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I know that I’m extremely late when it comes to the Palworld hype. Palworld released in early January 2024 and currently, since there aren’t a lot of updates dropping, the hype died out. Yet, the roadmap looks extremely promising. Since this game is still in early access, I’m always hesitant in writing about the game. Since, you never know which mechanics or things will change and evolve during the early access period. Especially since we are currently only at v0.1.5.1. So, I decided to hold off on my first impression/review article for now. But, I wanted to talk about this game. So, here are some things I’d love to see in the full version of Palworld or even in one of the next updates.

First of all, what is a Palworld?

Palworld is a combination of several games, all thrown into one. It’s easy to describe Palworld with saying which games it combines.

Foremost, at its core, it’s a game you can somewhat compare to Ark Survival Evolved. When I first started playing, I noticed the similarities right away. The way how you have a crafting system to build your base, and you have monsters running around you can tame/catch is totally here as well.

I haven’t played a lot of Ark, so I can’t say if this mechanic is also present in Ark… But, the fact you can use your monsters to preform tasks in your base reminded me quite a lot of The Survivalists. A game where you are stranded on an island, and you can train monkeys to preform actions for you. The big difference is that now certain monsters can only preform certain tasks, instead of the monkeys just copying you.

Now, a lot of other articles describe this game as Pokémon with guns. After playing this game, I think that’s a somewhat unfair comparison. When I think Pokémon, I think a journey with gyms and an evil team. I think turn based battles and a big ending tournament as its conclusion. While some Pals share a very similar design language to some Pokémon, most of the mechanics of what makes a Pokémon game aren’t in this game. The other big mechanic is the capture mechanic, but by now this isn’t exclusive to Pokémon games anymore. Especially since we have games like Coromon.

There are also influences of the latest Zelda games. Especially Tears of the Kingdom. There are these huge, strong bosses roaming around on the huge open world map, you can beat at any time. Also, the korok seeds to upgrade your character are also here in the form of effigies and Pal souls to upgrade your monsters.

This game really feels like the developers looked at all the games they liked playing, looked at what worked and threw it all together into one pot and shook it until it all clicked together. The mechanics of this game really click extremely well together. If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t be surprised if I said that this was a finished game.

There are some silly bugs here and there and in some spots, this game feels unfinished. But, overall the game we have currently is amazing and if you would enjoy a game like this after reading what I wrote here… Give this game a try. I only told you the most basic things in this game. This game is a survival game with elements from a lot of other games like those I have already mentioned but also Minecraft, Dragon Quest Builders and various others.

Let’s talk improvements

While the game is a lot of fun to play at the moment, there are some things I wish that were improved or updated. While you get a lot of warnings that there are: save corruption bugs, crashes and bugs… Besides sometimes the lighting engine giving up for a moment or the AI of the pals or enemies doing some funky stuff, I haven’t seen too many worrying things.

Take for example this floating rock screenshot here. I have explored roughly half of the map after 35 hours of play, and this was the only floating rock I could find. That’s extremely impressive, especially since if you look at the size of the map… It isn’t small at all. In the future, new islands and area’s will be added so if they deliver them with this kind of quality, I have no complaints.

Well, I do have one recommendation. I’d love to see more landmarks in the map. Currently, almost all the landmarks in the game are based upon the terrain. I’d love to see more villages or ruins of them. I loved finding these things in the Zelda games and letting my mind wonder what happened there. It’s a very difficult balance act, since too many landmarks would make the map feel crowded and limit the amount of possible base locations.

Basically, I’d love more reasons for me to go exploring these regions and get unique rewards. Besides completing the Paldex, there isn’t a lot of reason to go exploring in certain area’s. And when you have set up the right kind of farms and work stations for your pals in your bases, the chance you run out of resources is rather small.

Speaking about bases, currently you can only have three bases. Most likely, this is done to improve the multiplayer performance. Since, the game emulates the three bases in the background, so you can easily have a base close to big ore clusters to farm those while you are working in your other base. If you don’t place a cap on those, it’ll tank the performance of any computer or server. Yet, I’d give the tools to the player to increase the cap. Personally, I think Minecraft has one of the best systems with the game rules. You can almost change anything to your playstyle and even disable or remove caps that are there for performance reasons. You already have quite a lot of toggles and sliders in Palworld, but I’d also expand on that.

Currently, the building system is decent, but it needs a lot of polishing up. The biggest problem I have with the building system are the stairs. It’s a nightmare sometimes to place stairs to go from one to another floor. Also, why can’t we place a full wall next to stairs? Most likely because some pals their hitbox would do some crazy stuff? Also, placing certain items or crafting stations on elevated floors doesn’t always work the best.

On top of that, besides the visual look of the floors, walls and ceilings, what’s the point of being able to unlock stone foundations? As a test, I tried to build a high tower with wood and one with stone. I didn’t find a difference. I’d love to see more meaning to what I unlock. Granted, stone can’t burn down. So, if you have any raids with flamethrower or fire enemies, your base isn’t in danger. But what’s the difference between stone and metal, then?

I honestly think that it’d be a bad idea if PocketPair only created more content and not make the mechanics have more depth. For example, something I’d love to see them implementing in the pal task system is a mechanic I love in Cult of the Lamb. When you welcome a new member in your cult, you can set the main focus of a member there. I’d love to see that you are able to set the main focus per pal. For example, when things are damaged in the base after a raid, you select one pal to go and get the repair kits and repair all damages first before going to do their usual tasks. Or when you have a pal that can do multiple things, and you mostly need that pal to pick up items, you could disable their other abilities. Maybe we need some items for that and those items can be only found in the wild, and we need to hunt for them. That’s an interesting idea to lure players out of their bases.

Dreaming like a madman

There are some UI elements I’d love to see change as well. First, I’d love to have a mini-map. The compass at the top of the screen only shows things in roughly 300m range, and that’s too short. Especially since in some areas the warp spots are spread quite far apart. A mini-map where you can pin certain things like the nearest warp spot would be amazing.

Secondly, in terms of the weapons. I’d love to see their stats before I craft them. Now it’s a guessing game that if I craft a certain weapon, if it’s going to be stronger or better than the one I currently have. It’d also be amazing if the durability is shown outside the inventory as well. There is some space in the UI element at the bottom right, so why not show it?

Now, in terms of the inventory. Sometimes I have issues with combining stacks of items. Sometimes I have to do it twice or thrice before they are combined. This is a rather small things, but outside of those… I don’t have a lot of small quality of life things that I could recommend. Maybe that if you sleep during the day in your bed, you can skip to night if you are hunting the nightlife pals?

Maybe there is one quality of life feature I think would be amazing. Quite often, when I’m hunting the stronger pals, I have my pal instructions set on “Focus on the same enemy”. I think it would have an amazing option if you have a feature where you are able to say to your pal if they are allowed to kill the wild pal or not. Since, if they are dead, you can’t capture them.

There is one attack that is a double-edged sword. In the Pokémon games, you have the self-destruct attack. You also have this one in Palworld, yet, some wild pals with this attack always take it over their other attacks. These bee pals always swarm me and instead of being able to weaken them, so I can catch them, I just get blown up. You barely have a chance to do any damage to weaken them to make capturing possible.

I just remembered one other quality of life feature. You can create saddles, gloves and other things to do special things with your pals. But, why I am allowed to create more than one? I mean, I can only use one of them at a time and they can be interchanged. So, if you make a saddle for a certain bird pal e.g. Helzephyr, that means you can use it on all Helzephyrs you catch.

But the biggest quality of life feature PocketPair could add is a mini-map inside caves/dungeons. The times I almost got lost in these caves is insane. Especially since there are only a handful of rooms in these and it’s easy to get turned around and confused.

Now, to completely change the subject… I wish there was more music in the game. The soundtrack in this game is amazing. Sadly, there isn’t enough in the game at the moment, so there are some silent moments. A little bit more ambient tracks would go a really long way in this game.

But, I saved one of my biggest things for last. That is inventory management. This is a total pain in bases. Since pals can put things inside chests, you can forget organisation. Thankfully, while crafting, the game pulls from all resources in your base, but if you need a certain item to use at another base, have fun to go searching through all your chests. What I usually do, if I can, is start crafting an item with the one I want to move and then cancel it. Since it drops the resources then and there. Now, how to solve this without breaking the game and the idea that pals can put things in chests? What if you have a new skill that pals can have? An organisation skill and depending on the level, they either put red things with red things or make a weapons chest and come to complain to you when there aren’t enough chests for their organisation?

If your base is fully set up, the proper of a lack of depth starts to show as well. When you build your base, why should you return to it besides needing to craft or repair your weapons? Give us some activities we can do in our base when we build them. I mean come on, we even have the amusement furniture set. If only we could play some mini-games with our pals to increase their sanity for example? Since currently, there is not a lot you can do when a pal is stressed.

Of course, a certain balance needs to be maintained. The more things a pal can interact with, the more chance you have to create lag or overwhelm the player. Also, the more depth you create, the more things you have to maintain and maybe that’s not the type of game that PocketPair wants to create. How I currently see Palworld is a playground sandbox in the schoolyard. It’s an amazing playground where you can make your own fun but it’s only part of the schoolyard and only has a swing, some monkey bars, a climb rack, a small castle and a slide. It’s all solid built and amazing to spend your time in… But, then you notice the potential this sandbox has to grow. What if we enlarged that sandbox with another castle, so the multiplayer can be player vs player as well? Or wait, why don’t we add an underground to that sandbox?

All I’m saying is that currently Palworld has an amazing foundation. The biggest issue at the moment is that the game lacks depth. While the current roadmap has a lot of expansions and more content, I hope PocketPair doesn’t forget to also make it more than just surface level. For example, imagne that the raid bosses can be captured and barely have an unique skills. Why should the player do the raids then? What reward do you get out of it? Not all mechanics can be fun because they are enjoyable to do. Players will get bored and they will look for a way to spice things up or to challenge themselves.

Now what that said, I’m going to close off this article. I’m quite excited for the future of Palworld and I’m going to wait a few more updates before I decide to write a review on the game. But overall, I’m really liking what I see. The basis of an amazing title is here already and I think we are going to get an even better game when this comes out of early access. Let’s wait and see what happens when the first big updates drop. Especially the raid bosses that got teased a few weeks ago.

Thank you so much for reading this article and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. What do you think of PalWorld and what should be added or changed? Let me know in the comment section down below. Also, what do you think of my idea’s? I’m curious, feel free to leave a comment about that one to. But, I also hope to welcome you in another article but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care.

Even though Elden Ring won Game of the Year, five Nintendo Switch exclusives managed to take home an award.

Kirby & The Forgotten Land won Best Family Game and was nominated against Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Nintendo Switch Sports, and Splatoon 3. This marks the first time Kirby has received a Game Award.

Bayonetta 3 won Best Action Game and was nominated against Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Neon White, Sifu, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

Splatoon 3 won Best Multiplayer Game and was nominated against Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, MultiVersus, Overwatch 2, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. This is not the first time a Splatoon game won at The Game Awards since the first Splatoon had won the awards for both Best Multiplayer AND Best Shooter back in 2015.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope won Best Sim/Strategy and was nominated against Dune: Spice Wars, Total War: WARHAMMER III, Two Point Campus, and Victoria 3.

Finally, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won Most Anticipated Game and was nominated against Final Fantasy XVI, Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil 4, and Starfield.

Another Switch exclusive, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was nominated for Game of the Year, Best Score/Music, and Best Role Playing Game; however, it went home empty. It lost to Elden Ring for the GOTY and RPG categories and God of War: Ragnarok for the Best Score/Music category. Regardless, Nintendo Switch had a lot more wins this year when compared to last year’s awards.

The full list of winners can be found here.

Source

Pdp Makes the Perfect Zelda Accessories for Your Switch Read More »

Over a year since its launch, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a rare example of a sequel that managed to invent the wheel for a second time. Where Breath of the Wild reintroduced the world to the sense of adventure that literally birthed The Legend of Zelda as we know it, Tears of the Kingdom builds upon the foundation that was laid by its predecessor and actively encourages players to go beyond the boundaries that were set in the previous title. The result is a revolutionary game that takes a familiar and well-trodden world and elevates it to - literally - new heights while similarly evoking a sense of nostalgia as players explore a world that has naturally changed with time.

My first playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was truly made when I stumbled upon one of the final areas of the game by complete accident. My own story of exploring the reimagined world of Hyrule will be very different from anybody else's and these are the stories we share. These memorable moments of discovery and excitement stick with players for years after they put the game down, even more than the so-called "Legend" itself.

Link’s new abilities in Tears of the Kingdom expand the scope of puzzle-solving, with a renewed focus on physics and building. This approach to puzzle-solving is completely unique to this title and flourishes at every opportunity it gets. One particular example manages to capture this extraordinary feat in what at first appears to be something completely mundane - an unfolding bridge. Polygon has already deconstructed this (and more) impressive feats hiding in the Shrines and Dungeons of Tears of the Kingdom - and so I link to their impressive analysis here. 

I wish to focus on the game's physics because I want people to know that I do find Tears of the Kingdom to be an exceptional experience when I play it. No other open-world game has captured my interest in the same way, with almost boundless potential to experiment and create solutions to the game's various open-ended problems. And it’s precisely because of this innovation that I find Tears of the Kingdom is also one of the most confusing games I’ve ever played. 

Where the gameplay (literally) soars to new heights, the story of Tears of the Kingdom is one that paradoxically represents the polar opposite, holding itself tightly to the legacy of The Legend of Zelda, at the cost of its own identity. 

Leading up to the game's release, we were promised a Zelda experience unlike we'd ever had. A uniquely dark atmosphere was present all throughout the game’s marketing, with imaginations running wild about the depths to which Nintendo would go in this new entry. The image of Link losing his arm was particularly striking to veteran Zelda fans and Nintendo fans in general - not many of their characters are shown to effectively lose limbs on screen.  The closest is Samus Aran and her experience with the X-Virus in 2004’s Metroid Fusion, and even this was portrayed mostly through text. Tears of the Kingdom was a new frontier for Nintendo as storytellers. 

While Tears of the Kingdom manages to commit to this promise in its opening set piece - with the creative excuse of reducing Link’s health down to the classic three hearts - this promise of new ideas is quickly disposed of in light of a familiar structure and general progression that seemingly betrays the ambition that exists in the gameplay. On a surface level, Tears of the Kingdom is about metamorphosis and change. Characters we’re familiar with are distorted and changed to challenge our perception of this familiar world, exploring how these changes offer new opportunities.  This extends from the large scale all the way down to the minute details. The geography of Hyrule has changed in the six years between Breath of the Wild and this game, with the addition of the Sky Islands and the Depths being the most prominent changes to the layout of the world as we know it.

While Tears of the Kingdom manages to commit to this promise in its opening set piece - with the creative excuse of reducing Link’s health down to the classic three hearts - this promise of new ideas is quickly disposed of in light of a familiar structure and general progression that seemingly betrays the ambition that exists in the gameplay.

The addition of layered subterranean cave systems similarly adds to this sense of evolution and natural change with time. The previously desolate Tarrey Town has burgeoned into an industrial hub for Hyrule’s rapidly developing construction industry, as a direct result of Link’s efforts in the previous game. This sense of consistency and tangibility between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is a part of the appeal of a direct sequel like this. Players are rewarded for having engaged with the previous game with their discoveries in the sequel. Even being able to call upon the same horse as you had in Breath of the Wild is a satisfying moment of continuity that reminds you that you are returning to this world as an experienced adventurer rather than beginning all over again. Despite being lowered back down to 3 hearts, you still have some tricks you can rely on, and knowledge that you’ve gained. 

These subtle but meaningful moments of continuity are then confusingly undercut in this game’s complete refusal to engage with the main narrative of the previous game. While I wouldn’t expect every shrine from the previous game to be present in this one, I was expecting an explanation as to where all these old things have gone to make room for the new. This extends more significantly to the disappearance of the Divine Beasts from Breath of the Wild. The four Divine Beasts stood as the primary objectives in the previous game and also doubled as that game’s iteration of classic Zelda dungeons. They also stood as landmarks against the natural landscapes of Hyrule, with a distinct sense of purpose and style in the areas they existed in. They’re borderline inseparable from the places where they reside, and yet they’ve seemingly vanished without any explanation. Where Divine Beast Vah Medoh used to stand above Rito Village as a guardian protector, the robotic bird is conspicuously missing and leaves a massive void in its wake.

The ancient Guardians of infamy from Breath of the Wild have all but completely vanished in Tears of the Kingdom - with a single one being stapled to the top of an ancient laboratory, without any form of explanation. While it was clearly a focus not to alienate players who hadn’t played the original, there is something missing in not acknowledging the journey that most players will have been on in the previous outing. Tears of the Kingdom attempts to have it both ways and therefore succeeds on neither scale when respecting new and old players. This inconsistent approach to storytelling leads to an awkward outcome where no group of players can be fully satisfied with the way that things have been continued in this highly anticipated sequel. 

Beyond the links to the original game, Tears of the Kingdom also betrays its innovative and transformative gameplay in terms of its own story above all else. Despite Link losing an arm and gaining Rauru's assistance, Mineru becoming a robot-possessing spirit and Zelda literally becoming an ancient Dragon, all of these elements are rendered moot by the end of the game. Link regains his own arm, Mineru disappears and Zelda is back to being a human again. These are pivotal moments throughout the story and are massively impactful when they happen - but I can't help thinking there should be some permanence behind these moments of sacrifice. In the case of Zelda, her decision to become the Light Dragon is one that epitomises a noble sacrifice that allows Link to take the final step to restore some semblance of order and safety to the world.

On paper, Zelda herself is left as a dragon for centuries; this moment is more than impactful on its own. So for her to be restored without much challenge by the game's end really feels like a "safe" option. Despite the time-spanning and long-reaching sacrifices that have been made to get to the end of Tears of the Kingdom, the game ends as every other - Ganondorf is defeated and peace is restored to Hyrule, with Link and Zelda standing on the other side.

Link travels to the four regions - again. Link fixes their problems - again. And then reclaims the Master Sword - again. For players jumping from Breath of the Wild, there is a recognisable formula at play that punctuates the experience with an odd sense of repetition, for a game built on avoiding linearity. Some interesting ideas and setpieces are held within a recognisable sequence that feels like it misses a beat or two through a dedication to choosing your own objectives. Open-world game design and linear stories can mix and often do so with compelling results.

This commitment to safety is prevalent to the extent that it feels like the game is actively acknowledging that the transformations that these characters undergo are harmful and the better outcome is to return to the status quo. Return to what we know instead of embracing new and exciting new opportunities - which is oddly self-fulfilling.

These subtle but meaningful moments of continuity are then confusingly undercut in this game’s complete refusal to engage with the main narrative of the previous game.

Herein lies the paradox at the heart of Tears of the Kingdom, and the greater trilogy that includes Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity. Despite pushing the greater Zelda series to new heights in terms of gameplay styles and ideas, the stories are so afraid of embracing those changes to create something truly new. The transformative nature of these games and their narratives contradict themselves to create an overarching series that feels muddled and lost in its own ideas while trying to please everybody in the process. The champions die in Breath of the Wild, only for the plot of Age of Calamity to be a time travel story about helping them to survive. There's no weight.

The so-called "Legend of Zelda" has proven to be a restrictive narrative framework where each story is almost obligated to end in the same way. And while I'm not daring to say that there should be a game where Link and Zelda canonically fail in their mission - it feels like this framework is really holding Nintendo back from exploring some exciting new potential for the series and the stories that it tells.

For how wonderfully innovative the mechanics of Ultrahand, Fuse, and Recall are, they deserve a far more exciting story to be used in than something as muddled as this. When all is said and done, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a game that is far more fun to play than it is to experience, thanks to the clunkiness of the story, and that's the biggest shame of all. I can only hope that by moving beyond this iteration of Hyrule, we're able to enter a new era for the series and really see some exciting ideas emerge.

Updated: August 3, 2024

We looked for more codes!

Cookie Run Kingdom is a hybrid game comprising elements of RPG and city builder. It is a free-to-play game available on mobile devices. Players looking to get a headstart in the game can use the below-mentioned codes to redeem free rewards.

How to redeem Cookie Run Kingdom codes

To redeem codes in the Cookie Run Kingdom, head over to the official redeem code website and enter your DevPlay ID, followed by entering the code. Once done, you can click on the Claim Reward option to obtain the free reward. If you are unsure about your DevPlay ID, you can find it by opening the settings menu in the game, followed by selecting the User Info option.

Working Cookie Run Kingdom codes

• MYCOOKIECHIMCHAK—Redeem for 3,000 Crystals, 1,500 Rainbow Cubes, 1,000 Choco Chalk, and 300 Juicy Stamina Jellies (New)
• HAPPYDISCORDBDAY—Redeem for 3,000 Crystals and 500 Rainbow Cubes (New)
• COOKIERUNBRAVE15—Redeem for 1,500 Crystals
• UPDATEFIRSTCREAM—Redeem for 1,500 Crystals and 500 Rainbow Cubes
• LOVEWITCHSCASTLE—Redeem for 1,500 Crystals and 300 Rainbow Cubes
• MISSEARTHBREAD24—Redeem for 3,000 Crystals and 1,000 Rainbow Cubes
• INCRK3RDANNIVERSARY—Redeem for 1,000 Crystals
• CRK3RDANNIVERSARYST—Redeem for 500,000 Coins
• CRK3RDANNIVERSARYA—Redeem for 150 Topping Pieces
• CRK3RDANNIVERSARYYE—Redeem for 5 Magic Cookie Cutters
• CRK3RDANNIVERSARYAS—Redeem for 500,000 Coins
• CRK3RDANNIVERSARYBE—Redeem for 50 Rainbow Cubes
• CRK3RDANNIVERSARYAS—Redeem for 5 Special Cookie Cutters
• GOOGLEPLAY2023—Redeem for 3k Crystals and 1k Rainbow Cubes

Expired Cookie Run Kingdom codes

These codes are no longer valid for the game:

• CHERRYSPRINGGIFT—Redeem for 20 Time Jumpers
• BRAVESPRINGGIFT—Redeem for 300 Rainbow Cubes
• HERBSPRINGGIFT—Redeem for 100 Stamina Jellies and 100 XP Star Jellies Level 5
• BLOSSOMINGGIFT—Redeem for 1k Crystals
• CRK2NDBIRTHDAYD1—Redeem for 100 Star Jellies
• CRKALWAYSLOVEYOU—Redeem for 3000 Gems, and 1500 Rainbow Cubes
• CRK2NDBIRTHDAYD2—Redeem for 3x all Aurora Items
• CRK2NDBIRTHDAYD3—Redeem for 100x Topping Pieces
• CRK2NDBIRTHDAYD4—Redeem 500x Rainbow Cubes
• CRKINGDOMWITHHBITS
• 1015CKCOOKIELIVE
• THANKX200MPLAYERS
• 0728CKCOOKIELIVE
• CRKWELCOMDISNEY
• DEVNOW40MKINGDOM
• 2022PPLSCHOICETY
• 0224CRKDARKCACAO – 3000 Crystals
• COOKIELIVECOUPON – 3 Treasure Tickets, 3 30-minute speed-ups, 2 Magic Cookie Cutters, 2 Special Cookie Cutters, 30 EXP Star Jellies level 6, 300 Rainbow Cubes, and 1500 Crystals
• GOMAGICOVENEVENT– 500 Crystals
• WEMADECKTOGETHER – 3000 Crystals
• CK1STANNIVERSARY – 5000 Crystals and 3000 Rainbow Cubes
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD1 – 1000 Crystals
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD2 – 3 Special Cookie Cutters
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD3 – 100 Level 6 Star Jellies
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD4 – 30 Time Jumpers
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD5 – Three of each Aurora item
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD6 – Three magic cookie cutters
• CRK1STBIRTHDAYD7 – 500 Rainbow cubes
• 12THBRAVEDAY0612
• 50CAFEREWARD1000 
• COOKANGJIKINGDOM
• COOSEBOMEKINGDOM
• DOMINOCOOKINGDOM
• JJONDEUKEECOOKIE
• KINGDOMOKING5927
• KINGDOMSWAMP0130
• KINGDOMSUNBA0128
• KINGDOMYANGDDING
• KINGDOMLILKA2021
• KINGDOMNAMDOBLUE 
• RUSWKGMLKINGDOM6
• RUSWKGMLKINGDOM6
• SOQCESWVJWEKZDVB
• TK2PO5GA87DBJALQ
• WELCOMETOCRKMATT
• WELCOMETOCRKJACE
• WELCOMETOCKSANNA 2021KRGAMEAWARDS – Redeem for 1000 Rainbow Cubes and 1000 Cold Crystals
• 30MILLIONKINGDOM – Redeem for 500 Crystals and 3000 Rainbow Cubes
• 2CHAMCOOKINGDOM2– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• BESTGAMEAWARDTHX– Redeem for 3000 Crystals
• CHIMNPERLKINGDOM– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• COOKIECHICKENRUN– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• COOKIEFOOLSDAYS2– Redeem for 401 Crystals
• COOKIERUNTWITTER– Redeem for 1000 Crystals
• GETUR7SUGARGNOME– Redeem for 7 Gnomes 
• HAPPY100DAYSGIFT– Redeem for 1000 Crystals, Exp Jellies, and more
• IELLBHSLKSKZHBGD– Redeem for 3 Cookie Cutters
• KINGDOMBERYLLULU– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• KINGDOMIAMSIXTAN– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• KINGDOMYUNIKO720– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• PARFAITSUBSCRIBE– Redeem for 1000 Crystals
• POONGDENGKINGDOM– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• TAMAGIFT500TOYOU– Redeem for 500 Crystals
• TIYSVCUKYDPPHTNP– Redeem for 50000 Coins
• WELCOMETOKINGDOM
• XYOKSPZLLUJYFKJN

The live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda is being developed in "as closest possible collaboration" with the "true genius" of Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto.

In an interview with Deadline, as spotted by The Gamer, Sony Motion Pictures Group chair Tom Rothman stressed the importance of "big IP movies" for the company, asserting that "The Legend of Zelda is going to be huge for us".

"He’s a true genius in that world, and it’s really his strong vision that is motivating it," Rothman said of Miyamoto. "He created it and understands it thoroughly. You only [have] to look at the results of Super Mario Brothers to see.

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Britain's signals intelligence spy chief raised eyebrows this week with warnings that Russia is coordinating both cyberattacks and physical acts of sabotage against the West. There's evidence to back her claims—and the West may be returning the favor. Coming soon after FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that China is targeting American infrastructure, it looks like the world is not only fracturing once again, but that the hostile blocs are engaged in covert warfare.

Rumors of War

"We are increasingly concerned about growing links between the Russian intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyberattacks as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations," Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) Director Anne Keast-Butler told an audience at the United Kingdom government-sponsored CyberUK 2024 conference. "Before, Russia simply created the right environments for these groups to operate, but now they are nurturing and inspiring these non-state cyber actors in some cases seemingly coordinating physical attacks against the West."

Keast-Butler, whose agency is comparable to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), also called out China, Iran, and North Korea as cybersecurity dangers. But naming Russian officials as being behind "physical attacks" raises the stakes. Sadly, her claims are well-founded.

Sabotage, Espionage, and Other Mischief

"A 20-year-old British man has been charged with masterminding an arson plot against a Ukrainian-linked target in London for the benefit of the Russian state," CBS News reported last month. That wasn't an isolated incident.

"In April alone a clutch of alleged pro-Russian saboteurs were detained across the continent," The Economist noted May 12 in describing what it called a "shadow war" between East and West. "Germany arrested two German-Russian dual nationals on suspicion of plotting attacks on American military facilities and other targets on behalf of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency. Poland arrested a man who was preparing to pass the GRU information on Rzeszow airport, the most important hub for military aid to Ukraine. Britain charged several men over an earlier arson attack in March on a Ukrainian-owned logistics firm in London whose Spanish depot was also targeted."

The GCHQ chief's warnings coupled with reality on the ground are alarming in themselves. Worse, they come after FBI Director Christopher Wray issued similar cautions in April about China.

"The PRC [People's Republic of China] has made it clear that it considers every sector that makes our society run as fair game in its bid to dominate on the world stage, and that its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic and break America's will to resist," Wray told the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats in Nashville, Tennessee.

Wray clarified that, by "infrastructure," he meant "everything from water treatment facilities and energy grids to transportation and information technology."

If that doesn't make you want to check that your pantry is stocked and that the water filter and generator are in working order, nothing will.

A Game Both Sides Can Play

Of course, in war of any sort, the implication is that both sides are involved in conflict. Western intelligence officials are loud in their warnings about foreign threats, but less open regarding just what their own operatives might be doing in Russia, China, and elsewhere. Still, there's evidence that this is hardly a one-sided war, shadowy though it may be.

In June 2022, The New York Times reported that Ukraine's defensive efforts relied heavily on "a stealthy network of commandos and spies rushing to provide weapons, intelligence and training." In addition to Americans, the story noted, "commandos from other NATO countries, including Britain, France, Canada and Lithuania, also have been working inside Ukraine."

American journalist and combat veteran Jack Murphy goes further, claiming the CIA, working through an allied spy service "is responsible for many of the unexplained explosions and other mishaps that have befallen the Russian military industrial complex." The targets include "railway bridges, fuel depots and power plants," he adds.

And if you wonder who blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2, well, so do a lot of people. Russia was initially accused, but it didn't make a lot of sense for the country's forces to destroy pipelines that generated revenue and fed western dependence on Russian natural gas. Since then, Denmark and Sweden have closed inconclusive investigations, journalist Seymour Hersh blamed American officials, and a report by Der Spiegel and The Washington Post placed responsibility on a rogue Ukrainian military officer.

The Wider War Is Here

Taken all together, the warnings from Keast-Butler and Wray, as well as acts of sabotage and arrests of foreign agents suggest that fears of a wider war resulting from Russia's continuing invasion of Ukraine may miss the point; the war could already be here. People looking for tanks and troops are overlooking cyber intrusions, arson, bombings, and other low-level mayhem.

"Russia is definitely at war with the West," Oleksandr Danylyuk of the Royal United Services Institute, a British defense and security think tank, told NBC News earlier this week.

Russian officials seem to embrace that understanding, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commenting in March that the invasion of Ukraine, originally referred to by the euphemism "special military operation," is now more serious. "It has become a war for us as the collective West more and more directly increases its level of involvement in the conflict," he said.

Fortunately, a shadow war of the sort around us is less destructive than open military conflict, especially when the hostilities involve nuclear-armed powers. It's far better that spies hack the email accounts of government officials, as happened in the case of a Russian cyberattack on Germany's ruling Social Democrats, than that cities burn. But civilians still must live with the consequences of combatants attempting to do each other harm—particularly when the harm is to infrastructure on which regular people rely.

So, welcome to the world of global shadow war. Try to not become collateral damage.

The post World War War III May Already Have Started—in the Shadows appeared first on Reason.com.

Nintendo expects Switch to sell another 13.5m units during the coming financial year - enough that it will overtake Nintendo DS to become the company's best-selling platform. In total, Switch is now on 141.32m units sold.

In financial results published today - alongside which Nintendo mentioned Switch 2 for the first time - Nintendo forecast enough Switch 1 sales to take the aging console to 154.82m sold.

As a reminder, Nintendo DS finished its sales run on 154.02m. PlayStation 2, the best-selling video game platform of all time, sold 160m.

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Nintendo expects Switch to sell another 13.5m units during the coming financial year - enough that it will overtake Nintendo DS to become the company's best-selling platform. In total, Switch is now on 141.32m units sold.

In financial results published today - alongside which Nintendo mentioned Switch 2 for the first time - Nintendo forecast enough Switch 1 sales to take the aging console to 154.82m sold.

As a reminder, Nintendo DS finished its sales run on 154.02m. PlayStation 2, the best-selling video game platform of all time, sold 160m.

Read more

Nintendo expects Switch to sell another 13.5m units during the coming financial year - enough that it will overtake Nintendo DS to become the company's best-selling platform. In total, Switch is now on 141.32m units sold.

In financial results published today - alongside which Nintendo mentioned Switch 2 for the first time - Nintendo forecast enough Switch 1 sales to take the aging console to 154.82m sold.

As a reminder, Nintendo DS finished its sales run on 154.02m. PlayStation 2, the best-selling video game platform of all time, sold 160m.

Read more

Nejnovější placené DLC pro hru Remnant 2 od společnosti Gunfire Games je nyní k dispozici. The Forgotten Kingdom, ve kterém hráči prozkoumávají nový biom v Yaeshe.

Níže se podívejte na úvodní trailer, který přibližuje nové prostředí a nepřátele.

Příběh se točí kolem kamenného ducha Lydusy, který není příliš šťastný a se svými konstrukty rozsévá zlo. Samozřejmě jsou tu i další protivníci, jako například obří konstrukce podobná hrnci s rotujícími vrstvami a kamennými úponky nebo rozkládající se kamenný bojovník, který používá led. Hráči budou mít k dispozici nové zbraně a archetyp Invoker, který jim pomůže.

Ten hráčům umožňuje nasměrovat přírodní duchy Yaesha a získat tak různé výhody. Kromě toho, že poskytuje dvě nálože pro dovednosti a snižuje celkový cooldown dovedností, můžete vysílat přílivové vlny, které zpomalují protivníky, kořeny, které způsobují mrákotu a časem léčí spojence, a mnoho dalšího. Mělo by být zajímavé sledovat, jak bude spolupracovat s ostatními archetypy, zejména s Ritualistou z The Awakened King.

Remnant 2: The Forgotten Kingdom je k dispozici za 9,99 dolarů samostatně a v rámci balíčku DLC za 24,99 dolarů na konzolích Xbox Series X/S, PS5 a PC.

Článek Remnant 2: The Forgotten Kingdom je nyní k dispozici se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Link can collect quite a few outfits in Tears of the Kingdom, and some offer desirable perks. The Yiga Clan armor is not to be missed for players who prefer a sneaky approach. The complete set is broken up into three parts, and they can all be obtained relatively easily. Here's how to get all of the Yiga Clan armor pieces in TotK.

How to get the Yiga Armor in TotK

It's best to start with the Yiga Armor, as it's the easiest one to acquire. This is the torso part of the outfit. The Yiga Armor is located in the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, which is up the road from the East Akkala Stable. The Jochi-iu Shrine is a convenient point to begin the journey from.

At the tech lab, Link will encounter a pair of Yiga enemies. They are pretty fast, and they can teleport away before reappearing at close range. They can be slowed down with a Topaz-infused magic rod, or an arrow fused to Yellow Chuchu Jelly.

How to find the Yiga Mask in TotK

The next piece to acquire is the mask. The Yiga Mask is found to the east of Mount Hylia, in the Yiga Clan stronghold. The fort is surrounded by spikes, so it's best to glide in by jumping off the ledge of Mount Hylia. Alternatively, glide in from Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower. There will be two Yiga clan members guarding the fort, but once they are defeated, the Yiga Mask is up for grabs.

How to find the Yiga Tights in TotK

The tights are the last part of the Yiga Clan armor. The Yiga Tights can be found in another Yiga Clain stronghold located in a cave. The exact coordinates are in the image above. Once again, there will be a pair of Yiga Clain members keeping watch. After defeating them, have Link use Ascend to access the next floor of the cave where the pants are located.

Once the Yiga Clan set is complete, Link can enter the Yiga Clan hideout.

What does the Yiga Armor do in TotK?

While the Yiga Armor doesn't provide much protection in the form of defense, it does greatly improve your stealth capabilities. The increased stealth it grants can be used to sneak up on enemies more efficiently and to get close to horses without spooking them. For combat, it requires a much more careful approach, but can be extremely effective in the right hands.

Above all, The Yiga Armor allows you to blend in with Yiga Clan members. With this ability, you can enter areas normally reserved for members of the clan. Just note that Master Kohga will easily notice you don't belong, but everyone else will be none the wiser.

Finally, if the bright red tights aren't quite to your liking, you can change the color of the outfit by visiting Kochi Dye Shop in Hateno Village. This won't affect the clan's attitude towards you.

The post How to get the Yiga Clan armor set in Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) appeared first on Destructoid.

V druhém placeném DLC pro hru Remnant 2 od Gunfire Games, The Forgotten Kingdom, se hráči vracejí do města Yaesha, aby bojovali s Lydusou, naštvaným kamenným duchem.

K dispozici jsou nové zbraně, mody, prsteny a amulety, které je třeba sbírat, a bossové, s nimiž je třeba se vypořádat, ale asi nejzajímavější je nový archetyp – Invoker. Vývojáři novou třídu a její mocné schopnosti představují v novém traileru – podívejte se na něj níže.

Invoker využívá duchy přírody Yaesha a jeho hlavní perk je „Visionary“, který uděluje dvojnásobné náboje pro dovednosti bez ohledu na vybavený archetyp a snižuje jejich cooldowny. Way of Kaeula vyvolává déšť a vysílá přílivovou vlnu, která zpomaluje nepřátele a pravidelně je zasahuje blesky. Cesta Meidry vysílá kořeny, které způsobují Mrákotu, časem léčí spojence a postiženým nepřátelům (kteří dostávají větší elementární poškození) uděluje životaschopnost.

A konečně je tu Way of Lydusa, která umožňuje způsobit nepřátelům Brittle pro vyšší kritickou šanci a kritické poškození. Můžete také nahromadit a vypustit Písečný výbuch v oblasti kolem sebe. Invoker také nese novou archetypovou vlastnost „Gifted“ pro zvýšení trvání dovedností.

Remnant 2: The Forbidden Kingdom vychází 23. dubna pro konzole Xbox Series X/S, PS5 a PC. Do té doby sledujte další podrobnosti.

Článek Archetyp Invoker ve hře Remnant 2: The Forgotten Kingdom odhalen v novém traileru se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

DLC Forgotten Kingdom je druhým DLC pro hru REMNANT II a poslední DLC bude vydáno ještě letos.

Společnost Gunfire Games dnes s potěšením oznamila, že The Forgotten Kingdom, druhé prémiové DLC pro hru REMNANT II, vyjde 23. dubna na PC, PlayStation 5 a Xbox Series X|S za 9,99 €. Půjde o druhé DLC v již dříve oznámeném DLC Bundlu, který se skládá ze tří DLC balíčků, pro hru REMNANT II.

Fanoušci si mohou 23. dubna zakoupit DLC Bundle za 20,99 GBP / 24,99 €, aby získali DLC The Awakened King, DLC The Forgotten Kingdom a měli přístup k závěrečnému DLC, jakmile bude k dispozici někdy později v tomto roce. Ti, kteří si zakoupili Ultimate Edition hry REMNANT II, mají přístup ke všem DLC bez dalších nákladů.

V tomto nadcházejícím DLC budou hráči skládat dohromady zapomenutou historii ztraceného kmene Yaesha a pokusí se potlačit pomstychtivý hněv prastarého kamenného ducha jménem Lydusa. Projděte přetrvávající stopy mučení, zrady a smrti, které pronásledují kdysi hrdé zikkuraty v zemi, zatímco Lydusiny živé kameny putují po rozpadajících se zbytcích dávné civilizace a hledají čerstvou krev. Ve zbrusu nové příběhové linii musí hráči odhalit tajemství ztraceného kmene tím, že prozkoumají novou záhadnou oblast ve světě Yaesha. V této podivné nové lokaci budou hráči procházet novými dungeony, získávat mocné vybavení – včetně nového archetypu „Vyvolávač“ -, potkávat nečekané spojence a čelit novým hrozbám při své snaze vrátit zapomenutému království alespoň zdánlivý mír.

Níže je uveden podrobný seznam obsahu DLC The Forgotten Kingdom:

• Nová příběhová linie, dungeony a oblasti ve světě Yaesha: Ponořte se hlouběji do biomu Yaesha a prožijte zbrusu novou příběhovou linii, v níž hráči odhalí tajemství ztraceného kmene Yaesha a pomstychtivého kamenného ducha jménem Lydusa a jejích živých kamenných konstrukcí.
• Nový archetyp – Vyvolávač: Tento nový archetyp čerpá sílu z duchů přírody Yaeshy a dokáže využívat mystickou sílu džungle. Další podrobnosti o tomto Archetypu se dozvíte v novém Upoutávce na odhalení Archetypu příští týden!
• Mnoho předmětů a mocných zbraní, které vylepšují hratelnost: Vybavte poutníka, aby přežil tuto smrtonosnější verzi světa Yaesha, výběrem z řady nových zbraní a modifikací spolu s novými předměty, jako jsou amulety a prsteny.
• Nové postavy, děsivá stvoření a bossové, se kterými se můžete setkat: Záhadné hrozby a přeživší neznámého původu se vynořují z rozpadajících se zbytků zapomenuté civilizace Yaesha a přinášejí nové výzvy pro všechny hráče.

Remnant II The Forgotten Kingdom vyjde 23. dubna na PC, PlayStation 5 a Xbox Series X|S.

Článek Remnant II dostane tento měsíc druhé placené DLC The Forgotten Kingdom se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Warhorse Studios has officially announced Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a sequel to their critically acclaimed Czech medieval RPG that captivated audiences with its detailed recreation of 15th-century Bohemia. Having sold a remarkable 6 million copies, the original game set a high bar, with fans eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this historically rich medieval central European kingdom of the past – Bohemia.

Sequel Scope and Historical Depth

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 promises to extend its historical canvas, offering a game world twice the size of its predecessor. This expansion isn’t limited to geography but extends to a richer, more layered storytelling. The game will delve deeper into the tapestry of 15th-century European life, capturing the complexity of ethnicities and religious beliefs during the era of the Hussite uprisings—a period marked by profound social and religious turmoil.

Developers are poised to deepen the immersion with a storyline that weaves themes of love and revenge through the continuing saga of Henry, the game’s protagonist, as he seeks justice for the murder of his parents. In pursuit of this goal, players will navigate a world fraught with conflict and intrigue, set against the backdrop of historical events that shaped Bohemia and beyond.

Cinematic Enhancement and Story Expansion

The sequel will feature approximately five hours of cinematic scenes, further enriching the experience. This ambitious inclusion aims to seamlessly integrate story depth before players even step into the game’s interactive elements. Such an approach signifies Warhorse Studios’ commitment to enhancing delivery of the game and engaging players on a deeper emotional level.

Diverse and Dynamic Game

The geographic expansion in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 includes two meticulously crafted maps. The first, “Cesky Raj – Czech heaven” features the majestic Trosky Castle, a medieval architecture and history beacon. The second map will transport players to the town of Kutná Hora and its surroundings known for its historical value – like scary bone ossuary :O

Gameplay and Distribution

Reflecting on the game mechanics, the sequel is set to offer a variety of engaging combat scenarios, from besieged cities to skirmishes in the lush countryside and strategic confrontations in narrow passageways. These diverse settings promise to challenge players’ strategic thinking and combat skills, enhancing the game’s realism and historical fidelity.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will be available exclusively through digital distribution on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, targeting a release during the holiday season. This digital-only approach reflects modern distribution trends and ensures that players around the globe can access the game upon release.

Development Team and Cultural Authenticity

The development team, comprising 250 dedicated professionals, is focused on delivering an experience that resonates with authenticity and quality. In response to feedback on the first game’s ethnic portrayal, the sequel will embrace a more accurate depiction of the region’s historical demographic diversity, adding depth and authenticity to the cultural representation.

Adding to the game’s authenticity, Warhorse Studios has decided to include original Czech audio tracks, enhancing the immersive experience for Czech players and honoring the game’s roots. This feature underscores the studio’s commitment to cultural fidelity and provides a more authentic gameplay experience for fans in the Czech Republic.

So Now we Wait a Little

With its ambitious scale, deepened story, and commitment to historical and cultural authenticity, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is shaping up to be more than just a sequel—it’s poised to be a landmark release in the RPG genre. As Warhorse Studios continues to reveal more details, the excitement only grows. This sequel not only aims to captivate fans of the original but also to attract new players with its enriched storyline and expansive world.

Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to follow the development of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a game that promises to redefine the standards of historical RPGs and captivate the global gaming community.

The post Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Announced for this Year 2024 appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 leads the 2024 BAFTA Games Awards with 10 nominations, including Best Game, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

BAFTA today released the shortlist of nominees for this year's awards, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 receiving nine nominations, Alan Wake 2 receiving eight nominations, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor both receiving six.

The coveted Best Game will be awarded to either Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Dave the Diver, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, or Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

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Tropical Haze, the developer of open-source Switch emulator Yuzu, has agreed to pay $2.4m in damages to Nintendo and cease all operations in response to the Mario maker's recent lawsuit.

News of Nintendo's legal action against Yuzu surfaced last week, with the company claiming the emulator facilitated piracy "at a colossal scale". By way of example, it said over 1m copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had been illegally downloaded ahead of its official launch - and that "many" pirate websites specified the game file was playable on Yuzu.

"Defendant [Tropic Haze] is thus secondarily liable for the infringement committed by the users to whom it distributes Yuzu", Nintendo's lawyers argued, with the lawsuit ultimately seeking damages and demanding the emulator be shut down.

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Tropic Haze – the company behind the emulation software Yuzu – has responded to Nintendo's summons that accuses the company of "illegally circumventing Nintendo's software encryption".

Earlier this week, Ed reported Nintendo was suing the creators of Switch emulator Yuzu, claiming more than one million copies of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were pirated ahead of its release.

In the lawsuit, Nintendo claimed that by allowing Yuzu emulator users to play its games illegally by circumventing its software encryption, Tropic Haze facilitates piracy "at a colossal scale".

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Nintendo is suing the creators of Switch emulator Yuzu, and claims more than 1m copies of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were pirated ahead of its release.

The lawsuit is against Tropic Haze, the creator of the Yuzu game emulator, which Nintendo said allows users to play its games illegally by circumventing its software encryption.

As such, Nintendo claimed Yuzu facilitates piracy "at a colossal scale", with pirated versions of Tears of the Kingdom used as an example.

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Ever since Nintendo announced Princess Peach: Showtime! last June, fans of the Mushroom Kingdom’s ruler have been waiting with baited breath for the game’s release on March 22. So far fans have had a series of trailers spotlighting the game’s unique transformation mechanic that sees Peach donning new outfits with a…

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been imprisoned in London for nearly five years, pending extradition to the United States so he can be prosecuted for violating the Espionage Act by publishing classified information. Since that amount of time behind bars is about the same as the four-to-six-year prison term that Justice Department lawyers have said Assange would be likely to serve if convicted, you might think the Biden administration would be ready to reconsider this case, especially since it poses an alarming threat to freedom of the press. Instead, the U.S. government's lawyers are back in London for yet another hearing, which Assange's attorneys describe as a last-ditch attempt to block his extradition.

Recognizing the First Amendment implications, the Obama administration declined to prosecute Assange for obtaining and disclosing confidential State Department cables and military files leaked by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010. After all, leading news organizations in the United States and around the world had published stories based on the same documents, and those acts of journalism likewise could be construed as felonies once this precedent was established. So could the routine practices of reporters who cover national security, which commonly involves divulging information that the government prefers to keep secret.

Despite those concerns, the Trump administration decided that Assange should be locked up for doing things that The New York Times et al. do on a regular basis. All but one of the 17 counts in Assange's latest federal indictment relate to obtaining or disclosing "national defense information," which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Theoretically, Assange could face 160 years in prison for those counts alone, although the government's lawyers say it probably would be more like the amount of time he already has served in the United Kingdom. Manning herself—who, unlike Assange, violated the terms of her government employment—received a 35-year sentence but was released after seven years thanks to Barack Obama's commutation.

"Some say that Assange is a journalist and that he should be immune from prosecution for these actions," John Demers, then the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, told reporters after the Assange indictment was announced in May 2019. "The department takes seriously the role of journalists in our democracy and we thank you for it. It is not and has never been the department's policy to target them for reporting." There is no need to worry, Demers suggested, because Assange is "no journalist."

This line of argument misconstrues the "freedom…of the press" guaranteed by the First Amendment, which applies to mass communication generally, not just the speech of people whom the government deigns to recognize as journalists. Demers' assurance is similar to the reasoning that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit recently applied in counterintuitively concluding that treating journalism as a crime is not "obviously unconstitutional."

That case involved Priscilla Villarreal, a Laredo, Texas, gadfly and citizen journalist who was arrested in 2017 for violating Section 39.06(c) of the Texas Penal Code. Under that previously obscure law, a person who "solicits or receives" information that "has not been made public" from a government official "with intent to obtain a benefit" commits a third-degree felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison.

Texas defines "benefit" as "anything reasonably regarded as economic gain or advantage." According to the arrest affidavits, the "benefit" that Villarreal sought was a boost in Facebook traffic. Section 39.06(c) defines "information that has not been made public" as "any information to which the public does not generally have access" that is also "prohibited from disclosure" under the Texas Public Information Act. The arrest affidavits did not address the latter requirement at all.

Like the Espionage Act, Section 39.06(c) purportedly criminalizes common reporting practices—in this case, obtaining information about a public suicide and a fatal car accident from a "backchannel source" at the local police department. Writing for the 5th Circuit majority in Villarreal v. Laredo, Judge Edith Jones did not try to hide her disdain for Villarreal, an independent, uncredentialed journalist who files her unfiltered reports on Facebook instead of publishing vetted and edited stories in a "mainstream, legitimate" news outlet.

"Villarreal and others portray her as a martyr for the sake of journalism," Jones wrote. "That is inappropriate. She could have followed Texas law, or challenged that law in court, before reporting nonpublic information from the backchannel source. By skirting Texas law, Villarreal revealed information that could have severely emotionally harmed the families of decedents and interfered with ongoing investigations. Mainstream, legitimate media outlets routinely withhold the identity of accident victims or those who committed suicide until public officials or family members release that information publicly. Villarreal sought to capitalize on others' tragedies to propel her reputation and career."

Although Jones implies that Villarreal's arrest was prompted by concern for "the families of decedents," Villarreal plausibly argued that it was actually punishment for her outspoken criticism of local law enforcement agencies. In any case, there is no First Amendment exception for reporting that might offend or disturb people. And Jones' characterization of Villarreal's work as "capitaliz[ing] on others' tragedies to propel her reputation and career" is an apt, if cynical, description of what many journalists do, even when they work for "mainstream, legitimate media outlets." Jones apparently is unfamiliar with the bread and butter of local news organizations and has never heard the expression, "If it bleeds, it leads."

The seven dissenting judges saw the situation differently. "If the First Amendment means anything," Judge James C. Ho wrote in a dissent joined by five of his colleagues, "surely it means that citizens have the right to question or criticize public officials without fear of imprisonment." Judge James E. Graves Jr. likewise complained that "the majority opinion will permit government officials to retaliate against speech while hiding behind cherry-picked state statutes."

Judge Stephen A. Higginson noted that Thomas Paine, who wrote "the pro-independence pamphlet that historian Gordon Wood describes as 'the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era,'" was, like Villarreal, a "citizen-journalist." Upholding "the text of the Constitution, as well as the values and history that it reflects," he said, "the Supreme Court guarantees the First Amendment right of engaged citizen-journalists, like Paine, to interrogate the government." Jones, by contrast, presumably would view Paine as disreputable, since he did not work for a "mainstream, legitimate media outlet."

Assange's critics, including some professional journalists, have proposed a similar distinction, arguing that he does not deserve the First Amendment's protection because he is not a "real" journalist. But whatever you might think of Assange's opinions, his tactics, or the care he exercised in publishing classified material, that distinction is not grounded in the Constitution and will not hold in practice.

The editors and publishers of The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País recognized as much in 2022, when they urged the Justice Department to drop the case against Assange. In ignoring that advice, the Biden administration seems bent on establishing a dangerous precedent that replaces the First Amendment's guarantee with the whims of prosecutors.

The post The Biden Administration Is Bent on Setting an Alarming Precedent by Prosecuting Julian Assange appeared first on Reason.com.

The 27th D.I.C.E. Awards have arrived and celebrated the best of the best in the world of video games from 2023. While there were a ton of winners, Baldur's Gate 3 walked home with Game of the Year alongside Best Role-Playing Game and Outstanding Achievement awards in Story, Game Direction, …