Fallout has a complex world full of tiny details. The creator of the series now explains what beans are all about – and how important they were in the game’s design.
Who is the creator of Fallout? Tim Cain was the lead developer on Fallout 1 and thus involved in the conception of the world and its inhabitants. He now runs a YouTube channel, where he often shares stories and old anecdotes. He also addresses frequently asked questions, such as: How many vaults are there?
Recently, Tim Cain talked about the timeline of the first game. It takes place in 2161 in Southern California, exactly 84 years after the devastating nuclear war between China and the USA.
As a result of this conflict, the Earth was devastated and the post-apocalypse began. Those who could afford it retreated to the safe vaults during the war. All others either died or barely survived on the surface.
Tim Cain has now explained why he and his team decided on the time jump of 84 years – and what beans have to do with it.
Why exactly 84 years? Tim Cain explains that they wanted to let enough years pass after the war so that most people from that time would no longer be alive.
The 84 years also have another practical reason: The developers wanted certain things from the time of the war to still be usable. As an example, Tim Cain mentions canned beans:
I remember that we talked about finding canned goods, and although canned goods are only good for 10 or 20 years, they are really good if they don’t start to swell. So if you find a can of beans and the seal seems okay and the beans aren’t swollen, you can probably eat them. So we wanted canned goods, which limited our research options to less than a century.
The same goes for weapons and ammunition that players can find. However, the team was divided on this issue. Some claimed that weapons would remain usable for a long time, while ammunition would not. That can become unusable faster because moisture can invade.
To solve this problem, the developers invented the weapon smugglers in the wasteland, who fill old cartridge cases with newly manufactured gunpowder and then sell them.
Other elements like batteries or atomic generators should still work. Overall, the goal was to create a scenario that is clearly recognizable as a post-apocalypse but not too far into the future.
The collectible card game Pokémon TCG Pocket has introduced its next booster with “Mythical Island”. You can read what is included and what to expect on MeinMMO.
What kind of booster is this? With “Mythical Island”, Pokémon TCG Pocket has presented its latest booster. This will provide you with a number of new cards for games against AI and human opponents in the future. In advance, there were leaks and rumors surrounding the new expansion.
What is included? The new booster “Mythical Island” comes with the following content:
80 new cards
5 new EX cards. These are particularly powerful cards in the game.
5 Trainer cards
several so-called Alt-Arts: These are cards where the design evolves across the entire card. These cards are unique but not stronger than the normal cards. Therefore, they are more like alternatives to the regular cards.
Trailer shows what to expect in the new booster
What could be seen? In the trailer, you could see the new “Mew ex” and “Aerodactyl ex,” among other things. We also got a glimpse of the Alt-Arts of Dedenne, Vaporeon, and Marshadow.
Normal cards for “Serpifeu” and “Ignivor” were also shown, whose evolutions “Serpiroyal” and “Ramoth” could receive interesting cards.
This is just a preview of the 80 new cards that are to be included in the new booster.
Here you can watch the trailer:
Start video
Pokémon TCG Pocket: Trailer shows new booster pack with Mew
When will the booster be released? The new booster “Mythical Island” will officially be released in the game on December 17, 2024. It is not yet known how large the update will be. It is also unknown whether there will be just one booster or multiple ones.
What’s next for TCG Pocket? The leaks were correct about the date, December 17, 2024. In fact, we also know how things are planned to proceed in the future. Because there is already a basic schedule of current dates, events, and releases in Pokémon TCG Pocket. You can find more information directly with us on MeinMMO: Pokémon TCG Pocket Roadmap: Everything about upcoming expansions and events.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A look at old games holds many surprises. Because even if some titles have been around for years, they can still impress with their graphics. Some users came across this on Reddit.
How time flies. Beloved games suddenly grow older and, compared to current titles, do not look that great anymore. This is realized when one reaches for the dusty library on Steam and Co. after a long time and retrieves long-forgotten titles.
The surprise is even greater when a game still looks really good. This experience was made by a user on Reddit. He shared a screenshot from the shooter Battlefield 4 and wrote: ‘I am amazed that this graphics were possible in 2013.’
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The image shows a hallway with several lockers, where light comes through small windows. There are paintings on the wall, otherwise just a lot of dust and dirt.
The screenshot receives a lot of positive feedback in the community.
Battlefield 2042 reveals Season 7 in action-packed gameplay trailer
Much praise for Battlefield
What does the community say? In light of the screenshot from Battlefield 4, users can only be amazed. After all, the game was released back in October 2013. Yes, you may feel old.
That BF4 is not afraid of comparison with current games does not surprise the community too much. The old parts of the Battlefield series generally fare well in the comments. Overall, the series is currently not doing too well.
Some still find Battlefield 3 quite beautiful. The user crazycakemanflies believes he knows the reason: ‘It is all a matter of artistic design. BF3, 4, 1, and 5 all look great but are not graphically EXACTLY lifelike. There is a softness in everything that makes the games look timeless in my opinion.’
In the case of Battlefield 3, however, the blue filter that often overlays the picture is criticized.
That the games from developer DICE still look good today is probably also due to the graphics engine Frostbite. The user Spiritual_Ask4877 writes: ‘Frostbite was ahead of its time.’
According to the user InvidiuousPlay, one reason for the beautiful graphics is that the lighting is pre-rendered and not calculated live. In English, this is called ‘baked lighting’. While this means the light cannot change, so a change of time of day is excluded, the image can be all the more consciously designed.
The user JakeEaton even finds that graphics have stagnated a bit since 2013. When looking at the technological progress between 1994 and 2004, there was a much bigger leap than between 2013 and 2024, he writes.
Even though graphics are certainly not everything, they do make up part of the gaming experience. It is amazing that today we look back at an 11-year-old game and it looks hardly less beautiful than it did then. Gaming was not only beautiful in the past but sometimes also a bit weird: The community on Reddit shows how tough decisions in games used to be
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Palworld was a surprising hype title at the beginning of the year, especially appealing to fans of survival and Pokémon. Currently, the developer of Palworld, Pocketpair, is in a legal dispute with Nintendo. Now, they even changed an animation.
What is the current status of Palworld? Palworld was released as a kind of “Pokémon with guns” in January 2024 and for a long time, not much was heard from Nintendo regarding this – and this is despite the fact that the company is known to go to court and the similarities to their own Pokémon were obvious to all. However, in September 2024, a lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit concerns allegedly violated patent rights related to various game mechanics as well as the design of the monsters. The legal dispute is still ongoing. Pocketpair is fighting against the lawsuit. However, they spontaneously changed an animation that strongly resembles Pokémon, but do not cite Nintendo as the reason for the measure.
Start video
Nintendo files lawsuit against Palworld creators!
New animation now resembles the anime
What has changed? The update v0.3.11 didn’t actually change much. The main aspect is the throwing animation when the player wants to summon their own Pal. Now, instead of throwing a ball, the Pal is summoned directly from the player’s hand.
This strongly resembles the Pokémon anime, where trainers often summon their Pokémon by simply holding the ball forward without throwing it. Interestingly, the catching animation remains the same for now. You still throw a Pal sphere at the monsters.
Pocketpair cites in the official patch notes on Steam that this way the Pal is guaranteed to be summoned close to the player. Whether the legal dispute has any influence on this is unknown.
The patents for which Nintendo is filing the lawsuit correspond to the animation, as Forbes reports:
One patent concerns the aiming and throwing of objects towards a character, which creates a combat status.
Another patent deals with the ability to catch wild creatures.
The third patent is about riding creatures in an open world and switching between these creatures.
Many fans of indie games are eagerly watching the potential outcomes of the legal dispute, as it could also affect other Pokémon-inspired games in the future. Some developers could find themselves facing lawsuits from smaller companies over mechanics. If you’re interested in monster games, there might be a new game for you: A new game on Steam is like Pokémon, but set in a dark world with monsters from horror movies
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player buys a used PS5, but when he connects it to his TV, he realizes that the storage space is way too large. The seller didn’t remove his SSD and also didn’t delete his games. However, the games aren’t as useful as it sounds.
A player reports that he bought a used PS5. But when he connects it for the first time at home, he finds out that the PS5 has significantly more storage than usual.
What went wrong? The seller probably upgraded his PS5 with an M.2 SSD and forgot to remove it when selling the console. According to the posted picture, a SN850X from Western Digital with 4 TB is installed in the used PS5. The buyer shows this in a post on Reddit.com.
In another post, the buyer explained that he contacted the seller. But the seller doesn’t seem to care about losing the 4 TB SSD. Instead, he explained that he simply forgot to format his SSD again before selling.
Start video
Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro
The installed games are useless because the new owner of the PS5 cannot use them
Why are the games useless? The former owner reset the PS5 to its factory state. This deactivates all accounts. However, the games installed on the PS5 cannot be used without the corresponding license.
Since the buyer does not own the licenses, he cannot start the games and can only clean the SSD by deleting everything. So he has not, as he hoped, been able to enjoy playing dozens of games for free without having to pay for them.
The seller also commented on this (via Reddit.com):
I just contacted the seller and he says he forgot to format it [the PS5] before shipping. No problem at all, since the console reset itself to factory settings and logged out all accounts, making the games useless.
Why is the reset so important? If you don’t reset your PS5, another player who buys your PS5 not only has access to your games but, in the worst-case scenario, access to your bank account, which you have set as a payment method on the PS5.
We would therefore always urgently advise you to do a few basic things if you want to sell your PS5:
Note the serial number of the PS5: This can be useful when it comes to warranty cases later or if the PS5 should break down.
Remove all USB devices or discs: This also includes wireless adapters from external headsets or controllers.
Back up games and data: This applies especially to save files. If you have a “PS Plus” subscription, save files are usually automatically backed up in the cloud.
Remove the M.2 SSD from the PS5: This is exactly what the seller accidentally forgot in this case. Depending on the model, this can indeed become an expensive “gift” for the next buyer.
Reset the console to factory settings: This will remove all your personal data from the console.
Meanwhile, Sony has also officially launched its PS5 Pro in stores. However, the PS5 and PS5 Pro look very similar at first glance, as Sony has hardly changed the design at all.
A new trailer has now revealed the 9 announced jobs for the mobile version of Final Fantasy XIV for the first time. This shows significant differences compared to the PC and console versions of the popular MMORPG.
What can be seen in the trailer? The video shows – similar to the job trailers known from the original Final Fantasy XIV – the 9 jobs that will be available in the mobile version:
Warrior (Defender)
Paladin (Defender)
Bard (Physical Ranged Damage Dealer)
Black Mage (Magical Ranged Damage Dealer)
Summoner (Magical Ranged Damage Dealer)
Monk (Melee Damage Dealer)
Dragoon (Melee Damage Dealer)
Scholar (Healer)
White Mage (Healer)
In the process, you can see each of the jobs in action, and the appropriate animations are shown for each ability. So there are two tanks, two healers, and a total of five damage dealers to choose from. Thus, for almost every role, there is an alternative – only the physical ranged damage dealers must settle for the Bard due to lack of options.
Start video
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile – Trailer showcases the 9 jobs and first gameplay
Like FF14, but more compact?
What makes the mobile version different? Anyone who is already familiar with the skills of the counterparts from Final Fantasy XIV will probably recognize the classes shown in the video – only, there are much fewer of them than in the current state of the MMORPG.
Each job seems to have a basic attack in the mobile version (large transparent circle) and brings at least six of the abilities known from the main game (smaller circles around it). Typical buffs and debuffs also seem to be present again, displayed above the character’s health points.
Abilities that would typically complement or transform in combos seem to be displayed in the mobile version via additional, smaller buttons based on the situation. The job bars will also be simplified.
Some situational combos will be displayed in additional buttons on the screen when you have to make a decision within a combo (as seen with the Monk, around minute 1:55). Essentially, the jobs seem to function similarly to how you already know them, just in a more compact version, with a limited ability set.
Graphically, the overall presentation in the game is impressive – at least considering that it is a mobile game and therefore faces limited capabilities. The signature of the original is definitely recognizable. However, the question arises as to how the finished game will present itself in its entirety and what possibilities will allow players to personalize their experience.
The job trailer shows that many familiar elements are also returning in the mobile version.
What hints are there for additional gameplay elements? Looking closely at the trailer, various buttons can be seen that indicate specific functions. For example, the arrow in the upper right corner seems to indicate the type of camera control. A small button next to the abilities indicates the possibility to target individual enemies and fix abilities on them.
At the bottom left, there is a button for chat and directly next to it the symbol for emotes. A circle featuring a Chocobo is depicted a bit above, indicating that you can also look forward to riding mounts. An arrow above likely serves to open the menu.
The developers of Path of Exile 2 have introduced the twelve Ascendancy classes shortly before the start of the Early Access phase, which you can play in the early version of PoE2.
Update: We have added more information about the classes to this article on December 12, 2024.
What are Ascendancy classes? They were already present in the first Path of Exile and allow you to specialize your class by following the path of an Ascendancy. For example, the Duelist can become a Slayer, Gladiator, or Champion. Almost all classes from PoE have three specializations.
The gameplay trailer for the Early Access launch of Path of Exile 2:
Start video
Path of Exile 2 shows new gameplay trailer for early access
The Ascendancies of the Sorceress
Stormweaver: Can influence the weather and summon an elemental storm. The class focuses on turning the elements against enemies and applying as many strong status effects as possible. The class is especially suited for builds that target elements.
Chronomancer: Manipulates time to prematurely finish cooldowns, freeze opponents, and teleport to places visited in the past. With its unique ability to freeze time, powerful combos emerge for various builds.
The Ascendancies of the Warrior
Titan: Titans possess increased armor and health, can carry more due to their strength, and make the ground tremble with their attacks. They are the tank class in the game and rely on slow but powerful attacks. They usually maintain a somewhat slower and more tactical playstyle.
Warbringer: These warriors summon ghost servants through totems, protect themselves with a jade effect and a strong shield, and can activate a kind of corpse explosion. In close combat, they combine war cries and totems. The latter can draw enemies’ attention and deal damage, in addition to the damage caused by the player themselves.
The Ascendancies of the Ranger
Deadeye: The mobile sharpshooter operates from a distance and inflicts extremely high damage with its projectiles on marked targets. The class focuses on high attack and movement speed. Additionally, there are bonuses for the projectiles that work well with elemental bow abilities.
Pathfinder: This hunter brews potions that cause different types of damage, and his poisons are particularly toxic. He focuses on applying a variety of poison stacks to enemies and wiping out entire armies of foes with his damage-over-time abilities.
This is what the skill tree of the Blood Mage looks like.
The Ascendancies of the Witch
Blood Mage: The Blood Mage drinks the blood of her enemies to heal herself. In addition, she uses curses that never expire. The more life the class has, the deadlier she becomes, as she lands critical hits more frequently.
Infernalist: The pyromancer can turn into a demon, summon an infernal hound, and cast particularly powerful fire spells. The class is also the best choice for anyone who likes to play with minions. Her talents provide bonuses for your undead army and more spirit.
The Ascendancies of the Mercenary
Witchhunter: The Witchhunter disrupts the concentration of his victims, causing immense damage. Additionally, he can activate an absorption effect that intercepts enemy magic. The class is characterized by its first hit dealing particularly high damage. Her talents are especially useful against bosses.
Gemling Legionnaire: The Legionnaire enjoys strong bonuses for skills, jewels, and various attributes. The class is a good all-rounder suitable for all kinds of builds. Especially pros who use many skills will benefit here.
The Ascendancies of the Monk
Invoker: Through meditation, the Invoker can build an energy shield and even overload it to temporarily gain double protection. He can also unleash his elemental powers to overwhelm all foes. The class significantly enhances elemental attacks, making it strong for corresponding builds.
Acolyte of Chayula: This fighter targets the mana of his enemies, which he can even use to charge his energy shield. Furthermore, he can summon useful flames and cause additional chaos damage. The survival abilities of this class are well enhanced through passive effects without sacrificing extra damage.
Batman, along with Spider-Man, is probably the most popular superhero of all time. In many movies, some of his villains have already been seen. However, one has always been overlooked, even though he has been around since 1940. Now, there is finally going to be a movie featuring him, and even a horror expert is involved.
Which villain are we talking about? As Variety reports, a movie about Clayface is in the works. The villain is one of the oldest to confront Batman, having been around since 1940. He made his first appearance in Detective Comics #40.
After the Penguin series, this is the second villain project from DC Studios. James Gunn is now overseeing the DC film and television universe. Recently, the animated series Creature Commando was released in the USA.
The writer of the Clayface film is set to be Mike Flanagan, who is known for Netflix horror series. He directed Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, and wrote the screenplays for nearly all his projects.
As Deadline reports, Flanagan expressed his interest in a Clayface film as early as 2021. He wanted to take it in the direction of horror, thriller, and tragedy.
Even the Penguin now has a solo project:
Start video
The Penguin – Teaser for the gangster story in the Batman universe
An iconic villain finally comes to the big screen
Who is Clayface anyway? The original Clayface had no powers and was the well-known actor Basil Karlo, who went insane after a remake of his old horror film was announced, but he was not to be involved. As a serial killer, he killed crew members until Batman and Robin stopped him.
Later, he transformed into the monster-like Clayface due to a chemical incident, gaining superhuman abilities in the process. His main feature is his clay-like form, which allows him to not only shape his limbs into weapons but also change his appearance. With a sprinkle of DNA, he can transform into other people.
This is a wonderful combination with his acting abilities. This allows him to disguise himself quite effectively and pass off as other individuals.
In more recent stories, Clayface is often portrayed as an anti-hero who also helps people.
Clayface has had various appearances outside of comics in cartoons, series, and games, but he still lacks a big screen appearance. As a failed actor and due to his appearance, the character has enough potential to work as a thriller or horror film. If you’re interested in what the best Batman movie is, check out our ranking: All 13 Batman Movies Ranked – Which is the Best?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The design of the weapons in Monster Hunter World disappointed many fans. Since Monster Hunter Wilds is heavily inspired by World, the community feared that this problem might continue. Capcom is now sharing early designs of the new weapons, showing that they have taken the feedback to heart.
What was the problem? In Monster Hunter, everything revolves around equipment and weapons. Players desire original designs that not only clearly show the monster they hunted but also distinctly set themselves apart from others.
These criteria were apparently missed by the weapons in Monster Hunter World, as fans complained through various channels about the uninspired appearance (via Reddit, X.com). Players sometimes referred to the weapons as “90% bone/iron weapons with monster parts glued on” (via Reddit) and that many weapons looked too similar. Thus, the design of the weapons in Monster Hunter World quickly became a meme that the developers seemingly took to heart.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds: 20-minütiges Gameplay zeigt Karminwald und neue Monster
“Not the same mistake as in World, that’s good.”
How did the developers heed the feedback? In a recent post by the developers on X.com, proud designs of some weapons that can be crafted from parts of the new monster Uth Duna are presented. The designs shown include the Energy Blade, Bow, Dual Blades, and Longsword.
The presented designs exhibit a far greater level of detail than their counterparts in the predecessor and are already noticeable for their colors and the distinct indigenous influences. In particular, the Dual Blades stand out for their shape, which is based on Polynesian war clubs.
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How is it received by the community? Fans are celebrating the designs across various channels and sharing their joy (via X.com, Reddit, Instagram). Many are already reporting that they can imagine applying these designs over other weapons because they find them so beautiful.
ProudRequiem writes on Reddit: “Not the same mistake as in World, that’s good.”
Joycon_Jay expresses their excitement via x.com: “I can imagine a lot of people applying these over their actual weapons. They are beautiful.”
User Tendiemonger shares on x.com: “I love the Polynesian influence on these designs!! The bow with a piece of ceramic as a quiver is so creative.”
Especially the Energy Blade seems to have enamored many players, and the community is clearly relieved that the design from Monster Hunter World is not being repeated. While there are some voices that specifically do not like the design, they are still happy that the weapons will look more creative again.
For those wondering which monster these weapons belong to, what it looks like, and what makes it special, they can read in this special article by MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya, where she describes what makes the design of the new monsters so brilliant: How good are all the revealed monsters for Monster Hunter Wilds so far?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Path of Exile 2, you can exchange your dodge roll for a teleport. How this works and what you need to pay attention to can be found here.
What kind of skill is this? Blink (in German “Blinzeln”) is a Spirit Gem in Path of Exile 2 that transforms your dodge roll into a teleport. Some players may already know this skill from the predecessor, as it was widely used by many players to move quickly across maps.
However, in Path of Exile 2, Blink works a bit differently. As a Spirit Gem, it costs 60 Spirit to be active, thus replacing the dodge roll. As long as the Spirit Gem is active, you cannot roll at all, even if your Blink is on cooldown.
Here you can see how the bosses in Path of Exile 2 are created:
Start video
Path of Exile 2: The new trailer reveals how the bosses of the action RPG come into being
How to obtain the Blink skill
To obtain the Blink skill in Path of Exile 2, you first need to have an “Uncut Spirit Gem”at level 14. You can get this randomly from monsters, bosses, and treasure chests in the game. However, it is one of the rarest drops in the game.
Once you have an “Uncut Spirit Gem”, you can right-click on it in the menu that opens to craft the Blink skill. Then you just need to equip the skill and activate it by right-clicking on it.
To use the skill, your character must have reached level 58 or higher. Additionally, you need at least 133 Intelligence for your character. Blink is a Spirit Gem, so you need enough Spirit to equip the ability. You must have at least 60 Spirit available to you.
Advantages and disadvantages of Blink
What advantages does Blink have in the game? In PoE2, Blink has the advantage that you can overcome obstacles on the map through teleportation. This ensures that you can get from one end to the other much faster on some maps.
Another advantage concerns combat. With Blink, you can no longer be surrounded to death in Path of Exile 2. While your dodge roll is useless when you are surrounded, Blink can simply teleport you away.
With Blink, you can also better avoid certain attacks from enemies, such as when a boss covers the entire arena with damage zones, and you need to get to the other side.
What disadvantages does Blink have? Unlike its predecessor, the Blink skill in Path of Exile 2 also has some weaknesses. One of them is the long cooldown of almost 4 seconds without improvements. The range is also not very far, at 4 to 5 meters.
The big disadvantage shows up in boss fights. These are designed around the dodge roll and sometimes require you to use it multiple times in a row to dodge the mechanics of the bosses.
However, the cooldown of the Blink skill is so high that this dodging is not feasible. Therefore, it is possible that you cannot defeat certain boss enemies with the equipped Blink skill at all.
Is Blink worth it? Whether the Blink skill is worth it for your character cannot be definitively assessed, as it always depends on your play style. If you enjoy moving quickly and bosses do not pose any problems for you when you don’t dodge, then Blink may be well suited for you.
In EA FC 25, a new mini-patch is set to make 3 important adjustments. The changes affect 2 shots on goal, which were far too powerful, and normal dribbling, which had hardly been used so far.
What kind of update is this? This patch is a so-called live tuning gameplay change. Unlike a larger patch, the changes are made by EA directly in the game, without you needing to download the update separately.
To ensure the adjustments really take effect for your gameplay, you should simply restart the game after the update notification appears.
The latest live tuning change only affects 2 essential aspects, but the impact on the gaming experience could be enormous.
[toc]
Start video
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team
Update weakens power shots and headers, strengthens dribbling
In a Trello board, EA Sports presented the changes. We explain what effects the adjustments could have on the current gameplay.
What changes does the patch make? In-game, players received the live tuning notification late in the evening or at night on December 11, 2024. EA states that the update includes the following changes:
The reactivity of running dribbling with the ball has been improved
The precision of direct power shots and contested headers has been reduced
Improvement of running dribbling
Running dribbling refers to normal dribbling using the left analog stick. Until now in FC 25, only the really best dribblers could execute quick turns with the ball at their feet. And even with these players, it was hard to move quickly enough to outsmart a defender.
Regarding the new changes, EA additionally states in the notification:
With running dribbling, professionals can now touch the ball more frequently
This change is intended to allow for more reactive turns
With this adjustment, it might finally be possible again to outmaneuver strong defenders with quick changes of direction, thus gaining the necessary space.
Reduced precision of direct power shots
Power shots had until now been one of the most reliable finishes in FC 25 to score a goal. Players who had the suitable play style could deliver a powerful shot on goal in the blink of an eye.
This led to players only shooting from a distance in various situations. Especially dangerous were the direct volleys, as they flew toward the goal with far too much precision.
With the new adjustment, these OP direct shots are now supposed to be significantly weakened according to EA.
Reduced precision of contested headers
Headers were particularly effective after corners to simply score goals. Tall players with the play style “In the Air” were at one time among the most expensive cards because they could head the ball into the net almost every time after a corner kick.
Defending against dangerous corner kicks was only possible if a large player was placed immediately against the opposing header monster, and even then players without the aforementioned play style often found themselves at a disadvantage.
While the new adjustment does not weaken the strength of players with the play style “In the Air”, it should now reward those who pressure the opponent in an aerial duel. Headers are now supposed to fly toward the goal with significantly less precision when you engage your opponent in an aerial contest.
For the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft, former Blizzard developer Rob Pardo recalled a humorous anecdote from the early days of the MMORPG.
What is that anecdote? In an interview about the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft, Rob Pardo explained that the MMORPG had far fewer quests during its development phase than in the launch version.
According to the veteran developer, it was the feedback from playtesters that prompted the team to deliver ten times as many quests as planned to satisfy the beta players. They started running out of tasks at a certain point, which made the game “feel broken”.
The solution for the developers was simply to design more quests. While this was extremely labor-intensive, they also aimed to be significantly more accessible and beginner-friendly than the major competitor EverQuest. Quests that lead players to the maximum level were meant to support exactly that.
And the plan succeeded! WoW was considered the most beginner-friendly and accessible MMORPG on the market at launch. Just one reason among many for the enormous success. The large number of quests made available through tester feedback for the Vanilla version of WoW formed the foundation for the more than 38,000 quests currently available in World of Warcraft.
In 20 years of WoW, there have been many highlights:
Start video
WoW celebrates 20 years of the highlights of Azeroth
When players build the MMORPG of their dreams
Who is Rob Pardo? The veteran developer worked at Blizzard from October 1997 (!) to July 2014 and was able to contribute as lead developer to a variety of games, such as World of Warcraft, Warcraft 3, StarCraft, Diablo 2, and Diablo 3. He also held the roles of Chief Creative Officer and Executive Vice President of Game Design.
After leaving Blizzard, Rob Pardo founded Bonfire Studios, which aims to focus on online games for PC and has managed to secure Riot Games as a financial partner. However, in the seven years the studio has existed, it has neither released a game nor announced one.
Why look at EverQuest? While there were quite a few games in the era of the first 3D MMORPGs from which to draw inspiration, the first EverQuest offered the best overall package to date, with a massive game world, 14 classes, twelve races, guilds, and much more. In October 2002, the first raid in MMORPG history followed.
There were two additional points. On the one hand, Blizzard knew that the EverQuest team was already developing a sequel that was supposed to release shortly before World of Warcraft. On the other hand, there were some genre enthusiasts in the WoW team who had played EverQuest ambitiously with their guilds – among them were Jeff Kaplan and Rob Pardo.
It’s clear that the two designers had specific ideas about what their MMORPG should do better or differently based on their experiences with EverQuest. If you’re looking for more anecdotes from two decades of WoW, check out MeinMMO demon Cortyn’s anniversary special: 20 years of World of Warcraft – It’s more than just a game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On December 12, 2024, Path of Exile 2 received a new patch. Update 0.1.0d brings a total of 82 changes and bug fixes. MeinMMO has the official German patch notes for you.
When is the patch available? The update is already live on the servers of Path of Exile 2. All users should be able to download a new version of the game on their platform. The servers are also back online after they went into maintenance for a few minutes while the patch was being applied. You can now start playing with the new changes immediately.
The patch 0.1.0d brings 82 changes. Among the improvements are balance changes, for example, “leeching” has been buffed. Additionally, small monsters can now be pushed away by the dodge roll, making them more efficient.
There have also been many changes in the Ultimatum that mainly affect the balance. Here, primarily the monsters that were much stronger than the rest have been nerfed, and the monster density is now intended to be more consistent. In addition to these and other improvements, the patch also brings many bug fixes. Below you will find the official patch notes for Update 0.1.0d in German.
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Here you can see the cinematic intro of Path of Exile 2:
Start video
Path of Exile 2: The Cinematic Intro of the Greatest Diablo Competitor
Official Patch Notes for Update 0.1.0d
General Improvements and Changes
The passive block chance now applies to blockable hits from all directions and no longer just to front hits.
The player size is now set to zero units when dodging instead of one unit.
Some smaller monsters can now be pushed when dodging. This includes monsters like the Adorned Beetles in Keth.
Inscribed Ultimatums and Djinn Baryas now indicate whether you receive Ascendancy skill points after completing the Trial of Chaos or the Trial of Sekhem.
World map pins for encounters that do not originate from specific locations in areas, e.g., from monster drops, have been removed.
The behavior of attacks while standing still has been improved.
Rain of Arrows and Firestorm now have a hit cap to prevent them from completely wiping out large bosses. This will have little to no effect outside of boss fights with very large hitboxes.
Leech has been buffed.
Boneshatter now hits the target more reliably.
The duration of Armour Break has been increased to 12 seconds (previously 6).
To improve performance, ‘Incinerate’ now creates circular areas of ignited ground instead of segments.
CTRL+Click shortcut added to open currency exchange with the relevant NPCs.
A button has been added to travel to the Trial of Chaos on the world map.
Graphics for melee support have been added.
2D graphics for the one-time amulet ‘Defiance of Destiny’ have been added.
The keyword “Ascendancy Skill Points” has been added, detailing how sets of Ascendancy points are obtained.
A search function for Gemcutting and merchant inventory when using a controller has been added. The key bindings for searching the stash on a controller have also been updated.
Option to restrict Gemcutting for gamepad has been added.
Recommended supports for “Time of Need” have been added.
The suggested supports for “Bonestorm” have been updated.
An option to open the trading website has been added to the main menu for consoles.
Runes can now be sold to vendors for more gold.
The graphic for Reserved Life and Mana has been updated.
The description of runes has been updated to clarify that once socketed, they can no longer be replaced.
Auras and curses that affect the resistances of allies or enemies now display values in the skill popup window.
The sound of kiwi pets, chimera pets, and baby crowbell pets has been improved to reduce their impact in town areas.
The wording of the passive ascendancy skill “…and Protect me from Harm” of the summoner has been updated to clarify its functionality.
The description of “Hexblast” has been updated to clarify that it only triggers a single curse per enemy in its radius.
The description of “Fiery Death Support” has been updated to clarify that the supported skill does not need to kill the ignited enemy itself.
The defense of monsters from the modifier “Magma Barrier” has been decreased.
Walking Goliaths no longer use their suicide attack when they are rare.
Trigger Gems and Energy Gain
The energy gain from trigger gems was in the wrong place, and it was much too easy to use ailments to trigger spells. One problem with the previous system was that, in a balance designed to allow triggering in boss fights, triggering happened far too often during clearing. To address this, we introduced “Monster Power” as part of the calculation for energy gain. This means that it is much easier to trigger skills from unique monsters than from normal monsters, but you also hit many more normal monsters while fighting. Another issue was the use of low-level skills with unconditional ailment effects like Flame Wall to ignite enemies for triggering. To make the source of Ignite more relevant, energy gain now depends on the strength of Ignite. We also comprehensively rebalanced the entire energy gain.
Ultimatum Changes
The balance of Ultimatum monsters, bosses, and modifiers has been generally improved, mainly adjusting outliers that were too difficult to align them.
The monster density in Ultimatum encounters has been made more consistent.
Stormcaller Runes, Blood Globules, Heart Tethers, and Impending Doom Rings no longer appear while a player is on a lift or near the altars in the Vaal Soul Core area.
A bug has been fixed where player minions could get stuck on top of the lift in the Trials of Chaos.
Bug Fixes
A bug was fixed that caused enemies to be prepared for stun or electrocute earlier than intended while playing in a party.
A bug was fixed where Gemling Legionnaires with the Integrated Efficiency Ascendancy Passive Skill could lose their 3 additional skill slots if they were empty when entering a new area.
A bug was fixed that allowed reviving party members with WASD input from too far away.
A bug was fixed where “Waystones found have a chance to be a tier higher” on the Atlas Passive Tree was not functioning.
A bug was fixed where the Audio Mix setting was not saved after restarting the game.
A bug was fixed where one of the small passive skills in the Fleshcrafter cluster was not connected to the notable passive skill. It is possible your passive skill tree will be reset if you had assigned this cluster – sorry!
A bug was fixed where you could not open a portal on Cruel difficulty in the area The Riverbank.
A bug was fixed where some of the abilities of Zalmarath, the Colossus, persisted after their death.
A bug was fixed that prevented opening a fullscreen panel during the unmaking, which blocked actions until you logged in again.
A bug was fixed where some fire spells, like Volatile Deadand Incinerate, did not function correctly with Raging Spirits.
A bug was fixed where “Buffs on you expire Slower” from the Prolonged Assault Notable Passive Skill and other Chronomancer Ascendancy Passive Skills was also applied to debuffs and other effects instead of only to buffs.
A bug was fixed where non-revivable minions created a Remnant of the Grim Feast Buff upon dying near you.
A bug was fixed where Infernalists with the Pyromantic Pact Ascendancy Passive Skill were considered “on Low Infernal Flame” when at 50% or less of their max Infernal Flame instead of at 35%.
A bug was fixed where the world map icon for Candlemass was not updated correctly in Cruel.
A bug was fixed where you could not upgrade gems even though you met the attribute requirement because the “Adaptive Capability Gemling Legionnaire Ascendancy” passive skill was assigned.
A bug was fixed where Fiery Death Support did not apply damage correctly.
A bug was fixed where Infusion Support Gems applied the extra elemental damage for all attacks instead of only to the Herald skill damage.
A bug was fixed where Expedition encounters could not be generated in the Decay Map.
A bug was fixed where the quality of the Sacrifice Skill caused minions to resurrect 0-5% slower instead of faster.
A bug was fixed where the exit portal for the final boss in the Trial of the Sekhemas was not visually shown after the boss was killed.
A bug was fixed where skills that you did not meet the requirements for did not display their name in the Skills Menu when using a controller.
A bug was fixed where the Elemental Storm skill granted by the Stormweaver’s Tempest Caller Ascendancy Passive Skill sometimes placed the storm beneath you.
A snapshotting bug with the “Loads an Additional Bolt” crossbow modifier was fixed.
A bug was fixed where the Contagion skill did not spread the poison.
A bug was fixed where the Tempest Bell could become invisible.
A bug was fixed where NPCs in hideouts were missing their name labels when using a controller.
A bug was fixed where logging in with a guest account on the PlayStation 5 could delete your in-game friends list.
A bug was fixed where you sometimes could not enter your hideout on the PlayStation 5.
Eight instance crashes were fixed.
Six client crashes were fixed.
A client crash that could occur on Xbox was fixed.
Three client crashes that could occur on PlayStation 5 were fixed.
0.1.0d Hotfix 1
We missed a bug! Cast on Critical Strike now also takes into account the damage of the hit when determining how much energy is gained to prevent the use of high crit, low-level skills. This should mean that using abilities with low hit frequency that hit harder is now much stronger for this mechanic.
What has changed recently in Path of Exile 2? Path of Exile 2 is regularly supplied with new content and updates. The last patch brought a change to the loot. Many players had previously complained about the loot because it was insufficient both qualitatively and quantitatively. All information about the last patch can be found here: Path of Exile brings the first update and finally gives you more loot – Patch notes in German
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Christmas is also just around the corner in Pokémon GO. To celebrate the festivities, there will be an event for you in the game.
What kind of event is this? In Pokémon GO, part 2 of the “Holiday Season” has been announced. The event will start on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at 10:00 AM and end on Friday, December 27, 2024, at 8:00 PM.
In addition to a new Shiny and a few bonuses, there will also be 2 Pokémon waiting for you dressed in festive holiday attire.
Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Holiday Season Part 2 – All Content
Which Pokémon is making its Shiny debut?Flaniwal, the Ice-type Pokémon from Generation 9, can be encountered for the first time in its Shiny variant during the event. You can attract it using incense on December 23, 25, and 27, and challenge it in 1-star raids throughout the event.
The chance of encountering the Shiny variant is higher in 1-star raids than if you find the Pokémon through incense.
What costumed Pokémon are available in the event? During the event, you will also have the chance to encounter Wolly in holiday attire for the first time. This Pokémon can also appear as a Shiny with some luck. If you evolve it, you will receive Zwollock in holiday attire.
What Pokémon can be found in the wild? In the wild, you can encounter the following Pokémon during the event:
Alolan Rattata*
Kramurx*
Galar Zigzagoon*
Elezeba*
Gelatini*
Zapplardin*
Wolly in holiday attire*
Absol* (rare)
All Pokémon in the wild can also appear as Shiny.
What Pokémon are available in raids? If you want to do raids during the event, you can look forward to the following Pokémon:
1-Star Raids:
Alolan Vulpix*
Galar Flampion*
Lichtel*
Flaniwal*
3-Star Raids:
Snorlax*
Banette*
Zebritz
Tukanon
5-Star Raids:
Giratina (Altered Form)* (from December 26 at 10:00 AM)
Mega Raids:
Mega Latias* (until December 26 at 10:00 AM)
Mega Rexblisar* (from December 26 at 10:00 AM)
Pokémon marked with a * can also appear as Shiny.
Which Pokémon can be attracted by incense? The event will feature changed monsters that you can attract using incense. Each day, different Pokémon will appear.
On December 22, 24, and 26:
Snorlax*
Elezeba*
Makabaja*
Laternecto
Wolly in holiday attire*
On December 23, 25, and 27:
Togetic*
Galar Zigzagoon*
Tarnpignon*
Coiffwaff*
Flaniwal*
All monsters marked with a * can also appear as Shiny with some luck.
What bonuses are there in the event? You can also look forward to 3 bonuses during the event, one of which will last even longer than the actual event.
double the amount of experience points when catching Pokémon
50% more experience points for successful raid battles
Adventure Incense lasts twice as long (from December 25, 2024, at 10:00 AM to January 5, 2025, at 8:00 PM)
Field Research: There will also be event field research again, where you will be rewarded with additional encounters with event Pokémon for completing the tasks.
PokéStop Showcases: There will also be showcases during the event, in which you can participate with suitable Pokémon from the event.
Collector Challenges: There will also be collector challenges in the event. These will involve tasks related to raids and catching Pokémon. Rewards will include stardust, ultra and hyper balls, as well as encounters with event Pokémon.
Paid Limited Research: For $5 (around €5), you can purchase a limited research ticket for the event. If you complete all the tasks of the research, you will be rewarded with the following:
1 Glacier Lure Module
2 Incense
Wolly jacket for your avatar
Encounters with Wolly in holiday attire
Hyper Holiday Box: In the Pokémon GO web store, there will be 2 different holiday boxes for the event. The first box costs $4.99 (around €5) and includes an extension for your Pokémon storage and item bag, as well as 17 special candies.
For $6.99 (around €7), you can also purchase a ticket box, which contains a ticket for both parts of the “Holiday Season” event, as well as a premium battle pass.
Leading up to the holidays, there are still many events waiting for you in the game. If you want to get an overview of all events and activities in the coming weeks, take a look at our overview of all December 2024 events in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On December 12, 2024, Update 1.11.0 for Throne and Liberty will be released. You can expect the second seasonal world event of the MMORPG, additional spawns for world bosses, new cooking content, penalties for group dungeon searches, and more.
What kind of update is this? New Thursday, new maintenance phase for Throne and Liberty. Once the servers are expected to be back online around 4:30 PM, you can dive into the new content of Update 1.11.0. Here are the highlights:
Until January 9, 2025, adjusted spawns for world bosses will occur, and field and ore bosses will drop rare and epic equipment more frequently.
The lifestyle content Cooking will be significantly updated, including cooking contracts.
In the future, if you leave a group found through the group search, you will receive a penalty that prevents you from re-registering via the group search for a certain period.
New fishing spots will be available.
You can find the complete patch notes at the end of the article.
Just in case you need salt for the new cooking contracts:
Start video
Throne and Liberty: So bekommt ihr Köder und Salz
How is the community reacting to the update? The highlights of the update are being extensively discussed on various platforms.
Lurking_Poster writes on Reddit: “Hallelujah for the changes to Cooking.”
Sad-Bug210 is also excited about the culinary additions (via Reddit): “I can’t wait to see the cooking contracts.”
9rrfing appreciates the dungeon penalties (via Reddit): “I was skeptical about whether they would implement them well, but they did a great job.”
silky_shinely_smooth writes on Reddit: “Overall, this update looks good, but let’s wait and see how they expand it. Did they mention that they will fix the problem with the P5S chat link?”
Also, various other players miss anticipated solutions for existing issues in the patch notes, such as current performance problems, broken targeting, or adjustments for the heavily criticized rune system.
Update 1.11.0 – Official English Patch Notes
Star Tree Solstice Event
The Star Tree Solstice Event spreads festive joy in Solisium from December 12, 2024, to January 9, 2025. Participate in event-exclusive arena matches on Snowdrift Island to receive event-specific rewards. Explore festively decorated villages with gratitude trees, collect festive cosmetic items like Jolly Arsenal weapons through the Event Pass, and much more. Even Gigantrit and your Amitoi will be there.
World Bosses – Additional Spawns for Bellandir and Tevent
Thank you for your patience as we worked on the recently occurred issues with world boss encounters. We understand your frustration. To ensure players can experience these encounters again, there will be a limited-time event from December 12, 2024, to January 9, 2025.
During this event, world bosses will spawn twice at their regularly scheduled times – once in peace and once in conflict. The additional spawn will occur at 6:00 PM (server time) and the regular spawn will continue to occur as scheduled at 8:00 PM. Good luck, adventurers!
Lifestyle Content – Cooking
New cooking contracts can be completed through contract managers.
The number of unique cooked food items has been reduced by bundling food quality levels.
Common foods are now produced as “Unusual,” feast and dungeon ingredients as “Rare,” and elixirs are classified as “Rare” or “Unusual,” depending on the material used.
The quality of the materials used in cooking now determines the number of dishes produced.
Rare materials consume 1 ingredient and produce 3 dishes.
Advanced materials consume 3 ingredients and produce 2 dishes.
Common materials consume 5 ingredients and produce 1 dish.
Feast ingredients have been adjusted to account for the new level bundling and the number of dishes produced in cooking.
The collection of ingredients and the loot chance have been adjusted to consider the new consumption quantities and the number of dishes produced in cooking.
Previously collected high-quality ingredients intended for feasts can be exchanged for new rare ingredients through the dismantling system.
All recipes can now be created at cooking stoves and campfires.
There are now more good reasons to cook regularly.
Penalty for Dungeon Group Search
Characters who cancel the dungeon group search after a group has been found or after they have entered a dungeon via the group search will now incur a cooldown.
This cooldown prevents you from queuing directly for another dungeon. The timer starts at 10 minutes and increases with each subsequent cancellation.
Re-entering a completed dungeon through group matchmaking while the previous instance is still active will trigger a matchmaking penalty upon exit. Players should wait until the previous instance has expired before re-entering the same dungeon through group matchmaking.
General
Field and ore bosses: The drop rate of rare and epic equipment from these encounters has been increased.
PvP: The duration of respawn protection granted after entering conflict areas by reviving at a guild resurrection stone or arriving via a guild summoning circle has been reduced.
AFK characters will now be automatically logged out after 3 hours.
Arena: The weekly reset in the arena has been adjusted to fit the weekly maintenance time – similar to other weekly resets.
Arena: Improved purification stones can now be used in arenas.
Arena: Runes that can be purchased with arena coins have been added to the arena vendor.
Weekly missions: The number of required dimension checks for completing the weekly mission has been adjusted.
Gigantrit: The route that Gigantrit takes between Rockwatch and Saurodoma Island has been adjusted.
Fishing: New fishing spots can appear in waters all around the world and are recognizable by a circling fish effect. Upon seeing this symbol, wise anglers will cast their lines in these waters!
Fishing: The fishing codex has been expanded with new fish species and a new reward level.
War Games: A team chat channel has been introduced for use during matches.
War Games: Player symbols are now visible on the minimap.
War Games: A bug has been fixed that caused the team outfit to remain visible after leaving a match.
War Games: A bug has been fixed that prevented the results button from displaying player results after the end of a match.
Options: An option has been added to automatically decline group invites that do not come from players on your friends list.
Group search: Completing dungeons with the help of random group matchmaking queues now grants 4 soul shard selection chests instead of soul shards that are specific to the respective dungeon.
Combat
Attributes: Tenacity: A bug has been fixed that prevented attribute effects from increasing when the tenacity value was improved.
Ability: Shadow Strike: The teleportation effect of Shadow Strike now works while the player is jumping.
Ability: Mana Exchange: Remove CC specialization: A bug has been fixed that rendered this ability specialization ineffective.
Slaughter Gorge, Valley of Massacre: The coordinated group control needed to complete this dungeon has been adjusted. Group control effects can now be applied individually to enemy targets. An affected enemy will not revert to an invulnerable state.
UI
Auction House: The confirmation button, when the total amount of luzent received from a sale is below 10, has been removed.
Ping Display: The option to display your current ping on the HUD should now be available in settings.
Amitoi Expedition: Zone levels are now displayed on unlocked expedition zones.
Amitoi Expedition: The expedition menu now saves the selected Amitoi setup and expedition duration even when canceling or leaving the UI.
Group Frame: The representation of the selected player in the group frame has been improved, and an indicator will now be shown on the frame when you hover over the target with your cursor.
Ability Menu: Now shows arrows left and right to cycle through presets.
Ability Menu: You can now double-click on abilities at the top of the screen to fill empty equipment slots in sequence from left to right.
Inventory: A bug has been fixed that caused container items to not show a content preview while in full-screen mode in the inventory menu.
Schedule: A bug has been fixed that caused the schedule to display different results when repeatedly switching between daily and weekly views.
Schedule: untranslated text in the event schedule has been corrected.
Multiple overlapping and cutting errors in the UI have been fixed.
The latest updates of the text localization have been applied.
With Patch 1.10.0, the new progression system of the runes came to the global servers of Throne and Liberty. Although the developers have addressed some criticisms compared to the Korean version, the runes are still not well received by many players in their current form.
What are the runes about? The colored gemstones, which come in various rarities and variants, can be used to enhance the equipment of the heroes in Throne and Liberty. To do this, you need to unlock rune slots by investing Sollant and ensure that the type of socket fits your gem.
Through the runes, you can optimize your attack power, resilience, and support abilities. You can farm runes through activities such as the dimension test of co-op dungeons, world bosses, certain events, and weekly missions for co-op dungeons. You can find more details in our guide Runes Explained Compactly.
Those who want to use the best possible runes need to plan many more hours in Throne and Liberty:
Start video
192 versus 4 hours: Woman competes with Throne and Liberty for her boyfriend’s time, clearly losing
Ayio34 sparked a lively discussion with his post on Reddit. His conclusion: “Farming the rune levels is disgusting.” In his view, it’s just frustrating to invest several hours only to end up with another level for a rune.
PrimordialTimelord agrees on Reddit: “What a ridiculous grind.”
linkerko3 criticizes how difficult it is to farm runes with random groups (via Reddit): “This update honestly made me leave the game. I had a lot of fun, and fun is the reason I play games, and this isn’t fun anymore.”
Lurking_Poster writes in his post on Reddit: “I just wanted to point out that farming the runes is a min/max area. It’s designed to be a huge grind for the top 1 percent of players. That doesn’t mean that you can’t still keep up fairly well without them!”
Idebenn is annoyed (via Reddit): “I find the content rather unpleasant than fun. The gameplay mechanics are unbearable, and there is a high degree of randomness. The people in the groups are often unbearable as well, and whenever something goes wrong, blame starts and kicks happen.”
Allekzp fears on Reddit: “Runes will exclude people from future content; parties, guilds, etc. will start looking for people with high-level best-in-slot runes and high equipment values. Values that can only be achieved with high-level runes.”
How do you evaluate the new progression system of Throne and Liberty? Are you still having fun with the grind, or have you checked out? Let us know in the comments! If you are looking for content with less time investment in Solisium, you can check out the new world event: Starbloom Solstice – all information about the Christmas event of Throne and Liberty
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Path of Exile 2 has made a sensational start. Currently, many players are turning to support and asking for help. Developer Grinding Gear Games is facing a staffing crisis but is now willing to address it.
What is going on with Path of Exile 2? Since the release, the developers of the new ARPG have their hands full. On the one hand, there is a lot of praise, but also criticism from fans. For example, the issue of loot is a point with which long-time players are dissatisfied.
A first patch is already on the way. However, as smaller problems arise during gameplay, many players are contacting the support of developer Grinding Gear Games. This leads to further problems. Because although the studio anticipated the massive influx of players to the servers and is actively addressing it, there is a staffing shortage in other areas.
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This NPC in Path of Exile 2 identifies your items
The developers are, quite literally, overwhelmed
What is the problem? Many players have sent support requests and received no response. According to Grinding Gear Games, this is simply due to a lack of personnel to answer the numerous emails.
In the Path of Exile 2 forum, the developers emphasize that they actually want to respond on the same day or even within the same hour. That is their goal. However, due to the currently overwhelming number of inquiries coming in, this is simply not possible.
The internal system is also overloaded, leading to further delays. Furthermore, some emails have not been processed correctly. Therefore, they ask users not to send follow-up messages but to wait until the first message receives a response.
However, a solution is already in the works. New staff is currently being hired to focus solely on support. This should help clear the backlog quickly and provide all players with responses. Additionally, technical improvements are being made so that a larger volume of inquiries can be handled without complications in the future.
In their post, the developers emphasize once again how pleased they are with the great interest from players. They thank fans for their patience during technical difficulties and will strive to improve response times for support inquiries.
With the TurtleBeach Stealth 700 Gen 3, there is a headset that allows you to switch between PS5 and PC in seconds. The trick behind it is two separate adapters for each device. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann tested the headset and explains why this feature is brilliant. And, why the ergonomics are not so successful.
At Gamescom 2024, I was able to briefly try out the TurtleBeach Stealth 700 Gen 3. My first impression: Strong sound, decent build quality, and a brilliant idea that lies behind the ability to quickly switch between multiple devices. But I still had concerns about the ergonomics and battery life.
In the meantime, I have been able to test the gaming headset extensively for you and will explain whether my first impression was confirmed.
I have a fondness for hardware and tech and now own over 20 gaming mice, as well as several keyboards and controllers. Since 2019, I have been testing hardware for our readers at MeinMMO. In addition to the PC and major consoles, I also game on the Steam Deck.
Our device is a review specimen provided to us by the manufacturer for testing.
Benedikt Schlotmann Hardware Editor MeinMMO
Technical Details
Here you will find all the important technical details of the headset in tabular form:
Model
TurtleBeach Stealth 700 Gen 3
Connection
Cable, Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz
Platform
PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Smartphone
Scope of Delivery
Gaming headset, USB charging cable (2 meters, USB-C to USB-A), two adapters for wireless connection, manual
Special Features
Two wireless adapters for quick switching between two platforms
Weight
403 grams
Price (RRP)
199.99
Design and Build
What’s included in the package? In addition to the gaming headset, the packaging contains a USB charging cable (2 meters, USB-C to USB-A), two adapters for the wireless connection, and a manual.
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Build of the headset: The TurtleBeach gaming headset is fundamentally very understated in design. The silver and black design is unobtrusive, and the manufacturer forgoes RGB lighting or other gimmicks.
The ear cups are firmly attached to the headband and can be rotated about 100 degrees. This is supposed to ensure that the headset can adapt well to your head.
All buttons needed for operation can also be found on both ear cups. At first glance, it seems very cluttered, but due to the various sizes and the texture of the dials, it becomes very intuitive after a few days. In daily use, however, it still happened to me that I occasionally pressed the wrong button.
Build Quality
The TurtleBeach gaming headset is largely made of plastic, including hinges and other elements that need to rotate. However, the manufacturer points out that the Stealth 700 is equipped with a steel-reinforced headband and metal arms that are intended to provide lasting strength. However, these parts are not visible.
Although nothing of that is visible, the headset feels high-quality and robust. This is mainly due to the high weight of over 400 grams. According to the manufacturer, the ear cushions can also be replaced easily.
In the back of your mind, you should at least consider that when putting on the headset, you have to stretch the plastic band of the headset. And plastic breaks eventually. This could affect the longevity of the headset’s build quality, but it did not play a role during my testing period.
Software
The headset uses “TurtleBeach Swarm 2” as software. However, I had some initial problems setting up the headset:
On the first start, the headset wouldn’t connect to my computer.
After two more attempts, it was at least recognized for driver updates on the device. However, Swarm 2 crashed every time I tried to update the headset and the two dongles. Additionally, the software always crashed when I pressed “Retry” during the update to try again.
In the meantime, the headset can be easily used on my PC, even via the wireless transmitter. Still, the initial problems during the setup were quite pronounced.
The software is otherwise fine. Each menu item provides a tooltip, but these are limited to the essentials. Neither the tooltips nor the software reveal what features like “Super Hearing” or “Waves 3D” entail. You only know that if you deal with it professionally, as I do. Everyone else will initially scratch their heads in confusion and won’t know what to toggle on or off.
Comfort, Weight, and Battery Life
What does my head look like? My head circumference is about 58 cm, so I have a rather smaller head.
In my daily life, I wore the headset for several hours each day. My biggest issue with the headset: After a few hours, it becomes very warm under the memory foam ear cushions. At first, it’s manageable, but over time it becomes uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there is no alternative like fabric cushions.
What I find much more disturbing is that the headband presses uncomfortably against my skull. Unfortunately, TurtleBeach has omitted a headband in the Stealth 700, causing the entire weight of the headset to sit uncomfortably on the skull. In contrast, SteelSeries uses such a headband in its Arctis series. And SteelSeries is also the clear winner in a direct ergonomics comparison. With the lightweight Arctis Nova 7 from SteelSeries (for review), I never had any issues with comfort.
Weight: TurtleBeach does not state the weight of the headset on the packaging or its website. On my scale, the headset measures 410 grams. This places the TurtleBeach Stealth 700 in the category of heavy models. Most headsets weigh between 200 and 400 grams. For comparison:
The Razer Kaira Pro for the PS5 weighs 330 grams, slightly more.
The high weight is also one reason why I am surprised that TurtleBeach omitted a headband. This would help to mitigate the high weight a bit. At this point, I also wonder why TurtleBeach hasn’t taken inspiration from its own Atlas Air, which not only offers a headband but is also significantly lighter at around 300 grams, making it more comfortable to wear.
Battery life: The Stealth 700 does not need to hide when it comes to battery life. The manufacturer advertises the device with an 80-hour battery life, and I can actually use the headset for several days in everyday life before it needs to be charged again. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless can do just half of that (around 35 hours).
Range: The range of the wireless connection is acceptable but does not match the competition. Typically, I walk with the headset on into the kitchen, where a thick wall and about 7 meters separate me from my computer. As soon as I am in the kitchen, the connection eventually drops, and the headset attempts to reconnect.
For comparison: My SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7, the SteelSeries Gamebuds, or even Sony’s Inzone Buds have no problem with the distance at all.
Sound
How good does the headset sound? Aside from the ergonomic issues, the headset sounds really good. In its default setting (which the equalizer calls Turtle Beach Signature Sound), the bass is a bit too strong and powerful. But that’s not surprising for a gaming-focused headset. No question, the bass sounds good but somewhat overshadows the rest of the sound. Explosions sound powerful and loud, but you can’t hear anything else afterwards.
My recommendation is to experiment with the equalizer settings and give the highs a bit more weight. The mids sound balanced in the default setting and provide a warm sound. With adjusted equalizer settings, the mids can come across almost too artificial.
Microphone
The headset’s microphone is permanently installed but can be flipped up so that it disappears into the body of the device. The microphone itself is okay in the test but faces the usual problems that every wireless headset has:
The voice sounds heavily compressed and very muffled. It sounds as if you are slightly pinching your nose while speaking or have a cold. I uploaded a sound recording comparing the headset and a desk microphone.
No noise cancellation is also barely present: Loud noises, such as objects clattering or a plastic tab being pressed together, can be clearly heard in the microphone.
The microphone of the TurtleBeach Stealth 700 Gen 3 as a test recording:
The Logitech Yeti GX (desk microphone) in comparison as a test recording:
Conclusion: Good Sound, but Too Heavy and Uncomfortable Over Time
For whom is the headset suitable? If you are looking for a very sound-quality gaming headset that makes switching between PS5 and PC a breeze, then the TurtleBeach Stealth 700 offers you a good and unique device. Because you won’t achieve such a quick switch with any other device.
If you game on PS5 and PC and regularly switch between devices, then you will get a really good device with the Stealth 700 Gen 3. On the other hand, there are significantly more comfortable devices for around 200 Euros, but they are not as convenient for device switching. In the end, you’ll have to decide what’s more important to you.
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What alternatives are there?
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is currently my recommendation if you are looking for a good gaming headset for PC, PS5, or Xbox. Good ergonomics, decent sound, and a functional, albeit not perfect microphone. The battery life could be a bit better.
The Logitech G435 LIGHTSPEED is a good budget option: Good sound and low weight, but it feels almost cheap and offers no additional sound settings (via equalizer).
With the Beyerdynamic MMX 200, there’s another good alternative under 200 Euros: Good sound and especially a very good microphone for a wireless headset. However, the artificial leather cushions, like those on the Stealth 700, become uncomfortably warm over time.
A horror game is supposed to tell one of the best stories in gaming, according to fans. If you want to see for yourself, there has never been a better time to do so (at least on Steam).
Which game are we talking about? SOMA is a horror game by Frictional Games, released on September 22, 2015. The team is also known for the Amnesia series. The game does without combat and instead focuses on exploration and exciting encounters with enemies.
You can watch a trailer for the game here:
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SOMA: Story Trailer for Underwater Horror on Steam
Underwater horror with sci-fi elements
What is the game about? SOMA takes you to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. In the isolated underwater facility PATHOS-II, the radio fails, food runs low, and robots suddenly begin to think they are humans. Consequently, chaos ensues.
As one of the last survivors, you search for secret documents and terminals to get to the bottom of the chaos. Along the way, some will stand in your way, including other humans and insane robots.
If an enemy discovers you, only two things help: run away and hide. Since you cannot fight back, the danger is significantly greater compared to games like Dead Space or Resident Evil.
How is the game received? Considering the recent reviews on Steam, 97% of them are positive. Overall, out of over 36,000 reviews, 95% are positive. With its sci-fi story addressing themes like identity, consciousness, and the question of what it means to be human, SOMA has taken a firm place in the minds of many players.
Saint via Steam: “I still think regularly about this game, even after playing it for only 10 hours, 8 years ago. I can’t recommend it enough.”
Crowbar_XL via Steam: “One of the best psychological horror games out there and one of the greatest stories in gaming. A classic.”
SweetLittleCarrot via Steam: “Wow, what a fantastic game! I’m usually too scared to play horror games myself, but I’m glad I played this. I heard there’s a safe mode, but I played on normal and it was completely doable. It got my heart racing and my mind spinning.”
How much does the game cost? Typically, SOMA costs just under 30 euros. Until December 16, you can get it on Steam for only 1.44 euros. That’s a discount of 95% – according to steamdb.info, the game has never been available in the store for such a low price.
In Pokémon GO there are hundreds of Pokémon to collect. However, some appear only briefly and then disappear for a while. We show you 6 specimens that you could easily have missed.
In Pokémon GO, there are various seasons and events that regularly shake up the Pokémon pool. This brings variety to the game.
However, some monsters can only be seen for a very short time.
In this list, you will find some Pokémon from recent years that you only had a brief chance to catch. For many of them, you simply have to hope that they will appear again soon – or under better conditions.
Which ones do you have? Let us know in the comments and share more examples if you have any!
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Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer
Toxel
Toxel
Toxel is the most recent example in this list. The baby Pokémon just made its debut at the “Into the Adventure” event, was then available at the GO Nature Zone – and then disappeared again.
It could only be obtained from eggs and was quite rare. Those who didn’t focus on constantly hatching eggs might have missed out on Toxel.
And unlike other monsters that debuted in eggs, it is now no longer available. So here it is: wait until Toxel returns.
Mähikel
Mähikel
The little goat Pokémon is almost a classic among the “wish-they-were-more-available” Pokémon because Mähikel is quite rare. In fact, it could previously only be obtained at certain live events in person. These took place on various weekends in Tainan, Jakarta, Incheon, Mexico City, Barcelona, and Seoul. There has not yet been a global release or a longer period for Mähikel and thus for its evolution Chevrumm. It seems crazy because Mähikel is not a particularly special Pokémon in itself.
Keldeo
Keldeo
It was almost exactly two years ago that Keldeo first appeared in Pokémon GO. It is a pretty strong raid attacker and made its debut in December 2022 in Pokémon GO.
But: It only appeared as part of the Mysterious Blade event and you needed a ticket for the special research that included Keldeo. At that time, it cost 9.99 euros, which caused criticism.
Accordingly, some must have missed Keldeo. To this day, Keldeo has not appeared in the game again.
Since then, Armored Mewtwo has not made an appearance.
Thus, many players have not yet had the chance to catch the defensive Mewtwo in its iconic design. Will it return someday? That’s uncertain.
The Clone Pokémon
The Clone Pokémon (and Pikachu)
In direct connection to Armored Mewtwo are the Clone Pokémon, which we last saw in 2020. These are variants of Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur, distinguished by a special pattern. Fans of the first Pokémon movie will remember these monsters as they played an important role in it.
Trainers who started after their last appearance in Pokémon GO have not been able to catch one yet.
Even players who caught one or two specimens back then but accidentally sent them to the professor have not yet been able to correct this mistake with a new catch. Fortunately, that has never happened to anyone. Especially not to the author of this article.
However, those who couldn’t manage to organize numerous trainers on that day and complete a raid battle against Cupidos in person probably do not have the monster to this day.
Here we must wait to see when the Pokémon will return. Perhaps it will become a Valentine’s Day tradition.
Overall, unleashed Hoopa would also fit well in this list, as Hoopa could only be caught through top raids and thus was very limited. But: It looks like the Pokémon will return soon. At least it plays a significant role in the announcements for the current season “Dual Destiny.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
