Is Ashes of Creation a Scam? One thing is clear: There are no winners here

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 6 minutes

Ashes of Creation is based on the ashes of a dream that will never become reality. The perfect moment for every long-time critic to say: “I told you so, it’s a scam!” Our MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz analyzes this accusation that has been circulating on the internet for years.

What are the current discussions based on? On the sudden end of Ashes of Creation. The long-time dream of a revolutionary sandbox MMORPG has come to an end. The man behind the dream, Steven Sharif, is gone. Along with him many senior developers. The remaining team? Fired. The game? Still online in Early Access Alpha, but no longer available for purchase.

Not all questions behind this sudden implosion have been clarified yet. However, the already available reports, research findings, and statements provide a first glimpse:

  • On December 11, 2025, the Alpha of Ashes of Creation landed as Early Access on Steam. The announcement came with surprisingly little lead time. A large part of the community criticized the Steam launch due to the unfinished state of the MMORPG.
  • In the same month, a lawsuit started circulating, claiming that a cloud service provider was demanding $850,000 in damages from Intrepid. The reason: unpaid invoices. The studio head downplayed this lawsuit at the time, noting that it would roughly correspond to the studio’s weekly operating costs.
  • In January 2026, there were layoffs at Intrepid. Steven Sharif stated that 9 people were affected and that these were just normal fluctuations. The development of the MMORPG was not affected.
  • A document from January 16, 2026, proves that Steven Sharif lost his position on the legally responsible board of Intrepid on that date. Until then, it was always communicated externally that the studio head had sole leadership and was not accountable to anyone.
  • The new investor board is said to have demanded comprehensive layoffs and a relocation of the studio to a cheaper country during a meeting at the end of January. Steven Sharif responded on January 29 with his resignation. Many senior developers followed. Afterward, the remaining employees were informed of their termination by the new ‘bosses’.
  • When exactly Steven Sharif involved external investors in the development of Ashes of Creation is unclear. However, due to the extremely high monthly costs of the studio, it seems that investors gained significant influence in the fourth quarter of 2025 – which likely led to the unplanned Early Access launch on Steam and the demands for significant cost reductions.

My colleagues at GameStar have summarized the sequence of events and all known information in video form on YouTube – it’s worth watching:

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Skepticism from the Start

First of all, let’s clarify that Ashes of Creation has been struggling with scam accusations for many years. One reason for this: the “multilevel marketing” past of Steven Sharif. Such pyramid or Ponzi schemes (more about it on Wikipedia) have a bad reputation, are often illegal, and are built on the backs of people lower in the hierarchy.

Another reason: the long development time and slow progress. Ashes of Creation was announced in 2016, with a release originally scheduled for 2019. Since the project is currently in the last alpha phase, a beta was only realistic this year. A final release would probably not have occurred until 2027 or later.

Who is writing here? Karsten Scholz is the MMORPG expert at MeinMMO. He has been dealing with the best genre in the world almost daily for 16 years. His private initial contact was in 2005. Since then, he has accumulated several years of playtime in various online role-playing games and has played almost every relevant genre representative of the past two decades at least for a while.

According to the outside perspective, the long development was largely financed through crowdfunding campaigns and supporter packages – similar to Star Citizen. However, the way the expensive alpha packages were temporarily to be monetized drew criticism again and again.

It is understandable that some critics are now going around the internet with “I told you so, it’s a scam!” after the sudden end of Ashes of Creation. Even more so, because Steven Sharif suddenly left the sinking ship, there are suddenly hints of an investor board that was never supposed to exist, and because Sharif is said to have sold his house to his husband. The latter protects the property because potential creditors can no longer access the house.

This simple devaluation of Ashes of Creation as a scam does not do justice to the complexity of the case. This is also shown by the discussion in the current GameStar Talk on YouTube with MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski, MMORPG YouTuber Entenburg, GameStar author André Baumgartner, and moderator Lea Herfurtner. Be sure to check it out!

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A Scam? Maybe!

How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz assess the situation? For me, Ashes of Creation is still not a planned scam from the start, aiming to take money from genre fans and make studio head Steven Sharif rich.

In such a scam, the mastermind behind it would never invest around $30 million of his own wealth into the project or build a studio with hundreds of employees burning just over $3 million per month.

How is a scam defined? The word can best be translated as fraud, scheme, or rip-off. A scam is a fraudulent plan to deprive someone of their money, personal data, or property. It usually involves deceiving the victim.

A game that I clearly consider a scam is The Day Before. A small team that relied on the free help of many naive fans who were supposed to take care of things like community management and quality assurance. Testing phases and gameplay presentations were repeatedly postponed. Foreign assets were reportedly used for trailers. There was a legal dispute over the name. Very little love and effort went into the released product.

A scam like this would not involve bringing the community on board so early and allowing them direct involvement in progress and issues over many years. Or that the responsible developers regularly report from development and show gameplay. None of this makes sense if one intends to eventually trick the followers.

By the way, I also do not consider the sudden Steam release as a type of exit scam designed to bring in cash so that Steven Sharif can escape as a made man before everything explodes. The payout system from Steam simply does not allow that. To this date, Intrepid has not received any money from Valve for the December sales of Ashes of Creation.

More on the topic
The “Star Citizen” Syndrome: Why millions were spent again on the MMORPG castle of dreams in Ashes of Creation
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As a result, Steam buyers actually have a good chance of a full refund, even if they have already spent many hours in Ashes of Creation. At least various players on Reddit report that their refund request was successfully processed – as discussed in this discussion.

However, I believe that Steven Sharif made two crucial mistakes that build on each other:

  1. He had the dream of a sandbox MMORPG with a hardcore PvP focus for the hardcore niche, which at the same time consumed the AAA budget of a blockbuster mainstream project. Therefore, I was very concerned in December 2025: Is Ashes of Creation too expensive for its own niche?
  2. Due to the high costs, at some point he apparently involved external investors and then did not communicate this with the community.
What is the legal situation? The Kickstarter campaign promoted the promise: “If Ashes of Creation does not appear, you get your money back.” Has the Early Access launch on Steam legally fulfilled this promise? Is there also a chance for buyers of supporter packages to get their money back?

To clarify these and other still open questions, we have contacted a media lawyer. As soon as we have the answers, we will inform you on MeinMMO.

From the second mistake, one can actually speak of deception from my point of view. After all, the promised independence of the project was an important reason for many genre enthusiasts to financially support Ashes of Creation. At this moment, Sharif betrayed his community and set in motion a stone that buried Intrepid a few days ago.

In the end, there are no winners in this situation. The dreams of many players have been shattered. The beleaguered genre of MMORPGs has lost another hope from the West. High financial investments have gone to waste – equally from the community, from Steven Sharif, and from external investors. The developers have poured their heart and soul into the project over the years for nothing, now have to look for new jobs, and some are still waiting for unpaid salaries.

All of this is just bitter.

More about Ashes of Creation:
One of the biggest YouTubers for MMORPGs falls into a hole after the end of Ashes of Creation: “I have invested thousands of dollars”
von Karsten Scholz
The MMORPG for League of Legends is said to continue the visual style of Arcane: “This is very difficult, but hopefully they can do it”
von Karsten Scholz

The case of Ashes of Creation reiterates why hardly anyone dares to tackle the MMORPG genre. It is extremely expensive and time-consuming to implement such a complex and extensive project. The risk of failure is high. Genre veteran Jack Emmert told us upon his return to Cryptic how it can still work: “A new MMO is coming from me” – the failed game about Warhammer brings genre veteran Jack Emmert back to Cryptic

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

The former king of Twitch was such a jerk in Overwatch that he had to fear for his career

Johanna Johanna Reading time 2 minutes

Streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel was for a long time the number 1 on Twitch. However, he could only become that big on the platform because he was kicked out of his eSports professional team before.

Who is it about? Streamer xQc is one of the biggest names in the international streaming world. From 2020 to 2022, xQc was the most-watched Twitch channel (Source: SullyGnome.com).

His top spot changed when he accepted a deal with the competition in June 2023. The streaming platform Kick secured the streamer exclusively for around 100 million dollars.

However, xQc has since returned to Twitch after his contract with Kick expired. His success is primarily based on one factor: His expulsion from the Overwatch pro team Dallas Fuel.

Start video
From Overwatch professional to number 1 on Twitch to 100 million $ – Who is xQc?

2 Suspensions Lead to Twitch Career

Why did xQc have to fear for his career? Things didn’t always go as smoothly for xQc as they do now. Before his career as a streamer, he was a professional player on the Overwatch team Dallas Fuel. In January 2018, Dallas Fuel lost to the Houston Outlaws team, after which xQc made a homophobic insult against one of the opposing players (Source: PC Gamer). This led to xQc receiving a suspension for the current stage.

In the following stage in early March 2018, xQc was allowed to play again but was immediately suspended again. This time, xQc used an emote in the Twitch chat towards the moderator in a racially disparaging manner (Source: PC Gamer). A few days later, Dallas Fuel announced that they would permanently part ways with xQc.

In an interview with Dexerto, the former pro player explained: “I didn’t know what to do. I really thought I was finished. I thought that was pretty much the end of my career.”

xQc with the Dallas Fuel (Source: YouTube).

Prior to that, xQc had often streamed on Twitch. However, after his expulsion from Dallas Fuel, he was able to focus entirely on the platform, and due to his controversy with Dallas Fuel, many viewers tuned in from the very beginning.

Ultimately, this led to his rise as one of the biggest streamers, as he initially played Overwatch and was able to impress his viewers with his skills.

xQc was also able to secure his financial success through online casino streams. He played in online casinos during his streams and even lost 170,000 euros in 2 minutes at one point. Through these contracts with online casinos xQc was able to make a significant amount of money.

In summary, it can be said that xQc’s expulsion from Dallas Fuel led to a successful career on Twitch. Only then could the 30-year-old focus on the platform and his content there.

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2 years ago, 2.50 € plunged German Twitch into chaos, now the chairs are flying
von MeinMMO
“I shouldn’t have opened my mouth” – Twitch streamer dared to criticize her colleagues, now says what consequences it has for her
von Johanna
MrBeast lets 50 streamers compete for 1 million dollars, winner distributes the money to his fans on Twitch and cashes in on it
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xQc is still immensely successful on Twitch, even if he is no longer at the top of the platform’s leaderboard. xQc can definitely live off Twitch’s advertising revenues: Streamer xQc could buy 71 PS5 consoles from the earnings on a “bad day” on Twitch

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. The Washington Post
  2. Dexerto
  3. Dexerto auf YouTube

Where Winds Meet: Overview of all 11 sects – which “Class” suits you best?

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 10 minutes
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In Where Winds Meet there are 11 different sects that follow unique values and grant you bonuses and special gameplay. What they are and which you should choose is explained here.

What are sects in Where Winds Meet? Sects represent in Where Winds Meet a mix between guilds and classes. They define how your character is perceived in the world and each brings unique, iconic combat styles and rewards.

In addition to the associated combat style you learn upon joining, each sect has a unique sect shop, its own titles, and the ability to improve status to receive special sect privileges and cosmetic items. Players must participate in trials and follow the rules of the sect to improve their standing within the sect and receive these rewards.

Each sect represents its own moral values and brings an exclusive style with it. To join, you must meet different requirements for the respective Elder to accept you. If you have previously adhered to the values and rules of your desired sect, you may be able to skip the initiation trial.

To know what sects exist and what to expect there, we introduce them to you below. This way, you can decide more relaxed which one calls to you first. Switching is possible at any time, but then you lose the associated progress in the old sect.

[toc]

Note: We updated the article on December 10, 2025. With the next patch, the Velvet Shade sect will be available.

Some information about the sects that are still unavailable comes from the early version of Where Winds Meet.

In this trailer, you can get a first impression of the sects:

Start video
Where Winds Meet: Das Wuxia-Action-RPG zeigt auf der Tokyo Game Show einen neuen Trailer

Can you join any sect? Yes, but only one at a time. If you are already in a sect, you must leave it and join the new one. However, you can always return to previously left sects.

How do you know which sect to choose? When choosing a sect, you should consider whether it fits your playstyle and your preferred weapons. If you are in a sect, you must also adhere to their rules while playing. So choose one that matches how you want to play.

However, since you can switch at any time as long as you meet the requirements, you can’t ruin your choice much. So especially at the start, pick one that you like.

Where Winds Meet Himmelsbrunnen

Well of Heaven (Himmelsbrunnen)

  • Status: Available
  • Motto: Act righteous as it should be; courage is more important than gold.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Thundercry Blade (Donneruf-Klinge)
  • Leader: Xiao Tianyun

What characterizes the Well of Heaven? The Well of Heaven focuses on protecting the poor and weak. Justice is the utmost goal of every member. Rules and laws do not matter to them, especially when they stand in the way of achieving their goal.

One advantage is that you can distribute red envelopes and thus gift wealth to other players.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Unruly Spirit: The sect can deduct 1,000 disciplinary points
  • Generous and Just: The weekly earnings should not be too high; otherwise, the rule value is -100.
  • Brotherhood: Followers of the same sect must not harm one another.

How can you join them? To locate the sect, approach the waiter San Qian’er, whom you can find in Harvestfall, and ask him about the hero who distributes wealth in Qinghe as gifts. He will provide you hints on where to find him. He belongs to the Well of Heaven and will guide you on how to join.

Where Winds Meet Silbernadel

Silver Needle (Silbernadel)

  • Status: Available
  • Motto: Weigh the costs of life in your heart; save others to save yourself, the healer’s path will never shy away from a challenge.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Panacea Fan (Allheilfächer), Inkwell Fan (Tintenfassfächer)
  • Leader: Sun Yuan

What characterizes the Silver Needle? The Silver Needle comprises those who are dedicated to healing and medicine. The well-being of people and the protection of all life are among their highest values. They are particularly keen on sharing medical knowledge and insights, which is why they welcome anyone who wishes to dedicate themselves to healing and has some prior knowledge.

Once you are part of the sect, you can treat the diseases and injuries of other players, for which they would otherwise have to consult certain NPCs. You can also craft the best healing potions in the game.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Shared Healing: Participate in multiplayer healing – rule value +10.
  • Healing Bodies and Minds: Receive at least 15 likes weekly; otherwise, the rule value is -10.

How can you join them? To join, you must visit Dr. (Sun) Yuan near Sage’s Refuge and pass the admission test.

Raging Tides (Tosende Fluten)

  • Status: Not available yet
  • Motto: The sea rages with endless tides; a spear stirs heaven and earth alike.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Heavenquaker Spear (Himmelsbeben-Speer), Stormbreaker Spear (Sturmbrecher-Speer)
  • Leader: Shi Jiuge

What characterizes the Raging Tides? Spears are at the center of this warrior sect – well, and alcohol. Here you draw strength when drunk. If not, you get a debuff. So if you want to fight, you should always have a good drink at hand.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Spear still sharp: An unsharpened sword loses its edge; an untested spear its lethality. The followers of Raging Tides must sharpen their spears daily in battle and must never let up.

How can you join them? Since everyone got extremely drunk at the first mason jar banquet at the Sky Pier – including the sect leader – it is currently not possible to join them.

Where Winds Meet Mitternachtsgnade

Midnight Blades (Mitternachtsklingen)

  • Status: Available
  • Motto: Everything is transient, and the five Skandhas are full of suffering. A single compassionate thought can save the world and carry on the legacy.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Infernal Twinblades (Höllische Zwillingsklingen)
  • Leader: Lost in Thought

What characterizes the Midnight Blades? This sect offers a clear PvP focus and a place for all assassins and those who worship death. No bounty remains unanswered, and no life spared. If you are devoted to the fight against all and everything, this is definitely the sect you seek.

The focus is on your karma level, which you can increase by taking down other players. This also reflects that to level up, you must take out higher-ranked players of your own guild.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Kill to gain karma: Kill wanderers to gain karma points – if killed, you lose them.
  • Highest bliss for all beings: Travel to the Perception Forest to receive large amounts of karma.
  • Meditative Samadhi: Spare no life when you fight in the open world.

How can you join them? Look for a wanderer murmuring cryptic words near Buddha’s Light Summit in Qinghe; they will lead you to Midnight Blades.

Where Winds Meet Neun Sterbliche Pfade

Nine Mortal Ways (Neun Tödliche Pfade)

  • Status: Available
  • Motto: Brotherhood comes first, loyalty above all. Avenge injustice – heaven will take care of it.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Mortal Robe Dart (Sterblicher Seilpfeil)
  • Leader: Dao Lord

What characterizes the Nine Mortal Ways? This sect is for all those with a mischievous streak. Members of the Nine Mortal Ways enjoy playing pranks and joking. It is a refuge for actors, jesters, and those who bring fun into the world – however, they do not shy away from deceit and trickery for their own enjoyment.

Similar to the members of the Well of Heaven, you can here also send red envelopes. However, the recipients do not receive money but rather have it stolen from them. You collect points in this sect for tricking others – called fun points.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Thousand Faces: Participate in disguises and blend in with the Nine Mortal Ways to experience diverse lives and impersonate members of other sects.
  • Deceptive Sky: Failed tricks or prison sentences result in a value deduction of -10.

How can you join them? Keep an eye out during your journey for wanderers with straw sandals; fate will lead them to the entrance of the sect.

Where Winds Meet Samtschatten

Velvet Shade (Samtschatten)

  • Status: Coming soon
  • Motto: While the spring winds dry the marrow, intrigues destroy fools. Petals drift like dust on trees; blood relatives support each other in need.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Ninefold Umbrella (Neunfacher Regenschirm)
  • Leader: Zhou Qiang

What characterizes the Velvet Shade? This sect embodies marriage, intimate connections, and polyamorous relationships. The goal is to collect and maintain as many relationships as possible without breaking any hearts.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Status: Not available
  • Full Bloom: Show the world your charm, follow the wishes of your heart, and exchange affection for hearts.
  • Cinnabar Red Lips: The world is full of sorrow and suffering. Visit the Windtail Lounge and find comfort.
  • Flowery Frenzy: How can one steal a single heart when one is intoxicated by a thousand flowers?

How can you join them? To join the Velvet Shade, you must walk untouched through purplish-red fog and embody poetic grace as well as unparalleled elegance.

Where Wind Meet Die Maskierte Truppe (The Masked Troupe)

The Masked Troupe (Die Maskierte Truppe)

  • Status: Coming on February 13th
  • Motto: Strive for simplicity, avoid superficiality; strive for originality, live for freedom. To progress in your craft, authenticity is essential.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Unknown
  • Leader: Hu Changyi

What characterizes the Masked Troupe? Not much is known about this sect yet. It comprises musicians and dancers, where grace and gentleness are in focus. Modesty and simplicity are also values they uphold.

What rules must be followed? Their rules are currently unknown.

How can you join them? It is still unclear how one can join them.

Where Winds Meet Einsame Wolke (Lone Cloud)

Lone Cloud (Einsame Wolke)

  • Status: Not available
  • Motto: A single cloud drifting down from the peaks could darken the sky in an instant; everything changes rapidly, yet nothing escapes calculation.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Strategic Sword (Strategisches Schwert)
  • Leader: Xie Yun

What characterizes the Lone Cloud? The Lone Cloud primarily includes scholars and those who place great value on intellect. This sect is suitable for everyone who loves puzzles and riddles. Members of this sect love to activate their brains and engage in mental challenges.

They also place a high value on loyalty and status – so if you have a partner in-game and marry, you should remain faithful; otherwise, you risk significant losses in your status and may not be able to marry again for a while.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Forgetting Jianghu: Members of the Lone Cloud who reunite must seek the blessing of their old comrades.
  • The Puzzle of Love: The puzzle of love is the most difficult in life. Solve it only once.
  • Streetwise Strategist: Experience dubious fast wealth offers on the street or receive a value deduction of -10.

How can you join them? To join them, you must pass a math and logic test.

Where Winds Meet Höhlen-Tal (Hollow Vale)

Hollow Vale (Höhlen-Tal)

  • Status: Not available
  • Motto: The candle has no heart and yet it burns. Just like a person without a heart ignites love.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Soulshade Umbrella (Soulshade-Umbrella)
  • Leader: Jiang Meiyan

What characterizes the Hollow Vale? At the center of the Hollow Vale stands the balance between life and death. This sect is for necromancers and healers who prefer the macabre. For every life you heal, you must apply poison to another.

If you do not adhere to this balance, you will suffer yourself. The sect resides in the depths of ancient graves and lives isolated from those who do not count against their circle.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • No living puppets: Life and death have boundaries; playing with nightmare puppets is forbidden. Although the followers of Hollow Vale have poisoned bodies, their hearts are kind. The transformation of living beings into nightmare puppets is a strictly followed sect rule. Those who experiment on themselves are exempt from this.
  • Balance of Life and Death: Where there is life, there must be death; where there is death, there must be life. The two sources of healing and poison in Hollow Vale must remain in balance. For every healed life, a poison must be applied. A failure leads to self-inflicted suffering.
  • Unknown rule: You will only learn this when you join the order.

How can you join them? Due to their isolation, it is currently unknown how to be admitted to their ranks.

Where Winds Meet Tintengebundener Orden (The Inkbound Order)

The Inkbound Order (Tintengebundener Orden)

  • Status: Not available
  • Motto: A sword in one hand, a book in the other. Life, aging, sickness, death – there is no going back.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Unknown
  • Leader: Lin Xiansheng

What characterizes the Inkbound Order? The order primarily houses scholars and those who stand for the law and judge over it. Members of this sect are expected to impose or dissolve bounties.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Writing and Science: The words of the wise become law for all under heaven.
  • Unknown rule: You will only learn this when you join the order.
  • Unknown rule: You will only learn this when you join the order.

How can you join them? You cannot join this sect at the moment.

Where Winds Meet Mohistenhügel

Mohist Hill (Mohistischer Hügel)

  • Status: Not available
  • Motto: Connect the world through craftsmanship and techniques.
  • Combat style / Weapons: Unknown
  • Leader: Mozi

What characterizes the Mohist Hill? Not much is known about this sect yet. It centers around giving and receiving, as well as the desire to create a paradise. The highest goal is the welfare of the general public.

What rules must be followed? If you want to be part of this sect, you must adhere to the following regulations:

  • Universal Love: Love all people, provide mutual benefit; whoever benefits others will receive benefit in return. Self-interest and benefit for others – this is the way of kindness.

How can you join them? You cannot join this sect at the moment.

Bonus: Sectless

If you cannot or do not want to choose a sect, you can also venture out without one. At the beginning of the game, you are automatically sectless. The advantage is that you are not bound by the rules of the sects in gameplay and therefore do not have to follow a code of conduct to receive bonuses or penalties.

The disadvantage is that your learning costs for martial arts are higher compared to those who are in sects.

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Where Winds Meet finally takes you to a new region today
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In our test, we gained an extensive impression of Where Winds Meet. We spent several hours in the game and tried everything. How the game was received by us has been summarized for you in an article by MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz: Where Winds Meet is actually too big and good to be free; you have never played an open-world RPG like this

Source(s):
  1. Just Memplex via YouTube
  2. Fextralife

Where Winds Meet shows new roadmap for February 2026, finally announces new quests

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 3 minutes

The developers of Where Winds Meet have released a new roadmap for January 2026, which is finally set to bring new quests. We will show you all the content.

What does the roadmap for February 2026 look like? The following content is planned for Where Winds Meet in February.

  • February 6: Event All As One
  • February 6: Event Tiny Adventure
  • February 6: Spotlight Mode
  • February 6: Guild War
  • February 6: World Boss Drunk Martial Artist
  • February 6: World Boss Coffin Master
  • February 13: Event Gold Rush
  • February 13: Event Fleeting Glance
  • February 13: Event Get-Together
  • February 13: Event Heartfelt Snapshot
  • February 13: Sect The Masked Troupe
  • February 27: Event Voyage of Lanterns
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Which update is coming in January 2026? In Where Winds Meet, according to a post by the developers on X.com, the next major update with version 1.2 will arrive on January 8. The content of the update is spread out over the entire month of January and will be released on different days.

New features include a new area, several new quests, as well as new content such as additional world bosses, the Guild vs. Guild pre-season, and a new world level.

Here you can see what the future of Where Winds Meet brings:

Start video
Where Winds Meet shows the first scenes of the new expansion “The Imperial Palace” in the trailer

Many new contents in January

When will the updates be released? Even before the major update on January 8, the first new features in Where Winds Meet will already be available:

  • On January 4, the world level will be increased to level 10.
  • Additionally, a new game mode will be released on that day: ‘Hero’s Realm: Sorrow of Mortalbound’

The major version update 1.2 will arrive on January 8 and will bring a multitude of new content to the game:

  • Version 1.2 will bring new campaign quests as well as so-called ‘Legacy’ quests with new tasks and stories to experience.
  • The update will also introduce the new world boss Nameless General, whom you can face starting with the update.
  • Moreover, with update 1.2, the event ‘Jianghu Martial Games’ will also begin

Here you can also see the roadmap as a graphic:

Where Winds Meet Roadmap January 2026

What other content is coming to the game? The shared roadmap also shows further updates that are scheduled to appear shortly after the major patch. You can expect the following new features:

  • A week later, on January 15, you will be able to descend into a new cave. The Puzzle Cave ‘Mistveil Prison’ will be available.
  • For those who play Where Winds Meet as an MMORPG, things will get interesting starting January 16. The pre-season of the Guild vs. Guild battles will begin, where guilds can compete in 30vs.30 battles.
  • On January 22, the new region ‘Nine Mortal Ways’ base will be unlocked for exploration.
  • At the end of January, on the 25th, the new story ‘Under the Moon’ will start, which will once again provide new story content.
  • The next event will also start at the end of January on the 29th with ‘Year of Abundance’.
  • On the same day, the event ‘Season-End Dash’ will also begin.

In addition to the highly anticipated points, there will also be small updates that can expand the content of the free-to-play game. The Chinese version of the game has already made significant progress in terms of updates.

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With the new update 1.2, January will be filled with new content for Where Winds Meet once again. But December was also significant in terms of expansions and updates. A new sect was even introduced into the game: Where Winds Meet is soon to receive its first major update, bringing you a new area and showing the roadmap.

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

Technician saves a graphics card that looks like the Hulk got his hands on it

jan hartmayer jan hartmayer Reading time 2 minutes

Hardware can break quickly. Especially when it receives strong external impacts. Not so with a persistent specimen of a graphics card. Although the component did not survive in one piece, it could still be revived. 

How was the GPU damaged? The content creator Brother Zhang shows in his YouTube video from February 4, 2026 a wrecked 3080 Ti, which has significant damage. He received it from a customer, who claimed that the card had taken two hits. 

As a result, the back of the card is heavily dented in several places and the PCB is noticeably warped. However, the damage is not limited to the outer casing of the GPU.

When opening the card, the technician found that the break in the board of the hardware is extremely pronounced and some parts inside the card are burnt out. 

According to the technician, these parts are no longer salvageable and it would only make sense to test the graphics chip of the component and thus save the hardware. How resistant graphics cards can be, another technician found out, who managed to save a GPU with a hole.  

If you are looking for a new graphics card, take a look at Intel’s graphics cards in the following video: 

Start video
Battlemage: Check out Intel’s new graphics cards in the video

A miracle still happens with spare parts 

How does the YouTuber repair the component? After several tests and consultation with the customer, Brother Zhang concludes that the card is no longer salvageable except for the chip. 

He removed the graphics chip from the damaged board, cleaned it, and then soldered the chip onto a working replacement part. 

The whole process was not easy and required some minor adjustments before the card could be recognized again by a PC. 

After that, the GPU was functional again and the YouTuber put it through a stress test, which the component passed without problems.

Broken hardware can often be repaired  

What can I do if my graphics card is damaged? If you also own a damaged GPU, it can still be saved with a bit of luck: 

  • Send it to the vendor. Most GPU vendors like NVIDIA, Asus, Gigabyte, and Zotac offer the possibility of sending in your graphics card. It will then be inspected and either repaired or replaced under an existing warranty claim. Important: Even if your warranty has expired, you can ask customer service if they can repair your graphics card for a fee. It’s best to request a quote in advance if you’re unsure whether a repair is financially worthwhile. 
  • Take it to a repair shop near you. Most larger cities have shops that can offer PC and hardware repairs among other services.
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Components can take quite a bit of damage before they become unusable forever. Nevertheless, you should take good care of them and try to avoid damage as much as possible. Also, keep in mind possible repair costs and always request a quote. Otherwise, you might end up like another user: Player sends broken RTX 5090 for repair, and the manufacturer sends him a bill of 2,900 euros back

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

ARC Raiders: Expedition 2 – All about rewards, skins and necessary materials

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

In ARC Raiders you can soon send your character on its third expedition. What rewards await you upon completion and what materials you need for all steps, you will find out here.

Update, March 16, 2026: The article has been reviewed and updated with new information for Expedition 3.

When does Expedition 3 start? In ARC Raiders, the construction phase for Expedition 3 has already begun. Players can now start gathering resources to donate. Here are the dates you should remember to not miss the respective time windows:

  • Construction Phase – March 2 to April 28, 2026: Here is where you start submitting your collected materials to complete the respective steps for the expedition.
  • Registration for Departure – April 29 to May 4, 2026: Embark gives you almost a week to decide whether you want to participate in the wipe or not. You can only make that choice once – the choice is binding.
  • Departure Day – May 5, 2026: Your Raider embarks on its journey – the wipe is now irreversible.

If you miss the registration and do not send your Raider on the journey, your progress in the expedition will be saved. You can then continue where you left off at the start of the next expedition.

Start video
ARC Raiders shows new Hurricane condition and hints at a new enemy

Rewards and Materials for Expedition 3

What rewards are available in Expedition 3? If you choose to participate in the third expedition, you can expect permanent and temporary bonuses and rewards. Unfortunately, these are currently not known and will be revealed in the coming days and weeks.

What materials do you need? Depending on the level, you will need to gather different materials. Here is what you should collect:

  • Level 1
    • 150x metal parts
    • 100x chemicals
    • 80x ARC alloy
    • 15x steel spring
  • Level 2
    • 30x durable fabric piece
    • 25x cables
    • 20x electrical components
    • 2x industrial chargers
  • Level 3
    • 1x coffee pot
    • 25x battery
    • 5x firefly burners
    • 1x exodus module
  • Level 4
    • 1x broken guidance system
    • 5x advanced electrical components
    • 1x charming snow globe
    • 2x cannon cells
  • Level 5
    • Value of 200,000 coins in ammunition, grenades, traps, weapons and weapon mods donated
    • Value of 100,000 coins in shields, gadgets, utilities, augments and healing donated
    • Value of 150,000 coins in natural products, keys and items from the old world donated
    • Value of 300,000 coins in materials donated
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Note: If you have not completed the first expedition, you will need different materials to complete the expedition. If you want to know more about ARC Raiders, we have something suitable for you: ARC Raiders fights so hard against cheaters that banned players are now showing up in real life at the studio

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

A creature from Fallout ruled like a god, created an army of super mutants

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 4 minutes

The Super Mutants are a fairly well-known species from Fallout. The large number of them in the Wasteland is mainly due to a creature known by the ominous name “The Master.”

Who is the Master? Long before he became known by this name in the Wasteland, a man named Richard Moreau lived in Vault 8 during the Great War in 2077. This way, he survived the destruction that caused chaos on the surface.

However, in 2092, he was thrown out of the safe bunker as he was suspected of murder – what exactly happened in the Vault at that time is not known. Moreau had to go to the surface and headed south. He took on a new name and called himself Richard Grey – among other things, to start a new life.

In the so-called “Hub,” a place where many traders met, he met Harold. This trader had spent the war in Vault 29 and shared some experiences with Richard. The two teamed up and, along with a few others, headed towards the Mariposa military base.

The reason: Not only were there many criminals and robots lurking there, but also mutated creatures. The goal of the expedition was to find the root of the mutation. However, things went wrong, and something similar happened to Richard as occurred to the Joker from Batman.

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

A Abomination is Born

What happened at the military base? Upon arrival, the group encountered resistance. Robots and mutated beings killed most of the explorers. Harold managed to escape, but Richard was not so lucky: He was pushed by a crane into a tank full of FEV.

FEV stands for “Forced Evolutionary Virus” and is a substance that alters DNA and causes mutation. Just like the Joker, Richard fell into the toxic sludge. Instead of drowning or dissolving in it, he managed to get out of the tank and crawled in pain to the control room of the base.

There, Richard’s mind and body changed. His skin turned green and cracked, and after a while, the pain subsided. Richard became a new, mutated being that fed for a long time on small animals like rats. He did this by merging with them and literally absorbing them.

In this way, the being grew stronger and became significantly more intelligent than Richard had ever been as a human. He, “the Master,” even believed he could feel his own brain and began to grapple with profound philosophical questions. Thus, his will to create a great unity in the Wasteland was born.

The Dream of His Own Army

What did the Master want to achieve? His claim was to achieve harmony and cohesion. He began this endeavor by conducting experiments on rats. Instead of simply consuming them, he also immersed them in FEV and let them mutate.

The results were, however, sobering, which is why the Master had to look for better “test subjects.” The few humans who came to the military base were the first choice, but even these experiments were not particularly successful.

Meanwhile, the Master was able to connect his own nervous system with the computers in the base and became even more intelligent – similar to Mr. House from Fallout. He understood that it only took a small amount of the virus to breed effective mutants.

The result of further attempts with humans was eventually the super mutants, who had intelligence. Such beings had already emerged in the Wasteland before. The smartest specimen among them was a mutant simply dubbed “Lieutenant.” He became the leader of the small but steadily growing army of the Master. The super mutants left the base to abduct more humans. However, the conversion success rate was only 15-20%.

Eventually, the Master came to a decision: he wanted to leave the base and move to a safe place. At the same time, he founded his own movement, aided by a cult.

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The Children of the Cathedral

Where did the Master find his new home? South of Los Angeles, he found a Vault that served as a new base. The Master also gathered a cult around himself who called themselves the “Children of the Cathedral.” They served the Master as spies, without becoming victims of his experiments themselves.

The Master himself withdrew into the Vault. There was a lot of information about other bunkers and thus data on the locations of humans who would be suitable for the conversions. These specimens that had so far been spared from radiation became very intelligent super mutants who called themselves “Night People” and mostly operated in secrecy. They were in direct contact with the Master and received instructions through his telepathic powers.

Gradually, the “Unity,” the Master’s movement, grew and became known in the Wasteland. The streak of success could have continued indefinitely, and the influence of the Unity could have grown increasingly. However, the god-like behavior of the Master came to a sudden end when in 2162 a Vault dweller appeared. This individual was the player character from Fallout 1, who left the Vault to retrieve a water chip.

The Vault dweller invaded the Cathedral and destroyed it in a massive explosion, of which the Master himself also fell victim. Thus, he died, and his movement fragmented without his leadership. The super mutants that the Master had created continued to wander through the Wasteland. A variant of these mutated beings is considered particularly dangerous: Today, a giant meatball wanders through the world of Fallout, which was supposed to be the better version of Captain America.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Synonymous auf YouTube
  2. fallout.fandom.com

New strategy game from Germany mixes XCOM with Warhammer 40,000, currently getting “very positive” reviews in Early Access on Steam

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

With Menace, a new game from Germany has been released, which apparently aims to force you to think hard. As a mix of strategy and role-playing game, the spiritual successor to Battle Brothers relies on complex mechanics and tricky battles. Players have a clear opinion on Steam.

What kind of game is this?

  • You command a group of elite soldiers, mercenaries, and criminals in Menace, who must survive against space pirates and mega-corporations in the outer areas of the galaxy.
  • The game mechanics are similar to XCOM: you control your units individually on a grid field, use cover, and fight in rounds against your enemies. There is permadeath: if a unit or a leader dies, they stay dead.
  • Menace launched in Early Access on Steam on February 5th and is developed by Overhype Studios from Hamburg. The studio previously created the tactical role-playing game “Battle Brothers,” which even HandOfBlood fell in love with.

This is what makes Menace special: At its core, Menace is a classic turn-based strategy game or more specifically, a tactical role-playing game. You assemble a team and complete missions one after the other, which tell a rough story.

Even though the gameplay may sound simple, the catch in Menace lies in the details. Instead of playing with actions – as may be familiar from XCOM – your units have action points that they can distribute each round.

With mechanics like suppression (through suppressive fire) and morale, the dynamics in battle change and require or allow for completely new strategies. Menace has even more in store:

  • Every projectile is a physical object, can hit, ricochet or injure cover and even your own units.
  • You assemble your team anew each time and have a pool of points for selection. Options include vehicles, infantry with various weapons, mechs, and more.
  • Preparation is key: If you go on a mission without armor-piercing ammunition and encounter vehicles, you can hardly win.
  • Many weapons and units are customizable, and the black market offers new equipment from different factions.

Unlike Battle Brothers, Menace plays in a dark space setting that greatly resembles Warhammer 40,000 in tone, but with not quite as absurd scaling. A true 40k alternative would probably be the successful Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters.

Menace costs 39.99 euros by default. However, at release, you can get it with a 25% discount. Until February 19, you only pay 29.99 euros.

Start video
Menace is a strategy from Hamburg and mixes XCOM with the atmosphere of Warhammer 40,000

One of the most challenging tactical experiences in recent years

On Steam, Menace currently has 86% positive reviews from 3,149 ratings (as of February 9, 11:57 AM). In particular, the scope that is already offered in Early Access brings a lot of joy among players. They have enough options and much to do.

The individual missions may become repetitive over time, but at least they are pleasantly short, allowing you to easily fit one or two rounds in your evening. Our colleagues from GameStar have a more detailed review of Menace. They say:

The greatest strength of Menace lies in the depth of the combat simulation: every projectile exists as a physical object in the game world, and missed shots have consequences. They destroy cover or hit units behind them – friend and foe alike. […]

Great praise goes to the scope: even in Early Access, the game almost overwhelms you with its variety of weapons, armors, and vehicle mods. You can spend hours tinkering on the black market to optimize your troops with passive bonuses and new toys.

At the same time, you must also upgrade the ship itself. For completing missions, you receive rare OCI components. These tech parts are essential to improve the Impetus’s systems – for example, for a more efficient sickbay to get wounded squad leaders back on their feet faster, or active weapons like missile strikes that you can trigger once per mission.

Dennis Zirkler on GameStar
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Criticism has, meanwhile, mainly focused on transparency. With all the complexity, Menace lacks a good “onboarding”. The tutorial does not explain enough and, as GameStar criticizes, the game even lies directly at times. Some of these are bugs, while the devs likely need to polish further, but: “If you loved Battle Brothers and are willing to grind through clunky menus, you will already find one of the most challenging tactical experiences in recent years here.”

If Menace isn’t dark enough for you and you want to dive deeper into the world of Warhammer 40,000, you’ll soon have a new strategy game in the Grimdark universe with Dawn of War 4 – and also from Germany: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War comes from Germany, and the developers know exactly what strategy fans want

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

I asked a miniature newbie how he managed to paint such a cool Warhammer Snorlax after only 4 months

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 5 minutes

In the community of the hobby dealing with painting tabletop figures related to Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons, a special project by a Pokémon fan caused excitement. MyMMO editor Caro contacted the artist and received exactly the tips that newcomers are often reluctant to hear.

In the subreddit for miniature painting, a special project caused quiet a stir, proving that nerd culture transcends hobbies. Miniature artist MaskedPotat0 presented a fully painted “Snorlax-Dreadnought” that looks as if the sleepy Pokémon is questioning its previous life choices and wants to go into battle in the form of a war machine.

“This is it. Mankind has reached its pinnacle. We have accomplished our great work,” writes JustinLaloGibbs, summarizing the general reaction to the masterpiece with these words.

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I was just as impressed as the community Almost exactly a year ago, I also took up this hobby and became completely obsessed with painting my little heroines, heroes, and monsters.

However, when I saw that MaskedPotat0 had only started painting 4 months ago and was still able to achieve such impressive results, I knew: I need to find out their secret. And I am very pleased to say that the friendly exchange provided painful but all the more valuable insights.

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Die neuen Modelle der Adpetus Custodes für Warhammer 40.000 und The Horus Heresy für 2026

Artist provides exactly the tip no newcomer really wants to hear

In a conversation with the creator of the painted Snorlax-Dreadnaught, I asked MaskedPotat0 what helped them develop and refine such impressive skills in such a short time. 

The answer is: there is no cheat code or “one helpful tip” that some tutorials advertise. Rather, there are several ways to achieve the goal, and you have to find the best one for yourself.

MaskedPotat0: I tried looking for some guidance on YouTube and found some people I could follow; also, watching many different takes on the same topic helps get a better understanding for sure.

Through a Patreon membership that he initially used to acquire miniatures, he was provided with video tutorials that taught him various techniques. Ultimately, however, he emphasizes that one must find out for oneself what works best for each artist amidst this flood of tutorials.

Among his personal recommendations are Zumakito, Midwinter Minis, Monument Hobbies, Squidmar, and Rogue Hobbies, all of which can be found on YouTube.

Becoming a miniature artist through Pokémon

Seeing his Snorlax Dreadnaught, I was curious as to why he chose this model in particular instead of more “classic” Warhammer miniatures. Ultimately, Pokémon plays a major role not only in his choice of models, but also in how he got into the hobby in the first place.

MaskedPotat0: I mean it all really started off with me wanting to paint life-size Pokémon, lol. Printed one in color, then started the process in wintertime and couldn’t really paint it outside. Time passed and I eventually got a cheapo airbrush and used it on a helmet I had printed and then on a little Igris model. And I think that’s where it kicked off. I got some cheap airbrush paint and a couple synthetic brushes and tried my luck. Did a pretty poor job and started looking for ways to improve. I have a 3D printer, so it’s just a matter of finding some models I could paint.

When asked if he ultimately managed to stick to his original plan of life-sized painted Pokémon, the artist explains that it was easier said than done.

MaskedPotat0: Haha, well, I wanted to do Pikachu first, but after joining all the seams, I messed up with the amount of filler I used and really just lost motivation to finish it. That, and I had been experiencing some issues with my printer, causing for waaay too much post-processing to take care of. I moved on and decided a 50% Charmander would suffice. At this point I was very much still a beginner and did not do any highlights or shadows, so it feels very flat haha.

almost life-sized Charmander
An (almost) life-sized Charmander that MaskedPotat0 printed and painted.

Bigger is not always better – All scales have their advantages

I found the preference for large and small miniatures very interesting, as I also want to take on projects in different sizes. The artist explained that there is no “better” size, only individual advantages and disadvantages.

MaskedPotat0: I don’t mind the size of the figures. They are all fun. Small ones go faster, so there is a quicker sense of accomplishment, I would say, but that can easily change with how detailed you want to get. The bigger ones are fun too; it definitely becomes more challenging when you have big areas that need blending.

But for that blending, he takes his Snorlax as an example and explains how he approached the peaceful-looking war machine.

MaskedPotat0: And really this is where stippling shines. Having the random dots or swatches or blobs of paint all bleed into one another is a lot easier than getting a glazed blend. So with Snorlax, I started with a black jade mix for the base, then used pure jade green, focusing stippling to where your light source would be; the closer you get to the light source, the closer the blobs/swatches/dots/smears get to each other. Then just repeat that process with lighter mixed varieties to get where you want to end.

You can see on Snorlax’s head how the lighter, “messier” color spots provide the perfect blend:

Impure highlights for a great look
“Messy” highlights ensure a great look (painted by MaskedPotat0, model by Nostalgic3D)

3D printers are an investment that could be very worthwhile for ambitious hobbyists

In the conversation with MaskedPotat0, the artist mentioned several times that he prints his miniatures himself because he owns a 3D printer. As someone who is somewhat impulsive but nevertheless only too happy to spend too much money on miniatures, I wanted to know whether investing in a 3D printer could be worthwhile.

MaskedPotat0: Yes, a good quality 3D printer is very useful, I think. I have FDM and Resin. FDM is great for the big stuff, though always remember that there will be some sort of post-processing if you want a smooth finish. The resin models are waaay more detailed and the process is more intricate […] Finding the models you want is the hardest part when it comes to 40k stuff; of course, Games Workshop has a pretty tight hand on that. But for the cost of a box of 10 marines, you can print yourself 100 units if you have the files. So very much with getting one in my opinion.

And that they don’t always have to be exact Warhammer soldiers is proven by MaskedPotat0 with a 5-piece commission he printed and painted for a friend and ultimately showed me:

Pokémon Warhammer Dudes
Charmander, Blastoise, Squirtle, Snorlax, and Cubone as Warhammer soldiers.
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I have already asked another artist about their Warhammer miniatures, who chose a different approach than Pokémon soldiers. Bubblegum Angels is dedicated to the “Girly Pop” genre and creates artworks that are particularly well received in the community: An artist turns tough Warhammer soldiers into “silly little guys,” resonates with the community

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
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The new series on Game of Thrones shows the first real prophet, but what are these dragon dreamers actually?

Sophia Weiss Sophia Weiss Reading time 3 minutes

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms finally shows a real prophet from Game of Thrones in episode four: a Dragon Dreamer. They have strongly shaped the fate of House Targaryen. But who and what exactly are they?

Attention, Spoilers: The following article contains information from the entire history of House Targaryen including House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Game of Thrones itself as well as many book references. There will be spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

What is a Dragon Dreamer? A Dragon Dreamer is a member of House Targaryen. They are characterized by having prophetic dreams or visions. However, they often struggle to interpret or understand them.

In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, one of these Dragon Dreamers appears openly for the first time: Daeron the Drunk Targaryen. He warns the hero Dunk that he dreamed of him: A huge dead dragon would fall on him. What this actually means and whether Dunk would kill the dragon, he does not know.

Daeron himself has trouble with his dreams and seems to want to prevent them with alcohol. But what exactly these dreams are and what they might mean, he does not know himself. We will explain this in this article.

Start video
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shows in the final trailer that one can expect more humor than in Game of Thrones

Dragon Dreams – Confusing and Accurate

How do you interpret a dragon dream? First of all, a dragon dream is exactly that: A dream. In it, the dreamer is shown a distorted vision of the future without showing exactly what happens. People are usually not shown as who they are, but symbolized with the sigil of their house. A Targaryen would be a dragon, a Baratheon would be a stag.

So, if for example in a dragon dream a dragon and a stag are fighting, it likely indicates a conflict between the houses Targaryen and Baratheon. However, whether this is a duel, a battle, or a card game remains open. Consequently, it is difficult for the dreamers to interpret their prophecies.

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The Most Important Dragon Dreamers – Aegon, Daeron, and Daenerys

There are probably Dragon Dreamers in most generations of the Targaryen family. However, not all of them are known. Here are the most important ones.

Daenys Targaryen, the Dreamer: Daenys lived in old Valyria and was the daughter of Aenar Targaryen. As a young girl, she dreamed of the downfall of her homeland. This prompted her father Aenar to move the entire family along with their dragons from Valyria to Dragonstone.

Aegon Targaryen, the Conqueror: The man who was to largely unite Westeros under his crown was also plagued by dragon dreams. According to King Viserys from House of the Dragon, Aegon dreamed of a terrible winter coming from the north. With the winter, however, an opponent would also gain strength, who could only be defeated with House Targaryen on the throne.

Daeron Targaryen, the Drunk: Daeron is the eldest son of Prince Maekar Targaryen and is known for regularly drinking himself into a stupor. The reason for this seems to be that Daeron also has dragon dreams. He apparently cannot cope with them and simply tries to stay drunk enough to avoid dreaming.

Daeron’s True Prophecy – SPOILER!

We know of at least one of his prophecies that comes true: Daeron dreams that a huge dragon would fall on Dunk. The dragon is dead, Dunk survives. During the tournament in Ashford, there is a judgment of the Seven, in which Crown Prince Baelor Targaryen dies in Dunk’s arms.

Maester Aemon: The younger brother of Daeron Targaryen and the older brother of Aegon V aka Egg is the Maester of the Night’s Watch at the Wall far north of Westeros. In old age, he dreams of a red star and speaks to Samwell Tarly about it.

Daenerys Targaryen: Before the hatching of her three dragons Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal, she repeatedly dreams of a large black dragon. Later, she sees herself in a dream as her older brother Rhaegar, who appears to destroy White Walkers while riding a dragon.

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Besides them, there is a whole range of suspected Dragon Dreamers, including Daemon II Blackfyre and Aegon V aka Egg himself. In general, the Targaryens, after the extinction of their dragons, repeatedly dream that they themselves are dragons or that they should bring them back. Thus, these sometimes difficult-to-interpret dreams guide the decisions of kings, princes, and princesses of Westeros. For better or worse.

Not affected by the dragon dreams, despite their connection to the Targaryens, is House Baratheon. They supposedly descend from a bastard brother of Aegon the Conqueror and repeatedly marry into the Targaryen line over the years. But who among them are really the strongest? We have ranked them.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. A Wiki of Ice and Fire
  2. Game of Thrones Fandom

Pokémon GO celebrates 30 years of Pokémon, now launching the first campaign for the anniversary – Here’s how to use it

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO the new motto is: What is your favorite? With the question about the favorite Pokémon, we are heading towards the anniversary.

What kind of an event is this? In 2026, there are two major birthdays to celebrate: The Pokémon franchise turns 30, and Pokémon GO is also celebrating its tenth anniversary this summer.

Now there is the first action for these celebrations: What is your favorite? starts as a new feature in Pokémon GO.

What is this feature? The new function uses the camera in Pokémon GO. You can use it to photograph your personal favorite Pokémon. You don’t even have to have caught it: Almost all Pokémon currently available in Pokémon GO can simply be photographed.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

How do I use What is your favorite in Pokémon GO?

In fact, the feature can also be used if you are not yet logged into Pokémon GO. In that case, you open it by starting the app and clicking the corresponding button at the bottom of the login screen.

Logged-in players, on the other hand, will find the feature in the app by clicking on the camera icon in the bottom left menu. A small sticker also indicates this.

Once you have started the feature, you can simply choose one of the Pokémon from the searchable list. Then you should take a photo – according to the app, preferably with a person or with yourself in it. Then the Pokémon will be positioned together with you.

After that, you can decorate the photo with stickers.

What bonuses are there? There are bonuses for new players who use the feature from the login screen and thus log into the game. They receive a special research task that contains items, a Gengar, and 100 coins. It is available until March 31, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

The big anniversaries are likely to be an important topic for Pokémon, but specifically also for Pokémon GO. This was emphasized by Director Michael Steranka in our interview during the GO Fest Paris 2025. We are excited to see how the year will develop!

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This year’s Superbowl already featured the Pokémon anniversary as a topic. In a spot about the birthday, some stars like Lady Gaga shared insights into which Pokémon their favorites are. The singer, for example, is a big fan of Jigglypuff. And even more information about the stars’ favorite Pokémon can be found here.

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

Nvidia is expected to release its fastest graphics card in 2026, but gamers are unlikely to benefit from it

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Nvidia could release a new high-end card in 2026. This could replace the current RTX 5090, but for gamers, this may not be great news. Many users are already struggling with the high hardware prices. And a new high-end card is unlikely to reduce prices.

According to reports from Overclockers magazine, Nvidia is expected to release a new graphics card in 2026 that will replace the RTX 5090. The RTX 5090 is currently the fastest graphics card that you can buy from Nvidia in the consumer market.

In addition, there are special AI models, but these are not intended for normal computers. WCCFTech magazine considers this announcement likely and estimates the release for the third quarter of 2026.

This is probably not particularly good news for gamers. With rising prices, an affordable graphics card is a much more appealing option for many.

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Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes

Gamers don’t want a graphics card for 4,000 euros, but affordable models

Why do gamers get nothing out of this? Looking at the current prices of the RTX 5090, for example, on Geizhals.de, you will pay at least 3,200 euros or more for the graphics card. And the trend is rising.

An even faster model is unlikely to be significantly cheaper or better available than the current RTX 5090 models. And the fewest gamers are likely to be willing to spend 4,000 or 5,000 euros for a single graphics card.

It is also quite certain that such a new high-end card will primarily be loaded into AI systems. After all, those are exactly the customers who are likely to spend that much money on a graphics card.

What do gamers wish for? Affordable hardware. Given the steadily rising prices of RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards, gamers have long been calling for affordable options in the tech sector. Many graphics card models are either no longer available or only available at very high prices.

An affordable mid-range graphics card is likely to be more exciting for most gamers than a new high-end model that hardly anyone can buy anyway. Looking at statistics like the Steam Hardware Survey, you can see that many gamers prefer affordable cards.

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Those who want to get more out of their gaming PC are considering purchasing a new graphics card. But does it even matter whether I choose AMD or Nvidia in the end? MyMMO presents the similarities and differences between AMD and Nvidia and explains what you should consider before your next graphics card purchase: How important is it to buy AMD or Nvidia when getting a graphics card?

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

A fighter in Jujutsu Kaisen uses cute rodents as a super weapon, one of them is so crazy that he is the secret hero for fans

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

In the new episode of the anime Jujutsu Kaisen, there is an exciting fight with Megumi and Panda. But for the fans, none of the opponents is the strongest fighter; instead, it’s a little rabbit.

What kind of rabbit is that? Megumi Fushiguro is one of the protagonists of Jujutsu Kaisen and uses a technique called Rabbit Technique in battle. With this, he creates a group of endless rabbits, which are typically used to distract or crush the opponent.

With this technique, he can summon an infinite number of rabbit Shikigami, regardless of how many have already been destroyed. There is only one exception, which we won’t reveal for spoiler reasons. The rabbits are thus easily replaceable, and individual ones are of lesser importance.

However, there is one rabbit that is particularly celebrated by the fans. In the new episode, he has a particularly intense appearance and outshines Megumi and Panda.

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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 – Trailer for the upcoming Arc “The Culling Game”

A rabbit becomes the star of the new episode

Why is he so celebrated by the fans? To defeat their opponent, Megumi and Panda must touch certain things and people in a specific order. However, they need to place another object in between because the affected objects attract or repel each other differently.

Here comes the special rabbit into play, which is now known as John Rabbit. He is summoned by Megumi and immediately understands what’s happening. Megumi throws him toward Panda, who sends him back down to touch a simple stone. This disrupts the opponent’s technique, allowing Megumi and Panda to approach their opponent.

This is not the only situation in which the rabbit performs exceptionally. In the past, there was already a fight between Megumi and his father Toji. There, Megumi also used the Rabbit Technique to distract Toji.

His father destroyed the rabbits with ease, but there was one single rabbit that did not run away or die but even tried to punch Toji in the face. The fans are sure that this is the same rabbit.

On TikTok, there are several videos that focus solely on the rabbit. They celebrate his bloodthirsty face and the animations of his “combat techniques”.

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How strong is he? Since the rabbit is merely a summoned creature, he cannot compete with stronger fighters. However, many fans celebrate the rabbit so much that they ironically see him higher than Satoru Gojo on TikTok, who is regarded as the strongest fighter that has ever lived in Jujutsu Kaisen.

Satoru Gojo is probably the most popular character from Jujutsu Kaisen, and that is not just due to his strength. No wonder that fans want to know everything about him. The mangaka has therefore taken the time to answer several questions about the white-haired man with the bright blue eyes: Why does Gojo wear sunglasses? The author of Jujutsu Kaisen answers 33 questions about the fan favorite

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

ARC Raiders is taking such a hard stance against cheaters that banned players are now showing up at the studio in real life

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 2 minutes

The developers of ARC Raiders have tightened their measures against cheaters. This does not sit well with some players and leads them to inappropriate behavior.

What is the studio’s problem? More and more players are reportedly showing up at the developer studio, as Patrick Söderlund, one of the founders and current CEO of Embark, stated in an interview with IGN.

The studio is seeing this influx, according to Söderlund, especially since they have been taking a tougher stance against players who violate the sacred rule of online gaming – to play fair and not to cheat: cheaters.

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ARC Raiders receives new matchmaking option and trophy display with Headwinds

Cheaters trying to get into the studio

This is what it’s about: Söderlund mentions in the interview, that the developers have recently been very aggressive against cheaters. Nevertheless, he considers the banning process to be delicate because they only want to ban those who deserve to be banned – depending on the degree, temporarily, longer-term, or permanently.

Then Söderlund reports that there are now more people who show up uninvited at the studio since they started banning players: “I see an influx of people trying to get into the studio, and to me.”

Often these players come with the oldest “excuse” in the world, as Söderlund recounts, claiming: “I didn’t do anything.” Overall, the development team is noticing a shift in this regard, Söderlund explains: “We see a pretty significant change, but I know that we have probably banned tens of thousands of players so far, as far as I know.”

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Here’s why you should NOT show up at a studio: A developer studio will not unban you in the game because you personally pressured the employees. What remains is the unpleasant impression you leave in such a case.

By showing up unannounced at the developers’ workplace, you not only disrupt the workflow but also pose a risk to the safety of the employees and cross a boundary. This can create a feeling of discomfort and threat. In the worst case, your behavior could be legally relevant.

In the interview, Patrick Söderlund also talked about the success of the game and the financial situation of the studio. He also revealed that Embark is already working on new games. More on MeinMMO: Developers are making a fortune with ARC Raiders, earning over 495 million, already working on the next hit

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

Overwatch: All Skin Codes (February 2026) – Here’s how to redeem them

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

Overwatch offers a variety of skins that you can purchase, but not everyone can be bought immediately. Some of them must rotate in the shop first. What if we told you that you can still access the unavailable skins with certain codes?

Update, February 12, 2026: This article is still in progress. We will add a table for each hero along with their active skins and links, but this will take some time. Currently, we have added Ana, Anran, Ashe, Baptiste, Bastion, Brigitte, Cassidy, D.Va, Domina, Doomfist, Echo & Emre.

What are these codes? Resourceful players have found a trick to open the purchase page of some Overwatch skins in the browser using certain links. These lead you to the official Battle.net site, which will guide you through the transaction. This trick seems to be popular in the community, as many fans share new codes with each other when they become known.

Redeeming skin codes – Here’s how:To redeem the skins, all you have to do is click on one of our links. These will take you directly to Battle.net. There, you need to log in. Make sure you have enough Overwatch Coins in your account to cover the cost. Then complete the transaction so the skin is credited to your account.

Be aware that you should already have the correct amount of Overwatch Coins in advance. You can also top them up in the US shop, but then you have to pay in dollars.

[toc]

We now show you all the current skins that you can acquire with this method.

Start video
Everything about Overwatch in 2026 in a quick overview

Overwatch: All active skin codes for February 2026

Which codes are available? Below we now list all the available codes for the respective heroes:

Ana

Skin NamePriceCode
Captain Amari1,000Battle.net
Horus1,000Battle.net
Spiritwarder1,000Battle.net
Wadjet1,000Battle.net
Wasteland1,000Battle.net
Citrine75Battle.net
Garnet75Battle.net
Peridot75Battle.net
Turquoise75Battle.net
Bastet750Battle.net
Cabana1,500Battle.net
Tal750Battle.net
Sniper1,500Battle.net
Corsair1,500Battle.net
Mummy1,500Battle.net
Ghoul750Battle.net
Gingerbread1,000Battle.net
Snow Owl1,500Battle.net
Night Owl1,500Battle.net
Midnight Camo1,000Battle.net
Ultrawatch1,000Battle.net
Arch-Commandant Amari1,900Battle.net
Blackbraid1,900Battle.net

Anran

Important Info: Unfortunately, there are no codes yet, as the hero has just been released.

Ashe

Skin NamePriceCode
Gangster1,000Battle.net
Jungle1,000Battle.net
Mobster1,000Battle.net
Safari1,000Battle.net
Posh250Battle.net
Thorn250Battle.net
Paintbrush75Battle.net
Sunflower75Battle.net
Tansy75Battle.net
Yucca75Battle.net
Poolside1,500Battle.net
Prosperity1,500Battle.net
Tiger Huntress1,500Battle.net
Socialite1,500Battle.net
Warlock1,500Battle.net
Winter750Battle.net
Little Red1,500Battle.net
Merry Outlaw1,000Battle.net
Deadlock1,900Battle.net
Haunted Doll1,900Battle.net
Raijin1,900Battle.net
Storm Rider1,900Battle.net

Baptiste

Skin NamePriceCode
Buccaneer1,000Battle.net
Desert Ops1,000Battle.net
Pirate1,000Battle.net
Spec Ops1,000Battle.net
Camouflage250Battle.net
Ble75Battle.net
Vyolèt75Battle.net
Vèt75Battle.net
Wouj75Battle.net
Tropical1,500Battle.net
Terracotta Medic1,000Battle.net
Talon1,500Battle.net
Vampire1,000Battle.net
Snowboarder1,500Battle.net
Arctic Ops1,500Battle.net
Blue Steel1,000Battle.net
Bounty Hunter1,900Battle.net

Bastion

Skin NamePriceCode
Antique1,000Battle.net
Gearbot1,000Battle.net
Steambot1,000Battle.net
Woodbot1,000Battle.net
Overgrown1,500Battle.net
Defense Matrix250Battle.net
Omnic Crisis250Battle.net
Dawn75Battle.net
Meadow75Battle.net
Sky75Battle.net
Soot75Battle.net
Sand Castle1,000Battle.net
Dragonfire1,500Battle.net
Rooster750Battle.net
Gwishin1,500Battle.net
Null Sector750Battle.net
Coffin1,500Battle.net
Tombstone750Battle.net
Avalanche1,500Battle.net
Gift Wrap750Battle.net
Dune Buggy1,500Battle.net
Stealth1,500Battle.net
Pumpkin1,000Battle.net
Fire Engine1,900Battle.net
Gingerbread1,900Battle.net

Brigitte

Skin NamePriceCode
Engineer1,000Battle.net
Mechanic1,000Battle.net
Máni1,000Battle.net
Sól1,000Battle.net
Sparkplug1,900Battle.net
Carbon Fiber250Battle.net
Ironclad250Battle.net
Blå75Battle.net
Grön75Battle.net
Plommon75Battle.net
Röd75Battle.net
Tre Kronor750Battle.net
Opera1,500Battle.net
General750Battle.net
Stone1,000Battle.net
Vampire Hunter1,500Battle.net
Ice Queen1,000Battle.net
Peppermint Bark1,000Battle.net
Riot Police1,500Battle.net
Shieldmaiden1,500Battle.net
Pearlescent1,000Battle.net
Azure Drake1,900Battle.net
Royale Captain1,900Battle.net

Cassidy

Skin NamePriceCode
Gambler1,000Battle.net
Riverboat1,000Battle.net
Vigilante1,000Battle.net
On the Range250Battle.net
Royal250Battle.net
White Hat250Battle.net
Lake75Battle.net
Sage75Battle.net
Wheat75Battle.net
Lifeguard1,500Battle.net
American750Battle.net
Xiake1,000Battle.net
Magistrate1,500Battle.net
Blackwatch1,500Battle.net
Deadlock1,500Battle.net
Van Helsing1,500Battle.net
Undead750Battle.net
Mountain Man1,500Battle.net
Scrooge750Battle.net
Sherlock1,500Battle.net
Ritzy1,000Battle.net
C-455 Sharpshooter1,900Battle.net
Ultrawatch1,900Battle.net

D.Va

Skin NamePriceCode
B.Va1,000Battle.net
Black Cat1,000Battle.net
Junebug1,000Battle.net
Junker1,000Battle.net
Scavenger1,000Battle.net
Carbon Fiber250Battle.net
White Rabbit250Battle.net
Blueberry75Battle.net
Lemon-Lime75Battle.net
Tangerine75Battle.net
Watermelon75Battle.net
Waveracer1,500Battle.net
Taegeukgi750Battle.net
Palanquin1,500Battle.net
Shin-Ryeong1,500Battle.net
Sleighing1,500Battle.net
Midnight1,000Battle.net
Academy1,500Battle.net
Cruiser1,500Battle.net
Varsity1,500Battle.net
White Cat1,500Battle.net
Infinite Ace1,000Battle.net
Turtle Ship1,900Battle.net

Domina

Important Info: Unfortunately, there are no codes yet, as the hero has just been released.

Doomfist

Skin NamePriceCode
Avatar1,000Battle.net
Blackhand1,000Battle.net
Caution1,000Battle.net
Irin1,000Battle.net
Spirit1,000Battle.net
Leopard250Battle.net
Painted250Battle.net
Daisy75Battle.net
Lake75Battle.net
Plains75Battle.net
Sunset75Battle.net
Tropical1,000Battle.net
Karate1,500Battle.net
Talon1,500Battle.net
Swamp Monster1,500Battle.net
Jötunn1,500Battle.net
Formal1,500Battle.net
Gladiator1,500Battle.net
Carbon Fiber750Battle.net
Kìnìún1,000Battle.net
Funky1,900Battle.net

Echo

Skin NamePriceCode
Butterfly1,000Battle.net
Camo1,000Battle.net
Moth1,000Battle.net
Carbon Fiber250Battle.net
Hot Rod250Battle.net
Durian75Battle.net
Marina75Battle.net
Papaya75Battle.net
Vanda75Battle.net
Stealth750Battle.net
Surf’s Up1,500Battle.net
Kkachi1,000Battle.net
Ragdoll1,000Battle.net
Vampire Bat1,500Battle.net
Retro Future1,000Battle.net
Automaton1,900Battle.net
Ice Angel1,900Battle.net
Strawberry1,900Battle.net

Emre

Important Info: Unfortunately, there are no codes yet, as the hero has just been released.

Are there also codes that give away skins? No, such codes do not exist in Overwatch. There are only codes for activities and these skin codes that we have listed for you.

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That was all important information about the skin codes in Overwatch. Were you able to snag a skin for yourself using this method, that you might have missed in the shop? Overwatch is set to shine in a new light soon, especially following its latest announcement: Overwatch 2 heralds a new era, removes the number from the name, and brings 10 new heroes

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

YouTuber tortures his OLED monitor for 3,000 hours, shows how bad burn-in really is

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

An expert uses an OLED monitor for 3,000 hours in everyday life. The results surprise the YouTuber positively. Because when he checks the damages, they are less than expected.

The tech YouTuber Optimum has used an OLED monitor for over 3,000 hours within two years. During these two years, three programs were mainly used:

All three programs have one thing in common: They all rely on static menus that cannot be hidden. Such static menus are generally a problem for OLED monitors and often cause so-called burn-in damage. These are permanent damages where static elements remain visible on the display.

The special thing about his test is that it involves normal everyday use of the monitor. As a result, the results of the “test” are much more practical compared to a stress test, as experts conduct with OLED models.

Start video
Why is RAM so expensive? The current situation explained in 2 minutes

After 3,000 hours, there is burn-in, but it is not as severe as expected

How bad are the damages? Especially the shooter Overwatch has affected the display of the monitor: After nearly 500 hours of gameplay, you can see the health bar and the character’s symbol slightly showing through in the lower left corner.

In everyday use, this burn-in damage hardly noticeable, the YouTuber has to set the display very dark for the damages to be seen with the naked eye.

Another damage comes from DaVinci Resolve: Here, the editing timeline has burned into the display. This damage is also only partially noticeable and therefore not very disturbing.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

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Link to the YouTube content
The official video from Optimum on YouTube.

Does the YouTuber have recommendations? Yes, on the one hand, you should take advantage of the 3-year support period that most providers currently offer when burn-in damages are noticed.

His second recommendation: One should definitely keep all screen-care functions activated. Because this particular function ensures that the OLED display wears out significantly slower, for instance, by using pixel refreshing, which shifts individual pixels.

What is generally recommended? Static elements, such as certain performance or news banners on televisions, promote burn-in on OLED models. A varied usage and automatic “pixel refresh cycles” from the manufacturers help to reduce burn-in but do not completely prevent it. Also, the Switch OLED offers a function that is supposed to prevent burn-in, which you should definitely keep activated.

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More tips on monitors: Are you looking to buy a new gaming monitor or want to get detailed information about your options? Then pay attention to the following features when purchasing a monitor: The 8 most important features you should pay attention to when buying a gaming monitor

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

A talking stone steals Ryan Gosling in his own sci-fi movie

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

On March 19, 2026, a new, promising sci-fi movie will be released in theaters. In The Astronaut, Ryan Gosling plays a molecular biologist and teacher who must save Earth. In the latest trailer for the Amazon-produced film, however, it is a talking rock that steals the show.

What is The Astronaut about? The Astronaut, or in its original title Project Hail Mary, is a new sci-fi film set to hit theaters on March 19, 2026. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, known for The Martian, and it is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.

The film adaptation of his sci-fi work features strong performances from Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller, but the latest trailer showcases a talking rock as the real star.

Start video
In the new trailer for Project Hail Mary, a talking stone shows it can shine like Ryan Gosling

Why do I have the feeling there will be tears for a rock that isn’t real?

What can be seen in the trailer? The trailer shows a lot of the main actor Ryan Gosling, who will likely spend most of his time in a space station. However, he is not alone, as the trailer indicates that he will encounter a rock-being with whom he will also communicate. His planet also appears to be on the brink of destruction, leading both to pursue the same goal.

Despite the dramatic theme, a friendship between the two seems to be a central topic. The trailer for The Astronaut already promises funny and light-hearted, but also sad scenes – after all, it concerns the fate of the world.

How is the community reacting to the new trailer? Under the YouTube trailer, almost 2000 comments had been made (as of 09.02.2026, 10:50). It is evident that the rock, referred to as Rocky in the trailer, is already tugging at the heartstrings of some fans:

  • @Nancy-tas writes: Why do I have the feeling there will be tears for a rock that isn’t real?
  • For @Emily-mee, Rocky is already the star of the film: I never thought a space spider I observed for less than a minute could mean so much to me, yet here I am.
  • @HULK11555, a fan of the book, is also satisfied with the new trailer: This is one of the few times I’ve seen an adaptation look exactly as I imagined it while reading the book.
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Ryan Gosling’s Greatest Opportunity

What does MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes say about the new trailer? As with the previous trailers, this one rekindles my excitement for the film. I am a big fan of Ryan Gosling, and this film could be one of his greatest chances for awards like the Oscar.

As the only human in space, he has to carry the film, and as he has already proven in the past, he can do that. After his Oscar nominations for Half Nelson (2007), La La Land (2017), and Barbie (2024), it’s about time he is rewarded for his performance.

Aside from that, I am quite confident that the film will be good. The trailers already show that a balance will be found between hopeful, funny, but also dramatic scenes, and the showcased set design looks very appealing as well. If you want to see more from the genre by then, this anime could be for you: An anime on Netflix reminds me of Blade Runner and captivated me every second

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Titelbildquelle: Amazon MGM Studios auf YouTube

World of Warcraft: Love is in the Air – The World Events 2026 in Azeroth

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 4 minutes

From February 9 to February 23, 2026, the world event “Love is in the Air” runs in World of Warcraft. MeinMMO summarizes everything important about the current event.

Love is in the Air

Where do I start the Love is in the Air event? Outside of Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Portals in the capital cities across Azeroth take you to the Gift Gala. This is a celebration hosted by the Crafting Consortium, where you can complete quests, defeat a trio of Apothecary bosses, or donate to the Consortium.

Your contacts on-site are the Gala directors Luciano Delgado (Alliance) and Mahaja Cloudsong (Horde).

Attention! In this overview, we will also gradually add all upcoming events of World of Warcraft, where you can always find the currently running event on page 1. We focus on the events of the current WoW version and not on the various Classic variants.
Start video
After 19 years, WoW: The Burning Crusade gets a new cinematic trailer

What do I get from the event? Through the quests, activities, and challenges of the “Love is in the Air” event, you can earn tokens of love and special rewards. The fight against the Apothecaries Hummel, Baxter, and Frye in Shadowfang Keep rewards you with some luck with:

  • the mountable broom “Broom of the Love Witch”
  • the iconic mount Love Rocket Heartbreaker X-45
  • epic necklaces that can unleash fireworks
  • Heart-shaped box with some fun items and tokens of love
  • Yellowed beautiful greeting card, with which you can start the quest “Something is in the Air (and it’s not love)”

Additional rewards include the pet “Living Rose”, the cosmetic ensemble: Truly Heartfelt Shoulders, or various goodies from the holiday merchants that offer a Heartseeker Manta Ray, the Heartseeker Moth, or a Love Boat toy. Special achievements are also included. For “Support Your Local Crafters”, you should donate about 50,000 gold to the Consortium.

WoW: Broom of the Love Witch
Broom of the Love Witch
WoW: Living Rose
Living Rose
WoW: Ensemble: Truly Heartfelt Shoulders
Ensemble: Truly Heartfelt Shoulders

Among the new rewards in 2026 are the mount Spring Butterfly, the ensemble: Spring Butterfly Ornaments, and some weapon skins with floral design. An overview of all rewards is provided by the event article on the official WoW site.

How do I defeat the event boss? From character level 20, you can sign up for the event boss in Shadowfang Keep via the group finder. You will find the Apothecaries in the outer area, near the stables. On a table nearby, you can collect two items:

  • Neutralizing Agent for Perfume: Nullifies the harmful effects of seductive perfume. The caster can only be immune to one scent at a time (15 sec cooldown)
  • Neutralizing Agent for Eau de Cologne: Nullifies the harmful effects of irresistible Eau de Cologne. The caster can only be immune to one scent at a time (15 sec cooldown)

It is important that at least one player from your group packs a Neutralizing Agent for Perfume and a Neutralizing Agent for Eau de Cologne. The player with the Neutralizing Agent for Perfume grabs the aggro from Hummel, who uses perfume attacks. The player with the Neutralizing Agent for Eau de Cologne grabs Baxter, who attacks with Eau de Cologne.

Important: Tank the bosses so that they face away from the group.

WoW: Heartseeker Manta Ray
Heartseeker Manta Ray

Apothecary number 3, Frye, cannot be tanked and alternates between using Eau de Cologne and perfume abilities. The remaining group members can choose between perfume and Eau de Cologne protection as they wish. Classes with stun abilities can take Frye out of the fight if needed.

Important: Eau de Cologne and perfumes leave clouds that deal high damage to players without protection. Additionally, Hummel and Baxter each have an aura around them that can only be survived for a long time with the respective protection. Players with Neutralizing Agent for Eau de Cologne avoid perfume clouds and Hummel. Those with perfume protection should not go to Baxter and Eau de Cologne clouds.

You cannot miss the regularly appearing Apothecary Servants, who deal damage nearby and will eventually explode. These cannot be tanked or controlled. Your healer must heal the damage as best as possible.

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Meanwhile, you deal damage to the 3 Apothecaries, where the order in which you take down the bosses does not matter. In the end, Apothecary Hummel has your loot. Good luck! To find out what else is happening in modern Azeroth, visit our overview page for World of Warcraft.

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

The first raid of Sauercrowd was in jeopardy – Now the guild has so many level 60s that they are considering a second group

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

For the visit to the Molten Core, there is now a definite date for Sauercrowd that will no longer be postponed. And even more: The guild has now so many players at the maximum level in WoW Hardcore that the leadership is considering two raid groups. However, Metashi emphasizes: they do not want to force it.

Why was the raid in jeopardy?

  • The original goal of the Sauercrowd project was to visit the Molten Core, the first raid in WoW Classic. They wanted to get as many players, veterans and newcomers alike, to level 60 and give Ragnaros a thrashing.
  • After initial enthusiasm, the plan seemed to work out. Despite some setbacks, the players held up well. Then came the first crises: a wrong call forced three high-level players to restart, hundreds of hours of gameplay were lost.
  • Finally, Metashi’s statement about the already started The Burning Crusade sounded like the project had reached an early end. The concerns are now cleared, and the first raid is definitely on.

This is currently the goal: After the raid on the Molten Core was originally planned for February 15, the start was postponed by another week. On Sunday, February 22, it is now definitely set to start at 3 PM.

In the last guild meeting, Metashi promised that this date would not be postponed (on YouTube). The guild leader emphasized that they want to ensure that everyone can join and take enough time:

It is and remains the 22.2. […] Raid start will be around 3 PM. Because we are really planning to raid between 5 and 8 hours. We want to do this safely. We want to give it a fair chance for the best possible chances of clearing.

This means, please plan for the whole afternoon, evening, early evening. I must also say bluntly, if we take someone into the raid and they say after two hours: “I have to go because I have another appointment, I have to watch Harry Potter in the cinema”, that would be really Monka.

Metashi on YouTube, around minute 22:31

However, Metashi goes a step further and says that it is quite possible to even start a second raid. After he recently reached level 60 himself and Papaplatte is now also back to maximum level with his second character, the guild already has over 100 players at level 60 – and 20-25 more have good chances of reaching it in the next few days.

There were concerns that The Burning Crusade would end Sauercrowd prematurely. Here is the new cinematic for the expansion:

Start video
After 19 years, WoW: The Burning Crusade gets a new cinematic trailer

Over 100 players at level 60, but two raids are not guaranteed

A full raid in WoW Classic consists of 40 players. With 100 characters, one could easily fill two raids, and with the potentially 20 more, even a total of three. However, that does not work so easily, because not just 40 people are enough. The group must “function”:

  • there must be enough tanks and healers present
  • in Classic, some classes (like Paladins) are important, who can provide certain buffs
  • and finally, every group also needs experienced raid leaders who know all the tactics and can make calls, so that not everyone dies at the first ability

For this reason, the guild leader emphasizes in the meeting that they want to make sure to split the groups properly and only establish a second raid if it can be guaranteed that it has a chance of success.

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Additionally, you need backup players for all contingencies. Already in progress raids in retail, it is customary to have significantly more players in the “roster” than fit into the group. In WoW Hardcore, it can happen that characters literally die in the middle.

When exactly the second raid will start – if it happens – has apparently not yet been decided. According to Metashi, it is supposed to take place simultaneously. However, the expert Sieglinde believes, as he mentions in his video, that a second date would be more sensible to accommodate more people.

For experienced players, the Molten Core is not much more than a slightly hotter walk. Some of the first guilds at the release of Classic even mastered the raid with green gear and players below level 60. Especially in WoW Hardcore and without extensive knowledge, the raid can quickly become a disaster: Guild loses 30 characters in the easiest raid of WoW Classic Hardcore, not even a boss fight

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

Celebrities like Lady Gaga reveal their favorite Pokémon, the choice of a monster is wild: “He gets the love he deserves”

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

This year, Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary. During the Super Bowl, there was an advertisement for the birthday, where celebrities talk about their favorite Pokémon.

What kind of advertisement is that? The advertisement features several celebrities gushing about their favorite Pokémon. They talk about their appearance and characteristics until the Pokémon themselves actually appear as computer animations in the clip.

You can watch the video either on YouTube or directly here:

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Some of the stars even interact with the Pokémon. The highlight of the video is probably that Lady Gaga sings a duet with her favorite, Jigglypuff. Overall, it is noticeable how well the attributes of the Pokémon match their stars and celebrities that they have as favorites:

  • Trevor Noah (comedian): Snorlax
  • Jisoo (singer of the K-pop band Blackpink): Eevee
  • Lamine Yamal (Spanish footballer): Zygarde
  • Charles Leclerc (Formula 1 driver): Arcanine
  • Young Miko (rapper): Gengar
  • Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (actress): Luxray

At the end of the video, the stars want to know what your favorite Pokémon are. However, many of the top comments under the YouTube video revolve around the selection of the star. One stands out particularly.

Start video
With Pokémon Pokopia, Nintendo mixes two of its most popular franchises for the Switch

One Pokémon is special

Which selection stands out? Lady Gaga and Jigglypuff receive particularly much attention. For some commenters, it is “iconic” that such a famous singer sings in the clip together with Jigglypuff.

However, many Pokémon in the selection are very basic. Most of the selected pocket monsters come from the first generation, which is most often used for advertising since most fans know them. Only Luxray and Zygarde come from a later generation.

Here, fans are especially excited about the selection of Zygarde. The footballer Lamine Yamal not only mentions Zygarde itself, but also specifies his choice with the Complete form. This form of Zygarde is the one that he temporarily takes in battle when its HP falls to half of the maximum value or lower and has a certain ability.

  • One user writes, for example: “I think it’s great that most selections are basically limited to ‘Basically just pets with extra powers’, and then this guy comes along and says: ‘Yes, my favorite is ZYGARDE COMPLETE, ARBITER OF ECOLOGICAL CONTINUUM.'”
  • Another viewer is simply happy that his favorite Pokémon is finally getting attention: “I’m so glad Zygarde got a spot on this list. I have many favorites, but he is among the top characters. My favorite character is finally getting the recognition it deserves.”

In addition, there are many comments that also revolve around the other celebrities and their favorites. This shows that fans from different fields such as music or sports come together here.

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A new title in the Pokémon series, set to be released soon, is Pokémon Pokopia. The visuals suggest that Pokémon live peacefully together. This is a similar premise to The Last of Us: Pokémon Pokopia and The Last of Us have a commonality that is just damn cool

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