RAM thieves and fraudsters have become so brazen that a manufacturer is now using a new trick to protect you

The thieves have been after RAM and other hardware for a while now. A manufacturer is now making changes to protect the hardware from fraudsters. Whether this really helps is another question.

What has Corsair done? Corsair has been selling its DDR5 product line under the “Vengeance” brand in new packaging since early January 2026. This is reported by Corsair in its own blog post. Instead of the familiar yellow cardboard boxes like in the title image, clear plastic packaging is now being used. This is supposed to have several advantages:

  • The contents of the packaging are now immediately recognizable. If fraudsters switch the contents, it’s quicker to detect than with a sealed box.
  • The manufacturer has also placed a tamper-proof label on the flap packaging. The security seal surrounds the flap packaging and tears when opened, so thieves cannot open and reseal it.
  • For the RAM modules that continue to be delivered in cardboard packaging, Corsair has also added a security label to increase protection.
Start video
Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes

Allegedly better protection for buyers and sellers

What is the aim? With these changes, they primarily want to combat several types of fraud that have been causing problems for a while:

A particularly “popular” scam is return fraud, where fraudsters buy DDR5 memory, substitute modules of other types, such as DDR4 or old DDR2, or dummy modules and then return them to the retailer. In the worst case, the retailer does not notice, so the next customer receives the wrong memory and wonders. With graphics cards, models are also often secretly swapped by fraudsters.

Whether these measures will actually help against return fraud is questionable. Because often, employees in warehouses do not recognize whether it is real hardware or a counterfeit. And as long as this knowledge is lacking, fraud will likely continue to be successful.

Furthermore, RAM is lightly constructed and small compared to other components, making it relatively easy to steal. It goes so far that thieves even target display items that sellers showcase to present their hardware. You can read more about it on MeinMMO: RAM has become so expensive that users are becoming quite brazen: they steal it directly from the computers in the store

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

Is Blizzard sacrificing the soul of Warcraft to be like Disney? Even the former CEO responds to the criticism

Warcraft sounds too frightening. While the Blizzard leadership is considering such things and wants to make the universe more appealing to the masses, they are losing sight of the fans who built the company – so concludes an industry observer.

What is the current situation? A few days ago, we reported on an interview with Holly Longdale and Ion Hazzikostas, who have been guiding the direction of World of Warcraft at Blizzard for years. There, the vice president explained, among other things, that they want to bring Warcraft to as many people as possible and that they are not so happy with the name looking back: Warcraft sounds so frightening.

This interview was taken as an occasion by industry observer Peter Girnus (who actually comes from the field of cybersecurity) to point out a development at Blizzard in a lengthy post on X.

Warcraft also likes to show its cute side these days, as in this trailer:

Start video
WoW: Housing-Cinematic in WildStar style

What kind of development is this? Peter Girnus writes his post from the perspective of the Senior Vice President of Activision Blizzard, looking back at the 30-year-old Warcraft franchise. His first accusation: The company collects feedback from focus groups who want increased accessibility for Warcraft. Most respondents have probably never played a Warcraft game.

In the second step, he criticizes the statements from the interview:

Our vice president told an interviewer that we want to offer players “weddings, raids, and new adventures.” She mentioned weddings first. Before raids. In a game called Warcraft. Nobody in the room batted an eye.

She also said: “No one thinks the same about Warhammer.”

She unfavorably compared our franchise to a competitor. Officially. As a defense of the franchise.

Peter Girnus on X

The increased accessibility, according to Girnus, serves to reach a larger TAM. TAM stands for Total Addressable Market, meaning the maximum theoretical target audience that one could reach with their product. Blizzard is no longer focused on subscribers or the community that has made this franchise (and Blizzard) great. It is all about TAM.

Girnus calls this the “Disneyfication,” a term that players are also frequently mentioning in this context: “Unpleasant things are turned into cute things. War into weddings. Orcs into mascots.” Everything must be family-friendly at best.

However, Girnus sees a major problem with this orientation: “TAM does not write posts in forums. TAM does not write farewell letters. TAM does not have 20 years of muscle memory and lore knowledge and raid nights from which real friendships have emerged.”

According to Girnus, it is not the name Warcraft that is the problem. “The issue is that old players are slowly not recognizing us anymore.”

What are the reactions to the post? Peter Girnus receives prominent support for his analysis. Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra writes on X:

Long live Warcraft.
It has always been about conflict.
This is the house on which Blizzard was built.

Many other readers also agree with Girnus:

  • Montana Rodes writes: “That is why my entire guild no longer plays WoW. Most of us have been around since Vanilla.”
  • Sky Wlker criticizes: “You tried to turn WoW into Guild Wars 2, and now it is a Disney game. Congratulations.”
  • William Alves adds: “The vampire managers have finally sucked the last drop of soul out of Warcraft: weddings before raids, cash shop traps designed to milk anniversary earners, and a creative director who was involved in the naming and now complains that the name is too scary.”
Mike Ybarra Blizzard title title 1280x720
Mike Ybarra was president of Blizzard and is now the CEO of PrizePicks.

A development that started many years ago

How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz evaluate this analysis? Peter Girnus describes a development that has long been observable at Blizzard and has long been criticized by fans of Diablo, Starcraft, and Warcraft.

Since the enormous success of World of Warcraft starting in 2005, the company has changed. From less than 500 employees, more than 4,500 were employed in just 4 years. The new benchmark was set. The focus shifted towards service games. Blizzard increasingly faced criticism for its decisions, announcements, and delivered quality.

In this context, worth reading:

More on the topic
Not Activision is responsible for the ‘good old Blizzard’, but the success of WoW
von Karsten Scholz

The unbelievably poorly implemented announcement of Diablo Immortal at BlizzCon 2018 remains a cautionary example that Blizzard continues to develop past the core fans to reach new target groups. Projects that were important to long-time supporters, such as the remake of Warcraft 3, were meanwhile driven against the wall due to their poor implementation.

In addition, there is a development that we have observed for years everywhere: Brands are increasingly being expanded into mega-franchises that aim to conquer all platforms with series, movies, and games, and with merchandise the living and children’s rooms.

Disney is demonstrating this with Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avatar, and others. Many others are following suit. So we can assume that actions will follow Holly Longdale’s words: Warcraft will become larger, more omnipresent, more accessible, and more family-friendly.

From my perspective, however, it cannot be said outright that this focus on larger target groups automatically leads to a worse outcome. Quite the opposite: Blizzard is currently doing a lot right. Housing for WoW is being very well received. Overwatch has been restructured. A lot of new things are coming for Diablo. Additionally, a trailer recently proved, that WoW can still be very dark.

So it’s not all black and white. It always depends on the implementation in detail. Moreover, it must be said: A large part of the fans has long felt that not enough has happened with the beloved Warcraft universe: Blizzard believes they have underutilized Warcraft – the community thinks: Oh, really?

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

Helldivers Movie: Release, Source, Director – All Information about the Film Adaptation of the Coop Shooter

Helldivers has become a quite successful game with the second part. Now the series is also supposed to get a movie. MeinMMO summarizes all the previous information for you.

What is Helldivers? Helldivers is a game series that has received 2 titles so far. Especially the second part has become a major surprise hit. Currently, a movie based on the game is also in the works.

When is the release of the Helldivers movie? The movie based on Helldivers is supposed to hit theaters on November 10, 2027.

What is the source material of the movie? The Helldivers games do not have a concrete story and can best be compared to Starship Troopers. It can be assumed that none of the two games will be used directly as source material, but rather the Helldivers world in general (i.e., the humor and atmosphere) will be used as a template.

Who is the director of the Helldivers movie? Justin Lin is set to direct the Helldivers movie. He already has experience with blockbusters. You might know him as the director of the following movies:

  • The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
  • Fast and Furious Five (2011)
  • Star Trek Beyond (2016)
  • Fast and Furious 9 (2021)

His last movie was the 2025 drama Last Days.

Here you can watch a trailer for the games:

Start video
Helldivers 2 shows in the trailer for Machinery of Oppression how the new cyborgs change the fight

Helldivers Movie: Trailer, Cast, and Story

Is there a trailer for the Helldivers movie? No, so far no trailer for the movie has been released. There are also no set images or promotional material available yet.

Since filming apparently has not yet started, it will probably take a while before teasers or trailers are released.

Who is in the cast of the Helldivers movie? So far, only one actor is known. As Variety announced on February 11, 2026, Jason Momoa will take on a role in the movie. He previously starred in the video game adaptation of Minecraft, and most will know him as Aquaman or Khal Drogo.

What is the plot of the Helldivers movie? So far, the specific plot is unknown. In Helldivers, everything revolves around Super Earth, which is threatened by external dangers such as the Terminids, the Automates, or the Illuminates.

Super Earth deliberately relies on propaganda to prepare humanity for war against these factions.

The screenplay is said to be written by Gary Dauberman. He has worked as a screenwriter on the following films:

  • Annabelle (2014)
  • It (2017)
  • The Nun (2018)
  • Until Dawn (2025)

Helldivers is not the only universe full of threats and action that is set to get a movie or series. A series based on the Warhammer 40,000 universe is also in the works. Henry Cavill is on board: Warhammer Season 1: All the information about the series with Henry Cavill on Amazon Prime – Start, Trailer and Cast

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

A warlock in WoW must never log in again, or he will lose something that hardly anyone possesses

When he logs into World of Warcraft, he loses a beloved companion. A warlock is no longer allowed to log in.

World of Warcraft has changed dramatically over the years. Abilities come and go, as do character companions. But there should always be a joyful reason to log in – except for this one warlock. Because he has a demon by his side that would probably quickly seek to escape when he logs in. The consequence: He is no longer allowed to log in.

Start video
WoW: The Origin of Xal’atath and Salhadaar’s Decision in the “Superiority” Trailer

What is going on? In the WoW subreddit, the player Familiar-Telephone74 shared a screenshot. It shows one of his characters, an Orc warlock. But instead of seeing a imp, a voidwalker, or perhaps a stylish succubus in the background, he has a companion that no other current warlock possesses: a Felhunter.

Because the last time the player played this character, the Felhunter was still his permanent companion. Something that was many years ago.

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Felhunter does not exist anymore – unless one never logs in

Why is he not allowed to log in? The Felhunter as a permanent companion was removed from the game years ago. If someone logs into the game with a companion that should no longer exist or is no longer accessible, then WoW checks this every few seconds – but at the latest during phasing or a teleport. Then the warlock’s Felhunter would disappear (“despawn”) and probably never return.

However, the Orc warlock can enjoy a very exclusive character screen for now – because hardly any other warlock will be depicted with a Felhunter in the background.

Do Felhunters still exist today? Yes, they still exist as spells in WoW, but in a modified form. Today, the Felhunter is a major cooldown, but the summoned Felhunter is only temporarily active. It deals high damage for a few seconds and increases soul shard generation before it disappears. It cannot be directly controlled and simply follows the warlock’s attacks before it disappears again.

Community remembers: In the comments under the subreddit post, many remember the Felhunters they once owned. Because just like the ghouls of death knights, the Felhunters also received some silly names when they became permanent companions – like “Flameflame” from the player Anderaku:

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Many also wish that warlocks had the same freedoms when choosing their demons as hunters do.

  • “The ability “Demon Summon” should be the equivalent of the hunter’s “Tame Beast” for warlocks and allow unlocking pretty much any demon as a customization for your demons.” – Beltheshazzar98
  • “I still remember being able to have a Felhunter as a permanent companion during Legion. That was just insane.” – dk_2605
  • “Wow, I would never log into this character again.
    I even play two warlocks, but I was never allowed to have this epic experience. Now I’m sad.”
    – Etelgrin

Another class just got the long-awaited wish a few weeks ago to have a beloved companion back as a permanent friend in the game: Mages have their Water Elemental back after long begging.

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

Fallout 76 has so many nice players that one only meets a nasty guy after 1,600 hours

Fallout 76 seems anything but inviting due to its post-apocalyptic setting. However, the community is considered one of the friendliest out there. This goes so far that a player only had their first disappointing experience with another player after countless hours.

What is said about the community? The community of Fallout 76 is regarded as friendly and helpful. Even the developers behind the game are surprised at how peacefully people act in the post-apocalypse.

Those who have tried the MMO probably know this: As soon as you escape the Vault, you are provided with weapons, medications, and blueprints for the perfect start in the wasteland. Sure, there are some trolls with nasty traps, but most players are really nice.

Donations boxes are spread all over the map, at train stations, right in front of Vault 76, or at the Wayward, one of the first stops in the game. Experienced wastelanders regularly leave useful items like ammunition and weapons there to ease the start for others.

But there are also people in Appalachia who simply want to ruin someone else’s day. A player who just wanted to shop relaxed ran into one such individual.

Start video
Fallout 76: In the Survival MMO on PS5, you can let your inner Ghoul out

“A Lore-Appropriate Encounter”

What happened to the player? The player “BittyGood” was just about to check out his teammates’ vending machines, as he reported on Reddit. Suddenly, he realized he was being attacked – not by the usual monsters, but by another player. He didn’t waste any time, shot back, and took the player down. Thanks to his extremely tanky ghoul build, he shrugged off the attack easily.

However, it didn’t end there, because: Even as BittyGood moved away, he was attacked again by his enemy. BittyGood took him down a few more times when he noticed his enemy was shooting with the “Dragon,” a black powder rifle.

BittyGood set up his tent, spoke to the attacker in voice chat, and jokingly told him that with that thing, he wouldn’t even hit a barn door. He gifted him a legendary “Elder’s Mark” submachine gun including 10,000 rounds of ammunition. He had just bought the weapon a little earlier for 16,000 caps.

But his enemy did not react gratefully to the surprising friendly gesture; on the contrary. While BittyGood was even trying to craft him a jetpack, the player shot him down with his new cool weapon. His dry conclusion on Reddit was: “Boo, I encountered a Raider.”

How does this fit into the lore? The top comment under the Reddit post comes from mattsag207. He writes: “A Lore-Appropriate Encounter.” Because Raiders in Fallout are by definition ruthless, selfish, and violent. In Appalachia, they were an alliance of ruthless looters and bandits who come from various factions. They terrorize survivors and take what they want. Thus, the player’s attack was treacherous and morally flawed – but ironically fit perfectly into the lore.

In fact, other players in Fallout 76 are rarely the biggest threat. If you absolutely don’t want confrontations and PvP, you can simply activate the “Pacifist Mode” in the settings. Instead, you can focus on the hunt for dangerous NPCs that have a bounty on them. Because they even provide you with loot and legendary items.

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

Twitch streamer uses technology from medicine to “hack” her balance, makes racing games more realistic

While VR is just slowly making its way into gaming, a streamer is taking it to the next level on Twitch: First, she controls Elden Ring with her thoughts, now she lets others control her body with electric shocks, at least a little bit. However, her clear warning is: Don’t try this at home!

Who is the streamer?

  • The British streamer PerriKaryal has a master’s degree in psychology and usually hangs out in the “Just Chatting” section on her Twitch channel.
  • During her streams, she talks with her chat about all sorts of topics, sometimes even at an academic level.
  • Occasionally, she also showcases her technical gadgets, which she has a penchant for, as she says – especially when they are absolutely crazy. For instance, she once defeated a boss in Elden Ring using only her brain, and now she gives herself electric shocks.

What’s the deal with the electric shocks? PerriKaryal explains in a short TikTok video that she has developed a device that allows her to alter her balance. By applying electric shocks to specific areas in her neck, her body leans to the left or right.

In the video, she demonstrates the effects: While she walks, the person behind the camera controls the electric shocks with a controller. Depending on the direction, PerriKaryal moves left or right – like a character in a video game. The technical term for this is, as she explains: “galvanic vestibular stimulation,” or GVS for short.

In medicine, this technology is used to treat stroke patients and possibly regain lost body sensation (according to ergotherapie.de, more on this from the Saarland University and State Library)

However, the streamer’s primary goal was not simply to become a controllable NPC. She aimed to make racing games more immersive but strictly advises against anyone copying this idea.

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

Tech Enthusiast Warns: “That’s Extremely Dangerous”

In a practical application during her stream on Twitch, the streamer links her GVS device with the racing game Trackmania. She wanted to test whether the “G-forces” – meaning what happens when something pushes you into a turn – can be felt while playing.

Her result: Yes, they can, but it’s apparently not a really good idea. PerriKaryal visibly struggles to stay on her feet and complains that she sees “flashing lights” and has a headache. In the end, she clearly warns that this should not be tried:

Don’t do this. Don’t build this. I do not endorse anyone building this themselves. I do not condone this behavior; it is extremely dangerous, and I am not responsible for it!

PerriKaryal on Twitch

At this point, we also strictly advise against replicating this idea. Just in case anyone had the thought for any reason…

How sensible or practical it is to give oneself a more “immersive” gaming experience through electric shocks is debatable. As PerriKaryal herself recognizes: This is simply something one should not do.

The idea of controlling games with thoughts and diving deeper into gaming has been pursued for years – and is closely linked to medical technology, as can be seen here. Although we are not quite at Sword Art Online, there are indeed numerous successes: Man can barely move due to illness – chip in brain allows him to game and work

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

Blizzard finally brings the feature that everyone has been demanding since the release of Diablo 4, directly causing complaints

Fans have been demanding a loot filter since the release of Diablo 4. Now Blizzard has announced the feature, but the community still finds something to complain about. And there is also no consensus on what the filter should do.

What is the loot filter all about? In Diablo 4, players will eventually be inundated with loot. This leads to either ignoring items or constantly having to interrupt the grind to break down useless stuff in town. As early as the release month of June 2023, an expert called for a loot filter.

In the meantime, Blizzard tweaked the loot system so that fewer items drop, but with better quality. Still, players continued to complain about too much useless loot. They spend more time sorting through it than slicing up monsters.

A loot filter is especially useful for players in the endgame who only need certain stats for improvement and do not want to compare everything. And with the second expansion, Lord of Hatred, the feature will actually be added to the game. However, not everyone seems to be satisfied with it.

Start video
Diablo 4 shows content from the second DLC Lord of Hatred in the gameplay trailer

In Diablo 4, you also need trash items – or?

What are the fans complaining about? On Reddit, fans are currently discussing the loot filter. In a post, user Chocookiez criticizes that the filtered loot is not automatically salvaged. It remains visible on the ground, but grayed out. Others point out that the purpose of loot filters is to hide information, but not to salvage it.

In the comments, players do not quite agree on the loot filter in Diablo 4. Many believe they simply do not want to be overwhelmed with loot. Others feel that only “hardcore grinders” want to immediately identify which drops they need and which they do not. Some, like gamer dads and casual players with little time, are happy about many drops.

Many fans collect everything to dismantle it for crafting materials. Players are now concerned that Blizzard may need to adjust the materials if people collect less due to the filter. User ronoudgenoeg explains: “The problem is that in other games, trash items are irrelevant, whereas in Diablo 4, they are needed for resources.”

What does the loot filter look like? In a YouTube video, Blizzard showcased the loot filter for Diablo 4. In the screenshot, you can see items that drop from a chest but are grayed out. With the feature, you apparently have the option to hide certain items or give them a different color:

In other action RPGs, such as Path of Exile or Last Epoch, all items still drop, but are no longer actively clickable. Only items fitting the filter rules could actually be picked up, unless the filter is temporarily disabled.

As Blizzard will only be introducing the filters with the release of Lord of Hatred, there are still a few weeks between the first presentation and the feature. It is possible that the presented functions do not encompass everything that will be possible, so an auto salvage-function is quite conceivable, especially since a similar function already exists.

The second expansion for Diablo 4, Lord of Hatred, will be released at the end of April 2026 and will bring not only loot filters to the ARPG but also a new campaign, a new area, and two new classes. Everything you need to know about the release can be found here: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred – All important information on release, price, trailer, and content

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

Crimson Desert presents new features again, which are enough to fill an entire game

Crimson Desert shows in a new presentation video what the everyday life of your character looks like and explains how exciting the faction gameplay will be.

What kind of video is this? On February 12, 2026, Pearl Abyss, the developer studio of Crimson Desert, released a new presentation video on the official YouTube channel. In the nine minutes, it covers everything outside of the campaign and progression.

The developers discuss crafting, trading, housing, farming, and rebuilding their own faction, which suddenly becomes a major gameplay element. There are so many features and details that one could probably fill a whole game with them.

You can watch the video here:

Start video
Crimson Desert reveals the release date in the new trailer

The own faction in the center of the game

What did the developers explain? In the new video, there is an important piece of information right at the beginning, that the “leisure time” spent in Crimson Desert will largely revolve around the gameplay surrounding your own faction.

Since our hero has to start from scratch again, there is plenty to do to revive your own faction. Right at the beginning, the player receives their own small camp with some allies. Leveling does not happen through a menu or farming points but very practically in the game.

This specifically means that you will chop down trees in the open world of Crimson Desert, mine minerals, hunt animals, or fish. The resources you obtain can then be used for crafting to become even stronger or to benefit your camp.

The camp needs the resources to build new buildings such as a farm or a market stall. Trading can also be conducted in your own camp, which will likely generate prosperity for the allies.

At the same time, the video hints that new characters from your own faction will join you if you help them and complete side quests. For example, you see attacked soldiers who need help or beggars who promise to repay for the donated coins.

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Collecting, Crafting, Stealing

What do you do with the resources? Instead of simply delivering the collected or purchased resources from merchants in the city to the faction, you have to take action yourself. The video shows that your character takes the hammer into their own hands and helps to build the buildings.

Once a farm is set up, however, NPCs do not take over all the work. The video shows that as a player, you will also lend a hand and, for example, carry pigs from point A to point B to help.

What the NPCs can do entirely on their own are missions. Through a menu, you can send the allies, each of whom offers different abilities, on missions. These missions yield corresponding loot that increases the more followers you send out.

The missions replace the tedious farming work, which becomes too strenuous at higher levels of your own faction. The NPCs complete the missions within a certain time and then return.

How is life in the cities? In the cities of Crimson Desert, NPCs are supposed to perform realistic actions. For example, the blacksmith will forge a new sword when you have purchased one. If you buy armor, he will take care of that instead.

But there are also all sorts of random encounters in the cities, such as a pickpocket trying to steal from you or being challenged to a duel. You can also experience some mini-games, such as the medieval version of Yahtzee.

But that’s not all.

What else have the developers shown? In Crimson Desert, there are laws that you should adhere to. However, if you do not, you will be punished for it. In the spirit of GTA, you will be wanted for crimes, and the guards and patrols will try to seize you. In the end, you might even end up in prison.

However, the video quickly shows that committing crimes is probably not worthwhile, as even a hero of the story would have little chance against around two dozen guards.

This is supposed to be the last developer video about features in the game. It remains exciting to see what will be shown by the developers of Crimson Desert next week and of course, whether what has been shown is as good in the game as it seems. Just last week, there were many new features to see in the video: Crimson Desert shows how you can become as powerful as the character in the trailers, reveals more about battles

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

I was able to play the new RPG to Monster Hunter for 17 hours, it is already one of the best Pokémon alternatives 2026

Monster Hunter Stories 3 will be released in March 2026. MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes was able to play the first 2 chapters in advance and was thrilled after just a few hours. The RPG has the potential to become one of the best sequels in the genre.

I like monster collecting games. Be it Pokémon, Digimon, or indie games like Coromon. The games are most enjoyable when you have a personal connection to the monsters. That caught my attention in Monster Hunter Stories 1. Using the creatures as partners that made hunting so difficult for me in the main series is a great feeling.

That’s why I started with excitement for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection to play the first 2 chapters as a preview: Although I had positive expectations, I was still surprised. The game is not just a new installment in the Stories series; it shows right from the first areas that it could become one of the best Monster Hunter games.

Start video
Monster Hunter Stories 3 announces its release with a new trailer

A fusion of Pokémon and Monster Hunter

What is Monster Hunter Stories 3 anyway? At its core, the game is a monster collecting RPG. Just like in Pokémon or the Digimon games, you catch monsters (or their eggs from their nests) and build your team. Unlike most of these games, however, you fight yourself. For this, you have armor and weapons that fans of the Monster Hunter series will recognize.

In addition, there is a bit of story, a world divided into larger areas, and plenty of side content. I was able to play the first 2 areas for this preview and spent about 17 hours in the game, going through side quests and smaller grinding sessions.

Even in the relatively short time, Stories 3 has improved everything that was present in its predecessor.

But let’s start with the story. The focus is on the countries of Azuria and Vermeil, which are on the brink of war. As the child of the king of Azuria, you are a Rider. Together with a Rathalos and other monsters, you complete missions, research, and explore.

You are not alone; the Riders consist of a whole group of characters with different designs and personalities.

Compared to its predecessors, the story is more mature. This is not only evident in the character proportions, which no longer resemble chibis, but also in the focus of the story. It is significantly stronger than what you would expect from Monster Hunter, and also much more exciting.

From the very beginning, I was engaged, and the side stories that focus on the other members are a good point for worldbuilding. The world itself already feels larger in the first 2 chapters, and a new feature makes it incredibly fun.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 Trailer Eleanor
In side stories, you get to know characters like Eleanor better

Just 2 areas already show: Exploration will be incredibly fun

You could already ride monsters in the two predecessors, but in Stories 3, it has been made smoother. During a jump or fall, you can call your Rathalos and glide; if you see an item in the water, you can quickly switch to a water monster to swim there.

There are no loading times, making exploration more enjoyable. Monsters have different operational areas, which is why not only combat abilities are important for team building. Thus, monsters that you might not use in combat can still be valuable for the world.

In the world, you can, as usual, encounter monsters or loot eggs from monster lairs, filling your stable with new monsters. This time they are not only useful as team members or for passing on abilities. A new feature allows you to influence the world differently.

With habitat restoration, you can restore endangered species. They will then not only appear more frequently in lairs. If you increase the eco rank of monsters in an area, they can gain stronger skills.

Moreover, you can ensure that you get new variants. For example, if you increase a Rathian’s rank in the first area, you unlock the opportunity to find a Dreadqueen Rathian. Additionally, the element of the area can also influence the monsters. For instance, it is possible to obtain a Tobi-Kadachi that is normally just electric in addition to a fire element. Its appearance changes as well.

All these mechanics quickly developed into a nice flow during the preview. Nothing felt sluggish and everything integrated well into the world.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 Habitat Restoration
This is what habitat restoration looks like in the game

Fine-tuning the combat system

How did the combat system perform? At its core, the turn-based combat is based on a rock-paper-scissors principle combined with the elements. If a monster uses a power attack, you can use a speed attack if it comes at you. This negates its attack. But the reverse can also happen, and monsters often use several attacks that are not solely based on the 3 types.

Right from the start, there were challenging battles that, thanks to the ability to increase speed, were not frustrating. As in the main series, you can check your notes to see which elemental weaknesses the monsters have.

Also, there are weapons that you can use to destroy various monster parts. This increases damage and can send monsters reeling to initiate a powerful attack.

But the most important thing: Kinship attacks are back. If you fill your friendship meter in battle, you can perform a powerful monster attack. There’s a little cutscene for it (which can also be skipped). If you enjoy seeing a Rathalos create a gigantic flame explosion, you will be happy here. These animations can even compete with anime.

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One of the best animations from the predecessor can be seen in this YouTube video by Dwyriel Lassneth

Monster Hunter stands for a satisfying gameplay loop

The great strength already in the first hours is not the individual elements I have described, it is the loop of all these. Story, grind, side quests, and monsters merged into a strong flow that made hours feel like minutes.

I never felt that anything was dragging on, and even if: You can skip many things if you want, and monster breeding doesn’t have to be ground for hours, at least in the first hours I was able to play.

Only the story could fail. So far, I quite like it, but it remains to be seen if it expands and whether the gameplay flow might be disrupted. However, if you like anime atmosphere, you will probably have nothing to complain about in that regard.

As for the Switch-2 version, it ran quite well for me. Although there were occasionally some textures reloading, I had no issues with the framerate on the TV. Handheld had occasional stutters, but overall, they didn’t bother me.

For my part, I am confident: I will definitely spend 100 hours in the full game of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.

You can even take a look into the game yourselves. A demo has been released on Steam that allows you to spend quite a bit of time and hides some secrets.

Otherwise, the game will be released on March 13 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam. But before that, another series from Capcom returns: Resident Evil Requiem has achieved something after 3 hours that I thought impossible: I am afraid of zombies again

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

In a new co-op game on Steam you have to yell spells into the mic yourself, it’s as chaotic as it sounds

A genre has been booming since 2025 on Steam: The bustling co-op games now referred to in English as “Friendslop”. A new title in the genre demonstrates just how strong the hype is.

What game are we talking about? The latest hype title in the Friendslop genre is YapYap. The co-op game stands out as you become wizards alongside your friends and must devastate a fortress without being stopped by the guards.

Once you’ve inflicted enough damage, you just have to reach the exit and escape. In the castle, you can find new spells that you can cast using voice output.

In gameplay with up to 6 players, lively chaos ensues as the voice chat is flooded with “Fireball”, “Aero”, “Updog”, and “Tempest” while trying to navigate through the level. The group is often separated by the guards, causing even more chaos. But the game principle works.

Here you can see the trailer for YapYap:

Start video
YapYap shows in the trailer how to perfectly create chaos among friends

YapYap becomes a success

How was the release? Just one week after the release of YapYap on Steam, the developers joyfully announced that they had sold 500,000 copies. This surprised even the developers who commented: “There are so many more of you than we ever expected.”

However, the reason for the success lies less in the game mechanics and more in the chaos that makes YapYap unforgettable fun. The Friendslop genre is characterized precisely by facing friend groups with chaos and challenges.

Random encounters or the fails of team members create tension and also frustration during the rounds. The same successful recipe has already been used by games like “Peak”, “REPO”, or “RV There Yet” and has proven successful.

How good is YapYap? On Steam, YapYap currently holds an 81% positive rating with approximately 2,500 reviews, making it “Very Positive”. At the same time, a sale is running until February 17, 2026, offering the game for €7.80. Players are pleased with what they are offered.

The biggest criticism of YapYap is currently the lack of content. Once you’ve navigated through a fortress with your friends, the game quickly becomes repetitive and may thus become boring.

However, the developers want to first work on bugs and stability issues before moving on to new content. The developers state directly on Steam: “We want to ensure that the game runs completely stable and smoothly for all players. […] Once that is confirmed, we will start planning the fun stuff!”

With YapYap, another “Friendslop” game has become a success on Steam. If you prefer crazy gameplay over chaos with your friends, we have five tips for you to try: In these 5 simulators on Steam, you can experience the craziest adventures with your friends

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

A vault in Fallout created the first ghouls, deceiving the inhabitants into thinking they were safe

The Wasteland in Fallout is not a safe place, yet the vaults, which are supposed to provide safety, can be worse than monsters. This is also shown by Vault 12, which led to a whole city full of ghouls.

What are vaults? Apparently, vaults are large bunkers scattered throughout the USA that are supposed to protect against atomic bombs. However, very few vaults actually focus solely on safety. Many places were designed to conduct insidious experiments on the inhabitants.

Sometimes people were sacrificed or drugged, sometimes children were meant to become perfect humans. If you’re unlucky, you’ll end up in such a vault.

Quite simply, but also quite insidiously, the experiment in Vault 12 went. A radiation observation led to a whole city full of ghouls.

Start video
The official trailer for Fallout Season 2 takes us back to the apocalypse

A broken door created many ghouls

What was Vault 12 intended for? Vault 12 was supposed to serve as a bunker in public to produce fresh water, but secretly it was about research. They wanted to investigate the impact of radiation on humans. To do this, they simply installed a broken door that could not close properly. This allowed radiation to enter the bunker and affect the people.

In the city of Bakersfield, the residents rushed into the vault, but as planned, the door did not close properly. Although they survived the impact, the radiation turned the people into ghouls, essentially irradiated zombies with consciousness. This makes them some of the first ghouls in the wasteland, along with the people who were not in any bunker.

A few years after the bombs fell in 2077, some ghouls left the vault and together founded the city of Necropolis in Bakersfield. There, the ghoul Set became the ruler. Over several decades, Necropolis became an important city for ghouls, even though Set was not exactly a benevolent leader.

The majority of people who found themselves in Necropolis were killed or even eaten by the ghouls.

The Master thwarted Set’s plans

What happened to Necropolis? When the Master, a nasty mutant leader, learned about Vault 12, he sent his super mutants there to find vault dwellers that could be turned into mutants. However, when they learned that the ghouls were the former inhabitants, they did not simply disappear.

To advance the Master’s nasty plan, a group of super mutants was stationed to control the water supply. In addition, they enslaved ghouls to work at a military base.

Together with Talius, a resident from Vault 13 who wanted the water chip from Vault 12, Set fought against the super mutants, but this did not lead to a good outcome.

In Fallout 1, however, the player character manages to acquire the water chip years later. But for the city, this all does not end well. The Master sends his mutants to Necropolis to kill the city and the ghouls. Those who could escape fled.

Where did the ghouls of the city go? In the Fallout Bible 0 (source: Fallout Wiki), Chris Avellone (a designer behind Fallout 2) explains that ghouls, like humans, also have the urge to expand. Between Fallout 1 and 2, they spread in all directions.

But there are still supposed to be ghouls in Necropolis; it is just unknown what happened to Set.

Many of the experiments already sealed the fate of many vault inhabitants. It was not always about atomic weapons or radiation; sometimes they simply experimented with drugs and their influence on behavior in Vault 106: Fallout has a vault where everyone is constantly high – But that goes really wrong

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

Expedition 33: All pictos as a list and their locations

In order to strengthen your characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you need Pictos. MeinMMO shows you their locations and what effects they have.

Update on February 12, 2026: We have added the pictograms that came with patch 1.5.0.

What are Pictos? Pictos are passive abilities that you can equip on your team. Each character can equip three Pictos. They can be obtained after defeating enemies, purchased from merchants, or found in the game world.

To unlock a Picto’s ability for all, 4 battles must be won with the equipped items. After that, the passive ability will be available to all and can be equipped as Lumina. Additionally, they can enhance the attributes of your characters.

To help you find all Pictos, we have listed their respective locations with effects.

Start video
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date

All Pictos with Location in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

In the following list, you will find the Pictos sorted alphabetically. We will reveal their respective effects, costs as Lumina, and item locations. If the Pictos are located in the overworld, we will mention the continents as the location. We categorize the Pictos into those from the main game and those from Patch 1.5.0.

Patch 1.5.0

Picto + EffectLumina CostLocation
Alternating Crit: On a critical hit, the next non-critical hit deals 100% more damage.10Verso’s Drafts: In a small side tunnel to the right of the main path, across from the Mimic enemy.
AP Discount: Skills cost 1 AP less.30Verso’s Drafts: Available for purchase from the merchant Najabla.
Empowering Jumps: Counters deal 100% more damage for each successful jump counter this round.5Verso’s Drafts: Complete the See-Saw Challenge of the Ghosts.
Clea’s Death: Upon the character’s death, allies receive +25% damage until they die themselves.15Endless Tower: Defeat the boss Clea Unleashed.
Double Third: Every third hit from a skill deals double damage.10Verso’s Drafts: Defeat the group of Barbasucette and Machinapieds enemies below the first expedition flag.
First Life: +25% damage until death. After death and resurrection -20% damage. (One-time effect)15Endless Tower: Reward for defeating the Chromatic Lampmaster.
Feint: Start each round with 4 Barbapapa stacks. Every 5th hit with a skill deals 600% more damage.15Verso’s Drafts: Counter the attacks of Monsieur Frappe near the carousel swings.
Gradient Parry: Gain +5% of a Gradient charge on a successful parade.10Verso’s Drafts: Defeat the wheel-like enemies near the pink color cage at the Ghost baths.
Gradient Overcharge: Consume 3 Gradient charges at the start of the round (if possible) to deal 200% more damage this round.15Verso’s Drafts: On a lollipop platform during the parkour segment on the way to the Chromatic Licorne.
Longer Break: The Break status lasts 1 round longer, but the target cannot be broken twice.10Verso’s Drafts: Dropped along with Double Third by the enemy group near the first flag.
Empowered Healer: Using a healing skill grants +50% damage for 1 round.10Verso’s Drafts: Cross the broken platforms (parkour) near the resting point Reverie Path.
Frenzy: Each consecutive hit from a skill deals 10% more damage.20Verso’s Drafts: Defeat the boss at the Licornapieds Station (behind the gingerbread door, for which you need to collect cake pieces).
Damage Share: 50% of the damage taken is redirected to other allies (if possible).30Verso’s Drafts: Defeat the two François-like enemies at the Heaven-and-Hell game.
Trigger-Happy: After 10 shots in the same round, you gain a one-time +2 AP. Subsequent shots in this round deal 200% more damage.20Verso’s Drafts: Burst the balloons and duel the Half-baked Gestral.
SOS Healing Tint: Automatically consumes a healing item when health drops below 50%.10Verso’s Drafts: Near the large open book in the Open Playground area (defeat enemies).
Slowing Attack: Standard attacks apply Slow for 1 round.10Verso’s Drafts: Location varies (often dropped by specific enemies in the starting area).
Consuming Attack: Standard attacks consume up to 100 Burn stacks to deal 10% more damage per consumed stack.10Verso’s Drafts: Available for purchase from the merchant Najabla.

Main Game

Picto + EffectLumina CostLocation
Shortcut: If your health falls below 30%, you immediately take your turn. Once per battle.5Monolith
Shielding Color: Healing colors also create 2 shields.10Continent, southeast of Forgotten Battlefield
Shielding Death: Upon death, allies receive 3 shields.10Victory over Chromatic Chapelier (The Crows)
Actionable Healer: +2 AP when healing an ally. Once per round.10Flying Mansion
Anti-Inflicted: Immune to Inflicted.10Gestral Merchant (The Aspiring)
Anti-Stunned: Immune to Stunned.5Victory over Chromatic Pétank (Southeast on the Continent)
Anti-Charmed: Immune to Charmed.10Victory over the Tisseur (Sirène)
Anti-Burning: Immune to Burning.15Victory over Gargant (Frozen Hearts)
Anti-Frozen: Immune to Frozen.15Color Cage (Frozen Hearts)
Charging Change: +10% of gradient charge when a buff is applied. Once per round.10Flying Mansion
Charging Stun: +5% of gradient charge when hitting a stunned opponent.5Lumière
Charging Color: +5% of gradient charge when an item is used.2Continent, southwest of Monocos Station
Charging Critical Hit: +20% of gradient charge on a critical hit. Once per round.10Renoir’s Designs
Charging Weakness: +15% of gradient charge when exploiting a target’s weakness (once per round).5Gestral Merchant (The Aspiring)
Charging Attack: +15% of gradient charge on standard attacks.7The Aspiring
Charging Gradient: +10% of gradient charge on counters.10The Aspiring
Charging Burning: +20% of gradient charge on application of Burning. Once per round.10Renoir’s Designs
Charging Marking: +20% of gradient charge when hitting a marked target. Once per round.10Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Dodge Maneuver: Gain 1 AP on perfect dodge. Once per round.1Spring Meadows
Automatically Agile: Grants Agility for three rounds at the start of the battle.10Old Lumière
Automatically Armored: Grants Armor for three rounds at the start of the battle.10Stonewave Cliffs, after Nevron quest from Hexga
Automatically Powerful: Grants Power for three rounds at the start of the battle.10Floating Cemetery, grant Chalier his wish for death
Automatically Regenerating: Grants Regeneration for three rounds at the start of the battle.10Sirène
Stained: 15% increased damage for each of your status effects.3Gestral Merchant (The Aspiring)
Encouraging Color: Healing colors also act Powerfully.5Forgotten Battlefield
Encouraging Attack: Gain Power from standard attacks for one round.10Spring Meadows
Encouraging Break: Gain Power when a target is broken.3Flying Mansion
Encouraging Dodge: 5% increased damage for each consecutive successful dodge. Stackable up to ten times.5Continent, red forest in the east
Encouraging Last Stand: Gain Power while fighting alone.3Victory over Julien Winzkopf (Hidden Gestral Arena)
Encouraging Parry: Each successful parry increases damage by 5% until the end of the next turn. Damage taken removes this buff.5Color Cage (Monolith)
Revitalizing Stun: +1 AP when a stunned target is hit with an ability.10Color Cage (Flying Mansion)
Revitalizing Healing: When an ally is healed, they also gain 2 AP.10Continent, before Endless Tower
Revitalizing Purification: Removes the first negative status effect received and grants 2 AP.10Gestral Merchant (Monolith)
Revitalizing Shots: 20%-chance to gain 1 AP on a free-targeting shot.10Flying Mansion
Revitalizing Resurrection: +3 AP for all allies when a character is resurrected.5Victory over Chromatic Hexga (Stonewave Cliffs Cave)
Revitalizing Attack I: +1 AP on standard attacks.10Victory over Glaise (Yellow Harvest), Gestral Merchant (Renoir’s Designs)
Revitalizing Attack II: +1 AP on standard attacks.15Gestral Merchant (Sirène)
Revitalizing Break: +3 AP when a target is broken.3Flying Waters
Revitalizing Gradient: +1 AP for each consumed gradient charge.10Victory over Frost Évêque (Continent, northeast of Forgotten Battlefield)
Revitalizing Pain: Parrying no longer generates AP. +1 AP when you are hit.10Stonewave Cliffs
Revitalizing Jump: +1 AP on jump counters.5Old Sanctuary
Revitalizing Start I: +1 AP at the start of the battle.5Continent, north of Gestral Village
Revitalizing Start II: +1 AP at the start of the battle.10Old Sanctuary
Revitalizing Start III: +1 AP at the start of the battle.15Esquies Nest
Revitalizing Start IV: +1 AP at the start of the battle.20Forgotten Battlefield
Revitalizing Death: Upon death, +4 AP for all allies.5Forgotten Battlefield, Grandis Merchant (Monocos Station)
Revitalizing Move: +1 AP at the beginning of the turn.20Victory over Sirène, Gestral Merchant (Holy River, Renoir’s Designs)
Revitalizing Burning: +1 AP on application of Burning. Once per round.10Victory over Chromatic Veilleur (Frozen Hearts)
Revitalizing Agile: +2 AP on application of Agile.10Endless Tower, after 3rd battle on level 2
Revitalizing Armored: +2 AP on application of Armored.10Continent, southeast (with Color Break)
Revitalizing Powerful: +2 AP on application of Powerful.10Lumière
Revitalizing Parry: +1 AP on successful parry.15Victory over Chromatic Luster (Forgotten Battlefield), Gestral Merchant (Holy River, Renoir’s Designs)
Rewarding Marking: +2 AP when damage is dealt to a marked target. Once per round.5Flying Waters, Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Accelerating Color: Healing colors also act Agile.5Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Accelerating Healing: While healing an ally, also applies Agile for one round.5Continent, south of Forgotten Battlefield
Accelerating Shots: 20%-chance to gain Agile on a free-targeting shot.3Gestral Merchant (Flying Mansion)
Accelerating Last Stand: Gain Agile while fighting alone.3Victory over Bertrand Grosshand (Hidden Gestral Arena)
Stun Boost: Deal 30% increased damage to stunned opponents.10Old Sanctuary, Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Breaking Shots: 50% increased break damage with free-targeting shots.1Stonewave Cliffs
Breaking Attack: The standard attack can break opponents.10Victory over Clair Obscur (Monolith)
Breaking Counter: 50% increased break damage on counters.3Stonewave Cliffs
Breaking Burning: 25% increased break damage on burning opponents.5Continent, west of Monocos Station
Breaker: 25% increased break damage.10Old Sanctuary
Burning Affinity: 25% increased damage to burning opponents.10Frozen Hearts
Burning Shots: 20%-chance that a free-targeting shot will apply Burning.3Spring Meadows, Gestral Merchant (Holy River), Grandis Merchant (Monocos Station)
Burning Break: Applies three stacks of Burning when a target is broken.3Frozen Hearts
Burning Death: When dying, applies three stacks of Burning.5Victory over Burgeon, continent west of Monocos Station
Burning Mark: Applies Burning stacks when hitting a marked opponent.15Old Sanctuary
Break Specialist: The character deals 50% more break damage, but their standard attack damage is reduced by 20%.1Gestral Merchant (Flying Mansion)
Clea’s Life: If you have not taken damage since your last turn at the start of the turn, 100% of your health is restored.30Victory over Clea (Flying Mansion)
Defensive Tactic: If the character takes damage, they consume (if possible) 1 AP to reduce the damage by 30%.1Stonewave Cliffs
The Last Point: Reduces maximum health to 1.1Victory over the Pantomime (Sunless Cliffs)
Double Mark: Marking is only removed after another hit.20Gestral Merchant (Sirène)
Double Trigger: When applying a stack of Burning, a second is applied.30Visages, Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Effective Healing: Doubles any healing received.30Sirène
Effective Support: +2 AP when using an item.5Continent (Northeast on a ledge)
Hasty Retreat: Allows immediate escape from a battle40Finding all Gestral Kids
Solo Fighter: Deals 50% more damage while fighting alone.1Victory over Julien Winzkopf (Hidden Gestral Arena), Gestral Merchant (Renoir’s Designs)
Eager Break: When a target is broken, you take another turn.3Victory over Chromatic Cruler (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Energy-rich Healing Color: Healing colors also generate 1 AP.1Stonewave Cliffs
Energy-rich Resurrection Color: Resurrection color generates 3 AP.10Forgotten Battlefield, Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Enormous First Strike: The first damage dealt and received causes 50% more damage.5Victory over Chromatic Abbest (Abbest Cave)
Exposing Attack: Standard attacks apply Vulnerable for one round.10Monolith, Gestral Merchant (Flying Waters)
Exposing Break: Applies Vulnerable when an opponent is broken.5Gestral Merchant (The Aspiring)
Significantly Agile: +25% speed increase from Agile.10Grandis Merchant (Monocos Station)
Significantly Armored: +10% damage reduction from Armored.10Sirène
Significantly Weak: +15% damage reduction from Weak.15Endless Tower, after 3rd battle on level 10
Significantly Powerful: +15% damage increase from Powerful.10Gestral Merchant (Sirène)
Significantly Slowed: +15% speed reduction from Slowed.15Sky Island
Significantly Vulnerable: +15% damage increase from Vulnerable.15Gestral Merchant (Monolith)
Recovery: 10% of health is restored at the beginning of the turn.10Red Forests, after Stonewave Cliffs, after Nevron Quest from Bénisseur
Exhausting Power: 50% increased damage when exhausted.2Stonewave Cliffs Cave
Shattering Attack: 50% increased break damage with standard attack.1Flying Waters
First Strike: You take your turn first.10Stonewave Cliffs
Color of Time: Energy colors make the target take their turn immediately.10Endless Tower, after 3rd battle on level 4
Agile Powerful: When applying Powerful, Agile is also applied.10Renoir’s Designs
Painted Power: Damage can exceed 9,999.5Victory over Painter (Monolith)
Shared Healing: When healing an ally, you heal yourself for 50% of the healing amount.10Continent, south on the island with access to White Tree
Armored Agile: When applying Agile, Armored is also applied.10Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Armored Last Stand: Gain Armored while fighting alone.3Victory over Dominique Großfuß (Hidden Gestral Arena)
Protected Resurrection: +1 shield when resurrected.5Gestral Merchant (Renoir’s Designs)
Increased Attack: 50% increased damage with standard attacks.7Victory over Chromatic Lancelier (Spring Meadows)
Increased First Strike: 50% increased damage on the first hit. Once per battle.5Victory over François (Esquies Nest), Gestral Merchant (Renoir’s Designs)
Increased Counter I: 25% increased damage on counters.3Victory over Bourgeon (Flying Waters), Gestral Merchant (Renoir’s Designs)
Increased Counter II: 50% increased damage on counters.5Victory over Chromatic Ramasseur (Visages)
Increased Counter III: 75% increased damage on counters.7Victory over Chromatic Échassier (Lumière)
Increased Targeting: 50% increased damage with Free Targeting.3Flying Waters
Healthy Strength: 25% increased damage at full health.15Gestral Merchant (Lumière)
Shared Healing: Gain 15% of any healing applied to other characters.5Gestral Merchant (Visages)
Glass Cannon: Deals 25% more damage but also takes 25% more damage.10Visages, Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Gradient Breaker: 50% increased break damage with Gradient attacks.5Gestral Merchant (Flying Mansion)
Gradient Break: +50% gradient charge when a target is broken.5Sanctuary of Endless Night
Gradient Fighter: 25% increased damage with Gradient attacks.5Lumière
Half Double: The character always takes two turns in a row but deals 50% less damage.10Victory over Création (Lumière)
Persistent Mark: 50%-chance that when attacking a marked target, Marked is applied.10Monolith, Gestral Merchant (Flying Mansion)
Healing Stun: Hits on stunned targets restore 5% of your health.10Lumière
Healing Counter: Counters restore 20% of your health.10Gestral Merchant (Old Lumière)
Healing Mark: Hits on marked targets restore 25% of your health. Once per round.20Gestral Merchant (Gestral Village)
Healing Death: Upon death, the health of allies is fully restored.5Old Lumière
Healing Fire: Attacks on burning targets restore 25% of your health. Once per round.10Sirène
Healing Parry: Parrying restores 3% of your health.5Continent, right before Stonewave Cliffs
Healing Buff: When a buff is applied, 15% of health is restored.10The Aspiring
Healing Assassination: Killing an opponent restores 50% of your health.5Forgotten Battlefield, Gestral Merchant (Renoir’s Designs)
In Medias Res: +3 shields at the start of the battle, but maximum health is halved.10Dark Shores
Inverted Affinity: Applies Inverted to yourself for three rounds at the start of the battle. 50% increased damage when you are Inverted.5Gestral Merchant (Forgotten Battlefield)
Combo Attack I: The standard attack has an additional hit.10Victory over Dualist (Forgotten Battlefield)
Combo Attack II: The standard attack has an additional hit.20Victory over Chromatic Clair Obscur (Monolith)
Combo Attack III: The standard attack has an additional hit.30Victory over all opponents (Dark Gestral Arena)
Powerful Healing: When healing an ally, also applies Powerful for one round.5Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Powerful Marking: Gain Powerful when a marked opponent is hit.5Flying Mansion
Powerful Shields: 10% increased damage per own shield.5Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Powerful Shots: 20%-chance to gain Powerful on a free-targeting shot.3Gestral Village (with Color Break)
Powerful Resurrection: Applies Powerful for three rounds upon resurrection.3Victory over Chromatic Bruler (Continent, northwest of Gestral Village)
Powerful Armored: When applying Armored, Powerful is also applied.10Victory over Bènisseur (Sirène)
Critical Burning: 25% increased chance of critical hits on burning opponents.5Spring Meadows, Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Critical Vulnerable: 25% increased chance of critical hits on vulnerable opponents.5Continent, western beach
Critical Stun: 100%-chance for critical hits when hitting a stunned target.5Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Critical Weakness: 25% increased chance of critical hits when exploiting a target’s weakness.5Endless Tower, after 3rd battle on level 6
Critical Break: 25% increased break damage on critical hits.5Continent, northwest beach (with Color Break)
Critical Moment: 50%-chance for critical hits when your health is below 30%.5Gestral Merchant (Gestral Village)
Critical Last Stand: 100%-chance for critical hits while you fight alone.3Victory over Matthieu the Colossus (Hidden Gestral Arena)
Longer Burning: Burning lasts two rounds longer.15Gestral Merchant (Flying Mansion)
Longer Agile: When applying Agile, the duration is extended by two rounds.10Continent, east of Monocos Station
Longer Armored: When applying Armored, the duration is extended by two rounds.10Forgotten Battlefield
Longer Powerful: When applying Powerful, the duration is extended by two rounds.10Gestral Merchant (Old Lumière)
Purifying Color: Healing colors also remove all status effects from the target.5Victory over Évêque (Spring Meadows)
Life Drain: Restores health equal to 15% of standard attack damage.15Old Sanctuary
Flaming Break: When a target is broken, the number of its Burning stacks is doubled.5Continent, at the entrance to Carousel
Flawless: 30% increased damage until you are hit.10Victory over Mask Keeper (Visages)
Painter: Any physical damage is converted to Void damage.10Flying Mansion)
Marking Shots: 20%-chance that a free-targeting shot will apply Marked.3Flying Waters
Marking Break: Applies Marked when an opponent is broken.5Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Master of Energy: Each AP increase is increased by 1.40Victory over Serpenphare (Continent, east)
Multitalented: After hitting with Free Targeting, the standard attack damage is increased by 50% for one round.5Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Useful Contamination: +2 AP on application of a status effect. Once per round.15Gestral Merchant (Falling Leaves)
Risky Parry: +1 AP when parrying, but the damage taken is doubled.5Victory over Golden Chevalière (Stonewave Cliffs)
Roulette: Each hit has a 50%-chance to deal either 50% or 200% damage.5Character behind Casino Door (Gestral Village)
Sniper: The first Free Targeting shot per turn deals 200% damage and can break the target.15The Aspiring
Shield Affinity: Shields increase damage dealt by 30%. However, damage taken always removes all shields.15Color Cage (Sirène), Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Shield Provision: +1 shield when the character is not shielded at the start of the battle.20The Chosen Path
Cheater: Always takes two turns in a row.40Victory over Sprong (Continent, near Endless Tower)
Protective Color: Healing colors also act Armored.5The Aspiring
Protective Healing: When healing an ally, also applies Armored for one round.5Esoteric Ruins, after Nevron quest from Portier, Gestral Merchant (The Aspiring)
Protective Shots: 20%-chance to gain Armored on a free-targeting shot.3Flying Mansion
Protective Attack: Gain Armored from standard attacks for one round.10Gestral Merchant (Sanctuary of Endless Night)
Protective Death: Upon death, allies receive Armored.5Sirène
Weakness Exploitation: +1 AP when exploiting a target’s weakness. Once per round.3Monolith
Weakening Marking: Marked targets deal 30% less damage.10Stonewave Cliffs
Weakening Attack: Standard attacks apply Weak for one round.10Monolith
Threshold of Death: You deal 50% more damage when your health is below 10%.5Victory over Lantern Master (Stonewave Cliffs)
Self-assured: The character takes 50% less damage, but cannot be healed.20Victory over Hexga (Stonewave Cliffs)
Self-destruction: Kill yourself at the start of the battle.1Gestral Merchant (Yellow Harvest)
SOS Agile: Applies Agile when your health falls below 50%.5Falling Leaves
SOS Armored: Applies Armored when your health falls below 50%.5Flying Waters
Stabilization: +2 shields when the character’s health falls below 50%. Once per battle.10Victory over Giant Seedling (Shattering Cave), Gestral Merchant (Holy River)
Teamwork: 10% increased damage when all allies are alive.5Gestral Merchant (Yellow Harvest)
Death Bomb: When dying, damage is applied to all enemies.5Yellow Harvest
Death Energy I: +2 AP when killing an opponent.1Continent, before Dark Shores
Death Energy II: +3 AP when killing an opponent.2Spring Meadows
Survivor: Survive lethal damage with 1 health. Once per battle.20Grandis Merchant (Monocos Station)
Slowing Break: Applies Slowed when an opponent is broken.5Gestral Merchant (Flying Mansion)
Sharpened Attack: If you deal damage, an attempt is made to consume 1 AP. If successful, damage is increased by 20%.10Visages
Warming Up: 5% increased damage per round. Stackable up to five times.15Victory over Grosse Tete (Continent, Center)
Consuming Purification: Consumes (if possible) 1 AP to prevent the effects of status effects.15The Aspiring
Random Defense: The damage taken is multiplied by a random value between 50% and 200%.5Color Cage (Monolith)
Confident Attacker: The character deals 30% more damage but cannot be healed.15Visages
Second Chance: You are resurrected with 100% health. Once per battle.40Victory over Renoir (Monolith)

There is no trophy for collecting all Pictos. So don’t look for collecting all Pictos. Instead, just look for those that you currently need for your build and that are accessible to you.

Lune and the other characters can have several strong builds based on different Pictos. Thus, depending on your playstyle and acts, you must search for the items.

Have you reached the end of the story, but still have questions about the plot? MeinMMO has written a comprehensive guide that explains the story and many characters in detail. Only a few questions remain open: Clair Obscur Expedition 33: Story explained – All information about the plot of the role-playing game

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

Streamer plays over 600 hours of WoW in 90 days to ride the hype on Twitch, but pays a high price

The Twitch streamer Julika “Felikah” is currently getting more viewers in her streams than usual. This is mainly due to her grind in WoW as part of Sauercrowd. MeinMMO introduces you to Felikah here.

Who is it about? It is about the Twitch streamer Felikah. She has been active on Twitch since May 29, 2023, and has been streaming regularly since June 2023. In her streams, she mainly plays games, but also takes her viewers along into real life with IRL streams.

Recently, she was a guest on the podcast Henke’s Corner (on YouTube) and talked about her current lifestyle and her streams.

Start video
3 German Twitch streamers you should know

“I stream, I sleep, I stream.”

Why the hype around Felikah? Felikah became known to a larger audience when she participated in the Twitch Minecraft project Craft Attack 13. However, she gained even more attention through her participation in the Twitch WoW project Sauercrowd.

As she was a newcomer in World of Warcraft, she tried to compensate for her disadvantage by grinding hard. Within less than a month, she put over 200 hours into the MMORPG and impressed one of the guild leaders.

Looking at Felikah’s streams from the last 14 days on SullyGnome, most of the streams are in the double-digit hour range. The streamer explains the amount of time by saying that she wants to take advantage of the current hype around her.

For so many hours, now almost 600 hours in 90 days (source: SullyGnome.com), Felikah has to make sacrifices, of course. In the podcast, she says that she has recently put her hobbies and household on the back burner: “Screw private life. I stream, I sleep, I stream.” (source: YouTube from minute 22:30).

Important: Even though Felikah’s current lifestyle may sound like the dream of every gamer, excessive gaming can become a real problem. The professional association Media Dependency Association informs about issues like video game addiction and offers a search for counseling centers near you.

The neglected private life seems to have paid off in terms of WoW, as Felikah has now reached Level 60. Otherwise, Felikah seems to be very involved in the Sauercrowd project. She admits to becoming emotional when her teammates fell victim to WoW Classic and exited due to death.

Felikah has definitely benefited from the WoW project in her Twitch career. We present more winners from the WoW project in this list on MeinMMO: 10 big winners from Sauercrowd – for these Twitch streamers, the adventure in WoW Classic Hardcore has already paid off

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

We asked how often you clean your keyboard, and many of you should really be ashamed

We wanted to know how often you clean your keyboard and controller. And a third of you completely ignore hygiene. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann is surprised by this.

What kind of survey is this? Recently, we asked our readers on MeinMMO how often they clean their keyboard or controller. Until February 12, 2026, 853 people voted. And I was actually surprised by the results:

  • A third (30%, 259 votes) admitted that they clean their devices almost never.
  • 44% of participants (379 votes) stated that they at least clean their devices when they look like they need cleaning.
  • At least a quarter of the respondents reported that they clean their keyboard regularly once a month or several times a year.
Survey Keyboard Cleaning 2026
This is how users voted on MeinMMO until February 12, 2026.

I truly cannot understand this situation and am shocked that people do not clean their devices regularly, at least a few times a year. For me, the keyboard is one of the most important tools in everyday life that requires attention.

Start video
Turtle Burst II Pro in Review: Find out in 3 minutes if the mouse is worth it for you

Mouse and keyboard are my daily tools and need to be maintained

My keyboard is my essential tool in everyday life. Whether at work or while gaming, the keyboard is always with me. Without a keyboard, much is not possible, although I occasionally pick up a controller. Most of the time, I estimate 80-90% of my gaming time is spent using a mouse and keyboard.

And for me, it’s simply part of the routine to clean my daily tool regularly. With pets in the household, it is essential, as pet hair usually ends up everywhere. And since I also clean my computer regularly, the peripherals are included as well. A clean keyboard just feels “better”. And with PBT keycaps, the keys also get dirty half as quickly.

Moreover, you should not underestimate the cleaning of your keyboard or controller, as the keyboard can become a real hygiene problem in everyday life.

Several studies consistently report that you can find more germs on your keyboard than on an average toilet seat. A few years ago, British consumer protection advocates tested dozens of keyboards in an office for health risks and also warned of high germ levels (source: srf.ch).

If you play on your keyboard after work and regularly stick your fingers into a chip bag, then the germs from the keyboard also migrate into your mouth along with the chips.

And cleaning a keyboard is really not complicated and with a few simple tips, you can free your keyboard from dirt. You just need to take half an hour in your daily life to properly clean your peripherals. After that, the keyboard not only feels better again, but you also reduce the wear and tear on your hardware.

But maybe we won’t need keyboards at all sooner or later. The CEO of the German company SAP stated in a conversation that keyboards will become unnecessary soon. Because speech input for AI is now so good that we will soon not need keyboards anymore: The CEO of a German tech company says that in three years, no one will need to use keyboards anymore

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

Upcoming role-playing game on Steam reminds of Game of Thrones, but from the perspective of a dragon

In a fantasy world like Game of Thrones, fly through the skies as a powerful dragon, wage battles, and build your own kingdom: An upcoming role-playing game aims to make this possible. An early access on Steam is already planned.

Which game is being talked about? The game is called Dragontwin and is being developed by a small studio named Draconic Interactive. The project is currently funded only by studio founder Gustaf Sidén and donations that the team collects through Patreon.

Dragontwin sends you into a medieval fantasy world where you play as a “dragon twin”. This is a mortal whose soul is bound to a powerful dragon. 

With your dragon, you soar into the skies, participate in battles, burn entire cities to the ground, and conquer new lands – just as House Targaryen did in George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire,” the source material for Game of Thrones.

Here you can see more of the open world that you can explore on the back of your dragon:

Start video
The upcoming role-playing game Dragontwin shows more than 7 minutes of free flight from the dragon’s perspective

In Dragontwin, you fly on your very own dragon

What kind of game is this? Dragontwin aims to offer a mix of open-world role-playing and strategy. There is currently no mention of a main story, instead, the game releases you into a sandbox. You can freely decide what you want to do or not. 

The same freedom also applies to creating your two characters: You can freely customize both your human and your dragon. For your dragon, you can even go into detail and change aspects like the shape of the snout or the length of the neck.

The movements of the dragons are based on a physics model, not on a handful of pre-made animations. This is intended so that every dragon can move realistically, regardless of how the proportions turn out.

When is the game supposed to be released? Dragontwin is still very early in development. According to an FAQ on the official website, the final release is “many years away.” This is also evident from the first images and videos, which are still filled with placeholder models.

Those who support the developers’ Patreon channel can already play an early version of Dragontwin. Later, an early access release on Steam will follow, but there is no exact date for that either.

Dragons are among the most popular fantasy creatures for a reason: so powerful, majestic, and massive, few other beings compare. If you are also fans of Dungeons & Dragons, we have the list for you: The 5 most powerful dragons from Dungeons & Dragons ranked

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

A new role-playing game for D&D relies on a rule that Baldur’s Gate 3 has ignored, providing more tabletop feel

The new role-playing game Solasta 2 on Steam has decided to implement a 5e rule from Dungeons & Dragons that was not even present in Baldur’s Gate 3. This rule can decide between life and death in combat and primarily relies on one thing: patience.

What is this rule? Solasta 2 explains in a developer update on Steam that they are implementing a rule from Dungeons & Dragons meant to provide a realistic tabletop experience. It is the “Prepare Action” rule, which is stated in the Player’s Handbook of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons (2024) as follows:

You prepare an action that you execute in response to a trigger that you define.

[…}

You can forgo movement or the performance of an action during your turn or do nothing at all. If you can’t decide what to do, consider the Dodge or Ready action to delay your action.

In simple terms, this rule allows for delaying actions and preparing them in advance to execute at the right moment. The rule can be extremely powerful, as players have come up with ideas like a railgun made from peasants – which, however, is only possible with a bit of rule bending.

What this regulation means for Solasta 2 and how close it will be to tabletop is explained by the team in their community post, but one thing is already clear: They are taking a step further than even Baldur’s Gate 3.

Here you see the trailer for Solasta 2:

Start video
Solasta 2: Trailer for the Demo of the Role-Playing Game on Steam

Waiting for the right moment with some patience proves to be a tactic

How will “Prepare Action” work in Solasta 2? In the post on Steam, the team explains that at the beginning of Early Access on March 12, 2026, the delay and preparation of weapon and targeted spell attacks should already work. You could wait until an opponent is in sight or range before acting, or wait for a healing spell until an ally can come close enough before finally casting it.

In tabletop, you specify exactly what action would trigger your action to use it delayed when the condition is met. However, in a video game, it is not so easy to provide all possible triggers for this. The challenge of this problem is explained by the team as follows:

In tabletop, you might say: “I prepare a Scorching Ray and fire all three rays at any goblin that puts its dirty claw on that lever.” There are many conditions: First, the spell only activates if someone touches the lever. […] Second: If it isn’t a goblin, there is no Scorching Ray. It might be your (non-goblin) arch-nemesis. Third, your DM, depending on how mischievous they want to be at that moment, could argue that a goblin touching the lever with a tool instead of its claw … 

– Tactical Myzzrym on Steam

To still implement this rule, the team wants to start with a very simple mechanic at the Early Access release: It will be triggered when a valid target enters the area of the prepared action. If it is a ranged attack (whether by a weapon or a spell), it will be activated as soon as an enemy moves into range. When preparing a healing spell, it will activate as soon as an ally approaches the spellcaster.

The latter is demonstrated with a clip on YouTube:

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Will the team expand this rule further? Based on this explanation, it should initially only involve spells and weapon attacks that affect a target. However, the team plans to implement AoE spells and multi-target spells like Magic Missile in the future. According to the Technical Director, there should be a future function that allows prepared actions to be adapted to advantages and disadvantages, but that will require more time.

Until the game is released in Early Access on March 12, the team also wants to present the character editor to create your own heroes. The classes and subclasses will be summarized here on MeinMMO: New RPG on Steam is just right to fill the void after Baldur’s Gate 3, presents all classes for release

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

The first indie hit of the year on Steam does it like the Simpsons, has 200 different intros and each has its own joke

Each episode of The Simpsons has its own version of the intro, giving the characters their own joke. A new roguelike on Steam does the same, although hardly anyone sees it.

What is this Steam hit? The new game Mewgenics is currently a hit on Steam. With over 80,000 players on the day after its release and better revenue than Counter-Strike 2 and Apex Legends on Steam, the indie game can currently (February 12, 2026) crown itself.

In the game, you control an army of cats that become stronger in turn-based battles against enemies. Through battles, the cats gather genetic changes that they can also pass on to provide the next generation with even better conditions.

Thus, the tactical game sold over 500,000 copies within 36 hours, becoming a mega success for the developers. However, of the 500,000 players, only a few have likely seen a secret unfolding right before their eyes.

Here you can see the trailer for Mewgenics:

Start video
Mewgenics: Trailer and release date for the new game by the creator of The Binding of Isaac

200 Intros but hardly anyone sees them

What’s up with the intros? Developer Edmund McMillen revealed in a video on YouTube that every intro of Mewgenics is slightly different. Just like in The Simpsons, he says, each intro has its own “couch joke.”

This refers to the details that always change in the intro. In the intros of Mewgenics, there is always a different cat, which might even mutate or be dead, while in other cases, there is graffiti saying “Fat” on the developer’s gravestone in the intro.

In total, there should be about 200 different intros in the game, and each game start should play a different one. So if you want to see all the intros, you need to start Mewgenics at least 200 times.

Why do hardly anyone see the intros? While the intros in The Simpsons have achieved a cult status, video game intros are traditionally skipped right away.

Developer Edmund McMillen knows this too, as he mentions in a YouTube video about a conversation with co-developer Tyler Glaiel. Glaiel is said to have said, “No one will know, they will never watch it a second time.”

Even though the intros are uniquely designed, without the developer’s hint, this feature might have remained an open secret for some time.

Mewgenics is not only successful on Steam but also popular. The title enjoys an excellent rating, which is likely to make the developers just as happy as the financial blessing that the game brings: Over 250,000 sales: Mewgenics only needed 3 hours on Steam to recoup the entire budget of 14 years of development time.

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

A single sentence in the trailer for the Scrubs revival gives me hope that they won’t repeat the mistakes of season 9

The revival of Scrubs is just around the corner. For MeinMMO editor Niko, the new trailer already shows that the series is going in the right direction, and it only takes one sentence from Dr. Cox.

What is the Scrubs revival? In the USA, the revival of Scrubs will premiere on 25.02.2026. J.D., Turk, and the other familiar doctors are returning to face the everyday challenges of hospital life once again. Although there is still no concrete information about the German release, I watch every trailer and teaser.

Scrubs is one of the best series of all time for me. I can’t count how many times I’ve watched the 8 seasons. The 9th was a disappointment, but I just love Sacred Heart. When I’m not feeling well, I just turn on Scrubs.

That’s why I’m also skeptical about the revival. Again, it’s about new faces, but the current trailer gives me hope, especially one sentence from Dr. Cox.

You can see the new trailer here:

Start video
The latest trailer for the Scrubs revival showcases the key elements of the series

The approach of season 9, but implemented differently

What was the problem with season 9? In an interview with Esquire, Zach Braff, who played J.D., revealed that season 9 was actually planned as a spin-off. You can tell. The old characters were sidelined, and new characters took on the lead roles.

Season 9 focused on medical students who want to become doctors. Not a bad approach in itself, but the new characters could not carry the season and the high expectations. The charm and magic from Sacred Heart were missing. The great strengths that can even be seen in a small side character are absent.

The revival now seems to refocus on aspiring doctors, but with a completely different approach, which Dr. Cox perfectly describes in just one sentence: These residents need someone to do for them what I did for you.

The revival of Scrubs seems not just to rely on nostalgia; it aims to continue the characters’ stories.

Nostalgia alone is not enough

Why is this sentence so good? Throughout the trailer, there are many gags, returning characters, and a relaxed atmosphere. But that one sentence from Dr. Cox is like an emotional moment in the episode. It fits perfectly into the trailer because it captures the essence of the original series: Yes, there are many gags, but Scrubs is always deeply human.

Although almost 15 years have passed since J.D.’s last appearance, he must grow as a person and a doctor. He must become the one that Dr. Cox was for him. In the original series, J.D. often grew beyond himself, but now he must become exactly that mentor.

The other moments in the trailer show: Working in the hospital is still challenging after decades. Even the preview of the series has good timing for balancing humor and drama.

And the most important thing that made me smile: The chemistry between the actors seems as good as it has been since season 1. No wonder, considering that Donald Faison (Turk) and J.D. are good friends off-screen and even created a podcast about Scrubs.

I am still afraid of the residents

A slight skepticism remains. I think the residents are a really good plot point. In the later seasons, Scrubs already worked with them, but I also hope that they won’t get too much focus as characters.

In the trailer, they already seem more like gimmicks, which is why I’m not too worried, but we should focus on the core characters from the old series. That’s what the fans want to see, and that should also work as a revival.

Scrubs is not the only comedy series returning in 2026. With Malcolm in the Middle, the probably most chaotic family is also returning with a miniseries. Everything you need to know about it can be found here: Malcolm in the Middle Reboot: Start, Trailer, and Cast – All Information about the Comedy Continuation

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

AI could soon be the best alternative to your gaming PC

The Steam Deck is probably the alternative to the gaming PC if you don’t want to go for a console like the PS5 right away. However, AI is causing prices to rise everywhere, and now it could also affect the Steam Deck. In some countries, it is already sold out, but in Europe, it is still available.

What is the current situation? RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards. Currently, prices are significantly increasing everywhere, or the products are completely sold out.

The English-language magazine TomsHardware reports that numerous users claim that the Steam Deck is currently sold out for them. The Steam Deck is regarded as the best-selling handheld and for many as the ultimate alternative to the gaming PC if they want to use their Steam games.

The cheap LCD variant has not been available for a while, but now the two more expensive OLED variants are reportedly affected as well.

In Europe, however, the Steam Deck is partially still available. A sample on Steam shows us that both OLED variants are still available in Germany. With a delivery time of 3 to 5 days.

Steam Deck Offer February 2026
Start video
Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes

Is the Steam Deck soon to be the next victim of the RAM crisis and AI hype?

How does all of this fit together? Valve recently stated that they will have to postpone the new Steam Machine and Steam Frame due to shortages and high prices (Source: TheVerge). It is still unclear what role the Steam Deck will play within Valve’s hardware plans.

Some are already concerned that the Steam Deck may soon be unavailable or that Valve may significantly increase prices. Something many other manufacturers are already doing or have done. Because the Steam Deck also contains DDR5 memory. In addition, a manufacturer has already warned that players could face the worst in terms of prices still to come.

How this will progress in the future is still unknown, and Valve has thus far remained silent on the matter. Even a Steam Deck 2.0, which has been speculated about for a long time, is likely off the table in the current situation.

How long will prices continue to rise? The AI-driven boom in RAM and other components is expected to last throughout 2026, according to experts. Some even predict continued high prices into 2027. If you absolutely need new hardware in 2026, you should expect to pay significantly more than in 2025.

And even the Steam Deck may no longer be an affordable option then. After all, there are already some alternatives to the Steam Deck, but they are also not necessarily cheap: Steam Deck: Here are the 10 most exciting alternatives 2026

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The Netflix series about One Piece manages to make fans suddenly like the most unpopular villain: “Can’t believe I’m saying this”

The Netflix-series of One Piece will soon set sail for Season 2. Just recently, a new trailer was released showcasing all the characters. One of them has transformed from an arrogant villain to an absolute fan favorite.

Which character is it? In the new trailer, which features various devil powers, Wapol is also shown. He is the ruler of Drum Island and comes across as an arrogant sloth.

This is mainly because, unlike other villains, he lacks courage. He does not confront his opponents but prefers to flee when cornered. Due to his design and devil power, he also lacks the certain cool factor. Instead, his powers are often used for slapstick humor or gross moments.

How popular is he in the manga and anime? In the original by mangaka Eiichiro Oda, Wapol is rather despised or met with sheer indifference due to the aforementioned traits. This is also shown by several popularity polls. 

On Reddit, he ranked only 31st out of 36 villains.

Start video
Netflix shows in the new trailer for One Piece the many new villains of Season 2

Unpopular villain suddenly becomes a hot opponent

What’s the situation now? In the Netflix series, Wapol is played by Rob Colletti. In the new trailer, he is briefly seen with his arsenal of weapons and his metal jaw. Fans on Reddit believe that the villain would look really cool in the live-action adaptation. 

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The creator of a thread cannot believe he is saying this. He refers to how unpopular the character actually is, and that his appearance is rather quirky. In the comments, there are many other users who find that Wapol has a cool design.

Some fans even go further and find that the new Wapol looks absolutely hot. They even wonder if this is already the slimmer version that briefly appears in the anime.

When does he appear? The villain will be the main antagonist of what is probably the largest arc of Season 2. He will be seen almost simultaneously with the little reindeer Chopper, which many fans of the anime are already looking forward to.

In the anime, Chopper has changed his appearance during the runtime of the anime. In fact, the reindeer looks even more mature on Drum Island than after the time skip. There, his upper body-to-head ratio changes, making him look even younger. The reason for this is the voice actress: Chopper has become sweeter over the course of One Piece – the voice actress is to blame

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