One of the most annoying forms of US bureaucracy -- renewing your US passport -- has gotten a lot easier, and millions of people have already taken advantage of it.The US State Department has now opened up its online renewal system for passports to all eligible citizens, andmore than one million Americans have taken advantage of the opportunity. The turnaround has gotten quicker, too: The routine processing time for passports is now only four to six weeks.Anyone who has an expired US passport that was issued in the last 15 years can now renew it online. The State Department estimates that the online application will take about 40 minutes, but if you've got all your documents and payment information together, you can probably complete it in half that time. The big catch is that you'll need a MyTravelGov account to apply online -- we'll explain more below.Learn everything you need to know about the new online US passport renewals system, including who is eligible and how you can apply. For more travel tips, check out the best days and times to get cheap plane ticketsor the worst airlines for flight delays and cancellations.How do I renew my US passport online?Most US citizens currently renew their passportsby printing and filling out form DS-82, then mailing that form with a new passport photo and a renewal fee in the form of a check or money order. The online passport renewal system instead uses a website form and a payment system that allows credit cards, debit cards or online ACH transfers.Renewing your passport online doesn't mean that you'll receive it any sooner than usual, though. The State Department is sticking to its "routine service" for passport renewals, whether they're online or by mail. That means you'll receive your new passport in six to eight weeks, no matter how you apply. If you need your passport sooner than that, you'll need to apply by mail and pay $60 more for expedited service.Who can renew their US passport online?The most important qualifying factors for renewing your passport online are:You are at least 25 years old.You live in the US (state or territory).Your current passport is or was valid for 10 years.Your current passport must be at least 9 years old and have been issued within the last 15 years (2009-2015).You still have your existing passport, and it's not mutilated or damaged.Along with the main eligibility requirements, the State Department provides a list of further restrictions for online renewal:You can only renew regular passports online, not "special issuance" passports (like diplomatic, official or service passports).You cannot change your name, gender, place of birth or date of birth from your previous passport.You must be able to pay for online renewal using a credit card, a debit card or ACH transfer.You must be able to upload a new passport photo.You cannot travel internationally for eight weeks after submitting your online renewal application.That last restriction is important because your existing passport, if still valid, will be immediately canceled as soon as your online renewal application is accepted.If you don't meet the eligibility requirements for renewing your passport online, you'll need to renew by mail or in person at a passport agency.Here are the steps for renewing your US passport onlineBefore you can apply for an online passport renewal, you'll need to create a MyTravelGov account, which uses the government's login.gov system. If you don't already have a login.gov account, you can visit the MyTravelGov website, click on the blue Sign Inbutton in the top-right corner, then click Create an account.You'll then need to enter an email address and your choice of language: login.gov is available in English, Spanish and French. After submitting your email address, you'll need to verify it by clicking on a link in an email message from login.gov, after which you'll choose a password and preferred form of multifactor authentication.You'll then need to provide personal information for the account, at minimum your first and last name. Once you're finished, you should be able to access the online passport renewal page. Hit the blue Start button at the bottom of the page to begin the application. The State Department estimates that the online application process will take about 40 minutes.To begin the application for online passport renewal, you'll need the following items:Your existing US passport.A digital passport photo.Payment -- credit card, debit card or your bank's routing and account numbers for ACH transfer.In the first part of the application, you'll enter information about your current passport, your legal name and whether you want a passport book, passport card or both. Next you'll upload your digital passport photo, and then finally your payment information.MyTravelGov will send you two email verifications after you submit your renewal application: The first will confirm your pending payment, and the second will confirm that the payment has been received. One week after you apply, you can sign up for email updates about your passport using the State Department's online passport status system. You should expect to receive your new passport in the mail within six to eight weeks. The type of passport -- book or card -- that you renew depends on what you currently hold. MyTravelGov/CNETCan I renew my US passport card online?Passport cards are objects that look much like US driver's licenses and can be kept in your wallet. They allow for travel from the US by land or sea to Canada, Mexico or Caribbean countries. They are not valid for any international air travel.You can renew both passport books and cards online. Basically, you can renew whichever US passport document that you currently hold. If you have an old passport book and passport card, you can renew both at the same time. If you have one or the other, you can only renew that specific document.

Envision a robot vacuum cleaner. Now envision a mechanical arm extending in front of it to pick up a sock that someone peeled off and tossed to the ground. And now imagine this same robot vacuum cleaner picking up a bunch of discarded items and neatly arranging them, while cleaning your floor. That's the Roborock Saros Z70, a new robot vacuum we spent hours making pick up (clean!) socks to demonstrate an innovative feature in the world of mechanized cleaning. It's a first. And it's a dream come true.In a Las Vegas hotel room atCES 2025, and even before that in a small demo in New York for journalists, we watched the Roborock Saros Z70 size up sock after sock, pinching with a mechanical arm. It was so much fun to watch, we made the robot vacuum clean up the same few socks over and over and over again. If the robots ever decide to rise up, we hope they'll forgive us. The Roborock Saros Z70 is the first mass-market robot vacuum with a mechanical arm designed to pick up and move larger debris while it cleans. At the preview event in New York before CES and at the trade show, we noticed that the Saros's arm might not always pick up an item on the first try, and the number of objects it can manipulate is pretty small for now. But the technology shows potential to go far beyond just socks. The five-axis robotic arm, called OmniGrip, can pick up things that weigh as much as 300 grams -- about 10.5 ounces -- and can deposit them in designated areas where you tell them to.The Saros Z70 isn't on the market just yet, although Roborock told us they expect it to be available sometime in the first half of the year. The price also isn't available yet, but high-end robot vacuums routinely run $1,500 or more. Here's what we saw in the hours we spent watching this little robot. Roborock's new vac features a mechanical arm to clean away any debris in its path. Tara Brown/CNETA glitchy start gave way to an impressive display Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. In its debut on stage at the Soho House members' club in downtown Manhattan before CES, Roborock's Saros Z70 prototype initially refused to emerge from its chamber (who among us hasn't suffered stage fright?), a mechanical glitch we are assured has been remedied for the retail version.After a few false starts, the arm was set free from its onboard cabin, at which time the slender circular vac approached a crumpled sock, sending its arm twisting out and down to capture it, much like those infernal claw machine games found in arcades. @cnetdotcom Just a little to the right. We got a first look at #Roborocks new robot vacuum which features a first-ever mechanical grabbing arm. More details to come but this is a prototype, not the official #robovacuum that will come to market. #tech #roborocksarosZ70 #sarosz70 #techtok #mechanicalarm #clawmachine #prototype original sound - CNET Once it got going, the robot arm picked up several socks. It dropped the occasional pickup but didn't give up until it had it in its clutches, and then dutifully carried each one to a single area on the stage designated by a brand rep through the mobile app. A rep from the company told us the current version is better at recognizing black socks than white ones.While the demo was mostly controlled, the final version of the vac will seek out and remove debris on its own during regular cleaning cycles. During an initial sweep, the Saros Z70 should carry out normal duties but also detect and mark objects it can lift. In theory, it will then circle back to items such as socks, tissues and small towels to tidy up during a second round of cleaning. After a few false starts, the Robotrock vac began picking up scattered socks strewn about the stage. David Watsky/CNETThe Saros Z70 is able to detect up to 108 different obstacles. While the list of objects OmniGrip can actually lift is far smaller, more items will be supported in future software upgrades, according to Roborock's official release. Those who buy the first-gen model can expect remote improvements to the OmniGrip without having to shell out more dough.It already recognizes more than socksIn Las Vegas, we spent more than an hour with the robot as it picked up socks in a hotel room. One caveat is that the vacuum was following a fairly prescribed routine -- it would go in a straight line, pick up a sock set off to the side of its track, then proceed a few feet to drop it in a basket and return, along that straight line, to its base. Roborock said this program, designed for demonstration, kept it from following its usual routine, which would include starting to map the room. Rather than stand there while the robot vacuum meandered its way around a suite in The Venetian, it kept to a tight schedule.That doesn't mean we didn't get to see the machine try to problem solve. A company representative told us what types of items it had been programmed to pick up -- socks, small towels, small pieces of paper and sandals. We threw down a wool beanie hat, which is basically a sock. The Roborock had no trouble identifying it and picking it up.It was fascinating watching the vacuum figure out how to pick something up. Sometimes it would drive past the sock it was supposed to pick up, and we would all sigh in disappointment that it was going to fail. But then it would rotate and look behind it, and pick up the sock successfully.Not every run was a success. Sometimes it tried to grab an object and it slipped out of its grip. At other times, it seemed to rebel against being a trade show prototype, spontaneously deciding to start mapping the room.A robot vacuum with more to learnWhile the list of objects the vacuum can identify is relatively small, Roborock plans to add more as it develops the software intelligence to do so. Future updates might include an ability to pick up cat toys or shoes and put them where they're supposed to go. The smarter it gets with the mechanical arm, the more you can envision a robot vacuum that can truly clean a messy, dirty floor with little prep. The mechanical arm relies on Roborock's next-gen StarSight navigation and object recognition. RoborockIt shouldn't grab your kid or cat by accidentIf you're worried about the arm grabbing an innocent cat or a tuft of a toddler's hair, Roborock says the arm's grip isn't strong enough to do any harm. Just in case, the vac includes a child lock and safety stop button, allowing for immediate shutdown in any scenario.There are also pet-friendly features that allows you to check in on your animals, capture snapshots and schedule on-demand cruises. The vac moves aside when approaching pets to avoid frightening them.New advanced object recognitionWhile the grabbing arm gets most of the glory, none of its performance would be possible without precision sensors, a camera and an LED light fixed to the robot's slim frame, all of which are controlled by Roborock's next-gen StarSight navigation and object recognition system."Instead of using a traditional LDS (lidar) tower module for navigation, the system integrates next-gen dual-light 3D time-of-flight sensors and RGB cameras powered by AI to determine its position, surroundings and whether the object it grips is overweight," Roborock said in a statement. @cnetdotcom Meet the Saros Z70. #Roborocks new #AI-powered vac-mop features a first-ever mechanical grabbing arm to tidy up the room while it cleans. #robotvacuum #robovacuum #tech #techtok #sarosz70 #roborocksarosz70 #robotics original sound - CNET Arm aside, this is shaping up to be a top-tier robot vacuumIn addition to its flashy new appendage, the Roborock Saros Z70 has the robovac basics down. It features 22,000 Pa of suction power, paired with a dual anti-tangle system, which deploys itself to prevent hair from tangling around the vacuum. The machine's dual-spinning mops can lift up to 2.2 centimeters (just under an inch), allowing for increased air circulation and faster drying and prevents the vac from dragging dirt across clean surfaces. All of this comes inside one of the slimmest robot vacuums on the market at just 7.98cm (3.14 inches) high.

If you're planning on doing moretravelingas part of your New Year's resolutions, you'll need to rely on yourluggage, everyday bags and more to get from point A to point B. The holidays and beyond are usually some of thebusiest travel periods of the year, so that makes it a bit more difficult to travel with all of your belongings without one or two of them going missing. With that in mind, you should invest in something that can keep that from happening.It's not too late to pick up some Apple AirTags and stash them in all of those trackable items. Even major airports are now plugged in to Apple's Find My service. I already use Apple's Find My service to keep tabs on devices, such as the iPad I frequently leave in my living room, as well as where family members are via their iPhones.But what if I want to pinpoint my keys? Or figure out whether my luggage arrived on the same flight as I did? For that, I've come to rely on several Apple AirTags that fit into or onto almost anything I want to track. Apple's tracker depends on the crowdsourced Find My network to help you pinpoint your items, from keys you've misplaced at home to a bag you may have left in the office.Here's all you want to know about AirTags. For more, learn about why you shouldn't put an AirTag on a pet and discover five unexpected places to stash an AirTag.What's an Apple AirTag?An AirTag is an individual tracking device that securely broadcasts its location using Bluetooth wireless networking. It's a small glossy white puck not much larger than a US quarter and about the height of three stacked coins. A CR2032 coin cell battery keeps the AirTag powered for roughly a year. AirTags, back and front. AppleOnce the AirTag is paired with an iPhone or iPad, you can essentially forget about it. Hang it on a keychain or drop it into a bag anything you want to be able to track or find later.How much do AirTags cost and where can I buy them?A single AirTag retails for $29 direct from Apple, and can be bought for around $24 from most outlets that sell electronics.However, it's always more economical to buy AirTags in packs of four once you find a use for a solitary AirTag you'll soon think of other things you want to track. Apple sells the set for $99 and some retailers, such asAmazon,Best BuyandWalmart, have them for around $75, bringing the per-item cost down below $20. AirTags are also frequently reduced for big sales such as Black Friday and Prime Day. CNETIf you do order from Apple, you can engrave initials, numbers and emoji for free, which can help you tell the AirTags apart (or just add a personal spin). You can personalize AirTags with laser engraving if you order them direct from Apple. Sarah Tew/CNETIs it difficult to set up a new AirTag?In typical Apple fashion, activating a new AirTag is easy. Initially, a plastic tab slipped in between the electronics and battery keeps the AirTag inert. Once you pull that tab and the pieces make contact, the AirTag starts broadcasting its presence. When you bring it close to an iPhone or iPad, a dialog box appears, giving you the option to connect the AirTag. An iPhone senses when a new AirTag is nearby and begins the connection process. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNETWhen you tap Connect, choose a description of what the tag will be associated with, such as "Handbag" or "Luggage"; you can also enter a custom name. Choose an emoji to represent the AirTag in the Find My app and tap Continue. The AirTag is linked to your Apple ID.How do I locate an AirTag?In the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, tap the Items button to view the AirTags you've activated. On an Apple Watch, open the Find Items app.Tap the item you want to locate. If you think it's close by, the easy option is to tap the Play Sound button, which makes the AirTag emit a high-pitched trill. However, if you have an iPhone 11 or later (not counting the iPhone SE), tapping Find uses the iPhone's Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip to locate the AirTag with more precision not just estimating the distance, such as "1.5 ft nearby," but also point you in the right direction as you move around.If the item is not in your general vicinity, the Find button becomes a Directions button that will hand off the location to the Maps app for driving, walking, transit or cycling routes. To locate a nearby item, tap its AirTag (left), tap the Find button (middle) and then let the iPhone guide you to it (right). Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNETWhat if I forget items while I'm heading out?Being able to find something I've lost is invaluable, but it would be better if I didn't forget it in the first place. For every AirTag, you can enable Notify When Left Behind, an option that sends a notification if you and an AirTag that was with you are no longer together.That could be as simple as forgetting a bag at a restaurant or more alarming if someone swiped the item and is making a getaway.What's the secret to how AirTags work?You know how in many thrillers and spy movies someone plants a tracker on a person and is then able to pinpoint the target's location no matter where they are? That always seemed far-fetched to me what sort of range would a tiny piece of electronics have, really? but an AirTag is essentially that.The AirTag also does not have that sort of range, but it has something better: millions of devices carried by Apple customers surrounding it. On a regular interval, the AirTag sends out a low-power Bluetooth signal containing an encrypted ID. Any nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac picks up the signal, adds its location coordinates (if it knows them) and sends that to Apple servers in a secure background transmission. When an AirTag is in proximity of an iPhone or other Apple device, it securely relays its ID to mark its location. Jeff Carlson/CNETThat's how, when my luggage chose to spend an extra day in Europe without me, I knew it was still in the airport in France. Likely an iPhone owned by a traveler or employee picked up the ID of the AirTag in my bag and relayed that to Apple. When I opened the Find My app on my iPhone in Seattle, it queried the servers and presented the AirTag's last known location.All of this happens in the background no personal information is sent, and the impact to the relaying device's performance and battery is negligible.What about privacy? Can a hidden AirTag track me?Just as you can use an AirTag to track your personal objects, it is possible that someone could drop an AirTag into your bag or coat pocket to try to track your movements. Apple has put a few safeguards in place to try to prevent that type of situation.If your iPhone or iPad detects an unknown AirTag in your vicinity that is persistently near you, a notification appears that says "AirTag Found Moving With You." When you ransack your belongings and find it, open the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad, tap Items and then tap Identify Found Item. Place the AirTag against the back of the device at the top until you see a notification. When you tap that, you're taken to a web page with the tag's serial number and, optionally, contact information.If it turns out a family member's AirTag fell out of a bag, no worries. If it's one that's unfamiliar, you can follow instructions for how to disable the tag.For more, see how to protect yourself from being tracked.What if I suspect that my AirTag is stolen?You've looked everywhere, used the Find feature to scan for it, but your item containing an AirTag is nowhere to be found. Now what?In the AirTag's details in the Find My app, scroll down to Lost AirTag and tap Show Contact Info. If someone finds the tag and checks it as described just above, you can have a phone number or email displayed, plus an optional message, when they look up its information.The other option is to choose Share Item Location, which creates a link you can send to someone identifying where the tag is. The link is active for just one week, which is hopefully more than enough time to let someone track it down. For example, suppose your bag is swiped: You could give the shared link to the police so they can track it down. (For safety reasons, don't confront someone who's stolen your property.) Share an AirTag's location temporarily with someone using a link. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNETWhen the item and its AirTag are returned, a notification appears that you've been reunited. Or, you can make the tag's whereabouts hidden at any point by tapping Stop Sharing Item Location in the same screen, which invalidates the shared link.How can I share an AirTag with someone I trust?An AirTag is linked to your Apple Account, but for years that presented a problem: AirTags assigned to other people in my household would trigger the "AirTag Found Moving With You" warning -- not great on family trips when we'd take my wife's car.Now, fortunately, it's possible to share an AirTag's location with up to five people. Tap a tag in the Find My app and under Share AirTag tap Add Person. Tap Continue on the screen explaining what will happen, then select a contact and tap Share. Share an AirTag with a trusted friend so you can both view its location. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNETIn that person's Find My app, they can accept the shared item. Note that all people you add can track the location.How long does the battery last and how do I replace it?In my experience, the CR2032 coin battery in each AirTag lasts about a year. When the level dips below about 10% remaining, you're alerted that the battery is low and a red indicator appears in the Find My app. When the battery in an AirTag gets low, an indicator appears in the Find My app. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNETTo replace the battery, turn the silver back counter-clockwise to release its latches. Lift the existing battery out and replace it with a new one, making sure the battery's identifying markings are facing you. Then align the tabs of the metal portion with the slots in the plastic piece, press lightly and turn clockwise. The AirTag will chirp when the electronics and battery are securely in contact. The battery in an AirTag is easily accessible and simple to replace. AppleCan I use AirTags with an Android phone?AirTags are not directly compatible with Android phones -- there's no app that ties into Apple's Find My network. To get the same tracking functionality, look into the Chipolo One Point tracker that uses Google's Find My Device network.Apple once offered an Android app called Tracker Detect that would let you identify a found AirTag, but that's not available for newer Android devices -- an app with that name in the Google Play store is from a separate developer. However, for phones with NFC chips installed, you can place a found AirTag against the back of the device to view information about it.For more, learn about this year's best AirTag accessories and everything about Apple Intelligence. 11 Essential Accessories Your iPhone Wants for the Holidays See all photos

Xbox adds PC games to rewards scheme, after previously making it much worsePoints of contention.Image credit: Microsoft News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 6, 2025 Microsoft has announced a revamp of its Rewards with Xbox scheme, which provides points that can be exchanged for store credit.Rewards with Xbox doles out a small smattering of points simply for logging on and playing Xbox games, though the scheme has suffered over the past year from various tweaks that have seen it become less lucrative overall (the amount of points required to acquire store credit has increased, while reward points were repeatedly made harder to obtain).Today, Microsoft announced an array of changes that push the needle back towards the scheme being more worth engaging with - slightly - including Game Pass Quests for PC subscribers, and the return of weekly points streaks. New Year, New Rewards with Xbox.Watch on YouTubeNotably, the scheme has also been made available only to players aged 18 and over. Microsoft said the change was designed to "ensure our continued commitment to foster positive, age-appropriate gaming experiences for our players to enjoy".On PC, Game Pass subscribers will now be able to earn points by playing PC games for at least 15 minutes each day, with a weekly streak available if you play a game for five days within every seven.On Xbox consoles, Game Pass quests have been "reimagined" so you also now need to play for 15 minutes (no booting up an Xbox Game Pass title then immediately turning it off again anymore). But there are also new rewards for playing four or eight different Game Pass titles within a month, and the return of weekly streaks also.Microsoft notes that the weekly streak for console games has been "rebalanced" to 150 points worldwide - a lower amount than previously, though UK Xbox owners already had this decrease in effect since last summer, much to their chagrin.If you're looking for something to play on Xbox Game Pass, you can't go wrong with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Eurogamer's Game of 2024. I'm currently exploring the pyramids, and it's Gizeh me plenty to do.

Capcom's Resident Evil 4 is "the fastest-selling Resident Evil game in history", topping nine million sales since its release in March 2023. Read more

Here's the Wordle word that broke a whopping 5.6m streaks in 2024FAILS.Image credit: MichaelJBerlin - stock.adobe.com News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Jan. 6, 2025 If you are one of the many who play Wordle every day (I still like to use it to flex the ol' mental muscles with my morning cup of tea), you may well be interested to discover the one word in 2024 that stumped so many of us, it broke a whopping 5.6m streaks.In a recent conversation with Today, editorial director of NYT Games Everdeen Mason revealed that 11.1bn puzzles were solved via the New York Times in 2024. Of those, Wordle accounted for 5.3bn plays.The 10 Best 2024 Games, According To Eurogamer's Video Team. Watch on YouTubeThe most played day for the New York Times' Wordle puzzle was 23rd April, when the word was Rover. But the word that left the most players scratching their heads arrived later in the year, on 15th October. That word was Corer. Like I said, this chap caused 5.6m Wordle streaks to come to an end.In addition to sharing these little titbits, Mason revealed 2.8 million of us are creatures of habit and routine, and use the same starting word every day. As Eurogamer reported previously, the most popular starting word for Wordle is Adieu, which is actually what my mother uses (for general interest, I always start with Ouija. My sister-in-law starts with Ocean).I also learned a few weeks ago that Epona - Link's wonderful horse from the Legend of Zelda series - can not be used as a guess. I was quite upset by this, and took a screenshot to document this sad moment (and now, finally, I have somewhere to share it - so, hurrah!). Image credit: Victoria Phillips KennedyAlong with Wordle, other New York Times puzzles also remain popular. In 2024, the Mini Crossword and Strands accounted for 2.1bn and 1.3bn plays respectively. I recently discovered Strands - which is a kind of themed word search - along with Only Connect clone Connections, and have added these to my daily puzzle time. Anyone else?In the meantime, if you are stuck with today's puzzles, our wonderful Guides team has you covered. Here is some help with today's Wordle, should you need it.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereHelldivers 2 had a stupendous debut year in 2024, and the next 12-months will hopefully be just as good, if not better. Arrowhead hasnt outlined their plans for 2025 as of yet, but they are no doubt cooking a lot of content behind-the-scenes. There are plenty of leaks online, and a fresh Helldivers 2 leak shows gameplay of a powerful new weapon variant firing toxin round projectiles. While nothing is official yet, there are a lot of leaks of potential new content for HD2. Were still waiting on old weapons and armor believed to be arriving as part of a Warbond, meanwhile, newer leaks have shown suppressed weapons bringing stealth to the battlefield. There has also recently been leaks of a camo system for more customization options. Leaks are by no means official as plans can change or get scrapped entirely. However, leaks have materialized in the past such as the FRV, and now Helldivers 2 leaks show a new weapon variant that will possibly be introduced in the future. Helldivers 2 leak shows new toxin weapon variant projectilesProminent leaker, Iron_S1ghts, has shared gameplay of a new Helldivers 2 Jar-5 Dominator weapon variant that fires toxin rounds. According to Iron_S1ghts, it has been in the files for a while, but now it no longer crashes. In addition, there is the disclaimer that the gameplay is not the finished variant, and Iron_S1ghts is just simply showing off the projectile associated with it. The gameplay shows the rounds fired off, and they cause a massive, green explosion of gas. This has resulted in some concerns that the AoE is too big and that the projectile will be OP, but Iron_S1ghts has assured that the current demonstration is just a placeholder and that the actual AoE on the explosion is fairly low. Lastly, Iron-S1ghts states that Arrowhead may be using these attachments as testing for a weapon that will be released later, or it may actually be a Jar-5 Variant. The leaker also plans to share gameplay of a Thermite Jar-5 variant soon, too. It will be interesting to see if it is a completely new weapon or a variant for the Jar-5. Right now the projectile looks incredibly powerful with the sheer size of the explosions AoE, but, again, the final product should be smaller and less OP. For more Helldivers 2, check out our guide to thebest warbonds ranked, along with thebest stratagemsandbest throwables. We have also a guide to thebest weapons, and, if youre coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch oftips and tricksto help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield.Helldivers 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5Genre(s):Action, Shooter, Third Person8VideoGamerRelated TopicsHelldivers 2 Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite, known for its epic crossovers, remains a cultural touchstone in the gaming community. Epic Games has regularly delivered fan-favorite collabs with Marvel superheroes and global music icons. Recently, the focus has switched to Squid Game, the Korean phenomenon that has engaged worldwide audiences once more with its current season.A recent collaboration between Squid Game and Call of Duty Black Ops 6 made headlines by introducing themed skins and modes to the shooter. However, the reception has been lukewarm, with fans criticizing its execution for losing the distinctness that distinguishes Squid Games deadly charm. Meanwhile, Fortnite fans are urging Epic Games to take the opportunity and bring the beloved show to the game. Their enthusiasm is largely fueled by a viral UEFN map that accurately recreates Squid Games lethal games, outperforming Call of Dutys engagement numbers.Fortnite players urge Epic to bring official Squid Game collabFortnite players like Char posted an image of the UEFN map Octo Game 2, which is a recreation of the actual Squid Game show as a Creative map. However, whats shocking is that the concurrent player count is 63.8k, as compared to Call of Duty Black Ops 6s count which has lost 47% of its players according to SteamDB.Call of Duty introduced an official Squid Game crossover, whereas Fortnite has a UEFN map of the game. Image by Activision/Epic Games.Char wrote, The fact that a fan-made map made in Fortnite has more players than BO6s OFFICIAL collab is insane. If an official Fortnite x Squid Game collab doesnt come out of this, thatll be the biggest miss of all time.To the sentiment above, players also called for Epic to bring an official Squid Game crossover where one player said, They would have been way better doing a collab with Epic. Another chimed in, Not calling the cod mode good, but one game costs $70 and the other one is free which is more likely to have higher players?A third user commented, I have a feeling they only chose COD cause the shows darker themes seem to fit better with CoDs aesthetic. AOT tried COD first and did much better when Fortnite got it last I checked.As players are waiting for a Squid Game collab to arrive in Fortnite, the next update is bringing Godzilla and Kong to the island, so check out right here when its coming out. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Marvel Rivals has quickly become the most popular hero shooter available to play, and one of the reasons is because it features a gallery of the most iconic and beloved superheroes from comic books and the MCU. More characters will continue to be added to the game in the future, and the developer has admitted that a particular cult-classic hero is an hilarious request for the Marvel Rivals roster. There is a lot to look forward to over the next 12-months as per the 2025 roadmap. Season 1 is scheduled to start very soon, and leaks have revealed the abilities for The Fantastic Four ahead of their imminent debut. Season 1 will also include a fix for several heroes nerfed by FPS issues, and it will include a fix for mouse acceleration issues, too. Quality-of-life improvements and fixes are paramount, but its the addition of new content fans look forward to the most. There are leaks for new game modes as well as maps, and theres also a plethora of leaked characters for the future. There is one specific fan-requested hero for Marvel Rivals that hasnt leaked, and they would be an hilarious addition. Marvel Rivals dev responds to Howard the Duck fan-request Marvel Rivals players have a plethora of characters they would love to join the games roster. There are more faces from X-Men people would love to see such as Mystique and Magneto, and theres also more obscure characters that havent been given the spotlight through movies. Howard the Duck is one of the more popular obscure characters of Marvel comic book history that people would like to see in Rivals. They more recently appeared in the MCU through blink and youll miss it cameos in The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, but Howard the Duck did actually star in his own movie back in 1986. It was a weird flick involving a human totally falling in love with a duck, it was executive produced by George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, and its a film that surprisingly has a cult following. On the games official Discord, community manager, James, was asked, If you [NetEase] had the chance to put Howard the Duck would you do it? This isnt a meme question, I just think Howard would be funny. The community manager responded by admitting I agree that hes a hilarious question. While he would be an hilarious addition to the game, James stated that its a collaborative team decision for whom gets added to the roster. Image credit: Marvel Rivals DiscordIts possible Howard the Duck could be added one day, but right now the odds look unlikely. He would be hard to implement as he doesnt have any super powers, but, at the same time, he is a master of the rare martial art Quak Fu, and he is recognized by Marvel as a surprisingly fierce and capable fighter when his temper flares. He has also possessed the powers of Doctor Strange in the past, so there are things that could be done with him. Leaked characters While Howard the Duck is a fan-request from some, they are not among the lineage of leaked heroes for Marvel Rivals. Below is a list of characters that have leaked for the game, no longer including The Fantastic Four as they are now confirmed for Season 1: Emma FrostBladeJean Grey/PhoenixDeadpoolAngelaValkyrieHit-MonkeyModokHuman TorchUltronFor more Marvel Rivals, check out our guides to thebest Duelists and DPScharacters, along with thebest Vanguards and Tanks.Marvel RivalsPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Fighting, ShooterRelated TopicsMarvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Culture ClassicDoom: The Gallery Experience takes you to the real hell - trying not to choke on wine and cheese by sniggering at the nude bits of classical art*cough* Oh, yes, it's a *cough* masterpiece, you can tell by the shading around the er...excuse me a moment...Image credit: Filippo Meozzi and Liam Stone News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 6, 2025 Do you enjoy taking in some high culture, ruminating on the messaging of art, chatting to fellow brain-havers about the nature of humanity and its history? Do you like classic Doom? Well, good news, there's now a game called Doom: The Gallery Experience, and it lets you wander around exhibits as a wine-sipping version of everyone's favourite demon-slayer.Yep, forget about killing Maggie in the wonderful Thatcher's Techbase, Doom's now been taken to a place where guns and ammo have been swapped for tasty little bits of cheese and a trendy pair of specs to help you take in the details of some pantings, sculptures, and other historical artefacts.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Created by Filippo Meozzi and Liam Stone, Doom: The Gallery Experience is - as you might have gleaned, basically a museum visiting simulator designed to mirror the experience of pompous adults rather than children on school trips or family days out. Those are the two basic genres of museum/gallery goer, and I will not be convinced otherwise."DOOM: The Gallery Experience was created as an art piece designed to parody the wonderfully pretentious world of gallery openings," the mod's creators explain. "In this experience, you will be able to walk around and appreciate some fine art while sipping some wine and enjoying the complimentary hors doeuvres in the beautifully renovated and re-imagined E1M1 of id Software's DOOM (1993)."It's available to download or play in-browser via Itch.io, the indie place where a lot of stuff of this nature lives. What are you in for? Well, lots of cheese and wine collecting, so you can snack as you click on the different exhibits to look at them and bring up a page on the website of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art with more info on what you're looking at. Think something like Death of the Reprobate's gallery, but you're not made of the paintings you're looking at.My favorite piece I've checked out so far is this midlate 16th century Japanese piece of a "Musk Cat" by Uto Gyoshi. Look how angry the weird little guy is. Maybe he's just been told what we all think of when we hear the word Musk nowadays.Also, make sure to pick up plenty of cash as you wander the gallery, because you're exiting through the gift shop, and even a teddy bear will set you back $97.