E3 2021 is just around the corner. With so many leaks flying around about Starfield, it's no wonder why so many gamers are eager to see more from the Xbox acquisition of ZeniMax and its umbrella properties. With Bethesda included under that umbrella, the two companies are confirmed to have a joint showcase during E3 2021, as confirmed by Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty in a recent interview with a French publication. 

Booty confirmed the joint showcase in a recent interview with Le Figaro. This was something that has been highly speculated, especially given that Bethesda's BethesdaLand E3 show has always been a celebratory highlight of E3. It looks like that may be changing in the future, or possibly just for this digital format because the Xbox exec has confirmed that the two companies are going halfsies this year. 

He didn't go into specifics, especially with E3 less than a month away, but he did reiterate something that both companies have been very adamant about: that this acquisition will not touch the creative freedom these studios have. He also added that the goal of these acquisitions is not to pump out content on Xbox game Pass, instead of looking at building a more broadened game experience over on Team Green. He also warns that Xbox should not, and is not, looking to adopt the path of Netflix in how that streaming service analyzes data. 

Super Bomberman R Online was announced a few months ago and stewed for a bit, but now it's ready for release. Konami has revealed this week that the game will be headed to PC, PS4 (it's "PS5 compatible"), and Switch on May 27.

In case you missed this entire franchise return, this is not the standalone Super Bomberman R game that came out back in 2017. It's the one that came out on Stadia originally late last year. Instead, the "Online" moniker brings it more into spinoff territory, functionally turning it into a 64-player battle royale game.

Note that this is a free-to-play title, which supports itself on a 100 rank season pass scheme (which is being ported back to the Stadia version too). Seasons will run for "three months," (similar to a lot of games like Fortnite) and add in an exclusive hero as well as other characters and a currency called Bomber Coins. The first bonus is a big one: Old Snake Bomber from Metal Gear Solid.

Now, the free-to-play schema is very confusing deliberately, but the game itself is actually free, so download it and give it a shot. The battle royale layer actually works far better than you'd think, and there's a fair amount of strategy to both the macro-game and the micro-arena battles.

If you're looking for the Xbox One and Series X/S edition, keep looking! Konami says that will be confirmed "at a later date." Maybe they're waiting for a crossover.

It doesn't take much to sell me a game if I know it has a pretty setting full of cute mystical beasties, so I'm very excited to have a go at The Wild At Heart, which came out today. It's about two kids on an adventure in the depths of a magical forest. As they wander, they amass a small following of imp-like creatures who'll fight enemies, build paths and help the kids explore. It looks like Knights & Bikes meets Costume Quest meets Pikmin, which is a delightful combo if you ask me.

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Monster Hunter Digital Event - May 2021 is fast approaching!

Details regarding the upcoming direct-to-tv animated feature remain sparse.

The post Injustice: Gods Among Us to Receive Animated Movie appeared first on Siliconera.

Publisher AkSys Games is feeling the 1990s with the announcement of its brand new fighting title, Blazing Strike. Taking the genre back to its roots, Blazing Strike promises heavy-hitting, 2D, pixel-based throwdowns when it launches on PC and consoles next year.

"I was always fond of classic fighting games and I wanted to make a fun fighting game with an emphasis on mobility," said Mark Chung, founder of Blazing Strike developer RareBreed Makes Games. "Our goal is to create an homage to the classic pixel art-based 2D fighters, but with updated game mechanics that not only will bring nostalgia to 90’s arcade kids but will offer something new and entertaining to all gamers, regardless of whether they have played fighting games before."

The footage below is taken from the title's failed 2019 Kickstarter. As such, it might be unrepresentative of AkSys' revitalized project, but it still offers an example of Blazing Strike's old-school style.

After 16 years, we're finally going to see a new TimeSplitters game. This morning, publisher Deep Silver announced they're reforming TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design, with "key original members" returning to work on a new entry in the time-travelling shooter series. There hasn't been a new TimeSplitters since Future Perfect in 2005, which, admittedly, is the only one I've played. I'd happily see more of it, though we'll likely be waiting a while before any newness appears.

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This new trailer features narration that explains the events of Monster Hunter Stories 2.

The post Monster Hunter Stories 2 Story Intro Trailer Explains the Plot appeared first on Siliconera.

Outriders came just a week after Monster Hunter Rise, and man, do we have a lot of looter-type lifestyle games at this point.

While the two games have nothing to do with each other on many levels, there is one common denominator: time! One only has so many hours in the day to balance all of these lengthy loot-chasers, but People Can Fly is reporting that a good chunk of folks did indeed answer the call of Outriders.

As their main Twitter account notes, they have "surpassed 3.5 million unique players in the first month after launch." Platform breakdowns were not given, which in this case would be super helpful since it launched day one on Xbox Game Pass. But still, a 31-hour average playtime is nothing to sneeze at. The top, most-dedicated player invested "797 hours" into the game.

Amazingly, the studio also reveals that the class breakdown is pretty close together, with the Trickster clocking in at 27.9% as the most-used option, followed by Pyromancer (best class) at 26.3%, Technomancer at 23.9%, and Devastator in a commanding last with 21.9%. There's a bunch of other useless stats flung around too, but the most popular legendary weapons are the Deathshield and Funeral Pyre.

How many active players does it still have? That information wasn't provided. But we'll see what they have planned in the coming months and whether or not they can keep people invested.

Outriders [Twitter]

It's been a while since we checked in on Valheim's sales figures: the game exploded out of nowhere in February, managing to shift a staggering 4m copies in only three weeks and reaching the 5m milestone in March. Well, we now have an update, as publisher Embracer Group has released its full year financial report. And yep, it looks like Valheim really helped boost those numbers.

According to the report, Valheim has now sold over 6.8m copies. Embracer Group doesn't think the success will stop there, however, and expects the game to sell an additional 1m to 1.2m copies by "before the close of the current quarter ending June".

Along with the success of Valheim, Embracer Group sold nearly 2m copies of road sim SnowRunner, along with over 2m copies of Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Re-Hydrated, and over 1m copies of Destroy All Humans. All of which meant net sales increased by 72 percent for the year (compared to April 2019 - March 2020). The last financial quarter, January to March 2021, also saw an increase of 80 percent compared to the same quarter last year, something Embracer Group largely attributes to Valheim. Not bad for a game that launched with only five developers working on it.

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Konami has confirmed PES 2021 won't get updated national team squads until Euro 2020 hits the knockout stage.

Data pack 7.0, due out next month towards the end of June to coincide with the tournament's advance into the knockout stage, adds updated national team squads based on the final 26 chosen players for each team, and increases squad sizes from 23 players to 26.

Ideally this update would best go live before the tournament kicks off on 11th June, but that hasn't been possible "due to time constraints and the real-world submission of squads", Konami said.

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Several new monsters will be revealed, alongside more information regarding Monster Hunter Stories 2.

The post Monster Hunter Rise Broadcast to Reveal Version 3.0 Information appeared first on Siliconera.

It took scant hours for the mod community to jump on Capcom's Resident Evil Village, with a fistful of weird, twisted, and fun code tweaks that added Barney the Dinosaur, turned Lady Dimitrescu into Thomas the Tank Engine, and swapped the heads of Chris Redfield and baby Rose Winters... Amusing and disturbing stuff, for sure.

But this new creation from modder Kallialee, while not quite as horrific, is equally as bizarre. The mod once again features everyone's favorite bloodsucking hostess, Lady Dimitrescu, chasing down the hapless Ethan Winters as she is wont to do. Only this time, each and every time Alcina shows up, her hat has grown in size. While modest at first, the good lady ends up blocking out more than a fair bit of light by the end of the video below.

As noted by several commenters, the freaky, super-sized chapeau recalls Trooper Champlin and her ever-growing hat in Scary Movie 3... NOT THAT I'VE SEEN IT. But given the people's love for Lady Dimitrescu, her eye for style, and her timeless fashion, I'm hoping that we'll be seeing real-life versions of these monstrosities on the catwalks of Milan this year.

In my mind, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has loads of memorable planets, but I don't know whether it's because they were brilliant, or because this was simply the first time BioWare had done this: take me from one planet and land me on another. Mass Effect wasn't a thing then, remember. It was still a whole Jade Empire development away.

But 18 years later I can still remember Manaan. And by Manaan, I don't mean my nan, but the water planet in KOTOR you dived under the surface of, in search of secrets, only to be chased by huge alien sharks. And there was Kashyyyk, with three 'y's, the forest homeworld of Chewie's race, the wookies. And there was Korriban, the sacred Sith homeworld. A place like the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. A place of tombs and darkness, secrets and treasure.

But there's one planet in the Knights of the Old Republic saga which looms over all others (and I'm stretching out my net a bit here to include the second game too). And that planet is Malachor V.

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In order to protect esports players and fans from the mercy of companies, South Korean Congressman Dong-su Yoo has proposed a bill to prevent esports leagues from being suddenly shut down unilaterally.

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DC has announced an Injustice animated movie.

Confirmation comes as part of a list of bonus features for the upcoming animated movie Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two. The bonus in question is "a sneak peek at the next DC animated movie - an advanced look at Injustice".

That's all we know for now. Injustice is of course a series of DC-flavoured fighting games from Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm. Injustice: Gods Among Us came out in 2013, before a sequel, Injustice 2, came out in May 2017.

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You too can be Captain Basch fon Ronsenberg of Dalmasca with the new upcoming armor sets.

The post Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.55 Will Add Final Fantasy XII Inspired Armor appeared first on Siliconera.

Some people in my circles have taken breaks from Monster Hunter Rise, but that might change once the next big update hits.

We're currently in the era of 2.0, but Capcom is ready to unleash 3.0 on us....soon enough.

As detailed in a new tweet, the publisher is ready to rock with another "Monster Hunter Digital Event," one of many Direct-like presentations for the series. They've typically been focused on Monster Hunter Rise as the main story, followed by Monster Hunter Stories 2 information afterward.

The next one will be held on May 26 at 10AM PT, which seems to be the current cadence for these things. "Details for Update Version 3.0 and the latest news for Stories 2" is directly teased. You can find the link to watch it right here! Capcom says that the update will be 1.4 GB in size, and if you haven't updated before, the full requirements are 2.9 GB.

Although I'm still enjoying logging in here and there, I hope they bring it for this update and get all of my friends back in. Also, an expansion at some point would do wonders, but that's likely not coming until the PC launch at the earliest, in early 2022.

Capcom [Twitter]

Following its acquisition of British developer Codemasters, it looks like EA is once again expanding its portfolio of developers - as the company is launching a new studio led by former Monolith Productions VP Kevin Stephens.

The studio doesn't yet have a name, but we do know it will be based in the Seattle area and will work on an open-world action-adventure game (via GamesIndustry.biz). During his time at Monolith Stephens oversaw projects such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War, so he's had plenty of experience working with this genre.

Stephens will be reunited with EA senior VP and group general manager Samantha Ryan, who was formerly president of Monolith and worked with Stephens. Ryan told GamesIndustry.biz that "the action-adventure space is a hugely important genre in our industry, and to us at EA.

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The author of the dark fantasy manga series was an influential figure that inspired games like Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma.

The post Berserk Creator Kentaro Miura Has Died appeared first on Siliconera.

Housemarque's great roguelike Returnal is getting a brand new update today. Version 1.3.7, which should be available on PS5 as your read this, brings with it a handful of welcome bug fixes and stability improvements, making Selene's journey into the unknown just a tad smoother.

Among the issues addressed in the new update are several black screen crashes, a bug that was causing our girl to get stuck in the scenery on rare occasions, an audio issue that would cause sudden amplification in sound, and a very specific issue regarding the Ophion boss fight. In addition, Deceased Scouts should now appear in the game world with more frequency. You can find the full patch notes over on the Housemarque blog.

It bears reminding that, should your PS5 be set to "auto-update", any live games of Returnal will automatically shut down once the update drops, so bear this in mind lest you suddenly lose a multi-hour run. The lack of mid-run save options is a complaint that has been levied at Returnal by some of its players. Housemarque is currently investigating ways that it can address this complaint, while retaining the sci-fi title's thirst for challenge.

Ikuko Tokuoka, a 41-year-old unemployed woman in Shiga, Japan has been arrested for fraud after allegedly sending a customer two bottles of water instead of a PlayStation 5.

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A GTA V speedrunner has become the first person to complete the game without taking a single point of damage, completing the game in just nine hours.

Speedrunner UnNameD managed the feat earlier this week, posting their three-part video to YouTube. UnNameD says it took them 48 attempts to actually achieve it, using a mod known as One-Hit Knock Out, which sets character health at a measly one point. As if that weren’t hard enough, the speedrunning rules also forbid UnNameD from using any armor to protect themselves, and the mod disables Trevor's invincibility ability.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/gta-5-speedrunner-unnamed-completes-game-without-taking-a-single-hit"]

Anyone who has played GTA V, which is getting improved PS5 and Xbox Series X versions this November, knows that it’s pretty difficult to get through the whole game without taking some damage, even if it’s just a stray bullet from a cop. Each of the video descriptions for UnNameD’s speedrun list out a few moments they found particularly harrowing, like the helicopter battle in the Three’s Company mission, where the crew kidnaps a target from dozens of stories up in the sky.

How Long to Beat estimates that an average playthrough of GTA V's main story takes around 31.5 hours. Other GTA V speedrunners have managed to complete the game in about three hours and 20 minutes under normal rules and skipping cutscenes.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/18/gta-5-and-gta-online-ps5-and-xbox-series-xs-upgrades-coming-in-november"]

TimeSplitters will return, courtesy of a fresh studio named Free Radical Design.

This Free Radical Design will be a new developer owned by publisher Deep Silver, with several key figures from the original developer.

In a statement published on Twitter this morning, Deep Silver said the company would be "headed up" by TimeSplitters co-creators Steve Ellis and David Doak, who were part of the core team from the original Free Radical Design's heyday.

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Rambo and John McClane are now in Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops Cold War and, as expected, they cost 2400 COD Points - each.

Both '80s action movie heroes come in a bundle of their own that includes other gubbins to sweeten the deal, such as weapon skins, finisher moves, watches, charms, emblems, calling cards and consumables.

But the fact remains it's impossible to buy the Rambo and John McClane outside of these bundles. There is no option to unlock the skins through gameplay in either the free-to-play Warzone or the full-price Black Ops Cold War. So, if you want the characters, you have to fork out. 2400 COD Points costs £16.79 from the in-game store. If you want both - that's £33.58 worth of COD Points.

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She also comes with parts that let you pose her with the Kingdom Hearts III Sora and Axel Nendoroids.

The post Kingdom Hearts III Kairi Nendoroid Wields A Keyblade appeared first on Siliconera.

Hello? Is it amiibo nightmare buying experiences you're looking for? Because you're in one! Two references, I'm on fire today.

Ah man it feels like forever since I've written something like this, but the Loftwing & Zelda amiibo situation is unlike anything I've experienced in years as an amiibo collector. So it came out recently that the figure would interface with Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and add a feature that basically should have come standard as a quality of life upgrade. Now we have a bit more info on the toy, and how tough it might be to acquire it.

First off it's $25, which is roughly nine bucks higher than the average figure. OK, it's bigger generally, and more detailed. Some people can live with that. But it's also one of the most elusive figures in years, and has sold out at GameStop and Best Buy at the time of publication: sales that went up in the evening (US East) without warning.

All of that aside, we also have a full picture of what amiibo support will entail in Skyward Sword HD: and you're looking at it. According to the site, "The Zelda & Loftwing amiibo figure is the only amiibo that can be used in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD." For a lot of people that's a sigh of relief, for others, it's kind of a pain that this hard-to-find, more expensive amiibo is the only way to unlock that fast travel anywhere feature: even if you own other Zelda figures.

Good luck if you're trying to get one!

New Zelda & Loftwing amiibo Figure [Nintendo]

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness day, or GAAD for short (what a wonderful acronym). It was set up 10 years ago to get people thinking about, and talking about, digital inclusion and accessibility, because there are more than one billion people living with disabilities and impairments, and, simply, we can support each other better.

It's a day of learning more about the kinds of visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges people are living with, and using that knowledge to reappraise designs and systems we take for granted, and ask how they can be improved. There's a great rundown of exactly this kind of thing on the GAAD website.

We've seen a tremendous improvement towards these ends in video games recently, particularly in the last year. Games like The Last of Us Part 2, which can be played without sight, serve as shining examples of what can be achieved with the proper investment and thought. It's one of the reasons our writer Vivek Gohil declared 2020 "undoubtedly the greatest year for the gaming accessibility community since the release of the Xbox Adaptive Controller in 2018". The indications real change is coming are definitely there.

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Raven has made a significant change to Call of Duty: Warzone with its mid-season three update: Stopping Power field upgrade spawn rates have been reduced substantially across all modes.

It's a change the Warzone community has called on Raven to make for some time. This field upgrade lets you reload your gun with stopping power rounds that deal extra damage. In a game already lethal enough, Stopping Power was used to laser enemies to death in the blink of an eye.

Explaining the decision to make Stopping Power rarer across Verdansk, Raven said the field upgrade had become an essential choice for players.

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It has been revealed that Warner Bros. Animation is currently in the midst of producing an animated adaptation of the DC Comics/NetherRealm Studios fighting franchise, Injustice.

The project was unceremoniously revealed in a press release listing the special features for WB's next animated feature Batman: The Long Halloween - Part II. One of the aforementioned bonus items is titled "A sneak peek at the next DC animated movie: Injustice," which somewhat gives the game away ahead of any official announcement.

Injustice: Gods Among Us, which launched for multiple formats back in 2013, saw DC's finest heroes and villains square off in a fighting fashion akin to that of NRS' own Mortal Kombat. Boasting over-the-top super moves, a unique control system, and some of the ugliest faces ever to grace gaming, Injustice told the story of two distinct DC universes that collide in a battle that could annihilate them both. Injustice was followed by superior sequel Injustice 2 in 2017 and also spawned a comic book adaptation.

Warner Bros. and NetherRealm have never been shy in cross-promotion, and often work together to time content — particularly DLC guest characters — to synchronize with incoming movies. With that in mind, some have taken the reveal of an Injustice flick as a clear signpost that a new Injustice game is in the works. While that seems a relatively snug assumption, a lot is currently up in the air at Warner Bros. Interactive, following the recent AT&T/Discovery merger. For now, all bets are off regarding Warner Bros. Interactive and its subsidiary studios.

Batman: The Long Halloween - Part II will premiere on streaming platforms July 27.

For those unaware, Garrus Vakarian is a kind of space-cop who joins your squad in the Mass Effect series. He's a Turian, a race of aliens who look like spindly mummified cats made of pummice. The recent Mass Effect Legendary Edition means you can play the first Mass Effect and look at the mandibles on his face in higher definition.

He's also a potential love interest for a girl protagonist from Mass Effect 2 onwards. And Garrus appears to be a popular choice vis. alien smooching, much like how everyone just knows who is objectively the best Hollywood Chris. But though Chris Evans' supremacy is self-evident, I cannot wrap my head around wanting to shag Garrus. The title is not a facetious question. I am a curious person and would like detailed answers from the Garrus-fanciers in the comments.

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Classic shooter series Timesplitters, which hasn’t seen a new release since 2005, will be coming back after publisher Deep Silver announced the creation of a new (well, kinda new) development studio dedicated to working on the series.

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Publisher Deep Silver has announced the reformation of TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design. Not only that, but the studio's first order of business is reviving the long-dormant shooter franchise. While the only action the series has seen in a long time came in the form of secret playable levels from TimeSplitters 2 in Homefront: The Revolution, the franchise hasn't seen a proper new release since 2005's TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. That changes now, as Deep Silver has announced that development is officially underway for a new TimeSplitters game.

The new version of Free Radical Design features key members of the original team, including founders Steve Ellis and David Doak (both of whom also worked on beloved games like GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark while at Rare). The original studio was purchased by Crytek and rebranded as Crytek UK in 2009, but was shut down in 2014, with much of the staff transferring to the then-newly formed Homefront: The Revolution developer Deep Silver Dambuster Studio.

In 2018, Deep Silver owners Koch Media purchased the TimeSplitters IP, making Free Radical Design a Deep Silver studio. Now, the reformed studio's members hope to capitalize upon the 22 years of history and return to the team's roots with a new TimeSplitters game.

Here's some mighty fine news for TimeSplitters fans to start the day. Publisher Deep Silver has announced that disbanded studio Free Radical Design has reformed and will begin work on a brand new entry in the beloved, quirky shooter franchise within the coming months.

"We are happy to announce the formation of a new studio, Free Radical Design, based in Nottingham, UK," said Deep Silver owners Embracer in a press statement. "This Deep Silver studio will bring the much-loved TimeSplitters IP back to life. Key original members include founders Steve Ellis and David Doak. This highly respected team has a 22-year heritage of making AAA-products."

"To finally be able to confirm that the studio has been formed and that we have a plan for the next TimeSplitters game is incredible," said Free Radical co-founder Steve Ellis. "While we cannot tell you anything more at the moment, we look forward to sharing information in the future."

The official announcement that work is set to begin on the new game will no doubt comes as a major relief for the TimeSplitters community, who have been very vocal in their desire for a new release in the strange shooter series. The last TimeSplitters title was 2005's Future Perfect, while TimeSplitters 4 was abandoned mid-development after Free Radical went into administration. Despite ultimately finding new digs within Crytek, the project was never resurrected, and TimeSplitters has remained a source of whispers and rumors since.

But it appears that the wheels are finally in motion, and with the original team on board — helmed once again by Steve Ellis and David Doak — TimeSplitters fans can tentatively rest easy in the knowledge that work is soon to begin on a brand new TimeSplitters game. Of course, there's still quite some time to go before its release. But you're more than attuned to being patient by now, surely?

On May 6, Kentaro Miura died from acute aortic dissection. The editorial department of Young Animal Comics announced the news today through the official Berserk Twitter account.

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The latest KOF XV trailer is here, Ralf and Clark will show up and work alongside Leona again as members of Team Ikari Warriors.

The post Ralf and Clark Will Reunite Team Ikari in KOF XV appeared first on Siliconera.

Actual golf can be super stressful, but video game golf? It’s often (with exceptions) very zen, which is why I’m interested in A Little Golf Journey, a game coming to the Switch and PC later this summer.

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Returnal speedrunner MentalToast set a new world record yesterday, becoming the first person to beat the game in under five minutes.

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Having never played the game on PS4, I settled in with Days Gone on my PC this week and found myself pleasantly surprised.

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