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brutal

Is This XRP’s Golden Opportunity? Bollinger Bands Deliver Brutal Chart Truth

by admin September 22, 2025

XRP has returned to news headlines following today’s daily chart print, with the coin closing at almost exactly its Bollinger mid-band level of $2.97. This line is not just a technical average; it has previously acted as a support level, catching the price just before a rebound. In late July, XRP’s price reached the mid-band at $2.70 before rising to $3.80 — an increase of almost 40% in under three weeks.

The question on the minds of traders watching now is whether history is repeating itself and if today’s setup could mark the bottom of this leg.

But if you look at the bigger picture, things change. On the weekly chart, XRP isn’t at a clear bottom or top — it is stuck in the middle. The weekly mid-band is lower at $2.68, while the upper band is higher at $3.53.

XRP/USD by TradingView

This creates an uneasy equilibrium: A move down to the mid-band could result in a decline of 10.3%, while a move up to the upper band could lead to an increase of 18.2%. The odds of either outcome are almost equal, which makes the risk/reward profile less attractive than the daily picture might suggest.

Is it really golden opportunity for XRP price?

Short-term signals whisper “golden opportunity,” but longer-term charts keep flashing uncertainty. Daily traders can identify a clear technical level, but swing traders are aware that the real danger lies in over-committing while the weekly candles fluctuate between ranges.

For XRP, the “golden” label only applies if buyers defend the $2.97 band convincingly. A slip to $2.68 would transform this setup from an opportunity into a warning. On the other hand, a push through $3.20 would be the first sign that bulls are aiming for $3.50 again.

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September 22, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

NHL 26 is one of the best sports games you can buy right now, but it’s brutal for beginners

by admin September 11, 2025

I’ve always loved sports, from football (soccer) to darts; if there’s some kind of competition on TV, I’ll be watching. It wasn’t until last year, however, that I got the hockey bug, and ever since I’ve been engulfed by the world of the NHL.

I’ve fallen in love with ice hockey so much that I’m now a season ticket holder for my local ice hockey team in Scotland, and while the level isn’t on par with the incredible abilities on display in the NHL, it captures the soul of the game.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release date: September 12, 2025

Why am I talking about my newfound love for hockey, you ask? Well, the last EA NHL game I purchased was NHL 16, and despite playing trials sporadically over the years, I’ve never truly immersed myself in the world of Chel.

This all changed with NHL 26, the latest video game in the annual ice hockey series, and the first time I’ve ever played a hockey game with pretty good knowledge of the current teams and rosters.

This is my review of NHL 26, from the eyes of someone who’s found a new passion for ice hockey as the sport quickly becomes my go-to weekend television.

It’s in the game

For a little bit of extra background, I played the 10-hour free trial of NHL 25 when it launched last year, and while I enjoyed it, my lack of hockey interest at the time severely impacted my decision not to purchase the full game.

Fast forward 12 months, and everything has changed. I’ve got tickets to my first NHL game, I watched the whole of last season almost religiously, and I have a massive urge to get good at scoring slap shots from almost anywhere on the ice.

Like most sports video game franchises, each annual release brings new rosters, new jerseys (in the case of hockey, sweaters), and some improvements to gameplay to try and warrant a new full price tag. Compared to my previous experience with NHL 25, NHL 26 seems to build on everything that made that game an excellent sports simulation, while also adding new features to make the gameplay feel fresh.

(Image credit: EA / NHL)

NHL 26 introduces ICE-Q 2.0, a new engine that makes players feel more like their real-life skating counterparts. EA says ICE-Q 2.0 is “fueled by NHL EDGE positional data,” and real-world data has an impact on player attributes.

I noticed this first-hand when trying out Connor McDavid, who felt as quick and skillful in NHL 26 as he does while I’m watching him play for the Oilers on TV. Each player has specific tendencies pulled from the data, which means they perform more like themselves than ever before. Players like Leon Draisaitl hold their position like in real life, making him lethal from the right side of the net, able to smash the puck in from a tight angle.

I really appreciated the uniqueness of star players across the NHL, and combined with X-Factors (specific skills unique to the players in real-life), I found the gameplay incredibly engaging and layered. As someone who has grown up with FIFA (now EA FC 26), I found the complexity of the gameplay in NHL 26 very refreshing.

EA has put a big effort into improving the presentation of the game using ICE-Q 2.0, too, with new extended replays combined with insights and more immersive audio that makes the game feel as close to the real thing as possible.

(Image credit: EA / NHL)

Heading for the Stanley Cup

I played a lot of Franchise mode in the week or so I’ve spent with NHL 26, and I really enjoyed having an input into all of the elements that go into running an elite team. From working on your marketing budget to juggling salary caps with trades, I found myself playing the offline career mode far more than I’d ever have expected to.

I’ve taken fondly for the Montreal Canadiens, and considering the team’s huge prospects for success in the next decade, building the team and taking them on a late playoff run was really satisfying.

I decided to have lots of control over everything going on behind the scenes, but if you choose to, you can let the AI control everything and just focus on the performances on the ice.

Franchise mode was probably my favorite gamemode on NHL 26, but it’s only had small incremental improvements compared to the experience on its predecessor.

A lot of time has been put into revamping Be a Pro in NHL 26, where a new chapter-based progression system with all-new cutscenes and cinematics brings the feeling of being a future ice hockey star to life.

Best bit

(Image credit: EA / NHL)

NHL 26 is one of the most realistic sports games I’ve ever played, and as someone who’s trying to immerse themselves in the world of ice hockey as much as possible, it’s a joy to experience the slick and speedy action on the rink.

I’m not a huge fan of these kinds of game modes in sports games; in fact, FIFA 17’s The Journey completely turned me off wanting to experience the life of a player, but for those who do like focusing on building a star, the new changes here will scratch the itch.

Just like other sports games in EA’s portfolio, NHL 26 puts an emphasis on Ultimate Team, and love it or loathe it, it’s an incredibly popular game mode. This year, HUT has a Cup Chase game mode that allows you to progress offline to earn rewards to improve your team. There are also new team-building mechanics and salary caps to make the game more competitive online.

During my review period with NHL 26, I wasn’t able to play online, but I did enjoy building a somewhat respectable Ultimate Team. The problem with modes like this is the emphasis on blind boxes (packs) and spending real money to get the players you know and love. I have not played HUT for an extended period of time, so I don’t know how bad it is in NHL 26, but if it’s anything like my experience of EA FC Ultimate Team, it can be a dangerous game that leads to throwing cash away for minimal reward.

Face off

Ice hockey games have always shone when it comes to multiplayer, so I invited my friend round for some couch co-op to check out the modes in NHL 26.

Now, I want you to remember that I’m a massive novice when it comes to ice hockey games, and my friend, who’s also a huge NHL fan, hadn’t played one of these games for well over a decade.

I’d say, in general, I’m a pretty good gamer. I used to compete in FIFA tournaments when I was younger, and I’m currently bruteforcing my way through Hollow Knight: Silksong, despite backlash online with people crying it’s too hard.

That said, NHL 26 was impossibly hard for a beginner, and even after changing the speed and power of our shots, my friend and I really struggled to score goals on the ice.

It got so bad, in fact, that we tried training mode with 5 players against a goalie, and even then, nothing seemed to click. Now, obviously, this is a skill issue, and actually, I really appreciate there being a learning curve to get good at the game, but I have an issue with the lack of training and tips.

I turned on all the beginner trainer pop-ups for in-game, which showed me what to do and when, but even then, nothing seemed to click. And unlike games like Madden 26, there was no training facility to learn the ropes; NHL 26 just assumed that anyone playing the game was already familiar with it.

My friend and I had an 8-time overtime game that ended 1-0, and let’s just say the only way we were getting through the pain of being terrible at finishing our chances was by ingesting copious amounts of beer (We couldn’t score before the drinking).

Something is fascinating about how difficult NHL 26 is, however, and the need to really learn the ins and outs of ice hockey keeps me coming back for more. I was able to sneak my way into the playoffs in Franchise Mode, but if I want to win the Stanley Cup, I’m going to have to train harder and smarter to actually get good at scoring goals.

Should you play NHL 26?

Play it if…

You want to immerse yourself in the world of NHL
NHL 26 is the best ice hockey game on the market, and it does an excellent job at capturing what makes the sport one of the most exciting on the planet. If you’re into hockey or want to be, NHL 26 is the sports game for you.

You don’t own NHL 25
I can’t say for certain that NHL 26 is worth picking up if you own NHL 25 because, quite frankly, I dream of a world without annual sports video game releases. That said, NHL 26 is a damn good sports game, so if you love everything hockey or don’t own NHL 25, it’s a must-play.

Don’t play it if…

You’ve not got patience
Unless you’re a seasoned veteran, NHL 26 is not a pick-up and play experience. In fact, it’s probably one of the hardest sports games for a beginner I’ve ever tried. If you don’t have time to invest in learning the ropes, NHL 26 isn’t for you

Accessibility

NHL 26 is filled with accessibility features to set the game up exactly as you want it. With multiple control schemes and basic controller remapping, there are different ways to play depending on your needs and preferences.

Gameplay accessibility is supported via adjustable difficulty levels (with more granular “advanced” difficulty options) as well as control reminders (so players can see how to do certain moves or actions).

How I reviewed NHL 26

I played over 30 hours of NHL 26 on PS5 Pro connected to my Samsung S90D, one of the best OLED TVs on the market.

I tested all of the main game modes, spending most of my time in Franchise Mode and playing exhibition matches with my friend via couch co-op.

I’ve played a whole host of sports games over the years and have reviewed EA FC 25 and WWE 2K25 in recent months. While I’m a novice to NHL video games, I know quite a bit about the sport and used my experience to compare the real-life action with the gameplay on my PS5.

First reviewed September 2025

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September 11, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Gold, Crypto or Stocks? Key Difference Revealed, And It Is Brutal for Bitcoin

by admin September 6, 2025

When markets feel the heat, the contrasts between them become clear right away. Popular crypto analyst Will Clemente perfectly highlighted this gap amid the latest shake out.

The fact is that gold has central banks that rush to add to reserves, and stocks are cushioned by pension and sovereign funds that love to compound, but crypto has none of that. The only names associated with it on public markets are the ones that crash at the same time as the coins themselves.

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Bitcoin dipped to around $110,700 today on a U.S. jobs data mess, but the companies most exposed to it slipped at the same time. Strategy is down 1.47%, BMNR lost more than 5%, Coinbase dropped over 4% and SBET slid almost 7%.

The difference between gold, stocks, and crypto in shaky moments is that gold has central banks twapping, stocks have pension funds & sovereign wealth funds twapping, crypto has this: pic.twitter.com/r6oDTcbQQT

— Will (@WClementeIII) September 5, 2025

These are supposed to be the closest thing to institutional exposure for digital assets, but during sell-offs, they do not buy — they bleed.

“When sell-off hits”

Today’s situation looked even worse on the derivatives side. In just 24 hours, there were more than $371 million in liquidations, split between $230 million in longs and $141 million in shorts.

In just the first hour after the report came, a whopping $117 million was gone, showing how easily things can fall apart when there is no deep capital backing it up.

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Every part of the day brought new sales, and by the end, both the bulls and the bears had lost hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, S&P 500 and Nasdaq renewed all-time highs.

The comparison is simple but hard to ignore. Gold is used by central banks, stocks are used by retirement funds and crypto is used by companies that have the same price chart. When Bitcoin drops, they sell off too, leaving nothing behind to slow the fall.

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September 6, 2025 0 comments

Esports

The Long Walk review: Bleak, brutal Stephen King movie is an all-timer

by admin September 3, 2025

As a Stephen King adaptation, The Long Walk belongs in the echelon occupied by Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. As a movie, it’s a gruelling endurance test that’s also an immensely moving privilege.

Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, Squid Game – three pop-culturally pervasive IPs united by one fundamental aspect: nations in decay that promise riches (if not merely survival) to the few to balm, or simply distract the many. We’re not there (yet), but you’d need to be blind, deaf, or dim to not understand why these stories are so popular; we root for the few, but we are the many.

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You could say The Long Walk is a little late. Ultimately, it’s another dystopian tale that revolves around a deadly contest, and it’s even directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed most of The Hunger Games films. What else is there to say or see, other than echoes and reflections of misery?

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Well, through Lawrence, writer JT Mollner, and King (or Richard Bachman, for the fans), it manages to feel like a movie for now. Also, and this part is important… it could be the best film you’ll watch this year.

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What is The Long Walk about?

Nineteen years on from a war that “tore this nation apart,” the US is decrepit and impoverished, with free-spirited books and music banned under the country’s totalitarian regime.

Each year, the American dream is distilled down to its cursed essence with a nationwide competition: The Long Walk, in which young men are required to walk at a speed of at least 3mph. As the Major (Mark Hamill) booms, there’s “no finish line” – the contest only ends with one man standing, and those who slow down or stop are point-blank executed. It’s not compulsory to enter, either: those who want to take part volunteer their names in a lottery, and they’re offered a “back out day” before the walk begins.

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If they win, they get “a gazillion dollars” and one wish. Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) has big plans for his wish, with hopes to rid the country of the contest once and for all, while Peter McVries (David Jonsson) has even nobler aspirations. They quickly find kinship with each other as one foot follows another and tens of miles turn to hundreds; bantering, laughing, confiding, and at times, carrying (almost literally).

There is one distinct detail: despite the Major’s best, gravelly efforts to sensationalize the contest, there’s no glory in it. They walk from town to town past endless fields, greeted by little more than dead cattle and sullen-faced families. “Pretty f**king desolate,” Garraty even says.

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That’s what makes it all so affecting: there’s very little exposition about the conception of the walk or why boys who take part need to die, but it’s the result of stubbornness (for the government) and desperation (for the boys, even if they don’t know it). Even the worst participants (Charlie Plummer’s Barkovitch is especially loathsome) are easy to pity: they may have agency with each step, but they’re all pawns in a game that’s indefinitely rigged.

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The Long Walk isn’t for the faint of heart

Lionsgate

King asserted that there was no point in making The Long Walk if it wasn’t true to the brutality of the book. Lawrence never hesitates in showcasing its horrors, nor is it gratuitous; when you see a young boy’s face get splattered over the ground, it’s a clear, present, and anxiety-inducing danger.

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The movie doesn’t shy away from your inevitable questions, either, whether it’s one guy sacrificing his speed to take a sh*t, sleepwalking, or shoes giving in to the extraordinary distance. It’s a thoroughly thought-out piece of storytelling in every regard, and the character work is second to none.

Hoffman and Jonsson are sensational, two leading men with immediate chemistry; in an instant, you’ll be thinking, “They’re my boys.” Their presence is reminiscent of Stand By Me’s Gordie and Chris; not in the dynamic (both are self-assured and commanding in their own ways), but in how lived-in and honest their friendship seems as the nightmare darkens. These are two natural, but hugely charismatic performances – make them (even bigger) stars.

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Similar praise could be given to the supporting cast (Tut Nyuot’s Arthur is another standout), and credit is due for both King and Mollner: it’s hard to think of another movie where young men have been this aptly written (sorry to cite Stand By Me again, but it’s the strongest comparison). It’s not a spoiler to say many of them die, but there’s not a single death that feels inconsequential: each one is absolutely heartwrenching. I cried multiple times. I could cry just thinking about those who “get their ticket.”

The Long Walk is the peak of Francis Lawrence’s career

Lionsgate

It’s no small compliment to say this is the best movie Lawrence has ever directed. Catching Fire is revered by many as the best Hunger Games film (because it is), and Constantine and I Am Legend are underrated.

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There’s not one component here that’s out of place; each performance is perfectly pitched, its blocking and “moment to moment” sequencing is sublime, and he shows restraint where it matters (a tiny bit more detail about the wider world would have been good). Also, it has an elite title card drop.

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The cinematography, courtesy of Jo Willems (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night, and Catching Fire), is grim and beautiful; some images are hard to shake, others briefly numb the barbarity. It’s a little reductive and broad to say this, but even when its palette is as dreary as the clouds above the boys, it looks like a real film, not an exercise in plot.

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A special shoutout to composer Jeremiah Fraites (who’s part of The Lumineers), whose first film score is sophisticated and emotive. It’s almost Moby-like in some scenes, but it’s diverse, capable of ramping up suspense and leaning into his folk sensibilities in more tender, quiet moments.

The Long Walk score: 5/5

Harrowing, heartbreaking, and near-flawless, The Long Walk is one of the greatest Stephen King adaptations ever made; walk – nay, run – to watch it as soon as possible. This is an all-timer.

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The Long Walk hits cinemas on September 12. Until then, check out our list of the best horror movies ever made and what else is dropping this year with our 2025 movie calendar.

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September 3, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

When to Buy Bitcoin? Biggest Skeptic Offers Brutal Idea

by admin August 25, 2025

Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin strategy made headlines again after a software producer revealed that it bought 3,081 BTC for around $357 million at an average price of $115,829. The company now has 632,457 BTC, worth over $71 billion, with an average entry of $73,527.

Based on the numbers, Strategy is still up more than 52% despite the recent market ups and downs.

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Before the announcement, Saylor had said that Bitcoin was on sale, but it is all fun until Peter Schiff steps into the Bitcoin debate.

Buy Bitcoin? It may be a good idea, but according to Schiff the real opportunity will not come until companies like Strategy go bust. For him, the only interesting entry point would be when companies that are heavily invested in Bitcoin have to sell a lot of their holdings, which would be like a fire sale.

Says the man who leveraged up to go all-in on Bitcoin. if you really want to buy Bitcoin, wait until the Strategy going out of business sale.

— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) August 24, 2025

That critique is in line with a growing concern about how companies are handling their “Bitcoin treasuries.”

Risks of Bitcoin treasury companies

The model often involves issuing stock at premiums, channeling the proceeds into Bitcoin, and watching valuations rise in a feedback loop. It works while the premium is good, but once it fades, capital inflows stop and the setup starts to look like a margin trade with no room for error.

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For now, Strategy is still the big name in this field. The company’s market cap is currently at $99 billion, with an enterprise value of almost $113 billion, and its Bitcoin holdings account for nearly three-quarters of that total.

Even so, Schiff’s point is still hanging in there: that the best time to buy Bitcoin might not be when Saylor talks about but when the system that supports corporate treasuries built on BTC finally breaks down.

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August 25, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Five Years Ago, ‘The Batman’ Made Its Brutal, Moody Debut

by admin August 23, 2025

On August 22, 2020, Warner Bros. held its first-ever DC FanDome, a weekend-long virtual event meant to make up for that year’s San Diego Comic-Con, which was canceled due to the pandemic. If you’ve ever followed big industry events like the Game Awards or… well, Comic-Con, you know they often come with a big trailer or two that’s meant to make it all worth it. And for WB, the big showcase for its inaugural, short-lived event was the very first look at Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

Trailers for superhero movies have gradually become more and more of a big deal, whether they’re telegraphed in advance, leaked, or appear just out of the blue. The Batman already caught the internet’s eye with casting Twilight alum Robert Pattinson in the lead role, and excitement truly began to grow once Reeves showed the actor in his Batsuit and the most car-looking Batmobile in years.

It also didn’t hurt that this was the first solo Bat-movie in nearly a decade and technically the true start of WB’s plans to dabble around with a cinematic multiverse that kept this Batman in his own world away from other goings-on at the time.

Within 24 hours, that teaser amassed over 31 million views, and while those numbers are short in the grand scheme, it did its job in getting people talking about Batman again. If online circles weren’t discussing its darkness in comparison to the Nolan films, they were gushing over Colin Farrell’s makeup job as Penguin or listening to Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” on repeat. For a movie that was openly marketing itself back then as still in the works, it won enough of the internet over right away that they were willing to follow Reeves to hell if it meant getting to see this on the big screen.

Had things gone to plan, The Batman would’ve come out in June 2021, but the pandemic forced a readjustment. The Batman was a quarter into production when it was indefinitely paused for most of 2020, during which the film’s dialect coach Andrew Jack passed away from covid and Pattinson himself tested positive just days after work resumed again. As a result, things were basically radio silent until late 2021, when the film basically reintroduced itself with a new trailer that kept the mood and song but featured more bombast and a great idea of what the movie would be about. On just one of WB’s YouTube accounts, it’s gotten over 65 million views and closes on a shot that’ll likely define Reeves’ entire Batman tenure. If there were any doubts that people lost interest in this movie because of the pandemic, that second trailer sure proved that wrong.

Since that first trailer came and went, The Batman (which hit theaters March 4, 2022) has continued to have a hold on the internet, which has been waiting impatiently for its sequel. Like its predecessor, The Batman Part II has had no shortage of production problems and delays, to the degree that DC Studios head James Gunn politely (but firmly) told people to back off Reeves. The second movie isn’t due for another two years and change and only recently entered pre-production—but when the first proper look at that one hits, expect comparisons between it and its predecessor’s first trailer as fans once again prepare to fall in love with Reeves’ interpretation of DC’s ever-brooding leading man.

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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August 23, 2025 0 comments