All games have a unique aspect about them that separates them from competition. Even if you like the same type of games, members of that genre will play differently than each other. Genres help gamers categorize their favorite games, which becomes useful whenever they’re in search for a new title to play. Though the number of gaming genres is relatively high, a select few dominate the market. First-person-shooters (FPS) and multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) are two of the most popular genres when it comes to competitive gaming.

The first new gun added to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the MAC-10, is still one of its best options in the submachine gun class. The season one SMG is devastating at close range, but its wild recoil makes it a difficult choice at anything longer than that. But make no mistake, for smaller maps, this thing is dominant. The MAC-10 is a decent choice for run-and-gun classes, but it seems like no matter what attachment you use to help rein in its recoil, it will always kick like a wild mule.

If you have spent any amount of time playing competitive online multiplayer games, you have probably heard the term Matchmaking Rating, commonly abbreviated as MMR. This is a discrete number used to determine your in-game skill level for the purpose of placing you against opponents of a roughly equal skill level. In short, your MMR goes up when you win and goes down when you lose. In competitive modes, the different MMR levels are typically denoted with specific ranks.

It’s hard to believe that Apex Legends is three years old. In those three years, players have been treated to a variety of modes that stretched the core tenants of battle royale in new and interesting ways, from the ring flares of the Chaos Theory event to the self-heal zones of Flashpoint during the Aftermarket event (which is making a return in the upcoming Unshackled event). One limited-time mode that players have consistently asked to see again is Solos.

Amazon’s fantasy-based MMO New World has many elements that liken it to other games in the genre like World of Warcraft, but the way you repair items in the game is unique. Just like in any other MMO, anytime you use an item, its durability is reduced. After using a weapon for an extended period of time, you’ll have to repair it. Unlike other MMOs where repairing an item might require you to interact with a specific NPC, however, New World allows players to repair their items without needing to go back into town.

In the digital age, we’re constantly being bombarded by screens emitting unnatural light from our phones, computers, tablets, and the like. The potential dangers of blue light are out there and continuing to evolve. Although the science behind how much blue light affects us is still being realized, short-term effects include headaches, dizziness, and fatigue that many of us know all too well. So, it’s advised to take frequent breaks from your screen throughout the day.

Ashe was one of the first champions to make it onto Summoner’s Rift, being released as early as 2009 with the first version of League of Legends. Since then, the game has seen a lot of changes, and so has the Frost Archer. Ashe’s kit today is quite different from the one she had during the first years of the game. Yet her core aspects, like her global, stunning ultimate, remain unchanged.

Stick drift is something nearly every gamer has had to deal with at some point. Whether it’s the Joy-Con drift or Xbox One drift, the issue can easily hamper any given gameplay experience and render your games unplayable. Sony’s PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller is no exception to the stick drift issue that plagues modern gaming. Luckily, not all hope is lost. Sometimes foreign debris and buildup can gunk up a stick, causing it to drift.

Elden Ring is the most ambitious FromSoftware title to date, with the creators having dropped their linear, interconnected map layouts in favor of a more open world. Due to this, many players not familiar with huge maps may end up missing a lot of content more careful players who enjoy exploring may end up finding. One such thing introduced in this game was the addition of vertical layers to ground areas.

A few years ago, there was no question that wired mice were better than wireless mice for gaming. High latency and other connectivity issues plagued wireless mice. Older wireless options couldn’t keep up with the direct data transfer offered by wired mice. Gaming peripheral companies have made wireless technology advancements to level the playing field between wireless and wired gaming mice. Thanks to companies like Logitech, most wireless mice can compete with their wired predecessors regarding speed and performance.