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Source: Xbox / Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is easily the biggest release on the Xbox platform since the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, and to celebrate, Team Green is releasing a care package for COD players.
On Wednesday, Xbox unveiled its new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection. It features two customizable Call of Duty: Black Ops 6-themed controller variants: a Wireless Controller and an Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.
Thanks to the addition of a console wrap, your XSX console can also participate in the action.
Both controllers “capture the tension and intrigue of the ’90s spy thriller theme” and will “immerse players deeper into the game’s world.”
The new controllers will be available through Microsoft’s Xbox Design Labs website. Players can customize them with the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 skin.
Both controllers are available now: the Xbox Wireless Controller costs $84.98, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 costs $164.98.
The Series X console wrap will cost $54.99 and be available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store. The console wrap will be released on October 23.
If you want to match the swag of Series X and controllers, there is also merch available to wear. The Xbox Icon Collection will also take its cues from design elements featured on the controllers and add them to the new hoodie and joggers exclusively available at the Xbox Gear Shop.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on the PS5, PS4, XSX/S, Xbox One, and PC next Friday, October 25. It will also be available on PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
For more photos of the collection hit the gallery below.
1. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
2. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
3. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
4. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the seventh installment in the Black Ops series (and the twenty-fourth mainline Call of Duty installment overall), drops for Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on Friday, Oct. 25.
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Ready for pre-order for $69.99 at Target, Black Ops 6 is a first-person shooter with open-world elements from Treyarch, Raven Software and Activision.
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And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 delivered straight to your home in two days.
Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — and other perks.
If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.
In addition, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available for pre-order at Walmart and Amazon.
Activision
Sony PS5
‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’
Release date: Oct. 25
Activision
Xbox Series X
‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’
Release date: Oct. 25
Set during the Gulf War in Kuwait in the ’90s, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 follows a CIA operative assembling a team of agents to help him take down Pantheon, a secret organization that wants to launch an apocalyptic weapon.
The new games features a single-player campaign, multiplayer action and fan-favorite round-based zombie mode.
Dropping on Friday, Oct. 25, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 comes out for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The game is available for pre-order right now for $69.99 at Target, Walmart and Amazon. In the meantime, watch the gameplay trailer, below.
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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The new Madden is here! The latest entry in the game franchise is the biggest yet with all 32 NFL teams with superstar players, like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Nick Chubb and others.
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Priced at $69.99, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is available for purchase starting on Friday, Aug. 16 at Target. And for the 2024-25 season, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey graces the cover of the video game box.
And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get EA Sports Madden NFL 25 delivered straight to your home for free.
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Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — and other perks.
If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.
In addition, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 is available at Walmart and Amazon.
EA Sports
EA Sports Madden NFL 25 (PS5)
EA Sports
EA Sports Madden NFL 25 (Xbox)
For 2024, the game has true-to-life gameplay with a number of game modes with live playbook updates, team rewards and customizable avatars and skills; “Franchise & Presentation” features for immersive and in-depth “Team Builder” mode from the NFL Draft to the Super Bowl and a new “Boom Tech” feature that gives you a more realistic feel with dynamic tackles and collision feedback via game controllers.
Meanwhile, sports personalities and announcers Mike Tirico, Greg Olsen, Kate Scott and Brock Huard are on board for in-game broadcast play-by-play, color, sideline reporting and interviews.
Available at Target, Walmart and Amazon for $69.99, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 is out for Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X on Friday, Aug. 16. In the meantime, watch a gameplay deep dive video for the game below:
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Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
EA Sports College Football 25 is out now! The newest entry in the game franchise is the biggest yet with more than 130 schools — such as Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, USC Trojans and more — over multiple conferences, including the Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC and others.
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Priced at $69.99, EA Sports College Football 25 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is available for purchase at Target.
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And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get EA Sports 25 delivered straight to your home in two days with orders over $35.
Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — and other perks.
If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.
Additionally, EA Sports College Football 25 is available at Amazon and Walmart.
Electronic Arts
EA SPORTS College Football 25 (PS5)
Electronic Arts
EA SPORTS College Football 25 (Xbox)
For 2024, the game has true-to-life gameplay with a number of game modes to grow in the ranks to win the Heisman Trophy, or the College Football Playoff National Championship, a new “CampusIQ” feature that gives you more options to build your own team with various play calls and styles, and a realistic “Iconic Atmospheres” feature that recreates true stadium soundscapes with mascots and fan chants.
Available at Target, Amazon and Walmart for $69.99, EA Sports College Football 25 is out now for PS5 and Xbox. In the meantime, watch a first-look video for the game below:
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Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Xbox Live
On Tuesday, gamers hoping to play games online via their Xbox Live accounts were greeted by a massive service outage.
Xbox Live, Microsoft’s service, which allows gamers to play multiplayer games online, suffered a major service outage, with thousands of users reporting issues logging in.
The monitoring site Downdetector noted that user-reported issues began to spike at 2:15 pm ET Tuesday, with more than 23,000 outage reports being reported to the website. Many users reported seeing the message that Xbox Live was undergoing “scheduled maintenance.”
The official Xbox Live account on X, formerly Twitter, addressed the outage at 2:55 pm ET.
Per Variety:
The official Xbox Support account on X posted at 2:55 pm. ET, “We are aware that some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live. We’re investigating!” The message directed users to the Xbox status page — which eventually was updated to say that a major outage of the “Account & profile” service was reported at 2:07 pm ET. “You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems,” the message on the Xbox status page said. “Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won’t be available.”
At about 8:49 pm ET, Microsoft wrote on the Xbox Support account that the issues were resolved: “Users should no longer be encountering issues signing in to Xbox Live and services.”
PlayStation Is Also Having Issues With Its Rewards Program
Microsoft isn’t the only company suffering from problems. PlayStation also had its own problems with its reward program, PlayStation Stars, which has been down for about a month, eclipsing 2011’s infamous PSN outage.
On the PlayStation App, users are greeted with the message, “PlayStation Stars will be returning soon in phased regional rollouts. “Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to welcoming you back.”
We’re just glad to see the issues being resolved. We are curious to hear what caused the Xbox Live service outage and PlayStation Stars to be down.
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Source: Xbox / Xbox Gaming x Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV devices got a significant boost thanks to Xbox Gaming.
Xbox is on a mission to get into homes everywhere, and you won’t need to purchase an Xbox Series X or Series S console to accomplish that goal.
Thursday, Xbox announced its new partnership with Amazon to bring its Xbox Gaming App to select Fire TV devices.
Beginning in July, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) will go live on Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max ($59.99) and Fire TV Stick 4K ($49.99) through the Xbox Gaming app. This will give users access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($16.99) and instant access to a massive library of games and the latest games like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Starfield, and Forza Horizon 5.
To begin playing, you need only a Bluetooth wireless controller like the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4.
Xbox Is Offering Gamers Options
“We’re committed to making it easy for customers to access their favorite entertainment experiences with Fire TV,” said Fire TV and Alexa vice president Daniel Rausch. “We’re excited to work with Microsoft to bring the Xbox app to select Fire TV devices so customers can enjoy a vast library of high-quality games, allowing them to play amazing titles without the need for a console. Now customers have even more ways to play the games they love, wherever they are, with just a compatible Fire TV Stick, Bluetooth controller, and Game Pass Ultimate membership.”
“The expansion of Xbox gaming to Fire TV devices offers players another option for enjoying their favorite games using devices they already own. For those who don’t own an Xbox console, this provides an affordable and convenient way to get started. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, there’s something for every type of player. We look forward to having more people join the Xbox gaming community,” Xbox Experiences and Platforms Engineering corporate vice president Ashley McKissick adds.
It looks like Xbox is fully embracing a console-less future.
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the 14th major installment in the very popular franchise, which started back in 2007, and is the follow up to last year’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
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Starting at $69.99, Assassin’s Creed Shadows drops on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 on Friday, Nov. 15. However, it’s available for pre-order now at Walmart.
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And since its from Walmart, you’ll get the game shipped to your home for free as soon as it’s available if you’re a Walmart+ member.
Not a member? You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of everything the retailer’s rewards program has to offer, including free delivery; fuel savings at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart or Murphy gas stations; streaming access to Paramount+ to watch hit originals such as Halo, Fatal Attraction and Star Trek: Lower Decks; early access deals and much more. Learn more about Walmart+ here.
Below, you’ll find all the ways to pre-order Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Xbox Series X and PS5.
Ubisoft
‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Special Edition’ (Xbox Series X)
$69.99
Pre-order at Walmart
Ubisoft
‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Special Edition’ (PS5)
$69.99
Pre-order at Walmart
Ubisoft
‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Gold Edition’ (Xbox Series X)
$109.99
Pre-order at Walmart
Ubisoft
‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Gold Edition’ (PS5)
$109.99
Pre-order at Walmart
So what’s the difference between the two editions? The Special Edition features the game and the Sekiryu Character Pack, while the Gold Edition comes with both the game and character pack, as well as a season pass, additional quests and two expansion packs. Each edition comes with the “Thrown to the Dogs” quest when you pre-order at Walmart.
As for the game itself, Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place during feudal Japan starting in 1579, while it explores regions like Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka and Iga. You play as a lethal Shinobi Assassin and a powerful Samurai warrior in dual mode during a time of civil war in Japan, as the country opens up to Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries.
Available for pre-order right now, Assassin’s Creed Shadows for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 is set for release on Friday, Nov. 15, at all sorts of online retailers, including Walmart. The game goes for $69.99 for the Special Edition and $109.99 for the Gold Edition.
In the meantime, watch the game’s world premiere trailer below:
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Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Source: picture alliance / Getty / Phil Spencer
The video game world is still reeling after word hit the e-streets that Xbox closed Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog game studios under the Bethesda Games umbrella. Now, gamers are focusing on Xbox chief Phil Spencer and his leadership, or lack thereof. Should Phil Spencer be fired? Is it time for him to go? That’s what many are calling for to happen after this recent round of studio closures and the absorption of one into ZeniMax Online Studios.
While many blame the practice of companies like Xbox and PlayStation acquiring game studios, some also feel that Spencer’s feet should be held to the fire.
Kotaku’s Zack Zwiezen proclaimed in an article that “It’s time to stop giving Phil Spencer a pass,” pointing out the many “bad decisions Spencer has made during his time as CEO and contradictory statements.
Per Kotaku:
In October 2020, shortly after Xbox announced its plans to consume Bethesda, Spencer told Kotaku: “This deal was not done to take games away from another player base” and added that Xbox wants “more people to be able to play games, not fewer people to be able to go play games.” Yet, in March 2023 Redfall director Harvey Smith said that Microsoft stepped in after buying Bethesda and canceled a PS5 port of the vampire hunting co-op game. Starfield shipped only on Xbox and PC. And despite a few Xbox games—like Grounded and Sea of Thieves—jumping ship to PlayStation and Switch, future big titles like Indiana Jones won’t be multiplatform.
Xbox’s boss has also talked a big game about giving developers the freedom to make what they want to make, explaining in a May 2023 interview with Kinda Funny: “When a team like Rare wants to do Sea of Thieves, when a team like Obsidian wants to do Grounded, and Tango wants to go do Hi-Fi [Rush] when everyone probably thought they were doing The Evil Within 3. I want to give the teams the creative platform to go an push their ability, push their aspirations.”
The article states that Spencer says the right things, but even when those studios get to make the games they want, and if they are critical successes, there is still a chance they will suffer the same fate as these latest studios.
Social Media Reactions
Social media hasn’t been kind to Spencer either, and that’s totally understandable because we are all tired of hearing about these layoffs while people in offices continue to line their pockets with cash while game developers have to figure out how to make ends meet.
Former PS I Love You XOXO co-host and head of Pen To Pixels Janet Garcia also called out Spencer for his comments that have now “aged like milk,” pointing out his penchant for trying to be transparent, something people appreciate about Spencer, leaves him open to these contradictory moments.
“Yeah so many of Xbox’s comments are aging like milk rn. This is the danger of selling the “good guy” narrative. It only works when you do “good” things. That said this is also why PlayStation and Nintendo don’t talk to anyone anymore. They’re like nah I’m not gonna play myself,” Garcia said on X, formerly Twitter.
Former Blizzard President Mike Ybarra Comes To Phil Spencer’s Defense
Former president of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra tried to empathize with Spencer, writing on X, “I know this hurts him [Spencer] as much as anyone else.”
Ybarra continued, “I’m not trying to defend the decisions. I think we all get ourselves into situations that are tough and unexpected (certainly I have). It’s part of the job, as is the accountability for the outcomes. But he’s a good human and he cares deeply for the creative process and developers. That’s my first hand experience in working closely with him for 8+ years and knowing him for 24+.”
Unfortunately, folks were not trying to hear it and didn’t hesitate to tell Ybarra he was wrong.
What a sad state of affairs.
Hopefully, we will hear from Spencer in his own words about this latest decision.
Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Oh wow.
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Source: Christian Petersen / Getty / Xbox
The video game industry is in turmoil, and you wouldn’t think that’s the case because of the quality of games we have been getting. While we, as gamers, are enjoying a spoil of riches, developers continue to lose their jobs at a ridiculous clip.
Xbox is navigating choppy waters as it shifts its business model, putting some of its biggest exclusive titles on competitive consoles.
One of those titles was the beloved Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks, one of the many studios Xbox acquired when it acquired Bethesda Game Studios.
In a stunning turn of events, Tango Gameworks is one of four studios, including Arkane Austin, the developer of the massive flop Redfall, Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Games, which have been closed by Xbox, IGN reports.
Xbox is one of the many video game companies that have been unable to avoid the massive layoffs in the industry. The Microsoft company started the year by laying off almost 2,000 employees, which led to then-Blizzard president Mike Ybarra leaving.
Now comes the news of a new round of layoffs due to significant studio closures under the Bethesda umbrella.
Per GameRant:
Xbox has decided to shut down Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Studios, and Tango Gameworks, with Roundhouse Games also effectively shutting down by being “absorbed” by ZeniMax Online Studios. In an email from Matt Booty obtained by IGN, it was explained that these shutdowns are about “prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games.” Arkane Austin worked on the 2017 Prey game and Redfall, Tango Gameworks was known for The Evil Within and the critically-acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush, Alpha Dog Studios was working on the Mighty Doom mobile game, and Roundhouse Games was primarily serving a support role at the time of its closure.
Arkane Austin’s demise could directly result from the disastrous launch of Redfall. Reviewers immediately deemed it a critical flop due to its broken state and abandoned it despite some quality-of-life improvements.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Arkane Studios confirmed the Austin studio’s closure, telling gamers who bought the Hero Pass of the premium Bite Back edition or Bite Back upgrade will be eligible to receive the value of the upgrade.
Arkane says Redfall serves will remain online, but there will be no further updates.
Tango Gamework’s closure is the biggest surprise due to Hi-Fi Rush’s success following its surprise drop on the Xbox Game Pass and, most recently, its newfound popularity on the PlayStation 5 console.
What a spooky time to be a developer in the video game industry.
You can see reactions to the sad news in the gallery below.
1. No lies detected
2. This is also true
3. We’re old enough to remember the push for Xbox to gobble up more studios.
8. Cold world
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Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty / Wu-Tang Clan
Word on the video game streets is that the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan video game is coming along and will feature an animation style from Sony’s animated Spider-Man films.
Spotted on Insider Gaming, two separate reports from WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden and VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb (via Game Mess), more details about “Project Shaolin” are emerging.
“Project Shaolin” first appeared on radars thanks to a 2021 NVIDIA leak that revealed a plethora of codenamed project titles in development.
Both Corden and Grubbs reports share details about the game and what gamers can expect from it.
Per Insider Gaming:
According to both reports, the game is a third-person melee-oriented RPG complete with four-player co-op. The game was also said to heavily involve the Wu-Tang Clan members themselves with the game’s soundtrack and would feature the likes of loot, weapons, and gear from defeated enemies. According to the reports, the game is in development at Brass Lion Entertainment, a new studio formed in 2019 by Manveer Heir.
Insider Gaming can corroborate these original reports and understands that the game is currently in its Alpha stage.
The gameplay evolves around fast-paced melee combat in third-person, with a strong focus on having both music and combat intertwined. Players can choose from four different weapons that all have different and unique playstyles (single swords, dual swords, etc.). It’s understood that the game features a massive catalog of the Wu-Tang Clan’s music, most of which has been re-imagined by producer and DJ Just Blaze for the game.
“Project Shaolin” Will Feature Playable Wu-Tang Clan Members
Insider Gaming also reports that all nine Wu-Tang Clan members will be playable characters and that each character will serve as “the player’s limited-time buff that will give you ultimate moves, increased health, and more.”
The website also says it did see gameplay footage of “Project Shaolin” under the condition that they don’t share it and that the animation is similar to Sony’s animated Spider-Verse films.
As for the Wu-Tang Clan, this is not the first time the iconic rap stable’s involvement in the video game space. The group’s love for martial arts and kung-fu flicks led to the development of PlayStation’s game Wu-Tang Shaolin Style in 1999.
The game didn’t feature the actual Staten Island-based rap group members, but they did lend their voices to characters based on their rap monikers.
The members of the Wu-Tang Clan also appear in other games, such as Def Jam: Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight For New York.
We can’t wait to finally see what Project Shaolin looks like when the first trailer arrives. Maybe Xbox might unveil it at its upcoming Xbox Showcase next month.
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