The best Giratina counters for the Altered Form in 5-star raids at Pokémon GO. In this guide, we show you which attackers can easily defeat the legendary boss.
When does Giratina (Altered Form) come? You can find Giratina in the Altered Form starting December 26, 2024, in 5-star raids in Pokémon GO. It will be available until January 4, 2025, and can be challenged by you.
Giratina is of the Ghost and Dragon types and can appear in both the Origin Form and the Altered Form.
Giratina (Altered Form) counters in 5-star raids – Use these attackers
Mega Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Necrozma (Dusk Mane) with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
Mega Gengar with Lick and Shadow Ball
Mega Hydreigon with Dragon Tail and anger
Mega Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
Mega Salamence with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
Shadow Salamence with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
Shadow Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
Palkia (Origin Form) with Dragon Tail and Spatial Rend
Shadow Hydreigon with Dragon Tail and anger
Mega Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Mega Latios with Fire Fang and Dragon Claw
Shadow Dragonite with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Dialga (Origin Form) with Fire Fang and Roar of Time
Garchomp with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Primal Groudon with Dragon Tail and Precipice Blades
Mega Banette with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
Shadow Gengar with Lick and Shadow Ball
Shadow Latios with Fire Fang and Dragon Claw
Weaknesses of Giratina (Altered Form): The Pokémon is of the Ghost and Dragon types, making it vulnerable to Ghost, Ice, Dragon, Dark, and Fairy types. So focus on attacks of these types in the raid.
Is there a Shiny Giratina? Yes, you can catch Shiny Giratina in the Altered Form after a raid.
Giratina in the Altered Form (left) for Shiny comparison – The right side shows the Origin Form of Giratina
How many trainers are needed? If you have the top counter Pokémon and they have already reached a high level in Pokémon GO, you can battle Giratina in the Altered Form with just three people. With lower levels but strong counters, you should aim for more trainers.
The best counters against Mega-Latios in Pokémon GO in the guide. We show you the best attackers and movesets. With this, you can easily win the Mega Raids.
What kind of Pokémon is Latios? It originates from the third generation of Pokémon and is of the Dragon and Psychic types.
When does Mega-Latios come?You can find the boss from December 12 to December 19, 2024, in Pokémon GO. Here you can challenge the Pokémon in Mega Raids.
Defeat Mega-Latios in raid with these counters
Mega-Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Hurricane
Necrozma (Dusk Mane) with Dark Claw and Shadow Beam
Mega-Sceptile with Leaf Blade and Hurricane
Mega-Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
Mega-Krookodile with Dragon Tail and Outrage
Dialga (Altered Form) with Fire Breath and Roar of Time
Mega-Dragapult with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
Rayquaza with Dragon Tail and Hurricane
Mega-Latios with Fire Breath and Dragon Claw
Mega-Glade with Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Shadow-Dragapult with Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor
Shadow-Dragonite with Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw
Shadow-Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch
Garchomp with Dragon Tail and Hurricane
Palkia (Altered Form) with Dragon Tail and Spatial Rend
Mega-Gengar with Dark Claw and Shadow Ball
Shadow-Latios with Fire Breath and Dragon Claw
Mega-Pinsir with Bug Bite and Cross Chop
Mega-Houndoom with Heat Wave and Solar Beam
Primal Groudon with Dragon Tail and Precipice Blades
Is there Shiny Latios? You can find and catch Shiny Latios in Pokémon GO. With a bit of luck, you may find the Shiny right after a raid.
Latios and Latias comparison – Left the normal form, right the Shiny
How many trainers are needed? If you have the top counter Pokémon and they are leveled high enough, you can fight Mega-Latios with four people – however, it will still be a very tough battle. We recommend at least 6 trainers with strong counters if you want to succeed in the raid. With other Pokémon, you may need even more participants.
An original homebrew campaign in Baldur’s Gate 3: A team of modders, whose number could pass as its own indie studio, is developing more content for the game. New maps, characters, and storylines are in progress, and the latest updates are exciting the community.
What is the team working on? A group of modders known on YouTube and Reddit as “Lotrich” joined forces to create their own content for Baldur’s Gate 3. But this time it is not about technical optimizations or fancy hairstyles. Instead, the team wants to offer their own campaign through their mod.
They are working on new items, buildings, and locations, but also simultaneously on characters, dialogues, and stories to fill the world. Their goal is therefore the creation of a campaign with self-created content, which is often known as “homebrew” in Dungeons & Dragons and other TTRPGs.
On Reddit and YouTube, the team shares regular updates that generate excitement within the community.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release
A “DLC” by fans for fans
What does the current progress look like? The latest update from December 9, 2025, showcases on Reddit and YouTube the progress of a location called “Waukeen’s Promenade”. Overgrown walls and houses, gardens and paths with garlands, and a large square with tents and further architecture in the background – all in the authentic style of Baldur’s Gate 3.
A screenshot shows a green, walled backyardAnother screenshot shows an open square with tents and architecture
The reactions have been very positive so far:
bballdude53 says on Reddit: “I am so excited about the maps and the self-created campaigns! This is something that will keep the game alive for the coming years.”
sinusitis comments on YouTube: “If Larian doesn’t give us a DLC, Lotrich will!”
How can the mod be played? Larian has already stated on Steam that some script-intensive mods may not be supported by the official site; however, modding from outside still remains an option. This includes the homebrew mod of this team.
According to them, the mod is too extensive and “a miracle has to happen” for it to be integrated into the official game.
Therefore, the mod will initially only be playable through Nexus. Consoles are unfortunately excluded for this reason.
The modders show transparency during development
What are the further plans? Curious Baldur’s Gate fans are asking various questions about the content and what exactly to expect from the mod. The team is very transparent on the channels and reveals further information:
The team is quite large and divided into different groups. For example, they are working with about 20 concept artists and over 50 voice actors to bring the locations and characters to life.
As long as all participants have the mod installed, it is also playable in multiplayer.
The characters have lip-sync animations. Other animations are possible but require great expertise for implementation.
Other locations include Athkatla and Menzoberranzan.
It was also asked whether it would be possible to integrate further voice lines of the original characters into the mod, as the actors would likely love to be involved in such a large project.
So far, there are over 13,000 mods for Baldur’s Gate 3, which bring small improvements or even complete classes and races into the game. It can be easy to lose track of which mods are worth checking out. In this article, we report on a player who could help you find your way: Baldur’s Gate 3: A player has checked all 13,000 mods – These 10 are his recommendations
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Right at the beginning of the coming year, a new anime is set to premiere, which has no manga source. Ironically, it revolves around the tough life of a staff member in the anime industry.
What kind of anime is this? Zenshu is a new anime that has no manga as a source. It is an original series from the studio MAPPA. This is the animation studio that has produced the following animes:
Jujutsu Kaisen
Attack on Titan (Season 4)
Chainsaw Man
Yuri!! on Ice
The portfolio often includes action-packed animes. However, with Zenshu, MAPPA will strike a somewhat heartwarming tone. It is about an anime within an anime. And the premise of this anime is extremely sad.
You can watch the trailer for the anime here:
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Zenshu – New Trailer for the Anime within the Anime
In Zenshu, an animator gets caught up in her favorite anime
What is it about? The story revolves around the young animator Natsuko Hirose. She is very introverted, which is reflected in how she wears her hair in front of her face. Her great talent is drawing animes.
With her first series, she lands a big hit that she quickly wants to follow up on. Unfortunately, her next project is a romantic comedy, which Natsuko finds uninteresting. Artistic blocks follow, along with missed deadlines and a terrible accident that draws Natsuko into her favorite childhood anime.
The anime gives a good insight into the harsh everyday life of an animator in the anime industry. At the same time, it is an isekai in which Natsuko realizes that she possesses special powers.
When does the anime premiere? The premiere is set for January 5, 2025, on Japanese television. In Germany, the anime will be available on Crunchyroll. Fans can watch the anime in simulcast in the original Japanese audio with German subtitles.
Many players have experienced World of Warcraft together with their parents or children. A daughter now honors her deceased father in a very special way, which certainly should not be imitated by every WoW fan.
What did the WoW player do? On Reddit, 222kittymain reveals that she played World of Warcraft regularly with her father at the age of ten. She has wonderful memories of that time, which was only interrupted when she went to high school.
Her father remained loyal to the MMORPG until his progressing dementia made it impossible for him to log into WoW. Only during the Covid pandemic did 222kittymain and her dad have the chance to explore Azeroth together once again. He then passed away from lung cancer in February 2024.
Shortly thereafter, 222kittymain became pregnant. In November, she gave birth to her daughter. Her second name “Amivanna” is a tribute to her father; it is also the name of the shaman that her dad played as his main character over the years.
In the post, she explains that she realizes how strange and made-up this name must seem to many people. However, she also knows that her father is looking down on the little family and is extremely pleased with this gesture: “I miss him every day, but I know that my father lives on through her. ♥️ And who knows, maybe she will become a gamer like him too!”
Another heartbreaking story from the WoW community was even made into a film:
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The Fantastic Life of Ibelin – Trailer for the Emotional Documentary about a Story from the WoW Community
Shàdòwdèàth, please do not imitate!
How does the community react? The approximately 2,000 upvotes and around 200 comments show how beautiful many WoW fans find this tribute. However, some also emphasize that this should not be done with every WoW character.
Rude_Watercress_5737 writes on Reddit: “Sweet story… I doubt my son could ever do that with my WoW character… Chittywok.”
I_Can_See_Flowers explains on Reddit: “This is a lovely tribute, and thank goodness your father had a fitting name. From someone whose son is named after my husband’s dwarf paladin, I wish you and your family a lifetime of happiness.”
punnymama reveals on Reddit: “That is so sweet! My mom no longer responds to grandma as a nickname, but to the name of her paladin!”
isntthisneat shows empathy on Reddit: “My heartfelt condolences on your loss. Losing a parent is never easy. This is such an incredibly sweet and touching way to honor him and remember him. Thank you for sharing it with us, and congratulations on your little girl.”
SimplePanda98 is brought to tears: “Oh, I didn’t know I’d be crying today, cool. Cool, cool, cool.”
The names of the WoW main character of MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz would probably not be suitable for something like this. Before the server transfer, his undead rogue was named Creep (with WoW Classic, there was then a new Creep). Since the server transfer, the sneaky character is named Sleazeball. Also a story that brings tears: A heartbreaking story from the WoW community ends up on Netflix
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the survival game on Steam, the Earth has long ceased to be the home of humanity: Your task is to find out what is happening to the planet. Your flying base plays a significant role in this.
What kind of game is this? Forever Skies is an open-world survival game from the development studio Far From Home. The game was released in Early Access on June 22, 2023, so the developers are still actively working on it.
On December 9, 2024, the development team released a major update. This comes with a co-op mode for up to 4 players and many other innovations. You can see the trailer for this update here:
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Forever Skies: The Survival Game on Steam Shows Its New Coop Mode in the Trailer
Post-apocalypse from a completely new perspective
What is the game about? In Forever Skies, you explore an Earth destroyed by environmental disasters. Its surface is covered under a thick layer of toxic dust, and humanity has long abandoned the planet.
100 years after the devastation of the planet, you return to Earth. However, the world you find is completely different: Strange animals and plants now inhabit a planet that is barely habitable for humans.
In the remnants of the old world, you search for answers: What happened on Earth 100 years ago? Why did humans leave it? Moreover, you are looking for a cure for a disease that threatens your family.
At the center of the game is the construction of your own airship. This flying base not only offers a beautiful view of the destroyed world, but can also be expanded as desired. There, you also craft new items and analyze samples you found on the ground.
What’s new in the game? The “World Evolved & Co-op” update includes a co-op mode for up to 4 players, as mentioned. You can play this in a closed lobby with friends or in an open lobby, which anyone can join. The gameplay loop of Forever Skies has also changed significantly with the update. You can read more about it in a post by the developers on Steam.
If you’re looking for a co-op adventure in space, you should take a closer look at Void Crew. The game recently came out of Early Access on Steam and is recommended by most players. You can read more about it here: A new space game on Steam ruins friendships, and players love it
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you are in one of the top guilds in Throne and Liberty, there is no time left to try out new content. A player on Reddit complained that his life now consists only of PvP.
What pushes players to their limits? In Throne and Liberty, there are some guilds that are only focused on generating high prestige and emerging as major winners in PvP battles. For this, you have to sacrifice all your free time and be present for every guild activity, otherwise you get kicked out.
With the latest update, a new weapon was integrated into the game, and many want to try the spear now. However, if you are stuck in such a top guild, you have no time for that at all. Some guild leaders demand three hours of PvP a day from their members.
The private lives of players can fall far behind due to Throne and Liberty:
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192 versus 4 hours: Woman competes with Throne and Liberty for her boyfriend’s time, clearly losing
Throne and Liberty becomes a job
Is there still fun to be had in top guilds? Voices from members of top guilds have once again become louder on Reddit. Throne and Liberty is largely becoming an obligation and is no longer fun when you have to grind for the guild all day long. There is no longer any chance to enjoy the game for yourself or try out new content:
Nandrolone01 is convinced (via Reddit): “Many people think that being in a top guild is like a second job. Completely wrong. It’s the first job.”
redditcdrom does not see the game as a job (via Reddit): “I was in a top PvP guild where the leader required at least 3 hours of mandatory PvP time per day. So I quit.”
melliott1986 feels trapped (via Reddit): “I can’t try out the new spear and have fun because I’m in a top guild.”
McPico takes a pragmatic view (via Reddit): “Find your home. Settle down. If it doesn’t fit … move on.”
CKretus does not want to deal with the stress anymore (via Reddit): “I am a 30-year-old man with a lot to do, and I just want to play an MMORPG to relax and remember the old times when I had a lot of time to play.”
How the player numbers will develop remains to be seen over time. If you have not yet lost your motivation for Throne and Liberty and have problems with bosses or general questions about the game, then check out our overview. There 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.
In Pokémon TCG Pocket, you can let battles be done automatically by the game. However, it doesn’t always go as expected.
What kind of function is this? You can activate automatic playing in CPU battles. Of course, this does not work against real opponents.
When you start a duel with the computer, you can simply check the box “Auto On / Off” in the game. This can be done either:
Before the match, at the bottom right corner
Or in the middle of the match, on the right side
Once you have done that, the game takes over the duel for you and plays as well as it can against the CPU opponent. You can always uncheck the box during the match to regain control.
And to some extent, you have to, because the automatic playing mode is not infallible.
Start video
Here are the 3 best decks for Pokémon TCG Pocket!
How good is Autoplay in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
Basically, Autoplay is capable of defeating the opposing CPU. However, much depends on what kind of deck you use and what kind of deck the opponent uses.
In the Pokémon TCG Pocket subreddit, some players also report that they are not satisfied with the Autoplay function at all. With 1,900 upvotes, the corresponding post has garnered a lot of attention (via reddit), and in the comments, trainers report rather frustrating experiences.
Players report nonsensical Pokémon switches when the active Pokémon could actually achieve victory.
Others mention generally pointless actions, such as using a Pokémon only to equip it with energy and then immediately taking it back.
Playing X-Initiative without then switching.
Missing attacks when one could actually win.
And other examples.
Is Autoplay worth it anyway? Autoplay works best when you keep an eye on what is happening. Then you can always intervene if you want to ensure that the right move is made.
Autoplay reliably manages simple CPU battles if you want to collect the rewards. Additionally, it is worthwhile to use Autoplay if you are still unsure about the game and want to understand how it works.
In battles, you should always choose an appropriate deck so that the Autoplay function has it as easy as possible. A fire deck does better against a Venusaur deck than a water deck – this also applies to the Autoplay variant. You can find the best decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket here.
And: It’s best not to use it if you want to fulfill specific duel goals to collect certain rewards. Because the function will primarily just try to win the match. Meeting specific parameters while doing so is unlikely to happen at this point.
Do you play with the Autoplay function, or do you prefer to take the helm yourself? Tell us in the comments and share your tips with other players. And if you want to play with a slightly crazier deck: Here’s a deck in TCG Pocket that wins without really fighting.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Path of Exile 2 is currently the most sought-after ARPG on the market. Even the head of the biggest competitor, Diablo 4, is playing it.
How is Path of Exile 2 doing? Currently, Path of Exile 2 is more popular than the predecessor ever was. The game peaked at nearly 500,000 players on Steam, which is about 45 times more than Diablo 4 (via SteamDB) and is now the largest ARPG.
The ratings are also impressive with 83% positive on Steam for an Early Access title, even though the predecessor stands at 89% on Steam. The major competitor Diablo 4 is only rated 71% positive on Steam.
In a new post on X.com, the head has once again commented on Path of Exile 2, this time positively. He congratulated the developers on the Early Access release of their game. He also announced that he would play the game and that he is looking forward to the holidays, during which he plans to play extensively.
He is quite serious about the post, as he confirmed in response to a user’s inquiry (via X.com). Rod Fergusson will be playing on Xbox as his platform of choice.
Which class does the head want to play? After he was unsure in the initial post about which class to play, he announced in a further post that it will probably be the Witch. He explains on X.com that he played a Necromancer in the first part of Path of Exile and wants to try it again in the second part.
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Elden Ring has a massive selection of weapons. Even though most of them are at least good, some are clearly the best weapons in the game. MeinMMO sorts all weapons in a tier list for you. We also tell you in detail which are currently at the top of the meta and why.
Update, December 112024: The list has been reviewed and is up to date.
Currently, there are a total of 411 weapons in Elden Ring + its new DLC. Most of them have their completely own playstyle and can be further customized with the War Ash. So, choosing the perfect weapon can be tricky.
That’s why we reveal to you which weapons are currently meta and for which you should use Smithing Stones. The selection was made based on our editors’ own assessments from the Souls-experienced team as well as the accumulated opinions from the community on social media and comments on the Fextralife Wiki.
On page 1, we present the absolute highlights of weapons in Elden Ring. Here is a selection of weapons in different tiers:
S-Tier
Eochaid’s Regalia, Blasphemous Blade, Greatsword, Magma Blade
A-Tier
Antspear Rapier, Death’s Poker, Greatsword of Planting
B-Tier
Helphen’s Steeple, Sword of St. Trina, Commander’s Standard
C-Tier
Ivory Sickle, Inquisitor’s Girandole, Scepter of the All-Knowing
D-Tier
Wakizashi, Weathered Straight Sword, Gargoyle’s Black Blade, Omen Cleaver
We will introduce the 3 best weapons in detail on this page. Starting from page 2, we sort all known weapons into several tier lists according to weapon type.
Here you will find the rankings by weapon categories:
Note: Currently, not all German names of the weapons are known. We will use the translated weapon names as far as we know; otherwise, we will use the English name. We will update this article as soon as we know more. If you know the German name of a weapon, please let us know in the comments. Thank you!
The 3 best weapons in Elden Ring currently
Rivers of Blood – The best weapon for Arcane Builds
Why is this weapon so strong? Since patch 1.03 repaired the broken attribute scaling of some weapons, one weapon has become the new star overnight. The Katana Rivers of Blood is now at the top of the meta both in PvE and PvP.
This is due to 3 major strengths:
The now great attribute scaling leads to high base damage.
The weapon’s bleed damage is fantastic.
The weapon talent is a dominant all-rounder.
Additionally, the weapon is a katana and therefore belongs to the strongest and most flexible weapon class in the game.
But the weapon talent “Bloody Butcher” is the real star of this show. This allows you to start a combo of fast attacks that spray blood splatter at long range. These deal damage, and quite a bit of it, and various excellent types of damage: high physical damage, significant bleed, and very high posture damage.
You can extend this strong combo even with further activations of the weapon talent. This allows you to deal among the best damage in the game at a large radius and considerable distance. It’s even an AoE attack that serves as the perfect counter even against the fastest single opponents.
The FP consumption of the talent is quite high, but it can be adjusted with the right talismans.
In our build guide, we tell you exactly how to get the best out of this outstanding weapon:
Why is this weapon so strong? The Moonveil Katana scales with Dexterity and Intelligence. Builds that focus on these 2 attributes are currently among the strongest builds in Elden Ring.
Because Dexterity weapons, particularly katanas, are currently viewed in the community as the best weapons in the game, having a high Intelligence attribute also gives you the ability to respond flexibly with powerful magic to any type of opponent.
Basically, the Moonveil Katana plays like the fantastic Uchigatana with magic damage. That alone is strong, but what makes the katana truly outstanding is thanks to the weapon talent.
The talent “Transient Moonlight” essentially combines the strengths of the Uchigatana’s talent with the power of the Dark Moon Greatsword to create an agile hybrid for quick maneuvers.
With the talent, you switch into a special stance, just like with Iaido, from which an incredibly fast horizontal or vertical strike can follow. The Moonveil also fires a powerful magic beam. It has a large range, is fast, breaks your opponents’ stance, and simultaneously deals both magic and bleed damage.
This makes Moonveil a better and more versatile version of the Uchigatana. It also scales very well and requires the strongest current build in Elden Ring. This makes the weapon clearly one of the absolute best in the game. And if you want, you can even find the katana early in the game.
Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear
This sword shines thanks to strong spells and apparently a glitch
Weapon Information:
Weapon Type: Great Spear
Damage Type: Thrust
Initial Attribute Scaling:
Strength: D
Dexterity: E
Arcane: D
Required Attributes:
Strength: 24
Dexterity: 14
Arcane: 27
Weight: 10
Location: Can be acquired from the Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold if you exchange the Echo of Mohgwyn. First, you must defeat Mohgwyn in the mausoleum of the Mohgwyn dynasty.
Why is this weapon so strong? Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear is a strong option when you have to face bosses or many smaller opponents. The reason is the talent “Blood Gun Ritual.” This talent allows you to raise the spear up to 3 times to deal high damage in a large radius to opponents.
All opponents will experience bleed explosions, which hinder them from attacking. After the ritual, your weapon will be temporarily soaked in blood flame, which deals additional fire damage if you hit an enemy.
Finally, the spear causes blood loss and has a large reach that keeps you at a good distance from your opponents. This way, you are safe and can easily make your enemies bleed.
10 more weapons that are among the best in the game
The 3 weapons we have introduced in detail are currently the strongest in the game. However, there are several other weapons that are incredibly strong. We will list them here briefly and tell you their locations.
These 10 weapons are randomly sorted and follow no particular order:
Blasphemous Blade (In exchange for Rykard’s Echo)
Godslayer’s Greatsword (In a chest after the boss of the Holy Tower of Caelid)
Path of Exile 2 launches in Early Access on PC and PS5. MeinMMO has summarized all the information on the launch, preload, and costs for you.
Update: We updated this article on December 11, 2024, and added information that became known with the launch.
When does the Early Access of Path of Exile 2 start? The Early Access of Path of Exile 2 started on Friday, December 6, 2024, at 8:00 PM. It is expected to last at least until May 2025. By the end of 2025, PoE2 should then leave Early Access.
Which classes are available in Early Access? In the current version, 6 out of 12 classes are already playable. These six are:
The Monk
The Warrior
The Ranger
The Mercenary
The Witch
The Sorceress
With new updates, the remaining classes are expected to be added to the game. However, there is no exact date for this yet.
Here you can watch the gameplay trailer for Path of Exile 2 Early Access:
Start video
Path of Exile 2 shows new gameplay trailer for early access
Costs and Availability on PS5
How can you buy Path of Exile 2 on PS5? On the PS5, PoE2 has been available since December 5 at 8:00 PM. You can currently buy the game easily in the store, download it, and play it. A “PlayStation Plus” subscription is not required. On the PS5, the Early Access of PoE 2 costs €28.49.
How much does the Early Access of Path of Exile 2 cost? The Early Access costs at least €27.75 on the developers’ website. Depending on the platform, prices vary by a few euros.
There are various supporter packs available, which provide only cosmetic items and additional access for friends. In one article, we compared all 7 supporter packs:
How many acts does Path of Exile 2 have? In the Early Access of Path of Exile 2, there are currently 3 acts. Later there will be 6 acts. To compensate for the missing acts 4–6, the developers have introduced the Cruel mode.
Once you have completed Act 3, you will play through the game again in Cruel mode from Act 1 to Act 3, but this time the difficulty is higher than before. The campaign is expected to take about 25 hours to complete the first three acts.
After completing all acts, you will reach the endgame, which is already available. Various contents await you there.
What is the level cap? The level limit is Level 100. After completing Act 3 in Cruel mode, you will be around Level 65. From there, you go to the endgame.
What endgame content is available in Early Access? Instead of initially finishing all acts and then focusing on the endgame, the developers have designed new and improved endgame game modes right away. From the start, the following are available:
Trial of the Sekhemas (Sanctum): A challenge that tests your skill and patience up to the endgame.
The Trial of the Chaos God (Ultimatum): In the Vaal jungle, you decide between safe rewards or riskier challenges to achieve greater gains.
Expedition: A digging adventure where you explore ancient ruins with explosives, face reanimated corpses, and collect valuable artifacts through rising risks.
Ritual: You sacrifice the essence of defeated monsters at ritual altars to fight them again reinforced and gain powerful rewards.
Delirium: A foggy chaos that leads you into nightmarish dangers, where growing risk lures with increasingly richer rewards.
Pinnacle: A threatening fortress with a central flame labyrinth that puts your skills to a harsh test.
These game modes are expected to represent about half of those available at the full version release. Therefore, when the full release occurs, there will be some new content. If you want to know what to expect independently of Early Access, take a look at our article where we answered the most important questions: Path of Exile 2: All info on the release on Steam, PS5, and XBOX
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Star Wars: The Old Republic, one of the biggest updates in recent years was released on December 10, 2024. The game now features improved graphics and the names of inactive characters have been removed.
What kind of update is this? With Patch 7.6, Star Wars: The Old Republic has delivered the long-awaited graphics update for various worlds and characters. While the comic-style graphics naturally remain, there are now sharper and better textures in the game.
Additionally, some objects in the game have been replaced. The most notable changes are likely the trees, which give the planet a modern look thanks to new models. The game looks much better in comparison videos and some assets, such as statues that were replaced, look significantly different.
Here you can see how the graphics have improved in SW:TOR:
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The new developers of the Star Wars MMORPG show in the video how they will improve the graphics
From Old to New
What happens to the character names in the game? With the new update for SW:TOR, all names of inactive characters have become available. Those who now purchase a name change ticket or even create a new character can adopt the name of an inactive character.
So if you haven’t logged in for a while, your alter ego might be nameless. All characters that have not logged in this year and whose account does not currently have an active subscription are affected by this change.
The Preferred Status that players have when they have previously spent money on SW:TOR does not prevent the loss of names. Only those who currently have an active subscription or have logged into their characters this year are safe in retaining their names.
To finally allow players to obtain their long-blocked desired names, the developers have also initiated a sale that reduces the cost of a character rename by 90%. So if you want to rename your character, you can still do so at a discount until December 17, 2024.
What else does the update bring? The new patch not only delivers prettier graphics and the unlocking of many names but also dynamic encounters. These will initially start on the planets Hoth and Tatooine and are meant to help SW:TOR shine anew, just like the graphics update. The dynamic encounters are changing events on the planets that players can complete like quests. You can find the full patch notes at swtor.com.
Also new is the boss Multiplicator XR-53 as well as PvP Season 7 titled “Path to Mastery.” Additionally, there are new rewards for the Life Day winter event. The balance has also been tweaked, and the MMORPG has been expanded with new skins, pets, and mounts. Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of three games where joining in 2024 is still really worthwhile: The MMORPG to Star Wars gets a new graphic after 12 years, brings a major update with more story
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In January 2025, Blue Protocol, the anime MMORPG from Bandai Namco, will go offline in Japan. However, the universe of the game is set to live on in a spinoff.
But did you know that alongside the PC version, a PC/Mobile offshoot named Blue Protocol Mobile was also in development? It was supposed to be created in collaboration with the Chinese company Tencent and recently underwent a closed beta test in the domestic market (via massivelyop.com).
Blue Protocol looks like a playable anime in the trailers:
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Blue Protocol: Gameplay Trailer
New name, new luck?
What else is known? New sign-ups for upcoming tests are taking place this December. Meanwhile, the developers have changed the title of the game (via bpm.bkrgame.com). Star Resonance, as the new name is, is still supposed to take place in the world of Regnas from Blue Protocol and become an MMO spinoff for PC as well as mobile devices (with crossplay).
On the YouTube channel Chan, a trailer for Star Resonance went live a few days ago, which in terms of anime style could also belong to Blue Protocol. However, there are supposed to be significant differences in gameplay and story compared to the PC MMORPG.
Also clear: Tencent, one of the largest corporations in the world, is behind the project. The company owns League of Legends, dominates the mobile market in China, has a super app with WeChat, and is involved with many Western gaming firms such as Epic Games, Funcom, or Larian.
Whether Star Resonance will only be released in China or if a global launch will follow at a later date is currently unclear. In either case, Tencent’s mobile spinoff is unlikely to be what many fans had hoped for: Fans mourn the new MMORPG Blue Protocol, holding onto a hope
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Josh Strife Hayes is one of the biggest YouTubers when it comes to the topic of MMORPGs. In a new video, the experienced player explains why there has been no assessment of a 21-year-old online role-playing game on his channels so far.
In a video from December 9, 2024, the well-known YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes (900,000+ subscribers alone on the main channel, via YouTube) explains that he actually received a commission from an agency to produce a video on MapleStory. This video is also finished (and according to Hayes, really good) but will probably never go live.
The only trailer for MapleStory that we have in the system:
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MapleStory introduces Arteria, the Moving Fortress
The trust of the audience is a currency
What is the reason for this? On YouTube, the content creator explains how the commission came about and what happened next:
For Josh Strife Hayes, the trust of the viewers is a currency that must be painstakingly built up and can be lost much more quickly. Therefore, it is also important to him that he can express his honest opinion freely in sponsored videos, even if the game in question doesn’t come out too well.
When an agency representing Nexon approached Hayes to book a review video for MapleStory, he immediately explained that this could only be realized as part of his “Worst MMO Ever?” video series (via YouTube) and that they would effectively be paying for their own episode in that series.
The agency stated that this was not possible. They wanted to pay Hayes for a as positive review as possible. The YouTuber then explained that he could not accommodate such a video on his channels. The agency relented, but requested a preview version of the video for approval.
Josh Strife Hayes therefore made a fair and entertaining video about MapleStory for his “Worst MMO Ever?” series, in which he also praised some areas of the game, and sent it to the agency for approval.
The agency’s response: The YouTuber played the game incorrectly as he first focused on the Kain story, which is available to all newcomers but not actually intended for beginners.
The agency’s subsequent request, according to Hayes: to start a second run that better reflects the newcomers’ experience, pretending it was their first contact with MapleStory.
Josh Strife Hayes then referred to a clause in the contract which states that he should not be forced into anything that could undermine his integrity. That would indeed be the case if he pretended something for the video that was not true.
The agency then stated that they would not pay for the video. When Hayes asked if he could publish the video unpaid (after all, he was proud of it), the agency referred to another clause stating that any content created for this commission automatically belongs to the agency or Nexon. In other words: Hayes would face a lawsuit.
You can watch the approximately twelve-minute video here:
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Since the YouTuber does not want to go to court with a globally operating corporation like Nexon, he has refrained from publishing the actually finished video until today.
His lesson from this story: Whenever a company approaches him for a sponsored video, he makes it clear from the beginning that he will only produce the video without outside influence and that he will also be paid for the work if the client’s game does poorly, but the criticism is fair.
Not surprisingly, since then only a few clients have collaborated with Hayes. He cites Jagex (RuneScape) and ArenaNet (Guild Wars 2) as positive examples, who obviously have enough confidence in their own product.
How does the community react to the video? MapleStory evidently enjoys a certain reputation among many players.
DavidJohnson-fc9bn explains on YouTube: “What a shock that the game which literally spent years lying openly about its own gacha rates does not recognize the value of an honest review.”
mattw6705 wonders on YouTube: “How stupid to give players options and then say: – Oh, you shouldn’t play that way! – What a joke.”
Zflayre knows MapleStory well (via YouTube): “The lack of integrity from Nexon and their many scandals, along with their general disdain for their own player base is so outrageous that most people have left the regular server […].”
Kastanja92 had a bad experience with Nexon (via YouTube): “I remember the time I played MapleStory and they sold a double XP ticket in the cash store for a cheaper price than usual. […]. After I bought it and used it for a while, Nexon suddenly deleted it and I never received a refund. When I complained, they just told me that they could do whatever they wanted according to the TOS. Disgusting.”
The animated movie of Super Mario is the most successful video game adaptation worldwide and was well received by audiences. However, in the sequel, an actor will likely not be returning.
Who is it about? The actor, voice actor, and comedian Sebastian Maniscalco played the boss of the main character in the Super Mario film. As the voice of Spike, he was also the first to share something about the film before the official announcement.
In August 2021, about two years before the film’s release, Maniscalco was a guest on Bertcast podcast (via YouTube). There, he talked about his role as Spike in the animated Super Mario film. His leak made headlines at the time.
However, he will likely not have a role in the sequel. But he does not find proof of this in the leak, but rather in stuffed animals.
Here you can watch the first trailer for the “Super Mario” movie:
Start video
First trailer for the ‘Super Mario’ movie – completely made of CGI
Stuffed Animals instead of Leaks
What is the deal with the stuffed animals? Currently, Sebastian Maniscalco does not believe that he will have a role in the Super Mario sequel. The proof of this likely came from a trip to Universal Studios with his kids.
In the “Super Mario” store, Maniscalco wanted to show his children the character Spike as a stuffed animal, but everyone was disappointed. There was no merchandise for the villain, but there was for all the other characters in the film, he told ScreenRant.
I was with my kids and said: “Guys, come on. I’m going to show you Daddy’s character in the form of a stuffed animal.” No Spike, nothing at all. That was it for me. Every other character was there, just not mine, I had no animal, no plush toy, nothing at all.
He further states: “The fact that I didn’t have a plush toy does not give me a lot of confidence that I’m coming back for the sequel.”
Is a plush toy needed to know whether you’re in a movie? Whether you are in a film or not is usually known long before the film is released. For example, in the case of the first “Super Mario” film, Maniscalco was already involved in the shooting in 2021, although the film was not released until 2023.
However, the voice actor reaffirms his suspicion: “I haven’t heard anything, so your guess is as good as mine” (via Screenrant).
The actor could actually fit well in the next installment, as the sequel is said to take Mario and Luigi back to Brooklyn, where Maniscalco’s character Spike lives. The next Super Mario film is set to hit Japanese theaters on April 24, 2026. By the way, did you know that there would be no Mario without Popeye: Only thanks to Popeye does the universe of Mario exist as it is today
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Destiny 2 is shutting down its servers today, December 10th, for a small maintenance. The servers will be unavailable for a few hours as a result. You can find out when the maintenance starts and what is mentioned in the patch notes with us.
Update, 6:15 PM: The update can be downloaded now and is 475.8 GB on the PS5. After the download, you can log in again. The patch notes can be found here on bungie.net.
What you need to know today: Today marks the start of the Dawning with update 8.1.5.1. With it, Guardians will once again be able to bake cookies with the space grandma “Eva Levante” to create a festive atmosphere. We will show you how long the downtime will last in our overview.
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Destiny 2: The launch trailer for the new episode ‘Returners’
Maintenance on 10.12. – All Times for Server Downtime
These times are important today: Bungie informs its players of the exact downtime on x.com The servers are planned to be unreachable for 1 hour and 15 minutes today.
This is the maintenance schedule:
At 3:30 PM, background maintenance will start on all platforms.
At around 4:45 PM, the servers will go offline. Players will be automatically kicked from the game.
At 6:00 PM, the shooter should be back online and you can log in again.
The maintenance will continue in the background until 8:00 PM.
This is to be considered during downtimes: As long as the background maintenance is running, there may be connection issues within the game. Additionally, there may be login queues because Bungie gradually opens access to the servers to avoid problems caused by excessive server load. Therefore, you may have to wait longer before you are back in the game.
The following issues are known: There are also many issues in The Final Shape that players are complaining about. Bungie has some on the list, but it is not known which of them will be fixed (via bungie.net). However, the following bugs could be addressed:
Checkpoints for some grandmasters raids are not being saved.
The fourth weekly Iron Banner challenge does not grant the Iron Banner memento upon completion.
Iron Banner rewards do not drop as intended after a victory.
Strike Ops modifiers can change after appearing in an area.
Only one player can open the first secret chest in Vesper’s Domain. Fireteams need to wipe to allow other team members access to the chest.
The “Grave of the Ancients” elixirs do not increase the chances for certain weapons as expected.
In the Contest of the Ancients, players who run out of revival tokens and then die can get stuck when the “Finding Spawn Location” screen appears (they should actually restart the activity or switch to orbit).
In the Contest of the Ancients, sometimes only five out of six explosive barrels appear during the spider tank encounter, leading to a soft lock until players are wiped in-game and restart.
In Vesper’s Domain, players cannot deposit the nuclear core in the bunker when the wipe mechanic of the corrupted puppeteer starts as soon as the core drops.
Players who cannot complete step 6 of the “Rogue Network” quest may need to pick up the collectible in the heart space without solving the riddle.
What is in the patch notes? A complete overview of all fixed issues and improvements will not be available until this evening or afternoon after the update goes live.
We will update our article and provide you with the link to the patch notes. Because it is possible that the patch notes will subsequently change or be corrected by Bungie.
Last weekend, the anniversary edition of the charity event Friendly Fire 10 took place, hosted by Gronkh and PietSmiet on Twitch.This resulted in record donations and an emotional moment.
What kind of event was this? From December 7 to 8, the 10th edition of the charity event Friendly Fire took place. This is a project by Gronkh and PietSmiet, complemented by fisHC0p, DerHeider, PhunkRoyal, MrMoregame, and Pandorya.
Regularly, 1 million euros are raised for a good cause – this year, the content creators even managed to surpass themselves.
Gronkh and the gamer group PietSmiet alternately host the event on their respective Twitch channels.
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Gronkh, the man with the voice – Career and life of Germany’s most famous Let’s Player
News reaches the participants in the middle of the hide and seek game
This is how much money was raised: Friendly Fire 10 broke the mark of 2 million euros for a good cause for the first time in its 10th anniversary, the last time this much was raised was in 2021 when 1.98 million euros were gathered.
The total consists of almost 1.2 million euros that came in through donations during the stream, along with 720,000 euros from merchandise sales and about 100,000 euros from sponsors. However, these are preliminary sums.
In the crucial moment, the streamers were still a bit busy (via Twitch). After the hide and seek game, they were able to celebrate aptly – and very spontaneously. You can find the moment on the Twitch channel of PietSmiet, who hosted the event this year.
When a documentary about the 10-year history of the event was shown, the participants were touched and big emotions arose. Here you can watch the moment:
Who gets the money? As in every year, several charitable organizations were selected to benefit from the donations collected. One-eighth of the money also goes into an emergency fund to be able to help spontaneously throughout the year.
His wife desperately wanted a gaming PC to play WoW with her partner. When he comes home, his wife has already started the PC for the first time.
A gamer shares that his wife wished for a gaming PC for Christmas so she could play WoW with her husband. And it seems he not only fulfilled this wish but even gifted her the PC a few days early.
When he comes home in the evening, his wife has already set up her new PC, but he is surprised by what she is playing. Because she supposedly did not play WoW, but the card game Patience (in French: Solitaire).
What hardware is in the PC? The gamer explains in another post on Reddit that thanks to a deal on Black Friday, he only paid $699 (about 650 euros) for the PC. The following hardware is installed:
CPU: Intel i5 13600 KF
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
RAM: 32 GB
Motherboard: Asrock B760 WIFI
Power Supply: 750 Watts
The Intel processor is a good mid-range CPU that can compete with AMD’s offerings. However, the technical issues that Intel’s CPUs from the 13th and 14th generations still face should not be underestimated. If you are affected, make sure to install the BIOS update for your system. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4060 is a good graphics card for Full HD but tends to be slower than the AMD RX 7600.
By the way, one should consider that his wife might be in the background downloading WoW. Because even for the minimal installation, you already need to download at least 20 GB. Depending on the internet connection, this may take some time. And you can easily pass this time with a pre-installed card game.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
Gamers find it amusing and say: There are people who spend much more money on unnecessary PCs
What are the reactions like? Many users find the surprised face of the user amusing. Some explain that there are also people who buy a PC for 3,000 euros just to watch YouTube videos or play indie titles.
Another adds: No one is a real gamer if they haven’t even played Solitaire on their PC at least once in their life. A third person adds that they also tested whether their new PC could run Crysis, only to break their record times in Solitaire afterwards (via Reddit.com):
I had a $1,000 PC that I built when I was 18, and the first thing I did was see if Crysis would run on it.
After confirming that, I started Solitaire to see if I could beat my best time.
Others also say: Let your wife play whatever she wants. In the end, it is only important that his wife enjoyed the gift and actually uses the computer. And not that the device ends up only sitting around somewhere, never used.
Think carefully about what purpose you are buying a gaming PC for
What is a general problem? Fundamentally, the problem exists that many people quickly jump on deals without being clear about what hardware they actually need in everyday life. Add to that a good dose of impatience, which regularly leads to gamers getting ripped off when buying a PC. You should always ask yourself a few questions before buying a PC unless you want to buy the best of the best anyway:
What games do you want to play on your computer? AAA titles or mainly indie games?
What kind of monitor and what resolution are you aiming for? Full HD, WQHD, or even 4K?
What frame rate do you want to play at? Are 60 FPS enough for you, or do you want to play shooters where high frame rates can be practically beneficial?
Do you want to only play on the PC or also perform hardware-intensive work?
If you ask yourself these questions before the purchase, you significantly reduce the chance of buying the wrong PC that you would never actually need.
As a gacha game, Infinity Nikki has many currencies. MeinMMO gives you an overview of all the currencies, how to obtain them, and what you can buy with them.
What currencies are there? Since Infinity Nikki is a gacha game, there are many currencies, each serving a different purpose:
With the trailer for Infinity Nikki, you enter a colorful world:
Start video
Launch trailer shows the colorful world of Infinity Nikki
Gems
Purpose
You use gems to level up your items, unlock stages in the Heart of Infinity, and buy items in the game’s shops.
Locations
Scattered throughout the world
Reward for completing a quest
Gift from redeemable codes
Reward from the Realm Challenge
Diamonds
Purpose
You can exchange diamonds for Resonite or Revelation Crystals.
Locations
Reward for completing a quest
Gift from redeemable codes
Reward for evaluating the compendium
Treasure chests
Unlocking fast travel towers
Leveling up the Miralevel
Winning a style challenge
Exchanging for Stellarite
Completing courses
Stellarite
Purpose
With Stellarite, you can obtain other currencies, items, or outfits.
Locations
Can only be purchased in the shop with real money
Resonite Crystals
Purpose
Resonite Crystals are the currency you use to randomly get an outfit or parts of an outfit.
Locations
Daily rewards from “Start with Style” (valid for 7 days)
Event “The Path to Great Deeds” (can be exchanged for Wish Shimmers)
Event “Wishfield Diary”
Gift from redeemable codes
Can be exchanged in the shop for Waving Ebbs, Tranquility Drops, Diamonds, or Stellarite
Revelation Crystals
Purpose
You can also receive parts of an outfit randomly with Revelation Crystals.
Locations
Daily rewards from the event “Welcome to Flora Wish!”
Event “Wishfield Diary”
Can be exchanged in the shop for Waving Ebbs, Tranquility Drops, Diamonds, or Stellarite
Waving Ebbs and Tranquility Drops
Purpose
You can exchange Waving Ebbs and Tranquility Drops in the shop for Resonite and Revelation Crystals or other items.
Locations
For each three-star item you have duplicates of, you receive ten Waving Ebbs, and if you have duplicates of a four- or five-star item, you receive ten Tranquility Drops.
Infinity Nikki offers not only many currencies but also a vast open world to explore. To help you navigate the world, we have prepared this beginner’s guide with all the useful tips for getting started: Infinity Nikki: 8 tips and tricks for the perfect start in the game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom aims to try some new approaches, focusing on the aspect of a more open world. A new system is supposed to help assess encounters with monsters better and give hunters more freedom in choosing the difficulty level when they embark on exploration tours.
What feature is this about? Specifically, it concerns the new star system, which marks monsters on the map with a varying number of stars. These represent a specific difficulty level depending on their number. Those who play Monster Hunter Now are already familiar with this classification.
This is intended to make it easier for hunters, during their forays on the vast maps, to better assess and choose the difficulty of their encounters. However, according to current knowledge, monsters in the main story and optional quests will have a fixed difficulty level, which will then become variable afterward. Presumably, this feature will therefore be limited to the free explorations of areas.
This way, players can fundamentally play at their own pace, allowing veterans to arrive at their challenges quicker, without newcomers feeling left behind and able to take their time getting to know the monsters and their peculiarities.
Here you can see 20 minutes of gameplay from the PS5 version at the preview event in Japan:
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Monster Hunter Wilds: 20-minütiges Gameplay zeigt Karminwald und neue Monster
More freedom in difficulty?
How is this received by the community? In a thread on Reddit, fans share their thoughts on the new feature. The star system is generally well-received. Players are excited about the freedom it grants them and that the system is expected to consider both novices and veterans alike.
The hope is that this will cater to various learning and player types, allowing them to enjoy the game as far as difficulty is concerned, in a way that suits them. At least in terms of free play. Meanwhile, the system encourages players to stay longer on the map and chase after monsters that spawn there.
For example, the targeted practice and farming of individual monsters is made easier, as players can seek challenges that match their skills. How well this works in practice, how much freedom the system truly offers, and how it will ultimately be received in the finished game remains to be seen.
There are also voices expressing concern that this system could make battles in the main story too easy, making them accessible to all player types equally. This could lead to veterans feeling bored.
User Eastern-Barnacle-344 (via Reddit) expressed his additional concern that the story battles might not feel special to players who are already well acquainted with the game system. Many players desire a certain challenge even in their first encounters with the monsters, as it shapes their community and gaming experience.
