In Deadpool & Wolverine, there is a guest appearance that the actor had to wait a whole 10 years for

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

Deadpool & Wolverine is a movie full of crazy gags and ideas. Some characters and their actors make guest appearances, including a Hollywood star who had to wait ten years for this moment.

Attention Spoiler: If you don’t want to know anything about the guest appearances in Deadpool & Wolverine, you should watch the movie first and then continue reading.

Which actor is it about? Most of you probably know the American actor Channing Tatum from his roles in movies like Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street, or Jupiter Ascending. By the way, Tatum has his own opinion about the latter.

In Deadpool & Wolverine he has a guest appearance as well, albeit a rather small one. He plays a role that he was actually supposed to portray several years ago. It is the character Gambit, a Marvel character that particularly appears in connection with the X-Men.

About 10 years ago, Tatum was already cast for the role. However, various production circumstances meant that a corresponding film was never made.

Start video
Wolverine is back: Official Trailer of Deadpool & Wolverine

A solo movie was planned

What happened 10 years ago? At that time, the X-Men were still part of 20th Century Fox, a studio that has since been acquired by Disney. Gambit was supposed to appear in X-Men: Apocalypse and subsequently receive his own solo film.

Channing Tatum was considered for this role, as he was very eager to take on the part. But the pre-production of the project was slow, and no suitable director could be found. The film was dead, and so was Tatum’s appearance as Gambit.

The acquisition by Disney changed nothing about that. There were no further plans to produce a Gambit film. At that time, Channing Tatum thought the role was lost forever.

Only when Ryan Reynolds contacted him did things change. Reynolds has significant influence over the Deadpool project. He wished for an old colleague back as director and offered Channing Tatum a guest appearance as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine. This fulfilled a long-held dream for the actor.

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How did Tatum react? The actor is very grateful for the opportunity his friend Ryan Reynolds offered him and says:

I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he (Ryan Reynolds) fought for me and Gambit. I will probably be indebted to him forever. Because I don’t know how I could ever do anything that compares to that.

Channing Tatum via jeuxvideo.com

Who knows if Disney and Marvel might reconsider a solo movie with the character now. Or if Ryan Reynolds himself will revisit Gambit in a future project. After all, for Deadpool & Wolverine, the actor had more than 18 different ideas – even if most of them were rejected by Marvel.

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

5 crossovers with Alien that hardly anyone knows

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 3 minutes

The alien from Alien is one of the most famous movie monsters from science fiction. Most people also know that the Xenomorph has fought the Predator several times. But did you know that there are other crossovers? We introduce you to 5.

What is the Xenomorph? The Xenomorph first appeared in 1997. In the movie Alien by Ridley Scott, the monster terrorized the crew of the spaceship Nostromo. In four additional films, the Xenomorph was seen spreading chaos.

In addition to the main series, there is also the spin-off Alien vs. Predator from 2004. This film featured the Predator battling Xenomorphs. Alongside two mediocre films, the two also clashed in comics. In comics, the Xenomorph met other well-known characters as well.

The series began with Alien in 1997:

Start video
„Alien – The eerie being from a foreign world“ – Trailer with Sigourney Weaver

[toc]

1. Batman and Superman vs. Aliens

Start video
German trailer for Batman The Dark Knight

Comic: Superman vs. Aliens (1995)

Superman and Batman have battled the Xenomorph multiple times, both individually and together. The fight began in 1995 with Superman vs. Aliens. Prior to that, there were comics where Batman fought the Predator.

Superman allegedly finds survivors from his home planet Krypton and flies to a planet without a yellow sun, causing his powers to wane. On this planet named Argo, an alien queen had landed some time ago, and Superman now has to fight her. (via CBR)

Batman and Superman have faced the aliens multiple times, and characters like Darkseid also wanted to use the Xenomorphs to defeat the heroes. If you’re interested, you’ll find many encounters of these iconic characters. Often the aliens appear alongside the Predator.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Xenopedia
  2. CBR
Pages: 1 2 3

„My wife won me in a raffle for Guild Wars 2“ – as a consolation prize, so to speak

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 3 minutes

It’s anecdote time again! In this special, MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz reveals why he met his wife through a giveaway for Guild Wars 2 and is still considered the best consolation prize of all time.

The last time I shared stories in written form, it was about my freelance time before MeinMMO and stories about risqué superheroes. Today, we go a bit further back to my beginnings in the video game industry.

In the summer of 2009, I landed as an intern at the buffed editorial team, which grew and thrived due to the ongoing success of World of Warcraft. In the six months in Nuremberg and Fürth, I learned a lot and met many great people who became friends.

From Intern to Ninja

Among them were Imke, Lars, Benny, and Ramon, four other interns who sought their way into the industry with great passion and motivation. The five of us got along so well that Imke invited us to help expand her existing blog Ninjalooter.de during and after our internship (which is no longer maintained today due to a lack of time, but is still online).

When Karsten Scholz dipped his toe into the video game industry, Wrath of the Lich King was rocking the WoW servers – here is a particularly iconic scene from that time:

Start video
WOW WotLK Classic: Die Pforte des Zorns

The creative alliance quickly showed initial results. In April 2010, for example, the first NinjaCast went live, which became increasingly popular with each new episode. In addition, there were many articles, but also special projects like an interactive talent planner for Guild Wars 2, a 109-page online guide to the datacrons from SWTOR, or download templates for the Gwent card game from The Witcher 3.

The site was doing great. Meanwhile, the team grew, adding stalwarts from the buffed community like Haggy and Cala, but also former buffed editor Florian, who is now Head of PR at THQ Nordic. If there had been Patreon and Steady back then, we would probably have gone “All in” with Ninjalooter and the NinjaCast.

Columns by Karsten Scholz:
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How Life Plays Out

Ninjalooter.de was not just a small blog stumbled upon by a few people each month by chance. We made a name for ourselves, even among some MMORPG developers. This explains why, for example, ArenaNet supplied us with three versions of the upcoming online role-playing game before the launch of Guild Wars 2, which we were allowed to raffle off in our community.

The highlight, of course, was the grand prize: the packed Collector’s Edition of Guild Wars 2. The task for everyone who wanted to participate in the giveaway was: “Send a photo of yourself and complete the sentence ‘I deserve the Collector’s Edition because…'”

Normally, Imke would have received the submissions and collected them for evaluation. However, since she was on vacation at the time, I stepped in. So, until the deadline, almost new works from the community arrived every minute, each photo more creative than the last.

The Collector’s Edition of Guild Wars 2 was quite impressive.

A Contest Changes Everything

A particularly nicely staged picture collage featuring three pets and their owner caught my eye. Since I knew the email address, I took a chance and thanked the participant for her contribution. I wanted to know how life was with the little furry creatures and whether the dog got along with the two cats. I myself also had a feline sibling pair.

A friendly response and new questions yielded further emails. A few days later, we sat together on Skype for the first time. “Wait, you live in Leipzig? I’m in Berlin!” We had to meet. We fell in love. We have been together for almost twelve years now and have two wonderful kids.

However, in the end, it didn’t work out for the Collector’s Edition of Guild Wars 2 or the two standard editions. I was something like the consolation prize, which she still playfully reminds me of from time to time. If you want to know more about me, check this out: Our new MMORPG expert introduces himself: “Hello, I’m Karsten”

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

YouTuber shows secret Minecraft feature that hardly anyone knows

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A secret feature in Minecraft is hardly known to anyone. Behind it lies real work – and a logical structure of the game world.

In Minecraft, there is a lot to discover – very much. Even veterans who have been there from the beginning may not know every trick in the huge sandbox game, so you constantly come across something new.

Now, Pirate Software has shown a small feature that most likely few people have ever seen. Certain mobs have a very special perspective on things.

The story behind the original inventor of Minecraft is also curious:

Start video
The Story of Notch – The Man Who Invented Minecraft

What was shown? Jason Thor Hall, who many may know as “Pirate Software” on YouTube, is a former Blizzard developer who regularly offers insights into game development, unearthing curious stories or features along the way.

Recently, he showcased a feature in Minecraft that many probably have never seen before.

In Minecraft, there is a “Spectator Mode.” There, you can observe a world as a passive viewer, have a clear view of everything, but nothing and no one can interact with you. This is particularly interesting on PvP servers or for admins to comment on matches or look out for wrongdoers.

However, a “hidden” feature in this mode is that you can click to slip into the body of passive mobs and then experience the world from that mob’s perspective. Your camera moves along with the movements of the respective creature.

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Pirate Games shows that the developers unexpectedly put a lot of effort into this, because:

  • If you slip into the role of an Enderman, you will see the whole world with inverted colors. This is a special filter that is active only here.
  • If you slip into the body of a spider, the screen will be divided into several sections, just as if you actually had the many eyes of a spider.

Even with the Creeper, there is a special visibility, as it sees the whole world slightly pixelated and significantly greener.

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Why do these features exist? That’s a good question that Jason Thor Hall also asks. Because at first glance, there seems to be no reason to build such a feature into the game. The spectator mode is already quite specific – and it is likely to be rare for someone to actually want to experience the game from the perspective of a spider or an Enderman.

It probably is just a bit of fun that a developer included. It is certainly “logical” that some creatures have a different view of the world of Minecraft.

Did you already know about these small, hidden features? Or is this the first time you have heard that the world can look completely different from the perspective of a Minecraft mob? We have reported on Pirate Software before, because he simply makes good videos that often go viral.

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

I bought a controller for fighting games a year ago and now I can’t live without it

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 4 minutes

Tekken, Street Fighter, and countless other fighting games are a traditional genre that primarily took place in arcades. Unfortunately, this culture never really existed in Germany. To experience arcade gaming, MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes bought a suitable controller a year ago.

Why did I buy the controller? When you watch professional matches in Tekken or Street Fighter, you see that players don’t always use a classic pad. Often, the pros have a bulky box with a stick and many buttons. This is called an arcade controller or stick.

A year ago, I also bought one because I wanted to see how it feels to play with it and whether it changes the experience. With Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, the timing was perfect. This year, I realized how bad I am at these games, but also how much fun it is to use such a controller.

The most important game for the controller for me was Tekken 8:

Start video
Tekken 8 Gameplay – Game Awards Trailer

It feels like I’m learning to play again

What makes arcade sticks so special? An arcade stick is significantly larger than a pad. It’s a big box with a large stick on the left and many buttons on the right. Usually, you have the controller on your lap or on the table, depending on your preference. Since there is only one stick, you can typically only use the controller for arcade games like fighting games, specific shooters, or platformers.

The controller tries to replicate the arcade experience that one never truly had in Germany. In Asian countries like Japan or South Korea, there are still arcades where correspondingly adapted versions of games are played.

Playing with the stick for the first time felt very unfamiliar. I not only have to learn how a game works, but also how to hold the controller properly. The arcade stick doesn’t make this easy, as there are several grip styles, and you have to find one that suits you.

With Street Fighter 6 and later Tekken 8, there were also two different ways of movement. In Street Fighter, you fight exclusively in 2D, while in Tekken, movements go into 3D depth. That was difficult, and to this day, I haven’t found the right grip style. The downside of the stick is that you have to learn both the game and the controller. Accordingly, I often lost.

Tekken 8 King
Executing the moves of the wrestler King in Tekken 8 was particularly tough

The sounds are a dream for me and a nightmare for those around me

What is fun about an arcade stick from the beginning is the sound of the buttons. It’s a completely different feeling to hear the constant clicking. Almost like a rhythm. The volume helped me move away from classic button-mashing. You can tell by the timing if you’re playing deliberately or panicking.

However, this can become annoying for those around you. If you prefer to play quietly or have to, then you need to get an arcade stick with quiet buttons or modify one yourself.

Arcade Stick, Pad, or Hitbox?

Does using an arcade stick make you better at fighting games? In my estimation, no. You might look like a total sweat with the bulky stick among your friends. However, skill is only improved through personal training. The big advantage of the stick is that you can press the buttons faster, and due to the grip style, combination moves become easier.

With the pad, on the other hand, you have to assign combinations to the shoulder buttons for specific characters. However, you are faster and more precise in moving your own character with the D-pad. There are also games that are more enjoyable with a pad. An example would be Mortal Kombat 1.

I personally don’t notice that the stick gives me any advantages. Just like with the pad, I had to train with my character to get better. Ultimately, it’s your personal preference that decides here. Both are also used in tournaments.

With a hitbox controller, one could argue that it’s better than other options. You again have a bulky box, but the stick on the left side is replaced by buttons. This makes you faster in movement and attacks. However, I have never played with such a controller, so personally, I can’t say anything about it.

A professional’s assessment can be found on Maximilian Dood’s YouTube channel, a content creator for fighting games.

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Arcade sticks are just fun

Personally, I find playing with the stick much more enjoyable than with the pad. It’s just a change to not have to use the same controller for every game. You feel a bit like you’re in an arcade hall, just without having to throw in a lot of coins into the machines.

What’s next? I started with an inexpensive model. There are countless models of arcade sticks with various prices. Online, you can buy sticks from official brands or even custom-built ones from users. If you are handy, you can even order individual parts and build a stick with your own design. There are countless tutorials for that.

If you buy a stick, you should know that it is only suitable for specific games. You won’t be able to play an action-adventure or a shooter with it. At least you look a bit more professional than your friends with a stick—assuming you’re not getting wrecked. I myself was even defeated in the past by my grandmother: My game of the year 2024 is coming out next week and reminds me of how I virtually fought my grandma

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

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard you cannot control your companions, because that would overwhelm you.

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you will only control one character – your own. The companions will act on their own.

When thinking back to the first Dragon Age, one certainly has memories of the great story and the challenging, tactical RPG battles. You could take control of each party member and plan every step in combat very precisely.

However, this will not be the case in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. You will only be able to control your own character. The reason: You would be overwhelmed otherwise.

Start video
Dragon Age: The Veilguard introduces your companions in the trailer

What was said? In a conversation with Edge magazine, Game Director Corinne Busch spoke in more detail about the companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. They are meant to act quite independently (via gamesradar.com):

You are in this world, you are very focused on your own actions. We wanted the companions to feel like they are complete characters who have control over their own actions. They make their own decisions.

This makes Dragon Age: The Veilguard distinctly different from the previous games in the series. While they had already become increasingly action-oriented, this time it seems they are taking it up a notch, as it continues:

[The game] requires significantly more actions per minute. It places greater technical demands on the player. When we tried to give you control over the companions as well, we realized that it didn’t really help the player experience. In fact, it hurt in some cases, considering how demanding it is to control your character alone.

In other words: You would simply be overwhelmed if you also had to control the companions.

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How was it in the past? In the first part of Dragon Age, it was common to switch to a tactical view during combat. Here you could sequentially select an action for all characters, including companions, and then let the time continue. For many, this was a “true RPG experience” that required significantly more planning. In the second part, this feature was still present in traces, but the tactical view and strategic approach were simply unnecessary in most cases. The second Dragon Age played more like an action RPG in the style of Diablo, and “Inquisition” only reinforced this trend.

However, it remains to be seen whether it truly seems that managing your own character is already fully occupying you. After all, you can modify the characters in Dragon Age: The Veilguard a little and equip them with your own abilities – at least if you are kind to your companions.

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

A character in The Lord of the Rings is so powerful and could have changed everything, yet he is missing in the movies

Fabienne Kissel Fabienne Kissel Reading time 2 minutes

A popular and powerful figure from Middle-earth is missing from the The Lord of the Rings– films. He was even so strong that the One Ring had no influence on him.

The Lord of the Rings is vast and full of fascinating characters, many of whom appear in the films. However, one character did not make it into the films, even though he is particularly powerful. This character is Tom Bombadil. Although he plays a significant role in the books, he does not appear in the film trilogy.

Tom Bombadil is one of the most mysterious figures in Tolkien’s world

Who is Tom Bombadil? He is one of the most enigmatic figures in Tolkien’s universe. Tom first appears in The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo and his friends encounter him on their journey through the Old Forest. Tom saves Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin and takes them home with him. He is described as an old man in a blue coat and a hat who is always cheerful.

But he is not just any kind-hearted resident of Middle-earth – he is likely the oldest, at least according to his own claim. He existed before the Elves. Tom was here before the river and the trees, Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn (via jeuxvideo). This suggests that he could be a god-like figure.

Could he perhaps be a nature spirit, a powerful god, or a Maia? Perhaps he is even a manifestation of Ilúvatar himself? Who exactly he is remains a mystery. Tolkien himself never fully explained who or what Tom Bombadil really is.

Start video
Epic Trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship

What makes him so special? He is so powerful that he is immune to the One Ring. While the Ring corrupts and drives others mad, Bombadil seems completely unaffected by its power. Tom can even see Frodo when he is wearing the Ring. While the Ring usually makes its bearer invisible to others, it seems to have no effect on Tom. He also seems to have no desire to keep it or use its power.

At the Council of Elrond, it is considered whether Bombadil should keep the Ring. But Gandalf and the others reject this idea, stating that Bombadil is too carefree and does not take the threat of Sauron seriously enough. Despite his power, he is too distant from the world’s concerns.

Tom Bombadil has a deep connection to nature and animals. He prefers to live in seclusion in his own little realm, together with his wife Goldberry, where he sings cheerful songs.

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Why is he missing from the films? One of the main reasons could be that Bombadil’s appearance in the books, while cool and fascinating, is not essential to the main plot. The films needed to focus on the central story to package everything well.

Another reason could be that his appearance might have disrupted the narrative flow and raised too many questions that could not be satisfactorily answered within the films.

However, Tom will finally make his appearance, which is well received by fans. He is going to appear in the second season of the series The Rings of Power.

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

We thought: Witcher 4 would be without Geralt – Now we know: A part of him remains

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The Witcher 4 will have to manage without the Witcher. But at least a little bit of Geralt of Rivia will remain and be preserved.

The next Witcher installment will have to do without Geralt. This has been known for quite some time. However, that does not mean we have to completely forgo the famous monster hunter, as at least his voice will likely appear in one form or another.

The TV series of The Witcher also continues:

Start video
The Witcher: New teaser for season 4 shows Liam Hemsworth as Geralt for the first time

What has been said? The voice actor of the English original, Doug Cockle, revealed in an interview that Geralt will be a part of the new Witcher 4 in some way (via yahoo.com):

The Witcher 4 has been announced. I can’t say anything about it. Geralt will be part of the game. We don’t know yet how much that will be, and the focus of the game will not be on Geralt; this time it’s not about him.

In fact, Cockle seems to be excited to play Geralt again. He also lent his voice to the Witcher in the anime adaptation. He himself has no idea in what way Geralt’s story will continue or how he will be utilized in the new game:

I’m excited to find that out. I want to know! I haven’t seen a script so far – I probably shouldn’t even tell you if I had seen it. So I could just be lying boldly right now, but I’m not … or am I?

Why isn’t Geralt participating? That Geralt is no longer participating should have been clear to most players of The Witcher III. Because even though there were many different endings, most of them made it clear that Geralt’s story in this capacity is simply told out. It would also be quite difficult to process the numerous different endings in a new installment in a way that each story is logically continued.

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However, if Geralt only appears as a voice, perhaps as a “moral voice in the head” or in flashback scenes, then that would fit much better. Something similar has already been done in many other games, such as in The Last of Us 2 with Joel.

It seems more likely that the story will now focus more on Ciri. The young woman was already the indirect focus of the storyline in Witcher 3, as Geralt spent a long time trying to find his adopted daughter again – and depending on how you finished the game, he managed to do so more or less well. At least over 300 developers are working on the new Witcher – so it will be a big game.

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

Fortnite shows new trailer for Chapter 5 Season 4, starting next week – Featuring 8 new skins from the Marvel universe

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The online shooter Fortnite: Battle Royale is approaching a new season with Chapter 5 Season 4. A teaser trailer lasting 91 seconds now gives players a taste of the season, which will start on August 16. Epic reveals and showcases 8 skins from the Battle Pass and announces 3 new weapons.

What does the teaser trailer show? The 90-second teaser trailer for the new Fortnite season cheekily recreates many scenes from famous Marvel movies:

  • We see Doctor Doom, along with Emma Frost and a strange variant of Sabertooth, freeing the Spider-Man villain Mysterio. Doctor Doom tears down the remnants of the current season in Fortnite, with whom they collaborated with Fallout.
  • We see the Fortnite variant of Captain America (as Captain Jonesey) and Wolverine in the banana form Peelverine.
  • The teaser trailer features iconic scenes from the Avengers movies as forces of supervillains and superheroes clash against each other.

Here you can watch the trailer for Chapter 5 Season 4 in Fortnite:

Start video
Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 4 – Official Trailer to Absolute Doom

The new Battle Pass transforms you into 8 villains and heroes from Marvel

What skins are in the Battle Pass this time? Fortnite lists 8 skins:

  • Gwenpool – the mix of Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man and Deadpool – this skin will be available to anyone who purchases the “Absolute Doom Battle Pass,” in the normal version costs it 950 V-Bucks, in the premium version 1,500 V-Bucks.
  • War Machine – known from the Iron Man movies.
  • Peelverine – the banana variant of Wolverine.
  • Emma Frost – an icy opponent of the X-Men, a telepath without the annoying scruples that plague Professor Xavier.
  • Captain Jonesey  – the Fortnite mascot as Captain America.
  • Mysterio – Spider-Man’s opponent who relies on special effects.
  • Shuri – from the Black Panther universe.
  • Doctor Doom himself – who will become a special reward through quests for the Battle Pass in Fortnite.

These skins can already be seen in the trailer.

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What else is known? Epic is teasing 3 new weapons:

  • Dual Micro SMGs
  • Captain America’s Shield
  • the arsenal of War Machine

For more information about the new season in Fortnite, with the current state of knowledge and some leaks, check out our info page on Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 4: Fortnite: When does Chapter 5 Season 4 start? All about the release, Battle Pass, and leaks

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

An old puzzle was so complicated in Destiny 2 that Bungie had to intervene

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

Another look back at Destiny 2, to a time when puzzles were still complicated and the entire community was called to work together. Do you remember the puzzle of the Black Armory that was so difficult that even Bungie had to step in?

What kind of puzzle was it? For everyone who wasn’t around at that time: In Year 2 of Destiny 2, with the release of Forsaken, Bungie had prepared three major seasons with its content model:

  • Season of the Forge
  • Season of the Drifter
  • Season of Opulence

These seasons brought a lot of new content. The most exciting of all was the Season of the Forge. The Black Armory had various forges that players had to unlock to access new weapon models and shaders.

The last forge, the Bergusia Forge, was the hardest one to crack. It was very hidden and had a puzzle that kept the community busy for several hours. Only after Bungie released a hint did it click with the fans.

Start video
Destiny 2 shows in the trailer for the Forsaken Annual Pass what the Season of the Forge had in store

Bungie’s hardest puzzle

How difficult was the puzzle? The puzzle in the Niobe Labs on Earth entertained players for up to 81 hours according to polygon.com. Well-known streamers like Gladd tried to solve the puzzle with their community at that time, but they made no progress. Bungie actively watched the fans’ activity and decided to lend a helping hand. To help them finally solve the puzzle, a small text was released:

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How could the puzzle be solved? To solve the puzzle, players needed three weapons from the Black Armory:

  • Hammerhead, the machine gun
  • The wicked Reaver, the bow
  • Tatara’s gaze, the sniper

With these weapons in hand, the Guardians had to stand at various points in the lab and either perform actions or shoot at symbols in different sequences. If done correctly, the gates of the lab, where the Bergusia Forge was located, would open.

After the puzzle was solved and players had access to the Bergusia Forge, Principal Communications Manager Cozmo spoke up and clarified some things regarding the puzzle.

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The puzzle was only so hard because it was bugged

What did Bungie reveal at the end of the puzzle? The bottom line was that Cozmo informed the fans in a post on the Bungie forum that the final phase of the puzzle was bugged. In fact, the small hint text that Bungie posted on X (formerly Twitter) was supposed to pop up for all Guardians to make it easier for them to solve the puzzle.

This did not happen, and thus, the solution was delayed. Many fans were already annoyed by the entire situation. They accused Bungie of intentionally delaying paid content, allowing only players who stream or sit at home all day to access it.

However, putting that aside, this moment in Destiny 2 was one of the most exciting in the history of the loot shooter. You can find more nostalgia about Destiny 2 in our post: In 2018, a Guardian stumbled into a secret portal in Destiny 2 and triggered a gold rush with his innocent question

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

Diablo 4: New item from Season 5 turns a weak build into one of the strongest, landing in S-tier

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 2 minutes

Season 5 has brought many new items to Diablo 4, making many builds stronger or even playable for the first time. One of them is the Axial Connection for Sorcerers, a pair of pants that catapults a formerly poor build to the top.

What kind of item is this?

This is what makes the Axial Connection so strong: The item strengthens the spell Chain Lightning by adding a chance to double the skill’s effect and grants ranks. Additionally, the Axial Connection increases resource generation.

The real strength, however, lies in the legendary effect of the pants. It states that Chain Lightning alternates between two variants: it circles around you or seeks up to 3 enemies. Upon returning, it drains your mana.

When enough mana has been consumed, the lightning explodes for a large amount of lightning damage. The spell lasts as long as you have enough mana to maintain it.

The Chain Lightning build is one of the strongest in the Tier List of Season 5 and is in Tier S. In Season 4, the build was considered one of the worst in the game; it is now so strong only because of the Axial Connection.

In our overview, you can find all info about Season 5; we’ve included the trailer here for you:

Start video
Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 5, the season of the hell hordes

Axial Connection for the Chain Lightning Sorcerer – How to play the build

The whole build is more or less based on critical hits. In addition to the Axial Connection, you wear the Fists of Fate, which randomly set your damage between 1% and up to 300%. You best farm the item at the Beast in the Ice.

The challenge is managing mana. For this, you need the Charging Aspect, which grants you mana for each jump of Chain Lightning. Additionally, you can benefit from:

  • the passive skill Summoning Art
  • the passive skills Static Discharge and Vital Connection in combination, also together with the central passive Vyr’s Mastery
  • alternatively or additionally to the Charging Aspect: the Miracle Child Aspect
  • Improved Ice Armor for mana regeneration

You make enemies vulnerable with Ice Blades and thus multiply your damage. The blades also help to activate Tal Rasha’s Gleaming Ring. You can find the unique at Varshan.

The remaining multipliers come from the Fire Bolt enchant in combination with the corresponding passives. You can find the build with all skills and Paragon boards on maxroll.gg.

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Then the playstyle is quite straightforward: you summon Ice Blades and let your Chain Lightning do the rest. Against particularly tough enemies, you activate Unstable Current. You protect yourself with Ice Armor and Flame Shield and escape dire situations with Teleport.

If you want to upgrade the build even more, you should acquire the Mythic Unique Andariel’s Visage. You can get it from Andariel or Duriel. The helm has a chance to create a Poison Nova, allowing you to gain even more damage with Tal Rasha’s.

The build can be somewhat sluggish, especially at lower levels and without the right gear. The further you progress, the stronger you become, especially through Paragon. If you want to reach the endgame quickly, you’ll find here the best tips for leveling in Diablo 4 to quickly reach level 100.

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

Will GTA 6 come to Game Pass at release? Boss gives clear answer

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The head of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, discusses the Game Pass and other subscription services in an interview. The hottest new game from his company is GTA 6 from Rockstar. Will it also be available on the Game Pass upon release, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?

Is GTA 6 coming to the Game Pass? Zelnick mentions in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz regarding Microsoft’s move to buy Activision Blizzard and bring Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to the Xbox Game Pass:

I think offering a top title at a premium price in a subscription service […] will bring consumers to that subscription service for at least a certain period of time.

But he also states that just because Call of Duty is in the Xbox Game Pass, that won’t apply to GTA 6:

No, it will not influence our decisions. Because our decisions are rational.

So he basically says: It would be a significant success for the Game Pass or other subscription services if GTA 6 comes to the Game Pass. That would give this service an enormous boost, but for Take-Two, such a move would be unreasonable, and therefore they will not put their own flagship title, GTA 6, into the Game Pass or other subscription services.

Start video
Rockstar Games shows GTA 6 for the first time in the trailer

Take-Two cannot and does not want to afford such experiments

This is the background: Already in 2022, Zelnick rejected such ideas. He sees the problem in that customers are not willing to spend significantly more money just because a premium title like GTA 6 is included in a subscription service.

Take-Two cannot afford to radically change its business model in a way that ultimately results in less money.

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Zelnick wants big hits for Take-Two to stay ahead

How does he see the future for his company? In addition to GTA 6, which is clearly the flagship of the company, Take-Two has 15 “immersive core” games in development, along with 5 mobile releases and 3 remasters planned for the upcoming fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

Civilization 7 is also planned for this timeframe.

For Zelnick, it is clear what the company needs to perform better than the other competitors in the market: “Big hits”. And it is believed that Take-Two has everything needed to deliver those hits.

GTA 6 is strongly focused on by the global player base, but so far only a few details about the game are known. How closely and critically GTA 6 is discussed and viewed is evident from discussions about individual features that are creating significant buzz: GTA 6 will be more realistic, allegedly incorporates an annoying feature from Red Dead Redemption 2

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

CEO wants you to give the new Borderlands movie a chance – YouTuber calls him a clown and soulless embodiment of greed

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

Initial critics were convinced by the film adaptation of Borderlands. The film is receiving very poor reception from audiences. Now, the CEO of Take-Two is trying to get fans to give the film a chance. A well-known YouTuber is mocking this.

Why is the film not well received? The Borderlands film has been viewed by the press as a “catastrophic disappointment”. It’s described as silly, loud, and more suitable for children. Even the strong Hollywood cast cannot save the film.

  • The Borderlands film premiered with a rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, the film has a recommendation rate of 10%.
  • On Metacritic, it scored only 27 out of 100 possible points from critics. Fans see this dismal rating similarly with 31 points.

Even the fans who have been able to see the film agree with the critics’ rating. Amidst all the criticism, there is a defender of the film in Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two.

With a first trailer, you can convince yourself whether the Borderlands film might be something for you:

Start video
English trailer for the video game adaptation Borderlands

CEO of Take-Two wants to lure you to the cinema

What does Zelnick say about the film? In an interview with IGN, the CEO of Take-Two stated that audiences should give the Borderlands film a chance. After all, a multitude of people worked hard on this film. He also places himself in a neutral position by confirming that the film’s success will not have a financial impact on the franchise.

The underlying intellectual property is phenomenal, the cast is amazing, and I think the look and feel are really great. Let’s see what the viewers have to say.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two

Zelnick remains optimistic that the rating could drift into the positive range if more viewers give the film a chance and watch it. However, this statement has prompted the well-known YouTuber Cr1TiKaL (also known as penguinz0 on YouTube) to harshly criticize him in a new video:

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What does the YouTuber think of the film and Zelnick’s statement? Cr1TiKaL cannot find any positive aspect of the film. Anyone who would like the film, in his view, would be a liar. Zelnick is simply encouraging people to waste their money.

He is not a stranger when it comes to putting on the squeaky nose, but damn it, this clown always finds a way to surprise me.

According to the YouTuber, the actors are miscast. They appear as if they are embarrassed to be in the film. Some fans also shared the opinion in advance, criticizing that a comedian would get the role of a serious soldier.

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Cr1TiKaL escalates in his video, increasingly filled with insults. He thinks, for example, that Zelnick has never played a Borderlands game and that if he were to touch the controller, his skin would burn like a vampire in the sun. He also embodies the soulless embodiment of greed.

If it were true that Strauss Zelnick had never played a Borderlands installment, he would soon have a lot to catch up on. Because the fourth part of the main series is set to be released soon. There are several hints for a release of the 2K title: Borderlands 4: First hints indicate a release of the next part

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

The 7 most powerful weapons in the history of World of Warcraft

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 7 minutes

The 7 most famous weapons from the history of World of Warcraft are presented here – from Frostgram to a pretty Knaifu-Waifu.

World of Warcraft has become a vast universe over the course of several decades, creating and then destroying heroes as well as villains. New content is released regularly, and yet some legends remain in people’s minds even after many years. Especially popular are special weapons that have either remained in memory in the story or in the collective consciousness of the fans.

We present to you 7 of the most powerful weapons that have had more significance in the history of World of Warcraft than all others.

Start video
WoW Cinematic: Threads of Destiny

Frostgram

Okay, no one should be surprised that this weapon appears on the list. Hardly any other weapon in Warcraft is as well-known and infamous as Frostgram (“Frostmourne”), the runeblade of the Lich King Arthas.

In Warcraft III, Arthas grasped for the weapon to get revenge. In the process, he wounded his friend Muradin and lost his soul at the same time. For Frostgram was a cursed blade that consumes souls and claimed Arthas’s first.

From then on, Arthas fell under the influence of the Lich King. He returned home, killed his father Terenas Menethil II, and caused a spread of the Scourge before moving to Quel’thalas and destroying Silvermoon, during which the high elf Sylvanas was also transformed into a banshee.

Asrthas Menethil Lichking
Arthas with Frostgram – one of the most famous images.

In countless artworks and depictions, Arthas has since always been seen with the blade. It is a source of his power and has become somewhat of his trademark. The weapon was even so popular that some forged it in real life and it could even be purchased for exorbitant prices in the Blizzard store.

However, the legacy of Frostgram took a small hit with the WoW expansion Shadowlands. For here the story was changed, stating that Frostgram originally comes from the Jailor, who adorned the weapon with domination runes, and that the dreadlords acted only on behalf of Denathrius and the Jailor, not the Burning Legion.

But if you simply overlook this little detail, Frostgram remains by far the coolest weapon ever in Warcraft, even if characters could never get their hands on it directly.

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Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker

In the vanilla version of World of Warcraft, there were relatively few legendary items, and for most of them, not only did you need an extreme amount of time, but also a lot of drop luck. Only if you snagged two extremely rare items from the raid “Molten Core” could you even start the quest and begin farming resources.

WoW Donnerzorn Thunderfury wowhead
Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker – it was really huge. Image source: wowhead

The sword is legendary – and it is even so in the memories of the players today. It was optimal for warriors, as its small chain lightning generated a lot of threat and nearly doubled the tanking abilities of warriors.

Additionally, there were times in the trade channel when someone would ask “Did anyone say [Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker]?” – a phrase that you still see occasionally even after 20 years, though its original meaning is slowly but surely fading away.

Three truly old weapons are on the next page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pages: 1 2 3

Insider report on Bungie’s new game, after Destiny 2, sounds terrible, compares it to the huge flop of 2024

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The gaming insider Jason Schreier commented on Marathon, the new game from Bungie after Destiny 2. What he has to say sounds alarming. As with Destiny 1 and 2, there has been a leadership change and a creative realignment for Marathon. The extraction shooter is ‘in no good shape.’ Schreier compares it to Suicide Squad.

This is what Schreier says about Marathon: Schreier has shown before that he has access to internal information from Bungie. He publicly revealed the delay of The Final Shape long before it was officially announced.

Now he is speaking in the podcast ‘Friends Per Second’ about Marathon, Bungie’s PvP extraction shooter, which is set to release in 2025:

  • The game is ‘in no great shape’ – there is a reason why Marathon was postponed by a whole year
  • The developers are also pessimistic about meeting the current deadline for 2025
  • Marathon was significantly changed in April 2024 when the game’s head, Christopher Barrett, and his producer left Bungie
Start video
Marathon Announce Trailer PS5 & PC

Marathon: More Valorant, Less Destiny

What is supposed to have changed? In March 2024, it was announced that Joe Ziegler, the former head behind Valorant, replaced long-time Destiny veteran Christopher Barrett as the head of Marathon.

According to Schreier, this has led to Marathon now focusing on fixed characters, like in hero shooters Overwatch and Valorant, rather than customizable player characters like in Destiny.

Schreier believes: Bungie is chasing a trend that is already over

What game does Schreier compare Marathon to? Schreier says the situation with Marathon reminds him of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, one of the biggest flops of 2024:

[Suicide Squad] came out and completely flopped, and I worry that Marathon is in a similar situation because it has been in development for a while. It started development when extraction shooters were super popular; I don’t know if that’s still the case today, and now that they’ve invested so much money and it was the farthest along project, in contrast to all their other incubation bets, they’re putting a lot into it and I just don’t know if there’s a big chance that it will be successful. But you never know, you never know.

Schreier believes that Bungie is chasing a trend here, but that they are taking so long to develop their game that the trend may already be over. He seems to think that Bungie is only holding on to Marathon because they have invested so much money into it and not because they truly believe in the game’s success.

These are really not good prospects for the game.

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Marathon is under no good omens

What’s behind it: As Schreier says: You never know. Even Epic Games chased a trend with Fortnite: Battle Royale, to which they actually came too late, but helped the seemingly short-lived Battle Royale to a resurgence and pushed into entirely new dimensions of gaming.

However, extraction shooters have not yet established themselves as a new trend – all attempts by major studios to build on the success of Escape from Tarkov have fallen flat.

Why Bungie should succeed seems questionable at the moment. Moreover, Marathon suffers from the same issues that plagued Destiny 1 and Destiny 2:

  • A leadership change in the middle of development
  • A creative realignment
  • A delay of one year

A delay in itself is not a problem. But it becomes a problem when development is still struggling, but you have to stick to the release date because you can’t afford to delay the game again. Then something comes out that nobody is really satisfied with. We painfully remember how that went with the release of Destiny 2 in 2017.

Anyway, it seems that hardly anyone of the Destiny fans is looking forward to Marathon. These are not good omens for the new game.

Marathon is, alongside Destiny 2, the last project Bungie is still working on. On July 31, it was announced that Bungie must take a radical austerity course after taking on too many new projects in recent years, causing them to halt all projects except for Destiny and Marathon: Destiny 2: Bungie loses 450 employees, including the most experienced – Halts all projects except for 2

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

Blizzard is working on many new games, but the developers come from other studios

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A new team has been established at Blizzard, which is now set to develop several games. The catch: most of them are not ‘real’ Blizzard employees.

Quite some time ago, Blizzard mentioned that they were working on several projects spanning all franchises. But it has now become known that Microsoft has even formed a brand new team at Blizzard, which is supposed to create a series of ‘AA games’ with reduced costs. This should delight fans of the popular Blizzard franchises – but it also brings some worries.

Blizzard games continually produce curious, unforgettable stories:

Start video
Blizzard bans the man who ruined WoW Hardcore

What has been revealed? As several sources confirmed to the magazine Windows Central, there is supposed to be a new team at Blizzard that largely consists of (previously) non-Blizzard employees. The developers come from companies like King or Activision and have now been integrated into Blizzard to work on smaller projects and equip all popular franchises with new, smaller titles.

King is primarily known for ‘Candy Crush Saga’, and the studio is otherwise specialized in mobile games. However, it has not been confirmed whether all the new games will be mobile titles.

What is the goal behind this team? Microsoft aims to reduce costs in game development. The costs of AAA games have been steadily increasing in recent years. Therefore, large studios are supposed to collaborate with others that have significant expertise in specific areas. This should result in smaller teams being necessary and thus reduce the costs of game development. In addition, it should allow popular franchises to receive games that may not directly match the expertise (for example, of Blizzard).

StarCraft Remastered Zerg title title 1280x720
StarCraft fans have been waiting a long time for a new game – perhaps there will soon be one, albeit much smaller.

The result will likely be that in the coming years we will see more small games related to Warcraft, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Diablo, where one should not expect them to be the large ‘blockbusters’.

But do not worry: Because this is a new, small team, the larger teams are still working on correspondingly extensive titles. For example, World of Warcraft is already working on three new expansions, and a fourth is already planned, while Diablo IV will also receive its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, in just a few weeks.

Other games, on the other hand, have already been canceled. The survival game announced by Blizzard just a few years ago is now history.

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Is this normal? That Blizzard no longer develops solely “in-house” has been the case repeatedly in recent years. Particularly notorious is Diablo Immortal, which was largely developed by NetEase in China. Even with Warcraft 3: Reforged, external help was likely sought to revise the new models.

Both titles received very mixed reviews. Even though Diablo Immortal was likely a financial success, the very aggressive monetization was harshly criticized, which is unprecedented even for mobile games.

Considering all this, the discontent and doubts within the community can be quite understandable. It remains to be seen whether Blizzard, under Microsoft’s auspices and with the help of King and other studios, can also develop smaller games that nonetheless meet what the player base desires.

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

New installment of Five Nights at Freddy’s receives 96% positive reviews on Steam, celebrated as the best game in 10 years

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

A few days ago, a new installment of the popular horror series Five Nights at Freddy’s was released on Steam. The game has an exceptional style for the series and is therefore very well received by the players.

What kind of new title is this? The new game from the FNAF universe is called Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit. We take on the role of young Oswald, who wishes for a more exciting life. His wish is fulfilled when he explores the ball pit of a shabby pizzeria and finds himself in the past.

  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is based on the first issue of the Fazbear Frights books, which the FNAF universe is based on.
  • As the title suggests, Oswald must survive five nights among creepy animatronic figures.
  • The game offers a story with puzzles that require Oswald to jump between several time levels. 
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit features a pixel art style that is new for veterans of the FNAF franchise.

As is usual for the video game series, we are being hunted by bloodthirsty animatronic figures. The game thus offers a balance between solving puzzles and hiding from the creepy dolls. However, what many users on Steam particularly like is that the title returns to its horror roots.

The launch trailer clearly shows the dark atmosphere present in the title:

Start video
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit – The Launch Trailer for the Horror Game

Game sets new record in 10 years of FNAF history

How is the game being received? Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit has the best rating on Steam of all video games released since the first part in 2014. The game currently holds a “very positive” score with around 3,000 ratings and 96% positive votes.

There are many comments where players say that this is the best game in the series for them. For a franchise that has existed for 10 years and has published numerous video games and spin-offs, this is an impressive achievement.

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According to user ItsJustKetchup, the game is exactly what the series needed. The last installments had gradually lost their scare factor. The atmosphere of the new game finally does justice to the series.

As a long-time fan, user “toxic cookie” might be bothered by the pixel art. However, he admits that the aesthetics have a certain charm and can create an eerie mood and tension.

In addition to numerous video games, there is also a new movie about Five Nights at Freddy’s, which was released in theaters just last year. The blockbuster set a new record with the film and became a financial success: Celebrated horror game gets adapted into a film and breaks a box office record

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

A new remake of One Piece for Netflix shows the first images and reveals how long the series is supposed to run

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

On One Piece Day, the manga by Eiichiro Oda is traditionally celebrated. On the occasion of the anniversary, it was clear in advance that there would be some announcements about the franchise. In a trailer, Netflix and Wit Studio have revealed to us for the first time how the remake of One Piece will look.

What kind of series will it be? The remake, which will be titled The One Piece, is a shorter summary of the events that occur in the original anime. Since the anime series now has over 1,000 episodes, it is difficult for newcomers to get into the series.

Therefore, The One Piece is supposed to condense the most important events to their essentials. How many episodes the anime will include is not yet clear. However, we can expect to save a lot of time if we want to watch One Piece from the beginning.

What does The One Piece look like? The team has now shown some images from the series. Instead of the old 4:3 ratio, the images have been adapted to modern screens with a 16:9 format. 

Eiichiro Oda wanted the team not to simply copy the manga. Rather, they should develop their own style. The video shows that they have accomplished this. The anime has its own drawing style, which resembles more of a children’s book than the original.

The images of The One Piece can be seen in the following trailer:

Start video
The One Piece – Interview with the Remake Team

The One Piece could become a long-term project

How long is it supposed to run? The series is initially supposed to include only the East Blue Saga. This means the series will end at the point where the Straw Hat crew leaves Logue Town. At that time, Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro are in the crew.

However, if the series is well received by the audience, more episodes are planned, according to Masashi Koizuka, the director of the remake. He plans to implement the series to the very end. However, that depends on how much the viewers like the series.

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Where and when can I watch the remake? The One Piece will be available exclusively on Netflix. Unfortunately, we still do not know exactly when that will be. It is unlikely that the remake will start in 2024. It is more likely that The One Piece will not be released until 2025.

One Piece is not only getting a new version of the anime but also of the manga. There will be several versions of the East Blue Saga, in which the experiences are shown from the perspective of the individual Straw Hats: New manga shows One Piece from a completely different perspective, allowing you to experience the story from the viewpoint of the Straw Hats

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

Black Box is an intelligent and exciting thriller – Now you can watch it for free for a short time

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The ZDF is currently airing an unusual and more intense thriller from France from 2021 due to the Olympics, which MeinMMO author Schuhmann wants to recommend. He says “Black Box – Dangerous Truth” is one of the cleverest and most exciting thrillers of recent years, shedding light on a fascinating field that hardly anyone addresses: acoustics and aviation technology.

This is how Black Box begins: An airplane with 300 passengers crashes. There are no survivors.

Our protagonist Mathieu works as an acoustician for a French agency that is specifically responsible for investigating such accidents. Mathieu is an eccentric misfit and so good at his job that he gets on everyone’s nerves because colleagues and superiors do not hear what he believes he hears. “He’s a bit crazy,” they think, he hears “ghost noises.” Always overinterpreting everything. A bit high-strung.

Because he just had an argument with his boss, he is not allowed to participate in this “most important accident of his generation” and is sulking. Meanwhile, his wife, Noémie, is advancing her career, just switching from the government to the private sector, and getting a lucrative job at precisely the company that she has just declared safe.

They have a mutual friend, the head of a security company who also works in aviation and who helped her get the job. Yes, in France there are plenty of connections. That’s the only way to work in the excessively strict and annoying safety regulations reasonably. To be successful, one must navigate the social landscape well. Matthew is not good at that; he can listen, but only to stuttering engine noises and the black box, the recordings from the flight recorder; otherwise, he constantly gets into trouble with everyone.

When Mathieu goes to work the next day, his boss has disappeared. He has to step in and investigate the crash. After much fiddling and tinkering with an analysis program, he hears from the black box “Allahu Akbar” from the cockpit – so, a terrorist attack?

Start video
Black Box – Trailer for the French thriller about a crash analyst

A thriller that would be hard to imagine in the USA

What makes the film so special? As viewers, we consistently follow Mathieu, an unusual protagonist for a thriller, who has nothing of a rugged thriller hero. His area of expertise is listening, careful listening, and what he hears just doesn’t add up and drives him mad.

Moreover, everyone around him wants to dismiss the case as quickly as possible. The flight attendant wasn’t paying attention, a terrorist got into the cockpit and caused the plane to crash. It shouldn’t happen. There’s nothing to be done: human error and terrorism.

But Mathieu starts to dig deeper and faces fierce resistance at every step; even his own wife quickly thinks he’s crazy and overly upset.

A thriller without heroes

“Black Box” is a thriller that would hardly be made in the USA – the tension comes from an “honest puzzle”; every step is logical and invites viewers to guess along. More and more information is being decoded from the distorted radio transmissions, and the picture of what really happened is becoming clearer.

This is intelligent and highly suspenseful, with a coherent, exciting resolution. Here, thoroughly normal people become heroes because they do not take the easy path but the thorny one, where every step hurts and is connected with social exclusion and disadvantages. The perspective on the characters keeps changing: we see how Mathieu sees his wife in a new light time and again.

  • Can he trust his wife as a protagonist? Is she the loving, cuddly wife or a careerist who will do anything for her own success?
  • Can we as viewers even trust Mathieu and his “hearing” if no one else does?
  • Can we trust our own senses at all?

Why is the film unknown? Despite 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is practically unknown in this country.

The film has somehow been unlucky – even now at its Free TV premiere. It was supposed to air this Monday evening, July 6, at 10:15 PM on ZDF – but due to the Olympics, it only aired on Tuesday in the slot where the Monday film is usually repeated, so after midnight.

“Black Box – Dangerous Truth” is also a pretty dumb generic title for such a strong thriller that truly deserves more viewers and listeners.

You can still watch the thriller until September 5 in the ZDF media library. It’s free (via ZDF).

ZDF sometimes struggles to schedule its best thrillers in a way that they will actually be seen by someone. Last year, we reviewed an excellent thriller from Germany; ZDF had also treated it rather neglectfully: ZDF airs one of the best thrillers of the last few years at 1 AM: Here’s how you can watch it for free

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

In Roblox, a player is exposed as a pedophile, yet he remains free and abducts a 15-year-old

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The online game Roblox serves as a platform to develop other games. Roblox is primarily aimed at children. An allegedly 28-year-old man was very successful with a variant of Sonic in 2020, during the Corona pandemic, and became a star within the community. However, he made many offensive remarks, and the community’s suspicion that something was wrong with the man was confirmed in the worst way.

Who is this person?

  • The allegedly 28-year-old man was known in Roblox as “DoctorRofatnik,” a reference to the villain from Sonic, Doctor Ivo Robotnik. He claimed that his real name was Jadon Shedletsky and that he was the brother of John Shedletsky, the Creative Director of Roblox. This turned out to be a lie. His age was also fabricated.
  • During the Corona pandemic, his game within Roblox, Sonic Eclipse Online, became a hit and he became a star.
  • But soon suspicions arose that there was something wrong with DoctorRofatnik. He talked about young girls who helped him develop as “sex slaves.” He described himself as an “old man with children in the basement” and made jokes about rape, as Bloomberg reported.
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Roblox – The Official Trailer for the Virtual Universe

28-year-old banned after accusations, but remains active in Roblox

What was the scandal? In September 2020, screenshots were published in which the supposed 28-year-old made inappropriate remarks towards a minor. In the screenshots, he said:

  • “You are 12, I expect you to be a little slow in maturity, but soon I will corrupt you beyond your wildest dreams.”
  • “Words cannot describe what I want to do with you.”
  • “You are the reason I will end up behind bars.”

As a result, Roblox banned DoctorRofatnik’s account, but his game remained online until SEGA intervened. SEGA was informed about the case by a 22-year-old Japanese man. They made the fan game about Sonic disappear through a copyright complaint at the end of 2021.

In any case, DoctorRofatnik remained active under other accounts until spring 2022, when he disappeared as well. As Bloomberg reports, it was suspected in the community that he might have harmed himself.

If dark thoughts trouble you, you can contact the hotline at 0800/111 0 111 and 0800/11 0 22 for free support nationwide.
If you or people in your surroundings are affected by cyber-grooming, you can find information and resources on the website of the BKA. You can also contact the children’s and youth hotline at 116 111 anonymously and free of charge from Monday to Saturday between 2 PM and 8 PM. The parents’ hotline can be reached at 0800 111 0 550.

What official actions were taken against the man? Roblox itself stated that they reported him to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Just like Twitch did with DrDisrespect.

A YouTuber known as Ruben Sim tried to take it further and involve the police. But the police said there was not enough evidence to initiate a criminal investigation.

15-year-old disappears from home, travels to the 28-year-old

This has now come to light: In May 2022, a 15-year-old girl from the U.S. state of Indiana was reported missing. She had left the state with her personal valuables, even though she did not have the money to do so. The FBI learned from her sister that she had been talking in Roblox with a man named Jacob Shedletsky, who had sent her gifts and food.

After 8 days, the girl was found in Paterson, New Jersey. This is 1,100 kilometers from Indiana, approximately a 10-hour drive. There, they also found a man, Arnold Castillo, who had posed as Jacob Shedletsky, Jadon Shedletsky, and DoctorRofatnik. The man had paid an Uber driver $1,000 to transport the girl from Indiana to New Jersey. He confessed to having had sex with her multiple times over the 8-day period.

The perpetrator described his victim as a talented artist who was unhappy at home. He offered to help her.

“The worst nightmare of every parent”

A prosecutor described the situation as “the worst nightmare of every parent”: During the 8 days, the girl was housed in a rented room next to his apartment. There was no furniture, only a dirty mattress. The girl was dependent on him for money and food. When she complained of loneliness, the man brought her a toy doll. He also bought her hair dye to change her appearance.

The girl’s sister testified in court that the 15-year-old suffers from depression, anxiety disorders, and can neither leave her room nor attend school. The scars will remain forever.

The FBI was astonished to learn what Roblox players had already uncovered 18 months earlier.

How did it end? The man was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August 2023 (via justice.gov). He pleaded guilty to “transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual acts, as well as coercion and seduction of a minor.” At sentencing, his age was stated as 23, significantly younger than his virtual self.

What kind of discussion arises from this? The Bloomberg report concludes that while Roblox claims to do everything to protect children, it does not allocate enough resources for this purpose. There is simply a lack of personnel to protect so many children online from pedophiles:

  • Roblox has 3,000 moderators. This is far too few, especially if they want to meet their business goals and continue to grow.
  • In comparison: TikTok employs 40,000 moderators and is only 3 times larger than Roblox in daily users.

Roblox disputes this claim and states that the report misrepresents how they protect users of all ages. The report also neglects the complexity of the problem.

Nevertheless, Roblox plans to revise their safety program and create many new positions. Because the longevity and long-term growth of Roblox depends on their ability to protect their customers, Roblox states.

The overarching keyword for what transpired is “grooming” or “cyber-grooming.” This refers to when adults approach children to engage them in sexual acts to which they cannot give consent. GameStar addressed this uncomfortable but important topic in a report: Crime scene Fortnite and co: Cyber-grooming is a major danger for children, here’s how to help

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