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Diddy Moved to New Prison After Ugly Fight With Jamaican Drug Lord and Paying Inmates for Special Favors

Not long ago, Diddy was living as well as you could possibly live in prison. He had his other inmates doing a litany of favors for him at any moment. Massages, special meals, and people to do his laundry and clean restrooms at any given notice. He even had his own phone and a tablet to watch 50 Cent’s documentary about him.

According to a fellow prisoner, this is the kind of lifestyle you have when you’re as rich as Puff Daddy. “You can pretty much get anything except a key to the front door and a female,” one person told NBC News. “He’s a billionaire. People are in awe of him. Money is power, especially behind bars.”

However, after an alleged fight with Jamaican drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke, Diddy suffered a head injury that landed him in the hospital. Apparently, Dudus didn’t take kindly to the special treatment that was being given in prison. Reports suggested this led to prison raids and cell phone confiscation.

Now, according to TMZ, the Bad Boy mogul was transferred from his usual New Jersey prison to a new facility in Pennsylvania. The security isn’t as intense, and there are only 1,000 inmates. TMZ presumed that this meant there would be more eyes on him and allow for more protection from massive fights.

Diddy Transferred to Pennsylvania Prison After Nasty Brawl at Fort Dix

Currently, the state of Sean Combs’ health is unknown. What we do know is that his archenemy 50 Cent finds the whole debacle to be extremely amusing. He joked on Instagram that Diddy is bound to make the next prison he goes to even crazier than Fort Dix. Then, he posted an absolutely deranged video of a toy that resembles Combs blowing bubbles out of his butt.

50 has notoriously trolled his enemies, Puff included. He even made money off trolling his adversaries through a partnership with DoorDash. Back in February 2026, he was in a Super Bowl commercial that saw him tease Diddy’s lengthy 50-month prison sentence and make reference to his name through cheese puffs and a pack of combs.

“I’ve always been about keeping it real, so when DoorDash approached me about a social campaign around beef, it felt authentic from the start,” 50 Cent said in a statement. “They’ve got everything you need, and just like with beef, the receipts speak for themselves.”

Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs

The post Diddy Moved to New Prison After Ugly Fight With Jamaican Drug Lord and Paying Inmates for Special Favors appeared first on VICE.

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Harry Styles Shares Heartbreaking Tribute to Late One Direction Member During MSG Show

It’s been over a decade since One Direction decided to go their own way and pursue solo careers. It seemed to work out for all parties involved, especially Harry Styles, one of the biggest pop stars working today. Still, fans dreamed that one day the group would eventually reunite, even if it was for just a performance or a throwback tour.

However, tragedy struck when Liam Payne died in 2024 after a horrific fall from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Argentina. Two years later, Styles had a concert at Madison Square Garden and decided to honor his old friend and bandmate with an unreleased song. Check it out below:

Harry Styles performs an unreleased song he wrote for Liam Payne at his show at Madison Square Garden. pic.twitter.com/NL8Y6PP5Sq

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 17, 2026

Before he performed the song, Harry Styles gave a heartfelt speech to the crowd, addressing the whirlwind feelings that revolve around grief. Ultimately, he stressed the importance of being there for the people you care most about in life.

“I’m sure a lot of you have been through similar things. I hope you haven’t. But really, it’s just about looking after each other,” he told the audience. “So many people who have touched my life in such special ways. I wouldn’t be here without. I’m gonna play you a song I wrote for my friend about two years ago, if that’s all right.”

Harry Styles Pays Tribute to the late Liam Payne Two Years After His Tragic Death

Currently, the “As It Was” crooner is on a lengthy residency tour, where he’ll perform a string of shows at dedicated venues across the world. Currently, he has taken over Madison Square Garden for seven more shows. Then, he heads overseas to Australia for four shows at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne and two shows at Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park in December. After a small hiatus into the new year, Harry Styles will complete the rest of his world tour and eventually finish at Wembley Stadium on August 28th, 2027.

At the time of Liam Payne’s death, One Direction reunited for a group statement to pay tribute to their late friend. “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” they shared on behalf of Harry Styles, Zayn, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.

Photo by Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

The post Harry Styles Shares Heartbreaking Tribute to Late One Direction Member During MSG Show appeared first on VICE.

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The Osbourne Family Defends Metallica in Ugly Feud With Classic Rock Legend Roger Waters

Politics have made rock royalty beef now more than ever. During a recent concert, James Hetfield seemingly threw shade at the Macklemore controversy by affirming that they’re not like that. Instead, they’re politically neutral and don’t want to convince any fans to feel strongly about anything in particular. Just have fun and rock out at their shows. “Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bulls**t,” he shared.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame found this perspective to be essentially useless. What kind of artist makes it a point to not say anything at all? Consequently, he called Hetfield a “prick” on the latest episode of The Katie Halper Show.

“He’s just showing that he’s a complete prick,” Waters said of the Metallica frontman. “He’s got an IQ of about three, and why we’re talking about him, I don’t even know, because he’s a nobody. He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he’s a prick.”

Additionally, Roger Waters slammed Hetfield for his artistry, claiming that Metallica aren’t real musicians. “I heard them playing acoustic instruments and it was appalling,” he scoffed.

In the war between the two rock legends, the Osbourne family made their loyalties very clear by calling out Waters. For a limited time, they released a shirt that says ‘Another Prick In The Wall’, in reference to the Pink Floyd classic. Then, you can see Ozzy Osbourne peeing a rainbow on it.

The Osbourne Family Stood up for Metallica in Their Feud With Roger Waters of Pink Floyd

Waters is also on the record for not liking Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath that much either. In a 2025 interview with The Independent Ink, he shrugged off their music in the aftermath of his death. Moreover, he recalled the “idiocy and nonsense” that Osbourne publicly spouted over the years.

“I don’t care about Black Sabbath, I never did, I have no interest. I couldn’t care less,” Roger Waters said at the time. “Ozzy Osbourne, who just died, bless him, in his whatever that state that he was in his whole life. We’ll never know, we didn’t, you know? Although he was all over the TV for hundreds of years with his idiocy and nonsense.”

Naturally, the Osbourne family was quick to defend Ozzy from the onslaught from Roger Waters. As captured by PEOPLE, Jack Osbourne revealed that his dad never quite cared for the Pink Floyd singer. “Hey @rogerwaters. F**k You. How pathetic and out of touch you’ve become,” he wrote on Instagram. “The only way you seem to get attention these days is by vomiting out bulls**t in the press. My father always thought you were a c**t – thanks for proving him right.”

Photo by KMazur/WireImage

The post The Osbourne Family Defends Metallica in Ugly Feud With Classic Rock Legend Roger Waters appeared first on VICE.

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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Release Date and Game Pass Explained

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, but players can already jump into its single-player campaign through early access. Here is the M4W release date, launch time breakdown, and when Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Game Pass.

When Is the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Release Date?

MW4 Release Date
Screenshot: Activision

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 release date is Friday, October 23, 2026. The shooter is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. However, if you have seen players already making their way through the campaign, there is a reason for that.

Activision is splitting the launch into several stages, with digital preorder customers getting access to certain modes before the full release. The MW4 campaign is already available today as it went live on October 16, while DMZ early access begins on October 20. The full game follows on October 23.

That means you can finish the single-player story before jumping into multiplayer at launch! To make it easier to track, we’ve created an easy-to-read table below that shows when the Modern Warfare 4 release date is in every region:

MW4 Release Date and Time by Region

MW4 Early Access
Screenshot: Activision
RegionLocal dateRelease time
United States / Canada (Pacific)October 229:00 PM PDT
Mexico CityOctober 2210:00 PM CST
United States / Canada (Eastern)October 2312:00 AM EDT
Brazil (São Paulo)October 231:00 AM BRT
United KingdomOctober 235:00 AM BST
Central Europe (Germany / France)October 236:00 AM CEST
South AfricaOctober 236:00 AM SAST
FinlandOctober 237:00 AM EEST
Saudi ArabiaOctober 237:00 AM AST
United Arab EmiratesOctober 238:00 AM GST
IndiaOctober 239:30 AM IST
China / SingaporeOctober 2312:00 PM CST / SGT
Japan / South KoreaOctober 231:00 PM JST / KST
Australia (Perth)October 2312:00 PM AWST
Australia (Brisbane)October 232:00 PM AEST
Australia (Adelaide)October 232:30 PM ACDT
Australia (Sydney / Melbourne)October 233:00 PM AEDT
New Zealand (Auckland)October 235:00 PM NZDT

Will Modern Warfare 4 Be on Game Pass?

Modern Warfare 4 Game Pass
Screenshot: Activision

Yes, Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Game Pass, but it will not be available on the subscription service at launch. Activision has confirmed that MW4 will join Game Pass in Holiday 2027, although an exact release date has not been announced.

So, if you were hoping to play this year’s Call of Duty through your subscription, you will have to wait almost an entire year before it arrives on the Xbox service. Players who want to jump in at launch must purchase the game separately.

How to Get Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Early Access

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Early Access
Screenshot: Activision

To play the Modern Warfare 4 campaign early, you need to preorder or prepurchase any digital edition of the game. Campaign early access began on Friday, October 16, 2026, giving eligible players a week to experience the story before the official release date.

You do not need to purchase the more expensive Vault Edition to get the campaign head start. The Digital Standard Edition also includes early access. However, Activision lists this benefit specifically for digital purchases, so a physical preorder does not qualify.

There are two early access dates to keep track of:

ModeEarly access dateRequirement
Single-player campaignOctober 16, 2026Any digital preorder or prepurchase
DMZOctober 20, 2026Any digital preorder or prepurchase

Both benefits are included with eligible digital editions. However, campaign early access does not unlock the entire game ahead of schedule, so you will still need to wait for the full launch to jump into standard multiplayer.

If you mainly want to experience the story, you can already start playing through a qualifying digital purchase. For everyone waiting on Modern Warfare 4’s Game Pass launch, the confirmed release window is Holiday 2027.

The post Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Release Date and Game Pass Explained appeared first on VICE.

Screenshot: Activision

Screenshot: Activision

Screenshot: Activision

Screenshot: Activision
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Method Man Finally Heard the Wu-Tang Clan We Never Got to Hear: Here’s What He Thinks

One of the most infamous albums in hip-hop history is Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Back in 2014, RZA, Method Man, and the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan were fed up with how streaming made music feel like it doesn’t have any value. Consequently, they made the album to be consumed like high art and only made one copy of the album. Then, they deleted every master recording so that there would be no possible way for the album to ever be leaked.

By 2015, only 150 people got to come together and listen to a fraction of the album. Then, Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli bought it for $2 million and thought about destroying it just to really make sure no one heard it. By 2021, PleasrDAO had acquired it and revealed that it could only be heard at listening parties and art exhibits.

Decades later, Method Man finally got to hear the work they spent so much time working on. Now, we get a pretty solid review for it. During an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, they brought the New York legend for an informal listening party with Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. According to Meth, it’s reminiscent of the prime work RZA used to make.

Method Man Finally Got To Hear the Lost Wu-Tang Album After its Inception over a decade ago

“I could see why people will like this album, and I could see why people will love this album,” he shared. “I don’t hate it. The production is on par with some of the stuff that RZA used to do back in the day … I’m gonna give him his props on this one. And I’m gonna validate, this is a valid piece of art right here.”

How come Wu-Tang Clan can’t just buy the album back? After all, it is still their work. Why can’t they just take the record back and finally release it for die-hard fans to listen to? Or at the very least, Method Man and co. would be able to play it again like normal.

According to RZA, he tried to buy it back when Martin Shkreli was trying to get rid of the album. However, due to limitations in the contract of their sale, it prevented the Wu-Tang Clan from ever having real ownership over the record again. Instead, it could only be heard in listening parties, like the one Pablo Torre did for the New York legend.

Photo by David A. Smith/Getty Images

The post Method Man Finally Heard the Wu-Tang Clan We Never Got to Hear: Here’s What He Thinks appeared first on VICE.

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No, Rockstar Didn’t Say GTA 6 Is Unfinished Weeks Before Launch

A recent Bloomberg report has sparked speculation among some players that GTA 6 could be unfinished just weeks before launch. However, comments about Rockstar continuing to make changes to the game have been taken out of context. Here is what the developer actually said about the release of Grand Theft Auto VI.

Rockstar’s GTA 6 Development Comments explained

GTA 6 Launch Trailer Artwork
Screenshot: Rockstar Games

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier recently published an extensive report about the making of GTA 6. However, a rumor that Grand Theft Auto VI was not completed yet only weeks before launch spread online, after some players took several quotes from the Bloomberg piece out of context.

In the report, Rockstar’s Phil Hooker explained that the studio has continued making changes to the game even months before launch: “The game’s never completely settled. We never have an exact blueprint. Even within the last few months, we’ve changed things.”

GTA 6 Beach Trailer
Screenshot: Rockstar Games

The quote doesn’t say that GTA 6 as a whole is unfinished weeks before release. It also doesn’t suggest that Rockstar plans to ship Grand Theft Auto VI with missing features or significant compromises.

The quote was largely talking about Grand Theft Auto VI being so ambitious on a technical level, that they continue to make refinements due to just how complex the game is. It was also explaining why the game took so long to get made.

Rockstar’s GTA 6 Comments Need More Context

GTA 6 Launch Jason and Lucia Trailer
Screenshot: Rockstar Games

One detail being overlooked is that Schreier visited Rockstar North in September. That places the conversation months before the game’s late November launch, rather than in the final days before release.

The wording matters here, too. Hooker said the team had changed things “within the last few months.” That doesn’t establish how significant those changes were or suggest that major features still needed to be completed. It also doesn’t give us context what build they were on, or when exactly those changes were made.

The other aspect I think that should be considered, is the context with which the quote was given. In their conversation with Jason Schreier, Rockstar were talking about just how complex GTA 6 is on a technical level. To demonstrated this, here is an excerpt from Schreier and Rockstar describing how a night club works in GTA 6:

GTA 6 Lucia Club Dancing
Screenshot: Rockstar Games

“Designing a club for a typical video game might mean generating a few nonplayable characters in different-colored shirts, says top artist Aaron Garbut. In GTA VI, though, it means animating and scripting each individual patron, creating drinks, adding music, crafting lighting, matching the music to that lighting and composing all the other “layers and layers and layers of detail” that make a virtual club feel as authentic as possible.”

That example helps explain the level of detail Rockstar is working towards with GTA 6 and gives a little more context about the changes they continue to make given how complex the game’s systems are. All this to say, panic around Grand Theft Auto VI being “incomplete” seem to largely be unwarranted and started from a misunderstanding of Jason Schreier’s excellent report on the development of the game.

The post No, Rockstar Didn’t Say GTA 6 Is Unfinished Weeks Before Launch appeared first on VICE.

Screenshot: Rockstar Games

Screenshot: Rockstar Games

Screenshot: Rockstar Games

Screenshot: Rockstar Games
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Magic: The Gathering Reveals Every Card in Marvel’s History of Heroes

Magic: The Gathering is preparing to return to the world of Marvel Comics once again with the upcoming Marvel’s History of Heroes product and the full list of all 30 cards has just been revealed.

All 30 Cards in Secret Lair: Marvel’s History of Heroes

Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering has returned to the world of Marvel quite a few times lately and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down its pace. In addition to the upcoming Darkhold-themed set that arrives in April 2027, there is also a new Secret Lair Countdown Kit bringing more Marvel reprints and alternate art to the Secret Lair collection.

Each copy of Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes contains 30 individually packaged Magic cards, each of which represents an era or moment from the history of the Marvel Universe. These cards randomly appear in non-foil, foil, or—when the stars and spells align—surge foil.

Marvel’s History of Heroes launches on November 2, 2026. The Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes will cost collectors $199.99.

Here is the full list of all cards included in Secret Lair: Marvel’s History of Heroes:

  • Fierce Guardianship
  • Molten Duplication
  • Unbreakable Formation
  • Timber Protector
  • Devastation
  • Heroic Intervention
  • Opposition Agent
  • Fighter Class
  • Vigor
  • Biorhythm
  • Tainted Pact
  • With Great Power
  • Mjolnir, Storm Hammer
  • Champion’s Helm
  • Force of Virtue
  • Court of Bounty
  • Unholy Heat
  • Villainous Wrath
  • Damning Verdict
  • Primal Might
  • Damn
  • Genesis Wave
  • Fiery Confluence
  • Beta Ray Bill
  • Doctor Strange, Master of Magic
  • Rogue’s Gloves
  • Snuff Out
  • Titanic Ultimatum
  • Collective Effort
  • Lightning Bolt

A particularly interesting inclusion in the Countdown Kit is the appearance of two cards from a set that hasn’t been released yet. Doctor Strange, Master of Magic and Beta Ray Bill both appear in Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes, representing the arcane and godlike corners of the Marvel Universe.

These are two uncommon cards from the main set of Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny. Both cards will be legal in all formats starting with Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny Prerelease events, which begin on April 2, 2027.

As always, shoppers should keep in mind that Secret Lair products are limited print runs and tend to sell out very quickly. That means that interested Marvel fans will want to act quickly and secure an order as soon as the Secret Lair drop goes on sale.

Be sure to check back soon for more Magic: The Gathering news and updates.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena.

The post Magic: The Gathering Reveals Every Card in Marvel’s History of Heroes appeared first on VICE.

Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
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Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft – How To Play a Balance, Feral, Guardian, or Restoration Druid

Druids are one of the most versatile classes in World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons is attempting to recreate that flexibility with recommendations for how to play all four different Druid specializations at the tabletop.

D&D: World of Warcraft Character Creation Guide for All Druid Specs

Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast

Druids are a fan-favorite World of Warcraft class that allows players to tank, heal, or heal damage. They have a ton of utility and seem very likely to be equally popular for Dungeons and Dragons players as they form their parties for upcoming adventures in Azeroth.

Druids call upon the power of land, sea, and sky to tear their enemies apart and put their friends back together. Skilled shapeshifters, elementalists, guardians, and healers, Druids are versatile and adaptable spellcasters.

Every Druid in World of Warcraft learns new beast forms: Cat Form, Bear Form, and Travel Form (which includes an Aquatic Form and a Flight Form). These forms take on unique stat blocks for Druids with access to Circle Forms. For Druids without the Circle Forms feature, certain Beast stat blocks are made available.

Druids are already a Dungeons and Dragons class, so that gives players an easy place to start. Once their class is selected, players will want to take one of these branching paths, depending on their specialization preference:

  • Balance – Leverage the sacred powers of the moons, the sun, and the stars to keep the elemental forces of the cosmos in equilibrium.
    • The Balance Druid selects the Circle of the Stars subclass and uses the versatility of its Starry Form to take on the appearance of moonkin and adapt their magical aptitude to their circumstances.
  • Feral – Pursue a visceral connection to the wild—nature’s eternal dance between predator and prey.
    • The Feral Druid represents nature red in tooth and claw, using the Circle of the Moon subclass and a unique Cat Form to rip nearby foes apart.
  • Guardian – Commune with the wild to better understand how life perseveres through adversity.
    • Guardian Druids also use the Circle of the Moon to take on a unique Bear Form that stands between their fellow adventurers and danger, converting magical energy into Temporary Hit Points and imposing Disadvantage on enemy attack rolls.
  • Restoration – Where there is decay, bring rejuvenation. Where there is devastation, bring regrowth.
    • The Restoration Druid will pick the Circle of the Land subclass to reflect their relationship with nature’s cycle and use new spells to continuously heal allies.

That should be everything Dungeons and Dragons players need at this point to start formulating ideas for their Druids before the Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft book officially arrives in November.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates as the World of Warcraft gameplay expansion release date approaches.

Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and similar online services. The Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion releases on November 17, 2026.

The post Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft – How To Play a Balance, Feral, Guardian, or Restoration Druid appeared first on VICE.

Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast
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Fortnite Power Hour Today (October 17): Start Times and All Trick or Treat Sprites

The Fortnite Power Hour today features boosted Trick or Treat Sprite appearances and an enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare for everyone dropping into a match. Here are today’s Fortnitemares Power Hour start times, all featured Trick or Treat Sprites, and the bonuses available during both sessions.

What Time Is Fortnite Power Hour Today?

Fortnite Power Hour Today October 17 Artwork
Screenshot: Epic Games

The first Fortnite Power Hour today starts at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on Saturday, October 17, 2026. If you can’t make the first session, don’t panic! A second round begins later tonight at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET.

Both sessions last two hours, giving players four hours total to hunt for Trick or Treat Sprites. Depending on where you live, some or all of the event will take place on Sunday, October 18 instead.

To make this easier to track, here is a table showing the Fortnite Power Hour schedule for October 17:

Fortnite Power Hour #1 (October 17)

RegionDateTime
PT (West Coast US)October 1711:00 AM–1:00 PM
ET (East Coast US)October 172:00 PM–4:00 PM
UTCOctober 176:00 PM–8:00 PM
UK (BST)October 177:00 PM–9:00 PM
Europe (CEST)October 178:00 PM–10:00 PM
Brazil (BRT)October 173:00 PM–5:00 PM
Japan (JST)October 183:00 AM–5:00 AM
South Korea (KST)October 183:00 AM–5:00 AM
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne, AEDT)October 185:00 AM–7:00 AM
New Zealand (NZDT)October 187:00 AM–9:00 AM

Fortnite Power Hour #2 (October 17)

RegionDateTime
PT (West Coast US)October 176:00 PM–8:00 PM
ET (East Coast US)October 179:00 PM–11:00 PM
UTCOctober 181:00 AM–3:00 AM
UK (BST)October 182:00 AM–4:00 AM
Europe (CEST)October 183:00 AM–5:00 AM
Brazil (BRT)October 17–1810:00 PM–12:00 AM
Japan (JST)October 1810:00 AM–12:00 PM
South Korea (KST)October 1810:00 AM–12:00 PM
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne, AEDT)October 1812:00 PM–2:00 PM
New Zealand (NZDT)October 182:00 PM–4:00 PM

All Trick or Treat Sprites Featured in Today’s Fortnite Power Hour

All Trick or Treat Sprites in Fortnite List
Screenshot: Epic Games

Trick or Treat Sprites will appear more frequently during today’s Fortnite Power Hours. If you’re still missing some of the Halloween variants from your collection, this is a good opportunity to track them down.

More importantly, today is the perfect time to unlock the Trick or Treat One Wish Willow Sprite and Trick or Treat Honey Sprite. Both Sprites recently arrived in the October 15 update, and their Halloween variants are included in today’s featured collection.

There are currently 25 Trick or Treat Sprites to collect, excluding the Trick or Treat Crown Sprite. Here is the full list:

  • Trick or Treat 8-Bit Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Adventure Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Birthday Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Blinky Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Bush Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Crash Bandicoot Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Dumpster Dive Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Honey Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Jackrabbit Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Jonesy Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Killswitch Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Klombo Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Morgana Sprite
  • Trick or Treat One Wish Willow Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Onigiri Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Overshield Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Pond Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Shadow Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Sonic Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Spooky Dash Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Storm Scout Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Tails Sprite
  • Trick or Treat The Deer Sprite
  • Trick or Treat Vampire Sprite
  • Trick or Treat X-Ray Sprite

The Trick or Treat Crown Sprite is separate from the list above and isn’t included in the collection count for today’s hunt.

All Fortnite Fortnitemares Power Hour Bonuses Today

Fortnite Trick or Treat Hours
Screenshot: Epic Games

Everyone starts today’s Fortnite Power Hour matches with an enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare Mythic item. Freddy Krueger’s weapon lets you move faster while equipped and slash through opponents, so you’ll have a powerful item in hand from the beginning.

Chests also have a chance to drop 1-Up Tokens and Portable Extractors, giving you another reason to keep looting while searching for Halloween Sprites.

Here is everything featured during today’s Fortnitemares Power Hours:

  • Enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare: Everyone starts the match with Freddy Krueger’s Mythic item, which boosts movement speed while equipped and lets you slash enemies.
  • Boosted Trick or Treat Sprite appearances: The Halloween Sprite variant appears more often during both sessions.
  • 1-Up Tokens: May drop from Chests.
  • Portable Extractors: May also drop from Chests.

How Long Does Fortnite Power Hour Last Today?

Fortnite Power Hour Today October 10 Start Times
Screenshot: Epic Games

Each Fortnite Power Hour session lasts two hours today. The first runs from 11 AM to 1 PM PT, while the second takes place from 6 PM to 8 PM PT on October 17.

You don’t need to attend both sessions, but the evening round gives you another chance to find any Trick or Treat Sprites you missed earlier. With boosted appearances and Portable Extractors potentially dropping from Chests, today is the perfect time to work on your Halloween collection.

The post Fortnite Power Hour Today (October 17): Start Times and All Trick or Treat Sprites appeared first on VICE.

Screenshot: Epic Games

Screenshot: Epic Games

Screenshot: Epic Games

Screenshot: Epic Games
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Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Commander Decks Are Delayed

Magic: The Gathering’s next big set officially launches in just about a little less than a month, but it sounds like some of the products may unfortunately be delayed due to production and shipping issues.

Magic: The Gathering: Star Trek Commander Decks Likely Delayed in North America

Reality Fracture just arrived a few weeks ago, but it’s already time to begin looking ahead to the next major Magic: The Gathering set. Spoiler season begins next week for the upcoming Star Trek-themed Universes Beyond set and the set is scheduled to arrive in stores on November 13.

That said, some unfortunately shipping and production issues may impact that release date for some of the products. Luckily, Play Boosters and Prerelease Packs are on track for availability during Prerelease and release events.

Other products may be delayed depending on your region. Some products may arrive after Prerelease events on November 6, while others may arrive after the set’s tabletop release on November 13.

“These delays are fluid, as our logistics teams are working to speed up timelines where possible, so always check with your local game store or retailer for availability information.”

As of today, here is the list of which products are impacted in each region:

  • North America
    • Commander decks are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
  • Europe, The Middle East, and Africa
    • Collector Boosters (English, French, and German languages) are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
    • Commander decks (French and German languages) are delayed and may arrive after Prerelease.
    • Collector’s Edition Commander decks are delayed and may arrive after Prerelease, with additional quantities arriving after the tabletop release date.
    • Commander decks (English language), Draft Night, Scene Boxes, and Beam Me Up Bundles are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
  • Asia-Pacific
    • Collector Boosters, Omega Collector Boosters (single Collector Boosters available at larger retailers), Bundles, Beam Me Up Bundles, and Draft Night are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
    • For New Zealand, Scene Boxes are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.

Commander is an incredibly popular format in North America, so there will definitely be plenty of players eagerly awaiting the arrival of those preconstructed decks. We’ll be sure to stay posted on the latest updates and share any new schedule details as they become official.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Magic: The Gathering news and updates as the Star Trek set’s launch date approaches.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena. The Magic: The Gathering: Star Trek products are aiming for a November 13 launch.

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Wardogs Developer Responds to Season 2 Backlash

Bulkhead has responded to Wardogs Season 2 backlash, admitting that its progression changes in the new patch were the “wrong call.” Following complaints from players, the studio has promised balance fixes and is even considering releasing Season 3 content early.

Wardogs Developer Apologizes For Season 2 Launch

Wardogs Season 2 Art
Screenshot: Bulkhead

Wardogs Season 2 recently launched and quickly sparked backlash from players upset that the new content was too easy to complete. Many complained that the update didn’t deliver the fresh start they expected, with some users even unlocking most of the end-game gear within days of the wipe. Now, developer Bulkhead has responded to the criticism in a post on X.

“Season 2 was meant to be a fresh start, and for a lot of you it hasn’t felt like one. We sped up progression on deliberately and tried to balance the game better, as set out in the patch notes, but it was the wrong call. Some players are reaching end game gear like Tier 4 armour and MBTs within days, so the wipe never really landed.”

ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

Season 2 was meant to be a fresh start, and for a lot of you it hasn't felt like one. We sped up progression on deliberately and tried to balance the game better, as set out in the patch notes, but it was the wrong call.

Some players are reaching end game gear…

— WARDOGS (@WARDOGS) October 17, 2026

Bulkhead then admitted that Wardogs Season 2 had balance issues that they plan to fix. “Some things are clearly out of balance and we’ll fix them. Others have the community split, so we want to see how those play out first.”

Will Wardogs Season 2 Get a Reset?

Wardogs Season 2 Trailer
Screenshot: Bulkhead

Despite calls for another progression wipe, Bulkhead confirmed that it will not reset Wardogs Season 2 this weekend. According to the developer, doing so would be unfair to players who are already enjoying the progression.

Instead, the studio is considering a significantly earlier launch for Season 3, along with some of its planned content, to give players another fresh start. Bulkhead says it will share more details in its developer vlog next week.

Whether that will be enough to turn around player sentiment remains to be seen. For now, Bulkhead is working on balance fixes, with an earlier Season 3 potentially giving players the fresh start they expected from Season 2.

The post Wardogs Developer Responds to Season 2 Backlash appeared first on VICE.

Screenshot: Bulkhead

Screenshot: Bulkhead
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The Unexpected Rapper That Inspired Pete Wentz to Write Songs for Fall Out Boy in 2006

Rappers love to be rockstars. The aesthetic around being this untouchable, larger-than-life figure is extremely alluring. But rarely do you hear of rockstars wanting to be rappers. Unless you’re Kid Rock, it’s not often you get your average rocker busting out rhymes or taking inspiration from the grandiose rap personality.

But Fall Out Boy was never the average band either. Considering they featured 2 Chainz in a music video for “My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark“, they’re clearly not averse to hip-hop. It wasn’t just general aesthetic, though. Pete Wentz found massive inspiration in his songwriting by listening to the best rappers of the moment.

In 2006, that was all Lil Wayne. He was going around touting himself as the ‘best rapper alive.’ Frankly, he wasn’t wrong to think so either. He rapped in an absolutely dizzying amount of punchlines that even put Jay-Z to shame.

Naturally, at the time, Pete Wentz was trying to apply that apex form of lyricism to Fall Out Boy. In a 2006 interview with MTV, he talked about some interests that their fans might not have immediately expected from them. He declared Weezy the best lyricist working and highlighted a line that left him especially impressed.

How Pete Wentz and Fall Out Boy Learned From Lil Wayne in the Songwriting Department

“And as far as lyrics go, I’ve been taking a lot of influence from the best lyricist of the past year: Lil Wayne. He’s insane. There’s this one song [‘Hit ‘Em Up’] where he goes, ‘I eat up catastrophe/ Swallow the truth/ And belch reality,’ and I’m like ‘Wow,'” Pete Wentz recalled.

Additionally, the Fall Out Boy bassist marveled that Patrick Stump was just as into R&B and Motown vocally as he was in rock and roll.

“There’s a song we’re calling ‘Me and You,’ and in it, Patrick is doing things that are straight-up Motown,” Wentz added. “If there wasn’t a rock band playing, it’d be straight R&B, and he’d go on tour with just an upright bass and a drum and open up for R. Kelly.”

As far as Lil Wayne is concerned, he believed his own hype just as much as Fall Out Boy did. In 2007, he told XXL that anyone hating on him needs to treat him the way you would civil rights activists.

“Darling, I don’t care what nobody think. Talk to me like you talking to Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. You’re not about to ask him about what he think about what somebody said about him. You ’bout to ask him about his greatness, and his greatness only. I don’t care what nobody think,” Lil Wayne scoffed.

Photo by James Looker/Avalon/Getty Images

The post The Unexpected Rapper That Inspired Pete Wentz to Write Songs for Fall Out Boy in 2006 appeared first on VICE.

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Everything We Know About ‘Maid of Sker’s Terrifying New Sequel

Sker Island will soon rise out of the depths of the sea and fog once again in a new psychological horror game. Sker: the Bleeding Veil was recently announced at IGN Fall Fan Fest, along with a trailer offering a glimpse into a frightening new world and a place for interested gamers to wishlist the game. 

Dive back into the world of Sker Island 

The first game of the franchise, Maid of Sker, introduces players to Thomas Evans. In the tradition of James Sunderland, Thomas receives a mysterious letter from his fiancée, Elisabeth. She tells him that she is in danger and needs his help, begging him to come to the Sker Hotel, where she has locked herself in the attic. Upon arriving, Thomas discovers that the hotel is far from a five-star resort. This isn’t because of its remote location and rambling structure, but because its staff and inhabitants are sightless monsters who hunt by sound. 

Exploring the hotel reveals the story of the Quiet Ones, a cult devoted to the Siren, a creature discovered in a shipwreck off the island’s coast. To combat the Siren’s music, Elisabeth has been writing her own songs and has asked other composers to help, including Thomas himself. As he seeks the sheet music and the cylinders for the instrument it will be played on, Thomas must decide whether to trust Elisabeth by handing over the cylinders or play the song himself. 

The Next ‘Sker’ Horror Game Is Ditching Combat and Bringing Back Stealth

Trusting Elisabeth leads to the “Evil Ending”, which is the basis for the story in Sker: Ritual, the follow-up game. Ritual sees Elisabeth as the primary antagonist who has taken over Sker Island and broadcasts the Siren’s Song in an attempt to take over Great Britain itself. The game shifts narrative and genre, leaving Thomas behind and focusing instead on a young woman named Arianwen. And instead of relying on stealth and puzzles, Ritual shifts to a co-op first-person shooter for up to four players, with a solo story mode also available. 

The Bleeding Veil returns to the “silence is golden” maxim, shifting the gameplay back to stealth and stripping away combat. Once again, the game is set on Sker Island, with new protagonist Gareth searching for his sister, Elin, as he returns to the orphanage where they once lived as children. Under Sister Gwenllian’s leadership, others have returned to the orphanage, drawn in by the irrepressible Siren’s Song.

The orphanage has fared no better than the Sker Hotel, with creatures called Listeners haunting its halls. Their name shouldn’t fool anyone; far from lending Gareth a listening ear, these monsters are best avoided, whether by hiding or taking alternative routes. 

Although an official release date beyond Q2 2027 isn’t public information yet, players do know where Maid of Sker: the Bleeding Veil will be available. Players can wishlist the game on Steam, and it will also be playable on the Epic Store, Xbox, and PlayStation. 

The post Everything We Know About ‘Maid of Sker’s Terrifying New Sequel appeared first on VICE.

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'Sker: The Bleeding Veil' arrives in 2027, trading the series' recent shooter gameplay for stealth, terrifying monsters, and a new mystery on Sker Island.
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3 Scary Multiplayer Games Hosting Special Halloween Events This October

Halloween is just around the corner, and while trick-or-treating, scary movies, and parties are on the agenda, you can also enjoy the spookiest holiday by joining a few friends in a co-op game. Here are a few macabre, if not downright scary, games to play with special events centered on All Hallow’s Eve. 

1. ‘Dead by Daylight’ (October 13 – November 3)

The annual Halloween event is back in Dead by Daylight, running through the rest of the month. Survivors can collect Void Energy by repairing generators, stunning the Killer with a successful pallet drop or skills like Blastmine, and smashing the Void Pumpkins scattered around the map. Killers can also accrue Void Energy by smashing the pumpkins, but they can also do so by downing and hooking Survivors or attacking Void Haunts. These ghostly creatures roam the map, rush Survivors, and reduce their movement speed on a successful hit. 

Both Survivors and Killers can spend Void Energy. Either side can open Void Rifts, letting players teleport anywhere on the map. Survivors can use the energy to create a column of smoke, making it difficult for the Killer to see. Or they can use energy to remotely repair a generator using a crystal they receive at the start of the match.

Killers can use a Captured Haunt to attack Survivors at a distance and increase damage speed to generators, pallets, and breakable walls. The event also offers unlockable offerings, add-ons, and items, including limited items like the Crystal.

2. ‘Outlast Trials’ (October 2o – November 17)

Known as Project Geister, the Halloween event in Outlast Trials runs for nearly a full month, giving players plenty of time to earn enough Geister Tokens for cosmetics from the event catalog. Each year, the cosmetics center around a different theme, with the inaugural 2023 event offering costumes like a skeleton-themed shirt or a giant black cat decoration for the character’s room. Within the game, the Project is billed as an experimental therapy that prompts the beleaguered patients to undergo hallucinations designed to “amplify” the effects of the therapy. 

Each event also introduces new trials and challenges, so the fears feel fresh every year. The 2025 project introduced Invasion game mode, which split players into two groups: Imposters and Reagents. Last year also saw two new challenges, Beguile the Children and Investigate the Minotaur. The events tie in with the appearance of the Skinner Man, who is about as pleasant as he sounds, and appears more often during Project Geister missions because the event increases hallucinogenic gas throughout. 

3. ‘Don’t Starve Together’ (TBD October)

Although the official start date is still under wraps, Don’t Starve Together also runs an annual spooky-season event, so players know it’s on the horizon. In previous years, the event started as late as October 24, and last year it launched just a few days before Halloween on October 27. Like The Outlast Trials, the event typically runs for weeks; in 2023, it ran from October 26 to December 18. 

Known as the Hallowed Nights event, each year features different character skins, craftable items, decorations, and more for players to enjoy. In 2025, players could craft the Faceless Pumpkin, carve it into a Pumpkin Head, and wear it as a cosmetic. Players interested in the 2026 event should keep an eye on upcoming game patches. During the event, the main menu will change, so as soon as the game updates and launches, it will be clear if Hallowed Nights 2026 has begun. 

The post 3 Scary Multiplayer Games Hosting Special Halloween Events This October appeared first on VICE.

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Special events, terrifying new challenges, and limited-time rewards are coming to some of the best multiplayer horror games this October.
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3 Video Game Characters From 2026 With Absolutely Heartbreaking Stories

Video game characters often get put through the wringer. Sometimes it’s a first-person shooter whose protagonists have to fight countless enemies, a survival horror game where players are pitted against puzzles and phantoms, or a cozy farming sim where they have to wait six in-game days for a strawberry. Either way, tragic characters are far from rare in video games. Here are three characters from 2026 releases whose stories might inspire a few tears.

1. Zoe Ellis (Silent Hill Townfall)

Like many a Silent Hill game that came before it, very few, if any, characters in the fog-shrouded world of Silent Hill Townfall are having a good time. Townfall is the franchise’s most recent addition, and while it differs from its predecessors with its Scottish island setting and shift to first-person perspective, it follows the established pattern of keeping its characters absolutely miserable. One character who suffers particular torment is Zoe Ellis.

Zoe works as a nurse in the town of St. Amelia, whose inhabitants are reeling from a terrible accident, the details of which the player learns slowly as they progress. Fellow protagonist Simon doesn’t remember his role in the tragedy until the end of the game, and Richard Shaw, the game’s third playable character, has an entirely different emotional landscape. Zoe, however, is plagued by guilt and grief from the start. Not only do her former friends and neighbors blame her, but she also blames herself, feeling as though she was not good enough to save everyone. 

The depth of Zoe’s tragedy isn’t revealed until players delve deep into the story, but her sadness and memories weigh heavily on both Simon and Richard. In fact, one could say it’s the beating heart of the game. 

2. Alfred (Forever Ago)

Forever Ago is a narrative adventure whose story begins with grief. The game follows widower Alfred, a lonely older man dealing with the loss of his wife, Audrey, with whom he shared a relationship spanning more than fifty years. Using a scrapbook Audrey left him, Alfred embarks on a road trip, following the route she laid out and adding his own pictures to the book. 

At first, Alfred takes the trip only because he feels it’s what his wife would have wanted. His grief also engenders feelings of anger and bitterness, common companions of grief. But he finds new companions along the way: characters he meets on his cross-country journey. There’s mechanic Sam, who Alfred meets early on and helps him repair his van, and a stray dog named Luke, who wanders onto the van one night and allows Alfred to open his heart again. 

Fortunately for Alfred, his journey is more about healing than Zoe’s story. Forever Ago focuses on learning to live again after loss, but it takes a while for Alfred to get there; he starts as a deeply unhappy character before finding catharsis. 

3. Marie (Resident Evil: Requiem)

Players might struggle to sympathize with Marie immediately in the latest Resident Evil vehicle. She is introduced as a stalker enemy, plaguing Grace Ashcroft from one location to another, and she’s as relentless as Mr. X and Nemesis before her. She does have a weakness to light, which can send her screaming back into the dark. But when players learn about her backstory, her shrieks of pain take on a different tune.

Initially just referred to as “the Girl”, players learn more about her as the game goes on. Marie was born simply to be experimented upon, one of many clones who underwent terrible treatment in the ARK labs. She once looked just like Emily, the little girl who Grace protects after freeing her from the basement of the Rhodes Hill Care Center. But unlike Emily, Marie mutated because of the procedures she underwent. 

Thinking of Emily and Marie growing up in the facility is bad enough, knowing they exist only to be used as guinea pigs. But Emily has a different story than Marie’s, one that eventually ends with Grace adopting her. Marie becomes a monster, long-limbed and lethal, with any vestige of her former personality swallowed by the feral mind of the creature she becomes. Unlike her predecessors on this list, Marie has no hope of catharsis.

She is destroyed in the denouement of her story, and all that can be said is that she is now free of torment and experimentation. 

The post 3 Video Game Characters From 2026 With Absolutely Heartbreaking Stories appeared first on VICE.

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From 'Silent Hill: Townfall' to 'Resident Evil Requiem,' these characters face devastating losses and heartbreaking fates.
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3 90s R&B Hits That Taught Millennials How to Love, Even if It Hurt Sometimes

In the 1990s, the rise of hip-hop led to the rise of R&B. At this point, R&B blended the beats and rhythms of hip-hop with soul vocals. 90s R&B artists created timeless ballads that guided millennials through their first experience with love. Love may hurt sometimes, and these R&B hits taught us how to really feel it.

“Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey

This song will make it hard not to think of a former lover. Even if you don’t have someone to miss, and many teenagers didn’t, this track almost made you wish you had someone to miss. Released in 1995, “Always Be My Baby” fell right in the middle of Mariah Carey‘s dominance on the charts in the 90s. She earned an incredible 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during the decade. “Always Be My Baby” topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart in February 1996. Her fifth album, Daydream, generated three No. 1 hits out of five singles released. She’s still among the most decorated artists of all time.

“Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface

For this 1997 single, Babyface brought together some of the best musicians in mainstream music. Famous saxophonist Kenny G provides soprano saxophone, while Mariah Carey provides additional vocals. On the drums, we hear the “Queen Of Percussion”, the one and only Sheila E. When you bring together these world-class artists, the result is a hit single. “Every Time I Close My Eyes” peaked at No. 5 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 1997.

“All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo

This one has millennials singing along to “All my life, I’ve prayed for someone like you” when we hadn’t even been on Earth for more than two decades. We weren’t really waiting that long, but it felt like it. That’s the power of 90s R&B ballads like this. They could make anyone feel like they’ve been praying all their lives for a love like this. Soul and passion in R&B peaked with this. It earned the duo three Grammy nominations. Released in March 1998, “All My Life” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the latter half of the decade.

Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns

The post 3 90s R&B Hits That Taught Millennials How to Love, Even if It Hurt Sometimes appeared first on VICE.

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The three R&B hits taught an entire generation how to love with soul and passion, guiding us through our first love experiences.
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The Moon Is Shrinking, and Scientists Say That Could Be a Problem for NASA

The prospect of living on the moon is getting even more far-fetched by the day. For example, researchers published concerning findings in The Planetary Science Journal using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, finding that the Moon is shrinking and covered in over 10,000 visible faults that trigger moonquakes.

Study author Thomas R. Watters, a scientist emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, found that our nighttime companion rock is basically shriveling up like an old grape. As its interior cools, the moon’s radius has contracted by about 148 feet over the past 400 to 800 million years. That is a very, very slow rate of contraction, about 0.1 micrometers a year, but the structural consequences are immense for anyone hoping to build a lunar dream home.

The Moon Is Slowly Shrinking, Triggering Thousands of Faults and Moonquakes

The Earth distributes 90 percent of the seismic activity along a neat network of tectonic plate boundaries. The Moon is surrounded by a giant, unbroken shell, so when the interior contracts and stress isn’t released along predictable boundaries, the shell cracks. Moonquakes can pop up anywhere, without warning, meaning you’ll never quite feel confident enough in your real estate selection.

This poses a theoretical threat to lunar colonization, but also a practical, very real threat to NASA’s Artemis missions, which had already identified potential landing spots that were sitting uncomfortably close to active fault zones. A tremor could trigger a landslide or damage mission infrastructure. The study offered a silver lining for anyone hoping to build lunar infrastructure one day: areas with the thickest crust had fewer faults, making them the safest places to set up camp.

The post The Moon Is Shrinking, and Scientists Say That Could Be a Problem for NASA appeared first on VICE.

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A Black Market for In-N-Out Burger Delivery Is Thriving in Los Angeles. Here’s Everything We Know.

In-N-Out Burger doesn’t do delivery. The hugely popular burger chain, found almost exclusively in the western half of the US, has refused to join the thriving delivery scene, which is why you can’t find it on apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash. The lack of delivery has created a small but thriving black market of In-N-Out delivery drivers, according to a report by Pablo Goldstein of the independent LA-centric news outlet LA Material.

In-N-Out owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder has said in the past that delivery strips away the customer service experience that contributes to the vibe that plays a large role in the chain’s popularity. It also ruins food freshness. The burger and fries you eat in the restaurant are a whole different experience than the ones you eat 30 to 40 minutes later, after they’ve cooled and steamed into soggy imperfection in their wrapping.

People Are Paying Ridiculous Amounts of Money to Get In-N-Out Delivered

That’s not going to stop starving LA folks in need of a burger fix but unwilling or unable to leave their homes for it, so those in desperate need of a Double-Double and Animal-Style fries have turned to Facebook Marketplace to find couriers who charge exorbitant fees (sometimes up to $50 on top of the food cost) just to get some In-N-Out delivered to their doorstep.

Beyond being expensive, it’s also risky: LA Material reports that one attempt to use a Facebook Marketplace In-N-Out Burger Courier ended with the customer getting ghosted, their money stolen, and, saddest of all, burgerless.

As long as delivery access to In-N-Out remains outlawed, only outlaws will deliver In-N-Out.

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Drinking Your Coffee Too Hot Could Triple Your Risk of Cancer, New Study Finds

That scorching hot cup of coffee or tea you kick your day off with—the one that’s so hot that if a restaurant employee spilled it on you, you’d sue that establishment out of existence—is tripling your risk of esophageal cancer, according to a major study published in the International Journal of Cancer.

The idea that hot drinks could lead to cancer isn’t exactly new. In 2016, the World Health Organization announced that while coffee and tea themselves don’t cause cancer, serving them between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit could turn your cup of caffeine into a carcinogen.

Recently, researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed data from nearly 1 million adults across the UK, making it the largest study to date investigating the link between scalding hot beverages and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, or SCC. The findings show that folks who prefer their drinks “very hot” face a 3.17-fold higher risk of developing SCC compared to those who settle for a nice, sensible “warm” cup of joe.

If you knock back six or more hot beverages a day, you add 71 percent more risk on top of that.

Drinking Extremely Hot Coffee or Tea Could Triple Your Risk of Esophageal Cancer

The science behind it is pretty logical. Pouring hot, near-boiling liquid down your esophagus causes thermal injury that degrades your mucosal lining and encourages cellular damage that eventually spins wildly out of control until it becomes a cancer.

All that said, esophageal cancer is still relatively rare, and the overall risk is still pretty low, according to the researchers. But then when paired with other vices like excessive drinking and smoking, you’re just begging for your esophagus to eventually become more tumor than esophagus.

If the mere prospect of your hot cup of coffee eventually turning into esophageal cancer, the Oxford researchers behind the study say that an estimated 14 percent of these cancer cases could be avoided if you just stopped pouring caffeinated molten lava down your throat and instead just waited a couple of extra minutes until it cooled down to a normal drinking temperature that perhaps didn’t burn away your taste buds upon first gulp.

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How Your Dog’s Brain Works More Like Yours Than You Think, According to Scientists

We’ve long known that humans are susceptible to something called the “bouba-kiki effect,” a weird trick of the brain that links the nonsense words “bouba” and “kiki” to specific shapes. “Bouba” feels soft and rounded, while “kiki” feels sharp and spiky, both looking a little like comic-book impact effects, or stars, with solid centers surrounded by spokes. Not that you needed me to explain that. You probably already imagined it.

As it turns out, a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences suggests dogs might be just as susceptible to this weird quirk of the brain as we are.

Researchers at the University of Parma gathered 51 domestic dogs and their humans to test whether the dogs share this quirk of the brain. Sitting in a room flanked by screens displaying the respective shapes, the dogs listened to a human voice broadcast the nonsense words while cameras and AI tracked their gaze.

When “bouba” played through the speakers, the dogs lingered on the rounded shape; when “kiki” dropped, they stared harder at the spiky shape.

Dogs and Humans Share a Strange Brain Quirk, New Study Finds

To make sure the owners weren’t influencing the results, the researchers reran the trial with owners wearing headphones blasting rock music. The results stayed the same.

The first cohort showed only a mild overall bias toward the spikier “kiki” shape, which the scientists attribute to the fact that dogs’ faces look much more angular and pointy than ours. This goes hand in hand with humans showing a similarly slight bias toward “bouba,” since we’re used to seeing rounded features.  But in the second test, where the human owners wore headphones, the dogs were just as likely to think of “kiki” as spiky and “bouba” as round as we were.

This suggests that whatever drives our ability to associate sounds with symbols isn’t exclusive to us, as recent studies also show that baby chicks and even macaque monkeys seem to agree that “kiki” is spiky and “bouba” is round. This sensory wiring could be shared across species.

Who knows, maybe other animals associate the sharpness or roundness of words with the sharpness or roundness of shapes?

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