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Chess meets roguelike dungeon crawler Below the Crown gets an early access launch date and a demo that’s smarter than me

by admin October 2, 2025

Am I good at chess? I’ll take no for $1500, Alex. But do I love a funky twist on games that are older than time itself? You bet your bottom dollar I do! Enter Below the Crown, a chess video game that is also a roguelike, ,and is also a turn-based strategy game, and is also a dungeon crawler on top of that. It’s a lot! It also works very well, and in a demo that just came out today (alongside an early access release date), there’s a suggestion of something a touch more… unsettling… going on under the hood.

In Below the Crown, you are a wizard who is working to get The Emperor the gold he knows is down in the dungeon below his castle. This wizard version of you places a single king on a chess board in each run, with a selection of other, occasionally remixed versions of classic pieces at your disposal. You slowly add pieces to the board as you try to strategise your way towards taking down opposing kings, adding abilities to your various pieces as you go room by room. Sometimes you’ll be offered the opportunity to buy certain useful cards too, like one that will freeze an enemy piece in place for five turns.

It’s chess! And it’s not chess. The important thing is that the essence of the age-old game is there, that feeling of thinking where you’re going to place which piece where, albeit in a refreshingly different way. Though, it definitely is a game that is smarter than me, at least when it comes to chess, because I really would like to stress I’m pants at actual chess. Still fun though! And then there’s the creepy bits.

In between rounds, you might get asked to do things like placing a marker on a graph that reads loneliness on the Y axis and anxiety on the X axis. Upon beating a run I was asked to rank my pieces based on how I felt about them, and was then questioned on my choices afterwards. Methinks there is a bit more than just retro, roguelike chess going on here, and I’m curious to find out more.

Which I’ll be able to do soonish! As developer Misfits Attic (who also made Duskers) shared that Below the Crown will be launching into early access next month, November 10th. Better keep practicing at regular chess in the meantime so I don’t totally suck at this twisted video game version of it.

You can wishlist Below the Crown on Steam here.

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October 2, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Early Prime Day Deals: $100 Off 2 Best-Selling Espresso Makers

by admin October 1, 2025

Hi. it turns out Prime Day is only really a suggestion on the calendar. A lot of brands like to kick out early Prime Day deals before getting lost in the big din of Prime Big Deal Days on October 7-8. (See here for early Prime Day deals on laptops, earbuds, and more.)

The two most popular espresso machines on Earth—as judged by Amazon sales, anyway–are both on sale for $100 off this week, ahead of Amazon Prime Day’s October reprise. These are a couple of the best early Prime Day Deals.

$100 off Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Before Prime Day

Photograph: Tyler Shane
Photograph: Tyler Shane
Photograph: Tyler Shane

Ninja

Luxe Cafe Premier Series Espresso Machine

The most exciting deal of the pair is probably the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier ($500), on sale for the lowest price we’ve ever seen it.

When Ninja announced it was jumping into the semiautomatic espresso market, I didn’t know quite what to make of it. But Ninja seems to have applied its general flair for multipurpose machines to this beautifully beginner-friendly espresso machine with a 25-setting conical burr grinder, a built-in scale (thank you), and options for cold brew and drip coffee.

WIRED contributing reviewer Tyler Shane was likewise skeptical of Ninja’s first espresso device when it arrived but ended up loving the excellent milk steaming and the fact that this Ninja grinds espresso shots by weight. (Why doesn’t everybody?) She also appreciated the reasonable price—a price that’s even more reasonable ahead of Prime Day.

$100 off Breville Barista Express

Courtesy of Breville

Breville’s Barista Express ($600) semiautomatic espresso machine has been Amazon’s best-selling espresso machine for years—so long it’s hard to remember a time when it wasn’t the top-selling pick.

Why’s it so popular? It’s a Goldilocks thing—a mix of accessible price, Breville’s excellent reputation for customer service on high-ticket items, and beautiful ease of use on a semiautomatic machine with a built-in grinder that makes full-flavored, well-extracted espresso. This $100 discount isn’t quite the lowest price we’ve seen on it—it’s been down to $550 before—but it’s a very good price.

And besides, this Breville has the merit of being a tried-and-true machine. WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu has been pulling shots from his Barista Express for six years now, and it’s still going strong. No wonder the Express has been among WIRED’s top espresso machine picks for ages.

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October 1, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

AMD in early talks to make chips at Intel Foundry, report says

by admin October 1, 2025

Intel is in the early stages of talks with AMD about making the fabless chip designer an Intel Foundry customer, according to a report from Semafor.

The report, citing “people familiar with the matter,” doesn’t say just how much of AMD’s chip manufacturing would move to Intel. The company currently fabs its chips at TSMC. (Intel fabs some products at TSMC, too.)

In the past several weeks, Intel has seen a flurry of activity and investments. The United States announced a 9.9% ownership stake in Intel, while Softbank bought $2 billion worth of shares. Alongside Nvidia, Intel announced new x86 chips using Nvidia graphics technology, with the graphics giant also purchasing $5 billion in Intel shares. There have also been reports that Intel and Apple have been exploring ways to work together.

Such a partnership with AMD could validate former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s vision. He had previously expressed interest in building chips for all of the world’s major tech companies, including long-time rival AMD. It’s unknown if AMD is considering a stock purchase similar to Nvidia.

AMD would be a major get for Intel, the latter of which has talked to many companies in a search for foundry customers. Current Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has suggested the company could stop offering its 18A node entirely if there isn’t enough demand for it.

Intel and AMD did not respond to requests for comment from Tom’s Hardware in time for publication.

It makes sense for Intel’s former rivals — especially American companies — to consider coming to the table. The White House is pushing for 50% of chips bound for America to be built domestically, and tariffs on chips aren’t off the table. Additionally, doing business with Intel could make the US government, Intel’s largest shareholder, happy, which can be good for business. AMD faced export restrictions on its GPUs earlier this year as the US attempted to throttle China’s AI business.

In general, Intel’s Foundry technology is perceived as less advanced than TSMC’s, but partnering with Intel could provide a backup if AMD ever needs one.

Crypto Market Prediction: XRP Should Not Celebrate Too Early, Did Ethereum (ETH) Secure $4,200? This Is Bitcoin’s (BTC) $113,000 Chance

by admin October 1, 2025

The market is trying to avoid entering a prolonged downtrend and is fighting back. With Bitcoin smashing through the 50 EMA, XRP is trying to recover but failing for now, and Ethereum hitting $4,200, with solid volume growth.

Bitcoin fights back

After a period of erratic trading and downward pressure, Bitcoin has successfully pushed back above a critical level, regaining $113,000. This move occurs as Bitcoin surpasses its 50-day EMA, a dynamic resistance that has frequently held back price action in September.

Although the breakout is a good technical development, it is still unclear if Bitcoin will be able to sustain these gains. Bitcoin’s continuous struggle in a midterm consolidation zone is highlighted by the daily chart. Buyers intervened to protect the 100-day EMA after the market had dropped to about $111,000 earlier this week, which led to a dramatic recovery.

BTC/USDT Chart by TradingView

The 50 EMA’s successful recovery points to fresh bullish momentum, but the overhead supply is still high between $113,000 and $115,000, the starting point of earlier breakdowns. The rally has seen moderate volume, lacking the bursts of inflows typically seen during long-term breakouts. This makes it more likely that Bitcoin will be rejected at the current levels once more and fall back toward the $111,000-$112,000 range.

Bitcoin would need to clear the September swing highs around $118,000, in addition to maintaining above the 50 EMA, for a more robust bullish confirmation. This uncertainty is reflected in momentum indicators. The RSI, which is neutral and allows for movement in either direction, is at about 50.

Upward targets in the near term point toward $115,000 and $118,000, if bulls continue to exert pressure and consolidate above $113,000. On the downside, if the 50 EMA is not maintained, there may be a quick retest of the 100 EMA and, in a more severe correction, the 200 EMA close to $106,500.

Bulls now have the upper hand again, as Bitcoin has reclaimed a significant resistance zone at $113,000. However, the market may just as easily experience another retracement before attempting a more definitive breakout, given the low volume and resistance above.

XRP secures recovery

Although XRP has recovered from its September lows around $2.80, the recovery is already beginning to show signs of weakness. The token is having difficulty breaking through a significant technical barrier, the 26-day EMA, which is still acting as overhead resistance despite bulls’ optimism following the rebound. The recent upward push runs the risk of being little more than a brief relief rally if there is not a clear break above this level.

The issue is evident on the daily chart. XRP tried to rise higher after retesting the 100-day EMA as support, but the rally halted as soon as the price hit the 26 EMA. The short-term momentum is often determined by this moving average, and XRP’s failure to break through it indicates weakened buying pressure. Additionally, volume has been quiet during the recent rebound, not indicating that there was strong conviction behind the move.

XRP/USDT Chart by TradingView

To make matters more cautious, the overall structure of XRP continues to show a downward trendline that has capped each rally since the middle of July. Upward targets like $3.00-$3.10 are still out of reach until bulls decisively break through the trendline and the 26 EMA. The 200-day EMA at $2.61, the next significant support zone, could be reached by XRP if it is unable to maintain above $2.80.

Momentum indicators range from neutral to marginally pessimistic. Since the RSI is at 46 and does not appear to be oversold, there is potential for additional declines if sellers take advantage of the situation.

Ethereum’s attempt

Ethereum has recovered somewhat, returning to $4,200 following a decline to the $3,800 region last week. Bulls are somewhat reassured by the rebound, but the move’s momentum is not very strong. Technical indicators show that ETH might be running into significant resistance, which could prevent further gains.

The way that Ethereum interacts with the 26-day EMA is the most pressing problem. ETH tried to regain this short-term moving average following the recent rebound, but it was canceled at the 26 EMA, indicating a lack of short-term momentum. The market runs the risk of rolling over once more in the direction of deeper support zones unless ETH can maintain a firm close above this level.

Volume is another warning sign. Trading volume has been steadily declining despite the price recovery, indicating a thinning of participation. Usually, strong recoveries need growing volume to validate buyer conviction. The absence of volume expansion, in ETH’s case, suggests hesitancy and casts doubt on the viability of the current rally.

Ethereum is still capped on the daily chart by a descending triangle pattern made up of strong horizontal support and lower highs. Despite not fully collapsing, ETH’s inability to overcome the $4,400-$4,500 resistance cluster keeps bulls on edge. Because it is in neutral territory and does not exhibit any overbought or oversold signals, the RSI at 45 reflects this uncertainty.

To boost confidence in the near future, ETH needs to push volume higher and reclaim the 26 EMA. An additional retracement toward the 100-day EMA at $3,870, or in a bearish scenario even the 200-day EMA close to $3,620, could result from failing to do so.

Ethereum’s recovery to $4,200 is currently not a complete bullish reversal but rather a cautious one. ETH might be vulnerable in the upcoming sessions if there is not more buying interest and a clear break above resistance.

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October 1, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

40 Best Early Amazon Prime Day Deals on WIRED-Tested Gear (2025)

by admin September 30, 2025

It’s that time of year again, and Prime Day deals are back. The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event—also known as Amazon Prime Day 2—is officially arriving on October 7 and 8, but early deals have already started. The WIRED Reviews team has hundreds of years of collective experience covering shopping holidays such as this. What sets us apart is that we only write about actual deals on the gear and gadgets that we’ve hand-tested. We’re getting ready to cover the whole sale with a variety of stories and even a liveblog (and, hopefully, lots of caffeine.) Below, you’ll find the best deals we’ve managed to find so far. Come back for additional coverage when the event begins.

Get prepared with our guide on How to Shop Prime Day Like A Pro. We also have advice on avoiding scams on Amazon and making sure you’re getting all of your Amazon Prime perks.

Updated September 30, 2025: We’ve added 10 new deals on a few Amazon devices, the best cheap laptop, a great fitness tracker, our favorite smart bird feeder, and a few other gadgets. We’ve also checked for accuracy throughout.

Featured in this article

The Best Qi2 Power Bank

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) (Qi2)

Jump to Deal

Apple iPad (2025, A16) for $299 ($149 off)

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

This deal comes within $20 of the lowest price we’ve tracked for the best iPad on the market. The 2025 Apple iPad (A16) is cute and comes in a few different colors in your choice of 128-, 256-, or 512-gigabyte storage. It has a modern design, USB-C charging, Touch ID, and two 12-MP cameras. It’s powerful enough for most people, and it doesn’t have support for Apple Intelligence (which may be a blessing or a curse). If you primarily use your tablet to watch videos, play mobile games, or do light work, it’ll be just fine (and you won’t overpay for features you aren’t using). One thing to note is that it only supports the first-generation or USB-C Apple Pencil. Check our guide to the Best iPad Accessories for additional picks.

Apple

iPad Air (2025, M3)

This iPad is our upgrade pick, with an M3 chip that can handle more graphics-intensive tasks. Go for the 13-inch.

Apple

iPad Mini (2024, 7th Gen)

This small-but-mighty iPad supports Apple Intelligence and has an A17 Pro chipset, though its 60-Hz refresh rate could be higher.

Apple

AirTags (4-pack)

Coming within $10 of the best deal, these trackers add your wallet, keys, or luggage to the Find My app.

Apple

MagSafe Charger (2 m)

Nothing Ear (a) for $89 ($20 off)

Photograph: Parker Hall

The Nothing Ear (a) top our list of the best wireless earbuds. They look super cool, with a stylish semi-clear design, on-board touch controls, and a sleek charging case. They pack excellent sound and good noise cancellation, and they’re downright easy to use. The battery lasts about five and a half hours if you’ve got active noise cancellation on. They also pair easily with both Android and iOS devices. This deal comes within $10 of the best discount we’ve tracked.

Logitech

Pro X 2

Our favorite gaming headset has Bluetooth and wired connectivity, plus a built-in mic and comfy ear cups.

Google

Pixel Buds Pro 2

These tiny, comfy earbuds are our favorite for Android phone owners.

Nimble Champ (Large) for $90 ($10 off)

Photograph: Simon Hill

The Nimble Champ (Series 2) is the best power bank lineup you can buy, and right now a few different capacities are on sale. They don’t drop in price very often. Every iteration is small and lightweight, with fast charging speeds (that vary from 15 watts to 65, depending on the size) and a durable finish. Nimble’s power banks are made with bioplastics and have minimal packaging, which helps lessen the environmental impact. They’re also nice to look at.

Anker

Nano Power Bank

We like this tiny power bank for phones because it’s compact but still delivers a full charge.

Anker

737 Power Bank

WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe uses this power bank nearly every day. It recharges quickly and has a handy display.

Anker

MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station (Qi2)

The best 3-in-1 charger for travel can top off your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch despite its compact size.

Ugreen

145W Power Bank

This power bank is an excellent option for tablets thanks to its robust capacity and power delivery.

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) for $70 ($20 off)

Photograph: Simon Hill

Anker

MagGo Power Bank (10K) (Qi2)

This is the best Qi2 power bank out of the many we’ve tried so far, and we’ve not yet seen it sell for less. It has a built-in kickstand, a two-way USB-C port, and a built-in LED display. You can attach MagSafe iPhones or Qi2 phones in landscape or portrait orientation. It’s not the beefiest power bank in the world, offering about one and a half charges for newer phones, but it’ll definitely come in handy if you just need a quick top-off while on the go—especially since you won’t need to bring your own cable.

Logitech

Combo Touch

This keyboard case with built-in trackpad is a great tool for working from your iPad.

Anker

MagGo Wireless Charger Pad (Qi2)

This Qi2 charger is one of our favorites, especially at this price.

Rain Design

mStand

This is our favorite budget-friendly laptop stand, and now it’s even more affordable.

Apple MacBook Air (M4, 2025) for $799 ($200 off)

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Apple

MacBook Air (M4, 2025)

It’s hard to do much better than the MacBook Air (M4, 2025). The best laptop has beefy performance, terrific battery life, and is super quiet thanks to its fanless design. It also has support for two 4K external monitors, and the built-in M4 chip allows for on-device AI processing and support for Apple Intelligence. The webcam boasts 12 megapixels, which is an upgrade compared to previous models, too. It comes in your choice of four different colors and three storage configurations. Check our MacBook buying guide for additional recommendations.

Roku

Streaming Stick Plus (2025)

This compact little streaming stick is easy to set up and use, with 4K streaming and voice controls.

Boox

Palma 2

This tiny tablet works best as a phone-sized e-reader, perfect for airports or train rides.

Fitbit

Charge 6

This comes close to the best price we’ve tracked for the very best fitness tracker.

Amazfit

Active 2

Want a fitness tracker without overspending? This is the best cheap option.

Arlo Pro 5S Security Camera for $100 ($80 off)

Photograph: Simon Hill
Photograph: Simon Hill

This is a great deal on our favorite outdoor security camera, and you can get in on it right before porch pirate season. The Arlo Pro 5 has clear footage, fast live-feed load times, and smart notifications. Recording at up to 2K resolution with HDR, it won’t struggle in low light thanks to night vision, and there’s also a color mode. Two-way audio is clear, and there’s a built-in siren too. You do need an Arlo Secure subscription to make the most of this camera, but the deal is solid. The multipacks are discounted, too.

Arlo

Essential Indoor Security Camera (2nd Gen)

These cheap security cameras are still solid and reliable, though some features are locked behind a subscription.

Flexispot

Adjustable Table With Wheels

Upgrade your WFH setup with this rolling adjustable desk that has room for your laptop and coffee.

Plugable

USB-C 9-in-1 Hub (USBC-9IN1E)

The best USB-C hub has 140 watts of power delivery, plus every port you could need.

Tribit

Stormbox Blast 2

This boombox-style speaker will bring the party anywhere, complete with built-in lights.

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) for $300 ($100 off)

Photograph: Nena Farrell
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Courtesy of Amazon

Amazon

Kindle Scribe (2024)

Full disclosure: A new Kindle Scribe is coming, but we still think this is worth buying. The Kindle Scribe is our favorite e-reader for taking notes. It works well as a digital notebook and as a way to read your favorite books. With a generous 10-inch display and a Premium Pen (with a soft-tipped eraser on the end) included, you can use it to plan, journal, or annotate. There are some AI software features like note summarization, too. We do wish it was waterproof, or that it had some color features like the new model will, but if you’re in the market for something like it, it’s worth considering. There’s a chance it will get slightly cheaper when Prime Day actually arrives, but it likely won’t be by much—especially considering this is a match of the lowest price we’ve tracked.

Amazon

Echo Pop

This cute little smart speaker has personality, though its sound quality isn’t fantastic.

Amazon

Echo Dot (5th Gen)

This Amazon smart speaker has surprising sound quality, and may get cheaper when Prime Day arrives.

Amazon

Kindle Colorsoft Kids

This colorful Kindle is the same as the grown-up version, and you get a cover.

Netvue

Birdfy Plastic Smart Bird Feeder

Ultrahuman Ring Air for $300 ($50 off)

Photograph: Simon Hill
Photograph: Simon Hill

This smart ring is our favorite without a subscription. Importantly, due to a ruling by the FTC, these rings will no longer be available for purchase in the US after October 21 (though Ultrahuman says existing rings will still be supported). If you have been eyeing one, this deal is a match of the best we have tracked so far. The Ring Air can track your heart rate, blood oxygen, physical activity, and sleep, and it’ll offer insights about changes in your heart rate variability or skin temperature. There are some additional convenient features like a smart alarm that’ll wake you up during a lighter part of your sleep cycle, too.

JBL

Flip 7

Our favorite Bluetooth speaker sounds fantastic and comes in a wide array of different colors.

Asus

Vivobook 14 (X1407QA)

There’s no better cheap laptop on the market. This can handle most tasks for less money than usual.

Belkin

3-in-1 Qi2 Charging Stand

This 3-in-1 charger looks great on your nightstand, keeping things secure in portrait or landscape orientation.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

2XKO is going offline for a few days to prep for its early access launch before returning with an utterly demonic Teemo

by admin September 30, 2025

2XKO’s closed beta seems to be going pretty well, with the tag fighter throwing open the doors to the masses on October 7. Despite executive producer Tom Cannon saying in July that “our goal is to keep the game up, online, and available” from the closed beta’s launch, it seems that Riot needs just a few days to get everything straightened out.

A post on the 2XKO X account reads: “We need a little more time to get early access up and running, so we’ll be shutting down closed beta a few days early on Oct 3 @ 9pm PT.” Servers will be back up and running in time for the early access launch on October 7 at 8am PT/11am ET/4pm BST.

Teemo Gameplay Reveal Trailer | 2XKO – YouTube

Watch On

Riot says that offline mode will still work, so players should still be able to hit the lab, play local multiplayer, and face off against CPUs. Three-and-a-half days to do some tinkering behind the scenes is nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially when I think about other fighting games who took their betas offline and straight-up vanished for a year—looking at you, Multiversus.

The downtime news was released alongside a trailer for 2XKO’s tenth champion, verifiable League mascot Teemo. And as someone who doesn’t play the MOBA, I finally understand all of the Teemo hate.

Riot has really leaned into the gremlin vibes here, with Teemo being an all-out terror as both a zoner and a trap character, using his signature blow darts and mushrooms to create space while also laying down grass patches that he can quickly teleport to for some solid mixups.

The trailer is steeped in self-awareness in the best possible way. Halfway through sees a fake Twitch-like chat appear with comments like “2XKO SAVED,” “this game is cooked” and various iterations of cringe/based. Riot knows of Teemo’s crimes, and is doing everything it can to lean into that.

It even ends with a reference to Evo Moment 37—one of the most iconic FGC moments that continues to haunt Justin Wong over 20 years later—which, if I wasn’t already sold on the sheer tomfoolery Teemo had been displaying in the two minutes prior to this, I certainly am now.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Lynx’s yearlong pursuit of WNBA title ends early in semifinals

by admin September 30, 2025

Michael VoepelSep 29, 2025, 10:42 AM ET
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PHOENIX — Kayla McBride covered her face with her shirt, trying to soak up the tears. A season she and her Minnesota Lynx teammates envisioned would bring a trophy and champagne instead ended Sunday with sadness and frustration.

This wasn’t in the script the Lynx had been authoring so diligently for the past 4½ months. They were the WNBA’s best team. They won a franchise-record 34 games and had the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. And then Minnesota’s season transformed from a feel-good musical to a shocking horror movie.

In the Lynx’s must-win Game 4, Cheryl Reeve, the WNBA’s longest-tenured head coach, wasn’t on the sidelines, serving a one-game suspension for a Game 3 ejection and criticism of the officiating. Napheesa Collier, an MVP favorite for most of the season and by far Minnesota’s most important player, had to watch from the bench after an ankle injury late in Friday’s game.

The Lynx blew multiple double-digit leads and lost 86-81 to the Phoenix Mercury, ending this playoff campaign and the promise of a season that held championship aspirations. At a somber postgame news conference, veteran guard McBride tried to sum up the heartbreak.

“To be close two years in a row,” said McBride, who scored 31 points in Game 4.

“S— f—ing hurts.”

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Last season, minutes after a 67-62 overtime loss to the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Oct. 20, the Lynx came to their news conferences with angry comments about the officiating and how they felt it had cost them the championship.

The Lynx vowed then to run it back in 2025, but this time claim the franchise’s fifth title. And for nearly five months, it seemed as if they did everything right: They returned their entire starting five, made some key additions, had the league’s best regular-season record and clinched home-court advantage for the playoffs with five games still left on their schedule.

They started the postseason with a 2-0 sweep of Golden State in the first round. They won Game 1 of the semifinals against Phoenix and had a 48-32 lead at halftime in Game 2 of the best-of-five series.

Then things spun out of control. For the first time in franchise history, the Lynx lost a game in which they led by at least 16 points at halftime; they had been 61-0 previously. And that 89-83 overtime loss to the Mercury last Tuesday wasn’t just a speed bump the Lynx needed to overcome to continue their mission.

It was the beginning of the end.

Napheesa Collier suffered a left ankle injury in the final minute of Game 3 and had to watch from the bench as Phoenix eliminated her top-seeded Lynx on Sunday. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

In Friday’s Game 3 in Phoenix, the Lynx had a 67-63 lead after three quarters. But Minnesota lost the fourth quarter 21-9, as well as someone even more significant: Collier, who was injured on a steal by Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas with 23.8 seconds left.

Reeve, seeing her franchise player on the floor in pain, lost her temper. She was ejected from the game, which the Mercury won 84-76, and again castigated the league’s officiating in a brief postgame address to the media.

The play on which Collier was injured was just the spark that lit a long-built fuse for Reeve. She is still bothered almost a decade later by a missed shot clock violation committed by Los Angeles in Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals, which the Sparks then won by one point for the championship.

Then, of course, last season’s late call against the Lynx in Game 5 against New York prompted Reeve to say afterward, “This s— was stolen from us.”

Reeve thought this season could be a salve for that. Instead, it leaves the Lynx with another wound.

“You want it for the people [you’re around] every single day,” McBride said. “In pro sports, it doesn’t get any better than what we have in our locker room. We lay it out for each other. It’s never been about anything else but each other.”

play

1:56

Cheryl Reeve rips officiating after Lynx’s Game 3 loss

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve sounds off on the referees after the Lynx’s Game 3 loss to the Mercury.

To understand the depth of the disappointment, look at how long it has taken to build this foundation. Seven years have passed since the retirement of the three key players from Minnesota’s four championship teams from 2011 to 2017 — Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson. The Lynx started a new era in 2019 by drafting Collier, who dropped to No. 6 in what has proven to be likely the biggest draft underestimation in league history.

“She was the type of person who was exactly an extension of the Lynx culture that was built before her,” Reeve said during a postgame news conference on Sept. 6. “Without that — if you have a superstar that isn’t somebody people want to be around — people aren’t as interested in coming to Minnesota to play.”

In Collier’s first three seasons, the Lynx never made it past the second round of the playoffs. In 2022, the team missed the playoffs altogether for the first time since 2010. After a first-round loss in 2023, the Lynx still faced questions headed into 2024. But they answered those, building a team around Collier as the superstar. They won a Commissioner’s Cup title in June, then came agonizingly close to the WNBA title in October.

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“I call it the honeymoon. People didn’t necessarily see us in the space we were in last year,” Reeve said at a pregame news conference on Sept. 21. “So we started the season from a much different perception about us. The expectations were much greater.”

This season, the Lynx returned their top six players from 2024: forwards Collier, Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton, and guards Courtney Williams, McBride and Natisha Hiedeman. They brought back forward Jessica Shepard, who had missed the 2024 season because of her overseas commitment.

They also made strategic changes. They added Maria Kliundikova, a free agent signing on June 6, and another 6-foot-4 post player like Smith and Shepard who brings more size in the paint. On Aug. 3, they traded for guard DiJonai Carrington, the league’s Most Improved Player last season and known for her high-level defense.

The Lynx appeared to have planned for every eventuality. Even when Collier injured her ankle in August and missed seven games, the Lynx stayed on track. They lost the Commissioner’s Cup final to Indiana on July 1, but that only strengthened their resolve to win the season championship.

And Collier, at least publicly, seemed to brush away the disappointment of coming up short in the race for MVP — A’ja Wilson took her fourth after a fantastic second half — saying her real goal was the championship.

“I feel like I am still focused on the championship,” Collier said Sept. 21, the day the MVP winner was announced. “That has been my main goal the whole season. Of course, I want to win MVP. But the championship is what I really want for this season.”

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1:21

Reeve ejected, Collier limps off on Mercury’s game-sealing sequence

What went wrong? Reeve and her staff will dissect that all offseason. Losing both Collier and Carrington — who suffered a season-ending foot injury in Game 2 of the first round — took a big toll.

But the Lynx also saw some of their killer instinct wane. They squeaked by Golden State in Game 2, 75-74. They trailed 47-40 at halftime of their Game 1 semifinal before rallying against Phoenix. Then they lost three in a row. They had not had more than two consecutive defeats in the regular season — and did that only once, in August when Collier was out.

After a strong start in Game 4 on Sunday, and a 13-point lead going into the fourth quarter, the Lynx seemed poised to force Game 5 back in Minneapolis.

But for the third time in six days, the Mercury took over — and the Lynx saw their dream season evaporate. They became the 11th team in WNBA history to have the league’s best record but not win the championship, and the sixth of those teams to not even make the WNBA Finals.

“I [didn’t] look at this season and say, ‘Oh, this is hard because we’ve got a target on our back,'” Williams said Sunday of carrying the favorites tag ever since starting 9-0. “That’s what we wanted, right? We got hit with that injury bug, and, you know, it’s hard. Shout out to us not giving up.”

Because so many of the league’s players will be free agents for next season — a new collective bargaining agreement is needed first — the Lynx are unsure what their roster will look like in 2026, a fact that makes this season’s painful finish even more poignant.

“As a vet, somebody who’s older, I feel everything,” said McBride, 33. “I just care. But I would feel like this 100 times over to be with the people I’ve been with. You just want it to keep going.”

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

You Can Get The $60 Lego Game Boy Early From Amazon

by admin September 29, 2025

The Lego Game Boy officially launches this Wednesday, October 1, but Amazon started shipping preorders on September 26. At the time of writing on September 28, Amazon still has the 421-piece Game Boy in stock with overnight delivery for Prime members. Amazon is the only online retailer delivering the Lego Game Boy before October 1, but if it sells out, preorders are back in stock at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. The Lego Game Boy remains sold out at the Lego Store and GameStop.

The brick-built Game Boy is almost exactly the same size as the handheld that quickly became a worldwide sensation when it hit store shelves in Japan and North America in 1989. This looks like an awesome display piece, and retro Nintendo fans are sure to appreciate the nostalgic interactive elements.

Lego Game Boy (72046)

Part of Lego’s display model series geared toward adult builders and collectors, the Game Boy building kit was teased in January and fully unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con in July. The Game Boy is tied with the Super Mario Piranha Plant as the most affordable display model in the Lego Nintendo lineup. It will be the eighth Nintendo-themed kit designed for adults since the pair kicked off their partnership with a replica of the Nintendo Entertainment System.

$60 | 421 Pieces

Lego’s Game Boy looks like an authentic homage to the Game Boy DMG, all the way down to the font of “Dot Matrix with Stereo Sound” on the screen lens and the colors of the A/B buttons, D-pad, and Start/Select buttons. The switches and dials on the top and sides of handheld are located right where you’d expect them: power switch on the top left, contrast wheel on the left side next to the battery indicator light, volume dial across from it on the right, and the 3.5mm audio jack on the bottom.

The brick-built Lego Game Boy measures 5.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches, which is very close to the dimensions of the real Game Boy DMG (5.8 x 3.5 x 1.3 inches). Lego’s Game Boy can be displayed at an upright angle by connecting it to the buildable black stand shown above.

Along with the Game Boy itself and a buildable stand, the set includes replica Game Paks (cartridges) of two timeless classics: Super Mario Land (1989) and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993). The cartridges can be loaded into the Game Pak slot just like a real Game Boy. You can display the other cartridge on a second buildable stand.

The Game Boy doesn’t have any electronics, so it won’t interact with Lego Super Mario figures, but it does have a cool trick that makes it appear like a functioning Game Boy. The set comes with three swappable lenticular screens: the boot screen that greets you each time you flip the power switch, a still from World 1-1 of Super Mario Land, and the cutscene in Link’s Awakening where you sit next to Marin on a log and have a pretty strange (one-sided) conversation. Tilting the Game Boy creates the illusion of movement, so the the Nintendo logo slides down the screen just like the real boot sequence; Mario moves across the side-scrolling level; and the memorable Link’s Awakening cutscene (briefly) comes to life.

Load Super Mario Land or Link’s Awakening into the Game Pak slot.

The Lego Game Boy’s interactive features such as loading carts and displaying scenes from actual games is reminiscent of the Lego Nintendo Entertainment System. Released back in August 2020 to launch Lego’s partnership with Nintendo, the 2,646-piece set included the console with a functional top loader, a Super Mario Bros. cartridge, a wired NES controller, and a CRT TV with a stand. There’s a crank on the side of the TV that moves Mario through a side-scrolling level. Even five years later, the NES is arguably the coolest gaming-related Lego set.

Unfortunately, the Lego NES was officially retired late last year, and it’s sold out at every major retailer. A couple months back we noticed Amazon restocked the discontinued set but with an extra $60 added to the price. When Lego Game Boy preorders opened, we wrote here that we wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon sold out of the Lego NES at the inflated $330 price. And that happened within days. At the moment, the Lego NES is only available via resellers, and some of the prices make $330 look like a deal.

Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi launched last October.

Speaking of deals, Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi is on sale for a steep discount at Amazon and Walmart. Released last October, the 1,215-piece build features pixel art versions of Mario and Yoshi based on their 16-bit sprites. Yoshi walks when you turn the crank on the side, and twisting the dial on the back recreates the animation of Yoshi sticking out his tongue.

The most recent addition to the Lego Nintendo “for adults” lineup is the 1,972-piece Mario Kart set with a large buildable Mario and his famous red kart. It launched in May on the Lego Store for $170 and arrived at major retailers in July. Check out our Mario & Standard Kart review for more details on this charming display piece.

While you wait for your Lego Game Boy to arrive, you could warm-up by building the 540-piece Piranha Plant from Super Mario Bros.

Lego Retro Gaming Hardware

Lego Arcade Machine (40805)

Lego has created a few other display model sets based on retro gaming hardware. The other big one is Lego Icons: Atari 2600, a wonderful 2,532-piece build that authentically captures Atari’s legendary home console. Unfortunately, Lego discontinued the Atari 2600 last year–but Amazon restocked it this month for retail price, so grab one while you can.

The impressive 2,651-piece Pac-Man Arcade is in stock at Amazon for $260 (was $270). It has a bunch of cool interactive features that make it a stellar collectible for Pac-Man fans. But if you’re looking for a cheaper set in the vein of the Game Boy, check out the adorable 468-piece Lego Arcade Machine. As you can see in the picture above, this isn’t based on a real arcade machine, but it still looks awesome. Plus, the Lego Arcade Machine only costs $40 and includes a gamer-themed minifigure.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

MOBA “15 Years In The Making” Shuts Down Before Leaving Early Access

by admin September 29, 2025

A MOBA that’s been in development for 15 years and launched into early access in May 2025 to a “mostly positive” Steam rating has unceremoniously shut down. The game never left its early-access period and, according to developer Lunchbox Entertainment, couldn’t keep going despite the team’s best efforts.

You may have never heard of this game before now. Titled Sirocco, it’s a 5v5 naval brawler where customizable boats try to send each other to the bottom of the sea. It started as a Warcraft 3 mod over a decade ago before the team made the concept–a sort of Battleships-esque multiplayer online battle arena–a full-blown game. It’s only ever peaked at 882 players some four months ago, according to SteamDB data. And now, with the game barely cracking 30 players at any given time since its May 2025 launch, Lunchbox Entertainment has decided to pull the plug on Sirocco servers.

“We are shutting down our servers indefinitely on August 20, 2025 at 3PM ET,” the team wrote in a Steam update post. “After that time, the game will be unplayable. […] We are sorry for the inconvenience and grateful for your support. If you have questions, reach out in Discord and we will do our best to help.”

In the official Sirocco Discord server, developer Jack of Boxes gave a bit more details on August 18, writing that the team is proud of the game and hopes to bring it back.

“Hi everyone, getting emotional just writing this,” Jack of Boxes wrote. “Today is the day we pull the plug on our servers. Despite our best efforts, we can’t keep Sirocco going. So, we’ll be shutting things down [on] Wednesday, the 20th. In other words, Sirocco will go offline in two days. All Patreon supporters who [subscribed] in the last 90 days have been refunded. As much as it sucks to shut off the servers, we’re really proud of Sirocco and we are going to do everything we can to keep making games so one day we can bring back Sirocco in the future when we have more resources. […] Thank you all for being a truly amazing community. You all have gone above and beyond to make our game and community the best it could be and, for that, I can’t thank you enough.”

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Esports

How to get Black Ops 7 Twitch drops and early access code

by admin September 28, 2025

If you want to try Black Ops 7 out for free, the upcoming Open Beta starting Oct. 5 is your biggest window. But if you want to jump in even earlier, you can earn a Black Ops 7 early access beta code via Twitch—all you need is some patience.

Here’s how to get the Black Ops 7 early access code as a Twitch drop.

How to get Black Ops 7 early access open beta code

For starters, you need to link your Twitch profile to your Activision account. Once that’s done, mark your calendar for the upcoming Call of Duty Next event on Sept. 30.

To play Black Ops 7 open beta in early access with a free code, follow these steps:

On the day of the event, log in to your Twitch account. Make sure it’s the one connected to your Activision account, which you’ll use to play Black Ops 7.
Tune in to a Call of Duty Next stream on Sept. 30 beginning at 11am CT. You can either join the official stream on Call of Duty’s official Twitch page, or an eligible watch party if any. Check for the “Drops enabled” banner or notification to ensure it’s an eligible stream.
Watch the stream for an hour to get the early access beta code. Once you hit the requirement, you should receive a notification declaring you’ve earned a reward. Open it to get the code.

If you don’t receive the code after an hour of watching, don’t panic. Twitch sometimes takes time to process rewards during such events, with thousands of eligible players fulfilling drop requirements at the same time. We recommend watching the stream until you receive the notification with the Black Ops 7 early access beta code. It may take up to two hours (rarely more) for Twitch to detect your progress, so don’t give up.

As you watch the stream, you can keep track of your progress toward the early access beta code reward. On Twitch, click on the profile icon: Here, you can check the percentage of progression toward a reward when you’re watching an eligible stream. For more details, you can click on the Drops & Rewards option.

Besides hunting for a code, you can also pre-order Black Ops 7 to get early access to Open Beta. And if you don’t want any of these hassles, just wait for the Open Beta, which starts on Oct. 5 and is free to play for everyone.

How to connect your Activision account to Twitch

This is a mandatory step to get the Black Ops 7 early access beta code for free. To connect your Activision account to Twitch, follow these steps:

Log in to your Activision account.
In the profile page and beside Account Linking, scroll down and click on the “Link account” button beside Twitch. It’ll take you to Twitch.
Log in using your Twitch credentials and authorize the linking.

After this, your accounts will be linked successfully, and you can then watch the event on the said day to earn an early access open beta code for Black Ops 7.

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September 28, 2025 0 comments