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Turtle Beach Racer review: a top budget-friendly option with some very neat ideas

by admin September 27, 2025

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Turtle Beach Racer: One-minute review

The Turtle Beach Racer absolutely has the potential to shake up the entry-level racing wheels market. Sim race enthusiasts need not apply; the Racer is a relatively basic offering that ditches higher-end features like force feedback and on-screen displays – the likes of which we see from the Thrustmaster T248R et al. But for more arcade-adjacent racing games like Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Forza Horizon 5, the Racer is a bit of a cheat code to unlocking even more fun from such titles.

I’ve had a blast testing the Turtle Beach Racer over the past week. Don’t let its relatively low price point fool you; it boasts surprisingly good build quality and is impressively versatile to boot.

While a pair of clamps on the base means you can mount the wheel on a desk, the inclusion of a pair of lap rests allows you to sit back and essentially use the Racer more like a traditional controller if you prefer to play on the couch. That’s driven (hehe) home even more with the addition of wireless connectivity via a 2.4GHz dongle compatible with Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. No PlayStation-compatible version exists at the time of writing.

Put simply, the Turtle Beach Racer is one of the best Xbox racing wheels I’ve tested in a while. There are some small issues, like the slight bump you’ll feel every time the wheel travels past neutral, and the lack of a pedal set (you’ll instead use the rear paddles for acceleration and braking by default) puts a dampener on immersion. But overall, this is a very impressive package for the price, and makes for a great product for first-time wheel owners or younger players.

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Racer: Price and availability

$179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299
Available to buy now
Pricier than some budget models, but comfortably under the mid-range bracket

The Turtle Beach Racer is available to buy now for $179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299. It’s on the higher end of that budget ballpark, but it is comfortably more affordable than mid-range wheels that offer more features like the Thrustmaster T248R and the Logitech G923. It’s also costlier than similar budget wheels like the Hori Racing Wheel Apex ($119.99 / £99.99), though I do prefer what’s on offer here with the Racer at a slightly higher asking price.

Turtle Beach Racer: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299

Weight

7.5lbs / 3.4kg

Dimensions

11.7 x 11.1 x 10.9in x 297 x 282 x 277mm

Rotation

360 degrees

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)

Compatibility

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC

Battery life

Around 30 hours

Turtle Beach Racer: Design and features

As I mentioned in my initial Turtle Beach Racer preview at Gamescom 2025, it was the product’s build quality that immediately surprised me. It’s not something that many budget-facing wheels are known for, and while the Racer’s build is primarily plastic, it’s of a good quality. Plus, there are a number of flourishes that take the overall build up a notch.

The steering wheel’s rubberized textured grips are extremely welcome, allowing for a slip-free racing experience. The lap rests, meanwhile, are metallic and have a satisfying weight to them. They each have a strip of textured rubber, allowing them to sit firmly in place. The lap rests can be adjusted, too, meaning you won’t necessarily need to squish your thighs together. I preferred to place mine as far out as they could go, and was able to sit comfortably in my Razer Fujin Pro office gaming chair while playing.

On-board buttons aren’t particularly anything to write home about, but they feel good to press and are all within reach of the wheel itself. There’s a good amount here, too. You’re getting a d-pad, face buttons, and three multifunction buttons that you can assign to your preference.

A pair of pressure-sensitive paddles sit on either side of the wheel, and they’re impressively sturdy. That’s important, because you are likely going to use these for acceleration and braking in the absence of a set of pedals. These are the left and right trigger equivalents on the best Xbox controllers, and were assigned as such across all games I tested.

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Racer: Performance

I have very limited desk space at my home office, so I personally think that the inclusion of lap rests with the Turtle Beach Racer is a great, forward-thinking addition to the overall package. What’s important to note here, in relation to performance, is that I felt no loss of control in using the lap rests over the more traditional desk clamps. And having tested both methods for this review, either of them is a fine choice for your racing sessions.

Initially, I did feel as if the default wheel sensitivity was a bit on the low side, across titles like Forza Horizon 5 and Tokyo Xtreme Racer. However, this was quickly remedied with the Turtle Beach Control Center 2 software, which you can download on PC and Xbox consoles. Here, I was able to adjust sensitivity and remap buttons to my liking.

Another issue I had with the wheel is the slightly uncomfortable bump sensation when it returns to neutral. Let go of the wheel, and it snaps back to its default center position almost immediately. This means that while turning left to right, you will feel a bit of a hitch as it passes that neutral zone. I got used to it after an hour or two, but it’s something to keep in mind if you were hoping for an ultra-smooth racing experience.

Besides this hiccup, the Racer is an incredibly enjoyable racing wheel. The pressure-sensitive paddles are a delightful addition and are a decent substitute for pedals if you don’t mind the loss of immersion or tactility. Being able to apply specific amounts of pressure here made several things easier between games, such as drifting in Forza Horizon 5 and long-term tire management in F1 25. If the lap rests are the big winning feature here, then the paddles are certainly the unsung heroes of the package.

I also have to mention the Racer’s wireless performance, and it’s another area the product seriously impressed me. Turtle Beach estimates that the wheel can go up to 30 hours on a full charge. I find this to be accurate, as I didn’t have to charge the device until the tail end of my week of testing.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Racer?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider…

Not sold on the Turtle Beach Racer? Here are a couple of similarly priced alternatives worthy of your consideration.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 – Cell 0

Turtle Beach Racer

Hori Racing Wheel Apex

Logitech G920

Price

$179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299

$119.99 / £99.99 (around AU$183)

$299.99 / £349.99 / AU$549.95

Weight

7.5lbs / 3.4kg

3.09lbs / 1.4kg

4.96lbs / 2.25kg

Dimensions

11.7 x 11.1 x 10.9in x 297 x 282 x 277mm

11 x 10.8 x 11.3 / 280 x 275 x 286mm

10.6 x 10.2 x 10.9 / 270 x 260 x 278mm

Rotation

360 degrees

270 degrees

900 degrees

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)

USB-A

Compatibility

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC

PS5, PS4, PC

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Turtle Beach Racer

Tested for one week
Tested across Xbox Series X and PC
Played a wide variety of racing titles

I tested the Turtle Beach Racer over the course of a week, playing titles on Xbox Series X Digital Edition and my gaming PC. Games I played with the racing wheel include Forza Horizon 5, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Old School Rally, and F1 25.

While lacking the multitude of buttons and immersive features that make it worthwhile for sim racing, I found the Turtle Beach Racer to be ideal for more casual, arcade-like experiences. In that regard, features like the lap rests and pressure-sensitive paddles made for an easy and comfortable testing period, and above all, a very fun one.

5 Games To Play This Weekend

by admin September 27, 2025

It’s officially autumn this week! Though, at least on the east coast, the weather hasn’t gotten the memo and is still hanging out at around ‘80 degrees. So now I’m stuck inside freezing air-conditioned interiors. Yes, I can tweak the temperature, but then the AC still messes with my breathing. Ugh. I can’t win.

What I can win at, though, is a video game. And if you’re in search of one, I and my comrades here at Kotaku have some solid recommendations for you to check out. Let’s get into it.

Silent Hill f

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Unknown”)
Current goal: Unlock a new ending.

Few genres in gaming excite me more than horror. Yes, I’m a masochist and the struggle of a solid survival horror game is wonderfully cathartic. The frights, the opportunities for rich thematic exploration, the evocative sound design and haunting soundtracks, I’m here for all of it. And thankfully, Silent Hill f delivered everything I love about this genre and then some. It’s arguably my favorite game of the year thus far (watch out Avowed, MGS Delta, and Clair Obscur) and, this weekend, I’ll be returning to Hinako’s Japanese mountainside village to unravel more of her dark, potentially cautionary, tale.

Silent Hill f has multiple endings, so I’ve got a pretty clear goal this weekend: I want to unlock at least one more. The first ending, which seems to be universally the same for any first playthrough, introduced so many new questions, along with a stunning revelation of what might be really going on with all these damn monsters and lengthy hallucinatory episodes. An unfortunate bout of the flu (or whatever it was) has kept me out of reach of exploring more of these dark depths this week, but I’m finally well enough to suffer once more. – Claire Jackson

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”)
Current goal: Roll around at the speed of sound

Finally, I can tell y’all you should play Sonic Racing: Crossworlds this weekend. The blue blur’s latest kart racer is full of depth, style, and some of the best interactions ever between its huge cast of characters. It’s so good I can almost forgive it for falling into the annoying crossover slop trend that simply will not die because people love to see things they like in other things they like. I’ll race around as Shadow the Hedgehog on my sick hoverboard, even if it means I have to look at that damn talking sponge in the other lane. I love that guy, but there was a reason he never got his license. We should not be allowing him to drive around just because he’s in a different universe. It’s not safe. — Kenneth Shepard

Hades 2

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”)
Current goal: Make it to Chronos

It’s nice to have Hades back again, but more and different. Would it have been cool to see Supergiant Games make something else instead over the last five years? Maybe. Will they make so much money from both Hades 1 and Hades 2 that they can make something even more wild next time? Probably. But in some ways they’ve been making the same game since 2011’s Bastion. Some are more linear than others. Some lean more into story and characters while others lean more into mechanics and systems. But there is always some form of isometric action, beautiful art direction, and moody narrative.

The roguelike loop isn’t for everyone. I get that. It’s not always for me either. But as life gets busy and more of my gaming gets confined to little screens held in my hands in-between everything else demanding my time and attention, I appreciate the little 15-minute bullet hell snacks awaiting me in Hades 2. It’s like having a portable arcade cabinet oozing with in-game designs that somehow look just as good as the panel art and cool nuggets of Greek mythology littered about for me to digest on my own time. All of the cozy-sim additions weaving their way into my hack-and-slash rage-out sessions? TBD on how I feel about them. But it’s nice to be home again. – Ethan Gach

Baby Steps

Play it on: PS5, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”)
Current goal: Stay chill

The latest existential puzzle game from the maker of hit frustration-sim Getting Over It is called Baby Steps and it’s as clever, gallling, and bizarre as you’d expect. Developed by Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and others, it puts you in the role of a man transported into a AAA open-world video game where even the simplest navigational tasks feel unwieldy and insurmountably tedious. I’ve only had a couple of hours with it but the awkward bipedal movement mechanics, free-form exploration, and comedic beats have all worked together to keep tugging me along. Is it a pointless game for smart people? Quite possibly, which is why I’m intent on not giving up, even when it wants me to. Just beware the dong. – Ethan Gach

Town to City

Play it on: Windows PCs (Early Access)
Current goal: Finish all my houses

Town to City is a cozy builder that revels in the details but doesn’t overwhelm you with them. You design houses that attract people who make stuff which lets you build more stuff and attract more people and so on and so forth. In keeping with similar building sims, the objective is to have fun making stuff rather than stress out over managing a spreadsheet of tradeoffs until you’ve “solved” the game’s underlying resource problem. The voxel art style looks lovely and streamlines building, plus the tools strike a nice balance, offering plenty of options without shoving too much in your face too early. The music is nice and the vibes are chill. It’s by Galaxy Grove which also made Station to Station, a superbly relaxing train sim from a few years back. Town to City is that but for people who spend too much time marveling at the inviting walkability of old Mediterranean town squares. – Ethan Gach

And that wraps our picks for the weekend! What are you playing?

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

How to invest in Crypto in 2025 using Pioneer Hash mining tools

by admin September 27, 2025

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Pioneer Hash offers US investors automated cloud mining tools for potentially high returns.

Summary

Pioneer Hash cloud mining offers US investors stable, low-risk returns via automated tools.
Contracts, $15 signup bonus, and renewable energy make Pioneer Hash a secure crypto choice.
In volatile markets, Pioneer Hash provides passive income and long-term growth.

In the volatile cryptocurrency market, finding low-risk or even risk-free investment opportunities has become one of investors’ biggest concerns.

With the advancement of blockchain technology and the rise of cloud mining, Pioneer Hash now offers US users a new solution: massive returns through automated mining tools.

Why choose cloud mining?

The cryptocurrency market is volatile, and relying solely on price speculation often carries significant risks. However, cloud mining locks computing power through contracts, ensuring continuous and stable output for the duration of the contract, thereby reducing risk exposure. For investors seeking stable returns, this method offers greater certainty than traditional trading.

Quick start guide

Register for an account:Visit the Pioneer Hash official website to register. After registering, receive a $15 bonus for new users.

Top up an account: Payments are accepted in major cryptocurrencies such as USDT, BTC, and ETH.
Choose a hashing power contract: Choose an XRP or other cryptocurrency mining contract based on your budget and goals.
Start earning: Daily settlement, automatic deposit, withdrawal or reinvestment at any time, creating a sustainable income cycle.

Pioneer Hash has designed multiple levels of mining contracts to meet the needs of different investors. Contracts can be found on the official website.

To further lower the barrier to entry, Pioneer Hash offers a $15 signup bonus to every new user. This bonus can be used directly to mine contracts, allowing even complete beginners to experience real mining and earn initial profits without any upfront costs.

Investor feedback and market outlook

Since its launch, Pioneer Hash has attracted a growing number of US investors and established a strong reputation within the industry. Many users have stated that Pioneer Hash’s cloud mining model allows them to maintain a stable cash flow even amidst market fluctuations.

In addition to user feedback, industry analysts are also optimistic about Pioneer Hash’s prospects. As the US enters a cycle of interest rate cuts, traditional savings and bonds are gradually losing their appeal, and more capital is flowing into digital assets. Cloud mining, as a “cash flow-oriented investment tool,” offers predictability and stability, making it particularly attractive to investors seeking to hedge against volatility.

Furthermore, Pioneer Hash emphasizes operational compliance and transparency. Unlike many unregulated platforms, Pioneer Hash not only offers contracts backed by a legal framework but also utilizes renewable energy and efficient infrastructure to mitigate long-term operational risks. This commitment has led investors to view Pioneer Hash not only as a short-term investment opportunity, but also as a reliable long-term portfolio component.

Looking ahead, experts believe that as cryptocurrencies further integrate into mainstream finance, regulated and transparent cloud mining platforms will become a key gateway for capital inflows. Leveraging its technological advantages and compliance-first approach, Pioneer Hash is poised to expand its market share by 2025 and become a vital tool for US investors seeking passive income and long-term wealth management.

Conclusion

In the uncertain market of 2025, finding an investment method that manages risk while ensuring stable returns is crucial. With its transparent contracts, $100 sign-up bonus, and powerful automated mining tools, Pioneer Hash is rapidly becoming a top choice for US investors. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, Pioneer Hash offers tailored solutions to help you earn stable passive income even during turbulent times.

To learn more about Pioneer Hash, visit the official website. Official email: [email protected]

Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

ProfitableMining launches new XRP cloud mining contracts

by admin September 27, 2025

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

ProfitableMining launches XRP-linked cloud mining contracts for secure, passive crypto income.

Summary

ProfitableMining launches XRP mining contracts, offering low-barrier passive income.
Users can profits from XRP-linked cloud mining with no hardware or high electricity costs.
Known for its safety, transparency, and compliance, ProfitableMining makes crypto wealth accessible to everyone.

ProfitableMining, the world’s leading cloud computing platform for digital assets, today officially announced the launch of new XRP (Ripple) mining contracts.

These contracts are designed to provide users with a convenient, secure, and efficient digital asset investment channel, helping investors earn stable passive income with a low barrier to entry.

While XRP is not mineable, ProfitableMining allows users to link XRP with Bitcoin and Ethereum cloud mining rewards for additional returns.

Unique contract model creates a passsive income channel

ProfitableMining newly launched XRP mining contracts utilize advanced hashrate allocation and risk control mechanisms. Users don’t need to purchase expensive hardware or incur high electricity bills. Simply purchase hashrate contracts through the platform to instantly participate in XRP network mining and enjoy daily profit distribution.

“Our goal is to enable more users to seamlessly participate in the value creation of the blockchain ecosystem,” said a ProfitableMining spokesperson. “As one of the world’s most widely circulated and widely used cryptocurrencies, XRP’s stability and liquidity make it an ideal source of passive income. Through this contract, we hope to further lower the barrier to entry and make digital wealth accessible.”

Safe, compliant, and transparent operations

ProfitableMining has always adhered to the principles of compliance, security, and transparency. The platform utilizes distributed servers and multiple encryption measures to ensure the security of user assets. Furthermore, all mining profits can be viewed in real time on-chain, ensuring transparency.

In addition, ProfitableMining has established a dedicated risk management team to dynamically monitor and optimize market conditions and mining profits, striving to provide users with stable investment returns.

User-friendly, flexible options

Sign up and receive $17 to start a free mining journey. Experience the passive income from different cloud mining options.

The newly released XRP mining contracts support a variety of investment cycles and income models, allowing users to flexibly choose based on their needs. For example, short-term contracts are suitable for users seeking a quick return on investment, while long-term contracts offer a better option for investors seeking stable passive income.

Looking ahead

ProfitableMining stated that the launch of XRP mining contracts is just one important step in the platform’s strategic expansion. Going forward, the platform will continue to expand mining contracts and derivative services for more mainstream cryptocurrencies, creating a diversified and sustainable digital asset value-added ecosystem.

About ProfitableMining

ProfitableMining is a blockchain technology company dedicated to providing professional cloud computing services to users worldwide. Through its continuously unique mining contract products and secure, compliant technology architecture, the platform has served over hundreds of thousands of users, helping investors achieve wealth growth in the digital economy.

For more information, visit the official website or contact the team at [email protected]

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The Best Disney Park Ride Overlays, and Where to Find Them

by admin September 27, 2025

In case you didn’t know, Nine Inch Nails is currently soundtracking the Tron Lightcycle Run coaster at Walt Disney World, and that is wild when you think about combining the power of Disney with the legendary industrial metal act. There is, of course, synergy, as the music comes from the NIN score for the upcoming Tron: Ares.

Seasonal and promotional ride overlays are now ways to draw in more people to revisit beloved attractions at Disney’s parks or give passholders a reason to come back over and over. Over time some have had more longevity than others, as the most popular overlay continues to be Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday, which has Jack Skellington and friends take over the West Coast haunt with his spooky Christmas shenanigans. Meanwhile, the haunted version of Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy seems to have exorcised its spirit—it just might have been a tad too scary, while Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain stays beating out the rest.

Here is a compilation of some of the most out-there and unique Disney experiences overlays, along with their current statuses at the parks.

Tron Lightcycle Run (NIN Tron: Ares Collaboration)

io9 recently got to experience the Tron: Ares overlay at the Magic Kingdom’s Tron Lightcycle Run coaster (Walt Disney World admission and Lightning Lane were provided), which for the first time features the actual score from the new movie. When we covered the opening of the ride back in 2023, Disney creatives revealed that the on-ride music was a new arrangement based on Daft Punk’s score for Tron: Legacy made specifically for the purposes of the attraction. You can, however, still hear the iconic Daft Punk tracks featured throughout the coaster’s queue and exit areas. Inside the ride itself, the usual Tron blue hue is swapped for Ares‘ crimson aesthetic as part of a new narrative of the ride, as we’re tasked with seemingly working with a program-gone-rogue before deleting it to preserve the grid (perhaps giving us a hint at what Ares will be about).

With the release of Tron: Ares, the coaster transforms into Nine Inch Nails: The Ride in the best way, with their signature industrial instrumentals, which fit perfectly in the world of the Grid gone rogue. It really works as a tonal opposite companion to the Team Blue track that usually plays. If the ride were ever built elsewhere, it would be such a cool dual coaster utilizing both instrumentations. At night the Ares theming looks incredible, to boot.

Haunted Mansion (Haunted Mansion Holiday)

The Haunted Mansion Holiday is what happens when The Nightmare Before Christmas’s popularity gets out of hand (thanks, Hot Topic). Don’t get me wrong, we love the film and Jack Skellington’s frightful festive branding, but we believe it takes over the Haunted Mansion too early. The Christmas-themed overlay goes up in September for Halloweentime at the Disneyland resort, even though the Haunted Mansion is the perfect ride for Halloween. Its ghosts and scares make more sense to continue until the end of October! But I guess those of us in the camp that thinks this incredible overlay of holiday cheer should start in November are in the minority, because the queue for it is always over an hour or even longer during its fall and winter run.

Space Mountain (Rockin’ Space Mountain, Ghost Galaxy, Hyperspace Mountain)

Space Mountain at Disneyland (sorry, Magic Kingdom, and your sad Christmas music overlay) is hands down the champ of seasonal theming. What began with Rockin’ Space Mountain when the coaster got a Red Hot Chili Peppers soundtrack has only glowed up from there. For a while, it was the home of a space specter that might have been too scary during Halloweentime’s Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy. I can attest from my personal experience that I am still haunted by the memory of the thrilling, creepy music and jump-scare projections of being chased through dead space by a very angry fiery ghost with hollowed eyes. It hasn’t held up residence in the coaster since 2018, though it has gone over to Hong Kong Disney’s Space Mountain variant.

However, Space Mountain’s current reigning seasonal offering is Hyperspace Mountain, where you zoom through the Star Wars galaxy in a dogfight between X-Wings and TIE Fighters, all set to the films’ legendary John Williams score. Its debut predates the opening of Galaxy’s Edge and remains a better experience than Smugglers Run because we want that hyperspeed thrill of being in the fights we grew up watching. You can usually catch it in the spring during Disneyland’s Season of the Force events in the run-up to Star Wars Day.

It’s a Small World (Baby Groot)

It’s a Small World at Tokyo Disneyland recently received new pint-sized guests thanks to Baby Groot and friends. Earlier this year, Avengers fans were able to see Earth’s mightiest and tiniest figures throughout the attraction at the Asia park. Along with Groot, it included Ms. Marvel, Thor, Hulk, and Black Panther, among others. Yet, there’s no word if either of the states’ versions of the ride would ever get this. Perhaps Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom version could, since it definitely needs some love.

It would be too crammed at Disneyland’s original ride, as it currently has more of a permanent addition in the form of iconic characters being given the original ride artist Mary Blair treatment within their corresponding countries. For instance, you can find Cinderella in France, and new for this year, they added Pixar’s Coco heroes Miguel and Dante to the Mexico section of the ride.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout (After Dark)

For Halloween at Disney California Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout gets infested by monsters after dark. The drop tower attraction overlay is a current Halloweentime staple at the Disneyland resort for those who want to get even more terrified. The storyline takes a turn when various creatures from the collection are let loose, leaving riders to go into a dark monster house version of the Collector’s fortress to rescue Groot.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (September, Holiday Remix)

Speaking of the Guardians, over in Disney World, the Epcot attraction Cosmic Rewind gets a few cute variants. From September 21 through the 30, the ride only plays Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” which is usually one of the songs that plays on random rotation from the ride’s usual mixtape, a nod to the Awesome Mixes from the James Gunn movies. It’s such a silly nod to the meme-fication of your parent’s fave disco-era track, but endearing nonetheless. I still haven’t gotten this song on my rides of the mixtape-based coaster and missed this guarantee by a few days recently! I did, however, get to experience the holiday overlay on it, Holiday Remix, which only lasted one year in 2022 and was set to the tune of “Run, Run, Rudolph” but parodied as “Run, Run, Rocket”. Cute!

Jungle Cruise (Jingle Cruise)

The Jingle Cruise is missed at Disneyland. It felt as if nostalgic vintage holidays threw up on the riverboat ride. It’s more of a chaotic added theme that the skippers use as fodder for their Jungle Cruise bits on the fly, as you can see the animals on the ride appear to have gotten into some Christmas cargo. And the holiday puns are always top tier! Every year I wish it would return to Disneyland (it ended on the West Coast in 2017), but thankfully it is still operating during the holidays at the Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise in Walt Disney World.

Living With the Land (Glimmering Greenhouses)

Lastly, Epcot’s sustainable garden and farming zen ride, which is a favorite to decompress on, gets a lovely holiday lights tour overlay during the winter. It makes the relaxing and educational voyage away from the overstimulating bustle of the park even more wondrous to behold as festive key ingredients of holiday dishes from around the world are nerdily described over the course of the attraction. It’s theme park ASMR and chill holiday vibes. I hope Disney never changes this, because this little gem is something completely unexpected yet comforting to bask in at Epcot during Disney World’s busiest times.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Red Sox clinch first playoff berth since 2021 on walk-off

by admin September 27, 2025

Sep 26, 2025, 10:12 PM ET

BOSTON — Ceddanne Rafaela tripled off the center field wall to drive in the game-ending run in the ninth inning on Friday night, giving the Red Sox a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers and clinching Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021.

Boston rallied from a 3-0 deficit to move two games ahead of the Tigers and 2 1/2 ahead of Houston in the race for the last two American League wild-card berths, with two games left to play. Detroit, which has lost 12 of its last 14 games, can still reach the playoffs and even win the AL Central with help from Cleveland.

Boston tied the game in the eighth inning and then Romy Gonzalez singled to center with one out in the ninth. Rafaela, who missed clearing the Green Monster in the seventh by about a foot, sent a 1-0 pitch off the wall in center.

Editor’s Picks

Gonzalez, who held up to make sure it wasn’t caught, raced around to score as his teammates streamed out of the dugout and nearly beat him to the plate.

Masataka Yoshida had three hits for Boston. Closer Aroldis Chapman (5-3) pitched the ninth for the win. Tommy Kahnle (1-5) got just one out in the bottom of the ninth.

Key moment

The Red Sox missed a pair of two-run homers by about two feet: Nathaniel Lowe hit a line drive off the Green Monster in the second inning, just missing the top of the wall. Rafaela also settled for a double with his liner off the top of the 37-foot wall in the seventh.

Key stat

It was Boston’s major league-leading 12th walk-off win of the season. That’s tied for the second most in franchise history. The Red Sox won on their last at-bat 13 times in 1940.

Up next

LHP Connelly Early (1-1) will start for Boston on Saturday. The Tigers had not named a starter.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Bitcoin and Ethereum Prices Wobble Fight ETF Outflows

by admin September 27, 2025

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) experienced significant price instability on Friday, September 26, with Bitcoin and ETH breaking below key support levels of $110,000 and $4000, respectively before reclaiming it.

In the past 24 hours, Ethereum (ETH) has gained 3.82%, climbing to $4,050 with a market cap of $488.8 billion. Bitcoin (BTC) also edged higher, up 0.39% to $109,983, holding a market cap above $2.19 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap. Despite the uptick, trading volumes for both assets declined, signaling that broader market sentiment remains cautious.

Bitcoin ETF outflows

The recent price correction for Bitcoin has accelerated, with the asset dropping below the $110,000 level. This movement coincides with significant selling pressure from institutional investors. According to market data from analytics platform SoSoValue show that the US Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded outflows of $258 million on Thursday.

Bitcoin ETFs Inflow Chart September 25 Source: SoSoValue

Ethereum follows suit

Ethereum has mirrored Bitcoin’s downturn, experiencing similar price instability. The market for the second-largest cryptocurrency saw investor withdrawals totaling $251 million from its own spot ETF products.

ETH ETFs Inflow Chart September 25 Source: SoSoValue

The combined outflow of over $500 million signals a widespread “risk-off” sentiment among institutional players, suggesting they are reducing their exposure to digital assets in anticipation of further volatility.

This trend suggests that large-scale investors are actively reducing their exposure to digital assets in anticipation of further market volatility.The current downturn follows a period of instability where Bitcoin recently lost key support levels, while ETH’s supply on centralized exchanges has hit its lowest point since 2016.

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index dropped to 32 (Fear), down from a neutral 41 yesterday, according to CoinMarketCap. The shift reflects growing investor anxiety after weeks of ETF outflows and weak technical signals, marking one of the lowest sentiment levels since March’s “extreme fear” reading.

The substantial outflows from institutional investment products mark a clear shift in market sentiment, acting as the primary driver for the current weakness in Bitcoin and Ethereum prices. Continued withdrawals could lead to further price declines in the short term unless there is a significant improvement in overall market confidence. For now, investor caution appears to be shaping the immediate future of the digital asset market.

Also read: Trader Loses $45M as Ethereum Price Drops Below $4,000

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

KPop Demon Hunters Are You Next Rumored Guests For Fortnite’s Halloween Party

by admin September 27, 2025

Last year’s Fortnitemares was extremely packed with microtransactions, with the Fortnite item shop averaging a new collab skin every other day over the course of October. And it may be that Fortnitemares 2025 will be even more crowded, with long-rumored collabs with Scream, Friday the 13th, and Scooby-Doo expected to appear in the Fortnite shop during spooky season. But now there’s a new rumor about yet another Fortnitemares collab–KPop Demon Hunters.

The exact nature of the Fortnite x KPOP Demon Hunters collab isn’t clear at all right now, since the entire leak is just HypeX saying that it’s “the main Halloween collab” and that it’s “not just skins.” If true, this would presumably mean that there will be some new KPop Demon Hunters-related gameplay mechanic, like a new weapon or other item. Though since Fortnitemares is also rumored to have a Jason Voorhees medallion and Ghostface’s mythic knife, the KPop Demon Hunters collab would have to be even more involved with that.

The new season of Fortnite Festival begins on October 9, and so it’s possible that HUNTR/X will be the new season headliners. Epic previously promised the upcoming Festival season would be focused on Fortnite-original stuff, but that just means they had a plan that would have been very easy to pivot away from if they had the chance to swap in a collab with the biggest Netflix movie ever.

Fortnitemares 2025 is expected to start in early October, but we don’t know for sure when it will be just yet. Even so, there have been plenty of leaks about what we can expect to see from this year’s spooky festivities, and you can read all about them here.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

I played China’s ‘anime GTA’ Ananta and I wasn’t surprised to find Spider-Man swinging and Batman punching, but I wasn’t quite ready for the vampire who vomits rainbows

by admin September 27, 2025

I may be outing myself as a dullard, but I don’t think I have a mind that could combine a bunny girl doing odd delivery jobs for cash, a cute Japanese kei truck, and a sick vampire who barfs streams of rainbows into a single scene. Perhaps no single mind could, but that was the moment in Ananta, which has made headlines as “anime GTA” since its re-reveal this week, that really won me over.

Ananta is borrowing—or brazenly copying—a lot, but it might have some wild-ass ideas of its own, too.

The main impression I got from playing about half-an-hour of Ananta at this year’s Tokyo Game Show was: Wow it must have taken a lot of people to make this game! China is on the path to dominate the next decade of triple-A games, and there’s no flashier way to do it than to make (or at least appear to be making) the ur-game. Every mechanic from the top 10 or 20 or 50 most popular games in the world, combined, is surely better than any of those games individually, right?

This maximalist approach to big budget game design has never really been great in practice, and a few minutes into Ananta reveal it is indeed doing things that you have done many times in a game before and probably are not foaming at the mouth to do again:

Punching guys with timing-based combos and counters reminiscent of the Batman Arkham games or Sleeping Dogs
Scripted quick-time events that feel right out of an Uncharted or other 2010s action game
On-rails car chases that give you unlimited ammo to shoot out the tires of your pursuers
Web-swinging around a giant city as Spide—er, the anime version of that guy from Prototype

Ananta | Gameplay Video – YouTube

Watch On

But then there’s the weird stuff—like hopping into the boots of Lykaia, a purple-haired getaway driver slash cop who has a totally different set of play mechanics to the intro protagonist, whose arms get all weird and stretchy to let him swing around.

In its free roam mode, Ananta let me pull up a phone interface to swap between characters, triggering a straight-outta-GTA-5 camera swoop up into the sky and back down into the part of the city where they’re currently hanging out. I only played as Lykaia for a couple minutes before my demo was up, but as a police officer she can scan NPCs against a database, frisk them for weapons, issue citations, and handcuff them, triggering reactions and dialogue you wouldn’t otherwise see.

Will this be fun? Will it produce any actually interesting systemic interactions or are these all paper thin mechanics that you’ll use three times and never see fit to use again? I have no idea, but it sure does seem like a hell of a lot of work if it’s the latter.

You know the saying about Chekhov’s coffin: it better have a vampire in it who’s violently ill and leans over the side of the truck bed to puke a stream of rainbow sick into the night air.

I spent most of the game as Taffy, a bunny girl whose eagerness to make money sees her blindly accepting an odd job from a rando who texts her to meet at a sketchy warehouse. Turns out the warehouse is full of gang members who try to bludgeon her to death with baseball bats. Good thing she has telekinetic powers! I punched out most of the guys before I realized I could psychically rip a bat out of someone’s hands and thonk it into his skull.

Then a delivery driver crashed his truck into the warehouse and told me I needed to get the cargo across town ASAP. Soon-to-be Gen Z icon Taffy cheerily says “Gotta get that bag” as she takes on the job.

It took me a few seconds into the drive to notice that the cargo in the back of the truck was, in fact, a coffin, and you know the saying about Chekhov’s coffin: it better have a vampire in it who’s violently ill and leans over the side of the truck bed to puke a stream of rainbow sick into the night air.

(Image credit: NetEase)

Taffy is less surprised by this than I am. Not in a “she’s used to vampires who throw up rainbows” kind of way, as Ananta does not use this mission to reveal some sort of in-universe lore about a race of vampires suffering some sort of sci-fi gut-melting virus. The vibe I get from Ananta is that none of these characters are going to be very surprised or upset or unduly threatened by anything: they’re all seemingly different strains of jovial bouncy superhero.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure my driving wasn’t the problem: I delivered the vampire to some sort of cult who played him up as a fearsome warrior as a gag before he continued puking into a rusty barrel.

It was just one baffling sidequest out of a game that promises unfathomable scope. I can’t say Ananta’s driving or punching or swinging felt exemplary—but none of them really felt that bad, either! This may be a game that does dozens of things acceptably well. And it made me laugh.

Maybe Ananta’s developers didn’t start from the cynical position of copying the most high-profile games in the world. Maybe they were just brainstorming and someone said yes to every single idea they came up with, even vampires barfing ROYGBIV? It’s done, love it, it’s in the game. Next?

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Will Bitcoin Finish the Month Above $105K? Traders Are Losing Faith

by admin September 27, 2025

In brief

Predictors on Myriad now think Bitcoin will hit $105,000 before $125,000.
Odds have flipped more than 20% in the last two days, as BTC continues its weekly slide.
The asset now sits only about 4% above the $105,000 mark.

The recent weakness in Bitcoin’s price has predictors on Myriad feeling bearish about the asset’s next major price milestone—now predicting a dip to $105,000 before it makes a new all-time high at $125,000.

Odds of the next stop being $105,000 have increased to 68% in the last week, a gain of more than 25% in that timeframe. The bulk of that move has taken place in the last two days, with odds swinging more than 20% in favor of $105,000 since Wednesday night.

Myriad is a unit of Dastan, the parent company of an edtorially independent Decrypt.

The market’s volatility has been aided by Bitcoin’s gradual decline, now down 5% in the last week and changing hands below $110,000 for the first time since September 2.

The top crypto asset is flat in the last 24 hours amid news that U.S. core inflation held at 2.9% in August.

In addition to inflation data, markets are now also contending with new tariff headlines courtesy of President Donald Trump, leaving risk assets “under pressure” and “capital flows cautious,” according to Bitunix analyst Dean Chen.

“The recently announced high tariffs remain an uncertain factor that could deliver one-off inflationary pressure while weighing on growth,” Chen told Decrypt on Friday.

More than $162 billion in crypto valuations has been wiped out this week as Bitcoin just barely hangs on to a percentage point gain since September began. The month typically signifies a brutal stretch for Bitcoin, which has dropped 3.77% on average during the month in each year since 2013.

It will need a major turnaround to climb back towards its all-time high of $124,118. At its current price, BTC sits just 4% above the $105,000 mark that will bring resolution to the Myriad market which has attracted more than $300,000 in trading volume. It would need to gain 14% to resolve the other way.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments