According to rumors, Sony Santa Monica is working on a new God of War. Now, a statement from Cory Barlog has fans intrigued.
Will there be a new God of War? Officially, there is still no information on whether there will be a new God of War. However, it is certain that the authors of God of War: Ragnarok have been working on additional projects for several years.
In fact, lead writer Orion Walker hinted in a post on X back in December 2023 that there will be more Kratos stories after Valhalla. “Do you really think that the credits are the end of the story? Come on,” Walker said in his post.
Recently, fans were excited about the Valhalla expansion:
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God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla – Expansion in the Trailer
In addition to this hint, there could be further evidence suggesting that the current project is a new God of War. Previous job postings specifically sought individuals with knowledge of the franchise and its combat.
However, whether and when there will actually be a new game in the beloved series remains to be seen.
What is Cory Barlog excited about now? The Creative Director of God of War, Cory Barlog, spoke on X about one of the next video games that Santa Monica Studios is currently working on.
“I see a few first parts coming together on the thing I’m currently working on,” Barlog said in his post. “[…] and damn, they are more than brilliant,” he describes the people he is currently working with at Sony Santa Monica.
He concludes his post with the words that video games are cool.
In addition to the speculation that the new project could be a new game in the “God of War” series, it is also possible that it could be a completely new and standalone project.
How is the community reacting? Whether it’s a new God of War or a brand new project – fans are excited about a new game from Sony Santa Monica in any case. This is shown by their reactions to Barlog’s post.
There are a lot of enthusiastic, excited, and curious gifs visible. Additionally, questions about a first trailer are being asked or speculations made. Some fans are even simply hoping for a remaster.
Finally, fans can look forward to a release date for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. However, the expansion will be released a bit later than planned – and the reason is quirky.
When will Dawntrail be released? Fans can now officially look forward to a release date for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. The expansion will be released on July 02, 2024.
However, pre-order customers will get earlier access and can play Dawntrail starting from June 28, 2024, at 11:00 AM (CET). On Steam, you should be able to pre-order the expansion starting Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
In addition to the release date, there was also a new, short trailer featuring a new mount that will be waiting for you in Dawntrail:
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Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail introduces a new mount in the trailer
Why was Dawntrail postponed? In his announcement, Yoshi-P, producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, mentioned that they could have released the expansion even earlier.
The team decided to postpone the launch of the expansion for a very clear reason. They noticed that another DLC is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2024. This is about Shadow of the Erdtree, the highly anticipated content pack for Elden Ring.
Yoshi-P stated in his explanation that they specifically chose a one-week gap between the two releases. Players are presumably supposed to have enough time to indulge in Elden Ring, only to have time for the MMORPG and Dawntrail afterward.
Final Fantasy 14 Chief wants to play Elden Ring’s DLC
Yoshi-P himself seems to be no exception. Because he says that he absolutely wants to play Shadow of the Erdtree. Perhaps the team wants to allow themselves a quiet week to peacefully play the Elden Ring DLC before they are fully occupied with Dawntrail.
What can you expect in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail? In the major expansion, you can expect not only a graphical update and new story content, but also numerous new features.
Among other things, you will get:
New dungeons, a raid series, and an alliance raid series
New races: Pelupelu, Moblins, Mamool Ja, Yok Huy, Hanuhanu
In addition, there will be a new playable race in Final Fantasy XIV. Soon you will be able to play female Hrothgar. You can even play these without Dawntrail if you own the Shadowbringers expansion.
The new MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is thrilled with a new decision: In February 2024, it was announced that they would switch to a season model to continuously deliver more updates. They are now excited about the success of Season 1.
Here’s the team celebrating: The team of the MMORPG Pantheon celebrates in a newsletter from March (via pantheon):
Season 1 of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen was a overwhelming success
They attracted many more players to the MMORPG than expected, and thus received invaluable player data
A lot of new players joined the MMORPG, and some of them played for 24 hours or more straight
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Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen shows the art update in the trailer
New 6-week season starting soon
What’s next: Season 2 starts on March 30. The centerpiece of the new content update is the dungeon “Mad Run” for players in the level range 17 to 24.
However, there is also a world boss of level 45 in the dungeon. The dungeon is hand-designed to be particularly challenging
Additionally, the team is working on the “Perception System,” which aims to give players insights into the world, and they want to improve combat.
What’s behind it: We reported in February about Pantheon’s idea to now sell several quite expensive packages to offer access to the seasons that last 6 weeks.
This was mostly discussed negatively back then because you have to pay $750 to play through the entire 6 weeks.
But there was also the option to pay $50 to test one of the six weeks. Some must have taken advantage of that.
In any case, the development seems to give new momentum to the MMORPG that was almost thought to be dead, even if access to a game at such an early stage is probably expensive.
However, there are still negative voices on MMORPG sites. Some calculate how many seasons, that is, real-world seasons, have passed since the MMORPG was announced. This happened on January 13, 2014 – for critics, far too little has happened in the development of the PvE MMORPG since then.
Some of the most well-known shooters today were once just a modification for other games. In the 2000s, well-known titles like Half-Life also attracted a large modding community. The games in our selection have all been released and are available on Steam.
Why are there so many mods, especially for shooters? In the 1990s and 2000s, games like Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Quake, or Unreal Tournament captivated many players. As good as the games were, the possibilities were quite limited. Updates for games were not as widespread, and after playing the game 2 or 3 times, some talented individuals got creative.
The first successful video games already drew in the first modders, and the trend grew just like the video game market itself. Some shooters are the result of the ingenuity of modders who wanted to do more with their favorite game.
Especially shooters are an easier target because the main elements of the games are usually retained. Things like maps, weapons, and skins are largely easier to modify.
In our list, we have selected 7 titles that went from a mod to a full-fledged game.
[toc]
Team Fortress 2
Developer: Valve | Release Date: October 10, 2007 | Steam Page: Team Fortress 2 | Original Game: Quake
Team Fortress 2 is the successor of the Team Fortress mod for Quake. After a long development period and several changes, the standalone game was released on October 10, 2007, on PC and has enjoyed great popularity ever since. Today, around 50,000 – 60,000 players still play the shooter daily during peak times.
With 9 classes and many different game modes, Team Fortress 2 focuses on fun rounds and humor. In Team Fortress 2, the first major trading scene on Steam emerged, trading items and keys for skin loot boxes.
You can watch the trailer for Team Fortress 2 here.
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Team Fortress 2 – Class Trailer
Counter-Strike
Developer: Valve | Release Date: August 21, 2012 | Steam Page: Counter-Strike 2 | Original Game: Half-Life
Counter-Strike is probably one of the most played games on Steam, if not the most, based on the hours players spend in-game. Starting as a mod for Half-Life, the first beta version went online on June 19, 1999, just a few weeks after a short development period. The modding team was soon acquired by Valve and began working on a full version.
With Counter-Strike, the e-sports scene in the shooter genre really took off. The ESL IEM also found its beginnings this way. Even today, the latest version of Counter-Strike sees an average of over one million people playing simultaneously during peak times.
You can watch the trailer for Counter-Strike 2 here.
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Counter-Strike: Source – Trailer
Next page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a new video, Marco Risch from Nerdkultur talks about the movie Casino Royale and what the successful director Quentin Tarantino has to do with its creation.
Who is Marco Risch? Since 2015, Marco Risch has been uploading videos with news, reviews, analyses, and interviews about current movies, series, and video games on his YouTube channel Nerdkultur .
In his Podcast Nerd & Kultur he chats every Sunday with his colleague Yves Arievich about topics such as Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. Together they are part of the Webedia network, which also includes MeinMMO.
In his new video, Marco talks this time about the most influential Bond film that was never made:
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The most important Bond film we must never see: Quentin Tarantino’s Casino Royale
What does Tarantino have to do with Casino Royale? Casino Royale is considered the perfect entry point for a new, tougher, and grounded James Bond. With Daniel Craig, we got the 007 we had long deserved, according to Marco in his video.
But without Quentin Tarantino and his plans for his own Casino Royale, you would have never gotten this film. Casino Royale, the first novel about the beloved agent, was famously not the first film.
The film history of James Bond begins back in 1962 with “Dr. No” – the sixth book. A great success that ultimately launched the longest-running film series in history. In his video, Marco talks about the various approaches that were implemented in the 60s. From the major successes with Sean Connery to a James Bond parody, a true disaster.
A disaster that unfortunately first secured the rights to Casino Royale, which is why they would remain dormant for quite some time.
Tarantino wanted to stay closer to the book’s original
In the 90s, the then relatively new successful director Quentin Tarantino wanted to tackle Ian Fleming’s books. In his opinion, the films with Connery were good but complete reinterpretations of the novels.
In his video, Marco reports on Tarantino’s idea of a remake of Casino Royale. It was supposed to be as close to the uncompromising original as possible. However, his dream was already stifled in the bud, as the rights to all Bond stories were secured by the family of Ian Fleming in the meantime.
How did Casino Royale come about? Marco explains in his video how the well-known Casino Royale came to be. In 2004, Tarantino wanted to make another attempt, together with Pierce Brosnan, whom he considered a good James Bond.
It was to be a film with an older Brosnan, shot in black and white. The idea went viral back then, and the media and fans loved it. However, Fleming’s family did not grant the rights to Tarantino. They were convinced by the idea of a modernized Casino Royale.
The family members, however, implemented the idea without Tarantino. He doesn’t even appear in the credits. Instead, Casino Royale was made with Martin Campbell and Daniel Craig as Bond. A film that Quentin Tarantino claims he has not seen to this day.
In Baldur’s Gate 3 there is a trick that allows you to reset the inventories of the merchants repeatedly, which is particularly useful in Honour mode. We will show you how to do it.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, merchants are of great importance. Throughout the game, you will encounter various NPCs offering different items, including scrolls, food, weapons, equipment, and potions.
However, some merchants only offer a random selection from their entire item pool, meaning not all items are always available that they might actually have in stock.
Are the inventories restocked? The inventories of the merchants generally update after a player’s level-up and after a long rest. This means that when reaching a new level, the goods at the merchants will be restocked.
When a merchant’s inventory is reset, new items are selected from the merchant’s entire pool, and all non-randomly generated items that you previously purchased will become available again. Note: Certain unique items will not be replenished.
There is a trick that allows you to get even more from merchants. You have the option to reset the merchants’ inventories repeatedly – without having to wait for a level-up or a long rest.
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Baldur’s Gate 3: Reset Character and Choose New Class
A trick to keep updating the merchants’ offers
Here’s what you need to do:
Go to Withers and reset your class.
With each level-up, the inventories of the merchants will be reset.
So you level up once, go to the merchant, level up again, go back to the merchant – and so on.
You can also theoretically steal the gold back from Withers if you want. He will not attack you for it.
Why is this useful? With this trick, you no longer have to wait for a level-up or take a long break to reset the merchants’ inventories. Additionally, you can equip yourself endlessly with potions, elixirs, and scrolls, which is particularly advantageous in Honour mode. In the hardest difficulty level, you only have one chance and cannot save-scum if something goes terribly wrong.
How to gain an advantage in Act 1: The merchant Dammon in Act 1 in the Emerald Grove can sell a +1 hand crossbow, but this is random and may depend on level. With this trick, you can secure the hand crossbow early on.
And hand crossbows are very powerful for classes that rely on dexterity. You can carry two of them, giving you two attacks per turn early on. Use one hand crossbow as an action and the other as a bonus action.
High charisma also affects the buying and selling prices of items from merchants, which is particularly helpful in Honour mode because prices at merchants are even higher there.
In Pokémon GO Zarude is currently only available if you spend real money. We want to know what you think about this.
Which Pokémon are we talking about? In the current event Blühendes Wunder, you can purchase a ticket for just under 10 €. The most exciting part of this ticket is the encounter with a rare and powerful Pokémon – Zarude.
After Zarude was unavailable in Pokémon GO for several years, it is now only available if you pay real money for it. This causes frustration within the community. We want to know what you think.
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Pokémon GO: This is what the new season ‘World full of Wonders’ looks like in the trailer
What is your opinion on this?
What do you think about the issue? Are you willing to spend real money for exclusive Pokémon, or are you strictly against it? Feel free to participate in our survey. After we have evaluated it, we will inform you about the results.
This is just ridiculous
What does the community say about it? On Reddit, some trainers are discussing the issue and expressing criticism of the development of Pokémon GO regarding this topic. Recently, there was a research in Pokémon GO where you could obtain Shiny Shaymin for real money.
Niantic is starting to sell Pokémon. This is just ridiculous, and honestly, I’m surprised that The Pokémon Company even allows this, which tarnishes the reputation of the entire franchise, writes the creator of the post on Reddit
I agree. Stop spending money or spend less. The whole $5 researches were once free, and the BIG EVENTS cost $5. Now it’s $15?! is another comment on Reddit
There aren’t even free options like before; it’s literally pay or nothing. Ruining the game, writes another trainer on Reddit
I would have considered buying it if it were cheaper. It’s not even Shiny, yet it costs more than what Shiny Shaymin cost, is a further comment on Reddit
Do you agree with the community? How do you see this development in Pokémon GO? Feel free to share your opinion on the topic in the comments and exchange views with other trainers. If you want to know which events await you in March 2024 in Pokémon GO, you’ll find that here with us too.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the Game Developers Conference 2024, Blizzard representatives showed a graph depicting the subscriber development for World of Warcraft over the past ten years. They also explained why the Shadowlands expansion was disappointing.
Why is the subscription information special? In 2015, Blizzard last published official information on the monthly paying subscribers of World of Warcraft. At that time, the counter showed 5.5 million WoW subscriptions worldwide.
After that, the quarterly reports only provided figures for MAUs, meaning monthly active users, across all Blizzard games. This meant that no conclusions could be drawn about the player numbers of the MMORPG.
What’s currently happening in WoW? Well, Battle Royale fun:
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WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works
What does the graph from GDC 2024 reveal? The slide shown during a panel includes the expansions from Legion to Dragonflight. Unfortunately, it does not show how the number of subscribers for Legion and the others compares to previous add-ons or what the specific subscriber numbers were during the displayed period.
However, we can deduce the following from the graph:
Legion managed to acquire more subscribers at launch than the subsequent expansion Battle for Azeroth (which achieved a record for the fastest-selling expansion).
Not surprisingly: After the launch of Battle for Azeroth, the subscription numbers fell faster than during the Legion expansion, reaching the lowest point in the past eight years.
However, with the launch of WoW Classic, Blizzard managed to bring the subscription numbers to the highest level since at least 2016.
Although the release of Shadowlands caused another peak, the number of subscribers then drastically plunged. The developers speak of a “historically high churn” – despite Burning Crusade Classic and Wrath of the Lich King Classic.
The slide shows that Blizzard expected a significantly weaker drop in subscription numbers after Shadowlands due to the two Classic versions.
With Dragonflight, there was again an increase, but the graph ends at a significantly lower level than during the launch phases of previous expansions.
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Are there really no indications of the exact numbers? In the financial report for the first quarter of 2017, Blizzard stated that the player numbers for Legion were slightly above the numbers for the previous expansion (via Bellular).
From this, we might derive the following insights:
The lowest level of subscription numbers may have been around 4 million players in Battle for Azeroth.
During Shadowlands, the low point was about 4.5 million active players.
Bellular assumes that the subscription numbers have risen so significantly with the current season of discoveries that around 7.25 million players might be playing WoW right now.
At the start of WoW Classic, about 8.27 million players likely had a subscription. This aligns with the associated financial report (more than twice as many players as at the low point of Battle for Azeroth).
In another slide, the developers analyze where the issues of the Shadowlands expansion lay. They identified one problem with the story and setting. The Shadowlands were not tangible for players as a setting, and the new antagonist was poorly developed. Popular heroes were pushed into the background.
However, the responsible parties also identified weaknesses in the gameplay. The systems did not meet players’ expectations, and there was again a development in character strength that is not relevant for the future (Borrowed Power). Additionally, there was a lack of variety in the content.
Finally, the communication with players was not effective. The community felt unheard, and the developers were not transparent enough. There were also long phases without new content.
How do you evaluate the graph, the numbers, and Blizzard’s analysis of Shadowlands? Let us know in the comments!
Currently, there are again reasons for heated discussions in WoW:
Dragon’s Dogma 2 presents itself in some areas quite old-school and does not explain some important fundamentals as thoroughly as one might be accustomed to from modern role-playing games. In this guide, we summarize all the tips and tricks for getting started that we wish we had known before starting.
What is this article about? We provide you with tips and tricks that should make your start in Dragon’s Dogma 2 easier. The new role-playing game from Capcom tends to barely or not at all explain some important fundamentals.
We focus on insights and observations we made during our own playthrough—often later than we would have liked. So you won’t constantly have the thought: “I wish I had known this at the beginning of the game!”
In towns, sprinting does not consume stamina. Just tap the run button to activate the quick step. Tapping again will end the sprint.
There is a quick-use function for lanterns and consumables like health potions. On the controller, you need to press the left front shoulder button and then trigger the desired action using the D-pad. On PC, you need to press the CTRL key, and then T, B, R, or G, depending on the action.
Time-critical quests are highlighted in the quest log—the hand icon will switch back and forth to a hourglass icon in such cases.
Your pawns are quite chatty. Occasionally, they might want to show you something important or lead you to a specific location. Accept the suggestion with the go command, and your companion will run off.
You need to investigate a room but find nothing? In Dragon’s Dogma 2, there are a whole bunch of secret doors that you can simply push open. So be sure to examine the walls closely.
Don’t just level the class of your hero that you want to play most of the time. You can learn passive upgrades through other classes that you can also use with your favorite class. You will receive plenty of DP points to pursue additional careers.
The wonderful launch trailer of Dragon’s Dogma 2:
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For the launch, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will receive a final trailer
When you switch your class, for example from thief to archer, you will automatically receive the appropriate equipment for the new career in the class guild. So don’t stock up on weapons and clothes beforehand.
Always pack some lamp oil so you can use your lantern in caves as well as at night. Pitch dark is exactly that in Dragon’s Dogma 2: pitch dark.
Also a must for your inventory before venturing into the wilderness: camping gear. However, this is heavy. So spread this across the inventories of your pawns.
By resting in an inn, you create an alternative save file. This can help if your actual game save leads you into a difficult situation from which you cannot escape. The save game from the inn only helps you if you regularly update it. Otherwise, you might lose several hours of progress.
Combine your items in inventory and storage as often as possible. This saves carrying weight, and food does not spoil once it has been processed accordingly.
Also important for your carrying weight: Keep an eye out for gold beetles. For every used gold beetle, you can carry 150 grams more weight. This adds up over time.
It is worth exploring the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 with open eyes. Chests, quests, NPCs, and more are hiding everywhere. Areas may also change over time, and you may meet some residents in different places during the day than at night.
The ox carts offer a solid alternative for fast travel. Just take a nap, and you’ll be at your destination in seconds. At least most of the time. Occasionally, the cart is attacked by monsters and even destroyed. Then you’ll unfortunately have to walk the rest of the way.
In some settlements, there are target crystals where you can teleport almost anytime using travel stones. Occasionally, you’ll even find target crystals that you can place in the world to create more fast travel points.
The fast travel via teleportation also works if you need to escort an NPC over a long distance or lead them to a specific location. If in doubt, just lift the mentioned resident onto your shoulders and then use the travel stone.
Regularly resting in the wilderness is important to keep everyone’s health up to date.
Trapped in the Dungeon – Here’s How to Escape
If you are caught in a security area (for example, in parts of Vernworth Castle) or commit a crime in the city (for example, attacking a guard), the guards will overpower you and throw you into the local dungeon.
What to do if you end up in the dungeon? You can find dungeon keys in the game and use one in such a case to escape. Occasionally, you even receive a dungeon key through a quest.
In the first city, Vernworth, you can also simply break through the back wall with a heavy attack and escape through the sewers.
If you end up in the dungeon, your equipment is missing. But don’t worry: once you escape the premises, you automatically get everything back.
Tips from the Capcom Developers Via X, lead developer Hideaki Itsuno also shared some tips for getting started in Dragon’s Dogma 2:
1) NPC conversations and monologues provide you with valuable information! 2) When entering a new town or village, always rest in the inn first. 3) Follow the tips from the loading screens. 4) You can also make use of the service of an already moving ox cart. 5) At the sign by the ox cart service, you can jump ahead to the departure time. 6) Some resources can be preserved and refreshed through combining.
Tips for Battles in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Pack supportive pawns that complement your career roles. For example, the author of these lines plays a thief and has a healer as a main pawn. The other two fighters therefore always take on tank and ranged roles.
Occasionally, you will have to deal with thieves who can steal from you if your hero is knocked out—such as from the sleep attack of a harpy. As soon as you catch and knock out the thief, the stolen goods will land on the ground. Don’t forget to collect them!
If you are out at night, you will encounter more and stronger monsters. While this promises better rewards, it can also quickly cost a battered or low-level group their lives. Use campsites or inns to skip the night.
Regularly swap your supportive pawns to ensure you have high-level fighters by your side. New pawns may also bring new knowledge that can help you in quests and exploring the game world.
Dangerous monsters like griffins, ogres, dragons, or some undead may grant many experience points and valuable resources, but they are also significantly more dangerous than regular enemies. Depending on your group’s status, it may be more strategic to simply walk past the opponent and return stronger later.
If a pawn is knocked down in battle, you have some time available to run to them and help them back up. Occasionally, one of the remaining pawns will even bring the body of the knocked-out fighter.
However, there are also deaths that are permanent for the time being—such as when a pawn plummets into deep water. You can revive your main pawn directly at the rift crystal. As far as the supportive pawns are concerned, you can (also at the rift crystal) hire new ones or search for the already known pawns (if you would like to take them with you again).
You can lift all sorts of objects and throw them at your enemies. This is not only possible with stones and explosive barrels; you can even throw your pawns or stunned enemies at foes.
Some crafty opponents can be quickly defeated by leading them over the edge of a cliff or into deep water.
For larger monsters, it also helps to involve some of the NPCs wandering around in the battle. By the way, every creature has weak points where you deal particularly high damage. Parts of the time, you can only access these if you topple the beast or climb on it.
In some locations like fortifications or towers, there are cannons that you can use to effectively combat flying opponents.
What other beginner tips come to mind when you think back to your first hours with Dragon’s Dogma 2? If you think of useful tricks, we would be happy to add them to our guide.
If you are wondering which class to choose at the beginning, we have a guide for that too:
The editors at Kotaku have spoken with various sources in the Rockstar Games environment about the development of GTA 6. Apparently, the signs are already pointing to a postponement of the release date.
What is known about the development of GTA 6? Just a few days ago, we reported that Rockstar Games has summoned the staff back to the offices to increase the productivity of the team and the security of the project (read: to avoid further leaks if possible).
The employees view this measure with concern, as they fear a harsh crunch phase – similar to what has been experienced in other Rockstar projects, such as Red Dead Redemption 2.
It fits that GTA 6 is currently in the hot phase of development. The highly anticipated blockbuster title is set to be released in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
The very first trailer for GTA 6 has left a lasting impression:
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Rockstar Games shows GTA 6 for the first time in the trailer
What are the insiders reporting now? The editors at Kotaku have spoken with several sources related to the development of GTA 6 and have received the following info nuggets:
As the targeted release period, “Spring 2025” was apparently communicated internally.
However, the development is already falling behind the plans, according to the sources.
The executives are visibly nervous that they even have to consider a postponement to 2026.
Furthermore, the contacts of Kotaku currently seem to expect a delay – a release in Autumn 2025 is much more likely than the currently targeted timeframe in Spring 2025.
What does this mean for the developers? In light of the numerous reports over the past decades about crunch phases at Rockstar Games and the recent accounts from insiders, it seems quite likely that management will revert to old crunch patterns for GTA 6 to get the development of the ambitious project back on track.
The fears of the employees could thus be confirmed. The dangers of long crunch phases are highlighted by numerous personal accounts from those affected. Here is a particularly severe case:
Thanks to the powerful character editor of Dragon’s Dogma 2, it is possible to recreate popular or at least well-known characters and personalities. We present to you some creations from the community that we particularly liked.
What is special about character creation in Dragon’s Dogma 2? The hero creation tool of the new Capcom role-playing game is as powerful and versatile as the editor from Black Desert, for example.
With some practice, you can recreate popular or at least well-known characters and personalities from other franchisesor the real world, or even yourself. And since the developers released the tool before the launch of Dragon’s Dogma 2, there are already incredibly many great finds from the community online.
Always good: The launch trailer of Dragon’s Dogma 2:
Start video
For the launch, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will receive a final trailer
When Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory beats up dragons
Below, we have selected some great creations by players that we find remarkable.
Daenerys of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of and so on
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How to adjust your character’s appearance afterwards: To still change the appearance of your hero after character creation, you need a specific item: the Art of Metamorphosis.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy the paid version for 1.99 euros from the shop. The Art of Metamorphosis is alternatively sold by Neomith in the first city, Vernworth, for 500 Rift Crystals. You can quickly gather the crystals.
The heads of Larian Studios do not want to make a sequel or expansion for Baldur’s Gate 3. For Josh Sawyer from Obsidian Entertainment, there seems to be a clear reason for the separation that has so far been overlooked.
Who is Josh Sawyer? The American developer has been in the industry for several decades and works at Obsidian Entertainment. His resume includes various RPG classics like Icewind Dale 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pentiment, and the two parts of Pillars of Eternity.
His comment on this news: “Yes, I wouldn’t want to work with Hasbro anymore either. Big praise.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a special unicorn, but not a coincidence:
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Middle finger to the AAA industry: Baldur’s Gate 3 was no coincidence
What is the problem with Hasbro? The American toy manufacturer has owned the collectible card and role-playing game manufacturer Wizards of the Coast since 1999 – and thus also brands like Magic and Dungeons & Dragons.
For the use of the D&D license for Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian had to pay fees to Hasbro. According to the financial report from February 2024 and the associated investor call, those were smooth 90 million US dollars. 90 million US dollars that Larian could have kept by using their own brand.
However, Larian has of course deliberately entered into the corresponding licensing agreement with Hasbro. Swen Vincke and his team might have viewed the layoffs from December 2023 more critically. Despite reports of record quarters in October, numerous members of the D&D and Magic teams had to take their leave.
Larian boss Swen Vincke later stated that from the original team of D&D experts who were present at the first meetings, no one is still working at Wizards of the Coast. What the sympathetic Belgian thinks of such actions has already been made clear multiple times – for example, here:
Without Dragon Ball, many anime simply wouldn’t exist. Akira Toriyama inspired many artists to create their own works. Dragon Ball features many iconic battles that continue to shape anime fans around the world to this day. We present to you 7 of the best.
How was this list created? This list exclusively covers battles from Dragon Ball Z. The classic Dragon Ball, GT, and Super have been left out. Battles from movies are also not included, so no Janemba or Broly.
If your favorite battle isn’t on this list, let us know in the comments. This list is not a ranking of individual battles but rather a compilation.
Attention: Of course, there will be spoilers in this article; if you have never seen Dragon Ball Z, you should look at this list later.
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Dragon Ball DAIMA is nostalgic in the new trailer
1. Goku vs. Vegeta
Goku in fighting position against Vegeta
The first fight between Goku and Vegeta took place in the Saiyan Saga, where Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta attempted to conquer Earth. After Goku easily defeated Nappa, he turned his attention to Vegeta.
This fight is considered one of the most iconic battles in the series, showcasing the legendary fighting stance of the two. In addition to classic aerial action, there is the clash between Kamehameha and the Galick-Gun. Furthermore, Vegeta transforms into a Great Ape and is ultimately defeated by the silly comic-relief character Yajirobi, who cuts off his tail. This is also a nice homage to the original Dragon Ball series.
In the past hours, the Blizzard developers have weakened various too strong skills from the new Battle Royale mode Plunderstorm of World of Warcraft through hotfixes. However, many players are responding with a shrug, as they wish for something completely different.
The cooldown of Frostbite Arrow has been increased starting from rank 2. At rank 4, the ability has a cooldown of five and a half seconds instead of four seconds.
Fairy Form now only provides a damage reduction of 50 percent for one second, instead of 90 percent over three seconds.
The effect of Storm Fortress Launch now lasts only 40 seconds instead of 60 seconds.
Storm Gust now breaks immunity effects.
Players are now immune to knockback effects when they are near Da’kash in the preparation zone.
Outfits will now be maintained between battles.
Here is the explanatory video about the new Plunderstorm mode from WoW:
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WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works
What do the players say about the hotfixes? In the official WoW forum, the hotfix package is being discussed quite a bit. However, the comments focus less on the nerfs. Instead, several WoW fans express the desire for another bonus for the glory that can be obtained during a Plunderstorm match.
Warlock Phaeliea is “impatiently” waiting for another glory XP buff.
The Tauren lady Moonvest also emphasizes: “I want more loot, give me more loot.”
Arnho even expresses direct criticism of Blizzard: “The speed at which we progress through the rewards is NOT as fast as you hinted.”
In fact, the Blizzard developers had already significantly increased the glory rewards for Plunderstorm matches in recent days. You get significantly more loot for killing monsters and players, more loot from chests, and more loot for a victory.
However, many players apparently still find it takes too long to reach glory rank 40. Do you feel the same way? Or do you think another glory buff is excessive? Let us know in the comments!
By the way, colleague Benedict is currently having a lot of fun in the new Plunderstorm mode of WoW:
Monopoly GO has further developed the Facebook games and is performing as well as hardly any game before. It uses mechanics that are controversial in other games.
Monopoly GO is a popular mobile game for Android and iOS and is somewhat the successor to the Facebook games of the past. Just 10 months after launch and only 3 months after hitting the 1 billion USD mark, the game reached the milestone of 2 billion USD in revenue.
The game is fun, even when you don’t want it to be. Rewarding effects and sounds pull me into the game, even when I just want to quickly roll my dice.
Who is writing here? Cedric writes for MeinMMO about a colorful mix of MMORPGs, shooters, and gaming culture topics. After the success of Monopoly GO, he asked himself: “Why is the game so popular?”
My first steps in Monopoly GO went smoothly
But from the beginning: When I downloaded the game from the PlayStore at the beginning of the week, I knew nothing about the game. The GO only reminded me of Pokémon Go, which I really liked back then.
I am greeted at Monopoly GO with many big effects, nice music, and the Monopoly man telling me what to do:
Press the big button to roll the dice, consuming one die
Collect the reward there
Look, there’s an event where you can earn even more rewards.
After about an hour in the game, I really get the hang of it, or rather the dice. The game doesn’t need to say much more, as I subconsciously understand what to do through red dots and glowing buttons.
I navigate through the first game fields without any problems and collect more and more rewards until I eventually run out of dice. “And now?” I wondered and found out that you can receive new dice through so-called dice links. We now have our own article on this: Monopoly GO: Get free dice in March 2024 – The current links
It’s all about cash – in the game and in real life
During my research, I was repeatedly greeted by various ads offering me sweet deals for dice and money. If you can’t roll anymore, this is the place to strike, currently also 300% more because you’re new, or because an event is happening.
The buy button is indeed quite large – while the close button is difficult for my young fingers to hit. If you don’t have any dice left and have used all links, you can only do two things without spending money: wait or invite friends on Facebook. For each successful invitation, you get dice.
Yes, Facebook is the most important platform for Monopoly GO. Just like in the old Farmville way, you can ask your friends on the platform to help you. Whether it’s for the community chest, for which you need 10 friends, or when you’re still missing the last sticker in the album.
Sticker albums are not as bad as Ultimate Team
In Monopoly GO, there are sticker albums that you must complete with 9 stickers each. For various events and other activities, there are sticker packs as rewards. You then draw random rewards like in Ultimate Team (EA FC) or Counter-Strike when opening crates. Here in the form of stickers.
However, in Monopoly GO, you cannot directly buy the stickers and the packs, which is a good thing. In Ultimate Team (EA FC) or Counter-Strike, you can spend hours opening packs; in Monopoly GO, you can only obtain them by actively playing. However, you are only allowed to exchange one sticker per day. There are special sticker groups on Facebook and other platforms for that.
Anyone who completes a sticker album receives dice and money again to progress in the game. The stickers keep the game quite active on the internet because there is always someone who wants to trade and is looking for a partner. Alternatively, you can also ask your Facebook friends for help, just like in the old days.
The prices in the shop are outrageous
The shop is not as special as in other games, probably because you don’t want to overwhelm the target audience of our parents with an incomprehensible shop. You can buy dice and money, and the more you buy, the more you get as a bonus.
In the in-game shop, 80 dice are offered for €5.99. So if you want to run 80 times after the free dice are used up, you have to pay €5.99.
At most, you can spend up to €99.99 for 3,200 dice there. There is also no shortage of packs and special offers. These pop up on the left side of the screen or are shown to you when you currently have no dice left.
The developers of Monopoly GO have taken a broad look at the gaming landscape and picked the best elements for their game.
The music, the sounds during actions, the graphics, and effects feel rewarding
You can play for a long time before taking a break. Depending on your preference, you can play the game daily for about 1 to 2 hours.
On Facebook, you beg your friends to join the game, creating a sort of pyramid scheme that invites more and more people to play the game.
There are many levels and you always feel like you are progressing.
Monopoly GO can be played to some extent AFK – which allows it to run during television watching or when friends are visiting.
The positive aspects as well as its financial success show: Monopoly GO has elevated the principle of Facebook games to a new level.
Overall, Monopoly GO is actually fun, even though I can’t specifically describe which aspect exactly contributes to the enjoyment. All in all, I can play the game with both a critical and a laughing eye, as I would not have expected that this is how the future of Facebook games would look.
Steve Jobs was not an easy boss and had high expectations for his employees at Apple. He made the selection of applicants a priority because one trait was especially important to him.
Companies need new employees if they want to grow. This was also clear to the former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. For this reason, Jobs personally took part in interviews.
Jobs tested the applicants in an unconventional way. He criticized their previous work and observed their reaction. This helped him to identify whether someone could meet the high standards at Apple.
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Chef ruined his company in 59 seconds on Twitch – What happened to him?
Steve Jobs annoyed applicants to test them
What did Steve Jobs do? In the book “In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations With the Visionaries of the Digital World,” the former Apple leader explained how much he valued his own involvement in the hiring process for new employees.
Jobs considered recruiting to be a top priority. Regarding this, the visionary who passed away in 2011 said:
I dedicate one day a week to supporting hiring. It is one of the most important tasks you can perform.
Steve Jobs in the book “In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations With the Visionaries of the Digital World”
In conversations with applicants, Jobs criticized their previous work. He informed himself beforehand about the former job. He described it to the potential new employee as a disaster and asked, “Why did you work on that?”
Why did he do this? He annoyed potential employees with this criticism because he wanted to know how they would react. Either the applicants defended their previous work or they folded and agreed with Jobs.
In this way, he assessed whether his counterpart possessed certain qualities. He was looking for new talents with a strong will and a strong personality.
Why was this important to him? Steve Jobs was considered a difficult boss and did not want yes-sayers on his team at Apple. He occasionally needed some pushback on his decisions. Therefore, Jobs only wanted to hire individuals who passed his test in the interview.
In Last Epoch, there are various ways to improve your equipment and adapt it to your build. What the Glyph of Despair plays a role in and where to get it, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
Crafting may seem a bit overwhelming at first glance when starting with Last Epoch and collecting the first items, glyphs, and shards. However, it’s easier than it first appears.
Customizing your equipment is also important to navigate through the content more easily. However, you often find items that have good bonuses in the form of affixes but are not yet perfect. Glyphs help you with that. The “Glyph of Despair” is useful in this regard.
What kind of glyph is this? The Glyph of Despair has the chance to seal an affix on an item instead of improving it. The chance of sealing is higher if the affixes on the item have lower ranks. The chance is also higher for exalted (purple) items and items with multiple affixes.
The sealed affix then moves to its own slot, freeing a space for a new affix. The affix sealed by the glyph cannot be further modified. Each item can only have one sealed affix. The glyph cannot be used for unique and set items.
The factions also play a significant role in your equipment and farming for items:
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Last Epoch: Faction of the Merchant Guild or Circle of Fate – These are the advantages
How to Use the Glyph of Despair at the Forge
How do I use the glyph? To use the Glyph of Despair, open the forge by pressing “F” on the keyboard. You can do this on the go; you don’t need to be at a stationary forge. Drag the item you want to change into the large window in the center.
Then click on the scroll under the item and select the Glyph of Despair. Next, choose an affix on the item that you want to improve. You can only improve and seal affixes that are already on the item and for which you have the appropriate shards.
You select the shard either by clicking on the large plus sign at the bottom or on an arrow on the affix. The arrow appears on affixes that you can improve.
Once you have added the glyph and the suitable shard in the forge, click on “Improve Affix” at the bottom, and with a bit of luck, the affix will be moved to its own slot. If so, you can add a new affix to the item.
At the forge, you improve your items. You need smithing potential, which is displayed above the item. If it’s depleted, you can no longer modify the item.
What if I make a mistake? If you selected the wrong glyph or shard, click on them again and select “Delete” on the left. This will only return materials to your bank. However, if you have already improved the affix, the materials are consumed. If the affix is moved to its own slot, you cannot further modify it.
How to Farm the Glyph of Despair
Where can I get glyphs? You can obtain crafting materials through various activities in Last Epoch. They drop from enemies, and you can find them in chests. You also have the opportunity to farm glyphs selectively. However, you do not farm a specific glyph, but glyphs in general.
The following options are suitable for this:
Prophecies in the Circle of Fate: In the back area of the observatory, the base of the circle, you will find four telescopes. They represent certain types of loot drops and are also suitable for farming glyphs specifically with a prophecy.
Monolith of Fate: The “Monolith of Fate” is the starting point for part of the endgame in Last Epoch with its timelines. The timelines consist of “Echoes” that reward you with certain item drops upon completion.
The timelines are suitable for selectively farming glyphs. The image on the echo indicates the type of item drop.
Where can I see my glyphs? In the crafting window, that is, in the forge, you can click on “Materials” to see how many and which glyphs, runes, and shards you specifically have. In your inventory, you will have a general overview of the number of individual materials, divided into shards, runes, and glyphs.
Swen Vincke, the head of Larian Studios, recently stated that there will be no DLCs for Baldur’s Gate 3 and that a fourth part is not planned. Vincke has now explained the reasons why this decision is the right one for Larian Studios.
Since its release in August 2023, the turn-based RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 has won the hearts of many players and has received numerous awards. At the Game Developers Choice Awards on March 21, 2024, Larian Studios once again secured the coveted title Game of the Year.
This news has disappointed some fans, but Vincke is confident that it is the right decision for the studio. He has addressed players who want further content and explained his reasons.
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Middle finger to the AAA industry: Baldur’s Gate 3 was no coincidence
More is not needed
What does Swen Vincke say? In response to the criticism and disappointment from players, Vincke responded clearly. He emphasizes that he has never felt so sure about a strategic decision in his life as he does with this one. For Larian Studios, it is right to move away from Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur’s Gate 3 and pursue new paths.
Vincke understands that many will be disappointed as they have fallen in love with the created universe, but he emphasizes that the story of Baldur’s Gate 3 has a clear structure and does not require a sequel.
He writes:
[…] It was a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, and more is not needed.
What happens next? The head of Larian expresses optimism about the future of the studio. He mentioned that the team has grown significantly during the development of Baldur’s Gate 3 and that players can look forward to future projects.
The rights to Baldur’s Gate 3 and the beloved characters by fans now lie with Wizards of the Coast (WotC). He trusts that the decision-makers at WotC understand the importance of these characters to the community and will treat them with respect. It is quite possible that one day there will be a Baldur’s Gate 4, but not under the direction of Larian Studios anymore.
Larian Studios has released several major patches in the past and has brought many new features, including the Honour Mode. Despite saying goodbye to Baldur’s Gate 3, the studio is still not finished updating the game. The developers plan updates such as mod support and additional sequences for some endings.
What do you think about the whole thing? Feel free to write it in the comments.
Who is the Twitch streamer HandOfBlood? How did he manage to become one of the largest streamers in Germany? We at MeinMMO will show you today the success story of Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe.
Apart from his main channel on YouTube, he also runs three other YouTube channels. The most well-known of these is his second channel “HandofUncut” with 1.2 million subscribers, closely followed by “Best of HandofBlood” with 270,000 subscribers and “HandofTrash” with 163,000 subscribers.
From Simple Let’s Plays to Elaborate Video Projects
What are his roots? Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe started recording YouTube videos in 2011. In the podcast “Zwei Vermengte” with Filow and Zarbex, he talks about his early days and mentions that his channel barely gained traction in the first three years. However, suddenly, in 2014/2015, he began to grow significantly and has continuously built on that trend since then.
The key factor for the sudden rise, he mentions, were mainly his League of Legends guides, which were the first videos on his channel to gain a lot of popularity. These were part of his main content, which revolved around LoL. His oldest guide on this topic is his Shaco guide on YouTube from April 21, 2011, which has over 180,000 views.
In his recent past, he has been primarily known for one thing: elaborate videos with partly very elaborate but also funny costumes. His most popular video on his channel has over 6.5 million views and features a collaboration video with the YouTuber GermanLetsPlay about Yu-Gi-Oh!
Aside from this video, it seems that simulators are especially well-received by viewers. Popular videos include those on simulators like Cooking Simulator or Mother Simulator. Also noteworthy are popular video series such as his series on the Hitman games.
Additionally, we were able to experience HandOfBlood, for example, last year in one of his videos as Gollum. His popular role as President Knabe is also legendary. In the context of the eSports club Eintracht Spandau, we regularly saw HandOfBlood as a stereotypical old, grumpy football coach.
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Lord of the Rings: Gollum received poorly – HandOfBlood plays it anyway, puts in a lot of effort, even plays in cosplay
From YouTuber to Partner
In 2018, HandOfBlood took another step and, together with his partners, founded the agency Instinct3, which he announced in a video on his YouTube channel. This agency has since developed into a large corporate group, which includes several companies, including Eintracht Spandau.
In 2021, he takes another step further and fulfills a big dream, as he announces in his YouTube video: the foundation of the eSports team Eintracht Spandau for League of Legends. By now, the club is no longer just involved in eSports; they are currently also participating in the Baller League and have been involved in football since then.
Why did HandOfBlood switch from YouTube to Twitch? On January 17, HandOfBlood announced in a video on YouTube that he wanted to scale back on the platform and re-focus on Twitch. As reasons, he mentioned that he wanted to interact more with other streamers again, and also that he had lost some of the joy in the heavily scripted videos.
You can see the entire statement here:
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This is how it went after his switch to Twitch: Just one day later, he started streaming on Twitch again, with an average viewership of 35,000 people and 10,000 subscribers on the first night alone.
His main channel is still active, with an episode of his popular series “3 shabby games” appearing once a month, and so far HandOfBlood remains true to his plan to go live several times a week for a few hours.
What can we expect in the future? It remains open what more we can expect from HandOfBlood in the future, but the likelihood is high that he will continue to be successful, both on YouTube and Twitch. Presumably, we will also see one or the other bigger project in his streams in the future.
If you want to learn more about streamer HandOfBlood and are interested in why his role as President Knabe is so popular, you can read about it here:
At the launch of Dragon’s Dogma 2, there was an angry outcry in the community. Because it was only at the start of the role-playing game that Capcom introduced the paid DLCs to the general public. But how much does the gaming experience actually suffer if you don’t spend money on microtransactions? Which DLC contents can be easily earned in-game? We’ll tell you!
What kind of DLCs is Capcom selling for Dragon’s Dogma 2? We already summarized the complete list of microtransactions for you in this article on Dragon’s Dogma 2. Here’s a brief summary:
Comfort items for storage, reviving the dead, and traveling quickly
Rift crystals for purchasing pawns and certain items
Items for modifying the appearance or nature of your character
Additional items that you can use as gifts, to attract harpies, or for escaping from dungeons.
How important are these things for the fun of the game? Dragon’s Dogma 2 is significantly more modern than its predecessor, but it still possesses some old-school quirks.
There are comparatively few options for fast travel. Much more often, you will use the ox cart and hope that it doesn’t get ambushed and destroyed during the journey. Being able to place another goal crystal in the world, to which you can teleport back again and again, can save a lot of time in the long run.
The stylish launch trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2:
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For the launch, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will receive a final trailer
However, it’s also essential to rest regularly when you’re out in the wild, as you can only fully regenerate your health points by resting. Encountering a griffin or ogre with only half of your health bar can quickly end in disaster.
Regarding revivals: You can prevent your premature demise or revive an NPC only if you have a Lazarus stone in your pocket. Since the game regularly saves automatically, you usually lose only a small portion of your progress when the hero dies.
You may already notice: Many of the purchasable items increase your comfort while playing. However, Capcom has significantly restricted the number of items you can buy. Up to five Lazarus stones or one more goal crystal is certainly nice, but not game-changing.
How easily can DLC content be earned for free?
Additionally, almost all items can be earned without spending money. Here’s a quick overview of what the level-21 hero, the author of these lines, has after about 21 hours of gameplay in their pockets and storage – without specifically farming the respective items:
689 Rift crystals (despite regularly spending crystals on high-level support pawns, he is practically buried in crystals)
7 x storage supplies (more could be purchased at many vendors)
1 x goal crystal
1 x Lazarus stone and 1 x Lazarus stone shard (three shards are needed for one stone)
4 x harpy-attracting smoke signals (to summon a harpy, for example, to cross a river)
1 x brittle jail key (from the dungeon in the first city Vernworth)
Some of these items, such as the jail key, can even be obtained just by following the main quests. The art of metamorphosis, with which you can change the appearance of your hero, is sold by Neomith in the first city Vernworth, for 500 Rift crystals.
The goal crystals are actually the rarest items. However, you can also earn some of those, especially through various side quests.
Are there DLC contents that cannot be earned? The sound collection for custom sounds has not come across our path in the game so far. However, it provides only a purely cosmetic effect.
We also have not found the heart pendant that strengthens your bond with an NPC. Alternatively, you can gift items like bouquets, which are available in quite large quantities in the game.
Our conclusion: Those who spend additional money for Dragon’s Dogma 2 gain early access to useful items that primarily increase personal comfort. However, with a little patience, the most important items can also be earned in sufficient quantities.
We find it particularly critical how the Capcom officials communicated the paid DLCs to the players, namely not at all, prior to the release of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
What do you think: Do you evaluate the DLC contents critically or do you just shrug at the offers? Let us know in the comments.
By the way, do you already know what’s behind the nicknames or monikers? You’ll find the answer in the following article:
