When the hardcore character of Papaplatte in WoW Classic passed away, many were sure: The well-known Twitch streamer is out of the Sauercrowd project. What they didn’t expect: the incredible support of the guild.
What was the situation for Papaplatte? In January, the German Twitch streamer Kevin “Papaplatte” Teller experienced a true emotional rollercoaster. He had just reached the maximum level 60 with his first hardcore character in WoW Classic during the Sauercrowd event.
However, during a later visit to the Scholomance dungeon, a boss fight went wrong. Papaplatte’s priest was dispatched to the spirit healer with just one strike by a minion of Bloodrib. For the visibly distraught guild leader, it was clear: “Dude, I can’t do this again.” The leveling phase is incredibly time-consuming. Additionally, a planned vacation was approaching.
For a part of the community, it was clear at the time: That’s it. Papaplatte wouldn’t want or be able to invest that much time in WoW Classic again.
Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!
This is exactly what MMORPGs like WoW Classic are all about
What happened next? After Papaplatte had talked extensively with his guild members and had a night to think about it, he nonetheless created a new hardcore character, a mage. 7 hours later, he had already reached level 26.
How? Well, through what’s called mob tagging. High-level characters draw numerous enemies together. Papaplatte then attacks these with his mage to secure the experience points. The streamer was supported by several high-level Sauercrowd participants.
Players like Kutcherlol and julijones also took advantage of Papaplatte’s vacation to farm countless water bags in Tanaris for him over several days. With these, they can complete a repeatable quest multiple times to quickly jump from level 40 to level 50.
The plan works: The combination of mob tagging and bag quests is so efficient that Papaplatte was able to celebrate reaching level 60 last night (on February 8, 2026). Where? Of course at a well-known grind spot at the troll camp on Darkshore, where mages can easily pull, group, and bomb numerous enemies.
Papaplatte was overjoyed: “This is it. Absolutely. Absolutely. I got it. I got it. Yessss. Let’s goooo.” You can watch the moment below or on Twitch:
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The efficiency of this leveling method can also be measured by the hard numbers. While Papaplatte needed around 240 hours for his first hardcore character to reach level 60, it took him less than 50 hours for the second run. Without his constant supporters, the streamer would have certainly never achieved this.
Thanks to various shifts this year, the upcoming MMORPG release could be significantly more exciting and better. MeinMMO presents to you the new MMORPGs of 2026 with the greatest fun potential.
In our big preview of the MMORPG year 2025, there are several games that also appear on this list of the most exciting online role-playing games of 2026. The reasons: difficult development phases or significant criticism after testing rounds, which led the respective developers to decide to give their projects a little more time.
Thus, the current MMORPG year 2025 may not present well, but as they say, one person’s misery is another’s joy. Fans of the genre can look forward to an exciting MMORPG year 2026. Below, we take a look at what we believe are the most promising candidates that could actually be released by the end of December 2026.
Did we forget a potential gem in your opinion? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
Update from February 9, 2026: Due to recent events, we have removed Ashes of Creation from the list.
Did you miss our talk about the history of MMORPGs? You can catch up on it here:
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The History of MMORPGs: MeinMMO, GameStar and Uncle Barlow discuss 60 years of online worlds
Aion 2
Developer: NCsoft | Platform: PC & Mobile | Release Period for the West: 1st half of 2026 | Payment Model: Free2Play | Status: almost finished, Korea release is planned for November 19, 2025 | Chance of success in the West: 75%—heavily dependent on the payment model
The current prestige project from NCsoft is set to target a more international audience than its predecessor and therefore provide more PvE content. The conflict between the two factions Elyos and Asmodians from part 1 remains present but only plays a role on server-wide, instanced battlefields, such as the Abyss (also known from the first part).
The servers themselves are exclusively open to one of the two factions. In the world, you’ll only encounter allied players with whom you can dive into numerous group challenges such as dungeons – including ranking systems for speed runs and scaling difficulty levels with random affixes (similar to the Mythic Plus dungeons from WoW).
Start video
Aion 2: New trailer prepares for the Korean launch of the MMORPG
The payment model and the targeted platforms do not quite align with the international focus. The developers emphasize at every opportunity that the PC version is the focus, and the mobile version is intended to only complement the experience (during crafting, collecting daily rewards, or mastering mini-games).
Regarding the payment model, the developers rely on a Free2Play model with various subscription versions, a battle pass, an in-game shop and – the developers even openly admit this – slight pay-to-win elements.
Whether the global release remains as planned next year certainly depends on the upcoming testing phases and the success of the Korean launch. Aion 2 must not become a failure for NCsoft. The publisher’s outdated MMORPG lineup is struggling with declining numbers. Throne and Liberty was not the anticipated success. For months, over 300 developers have been working on Aion 2. You can find more information here: Large MMORPG company is in crisis because 10 games generate too little revenue
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since the Kickstarter boom in the 2010s, there has been a whole host of developers wanting to finance their MMO through crowdfunding. But which games have actually been released? MeinMMO delivers the reckoning after more than a decade.
Wasteland 2, Divinity – Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity … these are all role-playing games that successfully gathered a significant part of their funding through Kickstarter in the 2010s, which initiated a real crowdfunding boom in the gaming industry. The existence of games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Avowed today can also be attributed to the successes of these projects.
The boom, however, did not stop at other genres either. From 2012, we counted more than 20 MMO(RPG)s that have also made their way through Kickstarter in the past 14 years. But what has actually happened to all these projects? Which games have been released, which were discontinued, and which are still in development?
MeinMMO presents you with the – spoiler: quite sobering – reckoning below, starting with the oldest Kickstarter MMOs. Through the table of contents, you can jump directly to the MMO projects that interest you the most, if desired.
Update from February 9, 2026: We have updated the section on Ashes of Creation due to recent events, added the final release on Steam for Project: Gorgon, addressed the end of Dual Universe, and included a section on the latest Kickstarter MMORPG Epitome.
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Star Citizen
Setting/ Genre: Science Fiction / MMO | Developer: Cloud Imperium Games | Platform: PC | Status: Still in Development, Alpha | Year of Campaign: 2012 | Money raised via Kickstarter: 2,134,374 $ | Backers: 34,397
Star Citizen set a very high bar with its success on Kickstarter but only later transformed into a historical project of superlatives. More than 5.6 million backers have raised over 809 million US dollars through crowdfunding (via robertsspaceindustries.com) enabling a large team to work on Star Citizen for many years.
Start video
Star Citizen: New Trailer Introduces the 3 Factions from the Event ‘Fight for Pyro’
On March 27, 2025, Alpha update 4.1 was finally released, which included the Launcher 2.0, dynamic NPC conversations, new fauna, and much more. Anyone who last checked in years ago may be pleasantly surprised at how much fun the current alpha of Star Citizen can already provide.
However, this should not distract from the fact that one can also look critically at the project and studio head Chris Roberts. For years, reports of poor management, large-scale waste of money, layoffs, and excessive overtime periods have repeatedly surfaced. Particularly disturbing were the insider reports from October 2024: SciFi MMO Star Citizen is said to be heading towards disaster despite 728 million dollars
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Trainers in Pokémon GO have the opportunity to befriend their captured monsters and take them as buddies. We at MeinMMO have looked into which Pokémon you should definitely use for this and tell you why it makes sense.
What is a buddy Pokémon? Since the end of November 2019, there has been a buddy Pokémon feature in Pokémon GO. Through this, trainers can befriend their monsters and explore the area. Similar to Ash and Pikachu in the original series, players are also supposed to have a special bond with their Pokémon.
You can now not only view your monsters in your Pokémon storage, but take your favorite on journeys as a buddy. We have summarized the 30 monsters that are best suited for this below.
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Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
The 30 best buddy Pokémon
Which Pokémon are eligible as buddies? Of course, you can basically use any monster as a buddy. It can simply be your favorite Pokémon. However, if you want to earn a special CP boost and use your buddy in battles, you should focus on legendary and strong Pokémon.
Especially with rare specimens, you have the opportunity to farm appropriate candies to level them up. We have compiled the best 30 buddy Pokémon for you below.
Frigibax, Arctibax and Baxcalibur
Frigibax is a rare Pokémon that you can get from 10 km eggs. It can evolve into Arctibax and then into Baxcalibur. With the final evolution, you will have one of the best Ice attackers in the game.
Frigibax, Arctibax and Baxcalibur (Image source: pokemon.com)
If you want to collect a total of 125 candies to evolve Baxcalibur, you have to cover a distance of 5 km for each candy. Here you can also obtain XL candies.
Larvesta and Volcarona
Larvesta, the Bug Pokémon from Generation 5, has the types Bug and Fire. If you evolve Larvesta into Volcarona, you will get one of the strongest attackers that can be used both as a Bug and a Fire attacker.
Larvesta and Volcarona (Image source: pokemon.com)
Since you can only get Larvesta from eggs and it is very rare, it is worthwhile to take the Pokémon as a buddy. This way you earn an Larvesta candy every 5 km as well as the chance to get an XL candy. To evolve Volcarona, you need a whopping 400 candies from Larvesta.
Deino, Zweilous and Hydreigon
Another rare Pokémon is Deino. It belongs to the types Dark and Dragon and can evolve into Hydreigon through Zweilous. Hydreigon is also included in the list of the best attackers in Pokémon GO. To get a Deino candy through this buddy, it also has to walk 5 kilometers with you.
Deino, Zweilous and Hydreigon
For developing this, 125 candies are also needed again, and more for the power-ups. Deino can be found in the 12 km eggs, various rewards from the battle league, and the special research “Pioneer-40-Challenge”. However, you can also encounter it in the wild. Especially in fog and wind, you should keep an eye out for it.
Gible, Gabite and Garchomp
A worthwhile Dragon Pokémon is also Gible. After the Pokémon of types Dragon and Ground has somewhat disappeared from the scene after the community day in June, only a few candies can be collected from it.
Gible, Gabite and Garchomp
So, if you are looking for a strong specimen but haven’t collected enough candies to level up, you can get some this way. This monster also has to walk 5 kilometers for a candy.
To evolve it from Gabite to Garchomp, you also need 125 candies again. Leveling up is definitely worthwhile, as Garchomp is one of the strongest Ground attackers in the game and can also be considered one of the best Dragons.
Timburr, Gurdurr and Conkeldurr
The monster Conkeldurr also ranks among the strongest Fighting Pokémon. It can evolve from Timburr through Gurdurr. Timburr can be found in 10 km eggs and regularly in level 1 raids. For this reason, the candy yield here is rather not good.
Timburr, Gurdurr and Conkeldurr
To find a candy with your Timburr, the monster has to walk 5 kilometers with you again. However, Timburr is an exception when it comes to evolving, as it is one of the trade evolutions in Pokémon GO.
Besides an evolution that costs you a total of 250 candies, you can also trade the Fighting Pokémon. This way, it can be evolved from Gurdurr to Meistagrif for free. Thus, you only pay 50 candies and save the others for leveling up.
(Galarian) Darumaka and (Galarian) Darmanitan
The Pokémon Darumaka belongs to the Fire type but also has a Galar variant of the Ice type. Both forms can evolve into Darmanitan or Galarian Darmanitan, respectively. Both the Fire and Ice variant of Darmanitan are among the best attackers in Pokémon GO.
Darumaka and Galarian Darumaka, Darmanitan and Galarian Darmanitan
For this reason, it is worthwhile to collect a lot of candies here. Even though Darumaka is often found in the game, XL candies are especially sought after. To find a candy with (Galarian) Darumaka, it has to walk 3 kilometers with you. To evolve, you need 50 candies for each.
Charcadet, Armarouge and Ceruledge
Charcadet is also a Pokémon that you can only get from eggs. It can evolve into Armarouge or Ceruledge.
Charcadet, Armarouge and Ceruledge (Image source: pokemon.com)
While Armarouge is not a strong Pokémon, Ceruledge can be a good Ghost attacker. Once you have obtained Charcadet, you can take it as a buddy Pokémon to gather enough candies for evolutions. You need 50 candies each for this.
Swinub, Piloswine and Mamoswine
Another strong attacker is Mamoswine. The Ice and Ground-type Pokémon is the final evolution of Swinub. It can evolve through Piloswine. Although Swinub is regularly found in the wild, it is particularly worthwhile as a buddy because of the XL candies and the CP boost.
Swinub, Piloswine and Mamoswine
Again, 125 candies are required for evolving here. Swinub only has to walk 3 kilometers with you for one candy.
Cranidos and Rampardos
If you evolve Cranidos into Rampardos, you can enjoy the current strongest regular Rock-type attacker. Therefore, it is worthwhile to get one or two specimens and level them up.
Cranidos and Rampardos (Image source: pokemon.com)
You can occasionally encounter Cranidos in the wild. If you take it as a buddy Pokémon, you can look forward to a candy every 5 km and the chance for XL candies. You need 50 Cranidos candies to evolve Rampardos.
Legendary monsters
Legendary monsters are particularly interesting for use as buddy Pokémon. They are usually only available for a short time in level 5 raids and then disappear from the game for a while. As a result, you rarely get candies for these specimens.
Specifically, the following monsters are particularly interesting:
Mewtwo
Kyogre
Groudon
Rayquaza
Palkia
Giratina (Origin Form & Altered Form)
Zapdos
Darkrai
Reshiram
Zekrom
Landorus (Therian Form)
Genesect
Venicro
Zarude
Rayquaza, Mewtwo and Kyogre
These are some of the strongest attackers in Pokémon GO that you should definitely level up. They are great for use in raids. But also in the Master League of PvP battles, most of them can prove themselves. Here you should primarily rely on Groudon, Lugia or Giratina (Altered Form).
To earn a candy, they need to walk 20 kilometers with you each. With a bit of luck, you will also receive valuable XL candies this way.
Strong PvP attackers
The legendary monsters are particularly suitable for use in the Master League of the GO Battle League, as they often have too high CP values for the smaller leagues and are therefore not allowed. For this reason, the following monsters are also alternatives in the Super and Ultra leagues (via pvpoke.com):
Azumarill (Great League): The monster belongs to the absolute elite in the Great League.
Feraligatr (Ultra League): The first stage of Feraligatr, Totodile, is rarely found in the wild.
Lapras (Great and Ultra League): Lapras is not only a fairly rare Pokémon but also one of the best monsters in both the Great and Ultra League.
Corviknight (Great and Ultra League): The Steel-Flying monster is also suitable for both leagues.
Jellicent(Great and Ultra League): Jellicent requires only 3 km for a candy and also belongs to the absolute elite in both the Great and Ultra League.
To earn candies with them, you need to walk 3 km with Azumarill, Feraligatr, and Jellicent, and 5 km for Lapras. However, for Corviknight, you only need 1 km to receive candies.
By the way: To earn more candies while walking, you should feed your buddy a Snorlax. This halves the distance, which makes it find candies faster.
Other Pokémon that are suitable as buddy Pokémon
In addition to the mentioned monsters, there are other interesting Pokémon that you can use as buddies. These include other strong attackers in Pokémon GO, such as the following:
Scizor
Machamp
Electivire
Roserade
Excadrill
Rhyperior
Gardevoir
Salamence
But also with rare and regional specimens, you often lack the candies to develop the monsters for the Pokédex. So instead of investing precious special candies, you can also take these briefly as buddies and collect the required candies that way.
Tirtouga, Carracosta, Archen and Archeops
This is especially worthwhile with the regional Pokémon Tirtouga and Archen, but also with monsters like Varoom or Salandit, which are currently only available in 12 km eggs.
What is a buddy Pokémon good for? First and foremost, the buddy is supposed to build a special bond with you in the game. But that’s not all; you can travel with it, which brings you valuable candies. Especially players above level 40 can hope for a rare XL candy from this.
You need these XL candies to push your Pokémon from level 40 to 50. For each Pokémon, 296 XL candies are needed. By walking with your buddy, you can collect some of these with a bit of luck.
Furthermore, buddy Pokémon gain a special CP boost when reaching the final friendship level. You should not overlook this, as it can give you an additional advantage in battle.
How to switch buddy? If you click on your avatar icon in the map view of Pokémon GO, you have the option to set a buddy. In the opened mask, you will see the “Buddy Chronicle” point under your picture. There you will get an overview of which monsters you have assigned in the past and for how long.
Scroll down on this page. There, you will find the “Change Buddy” point. By clicking on this button, your Pokémon storage opens, and you can select your new buddy. Now you just need to play with your buddy to travel with it.
What monsters do you prefer to use as buddy Pokémon? And why is this your absolute favorite? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments on MeinMMO and exchange ideas with other trainers about it. In Pokémon GO, a trainer reached a crazy milestone for which he had to trade for over 1,000 hours. We show you what milestone this is and how he achieved it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new Demon Hunter in World of Warcraft has a problem, because it is incomplete. Almost mockingly, the Overwatch version looks better.
For a few weeks now, players can play the new specialization of the Demon Hunter in World of Warcraft, the Devourer. Although Blizzard has made some improvements, the Devourer was a complete failure at the beginning. However, while gameplay has improved significantly, there has been no innovation in another aspect: customization options.
It seems almost mocking that in another Blizzard game, namely Overwatch, they are currently working on a hero skin that shows a Devourer Demon Hunter – and it looks much cooler than in World of Warcraft.
Start video
WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features
No adjustments, but Overwatch gets them
What is the problem with the Devourer Demon Hunter? The Devourer Demon Hunter is a cool idea on paper, but the implementation is half-hearted – we wrote a whole rant Wednesday about it. Especially on the cosmetic side, the new Demon Hunter disappoints, as there are no purple-blue tattoos and the fel-green eyes (or the glow behind the blindfold) do not come in a blue Void variant. This is unfortunate, considering that Blizzard has otherwise made sure that all fel-green effects are replaced by the Void.
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What has upset the community now? During the presentation of the “Overwatch Spotlights,” which showcase the major innovations that are coming in the next weeks and months for Blizzard’s hero shooter, there was an image showing a new skin for the hero Genji. The image depicts Genji as a WoW Demon Hunter in the style of Illidan – but with blue tattoos and even a blue eye glow.
Accordingly, the comments in the WoW subreddit are quite incomprehensible:
“It’s pretty crazy that Genji is getting blue tattoos before my Demon Hunter does. I mean, wtf Blizzard.” – Zeradith_TV
“Green-blue eyes, blue tattoos, blue horns, literally only 3 recolor options are all Blizzard needs to give the Void Elves for their Demon Hunters to have a bit of style.” – muticere
“I tried the Devourer a few days ago and liked the class and abilities. But when I wanted to create a sexy transmog, I noticed the problems. Pretty much every single Demon Hunter set was created with demonic flames in mind. Thinking about it, I’m not sure if the Demon Hunter should have gotten a Void specialization. It should have been its own class or maybe an update for the Shadow Priest? I don’t know, it just feels … wrong.” -SxToMidnight
Cortyn says: This is a typical case of a huge faux pas that Blizzard stepped into with a running start. While most fans probably find such cross-promotions between the games relatively cool, it is a bit uncomfortable when the quality in the games where the characters do not actually appear is significantly higher.
Overwatch wants to show the world how it could be, and not how it is. But with the latest hero, they are failing. Even the voice actress speaks up.
The latest hero in Overwatch 2 – which will soon just be called Overwatch again – is quite hot because she plays with fire. But aside from that, her appearance does not match what was previously seen in cinematics and other media. Her face is currently a major point of criticism in the community and has been the subject of ongoing discussions for days. Even the voice actress behind Anran, the streamer Fareeha, has now spoken out and clearly states: The community should express what they do not like, because the developers are listening.
Start video
Overwatch shows 5 new heroes coming with Season 1: Conquest
What is the problem with Anran’s face? After Overwatch 2 brought the latest hero Anran to the live servers as part of a spontaneous playtest, it didn’t take long before there was some criticism. However, this was not due to her abilities, but to her appearance. Especially her face is being harshly criticized.
The problem here is that it does not correspond at all to her previous design, which had already been seen in comics and cinematics. In those, she had a slightly more angular chin and a clearly defined nose – both of which have disappeared in her in-game design, making her face look almost identical to that of Juno and Kiriko, who conform very much to the “typical” Asian beauty ideal. This is also referred to as the Same Face Syndrome.
The face does not match what Anran actually is
What did the voice actress say? In the Overwatch subreddit, the voice of Anran, the streamer Fareeha, spoke out. She shared her view of the situation and explained that she also “misses the Anran” that had emerged in the cinematics and comics, but was lost when translating into a game character. The current design does not match her personality or what she actually embodies:
This is a look that does not match her personality. She looks like the younger sibling. She looks tame and gentle. Somehow, as a fire heroine, she looks gentler than the gentlest, peacekeeping support heroine in the game.
I have seen all your redesigns and secretly bookmarked them. But I wanted you to hear this: These concerns are important. This is a fight worth having. Worth discussing. Because I believe that the more we speak out about the things that really matter to us, the more we see these things reflected in the world around us – the more we see our values reflected in the world around us.
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Later she explained that she had shared all of this with the developers as well. They encouraged her to be completely honest and voice all the criticism she has. Therefore, it seems that the issue is also important to the developers – after all, Overwatch is now known for having a lot of heroines and heroes that do not correspond to the more “traditional” beauty ideal of their respective cultures and thus often appear interchangeable.
It is not my position to decide what can and cannot be done. But I want you to know that I am addressing this issue, hoping that we will see the version [of Anran] that we all wish for. And I want you to do the same. With courage. With kindness. With hopium.
Because Overwatch is not an exploration of how the world is. It is an exploration of how the world could be. Right?
Within just a few hours, the post had already gathered over 7,000 upvotes – clearly resonating with the player base.
The community gives her support: In the community, Fareeha’s statement is being received quite well. Most fans are glad that she apparently has a direct line to the developers and can voice their concerns. Some of the comments include:
“Dude, she backed up all her points with the way she approached this. Just wow. She is her own PR team.” – insomniaLetMeSleep
“I wouldn’t expect any changes in the short term, but it’s good to know that the voice actors have a direct line to the developers. I hope they listen to her and the community.” – nath999
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Anran’s face was simply a management decision and had little to do with the developers who created her. So it’s nice to see that the voice actress also joins in on the concerns.” -spinningmous
Ultimately, most people agree that it will not be possible to change Anran’s face before the full release in a few days. If the developers really decide to make changes, it will likely take several weeks or months to see such changes. Aside from this controversy, Overwatch is currently experiencing a surge – and that is due to 3 decisions that Blizzard has made.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
When painting miniatures, whether for Dungeons & Dragons or Warhammer, there are various gadgets that can make the hobby easier if you’re willing to invest the necessary money. MeinMMO editor Caro also worked for a long time with simpler methods to paint her miniatures, but a purchase finally helped her with one of her biggest problems – and it doesn’t even have to be expensive.
That was completely sufficient to find out if I wanted to invest more time in the hobby or not. However, after almost a year, I can say: Yes, it’s just really fun.
I want to improve, finally see differences in my first attempts, which is why I took a closer look at my biggest problems (literally).
One of my biggest problems to this day is that I use too much paint when I want to fully cover a miniature without too much gray primer showing through. Everywhere, whether on Reddit or YouTube, it’s preached: Dilute. Your. Paints. Otherwise, you’ll lose too much detail. Unfortunately, this proved to be a huge hurdle on my scrap paper.
That’s exactly why I decided to invest in a gadget that would help me overcome this painting sin. And during the first test, I found that I was already grateful after 5 minutes that I made this decision.
Start video
Die Armee der Emperor’s Children im Tabletop von Warhammer 40.000
Thanks to a Wet Palette, my figures can finally smile
First, I want to explain to you why a Wet Palette is such a lifesaver when you have a problem with too thick layers of paint.
A Wet Palette, also known as a moisture palette, ensures safe transport and keeps the paints fresh when you take a painting break, as it protects against evaporation. On the other hand, the moist substrate ensures that the paints do not dry out and can be easily mixed with other colors or diluted with water.
A Wet Palette, regardless of the provider, always works the same way: In a shallow container, there is a moisture-retaining, sponge-like layer. This must be saturated with water before a moisture-permeable membrane is placed on top, which will ultimately hold the paint.
To illustrate this, here is my Wet Palette:
On the left, you see the container plus the foam, on the right, the thin paper. My Wet Palette has an extra compartment for speedpaints and washes.
With the moisture from the sponge under the paper, I can dilute my paints much more easily without them being absorbed by the material, as was the case on the cardboard. Already on my first attempt, in which I started with a primer, I could see how much easier it was for me to maintain thin layers. Instead of making my miniatures mute as if with wallpaper paste, I could still see a lot of detail even after two layers. They actually have a face!
On the left, you see one of my first figures, on the right an unfinished but current figure, which thanks to the thinner layers has more detail.
From my experience over the last two weeks, the paints remain moist for at least 2 days, with larger amounts even 1–2 days longer. This not only saves me paint but also allows me to correct mistakes at any time when I later paint over a wrong spot without having to sacrifice fresh paint for a small splash.
If you want to save money, you don’t have to miss out on the luxury of a Wet Palette
I was ready to buy a ready-made Wet Palette. I own the XL Wet Palette from The Army Painter, which is so large that I can share it with the whole table when painting with friends. I really didn’t compare it to other palettes; it was simply the one available in the store.
However, if you don’t want to invest more money in a hobby that is already not one of the most affordable, you don’t have to miss out on a Wet Palette. You can also build one from items you find at home.
All you need is a plastic container (often the lid is sufficient) as a holder, a sponge cloth from the household section as a moisture reservoir, and baking paper as a membrane on which you can apply your paints.
In this video from RookieBrushes on YouTube, you can see what a DIY Wet Palette can look like:
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I am still at the start of my young but hopefully steady path to becoming a true miniature artist and would greatly appreciate your tips and tricks. Whether regarding the Wet Palette or other useful gadgets you have discovered while painting.
The community of Arc Raiders continues to discuss the allies and opponents assigned through matchmaking.
Why does matchmaking cause discussions? Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter with PvE and PvP components. When you meet other players in a round, they can reveal themselves at any time as helpful allies or deadly threats.
What is the reason for the current discussion? The “Aggression-based Matchmaking” of Arc Raiders does not always operate transparently. On Reddit, player ACR_Legends is currently complaining:
I would like to spend my free time not constantly having to kill other Raiders or being taken down by toxic losers. God forbid, I have other games designed specifically for PvP!
His wish: He wants to end up back in lobbies with people “who have a job”. He sarcastically refers to the fact that the PvP enthusiasts of Arc Raiders supposedly spend all day in front of the PC and thus do not have a “real life” with a job and family. The 3,435 thumbs up and more than 870 comments indicate that ACR_Legends is striking a nerve in the community.
Gloomy_Breadfruit92 knows the problem, but from the other side: “I’m a total PvP maniac and shoot at anything that moves. But lately the game has only put me in pure PvE cuddle lobbies. So you’re not alone.”
Ok-Advance7158 believes something was changed in the system: “I was previously a thorough PvE player and now suddenly end up in PvP lobbies. I guess the game is changing. Sad, isn’t it?”
Main_Agency6787 has an unusual solution proposal: “If you just take out all the other unfriendly players in your lobby, it will become a peaceful lobby of its own accord. Then you can loot and relax in peace when there are still two minutes left on the clock.”
PepegaClapWRHolder agrees: “That guy gets it: First take everyone out, then you can be friendly – and poof, you have a peaceful lobby just for working people.”
Familiar_Picture_565 sees the problem with the players affected: “My [lobby] is still very peaceful. You absolutely must not harm anyone if you want to go to the friendly lobbies. This includes not taking people down with the hammer while you’re extracting.”
For Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s soon heading to TV screens. However, not everyone is pleased with that, as it could distort the gaming experience.
It is still hard to put into words just how great the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 really was. After all, the game managed to bring the rather niche genre of CRPGs into the spotlight for many gamers and captivate entirely new players for this type of game. A success that also led to Baldur’s Gate 3 getting a TV adaptation, led by Craig Mazin, who has already adapted The Last of Us for HBO.
But one of the heads of Larian, the developers behind Baldur’s Gate 3, has serious concerns.
Before the Baldur’s Gate 3 series, Craig Mazin worked on The Last of Us:
Start video
The Last of Us Season 2 – New Trailer Shows Horror and Emotions
What will the new series be about? The series for Baldur’s Gate 3 will not tell the story of the game but will start with the “after” – that is, after the end of the game, when the threats posed by Gortash, the great mind flayer brain, and the parasites have already been dealt with. We will see how the heroes of the game evolve and where their journey takes them after.
But this very aspect is something that not everyone likes, such as Michael Douse from Larian.
What does Douse criticize? Douse has been quite skeptical in his announcement on X, stating that he will have a “Crash Out”, meaning he wants to vent his thoughts thoroughly. In further posts, he explained to the community what this is about: A series that adapts Baldur’s Gate 3 and continues afterward could have a rather strange aftertaste.
This is because the series will have to canonize certain events – meaning to make them “official” – events that players may have made entirely different choices on. This would turn a particular playthrough into the “true playthrough” and could diminish the gaming experience for fans.
Moreover, he is concerned that the creators of the series may not succeed in capturing the tone of the game source material, which would not sufficiently honor the work of the developers on the game.
Later, he added: “Our stories have been born from strong camaraderie and determination. I watched [the team] as they wrote and continued to write, and through respect for the audience and the [source] material, they created the best stuff I’ve ever played. I hope that [the TV series] allows the same level of thoroughness.”
Larian’s CEO is more relaxed and excited about the series
However, Swen Vincke, the CEO of Larian, looks significantly more relaxed. He spoke with Craig Mazin and explained on X that Mazin “asked if he could come to the developer studio to talk with us.” From the conversation, Vincke concluded that Mazin is a big fan, which gives him hope. He further explained in another post:
We have worked incredibly hard to ensure that Baldur’s Gate 3 lives up to its legacy. The characters and stories are the result of many teams working together, and I believe I can speak for everyone when I say that they think it’s cool and hope that the next project will be embraced with the same amount of passion.
The endings of [Baldur’s Gate 3] were created to serve as narrative soil for new adventures. There are many directions this could take.
During the early access phase on Steam, Project: Gorgon flew under the radar of many MMORPG fans despite strong reviews. With the release, that changes now, but it brings new challenges.
What is the current status of the MMORPG? Although Project: Gorgon has long been one of the highest-rated MMORPGs on Steam, the low player numbers (a maximum of 653 concurrent players) never reflected the positive reviews from fans during the early access phase.
With the launch on January 29, 2026, this has changed at least on a small scale. Last night, the indie MMORPG managed to attract 3,145 players to the servers simultaneously. This has never happened for Project: Gorgon before! Most of the new reviews are positive, keeping the overall rating at “Very Good” with 86 percent positive.
Start video
Project: Gorgon – Steam Release Trailer
A player surge that must be managed
What problems is the MMORPG facing? In the few negative reviews on Steam, buyers often complain about weak performance or drops in the frame rate. Both issues are exacerbated by the current player surge that is pushing the servers to their limits.
Shortly after the launch, the developers had already released a second world, Dreva. Since this also struggled under the load shortly after, the developers are now announcing further measures on Steam:
The free demo version of Project: Gorgon will no longer be available for Dreva.
A third server, Strekios, is now live.
The AFK timer has been reduced from 15 minutes to 5 minutes, so players are removed from the servers faster when inactive.
A new zone for characters levels 1 to 15 is intended to further mitigate the surge and improve the gameplay experience in the early hours.
What makes Project: Gorgon unique? The MMORPG priced at 24.50 euros aims to transport genre fans back to the times of EverQuest 1 and Asheron’s Call. There are no predefined classes. You decide for yourself which skills you want to learn, combine, and master.
The combat system relies on classic tab targeting. A strong emphasis is placed on exploring and learning about the world and its rules. If you catch fire, for example from a fire spell cast by an enemy, you can jump into a river to extinguish the flames.
You can even leave your footprint in the world: Write a letter or a book to establish yourself as a poet or author. When you sell something to a merchant, they will offer the items for sale to all other players.
At first glance, Pokémon Pokopia looks like a harmless game, but behind the new title could hide a tragic backstory. When you look at the details, there could be a post-apocalyptic world behind the cozy game.
But what kind of world is this? In the context of the game, fan theories often discuss whether it could be a post-apocalyptic version of the known Pokémon world. This is damn plausible, as shown by details that can also be found in games like The Last of Us.
Start video
With Pokémon Pokopia, Nintendo mixes two of its most popular franchises for the Switch
Peace, joy, and pancakes? It resembles games like The Last of Us
When you look at individual elements of the game, the world presented in Pokopia seems a bit suspicious. The most significant feature is probably the destroyed city, which can be seen in a longer insight from Nintendo on YouTube.
A broken Pokémon Center is overgrown with plants, and in the upper trailer, you can see a broken Pokédex that must have been lying there for a while. And honestly: When would a trainer lose their Pokédex? This strongly resembles classic visual elements of the post-apocalypse.
Thinking of The Last of Us or Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom, overgrown structures of the world before the apocalypse are a sign of nature reclaiming. The human world then appears as an ancient civilization that no longer exists, contextualizing the plants and nature differently.
In Pokopia, humans are also not really a topic anymore. Ditto transforms into one, but in the aforementioned YouTube video, Professor Tangoloss explains that it has been a while since it has seen humans. However, they must have lived there; otherwise, there wouldn’t be any broken buildings.
As Game Rant reported, a leak about a Pokopia prototype surfaced in 2023. It also mentioned what happened to some cities in Kanto (the region of the first Pokémon games). Some cities were just craters, flooded, or burned – like after an apocalypse.
Thematically, it also fits that the Pokémon here are taking care of rebuilding the world. Like animals that, in a post-apocalypse, slowly begin to inhabit the cities and other areas again. Again, the comparison to The Last of Us fits. Animals from zoos or the forest ventured more and more into the abandoned cities. This made the world of The Last of Us feel so alive, even though there were undead everywhere.
The Pokédex looks like it has been lying there for years or decades
Even the new Pokémon seem suspicious
Another important element concerning the post-apocalypse theory are the displayed new Pokémon. At the end of the YouTube showcase, new variants were shown.
On the one hand, there is a color eagle that presumably hasn’t been cleaned for a long time and is drawing on a canvas that stands on a broken tile floor. Professor Tangoloss is also present, who has a HM or TM on a tentacle and apparently knows a lot about the world. This could still somehow be explained, but the other two Pokémon are more suspicious.
The prominent mascot Pikachu has a new variant: Schlappchu. It simply looks like the ghost of a Pikachu. You first see it sleeping and then it seems to generate light with its electricity. While there are ghost Pokémon in Pokémon, the regional variants (like Alola) that change the type look different and have different details in design. Schlappchu seems to be just the ghost of a Pikachu.
Here you can see the sleeping ghost mouse:
Something must be wrong here!
Interestingly, in Pokémon Red and Blue, there was already the ghost of a dead Pokémon. In the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town, players encounter the ghost of a Knogga, which probably died while protecting its young. One can assume that something happened to the Pikachu.
Another interesting Pokémon is the Snorlax that is seen at the end. It is completely overgrown with moss and is called Mooslaxo. Considering the sleeping nature of Snorlax, it’s like the overgrown buildings: Apparently, no one has woken it up, and the plants have simply spread out.
Could a post-apocalypse be thematized in the game? That is probably quite unlikely. Since it is a spin-off and gameplay-wise oriented towards cozy games, one can assume that the parallels to a post-apocalypse will likely only be hinted at or visually represented.
Games like Pokémon Colosseum have already shown a different world in the past, one that with its western setting looks almost like Fallout, but even there, the background of the world was never really thematized. If you want to play other games until the release on March 5, we have a ranking for you: The 7 best Pokémon games if you don’t want to be a normal trainer
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A Twitch streamer has been (unintentionally) fighting for the title of “Worst Player of Sauercrowd” in recent weeks. Now he has a happy ending and the respect from the community.
Which streamer is it? Pummelfee86, whose real name is Lars, comes from Bremen and has his own pub for 11 years. When he is not behind the bar, he plays video games. Since April 2021, he has been sharing his hobby on Twitch with interested viewers. He has accumulated over 47,000 followers by November 2025 (Source: twitchtracker.com).
As is known, in December the Sauercrowd event of the German Twitch scene started. Among those participating was Pummelfee86. However, the streamer did not progress far while leveling up. Level 12, Level 9, Level 12, Level 16 … he had his first four ghost healer visits before New Year’s Eve. On the hardcore servers of WoW Classic, this always means: starting over!
Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!
The Grueling Fight at Level 60
How did the event go for Pummelfee86? At the beginning of the new year, things did not look better for the streamer. Up until January 12, 2026, Pummelfee died a total of 13 times. His characters never got beyond Level 26. Only the Sauercrowd participant HACI has died more frequently during the event (16 deaths, most recently on February 7, after a kamikaze pull, Source: Twitch).
Unlike HACI, however, Pummelfee was able to learn from his mistakes and adjust his playstyle. From then on, he often played in a group to hunt for experience points together.
Additionally, luck was on his side. The numerous “Close Calls” clips on sauercrowd.gg demonstrate that Pummelfee’s virtual life in Azeroth was constantly in danger despite the team-building measures.
In the end, however, Pummelfee was rewarded for his perseverance. With the quest “Morganth”, he reached the maximum level 60 with his hardcore warrior. The relief and joy of the streamer were palpable on Twitch: “Awesome thing. […] Crazy, crazy, crazy. This is crazy. […] It’s so cool to hit 60 in Elwynn Forest. This is where it all started. I spent a lot of time here.”
How does the community react to the success? Although only a few other players were present at the time, many viewers congratulated the streamer live in the chat. Additionally, part of the community is celebrating his success on Reddit.
Sorst writes there: “Haha, I thought he had stopped because no death clips were coming anymore. Much respect for him always getting back in.”
UseRevolutionary8971 adds: “The way it looked at the beginning, I never expected that. GZ!”
itzDnns explains: “Here you can see what a learning curve is. With HACI, however, the line always stays the same.”
koomGER jokes: “Seriously: he can achieve anything, right? If he ever wants to be president or a millionaire, he’ll make it happen.”
Nimu0815 celebrates: “I am really happy for him. Such perseverance truly deserves respect!”
Is Blizzard using its biggest franchise too little? At least, that’s what a head of World of Warcraft believes, and wants more.
World of Warcraft is doing well, perhaps better than it has in a long time – not referring to the latest chaotic patch, but in general. Every few weeks there are new contents, the next expansion is on the horizon, and plans are already in place far into the future.
Nevertheless, Blizzard believes that Warcraft has been underutilized. Because leading figures like Holly Longdale think this way, we can probably expect some changes soon.
Start video
WoW: Housing-Cinematic in WildStar style
What was said? In an interview with The Game Business, Holly Longdale, Executive Producer and Vice President of World of Warcraft, shared her views on the Warcraft franchise:
It is a fantastic IP. In my humble opinion, it has been underutilized, and I want to bring it to as many people as possible. And that means evolving what Warcraft means, what it is, and where it’s going. We want it to be accessible.
This “underutilization” of the Warcraft IP obviously leaves many questions open. What is Longdale referring to? Is she only talking about World of Warcraft, or is the plan to expand Warcraft as a whole? How could that look like?
There are many games related to Warcraft – What does Longdale mean?
The community is amused: At least in the WoW subreddit, people seem to view the interview excerpts with humor and apparently believe that Warcraft has been utilized quite extensively. The comment from Rondine1990 with over 3,000 upvotes states:
What if we make a card game out of it? Oh, and a strategy game could also work well, with all the heroes. And since there are already heroes… why not also a MOBA? I’m sure that could get so huge that you could even bring in heroes from elsewhere… wait a minute!
These are, of course, references to the Warcraft-inspired titles of recent decades, such as Hearthstone, Warcraft Rumble, and Heroes of the Storm. All of these are games that either have Warcraft as their basis or are at least heavily inspired by it.
For this reason, some find it hard to understand how it’s supposedly been “underutilized,” since there have been several attempts at games. But perhaps Holly Longdale wasn’t even talking about games.
How could the Warcraft franchise grow further? One idea that has been floating around for years and is repeatedly discussed by the community is the implementation of a Warcraft series – whether as a live-action series (similar to The Witcher), as an animated or anime version (like Castlevania), or in an animated style (like Arcane). The community’s hunger for such a series is large, especially after the movie was rather mediocre.
Whether and how Warcraft will evolve remains to be seen. However, we are quite sure that at BlizzCon 2026 in September, we will receive some new information. Perhaps by then we will already know where the journey is headed – and whether we can look forward to entirely new games or other media. The same interview also discussed that WoW could soon have a community of retirees.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Dwarfs are one of the most popular races from Warhammer Fantasy: Stubborn like few others, but also loyal and incredibly tough. Therefore, we want to introduce you to five legendary Dwarfs – and three absolutely hated traitors.
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At first glance, the Dawi, as the Dwarfs from Warhammer Fantasy call themselves, fulfill all the known stereotypes: short and stocky in stature with long beards, Dwarfs are master miners and blacksmiths. Their cities carved into mountains reach deep into the world’s mountain ranges, which are their homeland.
As with every race from Warhammer Fantasy, these well-known stereotypes are portrayed extremely exaggerated, both the positive and the negative:
Dwarfs are incredibly stubborn and headstrong, and are also vengeful. They value tradition above all else and worship their ancestors as gods, vehemently resisting too much progress and change.
However, they also possess a strong sense of honor: Dwarfs are loyal until the end. The greatest disgrace for a Dwarf is to break an oath. The only way to make amends for this loss of honor is for many a honorable death in battle.
In the upcoming list, we will introduce you to five Dwarfs with legendary status, including great kings and mighty warriors. After that, we will show you three Dwarfs who are eternally hated as traitors to their people. Our main source for the lore is the Lexicanum, a fan-made online wiki based on official material, but also lore that is referenced in Total War: Warhammer 3.
Thorgrim Grollbart
Thorgrim is the High King of the Dwarfs and thus ruler over all Dawi. He is a descendant of Grungni, whom the Dwarfs worship as a god, and is extremely wise. He goes into battle on a throne carried by four Dwarfs.
Thorgrim is also the one who keeps the Great Book of Grudges. He keeps the book constantly close by and even places it under his pillow when he sleeps. The book is of immense importance to the Dwarfs: Their High Kings have always written down every offense against their people with their blood. A grudge is only settled when the perpetrator has been punished.
Start video
Total War: Warhammer shows the dwarves and their high king in the trailer
Thorgrim’s goal is to strike every single grudge from the Great Book of Grudges. The list of offenses is long and is likely to get even longer – have we mentioned that Dwarfs are very vengeful? Although Dwarfs can live for around 200 years, even 1,000 lifetimes might not be enough to settle the last grudge.
Despite everything, Thorgrim remains determined. And he is very good at avenging offense after offense and removing them from the book while also frequently fighting at the front lines against armies of Orcs and other enemies. Of course, new grudges are constantly added because… that’s what happens in war. Do you see the problem?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An action game wanted to become the new GTA in 2025, but failed miserably. Sabotage is said to be the cause, but the culprits have now been caught.
What kind of game is it? In June 2025, the developer studio “Build a Rocket Boy” released its first game: MindsEye. Players take on the role of former soldier Jacob Diaz, who bears a mysterious neural implant in his head and confronts political corruption and corporate espionage.
MindsEye is a story-driven action game that follows in the footsteps of games like GTA: There’s a sunny big city, fast cars, third-person shooting, a cover mechanic, and of course wild chases with plenty of explosions.
Start video
The shooter ‘MindsEye’ shows first gameplay in the new trailer
Studio claims external forces are to blame
This is what lies behind the developers’ sabotage theory: Even before the release of MindsEye, Mark Gerhard, the Deputy CEO of “Build a Rocket Boy,” stated that he was 100% sure, that players are being funded by someone to negatively react to the game on social media.
Now, Insider Gaming reportedly has a recording of an internal meeting of the studio in which Gerhardt claims they have caught “the guys” who sabotaged MindsEye as part of a million-dollar campaign.
According to Gerhardt, a “very large American company” is behind this campaign and collaborated with an influencer agency to damage the reputation of Build a Rocket Boy and MindsEye.
Furthermore, the Deputy CEO of the studio allegedly stated in the meeting that criminal charges for “espionage, sabotage, and criminal interference” would be filed against those involved.
The game suffered from severe performance issues. One point of criticism from players was also the empty open world and the gameplay described as boring. Additionally, there was a mission discussed in which a chase always went the same way – even if players themselves did not press any keys.
The players’ criticism was reflected in the player counts and user ratings on Steam – even today, they are only 42% positive. At peak, MindsEye had only 3,300 players simultaneously (via SteamDB).
The harsh criticism of the game also took its toll on Alex Hernandez, the actor of the protagonist Jacob Diaz. He said he might never work on a game again and knows that his name and face are now associated with something that “many people find quite terrible.” Read more about it here: An actor becomes the face of a game on Steam, now he worries about his future
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some bosses have a lot of hit points – really a lot. But which one actually has the most HP and is truly beatable?
Which boss in which game is actually the strongest? Not in terms of the damage it deals, but in regards to its hit points and how long it takes to whittle them down. Excluded are bosses that literally have “infinite” hit points or possess complete immunity. So they must be bosses that are theoretically beatable – no matter how long that may take.
There are tough bosses in the new game from some former Diablo creators:
Start video
Darkhaven: Das neue Action-Rollenspiel ehemaliger Macher von Diablo hat jetzt einen Namen
Where did the discussion take place? In the gaming subreddit, players from all genres come together and exchange ideas about video games. Therefore, many have ideas and examples of which bosses might belong to the most powerful, whose hit points were so improbably high that while they can be defeated, it is an insane challenge.
Which bosses were mentioned? Commentators recall many games in which bosses possess absurd amounts of hit points and literally steal player time.
The comment with the most upvotes speaks of Kerafyrm. This was a very special boss in EverQuest, who could only be summoned once per server. He was supposed to be unbeatable, but the community was persistent, as spider0804 recalls:
It took over 100 players working an entire day to bring his HP near 0 before the developers despawned the boss, thereby halting the attempt.
This was a world boss that counted as a promotion for new content and was not supposed to be killable. He defeated players with a one-shot, but people rushed back in so quickly that they threw more bodies at the boss than he could defeat.
However, there are also mentions of games where boss HP is represented in curious ways. There, scientific notation or exponents are used, such that bosses have multiple times the hit points – often with absurdly high values. Some examples where this was the case:
Bosses from the Disgaea series
Bosses in Clicker Heroes
The final boss in Noita
Equally infamous are some bosses from Final Fantasy, such as the holy dragon Yiazmat in part 12 of the series. This boss had so many hit points that the fight could literally extend over several days – and that in a single-player RPG where fights usually last no more than 10 to 15 minutes.
Yiazmat is likely to have slightly traumatized some Final Fantasy fans.
This fight was so exhausting that players even programmed their characters (which was possible in Final Fantasy XII through setting up “Gambits”) and then let the PlayStation run overnight, hoping the boss would be defeated by the next day.
Do you know a boss that is even sturdier and equipped with even more hit points, but is still possible to defeat? Which bosses took so incredibly long that you’d never want to fight them again? Let us know in the comments! If you are still looking for good RPGs with significantly more beatable foes, we have the 14 best RPGs on Steam.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of ARC Raiders have made so much money with the shooter that they don’t have to worry about finances and are already working on the next games.
This is known about the situation of ARC Raiders: In October 2025, Embark Studios released the extraction shooter ARC Raiders. The game quickly captivated many players and became a hit, drawing many viewers on Twitch as well. Since then, over 200,000 players have been playing the shooter simultaneously on Steam every day. The game is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Spieler in Arc Raiders schreit so laut um Hilfe, dass der Nachbar die Tür aufbricht
“We can live off the money for a long time”
This is how the developers proceed now: Patrick Söderlund, one of the founders and current CEO of Embark Studios (ARC Raiders, The Finals), has now confirmed in an interview with IGN that the speculated development costs of around 64 million euros are “not too far off,” although he does not specify an exact figure.
Based on this, he explains that the studio currently doesn’t have to worry about finances: “We can live off the money that ARC Raiders has generated for a long time, and that provides financial security and job stability for the people working there.”
He then elaborates that the studio is already working on the next big projects, two new games:
We are expanding our studio, hiring new employees, want to develop more of ARC Raiders and more of The Finals. We also have two new games in development that we hope to finish one day.
Is the next hit in development? While Söderlund did not specify what these new games are, it is promising information for fans of the studio – after all, the next hit could emerge here.
Before ARC Raiders took the shooter community by storm, Embark’s debut game, The Finals, was already a major success. The Finals launched strongly in December 2023 and reached a peak of over 240,000 concurrent players on Steam alone. The shooter was downloaded over 10 million times in the first two weeks (Source: Insider-Gaming) and still has a small but active community even two years after its release.
How could it proceed for ARC Raiders? Söderlund emphasized in the interview that, of course, work on ARC Raiders will continue. This means not only new content but also the optimization of existing content, such as redesigning a map or a new area in an existing map.
The new hero of Overwatch is Anran and she’s pretty hot. But one thing the community finds really terrible.
After the big Overwatch announcement of 5 new heroes and heroines, Blizzard immediately unlocked one of them in the game as a so-called “live test.” Anran brings a lot of fire into the game and heats things up for her enemies. However, one thing a large part of the community does not find so hot – because the face of the hero is a sheer disappointment for many.
Start video
Overwatch shows 5 new heroes coming with Season 1: Conquest
What can Anran do? Anran comes into play as a new DPS hero, meaning she is supposed to ensure that enemies quickly meet their demise or (in her case) turn to ashes.
Zhuque Fan: Anran shoots two fiery projectiles in rapid succession. If an enemy is hit by 4 projectiles in quick succession (or 2 critical hits), they are set on fire and take additional damage. In the alternate fire mode (right click), she can swing her fan to stoke the fire on enemies and significantly increase the burn damage they suffer.
Wildfire: Anran charges forward, causing burn damage to all targets she comes into contact with. Targets can be hit multiple times as long as a bit of distance is established between touches.
Dancing Flame: Anran becomes temporarily invulnerable, transforms into a flame, and jumps from enemy to enemy to deal damage. The more enemies are nearby that she can jump to, the longer the invulnerability lasts.
Additionally, Anran is unique because she has 2 ultimates:
Ultimate 1 – Crimson Ascent: Anran ascends into the sky and has a few seconds to select a target area. Then she charges to the location, exploding in a powerful flame and applying a burn debuff to all enemies hit.
Ultimate 2 – Crimson Return: If Anran dies and the ultimate is ready, she can activate it up to 5 seconds after her death to resurrect in place. In doing so, she explodes and sets all enemies on fire, but deals less damage than the first ultimate.
Anran’s design has become cool. Or rather hot. You know, fire and all.
How does Anran play? Anran is quite an agile DPS character who, although she cannot keep up with the speed of a Tracer, still feels comfortable at medium and close range. Her perks allow her to continually rush through enemy groups with “Wildfire” in quick succession and use “Dancing Flame” to become invulnerable while still damaging opponents. Her resurrection thanks to the ultimate even allows so-called kamikaze attacks to be a viable strategy to attack enemies a second time “from the inside.”
However, Anran also lives quite dangerously. To stoke the fire with her fan, she has to get relatively close to her target and usually has to leave the “safe” area behind the shields of her tanks.
The standard face of Anran that hardly anyone likes
One point of criticism that has crystallized in the community in recent days is the appearance of Anran, or more precisely: her face. Because this has caused some displeasure and a lot of suggestions on how to fix the problem.
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What is the problem with the face? Just a few hours after Anran was made available in the game in the form of a “playtest,” there was a flood of criticism on social media platforms like X or the Overwatch subreddit. Because as good as the general plans for Overwatch were received, one thing bothered: Anran’s face. Many view it as rather carelessly developed, as it depicts the “standard cute girl” face.
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This is criticized especially because Anran’s face was already seen earlier in a cinematic and was much more distinctive. Now she seems to many like a reproduction of Juno – and some examples where the faces were overlaid make this clear:
This is what is termed “Same Face Syndrome” and is evident in Anran’s case. Therefore, the community is correspondingly loud and wishes that Blizzard makes some design adjustments so that Anran is unique – and not just (in terms of her face) a carbon copy of Juno.
How do you like Anran? Have you already tried her in the game before she fully appears on February 10 together with 4 other heroes? Or have you long found your “mains” and are likely not to stray from them for the fiery lady? If not, then maybe the new heroine Domina is made for you …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is art, says the French Ministry of Culture and awards the developers a special honor.
What kind of honor is that? Sandfall Interactive, the developer studio behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, was honored for the game by the French government with a special award.
As the developers announced in a post on LinkedIn, they have received the so-called “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” from the French Ministry of Culture, translated roughly as “Order of Arts and Literature.”
Start video
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hinterlässt bei den Spielern eine Leere
Why is that special? To receive the award, the individuals in question must meet a few requirements, such as being at least 30 years old and respecting French civil law.
With this honor, the French Ministry of Culture recognizes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as art, as the award is given to individuals who have distinguished themselves through their works in the artistic or literary field or through their contribution to the influence of the arts and literature in France and worldwide.
The honor thus indicates that the game has enriched the culture of France.
Has the award ever been given to game developers? Yes, but not often. In 2006, Michel Ancel (Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil), Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo), and Frédérick Raynal (Alone in the Dark) received the award. David Cage, the founder of Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain, Detroit: Become Human), received the award in 2014.
How long has one actually been playing World of Warcraft? A question that not everyone wants an answer to. Because it could be uncomfortable.
In World of Warcraft, pride and shame can be very close together – for example, when looking at the total playtime of the account. While some boast about their years of playtime, others prefer to keep this time secret – preferably even from themselves. An addon now reveals at a glance how much you have played and which class is your favorite.
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Playtime addon is both a curse and a blessing
What kind of addon is this? The addon is called “Account Played” and does exactly what the name suggests. It shows for all characters how many days and hours one has already spent in World of Warcraft and filters this display by the different classes. This way, multiple characters of the same class are summarized to provide better insights.
For the addon to work correctly, you must log in once with each character individually after installation. Only then will the /Played data be read and added to the addon database. This may take a little while, depending on the number of characters on the account.
Over 2 years of pure playtime – do you have more?
What does the addon bring? The advantage of the addon: you can see at a glance how much time you have spent with which class in World of Warcraft.
The downside of the addon: you can see at a glance how much time you have spent in World of Warcraft.
Depending on how long and how intensely you have played Blizzard’s MMORPG, there can be well over several hundred days listed for individual classes, so that in the end several years of lifetime add up.
This may raise the question for some whether this time could not have been filled with something more meaningful – others may be filled with pride about how long and intensely they have been involved.
Which group do you belong to? Do you like to show how long you have been playing World of Warcraft and how intensely you are addicted to the game? Or do you find the total duration so uncomfortable and burdensome that you would rather not know it at all? If that number has already driven you to desperation, let’s continue with this: Not all great characters will survive the soul saga.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
