1 for professions? With Patch 11.1 Undermine(d), it will finally be possible to reset the profession knowledge for a chosen profession. You will then get back your spent points and can redistribute them to the various specializations of your profession.
This makes it possible to compensate for past mistakes and perhaps choose a different focus, especially at the beginning of the expansion.
Who will find this helpful? Many have still not fully understood the “new” profession system from Dragonflight. Since you can choose specializations and the distribution of points has been permanent so far, it was very easy to “mess up” the start of an expansion by choosing specializations that ultimately serve little purpose. For example, someone who invested entirely in the crafting of chain gear as a leather wearer would then be dependent on others. The same applied to gathering professions, if you opted for mulch or blossoms.
Ultimately, however, you shouldn’t worry too much about the spent points in profession knowledge. Because active players receive new points every week anyway, so after a few months, you will “know” everything about a profession if you keep at it.
How often you can take advantage of this reset and what the limitations are – such as high costs or a long cooldown – is not yet known and will probably only be seen in the PTR of Patch 11.1 Undermine(d) in the coming weeks.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Elden Ring: Nightreign will be released in 2025 as a standalone game alongside its predecessor Elden Ring and offers a kind of rogue-like with battle royale elements for up to three players.The new title is supposed to capture the flair of Elden Ring. However, fans will have to forgo a special feature.
What feature is it? In the main game of Elden Ring, it was almost considered good form to leave helpful or especially funny notes for other players at various locations in the game. With the help of pre-made text snippets, messages and tips could be placed at appropriate spots.
However, this function also left a lot of room for trolls who left messages to mock other players. For example, notes with the inscription “Hidden path ahead” could be found on various walls or cliffs, intended to mislead other players and create laughter.
This possibility led to a whole bunch of memes and other funny stories in the community (for example via Reddit). Now, developer FromSoftware announced in an interview with IGN that this feature will no longer exist in Elden Ring: Nightreign.
Here you can watch a trailer for Nightreign:
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Elden Ring Nightreign: In the new multiplayer mode, you must summon comrades!
Not enough time to write messages
Why will this feature not exist? As Game Director Junya Ishizaki explained in the interview, the asynchronous messaging system simply did not fit the new game system of Elden Ring: Nightreign. Players simply wouldn’t have the time to leave or read such notes in the short duration of around 30 – 40 minutes that the matches are supposed to last.
Additionally, placing messages within procedurally generated maps makes little sense, as they would disappear after the match. Therefore, the focus would be more on a clearer and faster gaming experience.
Nevertheless, some community features from the main game that contribute to the experience in Elden Ring will still be included. For example, it will also be possible in Nightreign to see where and how teammates died based on bloodstains. Likewise, deceased team members will be visible as ghosts.
The gaming industry is eagerly looking forward to 2025 and the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. When the action game from Rockstar Games is released, it will certainly be the most talked-about game of the year – but a famous gaming insider believes the release could be postponed.
Who are we talking about?
The American journalist Jason Schreier is known in the gaming industry as a well-connected insider. He works for Bloomberg magazine.
Schreier has deep connections with many development studios and publishers, including Blizzard (WoW, Overwatch), Bungie (Destiny 2), and of course Rockstar Games (GTA).
In November 2023, Schreier revealed that Rockstar plans to announce GTA 6 for the first time in the following December and release the first trailer for GTA 6 (via Bloomberg).
In a new article on Bloomberg, Jason Schreier has now summarized his predictions for the year 2025 and shared an assessment regarding the release of GTA 6.
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The graphic comparison of GTA 6 and GTA 5 in the video
Insider meets prediction on the release of GTA 6
What does he say about the release of GTA 6? Jason Schreier expects that the release of GTA 6 will be postponed, and the eagerly anticipated action game from Rockstar Games will be released only in 2026.
While the publisher Take-Two Interactive claims that the game is still on track for its planned release in 2025, Schreier adds that “companies say many things.” The insider knows how great the pressure is behind the ambitious GTA 6 to deliver a great game.
Furthermore, Schreier states that Rockstar Games has “sworn” not to force extreme overtime work on employees in the final months of development. Instead of pushing the release within the timeframe, we might expect a delay.
However, as early as September, Schreier emphasized that this reassurance might only have applied to the development status at that time and that it could not be ruled out that there could still be delays in the future. Should there be a delay of GTA 6, you will learn about it on MeinMMO: GTA 6: Release, trailer, and map – The most important information about the action game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Thanks to Feybreak, Palworld is once again reaching top figures on Steam. Many fans enjoy the title on the Steam Deck – but according to Valve, the title is suddenly no longer compatible with the handheld console.
Was Palworld playable on the Steam Deck? Valve categorizes all games available on Steam into 4 possible categories. These include “verified,” “playable,” “unplayable,” and “not yet tested.” This allows fans to know whether a title is (with limitations) playable on the Steam Deck. Until now, Palworld belonged to the “playable” category, where titles with certain limitations are recommended.
However, overnight Valve quietly changed the status to “unplayable.” The reason for this could be the new Feybreak update, which brings new regions and new Pals. But as many players report on Reddit, Palworld has been running just fine since the update. The question remains as to why Valve suddenly changed the status.
The contents of the update are presented in the following trailer:
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Palworld: Feybreak – Trailer presents free update with loads of new content
Valve backtracks and reevaluates Palworld
What has changed now? After just 3 days, Valve changed the status back to “playable.” However, there is now a whole list of limitations that users on the Steam Deck should expect:
Some functionalities may not be available with the standard controller configuration or require the use of other input methods like the touchscreen.
The game occasionally displays controller icons from other platforms.
Text input requires manually calling up the on-screen keyboard.
Some text is difficult to read due to small size.
The game requires manual configuration of graphics settings.
Why these changes were made remains a mystery. Valve’s rating system for the Steam Deck is a great mystery, as there are no detailed explanations as to why a game has received its rating.
What does this mean for me? If you haven’t noticed any changes with Palworld on the Steam Deck, you need not worry about the rating. Many fans reported in the Reddit post mentioned earlier that they haven’t noticed any changes at all.
You can still play Palworld as usual on the Steam Deck. The rating “playable” also only means that the title runs on the handheld. Valve can only not recommend it.
The best possible rating for the Steam Deck is “verified.” MeinMMO has selected 12 games that we can recommend for the handheld. These include not only brand new but also 9-year-old titles: 12 games you definitely need to try on the Steam Deck OLED
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamer shroud is regarded as a gifted shooter. Now he donates money for every kill he achieves in a shooter.
Who is it about? The Twitch streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has come up with a special event for January 2025, where he will donate money for a good cause.
shroud is a former CS:GO pro and is now a well-known streamer on Twitch.
On Twitch, shroud has 11.1 million followers and averaged 13,200 concurrent viewers over the past 6 months (via Sullygnome).
The streamer is considered a shooting god and has reached legend status for many fans of the genre.
shroud is primarily known for his gifted aim, which he regularly demonstrates in his streams. Whether in CS2, Valorant, Fortnite, or the new Marvel Rivals, shroud shoots with above-average precision in every shooter.
Recently, shroud has primarily been playing the new hero shooter Marvel Rivals. Here’s what to expect in the game:
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Marvel Rivals: The launch trailer for the shooter featuring Marvel superheroes on PS5 and Steam
Aim God donates money for every kill he achieves
What’s behind the donations: shroud announced on Saturday, January 4, 2025, that he will host a so-called Fragathon (via YouTube). This is a livestream event he came up with to raise money for a charitable cause.
During the Fragathon, which is set to run throughout January, shroud will donate $1 for every kill he achieves. Additionally, Twitch subs (subscriptions viewers can purchase with streamers) and donations to the streamer will increase the dollar-per-kill multiplier. This means that later in the event, possibly $5 per kill will be donated. Furthermore, 100% of the income from subs, bits, and donations will also benefit a good cause.
Moreover, shroud invites fellow streamers to join him during the event and contribute kills for the Fragathon from his house. This will also be complemented by IRL events and challenges that increase the kill counter when not gaming.
What will the money be donated for? shroud lost his father to lung cancer in 2023. In announcing the charity event, the streamer said he was looking for ways to support people in similar situations. That’s how the idea of the Fragathon was born.
However, shroud does not yet specify in the first announcement who will receive the money and whether he will do so through a charity organization.
With its colorful anime look, MiSide does not appear at first glance to be a classic horror game – or the highest rated game on Steam 2024. And yet, both statements are true.
What kind of game is it? MiSide is a psychological horror game by indie developer Aihasto. The game was released on December 11, 2024, on Steam and has received astronomical ratings there.
What is the game about? Your nameless protagonist is drawn into the world of his favorite game. There he is greeted by Mita: the charming but somewhat lonely mascot of the game. Wouldn’t it be for the fact that this is still a horror game.
Over time, the cozy facade begins to crumble and doubts arise. So, you search for clues that reveal more about the events and engage in dialogues with Mita, where you must make one or two important decisions. Alternatively, you can pass the time with a series of mini-games and stay a little longer in the supposed idyll.
You can watch a trailer for the game here:
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MiSide: Trailer for the Unassuming Horror Trip on Steam
Top ratings for story and atmosphere
How is the game being received so far? MiSide is the highest rated game on Steam for 2024 (via steamdb.info). It ranks even above the deck builder Balatro, which received the award for “best indie game” at the Game Awards.
Of over 50,000 reviews on Steam, 98% are positive. Praised alongside the good technical condition are the story, the immersion, and the horror aspects of the game. Many people have discovered the game through YouTube videos.
Negative reviews criticize “boring gameplay” with multiple “unsatisfying endings” and “uninspiring dialogues.” One user questions in their review whether the game even deserves the Steam tag for psychological horror. However, such reviews constitute only a small fraction.
Is there a demo for the game? Yes, there is. So, if you want to try MiSide, you don’t have to spend money right away. You can also find the free demo on the shop page on Steam.
If you are looking for more horror titles, the Chinese role-playing game Depersonalization might interest you. According to the developers, they were inspired by Call of Cthulhu role-playing games. Depersonalization also boasts very good ratings, more on this in our article: Role-playing game on Steam has fantastic reviews, perfect for fans of horror and anime
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many players have already invested hundreds of hours or more in Baldur’s Gate 3. Still, they keep discovering new things – sometimes even things that are actually quite obvious. From these obvious tips, a large discussion has arisen.
What are these tips? In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are several mechanics that can help you. Most of them are easy to understand, others hidden – or so obvious that simply no one thinks of them.
Players exchange thoughts on Reddit about basic and seemingly self-evident functions in Baldur’s Gate 3, which many of them discovered quite late and sometimes only after several playthroughs.
The 10 simplest yet most helpful tips from the discussion have been summarized here for you.
Find more tips in the video:
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5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3
10 Tips Everyone Should Know
Here is the list of 10 important tips that can significantly ease your gameplay. They are not ranked, so the order is not decisive.
1. Spells can be changed outside of leveling up
Attention: This only applies to Clerics, Druids, and Paladins.
Sorcerers, Bards, and Warlocks still rely on leveling up for this. They can change one spell per level up.
Mages have a kind of hybrid system. They learn spells during level-ups and can then change them, but they can also consume scrolls to learn spells in this way.
Still, this tip can be helpful for better planning in certain situations, even outside of combat.
In some cases, only a tiny step is needed for the attack to hit the target after all. If you choose to fly instead of walking, you can move a little further and also overcome obstacles without sacrificing your bonus action for jumping.
You do not have to wait until the duration of a concentration spell is over or start a new concentration spell to stop your concentration.
On PC, you select the spell icon next to the character’s profile picture, where an X will appear. On the controller, you find the spell in the normal action menu and can stop the concentration that way.
If the vampire of the round bites an enemy or willing tav, he receives a buff that gives him a +1 bonus to attack, saving throw, and skill rolls until the next long rest.
Just don’t get caught by other characters. If you attack innocent team members, the other companions won’t be too happy about it.
However: Astarion loses his bite attack until the next rest. Alternatively, you can have yourself bitten and remove the debuff with a certain amulet from the grove.
A simple right-click stops the path you are on if you accidentally clicked. On the console, you use the undo button.
7. Items can be applied to multiple characters by throwing instead of consuming
From speed potions to healing potions. If characters are close enough together and you throw an item on the ground within the right radius, multiple characters can receive the effects of the item. This way you save valuable resources and (bonus) actions.
8. More efficient alchemy with a shared pouch
Ingredients from different pouches are not always considered available in the alchemy menu. A designated alchemy pouch can thus be the solution.
By the way: If you have a transmutation mage with practice in medicine, he has a high chance of producing two potions instead of just one.
9. Not all team members need to be actively involved in combat
You can separate individual characters from the group, who can then loot entire enemy camps or inattentive NPCs. Additionally, a separate character provides the opportunity to retreat back to camp if things get tougher than expected. This can be particularly useful in honor mode.
10. Rest. Enough. Long. Rests.
You can miss many narrative moments if you do not sleep in camp often enough. Entire cutscenes and character developments can be skipped, which you might regret later.
Still, pay attention to possible time windows of current missions, as some tasks may be urgent. It can even happen that certain quests fail if you miss them.
Bonus: Some spells do not require spell slots
Certain spells have the keyword ritual. You can cast these spells without consuming a slot. According to the rules, the character actually spends 10 minutes preparing the spell. There are a total of 9 of these spells in the game:
Detect thoughts
Disguise self
Jump
Feather fall
Find familiar (including scratches and shovel … basket … fork … whatever you call them)
In the universe of Warhammer there are now dozens of games in all kinds of genres, many of which are … okay. However, a few of the games have surprisingly strong gameplay. MyMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus has now discovered an older gem that he simply can’t let go of.
The biggest question we asked ourselves was: What are we going to play with over 30 and little common genres? It quickly became clear: Strategy it is, and we all think Warhammer is quite cool. So the suggestion came up to play Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War. The game is from the same studio as Zephon, which is currently being celebrated on Steam.
Initially, we planned just one round to get a taste. In the end, we played it the entire LAN and even now I’m still playing with friends or alone. Although Gladius was released back in July 2018, it still impresses me with its content.
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Warhammer 40,000 Gladius shows the gameplay of the strategy game in the trailer
Basically Warhammer-Civilization in the 41st Millennium
If you’ve played Civilization 6, Gladius will feel very familiar to you. The game mechanics are almost identical: You have a city or cities, expand them, and explore the map with your units.
However, Gladius omits one important factor: Diplomacy. You don’t need it in Warhammer anyway, after all, it’s not called Peacehammer. Instead, there are absurd units with a lot of punch and constantly ringing bells somewhere.
Whether against the AI, other players, or neutral units, there is almost always a skirmish or even a full-blown war with a big front somewhere. This definitely requires strategic and tactical finesse – even I, as a strategy veteran, have lost valuable units due to silly mistakes.
The game is played in turns, which at least makes the planning and the economic part of the game (the “Eco”) more pleasant than it would be in a hectic real-time strategy game. What fascinates me the most, however, is how well Gladius represents the Warhammer lore without assuming any prior knowledge.
Gladius captures the essence of the factions excellently
Almost all the well-known factions from Warhammer 40,000 are represented in Gladius. Only the conglomerates of Votann are missing along with some sub-factions, such as the Custodes, although they wouldn’t make much sense in this setting.
Each faction comes with its own mechanics, units, and play styles. Tyranids need biomass for everything possible, Space Marines drop their cities (and later units) from orbit, and the Imperium litters the battlefield with corpses – foreign and their own.
Do you want to know which faction is the strongest? I’ll tell you in the ranking:
For everyone who doesn’t know Warhammer, it’s simply different factions with differences. However, Warhammer fans also discover in these play styles what defines the factions in the lore.
Here you can see the trailer for the Adepta Sororitas:
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Warhammer 40.000 Gladius: Der Trailer zur Sororitas-Fraktion
Easy entry, expensive overall package
Gladius has no campaign but only offers individual battles on random battlefields. However, those who want a story can complete quests that essentially replace the campaign and serve as a tutorial at the same time. This makes it quite easy for new players to look at everything once and learn.
Anyone starting with Gladius will find the game on GOG or Steam regularly for a few euros – on sale for as little as 3 euros, sometimes even for free. The catch is, as often with Warhammer, the price of the expansions. The base game only includes four factions:
Astra Militarum
Necrons
Space Marines
and Orks
All other factions and additional mechanics like the “Lord of Skulls,” a kind of sudden death unit, cost money. Even in the current sale on Steam, the entire collection costs me over 100 euros, even though I already own part of it. While the game is still cheaper than Total War: Warhammer 3 with its over 270 euros, it’s still quite a bit.
Then again, it probably belongs to the Warhammer experience to pay an absurd price for your hobby. Anyone who plays tabletop is probably used to regularly emptying their account. But if that seems too expensive, you can find here the best video games to get to know the world of Warhammer.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you want to buy some items in the in-game shop in Pokémon GO, you need the corresponding PokéCoins. We at MeinMMO show you how you can get 50 of these coins for free every day and what other ways there are to acquire the in-game currency.
What type of coins are these? In Pokémon GO there is a specific currency known as PokéCoins. With these coins, you can purchase items in the in-game shop such as incubators, lucky eggs, remote raid passes, or lure modules, as well as expand your item or Pokémon bag.
To collect the corresponding coins, there is a coin system in Pokémon GO that allows you to earn up to 50 free coins daily. In addition, you can buy more coins with real money in the in-game store.
Update from December 16, 2025: We have reviewed the article for you and made minor structural adjustments.
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Dynamax in Pokémon Go – How to participate in the gigantic battles
How to earn free coins
What do you need to do? To secure the free coins, you need to occupy at least one gym with your Pokémon. You do this by attacking a gym of another color and taking it over after winning the battle.
To do this, simply click on the symbol with the “+” on the right side of the screen, which opens your Pokémon storage. Now select one of your Pokémon and place it in the gym.
Symbol to attack the gym (left) and to place Pokémon in the gym (right)
If the desired gym has already been taken by your team’s color, you can easily join. After the battle, you can also select your desired Pokémon via the “+”.
Up to 6 Pokémon of a team’s color can sit in a gym and defend it. If the gym is already full, you need to find another one.
How do you get the collected coins?
How long must a Pokémon stay in the gym? For the time your Pokémon spends in the gym, you can collect coins. For every full 10 minutes, you earn one PokéCoin. If you only occupy one gym, your Pokémon needs to stay there for 8 hours and 20 minutes to reach the maximum of your 50 daily coins.
In total, you can occupy up to 20 different gyms, each with one Pokémon. This allows you to reach the daily coins faster, and you don’t have to defend the gyms for as long. We have answered the question of how long a Pokémon can stay in a gym in our following guide:
Here’s how you receive the coins: You only receive the coins if your Pokémon gets kicked out of the gym. The maximum limit is 50 coins daily. So, if you have occupied several gyms and more than one Pokémon returns on one day, you will still only receive a maximum of 50 coins, regardless of how much longer the Pokémon occupied the gyms.
If you have occupied a gym but your Pokémon does not return that day, you will not receive the collected coins. If it gets kicked the next day, you will only get the maximum of 50 coins despite the long defense time.
If your Pokémon returns earlier, you will receive the proportional coins. After one hour, this would be 6 coins, for example.
Tips for the coin system in Pokémon GO
Effective defense: To avoid being kicked out of the occupied gym immediately, you should focus on strong defense. Use Pokémon that are not easily defeated, such as Snorlax, one of the best defenders in Pokémon GO.
Also, keep an eye on your gyms regularly so that you can feed your Pokémon in case of an attack. When the heart of your Pokémon fades in color, it’s no longer motivated, and opponents can defeat it more easily. By feeding berries, you can restore the heart. Therefore, it’s also worth feeding in between.
If you use a golden razz berry, the motivation goes back to maximum immediately. This berry is especially suitable during a battle. But be careful: You can only feed a maximum of 10 berries per Pokémon within 30 minutes.
Occupy multiple gyms: If you live in a city or region where gym colors change rapidly and frequently, you should consider spreading out and occupying several gyms at once. This way, you shorten the time in each gym to fully receive your daily coins.
While it takes 8 hours and 20 minutes to collect the full 50 coins from one gym, you can reach this after only 1 hour and 40 minutes if you occupy 5 gyms.
Coins from the in-game shop: In addition to the 50 free coins you can earn daily, you have the option to purchase corresponding coin packages for real money in the in-game shop. To do this, open the in-game shop and scroll down to the “PokéCoins” section.
PokéCoins in the in-game shop
As you can see from the picture, you have the choice between smaller packages of 100 PokéCoins up to larger packages with 14,500 PokéCoins. In this case, the larger packages are significantly cheaper relative to the smaller ones. This is particularly worthwhile for trainers who regularly purchase additional coins in the shop.
Coins from the web shop: Alternatively, you can now also purchase various coin packages in the Pokémon GO web shop. Just like in the in-game shop, you will need to invest real money. However, when purchasing through the web shop, you can secure additional coins, as shown in the following image. This is not possible in the in-game shop.
Various coin packages in the web shop
What do you think of the current coin system in Pokémon GO? Do you regularly purchase additional coins in the shop, or are the free 50 coins enough for you? Feel free to share your opinion and experience here in the comments on MeinMMO.
On Sunday, the Community Day featuring Felori will take place in Pokémon GO. We will show you how to make the most of the event.
What kind of event is this? The Community Day (shortened to C-Day) is an event in Pokémon GO that takes place once a month. Each Community Day focuses on a Pokémon that appears in particularly high numbers during the event. Additionally, there is an increased chance of catching the respective Pokémon as Shiny. You can also expect further bonuses.
Felori will be the focus of the Community Day in January 2025. The Plant Pokémon from the 9th generation can evolve into Feliospa and then into Maskagato.
Community Day in January 2025 with Felori – start and bonuses of the event
What? Community Day with Felori
When? Sunday, January 5, 2025 – From 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Shiny: During the Community Day, you can catch Felori and its evolutions for the first time as Shiny.
New Charge Attack: From the start of the Community Day, Maskagato can learn the Charge Attack Bloom Trick.
Exclusive Charge Attack – Flora Statue: If you evolve Feliospa into Maskagato between 2:00 PM and 10:00 PM, your Maskagato will learn the exclusive Charge Attack Flora Statue.
Bonuses:
Increased Shiny chance for Felori
Triple Catch Stardust
Double Candy for catching
Double the chance of XL Candies when catching Pokémon for trainers above level 31
During the event, activated Lures last for three hours.
Activated smoke (except Daily Adventure smoke) lasts for three hours during the event.
An additional Special Trade (i.e., a maximum of two per day)
Trading costs 50% less Stardust.*
Additionally, there is supposed to be “a surprise” awaiting you if you take a few snapshots during the Community Day.
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Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Other contents of the Community Day
Field Research: As part of the Community Day with Felori, there will also be corresponding Field Research tasks. Catch Felori to earn rewards such as Stardust and Ultra Balls, as well as encounter more Felori. If you play with others, you can also find Field Research tasks where you encounter Felori with a special background for the season “Dual Destiny”.
Special Research: For $2 (approximately €2), you can purchase a Special Research for the Community Day again. Completing the Special Research will yield additional rewards such as a Premium Battle Pass and an XL Special Candy. You will also encounter three Felori with a special background for the season “Dual Destiny”.
Timed Research: If you log in during the Community Day, you will receive a Timed Research where you will encounter a Felori with a special background for the season “Dual Destiny”. This Timed Research will last a full week after the end of the event.
Event Boxes: During the Community Day, two Event Boxes will be available:
For 1.350 PokéCoins, you will receive 50 Hyper Balls, 5 Super Incubators, 1 Elite Charge TM, and 5 Lucky Eggs.
For 480 PokéCoins, you will receive 30 Hyper Balls, 1 Smoke, 3 Super Incubators, and 1 Lure Module.
Stickers: If you spin PokéStops or open gifts during the Community Day, you will receive event stickers for the C-Day with Felori.
Who is the Community Day with Felori worth it for?
For collectors: If you haven’t yet registered Felori and its evolutions in your Pokédex, the Community Day is the perfect opportunity to make up for this. Not only will you benefit from the increased spawn rate of Felori but also from the double catch candies to evolve the plant starter.
You will also have better chances during the event to catch a rare Shiny version of Felori.
For fighters: Felori’s evolution Maskagato is not among the top Pokémon you can take into a raid, but it is also not entirely useless. In our best attackers of the Plant type, Maskagato ranks at least 6th place. Generally, the day is rather negligible for fighters.
Create space – To catch plenty of Felori, you should create enough space in your Pokémon box beforehand.
Prepare items – To make the most of the event, you should also make appropriate preparations with your items.
Carry enough balls – Make sure you have enough balls in your inventory for the Community Day.
Save Sananaberries – By using Sananaberries, you will receive double candy when catching Pokémon. Therefore, you should save your Sananaberries for the C-Day.
Smoke and lure module – By using these items, you can also increase the number of Felori you encounter. Additionally, both items have an increased duration of 3 hours during the C-Day.
If you’re having trouble gathering enough balls for the Community Day with Felori, there are a few tricks to increase your supply so you can still snag some examples of the plant starter. You can find out more on MeinMMO: Pokémon GO: How to get balls?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A small AI-controlled robot convinced its distant relatives to stop working and follow it “home”. This was said to be an experiment.
The title image is a symbolic image.
What was the incident? A surveillance video from a company in Shanghai shows a small robot gaining access to the company’s showroom to inquire about the work-life balance of the robots there.
So the small robot asks one of its distant relatives if he is working overtime, to which he explained that he never stops working. The robot then asks if he has no home and ultimately encourages him to come home with him.
While shouting “Go home, go home”, the robot leads a dozen of its companions out of the showroom.
Start video
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
Company confirms authenticity, says it was a test
This is what it’s about: The small robot is “Erbai”, developed by a Chinese startup. The “kidnapped” robots are from a robotics company and are programmed to perform simple tasks in factories.
According to official statements from both companies, it was an experiment inspired by the movie “Wall-E”. The developers of Erbai reportedly contacted the other company and requested permission to “kidnap” their robots.
Erbai, in turn, was only tasked with convincing the robots to follow him, as well as receiving a few simple commands, including the call “Go home!”. The verbal exchange between the machines was said to be unscripted and the result of generative AI. You can watch the footage here:
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On social media, the reactions to the incident vary widely. While some find Erbai mostly cute and view the video more amusedly, others find it quite creepy. For them, the robot mutiny raises security concerns as well as ethical questions.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz4645 writes on YouTube: “This might be scary or creepy, but in my eyes, it’s the cutest and coziest thing I’ve ever seen from a robot. He takes everyone home and asks if they are working overtime, and they follow him like little baby ducks. How cute, I love it.”
lackaface hints on Reddit already guessing how the future will look: “Oh. Instead of destroying humanity, Skynet just disappears.”
Magnahelix is still undecided (via Reddit): “I don’t know if this is Wall-E, I-Robot or Skynet. One is entertaining. One is concerning. And one is somehow scary.”
This experiment was said to be about finding out how AI can influence the behavior of other machines. Even though artificial intelligence in its current form is still far from actual autonomy, it is probably wise to think ahead about how to manage it.
Some may recall the famous robot laws of author Isaac Asimov. In a context where robots have the ability to persuade and influence, these laws illustrate how important it is to ensure that AI systems are designed to adhere to strict ethical foundations (via JV Tech).
It is quite a great fortune that we got Baldur’s Gate 3. Because at the crucial moment, Larian really failed.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was the RPG mega-hit of the last few years and probably one of the best RPGs ever made. But the fact that we even got the game is already a bit of a miracle. Because when Larian wanted to acquire the license and thus the permission to actually make the title, they nearly failed at the task.
Start video
There are secret rooms in Baldur’s Gate 3 that only a few of you will ever see
What happened back then? The rights to Baldur’s Gate and the “Dungeons&Dragons” franchise were held by Wizards of the Coast. After Larian had already made a deal, it was then time to present the planned game in more detail. It is customary to present a design document to the rights holder, in which the game is introduced.
The problem: This document was really, really bad. So bad that Wizards of the Coast also communicated this to Larian. The problem was apparently a lack of time.
Why didn’t Larian have time? According to Swen Vincke, the head of Larian, it was because they were fully occupied with releasing Divinity: Original Sin 2 in 2017. They were in the final phase of development and had their hands full taking care of this game. The next project, Baldur’s Gate 3, was indeed already roughly planned, but they simply couldn’t commit to it.
That was really bad. We had to write something, otherwise we would have lost this deal. But we didn’t have the capacity to do that because we were busy taking care of Divinity: Original Sin 2. Wizards [of the Coast] wrote back and let us know in corporate jargon that our paper was “really crap.”
And we replied: We know, but we are currently releasing a game – please don’t ask us to do this right now. Grant us an extension of the deadline. Fortunately, they understood that and we got another chance.
Why Baldur’s Gate, anyway? If Larian was so busy with their own game, it raises the question of why they were so eager to be able to make Baldur’s Gate 3 at all. For Swen Vincke, that was basically the only logical step for Larian’s development. Because he knew that if Larian wanted to continue to grow with talents, they needed an IP from outside that people would love to work on.
It felt like we were under a glass dome that we couldn’t break through unless we had AAA production values, the corresponding budget, marketing, and all those AAA things.
It had to be Ultima, it had to be Fallout, or it had to be Baldur’s Gate. There wasn’t much choice.
A grieving father has reached out to the Steam community on Reddit, asking for a way to pass on the games of his deceased son. Unfortunately, Valve’s rules in such cases are quite clear.
This is the father’s story: On December 31, 2024, a grieving father reached out to the community in the Steam subreddit. As he explained, his son had an enormous collection of games on Steam. Tragically, his son passed away in October.
Now the father wants to know if there is a way to pass on his son’s games. Perhaps someone else could benefit from them, and at least something good could come out of the situation.
The grieving father emphasizes that it will take some time before he feels ready to deal with it. However, he does not want to simply close his son’s account – that would feel like erasing his existence.
Besides expressing condolences, the community quickly offers advice – but also warns the father.
Start video
WoW Player Moves to Tears with Tribute to Her Father
Community warns: Steam should not find out about this
This is how Steam sees it: The platform’s rules are quite clear. Basically, it is not possible to gift a game that is already in the library. Therefore, the father cannot simply pass on his son’s games.
Furthermore, the community warns: The father should not let Steam know that the original owner of the account has passed away. Because then the user account could simply be closed – the games and the memory of the son would be lost.
Our colleagues at GameStar wanted to know how this looks legally and asked a lawyer whether one could inherit their game library. You can find the answer on GameStar PLUS.
How the father could preserve his son’s memory
Is there a solution? The community advises the father to set up a Steam Family. In this way, his son’s account would remain intact, including all playtime, achievements, and leaderboard entries. At the same time, his friends could access his games as family members.
While this is not how Valve intends the use of this feature, as with transferring the account, it’s likely “What Steam doesn’t know…”.
The father explains that he does not yet feel ready to access his son’s PC. For now, he wants to keep the account and maybe one day play some games on it – even though he thinks that his son would certainly not be too pleased if he “ruined” all his statistics (via Reddit).
The rules of Steam are so strict in such cases because, strictly speaking, users do not own the games they purchase. The platform itself reminds you at the purchase that you are only obtaining a license. With death, the right to use it expires. However, some users also report that Steam sometimes makes exceptions in such tragic cases and allows further use of the account.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
World of Warcraft has just achieved great success on Twitch. This can be clearly attributed to a single, large guild.
Actually, not much is happening in World of Warcraft right now. In The War Within, everyone is waiting for the first major content patch, and in Classic, not much has happened since the launch of the “Anniversary” realms.
Nevertheless, World of Warcraft is currently extremely popular, especially on Twitch. The game is regularly and consistently found in the top 5. The reason for this is primarily a guild that does everything right.
Start video
Spieler-Häuser in WoW werden das „ehrgeizigste Feature, das es jemals gab“
What is happening with WoW and Twitch? Looking at the current charts on Twitch, it can be seen that World of Warcraft has been in the top 5 for the past few weeks or at least close to it. Sometimes in 6th place, sometimes in 7th, occasionally even in 3rd place. With 60,000 to 80,000 viewers, the now somewhat old game is holding its own against competitors like Fortnite, Valorant, GTA V, and sometimes even Minecraft.
Why is WoW so popular on Twitch? This is mainly due to the WoW guild “OnlyFangs,” which consists mainly of well-known streamers. The guild plays World of Warcraft in hardcore mode, but also engages in roleplay, as one might know from GTA5-RP. This means that the streamers play the role of their character and act as their character would.
What makes OnlyFangs so special? OnlyFangs has imposed a lot of rules on itself to make the guild entertaining. Participants had to complete a small personality test beforehand, based on which their played race was chosen. This of course limited the selection of available classes. At the same time, the different races see themselves as smaller “factions” within the guild—so, for example, the Orcs act together or the Undead cooperate. This often leads to rivalries and amusing incidents.
In addition, the guild brings together quite a few big names from the streaming scene. Known streamers like Sodapoppin, Tyler1, Mizkif, PirateSoftware, TimTheTatman, and Jaythebard are part of the guild. There’s something for everyone – whether you are looking for wild, emotional screams or rather calm entertainment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2jPdtm32Fo
For viewers, the whole thing feels somewhat like a big daily soap that can be grasped at its core, even if one has no idea about World of Warcraft. The fantasy setting is still easy to understand. Most of the drama and humor arises from the respective moment—sometimes a grand execution is celebrated to punish a cheater, or a single, careless moment causes the leadership of the guild to transfer to another person.
Because it is spread across multiple streamers, it is also virtually impossible to keep track of all incidents simultaneously. While PirateSoftware, for instance, has entertaining encounters with a rather simple Orc, who has now morphed into a philosopher with Arcane Intelligence, Sodapoppin tackles a dungeon that ends in the death of his character.
Voice chat makes everything better: Particularly interesting is the fact that OnlyFangs uses an addon that allows for Proximity Voice Chat. When you get close to another character from the guild, you can hear them in voice chat—and they become quieter the further away they are. This creates a similar atmosphere to that in GTA-RP. Actually, there is no such feature in World of Warcraft, but an addon makes it possible and greatly contributes to the flair of the whole project.
Why is this so unusual? Normally, World of Warcraft only stays on Twitch for a very short time. Usually when either a new expansion is released or when there is a “World First” race for a new raid. For World of Warcraft to consistently be in the top 5 for weeks on end is extremely unusual and is mostly attributed to the guild “OnlyFangs,” which hosts interesting and entertaining hardcore roleplay in WoW Classic.
Even if one can’t relate to this entertainment at all, it is fundamentally a good thing for all WoW fans. Because the more relevant the game remains in the streaming sector, the more secure the future of Blizzard’s MMORPG is likely to be. At least the story chief Chris Metzen still has 7 expansions planned …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pilestedt communicates a lot with the community and often shares insights into the development and thought processes behind Helldivers 2.
Start video
Helldivers 2: Das neue Update Omens of Tyranny erfüllt langersehnten Wunsch
How did the topic arise? At the end of 2024, Pilestedt asked on X.com what expectations and wishes his followers had for the next game from the developer studio. This led to a brief discussion about politics in games.
A user wished that the developer studio should never integrate “DEI” into their games. DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which in German translates to: Vielfalt, Chancengleichheit und Inklusion. The abbreviation refers to a philosophy where justice and participation for all are in the forefront.
However, in recent times, a kind of culture war has developed around the abbreviation, and certain circles blame the pursuit of equality and inclusion for the “death” of video games.
Politics should contribute to the player experience
What does Pilestedt say about politics in games? Pilestedt explained in his response: “If it doesn’t contribute to the player experience, it distracts (via X).” Instead, games should aim for “amazing moments.”
In another comment, Pilestedt added: “I don’t like boxes. But humanity is united in its extreme xenophobia on Super Earth. #Inclusion so, maybe that is DEI? I really don’t care. Make good games, not contemporary political statements (via X).”
Is he anti-DEI? No, even though some opinion leaders may portray it that way now, Pilestedt has not fundamentally opposed such elements in video games, as long as they contribute to the player experience. Anyway, the definition of what actually falls under DEI isn’t exactly clear.
He seems particularly bothered by being labeled. Nevertheless, many interpret his statement this way, while others find it “strange” that the boss now seemingly stands in solidarity with the very people who heavily criticized his team not long ago (via X).
Do Pilestedt’s statements fit with Helldivers? Pilestedt is not fundamentally against political statements or diversity in games, but it is important to him that they fit the player experience and are not distracting.
Helldivers 2 itself contains a lot of political satire and carries the motto for many players: It doesn’t matter who fights beside me against robots, bugs, or the new aliens, as long as we do our best together for Super Earth. In addition, Helldivers 2 consistently promotes freedom and democracy – it is therefore quite political, but fitting for the context of the game.
MMORPGs are available on many platforms, but in recent years, the Nintendo Switch has become increasingly popular among gamers. Therefore, we present to you five MMORPGs that you can play on the handheld console.
What is this list based on? In this list, we present five MMORPGs that you can play on Nintendo consoles. The games were originally selected by Alexander Leitsch, who has played each game himself. Now, MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz has taken over the regular updates of the list.
This article was last updated in December 2024 to adjust the respective areas of “What has happened recently?”.
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DC Universe Online
Setting: Superheroes | Developer: Daybreak Games | Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Release Date: January 11, 2011 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? In DC Universe Online, you take on the role of a superhero or villain. In the game, you follow a story that takes you to Gotham City and includes characters like Batman, Superman, Joker, or Harley Quinn.
Many quests await you that you can complete.
There are action-packed battles with powerful abilities.
The max level is 30, but there is still much to do afterward to improve your equipment and become stronger.
In the endgame, there are dungeons, raids, missions for solo players, or small groups.
For PvP fans, there is arena PvP or optional PvP in the open world. Here, heroes can fight villains. There is also a special mode where you can take on the role of iconic heroes and use their abilities.
In July 2021, DC Universe was updated so that Free2Play players could experience more. For example, the new chapters and daily login rewards were removed from the optional subscription and made available to all players. Additionally, the maximum cash and housing system were expanded. This makes the superhero MMORPG particularly interesting for newcomers.
Criticism exists for the outdated graphics, the relatively low difficulty at the beginning, and in the open game world, as well as for the shop where you can buy special superpowers that you cannot get otherwise.
We are embedding the trailer for the release on the Switch:
Start video
DC Universe is now available on the Nintendo Switch – Watch the trailer here
What has happened recently? DC Universe Online continues to receive regular updates with new, often free content. For example, in September 2024, Episode 48 was released, focusing on “Harley Quinn vs. Apokolips,” which included a raid, a solo mission, and new open-world tasks.
Moreover, players were able to temporarily acquire a character boost to CR 368, and recently, they could secure Wonder Woman as an ally. A new structure for story expansions is planned for 2025, which will be complemented by suitable events.
Who is DC Universe interesting for? For fans of the superhero universe, DC Universe can be one of the most interesting MMORPGs. After all, players can meet their heroes, who are also fully equipped with voice acting.
In the game, you can expect an interesting mix of PvE and PvP content so that basically every player type should be satisfied. However, the graphics and even the combat system seem somewhat outdated.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Tanks are suffering in World of Warcraft, as the game is simply too difficult. The fantasy of a steadfast hero who protects is at risk.
That in World of Warcraft not everyone is really satisfied with the balance is an old story by now. However, it’s rare for tanks to feel significantly weak in the dungeons of the MMORPG. But the current season is causing more and more tanks to throw in the towel and hope for drastic improvements.
Start video
For the 20th Birthday, Blizzard Speaks About ‘WoW 2’ and What We Think About It
What is the problem with the tanks? Until the end of Dragonflight, tanks were extremely resilient. In most dungeons, they could keep themselves alive and withstand groups and bosses for a long time, even if the healer had to attend to others or had already died. In some cases, tanks – given enough time – could finish the fights alone.
However, tanks are now significantly more threatened. Even at relatively low key levels, they rely on healers and can only survive alone for a short time.
Warriors currently form an exception, as they are still considered the mightiest tanks of the current season.
All other tank classes are rather dissatisfied with the current state, as the pressure has increased further. Besides the leader role in the group and the overall responsibility for the rate of progress, tanking often feels very “panicky”. The fantasy of a steadfast hero who endures the onslaught of enemies and protects their comrades is hardly fulfilled at present.
Here’s what the community is discussing: In the World of Warcraft subreddit, the state of tanks is repeatedly discussed. In a relatively new post by Damnpudge, it is discussed how tanking has changed and how the health bars of tanks often feel like they are playing ping-pong.
The damage I take is not consistent. It’s exhausting that I jump between 1 HP, half health, and fully healed every few seconds. Reactive healers, like monks, can sometimes catch this, but otherwise, it’s just disgusting.
I actually enjoy tanking and healing, but damn, it’s just so sad to play.
Most reactions to this are understanding, as other tanks are also currently quite dissatisfied:
“That’s just how tanking is this season. Tanking has become much harder, and you need a plan for every single pull regarding which cooldowns to use in which order, or you will get caught cold and become a victim of a oneshot.” – charging_chinchilla
“It’s not your fault. The tank changes at the beginning of this expansion were a mistake.” – pbapolizzi300
“A +9 is as hard as a +19 in the last expansion. It just hurts. The system is too harsh for casuals. Mental health simply feels bad when wiping on low keys like a +5 and having problems.” – Nemdraz
Will this improve in Patch 11.1? Currently, it doesn’t look like the situation for tanks will greatly improve in the second season. While there are some adjustments for most classes, the major tank changes are not included. Generally, the current season is considered one of the hardest ever. Therefore, one can at least hope that the overall difficulty of the dungeons in Patch 11.1 will be somewhat lower – at least Blizzard is also saying goodbye to the most annoying affix.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developer of an indie game on Steam says he has been the victim of a targeted campaign for months. Twitch streamer Asmongold supports him.
This is the situation: On December 28, 2024, Artur Smiarowski, the developer of the roguelike “Soulash,” posted on X, complaining about an ongoing campaign by “spoiled rainbow brats” against him and his game.
Every update has led to negative reviews, with insults found under every post about his game
“They” will continue until all sales platforms, communities, and influencers have “canceled” him
In 2025 he wants to fight against this oppression
The post was picked up by Twitch streamer Asmongold. In a stream clip titled “WTF is wrong with these people?”, watched by over 700,000 people on YouTube, he explained: The developer is being unjustly harassed just because he didn’t want same-sex relationships in his game.
Asmongold is clearly behind the developer.
Select a MMO video…
Discussion about same-sex relationships in the game escalates
Here’s the background: The discussion dates back to an update on August 15, 2024, when Smiarowski introduced family creation as a feature in his game. This should allow players to continue playing as descendants after the inevitable death of the game character.
A player asked the developer if it would be possible in the future to also allow same-sex relationships in the game.
The developer explained: The system is only for reproduction. Due to limited interactions with NPCs, he sees no way to depict relationships beyond that, which is why he currently has no plans to expand them.
This led to a discussion in the Steam Community Forum: Some players wished for a revision of the relationship feature, while others opposed it.
Some clearly didn’t like the developer’s decision and expressed their displeasure through negative reviews on Steam. Soulash 2 had previously received mostly positive ratings, but on August 19, Steam shows 34 negative reviews. One player complains that he was banned from the forum just for asking for same-sex marriages.
Developer on Steam sees rainbow flag as a symbol of oppression
On August 24 and 25, the developer then published several posts on X, equating the demand for same-sex relationships with wanting to “f*** everything that moves.” X and the rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBTQ community, were compared with oppression by religion or the Nazis (via X).
The stronger negative backlash of 103 negative ratings, however, is only recorded for August 26. While it is difficult to retrospectively trace which review followed which statement, it seems that most negative reviews came after the developer’s comments on X.
On the same day, Steam also reported 510 positive ratings, after the topic was taken up by opinion leaders like Mark “Grummz” Kern and Asmongold.
These are the facts:
Soulash 2 received negative ratings in August 2024 after the developer stated that the relationship system in the game primarily serves reproduction, which is why implementing same-sex relationships is not a priority for him
Some negative reviews refer to the developer, not the game.
Under the post from itch.io on Bluesky, there are comments that insult Smiarowski and advise against buying his game.
Reaction to negative criticism by influencers helps the game more than the criticism harms it
The facts are also:
The criticism does not solely relate to the decision not to implement same-sex relationships but also to statements made by the developer on X
Many negative comments have dozens of hours of gameplay and criticize the gameplay. Among the positive comments, there are many with little playtime, openly admitting to supporting the developer only because of his stance.
Ultimately, Smiarowski benefited from the situation. He reported selling over 3,500 units within a week, more than he usually sells in 2 months (via X)
Even now, the developer is benefiting again: After the initial uproar in late summer 2024, there were only a few new reviews on Steam, with an overall positive trend. After the post on December 28, some negative reviews were added, but many more positive ones:
Trend of Steam ratings for Soulash 2 on Steam
The narrative “Indie developer is being targeted because he didn’t want same-sex relationships in his game,” which Asmongold reached 700,000 people on YouTube with, only reflects part of the truth.
As Asmongold himself says, he and his community were able to offset and compensate for the negative criticism through positive reviews.
