Epic has spent the past few years trying as hard as it can to will the Fortnite metaverse into being--and now, at the end of 2025, it's actually starting to look like it's getting there. Things are still very messy, but Epic's moves in that direction--which frequently seem to involve trying random things just to see what happens--may have finally borne fruit.

Back at the end of 2023, Fortnite attempted to usher in its metaverse in earnest by launching Fortnite Festival, Rocket Racing, and Lego Fortnite all at once. It didn't quite work, because all three were half-baked and missing key features. The only way to play Racing was in Ranked, Festival lacked instrument support and still doesn't have a practice mode, and Lego Fortnite had the feel of a generic early-access survival game wearing Lego clothing.

Two years later, we've got a much prettier picture, but not because Epic went all in on those modes. Instead, Epic has simply kept churning out new modes, some of which have done consistently. Likewise, Fortnite Creative has produced its first blockbuster map with any staying power. Thanks to some key legal victories, Fortnite is once again available on mobile devices in most places, which has dramatically increased the game's potential footprint. And the new cosmetic types added in the past year have proven a lot more popular than the cars and musical instruments that were introduced in Chapter 5.

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Drop into the lagoon in Donkey Kong Bananza. Sure, you need to chase Void Kong to the Earth's center to save the day, but maybe you just want to soak in some water-adjacent locales as you explore this new world beneath the surface. There are plenty of secrets tucked away in each level's hidden crevices. When you first hop in there is really only one thing to do: pick a direction and start smashing.

Donkey Kong Bananza takes Nintendo's hallmark sandbox exploration and pushes it somewhere the studio rarely goes--pure chaos. Bananza is not interested in the kind of precision platforming that defines Mario's visits to Peach's Castle, Delfino Plaza, or outer space. It captures that same cheerful vibe, but lets players rip through it.

There is a long-running design idea at Nintendo that movement should feel good on its own. Shigeru Miyamoto once said he wanted players to enjoy moving Mario around an empty room. The reason Mario is so fun to control in Super Mario 64 is that Miyamoto and the small team behind the N64 classic spent months making sure he felt great to play, even if the only action possible was running around an empty space.

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SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Headset (Gen 2)

$180 (was $200)

See at Amazon

If you're looking for a headset for your new gaming console, handheld, or PC, one of the best options for all devices is on sale at Amazon. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is discounted to $180 (was $200) for a limited time. Released in October, the Nova 7 Gen 2 is updated version of one of the best wireless gaming headsets you can buy today.

You can choose between the Nova 7P (PlayStation), Nova 7X (Xbox), or Nova 7 (PC) in black, white, or magenta. The 7X offers wireless support for all platforms, while the 7P and 7 work on all devices except Xbox consoles. If you game on Switch 1/2, mobile, Steam Deck, or another device with USB-C or Bluetooth audio support, any of the three versions will work great. For a more premium wireless headset, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is on sale for $300 (was $380).

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Headset (Gen 2) $180 (was $200)

When considering price, audio performance, and comfort, the Arctis Nova 7 was hard to beat when it launched back in 2022. That remains true over three years later with the Gen 2 model, which offers 40% better battery life--over 50 hours compared to 38 hours--and adds support for the Arctis Companion App.

The free iOS and Android app lets you adjust audio settings and switch between over 200 custom sound profiles designed for specific games. Along with these 2.4GHz Wireless profiles, there are a handful of Bluetooth profiles, including Bass Boost and Focus, that come in handy when using the Nova 7 to listen to music.

The original Nova 7 worked with the SteelSeries GG desktop app for PC and Mac, but the mobile app is easier to use and allows you to adjust audio settings on the go. The Arctis Companion App was introduced in 2024 alongside the entry-level Nova 5 Wireless Headset, and it only works with select SteelSeries audio gear.

If you own the first-generation Nova 7, upgrading probably might make sense if you take your headset with you during your daily commute or use it frequently for handheld gaming. But if Arctis Companion App integration isn't of interest to you, you'll want to stick with the original. But for everyone else, the Nova 7 Gen 2 is a terrific all-around gaming headset that remains my favorite in the $200 and under category.

SteelSeries designs the most comfortable gaming headsets on the market, and the Nova 7 is no exception. The adjustable elastic headband and lightweight, memory foam ear cushions are superb, and the sturdy steel frame holds up well. The custom 40mm neodymium audio drivers offer rich, high-fidelity sound; the audio is even more impressive and dynamic when using the custom presets created by SteelSeries. It has a retractable boom mic with AI noise reduction to block out ambient noise like keyboard and controller clicks.

Along with 2.4GHz Wireless with the included USB-C dongle, the Nova 7 supports Bluetooth and wired via a detachable 3.5mm audio cord. It also has simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio streams, so you can stay connected and hear sound from two devices at once.

See at Amazon Nova 7 vs. 7P vs. 7XSteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 (Gen 2)

As mentioned, there are three versions of the Nova 7 Gen 2. In the past, SteelSeries has included green or blue accents on the headset to differentiate between the Xbox and PlayStation editions, but the Gen 2 looks the same across the board. The only tangible difference between the three is the dial on the right earcup. The Nova 7X and 7 have a game chatmix dial, but since the PS5 doesn't have this feature, the Nova 7P has a Sidetone dial for mic monitoring.

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Is there a more infamous monkey-paw wish than the collective dream that all our favorite games could last forever? Well, the finger curled, because it seems like all major game publishers in the world only want to make games that go on to infinity.

With the rise of live-service games, it's been a struggle to know when to put the controller down, especially when games like Fortnite release seasonal content like The Simpsons season pass that ask you to play long enough to unlock stupid sexy Flanders. Luckily, for us, episodic games, perfectly portioned into bite-sized morsels, have come back to rescue us from the endless grind.

In this case, I am talking specifically about Dispatch, the new episodic superhero game from AdHoc Studio. If the name is unfamiliar to you, AdHoc is a new game company founded by former members of Ubisoft, Night School, and perhaps most notably, Telltale Games, who blew up the episodic gaming scene with 2012's The Walking Dead. The studio would later close due to a variety of factors internal and external, some of which I covered previously as a reporter. But by then, the episodic-games formula was starting to feel a bit played out, and the mood appeared to be shifting towards either more complete single-player experiences, or the early live-service games we know today.

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In November 2017, Bethesda Softworks and port specialists Panic Button performed what seemed like a miracle: They released a Switch port for id Software's recent reboot of Doom. The game, a famously fast-paced, intense shooter with modern graphics, seemed ill-suited to Nintendo's handheld and its capabilities, but despite some visual blurriness and a reduction in the frame rate, the game held up well on the hybrid system. In GameSpot's 8/10 review of the Switch port, Peter Brown praised the game as "an impressive port that begs you to consider gameplay over graphics."

Doom was the first Switch "impossible port," a colloquial term that players took to using whenever a third-party game designed for much more powerful hardware arrived on the Switch in pretty good shape. Over the course of the system's lifespan, it would receive many more so-called impossible ports, including versions of Wolfenstein 2: The New Collossus, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, The Witcher 3, No Man's Sky, and Ace Combat 7--large, visually-intensive, action-heavy games, all of them translated to the system with immaculate care. Seeing how the Switch handled these games was always exciting--even when the ports were less-than-ideal, there was still something special about seeing them run on a handheld from 2017.

Prior to the Switch 2's launch this year, Nintendo, in typical fashion, did not tell us much about what the Switch 2 was capable of on a technical level. We knew that the new 7.9-inch 1080p screen was capable of displaying gameplay at up to 120fps and was HDR-compliant. Nvidia announced that the system's custom chip would allow for DLSS, which is capable of upscaling games regardless of native resolution, and that the new system would be, of course, much more powerful than the old one. For early adopters, though, the system's first six-plus months of availability has involved a lot of curiosity over what the system can and can't do, speculating on what games the system could or couldn't handle, and pondering just how close these ports can come to other console versions.

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When it comes to Roblox games, Blox Fruits might just be the biggest, and that doubles for both popularity and scope. With a level cap of a whopping 2800, working your way up from the beginning is one hell of a journey. Luckily, we’re here to help you with Blox Fruits leveling and offer some small tips that’ll help you as you battle enemies and try to get more powerful in this thrilling Roblox experience.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Blox Fruits Leveling Explained

Blox Fruits Leveling Explained

There are plenty of ways to level up in Blox Fruits, and even more reasons for doing so. Naturally, like any other RPG, you will get stronger with every level, and this is the key to taking on more powerful enemies on different islands.

For clarity, leveling up will give you access to several new things, including:

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Earth Directorate Commander Ash was sent to settle a labor strike issue on behalf of Auntie's Choice, in an effort to gain favor with the corporate conglomerate. A bit of an outlaw, and someone who excels in shooting, lockpicking, and smooth-talking, I felt like my character was primed to work out a result that was favorable for the workers without too much of an issue.

I was able to enter the closed-off facility and even nab some blackmail on the manager in charge before confronting her directly about the labor strike. I conveyed the workers' demands, and expected to be able to convince her to see things my way--after all, I invested a decent amount of points in speech.

It quickly became clear that no amount of talking was going to solve this dispute. As far as the manager was concerned, any concessions she might make would prevent the factory from hitting its quota. Someone with engineering or hacking skills may have been able to solve this issue by messing with the equipment in the factory, but my character wasn't built for that. My character was good at three things, and I'd already exhausted the lockpicking and talking options.

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55 hours into The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, Too Kyo Games' visual novel turn-based strategy game, I encountered a particularly touching scene. Two characters, who a few days earlier learned something particularly shocking--one of several moments in the game that recontextualizes the whole experience--get up early and end up watching the sun rise together. It's a little moment of tranquility, of two people bonding over natural beauty amid a particularly rough string of days, and it landed beautifully. It felt like the game was tapping into something a little deeper, a little more melancholic, than what I'd seen before.

According to online estimates of the game's total length, at the point I saw this scene, I had another 90-120 hours to go until I could really say that I'd "finished" the game, depending on my speed and patience. The name The Hundred Line refers to the number of days the students of Last Defense Academy have to defend their school for as waves of invaders periodically force them into tactical combat. But the name actually has another meaning that you uncover once those 100 days pass for the first time, about 30 hours into the game: This game has 100 unlockable endings, and to get the full picture, you'll want to see all of them.

The promise of 100 endings feels like the sort of marketing mistruth that pops up in a press release to play up how much the game is shaped by your choices. A game that claims to have 12 endings might actually mean four endings, each with a few minor potential variations. And yes, some of the endings in The Hundred Line are kind of cheating, or are very similar to each other--not every ending is created equal. But there really are 100 of them, consisting of 21 different "routes" that can all end at various different points.

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I prefer to play my games without mods or console commands to get as close to the intended experience as possible. But sometimes something breaks and you need to reset your character, you have an accessibility need, or maybe you're just 1,000 hours into your game and aren't worried about doing stuff in-engine anymore. That's what console commands are for. Like any big crafting game should, Satisfactory has a variety of console commands available. Continue on for how to use those commands, and what cheats are available.

Before we dive in, cheating in Satisfactory isn't as simple and straightforward as we might hope. There are a variety of console commands available, but most of them pertain to user preferences. To use actual cheats, you'll have to install a mod.

How to use Console Commands

Look at the upper-right corner of your keyboard. You should see a key that has one or more of these characters: ~, `, or §. That last one is pretty standard on a lot of European keyboard layouts. Pressing this will bring up the console.

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The holy grail of Satisfactory is having a perfectly balanced factory, where everything made is used, with your storage emptying at the same rate it's being depleted. But that's not going to happen--you'll have extras. That's what the Awesome Sink is for.

What is the Awesome Sink?The Awesome Sink (with Moody Lighting)

The Awesome Sink is a building that exists to get rid of all of your extra stuff, rewarding you with tickets based on the complexity of the items. This building is entirely optional, but those tickets can be used in the Awesome Shop to buy things like new cosmetic building parts, walkways, vehicles, and more. There's some really useful stuff in there, so you'd be a fool not to put one up. See the official Satisfactory wiki page on the Awesome Shop for a complete list of available items and ticket values.

How does the Awesome Sink Work?

You can dump items into the Awesome Sink as quickly as conveyor belts can supply them, so if you have a production line that's pumping out materials at ultra-high volume just for this purpose, the Awesome Sink is ready. You can build multiple Awesome Sinks around your factory, the points they generate are universal to all Sinks, and you can print out your tickets from any Sink at any time. So it's smart to have a Sink in various areas of your megafactory, taking in extra items and turning them for profit. The higher complexity the item, the more points it will generate toward your next ticket. Further, tickets become more expensive with each one generatedFor example, an Iron Ingot generates just two points, while a Crystal Oscillator generates 3,072. A Thermal Propulsion Rocket will generate over 370,000 points.

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Everybody needs a friend, and that's especially the case in Satisfactory, where it's just you against all of nature and capitalism. Thankfully, the Lizard Doggo is there to keep you company. And even if you prefer your alone time, there's a good reason to keep a pen of Lizard Doggos around.

Lizard Doggos are short, friend-sized lizards with dog-like features. They have a physique similar to that of a Beagle, but are scaled and have armor on their back. Untamed, Lizard Doggos are entirely harmless, and will quickly run when approached if done so carelessly.

To tame a Lizard Doggo, you'll need a few Paleberries--the raspberry-like fruit found all over the map. If you already have Blade Runners by this point, unequip them before you try to tame one of these little guys, and toggle your movement speed to slow (Shift key). Find a Doggo and wait until it turns and starts staring at you. At this point, open your inventory and drop a Paleberry on the ground in front of you and wait. The Doggo will slowly approach you to eat the Paleberry. Make sure not to move during this process. Once the Doggo has completely eaten the Paleberry, slowly approach it. You should have a prompt to pet it (E). If you're able to pet it, you're golden--you have a new buddy.

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Video game soundtracks often don't stand out unless they're tied to meaningful or memorable points that create a lasting emotional impact, evoking anything from joy or sadness to pure hype or awe. South of Midnight by Compulsion Games manages to intertwine its narrative with its music and audio design in such a way that those unforgettable moments are numerous throughout its 10-12 hour storyline.

South of Midnight takes place in a fantasy version of the American Deep South, and it's full of characters and creatures who have lived through tragic events. You play as Hazel--a Weaver who can see ghosts and learn from the past through memories. Hazel helps address and heal others' emotional wounds through a bit of magic and a lot of understanding. As the details behind characters' hardships unfold, their trauma transforms into pieces of music that reinforce the game's themes and live on long after the credits roll.

I spoke to lead composer Olivier Derivière and audio director Christopher Fox in two separate interviews to learn more about what went into South of Midnight's tremendous music and audio design.

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Roblox has an almost endless amount of content ready for players to discover, but one element you may find to be missing is a little dash of that party atmosphere. But thankfully, you can bring some groove to the game with a wide selection of Roblox music codes.

Popping these codes into the game is easy and allows you to play some of the biggest songs in the world while you explore your preferred Roblox titles. So, we’re going over some of the biggest and best Roblox music codes you can find and explaining how to use them with this guide.

Roblox music codes

Below is a selection of the biggest and most popular Roblox music codes from across the internet:

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Spoilers for this week’s episode of Fallout ahead.

Another week, another episode of Fallout. This week saw lots of use of Lucy’s (Ella Purnell) “Golden Rule” and a look into the politics of the Brotherhood of Steel. In many ways this episode felt like a significant step forward for the series, but it also took its time to honor Fallout’s past. From iconic locations to lore deep cuts , there was no shortage of callbacks. Let's take a look at what “The Golden Rule” had to offer.

A Familiar and Friendly Place

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Spoilers for this week’s episode of Fallout ahead.

While last week focused on Lucy (Ella Purnell), Cooper Howard aka The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), and their pursuit of Hank (Kyle Maclachlan), this week we caught up with the newly knighted Maximus (Aaron Moten) and his chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. We also got a peek into another faction of the Mojave Wasteland, one that could potentially spell danger for our protagonists and their questline.

The episode opens up with a flashback to Shady Sands in its prime; A welcoming city that almost resembles life before The Great War. We open up on Maximus' parents in their lovely home where his father is testing the radiation levels in the water and discovers most of the water beneath the city is safe to drink and could provide a long term home for Shady Sands’ residents. Life is good until a traveling nomad muttering to himself arrives with an atomic bomb, putting the city in danger. Acting fast amongst the panic and chaos, Maximus' father attempts to disarm it but accidentally activates the bomb’s failsafe, starting the three minute timer to detonation. With little time to spare, he puts Maximus in the kitchen refrigerator and he along with his mother give a tearful goodbye before they’re killed in the blast.

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In early 2025, partway through a subathon to mark her second birthday, the AI VTuber Neuro-Sama became the world record holder for the largest Twitch Hype Train. Many claimed her achievements were possible thanks to Riot's competitive shooter, Valorant, gifting one subscription for each five gifted by the community. Now, only a few days into her third birthday subathon, Neuro-Sama and her creator Vedal987 have smashed that world record. She completed Hype Train level 120 with 118,989 subscriptions and 1,000,073 Bits gifted to the Vedal987 Twitch channel within a limited time.

Neuro-Sama is an AI VTuber who recently completed a Minecraft Hardcore run with her creator and friends Filian and Crelly. She streams on Vedal's Twitch channel, and is powered by an artificial intelligence system that utilizes a large language model with vast capabilities. She can "see" games and respond to them, even being able to play some, she can read her Twitch chat and interact with viewers, and this week she's been playing around in virtual reality with her friends thanks to her new(ish) 3D model.

Neuro-Sama debuted on Twitch on 19 December 2022, and each subsequent year on the same date she begins a subathon--a continuous stream that has its length determined by the number of subscriptions the community has gifted. When an abnormal number of subscriptions or Bits are gifted within a limited timeframe, a Hype Train is triggered, which shows an on-screen percentage, level, and how many subscriptions are required to progress to the next level. While Neuro-Sama met level 111 in January 2025, this time around she didn't need Valorant's help to decimate her own world record.

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Parrying is about subtlety. It's the act of scrutinizing fisticuffs and sword fights with a furrowed brow, familiarizing yourself with the cadence of combat right down to milliseconds, and learning the precise moment of performing a counter attack. For instance, a small variation in animation may point to a rare opening. A slight note change in the audio cue may indicate a shift of attacks from the enemy. To parry well is to understand these details and adapt to them dexterously.

That said, doing so is exhausting. The requirements needed to pull off a parry in most games can be steep and exacting. It's why I'd usually avoid parrying if there are other ways to minimize damage during combat, such as blocking or dodging.

The painterly Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one of my favorite RPGs this year, has been the exception. Within its dazzling combat system I've discovered the joy of parrying, every encounter an exhilarating sequence of silky-smooth attacks and ripostes. Fighting in Expedition 33 is a resplendent affair, thanks to its surprisingly in-depth and complex structure. Its skirmishes enhance JRPG-inspired turn-based combat with real-time elements that get players to dodge--and parry--at the right moment.

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Official Stranger Things Cookbook: Recipes from Hawkins and Beyond

$26 (was $37) | Releases January 13

Preorder at Amazon

The series finale for Stranger Things airs on December 31, bringing the epic adventure to a close. But that's not the last time you'll hear from the citizens of Hawkins, as you can keep the spirit of the show alive in your kitchen with the upcoming Stranger Things Cookbook. Available for preorder ahead of its January 13 release, this official cookbook includes over 60 recipes inspired by Netflix's hit series. Preorders are currently discounted to $26 (was $37).

Official Stranger Things Cookbook: Recipes from Hawkins and Beyond $26 (was $37) | Releases January 13

This hardcover cookbook features a wide range of recipes, from decadent desserts to hearty dinners. The sixty or so recipes span 224 pages, each with accompanying images, an ingredient list, and detailed instructions for prep and cooking. Here's a quick look at a few of the dishes in the book:

• Barb's Baked Ziti
• Bob's Speedway Chili
• Dart Shots
• Deep-Dish Pumpkin Pie
• Demigorgonzola Cheese Balls
• El's Eggo Extravaganza
• Hellfire Club Devil's Food Cake
• Surfer Boy Pizza

Each recipe also comes with a short story set in the Stranger Things universe. For example, the Hideout Hamburger Helper recipe tells a story about Eddie Munson as he scavenges for supplies at Reefer Rick's dock house.

Preorder at Amazon USS Butterscotch Sundae from the Stranger Things CookbookGallery

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8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard: Xbox Edition

$70 (was $120) at Woot | $96 at Amazon

See at Woot See at Amazon

8BitDo Retro R8 Mouse + Charging Dock: Xbox Edition

$50 (was $60)

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All three of 8BitDo's transparent green gaming peripherals licensed by Xbox are on sale for great prices this holiday season. The superb Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard is up for grabs for only $70 (was $120) at Amazon-owned retailer Woot. You can also save on the tenkeyless wireless keyboard directly from Amazon, but the price is considerably higher ($96). The Retro 87 launched in January alongside the matching Retro R8 Mouse, which is on sale for only $48 (was $60) at Amazon. The wireless mouse is bundled with a magnetic charging dock.

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Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Standard Edition

$70 | Releases May 29, 2026

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Deluxe Edition

$90 | Releases May 26, 2026

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The Caped Crusader returns next year with Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight launching on PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 29, 2026. This all-new Lego Batman title looks to be a tribute to multiple eras of the hero, letting players explore different versions of Gotham City as multiple Lego-ified incarnations of Batman. Preorders are now open for the game, including a $70 standard edition and a $90 Deluxe Edition, which includes new gear and vehicles to help protect the streets of Gotham. You can also start playing the game a few days early if you preorder the Deluxe Edition. All other versions include bonus cosmetics for securing a copy of the game before launch.

Editor's Note: This article initially stated the Switch 2 version of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight includes the full game on the cartridge due to the Switch 2 version box art, but it has since been confirmed that the game is, in fact, a Game Key-Card release, and that the cover art will be updated at a later date to reflect this.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Preorder BonusesLego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Preorder Bonuses

Preordeing any version of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will unlock the batsuit from The Dark Knight Returns, a classic blue-and-grey ensemble inspired by the legendary comic book mini-series.

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