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Unreal Engine 5 Hasn’t Lived Up To Its Promises, Fans Conclude

Story Highlight
  • Unreal Engine 5 came with the promise of offering jaw-dropping visuals for current-gen games.
  • However, the engine has come with many complications without living up to its promises.
  • While it also promised more efficient development and lower costs, it seems this promise has not been fulfilled.

Unreal Engine 5 is currently famous in the industry. Games made via this engine are known to present lifelike visuals, making it the default choice for many who hope to produce AAA games in the future.

However, Unreal Engine 5 is a very complex platform that not everyone can manage. Upon release, many thought this engine would make the whole development process easier, but it didn’t work that way.

Fans have concluded that the engine has made the whole process even harder.

Why it matters: While Unreal Engine 5 is fascinating, developers have not been able to strike a balance between its visuals and performance drawbacks.

UE5 Poll
Out of 131, the Majority of the Users Think That UE5 Isn’t That Beneficial

At NeoGAF, a user named RetroGamingUK has made a poll asking whether Unreal Engine 5 has helped reduce development time and cost. The majority have voted against the engine, which seems reasonable, given how troublesome this technology is.

When this engine was announced, Epic said that the technology would reduce development costs and time. However, from what we can see, the games are now taking more time and money to develop.

In the past, fans have also noted that Unreal Engine 5 hasn’t produced incredible results that justify its performance drawbacks. While Hellblade 2 is an incredible-looking game, its status as the technology’s biggest showcase does not bode too well for the engine.

Inferior Combat Hellblade 2
Hellblade 2 was Developed Via Unreal Engine 5, And It Offers A Graphical Feast | Image By Tech4Gamers

Fans noted that Lumen, Nanite, and Metahuman haven’t been as groundbreaking as expected.

They hit performance particularly hard, making them less viable than anticipated on current-generation consoles and PC. Moreover, these technologies haven’t been able to cut development times further.

Latest Updates

Games on Unreal Engine 5 also have a major stutter problem. This is nothing new since it has existed since the engine’s last version, but it seems that the latest technology hasn’t been able to iron out legacy problems.

It’s clear, then, that Unreal Engine 5 is a technology meant for the future. Tech demos hint at an even more demanding future for gaming, so things will only become more challenging for developers from here on out.

Nvidia Nearly Finished RTX 50 Series Design, It’s Claimed

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  • Nvidia is working on a high-wattage cooling solution with a 600W heat dissipation capacity for their next-generation lineup.
  • The official design specifications for Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 are expected to be finalized in September.
  • The RTX 5090 is expected to have a TDP of 550W, while the RTX 5080 will use 350W.

The design work for Nvidia’s flagship next-generation GPU is allegedly nearing completion. With a reputation for having strong ties to the AIB sector, Benchlife verifies the development is underway on a 600W high-wattage cooling module.

Nevertheless, they clarify that the 600W number does not correspond to the actual power draw but to the total heat dissipation capacity.

Why it matters: Previous reports stated that the new generation of graphics cards would be available by 2025. The new information seems to indicate that Nvidia is on track to meet this target.

Nvidia Blackwell Vs Hopper
Nvidia Blackwell Vs. Hopper

Benchlife also reports that the official design specifications for the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 will be finalized in September. Separate D models will also be made available for users in China from the start.

The RTX 4090D was previously limited to China and only available as an export-compliant model from Nvidia. Since both cards have received the “D” treatment, a notable improvement in performance over the previous generation is anticipated.

Nvidia is currently developing five designs. The RTX 5090, the company’s flagship model, is anticipated to require 550W, while the RTX 5080 will consume only 350W. A leaker previously disclosed 600W and 400W specifications for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080.

Latest Updates

The GeForce RTX 5090D is reportedly scheduled to debut at CES 2025 and will be available in China by the end of January. Lastly, if the designs are already finished, a teaser for a special GeForce event could be issued in the next few months.

Nintendo Switch 2 Reportedly Now In Mass Production Phase

Story Highlight
  • The Nintendo Switch is finally on its way out as the company prepares for a new console.
  • According to new information, an assembling company that previously worked with Nintendo has spent a large sum of money on production equipment recently.
  • This likely means that the Nintendo Switch 2 has entered mass production.

Among the most anticipated consoles, the Nintendo Switch 2 and Sony’s PS5 Pro are the most exciting ones coming soon. Although the Switch 2 has always been in the rumor mill, the console hasn’t been announced yet.

Many reports corroborate the 2025 release date, but there is no exact information on the month of release. However, the release is closer than ever since the console entered mass production. 

Why it matters: It appears Nintendo is producing the Switch 2 in very large amounts to avoid a supply shortage at launch, as the device will sell millions of units.

Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch 2 Will Be A Major Upgrade

Hosiden is the Nintendo Switch assembler and the Joycon maker, and there is now a report that the company is beginning mass production of the Switch 2. The company is spending a lot of money on production, with reports pointing to ¥2 billion on production equipment and ¥1 billion on automation in FY3/25.

Furthermore, there were reports that the company would produce 10 million units for the launch, so Hosiden has already begun to prepare. As such, a launch during the first half of 2025 seems very likely.

Previously, it was stated that Nintendo could launch the console around April 2025 or later. What’s interesting is that multiple sources have pointed to a potential reveal as early as this month.

It is speculated that an announcement could be made by October since Nintendo has previously followed similar patterns for its hardware.

Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 Priced At 499$

Apart from the release date rumors, most of the device’s specifications have already been leaked, including the PS4 Pro-like performance. This should be a huge upgrade for fans of the Nintendo ecosystem.

Latest Updates

It is also said to offer 12GB of DDR5 RAM, with a maximum price of up to $499. However, it is important to note that Nintendo has yet to confirm these specifications.

Insiders Predict Shift Toward Shorter AAA Games Moving Forward

Story Highlights
  • Insiders have suggested that the industry will shift towards shorter and streamlined AAA games.
  • The AAA budget is so high these days that if a game fails, it takes down the entire company with it.
  • Recent releases like Suicide Squad and Concord are great examples of these kinds of games.

AAA gaming is in a very concerning state right now. With ridiculously high budgets and many games failing to make enough revenue to sustain growth, the industry is struggling. Amid this, insiders have predicted a shift towards shorter AAA releases.

Why it matters: The shift towards shorter games would allow lower budgets and let developers experiment with new things. Even a former PlayStation boss and other developers have previously stated that shorter, cheaper games are the way to go.

Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush proved you don’t need a very high budget to establish a great IP

According to an industry insider, $70 games could become more streamlined and shorter in the future. Instead of 50-60 or even hundreds of hours for certain titles, we could be looking at the majority of games taking 15 to 20 hours to beat.

There is a lot wrong with the industry that this approach can fix. The gaming industry is in a sort of identity crisis where most releases are a hit or a miss. It has become really hard to identify what resonates with the audience.

On the other hand, players are craving something fresh and creative. Games like Black Myth: Wukong and Hi-Fi Rush prove that this is the case. You don’t need a high budget or an especially long game to find a hit, you just need to be perfect in what you do.

Black Myth: Wukong DLC Confirmed
Black Myth: Wukong isn’t as long as conventional games but still a great success

Recent AAA games like Star Wars Outlaws have been such a financial disaster that they’ve taken Ubisoft’s stocks to a 10-year low. And this was a title from a universe with a massive fan following bound to at least sell well.

Latest Updates

So, a shift towards shorter games would allow creative freedom and more experimentation, which could result in much better games. Most people also have a busy life, so taking hours out to finish a considerably shorter game is ideal for them.

Star Wars Outlaws Director Not Happy With Review Scores

Story Highlight
  • The Star Wars Outlaws director is disappointed with Metacritic scores.
  • He says that Massive Entertainment will continue to improve the experience.
  • The director is still very proud of his team despite the somewhat disappointing review scores.

Star Wars Outlaws has been yet another good but not great release from Ubisoft. Looking at the Metaciritc average, this open-world galactic adventure has landed at a score of around 76/100.

This average seems to reflect the general critical sentiment around the title since we gave it a similar score. However, Massive Entertainment’s Julian Gerighty has not been too pleased with the results.

Why it matters: Because Metacritic scores are given so much importance today, a great score can help games quite a bit. Similarly, a poor score can be disastrous for AAA releases.

Speaking to GamesRadar, the director of Star Wars Outlaws noted that he had higher expectations for the game.

I’m a little disappointed with the Metacritic. Recognition from the press and critics is very important to us.

-Julian Gerighty

However, he was quick to note that many players seem to be enjoying Massive Entertainment’s work. He confirmed that the team spent four years on the project and aimed as high as possible.

Therefore, the developer is having a wonderful time going through player reactions and images from Star Wars Outlaws. The director also says that he is proud of everything the team has accomplished.

He wrapped up the interview by stating that Massive Entertainment aims to continue improving the Star Wars Outlaws experience. This is important since the game currently has many technical problems.

Star Wars Outlaws
Ubisoft Market Cap Has Sunk Following The Underwhelming Latest Release

Unfortunately, critical reception is not the only metric that Star Wars Outlaws has fallen short of. Ubisoft’s stock has taken a huge hit after reports of the AAA release performing worse than expected on the market.

Latest Updates

Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this open-world Star Wars title stacks up against the rest of Ubisoft’s slate. At the very least, it seems to be doing better than last year’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Shroud’s Spectre Divide Already Has Thousands of Negative Reviews

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  • Shroud has recently launched his own game, but the reception is not positive. 
  • Fans have bombarded the title’s Steam page with over 1,500 negative reviews due to various issues.
  • The free-to-play shooter suffers from bland gameplay, server problems, and a lot of microtransactions.

Shroud was working on a 3V3 tactical shooter that fans had high hopes for. The game had a lot of hype behind it since shooter enthusiasts had their eyes on this release.

The closed beta of Spectre Divide had a positive reception, but the same can’t be said for the main game now that it’s out. Right after launch, Spectre Divide has been bombarded with thousands of negative reviews on Steam, and the concerns seem quite legitimate.

Why it matters: Shroud is known as the king of shooters, so he should know everything about this genre. This means that he has the potential to make a game that can satisfy a majority of the genre’s fandom.

Spectre Divide Negative Review
Spectre Divide Has Thousands of Negative Reviews Already | Image Source: Steam

At the time of writing, this free-to-player shooter has more than 1,500 negative reviews on Steam.

Fans are currently criticizing the gameplay and microtransactions. There are many other reasons for negative reviews too. Some players complain that the concept is not good at all, while others have a problem with technical issues.

The major issue seems to revolve around gameplay and microtransactions. Spectre Divide seems to have a lot of microtransactions, and even the classes are locked behind a paywall.

Of course, they can be unlocked if you are willing to spend hours grinding. As such, Shroud’s title shows the recurring problem with gaming’s microtransactions. There also seems to be a bundle costing more than $100, and that too on the launch date.

Fans claim that many better options like Valorant and CS2 exist already, so they don’t need Spectre Divide at all.

MTX issues
Microtransactions Seems to be One of The Biggest Concerns

There are many complaints about the servers, too, and there is no ranking. The developers seem to have set their priorities in the wrong order. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Spectre Divide currently has a ‘Mixed’ rating on Steam.

Latest Updates

Basic customization and gunplay also seem to be major topics of criticism. Fans believe that this project was made to make money as soon as possible instead of offering something fresh and exciting for enthusiast first-person shooter fans.

MSI Claw 8 AI+ Packs Lunar Lake SoC; Set To Debut In 2025

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  • It has been revealed that the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be launched in 2025.
  • This gaming handheld is likely to be priced at $900 to $1000.
  • It will also come with the latest Intel Core Ultra 200 SoC for impressive performance.

MSI’s upcoming gaming handheld device, the Claw 8 AI+, is going to be the most powerful portable console on the market since MSI has decided to use the Intel Core Ultra 200 lunar lake processors.

It was announced three months ago during Computex. However, during IFA 2024, which was held in Germany, the handheld was shown off to the press. The same event confirmed a 2025 release date.

Why it matters: These processors are better than any other processors in terms of CPU, GPU, and memory performance.

 

With all the benefits of the Intel Core Ultra 200V CPUs and the most recent Windows 11 version, the new handheld promises to maximize performance.

When the Ryzen and Intel top-of-the-line SoCs were first released, benchmarks showed that the AMD Ryzen AI HX 370 was up to 21% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V.

Currently, AMD’s top-of-the-line APU uses up to 54W, while Intel’s APU only uses 30W. The Intel chip is 16.5% quicker in Cinebench 2024, 5.22% faster in Geekbench 6, and 21% faster in SPECrate 2017 despite using less power.

If we talk about the graphics, Intel’s top-of-the-line iGPU ARC 140V is, on average, 16% faster than the AMD Radeon 890M. The specifications of the consoles have yet to be officially revealed, but due to the leaks, we know the details.

MSI Claw 8 AI+ comes with an 8-inch IPS panel at a Full HD+ resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels at 120Hz. The Core Ultra 200V SoC will integrate up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM at 8,533 MHz. With this much power due to Lunar Lake, it will also ship with an 80Wh battery.

The information we have is that it will support full-size NVMe SDD storage (M.2 2280). As the default, we can expect a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with at least 512GB or 1TB capacity. It also has the most advanced connectivity (Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4 + 2x USB4 / Thunderbolt 4) and the Windows 11 operating system.

Latest Updates

MSI Claw 8+AI is scheduled to launch next year. MSI has also claimed that buyers of this handheld will receive a month-long free Xbox Game Pass subscription. The price of the console is yet to be revealed, but it is expected to cost around $900 to $1000.

Sony Believes PlayStation Doesn’t Have Enough Original IPs

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  • The Sony CFO has complained about a lack of original PlayStation IPs.
  • Sony is now investing in creating original content for anime, film, and gaming.
  • This initiative could see PlayStation revisiting original IPs like Killzone and Resistance.

PlayStation is home to a few of gaming’s biggest IPs. Many would argue that PlayStation has the best IPs among the big three gaming giants, though Nintendo and Xbox’s IPs are not too far behind.

Interestingly, Sony does not seem to agree. According to Sony’s Hiroki Totoki, the company needs more original IPs.

Why it matters: Because the gaming industry has changed so much, publishers and developers are now choosing to stick with tried and true franchises. 

PlayStation Showcase
A PlayStation Event Is Expected Soon

Hiroki Totoki is the current Sony CFO, and he has taken an interest in the PlayStation business. Speaking on the broader Sony business, he remarked that original IPs are currently an issue for the company.

Whether it’s for games, film, or anime, we don’t have that much IP from the beginning.

-Hiroki Totoki

While it’s easy to see why Hiroki Totoki feels this way about the film and anime business, the comment about gaming is a bit bizarre.

Considering PlayStation has IPs like God of War, Bloodborne, Horizon, Days Gone, and more, it’s hard to think of its portfolio as lacking original content. The gaming giant also has a wealth of IPs that haven’t been revisited in many years.

Fans want to see the likes of Killzone and Resistance coming back, but Sony has chosen to ignore these franchises. As such, Hiroki Totoki’s remarks can be seen as a bit too harsh. Previously, the CFO noted that PlayStation teams need to manage budgets better.

Sony PlayStation Killzone Infamous Motorstorm Resistance
Many PlayStation IPs Are Being Wasted

Sony currently aims to expand its original IPs, so this should also lead to more original content from PlayStation. Currently, various studios, including Naughty Dog and Santa Monica, are working on new IPs, so fans should anticipate major announcements from these teams in the future.

Latest Updates

One original IP from PlayStation was also released earlier last month. Unfortunately, Concord ended up being a disaster, so Sony is unlikely to revisit this series anytime soon.

Microsoft Offers Apology After Enotria Dev Said Xbox Doesn’t Care About You

Story Highlight
  • Enotria: The Last Song is launching later this month.
  • Recently, the developers have stated that the game has been delayed on Xbox since Microsoft ignored their queries for two months.
  • Following that, a recent report claims that Microsoft has apologized to the developers.

Enotria: The Last Song is finally launching later this month. However, the developers recently confirmed that it has been delayed indefinitely on Xbox because Microsoft ignored their queries for two months.

Following the recent announcement, it has now been reported that Microsoft has apologized to Jyamma Games for ignoring their queries.

Why it matters: This isn’t the first time developers have faced issues releasing their titles on the Xbox; many developers have faced multiple issues in the past.

Enotria The Last Song Combat
Enotria: The Last Song Isn’t Coming To Xbox At Launch

Recently, Jyamma Games released a statement about how Xbox ignored their queries for two months. While the developers spent a lot of time and money on the Xbox version, Microsoft decided to ignore them.

Obviously they don’t care about Enotria, and they don’t care about you [the players].

-Jacky Greco

However, a Games Industry report suggests that Microsoft has apologized to the studio following the recent statement. While nothing much has been revealed about the Xbox launch for Enotria: The Last Song, it’s likely that both teams are working on the certification issues.

The Xbox port is unlikely to come anytime soon, but this is still a good step from Microsoft. With both teams working on the issue, the problem should be solved eventually.

Enotria The Last Song Featured
Enotria: The Last Song Is Launching Later This Month

The major issue seems to be with the ID@Xbox program. It has been speculated that Microsoft cut budgets for this department, leading to communication issues.

Elsewhere, hardware problems with the Xbox Series S have prevented releases like Black Myth: Wukong and Baldur’s Gate 3 from arriving on Xbox on time. In any case, Microsoft needs to do a better job supporting third-party studios.

Latest Updates

It remains to be seen when Enotria: The Last Song will be launched on the Xbox platform. PlayStation and PC fans will be able to play the Souls-like as soon as the 19th of September, but no release date has been confirmed for Xbox Series S|X yet.

Concord Fans Jumping off Map As They Rush To Get Platinum Trophy Before Closure

Story Highlight
  • Concord took eight years to develop, and the game ended up being a massive failure. 
  • The game is being shut down on Saturday, but players are still trying to get the Platinum trophy.
  • Practically everyone is throwing online matches to get the trophy as fast as possible.

Concord has been a disaster for PlayStation, and it will go down as one of the biggest failures in the history of gaming. The hero shooter took eight years and a lot of money to develop. So, when the game bombed at release, PlayStation decided to shut it down.

Some fans were enjoying the experience, but there were way too few players to actually find a match. After hearing the news, these players have decided to shift their goal, using every means to attain the Platinum trophy.

Why it matters: PlayStation enthusiasts take pride in collecting Platinum trophies. With Concord being shut down soon, this trophy will be lost forever, so fans want it in their collections.

Concord New Featured
Concord Was Bound To Fail

Getting the Platinum might not be possible for every player before the game shuts down. However, players are rushing to get the rarest non-platinum trophy. This can only be achieved if you reach Freegunner Reputation level 100.

Many players don’t even have level 50 yet, so it is going to be a massive grind. Only 12 players have collected this trophy so far, so those who haven’t are resorting to an innovative approach. Believe it or not, they are jumping off the map in 5v5 matches to get EXP.

Apparently, this is the best way to get a massive amount of EXP as quickly as possible. So, 5v5 matches have become a race of who will throw themselves off the map first. People are also sharing clips of this phenomenon on Twitter, leading to hilarious reactions.

 

Still, the situation is quite sad for the developers.

According to one user, this is the fastest way to earn EXP for the Platinum right now. However, the same user commented on the post, saying he had been doing this for an hour and had only received enough EXP to go from level 44 to 45.

Latest Updates

If the players are serious about getting the Platinum, then it is going to take a lot of time. It may be best to let this one go, but trophy hunters are typically too dedicated to let such a challenge go to waste.

PS2 Honored As First Gaming Console In Japan’s National Science Museum

Story Highlight
  • The PS2 was released by Sony nearly 24 years ago.
  • Japan has just acknowledged the console’s impressive hardware capabilities by adding it to the Future Technology Heritage list.
  • The console was commended for its graphics, which were on par with the biggest arcade games at the time.

The PS2 marked a major leap for the gaming industry in more ways than one. As Sony’s second major console in the industry, it immediately propelled PlayStation to the top of the industry, with the PS2 crushing everything that came in its path.

More than two decades later, the console remains an integral part of the PlayStation legacy. Because of its importance to the gaming industry, Japan has added it to the Future Technology Heritage list, marking an important milestone for console gaming.

Why it matters: Nearly every gaming console has been incredible in its own right. However, there is a case to be made for the PS2 being truly unrivaled in its excellence to this day.

Playstation 2
Sony Was Firing On All Cylinders In The Year 2000

The PS2, often considered gaming’s best console, delivered a huge leap in visuals and gameplay.

Moreover, it doubled as a DVD player for Sony, giving it an additional purpose for those who wanted a cheap means to enjoy their favorite DVDs. It’s no surprise, then, that Japan has added it to such an important list.

The Future Technology Heritage list is maintained by the National Museum of Nature and Science in Japan. Spanning nearly two decades, this list currently contains around 400 items that represent significant technological leaps and cultural shifts.

For instance, the likes of the Sony Walkman, the first DVD player, and more are part of this list. As a gaming enthusiast, it’s incredible to see a console honored with a similar accolade.

God of War Series
God of War May Not Have Existed Without Sony’s Second Console

The PS2 was among multiple new additions to The Future Technology Heritage list this year. According to the museum, it was selected for marking a shift in gaming that saw home consoles leading the industry instead of the arcades.

The museum also pointed to the PS2’s beautiful graphics that were on par with arcade games.

Latest Updates

Apart from its merits as an excellent gaming machine, the PS2 had a noteworthy library of first-party titles. The likes of God of War, Killzone, and more were created specifically for its hardware.

According to PlayStation’s Jim Ryan, the hardware ended up selling 160 million units by the end of its lifecycle. No other console has been able to beat this figure yet, though the Nintendo Switch is slowly coming close.

PlayStation Secured Exclusive GTA 6 Marketing Rights, Insiders Say

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  • It seems Sony has secured marketing rights for GTA 6.
  • Sony is expected to use GTA 6 to heavily market the PS5 Pro.
  • PlayStation previously held the marketing rights for GTA 5, with the PS4/Xbox One ports being announced during Sony’s E3 conference.

GTA 6 is currently expected to be the biggest game this industry has ever seen. With Rockstar and Take-Two laying out ambitious plans for this series, practically everyone is excited about the IP’s return.

While Rockstar is expected to ramp up marketing for this Grand Theft Auto entry soon, new information has surfaced about these plans. It seems Sony has secured exclusive marketing rights for the game.

Why it matters: PlayStation previously secured exclusivity for third-party titles like Final Fantasy 16. This would end up being yet another instance of Sony outsmarting Microsoft with an exclusivity deal, even if GTA 6 arrives on both consoles.

GTA 6
GTA 6 Is On Track To Launch Next Year

This information comes from MAGG, who recently stated on the XNC podcast that Rockstar will use GTA 6 to heavily market the PS5 and PS5 Pro. What’s interesting is that this claim was backed up by RedGamingTech, another famous tech insider who seems to have heard similar reports.

Sony is going to use GTA 6 for heavy marketing of the PS5 Pro.

-RedGamingTech

The game will still be released for Xbox, but if history repeats itself, it will probably show up at Sony events, and appear with the PlayStation branding in advertisements and trailers.

This could give Sony a huge edge over the competition, making the PS5 Pro the best place to enjoy GTA 6. The title is expected to ship millions of units on day one and make billions in sales. As such, the deal would help Sony sell more consoles.

GTA 6
GTA 6 Might Be Priced Over $70

Meanwhile, fans are currently waiting for the next trailer.

It has been noted that Rockstar released the last trailer almost 300 days ago. This marks the longest gap between the first two trailers of any Rockstar title to date, making the wait extremely painful for loyal fans of the studio.

Latest Updates

GTA 6 will launch at some point during the Fall of 2025. With just over a year left for this release, fans can expect plenty of trailers, gameplay videos, and screenshots to be revealed soon.

If the recent reports are to be trusted, it seems Sony will be heavily involved in this marketing campaign.

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