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players

Splitgate 2 Boss Apologizes For MAGA Meme Hat Dividing Players

by admin June 11, 2025

Image: 1047 Games / Kotaku

An unusual email hit my inbox earlier today. It was from PR for the makers of Splitgate 2, a free-to-play portal shooter that released just a few days ago and stirred up drama with a MAGA-infused meme at Summer Game Fest from studio head Ian Proulx. “The CEO of 1047 Games has issued a video statement and apology to the community and gaming fans for his ‘Make FPS Great Again’ hat during Summer Games Fest,” the email read. It offered interviews.

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To me that screamed “please ask us about our controversy,” in part because in his “apology video,” Proulx admitted the original hat stunt was all about trying to grab attention for his recently-launched multiplayer shooter. “At our biggest stage, coming out of beta, we needed something to grab attention, and the honest truth is we tried to think of something, and this is what we came up with,” he said in his latest video, which arrived just four days after he initially declared “I’m not here to apologize.”

He maintained that the hat was not intended to be political, despite it riffing on the political slogan of an administration currently sending marines to squash protests by citizens in the streets of Los Angeles. Proulx said he also still technically stands by the “intent” of the hat, and his apology for it is not because of the message it conveyed to some viewers but because the controversy around it has led to division in the Splitgate 2 community, some of whom have been arguing about it in comments and Steam reviews ever since.

“We did not intend for this to be taken in any political way whatsoever,” he said. “And I’m not an idiot, like obviously I knew there would be some level of controversy, but we really saw this as a meme that was sort of stating our truth, which is we do want to improve this genre, we are disappointed with the state of the genre, and so we took it as a meme we thought would not be nearly negatively received as the way it was.”

The new video appeared just a day after another one where Pourlx apologized for an $80 cosmetic bundle in the game that players spent the weekend dunking on. He said it “slipped through the cracks” after blaming it on a former head of monetization from Call of Duty who left 1047 earlier this year. Splitgate 2 has reached a few million players since launch, though many are still waiting on a ranked mode. What’s the over/under on how many more videos Pourlx puts out before they get it?

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June 11, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Despite its new easy mode, Lies of P will get a ‘difficulty reduction’ in a future update because too many players are getting wrecked by the DLC

by admin June 10, 2025

The Pinocchio soulslike Lies of P got an easy mode alongside the release of Overture DLC last week, an entirely uncontroversial move that riled up absolutely no one. But the DLC also apparently introduced a major difficulty spike in the Legendary Stalker mode—previously the game’s default—and it’s bad enough that game director Ji Won Choi says developer Neowiz is going to make some adjustments.

Soulslikes are supposed to be tough, yes, but as you can see in this newly formed megathread on the Lies of P subreddit (via Kotaku), Lies of P felt a little too tough for quite a few players following the launch of Overture. The problem seems particularly bad in NG+ modes. Naturally, there are a few who proclaim the game is actually very easy—there always is—but the bulk of posts seem to feel that the DLC has thrown things out of whack.

“The base game was basically pitch perfect. There were a few stupid things, but nothing was super egregious,” redditor Lord_Nightraven wrote. “DLC? The devs overdid things. And it shows. The stat numbers alone feel like NG+1 end game/early NG+2. That’s on NG+0. That’s a massive spike all things considered on intended difficulty, aka Legendary Stalker.”

“I’m NG+1 getting two-shot by everything even on easiest difficulty and I’m stuck on the predator boss,” tylxr567 complained. “I’m bad but seriously I can complete the main game on hardest difficulty just fine, this DLC is crazy.”

RJE808 was somewhat more to the point about it: “Markiona is about to make me drop this shit. Holy fuck.”

Well, good news, Overture-sufferers: Your plaintive wailing has been heard.

“We want to thank you for all the feedback and suggestions our community has sent us since the launch,” Choi said in a video posted today. “We’re reviewing all of it carefully and are already looking into when to implement some of your suggestions.

“Among all the feedback, we are paying the closest attention to the combat experience. We identified areas that did not turn out quite as we intended. Therefore, we are reviewing various adjustments, including difficulty reduction.”

Lies of P: Director’s Letter – YouTube

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Don’t expect Neowiz to start waving the nerfhammer around immediately, though. “Combat is one of the most fundamental experiences in Lies of P, so any modifications or changes require meticulous work and thorough testing,” Choi said. Developers are still digging into what exactly needs to be done, but Choi added that he wanted to put the word out now so fans know “why it’s taking our team some time, and the general direction we’re heading.”

It says something, I think, that the reaction to the announcement of the difficulty reduction seems mostly welcoming. Again, the git gud crowd is there to say it’s not actually hard at all, but the broader feeling is that the DLC introduced serious issues with difficulty scaling. The adjustment, whenever it happens, will no doubt lead to a fresh round of “I beat it pre-patch” jokes, but if it also means the majority of players can properly enjoy it again, I’d call that a fair trade.

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June 10, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Elden Ring Nightreign players are currently obsessed with an ultra-rare item they believe hides a major secret

by admin June 10, 2025

It wouldn’t be a FromSoftware game without some deep, deep lore, and secrets that send you down rabbit holes, and it looks like Elden Ring Nightreign players have come across the first one of those in the co-op game.

It all comes back to an incredibly rare item that players initially didn’t know what to do with, but after a bit of work, they figured it out… only to realise it was just the first step in what could be a major secret.

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The Nightreign item in question is called Cord End, which – by some estimates – seemingly has about a 0.05% chance of dropping in one of the churches you find all over the game’s world of Limveld.

After some sleuthing, players found an actual use for it. The item opens a door to a cave underneath a castle that sits in the middle of the map. Though the castle itself is a pretty popular spot, the way the door itself is hidden likely made it invisible to most players.

If you have Cord End in your inventory, the door will open. Inside, you’ll find three Sacrificial Twigs. Now, here is when things get interesting. Officially, Sacrificial Twig items prevent you from losing your runes upon death, which is obviously very useful to have, especially in the first two days of a run.

As nice of a boon that is, it’s not enough to warrant how rare the item is, and the process involved in using it to open the secret door. This is part of why players believe there’s more to it than that, and the clue they’re going off of is in the item’s description – where all rabbit holes begin.

It all begins with an item’s description, like all good secrets. | Image credit: FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Hawkshaw.

The Cord End’s description makes a reference to a “cutting-gifted tribe” that “vowed to sacrifice their flesh” to conceal some sort of secret. In the Roundtable Hold’s Crypt area, there are two coffins you can interact with, which also mention cutting.

Even more interesting, however, is that they both also ask that you “bestow branches”, which players believe is a reference to the twigs you gain from the secret area. The text is slightly different between the two interactables, and each points to a different area.

Players believe that one message is likely referring to Recluse, while the other could be about Wylder, and Duchess. Each one also references an area of the map, which could be the home of their respective characters, and may end up playing a role in solving the puzzle.

Perhaps, some theorise, you need these specific classes to carry the Sacrificial Twigs all the way through to the end of the run, and survive. Maybe that’s going to unlock the next step of the quest.

Does Wylder have something to do with this?w | Image credit: Bandai Namco/From Software

Part of what makes this particular secret difficult to crack is just how rare the item’s drop rate is, which slows down progress considerably. Without modding and datamining, we may never end up finding what the deal is with Cord End.

There is, of course, the chance that it may end up amounting to nothing. Not every word in FromSoftware’s games is meant to be part of a larger picture; sometimes it’s just flavour text. We’re going to be following this one, though, because of its potential to be hiding something cool.

Our Elden Ring Nightreign guide may not hold an answer to that particular dilemma, but it will help you get better at the game. And yes, that includes proven strategies to beat Nightlords such as Darkdrift Knight Fulghor, Sentient Pest, and the final boss: the Night Aspect.

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June 10, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Lisan al-Gaib! Sandworm-riding isn’t a feature in Dune: Awakening, but players are doing it anyway

by admin June 10, 2025

Sandworm-riding isn’t part of Dune: Awakening, at launch, anyway. As creative director Joel Bylos told Eurogamer last year, Funcom looked into it but decided the technical cost was too steep and “it needs a purpose.” In the movies, sandworms are ridden through the otherwise impassable southern sandstorms and used to attack Arrakeen. You don’t do either of those things in Dune: Awakening, at least not yet.

So sandworm-riding isn’t an official feature—but some very brave Dune: Awakening players are doing it anyway. Just take a look at this amazing clip SgtDolphin posted to reddit:

Riding The Sandworm: Part Two from r/duneawakening

Lisan al-Gaib! As written! SgtDolpin lures Shai-Hulud over to a dune and then leaps onto its back and takes a ride. This alt-history version of Dune may have no Paul Atreides, but who needs him? We’ve got SgtDolphin.

If you haven’t played Dune: Awakening, you might be wondering: what’s with the super-sprint and long jump? Well, SgtDolphin appears to be using a combination of skills and gear to leap safely over the sandworm’s gaping maw and onto its back.

There’s a Bene Gerrerit ability called Bindu Sprint that lets you go zipping around at high speeds like The Flash, great for crossing dangerous desert zones quickly and escaping from combat situations when they go wrong. Also good for quickly getting over to a stampeding sandworm.

The wormrider also has some suspensor gear equipped, which allows them to levitate: leap modules or a gadget called Emperor’s Wings will let you glide slowly through the air—or zoom around like a rocket if you’ve used a grappling hook or a Bindu Sprint first.

Here’s another wormriding video by the same brave player:

Riding the Sandworm from r/duneawakening

Obviously you can’t steer the worm the way Paul and the Fremen riders do in the movie, but it sure shows the possibilities in a game where it’s not actually a feature.

Not to brag, but I did a tiny bit of wormriding myself. Unintentionally. I was driving across the desert not paying close attention and a worm crossed right in front of me, and my sandbike’s treads briefly touched the sandworm’s back—at which point I squealed in fear, turned around as fast as I could, and hit the boosters until I was back on safe ground again.

That’s as close as I care to get. I’ll leave the actual worm riding to the professionals.

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June 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

MLS, players still at odds on Club World Cup compensation

by admin June 9, 2025

The discussions between MLS and the MLS Players Association over the Club World Cup prize money and player compensation remain ongoing, with the two sides failing to agree so far on terms in a newly revised section of the collective bargaining agreement.

Seattle Sounders FC players first brought the issue to the forefront with a protest in front of fans at Lumen Field on June 1 by wearing shirts that read “Club World Cash Grab” and “Fair Share Now.” The MLSPA initially released a statement in support of the players’ actions, as the two parties demanded a fair share of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money the team secured when qualifying for the international tournament.

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The original CBA stated that players receive 50% of money from outside tournaments with a cap of $1 million. A source with knowledge of the discussions told ESPN that a revised proposal from MLS committed to grant players on the three participating teams 20% of the performance-related payments for wins, draws and round advancement.

Players collectively would receive $1 million for participation, in addition to any money earned for victories, draws or round qualification throughout the tournament. Separately, LAFC earned $250,000 collectively for the victory against Club America in a playoff on May 31 to secure a spot in the tournament.

The MLSPA received the proposal on Friday. A source with knowledge of the discussions added the MLSPA demanded a larger percentage but has not formally responded to the league’s proposal.

In a statement, however, the MLSPA called the actions taken by MLS as “retaliatory” and unsatisfactory.

“The timing, substance, and retaliatory nature of the proposal sends a clear message: MLS does not respect or value players’ efforts with regard to this tournament. Although not surprised, the players and the MLSPA are deeply disappointed by this message,” the MLSPA said in a statement.

“MLS’s refusal to negotiate in good faith has created a major distraction for the players who should be focusing on preparing for a major international competition. However, players will not be silenced by threats from MLS. The players remain united in using their collective voice and demanding a fair share of the rewards earned from their hard work.”

The organization later added that MLS introduced “back-end compensation of 20%, an amount that remains below the international standard” and “did not add a single dollar for players from the $28,650,000 windfall that MLS will be paid by FIFA.” According to the MLSPA, “the players’ share of that amount remains at barely 10%.”

The two sides have yet to agree on new terms, making the current CBA the standard.

A work stoppage by MLS players over the bonus dispute isn’t possible due to provisions in the CBA. Under the current CBA, players have agreed not to strike over issues that fall within the scope of the agreement. But they still have the right to engage in protected actions under federal labor law.

LAFC, Inter Miami CF and the Seattle Sounders will compete in the Club World Cup, which starts Saturday and runs through July 13.

ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.

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June 9, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Mario Kart World Players Are Pulling Off Some Incredible Stunts

by admin June 8, 2025

Image: Nintendo

I’m still waiting to get my Switch 2 because my system is getting shipped to my home in New York City while I’m in Los Angeles. The only way in which I can experience the whimsical antics of Mario Kart World is through clips of the lucky bastards who have their systems already. I don’t usually think of Nintendo’s kart racer franchise as a game with a ton of impressive tricks. I should know better, though. I’ve seen people pull off racing feats I never could have pulled off as a kid when I was last really into the franchise. Each time Nintendo adds new dimensions to its tracks, Mario Kart fans find ways to do some of the sickest shit you’ve ever seen people do on four wheels. Mario Kart World is no different, and seeing some of the stuff people are pulling off has me champing at the bit to get behind the wheel.

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Mario Kart World is a game primed for happy accidents. Shells are flying through the air, we’re grinding on rails, and it feels like every time you bump cars with an opponent, you’re setting off a chain reaction. All that chaos lends itself to some pretty incredible highlights. I can’t scroll through any of my social media feeds without seeing World players pulling off the most harebrained, improvised physical comedy, and somehow ending up near the front of the race by the time it’s over. New additions like the rewind mechanic and wall-riding have given players the tools to pull off some incredible tricks. Here are a few examples that have had me popping off and laughing my ass off.

I want it. I would like to be playing Mario Kart World right now, please. Let me dress Bowser up in his leather daddy outfit and do cool tricks on a motorcycle. Soon, I will see you all on the race track.

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June 8, 2025 0 comments

The eyes of a Dune: Awakening player looking afraid

Gaming Gear

I can’t stop watching these Dune: Awakening videos of players having butt-puckeringly close calls with angry sandworms

by admin June 7, 2025

Dune: Awakening’s sandworms aren’t just scary, they’re the most brutally punishing feature of Funcom’s new survival MMO. When you get eaten by a sandworm, you permanently lose all your stuff. Weapons, armor, tools, gear, your entire inventory gets swallowed up when Shai-Hulud sucks you down, and you can’t go back and recover it. Even your vehicle is gone forever.

That’s why crossing the desert gaps between regions is so harrowing: the worm is always out there patrolling and your movements will bring it stampeding toward you, leading to lots of tense moments. Linger too long in the dunes and the sandworm will charge, its mouth the size of a train tunnel, gobbling down everything in front of it.

So my new hobby is jumping onto the Dune subreddit every day to see some white-knuckle, butt-puckeringly close calls with sandworms. Knowing what’s at stake, seeing a player flooring it across the desert with a worm barreling toward them, and jussssssst escaping to safety is utterly thrilling.

Here’s a few of my favorite sandworm close-calls.

From HunwutP:

Barely made it from r/duneawakening

Soooooo close. I love this video. You know you’re in real trouble when the camera starts zooming out to show the full size of the worm that’s eating you.

The ridiculous airtime of that long bike jump as the worm jusssssssst misses its target is beautiful.

From Lunchable-Toast:

“It’s just about being not the slowest” from r/duneawakening

Just as with a bear, shark, or Jason Vorhees, you don’t really need to be fast to escape a sandworm, you just need to be faster than one other person.

From Sekhen:

Shai-Hulud eating some one else. from r/duneawakening

If you see the worm going after another player, that doesn’t mean you’re safe. Anything that gets in Shai-Hulud’s way gets swallowed, including the unfortunate random player in the clip above. Shai-Hulud almost got a two-fer!

From XirtCS:

Almost shit myself with this worm encounter from r/duneawakening

Tarry a bit too long while scrapping a crashed ship in the dunes, and Shai-Hulud will be along to swallow you and the wreck both. Luckily, the silly worm chose a poor spot to start its charge from and bonked its face against the rocks. Maybe next time!

From Sekhen (again!):

As close as you can get and tell about it. from r/duneawakening

Talk about a rough night. First this player gets targeted by Sardaukar assassins, then downed—twice—while fighting them. Midway through the skirmish a sandworm breaches in the background, but the player is close enough to the rocks to not be in danger, and the worm vanishes.

Surprise! It’s suddenly back again, presumably to swallow the dead soldiers, missing the recovering player by maybe a foot or two. It’s so close they’re actually buried in the sand from the worm’s breach. Yikes.

Threw in my own encounter above, though I didn’t escape through speed, I escaped by cleverly dying of other causes before the worm had a chance to eat me. After getting stuck in Dune: Awakening’s quicksand, my bike sank for a while as I fruitlessly and stupidly tried to gun the engine. Just as the worm appeared and headed my way, my bike exploded, killing me.

I know it doesn’t sound like a happy ending, but I only lost my bike and a couple resources from my backpack. If the worm had gotten me, I’d have lost everything. Thanks, explosions!

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June 7, 2025 0 comments

Esports

2025 FC 100: Yamal, Mbappe among best men’s soccer players

by admin June 7, 2025

It’s that time again: with the UEFA Champions League final behind us and the 2024-25 season officially over, it’s time to rank the top 100 players in men’s soccer right now. Welcome to the FC 100.

The FC 100 is different than most countdowns. It is not a Nos. 1-100 ranking. We take into account all the major positions on the pitch, while most rankers go talent-first with little regard for where the stars play. It leads to uninspiring lists that are heavily weighted toward goal scorers (forwards) and players who create goals from midfield, paying little attention to the talent in less glamorous — but equally important — roles.

Our rankings are divided into seven lists and give readers the closest thing to a position-by-position “depth chart” across world soccer. This year, reflective of the ever-changing game, we’ve split defenders into two groups (wide and central), with two sections for midfield (so more defensive guys get their due alongside the playmakers) and two for forward, with the wing and center-forward positions clearly defined.

Behold, the top vote-getters at every major position! See who else made the cut in all seven categories. Illustration by Masa

The 2024-25 FC 100, position by position

Previous editions

Go to: 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

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1:29

Which ever-present ESPN FC 100 player is in the most danger of missing out?

Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jan Oblak have been in all nine editions of the ESPN FC 100, but who might not make it to the 10th?

What’s new, and what has changed for 2025

This year’s ballot had nearly 100 entries from all over the globe and from all areas of ESPN from writers to reporters, from editors to producers, from behind-the-scenes staff to on-air talent. Writers Gab Marcotti, Julien Laurens and Mark Ogden, and former players Don Hutchison, Nedum Onuoha and Alejandro Moreno were only some of the key voters in English, but every area of ESPN’s global soccer coverage came together to weigh in on the list and offer their votes, with ESPN Brazil (Leonardo Bertozzi, Renato Senise), ESPN Deportes (Fernando Palomo, Barak Fever), ESPN Argentina (Mariano Closs, Diego Latorre), ESPN Netherlands (Kees Kwakman, Yordi Yamali) and more.

We have also reverted to treating the positions with more distinct respect given how fullbacks and wingers play such multifaceted, innovative roles in the modern game. The important distinction in midfield has also been acknowledged, with separate ballots for defensive/holding midfielders (whose primary role is to disrupt opponents and distribute the ball) and attacking midfielders, who are tasked with playing that critical final pass.

As such, the list is split into seven categories: goalkeeper, fullback, center back, defensive midfield, attacking midfield, wing and center forward. This gives full attention to every key element on the pitch and allows previously unheralded players a chance to be appreciated.

Main takeaways

A new generation emerges: This season’s edition of the FC 100 has 40 first-time entrants on the list, which reflects the changing faces of the game and the emergence of an exciting new group of stars.
Three players made the list for a ninth straight year: As we head toward our 10th anniversary of the FC 100 in 2026, it’s worth calling out three players in particular for their incredible longevity and performance, for it has seen them named to every single edition of our annual ranker. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) and Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), take a bow.
Once again, Pulisic represents for the USMNT: For the second consecutive year and third time overall, Christian Pulisic made the FC 100 in acknowledgment of another sparkling season at AC Milan.
The Premier League is still the top competition: Once again, the English league rules the roost with over one-third (35) of the FC 100, a number that could increase over the coming weeks as players such as Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) finalize moves. But only two of those names came from Manchester City (reflecting their subpar season) as 12 different PL teams had players in the FC 100, a testament to the league’s strength in depth: Liverpool (10) and Arsenal (8) understandably topped their peers, but Nottingham Forest had four players selected.
Paris Saint-Germain lead the way: What a season it has been for PSG. Winning their first UEFA Champions League title Saturday was the cherry on top of a remarkable campaign, and the FC 100 voters have recognized their resurgence as 11 players made the FC 100, making them the most-represented club for 2024-25. (Liverpool were in second, with 10.)
A dominant year for France: In addition to PSG leading all clubs with 11 nominations, the French national team can also claim supremacy when breaking down the list by country. Les Bleus lead the way with 12 players on the 2024-25 FC 100, with Spain (11), England (9) and Brazil (9) close behind.

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How our voters handled the ballot

Conducting a global vote on the world’s best players is no easy feat, and we gave some guidelines with the ballots as to how possibly best to proceed. Voters were encouraged to take the following things into consideration: Who are the best players right now, weighted toward their 2024-25 seasons? Voters were given discretion as to how much of a part injuries played in votes; some players made the cut despite missing chunks of the season given the scale of their contributions and performances when healthy. Equally, performances in individual competitions (e.g., Champions League) were considered, but were not the overarching factor, in casting a vote. Players whose efforts spanned the largest sample of games should naturally rank higher than those who excelled in short tournament formats.

What each list of the FC 100 is about

The key here is twofold: why each player made the list in 2024-25, and what they project to do next season.

Goalkeeper

It’s not enough for the modern goalkeeper to be good with his gloves. These days, shot-stoppers are expected to start the attacking moves by playing out from the back, in addition to shutting them down.

Agility and reflexes are par for the course, but the best goalies in the world also fuse a sense of confidence and composure in their penalty areas that make them seem larger than life.

See the full list here.

Fullbacks

What do you say about a modern fullback? Players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Achraf Hakimi have revolutionized what the position can be, taking it from a stolid behind-the-ball role to becoming a primary playmaker who adds just as many goals and assists as they prevent opponents from achieving.

The best in the game will marry a strong positional awareness with blinding speed, as well as the daring sense to surge forward and support their teams in attack. Comfort and precision crossing is a valued quality, too, as the top fullbacks will be at their best on an overlap before curling in the perfect ball.

See the full list here.

Center backs

If you’re going to have a great team, you need a great center back — two, if you’re really lucky. The best in the game are formidable and assertive but are also blessed with the grace to time tackles and anticipate a striker’s movements to win back possession.

Elegance on the ball and off is essential, whether playing a weighted pass upfield or feinting their way past opponents to ease the pressure.

See the full list here.

Defensive/central midfielders

Midfield is often the biggest battleground in soccer, and players who occupy that precious territory take many forms and have many roles. There are defensive midfielders who create attacks or thwart those of an opponent. There are also central midfielders who connect the dots in transition with defense-splitting passes or otherworldly strength in possession.

These rankings celebrate both forms, from the disruptors such as Aurelien Tchouaméni and Alexis Mac Allister to the space-covering, two-way stars such as Declan Rice and Bruno Guimarães.

See the full list here.

Attacking midfielders

Mischief, creativity, pace and confidence — these are the stock tools of the best attacking midfielders. Sometimes referred to as the No. 10, these players are as comfortable scoring the goals as they are teeing up teammates. With free rein to drift around the pitch and exploit the space, their ability to conjure something from nothing makes them the most entertaining players.

See the full list here.

Wingers

Wing is a position of trickery, showmanship and skill. Whether beating opponents for pace or on the dribble, roaming freely infield to take high-quality shots or hugging the touchlines to provide perfect passes for teammates, the wing is no place for the timid. These are your showboats, scorers and free-roaming forces of nature.

Though plenty of teams have conventional wide forwards, emerging stars such as Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué have shown there is plenty of benefit to having fast, forward-thinking players in wide positions. Blessed with pace and persistence to beat their markers and make it to the byline for a cut-back cross, or getting into scoring position, they are a menace for opponents and a delight for fans.

See the full list here.

Center forwards

Center forwards are your closers. They’re a potent blend of close-range finisher, playmaker and space creator for teammates around the box. They’re talented enough to handle the free role and graceful enough under pressure to constantly deliver. They’ll score in any game, against any team from any position. Fleet of foot and quick of mind, their ability to read the play and anticipate where the ball will be three passes before it gets there is what sets them apart.

It’s not only the tap-ins they’ll score, either. The best can improvise with any part of the body (except the hands, of course) to get the job done. Clever flicks, nifty tricks, brash backheels and calm set pieces are their best attributes.

See the full list here.

The 2024-25 FC 100, position by position

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June 7, 2025 0 comments

Nintendo Switch 2's Game Chat will seemingly support both live subtitles and text-to-speech

Esports

Ampere Analysis: Over 13m players expected to purchase Switch 2 in 2025

by admin June 6, 2025

Over 13 million players are expected to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025, according to a new report from Ampere Analysis.

The data firm predicts that the console will move 32.2 million units next year, 51.2 million by 2027, and 104.3 million by the end of the decade.

It noted that while initial sales of the Switch 2 will be higher “due to pent up demand from existing Switch users,” the console will see a “slower rate of sales” by 2030.

It came to this conclusion due to US tariffs adding “a layer of uncertainty” to the Switch 2’s performance outlook, and there not being a “pandemic-driven surge” in sales like with the original Switch.

Looking at the overall console market, Ampere Analysis predicts that Nintendo’s hardware share will increase by almost 50% by 2027.

As for standing against other gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and the PlayStation Portal, the data firm said these devices were not “a significant threat to Switch 2 adoption”.

“[These] are niche in terms of sales and are often priced significantly higher than Nintendo’s new console, while offering a different experience,” it explained.

In fact, Ampere Analysis predicts that Switch 2 sales will surpass the lifetime sales of “the entire PC gaming handheld category” in its launch year.

For example, it highlighted how “56% of Steam Deck owners also use a Nintendo Switch” but only “1.3% of Switch owners consider the Steam Deck to be their primary console device”.

As for Switch 2 software, Ampere Analysis expects new titles to represent “a $7 billion to $8 billion market over the next two years, growing to $10 billion in 2028”.

Much like the original Switch, the Switch 2 didn’t launch with many day one titles. However, the data firm emphasised how Switch 2 ‘Edition’ games and upgrades to previous titles will encourage existing Switch owners to spend more on the new console.

It also identified the strength of third-party content for Switch 2, which will “bring Nintendo into more direct competition with Sony and Xbox consoles” with blockbuster ports of titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Nintendo’s partnership with FromSoftware to produce The Duskbloods as a Switch 2 exclusive will also help “engage part-time Switch users” in focusing more of their attention on the console compared to PlayStation and Xbox, the firm said.

Elsewhere, Ampere Analysis suggested there was an “untapped opportunity” for Nintendo to utilise in-game monetisation on its platforms.

In 2024, it held a 4% share of the console market for in-game and DLC monetisation compared to 31% and 65% on Microsoft and Sony platforms, respectively.

It predicts that by 2027, Nintendo’s share could more than double to 10% if the platform holder focuses its efforts on this area of its business.

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June 6, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Ranking WNBA roster cores: Stacking 13 teams’ young players

by admin June 6, 2025

Neil PaineJun 5, 2025, 07:48 AM ET
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The 2025 WNBA season is riding a wave of momentum from last year’s record-breaking popularity, expanding to 13 teams with the debut of the Golden State Valkyries and increasing the schedule to 44 games per team. But the most exciting future belongs to the players themselves — from whether reigning MVP A’ja Wilson can lead the Aces back to the top after Las Vegas was dethroned by the champion New York Liberty, to how much higher a new generation of stars, led by electric sophomore Caitlin Clark, can soar.

The league is currently led by players in the middle of their primes, part of a golden generation that includes Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and 2025 MVP front-runner Napheesa Collier. Weighted by leaguewide value produced (see explanation below), the average age of a WNBA player this season (28.5 years old) is the highest it has been in league history, breaking a mark that has been surpassed in each of the previous three seasons.

Even though the veterans haven’t left the court yet, the WNBA’s future is in excellent hands. Clark’s recent quad injury aside, she is the No. 1 must-watch draw, while names such as Clark’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, Dallas Wings No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor and Liberty sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich are growing their games as well.

From left: Washington’s Emily Engstler and Sonia Citron, Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston and Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor and Jordan Horston form some of the WNBA’s best young cores. ESPN Illustration

That makes now a great time to assess which teams have assembled the greatest collections of young talent to power success in the future. In quantifying which teams have the best young cores, we were aided by a simplified forecasting system that projects every WNBA player’s value over the next five seasons, including 2025. (For value, we’re using a measure I call Consensus Wins per 44 games (CW/44), which blends estimates of wins added from three different advanced stats: Estimated RAPTOR, Win Shares and Player Efficiency Rating.)

The projection formula is mainly based on a weighted average of each player’s performance over the past three years — with more recent seasons counting more — with adjustments for aging, draft status and regression toward the mean.

Then for each team, we added up the total five-year projected CW/44 from players currently in their age-25 season or younger, to arrive at a rough guideline for how valuable each team’s current nucleus of young talent figures to be in the near future. These projections weren’t used strictly for the rankings, but they formed the basis for our assessments — with light editorial judgment used when projecting upside and accounting for context such as injuries or role changes.

With all of that in mind, here’s how the WNBA’s youth movement stacks up — and which teams are sitting on the biggest troves of future production in the league. Note: Stats and records are through June 3:

Jump to a team:
ATL | CHI | CON | DAL
GS | IND | LAS | LV | MIN
NY | PHX | SEA | WAS

Average age (league ranking): 28.5 (6th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024 (league ranking): 11.9 (1st)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025 (league ranking): 21.1 (1st)
Key players to build on (age): Caitlin Clark (23), Aliyah Boston (23), Lexie Hull (25)

It’s no surprise to see the Fever here with the brightest group of young stars in the WNBA. With Clark and Boston, Indiana has the No. 1 picks from the 2023 and 2024 drafts — each of whom went on to win Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons as well. When healthy (and both have been extremely durable throughout college and the pros, up until Clark’s recent injury), no team has a dynamic duo this good and this young.

That’s particularly true when you consider how well their games complement each other’s, with Clark serving as the WNBA’s ultimate heliocentric perimeter creator and initiator, and Boston scoring inside the arc with high volume and efficiency. The two took some time to figure out how to mesh in Clark’s rookie season last year, but both were improving their numbers early this season before Clark got hurt. Boston has a sky-high 65.7 True Shooting % (TS%) this season, for instance, while scoring 16.8 points per game.

Don’t sleep on Hull, either; the fourth-year guard out of Stanford has improved each year of her WNBA career and is tracking for a breakout performance.

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1:30

How serious is Caitlin Clark’s injury?

Alexa Philippou reports on Caitlin Clark’s quad injury and what it means for the Fever.

Average age: 24.8 (youngest in league)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 4.6 (6th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 13.8 (2nd)
Key players to build on: Sonia Citron (21), Aaliyah Edwards (22), Kiki Iriafen (21), Jade Melbourne (22)

The Mystics have improved already from last year, with their net rating rising from -3.7 points per 100 possessions in 2024 to +0.8 in 2025, and their youth movement is a big reason why. Three of their four leading minute-earners are in their age-22 season or younger — led by Citron and Iriafen, pick Nos. 3 and 4 in this April’s WNBA draft.

Citron, who helped lead Notre Dame to the Sweet 16 in March, has taken to the Mystics right away; she’s scoring 15.0 PPG with a scorching 65.5 TS% (hitting 40% of her 3s). Fellow rookie Iriafen is playing beyond her years as well, and we can’t forget about the comparative veterans of the bunch as well: Edwards, the No. 6 pick in the 2024 draft who is recently returning from injury, and Melbourne, who is earning more playing time with her all-around play.

We could also name-drop more players here from the league’s youngest team — 2022 draft picks Shakira Austin (No. 3) and Emily Engstler (No. 4) and 2025 No. 6 pick Georgia Amoore (who suffered a torn ACL and will miss the season). Bottom line: Washington is loaded for the future.

Average age: 30.6 (13th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 6.9 (3rd)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -0.2 (10th)
Key players to build on: Ezi Magbegor (25), Dominique Malonga (19), Jordan Horston (24)

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The Storm are in an interesting place here, as they are simultaneously one of the most veteran-laden teams in the league — Gabby Williams is 28 while Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Alysha Clark and Erica Wheeler are all 34 or older — but also a team with promising next-generation talent.

Magbegor is having a rough start to the 2025 season, but she has been one of the best young two-way bigs in recent seasons, and Malonga went No. 2 in this year’s draft thanks to her impressive combination of size and skill. The Storm also have Horston (who made big strides last season) and 2024 rookie Nika Mühl, but both will miss the 2025 season with ACL injuries.

That creates uncertainty about just how much this group can produce down the line, but Magbegor and Malonga are an imposing pair to build from.

Average age: 28.0 (3rd youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 5.5 (5th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 8.2 (5th)
Key players to build on: Rhyne Howard (25), Naz Hillmon (25), Te-Hina Paopao (22)

Howard alone gives Atlanta a strong foundation: The 2022 No. 1 draft pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year turned 25 about three weeks before the season opened, and she easily has the most total points by a player under 25 over the past four seasons. The Dream are one of the most improved teams early on despite Howard’s offense not quite rolling yet, so there’s even more room for them to grow.

Beyond Howard, Atlanta also has Hillmon, a fourth-year forward who has great per-minute numbers despite lower playing time this year, and a pair of 2025 rookies: Paopao and Taylor Thierry. Neither has seen much game action so far, but Paopao’s shooting could help her carve out a regular role.

Average age: 28.2 (4th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: N/A
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 6.7 (6th)
Key players to build on: Veronica Burton (24), Justė Jocytė (19), Carla Leite (21), Janelle Salaun (23)

The Valkyries are the youngest franchise in the WNBA, as the league’s first expansion squad in 17 years. But what about Golden State’s foundational young players? They are also in good shape, after the team poached Burton, Leite and Kate Martin in the expansion draft, signed Salaün as an international free agent and drafted Jocytė at No. 5 in the 2025 draft as a long-term investment.

Salaün has immediately been the team’s top scorer, Burton has embraced a greater offensive role while maintaining her trademark efficiency, and Leite has performed well in limited playing time. Jocytė remains in Europe for 2025, but her upside is undeniable.

Average age: 26.1 (2nd youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: -1.4 (12th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 8.9 (4th)
Key players to build on: Paige Bueckers (23), NaLyssa Smith (24), Maddy Siegrist (25)

Armed with a trio of recent top-three draft picks — Smith (No. 2 in 2022), Siegrist (No. 3 in 2023) and Bueckers (No. 1 in 2025) — plus the intriguing potential of Aziaha James, the Wings have a solid young supporting cast set up around the prime-age core of Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington and Myisha Hines-Allen.

Much of this bunch’s ability to rise or fall comes down to Bueckers’ ceiling as a star, and the early returns have been quite good. She currently boasts a +3.1 Estimated RAPTOR, which is particularly impressive considering the tendency for highly touted WNBA rookie guards to face a steeper learning curve than bigs in the pros.

That Bueckers has stepped in and played with efficiency right away is a terrific sign for her — and Dallas’ — potential.

Forward Myisha Hines-Allen, 29, is one of the Wings’ more veteran players as she plays in her eighth season in the league. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Average age: 28.7 (9th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 9.4 (2nd)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -1.0 (11th)
Key players to build on: Angel Reese (23), Kamilla Cardoso (24), Hailey Van Lith (23)

The Sky had one of the most productive 25-and-under corps in the league last season, between rookies Reese and Cardoso, and Chennedy Carter (who has since graduated out of that age category and is no longer in the league).

But some inconsistency from Reese and Cardoso also confounded the advanced metrics, and the team’s rough start in 2025 (they’re being outscored by 18.0 points per 100) adds further confusion. Cardoso has certainly improved her offensive game this season; she has boosted her PPG from 9.8 to 12.8 while shooting better and passing more effectively.

Reese, on the other hand, has been underperforming. She remains one of the top rebounders in the league, but her shooting percentage has dipped from 39.1% last season to 31.3%. It’s a small sample so far, and Chicago has the potential to land higher on this list.

Average age: 29.3 (12th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 6.4 (4th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 4.1 (7th)
Key players to build on: Leonie Fiebich (25), Nyara Sabally (25), Marquesha Davis (24)

The defending champion Liberty are one of the oldest teams in the league, but the young players they have punch above their weight in terms of performance. Chief among those is Fiebich, who played a key role in New York’s title run as a rookie a year ago. She’s off to a slower start in 2025, but her combination of all-around efficiency will be important as the Liberty attempt to repeat.

The other youngster in New York’s main rotation is Sabally, who is battling a knee injury but makes a big difference on defense as a rim protector when she’s on the court. Davis, the No. 11 pick in 2024’s draft, is still waiting for more of an opportunity, which are generally hard to come by for up-and-comers on this roster.

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0:32

Which team’s 7-0 start is more impressive: Lynx or Liberty?

Monica McNutt weighs in on why the Lynx’s 7-0 start is slightly more impressive than the Liberty’s due to strength of schedule.

Average age: 28.3 (5th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 2.0 (8th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -2.6 (12th)
Key players to build on: Olivia Nelson-Ododa (24), Jacy Sheldon (24), Saniya Rivers (22), Rayah Marshall (21)

A full-scale rebuild for the Sun, just a few years removed from a Finals run in 2022, means plenty of focus on the next generation that might lead Connecticut back to a title push. Right now, that remains a work in progress for a one-win team.

Under-25 players Sheldon, Nelson-Ododa and Rivers are getting at least 24 minutes per game apiece for the team this season, to varying degrees of success — Nelson-Ododa has a positive RAPTOR on offense, Rivers is positive on defense and Sheldon continues to struggle to deliver on her potential as 2024’s No. 5 pick.

A couple of other decently high draftees, Marshall and Aneesah Morrow, haven’t gotten much of a look yet, but that might change with injuries across the roster and a general sense of wanting to see what the team has in what appears to be an otherwise lost season.

Average age: 28.6 (tied for 7th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 0.3 (9th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -0.1 (9th)
Key players to build on: Diamond Miller (24), Dorka Juhász (25), Alissa Pili (24), Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (20)

Similar to the Liberty, the Lynx are in win-now mode and have little need for developing young players who can’t contribute right away. Napheesa Collier is having an MVP-level career season, and none of that can go to waste.

Each of Minnesota’s top seven players by minutes this season is 28 or older this year, so the future is somewhat on the backburner — its most used player in the 25-or-under club is Miller, the 2023 No. 2 pick who has improved but is averaging 8.2 MPG. The talent for these younger Lynx isn’t lacking as much as the opportunities.

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0:22

Napheesa Collier gets the hoop and harm for Lynx

Napheesa Collier dances through the defense and gets the and-1 to fall for the Lynx vs. the Mercury.

Average age: 28.9 (10th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 2.7 (7th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -5.6 (13th)
Key players to build on: Cameron Brink (23), Rickea Jackson (24), Sania Feagin (22), Sarah Ashlee Barker (23)

The Sparks’ young contingent is riddled with absences — with Brink out since midseason last year with a torn ACL, and Jackson and Rae Burrell missing games recently as well. When they have played, L.A.’s 25-and-under set has struggled, producing the lowest value in the league this season. (Each of the Sparks’ five players in that category — Barker, Jackson, Liatu King, Burrell and Feagin — has a RAPTOR of -5.7 or worse.)

Brink and Jackson, two of the top-four players drafted in 2024, have the highest potential, but the former suffered a torn ACL last June (she’s expected to return this month), and the latter has not impressed in the advanced metrics yet. Both trends have a chance to change later this season.

Average age: 29.2 (11th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: -0.8 (11th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 9.3 (3rd)
Key players to build on: Monique Akoa Makani (24), Lexi Held (25)

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If we were just basing this ranking off of 2025 results to date, the Mercury would be much higher. The team’s surprising start (Phoenix ranks No. 4 in net rating) has been driven in part by the play of rookies Akoa-Makani and Held, both of whom are rotation regulars (Akoa-Makani is even starting) and are producing very good numbers early in the season.

The only thing holding down the Mercury in this projection is that neither player has much of a track record and each went undrafted, which outweighs the upside of a handful of games’ worth of sample size. But if both end up being this good all season long, Phoenix would have a couple of amazing diamond-in-the-rough pickups on its hands to help them both now and in the future.

Average age: 28.6 (tied for 7th youngest)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 0.0 (10th)
CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 1.8 (8th)
Key players to build on: Aaliyah Nye (22), Elizabeth Kitley (23), Kierstan Bell (25)

A year after having practically no rotation members age 25 or younger — Kate Martin was the only one who played more than six games — the Aces are still heavily dependent on their veterans, with good reason, but they have at least thrown a few more minutes (7 to 10 per game) to the likes of Nye, Bell and Kitley this season. None of that group was drafted any higher than Bell at No. 11, however, and she is the oldest of the group. (Kitley, for what it’s worth, has good metrics in a very small sample so far.)

As long as A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young are the franchise’s present, the Aces are not exactly looking to the future generation quite yet.

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June 6, 2025 0 comments