The 2nd season of The Rings of Power has officially started. The story takes place long before the Hobbit films. An actor who has appeared in 5 Middle-earth films currently has no interest in the new series, even though his character does appear in it.
Which actor is it? Since August 29th, the 2nd season of The Rings of Power can be watched. The series started with 3 episodes and a new one is released every Thursday. Several characters from the previous films also appear in the series.
One of these characters is Elrond, played by Robert Aramayo in the series. The character appeared in 5 of the 6 Middle-earth live-action films. Elrond was played by Hugo Weaving. As he explains in an interview, he has no desire to watch the new series.
German trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
A major franchise he has no strong feelings about
What does Hugo Weaving say about The Rings of Power? In an interview with radiotime.com in connection with the new season of Slow Horses, he also spoke about The Rings of Power. He was asked if he had seen Aramayo’s performance. He responded with the following:
I haven’t seen him, and I apologize to Robert. No, I’ve been in Middle-earth for too long, and I don’t necessarily want to go back. I love New Zealand; I was recently back in New Zealand.
He explains that he does not have strong feelings about the role, as fans might. He knows how big the franchise and the films are, but for him, the role of Elrond is not solidified in his mind.
What else has Weaving done?The Lord of the Rings is not the only big franchise that Weaving has appeared in. In the Matrix trilogy, he played Agent Smith. Additionally, he has been seen in films such as V for Vendetta or Hacksaw Ridge.
A type of opponent in Baldur’s Gate 3 is so annoying that players hate him. However, he is extremely easy to defeat with a simple strategy.
What kind of opponent is annoying? Players of Baldur’s Gate 3 are bothered by a monster of the type fiend: a Cursed Goblin. This monster appears in Act 3 of the game and is a unique monster found on a boat in the harbor.
The monster is level 12, making it one of the tougher opponents outside of boss fights. Its abilities include the beam of decay, which deals two W8 poison damage in a beam up to 18 meters long. Additionally, it can fly.
On reddit, players are complaining about its passive ability: When the goblin takes damage, it returns that damage three times as acid damage. This can kill a character in one round. However, according to the commentators, there is a very simple solution.
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3 is 1 year old and to celebrate the creators share your dirty secrets
Easily defeating a level 12 boss – Here’s how
How do you easily defeat him? In the comments under the reddit thread, there is a common opinion: If you attack the cursed goblin, you engage in a tough fight. Instead, you should just throw or shove the opponent into the water.
Since the fight takes place on the deck of a ship, you are surrounded by the sea. Therefore, throw the goblin overboard with a character with high strength using the Throw action. Alternatively, you can also use a spell like Thunderwave, Gust of Wind, or Telekinesis to push the opponent over the railing.
This kills the goblin, even though it has wings and should theoretically be able to fly away easily. A similar bug existed with one of the larger boss opponents in Baldur’s Gate 3: Vampire-Lord Cazador could be effortlessly pushed to death for several months. Now he remembers he can fly again.
What about the goblin’s loot? When you hand enemies over the edge or to the sea, their loot is usually unreachable for you. However, you can retrieve the bodies of your enemies from the sea using spells like Telekinesis to bring them back to playable ground. This way, you can loot them afterward.
This also works for the cursed goblin. However, according to comments on reddit, he doesn’t drop even a single gold piece of loot. So, it’s not worth recovering and searching the body. The opponent is, at most, a heap of experience points to level you up. If you’ve already reached level 12, that won’t help you anymore.
The goblin is annoying, and even the fight offers no benefits for players. At least there are few abilities in Baldur’s Gate 3 that trigger when a character takes damage. However, there is a weapon that heals your party when the holder has lost all hit points: Blood of Lathander and how to obtain and use ceremonial weapons
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO spoke with Nekatus at gamescom 2024. He is a modder for the survival game ARK and provided us with some insights into his life and profession.
Whether it’s ARK: Survival Evolved or the UE5 successor ARK: Survival Ascended, mods play a crucial role in Studio Wildcard’s dino adventure. For years, the highly active mod community of the game has been diligently designing new content for the survival hit, ensuring that there’s something suitable for every player. The selection ranges from new creatures to quality-of-life improvements to extravagant building structures for your base.
New maps are also being created by diligent members of the community. The German modder Nekatus has earned a special reputation among the player base with his creations. He has made maps like Fjördur and Valguero, and his latest work Svartalfheim is already playable.
Each map designed by Nekatus has one thing in common: players love them, and they are downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. Some of his maps are even officially adopted by the game’s developers and added cross-platform to the game.
MeinMMO’s community manager Marylin Marx spoke with Nekatus at gamescom 2024 and gained some insights into the life of the full-time modder.
From WoW to ARK: How Nekatus became a Modder for Dino Worlds
In the interview, Nekatus shares that he began his modding career at a young age. However, it wasn’t with a survival game, but actually with the MMORPG World of Warcraft. Only years later did he casually land in ARK and realize that he could also express his creativity there:
„I had already modded WoW a little back then, but I was like 12 or 13. It wasn’t that serious yet. I’ve always enjoyed creating something, making new maps and stuff, and then I realized that it was also possible in ARK.”
Now, Nekatus works full-time as a modder for the German server provider Nitrado. He mentions that the company allows him to design his maps. For this, he sometimes works up to 14 hours a day.
„So I have days where I accomplish less and days where I work extremely hard and long, and then do something for 12 to 14 hours. Basically, it’s a 24/7 job because I’m always thinking about work; it’s like gaming for me. And I’m doing it full-time now, so I’m at it all day anyway.”
Nekatus works on a single map for about 2-3 years, he reveals to us. He spent three and a half years on the Viking world Fjördur. For the predecessor Valguero, it took him about 2 years. However, he is particularly proud of the map he is currently working on: „This is already, I would say, the best of my maps,” he tells us.
He himself learned the most when he worked with the developers of ARK. He then also received tips on what he could do differently in the future.
With ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA), the dino adventure received a new coat of paint in Unreal Engine 5 in 2023. Even before the release, the developers of the Steam hit received a lot of criticism from the community regarding the funding policy of the survival game. After the release, there were complaints about bugs and performance. Nevertheless, Nekatus has a clear opinion about which game is better:
„Definitely Ascended, simply because it has a newer engine and the mod support is better. But even aside from these two points, ASA is now the better game, I think.”
Nekatus would also recommend ARK: Survival Ascended to new players, as long as their PC’s performance is sufficient. He himself will still design mods for ASA, even when ARK 2 is out. That appeals to him personally less: „ARK 2 will head more towards Soulslike, and that’s not really my genre. So I prefer to stick with the regular survival sandbox.”
For the future of ARK, he also wishes for a more open communication from the developers and adherence to release dates. This has been a topic in ARK for a long time and is well known to every active player: ARK 2: Release, trailer, gameplay – What we know so far
His new map is called Astraeos and is inspired by ancient Greece and its mythology. Nekatus already knows what boss enemies will await you there, but that will remain a secret for now.
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ARK: Survival Ascended is revealed for the first time in the trailer
The Right Inspiration and an Eye for Aesthetics
In designing Astraeos, a popular title from Ubisoft played a significant role for Nekatus: „I have been playing Assassin’s Creed since childhood,” Nekatus reveals and adds: „I take a lot from the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ parts.”
In general, Nekatus plays games or watches movies and documentaries in the respective setting when researching for a new map. Designing a map involves not only creating the landscape but also doing research.
According to Nekatus, it also requires an eye for aesthetics and naturalness. Additionally, good English skills and spatial awareness are important. If you want to start modding, Nekatus has a special tip for you:
„Start small. So don’t start directly with the biggest map. Many do that; I think I did that back then too, and that was a mistake. So definitely start small first and learn the techniques.”
He himself learned the most when he worked with the developers of ARK. He then also received tips on what he could do differently in the future.
With ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA), the dino adventure received a new coat of paint in Unreal Engine 5 in 2023. Even before the release, the developers of the Steam hit received a lot of criticism from the community regarding the funding policy of the survival game. After the release, there were complaints about bugs and performance. Nevertheless, Nekatus has a clear opinion about which game is better:
„Definitely Ascended, simply because it has a newer engine and the mod support is better. But even aside from these two points, ASA is now the better game, I think.”
Nekatus would also recommend ARK: Survival Ascended to new players, as long as their PC’s performance is sufficient. He himself will still design mods for ASA, even when ARK 2 is out. That appeals to him personally less: „ARK 2 will head more towards Soulslike, and that’s not really my genre. So I prefer to stick with the regular survival sandbox.”
For the future of ARK, he also wishes for a more open communication from the developers and adherence to release dates. This has been a topic in ARK for a long time and is well known to every active player: ARK 2: Release, trailer, gameplay – What we know so far
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In One Piece, there are not only the people of mankind. The world is inhabited by various races. MeinMMO has examined the strongest fighters that are not humans and included them in this ranking.
Warning, Spoiler! The state of the article refers to the end of Wa no Kuni.
Among the first non-human races that Luffy and his friends encounter in One Piece are the giants and the fish-men. Even in the early days of the anime, it became clear what great potential the other races have.
Many of them have special abilities that we want to utilize for our ranking. Therefore, we list the 5 strongest beings that do not belong to the people of mankind or look significantly different from humans. The only condition for appearing in this ranking is that the character is not a human.
Place 5: Nekomamushi and Inuarashi
The Minks have a special Su-Long form.
First Appearance: Episode 756
Race: Mink
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi are a cat and dog Mink who ruled Zou before the events in Wa no Kuni. They are former members of Gol D. Roger’s pirate crew and have thus experienced quite a lot.
The Minks can best be described as a mix between animals and humans. There are many different types of Minks, such as rabbit or polar bear Minks. Depending on the species, they have different advantages in battle. However, what they all have in common: They can shock opponents and transform into their true stronger form, the Su-Long form, under the full moon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Elder Scrolls: Online (ESO) is now one of the most successful MMORPGs. But it wasn’t always like that. The developers have now revealed what they would have done differently at the release.
Elder Scrolls: Online is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. However, for a long time, things did not look good for the MMORPG in the world of “The Elder Scrolls”:
At the release, many players expected a WoW in a new guise or at least wanted it to be like WoW.
A weak balancing, bugs and technical issues, as well as an endgame that was far too short, also caused a lot of frustration.
In addition, there was a mandatory subscription model that many players were also not interested in.
However, ESO has changed radically over the past 10 years and a lot has happened: ESO is no longer a game with mandatory subscriptions, and with Tamriel Unlimited, many restrictions have been lifted, making the game more accessible over the years.
The developers now explained that despite the many issues, there was only one thing they would have done differently.
Start video
Cheerful trailer for the Summer Game Fest shows you what makes Elder Scrolls Online at its core
They should have chosen a game to develop
What did the developer say? Rich Lambert, Creative Director for ESO, explained in an interview with PCGamer that he would change at least one thing if he were to develop ESO again:
The only thing that comes to my mind would be to choose the game you want to make.
Because the many problems of ESO arose mainly from the fact that they did not yet know where they wanted to develop the game. There had been two competing versions for the direction of the game, and they tried to reconcile both options. But that simply did not work and caused a lot of problems.
His colleague, Matt Firor, studio head of ESO developer Zenimax Online Studio, stated that he probably wouldn’t have done anything differently. Because the many problems had proven valuable in the long run for the development of Elder Scrolls: Online. Certain things, like the funding model, could be much better assessed by learning from the mistakes.
In Fortnite, each new chapter and its seasons set a different tone in the meta. Depending on the upcoming theme, Epic chooses its weapons for the players. However, Chapter 5 has reportedly produced some of the worst metas according to fans.
Why do fans dislike Chapter 5? The reason is the weapons that Epic Games introduced in its seasons. This includes the waterbender powers, the Magneto gloves, or the vehicles that could be upgraded to tanks.
Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 4 – Official Trailer to Absolute Doom
The worst weapons in every season
How bad was the chapter? Every season in Chapter 5 had its weapons that caused frustration. Whether it was the shield from Season 1, the waterbender power and Hades chains from Season 2, or the cars and Magneto gloves in Season 3. Each season had at least one overly powerful meta weapon that could be found in almost every loadout.
Fans have had enough of it. The OG times with the simple SCAR are long gone, and many do not like these overpowered weapons at all. Some users on Reddit write the following:
“I can’t believe the gloves weren’t nerfed during their reign of terror.” – wvtarheel
“As a player who mainly plays on PC, the waterbending without aim assistance was still a sniper attack with fully automatic fire. I understand the hate, but damn, they were fun” – ABS_TRAC
“Nothing came anywhere near how stupid the waterbending was.” – Anxious_Dott
“It’s a mystery to me that the waterbending was hated more than the Magneto gloves.” – heroinsteve
“Yes, I prefer the water bending any day over the Magneto gloves. The Magneto gloves were by far my least favorite weapon in this chapter.” – iseecolorsofthesky
How does Season 4 look? Not better. Through the Marvel season, Epic Games injected various superpowers into the meta, including Captain America’s shield. This device is not only much too strong, it follows its targets and returns to its owner after being thrown.
Additionally, you can block enemy fire for a while and rush at your opponents while blocking. This, combined with the jets from War Machine, makes you almost unstoppable. Even Captain America’s shield is met with annoyed players.
Shinies are a rare find in Pokémon GO, which players want to catch directly and perhaps capture with a screenshot as well. This was the case for a player on Reddit, but later he noticed that his Pokéball looked different than usual.
What happened? In the subreddit for Pokémon GO, user kieranob shares his recent shiny catch. He describes how he found a Houndoom as shiny, right next to a gold berry and an Ultra Ball. He caught the Houndoom and looked at the screenshot again. You can see the post here:
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In the screenshot, the user notices that his Pokéball looks quite strange. It sparkles and glows like a bowling ball. The bug is quite amusing to the community, and for some, it’s not the first time.
Pokémon GO shows the new season ‘Dyna-Maximum’ in the trailer
The community knows this
How does the community react to the glitch? A user shares their own picture of the graphic error. User Luhha shows a screenshot with a sparkling Ultra Ball. In the background is a shiny Gyarados, which also glows to match the sparkling effect. He simply says: This has been happening for ages.
New Contribution-244: Maybe I should pay attention to the shiny animations during the upcoming Popplio event. Because I never really noticed the Pokéball animation when I encountered shinies.
SimplyReaper: No, your Pokéball just transformed into a disco ball out of excitement, matching your shiny.
FluffySheep1234: Strange. Looks like a glitch, but it resembles a Terastal Pokéball. I’m not a fan of Terastal though.
It is unknown whether this can only happen with shinies or also with normal Pokémon; the two screenshots from the Reddit thread show shiny Pokémon, however.
Have you ever experienced such a graphic error, or is this your first time seeing it? Share your experience in the comments. If you want to see for yourself if this is possible, you’ll probably need to find shiny Pokémon. This is possible at some events in September: Pokémon GO: All events in September 2024 – Dates and bonuses
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, there are suddenly real RPG elements again. At least MeinMMO demon Cortyn praises this and mentions many successful examples.
In the meantime, I have completed all the quests of World of Warcraft The War Within and have already brought several classes to level 80. I have noticed some details that might escape one’s attention during the first playthrough. Because there are quite a few small but fine differences and details that you only encounter when you play multiple classes.
The War Within has indeed incorporated some interesting “role-playing elements” that have been painfully missed in the last expansions of World of Warcraft.
Start video
WoW: The War Within – Forces Within
Actions for Specific Classes
One innovation that has not previously existed in this abundance is interaction options that exist only for your class or race. Throughout Khaz Algar, you can find small details that are only available to certain characters. Here are a few examples that I have encountered so far.
Mage Conversations in Heilsturz
In Heilsturz, there is only one single mage among the Arathi with a rather dark backstory. While you can ask the mage about various details, such as why he does not simply open a portal to the Arathi Empire.
But only if you are a mage yourself can you inquire more specifically. You will then learn more details about how he is trying to learn this spell now and what problems have arisen in doing so. He will explain to you at length how he is progressing with the calculations of his magical research – and for you as a mage, it sounds plausible.
The last mage of the Arathi has special dialogues – but some are only for fellow mages.
Additionally, you can tease him a little as a “fellow mage.” It is, after all, quite funny that he is now stuck there as the last mage.
No Trust in the Evil
We had already reported on another detail previously. The members of the Arathi Expedition are anything but open to sinister alignments and can hardly deal with warlocks or other sinister figures.
For this reason, it takes a bit more persuasion from these classes for one or another NPC to want to cooperate with you. This results in you even receiving an exclusive quest where you must defeat a large creature of the void. The skeptical NPC accompanies you during this and assumes the whole time that you will still betray him.
Derill does not trust you if you play the “wrong” class.
The quest is not particularly challenging or long. But it helps to finally explain why some people cooperate with heroes who have a completely different alignment.
In the past, this often led to conflicts, for example, when a paladin suddenly had to work for rogues or especially gullible beings willingly cooperated with witches.
Rogues Don’t Want to Solve Puzzles
In the area of Heilsturz, you can find a pirate treasure – however, the chest is locked. When you click on the chest, a message appears in the style of: “The heavy chest cannot be easily opened. Perhaps a clue can be found if you look around a bit.”
Most classes would now have to do just that, look around everywhere and ultimately retrieve the key from the corpse of a fallen woman.
Rogues, however, get a dialogue option and can choose:
“That may be. I’ll just pick the lock anyway.”
This is a small detail, but incredibly cool.
Details that Just Fit Well
Of course, all these are just small details and nuances. The choice of class does not change the overarching plot progression or have drastic effects on the story.
But that doesn’t have to be the case at all. I am completely satisfied that World of Warcraft recognizes my choice of class or past achievements in the game and points out in some corners: “Here, this is just for you, because you are exactly this class or this race.”
How well the appreciation for such details can be received, has been impressively shown by Baldur’s Gate 3 last year. I would be delighted if WoW brings even more such content. They don’t need to dominate the game, but having small, exclusive dialogues or opportunities available only for specific classes again and again makes the world so much more convincing.
Endless Dialogues and So Much to Read
Another point is the additional dialogues that you can listen to if you want. Whether it’s about small NPCs that you can simply ask about their daily lives or their attitudes, or the great, storied heroes like Anduin or Magni, with whom you can listen for a while as they converse with each other.
For some puzzles, you even need to engage with the story.
This is a great thing for story fans like me, but also for everyone who may not have much understanding of the lore and often ask: Who are they? What are they actually doing here? Because often you can ask just such a question to refresh your memory about whom you are actually dealing with here.
My only criticism here is that significantly more of these scenes could have been voiced. Because, except for a few exceptions, this is only the case with the main quest. Many quest NPCs conduct dialogues with speech bubbles without any actual voice, and this does feel a bit outdated.
All of this is of course optional. Those who are not interested in the story can almost always simply “skip” it and will not be bothered by “boring details.”
Conclusion: A Rounder MMORPG Through Small Details
I am aware that many are reading this and asking: “Okay, and why is this important?” Because these details have virtually no effect on gameplay and if you are not interested in the story, it doesn’t matter at all.
But it matters to me. I love such small role-playing details. For me, it makes me fall even more in love with the game world and gives me the impression: There are people behind this who have developed it with love and dedication and have invested time into these small moments. People have thought about making everything consistent and fitting together. Something that unfortunately cannot always be said with certainty about WoW in the past. Of course, there are also details that are a bit more amusing and less serious. Like SpongeBob, who was found in The War Within.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Dune: Prophecy is coming this year and is a prequel to the popular Dune film series. The series revolves around the intricate plans of the mysterious Bene Gesserit order. You can find everything about the release, trailers, and cast at MeinMMO.
What is Dune: Prophecy? Following the box office hits Dune and Dune: Part Two by director Denis Villeneuve, Frank Herbert’s Dune universe will be expanded with the sci-fi series Dune: Prophecy. Dune 2 was very well received by many. MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya even believes: Anyone who doesn’t go to the cinema for this sci-fi epic misses film history.
The series Dune: Prophecy will tell the backstory to Denis Villeneuve’s films Dune and Dune 2. Dune: Prophecy is set about 10,000 years before the adventures of Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya).
At the center is the story of the mysterious order of the Bene Gesserit, a secret sisterhood of women, which includes Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson).
Good to know: The series was renamed from Dune: The Sisterhood to Dune: Prophecy in November 2023.
Dune: Prophecy – All important information at a glance
When does Dune: Prophecy come out? The prequel series Dune: Prophecy will premiere in November 2024, also in Germany. However, there is no exact release date yet.
Where can I watch Dune: Prophecy? Dune: Prophecy is a production of WarnerMedia and Legendary Television, which was originally supposed to launch on the US streamer Max. Instead, it will now air on the HBO main network.
In Germany, you can watch Dune: Prophecy on Sky and WOW.
Is the series also coming to Netflix and Amazon Prime? According to the current status, the series will not be streamed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
How many episodes does Dune: Prophecy have? Season 1 of Dune: Prophecy will comprise a total of 6 episodes.
Is there a trailer for Dune: Prophecy? Yes, you can watch the longest trailer so far here:
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Teaser for Season 1 of Dune: Prophecy
Dune: Prophecy – Cast
Who is in the cast of the Dune series?
Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen in the lead role
Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen in the lead role
Who is directing the series? Initially, Johan Renck (Chernobyl and The Last Panthers) was supposed to direct, but after his exit in February 2023, Anna Foerster (Outlander and Underworld: Blood Wars) took over this role.
The series Dune: Prophecyis developed by Diane Ademu-John (The Originals and The Haunting of Bly Manor). Alongside her is the showrunner, writer, and producer Alison Schapker (Westworld and Lost).
On board as executive producer is Brian Herbert, the son of the original author Frank Herbert. His granddaughter Kim Herbert is also involved.
Denis Villeneuve and the screenwriter of the Dune films, Jon Spaihts, are not working on Dune: Prophecy.
What is Dune: Prophecy about? Dune: Prophecy is about two sisters from House Harkonnen who fight against forces that could threaten the future of humanity about 10,000 years before the events of the Dune films.
To confront this threat, they establish the Bene Gesserit sect. Through rigorous training and targeted influence of bloodlines across many generations, they aim to create an overpowered being named Kwisatz Haderach.
The series is partially based on the novel The Throne of the Desert Planet (Sisterhood of Dune), written by Brian Herbert, the son of the original author Frank Herbert, and co-author Kevin J. Anderson. The novel was released in 2012. Are you looking forward to Dune: Prophecy? Feel free to share it in the comments. We will update the article and keep you informed. Currently, a survival MMO about Dune is also in the works. We have all the information currently known about it: Dune: Awakening – All about the release, beta, and platforms
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players are eagerly waiting for Patch 7 in Baldur’s Gate 3, as it is expected to bring numerous changes. Now there is finally a release window for the update.
At Pax East, Larian Studios announced that Patch 7 for Baldur’s Gate is set to be released next week (September 2 to 8, 2024). On Twitter/X.com, it states that the patch is scheduled for release next week, but a specific date has not yet been given.
Nonetheless, many players are eagerly anticipating the update, which is said to significantly reshape the game.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 – Trailer Game Awards
Patch 7 brings new endings and a thousand changes for Baldur’s Gate 3
Why is the patch eagerly awaited? Officially, the update was supposed to be released on July 22, but due to issues, Patch 7 was postponed further. The developers have been working on the patch since April. Previously, the developers stated that they wanted to significantly reshape the game with the patch:
Other changes include an internal mod manager and improvements to split-screen on one monitor.
The Honour Mode will be remodeled and improved. Some enemies will now get new abilities that are supposed to make battles more challenging.
Many players are therefore waiting for Update 7 to either start anew with the game or finally continue playing. Some even believe that one must replay the game once the changes go live.
A new Pokémon clone called Yarimono has launched on Steam and is in the top sellers. However, in Germany, not all content is available to us. And for good reason.
Pokémon games and creature collectors remain immensely popular. Games like Palworld have thousands of players.
On August 30, 2024, a new Pokémon clone called Yarimono was launched. It is currently in 3rd place among the top sellers on Steam and in 11th place among the strongest newcomers (via steamdb.info). However, some content is missing in Germany. And for good reason, as Steam has a say in this matter.
Game rated “6 years and older”, but without adult content
Why is content missing? If you look at the shop page for Yarimono, you will notice that one of the tags is “sexual content”. It becomes even more specific when you look at the first (English) Steam reviews. Some reviewers list all the adult content in the game, which is indeed explicit and could have come straight out of a dirty box. And the bear sex scene from Baldur’s Gate 3 seems harmless in comparison.
So behind the cute Pokémon clone, which is approved for ages 6 and older in Germany, is a hardcore Hentai game.
What does this have to do with Germany?In Germany and China, Steam strictly blocks games that offer sexual content. The pages are no longer accessible. If you try anyway, you receive an error message. The developers of such games therefore have three options:
They can either leave the games as they are and forgo sales in Germany. This, however, also means a financial loss.
Or they can offer a special version for the German market without the content for which the game would otherwise be blocked.
The third option is to release the game in a cut version and offer a patch for players to restore content.
For these reasons, some developers have now offloaded such content into free DLCs or offer an update on their own Discord. The base version on Steam is neutral, and with the DLC, they then bring in the specific content. These DLCs are also not accessible in Germany, but the game can still be purchased. However, developers do not have to forego revenue.
Do we need this? Whether adult content is really necessary in a Pokémon clone is another question:
Some players criticize that Steam is trying to patronize them.
Others argue that this can better protect younger players.
This argument is countered by others who claim that violent shooters like Call of Duty should also be blocked.
More strange games: A particularly strange game was played by Cortyn for MeinMMO. The MeinMMO demon Cortyn ventured into a game called “Succubus”. A disturbing journey and not for the faint of heart: Succubus is the most disturbing game I have ever played
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Beta of Black Ops 6, you will be able to play various maps and modes to get a feel for the multiplayer. We show you in this brief overview what to expect this weekend.
Information about the first weekend: The first beta weekend for pre-orders runs until September 4th at 7 PM German time.
How many maps are there in the beta? In total, you can expect eight new maps during the first beta weekend. Three of them are strike maps while five belong to the core playlist. These maps include:
Core Maps
Babylon
Derelict
Scud
Skyline
Rewind
Strike Maps
Pit
Gala
Stakeout
How many modes are there in the beta? As for modes, you will be able to enjoy 5 familiar modes from past CoD titles and one new mode. These include:
Team Deathmatch
Domination
Hardpoint
Kill Order (NEW)
Face Off Team Deathmatch
Face Off Kill Confirmed
Some modes and maps are missing, why? Activision announced in its blog post for the beta launch that more maps and modes will be unlocked over the upcoming beta days. This way, you will always have fresh content throughout the days.
We will now go through the individual maps and modes and show you what to expect. With our directory, you can quickly jump to the respective maps and modes that interest you:
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows its new multiplayer in the trailer
Black Ops 6 Beta: Overview of all maps
We will now show you a small overview of each map and describe how they are set up.
Babylon
Babylon
You fight your way through the ruins of Babylon. Ancient setting with palms.
Derelict
Derelict
An elongated map in a train graveyard in Appalachia. Very winding map with various spots to hide or camp.
Scud
Scud
You spawn in a destroyed military base. An open map with good sniper spots.
Skyline
Skyline
You find yourself in a penthouse with various options to plan an assault. It feels symmetrical and also has a secret panic room.
Rewind
Rewind
In Rewind, you spawn in Liberty Falls at a shopping plaza. There is a large center in the middle and open terrain to move around.
Pit
Pit
In Pit, you find yourself in mine shafts. Narrow tunnels and little light create tension in heated battles.
Gala
Gala
Gala takes you to a large government building where donations were collected. Large rooms, but no fresh air.
Stakeout
Stakeout
In Stakeout, you will be able to fight through different apartments of a large building complex. If the kitchens, bedrooms, or living rooms are not enough for you, you can also retreat to the balconies.
For the modes, head to page 2.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the biggest games of this year’s gamescom was probably Monster Hunter Wilds. It was the first time the public could try out the new title in the Capcom series. Capcom explains in an interview why it took so long for the new game to arrive.
How long has it been since Monster Hunter World? Monster Hunter World was released in 2018 and marked the start of the so-called 5th generation of Monster Hunter. Originally, World was also supposed to be called Monster Hunter 5, but the team decided on World back then. (via Dengeki Online)
Monster Hunter Rise, which was released in 2021 on the Switch, is more like a spin-off, just like Monster Hunter Generations is a spin-off of Monster Hunter 4. You can see this in the scale of the game. In contrast, Monster Hunter Wilds seems to signal the start of a new generation again, at least for the community (via reddit).
New mechanics, technical advancements, and the innovations shown all point in that direction. In a recent interview, Capcom also explains why we had to wait so long and what success has to do with it.
gamescom 2024: Monster Hunter Wilds delights with monster action
Popularity is to blame
Why did we have to wait so long for Monster Hunter Wilds? The DLC Iceborne for Monster Hunter World was released in 2019. Wilds is set to be released in 2025, which means there are 6 years between the two major titles. In an interview with Game Developer, the developers behind Wilds spoke about this.
The developers are asked if 5 years isn’t too long to make a game like Monster Hunter Wilds. They explain that not all developers were involved for the full 5-6 years, as many worked in the meantime on Monster Hunter Rise and the DLC Sunbreak. Still, it is quite a long time for a single title. The timing also had to do with the success since World.
The more people joined the series, the more we had to think about how to meet the needs of our users when starting a new project […] There are now so many more players, and they [possess] a broader level of skills and experience with the [series].
The interview also discusses the ecosystem and the desire to explore it further. With the open world and the relevance of weather conditions, it seems that a new step is being taken in this direction with Wilds.
When will Monster Hunter Wilds be released? A specific release date is not yet known. Only the year 2025 has been confirmed. World and Rise were both released the previous year, so an early release in 2025 does not seem unlikely. MeinMMO was also able to chat with Capcom about Monster Hunter Wilds. One question was particularly difficult: I accidentally broke the chief developer of Monster Hunter: Wilds with a question at gamescom
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The E-Sports tournament “The International” 2024 starts on September 4, with T1 13, at DOTA 2 (Steam). 16 teams will compete against each other in Copenhagen. The prize pool is already set to be low. Now Valve drops a bombshell: It bans the advertising of the teams’ sponsors in the game. This seems specifically directed against casinos but affects all advertising partners.
This is the decision: Valve saysin a blog post on August 28 (via dota):
A series of features have been integrated into DOTA to celebrate players and teams.
Unfortunately, over time these features have been used not to celebrate the teams but to place advertisements.
In 2024, all “distracting elements” will be removed, allowing everyone to fully focus on the team. This specifically concerns the tournament The International. It states literally: “The International no longer allows advertising and sponsorship in games. This includes, among other things, team banners, team logos in the bases, and abbreviations in player names.”
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Dota 2 – The New Frontiers Update
The advertising ban is likely due to casino regulations in Denmark
Why is this being done? The site DotEsports explains what is behind this action. The tournament takes place in Denmark, where strict rules against gambling advertising apply. Since the gambling industry sponsors some teams in DOTA 2, the tournament would face problems if advertising were to proceed as usual during The International.
By taking action against the gambling industry, it now also takes action against all other sponsors and hits the teams’ advertising partners hard.
How is this being discussed? Although the ban itself is welcomed (via reddit), it is noted that times are getting tougher for e-sports players and teams:
In 2024, the prize pool of the tournament is already extremely low.
Investment in e-sports is decreasing.
Now the sponsors also receive the horrendous news that they cannot promote their brands in the most important tournament of the year at DOTA 2.
For professionals, tough times could be coming.
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Why is the prize pool so low? For years, “The International” was considered the most lucrative e-sports tournament in the world, as the prize pool was generated from the sales of a Battle Pass.
Valve invested a lot of development time each year into creating this Battle Pass with great cosmetic skins, which led to the Battle Pass selling like hotcakes and generating a lot of money for the tournament. However, it was decided in June 2023 to spend less time on the Battle Pass and instead focus more on improving the game: Steam: DOTA 2 forgoes the Battle Pass – Now prefers to improve the game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The closed beta of Black Ops 6 has started for pre-order customers. While almost all platforms were able to take off, many PS5 owners were left empty-handed. They were unable to log in, despite having pre-ordered. We will show you a fix for this problem.
What is the problem?You have downloaded the preload of the beta and can hardly wait to play, but then you are confronted on the start screen of Black Ops 6 with the message that one or more multiplayer files are missing and you need to download them.
If you want to do that, all the games you own from CoD and Warzone will be shown, which you can download for 0 MB. If you try to download these packages, nothing happens, and even restarting your console or reinstalling the files will not allow you to access the beta. This is due to a peculiar bug that can be fixed with a simple setting.
Start video
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows its new multiplayer in the trailer
Change your console language
To fix the bug, you just need to change your language on the console. To do this, follow these steps:
Go to Settings
Go to System
Go to Language
Select Console Language
Choose “English (United Kingdom)” or “English (United States)” here
Now start Black Ops 6
In the game, you should also ensure that the language is set to English to avoid the bug happening again. Follow these steps:
Open the Quick Menu in CoD
Go to the gear icon
Now tap on Interface
Scroll down to Language Selection
Select English
Note that you have downloaded the English language pack here
You can do this by going into your menu and then managing the game content of CoD. There you can download additional language packs.
Once you have changed these settings, you will now be able to log into Black Ops 6. Activision has also ensured that additional servers are available for the influx of players to reduce loading times on the night of the release. If you want to know what rewards the Black Ops 6 beta has in store for you, feel free to check here: Black Ops 6: All beta rewards at a glance – this is how you secure the free skin
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is approaching, and we are seeing more and more equipment, weapons, and perks. However, there is one new item that players really dislike. They already consider the basic idea to be a huge nonsense.
What item is it about? In a blog post (via callofduty.com), some example loadouts for the game are currently showcased. Individual perks and so-called Field Upgrades are also presented. Field Upgrades are items that recharge after use. They showcase 5 of them as examples:
Assault Pack: A box with extra ammunition for your team.
Trophy System: Defense system that destroys enemy projectiles in the air.
Neurogas: Gas grenade that causes damage and induces hallucinations and disorientation.
Acoustic Amp: You can hear the footsteps of enemies louder for a certain time.
Sleeper Agent: For a certain time, you will be shown as a team member to the enemy team. If you eliminate players, this time is extended. However, there is equipment that can expose you.
The Sleeper Agent is causing negative reactions in the community. Many consider the concept itself to be a bad idea.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 shows its new multiplayer in the trailer
It is still a dumb idea
What does the community say about the Sleeper Agent? On x.com, @ModernWarzone posted a clip that shows the Sleeper Agent quite well. He is inside a house, sees a player, and impulsively shoots at him. When he sees that the name is blue, he stops, even though the shots actually hit. However, the other one shoots at him and takes him out as a covert agent.
You can see the clip here:
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The reaction of most users under the tweet is not exactly the most positive. Many find the basic idea pretty annoying and thoughtless.
@Nix_ZXIX: It is still a dumb idea. Why do they add things to the games every year that NOBODY asks for?
@GamemasterYado: This seems like it could be terrible lol. I guess it would be easier to counter if you know the operator skin of the person using it.
@ColbeyGross: What the hell are they smoking? This is the dumbest idea ever. Whoever came up with this should be fired and never allowed to make video games again.
Many players seem to dislike the core concept itself. The counter-options are also not particularly liked, as they feel like they have to be taken due to that one Field Upgrade.
Are you looking for a good shooter for the PS5? Right now, you can get the Metro series on sale in the PS Store. In particular, Exodus is considered the best part of the series.
What kind of game is it? The Metro series is one of the best shooters you can play on the PS5. The series is known for being dark and atmospheric, and it is also technically very well implemented for the console. Primarily, Metro Exodus is considered “one of the best single-player shooters in years,” as the colleagues from GameStar explain in their review.
The 3 games tell the story of Artyom, who lives in a Russia devastated by a catastrophe. All remaining humans live in a large subway complex and try to survive. Life is hardly possible on the contaminated surface, as it is not only toxic but also inhabited by mutants.
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Metro Exodus – Gameplay Trailer
Controversy over Epic and Steam overshadowed the release of the shooter
Meanwhile, you can purchase the entire Metro series on Steam as well, and most players probably have pushed the controversy aside.
How much does the shooter cost? Currently, you pay only 4.49 euros in the PS Store for Metro Exodus. On Steam, you pay 5.99 euros.
If you want to buy the entire series (2033 Redux, Exodus, and Last Light: Redux), you currently pay 8.99 euros in the PS Store and 9.06 euros on Steam for the “Metro Saga Bundle.”
The offer in the PS Store runs until September 12, 2024, and on Steam until September 2, 2024.
Dune fans can be excited because there are not only new movies but also other media. A series is coming, and for gaming fans, the survival MMO Dune: Awakening is on its way, which also builds on the valuable spice. The Creative Director explains what can be done with this resource in a current interview.
What is Dune: Awakening?
Dune: Awakening will be a mix of MMORPG and survival
The game will be released for PC in early 2025, and later for consoles
The game is developed by the creators of Conan Exiles
It takes place in an alternate world where Paul Atreides was not born
Dune: Awakening is expected to offer many PvP and PvE mechanics. Despite the barren desert on the planet Arrakis, the most important resource in the universe, the spice, can be found there. Spice will also play an important role in the game, including for your player character.
Dune Trailer Shows Gameplay – From Survivor to Spice Hunter
Abilities like in the movie
In a recent interview with PCGamer, Creative Director Joel Bylos talks about spice and what skills players can have with it. As a resource, spice is important for crafting, maintaining devices, and the economy. But like in the movie, you can also use spice for your own benefit.
Bylos explains that your character inhales too much spice, which enters your body. This has consequences.
When the player’s blood is saturated with spice, you can imagine how abilities change when you can see a little into the future. […] We have some of these effects in the game. I don’t want to reveal too much, but it will affect your abilities.
What exactly he means by seeing into the future he does not specify. Like in the films, having visions of the future might not work in such a game. However, Bylos definitely finds Paul’s visions interesting. The team behind the game wants to explore this concept further.
It’s time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG News in Two Minutes”. We summarize the most important news in the best genre in the world. Look forward to the official release of WoW: The War Within, free content for ESO and HdRO, as well as easier raids in Lost Ark. Not so great: An anime MMORPG lands on the MMO graveyard before its global launch.
Those who log in diligently to Elder Scrolls Online in September 2024 can secure not only some particularly cool in-game goodies but also dungeons from a dungeon DLC.
From August 27, 2024 to September 11, 2024, the Festival of Rebirth is taking place in Final Fantasy XIV (via de.finalfantasyxiv.com).
This is what happened in the smaller MMORPGs:
A new patch, Update 41.2, has been released for Lord of the Rings Online, introducing “The Year of the Dragon”. Starting with it: the new dungeon “The Dragon and the Storm” for up to six players with characters at level 150. Also cool: You can now secure the contents of the “Before the Shadow” expansion for free. All details can be found on lotro.com.
The developers of Albion Online have presented plans for updates after “Paths to Glory”, via albiononline.com. The MMORPG is to become more solo-friendly through adjustments to the open world and offer more content for medium-sized groups.
The new update for Aion Classic brings new adventures in the “Apheta Beluslan” fortress (via gameforge.com).
The VR MMORPG Zenith: Nexus received its final update with Season 4: Golden Isles on August 27, 2024. From now on, the game will enter maintenance mode (via zenithmmo.com).
A new update titled “The Immeasurable Menagerie” was released for EverQuest II on August 27, 2024 (via everquest2.com). You can find the short teaser trailer on YouTube.
So far, the four world tiers represent the difficulty level at which you play Diablo 4. Players have long criticized the system. In Season 6, that will change, as Blizzard is shaking things up.
While players already reach high levels in the campaign, the enemies at world tier 2 remain at a maximum level of 50. This specifically means: You quickly outlevel the enemies and have little opportunity to find a greater challenge.
What problems exist in the endgame? With world tier 4, you have reached the maximum regarding the endgame and the open world of Sanctuary. Many players then lose interest in going through activities in the world and primarily stick to endgame content, where they can help determine the difficulty level.
The Pit as the “Backbone of the Difficulty Levels”
Concerning the endgame activities, there is currently the problem that the difficulty levels seem confusing. In the YouTube livestream, systems designer Aislyn Hall explained that the goal is for many activities to “remain interesting, exciting, and entertaining for as long as possible”.
However, the current difficulty levels, especially for endgame activities, are simply not comparable. She states:
In the current game, you go into pit level 50 and think it’s the difficulty of level 50. Then you go into a nightmare dungeon of level 50, and it feels completely different, and then you go into hell hordes at level 8 and think: wait a second, this is extremely difficult compared to the others.
The difficulty grades are simply not comparable. We want to create a fairer playing field so that the difficulty level is easier to understand and there is a common language and experience for everyone.
What should change? Season 6 aims to fundamentally change the system. The new difficulty levels should ensure that players have a more consistent experience across all activities at a given level. If you play at “Torment 2”, all content has the level of that tier.
Currently, the pit is an “excellent benchmark for assessing the strength of a character.” Thus, with the revision, the pit is to become the “backbone of the difficulty levels,” Hall explains. Even in an interview at gamescom 2024, the developers explained to us that the pit is a great way to communicate with people.
The Pit was introduced in Season 4 of Diablo 4. In this season, the item system was also completely overhauled:
Start video
Diablo 4: The developers explain the new item system and the new endgame dungeon
4 Difficulty Levels, 4 Torment Levels
What does the new system look like? The world tiers will become difficulty levels. The first four levels are supposed to according to Blizzard accompany you on the way to the new max level of 60:
Normal (easy challenge) – unlocked by default
Hard (more difficult challenge) – unlocked by default
Expert (more difficult challenge) – unlocked after completing the prologue of Diablo 4
Penitent (increased risks, preparation for the new Torment difficulty levels) – unlocked after the campaign/after skipping the campaign
This enables you already within the campaign to face a greater challenge in the game. Once you reach level 50, you will unlock “Penitent,” which serves as preparation for the new Torment levels (short: Torment).
With the Torment levels, the endgame activities really begin. Your progress is linked to the pit, meaning: if you complete higher pit levels, the Torment difficulty level available to you increases. And the higher the Torment, the more likely you are to get legendaries and ancestral items.
Once you reach level 60, you unlock pit levels 1-20. If you complete level 20 in the pit, you unlock Torment 1. The higher the Torment you play, the more your armor and resistance values additionally decrease:
Torment 1: -250 armor and -25% on all resistances
achieved after completing pit level 20
Torment 2: -500 armor and -50% on all resistances
achieved after completing pit level 35
Torment 3: -750 armor and -75% on all resistances
achieved after completing pit level 50
Torment 4: -1000 armor and -100% on all resistances
What about monster levels? In Diablo 4, monsters can currently be up to 100 levels above the player level. This is hard to grasp, explains Aislyn Hall in the stream. After the update, the level of monsters will no longer be displayed. They will also adjust to the difficulty level at which you are playing.
