Tag: explained:
The fediverse, explained
The buzziest new thing in social networking is a big deal. It’s also very confusing. And it’s not actually new. Let’s talk about it.
The fediverse, explained
The buzziest new thing in social networking is a big deal. It’s also very confusing. And it’s not actually new. Let’s talk about it.
CS2 skins explained
How do CS2 skins work? CS2 skins alter the appearance of weapons, gloves, and knives, giving players the chance to show off their library of digital assets. Returning Counter-Strike players were worried that their CSGO skins weren’t going to transfer over to CS2, but Valve quelled any fears when it officially announced the game in March 2023.
Owning Counter-Strike 2 skins isn’t just about making a fashion statement. It’s about putting your mark on your implements of death. It’s about showing off your expertise, and, occasionally, selling on for a decent profit – maybe just wait for the skin prices to calm down a little before you decide on investing too much. Now that the Counter-Strike 2 release date is finally here, this is everything you need to know about CS2 skins before you jump in.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: CS2 crosshair, CS2 review, CS2 skins
CS2 skins explained
How do CS2 skins work? CS2 skins alter the appearance of weapons, gloves, and knives, giving players the chance to show off their library of digital assets. Returning Counter-Strike players were worried that their CSGO skins weren’t going to transfer over to CS2, but Valve quelled any fears when it officially announced the game in March 2023.
Owning Counter-Strike 2 skins isn’t just about making a fashion statement. It’s about putting your mark on your implements of death. It’s about showing off your expertise, and, occasionally, selling on for a decent profit – maybe just wait for the skin prices to calm down a little before you decide on investing too much. Now that the Counter-Strike 2 release date is finally here, this is everything you need to know about CS2 skins before you jump in.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: CS2 crosshair, CS2 review, CS2 skins
‘Succession’ Season 4, episode 8: The show’s election explained
Season 4 of Succession has long been building towards the upcoming presidential election, and at last, it’s finally here.
In “America Decides,” the eighth episode of Succession‘s final (and arguably most dramatic) season, the Roys are camping out at ATN’s headquarters while watching the country’s votes pile in. The frontrunners are Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk), the Republican candidate, and Daniel Jiménez (Elliot Villar), the Democratic candidate, with the siblings split between who to support.
While episode 8 is filled with the usual family drama and some hilarious moments — shoutout to cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) for that incredible wasabi scene — there’s a lot of pressure on the Roys throughout because they’ve got a big decision to make: which candidate they’re going to publicly vouch for on ATN. American politics sit at the epicenter of this episode, but if you’re a Roy, presidential elections are also grounds for your own personal moves. The siblings aren’t only deciding who they want as the next president, they’re betting on who’s going to help see their own self-interests through.
But who are Mencken and Jiménez? And why are the Roy kids divided between them? Let’s dive into Succession‘s election, its candidates, and why the Roys are all vouching for different outcomes.
Who are Mencken and Jiménez?
Credit: Screenshot HBO
Mencken and Jiménez are both running for president, but their political parties aren’t the only thing that set them apart. We first met Mencken all the way back in Season 3, episode 6, “What It Takes.” Here, we learned that Succession‘s former president of the United States, unnamed but good friends with Logan (Brian Cox), wasn’t running for reelection. So Logan and the kids travel to Virginia for a secret conference with big Republican players to decide on a nominee. Roman (Kieran Culkin), and eventually Logan, take a liking to Mencken and decide to back him.
Mencken is an incredibly worrisome pick however because he’s a far-right conservative with his beliefs basically bordering on fascism. But despite Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) objections, Logan and Roman both believe they needed someone extreme to get voter attention, and they’re unfortunately right. In a short couple of months, Mencken manages to become the Republican nominee with a lot of support. Mencken’s also managed the added bonus of paying for ads to run on ATN and a “direct line” to editorial meetings, meaning Roman and Mencken basically have a “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” agreement going on — much to Shiv’s horror when she finds out later in Season 4, episode 5.
On the other hand, Jiménez is a completely new character. We don’t really know much about him besides the fact that he’s the Democratic candidate, which is something we only learned earlier in Season 4. We also know that Nate (Ashley Zukerman), Shiv’s (Sarah Snook) ex-fling, is working on Jiménez’s team, not to mention Shiv is siding with Jiménez. Besides that, another important crumb of information to remember is that Mencken and Jiménez’s election predictions are pretty close. In episode 7, “Tailgate Party,” we learned that Jiménez is ahead of Mencken by only four points — and where this small gap eventually gets closed is something the Roys have a strong playing card in.
Who do the Roys support and why?
Credit: David Russell/HBO
Which candidate does Roman support?
Roman is a big fan of Mencken. Apart from the fact that Romulus regularly does questionable things over the four seasons, he has an actual agreement with Mencken to tank the GoJo deal. We know Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman have been eyeing to derail Waystar Royco’s acquisition since episode 5, making them both co-CEOs until further notice and seeing their own aspirations through. In episode 8, Roman mentions that Mencken can pull some strings, like discrepancies in foreign policy, to render the GoJo deal a no-go. Mencken is someone that Roman can do great business with, and vice versa, which explains why he was going as hard as he was this episode to support him.
Which candidate does Shiv support?
Shiv is pro-Jiménez. In part because she’s terrified of what Mencken would do as president, which goes against her own political ideologies and morals. In another, perhaps, larger part, it’s because she’s pro-GoJo. Jiménez would back the GoJo deal and let it go through. Shiv’s also pulling all the strings to get Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) and Jiménez on buddy terms, essentially passing on the Waystar torch to them both while maintaining a high-powered position for herself. In Shiv’s plan, Roman and Kendall would be bumped out of their CEO positions, but she’d still be a key player as agreed with Matsson. Jiménez being elected, would help her get there.
Which candidate does Kendall support?
Kendall was swaying between both candidates throughout the episode, eventually arriving at pro-Mencken like Roman. On the one hand, like Shiv, Kendall was equally apprehensive about what Mencken would do as president and thought Jiménez would be better for the country. There’s also the fact that one of Mencken’s supporters harassed his daughter on the street, so it’s pretty bad emboldening the guy who’s the reason that happened. On the other hand, Kendall wants to be CEO and Mencken’s the president that’ll help see that through.
Throughout the episode, Kendall’s caught between wanting the best for his family, wanting the best for America, but perhaps more importantly, wanting the best situation for his own self-interests. When he finally realizes that Shiv’s been lying to him and conspiring with Matsson, Kendall drops all his moral quandaries and decides to back Mencken with Roman — solidifying his role as CEO and stabbing Shiv right back after that painful betrayal.
So what’s going to happen next?
A lot more backstabbing I’m afraid.
The presidential election was yet another playing field for the Roys to explore their own ulterior motives, and it’s not over. By the end of episode 8, ATN’s publicly vouched for Mencken and predicted that he’d be winning the presidential election, despite 100,000 votes being “lost” in Milwaukee, a fact Roman chooses to ignore. Roman’s called the election in favor of Mencken, Kendall is no longer disagreeing with him, and they’ve both found out that Shiv was conspiring against them. The presidential verdict still hasn’t been decided, and by the looks of Shiv’s explosive phone call with Matsson at the episode’s end, more ferocious games are to be played.
Season 4 of Succession is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
Hypnotic’s ending, explained
Diablo 4 Renown system explained
Looking for the lowdown on Diablo 4 Renown? This reputation system includes a wide variety of rewards that can be gradually unlocked as you explore the regions of Sanctuary. To make it easy for you, we’ve collated a list of those rewards, the Renown activities you need to watch out for, and how much Renown you need to acquire before you can retrieve your earnings.
If you’re already striking out in Diablo 4, a summary of your Renown progress can be located at the very top of the Diablo 4 map. This toolbar outlines the total amount of Renown you’ve earned in that region, as well as the exact number of Renown activities you’ve completed in that particular area. Here’s everything you need to know to strike it big with Diablo 4 Renown.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 release date, Diablo 4 system requirements, Diablo 4 classes
Diablo 4 Whispering Keys and Silent Chests explained
In order to open silent chests, you need to find Diablo 4 Whispering Keys. These elusive containers are locked, but opening them grants you valuable treasures that could contain exactly what you need to make the build of your dreams. Therefore to ensure you have a Whispering Key whenever you come across a silent chest, it’s worth stocking up on as many keys as you can physically carry.
So far, we’ve found one way to find the Diablo 4 Whispering Keys to open the silent chests. The good news is that it’s rather easy to achieve in the RPG games, but it does require that you complete optional randomly generated side objectives. So if you want the best chance at getting some of the top items in Diablo 4, we’re here to help you get more than enough whispering keys to last your entire adventure.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 release date, Diablo 4 system requirements, Diablo 4 classes
Diablo 4 Obols explained
Want to know more about Diablo 4 Obols? During your travels in Diablo 4, you’re definitely going to pick up Murmuring Obols at some point. Obols are a currency that can be traded at a Purveyor of Curiosities vendor, represented by a sack with a question mark next to stacked coins.
The Murmuring Obols are represented in the RPG game as two purple coins. We don’t know exactly how this mechanic will work until the Diablo 4 release date arrives, but this method was used during the last beta windows to obtain legendaries very easily. We’ll help you to know all about Diablo 4 Obols, including where you can find them, where you can spend them, and more.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 release date, Diablo 4 system requirements, Diablo 4 classes