Fortnite's roster of streamers who have skins in the item shop just got a little bigger with the addition of Cody "Clix" Conrod, who, at 19 years old, will be one of the youngest people ever to have a Fortnite skin based on them. Along with the new Clix skin, there will be a full slate of Clix-related cosmetics and, in a first for this sort of thing, a Clix-themed remix of an existing skin.Clix, for those who aren't familiar, made a name for himself by earning a spot in the Fortnite World Cup in 2019 when he was just 14 years old. And while he continues to compete at the highest levels, he's also become a popular streamer and personality, which is how he's landed his very own Fortnite skin.Clix's slate of cosmetics will include a single skin that comes with two distinctive styles based on a meme you probably know even if he's new to you--one in which he's sporting a t-shirt and pajama pants, and another in which he's wearing a suit and tie. In addition to the skin, Clix's set includes two back blings, two emotes, a wrap, and a pickaxe.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Last Of Us Limited Edition DualSense Controller $85 | Releases April 10 Preorder at Target Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at PS Direct Preorder at Amazon See at Walmart Preorder at GameStop After selling out almost instantly when preorders opened on March 14, The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense Controller is back in stock at two major retailers. As of March 17 at 2 PM PT, Target and Best Buy are taking preorders again, but the special-edition PS5 controller remains out of stock at Amazon and Walmart. It appears that the bulk of the stock will be sold by PlayStation itself, as the controller is still available to order at PS Direct despite being such a hot commodity at major retailers. The Last of Us-themed DualSense Controller releases April 10, three days before Season 2 of the TV adaptation airs on HBO.The Last of Us DualSense Controller Preorders:Target - In stockPlayStation Direct - In stockBest Buy - In stockWalmart - Sold outGameStop - In stock | Pro members onlyAmazon - Sold out Continue Reading at GameSpot

Baldur's Gate 3's turn-based combat system is based on Dungeons and Dragons' ruleset. Despite the isometric view and turn-based mechanics, combat in Baldur's Gate 3 is surprisingly dynamic and offers players virtually limitless options. There are many different types of damage characters can deal to enemies, with damage over time and status effects needing to be mitigated either by other party members or themselves.

A creature goes flying in Palworld and more funny game fails.

Its been more than eight years since we were first introduced to the Nintendo Switch. What was once seen as a bold new concept and a reinvention of Nintendos console business a move that initially spooked investors now feels pretty normal. Widespread adoption certainly helped. Since 2017, Nintendo has sold a staggering 150 million Switch systems, and in 2025 the company hopes to keep that success going with the forthcoming Switch 2.As we inch ever closer to Nintendos big showcase for Switch 2 in the form of a dedicated Nintendo Direct, lets look back at how the company originally pitched the Switch and what promises it made about the systems capabilities.In October 2016, Nintendo lifted the veil on Switch, which it had previously been referring to by the codename NX. The company revealed the system with a video that highlighted the Switchs most central feature: the ability to play games like a console connected to a TV and to play them on the go.Nintendos reveal of the Switch focused primarily on the consoles portable nature, but a few other features were also highlighted. Joy-Con controllers could be detached from the console, plugged into a shell called the Joy-Con Grip, and shared with a friend for multiplayer games. Up to eight consoles could connect to each other for local wireless play.Other features Nintendo touted at the time included:A capture button on the left Joy-Con that players can press to take instant screenshots of gameplay to share with friends on social media. That feature has since been downplayed somewhat, as Nintendo pulled support for posting screenshots to X (formerly Twitter) in 2024.An NFC touchpoint for using amiibo figures in games and an IR motion camera that can detect the distance, shape and motion of nearby objects. The IR motion camera wound up being used in about a dozen games, like 1-2 Switch, Nintendo Labo, Ring Fit Adventure, and WarioWare: Move It!HD rumble, which Nintendo touted as the most realistic subtle vibrations ever seen in one of its controllers. The effect is so detailed that a player could, for example, feel the vibration of individual ice cubes colliding inside a glass when shaking a Joy-Con, Nintendo boasted. With HD rumble you can experience a level of realism not possible through sights and sounds alone.Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like, said Reggie Fils-Aime, then-president and COO of Nintendo of America. It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.The company also teased the online multiplayer service that would later be revealed as Nintendo Switch Online, and a smart-device application coming in summer 2017 that would let users invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with other Switch players.Nintendo highlighted six games as part of its reveal, a mix of first- and third-party software: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, NBA 2K18, Super Mario Odyssey, and Splatoon 2.Fils-Aime showed off the Switch on U.S. television in December 2016, giving The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon a crack at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Fils-Aime told an excited Fallon that he could play the game any way you want, bragging about Breath of the Wilds if you can see it, you can go there open world.Of course, Fils-Aime also made a big deal about the Switch console itself, making a dramatic reveal of the ability to play a game on a big TV then instantly switch over to portable mode and take it on the go.In the months leading up to the Switchs launch, Nintendo continued to beat that drum, explaining the systems three play modes TV, tabletop, and handheld. The following hardware overview video is a concise example of Nintendos messaging: you can switch and play games with Switchs unique motion- and infrared-sensing controllers for unique experiences like Arms and for more traditional games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.After launch, Nintendo Switch quickly proved itself and achieved the highest sales for any system in Nintendos history in the first five days after its release, according to a CBS This Morning interview with Fils-Aime. In that TV appearance, Fils-Aime once again talked about the game changer for Switch being that gamers could have that big-screen experience but also play games in the taxi, the Uber, the subway, whatever it is.But he also talked about Nintendos family-friendly strategy and the long-standing mandate that the company makes games for players from the age of 5 to 95. That mandate came from the late Satoru Iwata, who instructed Nintendos game designers to cater to all possible players, not just those who grew up with (and stuck with) Nintendo from its 8-bit days.Suffice it to say, the continued messaging that the Switch could be played anywhere, any way, and by anybody landed with consumers. Thus far, Nintendo has seemingly cleaved to that same approach for Switch 2, even though tens of millions of fans have heard the message loud and clear by now. But Nintendo still has more to say, and well learn soon how the company plans to keep interest in the idea of a console-handheld hybrid for years to come.

The pieces were all there for 2021s Mortal Kombat movie: a fantastic and deep cast, produced during a new era of video game adaptations, with strong costuming and behind-the-scenes footage of some very kinetic fight choreography.Instead, we got a pretty bland mess with limited fight sequences chopped up by the editing style. Most boldly (or troublingly, depending on your point-of-view), there was no Mortal Kombat tournament to speak of in the nearly two hours of Mortal Kombat.But good news: A first look from EW at the sequel reveals the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, due out this fall, will feature the titular fighting tournament after all.That tournament is now officially here in the sequel, and the stakes couldnt be higher. If Earthrealm loses its 10th consecutive tournament against Outworld, then Shao Kahn will invade Earth and take over.They keep score throughout the movie, [Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed] Boon reveals of the tournament. Theres a visual representation of who is winning. Its not just a tournament for the sake of a tournament. There are huge consequences, so you really are keeping score. And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.EW also includes a first look at Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, as well as Adeline Rudolph (Netflixs Resident Evil) as Kitana and massive bodybuilder Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn. Each of those three new characters will get movie-accurate skins in Mortal Kombat 1 later in 2025, EW reports.Other new cast confirmed by EW include Tati Gabriele as Jade and Ana Thu Nguyen as Queen Sindel, and other characters intended to fulfill the teams goal of increasing the number of female characters. Could that mean Sheeva making an appearance? Well have to wait and see.The returning cast includes two Shgun stars Tadanobu Asano as Raiden and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion as well as Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, and Lewis Tan as Cole Young (an original character from the first movie). Josh Lawson and Max Huang are also expected to reprise their roles as Kano and Kung Lao, EW reports, although both died in the first movie.This adaptation comes during not only a wave of video game adaptations, but specifically fighting game adaptations, as a new Street Fighter movie is on the way from Eric Andre Show and Bad Trip director Kitao Sakurai. Only time will tell if either will live up to the bonkers-fun original adaptations.Mortal Kombat 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters Oct. 24.

A comic illustration of Luke Skywalker facing Darth Vader and the Emperor within the Deathstars throne room. Darth Vader and the Emperor have butts for heads, and Lukes is transforming back and forth between a butthead and a human face. Credit:Me.Lets talk about working with difficult people, or as I like to call them, big ol buttheads (or BOBs, TM pending). Were surrounded by them; people who cant see the bigger picture. They refuse to move towards the greater good. They dont have vision. Theyre reactive, shortsighted, and maybe a little incompetent? Instead of building a bigger, better future, they choose only themselves and the tiny thing in front of them. Theyre uncollaborative fools so bent on their own goals theyll destroy everything else in theirwake.This is aproblem.I have had people like that in my work environment. And what makes me incredibly angry is when those people are in charge. A BOBs shortsightedness infects their entire organization. And while some may prefer a butt to an actual head, those under their authority are worse for thewear.And because of that, we need to stop them!Right?!?You know what feels really, really good? Slamming someone with a really strong, compelling argument! The endorphins! The rush!!! Dang dude You made them look like an idiot in front of everyone. That felt great,huh?!But you know what all that arguing didnt do? It didnt change your BOBs mind. It didnt disrupt the combative culture your BOB is creating. It didnt move your visionforward.And do you know what the worst partis?Your masterful argumentations and mighty slammings may have turned you yourself into a big ol butthead!!!Dont worry. If youve fallen to the dark side, youre not alone. Luke Skywalker faced his own BOB in Return of the Jedi. When tempted by the emperor to use violence to solve his problems and strike the emperor down, Luke gave in. In that very strike, blocked by Darth Vader himself, our hero became that which he hated. Luckily for him, his failure was short lived, and eventually, he was able to redeem his father, defeat the emperor, and party with a bunch of teddybears.How wewinIf were not trying to change the culture of our work environment, if were not trying to see the best in our coworkers and teach and equip them to be better, then were not doing what we should bedoing.We win by teaching, equipping, and redeeming the difficult people around us. Destruction and division may work in the short term, but eventually it will overtake and destroyus.We need to be patient. Creating real culture change is slow and it is very, very hard. So, what do we do instead? How do we keep from confronting our BOBs and assaulting them with their ownweapons?My strugglesI lead a design systems team. Were a shared services team, and its out goal to make designers and engineers lives easier. We are here to help. Were here to build shared tools and guidelines. Our priorities are consistency and efficiency. And the things we create allow designers to kick all the ass in their everydaywork.But I have worked with people in the past who dont view it thatway.They dont understand the value of a consistent design system. Instead of being a set of tools and standards, the design system is a catalogue of what feature designers have built. It has no relationship to the UI toolkits that engineers are using and can always be added to. And performing any form of due diligence or user research to validate a given component is a complete waste of time. It delays their real work of product feature delivery that needs tohappen.I have literally been in meetings with design leaders who have thrown fits at the mere suggestion of performing user research to validate a given components behavior patterns.In situations where Im trying to support design leaders who dont understand the value of the design system and dont have similar values that I have a designer, I have a pretty hardtime.And, I can get very, very frustrated.Im currently dealing with one of those situations. Our design system team serves a large organization with multiple design leaders. But there is one leader that Ive recently been struggling with. This person moves fast, and executes faster. But because of that speed of execution, their organizations work tends to be inconsistent and out of alignment with our design system. Several recent features have been blocked, because designs were handed to engineering that did not contain components in our toolkits. My team was only included after engineering blocked the work. And we suggested alternatives solutions, leveraging things that were already in our libraries.Unfortunately, the escalation of these issues has led to a tremendous amount ofdramaRunning from the FixedMindsetI just finished Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. Throughout the book, Dweck is exploring two ways of seeing the world. There is a Fixed Mindset, in which all ability, talent, and intelligence are viewed as fixed traits, inherent to your character. If your ability and performance is tied to your innate being, than effort is pointless, and the success or even critical feedback of others is a threat. God forbid you fail at something, because it demonstrates that youre not good enough. You should stay as far away as possible from any opportunity where you mightfail.Then there is what Dweck calls a Growth Mindset. This is one that ties your abilities to effort and learning. You understand that you need to put in effort to improve, even it it means failing for a while. Any critical feedback you get is helpful, because it can lead to your improvement. It views learning as growing, and therefore helps you persist through difficulties and setbacks.As I was reading this book, it struck me that the primary characteristic of a BOB is having a fixed mindset. Its the inability to be wrong, the unwillingness to learn, and the arrogance to refuse to change. Dweck has several examples of Fixed Mindset leaders who were too arrogant and fragile to build healthy cultures within their organizations.One of those examples is Ken Lay, CEO and Chairman of Enron from 19852002.Lay created a culture where appearing to be the smartest guy in the room was more important than growing skills. Instead of seeking honest feedback and making adjustments, they hid failures and manipulated financial reports to maintain an illusion of success. Lay surrounded himself with like-minded executives who reinforced his beliefs, rather than leaders who might have challenged him or brought in new perspectives. Employees feared admitting mistakes because the culture punished failure instead of treating it as a learning opportunity.This all lead to horrific fraud and financial collapse. A leader with a fixed mindset may create short-term gains that eventually result in long-term failure.In relation to my issues with this difficult, fixed mindset leader; it would be easy to be self righteous, to view this person as an enemy to be defeated. I disagree with how theyre operating and see it as shortsighted and potentially destructive to our design culture. I could lean into my arguments, put up roadblocks, and make work difficult for them. It might make me feelgood.But it wouldnt make thingsbetter.It wouldnt improve our work. I wouldnt be learning. I wouldnt be growing as a leader. I wouldnt be doing my job, which is to serve the rest of the design organization. So, instead of an enemy to be defeated, Im going to lean into my growth mindset. Were both on the same side, and if this person isnt as helpful an ally as Id like, then Im going to do my best to teachthem.Heres what Im trying todoFocus on what I can control. Working with fixed mindset leaders ishard.Over the last few weeks, drama around this leader has been very difficult. Decisions have been made that I am very frustrated by, and am afraid will severely impact the work that Im trying to build. Mental arguments, advocating for what I believe is right have consumed far too much of my mindstime.I need to focus on the things that I can control, and let go of the things I cant. And I need to do that without becoming overly anxious andangry.In this situation Im going to model a growth mindset by focusing on learning and improving rather than getting frustrated by the events that are happening. Im going to control what I can control, and deliver quality results there, even if whats happening is not what I believe to be the best for the business.Frame suggestions in terms of results without threatening ego. Dweck points out that fixed mindset leaders value outcomes and status. They often resist feedback, because it feels like critcism. When it comes to suggesting solutions, Im going to frame them in terms of what this leader believes will generate their desired outcomes. I need to do that without threatening their competence. Instead of pointing out their problems, and misunderstandings, I need to shift the conversation to problemsolving.Lead with empathy. Im doing my best to understand that this person is under a lot of pressure. They lead a large organization, and need to deliver results. Because of that, any blocker (even if its due diligence and user research) is a potential threat.And threats need to be destroyed.I believe that if I can empathize and understand where this person is coming from, I can speak to their fears and show them a better way forward. If Im going to win this person over, then I need to show how our design system and the work that we do will lead, not only to faster delivery, but better overall results. When we come into conflict, Ill continue to pivot focus to faster, more effective delivery due to the value of our designsystem.Be inquisitive. Just because I disagree with some of the things this person says, doesnt mean theyre wrong. If I want to maintain a growth mindset, then I need to view criticism as an opportunity for growth. For me, that means actively listening and trying to identify opportunities toimprove.Ive had multiple sessions with this persons leaders and have been asking a lot of questions. I really, really want to understand how our design system team can better serve them and theirneeds.After asking a lot of questions, here are some of the things that Imhearing:The design system team is viewed as a blocker. Decisions are made slowly and often proposals for change are rejected. This leads to frustration and avoidanceFeature designers operate as messengers, bringing decisions made by product managers. Being told no, or did you try this other solution when theyre just a messenger is frustrating.Designers are not clear on the design system teams priorities.Take action. Based off these insights, I think a major problem that has happened is that our design system team is not included early enough. Once a need for a new component, or component enhancement is identified, we need to be in theloop.Theres two ways we can approachthis:Approach it from the feature design side. Designers can be better educated on the importance of the design system and understand that what were trying to do on the design system team is create alignment between our Figma component libraries and our engineers UI toolkits. Designing components inconsistent with our UI toolkits means more development time, and potential accessibility and scalability issues in the future. With a better understanding of the importance of component alignment, designers will be better equipped to explore solutions and include my team when they know an update is necessary.Approach it from the product management side. Our product managers do not understand our design system and its relationship with engineering tools. Oftentimes, PMs are making the final decision on features. Without user research, designers are disempowered to take ownership. When a design has been approved by PM and they come with a system request to my team, theyre operating as messengers. Pushback from my team may be the right thing to do design system-wise, but feature designers dont feel empowered to do anything. And moving back and forth between PM and the design system team is really frustrating. Moving forward, Im including myself in PM design reviews. This will give me some insight into whats being shared with PM. And Ill be able to use it as an opportunity to educate PMs on the importance of the design system and how we can use it to create betterwork.Lets build a better designcultureWe need to lead by example. We need to model a growth mindset and demonstrated how it leads to improved performance. We need to celebrate learning momentums and highlight how adjustments and feedback lead to better outcomes. We need to be empathetic, and inquisitive, even when it feels like were being unfairly treated. If we want to see our culture change, it needs to start withus.An illustration of the author waving. Credit:Me.Hey yall! Im Trip Carroll, a design leader at Cisco and aspiring cartoonist.I write and publish a new article on design, leadership, and software development every other Monday. You can see more of my work on my website, check out my drawings on Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter on Substack.Lets make workgreat!Dont become the butthead was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Sonos takes their user-friendliness seriously. When people complained about an update on their companion app that got rid of many cool features, Sonos listened and put them back. That's the kind of commitment to their customers you can expect from Sonos, and why they've been so popular in the audio market. So when there's a Sonos sale with actual good discounts, take advantage of it. Right now you can get the Roam 2 for $139 (originally $179), the Sonos Era 100 for $199 (originally $249), Sonos Sub Mini for $343 (originally $429), and the Sonos Arc for $629 (originally $899). All of these speakers are at their lowest price, according to price-tracking tools. Maximum Output:4E+1 Watts, Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Output Mode: Mono, Mounting:Tabletop Sonos Roam 2 $139.00 at Amazon $179.00 Save $40.00 Get Deal Get Deal $139.00 at Amazon $179.00 Save $40.00 Maximum Output:10 Watts, Connectivity: Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/USB, Output Mode: Surround, Mounting: Shelf Sonos Era 100 $199.00 at Amazon $249.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.00 at Amazon $249.00 Save $50.00 Maximum Output:250 Watts, Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Output Mode: Surround, Mounting: Floor Sonos Sub Mini $343.00 at Amazon $429.00 Save $86.00 Get Deal Get Deal $343.00 at Amazon $429.00 Save $86.00 Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Output Mode: Surround, Mounting: Wall Sonos Arc Soundbar $629.00 at Amazon $899.00 Save $270.00 Get Deal Get Deal $629.00 at Amazon $899.00 Save $270.00 SEE 1 MORE The Roam 2 is their version of a portable, and like most Sonos speakers, they integrate seamlessly into the ecosystem to play multi-room media. It has a speakerphone feature, in-app EQ, wireless charging, is water resistant, and has Alexa and Sonos voice assistant, according to PCMag's review. At $139 (originally $179), the Roam 2 is the cheapest way to try a Sonos speaker.The Sonos Era 100 is a smart speaker that can work as stereo with a pair or as rear speakers in a Sonos surround sound system. It is an updated version of the Sonos One smart speaker, offering better bass and other improvements. It has an "excellent" review from PCMag for its ability to play stereo with a single device (it has a dual tweeter setup), its balanced audio, and the well-developed companion app that allows you to adjust the EQ.The Sonos Sub Mini is a smaller and more affordable version of the Sonos Sub, perfect for a small apartment or room where you want a soundbar and subwoofer combo. You can read the CNET review here.And if you're looking for a top-notch soundbar, consider the Sonos Arc. This smart soundbar came out in 2020 and received an "excellent" review from PCMag for its Dolby Atmos compatibility, ease of expansion, support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and its wide sound field and powerful bass (even without a subwoofer). Its current $629 price is the cheapest it has ever been (although it's shipped and sold by a third-party Amazon store).

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youre tired of subscription fees stacking up, this Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac deal at StackSocial might be worth a look. Its a one-time purchase (of $79.95, 63% off its usual $220) that works with macOS Ventura (version 13) or later, and once activated, youre set for the long haul with access to the full suiteWord, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote (covering all the essentials for work or personal use)without worrying about monthly or annual renewals. The deal is set for a limited time and ends March 30.You can download it to one Mac, but the license is tied to your Microsoft account, not your device, so you can reinstall it if needed, provided your Mac runs one of the three latest MacOS versions (currently, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia). Youll need at least 4GB of RAM and 10GB of free storage, but once set up, it runs smoothly without requiring an internet connection. Just a heads up: youll need to redeem your code within seven days of purchase, so dont sit on it too long.The functionality is solid if you dont need the cloud-based extras of Microsoft 365. Word is great for handling documents, Excel supports advanced formulas, and PowerPoint is reliable for presentations. Theres also the basic version of Microsoft Teams for collaboration and the free version of OneNote for note-taking. Outlook is included, but since Apple Mail or third-party email apps cover most needs, it may not be a must-have. While these apps get the job done, keep in mind that this version lacks AI-powered features like Copilot and doesn't include OneDrive cloud storage. If youre someone who relies heavily on cloud syncing and AI-assisted work, this might not be the best fit. There are also no feature updates beyond security fixes, but if you prefer stability over new bells and whistles, this version will do the trick while saving you money.

The rumors are all starting to agree about when the folding iPhone will show up, and what its starting price will be.