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2XKO Reveals Early Access Release Date & Times

2XKO is all set to go into early access, a major milestone towards the entry of Riot Games into the fighting game genre.

2XKO will become available in early access on October 7, 2025, at 8:00 AM PT (8:30 PM IST) and will be available for global players to play without the need for invites. The free-to-play fighting title will become available only on PC via the Riot Client initially, but its console versions are expected to be released later on.

The early access release is a turning point for Riot Games, moving from closed test phases to public release. In contrast to earlier beta phases, every accomplishment gained in early access will be transferred to the full game release, allowing players to retain their unlocked champions, cosmetics, and achievements.

The early access release will correspond with the Season 0 kickoff, featuring significant new features and content. Tom Cannon, Executive Producer, highlighted this period as being essential in setting the stage for the long-term vision of catering to the Fighting Game Community for generations ahead.

2XKO Early Access Release Date & Times

RegionLocal TimeDate
India8:30 PM ISTOctober 7, 2025
US (East)11:00 AM ETOctober 7, 2025
Brazil12:00 PM BRTOctober 7, 2025
UK4:00 PM BSTOctober 7, 2025
Europe5:00 PM CESTOctober 7, 2025
Russia6:00 PM MSKOctober 7, 2025
Philippines11:00 PM Manila TimeOctober 8, 2025
China11:00 PM CSTOctober 8, 2025
Japan12:00 AM JSTOctober 8, 2025
Australia2:00 AM AEDTOctober 8, 2025
New Zealand4:00 AM NZDTOctober 8, 2025

Two new playable fighters will be included in the 2XKO roster for the early access release. Teemo, Swift Scout, will be bringing his conventional trap-style gameplay with poisonous mushrooms and upgrade systems through scout badges. Warwick, Uncaged Wrath of Zaun, will be featuring a novel Bloodlust system resource that allows for special powers and cancellation options when the resource is fully charged.

The additions will make 11 champions available for play: Ahri, Blitzcrank, Braum, Darius, Ekko, Illaoi, Jinx, Teemo, Vi, Warwick, and Yasuo. Five new champions are slated to be released each year through seasonal updates, with each season being about 10 weeks long.

Ranked play will go live on October 9, 2025, with patch 1.0.1.1. The new matchmaking system will guarantee better queue balancing, guaranteeing players play against opponents of a comparable skill level for more competitive and engaging matches.

2XKO Battle Pass

Season 0 will introduce 2XKO’s initial Battle Pass system with free and premium tracks. Free will come with the Rift Quest Teemo skin, avatar wear, stickers, player cards, titles, and finishers. Premium will provide extra incentives through Standard, Deluxe, and Ultra tracks.

The in-game shop will be open for the first time, with different cosmetic packs across Season 0. Some notable releases include Starter Editions (up to December 2026), Crime City Mega Bundle (November 4), Aureate Mega Bundle (December 2), and Snow Moon Mega Bundle (December 23).

2XKO will add new stages depending on various Runeterra regions. Bandlewood Crossing will become buyable in the Collection tab, and Firelight Run will be the first reward on the paid Battle Pass track. These new ones will increase the visual diversity of the game and give a new competitive environment.

How to Obtain Tron Ares Skin in Fortnite?

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The long-awaited Tron: Ares collaboration has landed in Fortnite, transporting the futuristic universe of the Grid directly into Battle Royale. Coinciding perfectly with the theatrical debut of Disney’s “Tron: Ares” movie starring Jared Leto, this full-scale crossover provides players with an extensive range of cyberpunk-inspired cosmetics that bring the franchise’s classic neon-lit visual identity to life.

Fortnite Ares (Tron) skin and associated items purchased screen displaying the character wearing a futuristic suit and in-game settings.

Fortnite Tron Ares Skin Release Date & Time

The Tron: Ares pack went on sale in the Fortnite Item Shop on October 7, 2025, at the daily reset. This is strategically three days before the theatrical opening of the movie, providing ideal synchronization between the game tie-up and film publicity.

  • India (IST): October 8, 2025, 5:30 AM
  • United Kingdom: October 8, 2025, midnight (12:00 AM)
  • United States (Eastern): October 7, 2025, 8:00 PM
  • United States (Pacific): October 7, 2025, 5:00 PM
  • Australia (AEDT): October 8, 2025, 11:00 AM
  • Japan (JST): October 8, 2025, 9:00 AM

Tron: Ares Bundle Items

Tron Ares Bundle

The Tron: Ares collaboration is one of the most extensive movie tie-ins in Fortnite, with eight individual cosmetic items in total that combine to bring an immersive Grid experience.

  • Ares (Tron) Outfit – The highlight of the pack is Jared Leto’s character with three style options to choose from: helmet off, helmet on, and a semi-transparent visor option that shows the face but retains the futuristic look. The skin also comes with a free LEGO variant to be used in LEGO Fortnite mode.
  • Pickaxe Set – Two unique harvesters embody different aspects of the Tron world: the Ares’ Staff Pickaxe reflects the character’s iconic movie weapon, while the Dillinger Disc Pickaxe does double duty as both harvesting tool and reactive back bling with elimination-triggered lighting effects.
  • Traversal Elements – The Jump Jet Glider offers air travel with Grid-inspired traversal design elements, while the Portal Beam Emote produces stunning visual effects for play sessions.
  • Signature Emote – The Lil’ Light Bike Emote is the set’s crowning glory, sporting a traversal animation that brings the iconic Light Cycles from the Tron series in diminutive shape.
  • Weapon Cosmetic – The Out of Tron Wrap, which puts damage-reactive visual effects on weapons and shows red energy patterns when taking or dealing damage.

Tron Ares skin and associated items can be bought in the item shop for V-Bucks prices. Tron: Ares cosmetics can be bought individually or as a full set, giving players the flexibility of accommodating budgets of different V-Bucks.

Fortnite Tron Ares Skin Prices

  • Ares (Tron) Outfit: 1,500 V-Bucks
  • Staff Pickaxe of Ares: 800 V-Bucks
  • Dillinger Disc Pickaxe/Back Bling Set: 800 V-Bucks
  • Jump Jet Glider: 1,500 V-Bucks
  • Portal Beam Emote: 500 V-Bucks
  • Lil’ Light Bike Emote: 500 V-Bucks
  • Out of Tron Wrap: 300 V-Bucks
  • Individual Total Cost: 5,900 V-Bucks

The entire Tron: Ares bundle cost is not confirmed yet. However, the bundle cost will definitely be less than the total cost of purchasing all of them individually.

How to Get Tron Ares Skin in Fortnite?

If you are excited about the new bundle and want to purchase it, the process is straightforward. Follow the steps mentioned below:

  • Before the Item Shop refresh, verify your V-Buck balance covers your desired purchases. V-Bucks can be acquired through the in-game store using real currency, Battle Pass progression, or Save the World earnings.
  • The Fortnite Item Shop refreshes daily at 00:00 UTC (midnight). Set reminders for your local time zone to avoid missing the collaboration during its availability window.
  • Open Fortnite and choose the “Item Shop” menu option from the main menu. The Tron: Ares items will be highlighted in special sections.
  • Select individual items or the entire bundle, depending on your budget and your personal preference. The bundle option offers the best value for collectors who want all cosmetics.
  • Verify your purchases through the standard checkout process. Items will be available in your locker instantly for use in supported game modes.
  • If items are not available the moment after the reset time, force-close and reopen Fortnite to clear the Item Shop cache.

Ares (Tron) dress-up comes with a number of distinctive features that add to its value proposition. The accompanying LEGO variant instantly unlocks for use in LEGO Fortnite, opening up gameplay possibilities beyond standard Battle Royale matches. The skin’s three style variants offer customization flexibility, enabling players to fit their look to various match situations or personal tastes.

Riot is Shaking Up Valorant’s Meta With the New Agent Veto

For the past five years, the formula for executing onto bombsites in Valorant has remained roughly the same – retaking points are smoked off, a recon at the back of the site, a nade or molly at that sneaky corner, and a drone to clear off angles. Once you have enough info on the enemies or feel confident that you have the upper hand, you flash in and explode onto the site.

If you’ve played Valorant competitively at moderate to high elos, coordinated executes like this should feel all too familiar to you. However, Riot Games might just be looking to shake up this working formula with the addition of Veto, the game’s newest Agent.

Capable of shutting down enemy executes with the press of a button, Veto finds himself being added to the Valorant roster as the game’s seventh Sentinel and the 28th overall Agent. His versatile kit not only enables him to deny enemy utility and hold down bombsites with ease, but also gives him the option to escape sticky situations with his teleport beacons.

To better understand how Veto will spice up Valorant’s explosive meta, we first need to take a look at the abilities of the new Agent.

Valorant Veto Abilities

Valorant Veto Abilities

In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview of how Veto’s abilities work. If you’re looking for his detailed kit, be sure to follow our comprehensive guide on the topic.

His Crosscut (C) lets him place up to two beacons on the map to which he can teleport with the press of a button. They can only be activated when he’s within a certain radius, similar to a Chamber TP. However, unlike the Chamber TP, Veto needs to look directly at one of his beacons to activate it. On top of that, his teleport has a small channeling time during which he is vulnerable to enemies.

Veto’s Chokehold (Q) is a deployable trap that triggers automatically upon impact. Once an enemy enters its radius, it will detonate, deafening and decaying nearby enemies.

His basic ability is perhaps the most interesting part of his kit. Despite being a free ability, the Interceptor (E) enables him to intercept most enemy utility within a radius and destroy them. This can not only deny crucial information to your enemies, but will also render your enemies unable to use flashes, nades, or other projectiles whenever it is active.

Veto’s ultimate, Evolution (X), turns him into a one-man army, giving him a combat stim, regeneration, and rendering him immune to any negative effects and most enemy utility.

How Will Veto Impact the Valorant Meta?

Taking a look at his abilities, it’s safe to say that Veto will be a meta-disruptor that will challenge the conventional playstyles we’ve seen so far in Valorant and reward tactical play rather than blind aggression.

His teleport beacons will enable him to safely play cheeky off-angles while his Interceptor will render it impossible for his enemies to flush him out. His Chokehold (Q) can be used as an incredibly strong last resort to fend off enemies rushing into a bombsite.

Lastly, Veto’s ultimate is easily one of the best abilities in the game to hold bombsites, allowing him to stand his ground against rushing enemies without the fear of being flashed, naded, or flushed out by other utility.

It’ll be interesting to see how pro teams adapt to Veto’s unique kit once he enters the competitive pool. His ability to lock down areas and manipulate engagements could completely reshape how teams approach both site defense and execution. We might also see entirely new strategies built around his setups and coordinated use of Interceptor to stall enemy pushes.

Veto will be available to play on the live servers of Valorant starting October 15, 2025, when the Season 25 Act 6 update launches.

Battlefield 6 Global Release Date & Times Revealed

Electronic Arts and DICE have now confirmed that Battlefield 6 will release worldwide simultaneously on Friday, October 10, 2025, with unlock times staggered by region to create a fair, coordinated start for all players.

Guiding FPS enthusiasts into a world of epic, worldwide-scale conflicts, the new game will launch simultaneously on PC (Steam, EA App, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with no early access period. All players start together at the same time in their local time zone. Pre-loads become available one week earlier, on October 3, at the same regional times below.

Battlefield 6 Global Release Date & Times

RegionLocal Launch Time
Pacific Time (PDT)October 10, 8:00 AM
Central Time (CST)October 10, 9:00 AM
Eastern Time (EDT)October 10, 11:00 AM
Brasília Time (BRT)October 10, 12:00 PM
British Summer Time (BST)October 10, 4:00 PM
Central European Summer Time (CEST)October 10, 5:00 PM
Eastern European Summer Time (EEST)October 10, 6:00 PM
Azerbaijan Time (AZT)October 10, 7:00 PM
India Standard Time (IST)October 10, 8:30 PM
Indochina Time (ICT)October 10, 10:00 PM
Hong Kong Time (HKT) / Beijing Time (CST)October 10, 11:00 PM
Japan Standard Time (JST)October 11, 12:00 AM
Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)October 11, 1:00 AM

Note: Every player will get access at exactly these regional times, no exceptions, no early-access periods.

The simultaneous launch is a break from midnight-exclusive rollouts, saving gamers from the need to wake up in the middle of the night. With pre-loads on every major platform except Epic Games Store, players can pre-load the entire 55 GB install and jump right in the instant their local clock hits. EA Play Pro subscribers will have day-one access to the Phantom Edition through the EA App, and Epic Games Store buyers will require the EA App and an EA account to access.

With expectation at a fever pitch after August’s record-breaking open beta, Battlefield 6 will bring blockbuster multiplayer action, next-gen Frostbite engine graphics, and a complete lineup of launch maps and modes. Season 1 launches October 28 with “Rogue Ops,” continuing with “California Resistance” on November 18 and “Winter Offensive” on December 9, keeping players entertained long after the launch day.

Valorant Veto Release Date: When is the New Agent Coming To Valorant?

With Riot Games officially unveiling Veto following the conclusion of Champions 2025, fans of the competitive shooter worldwide are eager to know more about the release date of the new Valorant Agent.

For the uninitiated, Veto is set to become the seventh Sentinel and the 28th overall Agent in Valorant’s ever-expanding roster.

From the initial reveal of Veto and his abilities, it’s evident that he’ll be a strong anti-execute Agent who’s capable of shutting down enemy rushes with his versatile kit. Not only can he deny any enemy utility thrown at his way, but he’s also capable of playing dangerous angles and quickly escaping with his teleport beacons.

If you’re looking to know more about Veto’s abilities, be sure to check out our detailed guide on the topic.

When is Veto Coming To Valorant?

Valorant’s upcoming Agent Veto is certain to shake up the competitive meta of the shooter when it drops. But when exactly is Veto coming to Valorant?

Riot Games has confirmed that Veto will be added to Valorant on October 7, 2025, or October 8, 2025, based on your game region.

Once the new patch drops, fans will be able to try out Veto for themselves while also welcoming a fresh Battle Pass, new skin lines, and more.

That’s everything you need to know about the Veto release date in Valorant.

Valorant Veto: All Abilities of the New Agent Explained

With the Valorant Champions 2025 having recently reached its conclusion, Riot Games has officially unveiled Veto, the next Agent to join the shooter’s ever-expanding roster.

As already confirmed by multiple prominent leakers in the past, Veto is set to be a Sentinel, making him the seventh addition to the role and the 28th Agent overall. For the uninitiated, Veto will be added to Valorant alongside the game’s next update.

Without further ado, let’s check out everything you need to know about Veto and his abilities in Valorant.

Valorant Veto Abilities Explained

Veto is, without a doubt, one of the most unique additions to the Sentinel roster of Valorant. Unlike traditional Sentinels, who specialize in holding flanks for their team, Veto’s abilities make him a force to be reckoned with when he’s defending a bombsite. His kit is designed to disrupt enemy executes by neutralizing any utility thrown at his way, while also making him a slippery target due to his teleports. Lastly, his ultimate can turn the tide of any engagement by rendering him invulnerable to most utility.

Without further ado, let’s take a detailed look at Veto’s abilities in Valorant:

  • Crosscut (C): EQUIP a vortex. FIRE to place on the ground. While in range and looking at the vortex, REACTIVATE to teleport. During the BUY PHASE, the vortex can be reclaimed to be REDEPLOYED.
Players can place two teleport beacons at a time
Look at the beacon you want to teleport to, and press F to begin channeling
  • Chokehold (Q): EQUIP a viscous fragment of your mutation. FIRE to throw. The fragment deploys upon impact, creating a trap to hold enemies in place. Held enemies are Deafened and Decayed. Enemies can destroy the trap before activation. 
The trap automatically triggers upon impact
  • Interceptor (E): EQUIP the Interceptor. FIRE to place the Interceptor at the projected location. RE-USE to activate. Once active, it will destroy any utility that would BOUNCE off a player and/or be destroyed naturally by gunfire. Enemies can destroy the Interceptor.
The placement of the Interceptor is similar to a Reyna Leer
Activate to destroy any incoming projectiles
  • Evolution (X): INSTANTLY begin to fully mutate, gaining a combat stim, regeneration, and becoming IMMUNE to all forms of debuffs.

Valorant Veto Release Date

As mentioned earlier, Veto will be added to Valorant alongside the 11.07b patch, which will hit the live servers on October 7, 2025.

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: All 32 Teams Confirmed

The scene is set for Counter-Strike 2‘s most anticipated tournament. Having now passed the October 6 VRS deadline, the full 32-team roster of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 has officially been finalized, crowning the conclusion of one of the most thrilling qualification battles in CS2 history.

The $1.25 million competition will take place over three stages between November 24 and December 14, with the star-studded playoffs played at Budapest’s 20,000-seat MVM Dome from December 11-14.

The last few weeks leading up to the deadline became an unprecedented worldwide dash, with squads flying across continents to gain valuable VRS points. Among them were some amazing qualification tales from this frantic finale.

Maybe the most thrilling tale is that of fnatic, who beat seemingly impossible odds. With only a 2.9% qualification opportunity as of September 29, the Swedish squad took a transatlantic shot, flying to Philadelphia for Fragadelphia Blocktober. Their 3-2 win over 9INE in the grand final not only brought them the tournament title but also secured the final European Major invite.

https://twitter.com/StarLadder_CS/status/1921944808911667550

The CIS region also had its own thriller as PARIVISION overpowered BetBoom at the Majestic LanDaLan tournament held in Moscow, winning the remaining available CIS spot on the strength of better play on home turf.

South America’s qualification fight came to a fever pitch at Circuit X South America Season 1 in Curitiba, where RED Canids and Fluxo both posted deep playoff runs to earn their Major debut. These results were the turning point in a region where every VRS point counted.

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Roster Announced

  • Stage 1 – Opening Stage (8 Teams Advance)
    • Sixteen teams compete for eight slots to advance: FaZe Clan, GamerLegion, Ninjas in Pyjamas, B8, PARIVISION, fnatic, Legacy, Imperial Esports, NRG, M80, Fluxo, RED Canids, Lynn Vision, The Huns, FlyQuest, and Rare Atom.
  • Stage 2 – Contenders Stage (8 Teams Advance)
    • Eight teams combine with eight qualifiers from Stage 1: Aurora, Natus Vincere, Astralis, 3DMAX, Team Liquid, MIBR, Passion UA, and TYLOO.
  • Stage 3 – Legends Stage (Direct to Final 8)
    • The top division has eight teams with direct promotion to the final stage: Vitality, Team Spirit, Falcons, MOUZ, G2 Esports, FURIA, paiN Gaming, and The MongolZ.

The final list boasts strong stories across the board. Three teams make their Major debuts: RED Canids, PARIVISION, and The Huns, the new faces in Counter-Strike.

At the same time, legendary teams achieve their projected returns. Ninjas in Pyjamas and Astralis return to the grandest stage after long hiatuses, bringing star power to an already crowded fray.

The qualification process has provided enormous regional representation, with Europe securing 13 slots, the Americas picking up 10, and the Asia-Pacific region receiving 9. This breakdown demonstrates Counter-Strike 2’s genuinely global competitive scene.

The Major uses Swiss system formatting for Stages 1 and 2, with best-of-one matches until elimination, with advanced games turning to best-of-three. Stage 3 and playoffs use only best-of-three matches, ending with the championship final.

The $1.25 million prize pool pays out $500,000 to the winner, with deep payouts spread throughout the field to ensure a good reward for all qualifying teams.

4 Japanese and 4 Korean Teams Qualified for BMIC 2025

The competitive stage for the BGMI International Cup 2025 (BMIC 2025) just became clearer, with all four South Korean and four Japanese teams clinching their spots through fierce regional battles. With the conclusion of their respective seeding tournaments, these eight squads are set to bring international firepower to the much-anticipated event, while eight Indian teams will soon follow through qualification from the BGMI Showdown (BMSD) 2025.

South Korean Team in BMIC 2025

Representing Korea at BMIC 2025 are four of the nation’s top teams, each securing their slots through the Pro Series Korea:

  • Dplus
  • Nongshim Redforce
  • Jecheon Phalanx
  • DRX

These teams have consistently performed at the highest level in the Korean circuit. Notably, Dplus and Nongshim Redforce have previously competed in India in the BGMI India-Korea Invitational back in 2023. On the other hand, Jecheon Phalanx and DRX will first time compete in India.

Japanese Team in BMIC 2025

Japan’s lineup is equally stacked, with four squads earning their place from the Japan League:

  • REJECT
  • REIGNITE
  • MAKING THE ROAD
  • CAG OSAKA

Unlike South Korean teams, Japanese teams have not competed in any BGMI tournament in India. This time, it will be first time that Japanese teams will face off against Indian teams.

Watch the following video to understand seedings from BMSD 2025 and BMIC 2025 to PMGC 2025.

With the eight Korean and Japanese squads confirmed, attention now shifts to India, where the upcoming BGMI Showdown 2025 (BMSD 2025) will decide the remaining eight slots. The stakes have never been higher for Indian teams, as BMIC 2025 will seed two teams directly into the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2025, granting the winner a spot in the PMGC Gauntlet and the runner-up a place in the World Group Stage.

BMIC 2025 promises one of the best BGMI competition India has ever seen as the top representatives from three nations will lock horns against each other. Prior to this, we got to witness the India-Korea Invitational back, but this time, there’s one more nation contending in the tournament. Who will triumph? Only time will tell!

Falcons Destroys Astralis in EPL Season 22

Coming off the back of a disastrous exit from Fissure, Falcons kicks off their ESL Pro League Season 22 campaign with a convincing win over Astralis. Total domination and display of confidence across both maps from the Falcons and their individuals closed the doors for an upset by the Danes.

VETO

  • Astralis removed Train
  • Falcons removed Overpass
  • Astralis picked Inferno
  • Falcons picked Mirage
  • Astralis removed Dust2
  • Falcons removed Nuke
  • Ancient was left over

Map 1: Inferno; Pick: Astralis; Winner: Falcons

Starting on the defence, the Falcons went 3-0 up before the Danes hit the board. The first round pulled in by Astralis saw them pull in 7 rounds in a row before Falcons desperately pulled in the final two rounds to close the half with a 7-5 scoreline. The 7 rounds for Astralis saw a change later in the second half, but not before Falcons pulled in 6 rounds in a row to take the lead. Astralis won one more round as the first map of the series concluded with a 13-8 scoreline. It was an unlucky day for Astralis to face m0NESY and NiKo, who were firing on all cylinders and did most of the heavy lifting.

Map 2: Mirage; Pick: Falcons; Winner: Falcons

A 2-0 start for Astralis saw them win back-to-back pistol rounds, but to no one’s surprise, Falcons took the momentum back. Back and forth between the two teams for the rest of the half saw the scoreline levelled before switching sides. Falcons left no room for error in the second half as a picture-perfect defence laid out by the multi-national roster stopped any hopes for a 3rd map by Astralis. 13-6 scoreline saw Falcons win their opening round of the ESL Pro League with a convincing scoreline. NiKo dropping 2.19 IR on Mirage brings hopes for Falcons, but lately, it has been a rare sight.

The addition of Magisk did not give them a honeymoon start as many predicted, but it goes without saying that they will improve with time, and to face a team of superstars like the Falcons on their debut is not the perfect situation to ease into a roster. EPL will have more chances if Astralis can take them, but something tells us there is more to them than what we say today.

FaZe Forfeits ESL Pro League Opening Match Against G2

FaZe Clan has unexpectedly forfeited its opening match in the ESL Pro League Season 22 Stage 2 against G2 Esports.

The news was confirmed by the official ESL X handle just a few hours prior to the scheduled start of the match, catching Counter-Strike fans throughout the world off guard.

At the time of writing, neither FaZe nor ESL has issued an official statement explaining the reason behind the team’s decision to forfeit the match.

As per an HLTV report, this decision may have been the result of a disagreement between FaZe and ESL over the lineup that the team was eligible to use for the tournament.

For the uninitiated, ESL’s General Rules and Roster Restrictions rulebooks require teams to retain a minimum of three out of five players from the roster listed in the invitation ranking. The lineup that FaZe was intending to use at the event only included two of the five players from the July 7 Valve Regional Standings, which served as the basis for tournament invites.

FaZe’s originally submitted roster featured Håvard “⁠rain⁠” Nygaard, thereby meeting the majority requirement. The rule was subsequently violated when he was replaced by Russel “⁠Twistzz⁠” Van Dulken, who was listed as a substitute.

The FaZe vs G2 match was replaced by FURIA vs 3DMAX, which fans can watch live on ESL’s official Twitch channel.