One of the most popular interface modifications of World of Warcraft has survived the “fight against addons” – ElvUI has received a new version.
With World of Warcraft Midnight and the associated pre-patch, a new era in Blizzard’s MMORPG has begun. For many, this meant a big adjustment, as numerous addons have ceased their services or their functionality has been severely restricted by Blizzard. ElvUI also seemed doomed at first – but now there is good news. An initial version of ElvUI for Midnight is finished and can be used, the addon lives on.
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WoW: Patch 11.2.7 – The warning shows what threatens Quel’thalas
ElvUI just before extinction – now there is a new version
What is ElvUI? ElvUI is one of the most well-known and largest interface modifications for World of Warcraft. Basically, it is a base package that can be equipped with many extensions to adapt most of the user interface to your own wishes. For instance, it is possible to make the WoW interface look exactly like that of Diablo or Guild Wars – among other useful tweaks.
For many years, ElvUI was a staple of the gameplay experience in World of Warcraft for many players – switching to the “standard UI” can be quite tough and unfamiliar for some. Therefore, some are eagerly hoping that the addon returns – and now that is the case.
Why is ElvUI still around? Although ElvUI announced back then that it probably would not exist in Midnight, there is now a new version. This is primarily because Blizzard was extremely restrictive at the beginning of the Midnight beta. A large part of addon functionalities was cut – not just those that directly affected combat. Similar to WeakAuras, the creators of ElvUI announced back then: If it comes to this, we probably won’t exist anymore.
Over the weeks, Blizzard has lifted many restrictions and discussed with the addon authors which functions can be reopened. If you want to download ElvUI, you can do so on the website tukui.org.
However, note that ElvUI no longer supports all features and this is a first version for Midnight that surely still has some bugs that need to be fixed. Some even feel that Blizzard has relaxed the addon restrictions too much, because some “advantages” in combat are now possible again …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The character editor of Monster Hunter Wilds allows aspiring hunters a lot of freedom in designing their avatars. We show you how to properly use design codes and where to find cool presets for your hunter and your Palicos.
What are design codes and what are they for? With design codes, you can download pre-made templates for hunters and Palicos from other players when they share the code with you. The codes consist of 12 alphanumeric characters, where you also need to pay attention to uppercase and lowercase letters.
Players can upload their character designs in the editor and share the generated code with you, so you can adopt the design in your editor. You can then further customize these templates as you wish or take them over directly.
How exactly you redeem the codes, create some yourself, and where you can find cool presets, you can learn here.
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Update from January 27, 2026: We have slightly revised the structure of the post.
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Monster Hunter Wilds: 4 Tips for Beginners to Make Hunting Easier
Here you will find the coolest codes and slider templates
If you are looking for designs of well-known characters or personalities, we have secured some interesting codes for you:
If you want to redeem design codes, you first need to go to the third tab in the character editor for your hunter or your Palico. There you will find the option “Download Design”.
There you can enter the 12-digit code that belongs to the design you want to use as a template. Afterwards, you can download the template and customize it as you wish.
Creating Design Codes
If you want to create your own design code and share it with friends or other players, you need to follow these steps:
Create your character as you want to share it
Then go to the third tab and select “Save/Load”
Select a slot where you want to save your design
Then open the submenu and select “Upload Design”
If everything goes well, you will receive your personal 12-digit design code that you can share
With this code, other players can then use your preset
The “Upload Design” Option is Grayed Out
Sometimes the “Upload Design” option may be grayed out. This often occurs when characters are newly created. Then you can save the design, but the editor still won’t let you upload it. You will receive this message:
If that is the case for you, you need to start the game with the character and use a Character Edit Voucher in the character selection. Then you can upload the design. The voucher does not expire as long as you make no changes to your hunter.
In the respective stores, you can currently receive a free voucher for your hunter and for your Palico. If you want more, you have to purchase them for real money.
If you still have problems finding the perfect graphics settings for your created hunter and his adventure, we have some tips for you. Here you can read how to get the best settings: Monster Hunter Wilds: The best graphics settings for Full HD, 1440p, and 4K
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Finding friends worldwide in Pokémon GO is important. Time and again, quests and research tasks ask you to make more or at least 3 new friendships. We show you ways to find new friends in the game.
What are friendships in Pokémon GO? An important feature of Pokémon GO is the ability to make friends with other players. It doesn’t matter where they are playing on Earth – it works worldwide. You simply exchange a friendship code and can then add other players.
What advantages does it bring? Being friends with other trainers nearby provides advantages in battle. When you attack together in raids, you are stronger. If you exchange gifts with your friends, you can also become lucky friends. This guarantees you a lucky Pokémon on your next trade. We have listed all the advantages of friendships in Pokémon GO here.
Often, tasks like “Make 3 new friends” are part of field or special research. So, finding new friends is necessary to complete these quests. Even if trainers are not from your area, a friendship can still be worthwhile.
Because exchanging gifts increases your friendship level. As you rank up, it brings many experience points.
Update from January 28, 2026: We have structurally adjusted the post.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
Adding new friends 2026 – Facebook, Twitter, and more
There are many ways to find new friends that you can add in Pokémon GO. Groups on social media, local meeting points, and more.
Finding friends on Facebook: There are many groups on Facebook dedicated to Pokémon GO. Our Facebook group is one you can join.
Look for the post with friendship codes under “Announcements” or search the photo albums for the photo with your postal code. Only under these posts is exchanging friend codes allowed in the group.
Finding friends on Instagram and Twitter: Just like Facebook, other social networks also provide the opportunity to search for friend codes. With the hashtag search on Instagram or Twitter, you can find friends for Pokémon GO. Look for terms like Pokémon GO Friends, Pokémon GO friendship, and similar.
Discord: On the MeinMMO Discord server, we have a channel dedicated to exchanging friend codes. Just join the linked server and connect with other trainers there.
Websites: On websites like PokemonGo-Freunde.de, you can conveniently select your trainer code as well as the desired categories like “general friends”, “friends to exchange gifts”, “friends for Pokémon trades”, “friends for raids”, or “friends for battles”. This way, other trainers can see your wishes directly and add you accordingly if it matches.
Keep track: It is important to keep an overview with friendships with “strange” players. So, do not add randomly, but remember where you know the player from. The nickname feature in the game is also suitable for this, where you can note the name, days until level up, and other details.
When you are close to becoming “Best Friends” and there is a big XP bonus on the horizon, you will know which player you might want to coordinate with.
Adding friends after raids: After a raid, you have the option to add participants as friends. Do this best soon after a battle, so that players can remember you as well.
Meeting local friends: If you do not want to search for your friends for Pokémon GO online, you should openly approach this at local events. At busy gyms and stops, you will likely find players staring at their phones. Politely approach them and ask if they play Pokémon GO and maybe are looking for a friendship.
During events like Community Days, the chance to meet other players is particularly high.
Note: In times of Corona, we strongly advise against meeting other trainers at PokéStops or gyms. Instead, rely on the internet to find the codes.
Finding friends worldwide – How does it work?
Friends who are 10,000 KM away: For special quests in Pokémon GO, you need trainers who are playing far away from you. The best way to find them is with the help of the internet.
There are dedicated websites that deal solely with the friend topic. But Reddit is also a good choice to find trainers all around the globe and add their friend codes.
Here you also have a large selection of friend codes, sorted by country
Friend XP in Pokémon GO – What do friendships and levels bring?
If you are friends with other players, you can increase your friendship level with that player. To do this, you send gifts or perform other interactions. Only one interaction per day counts toward increasing your friendship level.
After 1 day of interaction, you are “Good Friends”
After 7 days of interaction, you are “Super Friends”
After 30 days of interaction, you are “Hyper Friends”
After 90 days of interaction, you are “Best Friends”
After 180 days of interaction, you are “Forever Friends”
As interaction counts joint raiding, exchanging gifts, or trading Pokémon.
As you increase in friendship level, you receive many bonuses. Including massive experience points or “XP” for short.
Friendship Level
Reward and Bonus
Good Friend
3,000 XP + 3% damage bonus in battles
Super Friend
10,000 XP + 20% stardust discount when trading, 5% damage bonus, +1 premier ball in raids
Hyper Friend
50,000 XP + 92% stardust discount when trading, 7% damage bonus, +2 premier balls in raids
Best Friend
100,000 XP + 96% stardust discount when trading, 10% damage bonus, +4 premier balls in raids
Forever Friends
150,000 XP + 96% stardust discount when trading, 12% damage bonus, +4 premier balls in raids and the progress bar for Forever Friends can be charged
If you manage to become “Lucky Friends” with your in-game friends, many possibilities open up for you. It’s best to trade strong Pokémon with each other then.
For some Pokémon, it is important to have friendships all around the world. This includes the Pokémon Vivillon, which receives different wing patterns with the help of postcards from other countries.
How much are the trade costs in Pokémon GO and where can you save? Here we show you the Stardust costs in an overview and give tips on trading.
What is it about? If you want, you can trade Pokémon with your friends in Pokémon GO. This way you can get species that you haven’t been able to catch yourself and also have a chance at Lucky Pokémon, which automatically have good stats.
To trade with other players, they have to be within a certain range. Niantic activated a maximum distance of 100 meters for trades, so you can’t trade with trainers around the world. There are also certain Stardust costs that you need to prepare for. We will show you how expensive the function is here.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
Trade costs in Pokémon GO – What costs what?
This is what you need to know: The trade costs depend on how high your friendship level with the trade partner is. You can reach the status “Good Friend”, “Great Friend”, “Ultra Friend” or “Best Friend”. The higher the friendship level, the lower the trade costs. If a trade is not super urgent, it is worth waiting a few days for the next friendship level-up before trading.
Trade costs for regular Pokémon:
Friendship
Costs
Costs if Pokémon is not in the PokéDex
Good (1 day)
100 Stardust
20,000 Stardust
Great (7 days)
100 Stardust
16,000 Stardust
Ultra (30 days)
100 Stardust
1,600 Stardust
Best (90 days)
100 Stardust
800 Stardust
Trade costs for Shinies and Legendaries:
Friendship
Costs
Costs if Pokémon is not in the PokéDex
Good (1 day)
20,000 Stardust
1,000,000 Stardust
Great (7 days)
16,000 Stardust
800,000 Stardust
Ultra (30 days)
1,600 Stardust
80,000 Stardust
Best (90 days)
800 Stardust
40,000 Stardust
Why is trading worth it? You have many advantages when you trade Pokémon. As mentioned, Pokémon can turn into Lucky Pokémon after a trade. If you are Lucky Friends with another trainer, then you have a guaranteed lucky trade available.
You should also consider: If you trade with trainers whose level is below yours, then the Pokémon will also drop in level after the trade and become weaker. It is especially worthwhile to trade a lot when you are best friends in Pokémon GO. This way the costs decrease significantly when you want to trade shinies or legendaries.
Do you regularly trade Pokémon with other trainers? Do you have specific strategies to complete the 100 trades per day? Let us know your experiences here in the comments. By the way, there is a limited number of guaranteed lucky trades when you trade old Pokémon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
To play Highguard, certain prerequisites must be met. It is also necessary to enable Secure Boot, as it is part of the precautions against cheaters.
Why do you need Secure Boot to play Highguard? Secure Boot or simply the German term “Sicherer Start” is a prerequisite to play Highguard.
Secure Boot is a security feature of Windows 10 and 11 that ensures that only software signed by trusted sources is executed during startup. Secure Boot provides features and tools that make it easier for publishers and developers to combat cheats.
Any attempt to start Highguard without Secure Boot will produce an error message and prompt you to enable it. However, activating Secure Boot is not that easy. How to activate it and what else you need to know about anti-cheat measures can be found here.
If you buy a new PC with Windows 11, Secure Boot should already be enabled. When upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you will also be prompted to activate Secure Boot.
Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet
Activating Secure Boot for Highguard – Here’s how
How to activate Secure Boot on your PC: To activate Secure Boot on your PC, you should follow these steps:
If you are unsure, it is better to consult an expert or customer service before incorrect settings cause problems and potentially render your PC unusable.
Please also note: Each BIOS looks different as each manufacturer uses a different design and structure. Sometimes names and terms may vary slightly depending on whether you are using an AMD or Intel motherboard.
Activating Secure Boot
Press the Windows key and type “Change advanced startup options” in the search bar
Look for the Advanced Startup field and select Restart now to reboot your PC and activate advanced startup
Select Advanced at startup and then click on UEFI Firmware Settings
You are now in your BIOS. Look for the “Boot” tab. If you cannot find it, press F9 and enter the term in the search
Enable Secure Boot under the corresponding option
Then look for the OS Type option and change it to UEFI mode if necessary
Go to the Exit tab and select Save Changes and Reset
Your PC should now restart and have Secure Boot enabled. Sometimes, it may be necessary to restart again for the feature to be fully activated. If you need visual assistance, EA has a video on their YouTube channel for Battlefield 6 that you can watch for support.
If you are unable to perform certain steps or make settings, please urgently contact the appropriate support before trying other things to avoid errors and damages.
Check the prerequisites for Secure Boot
If you cannot activate Secure Boot, you can follow these steps to see if you are missing a prerequisite.
Check if Secure Boot might already be enabled
Press Windows key + R and open the “Run” window
Type msinfo32 and confirm the input
Select the System Summary option
In BIOS mode, it should say UEFI, and in Secure Boot State, it should say “On”
Secure Boot disabled? Check the BIOS mode
If Secure Boot is turned off, proceed as follows:
If the BIOS mode is set to UEFI, you can proceed with activation
If the BIOS mode is set to Legacy, check if the Windows system disk is set to GPT (GUID Partition Table), otherwise change it
If Secure Boot states that it is not supported, check the manual of your motherboard manufacturer for any related information or contact their support
Check if the Secure Boot requirement TPM 2.0 is enabled
Press Windows key + R and open the “Run” window
Type tpm.msc and confirm the input
Check under Status if it states that you can use TPM
If so, verify that the Windows system disk is set to GPT (GUID Partition Table), otherwise change it
If TPM is not available, contact your manufacturer to find out how to enable it
Is the Windows disk set to MBR or GPT?
Click on the Volumes tab and look for the Partition Style option
If it states GUID Partition Table (GPT), you don’t need to do anything further and can activate Secure Boot in the next step
If it states MBR, follow these steps:
Press Windows key + R and open the “Run” window
Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter
Ensure that it shows Administrator in the command prompt
Enter mbr2gpt /validate /disk:0 /allowFullOS and press Enter
For disk:0, enter the number that was displayed in the disk management screen in the Volumes tab
Then in the same window enter mbr2gpt /convert /disk:0 /allowfullOS and press Enter
For disk:0, enter the same number that was displayed in the disk management screen in the Volumes tab again
The Windows disk should now be set to GPT
You may be prompted to switch the firmware to start the BIOS in UEFI mode. Usually, you can change this in the BIOS settings. If in doubt, consult a professional or your manufacturer’s support.
Locate the disk where Windows is installed (usually C:)
Right-click on it and select Properties
Then click on Hardware and then again on Properties
Click on the Volumes tab and look for the Partition Style option
If it states GUID Partition Table (GPT), you don’t need to do anything further and can activate Secure Boot in the next step
If it states MBR, follow these steps:
Press Windows key + R and open the “Run” window
Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter
Ensure that it shows Administrator in the command prompt
Enter mbr2gpt /validate /disk:0 /allowFullOS and press Enter
For disk:0, enter the number that was displayed in the disk management screen in the Volumes tab
Then in the same window enter mbr2gpt /convert /disk:0 /allowfullOS and press Enter
For disk:0, enter the same number that was displayed in the disk management screen in the Volumes tab again
The Windows disk should now be set to GPT
You may be prompted to switch the firmware to start the BIOS in UEFI mode. Usually, you can change this in the BIOS settings. If in doubt, consult a professional or your manufacturer’s support.
The developers of Apex Legends and Titanfall aim to create a new hit with Highguard. MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier has played the new shooter and reveals how the first impression turns out.
What kind of shooter is this? Highguard describes itself as a PvP raid shooter where players take on the role of a gunslinger, known as a Guardian. Players compete against rival factions to capture the so-called Shieldbreaker and use it to demolish and destroy the enemy base.
In the game, this means that initially, similar to Rainbow Six Siege, the player may fortify their own base and its walls. After 60 seconds, they go out onto the battlefield, which is quite large. Here, there are red crates for weapons and blue crates for equipment. Crystals and a shop for gear are also available.
Once the team is equipped and perhaps even the first fight has already taken place behind the team, everything revolves around the so-called Shieldbreaker. Whoever captures it in a sort of “Capture the Flag” mode and brings it to the enemy base starts a raid.
The goal of the raid is to destroy the enemy bomb sites (there are 3) and inflict damage. If the base drops to 0 HP, the player’s team wins the game. However, the raid is over as soon as the player’s team has used a certain number of respawns. Then it goes back to phase 2, where both teams collect gear, weapons, and currency and perform upgrades.
MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier has played the shooter and shares his first impressions after the first round with you.
Here you can watch the trailer for Highguard:
Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet
Highguard is every shooter, but better
While not much was known about Highguard previously, I took the plunge into the new shooter right at launch. I had hardly any idea of what to expect; to me, the description sounded like Overwatch in a different way, and that turned out to be true. Even the German tutorial is not exactly simple. Looting, abilities, objectives, and on top of that collecting and trading currencies.
Just before the start of my first round, I quickly clicked through the 8 different heroes and then chose the scout, Condor. Her abilities reveal nearby enemies and are not too difficult, perfect for me as a casual gamer.
In the round, I was initially surprised by how little time there is for fortifying your own base. After the loading screen, you have only 60 seconds to implement upgrades together with the team. That may be enough time for pros from Rainbow Six Siege, but for me in the first round, it was quite stressful.
With a slight delay, we then started the looting phase, which I began with even less of my teammates. They all immediately ran off in different directions, as you would expect from random players on the internet. The first fights were more about “rushing to my allies” than coordinated combat.
The enemy team consisted entirely of more experienced players than I, as they jumped and crouched like in Call of Duty, which they all did excellently. My team, on the other hand, shone with what was probably the first rage-quit in Highguard just 23 minutes after launch.
However, it must be said in favor of the game that everyone could have left the game without penalties after our team member abandoned us. Nevertheless, I and the remaining player of my team did not give up and even managed a comeback in the end. The opponents had nearly defeated us, but through clever distraction maneuvers, we stole the Shieldbreaker from the opposing team and managed to raid their base successfully.
Highguard currently feels like a mix of Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Overwatch 2. The latter has the least influence, and the gunplay as well as the time-to-kill is more akin to Apex Legends. What these three games have to offer and what Highguard draws from, it has, in my opinion, implemented even better than the originals. Therefore, I also say: I really don’t need these three shooters anymore.
Thus, base defense is tactical but more of an accessory than a round-defining choice with serious consequences. The fast gunplay and movement, including bunny hops, riding, ropes, and a lot of action, clearly come from Apex Legends and feel even more carefree here, almost like the release time of Apex Legends.
At the same time, it should be emphasized that the game can also end quickly if your team has no idea what it is doing. Thus, the latest shooter of 2026 is unplayable if a teammate throws the round or goes to mine crystals alone.
What fascinated me, however, was the eSports character of the game. It feels like the developers have finally managed to create a shooter with tactical depth that outsiders can enjoy watching even without understanding the game mechanics while high-level players can do hundreds of things at once in no time.
What remains open is the question of where to go from here. Because through the mix of tactics and fast gunplay, the developers have indeed created a completely new gameplay principle that can quickly become a torment for casual players. Because intuitively and straightforwardly, the gameplay mode is not yet adequate for players.
Whether Highguard will achieve a success as great as Apex Legends remains questionable. The fact that hardly any information about the shooter was released before the launch seems like a genius tactic, similar to the shadow drop of Apex Legends, as the game appears to be really good at first glance. Even before the launch, MeinMMO expert Dariusz Müller examined the new shooter: On Monday, a free shooter from the developers behind Titanfall 2 – Here’s what we know
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Highguard is the new game from the creators of Apex Legends and Titanfall 2. But before fans decide to download, they want to know what the reviews promise. Therefore, we summarize the impressions of the first testers.
On January 26, 2026, at 7:00 PM CET, Highguard went live, and with the launch, the embargo on reviews was lifted. The first critic voices and reviews have now come in, providing an initial mood report.
So far, things look solid for Highguard, as on Metacritic the game does not yet have a clear rating but currently has around 8 reviews, all of which tend to be positive (as of January 26, 2026, 7:50 PM). Only the review from GAMES.CH has given a clear score of 86 points.
As soon as a clearer rating is available, we will, of course, update our article. Nevertheless, the available reviews reveal some initial positive and negative points that we would like to present here.
Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet
“Highguard satisfies a gaming craving that I didn’t even know I had”
What is rated positively? First testers praise the mix of genres. It is not a pure “hero shooter”, but a combination of MOBA structures and survival raid mechanics (similar to Rust, but in short matches).
The concept of farming resources first, reinforcing bases, and then using a siege weapon (“Shieldbreaker”) to destroy the enemy base is described as fresh and tactically exciting. GamingTrend summarizes in their review: “Simply put: Highguard satisfies a gaming craving that I didn’t even know I had.”
Likewise, shooting from the backs of mounts (bears, cat-like creatures) and the overall weapon handling are praised. Some critiques note that you can clearly feel the signature of the Titanfall and Apex veterans (Wildlight Entertainment) in the fluid movement and gunplay.
Additionally, the technical state is pleasing. In contrast to many other modern releases, it is emphasized that the game feels very “smooth” and finished (polished), which is not a given for a free-to-play launch.
What is there to criticize? Some reviews address that the first trailer and the art style (“colorful fantasy sci-fi”) felt extremely generic and evoked memories of flops like Concord. Also, the marketing strategy – specifically releasing little information about the game until the launch – is evaluated in some reviews as at least incomprehensible.
Additionally, some critics are concerned about whether the game is accessible enough to allow casual gamers and keep them engaged. Since the mode is more complex than a simple “team deathmatch”, some fear that casual players might not immediately understand the strategic depth.
Brief overview – What is Highguard actually? Highguard is a new shooter from the developers behind Apex Legends and Titanfall, aiming to forge new paths as a PvP raid shooter. Instead of classic player-versus-player matches, the game combines various elements: First, you reinforce your base, collect resources, and upgrade your equipment before engaging in the decisive showdown.
At the center is the so-called Shieldbreaker, a powerful siege device with which you break through the defense of the enemy base and ultimately destroy it to win. Gameplay-wise, Highguard strongly orients itself to Apex Legends with fast gunplay, lots of movement, and a high pace of action. Thus, it is all the more striking that the current marketing provided surprisingly little information: New shooter on Steam markets like 0.5 cans of beer, yet experts believe in success
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Highguard have remained silent following the surprising announcement at the Game Awards 2025. Today, on January 26, 2026, we finally know what this new shooter on YouTube and Steam is all about.
So what is Highguard? Highguard is a free raid shooter that launched on January 26, 2026, on Steam and PS5. It features 3 vs 3 gameplay and includes survival elements as well as a kind of open world to traverse using different mounts.
The developers maintained the excitement up to the release. At 7:00 PM, they showcased details for the first time on YouTube and provided insights into the development. You can watch it here:
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What the developers said: The studio behind Highguard consists of veterans from games like Apex and Titanfall – they know gunplay. According to the showcase, ballistic weapons were a central focus of development. It was also clear that they wanted a fantasy setting.
With the individual elements – base building, open world, and mounts – they then moved into the concept phase.
The key, the developers said, is to fail quickly, because: Those who fail quickly and often can learn a lot, and get to the great end product faster. This end project is now Highguard and is available to play.
At launch, there are 5 maps with 6 bases, 8 different playable characters, 3 mounts, and 10 weapons. Additional content is set to come into the game in “episodes.” In a few weeks, a new Warden and a ranked mode are also expected to be added.
This trailer caused a stir for Highguard at the Game Awards:
Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet
How is Highguard being received so far? Currently, at 7:30 PM, the first players are just now entering the game after the rush at release caused queues. Even now, SteamDB records over 60,000 players, with numbers rising. Those who can’t get in are likely watching the action for now – on Twitch, the shooter currently has 322,000 viewers.
The audience already seemed quite positive during the showcase – aside from some “Concord” shouts. Have you had a few rounds in Highguard? Let us know in the comments how your first impressions are.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In ARC Raiders the Headwinds update is just around the corner and brings new content to the shooter. Included are an additional project and a new matchmaking option for solo players looking for more action.
What kind of update is it? The upcoming update “Headwinds” expands the extraction shooter with several new contents. Planned are, among other things, a new matchmaking option for those who want to take on other players solo, as well as a new project that is likely to attract trophy hunters.
When is the update coming? The Headwinds update is set to be released on January 27, 2026 for ARC Raiders. An exact time is not yet known. The previous update 1.12.0 was released on January 20 at 11:00 AM German time – so it is quite possible that Headwinds will also be available in the morning.
You can see the trailer for Headwinds here:
Start video
ARC Raiders receives new matchmaking option and trophy display with Headwinds
ARC Raiders Headwinds: All new content
What content is coming to the game with Headwinds? With the Headwinds update, a whole range of new contents is making its way in, aimed at both PvP fans and players who prefer to take on Arcs only:
New matchmaking option: In solo against squads, all players from level 40 can expect a particularly tough challenge. You will face complete squads alone. Those who take on the challenge will be rewarded with additional XP.
New project – Trophy Display: You can build your own trophy collection, level up, and unlock valuable loot by specifically hunting Arcs.
Bird City: In the “Buried City,” there are now more birds wandering around collecting supplies for their nests. Valuable loot awaits in chimneys – but of course, other raiders have their eyes on it as well.
Cosmetics: Additionally, two new cosmetic sets are coming to the game, which will likely be available for purchase in the shop.
Headwinds is thus the first major update in 2026 that brings new content for ARC Raiders. But this is not all, as more content is planned for the coming months, including a new map, additional projects, and an update for Scrappy. The roadmap gives you an overview: ARC Raiders: Roadmap 2026 – All known information
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today, the new free shooter Highguard launches on Steam, but there isn’t much advertising. Experts still believe in its success.
What kind of new game is this? The new shooter Highguard comes from the creators of Apex Legends and Titanfall and is set to be a new PvP raid shooter. The shooter aims to completely redefine the genre and also focuses on trends that other titles do not pursue.
So there aren’t just standard PvP battles, but a mix of PvE and PvP, where players initially fight against NPCs in the game, loot resources, and then compete for dominance over the Breacher.
The Breacher is a kind of battering ram that is meant to break through the shield of the enemy base and ultimately destroy it to win the game. The gameplay and gunplay lean more towards Apex Legends: fast, with lots of movement and action. However, the marketing is the opposite of exciting.
Here you can see the trailer for the game:
Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet
No marketing is also marketing
Why do we hear so little about the game? Highguard was presented at the 2025 Game Awards and immediately announced a release just a few weeks later on January 26, 2026. However, there was already criticism of the trailer at that time.
While the trailer showed some gameplay, the concept presented was so different and innovative that players couldn’t categorize the title and were more confused than excited.
Much like the famous canned beer 0.5, the new shooter seems intentionally to refrain from disclosing information, likely hoping that enough players will give it a chance even with little advertising – and ideally be positively surprised. This strategy has worked similarly for the developers with Apex Legends, even if this time there’s no real shadow drop for Highguard.
Over the weekend between January 23 and 25, 2026, press and influencers were initially allowed to play the title. However, they are also prohibited from saying anything concrete about the game mode until the release. What they do say, however, sounds positive.
What do the experts say? Only a few have been able to play Highguard so far, and confidentiality agreements create little transparency about whether the shooter can truly be good. However, early opinions praise the title. For example, YouTuber Ayy_TonyRomero explains in a video that he had fun with Highguard at the test event and that it will be enjoyable for anyone who liked the beginnings of Apex Legends.
Also, @TheCartelDel talks on X.com about Highguard and writes: “Since I actually played Highguard, I am especially looking forward to how people will try to compare it to another title. I suspect they will struggle with that. The thing is unique.”
Geoff Keighley, the host of the Game Awards, also had the chance to play Highguard. He writes on X.com: “I tried it for the first time last summer and had so much fun – now it’s your turn on Monday. I’m curious what everyone will think!”
The marketing strategy of only inviting creators and the press, then prohibiting everyone from speaking about the game until release, while inviting every player to play the new shooter for free and unbiased on Steam could pay off.
At the same time, the limited marketing could also lead to the game failing, as if it doesn’t reach enough players in the first week, the shooter might miss its release hype.
MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes was able to spend 3 hours playing Resident Evil Requiem and is thrilled. It was precisely the zombies that positively surprised him.
Since the announcement, I have been eagerly waiting for Resident Evil Requiem. When Capcom then gave me the chance to play 3 hours of the game in advance, the reaction was clear: definitely!
In the demo, I was able to play a larger section with the new character Grace Ashcroft and 2 short segments with fan-favorite Leon Kennedy, who hasn’t appeared in a main installment since part 6 in 2012.
Preliminary, I can say: The 3 hours were quite good, even though both characters play differently. Grace plays most similarly to Ethan in Resident Evil 7, and Leon is just Leon – the action hero from part 4.
Both together may sound contradictory at first, but it worked really well for me. The big surprise for me were the zombies. The walking corpses were as creepy as they haven’t been in a long time.
Start video
New trailer for Resident Evil Requiem – Release in February 2026 on all platforms
Zombies are old hat, right?
The 3-hour session seamlessly connected to the gamescom demo. I started with Leon, who arrived at a clinic due to an investigation. After a short chat with a nurse, it goes straight into the action.
Classic zombies (one with a chainsaw) go after Leon, and in a smaller room, you have to defend yourself with your pistol. That felt fundamentally quite good, similar to the remake of Resident Evil 4.
You can stun enemies, kick them away, or even perform finishers. But when I kicked the chainsaw zombie to the ground, I wanted to approach him, but suddenly he crawls towards me with the weapon and injures me. A behavior I could not predict because I felt safe – he was lying on the ground.
After I had dealt with all the zombies, I played as Grace. In the game, you should be able to freely decide between the perspectives. I left the settings as they were, which is why Leon was played from the 3rd person and Grace from the first person.
The part with Grace was significantly less action-packed. Due to a lack of firepower, I had to proceed more carefully: sneaking, tricking, and sometimes running away. Here, I felt it even more with the zombies: I was afraid because they were as unpredictable as never before.
In the fight against zombies, Grace has only limited resources
Simple zombies are scary again – even in gameplay
In 2026, one could argue that you know every kind of zombie, especially as a Resident Evil fan: there are fast, slow, giant, or absurdly mutated. Since part 1, Resident Evil has often been compared to puzzle games. It’s not just about shooting; it’s about planning:
How do I manage the room with my resources?
Which zombies should I kill?
Which one should I avoid?
The best games in the series build their levels completely on this system. The art lies in the placement of the enemies and the design of the room. I noticed these elements in this play session as well. But Requiem takes it a step further.
When I enter a room, I look at the zombies, and even in combat, I anticipate who is a real danger and how I need to move. I tried to do this here too, but the zombies were different: They stood out, even though they were just standard zombies.
Some zombies wield a weapon that they whirl around wildly, while others crawl up to you. Different sounds add to this: sometimes a moan, sometimes a scratching, sometimes a shriek. When I heard a zombie from afar, I sometimes got goosebumps and hesitated to move forward.
Pressure builds within me and I have to quickly decide what to do with each zombie. There were moments when I was really scared because a zombie suddenly followed me and completely disrupted my planning.
I had to rethink, learn what the zombie does differently, and which route I could safely retrace later. This was incredibly fun for me because it never became frustrating. There were no insta-deaths; I just had to think quickly. I had to make decisions because my own expectations (and also arrogance) led me to mistakes.
The zombies managed to be not only visually scary but also created strong horror moments in gameplay.
In the session, there was a new resource: blood. With it, you could craft different things. This included ammunition or a syringe with which I can kill zombies unnoticed. This also reinforced the feeling that I need to plan differently.
Stealth kills are safer when I catch one, but what if I am suddenly surprised and have no ammunition left? Especially as Grace, every resource is valuable; these are incredibly fun moments for me.
I am already looking forward to playing the game more often at release to see how good different approaches are.
The created resources influence your approach against zombies
Resident Evil Requiem might not work for everyone
During the play session, I quite liked the mix of Leon and Grace. Grace was real horror with a creepy atmosphere, and Leon broke that up nicely with his action sequences. I also found the balance quite good. Since the section with Grace was longer, the mood could build up well.
Based on the session, I also think that Grace will be played more often in the game. Those who are fans of the entire series will likely feel comfortable with both characters.
However, those who expect only Resident Evil 7 or Resident Evil 4 might be disappointed.
In Arknights: Endfield, about half of the gameplay revolves around building factories and production lines, but this system is now facing criticism from players.
What kind of system is this? Arknights: Endfield aims to distinguish itself from the typical genre of gacha open-world games by focusing about half of its content on the system surrounding factories and outposts. Instead of just being in the open world, players build production chains, machines, and gondolas to access resources more efficiently.
However, this factory gameplay is now frustrating players, who are complaining about one resource.
Here you can watch the trailer for Arknights: Endfield:
Start video
Arknights: Endfield shows its story in the release trailer
Sandleaves annoy the Endfielders
Why is there trouble? Many endgame recipes require the resource “Sandleaf,” which can be found from the end of Act 1 in Arknights: Endfield. To reproduce it, like all other plants, requires 3 large machines.
However, because the resource is so frequently needed, players sometimes build 3 or 4 such facilities to meet the material demand. Here, the space issue comes into play. The plants must either be transported out of the base or from a depot bus.
There is still a storage unit available, allowing players to store the produced material using drones. However, this is not enough for the players. They are complaining on Reddit.
What are the complaints? Primarily, the lack of space combined with conveyor belts and depot exits frustrates the players. They are strongly complaining on Reddit about the limits that they believe take away from the enjoyment of a factory builder game.
majestic_sheepz: “I don’t like Sandleaf. It’s coarse, rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere.”
ReQ4T: “Endgame factory is terrible“
Few-Necessary394: “Who controls the Sandleaf controls the valley.”
zlol365: “I have nothing but my Sandleaf … and I do not want more. It has always been loyal to me. Why should I complain, since it stood by me in the hours when my soul was crushed in the depths of my heart?”
Ionkkll: “Seriously, I love what Sandleaf represents for the game. You start with simple production chains and smooth relations, and then this central ingredient with crooked rates comes into play. It’s ultimately not complicated, but newcomers will have a Eureka moment when they master the distribution of Sandleaf powder and the logistical chaos on the conveyor belts. It’s exactly these simple things that make you feel smart that are addictive.”
However, there are also possible solutions to the problem. Players suggest dedicating a base solely to Sandleaf production and then only connecting the finished Sandleaf resources to another base.
This way, players would save a lot of space in each base for the cumbersome production of the resource.
Many fans of Dungeons & Dragons are looking forward to stepping into different roles in the TTRPG. However, two well-known sword-fighting experts and their D&D group want to play themselves in a campaign. Before they start, though, they want to find out if they could even keep up with a Level 1 fighter in real life.
Who are the two swordsmen? We are talking about David Miller and Clark Simon, who are known together as Sellsword Arts. Both engage in fencing, historical martial arts, and the corresponding types of weapons on their social media channels, such as YouTube, but they are also big fans of Dungeons & Dragons. In their content, they love to blend both preferences into analytical yet humorous videos.
Together with other well-known content creators who call themselves “Min-Maxed”, they will soon be launching their own campaign where all characters will reflect their players’ class and expertise. However, before the campaign can start, David and Clark want to find out if they have what it takes to be a Level 1 fighter in real life.
Start video
22-year-old classic of Dungeons & Dragons shows in the trailer what it still wants to excite you with after all this time
Two experts want to achieve the lowest level of their profession
What skills do they want to test? To do justice to a Level 1 fighter, they will test three different skills:
The mastery of three types of weapons, whether simple or martial weapons.
A basic combat style talent.
And of course: moving and attacking 30 feet (9 meters) within 6 seconds.
How do the two perform in these tasks? In their video, David and Clark from Sellsword Arts demonstrate that these three tasks do not pose a significant challenge for them.
Both can fight with (at least) 3 weapons while the background shows how many other weapon types they have in their repertoire.
The only difficulty with the talents is that they struggle to choose just one. The medals on the wall prove that there is definitely enough talent in the fighters.
And even the final test, being able to run 9 meters in 6 seconds and make one attack, does not seem to be a hurdle for them… even though the community finds something to complain about here.
Here you can see Sellsword Arts’ video on TikTok where the two want to prove themselves:
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What does the community point out? In the comments, a user points out that – if one wants to be precise – the 9 meters must be covered at a walking pace, not running, as David demonstrates in the video.
If one wants to run, they have to sacrifice an action for “Dash” and then still make progress. With a standard movement rate of 9 meters, David would actually have to cover 18 meters in 6 seconds but could fairly forgo the attack action.
Other users explain, however, that only a few creatures in combat would use a walking speed, and the 9 meters could be regarded more as a range than a speed.
In general, users on TikTok are convinced that the two could definitely be suitable as level 1 fighters, even good enough to be at least level 2.
With the new interface of World of Warcraft, there are some issues. So many that some create an almost silly macro.
In World of Warcraft, there are currently many small and large bugs. This is unfortunately a known tradition with a pre-patch, but this time it particularly affects many players. The base interface works incorrectly for some, requiring frequent restarts. A problem that leads some to rely on a macro.
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WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features
What kind of bugs are there currently? For those currently playing WoW without additional addons, things may still not run smoothly. While many navigate daily without issues, some complain about various bugs:
Some functions in the interface are blocked. When clicking the target point of a flight route with a flight master, nothing may happen, as if the click were not registered.
Using the Shift key to compare items can lead to severe stuttering, and sometimes tooltips remain on the screen – even long after the Shift key is released.
Using the new transmog menu can result in frozen screens for some.
Additionally, there’s the age-old problem with flying – those who land and jump with momentum occasionally experience a disconnect. The same goes for flying at high speed into solid objects (like tree branches) or into housing plots before they are fully loaded.
Consequently, some players are feeling a bit frustrated by how often they have to log back in to reset their interface. However, a simple macro can help:
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What does the macro do? The command “/reload” ensures that the entire interface is reloaded. You will see a small loading screen, and your entire interface will be reloaded – this includes not only your installed addons but also Blizzard’s “internal addons.” Most of WoW’s interface elements are addons provided by developers but are part of the game’s standard equipment.
The image is naturally to be understood as a meme. After all, the command “/reload” can easily be typed into chat within 2 seconds. However, given how often some have to use it currently, a macro is indeed convenient.
This is how the community mocks: Accordingly, the comments in WoW’s subreddit are quite harsh, criticizing the current state of the standard interface. Here are some excerpts:
“My perfect reload method is just landing on things with my flying mount.” – Demievil
“I don’t mind that WeakAuras and other addons are gone, but the state of the base UI is just insane.” – NaughtyGaymer
“Imagine doing all this work to get rid of WeakAuras, only for your own UI to immediately collapse when you want to compare 2 items.” – noeagle77
Even though it has a bit of a tradition that pre-patches for new expansions bring a lot of bugs that are only fixed with the actual release patch, this time it seems particularly severe. This is likely because the interface is a core element of WoW that everyone interacts with – thus, bugs here become clearly apparent. Also faulty is the Devourer Demon Hunter – as the community sees him as a total failure.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Elrond is known by almost every fan of The Lord of the Rings. But his brother is at least equally important, if not even more so, as he established a realm that is very well known in Arda.
Elrond had a brother named Elros, who went through a lot during his 500-year-long life but achieved great things as well.
He was, just like his now much more famous brother Elrond, half-elven. Both were born in the year 532 of the First Age, a time when things looked grim. The great villain Morgoth dominated Beleriand, a region in the northwest of Middle-earth.
Epic Trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
A Capture and Important Decision
What happened to Elros? Even during his childhood, Elros, as well as his brother Elrond, had to witness terrible events. The ports of Sirion were attacked when the two children were only six years old. The attackers were the sons of Feanor, who were searching for the Silmarils and were committed to this task because of their father’s oath.
Elros’ mother Elwing was in possession of a Silmaril. She had received it from her father Dior, the king of the Sindar realm of Doriath. The Silmaril was set in the Nauglamir necklace and was the cause of the second kin-slaying, which led to the downfall of Doriath. Elwing escaped with the Silmaril at that time.
And now the gem caused great suffering once again. The next kin-slaying occurred, that is, fighting among the different groups of Elves: The surviving sons of Feanor attacked the refugees in the ports of Sirion because Elwing did not give up the Silmaril.
Elros and Elrond were captured by attackers and taken to a cave. However, instead of killing them there, a special relationship developed: It was none other than Feanor’s son Maglor who formed a deep bond with the children. He saved them and raised them from then on.
After the War of Wrath, the great conflict at the end of the First Age, was finally over, Elros and Elrond were allowed to choose: Either they remained Elves and thus immortal, or they chose a mortal life as men. This decision was a gift from the Valar to them, in gratitude for the deeds of their father Eärendil.
While Elrond famously chose to be an Elf, Elros took the other path. He achieved great things during the years he had left on Arda.
What happened in the Second Age? The Valar gifted the noble men, called Edain, an island named Elenna in the west of Arda. Elros led his followers there, guided by the star of his father Eärendil, who had gone to Valinor (immortal realm) but was widely seen in the sky due to his Silmaril.
On the island, Elros eventually founded the realm of Númenor and became its first king in the year 32 of the Second Age. He gave himself a new name and called himself Tar-Minyatur. It became a tradition that Elros’ descendants also took a name in the Elvish language Quenya.
Elros brought a number of artifacts with him and his people. Among them was the ring of Barahir – the man Barahir had received it from the Elf Finrod Felagund, the elder brother of Galadriel. Afterward, the ring went to Barahir’s son Beren, from where it presumably passed to his son Dior. Eventually, it came into the possession of Elwing, who left the ring with her sons.
Under Elros’ reign, Armenelos was built, the city of kings, which was to be the center of Númenor. From there, Elros ruled and fathered three sons and a daughter with his wife, whose name unfortunately remains unknown: Vardamir Nólimon, Manwendil, Atanalcar, and Tindómiel.
Like it was customary for the people of Númenor, they were all to live significantly longer than an ordinary man. Elros himself ruled for a full 410 years before he finally felt the desire to die. This happened when he had already celebrated his 500th birthday in the year 442 of the Second Age.
He was succeeded on the throne by his eldest son Vardamir – but only briefly, as he himself was already 381 years old. Therefore, he passed the office to his own son Amandil.
The realm of Númenor became one of the most powerful on Arda and continued for a long time until it perished in the year 3319 of the Second Age. Whether Elros and Elrond ever saw each other again after the brothers parted ways before departing for Númenor remains unknown. However, it is certain that both are connected to Aragorn: Did you know that Aragorn and Arwen are actually related?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The appearance is deceptive in an anime from 2025. Because behind a cute facade lies drama, darkness, and emotional destruction.
Note: This article and the discussed anime deal with dark themes such as suicidal thoughts and abuse. If such topics are difficult for you, please do not continue reading.
If you are plagued by dark thoughts: You are not alone. Please seek help. For example, from the telephone counseling service at 0800/111 0 111 or the online counseling, where you can also use a chat. This is free and applies nationwide.
The variety of anime has grown significantly in recent years. So much so that it is nearly impossible to follow all the series when you have other hobbies or social obligations. Therefore, I often have to filter what I watch.
In 2025, the anime “Takopi’s Original Sin” completely slipped past me. I only took a glance at the cover image, saw some small, cute creature with a somewhat childish drawing style, and thought to myself: Yes, just skip that one.
Only through the YouTuber “Gigguk” did I become aware of the anime again. Gigguk’s videos are always a way for me to look back at the past quarter or year and discover series that I might have missed. When he included “Takopi’s Original Sin” in his Top 10 from 2025 on YouTube, I knew I couldn’t ignore it.
Takopi has small gadgets with which he wants to help everyone. But he knows too little about people.
I was still not very impressed with the drawing style, and the pink fluffy monster on the cover clearly told me: This is not made for you.
However, the series was rated for ages 16 and up, so I figured there must be a dark core. One that would probably remind me of anime like “Made in Abyss.”
Because the series only has 6 episodes, I thought to myself last night: “Oh, I’ll watch one more before going to bed, and if it’s not good, I’ll stop.”
Well, what can I say: 3 hours later, I had watched all the episodes and now regret it only because I am missing far too many hours of sleep.
Start video
Takopi’s Original Sin: Trailer for the emotional anime
An alien that wants to bring joy and suffers
The story of Takopi’s Original Sin seems trivial and easy to explain at first glance – here come a few spoilers from the first episode.
A small, cuddly alien from the planet “Happy” wants to bring happiness to humans on Earth and make everyone happy. However, on Earth, it becomes an easy prey and has to hide. Only after a few days does it come into contact with the girl Shizuka Kuze – who notably smiles very little, but cares for “Takopi,” as she names the alien.
Takopi tries to make Shizuka smile, but that proves to be exceptionally difficult. Because at school, she is bullied. Her desk is smeared with messages like “Die” and “Rot in hell,” and every day her school notes are stolen, and she is frequently beaten and harassed by her classmates.
The alien knows nothing about human culture at first. When Shizuka is mistreated by her classmates, it is even happy because the children are talking to each other – and “talking to each other” is a good thing for Takopi to solve problems.
When Takopi finally realizes that Shizuka is continuously bullied by a girl named Marina, it pulls out a “Happy Gadget” – a long friendship cord that connects two friends and is meant to ensure happiness.
Shizuka accepts the cord with vacant eyes and wants to use it, which makes Takopi very happy – only to discover the next morning: Shizuka has hanged herself in her apartment and has died. The anime very clearly shows the possible consequences of the cruelty that children experience; this is something you should be aware of before watching.
And that, my dear friends, is just the first roughly 15 minutes of the first episode. This is just a small taste of what awaits you in the series. Because when one believes: “From now on, it has to get better” – No, it will not.
What makes Takopi’s Original Sin so good? The story is tremendously gripping. Even though I rolled my eyes multiple times in the first 5 minutes because Takopi’s overly cute manner got on my nerves, it is precisely this contrast between cuteness and the cruelty of the emotional world of children that is absolutely fantastic.
A cycle of suffering – even Takopi’s cute face doesn’t help.
However, Takopi’s Original Sin is not light fare. Behind every child in the series is a trauma of brutality, child abuse, or emotional destruction. Each seemingly unfounded act of bullying or suffering is just a reaction to already existing pain. It is everything but a “feel-good” series. The complete hard break between the cute, naive Takopi who neither understands people nor the life on Earth and the children who are facing emotional destruction in the next moment creates a lump in the throat.
If you have a few hours to spare in the coming days and want to experience an emotional, deep, unsettling, and strangely beautiful story, then watch Takopi’s Original Sin – the series is available on Crunchyroll. By the second episode at the latest, you’ll definitely know if you want to follow this journey to the end. Because what Takopi’s namesake sin actually is, one can’t even guess yet… If you need more series to binge, we also have 5 great anime that will carry you through a weekend …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Meta invested billions in its Metaverse. But 5 years later, Meta has laid off thousands of employees. This aligns with Zuckerberg’s statements that 2025 was supposed to be the year of decision for the Metaverse.
Meta (formerly Facebook) has invested billions in its Metaverse in recent years, aiming to make the digital world a major pillar of the company. The renaming of the company from Facebook to Meta in 2021 was meant to emphasize this step.
But nearly 5 years after this realignment, it seems to be coming to an end. Meta is said to have laid off employees and cut investments, which could spell the end of the dream of a Metaverse. This is reported by the English-language magazine Techcrunch.com.
Start video
Students spy on passersby with hidden cameras and AI, find name and address in seconds
$73 billion invested, yet in 2026 thousands of employees were laid off
What is the current situation at Meta? According to a report from the New York Times, the company is said to have laid off around 1,500 employees from its “Reality Labs” division. Other areas in the VR sector are also said to be affected:
Studios that were supposed to produce content specifically for the Metaverse, including Armature Studio (“Resident Evil 4 VR”), Twisted Pixel (“Marvel’s Deadpool VR”), and Sanzaru (“Asgard’s Wrath”), are reported to have been laid off.
The VR fitness app Supernatural, which Meta acquired for $400 million in 2023, will no longer produce new content and will switch to “maintenance mode”.
Camouflaj, the studio behind the VR game “Batman: Arkham Shadow”, is also affected by layoffs.
The Meta program “Workrooms”, which was supposed to bring VR into the workplace, is also slated to be discontinued.
How does this align with previous statements? Mark Zuckerberg stated in 2025 that they wanted to go all in: Either the Metaverse will be successful in 2025, or they will fail. Andrew Bosworth, CTO of Meta, asserted at the time that the “Reality Labs” division had not made a strong impression in 2024 and would decide in 2025 whether it would succeed with its objectives or fail miserably.
Given the recent layoffs and cost-cutting, one might rather expect a failure. An official statement from Mark Zuckerberg or Meta is still pending.
There has been loud criticism of Meta’s Metaverse for a long time
What were the reactions at the time? The first images and content from the Metaverse often only convinced to a limited extent: When Zuckerberg presented the first images from the Metaverse, players were more afraid than happy. The graphics reminded many more of the times of the PS3 or the Nintendo DS (via Reddit.com).
For many, the Metaverse seemed more like a grand concept without real content, with old-fashioned graphics that cost billions of US dollars.
While GTA is likely the unchallenged number 1 in open-world multiplayer games, Ubisoft also wanted to establish itself there. With Watch Dogs, it was supposed to succeed, but now the brand seems to be at its end.
The insider Tom Henderson now reports in the Insider Gaming podcast on YouTube that the game series is done. He says: “As far as I know at this moment, the Watch Dogs IP is completely dead […]”.
Ubisoft did not mention Watch Dogs at all in its 7-page restructuring document, so it is not assigned to any of the houses and is also not listed among the “billionaire brands” or “live experiences”. But this is hardly surprising.
Here you can watch a trailer for Watch Dogs:
Start video
Watch Dogs 2 – Welcome to DedSec trailer shows how Marcus Holloway joined the hacker group DedSec
1 and 0 in Watch Dogs
How was Watch Dogs successful? Following the great success of GTA 5, the open-world experts at Ubisoft wanted to create their own modern world filled with chaos, action, and plenty of sandbox atmosphere.
While Watch Dogs 1 attempted a darker setting, with part 2 it completely transitioned into a colorful world where players could experience more side and leisure missions than the main story. Particularly the mini-games and missions in co-op or even PvP were more challenging due to the “hacker” elements than just plain deathmatch on GTA servers.
The developers made good use of the theme to create their own game modes, like a type of hide-and-seek where you invade another player’s single-player world to hack them. This brought necessary innovation to stand out from the large competition.
Initially, the brand was profitable for Ubisoft. Parts 1 and 2 sold over 10 million copies each (via vgchartz.com), and the popular second part is still played daily by over 2,000 players at peak time almost 10 years after release, even though the title still costs €60. However, the series has a problem: part 3.
What is wrong with part 3? Watch Dogs: Legion, the third part of the series, took players away from America to London. However, with the change of scenery came a controversial feature: character switching. Instead of a main character, players suddenly played in Anonymous style as a legion, switching vividly between different characters.
These characters could also die, be arrested, and had individual attributes that could be needed for various missions. However, the absence of a real main character around whom the story revolves did not go down well. So exactly 3 years after its delayed release, the title sits at 56% positive reviews with nearly 11,000 ratings on Steam, labeled as “Mixed”.
Watch Dogs was originally released on October 29, 2020, on Uplay and on Steam on January 26, 2023.
For Ubisoft, the third part was probably not profitable, as the company ceased support for the game as early as January 2022, about 1.5 years after the game’s launch. According to Nexushub, the online mode “Watch Dogs Online” did not see a jump in player numbers.
Despite the popular second part of Watch Dogs, the hacker series seems to have come to an end. A final finale could come with the Watch Dogs movie. This is supposed to showcase the story from the first part of the game, but it remains unclear how it will proceed. MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier recommends Watch Dogs 2 to shorten the waiting time until GTA 6: A game series on Steam is ideal to shorten the wait for GTA 6
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player buys an SSD, but the seller significantly raises the price. This shows that the high price increases have now also reached other products.
Hardware is becoming increasingly expensive. The rising prices have now affected not only RAM but also other components like SSDs. This is now also illustrated by the example of a user who wanted to order “only” two M.S SSDs for his system.
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More and more sellers cancel orders to adjust prices afterwards
What did the user do? The user reports on Reddit that he ordered two cheap NVMe SSDs for $125. But the seller canceled his purchase and re-listed the same model for three times the price. According to a screenshot, the NVMe SSD now costs $406.99. And he is not the only person affected by such cancellations.
These actions by various sellers are causing little enthusiasm in the community. Because usually it is always the players who suffer, who ultimately are affected by rising prices. Some refer back to the price increases by Corsair: The well-known channel GamersNexus is currently observing the situation.
Maximilian “HandOfBlood“ Knabe has made it and reached the maximum level 60 with his rogue in WoW Classic Hardcore. After reaching the milestone, the popular Twitch streamer and YouTuber celebrated one thing in particular at the Sauercrowd project.
What is HandOfBlood celebrating? Hänno’s stream on January 25, 2026, on Twitch had a simple yet clear motto: It only goes offline when the rogue in WoW Classic Hardcore has reached the maximum level 60! The popular streamer and YouTuber brought two experience bars at level 59 into Sunday. Thus, 90 percent of the level was still missing.
In the end, it actually took more than 9 hours for HandOfBlood to reach the maximum level with his leather-wearer. This was also because he had to take on organizational guild leader tasks intermittently, such as moderating a meeting.
The last experience points came from the quests “Arajs Scarab” and “Woe to you, Andorhal” from the Western Plaguelands. You can watch the moment below or on Twitch:
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Hänno praises his guild: After reaching the important milestone, HandOfBlood takes a brief moment to thank the many comrades of the Sauercrowd project.
So thank you to everyone who positively supports this event. Those who, even when things go wrong and it doesn’t run perfectly, still remain constructive and understanding. Thanks to Kevin. Thanks to Metashi. And of course to the teams behind it, without whom nothing would work here.
And thanks also to all grinders and to the relaxed gamers that they don’t let themselves get stressed, stay focused on the ball.
And especially thanks to those who keep restarting. No matter how often they bite the dust. I didn’t expect that. I swear to you, I thought after at least 2 weeks, we would only be a quarter of the streamers who started. But that they endure it so hard, I think only a few would have thought.
