Path of Exile 2 Class Tier List – These are the strongest classes in the game

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 3 minutes

In Path of Exile 2 there are six different classes that vary in their playstyle and strength. We have gathered various information and created a dedicated tier list for you.

How is the tier list structured? Here we list the 6 known classes from the Early Access of Path of Exile 2 that you can currently play. Each class is ranked in one of the three tier levels, starting with the strongest class and ending with the weakest class.

We reached out to the communities for our decision, gathered opinions, and evaluated rankings on websites and in the form of videos. Our result presents you with the strongest to the weakest classes that you can select in the current Early Access. With our directory, you can quickly jump to the individual tiers:

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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

S-Tier: The strongest classes in PoE2

Mercenary: The mercenary is currently the strongest class in the game. Path of Exile 2 rewards ranged fighters with easier battles and faster clear speed. With his crossbow, he can use elements to deal a lot of damage to bosses or hordes of enemies. His weaknesses are the reload speed and lack of agility, which he can compensate for well throughout the game.

Sorceress: The sorceress controls the elements like no other class in PoE2. As a glass cannon character, she can deal absurd damage and rain fire, ice, or lightning down on her foes. While she prefers hordes of enemies over big bosses, she can become a real boss killer with some builds like the ice build. As a glass cannon, not only low health but also mana is a problem that needs to be solved through skill allocation.

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A-Tier: These classes are always a good choice

Monk: The monk is one of the harder classes in PoE2. As a melee fighter, he relies on good timing and his movement abilities. The class is exceptional because, as a melee fighter, he hits his opponents with a variety of attacks while applying different status effects and stuns. However, as a melee fighter, he struggles in some situations compared to all classes that can simply attack from a distance. There are situations where the monk can only dodge without actively engaging.

Ranger: The ranger is a class that many players undervalue, relying especially on great range. The class maintains the necessary distance from enemies through abilities, which makes her a good boss killer. Enemies can be taken down with elemental arrows. However, the success of the class depends on the dodge value. If this is neglected, the class can quickly be overwhelmed in combat, losing the range advantage against bosses.

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B-Tier: Challenging, but not bad

Witch: The witch is the class of choice for anyone who wants to control a horde of undead in Path of Exile 2. In combination with fire abilities, hellish monsters are also summoned. Those who play the class no longer need to manually summon minions like in the predecessor, but can now command them more precisely. Since the class otherwise deals little damage herself, her strength is very situational and skill-dependent. Often the minions deal less damage compared to other classes.

Warrior: The warrior is supposed to be a tank who leaves his cover to crush enemies with hard hits. However, this is not going well in Path of Exile 2 yet. In boss fights, he can effectively use the animations and casts of the bosses to deal high damage. However, in hordes of enemies that can easily surround him, he often finds himself in trouble. As a melee fighter, he has disadvantages in PoE2 and lacks abilities compared to the monk that compensate for his movement speed.

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What else do I need to know about Path of Exile 2? Path of Exile 2 was released in Early Access on December 6, 2024, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. There is crossplay between the platforms. The ARPG aims to finance itself through a shop that sells cosmetic items and storage spaces. You can find more information in our extensive overview: Path of Exile 2: All information about the release – Early Access, classes & crossplay

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamesradar.com
  2. game8.co
  3. deltiasgaming.com

Cyberpunk receives the long-awaited content with the new Patch 2.2 that fans have been waiting for years – and is currently quite affordable on Steam

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 3 minutes

Patch 2.2 for Cyberpunk 2077 brings new possibilities for customization, revamped gameplay features, and a constant companion who won’t leave V alone even during driving – and all of this remains affordable on Steam.

What does the new Patch 2.2 include? In the latest edition of REDstreams from December 10, 2024 with team members from CD Projekt Red and Virtuos, Patch 2.2 for Cyberpunk 2077 was introduced and released simultaneously. The update was created in collaboration between the two studios and has a strong focus on the theme of customization.

The patch includes new options for the character creator, adjustable vehicle colors, a revamped photo mode, and further features designed to support personal gameplay. Cyberpunk 2077 originally launched in 2020, and fans have been waiting for 4 years for these contents to finally come into the game. We will present the new features in detail.

You can find the trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 here:

Start video
Cyberpunk 2077: The Ultimate Edition trailer shows a ‘City of Dreams’

An Overview of the New Features in Patch 2.2

What are the new features?

  • New customization options for the character:
    • 32 eye colors
    • 18 lip makeup styles
    • 17 nail polishes
    • 10 cheek makeup styles
    • 16 eye makeup styles
    • 4 facial scars
    • 5 eyebrow shapes
    • 4 facial tattoos
    • 2 body tattoos
    • 8 cyberware options
  • Revamped photo mode: The camera now works like a freely moving drone rather than circling around V. The range has been increased, handling with angles, collisions, and depth of field has improved, and up to 3 of 20 additional NPCs can be added to the image. This works quite well for another new feature.
  • Personal interior design through SmartFrames: With these frames, you can display pictures from the photo mode in your apartments. The gallery pulls these pictures from the screenshots folder on your PC or console.
  • Car customization with CrystalCode and TWINTONE – What was previously only possible for Rayfield vehicles can now be applied to other models: CrystalCode offers players the chance to give their cars a new coat of paint. With TWINTONE you can adopt the color scheme of another vehicle by scanning it and applying it to your own car. (A tip: This way you can also get an advantage in chases with the NCPD.)
  • Johnny appears as a passenger: After Act 1, Johnny Silverhand can appear as a passenger while you explore Night City by car. Occasionally, he also makes a comment about V’s driving skills, but that’s to be expected from him.
A screenshot shows the CrystalCode and TWINTONE interface
A screenshot shows the CrystalCode and TWINTONE interface
Johnny Silverhand next to V in the car
Johnny accompanies V during car rides now

How is the response from players? Fans of the game have expressed their opinions on the various channels of Cyberpunk 2077 about the new patch:

  • LMacNeill says: “I didn’t have ‘Cyberpunk 2077 gets a big update before the end of the year’ on my bingo card for 2024. What a pleasant surprise! Keep going with the updates :D”
  • ang1217sr says: “I remember a comment on a video about how cool it would be if Johnny could ride in the passenger seat! This is such a nice detail; I’m really glad you’re continuing to do updates!”

While the response is very positive due to the unexpected new content, fans are hoping for even more future additions: walk-in garages, more cyberware options for arms and legs, and a third-person mode are particularly often mentioned.

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After the Black Friday sale, Cyberpunk 2077 remains significantly reduced on Steam until December 18, 2024. The Ultimate Edition with Phantom Liberty is also nearly 50% cheaper. To learn more about the rocky launch’s development into an RPG blockbuster, you can find out here: Cyberpunk 2077 is cheaper than ever on Steam and much better than at the troubled release

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. YouTube
  2. Cyberpunk
  3. Steam

Path of Exile 2: Which class suits me?

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 4 minutes

In Path of Exile 2 there are currently 6 playable classes, and each of them can specialize in further builds. Choosing your own class can be difficult, but we will show you what makes each one unique.

How many classes are there? In total, there should be 12 classes in Path of Exile 2, with only 6 currently available to select and play. Each class also has two ascendancies that can change your builds and enable a new playstyle.

Depending on the playstyle you are after, your choice of desired class may change. Therefore, we will provide a small overview to make your decision easier.

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Which class should I choose?

If gender is important to you, you can narrow down your selection. In PoE 2, there is a gender lock, meaning that depending on the class, you must play as either a female or male character. If you go by gender, you have three classes to choose from for each; if you don’t mind, you can try all 6. We will now go through each class and explain why you should play it.

Warrior

PoE-2-Warrior
The Warrior
  • Gender: Male.
  • Playstyle: Melee, Tank.
  • Beginner-friendly: No.

When should I play the Warrior? The Warrior is an aggressive melee class. His abilities allow you to absorb damage from your enemies while you crush them with your hammer. In tricky situations, you can block many attacks with your shield to execute a counterattack. If you enjoyed playing the Barbarian in Diablo 4, you’ll feel at home with the Warrior.

Sorceress

PoE2-Sorceress
The Sorceress
  • Gender: Female.
  • Playstyle: Ranged and Melee, Spellcaster.
  • Beginner-friendly: Yes.

When should I play the Sorceress? The Sorceress is the classic wizard class. With her, you can summon many elements to dominate the battlefield. From icy comets to hellfire and lightning, you are versatile and even armed for tough boss fights.

Ranger

PoE-2-Ranger
The Ranger
  • Gender: Female.
  • Playstyle: Ranged, Archer.
  • Beginner-friendly: Yes.

When should I play the Ranger? The Ranger is for those who prefer cunning and want to attack from a distance. You can rain down various elemental arrows on your enemies while attacking from a safe distance. Additionally, her ascendancy allows for a playstyle where you can even poison your enemies. The class is similar to the Rogue from Diablo 4.

Monk

PoE-2-Monk
The Monk
  • Gender: Male.
  • Playstyle: Melee, Staff Fighter.
  • Beginner-friendly: No.

When should I play the Monk? The Monk is a very agile class that relies on movement. He uses a staff as a weapon, which he can infuse with various elements. His skills can stun enemies and even make them flee from you. You should play the Monk if you want to be constantly on the move and cover the battlefield with elements. However, note that this is a rather complex class.

Mercenary

PoE-2-Mercenary
The Mercenary
  • Gender: Male.
  • Playstyle: Ranged with crossbow and grenades.
  • Beginner-friendly: No.

When should I play the Mercenary? The Mercenary is one of the most versatile classes in PoE 2. He primarily fights with his crossbow, which, depending on the model, has different firing options. From a Gatling gun with deadly suppressing fire to a precise sniper with massive single-target damage, you can choose which playstyle you want to pursue with the Mercenary.

Combined with his elemental grenades, he can freeze enemies or coat them in oil to set them on fire. The Mercenary has a complex playstyle, and this ensures a great variety during your adventures.

Witch

PoE-2-Witch
The Witch
  • Gender: Female.
  • Playstyle: Ranged, Summoner.
  • Beginner-friendly: Yes.

When should I play the Witch? The Witch is the PoE version of the Necromancer. You can summon minions to fight for you while casting dark magic from a safe distance.

From regular skeletons to fallen enemies, you have a selection of undead that can fight for you. Moreover, you can command them not to charge headlong into battle. The Witch is a relaxed and straightforward class that isn’t too complex. Anyone who likes to send a small undead army to their demise should choose the Witch.

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Those were all the classes explained briefly. However, the list is not yet complete, as Path of Exile 2 will receive 6 more classes in the future. Once the missing classes are implemented into the action RPG, we will update our list. You can find more about PoE 2 here: Path of Exile 2 – Early Access: All info about release, classes, and costs for PC and PS5

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. mobalytics.gg
  2. pathofexile2.com

Some young people report: They have to get by on less than 70 euros per month for food

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Prices are rising and that is a concern for many people. In one country, young people are discussing how to feed themselves with 70 euros a month.

Our title image is a symbolic image.

Rising prices are currently a concern for many people. The high prices for food and other essentials are taking a toll on incomes, leaving less money for other things. In China, this is especially felt by young people. Many young Chinese are trying to get by with around 70 euros for food.

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Young Chinese have about 70 euros for food each month

What are young people talking about? The Xiaohongshu network is a huge social platform in China, boasting over 300 million active users. At least half of the users are said to belong to Generation Z.

The English language ‘Washington Post’ reports that young Chinese are communicating how they manage to get by on less than 70 dollars a month for food through photos of their meals and the associated costs for the ingredients.

The rising cost of living is weighing on consumers, and there are young people who worry about how they will make ends meet. Here, they are facing the challenge of cutting down on food costs. They do this, for example, by posting photos in the Xiaohongshu network to show how much they can spend for that amount of money.

Why is this surprising? The current situation is a stark turnaround from recent years, where the focus was on spending more money than others: Luxury brands, designer handbags, and expensive cars were all the rage, and people tried to outdo each other in spending.

This change is primarily due to significant shifts in living conditions: Many students have now left university, others have lost their jobs, and are currently reorienting themselves. Many now have to think about what they want to spend their money on.

How does this compare to Germany? Looking at international price comparisons, one finds that food prices in China in relation to income are even slightly higher than in Germany. The Federal Statistical Office reports:

In 2021, the price level in China was slightly above that in Germany (100 vs 104 on average), which means you have to spend more on food compared to your income. The Federal Office determines this by calculating so-called purchasing power parities.

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Frugality and contentment are becoming important again

As an example of the new culture of frugality, the Spanish magazine Xataka.com cites engineers: They found that they could spend less than 20 yuan per day (about 2.60 euros) on soups and fried rice and managed months where they could sustain themselves on about 332 yuan (43.29 euros). This even went so far that they could save the money to later move to another city for a better job.

Another realization among young people: If you order less and start cooking for yourself, you can not only control your expenses more consciously but also eat healthier.

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Generation Z is facing two major problems aside from criticism. On the one hand, rents are becoming increasingly expensive, and on the other hand, they no longer want to take any job just to earn money. And this is something especially older generations do not understand well, who refer to their own life paths: Gen Z is currently facing two major problems, one of which they cannot solve without help

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In a new survival MMO, you fight against robo-bears on a post-apocalyptic Soviet island

Ody Ody Reading time 2 minutes

The survival MMO PIONER returns with a new trailer. It shows more of the post-apocalyptic game world and its dangers, including a robo-bear with a built-in flamethrower.

What kind of game is it? PIONER is an upcoming survival MMO from the indie developer GFA Games. The game was announced at E3 2021 and was originally supposed to be released by 2022 at the latest, but the release has been postponed several times.

In a fresh trailer for PIONER, the developers showcase more gameplay. They also announce a new release window – the survival MMO is set to be released in 2025 for PC on Steam.

You can watch the trailer here:

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PIONER: New trailer for the dark survival MMO on Steam

Sci-Fi Post-Apocalypse in the Soviet Era

What does the trailer show? PIONER mixes the Soviet look known from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series with a sledgehammer full of post-apocalypse. The lighting and color palette make the world appear particularly desolate and bleak.

The players land on a mysterious island called Tartarus. This island holds many deadly creatures: The trailer features mutated humans, giant spiders, and even a robot bear that can breathe fire.

Even more dangerous than any flame-throwing robo-bear might be the humans you share the island with. Within certain areas of the Shadowlands, there is particularly valuable loot, which will lead players to fight against each other.

For those less interested in PvP, the focus is on PvE missions and story quests. According to the developers, the story is inspired by classic science fiction and is said to be filled with complex characters and factions. Fans of story-driven games should thus be pleased.

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Weapon Modifications and Survival Aspects

PIONER offers a variety of improvised weapons in addition to classic firearms. You can keep enemies at bay with a spear, hit them with a screwdriver, or ignite them with a flame sword. Weapons can be modified and personalized with a variety of modules and designs.

Your luck and survival is not just determined by your skill with your weapons: hunger, rest, and resources also need to be managed. Otherwise, things are likely to look bleak not only for the world but also for your survival on Tartarus.

If PIONER actually releases in 2025, it will have only been 4 years since its first announcement, despite the delays. Fans of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 can only smile wearily: the survival shooter was released in November 2024 after more than 14 years of development, but in rather poor technical condition. A developer of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 explains why.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

LoL: Riot shows new €240 skin, but players prefer an old skin from 2016 that only costs €20

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

League of Legends is a classic free-to-play game, and Riot mainly funds it with cosmetic content like skins. Now, a new gacha skin type has been released, and Riot is immediately announcing the next skin, which the community does not like at all.

What is the new skin type? In connection with Arcane Season 2, Riot also announced a new type of skin. The Exalted skins are a new premium form of skins that can only be obtained through a new gacha system. A pull costs €3.50. With 80 pulls, you are guaranteed to receive the skin, which would cost around 32,000 RP or approximately €240 with the cheapest bundle option.

However, the Jinx skin was already criticized by many parts of the community. The new effects and forms are said not to be worth the money. On December 11, 2024, the first Exalted skin was released on the live servers, and Riot is immediately announcing the next skin, which is also receiving a lot of criticism.

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New gacha skin does not satisfy the players

Which skin is it about? Following Arcane Fractured Jinx, the next Exalted skin is already on the way. This time Sett receives the Radiant Serpent skin, and it is also supposed to offer new effects again. You should be able to choose from 3 color schemes in the match itself, and all his abilities will feature new animations and effects, fitting for a snake (via YouTube).

But many players find the skin not worth the money and even compare it to a €20 skin that is supposed to offer more content. In a recent reddit post, the entire topic is being discussed.

  • Amon 024 (via reddit) compares the skin to Elementalist Lux. The Ultimate Skin from 2016 costs around €20 and has several unique effects, multiple forms, and even transformations.
  • Gontha (via reddit) doesn’t care about the skins. He has stopped buying and using skins and enjoys the game more.
  • Caesaria_Tertia (via reddit) is bothered by the fact that so shortly after the first Exalted skin, the next one appears. He believes that the quality of other skins might suffer.

Some users also compare the skin to Faker’s expensive Ahri skin. Although it was more expensive, players claim it offered more effects and better quality.

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The new Exalted skin and the new Noxus skins are expected to launch on the live servers at the beginning of next year. However, players will be able to preview the new cosmetics on the test server beforehand. The new year will not only bring new cosmetics but also a new jungle monster appearing in the Rift: LoL: 2025 introduces a new jungle monster that will make you collect the remnants of your opponents

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

“Don’t hate me” – Gronkh reveals what preferential treatment he receives as a Twitch streamer from Telekom

Johanna Johanna Reading time 2 minutes

The Twitch streamer Erik “Gronkh” Range usually does not exploit his popularity for personal gain. But when he had serious internet issues, he played the “Gronkh card,” as he puts it, and has since enjoyed preferential treatment from Telekom.

What does this preferential treatment entail? Gronkh mentioned in a Twitch stream, a clip of which was uploaded to YouTube, that he has a direct line to Telekom. This means his concerns are addressed faster than others and he does not have to deal with the waiting queue.

In our video, we introduce you to Gronkh and his career:

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Gronkh, the man with the voice – Career and life of Germany’s most famous Let’s Player

“I hate playing the ‘Gronkh card'”

How did this come about? In a reaction video to Varion’s video “When you have to call your internet provider”, Gronkh recalled a time when he had internet issues for weeks.

Eventually, it became too much for him, and he wrote a “rant”, a kind of outburst, directed towards Telekom on X, formerly Twitter. He let his frustration flow and threatened with loss of income, as he relies on a stable internet connection professionally as a content creator.

The consequence: a very quick support response with a solution to his problems and additionally a “better line” with Telekom.

Gronkh is not really proud of his action but felt compelled to take this measure. He says: “I hate playing the ‘Gronkh card.'”

He then added: “Please don’t hate me, but I’ve already lost a lot of hair.”

You can watch the entire video here:

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What else did Gronkh say? Playfully, the Twitch streamer said to his community: “You complain when episodes are missed or streams! (…) I’m only doing this for you!”

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How is the community reacting? In the comments, the community shares their own negative experiences with internet providers:

  • Lisa2206xP: “Wow, I’m having flashbacks. I also had no internet for weeks and had to call garbage phones so many times. (…)”

…and some are jealous and ask Gronkh to lend them the card:

  • Einfach_Gabi: “Will you lend me your Gronkh card when I have problems? I rarely have issues, prevention is definitely better.”
  • JustanerOw2001: “GIVE SOME UP!!! :D”
  • Gabriel667: “Where can I get a Gronkh card? :D”

Gronkh is one of the biggest Twitch streamers in the German area and receives not only a little preference from Telekom. His Twitch colleagues were very excited when Gronkh appeared in Craftattack: German Twitch streamers play Minecraft together, are totally excited when Gronkh suddenly appears on their server

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Star Wars: 24 years before Kylo Ren, Han and Leia had a son – But he was never seen in theaters

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 4 minutes

Even before the sequels that started in 2015, Star Wars continued. But these were not movies, but books, games, and comics. In this alternative timeline, Han and Leia already had a son, and he eventually strayed from the righteous path.

The following article deals with an alternative character and story that does not belong to the current Disney canon of Star Wars, making some parts differ from the story of the prequels and sequels.

Which character is it about? After the first trilogy of Star Wars, which ended in 1983 with The Return of the Jedi, numerous stories followed before the prequels that continued the story in a non-canonical timeline. These stories are called Star Wars Legends.

In this continuation, Leia and Han Solo also had children, long before Kylo Ren was established. One child, Jacen Solo, faced similar issues as Kylo Ren 24 years later. It even went so far that he became a Sith Lord. He first appeared in the book Heirs of the Empire in 1991.

Start video
English trailer for Star Wars 9: The Rise of Skywalker 

Destined to become a Jedi

Jacen Solo had a difficult childhood from the very beginning. Even before his birth, he and his sister Jaina had a target on their backs. Due to their famous parents and their Force potential. They had to be protected from dangers like Thrawn or Palpatine from a very young age.

As children, Jacen and Jaina enjoyed playing with the Force, which they were able to use from a very young age. Therefore, they trained as children to later wield the powers of a Jedi. In the meantime, they got a third brother: Anakin Solo, named after their grandfather.

They learned not only the teachings of the Jedi but also the field of their mother: diplomacy. Jacen’s great role model as a child was always his uncle Luke, who could practically do whatever he wanted and was constantly traveling.

He didn’t want to be a fighter at all. Unlike what his father Han wanted, he was not interested in strength. He was a peace-loving boy who enjoyed living with all sorts of creatures.

Despite a kidnapping, during which they were trained by a former student of Luke on the dark side, the three siblings remained on the righteous path of the Jedi.

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The path to the dark side of the Force

How did Jacen become a Sith Lord? Similar to Kylo Ren, Jacen also succumbed to the dark side of the Force at some point. This happened during the Yuuzhan Vong War, with which Jacen already had issues due to his philosophical pacifism.

Despite his reservations, he joined a team that was supposed to deal with the Voxyn Queen, responsible for creating the Voxyn. These creatures were created by the Yuuzhan Vong to kill Force users.

But this mission went awry, and tragically, Anakin, Jacen’s brother, also died. Jacen was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong and then tortured multiple times by Vergere. The Sith wanted to recruit Jacen as her Sith apprentice. He escaped after a year, rejoined the war, and even defeated Onimi, the Yuuzhan Vong who was pulling all the strings in the background.

However, despite his heroic deeds, the influence of his captivity did not go unnoticed. Jacen learned from several Force sects for five years. In one vision, he saw a dangerous person threatening the universe and wanted to prevent it.

But his pacifist philosophy changed. He was now convinced that one must make sacrifices for a good cause.

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The drive for power and the path to becoming a Sith Lord

What happened next? Solo looked further into the future and discovered that if he did not become the apprentice of Lumiya, a Sith Mistress, it would lead to Luke’s death. That would plunge the universe into chaos.

His views became increasingly extreme, and his path to the dark side as well. He also felt the path of his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, who also turned to the dark side. He became the leader of an anti-terrorist unit of the Galactic Alliance and exploited this position, where his mistress was also pulling the strings.

He and his allies gained more and more power, and Jacen turned against his family and the Jedi. At a crucial moment, he killed his aunt Mara Jade Skywalker, Luke’s wife. Lumiya took the murder upon herself, and Jacen became the new Sith Lord, taking on the title Darth Caedus.

After that, he gained more political and military power. He even trained a new Sith apprentice after failing to win over Ben Skywalker, the son of Luke and Mara, to his side.

And as is customary in Star Wars, there were family issues. First, Caedus was betrayed by the mother of his daughter, and later, in a final battle, he was killed by his own twin sister. Just like Darth Vader, his good sides emerged in the end. He later appeared as a ghost when Luke wanted to deal with the monster Abeloth.

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How can one read the story of Darth Caedus? Jacen Solo, a.k.a. Darth Caedus, is a character featured in a large portion of Legends works. His childhood is depicted in the Young Jedi Knight series. The real beginnings are in the The New Jedi Order series, and his path into darkness and thus also his end is in the Legacy of the Force series.

The New Jedi Order and Legacy of the Force are still available at relatively good prices, even as English audiobooks online. It may be significantly harder to find Young Jedi Knight.

Jacen has many parallels to what Kylo Ren later did.

Both characters were given a path by their birth that they likely did not want. Unlike Kylo Ren, Jacen became a great danger to the universe and even a powerful Sith Lord. Another Sith Lord from Star Wars Legends was Darth Krayt: A Jedi could have stopped Anakin in Star Wars, but he did not want to betray his friend.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Wookiepedia
  2. youtini.com
  3. Screen Rant

HandOfBlood draws first conclusion on Path of Exile 2, cannot understand the disappointment of some players

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

The well-known content creator HandOfBlood has shared his preliminary assessment of the early access version of Path of Exile 2 in a new video.

What does Hänno think about the successor of Path of Exile? That the well-known streamer and YouTuber Maximilian Paul Karl-Heinz Knabe, known as Hänno, has been really excited about Path of Exile 2 for weeks now, MeinMMO has already reported on that. Now there was a first preliminary assessment of the early access version of the action RPG on his HandOfUncut channel on YouTube.

His most important statement in the approximately 26-minute long video relates to the sometimes harsh criticism the game receives on Reddit and other platforms. Hänno explains:

I am quite relaxed about it, and I believe this is a significant issue that many on Reddit have not yet grasped. For me, it is clear: We have an early access game here, in which many contents are still missing […], and community feedback has not yet been incorporated.

For him, it is therefore obvious that the more than 1 million early access players will now expose a variety of issues and bugs that the team can and will address during the testing phase. Hänno is confident:

I’m telling you right now: I think in the next two weeks, the game will be turned upside down multiple times … on, for example, Reddit, but also on social media or YouTube, some people treat this game as if it is now the full release, and they are occasionally disappointed.

Here is the gameplay trailer for Path of Exile 2 for the early access:

Start video
Path of Exile 2 shows new gameplay trailer for early access

What else does Hänno say? The YouTuber also finds it surprising how different the feedback is in some cases. In the Reddit section for the first Path of Exile, there would be a lot of harsh criticism, while the successor receives much more praise in the Reddit section for Path of Exile 2, at least according to Hänno’s impression.

He emphasizes afterwards that he also finds many aspects of Path of Exile 2 in need of improvement. However, Hänno is confident that due to player feedback, work is now being done on precisely those areas. According to him, the issues with Path of Exile 2 include:

  • the significantly higher difficulty level compared to its predecessor and other hack & slash titles (one can regularly be oneshot if one does not play very attentively), even though the game itself is more beginner-friendly than PoE (because part 2 explains itself better)
  • the “areas are so unbelievably huge,” which is worsened by the fact that one is moving very slowly and has to find specific quest locations within the enormous areas
  • item progression feels frustrating because hardly anything interesting drops, and when something does drop, it must also match the character
  • currently, crafting feels quite pointless because important materials do not drop or only drop very rarely
  • unlocking subclasses through Sanctum is annoying because runs can fail far too quickly due to damage taken
More about Path of Exile 2:
Path of Exile 2 announces new season, the late date heats up players’ expectations
von Cedric Holmeier
What to do if you die in Path of Exile 2 before you can loot? Community helps the affected with a trick, saves the loot
von Cedric Holmeier

Hänno further mentions that Path of Exile 2 feels significantly different from its predecessor. The new action RPG plays slower, but also more physically, for example, because enemies can force one into a corner. However, he does not consider this to be worse or better per se, one just has to adjust if one comes from Path of Exile.

He finds a lot of praise, for example, for the graphics, atmosphere, and level design: “The game looks incredibly good.” Additionally, the YouTuber praises the developers for being able to filter the essence from often unconstructive criticism and already implementing important improvements. Hänno is confident:

If they keep this up in the coming weeks and months, then it will be an amazing game, an amazing number.

You can watch the video from HandOfBlood here:

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How does his community react to the video? The viewers celebrate HandOfBlood’s preliminary assessment.

  • JonNeydu celebrates on YouTube: “Really fair evaluation without drama/clickbait, really good!”
  • lucas5656 emphasizes on YouTube: “I also thought that many people simply forgot about the early access mentally. I think, especially when you have seen other launches, it’s just insane how good the game is.”
  • deez9588 has also noticed (via YouTube): “The difference between the two PoE Reddits is just too extreme.”
  • JohnCena9393 praises on YouTube: “Just through today’s patch, about 50 percent of the existing problems have been eliminated for me. Of course, it still needs some fine-tuning, but the foundation that is already here for early access is really promising.”

The developers of Path of Exile 2 have already addressed feedback on loot in the first patch. The goal: more and better loot from rare enemies. Everything else on this: Path of Exile 2 brings the first update and finally gives you more loot – patch notes in German

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW: From now on you can collect unlimited upgrades – and thus the best equipment

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The cap for herald’s crests in World of Warcraft has fallen. From now on, you can collect infinitely powerful equipment – in easy content.

Good equipment in World of Warcraft is what everyone wants. As of today, farming it is possible in new ways, as the limits for one of the most important resources have been lifted. We reveal what has changed regarding the herald’s crests.

Start video
For the 20th Birthday, Blizzard Speaks About ‘WoW 2’ and What We Think About It

What has changed? With the weekly reset on 12/11/2024, the limit that previously existed on the various herald’s crests has been removed. Previously, it was only possible to collect 90 of each crest type per week, with the maximum increasing each week.

Now, this limitation has been completely lifted.

What are crests needed for? Herald’s crests in their various tiers are necessary to upgrade equipment or have particularly powerful equipment crafted by artisans. Depending on which “track” an item is on (adventurer, champion, hero, etc.), you can use the crests to squeeze a few more item levels out of an item and thus gain significantly in power.

What does this mean? Especially players at the highest level can now upgrade their equipment without a crest limit, until they have the best possible gear.

But characters at the lower end of the system also benefit from this.

WoW Veskarn Crest Exchance
At Vaskarn, you can exchange your crests – for the next higher tier.

The possibilities this provides are likely interesting for everyone who does not play the hardest content. Those who, for example, do not dare to enter the highest ‘Mythic+’ dungeons, heroic or even mythic raids, can now also farm infinite upgrades with ‘easy’ content. Although this can take a lot of time, in this case, time can outweigh skill.

This is because you can convert 90 crests of a lower tier into 15 crests of the next higher tier. This results in the following exchange list, providing a virtually endless method to obtain the best crests – even without playing particularly tough content. The costs for 15 of each crest type are shown here:

Desired CrestCost in Weathered Herald’s CrestCost in Carved Herald’s CrestCost in Rune-Embellished Herald’s Crest
Carved Herald’s Crest (15)90––
Rune-Embellished Herald’s Crest (15)54090–
Gilded Herald’s Crest (15)3,24054090

Since you can even farm weathered herald’s crests entirely in the open world – for example, by collecting the Azerite Orbs in the currently active area while flying, you can theoretically farm infinitely without ever having to play challenging content.

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Those who want the “perfect” equipment can now start farming, as the barriers have fallen for the rest of Season 1. Next week (12/18/2024) patch 11.0.7 will already be released and bring a new island and an extremely powerful ring that will make the rest of Season 1 significantly easier.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The new subscription for ChatGPT costs 200 euros per month, but very few should actually pay for it.

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

OpenAI has introduced a new Pro subscription for ChatGPT. The price is around 200 euros per month. However, for very few of you, this new expensive subscription is really worth it.

What is this new subscription? With the new Pro subscription, you will gain access to some new features and improvements to the old options:

  • Access to Advanced Voice.
  • The o1 model without time restrictions.
  • GPT-4o and access to the new o1 Pro.
  • Additionally, you will get more computing power for your queries.

However, many basic features of that are also available in the cheaper subscription for 20 euros, which is also offered by OpenAI. The benefits of the ChatGPT Plus subscription for 22 euros have been explained on MeinMMO.

Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds

The expensive Pro model is aimed at professionals and researchers

Why is it not worth it? Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, has already explained that all core functions of o1, GPT-4o, and Advanced Voice will be available in the Plus plan for 22 euros per month. Therefore, you do not need to subscribe to the expensive plan to access the newer features. All “new” features are already included in the cheaper subscription.

Additionally, both the “o1 Pro” model and the higher computing power are primarily aimed at scientists and institutions that want to compute very complex tasks or data. If you are not working in science or intending to develop code, you should not purchase the expensive subscription for 200 euros per month.

By the way, OpenAI explains this themselves. On their website, the developer behind ChatGPT states that they are targeting “professionals who need AI intelligence at a research level on a large scale” with the new Pro subscription.

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A Brit explained in a podcast on YouTube how he was able to eat for free at McDonald’s for a year. He did this by having fake negative reviews written, through which he scammed vouchers. After a year, he was finally caught: A user used ChatGPT to eat for almost a year for free at McDonald’s – His trick was a simple request

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. tomsguide.com

An Opponent in Dragon Ball Daima Could Defeat Son-Goku with an Unassuming Object

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

In Episode 9 of Dragon Ball Daima, an object has suddenly appeared that could make an opponent of Son-Goku so powerful that he would have no chance of defeating him. However, at the moment, the object is in innocent hands.

What kind of object is it? The “Evil Third Eye” is an eye that has been passed down from king to king of the demon realm. It is a real eye that is said to grant great power to its owner. The carrier just has to place it on their forehead.

Unfortunately, the eye went missing when Abura was king. He was the father of Dabura, whom we have already seen in Dragon Ball, when he was under Babidi’s influence.

King Gomah is his successor, looking for the eye that grants incredible power. And it seems that the eye has surfaced after all this time – just not near him yet.

Here you can watch the trailer for Dragon Ball Daima:

Start video
Dragon Ball DAIMA starts in autumn

A powerful object in Dragon Ball is in innocent hands

Where is the eye located? Hybis is currently taking care of Vegeta, Bulma, and Piccolo. The group wants to catch up with Son-Goku and the others to collectively collect the Dragon Balls of the demon world.

He mentioned in the latest episode that he found a mysterious eye in the mountains, which he affixed to his belt. At the front, there is an eye with a red iris that can move on its own.

Dragon Ball Daima Eye
The eye is on Hybis’s belt.

It is not officially confirmed yet, but the eye is probably the one that King Gomah desires so much. If Son-Goku continues with the plan to free Dende, it could happen that Hybis and King Gomah meet.

King Gomah almost got the eye in Episode 1. He wanted to wish for the eye as his second wish from Shenlong. But Shenlong granted him only the one wish, to shrink Son-Goku and his friends.

What will happen if Gomah gets the eye? Since the eye is said to grant incredible powers, Gomah could become so powerful that even Son-Goku might have difficulty defeating him, especially since he is still in the body of a child.

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In the early days of Dragon Ball, there was a character who was even capable of directly killing his opponents. Unfortunately, his potential was not recognized, and he disappeared from the screen: Son-Goku fought against a strong opponent in Dragon Ball who would have been useful as a secret weapon

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dragon Ball Wiki

Path of Exile 2 nerfs what is fun, now players are demanding compensation from the developers

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

Currently, the developers of Path of Exile 2 are nerfing various skills in the game’s Early Access to adjust them for balance. The fans are annoyed and have their own demands.

Which skill has been nerfed? In Path of Exile 2, skills have been nerfed repeatedly since the release. Now, it’s the one that summons the Raging Spirits. It can only have 5 active raging souls simultaneously.

The nerf also ensures that the Raging Spirits cannot be spawned by fire skills when triggered. Triggering means that the ability is used automatically when an enemy suffers from a certain condition.

For example, one could automatically cast a fire skill as soon as an enemy is burning. This would also trigger the casting of Raging Spirits before the nerf, which meant that one had Raging Spirits almost permanently.

Here you can see how bosses spawn in the game:

Start video
Path of Exile 2: The new trailer reveals how the bosses of the action RPG come into being

Players demand compensation from the developers

Why are players demanding this? When skills are nerfed as in the current example, it often leads to players’ builds no longer functioning, and they have to re-spec with great effort. In Path of Exile 2, this is quite expensive.

As @ItsMalok212197 writes on X.com, he has just spent 80,000 gold to switch his build to the Raging Spirits. Now, to redistribute a skill point, he says he has to spend 1,900 gold.

So players are not just disappointed because their builds no longer work as expected, but also because they now have to spend a lot of gold to re-spec.

What are they asking from the developers? There are two demands in the community. The first mainly comes from veterans and pros who have been following Path of Exile for a long time. One of them is the German developer of the first loot filter for Path of Exile 2.

He presents the demand on X.com: “I agree with the change, but I believe this justifies a full character respec opportunity for everyone.” This demand is supported in the comments by many, some even go further and demand that for the duration of Early Access, all respecs should be free (via X.com).

The second demand, which is often mentioned, is raised by @ThiagoHecksher. He writes on X.com: “With this micromanagement policy for everything in the game, you have definitely become Blizzard. This excess of balance changes is not healthy. These skills are not even so overpowered that they deserve a nerf; you are just ruining the experience for players who will lose their characters.”

He further adds on X.com: “The respec is too expensive. Also, the campaign is too long; I will almost stop with these changes.” Others disagree with him and argue that adjusting balance regularly, including nerfing skills, is part of Early Access (via X.com).

However, some share the demand for fewer or no changes during the ongoing season.

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Despite the nerfs that are likely annoying many players, Path of Exile 2 is currently very popular. Even more popular than the competition from Diablo 4, which could be a reason that even the head of the Diablo brand is looking forward to the holidays so he can then play Path of Exile 2: Path of Exile 2 is currently 45x larger than Diablo 4 on Steam, and even the head is now playing at the competition

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. X.com
  2. Reddit

Throne and Liberty: Starbloom Solstice – All You Need to Know About the Christmas Event Starbloom Solstice

Nathalie Schnee Nathalie Schnee Reading time 3 minutes

In Throne and Liberty the winter event “StarTree Solstice” will take place from December 12, 2024, featuring new content. MeinMMO has compiled an overview of all known information so far.

What do I need to know about the StarTree Solstice? As previously announced on X.com, official information regarding the Christmas event has now been released via playthroneandliberty.com. Here’s what to expect:

  • Event duration: from December 12, 2024, to January 9, 2025
  • New event currency: StarTree Wreaths
  • New event currency: StarTree Globe Decorations
  • Premium combat pass: festive cosmetic items like Jolly Arsenal weapons and Glacia weapon cosmetics
  • Limited PvP mode for 6 players on a new map: Snowdrift Island
  • Playful transformation: Gift Goblin
  • Event merchant
  • “Reindeer” Gigantrit
  • Villages with festive decorations
  • A daily login bonus
  • Event-exclusive buffs

All details about the winter event “StarTree Solstice” can be found below. You can jump directly to the point of interest through our table of contents.

[toc]

Update from December 11, 2024: Just before the start of the event, we have expanded our overview and made minor adjustments.

Discover the vast world of Throne and Liberty:

Start video
Throne and Liberty: Claim the Throne – Launch Trailer of the MMORPG

Snowdrift Island Arena

Snowdrift Island is a limited PvP mode for six players and takes place on a new winter-themed map. You can transform into a festive Amitoi with DPS, tank, or support characteristics to compete against each other. The following rewards await you:

  • Play one game
    • Reward: StarTree Globe Decoration x4
  • Win 5 games
    • Reward: StarTree Globe Decoration x10
  • Play ten games
    • Reward: StarTree Wreaths x20

Decorate the Trees of Gratitude

With the StarTree Globe Decorations, you can decorate the Trees of Gratitude in the festive villages to receive some thank-you letters from Amazon Games, NCSOFT, or your favorite characters. Additionally, festive music will play, which you can listen to in order to receive the following rewards and buffs:

  • StarTree Wreath
  • Giant StarTree Cake
    • Temporarily increases: Mastery bonus, consumption efficiency at the Abyss
  • Smile Cookie
    • Temporarily increases: Hit chance, crit chance, debuff resistance, boss damage, and hit chance against bosses
  • Giant StarTree Stollen
    • Temporarily increases: Movement speed, attack speed
  • Festive profile frame: Festival of Harmony and Peace

“Reindeer” Gigantrit

During the event, the giant whale named Gigantrit transforms into a reindeer. On the back of the creature is the NPC Red Hat Boba from whom you can receive the following buff once you interact with him:

  • Winter Gift from Gigantrit
    • Temporarily increases: Sollant gain, experience gain, and consumption efficiency at the Abyss

Amitoi House Decorations

By logging in daily, you will receive ornaments to decorate the tree in the Amitoi house. This will reward you with:

  • A playful transformation: Gift Goblin.

Additionally, you can send your Amitois on special expeditions that will reward you with extra event rewards:

  • Amitois have a symbol above their head that indicates where they will receive a booster. This booster increases the chance of special rewards from the Amitoi expedition.
  • Event-exclusive bonus: Amitois in the StarTree Solstice theme (Giant StarTree Forest Rest, Red Nosed Fennicki, Winter Festival Pango, Snow Child Izzy, Ice Miniatalus, Silent Izzy) have an increased chance of special rewards, regardless of their expedition.

Gift Thief Goblin

Various goblins will be roaming the map, likely hanging around the festive villages. They carry a box containing consumables for the StarTree Solstice event that you can probably steal from them.

Event Merchant

By winning in the new Snowdrift Island arena and by playing special festive music while decorating the Trees of Gratitude, you will earn StarTree Wreaths. You can spend these at special event merchants to receive rewards:

  • Gold Breik bait: This special bait has a 20% chance of catching a Golden Fish. Successfully catch the fish and receive up to 10,000,000 Sollant
  • Headgear: Winter Wondercap
  • Headgear: Reindeer Hood
  • Giant StarTree Forest Rest
  • Player title: Stay Frosty
  • Frame: Radiant Winter
  • Various materials and supplies, including Noble Active Skill Books, Noble Passive Skill Books, and Noble Almighty Skill Books

Event Pass: StarTree Solstice

Additionally, there will be a new combat pass featuring particularly festive rewards. You can acquire the following cosmetic items through the Battlepass:

  • The “Winter Knight” outfit
  • The weapon cosmetic “Jolly Arsenal”
  • The Amitoi “Red Nosed Fennicki”

By completing the premium combat pass: “Glacia’s Star,” you will also receive the Glacia weapon cosmetic.

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The winter event has many rewards in store for you. Starting this Thursday, you can get into the festive spirit and explore the new update with your friends. If you need further assistance or have general questions about Throne and Liberty, check out our overview where we have listed all guides for the new MMORPG: Throne and Liberty: All Guides for Starting in the New MMORPG.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. playthroneandliberty.com
  2. x.com

GTA 6: Rockstar is already causing nervousness among the competition – Although there is still no release date

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

GTA 6 is highly anticipated but still has no fixed release date. This particularly causes excitement among competitors and shows: Rockstar is already influencing the upcoming gaming year.

What is the status of GTA 6? The release of the first trailer for GTA 6 was already a year ago. At that time, the first moving images caused a stir – of course, we are talking about GTA. The series is very popular and has earned Rockstar Games a very good reputation.

Since then, there has been little new information about the sixth part. When it will be released, even Rockstar cannot concretely say. So far, only the rough timeframe of autumn 2025 is on the table. Whether this will be kept, however, is still uncertain. A former employee believes, that Rockstar could delay the exact date for a long time.

This also has consequences for other publishers. Because hardly anyone wants to take on the giant GTA.

Start video
Rockstar Games shows GTA 6 for the first time in the trailer

The anxious wait for a date

How is the competition doing? That GTA 6 will dominate the gaming world upon its release is no secret. After all, part 5 was already immensely successful. Not only does it hold a Metascore of 97 points as one of the best games of all time, it sold around 205 million copies according to statista.com.

To put this into perspective: Only Minecraft sold more units, namely 300 million pieces (via statista.com). A large and long-running series like Final Fantasy has sold fewer games with all its titles than Rockstar with GTA 5 alone. Namely, 195 million units (via statista.com)

These numbers create high expectations. On one hand from Rockstar, from whom a very good game and high revenues are expected. On the other hand, from competing publishers who fear releasing their game in the same timeframe.

For this reason, some game companies are currently postponing the release dates of their own productions. According to industry insider Jason Schreier, they want to wait until Rockstar announces a concrete date.

If autumn 2025 is confirmed, it could lead to delays for other titles – even into 2026. How exactly the next year will look in gaming is still up in the air.

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This shows how great the influence of GTA 6 is even before release. In the best case, Rockstar not only meets the expectations for their gangster epic but also sets new standards in open-world gaming. Do you think that can succeed? Feel free to let us know in the comments. You might also be interested in: A developer worked on GTA for 14 years, now explains why a player wish for GTA 6 is difficult to implement

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. bloomberg.com

WoW needs to be easier to be fun again

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

The shortage of tanks and healers in World of Warcraft is increasing. Many in the community believe that a return to old virtues can fix this.

If you want to form a group in the current World of Warcraft to tackle dungeons, you need patience. Especially if you’re playing DPS and need both a tank and a healer. Searching for group members can easily take half an hour or longer.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Towards the end of Dragonflight, there were relatively many healers and tanks. However, this changed in the first season of The War Within. Many in the community also believe that a return to the “old system” could be the solution.

Start video
WoW celebrates 20 years of the highlights of Azeroth

What is the problem? In recent weeks, tanks and healers have increasingly become a scarcity in World of Warcraft – especially in the “Mythic+” category. Anyone trying to assemble a group to complete a key stone of difficulty +8 or higher can wait a long time to find tanks and healers.

The reasons for this are quite clear, at least according to the community. Because tanking and healing have both become significantly more difficult with The War Within.

While tanks still endure a lot and have some large cooldowns to bridge minor healing deficiencies, they can hardly “keep themselves alive,” as was the case in Dragonflight. Tanks were rarely reliant on healers back then.

Healers now need to perform group healing in almost every fight and protect the tank much more than in previous seasons.

Additionally, healers often have other tasks, and many of the current affixes are often dismissed as “healer affixes.”

WoW Blood Elf angry female crying male title 1140x445
Tanks and healers are getting desperate – they need changes.

Back to former strength

How could this be solved? Many suggestions are discussed in the WoW subreddit on how to fix the problems. A post from klingers is particularly well received. He lists the problems and reveals the underlying design difficulties that currently prevail:

I hate to say this, but I believe the only solution is to make every role a bit more forgiving. Shift a little of the responsibility onto the DPS characters. Simplify the combat mechanics. Increase the health points of tanks. Simplify the tank/heal rotation, reduce the cooldowns, or add more “Oh Shit” buttons.

To be honest, this post isn’t directed at all the people who will now comment that “they have no problems, others just need to get good.” The problem is, people don’t want to “get good,” they are completely avoiding the roles. And that’s something we need to change.

Or to put it plainly: Tanking and healing need to become easier. The burden of tasks must be reduced so that these two roles are fun and appealing again – even for new players.

More about WoW:
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von Karsten Scholz

This is how the community discusses: The post receives a lot of support and sparks some discussions.

  • “I loved it when tanks were super tanky and could alleviate the burden of healers, as it was at the end of Dragonflight. What was wrong with that and why was it changed?” – EulerIdentity
  • “It was a lot of fun when I could tank many [enemies] and keep myself alive at the same time. It was enjoyable. Now, no matter what I do, I feel weak and it’s not enjoyable. That’s the main reason I switched away from tanking. I no longer feel like a tank.” – Dbzking99
  • “DPS have to watch that their feet are not standing in fire, interrupt, and deal damage.
    Healers have to ensure their feet are not standing in fire, monitor the health bars of everyone, interrupt, deal damage, dispel, plan healing CDs based on the tank plus affix, plus factor in how fragile the DPS are. DPS feels like a game. Healing feels like a job.”     – sammystevens

What do you think of the current state of the distribution of healers and tanks in World of Warcraft? Are you having trouble assembling a group? Or are you lucky enough to have a large and active guild or friend group where all roles are adequately represented?
The entire Mythic+ system also needs help – because a lot is going wrong there right now.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Google reveals which games were searched the most in 2024 – we had to google the number 1 ourselves

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

Google ends the year 2024 with a ranking of the most searched terms. Katt Williams is the most searched actor, and particularly many people have searched for “Inside Out 2” as a movie. However, the first place in video games is surprising, as many of you may not know it.

What is the most searched game? In first place in the ranking is Connections. This is a word puzzle game developed by the New York Times in 2023. The title is available as a web version and for iOS and Android.

In the game, you start with a grid of 16 English words. The goal is to create four word groups of four words that belong to a category. For example: “Call, Dub, Label, Name” are all terms that give a name to something else.

At the end of a puzzle, players can see how difficult the puzzle was compared to others and how many mistakes other guessers made.

Among the most searched games was also Black Myth Wukong:

Start video
Black Myth: Wukong: The final trailer for the action RPG from China

The most searched games are not classic console games

Why is it searched so much? Every day a new puzzle is added. Therefore, the game is searched daily when players need help with the solution. So it’s no surprise that Connections is in first place.

Which games were also frequently searched? Many of the remaining spots are not video games that you might currently expect. About half of the games are fan-made games, browser games, or only available on mobile.

  • Place 1: Connections
  • Place 2: Palworld
  • Place 3: Infinite Craft
  • Place 4: Sprunki
  • Place 5: Helldivers 2
  • Place 6: Wuthering Waves
  • Place 7: Black Myth: Wukong
  • Place 8: Strands
  • Place 9: Brawl Stars
  • Place 10: PokéRouge

Palworld has likely been googled frequently, because it has been quite controversial since its release. The game has been accused from the beginning of being a brutal clone of Pokémon. The story even went so far as to that the developer team behind the game was sued.

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Another game that attracted a lot of attention this year was Helldivers 2. Here, the player counts at release were so high that it was noticeable within a few months how much the number of active players had decreased.

In Wuthering Waves, the codes could be the decisive factor for googling the title. Like many gacha games, there are regularly codes to gain in-game currencies.

The action RPG Black Myth: Wukong from the Chinese developer Game Science was even so popular that it became the second largest game on Steam at its release. It even left giants like DOTA 2, Elden Ring, and Cyberpunk 2077 behind: Over 1 million players on Steam: Black Myth Wukong even surpasses Elden Ring in popularity 

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Google Trends

Pokémon GO: All Raid Hours and Legendary Bosses in December 2024 – Today Genesect (Freezing Module)

Paul Kutzner Paul Kutzner Reading time 2 minutes

December 2024 brings you all sorts of raids and bosses in Pokémon GO again. We have summarized which ones are available and when you can challenge them.

What raids are we talking about? Raids are a great opportunity in Pokémon GO to obtain new monsters. There are various difficulty levels, with the 5-star raids bringing especially strong legendary Pokémon.

We have summarized which 5-star and mega raids will be available to you in December 2024 and the time period during which they are available.

Start video
Pokémon GO reveals the new season Dual Destiny in the trailer

Raid Hours and Bosses in December 2024

When are the raid hours? Every Wednesday, there is a so-called raid hour. It takes place from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Here you have the opportunity to find and challenge a boss in a variety of arenas.

In addition, December features a Fusion Raid Day, where you can encounter Necrozma in its Dawn Wings and Dusk Mane form. This event takes place on Saturday, December 14, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

The raids during the raid hours will always be a 5-star or mega raid. If you’re lucky, you might even find the boss as a shiny Pokémon (*).

DateRaid Boss
December 4, 2024Genesect (Chilling Module)*
December 11, 2024Genesect (Chilling Module)*
Counter Guide for Genesect (Chilling Module)
December 14, 2024Fusion Raid Day with Necrozma*
December 18, 2024Mega-Latios*
December 25, 2024Mega-Latias*

All Raid Bosses and Mega Raids in December 2024

As usual, the raid bosses in Pokémon GO will change regularly in December 2024. You can find out which bosses are waiting for you this month in the following table.

Time PeriodRaid Boss
December 3 to 125*-Raids with Genesect (Chilling Module)*
Counter Guide for Genesect (Chilling Module)
December 3 to 12Mega-Raids with Mega-Banette*
Counter Guide for Mega-Banette
December 7 to 8Shadow 5*-Raids with Shadow-Regice
Counter Guide for Regice
December 12 to 19Mega-Raids with Mega-Latios*
Counter Guide for Mega-Latios
December 14 to 15Shadow 5*-Raids with Shadow-Regice
December 19 to 26Mega-Raids with Mega-Latias*
Counter Guide for Mega-Latias
December 21 to 22Shadow 5*-Raids with Shadow-Regice
December 26 to January 45*-Raids with Giratina (Altered Form)*
Counter Guide for Giratina (Altered Form)
December 26 to January 4Mega-Raids with Mega-Rexblisar*
Counter Guide for Mega-Rexblisar
December 28 to 29Shadow 5*-Raids with Shadow-Regice
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Which raids are particularly worth it? In December, several strong Pokémon await you in the raids that can strengthen your raid teams.

The strongest monster here is likely Necrozma. On its Fusion Raid Day on December 14, you can collect Fusion Energy, which will allow you to trigger the two fusions with Necrozma, thus obtaining 2 of the strongest attackers in the game.

In addition to Necrozma, there are more monsters in December that belong to the strongest attackers in Pokémon GO. In 5-star raids, you can find Giratina (Altered Form) and Genesect, while in mega raids, you can challenge Mega-Latios and Mega-Latias. These monsters are also strong additions for your teams.

Alongside many raids in December, a new event also takes place for the first time this month, which puts the Dynamax feature in the spotlight. There will also be a Gigantamax monster making its debut in the game: New Gigantamax Monster and Strong Bonuses – This is the 1st Dyna Battle Day in Pokémon GO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The ending of Rambo 1 should have been much darker and it almost buried the whole franchise

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

Rambo is a very famous film series today. However, had it been up to the creative minds behind the first film, there would never have been a sequel. It only changed when Sylvester Stallone stepped in.

What some fans of the Rambo series may have forgotten: The first part was quite dark. It had nothing to do with the overflowing action fireworks of the later installments.

On the contrary: Rambo 1 told a rather tragic story, inspired by a real person. The title character is a veteran of the Vietnam War who has difficulty processing this terrible time. When he reaches a small town, he gets into a conflict with the local police. Rambo has to flee into the nearby woods and engages in a fight with his opponents.

In comparison to its sequels, the film is told rather quietly. Rambo is not a shining action hero but a war-torn veteran. The screenwriters, however, had an ending in mind that would have prematurely ended the entire film series.

Start video
Trailer to the dark first ‘Rambo’

An ending that was too dark even for Stallone

Warning Spoiler: Although the film is already 44 years old, here is a warning. We reveal the ending of Rambo 1.

What did the original ending look like? According to the novel’s source, Rambo’s story would have ended badly. At least for the protagonist. The film’s director, Ted Kotcheff, told Entertainment Weekly that Rambo was actually supposed to die.

At the end of the film, he is indeed arrested and would have taken his own life in the original screenplay. Thus, a sequel with the character would have been impossible.

Sylvester Stallone, who wasn’t supposed to play the role at all, shot the scene as written. However, after filming, he went to his director and urged to reconsider this dark ending. Ted Kotcheff recalls:

Sylvester stood up and said: ‘Ted, can I talk to you for a second?’ He said: ‘You know, Ted, we put this character through so much. The police mistreat him. He is endlessly pursued. Dogs are sent after him. He jumps off cliffs. He runs through icy water. He gets shot in the arm and has to stitch the wound himself. All that and now we are supposed to kill him?

Ted Kotcheff via Entertainment Weekly

Stallone’s demand had an effect: The film’s ending was reshot and matches the conclusion we know from the film. Rambo is still arrested here and speaks with the police chief about his war experiences. Subsequently, he is led away.

This ending was received much better by the test audience. Even if it still isn’t a classic happy ending, at least there was some hope for the battered Rambo.

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Filmmakers owe it to Sylvester Stallone that Rambo eventually became a major franchise. There are now four sequels. The character is among the most famous action heroes of the 80s and has now reached cult status. Stallone himself has recently struggled with negative criticism: ‘As if it was filmed in 2 days’ – No one, really no one recommends the new film with Sylvester Stallone on Rotten Tomatoes

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. fandomwire.com

Pokémon GO: Mega-Rexblisar Counters in Raid Guide – 20 Strongest Attackers

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

The best counters against Mega-Sceptile in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With these you can defeat the boss in raids.

What kind of Pokémon is Mega-Sceptile? The Mega form of Sceptile can be found in Mega Raids and belongs to the types Grass and Dragon.

When does Mega-Sceptile come? You can find the boss from December 26, 2024 in Pokémon GO. It will remain in the game until January 4, 2024. Here we show you the best counters against Mega-Sceptile and which types it is weak against (type effectiveness).

Defeating Mega-Sceptile in Raid – With these counters

  1. Mega-Blaziken with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  2. Mega-Charizard Y with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  3. Shadow Heatran with Fire Spin and Lava Plume
  4. Shadow Blaziken with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  5. Reshiram with Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
  6. Shadow Talonflame with Fire Fang and Overheat
  7. Shadow Blaziken with Fire Spin and Overheat
  8. Mega-Charizard X with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  9. Shadow Entei with Fire Fang and Overheat
  10. Chandelure with Incinerate and Fiery Wrath
  11. Shadow Moltres with Fire Spin and Overheat
  12. Shadow Charizard with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  13. Incineroar with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
  14. Heatran with Fire Spin and Lava Plume
  15. Shadow Ho-Oh with Incinerate and Sacred Fire+
  16. Shadow Typhlosion with Incinerate and Blast Burn
  17. Mega-Houndoom with Fire Fang and Flamethrower
  18. Ramoth with Fire Spin and Overheat
  19. Shadow Magby with Fire Spin and Fire Punch
  20. Shadow Arcanine with Fire Fang and Flamethrower

Weaknesses of Mega-Sceptile: The Pokémon is of the types Grass and Dragon and is therefore weak against Fire, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Rock, Bug, and Steel. Especially Fire attacks are effective, as Mega-Sceptile has a double weakness against this type. So focus primarily on attacks and Pokémon of these types in raids to defeat Mega-Sceptile.

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Are there Shiny Mega-Sceptile? Yes, you can catch shiny Mega-Sceptile.

Pokémon-GO-Mega-Rexblisar-Shiny-Vergleich
Mega-Sceptile and Shiny Mega-Sceptile comparison

How many trainers are needed? With the best counters at high level, you can defeat the boss solo. With lower levels but strong counters, you should rely on more trainers. To complete the raids quickly, groups with many participants are ideal.

To start with your optimal team in the raids, you can prepare your setup in advance. This way you can always quickly revert to your best team and save some time in each raid lobby: Tips for organizing your raid teams.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.