Wood is one of the most commonly needed blocks in Hytale. There are different types of wood that you can find in the world. In this guide, we will explain how to find Darkwood and how to use it.
What is Darkwood? Darkwood is a very dark wood that you obtain from Cedar Logs – so don’t be confused if you don’t find an item in your inventory called Darkwood (Trunk), Cedar Logs automatically count as Darkwood.
The material is in high demand because you need it for various items that you can craft with your workbench, wooden planks for further processing, or for important upgrades.
The description of the material in German is:
„Darkwood is a characteristic tree with dark bark that occurs in the boreal forests and mountain regions of Zone 3. The Outlander faction prefers this wood for their settlements and buildings, making it a typical material of the Taiga. Darkwood trees grow tall and straight, providing high-quality wood with a rich, dark color.“
This also gives you a first hint about where to find it.
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Hytale feiert erfolgreichen Early-Access-Release mit 2,8 Millionen Spielern
Finding Darkwood in Hytale – Here are the best locations
Where is the best place to find Darkwood Trunks? As mentioned in the description, you mainly find Darkwood in the cold Tundra Zone 3. When you look at your map, you can easily recognize the area by its barren, yellowish-beige landscape and the snow.
Then keep an eye out for trees with a rather bluish-green tint; those are the Cedars (Cedar) that you need to fell for the Darkwood Trunks. They are large coniferous trees with dark brown bark that you can hardly miss.
This is what they look like:
This is what the Cedar Trees look like that you need for Darkwood | Source: Quick Tips via YouTube
To mine Darkwood, you need an axe – whether it’s wood, stone, or better. Don’t be confused if your inventory says Cedar Log and not Darkwood Trunk. Cedar Logs automatically count as Darkwood Trunks, so you can use them directly.
Each tree gives you some logs, so once you’re in the Cedar forest, you can easily farm enough material.
In this way, you can easily find the necessary material for your upgrades. If you’re generally on the hunt for urgently needed upgrades for your tools and more, you won’t be able to avoid the ore Thorium either. Where you can find it and what you should know about it, you’ll find out in our guide: Hytale: Finding and using Thorium – This could be the potentially strongest material in the game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Due to an update in Fortnite, developers can now earn money with their game modes. In the fan map “Steal the Brainrot,” this leads to a problem: There is now a roulette wheel that includes gambling elements.
Update 01/15/2025, 12:45 PM: We have extensively revised the article. We have clarified that it is not an official mode of Fortnite and added details about Epic’s guidelines as well as the reception on social media.
What kind of game mode is this? In recent weeks, a game mode in Fortnite has gained great popularity: Steal the Brainrot. In this mode, so-called “Brainrots”, or characters from the internet, can be collected and stolen by other players.
This is a mode that was created by an independent developer as part of the “Creator Island” program. “Steal the Brainrot” is not an official mode of Fortnite, but comes from the developer Ferins. Similar modes also exist in Roblox.
That the mode is not official does not diminish its success in any way: On fortnite.gg, it is recorded that since the creation of the game mode, there has been a peak of 1,087,974 simultaneous players.
In November 2025, Fortnite released a new update: Developers of such Islands can now earn money through the sale of items. However, store fees apply, ranging from 12% for PC players via the Epic Games Store to 30% on consoles.
In “Steal the Brainrot,” this monetization now takes place in the form of a lucky wheel, which many view critically.
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Fortnite: Shows Chapter 7 “Pacific Break” in its new cinematic trailer
V-Bucks for Random Rewards
What is this Wheel of Fortune? The Wheel of Fortune in “Steal the Brainrot” allows players to spin it once every 4 hours for a random reward. However, it is also possible to skip this waiting time with V-Bucks.
1 spin costs 100 V-Bucks, which is approximately 0.80 Euros
3 spins for 200 V-Bucks, which is about 1.60 Euros
Additionally, there is a limited-time shop where Brainrots can be purchased. A single Brainrot costs about 2,700 V-Bucks, which is roughly 21 Euros, and 2 Brainrots cost 4,900 V-Bucks, which is approximately 35 Euros.
This places the bundle with 2 Brainrots at the upper limit of the maximum price developers can charge for transactions on their islands. Here, Epic sets a limit of 5,000 V-Bucks.
The downside is that the Brainrots available for purchase from the shops are not permanent items, but rather Brainrots that can be stolen at any time as well. Thus, a purchase does not guarantee permanent ownership.
What does Epic say about this? Gambling is expressly against the Developer Rules in Fortnite. However, paid random items are allowed, but creators must also adhere to regulations:
Developers must ensure that players are accurately shown their chances of getting a specific item before purchase. While all segments of the Wheel of Fortune are the same size, the probability of actually landing on them is indicated as a percentage within the segment.
The offered items must comply with local laws. For instance, in some countries, starting March 2026, paid random items can no longer be offered to underage users.
Moreover, Epic provides tools for parents to customize their children’s experience in Fortnite. Through the Parental Controls, paid random items can be disabled, preventing players from purchasing such items with V-Bucks.
What is the issue? While random items, such as loot boxes or a Wheel of Fortune, are not classified as gambling under German law, experts and consumer organizations warn against such gambling-like mechanisms (Source: Report from the Federal Association of Consumer Centers).
Similarly, users on social media view the changes very critically. On X, the monetization is repeatedly described as “literal gambling,” notably criticizing that “Steal the Brainrot” primarily targets underage players.
In a new survival gameyou strande as an alien on a Stone Age Earth. In the game, which at first glance resembles No Man’s Sky, one thing mainly awaits you: gardening. On Steamthere is already a demo available.
Which game is meant? It is titled Astrobotanica and is being developed by a small team from Warsaw called Space Goblin Studio. Astrobotanica is set to be released on February 16, 2026, in Early Access on Steam, but there is a demo that you can play already.
Here you can also see a current trailer for Astrobotanica:
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Astrobotanica: Neues Survival-Spiel auf Steam schickt euch als Alien auf eine Steinzeit-Erde
As an alien on a prehistoric Earth
What is the game about? Astrobotanica strongly resembles games like No Man’s Sky or Subnautica (just over water this time). However, this time you are not a human, and the foreign planet is Earth – specifically, 300,000 years ago.
You play as Xel, a scientist who has crash-landed on Earth with his spaceship. Your mission was to search for new plant species in space. So, it’s a bit of luck in misfortune – after all, there are plenty of plants on Earth.
What there is plenty of on Earth is oxygen. The downside is that our alien breathes CO₂. Therefore, your first goal will be to create a small garden with your advanced alien botany that protects you from the hostile environment. After that, you can set out to explore the planet.
On your journeys in the wilderness, you will discover new plants you can experiment with. Additionally, you will encounter dangerous animals and primitive humans, the Neanderthals. However, you won’t be able to communicate with them immediately – first, you will need to learn their language.
How action-packed is it? Not at all. According to the developers, Astrobotanica is a relaxed survival game that primarily rewards curiosity and experimentation – brute force will not get you far here. The greatest danger comes from the environment and wild animals that you must avoid.
At the start of Early Access, the core systems of the game will be included, such as botany, crafting, solving puzzles, farming, and base building, as well as opportunities to assist the Neanderthals. Throughout Early Access, additional systems and mechanics will be added, as well as world and story expansion.
AMD currently offers the best CPUs for gamers, but Intel aims to catch up with new processors. By the end of January 2026, we expect two new product lines from Intel. However, AMD is also launching new products. This could be quite exciting for gamers.
Those who build a gaming PC today and aren’t held back by high RAM prices are likely purchasing an AMD CPU for their computer. AMD has dominated the consumer market for a few years now: the so-called 3XD processors from AMD are unquestioningly at the top, and CPUs like the Ryzen 7 7800x3D or the Ryzen 7 9800x3D are among the most popular processors among gamers.
Now, Intel has launched two new processor product lines to challenge AMD and reclaim its position.
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Battlemage: Check out Intel’s new graphics cards in the video
Intel is launching two new product lines intended to offer better performance and strong graphics chips
What products are involved? Specifically, the product lines “Arrow Lake” and “Panther Lake” are in focus. While the Core Ultra 200K Plus and 200HX Plus (codename Arrow Lake Refresh) are expected to be released in March or April 2026, the actual flagship of Panther Lake, the Core Ultra X9 388H, is set to arrive as early as the end of January 2026.
Especially Panther Lake is likely to be exciting for many. Intel not only relies on a new manufacturing process but also installs a completely new graphics chip on its processors, the Xe3 graphics unit. This is said to be significantly faster than previously installed modules.
This specifically means: For laptops without a dedicated graphics card, Intel could suddenly become a real option again or even relevant for new handhelds. Until now, AMD led the market with its Ryzen Z1 Extreme, which is featured in many devices.
AMD is also releasing new products at the end of January 2026
What about AMD? But the competition is not resting. AMD is preparing its own products with its “Ryzen AI 400” series (codename Gorgon Point) that are intended to counter Intel’s new processors. Additionally, AMD plans to launch on January 22, gaining an important lead over Intel. However, the market launch is initially only planned for China.
For most gamers, however, another processor may become significantly more exciting: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is expected to be released at the end of January, and it should be notably more powerful than the very popular Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Today marks the start of the new season of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, bringing not only new content but also a system that has long been missing in the MMORPG. MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier has already tried the new season and reveals how it will change the game.
What does the new season bring? With the second season of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, the MMORPG receives its first major update since release. Included are 6 new dungeons, 3 new raids, as well as a massive expansion of the game world and a new season mechanic.
However, the previous 6 dungeons and 3 raids will disappear from the game. They will no longer be playable after the release. Beginners can look forward to generous boosts and items that will allow them to connect directly with veterans.
Instead of new levels, players will spend season 2 leveling their Dreambloom. This crystal grants additional stats and enhances abilities individually, depending on how players design the introduced skill tree in the game itself. But the biggest change will go completely unnoticed.
Who is writing this? MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier is an Asia-MMO expert at MeinMMO and has spent thousands of hours in games like Throne and Liberty, Where Winds Meet, and Tarisland. He has tried the second season of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance on the test server and already knows how the changes will affect gameplay.
Here you can watch the teaser trailer for the new season of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance:
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Anime MMORPG Blue Protocol: Star Resonance shows Season 2 in the teaser trailer
4 Skills that Make Blue Protocol a Real MMORPG
What are these skills? Anyone who has played and especially raided in Blue Protocol: Star Resonance knows that the MMORPG has always lacked depth in boss fights compared to genre giants.
Therefore, the developers have introduced four new abilities for each role that players can use in Season 2 during boss fights. Among the four new skills are an interrupt skill, a DEF-CD, a cleanse, and aggro gain and loss skills for the various roles.
The new skills must now be used in boss fights and bring a new tactical depth that makes the MMORPG much more interesting for raiders. This direction also steers Blue Protocol: Star Resonance slightly away from the constantly criticized mobile gameplay, which thanks to auto combat has so far consisted of running at times.
How difficult are the dungeons? The new dungeons in the game have higher requirements than before. Both mechanically and in terms of balancing, the developers have made some adjustments intended to make the experience somewhat tougher, without making the game unfriendly for casual players.
It feels as if the first season of the MMORPG was merely the tutorial while part 2 is where it truly begins. However, it remains to be seen whether the balancing will become easier again later.
The new bosses are formidable.
New Season, New Luck
Is it worth returning? With the new season, all players have the opportunity to comfortably manage their entry through a new menu. With the press of a button, they receive free max-level, a starting gear, and some mounts.
There are also quests that explain the game a bit and introduce new players to the events. Veterans, however, will have a disadvantage: Those who have always tinkered with their equipment so far can throw it away directly. The new sets in the game are so strong, even at the lowest level, that the old gear feels like toys.
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance was a good casual MMORPG in Season 1 with some weaknesses, but with Season 2, tactical depth is added. This could make it a good game for raid loggers who enjoy quick gameplay. Nevertheless, the MMORPG is not a fully-fledged sandbox like World of Warcraft, nor does it try to be.
With the second season of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, the developers are taking a new direction. They are daring less to cater to mobile gamers and more to raiders. Delivering four new abilities per character that need to be timed correctly feels refreshingly good, especially since the gameplay had previously been more passive than active. Why the new season is so crucial, you will find out here: Anime-MMORPG on Steam lost 97% of players in just 3 months and now wants to shine again with a new season
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Monster Hunter Wilds has been struggling with its biggest issue since its release: performance. Now, a player has reportedly found a solution to the problem, which could cost you quite a bit.
What is the player’s solution to the poor performance? The Reddit user de_Tylmarande wrote a post about a strange discovery. When he played Monster Hunter Wilds on his friend’s account, he noticed that he had significantly more FPS than with his own Steam account.
He found out that his friend owned all 190 DLCs, while the user only had the base game. de_Tylmarande mentions in his post that Monster Hunter Wilds performs an aggressive check to see whether you own the various DLCs or not. It follows that he would have had significantly worse performance with his account, on which no DLC was purchased, compared to his friend’s account.
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Monster Hunter Wilds shows TU4 with the first Elder Dragon and Winter Festival
More DLCs = Better Performance
How did the user find this out? With a self-created mod to make the game believe he had purchased all the DLCs, he confirmed his theory. He discovered that there were significant FPS improvements as soon as he “owned” more DLCs.
In his test, he played the intro and compared the FPS in one of the central hubs, a place where many players gather. With his RTX 3070, the FPS in Monster Hunter Wilds in a hub would drop to 20-25. With all the DLCs, he had over 80 FPS.
In a comment, the Reddit user states that he has already used his fifth PC to further test his theory, and the results have been positive every time.
What is the user doing with these results? de_Tylmarande states that he sent his results to Capcom, the developer of Monster Hunter Wilds. In the past, he found a bug in the game Dragons Dogma 2 and sent Capcom his tests. Later, the bug was reportedly removed according to him.
On February 18, 2026, the next update for Monster Hunter Wilds is set to be released. There, you will be able to fight the battle-hardened Arkveld, as well as experience a collaboration with Monster Hunter 3: Twisted Reflection. Additionally, there will be various improvements. You can find out more about it here: Monster Hunter Wilds: Roadmap for Title Update 4 & upcoming content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Everyone has heard of Batman, and most have probably seen a movie with the dark knight. One of his most important aspects is a rule: Batman does not kill. At least, he tells himself that, because he doesn’t strictly adhere to it.
Batman is supposed to be a symbol that Gotham can be saved. Bruce Wayne has no powers but still does everything he can to fight crime. He always follows the rule: Batman doesn’t kill anyone. But is that really true?
Batman made his debut in Detective Comics No. 27 in May 1939. The first time the rule is mentioned, according to Screen Rant, is probably in Batman No. 4 from 1940. There, he fights alongside Robin against pirates. At some point, he says to Robin: Just use the flat side of your sword, Robin! Don’t forget, we never kill with any weapon. To which Robin simply responds: “Right!”.
This already implies that it is a general rule of heroes. However, the rule is not always lived up to as one might believe.
Select a MMO video…
Batman started quite ruthlessly
When did Batman kill? On the website The Batman Chronology Project, comic historian Collin Colsher summarized many moments in which Batman (more or less obviously) killed. Even in his very first appearance in Detective Comics No. 27, he pushes a criminal off a roof into a vat of acid. Afterward, Batman simply says: A fitting end for his kind. Since this was before the explicit naming of the rule, it shouldn’t be taken too strictly.
Colsher counts 35 situations in which Batman killed from 1939 to the mid-1940s. Sometimes in self-defense, sometimes actively. Aside from stories from World War II, it remained quiet or very vague thereafter, according to Colsher. Even villains like the Joker, who have been killed by Batman, just returned.
From 1954, comics in general became more child-friendly and tamer. That year, the Comics Code was established. To get the positive stamp from the Comics Code Authority, DC, Marvel, and other publishers had to adhere to certain rules. For example, excessive violence should be avoided, and the good guys should always win to show the right morality (Source: cbldf.org).
Batman became dark again from the 1970s
In the 1970s and 1980s, comics became significantly darker – including Batman. His rule was still intact, but it was interpreted more loosely. Thus, Batman could go against vampires, undead, or immortal beings like Ra’s al Ghul in a significantly deadlier way because they were immortal anyway. There are also situations in the 70s where Batman throws criminals somewhere, and they obviously die. However, it is rarely addressed as a major point.
Depending on the story and author, Batman was sometimes more, sometimes less violent, and the rule was stretched or interpreted in other ways. This extends to the present day. Sometimes Batman uses other villains as shields (for example in Detective Comics No. 572), but mostly it’s in the form of self-defense or it is never explicitly mentioned, asserting that Batman never killed anyone. Ultimately, Colsher arrives at the following numbers:
Golden Age (1939 to 1956): Between 60 and 65
Silver Age to Bronze Age (1956 to 1985): About 33
Modern Age (1985 to about 2011): Between 26 and 34)
New 52 (2011 to 2016): 0
Rebirth (2016 to 2017): 0
It should be noted that these numbers only refer to the main Batman character. Other variants from different multiverses do not count. Flashpoint Batman, for example, is not Bruce Wayne but Thomas Wayne, who, as a brutal Batman, does not shy away from killing.
What about in the movies? Even in the movies, Batman approaches his rule rather loosely. In Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie, Batman even kills the Joker at the end by dropping him from a great height. It looks just as brutal in the sequel, where Batman attaches dynamite to a criminal.
In films like Batman v. Superman or the Nolan trilogy, it can also be strongly doubted whether all the criminals survived their encounter with Batman. The Ben Affleck Batman throws cars at criminals, uses explosions, and hits so hard with his gadgets and fists that it’s impossible for everyone to have survived.
User Lucass Nesteov has created a Kill Count for Batman v. Superman:
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Batman’s important rule can serve as a strong story element
Why is the rule so important? It’s not uncommon to read or hear the question: Wouldn’t it be better if Batman killed all the villains? At first glance, Batman could save many lives by doing that, but it’s not just a simple question of morality.
In stories, this aspect can be used to put Batman in difficult situations. In the animated film Under the Red Hood, Jason Todd, the former Robin, confronts Bruce with exactly this question: He doesn’t care about other villains, but he finds it incomprehensible that he lets the Joker live after he tortured Jason.
The legendary comic Batman: The Killing Joke from 1988 drives this moral question to its peak. In the end, the Joker and Batman realize: The hero will probably never be able to help the villain. On the last page, we see the two laughing, and Batman begins to strangle the Joker. It is implied that he killed him.
Batman wants to be a symbol for Gotham, and for that, he cannot (from his perspective) kill. But the limits of that are precisely what makes many stories of the dark knight so compelling. That is probably also the reason why the rule remains the most important element of the hero to this day.
MeinMMO editor Dariusz tested an extraction shooter that completely avoids PvP and is still fun.
ARC Raiders is somewhat of a rebirth of extraction shooters. Many players are now discovering the genre for themselves. This is partly due to the fact that ARC Raiders does one crucial thing differently than games like Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown, which have so far dominated the genre:
While PvP is an important part of the game in ARC Raiders, you can also have fun and progress without shooting at enemy raiders – and many players enjoy this PvP-less gaming experience. However, some players are frustrated when they are shot in the back and forced into PvP.
And that’s where a shooter comes into play that could fulfill the need for a PvP-less extraction shooter: Witchfire
In Witchfire, there is only PvE. So you don’t have to worry about other players. This applies not only to your opponents: Witchfire is a single-player game. You enter the fight alone. There’s only you and your rifle.
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Witchfire: New first-person shooter sends you on a witch hunt in a dark fantasy world
Hunting witches with bullets
Witchfire is a special genre mix. The foundation is an extraction shooter, but lurking in the background is a soulslike. You are a witch hunter who battles a powerful witch and her bodyguards. But before you can face the evil leader, you must become stronger. Much stronger.
In battle, your witch hunter relies on various spells and classic firepower. You grab an ancient firearm and first take out a few minor witch minions – either with a revolver, an old pump-action shotgun, or a repeating rifle. I spent my first hours of gameplay with a fully automatic rifle and spells that allowed me to throw fireballs at my enemies.
If you successfully eliminate a group of enemies, you can choose one of up to three perks that provide further enhancements. However, these perks are lost after extraction or your death. Nevertheless, they allow you to get more out of your spells, for example, and are an important component in winning an upcoming boss fight.
If Dark Souls Were an Extraction Shooter…
In designing the game world, Witchfire opts for a dark-fantasy setting that fits the soulslike approach and leads you to various locations. Via a portal, you then travel to a medieval town, a coast with wrecked ships, an abandoned castle, or a mountain shrouded in fog.
The major soulslike inspiration is not the setting but the progression system.
While you gather various resources in Witchfire during your excursions on the different maps, the so-called Witchfire is particularly important. It works somewhat like the souls in Dark Souls or the runes in Elden Ring:
You receive Witchfire when you eliminate villains. You collect it in your inventory but can’t spend it right away.
If you manage to extract successfully with the collected Witchfire, you can invest it in your witch hunter hideout to level up your character’s attributes.
The higher your attributes, the better the physical traits and abilities of your hunter are. You will have more health points, shorter cooldowns, or better weapon handling.
However, the collected Witchfire cannot be stored, and the costs for a level-up continuously increase. At the same time, your enemies become stronger as the game progresses. A death becomes truly painful and costs you – unlike in most extraction shooters – not hard-earned weapons or armor, but potentially lost progress.
Witchfire, however, is not as merciless as, for example, Escape from Tarkov, and allows you – like most soulslikes – to retrieve your remains and collect the lost goods. However, if you die a second time before you can recover your Witchfire, it is irretrievably lost.
The goal is clear: don’t die and continuously become stronger to progress in the game.
Witchfire Could Be the Perfect Game for You, but It Wasn’t for Me
I think Witchfire is really good. It has a unique game design that clearly sets it apart from the crowd. Coupled with an unused setting in shooters, which is also a pleasant change, along with really good gunplay and movement that reminds me of Destiny, being both intuitive and smooth, it creates a really well-rounded game.
Technically, I didn’t have any problems with my aging PC. The performance was good, and I didn’t encounter any bugs or crashes.
Still, my time in Witchfire will probably be limited. But that’s okay because I am not the target audience for the game. I miss PvP in Witchfire. The NPC enemies simply do not evoke in me the tension I feel when I sneak toward the elevator in ARC Raiders with a full backpack. I don’t feel threatened by the normal NPCs.
I am currently at a checkpoint in the game where I just have to keep playing. I am too weak for my next boss fight but strong enough not to take damage from most mobs. So I just have to grind a bit – but I don’t feel like it.
If you are frustrated by the PvP in ARC Raiders, Witchfire might be perfect for you.
In Witchfire, you can just grind, play PvE in peace, and don’t have to worry about a ratty player sneaking up and shooting you in the back. You do your thing at your own pace, and no one steals your hours of hard work.
The Anime “Sentenced to Be a Hero” impressed fans with its first episode. However, the quality is said to decline afterwards, according to an animator.
What was so good about the first episode? Many fans felt that the premiere of the anime felt like a finale because it was so good. The animation quality and the visual effects of the anime were particularly impressive. There were also constant action scenes that had a lot of impact. Additionally, the hero’s superpowers were very creative.
Furthermore, the anime covered the very first arc with the first episode. Only a few series from Japan manage to do this, as most stretch their arcs over several episodes, especially at the beginning.
However, the animation quality is not expected to remain at this level. An animator from Russia who worked on “Sentenced to Be a Hero” warns now that you should lower your expectations.
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Sentenced to Be a Hero: Trailer for the anime shows heroism as punishment
Animator warns that the next episodes will not look as good as Episode 1
What does he claim? On X, the animator EVAKOI warns about the next episodes. He is pleased to have received so much praise after Episode 1. However, he would also be happy if the animators working on the next episodes received the same praise.
The problem: The next episodes are not expected to look as good as the premiere. According to him, ambitious animes have a hard time in production. Even a schedule that extends over years would be very tight.
For some reason, people on this website [X, note from the editor] feel that everyone in the anime industry owes them something. No one claimed that the series would be perfect. But the series will have its moments.
Who claims this? Behind the pseudonym EVAKOI is Slava Kolchenko, a young animator from Russia. He has also worked on “Sentenced to Be a Hero”, “Jujutsu Kaisen”, and “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War”.
What do others say about this? In the comments, there are many users who understand him. They find it even foolish to expect the entire anime to maintain the quality of the first episode. After all, it is so grand that it could almost pass as a short film.
They also cannot understand why some fans evaluate an anime solely based on animation quality. Many commenters can hardly wait for the next episode to finally be released.
The next Stellar Blade will rely on AI. The CEO sees this as necessary to have any chance at all.
In 2024, Stellar Blade was a real surprise hit on the PlayStation 5 and a few months later also on Steam, when the PC version arrived. The action game took the world by storm, but it also made headlines due to the rather revealing protagonist – we also liked the game. Those who got into Stellar Blade were also met with an exciting combat system and an interesting world.
It’s not surprising that Stellar Blade 2 is already in the works. But the CEO makes it clear: AI will be a crucial component for individual employees to perform the work of hundreds.
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The action-adventure Stellar Blade shows the story trailer for PS5
China must be beaten, employees must be able to perform 100 times the work
Why does Stellar Blade 2 rely on AI? As reported by GameMeca, those at Shift Up see the use of AI as necessary to have any chance against Chinese companies. The studio Shift Up is based in South Korea.
In China, they would allocate many more employees to a game, which cannot be done elsewhere. Hyung-tae Kim, the CEO of Shift Up, stated: “We assign about 150 people to a single game, but China assigns 1,000 to 2,000 to it.”
The solution: The use of AI. Even though this is very controversial in the Western world, Kim sees the solution in broadly accepting and using AI. He also believes that AI would not lead to job reductions, as all available men and women would need to be well-versed in AI to even keep up with developers from China or the USA.
Moreover, Kim stated that AI would help “one person deliver the work of 100 people.”
In what form AI will actually be implemented remains to be seen. However, it seems clear: Slowly but surely, more and more developers are admitting to using AI in various ways.
Who is Stellar Blade comparing itself to? Although no concrete examples were provided, it is quite obvious that Kim is alluding to the successes of recent times from China. Particularly the two titles “Black Myth Wukong” and “Where Winds Meet.” The latter title heavily relies on AI in dialogues with NPCs, even though there are still quite a few quirky errors present.
Memory has become really expensive. Some users are now going as far as to buy hardware that is 18 years old: DDR3 RAM and compatible processors are significantly cheaper. Dealers report that sales of old hardware have skyrocketed.
The prices for memory have been rising for months. However, it is no longer just DDR5 that is affected, but also DDR4. Many users are resorting to the older, yet still current standard. Other users build their own memory to save money.
In China, some users are now even going so far as to find another solution to save money: they buy motherboards and processors with DDR3 support.
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Valve presents the Steam Machine in the new trailer
Sources report that sales of DDR3 motherboards are said to have skyrocketed
The English-language magazine Videocardz reports that retailers and manufacturers in China are currently experiencing a massive increase in sales of old hardware. Specifically, it concerns motherboards and processors that support the outdated DDR3 RAM. In particular, bundles with Intel processors from the 6th to 9th generation are said to be selling particularly well.
The absurdity of it all: The 6th generation of Intel (Skylake) dates back to August 2015 and is therefore already 10 years old. DDR3 is fundamentally even older, dating back to 2007, before it was eventually replaced by DDR4 in 2014.
Important trend: Sales of DDR3 motherboards are rising rapidly.
There is an important trend that needs to be observed: Sales of DDR3 motherboards are rising rapidly. This could be due to a renewed demand for more affordable models. Bundles that combine DDR3 motherboards with CPUs from the 6th to 9th generation are selling well. Based on current information from domestic motherboard brands, sales of DDR3 motherboards are rapidly increasing and showing a rapid growth trend of about two to three times or more.
DDR3 RAM will still work in 2025, but the old hardware only partially supports Windows 11
But is it even worth it? Basically, the hardware is considered outdated, but usually still works just fine.
It only becomes difficult when you want to install Windows 11. Officially, Windows 11 no longer supports the 6th and 7th generations of Intel. Starting from the 8th generation, Intel switched to DDR4 RAM. Windows 11 does support DDR3 RAM, but not the outdated processors.
With unofficial tools, such as Rufus, you can bypass these restrictions, but it may lead to problems later when updating the system.
However, you would have no problems if you prefer to install a Linux operating system. The restrictions regarding hardware are significantly lower here.
In Hytale, ores and metal bars are needed to upgrade devices as well as craft tools, weapons, and armor. How to find blue cobalt ore and what it’s used for is explained here.
What is Cobalt? Cobalt in Hytale is a dark blue ore. It can be melted into cobalt bars in a furnace like the other ores. With the bars, you can upgrade the furnace and craft weapons and armor, among other things.
This is the item description:
Can be melted into a cobalt bar in a furnace.
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Hytale feiert erfolgreichen Early-Access-Release mit 2,8 Millionen Spielern
Hytale: Finding Cobalt
Where to find Cobalt in Hytale? Cobalt can be found in Hytale in the mountains of the snowy biome, Whisperfront Frontiers. The ore spawns on the slopes of lightly snow-covered peaks and can be mined there. The ore can also be found and mined in caves and underground areas within the snowy biome.
This is what the ore looks like when it spawns on the mountainside:
Hytale: Using Cobalt
What is Cobalt used for? Cobalt is one of several ore or bar types that are needed for workshop upgrades, weapons, tools, and armor. Here is a selection of the items that require Cobalt in their crafting:
Cobalt Helm: 12 cobalt bars
Cobalt Sword: 10 cobalt bars
Cobalt Pickaxe: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
Cobalt Knife: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
Cobalt Chest Plate: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
Cobalt Gloves: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
Cobalt Leggings: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
Cobalt Shield: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
Furnace Upgrades: [required amount of cobalt unknown]
With a new job posting, the developers have once again confirmed the existence of Guild Wars 3. One detail already reveals something important about the upcoming MMORPG.
What kind of job posting is this? The developers at ArenaNet have published a new job listing. The team is looking for someone for the position of “Contract Senior Writer/Narrative Designer”.
In the past, there have also been numerous job offers for the new MMORPG. While these did not reveal much, the new job posting unveils an exciting detail that is not something for fans to rejoice about.
While work is underway on Guild Wars 3, things continue for part 2:
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Guild Wars 2 zeigt die hübsche Strandregion der neuen Erweiterung Visions of Eternity
One detail that means a lot
What detail is it? In the job posting attributed to Guild Wars 3, one bullet point is causing a stir. Under the heading “What you need for success”, the developers are asking for experience with Unreal Engine.
This could mean that Guild Wars 3 is indeed being programmed with this very development environment. The engine has been used in recent years for many different MMORPGs and is particularly popular among titles from NCsoft.
Titles such as Aion 2, Throne and Liberty, Chrono Odyssey, and Ashes of Creation all rely on the Unreal Engine. Many of the smaller MMORPGs that are only available to play in China or Korea also utilize the engine.
Why is there no joy among the fans? While Unreal Engine 5 has long been regarded as a quality seal and trademark for good graphics, it has somewhat fallen out of favor among MMORPG players. This is not due to the engine itself, but rather because many MMORPGs in Asia have adopted the same look using the engine and the engine places high demands on hardware.
Even though Guild Wars 3 is unlikely to suddenly become an Asia MMORPG, players are somewhat weary of the engine. On Reddit, they are discussing the topic. User nomomnotmyvidya hits the nail on the head:
People, let’s be honest. The Unreal Engine is an amazing technology. However, it is not a technology that “anyone can use and then it just works great”. In the wrong hands, we’ve seen how horribly it can turn out. In the right hands, however, we’ve seen how beautiful and amazing games have been developed. The use of the Unreal Engine says nothing about the quality of this game, but rather about the developers who are working on it. In this sense, we hope that ArenaNet knows what they are doing.
Whether with Unreal Engine 5 or without, fans will have to be patient until the release of Guild Wars 3. The project has not yet been announced and, according to the job posting, is still completely in development. The latest job postings have revealed important details: ArenaNet is looking for support for “unannounced project” – What about Guild Wars 3?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The nasty Team GO Rocket returns to Pokémon GO. And they not only have some new crypto monsters, but also a strong returnee.
What kind of event is this? On Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 AM, the “Precious Pals: Taken Over” event starts in Pokémon GO. It runs until Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 8:00 PM. Additionally, there will be a raid day during the Rocket event on Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
In addition to 2 strong legendary crypto monsters, one of which is making its debut and the other returning with an increased shiny chance during the raid day, there are also 3 more monsters debuting as crypto in the event.
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Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
A nasty team, 2 strong legendary monsters
Which legendary monsters are involved? In the event, you can obtain shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus for the first time in its Incarnate form. To do so, you must successfully complete the special research that starts during the event, face Giovanni, and defeat him.
Since the regular version of Thundurus (Incarnate form) is already a strong Electric-type attacker, the crypto variant will be even stronger.
During the raid day, you can also challenge and obtain shadow Raikou. This monster is not only one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO, but also the strongest Electric-type monster that you can currently use as an attacker.
The chance to snag a shiny version is also increased.
Which other crypto monsters are making their debut? In addition to Thundurus, there are 3 more monsters available for the first time in their shadow forms during the event. These include Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie, the 3 starter monsters from Pokémon X and Y. You can find them with the grunts from Team GO Rocket.
What bonuses are available in the event? The following bonuses are active within the Rocket takeover:
more frequent appearances of Team GO Rocket in balloons and at PokéStops
Monsters can forget the move Frustration using a charged TM
1- and 3-star crypto raids bring monsters with varying IV values
Special research where you receive a Super Rocket Radar
Field research with fast and charged TMs as well as mysterious components as rewards
Collector challenge where you can earn experience points, stardust, and a rocket radar
Which crypto monsters are available in 1- and 3-star crypto raids during the event is still unknown.
Additionally, the following bonuses are active during the 3 hours of the raid day:
up to 5 additional free raid passes from gyms
increased chance for shiny crypto-Raikou
remote raid limit increased to 20 (from Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 1:00 AM to Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 4:00 AM)
Event ticket for $4.99 (about 5 €) with up to 8 additional raid passes at gyms, increased chance for special candy XL in raid battles, 50% more XP from raids, and double the amount of stardust for raids
Not only the Rocket event is taking place this month in Pokémon GO. Many other events, raids, and spotlight hours are waiting for you. When you can find which content in the game and what awaits you there, you can find out in our list of all events in January 2026 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Hytale has recently entered Early Access. Ironically, the developer studio responsible for a six-year halt in its release is the one congratulating it.
What happened? The sandbox RPG Hytale from Hypixel Studios was first announced in 2018 and just started Early Access, albeit without Steam. Nevertheless, the release went so well, that the next 2 years are secured.
Such a successful release couldn’t go without congratulations from Riot Games. They wrote on X that they congratulate the game on its Early Access.
Riot Games congratulates Hytale on its release.
And indeed, there was a prompt response from the team behind Hytale. They wrote that they are grateful that Riot Games helped bring Hytale back home.
Hytale was housed at Riot Games for years
Why is this so special? Originally, Riot Games was responsible for the development of the game. 2 years after the announcement, Riot Games bought Hypixel Studios. The development was thus under the aegis of the LoL developer for 5 years.
Hytale feiert erfolgreichen Early-Access-Release mit 2,8 Millionen Spielern
Riot Games showed collegiality after the dissolution and returned Hytale to Hypixel Studios. Thus, they were ultimately able to finish the game to the point where it was ready for Early Access.
That is why the message seems so personal and grateful from Hypixel Studios. They are happy that Hytale was returned to them and that they were ultimately able to publish it.
What is Hytale actually? The game is a sandbox RPG that visually bears strong similarities to Minecraft. The developers admitted that this similarity is no accident, but they want to improve upon their predecessor.
In the game, you can explore a procedurally generated world full of dungeons and creatures. In Early Access, the focus will primarily be on exploration, the buying system, and building.
Cyberpunk 2077 is not just a game where your choices determine the course of your missions or, to put it bluntly, decide who lives or dies. However, there are certain decisions that, at least in the opinion of MeinMMO editor Caro, seem to demand an obvious direction.
In my nearly 200 hours in Cyberpunk 2077, I have already faced various situations where some really tough choices had to be made. This is one of the reasons why I found so much enjoyment in the game: You feel like part of the world, your actions have consequences, and sometimes you are not even sure which lesser evil is the “better” one.
However, there are certain points in the game where you must choose between two or more paths to reach your goal. And often the consequences of these actions are not clear at all.
You might think you are doing the right thing, only to find out later that you made a huge mistake. It is even worse when you already know what consequences will ensue.
Here you can see the trailer for the “City of Dreams” in Cyberpunk 2077:
Select a MMO video…
For this reason, I have put together a list of 5 of the worst decisions in Cyberpunk 2077. Even if I have stumbled over some of them myself, I want to explicitly say: Whoever chooses these decisions voluntarily and is aware of the consequences must urgently explain to me what they were thinking.
Here I give a big spoiler warning: In this list, I go into the consequences of certain decisions from Cyberpunk 2077 and the DLC Phantom Liberty. If you are already experienced “Night City Legends” or wish to safeguard yourself against potential mistakes despite the spoilers, you can read on without worry.
Kill Angie to “save” Aaron
In a mission of the DLC Phantom Liberty, V takes care of an up-and-coming boxer named Aaron, who is under contract with the Animals, a thug gang from Cyberpunk 2077. The Animals and Aaron have agreed that he will intentionally lose some matches when necessary so that the gang can rake in Eddies (Eurodollars) through betting.
Aaron agreed to this because he only financed his combat cyberware through the Animals and was dependent on their support. However, he now really wants to make it as a professional boxer, without intentionally losing his fights. The problem is – the Animals have made provisions.
Through an implant in his head, they can “shut down” Aaron anytime he resists their demands. For this reason, Aaron and V head to a Ripperdoc to deal with this unwanted implant.
However, during the procedure, a group of Animals shows up at the clinic with their leader Angie. At this point, you can decide whether to make a deal with the Animals, intimidate Angie, leave Aaron alone, or kill her.
Since the goal is to protect Aaron in normal circumstances, and I one cannot stand receiving such disrespectful offers, you quickly decide to deal with the Animals along with Angie. Initially, this sounded to me like the “best” way to finally free Aaron from his contract.
However, the Animals consist of more members than just Angie and her bodyguards. A few days later, Aaron contacts you to meet and exchange information… only to find him dead in an alley. At best, you can find the two murderers nearby and send them after Angie, but it is still a truly unfortunate outcome of Aaron’s questline.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For frost mages, the pre-patch for the expansion Midnight of World of Warcraft is a cause for celebration. An old friend is coming back.
Mages in World of Warcraft are still largely based on the mage concepts that existed back in Warcraft III. Spells like Fireball or Invisibility were present early on. A particularly iconic spell for Jaina Proudmoore (and all archmages in the game) back then was the Summon Water Elemental. A skill that mages could also learn with Wrath of the Lich King.
What is changing? With the pre-patch of Midnight, which will be released in Europe on January 21, there are already significant changes to the game systems. This also includes the revisions of the talent trees. Especially for frost mages, this should be a reason to celebrate, as those who want to can learn the ability “Summon Water Elemental” – which hasn’t been in the game for about 2 and a half years.
With this, mages finally have the opportunity to be a “pet class” in WoW – just like hunters, warlocks, or death knights.
Was the Water Elemental around in the meantime? Yes, but only as a temporary cooldown. Those who wanted could briefly have a Water Elemental by using the ability “Icy Veins”. However, this was a “choice talent” and the alternative was usually more efficient. Moreover, it wasn’t quite the same to have the companion activated only for a short phase and not permanently.
At least for mages, there is a small “happy ending” coming on Wednesday when they can finally be reunited with their Water Elemental. However, whether the cheerful companion will ultimately be strong enough to justify its choice as a talent remains to be seen. While Water Elementals return, other rewards are disappearing forever – you have only a few days left.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features a whole range of challenging boss fights. The most difficult one can only be defeated by a few players, and one of these players has even impressed the developers themselves.
It is certain that Simon represents the toughest challenge in the game and has only been defeated by a few players. The developers at Sandfall Interactive are aware of this and closely monitor the successes of their community in the game. Simon is a particularly interesting boss, as creative tactics are required due to his high difficulty.
One player has even amazed the CEO of the studio.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hinterlässt bei den Spielern eine Leere
Even the boss has failed
What does the CEO say? In a conversation with Gamesradar+, Guillaume Broche, the CEO and also Game Director of Clair Obscur, spoke about Simon. He and his team have not yet seen any tactics from players that were not intended by the developers.
Even tricks and “cheeses”, which some have used, are known to the team. But one player, who unfortunately remained anonymous, has apparently impressed Guillaume Broche quite a bit:
What surprised me the most was that someone managed to defeat Simon without cheesing, by taking every single hit and still winning. That impressed me, because I tried to do it before the release and couldn’t manage it.
The hits that the boss deals are quite devastating, and a careless attempt can end very quickly. Nevertheless, the anonymous player managed to stay resilient. The fact that even the developers themselves could not defeat Simon this way speaks volumes about the achievement of the unknown player. It’s a pity that there is no known recording of this achievement.
Rockstar Games has often targeted modders in the past who have created additional content for GTA 5 or Red Dead Redemption 2. Now the developer of GTA 6 is offering its own platform for mods.
What history does Rockstar Games have with modders? In recent years, Rockstar has intensified its actions against some mods.
A mod team that wanted to recreate Liberty City in GTA 5 barely escaped a copyright violation. According to them, they could have reached a peaceful agreement with the company.
Other modders used artificial intelligence to allow players to talk to NPCs via voice chat with their microphones. They had to remove all content because they received a copyright strike.
Many other modders shared these fates. Possibly, all the projects were shut down because Rockstar Games is now offering an alternative. Modders can still offer their own content here, for a certain price.
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YouTube feiert 1 Billion Aufrufe für ein Spiel, das einen miesen Ruf hat und sogar GTA 6 Angst macht
Rockstar opens marketplace for mods
What alternative is there now? The company launched its own mod platform on January 13, 2026, operating under the name Cfx Marketplace. This officially integrates the modding community and allows creators to legally offer their content.
The online store includes mods for GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Maps, vehicles, clothing, or entire gameplay systems can be offered and sold for real money. And the prices can be quite steep.
The most expensive package currently available in the shop is a mod that introduces various activities into the game. This includes a laser tag game and a theme park. All activities are part of a total package priced at $464, which is nearly 400 euros.
For that price, you could almost get a Switch 2. Fair enough: The package includes several activities, and you can skip the ones you’re not interested in.
There are also free mods that provide better vehicle control or prettier Christmas lights. With a current total of 316 mods, there should be something for every player (as of January 14, 2026).
Mark Darrah is the former Executive Producer of Anthem and shares many insights into the development of the MMO in a four-hour video. At the end of the video, he focuses on the future of the game and reveals how it could still live on.
How could Anthem be saved? According to Darrah, it would be technically feasible to save Anthem. It would require approximately 10 million US dollars, or about 8.5 million euros. Additionally, the title would need to sell around 400,000 copies after its relaunch for the rescue to be profitable for EA.
He presents a kind of 3-step plan on how a rescue would look:
Step 1: Bring the game to current consoles, namely PS5 and Xbox Series X. The graphics should be elevated to PC ultra level and fixed at a stable 60 frames per second.
Step 2: EA must move away from the expensive “Dedicated Servers” and towards “Locally Hosted Servers.” The code for this already exists and just needs to be reactivated and polished.
Step 3: Gameplay adjustments would need to be made since the combat system is designed for 4 players and not just for one person. His solution would be AI companions, each receiving their own small story arc.
Especially the second step would cost the company hardly anything, according to Darrah. However, steps 1 and 3 remain, which would consume several million euros. The ex-developer therefore estimates whether EA would even be willing to revive Anthem.
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„Wusste immer, dass es irgendwann endet“ – Chef-Entwickler von Anthem spricht über die letzte Hoffnung für den Shooter
EA and the chance to revive Anthem
Would EA revive the game? According to Darrah, EA would “certainly not” invest in a revival. Although it would be feasible and likely even profitable, it does not fit with the company’s strategy.
He claims that EA would be looking for billion-dollar hits in the live-service sector and would rather not invest in projects that only generate a little money, especially when the Anthem brand is already damaged.
You can watch his video here on YouTube:
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What does No Man’s Sky have to do with it? The title is a prime example of a successful rescue. No Man’s Sky launched catastrophically on Steam because it did not keep promises and the technology was not up to par. However, the game fought its way forward; the developers worked hard on it and released huge updates, which keep it alive today.
