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‘Stop with the advertising c***:’ The First Descendant dev apologizes for blatant AI ripoff ad, and players express their honest thoughts

by admin August 19, 2025

Screenshot by Destructoid

Published: Aug 19, 2025 10:25 am

The First Descendant devs admitted issues in their advertising strategy on TikTok after community backlash over AI-generated videos flooding the platform last week. The issue went to the extreme of a content creator being impersonated without his permission, as if he were endorsing the game.

Developer Nexon explained it didn’t create any of the videos shown in the reported TikTok ads. They used TikTok’s Creative Challenge system to allow other creators to make videos “voluntarily” for The First Descendant, which were automatically used as ads for the game on the platform. Nexon apologized and wrote:

“After confirming with TikTok, we learned that no system currently exists to verify potential copyright infringement, and TikTok is now conducting further investigations to identify any additional cases. One confirmed case involved unauthorized use of DanieltheDemon’s content by another creator. TikTok identified this as a violation of its guidelines and has already blocked the creator’s account.”

The company added that “We are taking the TikTok advertisement issue very seriously, recognizing that we failed to uphold the authenticity of our marketing content and to respect the efforts of our creators and community.” It promised “additional review steps” when publishing promotional material online for The First Descendant.

DanieltheDemon’s case was the most problematic one. Players spotted what seemed to be him robotically talking over The First Descendant gameplay in an ad on TikTok, but the creator later said it was not him in the video, and he didn’t authorize the use of his likeness in any of the published content. While Nexon didn’t make the video, the company still benefited temporarily from it with the TikTok ad.

The First Descendant community was unmoved by Nexon’s apology. On Steam, most players asked the developer to stop focusing on ads and fix game issues instead.

“Stop with the advertising c***, and make a FUN GAME. Fix the crap you broke, and make it more player-friendly,” an angry player wrote. “The best ads for a game are the people who play it,” a second one added.

Nexon’s reply has yet to make the game’s Reddit community care, but one player, while recognizing the company’s effort, echoed the sentiment that The First Descendant needs improvements first. “Their priorities are off at times, and the game’s balance is a f****** joke to the point where I don’t even play anymore […] but that doesn’t mean I don’t see the effort and care put into the game.”

The First Descendant has a new patch scheduled to release on Aug. 21, with content still to be confirmed. If players are to be heard, the game update will have balance changes and bug fixes that will make them want to advertise The First Descendant to their friends.

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August 19, 2025 0 comments

Esports

IShowSpeed reveals 35 day tour around USA: Every stop

by admin August 18, 2025

YouTube star IShowSpeed is taking his livestream on the road again, and announced a nonstop 24/7 tour across the United States that will run for 35 days.

The 19-year-old YouTube streamer, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., has built a massive audience with his high-energy streams and international tours.

He previously broadcasted his travels across Europe, Asia, and South America, drawing millions of live viewers as he visited landmarks, tried local food, and met fans worldwide.

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Now, Speed says he will turn his attention to the US, bringing the same format to cities across the country in a month-long livestream marathon.

All the states IShowSpeed will visit

The 35-day tour will be streamed entirely on his YouTube channel starting August 28, 2025, at 12 pm EST, with Speed promising unfiltered coverage of his travels across all 24 hours of each day.

IShowSpeed’s exact stops within each state are unknown, as well as what order he will visit each one. However, here are all the states the YouTuber says he’s going to visit during the marathon stream:

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Arizona
California
Colorado
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisana
Massachusetts
Michigan
North Carolina
New Mexico
Nevada
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Washington
Wyoming

Shortly after the announcement went live, MrBeast invited Speed to his facility in North Carolina, saying he’ll have “something fun” for the YouTuber.

When you get to North Carolina I’ll have something fun for you 😉

— MrBeast (@MrBeast) August 18, 2025

He has not yet announced the exact starting city or schedule, but the tour is set to begin soon and will mark his longest continuous livestream project to date.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

These 4 cryptos could soar as Eric Trump says stop betting against world’s largest cryptos

by admin August 17, 2025

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

Eric Trump urges bullish bets on crypto; altcoins like LILPEPE, TRON, KAS, and ALGO gain investor attention.

Summary

Eric Trump’s bullish opinion on Bitcoin and Ethereum sparks interest in altcoins for 2025.
LILPEPE, TRON, KAS, and ALGO are poised for growth ahead of the 2025 crypto bull run.
Affordable altcoins backed by strong tech are attracting attract investors ahead of the next bull cycle.

A possible bull run in 2025 has already got the cryptocurrency market buzzing. Recently, Eric Trump made statements urging investors to “stop betting against Bitcoin and Ethereum”, further exciting the market around digital assets.

While both Bitcoin and Ethereum remain the titans they are, strategic investors are shifting their focus to undervalued altcoins with solid fundamentals and the potential to ignite explosive growth. From Eric Trump’s interview, it’s safe to say he is very bullish about the crypto market, and if current trends are anything to go by, Little (LILPEPE), TRON, KAS, and ALGO are poised to skyrocket by 2025. In short, these cryptocurrencies are affordable and backed by state-of-the-art technology.

Little Pepe: The memecoin with layer 2 ambition

Little Pepe is reshaping the memecoin world by combining technology with viral appeal. Now in Stage 10 of its presale, priced at $0.0019, Little has completed more than $18.3 million in fundraising and has sold 12.2 billion tokens.

This has also led to the rare presale listing on CoinMarketCap, which enhances its global exposure. While common memecoins such as PEPE and SHIB focus solely on their developed community and meme culture, Little Pepe is taking a different direction as it is developing a Layer 2 meme and community tokens blockchain, which will have minimal charges, instantaneous transaction completion, and will be EVM compatible.

Little Pepe Launchpad, designed by the project, is designed to assist new meme projects by providing protective anti-bot mechanisms for fair launches. Little Pepe is set for tremendous growth given their 100,000-strong community and CEX listing planned for after the presale. Although memecoins are highly risky and speculative, Little’s low entry price and infrastructure focus make it an opportunity for high reward for investors speculating at 50x-100x return during the 2025 bull run.

TRON: The DeFi giant with steady momentum

TRX currently trades at $0.315 and has a market cap of $32.2 billion. Gaming and NFTs have spawned a vibrant dApps and financial services ecosystem. It is becoming the go-to network for stablecoin transactions. Recently, $1 billion of USDT was minted on its blockchain.

The price structure of TRON currently sits in an ascending channel, which shows bullish signs. With whale dominance currently peaking, analysts speculate that if TRX breaks past $0.45, it may retrace to its 2024 highs of $0.50. This move provides an estimated profit of 10 to 20 percent.

Kaspa: The scalable blockchain innovator

With a market cap of $2.89 billion, KAS is priced at $0.075. It is designed for high transaction speed, which makes it a competitor to traditional blockchains. The recent Crescendo v1.0.0 hard fork increased block speed to 10 blocks per second, and the DAGKNIGHT consensus improves security and finality.

The new EVM-compatible testnets and the KRC20 token standard proposed by Kaspa enable new avenues in DeFi and smart contracts. With increasing developer interest and the Caravel testnet coming soon, analysts expect KAtold to reach $1 by the end of the year, representing a 13x increase from its current price.

Algorand: The green with real-world utility

ALGO fuels DeFi and NFT ecosystems and bridges traditional and decentralized finance. With a market cap of $2.2 billion and priced at $0.24, ALGO powers DeFi and NFT ecosystems. Its plans for 2025, like enabling native token transfers through Wormhole, collaboration with Paycode for digital identities in emerging markets, and other initiatives, reveal ALGO’s ecosystem.

Algorand attracts institutions and developers because of low costs, native staking rewards, and a carbon-negative promise. Its recent joining of the Blockchain Association to advocate for crypto-friendly regulations further boosts credibility. ALGO has excellent upside potential, especially with the growing adoption of DeFi and payments.

Conclusion

Eric Trump’s bullish sentiment towards Bitcoin and Ethereum hints at a booming market. As for other investment options, Algorand, Kaspa, Little Pepe, and TRON also offer diverse opportunities. TRON’s dominance in DeFi provides a safe investment, while Little Pepe’s dog meme-driven Layer 2 project could yield significant gains in weeks.

Completing the list is Kaspa with its scalable infrastructure, Algorand with its real-world applications — both holding strong for long-term gains — coins priced under a dollar offer affordable entry positions ahead of the predicted bull run in 2025. As always, conduct due diligence and speak to a financial advisor; with any investment, cryptocurrencies come with risks.

To learn more about Little Pepe, visit the website, Telegram, and X.

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

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August 17, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The Methaphone Is a Phone (That’s Not a Phone) to Help You Stop Using Your Phone

by admin June 24, 2025

Earlier this year, Eric Antonow was in a coffee shop with his family when he felt the familiar, twitchy urge to reach for his phone. He patted his pockets for relief—the cool, thin slab was still there. He joked to his family that, like an addict jonesing for a hit, he would one day need a medical-grade solution to detox from his phone. Opioid addicts had methadone. iPhone addicts would need … methaphones.

“It was a joke, but I got two laughs from my two teenagers, which is gold,” Antonow says. “I was like, ‘I’m going to commit to the bit.’”

Antonow, a former marketing executive at Google and Facebook, has been committing to bits for half a decade, making what he calls “mindless toys.” His online shop features projects like a “listening switch” to indicate when one is paying attention, and a vinyl for silent meditation, with 20 minutes of recorded silence on each side (record player not required).

So within days of his latest joke, he had enlisted ChatGPT to mock up an image of a gadget in the shape of a phone, without all of the contents: a translucent rectangle that one could look at, or through. From that original generative sketch emerged a more realized design: a 6-inch slab of clear acrylic with rounded corners, like the iPhone, and green edges that resembled glass. Antonow placed an order for samples, and started an Indiegogo campaign for the Methaphone: to “leave your phone without the cravings or withdrawal.”

The first Methaphones were sold for $25 through a crowdfunding campaign.

Courtesy of Eric Antonow

The dilemma of the smartphone is that we all want to use our phones less, but few of us actually do. Apple and Google offered a few life preservers in 2018, in the form of self-regulation tools like screen time limits, but most of that went out the window during the pandemic years when screens became a window into the outside world. Now, a person hoping to reclaim their attention is trapped between two unappealing choices: downgrade to a minimalist “dumb phone,” or surrender to the dopamine drip-feed of infinite content. Either way, the phone wins.

In response, a cottage industry has emerged to offer detachment tools. There are apps with symbolic names, like Freedom and Focus, that block distracting content. Startups like Brick and Unpluq offer physical NFC “keys” to lock and unlock addictive apps. (Unpluq’s cofounder, Jorn Rigter, says people use the device equally to block social apps, like Instagram, and work apps, like Slack, which have become just as sticky.) There’s Yondr, a lockable pouch to prevent phone use in courtrooms and concert halls. And there’s a growing lineup of “dumb phones,” some at premium, postmodern prices.

You can buy stickers that look like app icons.

Courtesy of Eric Antonow

Unlike those solutions, the Methaphone doesn’t do much of anything. It’s more of a statement: ceci n’est pas un phone. But in a culture of technological excess, the project has resonated widely, like Ozempic in an epidemic of screen obesity.

In May, when the first batch of Methaphones arrived, Antonow sent them to a dozen friends to get their reactions. One recipient was Catherine Goetze, who quickly posted a video about the Methaphone to her 400,000 followers on TikTok. In the video, Goetze is standing in line at a San Francisco boba shop, hunched over just like everyone else—but instead of scrolling her phone, she’s scrolling … a slab of clear acrylic. Commenters went wild with speculation. Was it a Nokia prototype? A Black Mirror trailer? Within five days, the video had more than 53 million views.

After Goetze’s video, Antonow says the Methaphone “massively sold out.” (He had initially ordered a run of 100 units, sold as a limited release, for $25.) While he plans to restock, he says the future of the Methaphone is less about individual purchases than larger-scale experiments—say, a restaurant that offers a Methaphone on the menu so that people can dine without distractions. Phones are more than just portals to other people, they’re portals to another dimension. “So the counterbalance also needs to be more important than just, ‘Oh, I need to remember not to use my phone at the table,’” he says.

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June 24, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Cyberpunk 2077’s update 2.3 is delayed, and definitely not just because CD Projekt can’t stop adding things

by admin June 24, 2025

Sorry, we’re not done yet, CD Projekt has said about a Cyberpunk 2077 update that also represents that same phrase, it being about the third patch to be labelled the final one the game’ll be getting. Update 2.3 was originally set to be dropping on this week, but now it’s been delayed so the devs can make it about the same size as its predecessor.

Yeah, they’re probably adding more stuff to the pile of new things we never thought Cyberpunk’d still be getting at this stage. We’re multiple encores deep in the Samurai gig at this point, but hey, the crowd’s still having a great time.

“We initially hoped to put Update 2.3 in your hands on June 26th,” the studio wrote in a post addressed to choom nation, “However, we’ll need some more time to make sure we’re happy with it — we’re aiming for a scope similar to Update 2.2. We’ll update you further as soon as we can!”

So, no new details about what to expect in this next patch, which was announced alongside Cyberpunk making its debut on a certain new console made by a company often associated with the profession you enlist if your loo’s clogged. Well, aside from the fact it’s apparently going to about as beefy as its predecessor, the previous holder of the ‘last Cyberpunk patch, for realsies’ title.

Hey chooms,

We initially hoped to put Update 2.3 in your hands on June 26. However, we’ll need some more time to make sure we’re happy with it — we’re aiming for a scope similar to Update 2.2. We’ll update you further as soon as we can!

We appreciate your patience! pic.twitter.com/Hx5fEF8wj7

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) June 23, 2025

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In case you were busy in December 2024, update 2.2 added a bunch of extra customisation options for your car and character, as well as the ability for Keanny Reevhand to sometimes spawn into your passenger seat during free roam. You know, so you can show him your sickest handbrake turns without attempting a drift while something important’s happening.

Who knows what CD Projekt has in store for this final, final, final patch. They’ve added in a whole metro system previously, so maybe we’re getting futuristic Bus Simulator. Or a Euro Cybertruck Simulator that’s about flying MAN and DAF lorries with heavy duty thrusters and mantis windscreen wiper blades.

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June 24, 2025 0 comments

dune awakening character looking at sandworm

Esports

Peak becomes breakout indie success because people can’t stop joking about the name

by admin June 22, 2025

Peak, a small and relatively cheap co-op indie game about climbing mountains with your friends, has become a breakout hit on Steam. It sold over a million copies in its first week due almost solely to good word of mouth… and people making puns about the name.

In a gaming landscape dominated by big AAA multiplayer live service titles, there’s been a renaissance of co-op games for people who aren’t feeling competitive and just want to have a good time with their friends.

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Titles like Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., and Chained Together have shown just how powerful this formula can be. The fact that the price tag on these games is so much lower than the $80 standard makes them incredibly appealing for people who just want a couple fun gaming sessions with a group of friends.

Peak is the next big indie co-op game, and it has already sold over a million copies in the first week after launch due to a deceptively simple marketing strategy.

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Indie climbing game Peak sells a million copies in a week

For big gaming companies, games often have to sell millions of copies just for them to break even. But the wonderful thing about indie game dev is that a really solid idea executed well can create a game that’s truly special that doesn’t break the bank. Enter Peak.

Peak is a co-op climbing game where you’re tasked with traversing four different biomes, each of which have different weather conditions, to try and make it to the peak of that day’s mountain.

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The maps swap every 24 hours, giving players a new experience every time they open the game. So, despite it only being $5 on Steam, people can expect huge value out of this title and something they can play with friends for years to come.

🏔️PEAK is OUT NOW on Steam‼️

Scale the mountain as a group of lost nature scouts (or solo) in this co-op climbing game

Work together, communicate, and support your fellow scouts to make it to the peak… or perish 💀

Finally… we made PEAK pic.twitter.com/6kssz85I54

— AGGRO CRAB 💥 (@AggroCrabGames) June 16, 2025

Aggro Crab, a studio that helped with development on this game and has released successful indie titles like Another Crab’s Treasure and Going Under, was surprised and a little irritated by just how successful Peak has been.

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“why did this stupid jam game sell more copies than another crabs treasure im gonna crash out,” Aggro Crab said on their official Twitter account.

For those unfamiliar, a jam game is when devs get together and essentially speedrun making a game, using existing in-engine tools and a solid core concept to flex their creative muscles and just make something. This was a collab between them and Landfall, the studio behind games like Clustertruck, with them just wanting to make something cool. Turns out, they made Peak.

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The name accidentally created a viral marketing campaign that cost them nothing and gave them a breakout hit.

One tweet that people thought was funny garnered millions of views while simultaneously linking out to a Steam page where people could buy the game for cheap. Some AAA game devs wish they had marketing this smart.

They also made a little guy named Bing Bong that people just really like. So that’s something.

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And, while that $5 price tag certainly helps with selling copies, especially since someone could feasibly spend $20 bucks to give their friend group something new to play together. But it may also just be selling because, well… it’s Peak.

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June 22, 2025 0 comments

Esports

NWSL Power Rankings: Can anyone stop Kansas City?

by admin June 16, 2025

Jun 16, 2025, 02:30 AM ET

It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.

Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 12 to come up with this week’s order of all 14 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.

Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Friday, June 20 vs. Angel City, 8 p.m. ET

When the Kansas City Current are firing on all cylinders, there’s no stopping them. Just ask Racing Louisville, who watched as three goals hit the back of their net inside the first 19 minutes at CPKC Stadium on Saturday. Between their rapid counter-attacking play — good luck dealing with Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper on the break — and their incisive possession approach, even a second-half flurry from the visitors couldn’t rob Kansas City of all three points in a 4-2 victory.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Sunday, June 22 vs. Washington Spirit, 10 p.m. ET

One of the hottest teams in the league, San Diego collected their sixth win in their last eight games in a 3-2 victory over the Houston Dash on Friday. Playing away from home, the Wave got out to a 2-0 lead in the first half in no small part due to their interchanging attackers and surging runs from goal-scorer Kenza Dali out of midfield. Though they were outscored in the second half and conceded a sloppy goal to Yazmeen Ryan, Jonas Eidevall’s team continues to impress.

Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Friday, June 20 vs. Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. ET

If you look up “smash and grab” in the dictionary, it’ll show you a picture of the Orlando Pride after their 1-0 win over Bay FC. Alright, fine. It won’t. But it should. Despite allowing 20 shots and 1.7 xG on Friday, as per FBref, Orlando still managed a narrow victory thanks to none other than Barbra Banda. After a quick free kick on the left side of midfield, Banda surged into space, worked her way into the box, and capitalized on a deflection to score the game’s only goal. The Pride have a few defensive frailties to address, but they’ll take the three points.

Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Sunday, June 22 vs. San Diego Wave, 10 p.m. ET

Playing without head coach Jonatan Giráldez (not because of his upcoming move to France but because he and his partner were expecting their second child), the Spirit fell 2-0 to the Portland Thorns to close out the NWSL’s weekend slate. Washington’s narrow midfield helped them hold the majority of possession in Portland. But a sloppy turnover put them in a first-half hole and an inability to capitalize on any of their 13 shots kept them from digging their way out.

play

1:59

Portland Thorns FC vs. Washington Spirit – Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from Portland Thorns FC vs. Washington Spirit, 06/16/2025

Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Bay FC, 7.30 p.m. ET

Though they won the CONCACAF W Champions Cup last month, Gotham FC collected their first league win since April in a 3-0 victory over the Utah Royals on Friday. With a penalty kick goal from Esther Gonzalez and a pair of red cards, one to Jess Carter and one to Jaelin Howell, Gotham’s route to three points was far from uneventful. Still, the visitors largely controlled the game and Rose Lavelle made her second appearance of the year. Not bad for a road trip.

Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Chicago Stars, 10 p.m. ET

In the NWSL, there are few better ways to bounce back from a disappointing loss than by besting the Washington Spirit. Even with the Spirit in a state of managerial transition, the Portland Thorns’ 2-0 win was an impressive one over a team that hadn’t lost since the beginning of May. Between some timely high pressing and lethal transition attacking, Portland ended Sunday’s match worthy of earning all three points.

Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Utah Royals, 5 p.m. ET

Even playing on the road, it’s a challenge not to look at a draw with the Chicago Stars as two points dropped. Due to a poor start that featured their transition defense getting torn apart on two separate occasions inside the first 15 minutes on Saturday, it took everything in the Reign to claw back for a 2-2 draw. Yes, getting those two goals back not long before the final whistle helped salvage the outing, but consistency still lacks for Laura Harvey’s team.

Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Friday, June 20 vs. Orlando Pride, 8 p.m. ET

At their best, Racing Louisville have been a compact, effective defensive team that makes life absolutely miserable for anyone and everyone on their schedule. It’s that hard-nosed style that’s held them above the playoff line so far this season. But on Saturday in Kansas City, that collective defensive work was absent. Louisville was sluggish in transition, gappy in possession, and never in the game in a 4-2 loss to the Current.

Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Gotham FC, 7.30 p.m. ET

It’s difficult to see positives in a loss, but if there was ever a moment to do so for Bay FC, it’s after their narrow defeat to the Orlando Pride on Friday. While a deflected shot from Banda earned Orlando a 1-0 lead, Bay outplayed the Pride for most of the match. The home side used the ball well in possession and on set pieces, managing 20 shots compared to just seven for their opponents. So much was working for Bay FC — aside from the final touch.

Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Houston Dash, 7.30 p.m. ET

Saturday’s 2-1 win over Angel City was nervy, featuring a near-last minute winner in second-half stoppage-time from Brianna Pinto. But it was a well-earned three points for North Carolina, who outshot their hosts 24 to 13, even with Jaedyn Shaw and Ashley Sanchez both beginning the game on the bench. Playing out of Sean Nahas’ back-three setup, the Courage managed their third-highest xG total of the year and inched closer to the playoff line.

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1:58

Angel City FC vs. North Carolina Courage – Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from Angel City FC vs. North Carolina Courage, 06/15/2025

Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Friday, June 20 vs. Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. ET

The second youngest team in the NWSL based on FBref’s average age weighted by minutes played metric, there were always going to be growing pains for Angel City in 2025. Those growing pains played out in real time in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage on Saturday, a game where the hosts allowed the opener in the first minute and the game-winner deep in second half stoppage time. Both Thompson sisters were bright, but there wasn’t enough in the attack to overcome Angel City’s sloppy defending inside their own box.

Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. NC Courage, 7.30 p.m. ET

Despite a surge in the second half where they outscored the Wave, the Houston Dash fell 3-2 to San Diego on Friday. Generating quality attacking chances in open play continues to be a struggle for Houston, who managed just two passes into the attacking penalty box on the evening, according to FBref. Yazmeen Ryan and Barbara Olivieri, who each scored against San Diego, provide a useful level of incision — but the two need help.

Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ET

Things never seem to look up for the Chicago Stars for too long, do they? After Ludmila’s brace inside the first 13 minutes put Chicago ahead on Saturday, the Stars proceeded to ship two goals, one in the 87th minute and one in the 89th, to draw 2-2 with the Seattle Reign. The chance for a second win in 2025 was within their grasp, but it wasn’t to be.

Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Saturday, June 21 vs. Seattle Reign, 5 p.m. ET

From a sloppy penalty concession to incredibly sluggish recovery defending in their own half, Utah put in a sub-par performance against NJ/NY Gotham FC on Friday. Losing 3-0 in front of their home crowd, the Royals only managed six total shots despite trailing for all but nine minutes of the match. Friday’s disappointment was the latest reminder in a long string of such reminders that Utah have a ways to go as a club.

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June 16, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Solana (SOL) Key Support at Risk: Is $100 Next Stop?

by admin June 15, 2025

The broader crypto market is facing slight selling pressure in the early Sunday session with $131 million liquidated in the last 24 hours, according to Coinglass data. This comes after a major sell-off over the last week when investors cut profits and considered macroeconomic concerns.

Solana has mirrored the broader market sentiment, falling for four days at a stretch from a high of $168 on June 11 and testing the crucial $140 support on June 13.

The significance of the $140 support is seen as SOL price rebounded from it in Friday’s sell-off, which saw major altcoins take heavy hits and liquidations exceed $1 billion.

Ali, a crypto analyst, highlights the significance of the $140 level in a recent tweet. Ali wrote, “If Solana SOL loses $140 as support, it could open the door for a deeper pullback toward $100.”

At the time of writing, SOL was attempting to recover, up 0.39% in the last 24 hours to $146 after falling to a low of $144 earlier.

ETF optimism remains

According to analysts, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission might begin approving certain cryptocurrency-related exchange-traded funds as early as next month, starting off an “altcoin ETF summer.”

After a weekend packed with game reveals, I can’t stop thinking about Clockwork Revolution’s time-traveling shenanigans

by admin June 10, 2025

Clockwork Revolution Xbox Showcase 2025 Trailer – YouTube

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Sunday’s Xbox Games Showcase was pretty stacked, but one game stood out from the crowd with a five-and-a-half minute preview: Clockwork Revolution, the steampunk RPG shooter from the studio behind Wasteland 3 and Torment: Tides of Numenera.

It’s got all the brash humor I’ve come to expect from inXile in the most ambitious-looking game it’s done yet. Whether the team hits the mark, I’m not sure I care right now: the ideas they’re working with are so bold, they have my full attention.

On the surface, Clockwork Revolution looks like an RPG-ified, steampunk take on BioShock. Combat is all elaborate brass guns, grenades that shoot out bolts of electricity, and a magic glove that comes with all sorts of time-warping powers. They give some examples in the trailer: bullet time, a personal rewind a la Overwatch’s Tracer, and the power to rebuild a crumbled stack of bricks in the environment for use as cover. The gunplay implications are well and good, but the time travel also saw narrative play in ways that left me dying to know more.

There’s a quick flyby of a spot in Avalon that repeats a few times, but the scene is different with each replay. Different banners fly, statues of different people tower over a town square, and the narrator remarks he can “go back in time to change the past, to change the future.”

It’s possible these are canned set pieces along a linear path, but inXile promises that “choices will have a butterfly effect” on the world and its characters. Mixing an open-ended choice-and-consequence RPG with time travel seems almost irresponsibly daring, but what galls me is the trailer had even more to say. It was a full five-and-a-half minutes, after all.

There’s a glimpse at character creation, kitted out with as many different stats and character backgrounds as suitably huge mustaches. We also get a look at a weapon modding interface, a glut of glossy story cutscenes, dialog trees, and newspaper headlines that shift with the changing story.

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(Image credit: inXile Entertainment)(Image credit: inXile Entertainment)

The shootouts I mentioned earlier looked to be no slouch either, and there were some brief platforming segments where the time-bending was used to slow down hazards. I shouldn’t be surprised that inXile is taking a big swing—Wasteland 3 is one of the slicker CRPGs in recent memory—but the extent to which Clockwork Revolution aims for the fences has me pretty tantalized. I’m a little worried it’s trying to do too much, but I’d rather a game be messy and exciting than dull and safe.

If Clockwork Revolution piques your interest, it’s available to wishlist on Steam, though its current release window is “in due time.”

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June 10, 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