WoW Classic Hardcore on the Sauercrowd server – This is what our MMORPG expert experienced in the first 45 hours

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 6 minutes

Our MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz regularly reports on the Sauercrowd project in WoW Classic, so much so that he thought: “I should do it myself better than one or the other Twitch nose.” What has he experienced with his hardcore character in the first 45 hours? Read on!

Since 2005 I have probably clocked over 3 years of gameplay in World of Warcraft across all characters and versions. The best experiences I had during the time from Vanilla WoW to the finale of Wrath of the Lich King and in the first version of WoW Classic – each as part of a great guild with even greater people.

I associate many nostalgic memories with the original version of WoW. Nevertheless, I always need a few years off before I feel like experiencing the slowed-down gameplay of back then again. And the idea of trying this with hardcore rules has never occurred to me. Who is that crazy…?

Well, apparently a lot of players. Currently, perhaps even more players than ever before in Germany – due to the Sauercrowd project of the German-speaking Twitch scene. Among them many WoW newcomers who get to know the wonderful Azeroth under harsher conditions.

Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!

The First Time Hardcore …

When I wrote in early January 2026 about the unfortunate encounter of the streamer LostKittn with one of the deadliest, seemingly harmless traps from Azeroth, I had to admit: That happened to me 20 years ago as well.

Then I thought to myself: If I regularly write about the hardcore experiences of Sauercrowd, I should perhaps just take a look at how WoW Classic plays under strict rules (and how far I can get).

This way, I could also check the atmosphere on the Sauercrowd server, get an impression of the population, and, if possible, experience one or two in-game events. Of course, only if I survive the project…

The First Time Alliance …

As the Sauercrowd streamers decided to go with the Alliance in a large vote, I had to step a little out of my comfort zone. While I know the leveling areas and quest hubs of the Horde like the back of my hand, the adventures under the blue lion banner are almost completely unknown to me.

Dangerous Alliance quests that are harder than they seem at first glance? Areas and paths where you might run into Horde guards? Well, I guess I’ll just have to face such things. It will be tougher because I’m forgoing all types of addons. So I have to… “ugh”… read quest texts.

But I remain true to my usual class choice and play a rogue. From experience, I know that leather users learn some tools during the leveling phase to survive critical situations. As a race, I choose humans, with swords. This is a strong combination thanks to sword specialization.

WoW Classic Hardcore Rogue Karsten Scholz
Karsten’s current Hardcore Rogue … yes, those are cloth shoulders, there weren’t any others yet.

Good and Bad News

The good news after about 45 hours of gameplay: I haven’t died yet, even though it was close once or twice. For example, when a raptor suddenly critted me through my active dodge (50 percent more dodge chance), causing my hit points to unexpectedly (and rapidly) approach zero.

Or when I had to rob the patrol for the rogue quest in Westfall, but the attempt failed… the key master can quickly send you to the ground. However, a quick solar plexus, followed by sprinting, defused the situation. Everything went smoothly on the second attempt.

The bad news: After about 45 hours of gameplay, I haven’t quite reached halftime (level 30). I am currently at level 29 and am questing through Duskwood – and the fear of the elite monstrosity Little, which wanders through the zone, is ever-present.

My progress so far nicely shows how tedious and time-consuming the leveling phase of WoW Classic is – without addons and when you don’t know all the quests by heart. In 45 hours, you could finish many other games or level several characters to max level in modern MMORPGs.

However, the hardcore factor also plays a role here. I am indeed playing much more cautiously and thus more slowly than during my last run in 2019.

Fear of Loss – a Constant Companion

In hardcore, the thought of losing the time invested in WoW Classic due to a small mistake already hurts. And that so much that I avoid risks as much as possible. Specifically, I am currently following the following rules while playing on the hardcore server:

  • I avoid almost every cave and mine or at least try not to venture too deep into them. Being trapped in such a confined area due to respawning is one of the most frequent causes of death in WoW Classic.
  • Murloc villages are taboo. I only pull single combat frogs in the outer areas and always keep an escape route open.
  • Unlike in normal WoW Classic, I also try not to solo escort or elite quests. In the latter variant, you often deal with multiple enemies at once. If you then also pull aggro from other enemies, it gets really dangerous. And with elite opponents, you often need all important cooldowns, and even then it can be very close.
  • I only step away from the PC (afk) when I am safely in a peaceful city, on the way to a safe place, or have logged out. In the wilderness, it can happen too quickly that an enemy stumbles into my (stealthed) rogue.
  • At times, I take very long paths to avoid high-level Horde guards or patrolling elite opponents like Little. Once you have aggro from them, you could be defeated faster on the ground than you can activate vanish if you’re unlucky.
  • I switch areas more often than I did in normal leveling runs to find quests that are at or slightly below my character level.

In addition, I rarely team up with other players. For the odd kill or elite quest, that’s okay. However, I actually lack the proverbial guts to tackle tricky dungeons like Uldaman with strangers, whose WoW experience I find hard to assess on hardcore.

There are just too many hardcore clips from dungeons where mispulls have sent part of or even the entire group to the spirit healer. Additionally, I know from my own experience how quickly one can die in the WoW Classic dungeons if not everyone knows what they are doing and is paying attention.

If I die due to my own stupidity, then that’s how it is. However, if my run ends due to the mistakes of others, that would certainly frustrate me immensely.

WoW Classic Hardcore: Quests
In the past, I usually avoided green quests (which are a few levels below the character’s level) while leveling in WoW Classic. In hardcore, they often offer comparatively safe experience.

Helpful Fanboys and Girls

NoNames from Sauercrowd, Sauercrowd Community, Sauercrowd Viewer, SauercrowdBrathering… these are just a few of countless guilds that make it clear: The German Twitch scene and its viewers currently dominate the Soulseeker server. Accordingly, a lot of German is written in the chats. However, there are also some international communities.

The current hype around the project has a nice side effect (at least on the Alliance side, I can’t assess the Horde): Although the classic servers have been online for a while, you constantly encounter other players while leveling. Those looking for teammates for quests and dungeons or a guild should find a match relatively quickly.

At the same time, the server is not so full that there would be queues when logging in or that you have to constantly wait for the respawn of quest enemies. The balance on Soulseeker is currently very pleasant. Anyone wanting to dive into hardcore for the first time will find a suitable server here.

The interaction on the server is also quite pleasant. I am constantly buffed or healed by passing characters. One strikes an opponent when one sees that the hit points of a character are quite low. Or one trades useful items that one doesn’t need, such as potions or pieces of equipment, when questing or chatting. At least, that’s my experience so far.

So far, I have hardly had contact with the Sauercrowd members. While I keep running into the streamers, their rules state that they must accomplish everything within their guild. It’s not allowed for a random nobody like me to do a few quests with Maxim, Trymacs or Hänno or to conquer a dungeon with Sauercrowd.

The Path to Level 60

WoW Classic is enjoyable for me – then as now. Therefore, I generally want to level my rogue further. Also, to see how far I can get in the end. However, due to work and family, my progress in the coming weeks will only be slow.

I have to achieve this goal by March at the latest. Because then WoW: Midnight and Crimson Desert are coming. Feel free to share your hardcore experiences in WoW in the comments: Have you brought one or more characters to level 60? How quickly such a run can go wrong is currently shown by countless clips. Our analysis on this: 8 Reasons Why WoW Classic Hardcore is So Deadly for the Twitch Streamers of Sauercrowd

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

The 10 strongest lightsaber fighters from Star Wars in the power ranking

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 8 minutes

Star Wars is known for its epic lightsaber battles, among other things. Both Jedi and Sith engage in this discipline, and the following 10 belong to the absolute elite.

How was the ranking created? For this list, one thing counts above all: skill with the lightsaber. Other abilities, such as those related to the Force, do not play a role here for now. So, while someone who knows how to handle Force lightning may have an advantage in an actual duel, we are primarily interested in sword technique combined with the personal traits of each character in the ranking.

Important: We focus on fighters from the Star Wars canon. The placements are clearly subjective and can be discussed in the comments. As often, nuances and subjective perceptions decide the outcome.

Start video
Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones – Trailer

Rank 10: Kit Fisto

We start this ranking with a Jedi, in line with the motto “still waters run deep.” Kit Fisto may not stand out much at first glance, also because he ranks rather low within Star Wars.

However, the Jedi Master is truly talented with a lightsaber. He fights in the style of Shii-Cho, the first form that ever existed. Compared to later forms, it is simpler and easier, yet that is its strength. Kit Fisto strikes quickly while remaining unpredictable. His strikes are precise and never careless.

As he belongs to the Nautolan people, he excels in underwater combat, and while others might panic in those situations, Kit Fisto remains calm. His thoughtful and reserved nature leads some opponents to underestimate him. He defeated General Grievous in a duel and even held his own against Darth Sidious, whom he was supposed to capture alongside Mace Windu, for some time before the Sith killed him.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Red Five auf YouTube
  2. starwars.fandom.com
  3. cbr.com
  4. Titelbildquelle: starwars.com
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Pokémon GO: Evolving Sylveon – How to evolve Evoli

Noah Struthoff Noah Struthoff Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO you can now evolve your Eevee into Sylveon. We will show you the matching name trick and all other ways to achieve the Eevee evolution.

This is Sylveon: This is now the 8th Eevee evolution available in Pokémon GO. Sylveon is a Fairy type and belongs to Generation 6. Since the start of the second phase of the “Illuminating Legends Y” event, you can obtain the new Pokémon – but only through evolution.

The evolution among the 8 Eevee evolutions is always a bit complicated. There is a name trick and also other ways to trigger an evolution. We will show you how it works with Sylveon.

Update from October 22, 2025: We have updated the article for you.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

Evolving Sylveon using the name trick – Here’s how

This is the name trick: With the name Kira, you can evolve your Eevee into Sylveon. Additionally, you only need 25 candies for the evolution to work. No other requirements need to be met.

How to use the name trick: Choose a suitable Eevee and change its name. You have to name it Kira. Once you have completed the name change, the shadow of Sylveon will appear at the evolve button, and the evolution can be performed.

However, keep in mind that you can use the name trick only once. After that, you can obtain a Sylveon only through the other method we explain further down in the article.

Pokémon GO Kira evolution Eevee
Only when you see the shadow of Sylveon at the area Evolve should you evolve your Eevee.

Evolving Sylveon as a buddy – Here’s how

How to trigger the evolution: This method is a bit trickier. We’ll show you the requirements step by step:

  1. Take the Eevee you want to evolve and select it as your buddy
  2. With the Eevee as your buddy, you need to earn a total of 70 buddy hearts
  3. Once you’ve achieved that, you can evolve the Eevee into Sylveon while still having it as your buddy

You can earn buddy hearts by, for example, feeding or petting your buddy. You can find out how to do this the fastest here: How to level up your buddy and fight together.

More exciting articles about Pokémon GO

Are there any other ways? No, you can only obtain Sylveon once with the name trick or as often as you like through buddy hearts. However, there are numerous other tricks related to Eevee, so you can obtain all other Eevee evolutions.

A list of all name tricks and other ways to evolve Eevee can be found here: Pokémon GO: Eevee Evolution – Names, Kilometer Trick, Lures

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

Pokémon GO Guide: Getting and Exchanging XL Candies

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

The XL Candies in Pokémon GO are a resource in the game. We will show you what they can do, how expensive it is to level up Pokémon with them, and what else you need to know about them.

What are XL Candies anyway? Niantic announced these new candies at the same time as the major winter update for Pokémon GO. The maximum level in the game is Level 50. To achieve this, you also need to use XL Candies.

From Level 1 to 40, you will continue to use Stardust and regular candies for leveling up your Pokémon. After Level 40, you must switch to Stardust and XL Candies.

To ensure you do this correctly and are well prepared, we show you everything you need to know about XL Candy in this guide.

Update from September 18: We have reviewed and structurally adjusted the post.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer

How to find XL Candies?

This level you must reach: Your trainer must be at least Level 40 to even obtain XL Candies.

XL Candies as a reward: Various activities in Pokémon GO grant you the coveted XL Candies. We list the ones that are already known here for you. However, keep in mind that for most activities, there is no guarantee for the candies. The table shows the possibility of where the candies can be rewarded.

ActivityPossible XL Candies
Catching a Pokémon0 to 3 XL Candies
Catching a Raid Boss1 XL Candy
Winning a Dyna Battle1 XL Candy
(2 if you double the rewards for 200 coins)
Trading a Pokémon1 XL Candy for one
or both trainers
(The chances are about 10 %
and increase with the trading distance)
Hatching a Pokémon
(As of December 2020)		Average candies:
2 km Egg: 1
5 km Egg: 3
7 km Egg: 3
10 km Egg: 4
12 km Egg: 4
Sending a Pokémon1 XL Candy per transfer
Converting regular
Pokémon Candies		100 regular candies yield 1 XL Candy
Walking with Buddy Pokémon1 XL Candy
(The higher the level of the Buddy Pokémon,
the higher the chance of getting an XL Candy)
Evolving a Pokémon1 XL Candy
Giving a Berry to Pokémon in
Arenas		1 XL Candy

What about Pinap Berries? So far, Pinap Berries have had no effect on the quantity of XL Candies. They did not appear more frequently because of them. The amount of XL Candies was not increased by Pinap Berries.

Exchanging Candies: Anyone who wants can convert their candies into XL Candies. This works at a ratio of 100 to 1. So, 100 regular candies become one XL Candy if you want that. This is especially worthwhile after events like a Community Day when you could collect many hundreds of candies for a species.

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Sending Pokémon: A trainer analyzed how sending Pokémon works for obtaining XL Candies. It was found that the level of the Pokémon has significant effects on the chances of XL Candies. What you need to consider when sending Pokémon for XL Candies.

What do Level-Ups cost with XL Candies?

You have to expect this: The costs for level-ups are quite high. Since you need to utilize two level-ups for each Pokémon level, a large sum quickly adds up. As the data miners from PokeMiners (via Twitter) show in a graphic, it costs you 250,000 Stardust and 296 XL Candies to bring a Pokémon from Level 40 to Level 50.

In the following table, you can see the Stardust and XL Candy costs from Level 41 onwards.

If you level up a redeemed Pokémon, the costs are slightly reduced. In contrast, the costs for Crypto Pokémon are somewhat increased.

LevelStardustXL Candies
4110.00010
41,510.00010
4211.00010
42,511.00010
4311.00012
43,511.00012
4412.00012
44,512.00012
4512.00015
45,512.00015
4613.00015
46,513.00015
4713.00017
47,513.00017
4814.00017
48,514.00017
4914.00020
49,514.00020
5015.00020
50,515.00020

Since the level update in Pokémon GO, it is no longer capped at level 50. Now you can go up to level 80. In addition to a lot of experience points, you also need to complete some tasks for the last levels. What these are, you can find out in our overview for levels 71 to 80 in Pokémon GO.

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

ARPG on Steam finally lets you play in co-op, attracting more than 50,000 players, and you can test it for free

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

No Rest for the Wicked has received an update on Steam that allows you to play in multiplayer. This not only brings back several players but also, fittingly, the opportunity to test the game for free.

What kind of update is this? The update titled “No Rest for the Wicked Together” now lets you play with up to 4 friends on private realms that save your progress. The difficulty and rewards adjust based on the number of active players in the realm.

Additionally, several improvements and adjustments have been made that came with the introduction of multiplayer. You can find the full patch notes on Steam.

It seems the players were waiting for this, as shortly after the update, around 32,340 concurrent players flooded into the game during the 24-hour peak (see SteamDB, as of January 24, 2026, 12:45 PM). For comparison: that’s how many concurrent players were recorded during the launch of Early Access in April 2024. Back then, it peaked at 36,276. This peak was not reached again, with even just 4,572 concurrent players at the peak in December 2025.

The update has thus drawn nearly 7 times as many players into the world of No Rest for the Wicked as last month. It should also be noted that, in line with the update, you have the opportunity to play the game for free on Steam until January 26, 2026, at 7:00 PM CET. Additionally, the role-playing game is currently 40% off, costing around €23.99 instead of the usual €39.99.

Now, just in time for the weekend, No Rest for the Wicked even reaches a new all-time high with a peak of 50,016 concurrent players (see SteamDB, as of January 24, 2026, 4:06 PM).

Update from January 24, 2026, 4:06 PM CET: Shortly after the publication of our article, the game reached a new all-time high of concurrent players. We have updated the post accordingly.
Start video
No Rest for the Wicked – the new ARPG from the makers of Ori in the trailer

An action RPG from the creators of Ori and the Blind Forest

What kind of game is No Rest for the Wicked? No Rest For The Wicked is the first action role-playing game from Moon Studios, the team behind the acclaimed Ori games. With this title, the developers venture into new genre territory while once again focusing on a distinctive, high-quality visual style that aims to make an impression early on.

While the game initially seems like just another Diablo competitor, the combat system, with its high demands and tactical focus, is much more aligned with the Soulslike genre. According to the official Steam page, it is intended to be an uncompromising, precise action RPG, with which Moon Studios aims to reinterpret the genre.

You can expect the following core features:

  • Soulslike combat with various difficulty levels
  • An open, hand-crafted world in the form of an island that evolves continuously
  • Extensive housing and crafting
  • A campaign
  • A huge pile of loot that you can acquire
  • Co-op with up to 4 players

Since April 18, 2024, the game has been in Early Access and currently holds a rating of “very positive” with 82% positive reviews out of 2,050 ratings in the last 30 days (see Steam, as of January 24, 2026, 1:00 PM).

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The new update seems to be well-received by players and is bringing fresh wind. A previous, larger update did not receive as well and even temporarily led to poor reviews. However, fans felt that the developers were not given enough time: ARPG on Steam flooded with negative reviews after huge update, but fans defend the developers

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

An anime is postponed again 5 years after its announcement, has the same reputation among fans as GTA 6

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

Fans of a certain anime have been waiting for a continuation for 13 years. However, it has once again been postponed, stretching the patience of fans even further.

Which anime is it about? Puella Magi Madoka Magica is an anime that seems like a sweet story about friendship and magic, but is actually a psychological thriller. A feline creature offers girls a contract and grants them any wish if they become Magical Girls, who must fight witches.

However, the girls soon realize that they are fighting for their very survival. If they fall into despair or exhaust their magic, they themselves become witches. The protagonists therefore try to break free from this cycle and rewrite the system.

Meanwhile, 3 movies have already been released for the anime:

  • The first part “Beginnings” was released in 2012
  • In the same year, the second film “Eternal” followed
  • Only a year later, in 2013, the last part “Rebellion” was released

So, no further part of the series has been released for 13 years. In 2021, however, the fourth part “Walpurgis Night: Rising” was announced. This is supposed to continue the story from the last film “Rebellion.”

Start video
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Walpurgisnacht Rising-: The fourth anime film in the trailer

Fans have been waiting 13 years for a continuation

Why the postponement again? As the team reveals on the official site, the postponement is due to production reasons. Originally, the film was scheduled for February 2026. A new release date is expected to be announced this month.

The fourth film was originally supposed to be released in Winter 2024. The first postponement was to Winter 2025, the second to February 2026. Thus, the current delay is the third.

What do fans say about it? Many fans do not understand how, after so many delays, production reasons can simply be cited as the cause. They demand a more detailed explanation of why the film is postponed again.

A user on X compares it to GTA 6. He refers to Walpurgis Night: Rising as the “GTA 6 of anime movies.” This alludes to the fact that the action game by Rockstar was announced in December 2023, with the original release set for 2025. However, there have also been two delays here.

Fans are therefore pessimistic about a new release date. A user on X even writes that he thinks he will have to wait until 2027. The hopefully final resolution will come in a few weeks.

More about anime
Witch Hat Atelier: Episode 3 – Release Overview
von Jasmin Beverungen
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Due to the delays in Japan, it will unfortunately take quite some time before the film will ultimately be shown in Germany, if at all. To keep you updated on which movies are coming to theaters in Germany this year, you should keep an eye on the following list from MeinMMO: All anime with release dates that will be coming to theaters in Germany in 2026

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

HandOfBlood comments on the bad mood at Sauercrowd, appeals to the WoW community: “This is so German”

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

Parts of the guild management of the WoW event Sauercrowd have recently come under criticism for showing too little dedication. HandOfBlood has now voiced his opinion on Twitch regarding the mood in the community and clarified one thing.

What is the status of Sauercrowd? The mood at the event has been somewhat tense in recent days, after players repeatedly died at level 60, resulting in crisis meetings of the guild management being convened.

Furthermore, the guild leader streamer Metashi and also Papaplatte made statements suggesting that they would hardly put so much time and effort into the project in the event of another death. This sparked discussions within the guild and the community, particularly on Reddit.

HandOfBlood has now responded to the situation in his own stream on Twitch, primarily addressing the statements made by Metashi.

Start video
WoW Classic: The Hardcore Servers Are Here!

“I didn’t like it either”

What does HandOfBlood say? Metashi hinted after the death of his level 58 character in WoW Hardcore that he might stop participating in the event and start playing the Classic version of the expansion “The Burning Crusade” in February.

HandOfBlood makes it clear that he views such a statement critically – especially coming from a guild leader:

“I asked him myself because I didn’t like how he said that, that he said it, because he is also a role model as a guild leader and as captain, you leave the ship last. And I also told him just that. And he replied that he is very sorry, as he is still too inexperienced as an organizer.

HandOfBlood

Metashi’s statement was made in a situation where he was feeling “ultra down” due to his character’s death. This had been very hard for him, but he assured HandOfBlood in their conversation that he would continue: “He’s definitely going to push through and will play the raid, and he is excited about it and will give it his all.”

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Apart from the statement, HandOfBlood sees a general problem with the reception of the event.

What is the problem? According to the streamer, there is the challenge that clips from the event are regularly pushed and receive a lot of attention, especially those that show difficulties. This leads to a situation where the event is spoiled for themselves.

And we talk about issues that are not even relevant yet. And we talk them down. That’s so German. Please, let’s not do that. And I also appeal to all other guild members not to get swayed by chatters, even if they are mods.

HandOfBlood

Individual statements can lead to rumors that are not true. HandOfBlood urges the participants of Sauercrowd to speak directly with each other and not to discuss problems through several channels.

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In the end, the streamer draws a preliminary conclusion: The project is running wonderfully and is “miles ahead” of his expectations. And looking at the posts on the Sauercrowd Reddit in recent hours, it can be seen that the mood is getting better overall – especially since Papaplatte is showing a lot of motivation again after his character’s death. Correspondingly: Because HandOfBlood does not want to break his own rule in Sauercrowd, he secretly streams WoW on a secondary channel

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

Researchers let large AIs play Dungeons & Dragons to test their long-term performance

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

Researchers at UC San Diego conducted an experiment where they had AI models play the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons to test their long-term performance in various aspects. The experiment was successful to varying degrees.

What was this experiment about? At the University of California, San Diego, researchers have had large language models (LLMs – Library Learning Models) play the fantasy pen-and-paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons to investigate how well language-based AI models can handle tasks requiring long-term focus, extensive contextual understanding, and decision-making abilities. (see openreview.net)

In doing so, the models had to master complex gameplay situations where they not only needed rule knowledge but also proactive planning and consistent decisions that fit their character and the world, similar to real players and game masters in role-playing.

Start video
The 4th Campaign of Critical Role starts now and is bigger than ever

The researchers observed how the AI models attempted to stay “in character,” choose correct actions, and keep track of resources and rules. This was intended to draw conclusions about their ability to follow and execute longer, structured tasks. The study aimed to better understand how well large language models can handle complex, interconnected tasks over extended periods.

The LLMs not only competed against each other and other AI agents but also against around 2,000 experienced human players. They were evaluated based on how well they maintained an overview of the game, such as available resources and possible actions, their decisions over the course of play, and their ability to convincingly portray their roles.

Why use Dungeons & Dragons as a basis? Raj Ammanabrolu, the lead author of the study and a lecturer at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego, justified the choice in a statement from the university as follows:

“Dungeons & Dragons serves as an excellent testing ground to evaluate multi-step planning, rule compliance, and team strategy. Since the game unfolds through dialogues, D&D also provides a direct route for human-AI interaction: agents can support other players or collaborate with them.”

AI Models Often Struggled with Long-Term Memory and Complex Context

What were the results of the study? The study showed that the AI models struggled to remain consistent over longer gaming sessions, accurately follow complex rules, and sensibly plan decisions over many steps. This was because current AI models were good at responding to inputs but less capable of maintaining a continuous mental model of a complex situation.

This led to some of the AI models drifting into exaggerated, theatrical actions that were not appropriate for the situation, performing long and inappropriate monologues, or repeating certain phrases, especially in combat, as if they were in a video game.

Using various metrics, it was recorded how well the AI models performed individually and where their strengths and weaknesses lay:

The study concludes that large language models demonstrate promising performance in rule-based conversational and gaming situations like Dungeons & Dragons. Smaller open-source models, on the other hand, have not yet been able to deliver stable and consistent simulations, likely due to their different pre-training.

At the same time, it became evident across all tested models that their performance declined with increasing playtime. Particularly long and complex gaming scenarios led to noticeable problems, according to the experiment, regardless of model size.

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von Sophia Weiss

The result shows that AIs still have significant weaknesses, especially in long-term task areas that also require complex contextual understanding. While artificial intelligence holds many new opportunities, a statistic now indicates that in one case, it has primarily led to job losses: AI was supposed to create many new jobs: Instead, 1.2 million people became unemployed

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. UC San Diego Today
  2. Openview.net
  3. IFLScience

Players accuse Palworld of not caring about fans, developers counter with a funny master plan

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

A user claims that the developers of Palworld do not care about their fans, pointing out several issues. The Head of Publishing & Communications found it too much.

What is the accusation? On X a user shares a note on Steam that Palworld is still in Early Access. He believes it is becoming increasingly obvious that the developers do not care about the fans. He cites the following examples:

However, it must be said that the accusation came shortly before Palworld’s second anniversary. Here, the developers presented a roadmap for 2026 and also revealed the approximate timeline for the final release.

The accusation has also been seen by Bucky. As the Head of Publishing & Communications for Palworld, he does not hold back and has often stood up to hate comments in the past. He also commented on this post and shared his opinion.

Start video
Palworlds Update 0.7 brings many changes for the Quality of Life and a collaboration with a shooter

Developers of Palworld Defend Themselves

How do the developers respond? Bucky replies on X that they do care about the fans. He affirmed the accusations but reframed them positively:

  • The 2 collaborations were completely free
  • It is an impressive achievement to work on 2 spin-offs alongside the main game
  • In the 2 years of Early Access, numerous bug fixes and patches have been released

He then mocks the comment and ironically presents his “master plan.” According to him, they should release Palworld now, add loot boxes, disable the single-player mode, and integrate online enforcement, only to shut down the servers in 12 months.

For him, it is “Twitter logic” when users think that no care is taken for the game, while they are actively working on it and releasing free content.

He also fears that there could be negative comments at launch. Then version 1.0 would probably be labeled a flop, according to Bucky.

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Instead of working on Palworld, a developer prefers to play Crimson Desert: “Wants to stay at home and play for 12 hours straight”
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Palworld 1.0 is coming in 2026, but the developers advise: It’s best to delete everything you’ve built in the last 2 years
von Ody

If you haven’t checked out Palworld in a while or are completely new to the game, that’s no problem. The community has listed several beginner tips that they wish they had known at the start: The community of Palworld gives newcomers the essential tips for getting started that they wish they had known earlier

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

WoW: A decoration is hidden in Pandaria – This is how you can find it

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

In World of Warcraft there are many decorations for your house. You can find a hidden piece of furniture in Pandaria – if you know where to look.

Especially with the launch of Patch 12.0, more and more people are checking out the housing in World of Warcraft. You need many decorations to really make your house beautiful. However, not all decorations can be bought from vendors; some are hidden in the game world.

A very special decoration can be found in Pandaria – and also uncover a dark secret behind a housing vendor.

Start video
WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features

What kind of decoration is that? It is the Golden Cloud Serpent treasure chest. This is a treasure chest from Pandaria, which you will especially see several times in the Guo-Lai halls – a golden chest with dragon decorations. It is visually a must-have in any treasure room and should easily integrate into many housing projects.

A nasty slime that spits out decorations

Where can you find the decoration? If you want to get the decoration, you must travel to Pandaria, to the Jade Forest. At coordinates 58 / 16, you will find a sunken ship in the water, which is upside down. If coordinate addons are not working for you, you can also see the exact location here:

WoW Slime Location Pandaria Frederick
Here you find the slime in a sunken ship.

Dive from below into the ship and work your way up the hull. On the way, you will discover several green slimes. Once you reach the upper area, you will find “Frederick the Fabulous” – a huge slime, in which a lot of furniture is floating around. You can simply “reach into” Frederick and loot the Golden Cloud Serpent treasure chest to add it to your collection.

Where can I find more copies? If you want more than just one treasure chest, you can purchase additional copies from the Pandaren “Pando Two-Chair” for 1,500 gold each. You can find Pando in Duskwood, Stormwind, or Orgrimmar – he is the Pandaren who has already offered several housing quests.

WoW Frederick Slime
In the slime you find the treasure chest.

This also solves the mystery of why Pando has the subtitle “Maximillian’s masterful furniture.” Apparently, the Pandaren sells the furniture of this slime, which causes havoc in Pandaria. Whether he “creates” the furniture himself or – like most other slimes in WoW – converts living tissue (i.e., humanoids and animals) into furniture remains unanswered. Perhaps it is better this way; otherwise, you might feel guilty while decorating your house.

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WoW: World First! Team Liquid takes the victory, this time really
von Cortyn
WoW: A NPC in Midnight remembers you and you surely hate him
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WoW: Team Liquid achieves the World First Kill, but then the boss says: “Haha, no!”
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If you’re interested in more furniture items in World of Warcraft, we’ve already dealt with this extensively – after all, we ourselves spend way too much time on it. Here are 7 hidden housing items that you definitely should get.

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

MMO shooter Warframe will soon fit in almost every pocket, receiving a new version with cross-play and a big update

Christoph Waldboth Christoph Waldboth Reading time 2 minutes

The developers of the MMO shooter Warframe have announced a new version of the title that could potentially attract a new audience. In addition, fans can soon expect a major update.

What kind of version is this? Developer Digital Extremes has announced a mobile version for their MMO shooter Warframe, which continues to enjoy great popularity. This is set to be released on February 18, 2026, initially available only for Android phones.

Megan Everett from Digital Extremes justifies this step as follows:

With the upcoming release on Android devices, we are one step closer to making Warframe playable on all platforms of the current generation. It has always been our goal to make Warframe as accessible as possible. Our game has something for everyone, and this is the next big step to share the Warframe experience with new Tenno around the world.

The Android version will support crossplay, so players on other platforms can play together. There will also be cross-save, meaning you will be able to access your game data regardless of the device.

Start video
Warframe zeigt neuen Trailer mit Werner Herzog in der Hauptrolle

All about the mobile version and the next update

Who can play Warframe on mobile? Basically anyone who owns an Android device equipped with the following system requirements:

  • 64-bit system on ARM64 processor
  • Android OS 12.0 or higher
  • Min. 4 GB RAM

The regular release is on February 18, but a test phase is already running in Canada from February 11, during which it can be played.

Anyone who downloads the new version to their device and logs in during the game by March 4, 2026, will receive the “Cumulus” collection, which includes cosmetic weapons, armor, and resource boosters. Pre-registration for the mobile version via the Google Play Store is already online. You can find all information about it on the official website of Warframe.

What kind of update is coming as well? In March 2026, the update “The Shadowmaker” will be released for all available platforms. One of the highlights is a new Warframe named Follie, who is now the 64th in the game.

Additionally, there will be a new game mode where players must team up and complete tasks while being chased by a powerful enemy. On MeinMMO, you can find important tips for the game that both beginners and returnees should check out.

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What else is there to know? The developers will reveal more information about “The Shadowmaker” in a Dev stream in February.

Another version of the game is already in the works: Warframe will be released in the first quarter of 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2 and is expected to run at smooth 60 FPS and 1080p in handheld mode on the console.

It will be exciting to see if Warframe can attract its community to the mobile version, and whether completely new players can find access to the game. What are your thoughts on this? Will you give the Android version a chance? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. The game continues to gain new fans: Twitch streamer plays Warframe for the first time, finds the inscription of a fictional alien language, and spontaneously deciphers the true meaning

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

ARC Raiders shows first roadmap for 2026, releasing a new map in spring and an update for your favorite little chicken

Alexander Mehrwald Alexander Mehrwald Reading time 2 minutes

ARC Raiders will introduce new content in 2026 and present plans for the upcoming months. They have some highlights in store.

What highlights does the roadmap show? The new roadmap outlines the plans and updates from January to April 2026. It includes various additions such as new map conditions, ARC threats, or map updates.

Some aspects will particularly please eager Raiders:

  • A new matchmaking option for players level 40 and above is set to be introduced in January
  • In March, your favorite chicken Scrappy will receive an update
  • In April, there will be a fresh new map and a new ARC boss

No specific dates for the respective updates are available yet, only the months are indicated. In addition to the larger content, there will also be regular new quests, challenges, events, items, cosmetics, and improvements to the player experience.

In the next section, we will show you the exact content for each month.

Select a MMO video…

What to Expect from January to April in ARC Raiders

The roadmap titled “Escalation” outlines the planned updates from January to April 2026. Each month is expected to bring new content, distributed as follows:

January

  • New matchmaking option from level 40+
  • New lower map condition
  • Player project

February

  • New map condition
  • New ARC threat
  • Player project
  • Raider deck
  • Map update
  • Expedition window

March

  • New map condition
  • New ARC threat
  • Player project
  • Scrappy update

April

  • New map
  • New major ARC
  • New map condition
  • Expedition window

More detailed information about each content item is not yet available. This will usually be disclosed closer to the respective implementations.

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The plans indicate which features and content the developers have in store for the near future. However, one originally planned feature was removed before release, and fans are now saying: That’s a good thing! Developers of Arc Raiders removed a feature before release, fans celebrate: “That would have ruined the game”

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

A boss in one of my favorite action RPGs is my worst nightmare because he blatantly lies to me

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 3 minutes

There are many tough bosses that make players sweat, but sometimes it’s not just about complex mechanics and strong attacks. Sometimes, as a player, you can also be lied to, as MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes had to experience firsthand.

I love Kingdom Hearts. Even though the story and dialogue of the action RPG from Square Enix are often complete nonsense, the Disney worlds and the different combat systems always drew me back.

Even in the first part, which is often described as badly aged, I quite enjoyed doing almost everything in the game, even though I made a silly mistake along the way.

To really do everything in the game, you also have to defeat the secret bosses. One of them still makes me sweat today, also because he lied to me.

You can find the trailer for the latest installment in the series here:

Start video
Kingdom Hearts 3 shows in the trailer the epic finale of the long RPG series

You shouldn’t always trust health bars

Which boss are we talking about? Right before the end of the story, you have the opportunity to participate in optional stages in the tournament at Olympus in Kingdom Hearts. At the end, Sephiroth awaits as the final opponent in the tournament. Fans of Final Fantasy 7 know: You shouldn’t mess with him.

In 2017, with the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX (terrible name), I then tried my luck against him as well. After all, I wanted to have all the trophies on the PS4.

The fight begins and I start hitting him. But to my surprise, his health bar just doesn’t drop. I die after a few seconds and try again. Maybe it was a bug. Well, even on the second attempt, I simply do no damage. After more frustrating fights, I turned to Google to see if other players had the same problem.

Quickly, I stumbled upon forum posts like on GameFAQs. As I then found out: He simply has so much health that the health bar can’t display it. In Kingdom Hearts, bosses usually don’t have a large display, but several color indicators that you have to whittle down one after the other.

However, Sephiroth has so much health that there is no displayed bar, and you just have to deal a bit of damage until you see a difference. But the game doesn’t signal that, which makes it look like you’re doing 0 damage.

You can see what it looks like in the video from Boss Fight Database:

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Even aside from the bar, Sephiroth is a real beast

Does the information make the fight easier? No, absolutely not. I had the certainty that it is possible, but I was just too weak, and let’s be honest: also just too bad. Countless levels (and hours) later, I was as well-equipped as possible.

I grinded for the best weapon in the game, the Ultima Blade, had the best abilities, and many items. But he was still a real monster. Sephiroth has many wide-ranging attacks that are hard to dodge, and if you let your guard down for a moment or two, you’re done, no matter how well-equipped you are.

Since you have to fight the battle without Donald and Goofy, you also have to take care of healing yourself. After all, there was the Leaf Bracer ability that prevents you from being interrupted while casting healing spells.

Still, I just couldn’t do it. One evening, I sat down with my buddy and we did nothing but challenge Sephiroth alternately. But then, after countless grind sessions and sad attempts, my buddy managed to do it. He dodged the flame pillars and was finally able to defeat him. I was relieved and happy about the trophy (even though it still annoys me that I didn’t take him down).

As a reward, there is a cool cutscene with Cloud and Sephiroth and the new sword Winged Angel, which I couldn’t use thanks to the Ultima Blade.

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Many bosses have made me suffer. I still think of Manus from Dark Souls or Malenia from Elden Ring, but none have stayed in my memory as strongly as Sephiroth. Which bosses will you never forget? Please feel free to write it to us in the comments. You can find annoying boss enemies here: 5 annoying boss enemies from video games that annoy for a certain reason

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

A free shooter is coming in 2 days, finally revealing what exactly fans can expect in the game: “The brother finally remembered the password”

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 3 minutes

In a few days, the free PVP shooter Highguard will launch on Steam. Since the announcement, there has been no new information about the game. Now the developers are announcing a stream that will showcase the new content. However, that will only come with the release.

What kind of stream will it be? On X, the developers announced a showcase for the Highguard launch. It should provide deeper insights into the game directly from the development studio. This includes a full deep dive into the gameplay, all the plans for the first year, and much more.

You can read the full post from the developers on X:

Highguard Twitter

When does the stream start? The showcase is set to take place on January 26, 2026, the day Highguard launches on Steam. If you want to tune in, you should keep an eye out at 7:00 PM Central European Time, as that’s when the stream begins.

A shooter that probably not everyone of you had on their radar

Why is this so surprising? The free shooter Highguard was first presented at the Game Awards 2025 in December. Since then, it has gone very quiet about the game, which is why many shooter fans probably don’t have the upcoming release on their minds.

Even with the reveal, there was little information. The developers themselves have labeled the game as a PVP raid shooter. But how such a raid will function remains a secret so far. All the information we have been able to gather from the trailer, MeinMMO has analyzed in a separate article.

Therefore, it is hardly surprising that several users are making fun of the upcoming stream in the comments, which takes place with the launch.

Start video
Highguard zeigt im Trailer, was euch im neuen PvP-Raid-Shooter erwartet

What do users say about the announcement of the showcase? One user writes that “Brother finally remembers the password.” He jokingly refers to the fact that in his world, one of the developers might have forgotten his password for the company account and can only now post what was actually supposed to be an announcement.

Many agree with him and write that this is a strange marketing campaign. Additionally, some commenters wonder if the hate was so great that one had to wait a month and 2 weeks to finally promote the game. Many players are comparing Highguard with the failed Concord.

Even the publisher Devolver Digital is joining in. He asks the development team from Wildlight Entertainment if they still need a publisher. There’s still time for that – so, 2 days before the release.

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If you want to give the game a chance before the release despite the disastrous marketing campaign, you should keep an eye on the coming days. MeinMMO will tell you everything important about the release and what to watch out for during the launch: Highguard – Everything Important about Release, Platforms, and Gameplay

Even the publisher Devolver Digital is joining in. He asks the development team from Wildlight Entertainment if they still need a publisher. There’s still time for that – so, 2 days before the release.

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If you want to give the game a chance before the release despite the disastrous marketing campaign, you should keep an eye on the coming days. MeinMMO will tell you everything important about the release and what to watch out for during the launch: Highguard – Everything Important about Release, Platforms, and Gameplay

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

A modder is making such good skins for Hytale that she is now officially employed

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

It is not unusual for modders to receive job offers for games that have already been changed without payment after a while; however, it is surprising that this happens just 2 weeks after the release. This has now occurred in Hytale.

Who has Hytale hired? Although Hytale was released less than two weeks ago, the developers have already hired a member from the modding community. The modder is Violet, who has already released new character customizations for Hytale since the release.

The release of Hytale was already a great success:

Start video
Hytale feiert erfolgreichen Early-Access-Release mit 2,8 Millionen Spielern

From Mods to Assets

What does Hytale hope to achieve with this? Looking at Violet’s X.com profile, you can see many colorful characters that she has designed. This is evidently what she will be doing officially for the Minecraft alternative from now on.

In the future, she will be responsible for the official cosmetic items in Hytale, as Hytale chief Simon Hypixel reveals. He further writes on X.com: […] She was one of the first Hytale modders and is now the first to join us! With this, we are keeping our promise to hire employees from the community!

In the past, the founder has repeatedly emphasized that he prefers to provide modders from the community with contracts and jobs. He is not the first, as creators from the important community mod FiveM are now also working on GTA 6.

How is the community reacting to the hiring? The players of Hytale are excited about the addition to the team and praise the creative skins of the new employee. According to comments on X.com, she is not an unknown face and has previously contributed with creative works.

Other modders are also commenting under the post to congratulate and simultaneously showcase their sometimes crazy mods. For example, modder Jaxpy, who created a Crab-Dance mod for Hytale that makes the crabs dance like in the famous video.

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The success of Hytale is hardly surprising. The fact that players will now receive even more beautiful characters is something purely positive. However, it remains open when the first creations of the modder will come into the game. The new patch just came out: Hytale will soon bring new magic, cosmetic content, and changes to enemies with Update 2 – all patch notes in German

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

Even after 1,000 hours, Deadlock manages to surprise me: Streetbrawl is more fun than I thought

Nico Scheibel Nico Scheibel Reading time 3 minutes

The new update for Valve’s shooter is finally here. Deadlock receives significant changes and a new game mode, which MeinMMO author Nico has already enjoyed greatly and will continue to do so.

What’s new in the update? We have already introduced you in detail, what has been added in the new update for Deadlock. Here’s a quick summary:

  • Streetbrawl is a new mode
  • 6 new heroes will be released over the next 3 weeks
  • Many changes to the map
  • User interface improvements
  • New evaluation at the end of a round, showing the MVP of the match
  • 2 new items

All the new features have also been published by Valve on the official website for Deadlock.

Start video
This is Deadlock – The new MOBA shooter from Valve

Streetbrawl offers a fun alternative to the classic Deadlock round

What is the new mode? In a classic match in Deadlock, 6 players compete against each other, while in Streetbrawl, each team consists of only 4 heroes. The map is also not fully utilized, only one of the three lanes is played.

Streetbrawl is played in short rounds, averaging 3 minutes long. The goal of a round is to destroy the opponents’ first tower. After that, the next round starts, and this continues until one team has won three rounds first. The team that is close to winning the entire match must destroy the second tower instead of the first, which is significantly stronger.

At the start of each round, each player receives some skill points to level up their abilities and some items. You choose an item from three options until you have a total of three items. This means that in round 1 you have three items, in round 2 you have six, and so on.

This is what the item selection looks like at the beginning of a round

Especially to test new heroes and get a feel for how Deadlock is played, the new mode is excellent. MeinMMO author Nico has also fallen for the new mode.

Who is writing here? MeinMMO author Nico has been playing MOBAs for 13 years. Starting with Dota 2 and later League of Legends, he discovered Deadlock in 2024 and has since invested a lot of time in Valve’s new shooter.

Streetbrawl is fantastic, although I prefer to sweat

What is so special about Streetbrawl? I have already spent over 1,000 hours in Deadlock and consider it a masterpiece. With the new update, I will also be spending many hours wandering around New York, as I prefer the classic mode because I love the competitive feeling and enjoy improving myself. Nowadays, one would say: I just like to sweat.

But Streetbrawl has something special: The item system forces me out of the comfort zone of my favorite heroes.

Why do I like the item system so much? As already mentioned, at the beginning of a round you choose three items. Since the possible items to choose from are random, even a character that I have played hundreds of rounds with must be played differently.

In my previous matches of Streetbrawl, I encountered strong but also fun new builds and was always surprised by the combinations. The intense battles of the eight participants are a lot of fun, and I have to think about which items are best against the current opponents. Streetbrawl just challenges me in a completely unique way.

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Already in 2025, Deadlock has changed significantly. In addition to 10 new heroes, the entire map has been overhauled, and a major update of all items caused a lot of chaos. All these updates have brought new momentum to Deadlock, but it is still in a closed testing phase: Valve massively changed its new shooter on Steam in 2025, but the biggest problem persists

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

Laser weapons are considered extremely bad in Warhammer 40,000, yet all their huge advantages are overlooked

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 5 minutes

Warhammer 40,000 is known for its absurd scale and completely exaggerated dimensions, especially in terms of military. However, the most widely used weapon in the vast empire stands out negatively: the lasgun. Yet, it is much better than many think.

When thinking of weapons in Warhammer 40,000, the epic chainswords or the iconic bolters in various configurations likely come to mind first. Of course, they are the weapons of the Space Marines, the flagship of the world.

However, the portfolio of military tools is significantly larger, ranging from simple knives and folding spades to portable gauss cannons that can literally disintegrate their targets – completely. However, such weapons give a false impression of the standard of the world, as they make up only a small part of the arsenal.

The Imperium is the largest faction in the known galaxy – aside from the Tyranids, whose exact number is unknown. With a population in the trillions, the Imperium has an accordingly large army: the Astra Militarum.

And this is where a controversial weapon comes into play: the lasgun, the standard weapon of the Imperial Army. Compared to bolters, gauss weapons, and whatever heretical sci-fi nonsense the Aeldari carry around, these rifles seem like better laser pointers. However, anyone who thinks so misjudges the actual strength of the lasguns.

Start video
Das Todeskorps von Krieg, das wohl legendärste Batallion des Imperiums in Warhammer 40.000

Lasguns solve the Imperium’s biggest problem: logistics

In fact, lasguns are weak weapons in a galactic comparison. So why does the Imperium still equip every single soldier with them? The answer can be summed up very briefly: money.

Lasguns are simply incredibly cheap to produce compared to ballistic weapons like bolters or old-fashioned firearms (like those from our time). Given the sheer mass of equipment the Imperium needs, it is essential to think economically – especially given the enormous scale of the war fronts.

The manufacturing costs alone do not make lasguns a logistical masterpiece; they come with several other advantages, such as:

  • large magazines that weigh almost nothing – lasguns are literally powered by batteries
  • standardized configurations so that any part of any gun fits every other part as long as they have not been modified (which is almost never the case here)
  • rechargeable ammunition: a magazine needs only to be placed in the sun or next to a fire for a few hours to be fully charged again

In the Imperium, dozens of organizations are fighting an internal political battle (LINK), and logistics is the greatest weakness of the entire system. It is even very likely that the Imperium will only fall for logistical and administrative reasons. Lasguns at least remove this factor from the military branch of the Imperium.

Warhammer 40k Necromunda Underhive Wars Gang Wars Title
Archaic firearms still exist but are more the choice of gangsters in the vast and dangerous underhives.

Diverse and easy to use – the dream of every officer

The sheer costs involved in training the number of (expendable) soldiers are significant, but they are not the only reason the Imperium relies on these weapons. The constant wars require rapid and often inadequate training of its soldiers, who have a low life expectancy.

Again, lasguns come with several advantages. The biggest? They require almost no maintenance. Energy weapons have few to no moving parts that could jam. They are simply more robust than ballistic weapons.

In fact, laser weapons are built so simply that allegedly even children could assemble them – which is necessary, as the famous hulking Ogryns have no more intellect than children. Additionally, there exists a suitable weapon for every application:

  • laser pistols for one-handed combat and short distances
  • lasguns as standard weapons for skirmishes
  • autofire rifles (essentially machine guns) for fighting large masses of enemies
  • sniper rifles for deadly hits at long ranges
  • vehicle-mounted heavy weapons and war machines
  • and even orbital laser cannons that can pulverize entire apartment blocks

Since laser weapons are not ballistic but literally fire charged light, they are more accurate than anything you know from real life. They hit exactly even at great distances and with almost no delay – literal lasers. A soldier couldn’t have it any easier.

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Stronger than they look, but it’s the mass that counts

What makes lasguns particularly dangerous in the Imperium is their effect. The wounds they cause are almost always lethal – the shots just need to travel far enough. Laser shots cauterize immediately, meaning they can hardly be treated because everything is already charred.

If vital organs are hit, it is deadly – at least for mortals – even if death occurs only later. This is even stated in the official field manual of the Imperium (via Reddit).

The lasers are strong enough to sever limbs, and here the mass of the Imperium comes into play: a simultaneous volley of two dozen lasguns can slice a giant opponent like the insectoid Tyranids into pieces like a scalpel.

Moreover, laser weapons are significantly stronger than their reputation. Only the rifles themselves are typically a “weaker” version of what is possible. With more energy, the weapons logically become deadlier – as with the cannons mentioned above.

By the way, there is a whole series about lasguns on Warhammer+, the premium service of Warhammer.

Warhammer 40k space marine 2 Tyranid screaming during an attack Title
Laser weapons are effective, especially against enemies with little armor.

The competition is the real problem of laser weapons

So why are laser weapons considered to be so incredibly weak? This is simply because they exist in the world of Warhammer 40,000 and not in our current one. Warhammer 40,000 has a plethora of answers to lasguns:

  • Ceramite armor of the Space Marines cannot be penetrated by standard laser weaponry.
  • The living metal of the mummified Necrons would simply repair itself even if it melted. They have no vital organs.
  • Armies like the supposedly peace-loving Tau or the endangered Aeldari rely on high ranges and stealth. You can’t aim at something you can’t see.

Weapons like gauss rifles, shuriken catapults, or even warp-blessed chaos weapons and magic-powered psy-blades are much stronger in direct comparison to lasguns. That’s one reason why a Space Marine or Necron soldier can easily outweigh a dozen or more Imperial Guardsmen.

However, scaling is the keyword here: peoples and factions with significantly stronger weapons are massively outnumbered compared to the Imperium, at least for now. It is more economical for the Imperium to rely on mass-produced goods that are easy to maintain. Factions with more elite soldiers can afford more expensive equipment. However, in one thing, they are all the same, they do not only rely on firearms: In Warhammer 40,000, there are bolters and laser rifles, but elite fighters often use swords – for good reason.

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

Guild Wars 2 is changing part of the endgame in February, wants to make raids more accessible

Karsten Scholz Karsten Scholz Reading time 5 minutes

It is time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG-News in 5 Minutes”. We summarize the most important news around the best genre in the world. You can expect secret insights, new updates, notable premieres, and a viral Twitch event.

Highlights of the week:

What else has happened? The Sauercrowd event in WoW Classic Hardcore has entertained its fans wonderfully again this week (and even established a meme). Among the fatalities, there was a particularly prominent victim. Due to the many losses there was a crisis meeting. A statement from guild leader Metashi caused further unrest among German streamers.

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The History of MMORPGs: MeinMMO, GameStar and Uncle Barlow discuss 60 years of online worlds

Black Desert sends new players to school

This is what happened with the big MMORPGs:

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This is what happened with the small MMORPGs:

  • The RuneScape franchise celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026 and the festivities start today in RuneScape 3 with an update that everyone has probably been waiting for.
  • Although the MMORPG Tibia was released by the German developer CipSoft in 1997, it is still popular today – so much so that players struggled with queues. Some even feared logging out. The developers are aware of the issues and have commented on them.
  • Speaking of: The developers have announced a comprehensive overhaul of the classes. You can find out more at tibia.com. Also noteworthy: The first player of the MMORPG, Dejairzin, managed to break the magical limit of level 3,000. You can find the leaderboard also on tibia.com.
  • When it comes to the prettiest MMORPGs, Pax Dei should not be missed. If you want to see for yourself, you can do so for free on Steam in the coming days.
  • The German MMORPG Albion Online celebrated its 8th anniversary in 2025. But that seems to be just the beginning. In a recent video, the game presents a new roadmap for spring and summer 2026.
  • Crystal of Atlan has received a new update, with fresh events, optimizations, and more. You can find the patch notes on Steam.
  • Naica Online has been released on Steam, a new 8bi MMORPG. The first reviews are mixed, with 62 percent positive ratings.
  • Dungeon Fighter Online has received a new update with Act 6 of Season 9. Included are: a new raid, fresh rewards, story content, and more. You can find the patch notes on dfoneople.com.
  • Entropia Universe is getting a new crafting interface as well as a spring cleaning of the blueprints. You will find the exact details at Steam.
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This is what happened with the MMORPGs in development:

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With this, we have summarized the most important events that have recently occurred in the world of MMORPGs.

What were you happy about this week? What upset you? Let us know in the comments. If you are looking for a comprehensive overview of the history of online role-playing games, you will find it in this comprehensive special: The History of MMORPGs – From Habitat to Throne and Liberty, and everything that has happened in between

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

The Mighty Nein in the Power Ranking – Who is the strongest in season 1 of the Amazon hit?

Caroline Fuller Caroline Fuller Reading time 7 minutes

The members of the “Mighty Nein” from Critical Role’s animated series on Amazon Prime all have their own strengths and weaknesses, which first come to light in the first season. But which of them proved to be the strongest group member during their initial time together?

In this list, we want to take a closer look at all the members of the Mighty Nein to see which of these “heroes” are particularly strong in the first season. The Mighty Nein is a group of mismatched personalities that could hardly be more different. Although they differ in their classes and races, each individual contributes to the success of their chaotic crew.

Whether melee fighters or spellcasters, whether small goblin girl or large half-orc – all possess their own strengths, weaknesses, and character traits that make them indispensable to the team and to the viewers of the animated series.

Here you can see the trailer for “The Mighty Nein” on Amazon Prime with the original voices from Critical Role:

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To rank the Mighty Nein, we will look at their abilities and potential that they can showcase in the first season of the series. What they will become and how the individual characters will fare in future seasons of the campaign will not be taken into account in this evaluation.

Now we want to see who of Caleb, Nott, Beau, Jester, Fjord, Molly, and Yasha is the most powerful.

Rank 7: Nott

Nott, the goblin girl, is definitely not weak, but in this list she only made it to seventh place alongside the other members of the Mighty Nein. She is nimble, skillful, can unobtrusively empty strangers’ pockets, and handles a small crossbow well. She also possesses better alchemical knowledge than the others in the group, having already saved a comrade’s life.

However, Nott often gets in her own way. Her self-destructive behavior and the fact that she has nearly given up on herself often hinder her. Her alcohol consumption and kleptomaniac tendencies can quickly lead to trouble that puts the entire group in jeopardy. 

Often, her urges decide before her own reason does, when no one else – usually Caleb – stops her.

Even though she only takes the last place in this list, Nott is no less significant than the other characters, and her hidden care makes her one of the most important members of the Mighty Nein.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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Aegon’s Conquest: Release and Trailer – All information about the upcoming ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off

Niko Hernes Niko Hernes Reading time 2 minutes

The world of Game of Thrones is not yet fully told. In the future, more spin-offs of the world of Westeros are planned. One of them is to be Aegon’s Conquest. All previous information is summarized for you here by MeinMMO.

What is this spin-off about? Aegon’s Conquest is set to be a prequel to the existing series. As The Hollywood Reporter reported on January 15, 2026, in an interview with George R. R. Martin, it is still unclear how exactly the project will be implemented. HBO is developing the spin-off either as a series or as a large film in the style of Dune.

When is the release of Aegon’s Conquest? There is currently no release date for Aegon’s Conquest. Based on the latest known information, the project is still in an early development stage.

Most recently, the screenwriter of Aegon’s Conquest, Mattson Tomlin, announced on July 31, 2025, via x.com that he has already written much of the script. Thus, it may take some time before filming begins.

X-Screenshot Aegons Conquest screenplay

Is there a trailer for Aegon’s Conquest? So far, there is no trailer for Aegon’s Conquest, as filming has not even begun and the project is still in an early stage.

In the meantime, you can watch the trailer for the latest Westeros series:

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Aegon’s Conquest: Stream, Cast, and Plot

Who will stream Aegon’s Conquest? There is currently no official information on who will stream Aegon’s Conquest. However, since HBO is set to produce the series, it can be assumed that it will be available on HBO Max upon release.

Who is in the cast of Aegon’s Conquest? Since there has been no official casting at this time, it is still unknown which actors will be involved in the project. Others involved, of whom we know, include screenwriter Mattson Tomlin. According to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter from 2024, he is in contact with George R. R. Martin. So it can be assumed that the author of the books is also involved.

What is the plot of Aegon’s Conquest? The specific plot of the adaptation is unknown, but within the Westeros works, it refers to the conquest of Westeros by Aegon I. Targaryen. He conquered the Crownlands, except for Dorne, and became the first king on the Iron Throne.

His conquest is one of the most significant events in Westeros, as he founded and established the Targaryen family, thereby influencing world history for years to come. The conquest is also part of the calendar. A.C. stands for After the Conquest, meaning After the Conquest.

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Aegon’s Conquest could become an important event as a film or series since it was relevant to many elements in Game of Thrones. However, Aegon was not the only one with that name. If you want more information about all the other Aegons, check out this list: Really all Aegon Targaryens in the ultimate power ranking

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Titelbildquelle: Warner Bros. Discovery
  2. A Wiki of Ice and Fire