For just under 7 euros, you can get two unique action games on Steam based on The Lord of the Rings, in which you can easily spend over 100 hours

Fans of The Lord of the Rings can secure two unique action games in the world of Middle-earth on Steam: For just under €7, you get entertainment for over 100 hours.

Which games are being referenced here? These are the action games Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Both games were developed by Monolith Productions and tell their own stories around the ranger Talion and the ringsmith Celebrimbor.

Until February 9, 2026, the so-called Shadow Package is available on Steam for €6.99 instead of €69.99. It includes both main games along with all DLCs.

Here you can see a trailer for Shadow of War, the newer of the two games:

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Offizieller Story-Trailer zu Mittelerde: Schatten des Krieges

What are the games about? On the timeline, the games bridge the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. You play as Talion, a ranger from Gondor and captain of the guard at the Black Gate. He was stationed there to prevent the return of Sauron. After his defeat at Dol Guldur, Sauron could reclaim his old fortress Barad-dûr at any moment.

One fateful day, it happens: Sauron and his chief lieutenants attack the Black Gate. Talion loses his family and his life in the assault, but is resurrected by the spirit of an elf. This elf is the smith Celebrimbor, who once forged the Rings of Power.

Talion and Celebrimbor then embark on a quest for revenge, quite literally. Later in the game, the two have an entire army of Uruks in tow, which are larger and more vicious than orcs, and you can subjugate them with the power of the ringsmith.

A unique gameplay mechanic that entertains for hundreds of hours

What makes the two games unique? The Shadow games share a special gameplay mechanic: the so-called Nemesis System. Throughout your journey, you encounter powerful Uruk captains and war chiefs, who are generated from a variety of backgrounds, personalities, and traits. This makes each Uruk unique. 

Captains evolve over time and remember encounters with you. They even build rivalries (and friendships) among themselves. Here are some examples of how the Nemesis System works:

  • If you flee from a captain, he may mock you the next time you meet
  • If an Uruk manages to kill Talion in battle, he becomes stronger. Even ordinary foot soldiers can be promoted to captains
  • If you kill an Uruk who had a blood brother, that Uruk will follow you to the ends of the earth to avenge his death

In Shadow of War, the Nemesis System was further developed and provides even more unique interactions and personalities among the Uruks. This system is also the core of the games: No other game has it in this form.

In terms of gameplay, you can expect a mix of stealth and brutal close combat that plays as smoothly as in the “Batman: Arkham” series by Rocksteady. All of this ensures that you can beat your way through Uruks for hundreds of hours while rarely getting bored, as you constantly experience new personal stories.

Would you rather relive the story of the films? For just €6.62, you can also get the Lego games for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in the bundle. If you don’t mind the sometimes very silly humor, you get two strong games that you can also play in co-op. 

In the Lego games, the DLCs are not included in the bundle. You can purchase the three small add-on packs with new characters and items for €0.99 each if you wish.

Do you want to learn more about the lore of Middle-earth? Then you’re in luck, because on MeinMMO, you will find loads of specials on the various characters and races from Tolkien’s books and the films. You can find an overview here: The Lord of the Rings: Everything about the lore and history of Middle-earth

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

Aion 2 becomes a big hit for its developers, earning over 58 million euros, bringing joy to NCSoft

While players in the West continue to wait for the release of Aion 2, the new MMORPG is already becoming a success in Asia, much to the delight of NCSoft.

What kind of MMORPG is this? With Aion 2, the developers at NCSoft are successfully implementing a new theme park MMORPG, which is also the successor to the well-known “Aion” from 2008.

Unlike the predecessor, the focus is more on PvE than on PvP. The developers have also adapted the MMORPG to the new way games are experienced. Instead of day-long raids, there are shorter, more engaging experiences.

The new business figures have shown that the concept works well. NCSoft has already generated over 58 million euros with Aion 2, and the trend is rising. Player numbers continue to increase three months after the release, despite the fact that the game can currently only be played in Korea and Taiwan.

You can watch the trailer for Aion 2 here:

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Aion 2: New trailer prepares for the Korean launch of the MMORPG

Joy at NCSoft

What are the consequences? The success and good numbers at NCSoft have resulted in rewards for the developers in the form of promotions. NCSoft explains to South Korean media:

“The success of the continuation of AION led to promotions throughout the development team. Baek Seung-wook, who led the production, has been appointed Vice President. Producer Kim Nam-joon and head of the business department So In-seob have also been promoted to Executives. Lee Yeon-soo, head of NC AI subsidiary, and Lee Joon-soo, head of the research department, have been promoted to Executives as well.”

For the employees, Aion 2 has definitely been beneficial for their careers, but players also seem to enjoy the MMORPG. Aside from critiques of pay-to-win mechanics and the abundance of content, many players are satisfied with the new MMORPG.

What about the release in the West? According to the latest information, Aion 2 is still set to launch in the second half of 2026. NCSoft’s revenue forecasts, according to mmorpg.org.pl, have been revised upwards and are expected to generate one million more.

The most important thing that needs to change with the release of Aion 2 in the West is likely the monetization, which fans repeatedly criticize. Recently, there was sharp criticism regarding the second season and the associated costs: MMORPG Aion 2 announces battle passes for €47 for the new season, creating significant frustration among fans

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

9 nasty mimics in D&D that make even the bravest adventurers paranoid

No monster in Dungeons & Dragons causes as much stress as a mimic. They are not only sneaky opponents, but they can also make even mundane objects seem suspicious. MeinMMO editor Caro has fallen victim to the self-proclaimed “mimic paranoia” and presents you in this list the nastiest ideas to further fuel this distrust.

Mimics are among the most famous creatures in Dungeons & Dragons alongside dragons and beholders, and they can be seen in various media such as Baldur’s Gate 3 or the film “Honor Among Thieves” from 2023. But much more importantly: they are absolutely nasty and cunning beings that I fall victim to far too often myself.

I could blame it on naivete, bad luck, carelessly touching all kinds of loot, or too much trust in my DM (shoutout to them). But ultimately, it is the nature of the mimic, as described in the official Monster Manual (2014):

Mimics are shape-shifting predators that can take on the form of inanimate objects to lure creatures to their doom. In dungeons, these cunning creatures usually assume the shape of doors and chests, as they have learned that this form consistently attracts prey.

Mimics can alter their outer texture to resemble wood, stone, and other simple materials, and they have learned to adopt the appearance of objects that other creatures are likely to interact with. A mimic in its altered form is nearly indistinguishable until potential prey stumbles into its reach. Then the monster grows fake limbs with which it attacks.

Monster Manual for Dungeons & Dragons (2014), p. 220

And I “stumble into its reach” quite often and willingly. It has become a running joke that I cannot escape. For this reason, I have developed a sort of “mimic paranoia” that I cannot shake off, making even mundane objects look like potential enemies.

In the trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a mimic can also be seen:

Select a MMO video…

In this list, I will name possible mimic ideas from the community that definitely do not help me combat this paranoia. However, I do not want to be alone in this fear and want to raise the awareness of MeinMMO’s readership about potential threats in your campaigns. You’re welcome.

The Classic: A Chest

The chest is the most well-known version of a mimic, and as described in the Monster Manual, for good reason. Mimics are predators that lie in wait, silently anticipating their prey to approach. And what attracts brave adventurers more than their greed for gold and powerful equipment? 

Chests have always proven to be reliable disguises. However, due to their notoriety as mimic disguises, they are no longer a significant threat. Even a somewhat experienced adventurer knows that chests should be checked carefully multiple times to ensure that it is a creature. 

Which mimics you should be even more wary of, I will present to you on the next pages.

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Trainer receives his monster back in Pokémon GO after more than 6 years of waiting

Some events in Pokémon GO may require you to wait a bit longer. A trainer demonstrates how long some things can take.

Time is undoubtedly an important factor in Pokémon GO. Whether it’s about time-limited events or raid bosses, or whether you finally have enough candies for an evolution or leveling up a monster.

A trainer demonstrates on Reddit that you may need to plan a bit more time for the return of your beloved little monsters. In this specific case, even several years.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

“Like all good things, this too has come to an end”

What did the trainer do? As the trainer reports in his post on Reddit, he was out on a rainy day in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, USA. Here, he played Ingress, another game by Niantic, which is also considered a predecessor to Pokémon GO.

In Ingress, the trainer had to wait before he could continue with his current plan in the game. Since both games use the same data to generate interesting points in the game, he took advantage of the waiting time to open Pokémon GO. There, he discovered an empty gym.

He made his way to the gym and was able to place a shiny Turtwig in the gym despite some issues with his mobile data. And thus began a years-long mission for the little monster.

How long did he wait for his monster? As the trainer himself states, he is not very active in Pokémon GO, so he checked the game for the first time after several months. He discovered that his Turtwig was still bravely defending the gym.

He then checked back in the game several months later. And still, he saw the brave Turtwig staying in the gym. And that became a tradition. Every few months, he checked the game, found his monster in the gym, and closed the game again. As he reports, he only shared screenshots of the defender in his group chat and posted on Reddit.

On February 1, 2026, it finally happened: the Turtwig was defeated and returned to the trainer. This earned the trainer 50 coins, and the little brave turtle a record-breaking defender time of a whopping 2329 days. That corresponds to more than 6 years and 4 months.

The trainer himself comments on this with the following words: “Until yesterday. Like all good things, this too has come to an end. And so, after 2,329 days and 22 hours (just under six and a half years), his watch has ended. And I am 50 coins richer. So that’s the result, I think.”

What are your records for the longest defense of a gym? Feel free to let us know in the comments. If you want to know what events await you in the game this month, then feel free to check out our overview with all events in February 2026 in Pokémon GO.

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

How to become lucky friends in Pokémon GO for guaranteed lucky Pokémon

The lucky friends in Pokémon GO are live! Niantic releases the new feature with the current update.

What are lucky friends? This feature was already found in the code of Pokémon GO a few days ago. Lucky Pokémon are guaranteed through this feature.

We will show you how this new feature works and tell you what it brings when you have lucky friends.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

This is how the “lucky friends” feature works

How do you become a lucky friend? The most important requirement for a lucky friend is the friendship level. Only players who are “Best Friends” can become lucky friends.

Lucky Friends
This is what the lucky trade looks like.

You trigger a lucky friend when you interact with your best friend. This can be done by:

  • Raiding together
  • Opening gifts
  • Fighting together at gyms
  • Trading Pokémon
  • A PvP battle

How does triggering work? It is likely that this principle happens randomly. So if you send a gift to a best friend, you could become lucky friends, but this is not guaranteed.

However, it is already known that this can only be done with the first action of the day. So if you have already taken an action with your best friend and are not yet lucky friends, you will have to try it the next day.

This is how you get guaranteed lucky Pokémon: If you are lucky friends together, the trade of your next Pokémon is guaranteed to be lucky. So you will get guaranteed lucky Pokémon.

How do I recognize a lucky friend? When you become lucky friends, you can see this directly in your friend’s overview. There will be golden circles around the name and the friend will be generally highlighted in gold.

How often does it work? You can become a lucky friend with each best friend once per day. It is possible to have several lucky friends in a day.

This is what lucky Pokémon bring: When you receive lucky Pokémon through trading, they bring many advantages. Leveling up only costs half the Stardust and the Pokémon has at least 80% IV.

With lucky friends, you can now determine which Pokémon will become a lucky Pokémon. This way, you can trade particularly strong Pokémon as Luckys and thus gain a tremendous advantage.

Initially, there were only up to level 40 in Pokémon GO, but now there are a total of 80 levels that you can climb. For the last 10 levels, it is not enough just to collect experience points. In addition, you also have to complete tasks. What these are, you can find out in our overview of levels 71 to 80 in Pokémon GO.

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

The head of Epic Games does not want to “dance on the grave of Steam”, has other plans for the relationship with Valve

The head of the Epic Games Store, Steve Allison, spoke about the current state and future plans of the launcher. He also talked about how they plan to deal with Steam as a competitor.

What is Steve Allison planning for a relationship with Valve? In an interview with IGN, the head of the Epic Games Store, Steve Allison, discussed the platform and the upcoming goals. Currently, around 68 million people use the store monthly, a significant portion of whom are also on Steam.

Steve Allison explains that while they would be happy to see larger numbers than Steam, that is not the plan: “Our goal is not to dance on the grave of Steam or anything like that. We want to create a sustainable place where developers can expect to sell 25 to 30% of their games.”

One of Epic Games’ biggest games is Fortnite:

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Fortnite: Shows Chapter 7 “Pacific Break” in its new cinematic trailer

Epic Games focuses on mobile and Fortnite

What are the goals of the Epic Games Store? The Epic Games Store aims to achieve a market share of 25 to 30% on PC. The platform should become so relevant that developers cannot overlook it and it is regarded as a “must”.

Furthermore, Steve Allison states that the Epic Games Store should not only operate on PC. It should be cross-platform, serving as a hub on both PC and Android and iOS. Naturally, mobile titles such as Genshin Impact are also in focus.

In the future, customers will be drawn to the Epic Games Store by offering exclusive cosmetic items in Fortnite. If one purchases a specific game in the Epic Games Store, a specific corresponding item will be unlocked in Fortnite. For example, those who purchased Hogwarts Legacy in the Epic Games Store were able to enjoy a chocolate frog backpack for their character in Fortnite.

The store itself is also set to be revamped and receive community features.

A significant advantage of the Epic Games Store is the regular giveaway of video games. Hogwarts Legacy has also been among the games given away. This feature is well received by users of the Epic Games Store: Big competitor of Steam lures players for years with free games, has conditioned them perfectly: ‘I set up an alarm’

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

Call of Duty now fights players who spend hundreds of euros to win on console even without skill

In shooters, many players resort to illegal means on consoles. Call of Duty is now intensifying the fight against pesky cheaters.

What kind of players are they? Players who want an unfair advantage on consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S often resort to so-called spoofers. These are devices like the Cronus Zen or the XIM Matrix that manipulate the input signal from controllers, thereby providing players unauthorized assistance in various games.

With these “tools,” it is for example possible:

  • to reduce the recoil of a weapon,
  • to set up macros,
  • to enhance the aim assist of a game
  • to automatically fire semi-automatic weapons at maximum fire rate at the press of a button

Furthermore, these devices allow for universal controller usage on different consoles. For instance, players can use an Xbox controller on the PlayStation – or use mouse and keyboard in games that do not even support mouse and keyboard. Alternatively, players can get aim assist from controllers while using mouse and keyboard on the console because the device trick the console into believing a controller is being used.

Start video
CoD: Black Ops 7 zeigt seine kommende Season 2 im neuen explosiven Trailer

This is the new measure from Call of Duty: In a new blog post, the developers explained that they are introducing new detection features to identify prohibited devices as well as accounts using them.

These detection measures target input devices that “simulate mechanically perfect accuracy and recoil control and thus provide advantages that no human player can achieve naturally.”

The team analyzes the timing, consistency, and reaction patterns of inputs “to distinguish natural human gameplay from mechanically modified inputs.” They want to identify recoil control, aim behavior, and input accuracy that goes beyond what is physically possible with a standard controller or mouse.

Often, users of these tools remain undetected because they are designed to be as difficult to spot as possible. Call of Duty is now focusing on changing that and being able to better identify certain input patterns. However, the developers emphasize that this remains an ongoing process.

Those caught using such a tool can expect to face penalties.

Is this really cheating? Yes. The use of so-called spoofers is prohibited in many competitive games, including Rainbow Six: Siege, Valorant, and also Call of Duty. The CoD developers made this clear again in the latest blog post:

“To be clear: These devices are not allowed in Call of Duty. They are cheating tools, even if they disguise themselves as accessibility aids.”

Nevertheless, many players on consoles resort to these devices to gain an unfair advantage and increase their chances of victory. However, this reflects in their wallets. A Cronus Zen or XIM Matrix costs around €130 from the respective manufacturer, not including special controllers with shoulder buttons, or attachments like the controversial Strike-Pack by Cronus.


In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone, the second season also starts this week, bringing new maps for multiplayer, Warzone, and the zombie mode. You can find the most important information about the upcoming update here: CoD Black Ops 7 & Warzone: Season 2 starts in 2 days – All important information at a glance

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

Twitch streamer finds out that she has been an emote for years and over 4,000 channels have used her face without permission

The American Twitch streamer Maya Higa noticed that her face is used for a widely used emote. This visibly confuses her, as she does not think it is very good.

Who is it about? Maya Higa is an American Twitch streamer who primarily uses her content creator status for animals. She founded Alveus Sanctuary, an organization that takes in and cares for animals that can no longer survive in the wild.

On Twitch, she entertains her nearly 1 million followers mainly in the Just Chatting category. In the past 365 days, according to SullyGnome, she has spent over 454 hours engaging with her viewers. The rest of the time, the streamer plays games like Elden Ring.

But the Twitch streamer seems to have another career: She is a famous emote and therefore known to even more people.

Start video
3 German Twitch streamers you should know

“It’s not even a good emote”

What kind of emote is it? In one of her recent streams, Maya discovered that her face is used for an emote: the “lmao” emote on 7TV.

You can see a screenshot of it here. You can view the whole emote in motion here on 7TV.

Maya Higa Emote

Previously, she probably thought that only she would see her face on her own Twitch channel, not other people.

When a viewer points out to her that the emote is even used by many, Maya replies: “Why? It’s not even a good emote.” (Source: Twitch). She then joked whether this was now her chance at success, considering 4,000 channels use this emote.

Maya Higa, as mentioned, is committed to animals through Alveus Sanctuary. This also enables other beings to aspire to a successful career on Twitch – even if they are a cow: Twitch streamer “is living the dream”, receives donations and food when she moos at the camera

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

Where Winds Meet takes you back in time, builds new regions in ancient China

Where Winds Meet has shared new information about the upcoming DLC and the second season – and it goes back in time.

What is behind the time travel? The developers of Where Winds Meet have addressed players in a letter and shared some new information about upcoming content (via Instagram).

In the letter, the team behind the action RPG reveals that the first DLC named “Hexi” will be released on March 6. With the DLC, players are set to embark on a “dreamlike journey” that lets them travel back in time.

What exactly lies behind the time travel is currently unknown.

Start video
MyMMO in the GameStar Talk: Our MMORPG expert sums up the Chinese RPG Where Winds Meet

What else is included in the DLC: The DLC will be released in stages, bringing a new region to ancient China every 28 days. There will be a total of three new regions: the “Jade Gate Pass”, “Liangzhou”, and “Quinchuan”.

Furthermore, a new combat style called “Bamboocut – Dust” will be introduced in March. In April, a new weapon called the “Heng Blade” will follow. This is a historical sword based on the design of the Chinese Jiannan region.

What to expect before the DLC: On February 6, the second season of Where Winds Meet will already begin, launching a new chapter. Among other things, there will be a new spotlight mode and the new sect “The Masked Group”.

Moreover, the developers emphasized again that they continue to work on optimization for PC, PS5 and Mobile as well as on improving multilingual localization. They have therefore invested more time and effort in the DLC so that players can properly enjoy the new content.

A few days ago, the developers of Where Winds Meet talked about their plans for 2026, and localization as well as fixing technical issues was a major topic: Where Winds Meet has already received 6 important updates in 2026, and the developers explain what is coming next

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

Apex Legends gives you the latest hero in Season 28 – but you must be quick

Apex Legends rewards you in Season 28 for the 7th anniversary of the shooter with new legends. Here’s how to secure the rewards.

How do you get the newest legend? On February 10, the 28th Season of Apex Legends, the battle royale shooter, kicks off, celebrating its 7th birthday a few days prior. To celebrate the occasion, the season update introduces an anniversary event that gives you some gifts.

During the event, you can unlock a legend permanently each week by successfully completing three challenges. Among the legends you can unlock during the event is the newest legend: Sparrow, who was released in May 2025 with Season 25.

  • In week 1, there is Valkyrie
  • In week 2, there is Revenant
  • In week 3, there is Conduit
  • In week 4, there is Sparrow

If you want to unlock Sparrow or other legends through the event, you must complete the three imposed challenges within the respective week.

Start video
Apex Legends – Trailer for the new character Sparrow

What is the highlight of the season? The major innovation of Season 28 is the so-called Hardlight Meshes. These are windows that are meant to bring a new gameplay dynamic.

Players can see through these windows, but cannot shoot through them. However, you can completely destroy them if you deal enough damage – this works with any firearms, but explosives, sniper rifles, shotguns, and melee attacks dismantle the windows faster.

Additionally, controllers can repair or even reinforce them, making them more durable than in their standard state.

What else does the season bring? With Season 28, there will also be a new weapon meta that strengthens shotguns in focus. Additionally, there are balancing updates for Bloodhound, Fuse, and Catalyst.

Moreover, in Bot Royale the XP limits will be lifted, allowing you to level up even more. However, the bot difficulty will be slightly increased, posing a greater challenge for players with low to medium skill.

Apex Legends remains one of the best PvP shooters available on the market for us in 2026. You can read about which titles made it to our list here: The 25 best shooters in 2026 – These PvP and PvE games impress with their gameplay

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

The largest lance of Westeros is no joke

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gives fans a new insight into the world of Westeros. In episode 2, there is a clumsy-looking gag, but as Marco from Nerdkultur analyzes, there is more behind it.

Who is Marco Risch? Since 2015, Marco Risch has been publishing videos on his YouTube channel Nerdkultur that cover various films and series through reviews, analyses, news, or interviews.

Additionally, he talks with his colleague Yves Arievich once a week on the Nerd und Kultur Podcast about various topics from popular culture.

Both the YouTube channel and the podcast are part of the Webedia network, which also includes MeinMMO.

Marco’s new video deals with the 2nd episode of the series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which started on January 19, 2026, on the new streaming service HBO Max and includes Ser Arlan of Pennytree.

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The Outlook of Ser Arlan

What is so special about Ser Arlan? When looking at various platforms for some memes about episode 2, the major topic is not the new information about the Targaryens, but the genitals of Ser Arlan of Pennytree, played by Danny Webb. In the episode, there is a scene in which the actor is completely naked.

This also leads to some gags:

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Marco also addresses the question of whether his large sword is real in his video. Ira Parker, the showrunner of the series, couldn’t remember in an interview with Entertainment Weekly whether Arlan’s penis was a prosthetic or real. Marco compares it to Boogie Nights. In the film by Paul Thomas Anderson, it was also long unclear whether we saw Mark Wahlberg’s real genital or just a stand-in.

As Marco explains in the video: In A Knights of the Seven Kingdoms, it is a prosthetic made by the special effects department.

The whole scene was made according to Parker because previously only jokes were made about Ser Arlan. One should see the other side of the hedge knight.

No matter how silly or mean Arlan is portrayed, he took care of Duncan. This reflects his loyalty, as he even dedicates his coat of arms to their journey. Duncan wants people to remember Arlan. Marco puts it this way:

Duncan will prove to them who Ser Arlan really was! We see a redemption arc. And so he eats their shared meal at the end of the episode, determined.

Targaryens and Kingsguards also exist

What about the other aspects of the analysis? In Marco’s video, it is not only about Ser Arlan. Two important motives for him are the Targaryens and Dunk’s foolishness. Unlike the previous two series, we do not see the perspective of the Targaryens, but rather the people’s view of them. The focus is on Dunk’s perspective.

The Targaryens have lost much of their power. 56 years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the last dragon died, but within the family, there are still various viewpoints. Baelor is a noble knight, the only one who does not have silver-blonde hair, but rather the hair color of his Dornish mother. He is the heir to the throne.

On the other hand, there is his brother Maekar, the last son in line for the throne (the others are only briefly mentioned). Maekar is disinterested and cruel. Two of his sons are missing: Daeron and Aegon. His other two sons are Aerion and Aemon. The former shows his arrogance in the series, while the latter is known by fans of Game of Thrones as Maester Aemon of the Night’s Watch. He resembles his uncle Baelor more.

Regarding the Targaryens in the series, the Kingsguard is also important. In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, their armors are completely white. According to Marco, this also matches the official illustrations of the novellas by George R. R. Martin. However, the other armors show bright colors, whether they belong to the Baratheons or the Targaryens.

Dunk is not stupid, he is naive

What about Dunk? At the end of his video, Marco also talks about Duncan. When you watch the series, it often seems like Duncan is foolish. In many situations, he simply says the wrong things. Marco says: Dunk, on the other hand, continuously says the wrong thing at the wrong time. A running gag of this second episode. But that does not really portray him as “foolish.” Rather, it is naive. Uneducated, but honorable.

Duncan is a good person who knows what knights need: good armor and a horse. However, as we also learn here, a story grows with each retelling. Even Dunk’s. If you missed the analysis of the first episode, you can find it here: Expert explains why A Knight of Seven Kingdoms is so different from Game of Thrones

Source(s):
  1. YouTube

With Chapter 3, Dune: Awakening looks more like the survival MMORPG it was always meant to be

Funcom has just released Chapter 3 for Dune: Awakening, bringing a ton of “Quality of Life” improvements and new content to the game. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus got to preview the changes and wonders why all of this wasn’t already in the game at launch.

On February 3, Chapter 3 for Dune: Awakening was released. Since December, we have known roughly what content the new chapter brings to the survival MMO. In short:

  • an improved Landsraad system with new missions
  • the ability to specialize and unlock new bonuses
  • customization options for weapons and armor
  • more locations on the overworld map, including new dungeons
  • new weapons, quests, and story
  • tons of quality improvements, such as the removal of taxes or packages for returning players

In advance, Funcom invited MeinMMO to view the changes in a live presentation with the developers. I saw how the specializations work and some of the dungeons along with their new boss mechanics.

Although I already had a rough idea of what to expect, the gameplay looked quite like what I hoped for before the release of Dune: Awakening: a survival MMO that is different from everything before.

Start video
Dune: Awakening shows Chapter 3 and the free content update in the trailer

Dune: Awakening is becoming more of an MMORPG, but remains true to its survival roots

Specializations are pretty much the highlight of the chapter, along with the new missions. Through exploring, crafting, or gathering, players can now earn special experience points in Chapter 3 to level new skills up to level 100. This results in new abilities that expand the player’s playstyle.

Together with the already available skill trees in the game, this creates something akin to “roles” you know from MMORPGs: damage, support, survival. Additionally, it is possible to adjust gear accordingly through augments. The devs make it clear that there is no “holy trinity” and no tanks. But those who want to can develop more towards one of these orientations.

In line with this, there are new dungeons with various “themes”, such as an electric dungeon and a fire dungeon, each providing unique loot, but also bringing completely new enemies and especially bosses.

Dungeon bosses with real mechanics

The bosses are what made me think the most about fights in dungeons from other MMOs. Because now there are real mechanics! As an example, the devs show me the electric boss:

  • The fight is divided into several phases, which are triggered depending on the boss’s health.
  • Moving lightning appears all around the room, which you must avoid.
  • Depending on your gear, you have to approach the mechanics differently to survive.

Additionally, there are up to 20 difficulty levels and puzzles in the dungeon itself that you must solve to even reach the boss. Difficulties scale with the group size, so everything is possible solo – but it sounds like more of a party activity.

Furthermore, there are new PvE tasks in the open world that you can accept, for example through the Landsraad. This ranges from assassinations in the new locations on the overworld map to time trials with your sand speeder.

Chapter 3 is what I expected from Dune: Awakening

When Dune: Awakening was announced and I had the chance to play the first rounds, I was completely hooked by the game and sounded like the next big player in the survival area – alone with Funcom behind it, whose games I have always enjoyed playing.

However, after the release, there came a quick disappointment, especially with the endgame, which has since improved, but couldn’t hold my interest. Like many others, I drifted away.

Now, with Chapter 3, the game looks completely different than it did at release. Whether it will win me back, I don’t know yet, as there are currently just too many new games and content elsewhere that keep me occupied. But the chances are at least good for a second look at the game.

The direct competition for Dune: Awakening is also on the move. In the last few months, there have not only been new survival titles but also many updates for existing games in the genre, some of which are still in Early Access: The 31 best survival games for PS5, Steam, and Xbox

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

Overwatch 2 is better than ever before because Blizzard made 3 decisions

MeinMMO editor Dariusz has been playing Overwatch every day for months and must admit: He is having a lot of fun, and it comes down to three points.

In 2025, I started playing Overwatch again after a long break and tested some new features that were introduced in the previous seasons. Since then, I’ve been playing Overwatch 2 almost every day. The hero shooter even managed to become my most played game of the year on Steam in just 4-5 months, just ahead of Rainbow Six: Siege, Battlefield 6, and Borderlands.

According to Steam, I have around 350 hours in Overwatch 2, almost all of which are from last year, because the last time I actively played OW2, it wasn’t on Steam yet. Before that, I only accumulated a few hours out of professional curiosity.

Over the past few months, there have certainly been moments when I was frustrated with the game or my teammates, but I still have to admit: I have never had as much fun in Overwatch as I do now. And that is mainly due to 3 changes.

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Overwatch 2: The Most Important Things About the Hero Shooter in 43 Seconds

1. The Comeback of the Year

The main reason I’m enjoying Overwatch so much right now is the return of 6v6. The mode initially made a temporary comeback, but due to its popularity, it stayed in the game and may receive more attention from Blizzard in the future.

Currently, there is 6v6 competitive and open queue, in case you don’t want to play ranked. The only thing I’m missing is a closed role queue, because it’s frustrating when our 4 random players all play DPS.

Overall, 6v6 is what I’ve been missing in Overwatch 2. In 5v5, it always felt like the tank role was too crucial for the outcome of the game. If you get a bad tank, the match is often as good as lost. If the tank is really strong, you can sometimes crush the opponents. In 6v6, with two tanks, you won’t get run over immediately when one tank makes a mistake.

There’s just a different game dynamic in 6v6.

Regardless of me, it’s a truly strong comeback because there’s still the option to play 5v5 if that’s preferred. Players have not lost anything; they simply have more options.

OW2 Unranked Modes

2. A Strong Innovation

With Season 15 in 2025, the so-called hero perks were introduced into the game. Every hero can choose one of two minor perks and later one of two major perks during a match. These perks enhance the various abilities of the heroes.

For example, I usually play Ana. She has the following 4 perks to choose from:

Minor:

  • Dazed: Opponents hit by the sleep dart are slowed for 2 seconds upon waking and take 50 damage during this time.
  • Tempo Serum: Nanoboost increases the movement speed of Ana and her target by 40 %.

Major:

  • Biotic Bounce: Biotic Grenade bounces after exploding and explodes again for 60 damage and healing.
  • Bounty Hunter: Biotic Rifle can deal critical hits to opponents.

These perks not only bring variety to the game. They are also truly powerful. I eventually stopped playing Overwatch 2 when Ana was nerfed over and over again, which bothered me. However, the perks have made her so much fun to play again that I don’t care about the nerfs of the past.

Other heroes also have strong perks. Baptiste has a shoulder shield that automatically heals allies when using abilities. Sojourn’s disruption shot slows down affected opponents. Sigma can charge his shield by throwing hyperspheres at enemies. And Kiriko can heal teammates by dealing damage with kunais.

OW2 Kiriko Perks

3. A Whole New Gaming Experience

In April 2025, Overwatch then received a brand new game mode called Stadium as part of Season 16, which has almost a MOBA-like principle that combines it with typical Overwatch gameplay and modes.

The individual rounds in Stadium are generally shorter than a normal Overwatch match, but since you play multiple rounds with individual buying phases, the entire match is a bit longer.

Speaking of buying phases:

In Stadium, you have a wide selection of upgrades that you can buy between rounds. There are items that improve your damage, abilities, or defense, and there are powers that give your abilities a new, powerful effect. For example, Ana can fire sleep darts with her rifle or give allies a weakened nanoboost with her grenade.

I admit, I’m not a big fan of Stadium and prefer classic 6v6, but the mode has been really well received by a large part of the community and is very popular among my friends. Blizzard has created something here that meaningfully expands the gameplay and also offers long-time players something new to invest a lot of time in.

A Successful Year for Overwatch

Overall, Overwatch 2 has taken a very good path in 2025 and has managed to win me back as a player. If I want to jump into a competitive shooter for a few rounds after work now, it’s usually Overwatch – which would have been hardly imaginable two years ago.

I am currently really enjoying the hero shooter and am curious about what 2026 will bring. Hopefully, Blizzard can maintain the course and make good decisions in the new year.

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

The MMORPG where you are always the best player receives a big update, bringing a new class

Erenshor now receives a major new update that brings not only a new class but also guilds to the MMORPG on Steam.

What kind of MMORPG is this? Erenshor is a very special MMORPG; you are the only real player in it. All other players who chat with you, invite you to groups, and trade with you are simulated by the game.

No matter how fast or slow you play, the NPCs always match your level from the leveling phase to the endgame dungeons. Like in a real MMORPG, you have different classes to choose from, and everything else you usually do in the best genre in the world is simulated by Erenshor.

Here you can see the trailer for the game:

Start video
Erenshor: Trailer for the Singleplayer MMORPG on Steam

Major Update for the MMORPG

What’s included in the new update? The new update features 3 important new features. The first important feature is the new class. The “Reaver” is a Void Knight who becomes stronger the more damage he takes.

The new class comes with a stance system, as well as fear spells that can frighten enemies or yourself. The Void Knight can be played as a DPS, tank, or support class, but usually exchanges health points for mana.

What else is new? The update “Rising Shadows” also introduces guilds. Players can create their own guild or join a simulated guild and interact with other players as usual.

In line with the new guild system is also the new player hub “Reliquary”. It features portals to various locations in the game world and also a personal area where players can run their own shop, an auction house, or a bank.

The players’ own guild can visit and interact with the player’s business.

What else is simulated? Also new are simulated announcements from the Game Master, which point out the rules of the MMORPG and can also impose penalties. As a player, you can break the rules and then experience the consequences firsthand.

You can find the complete patch notes for the update on Steam.

Erenshor may not be a real MMORPG, but it offers players exactly what they always hope for: companionship, challenge, and adventure. It is these cravings that lead players to constantly seek new Kickstarter MMORPGs. One of them has now failed: YouTuber claims the head of Ashes of Creation sold his MMORPG, blaming others

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

Has ARC Raiders become boring? 7 things you can do to have fun again

ARC Raiders can keep players entertained for a while, but eventually everyone reaches a point where boredom sets in. Therefore, we show you 7 things you can do to have fun again in the extraction shooter. 

What kind of list is this? In this list, we present possible options with which you can continue to pass the time in ARC Raiders. Sooner or later, every game becomes repetitive, but with our suggestions, you can get the most out of the extraction shooter and stave off boredom.

If you want to skim the list or jump to a specific point, feel free to use our directory:

[toc] 

Start video
ARC Raiders receives new matchmaking option and trophy display with Headwinds

Challenge Runs

What are Challenge Runs? Challenge Runs refer to self-imposed challenges. You set these based on parameters that you adhere to during your round, adding flavor to your gaming experience. Some examples to illustrate the principle would be:

  • Blank Run: Spawn into a round without items and weapons and try to survive
  • Mine Run: You only fight with mines and try to defeat opponents this way
  • Stealth Run: You sneak through the map constantly and try not to be seen by raiders or ARC. Those who notice you must die.

With the variety of items and maps, you can create diverse experiences. And if you have friends, you can challenge each other.

Trials 

What are Trials? Starting from level 15, you can view and complete the weekly trials in Speranza. A total of 5 in number challenge you every Monday and require you to achieve scores and highscores to secure rewards.

ARC Raiders Trials
The tasks rotate every week

These tasks range from “Damage hornets, wasps, and co.” to “Download data from the hidden bunker.” Depending on your chosen strategy, these tasks can keep you busy for a whole week. Moreover, the loot you can earn will reward you for your efforts.

If you want to approach the trials effectively and with the best tactics, you can check out our guide: ARC Raiders: Weekly Trials – Best Strategies for Maximum Rewards

Complete Everything 

What does this mean? We mean: Achieve everything that can be achieved and completed in ARC Raiders.

  • Max all workbenches
  • Complete all quests
  • Collect every blueprint
  • Earn every trophy for 100%
  • Reach the maximum level

If you take this step casually, you’ll have plenty to do for a long time and can also alternate or combine goals.

Expedition (Hard Reset)

How do Expeditions work? An expedition represents the optional seasonal reset in ARC Raiders. Optional, because during the active period, you can decide whether you want to participate or not.

In expeditions, you need to collect materials over several stages and then donate them for the construction of a vehicle. Once you have donated all the necessary resources, the construction is completed, and you must wait for the reset window to expire.

ARC Raiders Expedition
Building takes a long time to complete the expedition

If you choose to participate now, you send your raider and, thus, your collected progress away. This means you lose everything, including your items in your inventory and storage, as well as your character’s level – you start again at about 0.

This is especially worthwhile if you are after the rewards of the expedition (usually a skin) or simply want to start over and regain a purpose in the grind.

Roleplay 

What does this mean? When you’re active in roleplay, you take on the role of a character. You can act and immerse yourself even more in the world of ARC Raiders.

For example, you could take on the role of a rescue raider who supports and revives helpless and innocent raiders. Or you could take an dishonorable path and become a rat. You annoy other players, lure them into ambushes, and then defeat them to get their loot.

There are various types and ways in which you can be active in roleplay, as long as you live them out.

Conduct Explorer Trips and Find Secrets

How does that work? The maps of ARC Raiders consist not only of buildings and ruins that you can use as cover. Many places also hide secrets, containing loot or details that may be useful. In stressful situations, especially when being hunted by enemies, there is little time to explore the maps more closely.

For this reason, you can take the opportunity to do just that. Try to reach places with your grappling hook that you cannot normally access on foot. Explore the fringes and enjoy the atmosphere. Let the world influence you and find out what happened to the world due to the ARC – perhaps you will uncover some secrets as well.

Stuff Your Vault with the Most Valuable Items

How does that work? Once you’ve polished your build and have strong weapons, you can set out and stuff your vault with the strongest and best items. Why should you do this? So that later, when you take a break and return after weeks, you can play with the weapons and items you want without worrying about necessary resources.

Additionally, this goal keeps you occupied for a long time, as the vault has a lot of space. If you only want to fill it with the best items, it takes time – especially if enemies want to loot you.

This was our list of tips on how you can have fun in ARC Raiders again. Do you find the extraction shooter boring or are you still enjoying the looting? If you’re looking for PvE alternatives to ARC Raiders, we have the right list for you: 5 games like ARC Raiders that focus solely on PvE

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

Pokémon GO: You should start playing PvP today if you have missed it so far

In Pokémon GO it’s worth participating in the Battle League if you want a rare Pikachu. But time is running out.

Why should you play PvP? Currently, in Pokémon GO the Season Valuable Paths is ongoing, and this season is considered a transitional season in the PvP League.

The interesting thing about it is the maximum rank and the associated reward: If you reach Rank 20 in the PvP League, you will get a chance to encounter the Wrestler Pikachu.

And this is an opportunity that no collector should miss.

Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

What is special about Wrestler Pikachu in Pokémon GO?

This special variant of Pikachu can only be obtained through the Battle League, and usually, it’s significantly harder than it is currently.

Normally, you have to reach the rank Legend to encounter the Wrestler Pikachu. This rank is much more difficult to achieve than Rank 20, as from Rank 20 a points system is activated, which gives you points for wins but deducts them again for losses.

Ascending from Rank 20 to the ranks Ace, Veteran, Expert, and finally Legend is therefore a task that only the best PvP players can master.

Rank 20, on the other hand, can also be reached if you play enough and win victories. Therefore, you should start doing this if you haven’t already.

How much time do I have left? Exactly about a month, because the current season ends on March 3, 2026. It is likely that after that new rewards will again be distributed in the PvP League.

What should I keep in mind? There is a downside regarding the Pikachu: It can’t be shiny this season. The chance of that anyway is low, but now it is zero. Thus, you currently won’t get the rarest version of the monster.

Nonetheless: Wrestler Pikachu is a pretty cool catch that is currently easier to achieve than usual.

The new season is still a few weeks away, but there is still a lot to do beforehand. February has quite a few exciting dates for you – like the Kalos Tour or the way to Kalos. New Pokémon are also appearing in the current Carnival event. In short: There’s a lot going on. You can see exactly what here in our overview of all events in February 2026 in Pokémon GO.

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

After 5 years in Early Access, Valheim surprises fans with an update, but they hope: The real gift is yet to come

For 5 years, Valheim has been in Early Access, the developers are celebrating the milestone with a special update. This brings not only some nice extras but also significant improvements in performance. However, fans hope that the real gift is yet to come — and soon.

What kind of update is this? With patch 0.221.10, Iron Gate, the developer studio behind Valheim, celebrates the 5th anniversary of their game. The open-world survival game, in which you fight through a kind of purgatory of Vikings, launched in Early Access on February 2, 2021.

Start video
Der Trailer zum PS5-Release vom Survival-Hit Valheim

Festive decoration, an axe, and performance boost

What’s included in the update? You can find the detailed patch notes on Steam. Here are the changes at a glance:

  • a festive hat
  • “Early Axes” (a pun with “Axes”, which means “axes”, sounding similar to “Access”)
  • Sweetened sweet bread
  • New emotes (and a menu wheel for emotes)
  • New hairstyles
  • 2 new buildable garlands
  • Engine upgrade
  • Several bug fixes and improvements

The engine upgrade sounds particularly exciting. It is supposed to noticeably improve the game’s performance. Additionally, you can now adjust more settings in the graphics options.

Moreover, the game is now also supposed to run smoother on the Steam Deck. In performance mode, the game now reaches 60 FPS. There are also presets to help conserve your handheld’s battery. Lastly, Valheim now uses your Steam Deck’s native resolution from the start.

Fans eagerly await the release

How are fans reacting to the update? The update is surprising, but it is generally received positively by the community. Fans are much more excited about what this update might lead to: the release of version 1.0.

Seeing Valheim leave Early Access would be the true gift for fans. The fact that the developers are now focusing on performance is also seen by some fans as a sign that a release is not far off:

“Optimization can only mean one thing: 1.0 is here and coming soon,” writes YouTube user deadfishy666 under a video by YouTuber Jade PG, who discussed the update.

When will Valheim leave Early Access? There is currently no official release date (as of February 3, 2026, 12:13 PM). However, Iron Gate has announced that Valheim is set to leave Early Access in 2026 and will receive a PS5 version.

Right at the beginning of the Early Access phase, the game won many fans. Valheim quickly became one of the best survival games on Steam and has remained so to this day. You can find more recommendations here: The 31 best survival games of 2025 for PS5, Steam, and Xbox

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

Helldivers 2: Patch Notes for Update 6.0.1 – New War Bond, Tanks, and Combat against the Automatons

In Helldivers 2 the new major update 6.0.1 has been released and this marks the new chapter for the update “Into the Unjust”. We will show you what the highlights of the update are and what the patch notes reveal.

What kind of update is this? At 11:00 AM German time, Arrowhead released the latest update in Helldivers 2 for “Into the Unjust”. This not only brings a new story but also a general order that sends you into battle against the Automatons.

The battle is intensified, and Super Earth proves this by equipping you with new gear. According to the developers, the focus is now on Cyberstan, the main base of the robots.

What are the highlights of the update? The highlights of the update include the following content:

  • Bastion Tank
  • Chinese Voiceover
  • New Premium Warbond “Siegebreakers”
  • War Horse Set
  • Emotes & Victory Poses

How large is the update? The update is approximately 5 GB on Steam and can be downloaded right now.

[toc]

Start video
Helldivers 2 shows the new expansion “Into the Unjust” in the trailer and takes players deep underground

All Patch Notes for Update 6.0.1 

The developers introduce the major update with a message from Super Earth, which is meant to prepare you for the upcoming battle:

INCOMING MESSAGE FROM HIGH COMMAND

We have confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt, with concrete evidence, that the Automaton collective has stolen our plans for the “Star of Peace”. We must not allow them to turn this defensive tool of peace into a destructive weapon of war. It is now up to you, our most elite and formidable unit, to hold them accountable on their own turf.

We have authorized the deployment of new gear to aid the troops in swiftly eliminating the Automaton threat.

Advance toward Cyberstan and put an end to this affront to Guided Democracy. Helldivers, let this be the last time the Automatons steal from Super Earth.

Patch Highlights

  • Bastion Tank: A new armored vehicle with heavy firepower to crush entrenched enemies.
  • Chinese Voiceover: Helldivers 2 now supports Chinese VO.
  • New Premium Warbond “Siegebreakers”: The new war bond contains a devastating hammer for “Persuasion” in melee combat and an upgrade for the LAS-16 Trident!
  • War Horse Set: Available in the superstore.
  • Emotes & Victory Poses: With a few exceptions, these are now interchangeable!

Balancing

Overview of General Changes

  • Rebalancing of Melee Weapons and Armor Passives: The goal is to make armor passives that increase melee damage less mandatory while still being useful for the effectiveness of melee weapons.
    • The damage of all melee weapons has been increased, and the modifiers of the armor passives have been lowered accordingly.
    • The total damage in combination with the armor passives is now higher or equal to what it was before.
    • The standard melee attack also received a damage increase of 50%.
  • Less Sway for SMGs and Pistols: The main characteristic of these weapons remains their increased air resistance, making them melee weapons that are less effective at range. We have decreased the sway modifier so that it now matches that of most other weapons.
  • Standardization of Input Directions for Weapon Functions: Similar “weapon function modes” are now to be on the same input direction for increased memorability and to reduce the number of required key bindings.
    • Modes for programmable ammunition, ammunition types, volley modes, safety modes, and guided modes are now uniformly on the left direction key.
    • The option for under-barrel weapon swaps has not yet been moved, but we are considering moving all ammo-changing swaps to the left as well.
  • Difficulty Level 9+: Changes across all factions to increase intensity at higher difficulty levels. The biggest change concerns the Automaton front; Terminids and the Illuminated are less affected.

Value Changes

Primary Weapons

  • R-2124 Constitution & R-2 Amendment: Bayonet melee damage increased from 110 to 165; durable damage increased from 55 to 83.
  • MP-98 Knight, SMG-37 Defender, SMG-72 Pummeler, M7S SMG: Sway modifier reduced from 1.2 to 1.
  • SG-20 Halt: Weapon function “Ammunition Type” moved from Right to Left.
  • DBS-2 Double Freedom: Weapon function “Volley/Semi-Mode” moved from Right to Left.

Secondary Weapons

  • P-72 Crisper: Magazine capacity increased from 30 to 50; sway modifier reduced from 1.2 to 1.
  • P-2 Peacemaker, LAS-58 Talon, GP-31 Grenade Pistol, LAS-7 Dagger, P-113 Verdict, M6C/SOCOM Pistol, PLAS-15 Loyalist, P-11 Stim Pistol: Sway modifier reduced from 1.2 to 1.
  • SG-22 Bushwhacker: Sway modifier reduced from 1.3 to 1; “Volley/Semi-Mode” moved to Left.
  • P-4 Senator, GP-20 Ultimatum: Sway modifier reduced from 1.3 to 1.
  • Melee Weapons (CQC-30 to CQC-42): All weapons (Electric Baton, Spear, Saber, Axe, Machete) received a significant increase in damage and durable damage (approx. +50 %).

Throwing Weapons

  • G-7 Pineapple: Max. capacity increased from 3 to 4; starting amount increased from 2 to 3.
  • G-31 Arc: Max. capacity increased from 4 to 5; starting amount increased from 3 to 4.

Stratagems

  • SH-20 Ballistic Shield: Cooldown reduced from 300 to 240 sec.
  • Orbital Smoke Strike: Cooldown reduced from 100 to 75 sec.
  • CQC-9 Defoliation Tool: Damage increased from 300 to 450; durable damage increased from 150 to 225.
  • CQC-1 One True Flag: Damage increased from 110 to 200; durable damage increased from 55 to 100.
  • RS-422 Railgun: “Safe/Unsafe Mode” moved from Right to Left.
  • StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launcher: “Programmable Ammunition” moved to Left.
  • GL-21 Grenade Launcher: Armor penetration increased from “Medium” to “Heavy”.

Armor Passives

  • Peak Physique & Rock Solid: Melee damage bonus reduced from 100% to 40%.
  • Reinforced Epaulettes: Melee damage bonus reduced from 50% to 20%.

Enemies

General

  • Damage Adjustment against Durable Targets: For some enemies, damage against “durable” targets has been rebalanced to account for the large HP pools of Helldiver vehicles. This does not change their effectiveness against normal Helldivers but only affects their vehicles.
  • Affected Attacks: Attacks from Bile Titans, Chargers, Crescent Overseers, Overseers, rocket-firing Automatons, Hulk melee attacks, mortars, acid, etc. have been adjusted. Some adjustments only affect specific targets (e.g., the Bastion Tank), while others also affect the FRV and the Exosuits.
  • Optimized Target Tracking: Enemy targeting calculations were not always updated when many enemies tried to aim at once, resulting in Automatons sometimes poorly aiming on higher difficulty levels. They are now trying to update their target better based on available data. This means Automatons will now shoot more accurately in large groups without further impacting performance.

Terminids

  • Dragon Roach: The direct damage of the flame attack has been reduced by 25%.

Automatons

  • Rocket Raider: Rockets now deal increased damage against durable targets.
  • Devastator: The “durable” status on the arms has been removed.
  • Rocket Devastator: Rockets now deal increased damage against durable targets.
  • Hulk Bruiser: Rockets now deal increased damage against durable targets.
  • Gunship: Targeting software updated – should now hit targets better. Rockets cause increased damage against durable targets.

Illuminati

  • Overseer: The weapon of the Overseer now deals increased damage against durable targets.
  • Crescent Overseer:
    • Power of the artillery attack increased to stagger Helldivers.
    • Damage of the direct shot attack increased.
    • The weapon now deals increased damage against durable targets.

Gameplay

Emotes and Victory Poses

Emotes and victory poses are now interchangeable. With a few exceptions (such as emotes that require two people, the kick, and some others), all victory poses can now be used as emotes, and all emotes can be used as victory poses.


Fixes

Hang Detection

As part of the fight against bugs and instability, we have introduced a “hang detection” in the PC version. If the game freezes for more than 20 seconds, this feature will crash the game rather than leaving it frozen. A file called “Crash Dump” is created, which contains important information for programmers to fix the cause.

Crash Fixes

  • Fixed a rare crash due to weapon customization desynchronization.
  • Fixed a rare crash when accessing the galaxy map.
  • Fixed a crash caused by Automatons in lava missions.

Weapon & Stratagem Fixes

  • RS-422 Railgun: Magazine is now visible during the reload animation (also when reloading immediately after firing).
  • Eradication Missions: An overly eager second Pelican pilot will no longer attempt to land when one is already approaching.
  • AX/FLAM-75 “Guard Dog”: Sound effects corrected.
  • AR/GL-21 One-Two: Sound effects of under-barrel explosions corrected; shots/explosions are now visible to other players.
  • MLS-4X Commando: Rockets now correctly target the marking instead of the last target point of the Helldivers.
  • R-36 Eruptor: Incorrect zoom levels for scope attachments without zoom fixed.
  • B-1 Supply Package: Fixed issue with infinite supplies when dropped; can no longer be used when ammo/grenade/stim supplies are full.
  • Weapon Customization: Visual issues in preview fixed.
  • M-102 Vehicle: Helldivers can now reload inside the vehicle.

Enemies

  • Enemies have learned to aim better.
  • Spawn rates and points in “Rapid Acquisition” missions (levels 7-10) adjusted.

Miscellaneous Fixes

  • Automaton Dropships: Now move less erratically when dropping troops.
  • Camera: Corrected position when switching to first-person view during reloading or when doing the push-up emote.
  • Terrain: Fixed issue where one could land on command bunkers or the terrain visually “jumped” when approaching.
  • Vehicles: Vehicle speed is now carried over when exiting.
  • Command Operations: Now available on all Automaton planets.
  • Damage: Damage inconsistencies between client and host fixed.
  • Interactions: Helldivers no longer block the view of terminals; hand protocols at power plants corrected; battery light turns off after delivering.
  • Super Earth Flag: Now plays the anthem on hive worlds as well.
  • [Xbox] Fixed green artifacts in smoke on red planets.
  • Guard Dogs: Names shortened for better readability.

Optimizations

  • Fog: Quality settings “Lowest” and “Low” for volumetric fog have been aligned.
  • Performance: Building materials in colonies/cities optimized; explosions and destruction of bot factories improved.
  • Lighting: The artificial light source on the Helldiver has been removed; instead, overall visibility in dark environments has been improved.
  • Login: Fixed error “10002026” when logging in.

You can find the original list of patch notes on the official Helldivers 2 Discord server (Source: discord.com).

These were all the important details regarding the patch notes for Helldivers 2. Are you excited about the tank and Cyberstan and can hardly wait to spread democracy? You can also find more about Helldivers 2 here: Chef of Helldivers 2 says he wants customizable mechs and is currently checking 8-man missions

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

Streamer starts after over 10 years on Twitch, has to justify because he pays his employee too well

The streamer Kevin “GTime” Lohse is currently experiencing a surge on Twitch. His success is also due to his employees who support him in his career. The good pay for his editor has drawn some critics.

Who is it about? The Twitch streamer GTime is by no means a newcomer in the German YouTube and Twitch scene. Quite the opposite: he started his career on Twitch in 2014.

However, big numbers have been missing for a while, so the Twitch streamer gave himself another year on Twitch. That was exactly what he needed, along with a content revamp.

Whom does GTime pay so well? In a past Twitch stream, GTime talked about how he pays his editor Enno. Enno is responsible for editing Twitch streams into YouTube videos and simultaneously manages several channels on different social media platforms.

For this, Enno receives a fixed salary of 4,800 euros gross and additionally half of the earnings from the YouTube channel. Considering other past payment patterns from Twitch colleagues, this seems very generous.

GTime justifies the payment by saying that Enno puts a lot of passion into his work, which should be rewarded. For GTime, it’s perfectly fine if he doesn’t make big profits from his YouTube channels; after all, he earns more than enough with Twitch.

But not everyone seemed to be able to understand this line of thought.

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These are the 5 most relevant German streamers on Twitch in 2024, according to Google

“What kind of world do you live in?”

According to the Twitch streamer, there were some TikTok comments criticizing GTime’s payment model. The Twitch streamer gTasty even called it “stupid” (Source: Twitch). However, GTime dismissed the criticism:

What kind of world do you live in? What kind of lousy boss and person are you when you see a person as a resource and say everyone is interchangeable?

GTime further explained that regarding the issue surrounding Papalatte, the Twitch streamer was harshly criticized, but apparently different standards are applied here.

As a reminder: Papaplatte was involved in a shitstorm when he publicly accused his former editor of not being paid fairly. Papaplatte did not want to pay his editor a high salary, even though he himself earned a lot of money with the edited videos.

Papaplatte commented on the issue, eventually recognized his mistake, and reconciled with his former editor.

What is the situation with the payment of editors? The issue of how editors should be paid by content creators has always been a major topic in the German YouTube and Twitch scene. This also applies to Trymacs, who agreed with Max Schradin that there should be an upper limit for the payment of editors. Even though he himself earns far above this limit. Later, however, he apologized for these statements and acknowledged his mistake.

In the payment of editors, it often concerns editing the reactions of Twitch streamers. The discussion surrounding reactions is a separate topic and has also been frequently raised in the editor discussion. A YouTuber saw the problem in the debate surrounding Papaplatte: YouTuber sees a much bigger problem in the drama around Papaplatte that costs many creators real money

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

Experts find cooling that can reduce temperatures by more than 50 degrees Celsius in seconds

Researchers have discovered a cooling method that can significantly reduce temperatures within seconds. This cooling could be the solution to many problems associated with the AI hype: the high energy consumption and the large waste heat of data centers.

What have the experts found? Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found that water saturated with ammonium thiocyanate salt, when pressurized and then suddenly depressurized, cools down by 30 °C at room temperature and can even cool by up to 50 °C in warmer environments. You can find the entire research paper directly at Nature.com.

What advantages does the new cooling method have? In addition to its very rapid cooling performance, there are mainly two points that are advantageous:

  • On the one hand, the theoretical efficiency is supposed to be much higher than that of conventional cooling methods currently in use.
  • On the other hand, no special construction measures are required: Even though ammonium thiocyanate is a salt, it does not attack many common metals, so no special piping is necessary for the cooling.

What other problems still exist? The cooling still requires electricity to compress the refrigerant. The salt can also cause burns and irritations, making it harder to handle than some other compounds.

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This novel cooling method is especially interesting for data centers

Who is the new cooling method interesting for? This novel cooling method is particularly exciting for modern data centers, of which there are increasingly more due to the AI hype. However, all of them share a common problem: The energy consumption of data centers is enormous and the waste heat from servers must also go somewhere. Without cooling, servers cannot operate and shut down.

Here, the novel cooling method could solve several problems at once: on the one hand, significantly reducing energy consumption and on the other hand, lowering the temperatures.

Alternatives, such as submerging entire data centers in the sea and using seawater for cooling, are already being actively implemented. However, these options are very expensive and complicated.

The energy consumption of data centers is a major problem: To operate their massive AI data centers, tech giants are now relying on old airplane turbines. While these provide quick power, they also create new environmental and supply problems: Because your AI asks so many dumb questions, data centers are now buying turbines from airplanes to supply enough energy

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