Gaming News

Making HBO's Baldur’s Gate 3 TV Series Without Larian’s Help Would Be a Big Mistake

It was recently revealed that a live-action adaptation of Larian’s award-winning RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, is on the way from prestige TV makers HBO. It somewhat makes sense at first glance — you can see the Game of Thrones of it all weaving into Baldur’s Gate’s DNA, which itself isn’t shy of a fair helping of shedding both blood and clothes. But look a little closer, and the worries begin. Not necessarily when considering Craig Mazin’s involvement (we’ll get to that later) but when noticing that, apparently, Larian will play no significant role in the show’s development. A decision I can’t help but feel would be a big mistake. Before we get into why Larian is so essential to a show that dares to continue the story of Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s...

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Launching Nioh 3 on PC at The Same Time As PS5 Is Paying Off for Koei Tecmo As New RPG Smashes Player Counts For the Series on Steam

Nioh 3 has only been out a few hours, but it's already the biggest Nioh game on Steam ever. While its two predecessors — called Nioh and Nioh 2, predictably enough — did eventually make it to Steam, the PC releases came several months after the PlayStation debuts. Now, however, arriving on Steam on release day in parity with its PlayStation version, Nioh 3 is already the biggest Nioh game in the franchise's history, with over 54,400 concurrent players at the time of writing (and rising the entire time I'm writing this). By comparison, according to SteamDB, the first game only reached a peak of around 10,649 concurrents, and the sequel reached 41,325. "Nioh 3 delivers best-in-class combat that revitalizes the established formula with...

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'My Ex Broke Up With Me Over Text and Tbh This Is Worse' — the Internet — and Developer Larian — React to HBO's Baldur's Gate 3 Sequel TV Show

The news yesterday that HBO is not only making a Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show but that it will continue the story on from the video game itself has sent shockwaves through the internet. The adaptation will reportedly take place after the events of Larian's much-loved RPG and feature characters from the game. Craig Mazin, who created HBO shows Chernobyl and The Last of Us, is in place as showrunner (it sounds like The Last of Us will end with Season 3, which now makes a lot of sense). Chris Perkins, the former longtime Head of Story at Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, which owns the Dungeons & Dragons universe in which Baldur’s Gate 3 is set, will serve as consultant. It’s fair to say the internet has reacted strongly to the news...

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Borderlands 4's First Premium DLC, Bounty Pack 2, Drops Later This Month — This Is What You Get

Borderland 4's first premium DLC, Bounty Pack 2: Legend of the Stone Demon, will drop February 26, 2026. Described by Gearbox as an "all-new bite-sized yet flavorful narrative content," the DLC includes a new mission and Legendary loot to collect, as well as a themed Vault Card featuring 24 cosmetics and four "rerollable pieces of gear unlocked through gameplay." While the team held back on the story details, promising that we'll find out more about Legend of the Stone Demon "closer to the launch," we do get more info about the "major" update that will be released alongside Bounty Pack 2: Pearlescent gear. A new rarity tier "with power levels superior to even Legendary gear," this new rarity will be available to all players regardless...

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AU Deals: Devastating Price Cuts, Long Plays Ahoy, Zero Regret Purchases Aplenty

I have played enough of these to be picky, which is exactly why this list exists. Not everything cheap is worth your time, and not everything premium deserves your wallet. This week quietly delivers both value and personality across four platforms, with a few curveballs that reward curiosity. Jump right to the deals with this link. What's on My Radar Today? Anyone who reads my stuff on the reg knows I'm an absolute sucker for the gaming axiom that is "friends who slay together, stay together." Horizon Hunters Gathering already looks like my jam as a (PC or PS5) co-op action spin-off set in the Horizon universe. Three like-minded players must team up to cull droves of Dinobots in hunts that lean hard into coordination, roles, and...

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Baldur’s Gate TV Series Set for HBO, Will Be a Continuation of Baldur’s Gate 3's Story

Larian Studios’ multi-award-winning fantasy RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, is set for its own TV series on HBO, and will be helmed by The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin. As reported by Deadline, a television adaptation of the acclaimed game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe is in development at the network, and interestingly, will be a continuation of the story from the Baldur's Gate 3 game. The television show will reportedly take place after the events of Larian's RPG and follow the characters players grew to love over time as they grapple with the aftermath of its world-changing ending. The series will be helmed by Craig Mazin, no stranger to adapting video games to live action, following his work co-creating HBO's The Last of Us...

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Arc Raiders Dev Outlines Expedition Changes After Players Criticized Steep Reward Requirements

Embark Studios has opened up about how it will make the second Expedition in Arc Raiders more enticing after the first left its community wanting more. The developer behind the popular sci-fi extraction shooter updated fans with a blog post on its website. Included are a February 25 sign-up date and a March 1 departure date for the account reset event, as players are told to look forward to more worthwhile rewards before sending their beloved Raiders into the unknown and starting from scratch. Stash value requirements were the first thing Embark addressed, telling fans that they’ll now need just 3 million coins to reach the maximum bonus of five skill points. That means you’ll need only 600,000 per point, a significantly more...

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Ubisoft Reportedly Cancels Rumored Cooperative Multiplayer Assassin's Creed Game

Ubisoft has reportedly canceled a multiplayer, cooperative Assassin's Creed title that has been in development at French studio Ubisoft Annecy. This comes from a report by French publication Origami, which IGN has independently translated. According to the report, the project was codenamed "AC League", was originally conceived as a DLC for Assassin's Creed Shadows, and would have potentially taken place in the same feudal Japan era. The DLC would have involved four assassins joining forces to take on a series of scripted missions with up to four players that would have ultimately concluded the story told in the game's (canceled) Season Pass. You may have already heard of AC League if you pay close attention to Assassin's Creed gossip...

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New Fortnite Island Created by Qatar Airways Gives You a Chance to Win Weekly Flight Tickets

A new island just came to Fortnite that features a digital reimagining of Qatar’s capital city, Doha, as well as Hamad International Airport and a Qatar Airways aircraft. Called QVerse Island, it’s meant to give travelers an immersive way to experience the sights of the city and its airport. There are lots of minigames, a glimpse at some of the city’s unique architecture, and a hidden golden ticket that you can find for a chance to win a free Qatar Airways flight. You can reach QVerse Island within Fortnite by searching for “QVerse” or using code 6020-0265-6735. When you arrive on the island, you’ll pull up to Hamad International Airport and get a look at the skyline of Doha with re-creations of its real-life skyscrapers. You’ll be...

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Fallout 3 Remaster Reportedly Still in 'Active Development,' New Starfield Content Out Soon

A new report has shed light on Microsoft’s Xbox plans for 2026, while confirming one unannounced game is still in the works. As Microsoft announced last month, Playground's Forza Horizon 6 is out in May. The Verge said Halo: Campaign Evolved is tentatively targeting a release in the summer. Gears of War: E-Day, meanwhile, is set for the second half of the year. Playground's Fable, as we know, is due out in the fall. Microsoft reportedly wants both Gears of War: E-Day and Fable to avoid GTA 6’s gargantuan November launch. According to the report, the Fallout 3 remaster fans are desperate to see announced is still in “active development,” three years after it appeared in FTC documents as part of Microsoft’s bid to buy Activision...

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The Ultra-Slim Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Power Bank Drops to a New Price Low of $39.99

Looking for a high-capacity, high-output power bank with a slim footprint? Amazon has dropped the price of the Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W power bank to just $39.99 shipped after you apply coupon code "YBKEIAQE". Unlike previous iterations of this deal, you do NOT have to be an Amazon Prime member. Unlike most high-capacity power banks that are shaped like a chunky bar, the Baseus Blade is slimmer. It's powerful enough to charge any gaming handheld PC at its fastest rate. This is one of the most popular power banks on IGN. Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Slim Power Bank for $39.99 The Baseus Blade measures only 0.7 inches thick. Most high-capacity power banks are well over 1" in thickness. The Blade achieves this slim depth by going with...

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Is on Game Card, Though Fallout 4, Oblivion Remastered and Skyrim Are Code-in-a-Box

Bethesda has trumpeted the news that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be squeezed onto a proper Switch 2 Game Card for its physical release — though other titles coming to the console will just be codes in a box. During today's Partner Direct broadcast focusing on upcoming games coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Bethesda boss Todd Howard briefly appeared to welcome a swathe of games coming to Nintendo's newest console. In a press release sent to IGN following the broadcast, Bethesda has now detailed its launch plans further, and announced on social media that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would get a full-fat cartridge launch, rather than on one of Nintendo's widely-disliked Game-Key Cards. Bethesda's social post...

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Mouse: P.I. for Hire – Inside Mouse's Wild Cartoon Arsenal | IGN First

Odds are, if Mouse: P.I. for Hire caught your eye, it's because of its unique, hand-drawn, black-and-white 1930s-era "rubber hose" animation style. But it's aiming to be a lot more than just a pretty face. We played Mouse last year – and we'll be doing so again as part of this month's exclusive IGN First coverage – but today we're taking a deeper dive into its wild cartoon arsenal and its boomer shooter-inspired combat. The developers at Fumi Games told us, "The core combat gameplay revolves around an 'Always Be Moving' approach, encouraging players to stay constantly on the move to survive." Complicating that will be environmental hazards, like freeze, turpentine, fire, and explosive barrels that can either be used against you or used...

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Alienware Aurora 16X Review

Dell wants the Alienware Aurora 16X to be your star mid-range gaming laptop, and it mostly succeeds in that role with its strong RTX 5070 performance and gorgeous 16-inch, 2K display. But after spending enough time with it, its keyboard gets too tiresome to game with, and I clung to my gaming headset even when playing alone. Already, those flaws mixed with a high price tag are tough to swallow. However, the Aurora 16X still gets the job done (and in style), so it might still be worth taking a look. Purchasing Guide The Alienware 16X starts at $1,549 and caps out at $2,699. There are two GPU versions, one with an RTX 5060 and the other with an RTX 5070. However, the RTX 5060 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, while the latter...

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Square Enix Will 'Share More Updates Than Ever Before' on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Project This Year, Says Director

Square Enix is planning to "share more updates than ever before" on its Final Fantasy 7 Remake project this year, according to game director Naoki Hamaguchi. This comes from a tweet posted by Hamaguchi following today's Nintendo Switch Partner Direct, during which Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received a June release date for Switch 2 and Xbox consoles. The post, which Hamaguchi wrote in both Japanese and English, reads as follows: "We’ve announced that FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH will launch on June 3. "With the addition of Switch 2 and Xbox, the game will be released as a full multi‑platform title. "This year, we plan to share more updates on the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Project than ever before. "We look forward to celebrating together...

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Sony Announces Horizon Hunters Gathering, Guerrilla's New Co-Op Action Game for PS5 and PC With a Completely Different Art Style

Sony has finally announced Guerrilla’s Horizon live service multiplayer game, Horizon Hunters Gathering. It’s due out for PlayStation 5 and PC. A “small-scale” closed playtest is due at the end of February, which you can sign up for via the PlayStation Beta Program. Expect crossplay and cross-progression. There's no release date yet, nor is there word on whether it's free-to-play or a premium game. The debut trailer, which includes gameplay, is below. As you can see from the trailer and screenshots, Horizon Hunters Gathering has a cartooney art style, which is in contrast to the photrealistic visuals of the mainline Horizon series. Clearly, Sony and Guerrilla are trying to create a more lighthearted experience with Hunters Gathering...

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Will Fallout Season 3 Resurrect a Dead Fallout Game?

As Fallout Season 2 draws to a close, all signs point towards Colorado as the setting for the next adventure. A postcard left in an abandoned cryopod all but confirms that The Ghoul’s wife and daughter are waiting for him there, and a shot of the Enclave’s secret headquarters suggests that the show’s newly-revealed big bad is operating out of the Rocky Mountains. For fans, this is an interesting new direction. After the first season explored California, the setting for the original two Fallout games, and the second expanded into the Mojave wasteland of Fallout: New Vegas, it seemed logical that the story would continue to visit familiar locations. Washington, D.C. or Boston, the settings of Fallout 3 and 4, respectively, seemed...

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Resident Evil Requiem Second-Take Preview: RE9 is the Stealth-Action Game I’ve Sorely Needed

Listen, I’m always going to have a Leon-sized hole that needs filling and from playing his portions in the latest Resident Evil 9 Requiem demo, I’m pretty sure I’ll be taken care of (for the year, at least). The roundhouse kicks, the corny one liners, and the brutal blood-splattering finishers – things I loved from the recent Resident Evil 4 remake round out what’s otherwise a terrifying survival horror experience. And the crux of that survival horror is stealth and having the proper mechanics in place to make that tension tangible. So, not only does Grace’s side of Requiem evoke a petrifying sense of dread atop the classic puzzle-solving of the series, it’s also a fantastic expression of the kind of stealth-action gameplay I’ve been...

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The Resident Evil: Reqiuem Leon S. Kennedy Amiibo Is Real and on the Way This Summer

Wait, Leon Kennedy is in Resident Evil: Requiem? Yeah, okay, we've known that for a bit now, perhaps longer than Capcom wanted us too. But what is news today is that the long-rumored Leon S. Kennedy amiibo is real, and coming alongside the previously announced Grace Ashcroft amiibo this summer. This was announced during today's Nintendo Partner Direct, which showed a trailer for Reqiuem mostly containing footage and news we've seen already. We knew about the February 27 release date, the Gold Editions of Resident Evils 7 and 8 releasing alongside it, and the special Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. We'd also already heard about the Grace Ashcroft amiibo before. But we didn't actually know about Leon. He was, uh, strongly suspected...

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Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 This Year

During today's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation, Square Enix made an exciting appearance to show off Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, which will be joining its predecessor Remake and catching Switch players up on the story at last on June 3, 2026. Final Fantasy 7 Remake first launched in 2020 to insanely high expectations...and yet delivered anyway. We gave it an 8/10, saying that it "breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own." The game was originally a PS4 exclusive, but came to PS5 with Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade, and later to PC and Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 as well just recently. We similarly loved Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, giving it a 9/10 and saying it "impressively...

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The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Is Out in June

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales has reappeared at today's Nintendo Partner Direct with a proper release date of June 18, 2026. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales was first announced last July at a Nintendo Partner Direct. It's Square Enix's first attempt to translate its HD-2D style into a more action-focused game than a turn-based RPG. Rather than a part of heroes, Elliot can use different weapon types that will play differently and can be advantageous or disadvantageous against different foes. His fairy companion, Faie, can also either attack enemies herself or be controlled by a second player in a co-op mode. You can catch up on everything announced at today's Nintendo Partner Direct right here...

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Planet of Lana 2 Is Like a Star Wars Story Made by Studio Ghibli

I may have only played the opening couple of hours of Planet of Lana 2, but I lost count of the number of ways it reminded me of Star Wars. From just a single glance at one of its many gorgeous landscapes, you can see in the geography and architecture what look like Studio Ghibli interpretations of Ralph McQuarrie’s original sketches for Lucasfilm’s immortal sci-fi series. Peek within that frame and you’ll see rickety sci-fi vehicles and clunking robots that wouldn’t be out of place on the streets of Mos Eisley. Lend your ear to that scene, and the whirring sounds of those same droids and digitised radio chatter of enemy guards could easily be coming from R2-D2 and Stormtroopers, respectively. All of these aspects add up to something...

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Crimson Desert Reveals More About Combat and Progression, Confirms Dual-Wielding, and a Bear You Can Actually Ride On

Pearl Abyss has dropped another exciting features overview video for Crimson Desert, offering a better look at how combat will work as you "learn what it means to fight like a Greymane," unlocking skills, upgrading equipment, facing the threats of Pywel, and "grow into a formidable fighter." The 10-minute trailer is packed with new details and insights, and focuses specifically on combat and progression, including how you can parry and counter attacks and upgrade your weapons. Confirmation that dual-wielding is still coming is particularly exciting; as some of the overwhelmingly positive comments on the Crimson Desert subreddit explain, we've seen very little of the ability up until now. Oh, and there's also a peek at how you can...

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With Perfect Timing, the Fan-Made Van Buren Remake in Fallout: New Vegas Has a Teaser Trailer

With perfect timing, the modders behind the Van Buren remake in Fallout: New Vegas have released a new teaser trailer. UnitedWestTeam released the teaser, which sets up Fallout: The New West, the fan-made total conversion mod for Fallout: New Vegas inspired by Fallout: Van Buren, the cancelled Fallout 3 that was in development at Black Isle Studios in the early 2000s before the franchise moved over to Bethesda. Why is this well-timed? Because Van Buren would have been set in post-apocalyptic Colorado, which is exactly where Amazon’s Fallout TV series is headed for Season 3. Fallout: The New West aims to adapt the core narrative threads of Van Buren and turn them into a fully playable story built in the New Vegas engine. Expect...

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Fallout 4 and Indiana Jones Switch 2 Release Dates Leak, Just Before Nintendo Direct

Microsoft's next pair of games headed to Nintendo platforms now have leaked release dates, ahead of today's Partner Direct broadcast. Dealabs' ever-reliable billbil-kun has now spilled the details of both Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, which were previously confirmed for launch on Switch 2 last year. Up first will be the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, which will launch its physical edition (containing a digital download code) on April 28, priced $59.99. Dealabs suggests the game could arrive digitally via the Nintendo eShop even sooner — perhaps as soon as today — though this is unconfirmed. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will then arrive on May 12, priced $69.99. Dealabs believes this date...

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Just Hours Before Today's Nintendo Direct, a Hollow Knight Switch 2 Rating Suggests It's Coming as a Shadow Drop

With just hours to go until today's Nintendo Direct broadcast, an updated ratings board listing suggests Hollow Knight could get an imminent Switch 2 release. Team Cherry's long-awaited game is now listed for Switch 2 with a February 5, 2026 release date, per the website of European ratings board PEGI. Hey, that's today! Of course, Hollow Knight originally launched for Nintendo Switch back in 2018, though we learned a couple of months ago that the game would be getting an updated Switch 2 Edition at some point this year. Now, it seems, that new version is moments away. Nintendo is due to air its latest Partner Direct later today, at 6am Pacific, 9am Eastern or 2pm UK time. This third-party game showcase will include 20 minutes of...

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Ashes of Creation Crisis Continues as Devs Are Reportedly Denied Final Paycheck and Disgruntled Players Ask Valve for Steam Refunds

As unhappy players fight to get refunds out of Steam, an update from one of the studio's directors claims the "entire" development team working on the ill-fated MMO Ashes of Creation was reportedly laid off without notice or their January paychecks. The shocking revelation comes from Intrepid Studios' former director of communications, Margaret Krohn, who revealed in a lengthy post on Twitter/X that three days after originally being told around 100 developers would be losing their jobs, a "confusing email" arrived confirming "all" staff would be laid off. "It is still shocking," Krohn wrote. "The entire studio gathered to try to understand what had happened and what it meant for our future." Earlier this week, Steam quietly withdrew...

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PS5 Sales Decline, but It's Not Far Behind PS4 and It Even Outsold Nintendo Switch 2 During the Holiday Quarter

PlayStation 5 sales declined year-on-year during the crucial holiday quarter, but it’s pretty much neck-and-neck with the PlayStation 4 at the same point during its lifecycle, and it even outsold the Nintendo Switch 2 during the last three months of 2025. Sony shifted another 8 million PS5 units during the three months ending December 31, 2025, a decline from the 9.5 million PS5s it sold during the same period in 2024. But there are a number of factors at play here. For a start, 8 million sales isn’t too shabby when you consider the PS5 price rises Sony put in place last year (Sony raised the prices of the PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, and PS5 Pro by $50 each in August). Then there’s the tough economic conditions globally that’s putting...

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"We Planned On Being Able to Share Pricing And Release Dates By Now" – The Steam Machine May Be Delayed

When the Steam Machine was first announced back in November 2025, Valve told me that the console-like PC would be launching in the first quarter of 2026. But things might be more complicated now. Valve just released a blog post, where it says "we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now." However, the AI shortages that are causing PC hardware to spike in price has caused the company to take a bit more time to nail down the price and release date for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Valve does still claim that it intends to launch the Steam Machine in the first half of the year, which follows an AMD earnings call that also suggests an early 2026 launch date. No matter how you slice it, though, it looks...

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AU Deals: Time Did the Work, Now These Must-Plays Are Priced to Own

I have a bad habit of remembering exactly what I paid for certain games, usually right when they turn up in a sale like this. That sting is useful. It tells me which discounts actually matter. This list is mostly those games. Learn from my mistakes and save. Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’ve whipped up a wumpa fruit-flavoured cake for Crash Bandicoot 2's 27th birthday. I can vividly recall getting my arse handed to me at launch as I tried to jump, spin, body slam, slide, duck, and "death route" conquer my way to every gem needed for its secret ending. I also have fond memories of a Simpsons pisstake of this franchise deployed around the same year. Apparently, "Dash Dingo" needed...

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