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.
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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.
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.
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WoW celebrates 20 years of the highlights of Azeroth
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.”
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.
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
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:
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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.
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.
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.
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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 (*).
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.
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.
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.
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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?
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.
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
Mega-Blaziken with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Mega-Charizard Y with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Shadow Heatran with Fire Spin and Lava Plume
Shadow Blaziken with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Reshiram with Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
Shadow Talonflame with Fire Fang and Overheat
Shadow Blaziken with Fire Spin and Overheat
Mega-Charizard X with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Shadow Entei with Fire Fang and Overheat
Chandelure with Incinerate and Fiery Wrath
Shadow Moltres with Fire Spin and Overheat
Shadow Charizard with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Incineroar with Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Heatran with Fire Spin and Lava Plume
Shadow Ho-Oh with Incinerate and Sacred Fire+
Shadow Typhlosion with Incinerate and Blast Burn
Mega-Houndoom with Fire Fang and Flamethrower
Ramoth with Fire Spin and Overheat
Shadow Magby with Fire Spin and Fire Punch
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.
Are there Shiny Mega-Sceptile? Yes, you can catch shiny Mega-Sceptile.
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.
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:
Start video
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:
Start video
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:
Start video
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.”
