On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft, there is a collaboration with Diablo Immortal. In the mobile game of Diablo, you can now defeat the Lich King and there are items from WoW to be won.
What kind of collaboration is this? World of Warcraft is turning 20, and Diablo Immortal is celebrating with it. To mark the anniversary, there are some new features available for the players of the mobile version of Diablo, which will be accessible from now until December 11.
The most important feature is undoubtedly the Lich King, who can be defeated as a boss.
Here you can watch the trailer for the collaboration between Diablo Immortal and WoW:
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Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft merge their worlds in the trailer
The Lich King is back
How does the Lich King enter the world of Diablo? The developers are aware that it is difficult to mix the two worlds, and the Lich King should preferably not interact with villagers from Diablo Immortal. Therefore, the collaboration takes place in a portal between the worlds.
There you will also encounter the Lich King, who will face you as an opponent. The boss fight against the Lich King has been slightly modified for Diablo Immortal to ensure it works well on mobile and especially for the target audience.
For example, the Lich King’s ability “Unforgiving Winter” has been shortened. Anyone who stands in it will not only take damage but will also be frozen. To avoid being frozen, there are ice columns behind which players can hide.
What else is included in the collaboration? Especially iconic cosmetic items. Among other things, a skin reminiscent of Illidan Stormrage. Additionally, the dangerous Murlocs are also making their way through the portal.
Those who like to show their colors can equip their character with a banner of the Alliance or the Horde thanks to the collaboration. The flags will flutter on your character and enhance their appearance.
For the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft, there are not only gifts for the players of Diablo Immortal. The MMORPG fulfills a player wish that some may have had for a decade. MyMMO demon Cortyn is likely among them: Housing in World of Warcraft finally makes the game perfect
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
2024 has so far been the year of Zarbex on German Twitch. After years of reaching only a few viewers, the 26-year-old finally made his long-awaited breakthrough in the summer of 2024. With shameless openness and clever collaborations, Zarbex is the favorite for the title of “Newcomer of the Year” on German Twitch, but now he has hit the first bump in his steep rise this year. A collaboration with MontanaBlack has rubbed many the wrong way.
Who was Zarbex for so many years? Zarbex started on Twitch in January 2018 but was relatively unsuccessful for years, even though he has been streaming a lot since 2021.
In 2021, despite being live for 1600 hours, he had only about 70 viewers on average. At that time, he mainly showcased gaming content: Rust, Grand Theft Auto IV, some Valorant. Also in 2022, success continued to elude him: 100 people watched him on average, even though he streamed for 1,700 hours.
As he later said, it was a tough time. In the eyes of his girlfriend, however, he wasn’t a great catch in 2021 – she jokingly referred to him later as “some homeless guy”.
If things continue for Zarbex like this, he’ll soon be among them:
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These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google
Shameless and vulgar – and exactly that makes him successful
When did he really take off? Zarbex’s rise began in the summer of 2024. Suddenly, he reached more than 5,000 viewers, his clips spread around, he was everywhere, and earned a fortune solely from Twitch subs.
This is also due to how well-connected Zarbex is; he is often seen collaborating with streamers like Schradin or Papaplatte. He is entertaining, has a surprising sense of humor, and is quick-witted. He works best in a duo with former TV presenter Max Schradin, who Zarbex can constantly shake his head about.
Zarbex succeeds with a certain kind of shameless openness. He frequently makes jokes at his own expense, is vulgar and obscene, and is reprimanded for it by his girlfriend or mother:
A typical line from him is “I shit longer than I fuck” – he received almost 10,000 likes for that on Twitter.
For “The female orgasm? Not my department, sweetheart” he got almost 14,000 hearts.
By now, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. That he is so successful and earns so much money, which he never expected, is a recurring theme in his streams.
This is what it boils down to: In summary, the advertising industry distinguishes between two types of streamers, provided they have reached a certain size and are relevant for advertisers:
Those who are “family-friendly” or “brand-safe” are eligible for advertising with large corporations, where the big money is made. These are people who are not controversial. These streamers are also eligible for exclusive deals with streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube. They are the “face” of a platform. YouTube has poached many such “brandsafe” streamers from Twitch over the years.
On the other side, there are streamers who do controversial things, comment on politics, engage in gambling, or show bare skin. Streamers who promote controversial products – those who generally cause friction. Many of these streamers have switched to Kick in recent years.
In her free time, MeinMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen meets her friends in the supermarket. However, not in reality, but in a free game on Steam. There, she can relax by beating up customers, sweeping up trash, and stocking the shelves.
Normally, I relax after work with calm games like farming simulations, where I cultivate my fields and look for true love. But lately, I’ve been fascinated by a game on Steam that is the complete opposite.
In Supermarket Together, you can run your own supermarket. At first, it sounds a bit boring, but it’s the details that make the game so interesting: It can be played with up to 16 people and is completely free.
Not only am I completely fascinated by this title. On Steam, the free game can rack up 93% positive ratings and offers more than it seems at first glance. The tasks that arise in a supermarket have been incredibly fun for me.
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Supermarket Together: The Trailer for the Simulation on Steam
Sweeping, stocking, beating up, having fun
Supermarket Together simulates the daily life of supermarket employees. Typical tasks arise that cannot be handled alone:
First, the supermarket must be set up and stocked with food. The checkout must not be missing.
Once items run out, they must be reordered. If it’s urgent, the items must be stocked as soon as they arrive.
The remaining food is piled up in a storage area. It’s important to keep an overview.
Customers must be checked out. Depending on whether they pay cash or with a card, you must proceed differently.
Occasionally, people are so rude as to throw their trash in the aisles or even steal food. The broom becomes your best friend – whether as a cleaning tool or a weapon.
Since we played with 4 people, each could focus on a different task. After I found checking out to be difficult (after all, you have to quickly give out change!), I grabbed the broom, swept the aisles, and beat up the people who dared to steal food.
Every player can choose which area they want to work in.
During the game, phrases that you typically hear in a supermarket were said. Between “Trash in aisle 2” or “The vegetable lasagna needs to be restocked”, we hardly had time to talk about personal stuff. Even at the end of the day, we all gathered in the staff room and together considered where to invest the money earned that day.
The motivating part of the game is the huge pool of unlockable features. It is regularly possible to expand your store and add new foods to the inventory. After closing time, you can then philosophize about where which food belongs.
I had a great time with Supermarket Together, and the time flew by. Once everyone discovers their preferred task that they enjoy, the supermarket day runs smoothly, and everyone can relax in their role. Beating up thieves, sweeping, and keeping an eye out for food on the shelves was the best way for me to spend my time.
The tasks were so monotonous that they became second nature to me. Another player found it relaxing to stand at the checkout. What for me turns into strenuous mental arithmetic was pure relaxation for him. In Supermarket Together, everyone can enjoy themselves.
Even though the visuals are not exactly the prettiest, I can recommend the Steam game to everyone. Especially because it is completely free. For €5, there are new cosmetics, dances, and more. But even without this DLC, I had fun in the supermarket.
Thus, you could select up to three characters that you particularly liked. Since then, there have been 2,207 votes, with 47 different characters to choose from. In the comments, you could also mention other characters that were not listed.
From your votes, we have now created a ranking.
Warning Spoiler: This article contains spoilers about various events in Harry Potter.
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Teaser for the new ‘Harry Potter’ series evokes nostalgic feelings
The most popular Harry Potter characters of the MeinMMO community
Here you can see which characters made it to places 10-4:
Place 10: Ginny Weasley (4 % with 160 votes)
Place 9: Remus Lupin (4 % with 173 votes)
Place 8: Draco Malfoy (5 % with 200 votes)
Place 7: Harry Potter (5 % with 215 votes)
Place 6: Dobby (6 % with 223 votes)
Place 5: Sirius Black (6 % with 234 votes)
Place 4: Minerva McGonagall (6 % with 236 votes)
Hagrid, Hedwig, Ron, and Dumbledore narrowly missed the top 10. It was a close race between Sirius and Minerva, but Minerva secured 4th place. Dobby was also a must-have. The kind-hearted house-elf is also very popular with you.
Overall, all 47 characters that were available received at least one vote – except for Rita Kimmkorn.
Now, however, let’s move on to the top three positions of the MeinMMO community ranking that we will present to you in more detail.
Place 3: Luna Lovegood
Result: 8 % with 333 votes
You chose Luna Lovegood for 3rd place, and she deserves it more than anyone. She is truly unique. Often in Harry Potter, she is laughed at for her eccentric behavior, whether it’s due to her theories about magical creatures like Nargles, but she doesn’t care. While she may be an outsider, she always stays true to herself and ultimately finds true friends.
Her quirky, distinctive nature and especially her brave and strong character make her so lovable. She reminds us that it’s perfectly okay to be different. All of this and much more make her a character you simply have to hold dear. Who wouldn’t want a Luna by their side?
Place 2: Severus Snape
Result: 11 % with 434 votes
Severus Snape lands in 2nd place! He is undoubtedly one of the most complex characters in Harry Potter. At first, he seems to us like the grim teacher and typical villain that everyone fears: dressed in dark clothes, with a stern expression and an unfair dislike for Harry.
But there is so much more behind it.
Snape was in love with Lily Evans (later Potter) since childhood. His immortal love for Lily Potter and his loyalty to Dumbledore show his true side. He makes difficult decisions and makes many sacrifices to do what is right. As a double agent, he is willing to risk his own life to thwart Voldemort’s plans. Snape is the unsung hero of the story, without whom much would not have been possible.
The transformation from a seemingly dubious antagonist to a hero is one of the best turning points. Harry honors him by naming his son after him and Dumbledore: Albus Severus Potter.
Hermione Granger takes the top spot! She is the most popular Harry Potter character of the MeinMMO community.
Hermione is simply the ultimate all-rounder: extremely smart, brave, and always ready to fight for her friends. She is the wizarding world’s version of a real power woman – whether it’s about saving Harry and Ron from a mess or simply reciting the next crucial spell.
Hermione is the one who keeps her cool when everyone else loses their heads. Without her, Ron and Harry would probably have been lost a long time ago. It’s no wonder that you voted her into 1st place.
Thank you for your participation! What do you think about the ranking results? Which characters would you have liked to see higher up? And why did you choose Hermione, Luna, Snape, or someone else? Do you wish for a different survey? If so, which one? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. MeinMMO author Linda Baumgartl has ranked all the ghosts of Hogwarts.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The PS5 Pro is currently the fastest gaming console in the world. But despite all its successes, it seems to be falling short, slower than what Sony originally announced.
What problem does the PS5 Pro have? First of all, Sony can be satisfied, as the PS5 Pro is reportedly selling very well. However, according to tests of the new console by the YouTubers and tech experts from Digital Foundry, Sony’s new product fails to meet one of its core promises: 45 percent more native graphics performance – that is, without the use of AI upscaling.
Because although all tested games run better on the PS5 Pro without a patch compared to the slower standard variants, they do not meet this claim made in the advertising campaigns.
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Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro
The memory is the problem
This is how big the difference is between advertising and reality: The tests by Digital Foundry estimate the performance increase due to the game boost mode of the PS5 Pro at about 30 to 35 percent. The titles optimized with Pro patches stand out positively. They can benefit more from the better hardware, either through more FPS, more stable frame rates, or better visuals. However, there are currently only a few of them; we have a list of the titles for you. You can find all other important information about the PS5 here with us.
Where does the discrepancy come from? Digital Foundry has identified the memory of the PS5 Pro as the culpable component. Its bandwidth simply isn’t sufficient to deliver more frames per second to the screens. This creates what is known as a bottleneck. Even if the CPU and GPU could do more, this holds them back.
The situation is similar for the PS4 Pro. There, too, the bandwidth of the memory only increased by 28 percent compared to the base model – far less than, for example, CPU performance (via versus).
Therefore, the deficit should be even greater with increasing resolution. The reason would be that as the resolution increases, less memory or a narrow connection becomes a bigger burden. At lower resolutions, the PS5 Pro could theoretically get closer to the 45 percent even without an individual Pro patch, according to wccftech.
A feature that is coming to living rooms for the first time on a PlayStation console is PSSR. This is Sony’s approach to AI-supported upscaling from lower resolutions to higher ones. We already touched on it in the introduction. You can read more about this technology, which is comparable to Nvidia’s approach DLSS, in this article: What is PSSR? The new technology of the PS5 Pro explained
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The survival game Sengoku Dynasty has left Early Access on Steam. MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier played the first hours of the full version and overcame every hurdle.
Sengoku Dynasty is the successor to Medieval Dynasty. As a mix of survival game, city-building simulation, and construction game, it combines genres that are rarely combined.
Before it becomes more about management later on, the start of the game focuses almost exclusively on survival. A discipline that is tougher than expected.
Who is writing here? Cedric Holmeier is a freelance author at MeinMMO and primarily focuses on MMORPGs from Asia. In his spare time, he enjoys diving into survival games like Palworld or building a gigantic factory in the construction game Satisfactory. For MeinMMO, he has played the full version of Sengoku Dynasty and shares his experiences here.
Here you can see the trailer for the release version of Sengoku Dynasty:
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Sengoku Dynasty leaves Early Access and presents the new trailer
“It can’t be that hard”
Sengoku Dynasty begins with a simply designed character editor, which quickly creates a character but does not allow too much creative freedom. Nevertheless, what’s more important are the contents of the game.
Right at the beginning, the game throws the freshly created character onto the beach of Japan and explains the basics. On the way to find our companion, we roughly learn the controls.
“It can’t be that hard,” thought our author when Sengoku Dynasty essentially started with the explanation akin to Romulus and Remus. Thus, all pop-ups were deftly ignored and clicked away from then on.
In the task of crafting the first tools, this was still somewhat successful. After pressing every key on the keyboard and mouse, the menu for crafting with bare hands opened up.
The first quests were quickly checked off, and it was time to build the first village.
A small village is emerging.
In Japan, there are real bears
When choosing the settlement location, one should ensure that the most important conditions are met. Water, resources, and preferably some wildlife for food. Such wildlife caught the attention of MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier right after placing his village.
Next to his settlement is an area full of bears, and one hardly stands a chance against them, especially at the beginning of the game. Since moving doesn’t seem to be an easy option, confrontation with the bears remains the only alternative. However, they win – time and time again.
“The fight is lost – the battle is not over” was likely one of the thoughts in the author’s mind, and so the bears were carefully circumnavigated daily. The problem arose when the bears ventured into the village.
The quests in Sengoku Dynasty always indicate what to do next, and before you know it, you’ve conjured up a small village. However, this only works if you find the right materials.
Grass everywhere, but none to collect.
While stone, wood, and sticks wait for the player in their presumed locations, grass for the beds behaves differently. The ground is full of grass, but you can’t just pick it up.
Small bushes yield sticks, and so players often walk over the ground covered in grass texture for minutes before they come across bushes that are significantly smaller but finally provide the valuable resource.
“That must have been explained,” thought the author of these lines and returned to the village, past the bears.
The village right next to the bear territory.
Unhappy residents go unnoticed
After the essential buildings in the village were constructed and the first three residents moved in, the second aspect of the game begins – managing the village.
Every villager needs a place to sleep and can be assigned to a workplace where they perform their tasks. So far, so simple – until one of the residents suddenly leaves the village.
After some sleuthing, it became apparent: Not only do you need food, but the villagers do too.
Five days with a hole in the stomach were probably enough for discontent to grow large enough to leave the village. Fortunately, the problem could be quickly solved by transferring the gathered food from the inventory to the community chest.
At least the residents don’t need to drink, or else the village would likely have been completely empty by the fifth day.
According to achievements on Steam, besides our author, only 0.2% of players have managed to neglect their residents so badly that they left the village – hats off!
In short: Yes, Sengoku Dynasty is fun, even in the first hours. The title offers, especially since the 1.0 update, many contents that ensure hours of entertainment. The new and interesting endgame content attracts players on their journey through the game, filled with funny, beautiful, and nice moments – even if you build your village next to 10 bears.
It certainly would have been better to read the countless text boxes with explanations to avoid some of the beginner mistakes. Nevertheless, the game is intuitive enough in most aspects that one figures it out if one just tries enough.
The world champion in League of Legends, T1, has announced that they have signed the ADC Lee “Gumayusi” Min-Hyeon until 2025. In recent days, the South Korean LoL team was able to persuade players Oner and Keria to extend their contracts with T1 for two more years. Now everything revolves around one man: Zeus.
This is the situation: The T1 team has been playing together in the current constellation for 3 years. In 2021, they gathered four players around the experienced, then three-time world champion Faker in the mid lane, most of whom come from their own youth academy. It is rare for a team in LoL to stay together for so long, and it can only be explained by the exceptionally great success of T1:
However, in 2023 and 2024, they were able to win the World Championship. Fans have loved Faker for over 10 years, and in this version of T1, they finally love his teammates, who were constantly swapped out in previous years.
On November 18, 2024, which is tomorrow, a Monday, 4 of the 5 players’ contracts would originally expire, and fans were worried that the team might fall apart. The young players who had been brought in years ago are now all two-time world champions and stars in LoL, who can demand much higher salaries.
Start video
The Life of Faker – Why He is a Living Legend
T1 secures the services of ADC Gumayusi
Who has been extended now? The 22-year-old ADC Gumayusi has signed with T1 until 2025 (via twitter). T1 announced this today at 1 PM German time via the short messaging service X, formerly Twitter.
Gumayusi had stated right after winning the World Championship that he was considering staying with T1. He could even imagine all 5 players remaining at T1.
Just in the last few days, T1 was able to secure the services of supporter Keria and jungler Oner until 2026.
This is now the discussion: On reddit, people are cheering “The Infinity Gauntlet is almost complete,” a reference to Marvel’s villain Thanos.
In the forum, people are discussing that Gumayusi has only signed for one year. However, it is said: This is normal. The exceptions are Oner and Keria, who have committed for 2 years.
Who is still missing? The big mystery now is about top-laner Zeus, who has been considered a shaky candidate from the beginning, causing concern for T1 and its fans.
Choi “Zeus” Wooo-je is only 20 years old and has probably made the biggest performance leap at T1 in the last two years. Top-laner is also a position where there are very few superstars of his caliber.
Therefore, it could be that Zeus steps out of Faker’s shadow and wants to lead “his own team.” In a new team, he would certainly have more pressure but would likely also earn more money.
With Season 1, CoD: Black Ops 6 has received extensive changes. An expert now explains which weapon is the best for him: the GPR 91. According to him, all other weapons are either not good or feel very sluggish.
With the launch of Black Ops 6 Season 1, Warzone has received its first major update in a few months. This includes not only a new map but also a whole bunch of weapon changes.
The CoD and Warzone expert Metaphor now claims that all weapons are bad – except for one weapon that dominates all others and which he himself considers to be the “best choice”.
Start video
The 3 Most Popular Weapons in CoD: Black Ops 6
The GPR 91 is “the best weapon I have used in the game so far”
Which weapon is it? The weapon in question is the fully automatic assault rifle “GPR 91”, which Warzone expert Metaphor considers to be the best choice. This is mainly because the other weapons in Black Ops 6 play very “inconsistently”. He explained himself (via dexerto.com):
This [the GPR 91] is the best weapon I have used in the game so far. Many of the weapons in Black Ops 6 feel very worn out, but this weapon feels really good. The other weapons just feel very inconsistent.
What build does Metaphor play? Regarding the loadout for the GPR 91, Metaphor uses a build in Warzone that focuses on significantly improving the accuracy and rate of fire of the assault rifle.
For this, he uses the following attachments:
Optic: Kepler Microflex
Muzzle: Compensator
Barrel: Enhanced Barrel
Underbarrel: Vertical Grip
Magazine: Extended Mag II
Grip: Quick Draw Grip
Stock: Lightweight Stock
Fire Modification: Recoil Springs
You do not have access to the GPR 91 from the start; instead, you need to unlock it first. You get the weapon at player level 28. How to unlock all weapons in CoD Black Ops 6 can be read on MeinMMO.
Also, note that you need to equip the wildcard “Gunslinger” to be able to use 8 attachments. Otherwise, you have to limit yourself to 5. You get the wildcard at player level 33.
With the start of Season 1, Black Ops 6 brings some adjustments for various weapons, including a buff for the XM4 assault rifle, which is currently considered one of the top weapons in multiplayer. You can read more about it directly on MeinMMO, where we reveal all the details: CoD Black Ops 6 makes one of the best weapons even stronger with Season 1
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player throws more than 100 balls at a strange Pokémon in Pokémon GO. In the end, he wonders: Was it pure waste or was it worth it after all? The community and MeinMMO agree that it was worth it.
What did the player do? A player reports that he has found a strange Pokémon. So far, he has thrown more than 100 Ultra Balls at the Pokémon but still hasn’t caught it. Now the player is wondering: Is all the effort he’s putting in really worth it? He explains on Reddit:
I’m so glad it didn’t run away, even though I threw more than 100 balls and it didn’t work out.
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3 games like Pokémon Go
The Lake Trio is extremely rare to find in the wild
Was it worth the effort? Yes, it was! Because the Pokémon is Tobutz, which belongs to the so-called Lake Trio and is also a legendary Pokémon. The trio is completed by Selfe and Vesprit.
Since the start of the Sinnoh Tour in Pokémon Go, the legendary Lake Trio of Selfe, Tobutz, and Vesprit has also been roaming the wild and can theoretically be found everywhere, if encountered.
It is certain that these three Pokémon are extremely rare to find outside of raids and catching them is equally difficult. You can find a guide on how to catch Selfe, Vesprit, and Tobutz on MeinMMO.
However, another user writes under the post that the Lake Trio Pokémon cannot run away anymore. They are rare in any case:
I don’t think anyone mentioned this, but the wild Lake Guardians cannot run away and also have a chance to appear as shiny in the wild since they returned this year [2024]. They are extremely rare to see in the wild, so it’s a really amazing find!
What would the alternative have been? If the player had a Master Ball left, he could have caught the Pokémon directly. Because catching with a Master Ball is always successful, however, this ball is extremely rare to obtain.
A study has counted which apps were downloaded the most by Gen Z in 2024. Most of the favored smartphone applications are likely not surprising. Many well-known candidates, often and gladly used by the younger generation, are included.Neither WhatsApp nor Instagram is in the top 3.
Where do the data come from? The English-language magazine Techcrunch.com requested the data from the company Appfigures.com. The company analyzed data from individuals in the USA who are currently between 18 and 24 years old. Data for younger individuals are unlikely to be released.
“We have created a monster” – A Spanish model earns up to 10,000 euros a month, yet she is not real
One app is even more popular than TikTok
Which is the most downloaded app? The most downloaded app by far is the Chinese shop “Temu”: The app has been downloaded nearly 42 million times. The pressure from Temu is so great that even the giant Amazon has now launched its own cheap alternative: Amazon Haul. However, the alternative is currently only available exclusively in the USA.
In 2nd place is the video platform TikTok with 33.23 million downloads. The platform, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been controversial in the USA and Europe for some time.
In 3rd place is the Twitter and X alternative Threads from the Facebook parent company Meta, which has also been growing strongly for months.
Threads even ahead of WhatsApp and Instagram
Which apps have made it to the top 10? Below we list the 10 most popular apps:
Temu, with 41.98 million
TikTok with 33.23 million
Threads with 32.32 million
WhatsApp with 28.42 million
Instagram with 26.29 million
ChatGPT with 24.63 million
Facebook with 20.58 million
Google Search with 17.65 million
Messenger with 17.63 million
Netflix with 15.67 million.
Who else is noteworthy? In the next positions are the cheap shop Shein (14.68 million), YouTube (14.03 million), and PayPal (13.92 million). Following are Prime Video with 12.86 million and Disney+ with 11.68 million.
Several other Google apps also have high download numbers, such as Chrome with 10.19 million and Meet with 9.63 million downloads.
The Generation Z is currently facing two major problems. On the one hand, rents are becoming increasingly expensive, and on the other, they do not want to accept any job to earn money. And this is not well received by older generations, who refer to their own life paths: Gen Z is currently facing two major problems, one of which cannot be solved without help.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Hearts of Iron IV was released in June 2016 on Steam. Eight years later, it sets a player record: 93,196 players were logged in simultaneously on Saturday, November 16, 2024. This is due to the new DLC “Twilight of the Gods,” which focuses on Germany. But why is an 8-year-old strategy game performing so well in such a niche?
How do historical strategy games from Paradox perform on Steam? Paradox has four 4x strategy games set in historical contexts, all of which continue to be actively played on Steam years after their release. Each of the games is developed as a games-as-a-service title and regularly receives DLCs and updates:
The economy-focused Victoria 3 peaked at 70,000 players at its release in October 2022, but now only about 6,000 are online simultaneously on Steam.
The massive Europa Universalis IV had a peak of 48,000 players six years after its release in June 2020, but even now, more than 10 years after launch, there are still about 14,600 people online simultaneously.
Crusader Kings 3 with a strong role-playing focus, while often seen as Paradox’s flagship and having the highest player peak of 98,474 players at release, usually has only about 16,000 players online.
However, the war-focused Hearts of Iron IV has an average of 35,000 players online and just this weekend achieved a new peak of 93,196 players on Steam.
There is also “Imperator: Rome” from Paradox, but this is considered the black sheep of historical simulations and development has been discontinued.
The new DLC for Hearts of Iron IV, Twilight of the Gods, is causing a significant player boom:
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Hearts of Iron IV: Twilight of the Gods – Trailer for the new DLC
Mods, Multiplayer, and Memes Keep Hearts of Iron Fresh
Why is Hearts of Iron so strong? Although Hearts of Iron has been around for 8 years, it apparently appeals to a large group of players over all these years due to its active and creative modding community, a vibrant multiplayer scene, and the lack of alternatives to the scenario.
What started as a “World War II” simulation in its base version in 2016 has evolved for fans into more of a “What if?” power simulation in the 30s, 40s, and 50s thanks to many mods.
And a Germany DLC like “Twilight of the Gods” provides a lot of new content.
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In the forums of Paradox’s otherwise history-loving fans, the discussion around Hearts of Iron revolves more around the memes generated by the game than about historical facts. On Reddit , many memes arise:
One user has found Eva Braun and thinks her stats are overly strong.
Another user is amused that Werner Heisenberg is in the game, as the scientist provided the name for the hero from Breaking Bad and was mentioned in several iconic scenes (via youtube):
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Everything is nice and good if you don’t take the whole thing seriously, because if you do and evaluate this expansion on realism and in the relevant historical context, it would fail spectacularly. The Belgian FN FAL in 1942 and the MEFO issue, which was more of a hindrance than a benefit for Germany, are a few examples that come to mind in this context.
But we can always modify things, so have fun.
In Germany, many have a different perspective on the Germany DLC for Hearts of Iron IV. The German strategy expert and historian Steinwallen has explained why he views the DLC critically and does not want to discuss it in detail on his YouTube channel: Expert Refuses to Discuss the Germany DLC of a War Game on Steam
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
We want to know from you which features Housing in World of Warcraft needs to become a great success.
At the Warcraft Direct, Blizzard finally fulfilled the long-standing dream of many World of Warcraft fans. After many expansions where they begged and pleaded, a wish is finally being realized:
World of Warcraft is getting Player Housing. The heroes of Azeroth will finally have the ability to set up a home and have a place they can call “home”.
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WoW gets Player Housing – An initial teaser
But until that happens, it will probably be at least another year.
Many details about the upcoming feature are still not known. Therefore, now is the perfect time to talk a bit about Housing and find out which features it absolutely must have – and which features should not be associated with it.
The ideas and approaches being pursued in the community are completely different.
While some believe that Housing should mainly be an optional feature that no one is forced to engage with, others feel that the feature should be deeply rooted in the other mechanics of the game. Therefore, we have launched a survey and want to know which traits Player Housing in World of Warcraft absolutely must offer.
In the following survey, you can select as many points as you want. So think carefully about which features Housing really must have.
What are your expectations for the Housing feature in World of Warcraft? Please write your wishes and hopes in the comments and tell us what the new feature must deliver for it to be – personally for you – a great success. With a bit of luck, the most interesting comments will be picked up in the next article.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Dynamax Raids in Pokémon GO initially did not convince MeinMMO author Paul Kutzner. However, that has changed since then.
Since this season, Dynamax Raids have been available in Pokémon GO. Here, your monsters transform into gigantic versions of themselves and can fight against other monsters of the same size in Dynamax battles.
Although this feature did not convince me at first at all, I continued to test the function. Now, I think differently about Dynamax and must say: Yes, it is quite fun.
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Dynamax in Pokémon Go – How to participate in the gigantic battles
Other battles and cool rewards
Although I initially found the battles very boring and did not expect to participate in many of them, that has changed in the meantime. I have not only mastered several battles but also completed all the Dynamax Raids that have been available so far, and I have leveled up some strong Pokémon.
For the Pokémon that I have not leveled up yet, I at least have enough candies to make them a bit stronger whenever I need them.
However, I have not yet participated in the Gigantamax battles. The required number of trainers to successfully complete these battles is just too high for me right now. But if that changes in the future, I will certainly participate in those as well.
This is my current team for Dynamax
Ultimately, there are probably exactly 3 reasons that define why Dynamax has convinced me after all, and I now enjoy this feature.
The first reason: The first reason, and this is probably by far the most important, is the fun. While the 1*-Dynamax Raids are a given and present no challenge, the 3*-Dynamax Raid against Legios was quite different.
I was determined to defeat this Pokémon – without outside help. While my team initially struggled, this changed abruptly when I could add Gengar and Metagross as Dynamax monsters to my team.
While I filled the Dyna gauge with Gengar, I attacked in Dynamax form with Metagross and then switched back to Gengar. While this may not represent the pinnacle of warfare and complexity – it was fun.
Piece by piece, I saw Legios’ hit points decrease. Until it was ultimately defeated and found its place in my Dynamax team.
The second reason: The next point that ultimately convinced me more than I thought at first is the rewards. On one hand, defeating Dynamax Raids often yields one or two special candies that are gladly used for my legendary Pokémon that I deploy in Raids or the League.
On the other hand, I like that Dyna monsters that are placed in power sources can generate candies. While there are monsters for which I will not need candies in the long term, this function is very useful for other Pokémon. Besides my Dyna monsters, with which I battle, I still have additional specimens of each species that can farm candies in power sources.
And if there should ever be legendary Pokémon in Dynamax forms, this can be a strong way to obtain the coveted candies for these monsters.
The third reason: The last of these three reasons is probably understandable and human: FOMO (fear of missing out). It is currently unclear in which direction Dynamax in Pokémon GO will develop in the future.
And I do not want to regret in several months or even years that I missed a feature and fell behind because I did not pay attention to it until now. After all, future Dynamax monsters, especially if legendary variants should eventually appear, will only be conquerable with a good team.
In conclusion, I can say that at the beginning of this feature, I was not impressed, and now I can quite rightly say: Yes, Dynamax is cooler than I expected. And I am curious about what content for this feature will come in the future.
Of course, there are many other contents and events waiting for you in Pokémon GO besides Dynamax. If you want to know what awaits you in the game in the near future, feel free to take a look at our overview of all events in November 2024 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Warhammer 40,000 there is a constant war between the forces of order and the forces of chaos. This chaos is led by four gods: Nurgle, Slaanesh, Khorne, and Tzeentch. But which of them is truly the strongest? MeinMMO presents the chaos gods and gives them a place in the power ranking.
Although chaos does not directly seek to exterminate all life, it would probably not be possible for most beings to lead a normal or livable life in a warp-dominated world.
In order to prevent the warp from fully entering our reality, the Emperor of mankind keeps the four gods in an eternal struggle to prevent them from conquering our world. Nevertheless, demons repeatedly enter the real space and wars break out between them and the living beings of reality.
The leaders of chaos are four great gods who, by the way, also fight each other. For if there were only one god, then order would prevail and chaos would have destroyed itself. Each of the four gods has its own domain, strengths, and weaknesses, but in a direct conflict, only one could win.
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Slaanesh, the Dark Prince
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Total War: Warhammer 3 – Der Trailer zur Slaanesh-Fraktion
As the youngest god of chaos, Slaanesh was born relatively recently. While the other three gods emerged throughout our time history, Slaanesh only awakened through the fall of the Eldar in the 30th millennium.
The god embodies everything that has to do with desire. This is why the decadence of the Eldar has caused him to awaken. Slaanesh usually appears in the form of an androgynous, beautiful man, but is often described as a beautiful woman, hermaphrodite, or gender-neutral figure.
Since Slaanesh represents every desire and is nourished by it, he can easily be accidentally worshiped: Whenever something becomes a passion or obsession, this benefits the chaos god.
It does not matter whether this obsession is something bad like sadism or greed, or something actually good like generosity or love. Slaanesh embodies every form of excess, temptation, and perversion.
The fortress of the Dark Prince in the warp is said to be a huge palace of pleasures. Among his most famous creatures are daemonettes. His followers often crave extreme stimulation, such as from colors or loud music. The Slaanesh-devoted, traitorous Noise Marines dominate the battlefield with music so loud that it literally can tear enemies apart.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player has taken it upon himself to defeat thousands of bosses in Diablo 4 to document the drop rates of the loot. His conclusion: Those hoping for the best items in the game may be disappointed.
Which bosses has he defeated? The player has defeated each boss at Torment level 4 in Diablo 4 numerous times to farm loot: Grigoire, the beast in the ice, Varshan, Lord Zir, Andariel, and Duriel.
The bosses are available from Torment 1, but the drop chance for strong loot increases with higher difficulty levels. With these bosses, you not only have a chance at the coveted Mythic Uniques, but also at “bequeathed” items (Ancestral items) with “greater affixes” (GA).
The Torment levels were introduced with Season 6. You can learn more about it in the video:
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Diablo 4 shows the new level system and difficulty levels in the video
More Mythics than Uniques with 3 GA
This is the result after the runs:On Reddit, the user Visible-Brief-2477 presents his results after 2,400 runs using various tables. In the tables, he lists the drops after the runs – including Mythics and GA-Uniques. In total, he received 14,400 loot drops, including:
1,978 items with 1 GA
136 items with 2 GA
17 items with 3 GA
5 items with 4 GA
36 Mythic Uniques
Each boss drops 6 items per run at Torment 4, the player notes. Considering the drops of items with 3 and 4 greater affixes, they account for 0.12% and 0.03% of the 14,400 drops. And 0.25% of the 14,400 drops are Mythics.
Specifically, that would mean: You will get the rare Mythics faster than strong items with 3–4 greater affixes. And when the GA-Uniques drop, it may still be the case that the aspects on the items, which have a significant impact on the build and individual skills, have a low value.
The player’s goal was to show the drop rate of 3GA- and 4GA-Uniques. He finds the drop rates for both to be “catastrophic” – especially when compared to the rate of Mythic Uniques, which are supposed to be the rarest items in the game, he notes. His conclusion: The grind is not worth it, and he hopes Blizzard increases the drop rates.
What do other players say about the drop rates? In another Reddit post, Bored_guy_in_dc explains that the item drops in Season 6 are “just terrible”:
The GA items drop rarely and with minimal aspect values, meaning: They are only rarely useful.
As for Mythics, some players are lucky, but others farm bosses every day and hardly get any mythical drops.
The drop rate of legendary runes is also “almost as bad as that of Mythics,” he finds.
Another user writes on Reddit that he killed the boss Duriel 100 times to get two specific items for his build. He farmed materials for two weeks for this. He received three Mythic Uniques, which he broke down for “Magnificent Sparks” – but none of the items he needs.
Duriel and Andariel remain at least good starting points for players to farm the coveted Mythics. One player has defeated the boss Andariel in Diablo 4 250 times – and he has also documented his loot drops. The result is sobering, but does not really surprise the community.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Season 1 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has started and brought new content to the shooter. On top of that, players were surprised with a bunch of XP tokens.
Where do the tokens come from?On November 14, 2024, Season 1 of Black Ops 6 went live and brought new maps, new modes, and weapons to the game. Additionally, the “Battle Royale” mode Warzone is now available. On top of that, players received a bunch of double XP tokens. Many of them apparently come from previous installments of the new CoD title.
Update, November 16: With a past patch, the XP tokens were removed again as they could mistakenly be activated in BO6 (via callofduty.com) On X Treyarch explained on November 16 that the activation posed “a potential risk to game stability” and was thus patched.
The developers further write: “We know how much players appreciate the ability to redeem old XP tokens in both BO6 and Warzone, so we are currently testing a way to properly implement this change in a future update. […] In the meantime, players can activate all old XP tokens in Warzone. All tokens activated in Warzone also apply to Black Ops 6 when switching titles or modes.”
On social media, users are currently excited about the many tokens. Many of them point out that this significantly eases the grind. Because there are various types of tokens, players benefit in different categories through the double experience points:
Player level
Weapon level
Battle Pass tiers
Many seem particularly pleased about the faster leveling of the player level. Because with Black Ops 6, the old prestige levels returned to CoD. In the prestige system, you level up repeatedly until level 55 and then reset your level along with all unlocked weapons and perks.
Learn more about the system in the video:
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CoD Black Ops 6: Prestige explained – Is it worth it?
“The Prestige Speedrun can begin”
What do players say about it? Numerous screenshots are appearing on Reddit where players show their collected tokens. One user has amassed over 200 tokens that he can now use in Black Ops 6. Just for the player level, he has around 147 hours available during which he will gain double XP from playing.
He writes: “The prestige grind just got a lot easier.” (via Reddit). In the comments, he explains that the XP tokens apparently come from Modern Warfare 2 and 3.
We also received a bunch of tokens in BO6 at the start of the season.
In another post on Reddit, users discuss the surprise. Some express concern that it might be a bug. Iceyk111 asks whether the developers could remove them again. “Not adding them intentionally is one thing, but accidentally adding them and then taking them away after everyone is excited would be a really bad move,” he notes.
On X, the CoD news account CharlieIntel also points out that the tokens have been carried over. There too, users praise the surprising incorporation of the tokens into the new CoD installment. Korey writes that this is a big help in achieving Prestige 10. And Spottem writes: “The speedrun to Prestige Master begins.” Many say that this is a “massive W,” which means a great success.
This is why the XP tokens are so important: The XP tokens double the amount of experience points you earn while playing in Black Ops 6. It doesn’t matter which mode you play – multiplayer, zombie, or Warzone. Especially at the start of a new CoD title, many players are interested in leveling up as quickly as possible. This particularly applies to their weapons so they can use them in Warzone.
With the prestige system, leveling takes on an even greater role as player levels are reset repeatedly – along with weapons and perks that are unlocked at certain levels. How you can level up particularly fast is explained in our overview: CoD Black Ops 6: With these 3 tricks you can level up particularly fast
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many players diligently open their boosters in Pokémon TCG Pocket and battle against other trainers with their assembled decks. MeinMMO reveals what the current maximum level is and how you can reach it as quickly as possible.
What is the max level? Currently, players can reach up to level 50 in Pokémon TCG Pocket. With each level, you require more and more experience points to reach the next one. So if you are already at a high level, it still takes time to achieve the max level.
When you level up, you receive the following rewards:
12 Pack Sand Timers
12 Wonder Sand Timers
1 Time Jump Clock
1 Pokégold (2 for every 5th level)
So when you level up, you can get even more cards through the rewards. To reach the end level as quickly as possible, MeinMMO shows you what you need to do.
You can find the trailer for Pokémon TCG Pocket here:
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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket: The Trailer for the Mobile Game
How to level up quickly in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Complete every battle against the CPU
In the battle menu, you should complete every tier battle of the 4 different difficulty levels. This gets you a whopping 1,750 XP. You should complete the battles as quickly as possible, as this gives you a rocket start and a good basis to farm more XP.
Don’t forget your dailies
Each day, you can accomplish 2 tasks in Pokémon TCG Pocket that will grant you more XP. You can open 2 boosters per day and gain 75 XP and also participate in the Wonder Trade, which gives you 15 XP. So don’t forget to log in daily and collect your rewards.
Opening boosters brings a lot of experience points.
Open your boosters
Don’t try to collect the Pack Sand Timers if you want to level up quickly. Because for each opened booster pack, you get a total of 25 XP. Normally, you can open two (or three with a Premium Pass) boosters per day. With the Pack Sand Timers, which you can get elsewhere, you can reduce the wait time until opening the next booster by one hour. This way, you quickly get new experience points.
Use the Wonder Trade
With the Wonder Sand Timers, you can also get experience points faster. For every Wonder Stamina you spend in the Wonder Trade, you get an additional 15 XP. To make the most out of the trade, you can use Wonder Sand Timers to gain more stamina. If you dislike any of the trade options, you can also restore expired Wonder Trades with Time Jump Clocks.
If you have completed all the CPU battles, spent the Pack Sand Timers, and collected your daily rewards, you still have battles against other players. Here you will probably spend the most time. The amount of experience points you can earn per day is unlimited. You get 15 XP per battle. Keep in mind: Private matches against your friends do not count!
Invest real money
Anyone with enough disposable income may consider investing in the Premium Pass. This allows you to open one additional booster per day and thus gain even more XP. Additionally, you receive Pokégold, which helps you acquire new cards faster and therefore obtain more XP. For example: For 500 Pokégold, you can open 115 booster packs, which corresponds to 2,875 XP.
At the beginning of the game, Pokémon TCG Pocket gives you 2 weeks free to try the Pass. So use it to quickly farm XP.
While experimenting with a few special abilities in Baldur’s Gate 3, players have discovered that they can almost recruit NPCs for themselves – albeit involuntarily. And a few particularly cruel players even take it a step further …
Players have now found another way to get different NPCs as companions. Practically any character in Act 1 can be recruited. However, this is not really planned.
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3: Cast two spells in one go
This is how you get the NPCs as companions: On Reddit, a user shared a picture where he has the druid Kagha, but as a completely mushroom-infested zombie servant. This is a well-known strategy, for which you need the mushroom ruler Glut.
Glut can resurrect almost anything and anyone as a mushroom-controlled servant. These zombies are actually quite useless meat shields because they can no longer cast spells since Patch 4. Additionally, Glut only accompanies you in the Underdark. But there are tricks, as a user explains:
Simply take the corpses of killed NPCs with you to the Underdark.
Alternatively (as with the spider matriarch): Push them through holes that lead to the Underdark.
Let Glut resurrect the NPC as a mushroom servant.
Cast Death Ward (Level 4 spell) on the servant.
Let it die.
The infestation will then be removed and the companion will regain their full range of abilities. Players explain that the high priestess Gut of the goblins possesses useful, unique spells.
Through a few additional tricks and exploits, it is also possible to lure Glut out of the Underdark and Act 1 and keep him throughout the game to resurrect later bosses as servants. However, it’s easier if you acquire the ability yourself via a mod (via Nexusmods).
Which NPCs are worth it? Kagha and Gut are already good examples of useful NPCs that can accompany you, at least temporarily. However, the absolutely strongest companion is Arabella. Yes, that’s right, the little girl.
Players have discovered that Arabella is the strongest weapon in the game. Children cannot die in battles in Baldur’s Gate 3 and do not even participate in them, making them almost unstoppable killing machines.
And yes, Arabella has to die for this method as well, and you have to steal her corpse. Whether you really want to do that, you have to decide for yourself.
For some time now, it has become increasingly common for advance access to a game to be part of the advantages of a pre-order, especially if you dig deep enough into your pockets. The role-playing game Avowed has now jumped on this bandwagon and is facing some backlash.
What does Avowed offer? Avowed is a single-player RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. It will be released on February 18, 2025, on Steam, Battle.net, and the Microsoft Store. It will also be playable on the Xbox Series X|S. The game will be available on official release for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
In addition to the standard version for €69.99 (€79.99 in the Microsoft Store), a premium edition is also offered.
This one costs €89.99 (€99.99 in the Microsoft Store) and includes two skin packs, the digital artbook, the soundtrack, and up to 5 days of early access to the game.
So, by spending about €20 more, you can play Avowed on February 13, 2025, which is 5 days earlier than everyone else.
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Avowed – The Combat System in the Trailer
A Trend That Is Not Well Received
What is the problem with that? Many see it as a questionable practice to demand additional money for an already completed game at that time, supposedly to play earlier. This creates a kind of artificial exclusivity to push people towards purchasing the more expensive version.
Additionally, the actual release takes place on a Tuesday – however, early access allows for gameplay starting the Thursday of the previous week. This means players have the opportunity to use the weekend before the official release to play Avowed.
How does the community feel about this? In social media, the approach of Obsidian Entertainment is primarily met with outrage. In a thread on Reddit, fans discuss this topic. There, the prevailing opinion is that many do not support this approach and therefore will not pre-order the game.
Some also argue that they could somewhat understand this practice from the developers if it were a multiplayer title, where earlier access would provide in-game advantages. Many also note that, in their opinion, the early access is the actual release day and that they view the nearly €90 as the real price for Avowed, which simply drops 5 days later.
What else is the problem? Generally, players are not thrilled, as the prices are sometimes very oddly adjusted to individual countries (via steamcommunity.com). Furthermore, according to the developers, the game is said to offer only “20 to 25 hours” of gameplay – all for €90. Many players can only shake their heads at this outrageous pricing policy.
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A very similar discussion had already taken place during the release of Diablo IV. At that time, the same strategy was chosen, where pre-ordering the more expensive versions granted early access. However, this approach was not used during the release of the latest expansion, Vassel of Hatred, which was very well received by the community: Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred forgoes controversial advantage for pre-orders, receiving praise from players
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Gabe Newell, head of Valve (Steam), explains in a documentary about the shooter Half-Life 2 that they were close to bankruptcy a few years ago. This was mainly due to legal disputes with the large publisher Vivendi Games.
What a move that was! Specifically, it concerns a court case where Valve and the publisher Vivendi disputed the online distribution rights and especially the rights to Counterstrike. For example, Vivendi was allowed to offer Counterstrike in cyber cafés.
For this, Vivendi hired a law firm according to the interview that wanted to change Valve’s perspective: “Valve had some success in this case, and that’s why we need to change their [Valve’s] mindset from ‘we believe we will be successful’ to ‘we will be destroyed’:
They [the plaintiffs] personally included Scott and Julie Lynch as well as Gabe and Lisa Newell, his then-wife, as defendants, so it looked like we were pushing Valve out of business and driving both into bankruptcy. And I believe that was a big part of what they saw as their way to win this fight.
The publishers in the industry were used to bullying developers, and this was not just about optimizing financial results, but also a demonstration of power.
The tactic they used was to bleed us of money. They knew how much money we earned because they distributed our games in retail, so they tried to inflate our legal costs to drain resources from the company in this way.
[…]
(from 01:05:00) The company was close to bankruptcy. I was on the verge of going bankrupt personally. We had fully committed.
However, despite the problems, they did not want to disturb the developers who were still diligently working on the game. As stated in the documentary:
So we didn’t need to think about it. They managed pretty well so that the team could focus on what it could do without worrying too much about the future of the company.
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Commercial for the Joule Kitchen Appliance with Gabe Newell from Valve
Vivendi was dissolved in 2008 and merged with Activision
Does Vivendi still exist today? No, not by name. Because in December 2007, the publisher Activision announced a planned merger with Vivendi Games, from which a new holding company called “Activision Blizzard” was to emerge.
On July 10, 2008, the merger was completed, resulting in the creation of Activision Blizzard, and Vivendi Games was dissolved. By the way, Activision Blizzard now belongs to the Microsoft corporation, which has become known primarily for Windows and its Xbox: Microsoft announces: They want to buy Activision Blizzard
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
