Between the massive box-office of A Minecraft Movie and the game's continuing popularity, 2025 has been a good year for Minecraft fans. And at least two of those fans are apes who were taught how to play Minecraft at the Ape Cognition & Conservation Initiative in Iowa.

Via CBS News Iowa, the ACCI is dedicated to studying bonobos, an endangered species of apes who are closely related to humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas. The bonobos also have an astonishing ability to comprehend symbols and language, including the complex lexigrams they use to communicate with their human handlers. In the video below, it's noted that two of the bonobos, Kanzi and Teko, learned to play Minecraft through a touchscreen interface. And according to the ACCI's Sara Skiba, "It was actually Teko who had the kill shot on the Ender Dragon."

Streamer ChrisDaCow posted a longer video a year ago about how Kanzi learned to play Minecraft through a reward system that demonstrated the game's mechanics. Essentially, Kanzi was rewarded for mining with some of his favorite snacks. And he gradually picked up on other aspects of the game as he played it.

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At this year's Computex trade show, MSI officially revealed its updated Claw PC gaming handheld. One of the major changes with this new model is that it sports an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor under the hood, which should be able to handle several graphically intense games on its eight-inch FHD display.

Other hardware specs for the Claw A8 BZ2EM model include an AMD Radeon 890M GPU, a 120Hz refresh rate for the screen, a 1TB M2 SSD, and it's equipped with "up to 24GB" of LPDDR5-800 memory. This will be available in two different colors--white and lime green--and the company says that it has also aimed to make it ergonomically appealing. These efforts have resulted in contours that are meant to feel more natural in your hand, and the joysticks, bumpers, D-pad, and Hall-Effect triggers have also been redesigned.

MSI Claw A8

Pricing or a release date have yet to be revealed, but for reference, the currently available MSI Claw 8+ with Intel hardware currently costs $1,000.

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Malys is quite the surprise as a follow-up to Summerfall Studios' first game, Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical. Rather than craft another superb choice-driven visual novel with an emphasis on music and Greek myth, Summerfall's next game is a turn-based roguelite deckbuilder set in a demon-filled city. The tone looks to be far darker and there's a lot more to the gameplay this time around, but much like Summerfall Studios' first game, Malys looks like a visual delight and features characters I desperately want to get to know.

"There was an initial question, do we want to do this more as a visual novel, more like Stray Gods?" Summerfall creative director David Gaider told me during an exclusive gameplay preview of Malys. "Because Stray Gods did not have much in the way of gameplay, we wanted to try something that has more gameplay to prove that we're a studio that can do something that's fun and still narrative-driven but that has a very strong gameplay loop at its heart."

Even the weaker demons can pack a punch.

In Malys, you play as a former priest turned exorcist named Noah. He's striving to cross the entirety of a city to reach a major demon waiting for him on the other side, but lesser demons block his path. Each confrontation has a chance of wearing on Noah's will, and if it is fully depleted, he collapses, only to awaken back at the start of his journey with a time reset. These time loops allow Noah to better prepare for future runs and gain the trust of citizens, but he isn't the only one who remembers everything that transpires with every loop: A mysterious celestial, a powerful occultist, and a seemingly friendly masked demon are immune to the time rewinds, too.

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People like when the numbers go up in their video games, not when the number goes up to buy their video games. But Gearbox CEO and president Randy Pitchford believes "a real fan" will discover a way to pony up $80 for Borderlands 4 later this year--if that's how much it costs.

Last week, someone on X told Pitchford that Borderlands 4 "better not be" $80. For his part, Pitchford has previously stated he "doesn't know" how much the co-op game will cost. But that didn't stop the Gearbox boss from responding with his opinion on X if Borderlands 4 does retail for that premium price.

"A) Not my call. B) If you're a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen," Pitchford wrote. "My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach, and I found a way to make it happen."

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Returnal developer Housemarque, which is owned by Sony, has said it isn't planning to make live-service or free-to-play games, not so long as people are "buying premium games."

Studio head Ilari Kuittinen told Eurogamer, "Our philosophy is that [our games] are an experience for a certain time of your life, and you experience that within a few days, or weeks, or whatever."

He added: "You don't need to spend the rest of your free time with our games." Creative director Gregory Louden said Housemarque is "fully focused on single-player and premium" games.

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Batman (1989) 35th Anniversary Steelbook Edition (4K Blu-ray)

$18 (was $41)

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Batman 4-Film Collection (4K Blu-ray)

$59.38 (was $90)

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Fans of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie can get the commemorative Steelbook Edition for its best price yet. Released last year to celebrate the beloved film's 35th anniversary, Batman '89's 4K Steelbook Edition is discounted to only $18. This edition was originally priced at $41, but these days it often sells for $30. We wouldn't be surprised to see Amazon's deal sell out quickly.

Batman (1989) 35th Anniversary Steelbook Edition (4K Blu-ray) $18 (was $41)

The Steelbook Edition of Batman 1989 is a two-disc set with 4K Blu-ray, 1080p Blu-ray, and digital versions of the beloved film. The case features the Gotham City skyline with the Bat-Signal shining overhead.

The special features were inherited from previous releases, but if you don't own Batman 1989 in physical format, you're in for a treat. The included bonus offers a fascinating glimpse into how the movie was made. From Warner Bros. taking a chance on Burton to the wild reactions of Keaton's casting, these featurettes are a time capsule of Bat-mania. Or if you want to chill, you can also check out the Prince music videos.

Though the 1989 film previously released on 4K Blu-ray back in 2019, Amazon's deal on the 35th Anniversary Steelbook Edition is better than the price for the standard edition at the moment ($21.89).

More than three decades later, Burton's Batman is still a terrific movie anchored by Keaton's brooding performance as the Gotham vigilante and Jack Nicholson stealing every scene he's in as the impeccably tailored Joker. The film still looks great thanks to the high-budget set design, imaginative costumes, and a killer Batmobile, creating a timeless take on the DC Comics hero and his world.

See at Amazon Batman 4-Film Collection (4K Blu-ray) $59.38 (was $90)

If you're interested in watching Burton's sequel, which saw Keaton reprise his role as the Caped Crusader, one solid option is the Batman 4-Film Collection (1989-1997). In addition to 4K Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray versions of Batman '89 and Batman Returns (1992), this set also comes with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. The former saw Val Kilmer step into the lead role, while the latter features George Clooney as Batman.

The Batman 4-Film Collection is discounted to $59.38 (was $90) at Amazon.

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Ahead of the PC release of Stellar Blade, developer Shift Up has seemingly confirmed that a sequel to the game is currently in development. Shift Up had previously mentioned that a Stellar Blade sequel was under consideration, and the studio is also working on a new action-RPG codenamed Project Witches.

In a recent company presentation document, a Stellar Blade sequel was highlighted. As seen on page 19 of the document (via Insider Gaming), Stellar Blade 2 and Project Witches are currently scheduled to be released before 2027. While nothing is set in stone, this is a fairly quick turnaround for a new Stellar Blade game, considering that it first launched for PS5 in 2024 and has been supported with several pieces of post-launch content since then.

Shift Up is aiming to have Stellar Blade 2 out by the end of 2026.

The upcoming PC release is also scheduled for June 12, but the game has been blocked from sale on Steam in over 100 countries for an unknown reason.

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Rebellion's CEO has provided more insight into why a battle royale game in the Sniper Elite series was canceled.

We first heard about the Sniper Elite battle royale last summer, but by November, reports emerged that the project was canceled after Tencent pulled funding. Rebellion, the studio behind the Sniper Elite series, never really explained why this battle royale was canceled. It was focused on promoting Sniper Elite Resistance, a single-player game that launched in January. In a new interview with The Game Business, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley revealed more about this project and why it was canceled.

"That was a bit of a one-off. We don't do work-for-hire. But we were very keen to learn about how Tencent worked. And Tencent were very keen to learn how we worked," Kingsley explained. "At the end of the day, we walked away because we felt the market had shifted entirely. We still have great relationships with them. It was one of those business opportunities that didn't get to the ultimate end that we were hoping for."

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Bethesda has spent well over a decade working on its proprietary Creation Engine, which has powered all of its games since Skyrim. However, following the recent releases of Starfield and the remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, some fans have questioned the studio's commitment to this engine. In a new interview, former studio lead Dan Nanni explained that ditching Creation would impose significant costs on both the community and the development team.

As the games industry has increasingly converged on a small number of standard engines--Unreal Engine 5 chief among them--studios like Bethesda that maintain their own have become rare. Speaking to VideoGamer, Nanni explained that there are good reasons that Bethesda remains focused on Creation Engine. Chief among these is that Bethesda has built up an avid modding community, which has become particularly integral to the lifespan of Bethesda games and the studio's strategy toward long-term support.

While moving to UE5 would likely benefit some modders who are experienced in creating mods for other games, the Bethesda mod scene as a whole would likely take a big hit, Nanni explained. "You have a mod community and knows how to use your engine, that has built things for decades on the system that you are launching with," he stated. "You have to ask yourself, is it worth losing all of that knowledge? What do you gain from it? And there is no right answer... You just have to make a choice."

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Developer Rebellion's newest game, the survival FPS Atomfall, was a big success right away, it appears. The Game Business reports that the day-one Game Pass launch was "immediately profitable" and that Rebellion is now working on DLC for the game and considering a possible sequel or spin-off.

No sales numbers for Atomfall have been announced, but the game reached 1.5 million players right out of the gate, later climbing to 2 million. This amounted to Rebellion's "most successful launch" for any of its games going back 30+ years. The developer has not said how many copies the game has sold, however.

In addition to being available for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on Xbox and PC, the game can be purchased outright for $60. It's also available on PS5.

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The Sonic the Hedgehog comic from IDW is introducing a new story arc this fall, positioning it as a jumping-on point for new readers. The story revolves around familiar characters and elements like Shadow and the Chaos Emeralds, while introducing a new locale for the gang to explore. The story arc, called "The Stage Is Set," starts in September.

The three-issue arc will start with Sonic the Hedgehog #81. After six of the seven Chaos Emeralds go missing, Sonic and Tails go on a frantic search for the seventh. That hunt leads them to Sequin, a luxurious city that happens to be in the midst of a massive carnival. They quickly discover they're not alone, however, as Shadow and Rouge are searching for the final emerald as well.

Sonic the Hedgehog issue 81 from IDWGallery

The announcement from IDW promises fan favorites along with a "new, adorable, acrobatic, totally not suspicious character." Both the main and alternate covers for issue #81 each show different looks at a character dressed like a harlequin jester--which makes enough sense for a citywide carnival. While this character is currently only in the comics, the IDW series has bled into the world of video games before--the Sonic Forces mobile game borrowed two of the comic series' original characters, Tangle and Whisper, in 2020.

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Nobody 2 director Timo Tjahjanto has revealed he wanted to make a movie based on 2007's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, but it never went anywhere.

Posting on social media, Tjahjanto said he wrote a "short treatment" for a Kane and Lynch movie a few years ago. He said he envisioned Stranger Things star David Harbour and James Badge Dale for the leads.

However, like many projects in Hollywood, nothing ever came of this. "Never gotten anywhere," Tjahjanto said of the movie's prospects today (via GamesRadar).

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Infinity Nikki's latest seasonal update, which coincided with the free-to-play game coming to Steam, has been unpopular with fans, to the point where the developer has now had to issue an apology and offer compensation in the form of in-game currency.

Version 1.5 "Bubble Season" launched on April 29 and immediately introduced a number of bugs and issues to the game, Eurogamer reports. Players reportedly had issues with the game crashing or failing to load entirely, and also experienced issues with multiplayer gameplay.

Players also had complaints about the content introduced in Version 1.5, claiming that the developer was introducing more-aggressive monetization practices, and even retconning parts of Nikki's story in order to sell new outfits. The controversial update released on the same day Infinity Nikki launched on Steam, meaning the game's Steam reviews are currently mostly negative, with the reviews now a laundry list of players' frustrations with the direction of the game.

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The ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple has fired up again recently after a district-court injunction led Epic to attempt to get Fortnite back on the US App Store for the first time in five years. Apple has since blocked the submission, and Epic is appealing to the court to uphold its injunction against Apple.

After Apple left the Fortnite submission unaddressed for over a week, it finally responded to Epic to block Fortnite's return in the US. Apple has said that it won't take action on the Fortnite submission "until after the Ninth Circuit rules on our pending request for a partial stay of the new injunction," a move Epic believes is in violation of the injunction itself. In response, Epic has filed a second Motion to Enforce Injunction with the California district court in question.

Epic Games managed to get Fortnite back on iPhones in Europe last year, thanks to the European Union's Digital Markets Act, but the game is currently offline again in the EU due to the ongoing drama with the US App Store.

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Earlier this month, Fortnite's Star Wars-themed Galactic Battle event reintroduced Darth Vader to the game with a twist. Thanks to an AI-generated voice based on the late James Earl Jones, players can speak to Darth Vader in real time and get the Dark Lord of the Sith to respond within certain limitations. Now SAG-AFTRA--the actors union which is currently engaged in a protracted voiceover performers strike against video game publishers, largely over the use of AI voices--has filed an unfair-labor-practice complaint against Epic Games for Fortnite's use of Darth Vader's AI voice.

Two years before Jones passed away in 2024, he retired as the voice of Darth Vader and signed a deal that allows an AI program to recreate his iconic voice in perpetuity. SAG-AFTRA's filing contends that the deal with Jones' estate doesn't extend to other voice actors who have portrayed Darth Vader in its filing with the National Labor Relations Board.

"We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles," noted a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson via Deadline. "However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games."

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ManbaOne Wireless Controller (PC, Switch, Mobile)

$56 (was $70) for white | $60 for black

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One of the most popular Nintendo Switch and PC controllers sold by Amazon is on sale for a great price. The ManbaOne Wireless Controller, which released in March 2024, is up for grabs for $56 (was $70). This matches the lowest price yet for this pro-style controller with a built-in miniature display. Yes, the ManbaOne has a terrible name, but it's a pretty awesome controller that impressed us when we tested it last year. The white model shown below is eligible for the 20% discount, while the black version is slightly more expensive at $60.

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If the upcoming Lilo & Stitch live-action remake has you wanting to revisit the series, but you've already seen the original animated movie and its TV series spinoffs enough times, you might want to check out the official Lilo & Stitch manga series where Stitch winds up in feudal Japan and befriends and brutal samurai warlord. Yes, it's a real thing, and you can grab the entire series with the Stitch and the Samurai: The Complete Collection, which is on sale for $20.45 (was $22) at Amazon.

Stitch and the Samurai manga $20.45 (was $22)

Stitch and the Samurai is an official manga series by Hiroto Wada set in an alternate plotline where Stitch crash-lands in Sengoku-era Japan instead of modern-day Hawaii. The warlord Lord Yamato discovers Stitch and believes him to be a "blue tanuki" he can deploy in battle--only for the cute alien to slowly soften the samurai's stoic disposition. The full series is now available in a single 564-page hardcover omnibus, Stitch and the Samurai: The Complete Collection, for $20.45 (was $22). The series was previously published in three separate volumes, which are also available. Buying the paperback volumes separately is more expensive than the omnibus version, but their smaller format makes them much easier on your hands.

Stitch and the Samurai: The Complete Collection Stitch and the Samurai Volumes 1--3 Disney Manga featuring Stitch

Surprisingly, Stitch and the Samurai isn't the only Lilo and Stitch manga. The Stitch manga, illustrated by Yumi Tsukurino, sees the adorable superweapon travel to a Japanese island near Okinawa, where he befriends a young girl named Yuna who excels at karate, and wacky hijinks ensue. You can pick up the full series in a 352-page omnibus collection for just $12 (was $15). The two original separate volumes are also available for purchase. The series was followed up by two sequels, Best Friends Forever and the upcoming Best Food Forever. There's also the Disney manga series Magical Dance, which features Stitch and a few other characters from the House of Mouse helping aspiring performer Rin to realize her dream of becoming a dancer.

More Lilo & Stitch Manga

• Stitch! The Manga Collection -- $12 ($15)
• Stitch! Volume 1 -- $9.68 ($11)
• Stitch! Volume 2 -- $11
• Stitch! Best Friends Forever -- $10.22 ($11)
• Stitch! Best Food Forever -- $13 | Releases October 21
• Disney Manga: Magical Dance Volume 1 -- $11

Disney Manga: Stitch! The Manga Collection See More Lilo and Stich Manga Lilo and Stitch graphic novels

Over in the US, there have been quite a few Stitch graphic novels published as well. Last year saw the release of a new adventure set after the first film, written by one of the best talents to ever work on Marvel's Incredible Hulk, Greg Pak, and illustrated in vivid detail by Giulia Giacomino. This is a nice 104-page graphic novel for kids that you can pick up for $11.18 (was $13) and it follows Stitch as he takes on evil aliens and giant robots powered by his own DNA. The second volume is also out soon on July 8, and this storyline sees Lilo recruited by the Galactic Federation to be their go-to expert for animal control.

Lilo and Stitch: O'Hana Volume 1 Lilo and Stitch: O'Hana Volume 2 Agent Stitch books

On the prose side, there are also the kid-friendly books in the Agent Stitch book series. Written by Steve Behling and featuring illustrations by Arianna Rhea, these books revolve around Stitch investigating paranormal activities on Earth on behalf of the Galactic Federation. The first book sees Stitch travel to Paris to uncover the disappearance of one of the federation's best operatives, Cobra Bubbles, and rumors of snail-like aliens known as Snailiens, and the second book sees Stitch land in New York City to solve a missing persons case involving shape-shifting aliens. Book three shifts the action to Korea as Stitch teams up with K-Pop idols to aliens operating in the city of Seoul.

Agent Stitch: A Study in Slime Agent Stitch: The Trouble with Toothoids Agent Stitch: The Menace at the Mall Lilo and Stitch (4K) $41

As much fun as Lilo and Stitch's expanded adventures are, nothing beats the animated source material. Over 20 years later, Lilo and Stitch still holds up as one of Disney's best traditionally animated films, and you can grab it on 4K Blu-ray for $41. This edition includes 4K, Blu-ray, and digital download versions of the movie, plus a bunch of bonus features like a lesson on how to do a Hula dance, music videos, audio commentary, featurettes, and the cheeky promotional materials where Stitch "invaded" other Disney movies.

See at Amazon Nightmare Before Christmas manga

Disney also released manga based on its Nightmare Before Christmas film, so if you'd like a creepy tour of that movie in print format, you can pick this up right now. The 176-page full-color edition is available for $16 (was $20) through Amazon, and there's also the deluxe Collector's Edition that combines the entire Zero's Journey series into one full-color book. This one was originally priced at 450 when it was first released, but it's on sale for 50% off currently.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Manga

• Disney Manga: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas -- $16 ($20)
• Disney Manga: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - Zero's Journey -- $25 ($50)

Beating the Ender Dragon in Minecraft technically marks the end of the game, as the credits will roll when you leave the area post-fight. However, there are several useful techniques and important mechanics that you need to know before you head into the fight with one of the strongest Minecraft mobs. Here's how to find the Ender Dragon, how to beat it, and the rewards you'll get for slaying it.

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• Items to bring to the fight

Items to bring to the fight

Before we get into the mechanics of the Ender Dragon fight, there are several items you should seek out and bring with you on the journey. You'll want to read our dedicated Minecraft The End guide for information on how to find The End and how to get there, but in terms of items that will be useful, we've got you covered.

You'll need three full stacks of scaffolding in order to reach the tops of the towers. You can bring normal blocks, but scaffolding allows you to go up and down at will, instead of relying on water buckets to break your fall from the top of the tower. If you're anything like me, you've failed at the water bucket trick too many times to count, so scaffolding is the safer option. Having said that, do bring a water bucket to protect yourself from the many Endermen that spawn in the fight arena.

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The Warden is one of the deadliest Minecraft mobs in the game, but it's actually not supposed to be treated like a boss. The best way to deal with the Minecraft Warden is to sneak around and avoid it, so that you can access valuable Ancient City loot. However, if you find yourself curious and wanting to look him in the eye, this guide will detail which Minecraft biomes to find him in, how to spawn him, and how to beat him if running away isn't as successful as you'd like it to be.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How to find the Warden

How to find the Warden

The Warden will spawn in Deep Dark caves, and you'll be able to tell if you're in an area where he can appear, as there'll be a lot of Sculk littering the ground and walls. Sculk is a deep midnight-blue block with flecks of electric blue. It starts off sparsely dotted around, but as the cave opens up, it becomes very dense and is joined by Sculk Sensors and Sculk Shriekers.

The Warden will rise out of the ground when triggered.

The Warden doesn't automatically spawn in these areas, though. Instead, a player needs to trigger four Sculk Shriekers. You'll know the Shrieker has been activated as blue sonar waves will be emitted from it. To trigger one, you need to directly step on a Sculk Sensor or cause a vibration by moving or interacting with something close to it. The sensor will then send a signal to the Shrieker, which will make a loud noise. After triggering the Shrieker, or any Shrieker, four times, a Warden will rise from the ground, and the surrounding area will get darker.

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Tokyo Xanadu eX+ for Nintendo Switch

$35 (was $50)

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Nintendo Switch owners can get rare discount on a 2024 RPG that is in short supply at major retailers. Tokyo Xanadu ex+, an expanded edition of the highly rated action-RPG from Nihon Falcom, is up for grabs for $35 (was $50), which is a new all-time best price. Published by Aksys Games, Tokyo Xanadu has only received a few discounts since its release on Nintendo Switch last July, and the game is sold out at multiple retailers.

Nihon Falcom is best known for its long-running Legend of Heroes and Ys series; if you like either of those franchises, you'll probably feel right at home with Tokyo Xanadu. Nihon Falcom games typically aren't available in physical edition for very long, which is worth keeping in mind if you planned on adding Tokyo Xanadu to your Switch collection.

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