When most people think of investing, they picture crypto charts, stock tickers, and ETFs. But in recent years, another digital asset has quietly built its own form of economy — CS2 skins. While Bitcoin dominated headlines, some Counter-Strike 2 skins have seen gains that rival or even surpass early crypto runs.
So the question is simple: Which performed better over the last five years — Bitcoin or CS2 skins?
Let’s break it down with real data, price trends, and what makes these two types of digital assets so unique.
Understanding Both Markets
Before comparing, we need to understand what drives each market.
Bitcoin
Launched: 2009
Nature: Decentralized digital currency
Driver: Global demand, scarcity (21 million cap), institutional adoption
CS2 Skins
Launched: Skins introduced in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2013), continued in CS2 (2023)
Nature: In-game cosmetic items
Driver: Rarity, demand from players, limited supply, and collector psychology
Unlike crypto, skins exist within Valve’s closed ecosystem — mainly traded through the Steam Marketplace or third-party sites like cs2skinsmarket.gg.
Price Performance (2019-2024)
To compare fairly, we’ll look at Bitcoin’s price history and the average price growth of iconic CS2 skins during the same five-year window.
Asset
2019 Avg. Price
2024 Avg. Price
% Growth (Approx.)
Bitcoin (BTC)
$7,200
$63,000
775%
**AWP
Dragon Lore (Factory New)**
$1,500
$12,000
**Karambit
Case Hardened (Blue Gem)**
$5,000
$35,000
**M4A4
Howl (Factory New)**
$1,000
$6,000
**AK-47
Fire Serpent (Factory New)**
$800
$5,000
Average of Top CS2 Skins
—
—
581%
Bitcoin slightly outperformed the average top CS2 skins in pure percentage growth.
However, individual skins like rare Karambit patterns or Souvenir Dragon Lores sometimes matched Bitcoin’s performance — and in rare cases, exceeded it.
Volatility and Liquidity
Both assets are known for sharp swings, but the way they fluctuate differs.
Bitcoin Volatility
High liquidity across global exchanges.
Prices react instantly to macroeconomic news.
Easy entry and exit for investors.
CS2 Skin Volatility
Prices move slower — driven by player trends, updates, and Valve’s case rotations.
Liquidity depends on demand for specific skins and float values.
Heavily affected by Steam Market fees (15%) and trade-lock periods.
Example:
When Valve removed CS:GO cases after the CS2 launch in 2023, discontinued items spiked up to 40-60% overnight, showing how sudden scarcity can drive value — similar to Bitcoin’s halving cycles.
What Drives Value in Each Market
Bitcoin
Limited supply (21 million coins)
Institutional buying (e.g., ETFs, corporations)
Increasing real-world acceptance
CS2 Skins
Rarity tiers (Consumer → Covert → Contraband)
Pattern and float value differences
Influence from pro players and streamers
Event drops (Major souvenirs, discontinued cases)
A good way to think of skins is as collectibles with utility — they’re usable, visible, and tradeable.
As one skin collector said:
“I don’t just buy pixels; I buy status. Every rare skin is a piece of Counter-Strike history.”
This mix of utility and emotional attachment is something crypto lacks, making skins a more community-driven asset class.
Comparing Investment Risks
Both Bitcoin and CS2 skins come with their own risks — but of very different kinds.
Bitcoin Risks
Regulatory crackdowns
Exchange hacks
High correlation with global markets
CS2 Skin Risks
Valve policy changes (trade locks, bans)
Market scams and phishing
Illiquid high-tier items
Platform restrictions (Steam balance cannot be cashed out directly)
However, the rise of third-party marketplaces improved liquidity, pricing transparency, and user safety — helping skins evolve into a real secondary market.
Why CS2 Skins Can Compete With Bitcoin
Even though Bitcoin is a trillion-dollar asset, CS2 skins have unique advantages that keep them competitive:
Built-in demand: Every CS2 player wants to personalize their game.
Scarcity is visible: You can see rarity — float values, patterns, and wear levels.
Cultural backing: Skins are tied to esports, influencers, and gaming identity.
Low entry cost: You can start with $5 instead of thousands.
Supply mechanics: Once Valve discontinues a case, its contents become long-term collectibles.
This makes skins more accessible and emotional than Bitcoin — appealing to both investors and casual players.
Real-World Examples of CS2 Skin Growth
Let’s look at a few real numbers:
AWP | Dragon Lore (Souvenir): Sold for over $250,000 in 2023.
Karambit | Case Hardened (Blue Gem 661): Hit $400,000 valuation offers.
Sticker | Titan (Holo) | Katowice 2014: Rose from $50 in 2016 to $35,000 in 2024.
These examples show that the ultra-rare tier of skins behaves more like fine art than normal game items — slow supply, collector exclusivity, and emotional premium.
The Bitcoin Advantage
Bitcoin, on the other hand, has global reach, deep liquidity, and institutional validation.
Unlike CS2 skins, it’s fungible — every Bitcoin is the same, which makes trading easier.
It also benefits from growing acceptance:
Bitcoin ETFs launched in 2024.
Payment processors and major retailers began accepting it.
Nations like El Salvador adopted it as legal tender.
That said, Bitcoin’s volatility remains its biggest challenge. Between 2021 and 2023, it fell from $67,000 to $16,000 before rebounding again — a drop that would terrify any CS2 investor.
Final Comparison
Factor
Bitcoin
CS2 Skins
Liquidity
Very High
Moderate
Volatility
Extreme
Medium
Accessibility
Easy (anyone can buy)
Requires Steam / third-party market
Emotional Value
Low
High
Regulation
Increasing
Minimal (game ecosystem)
ROI (2019-2024)
~775%
~581% (avg.)
Community Culture
Financial / Tech
Gaming / Esports
So… Which Is Better?
If you want scalable, globally recognized digital investment, Bitcoin is still the clear winner in liquidity and infrastructure.
But if you want a community-driven collectible economy with tangible enjoyment and emotional satisfaction, CS2 skins have their own edge.
In many ways, they’re two sides of the same coin:
Bitcoin = decentralized money
CS2 skins = decentralized collectibles
Both rely on digital scarcity — but CS2 skins add something Bitcoin can’t: a culture and a visual story.
Is CS2 Skin Buying Gambling?
Many newcomers confuse CS2 skin investing with CS2 gambling, but they’re not the same thing.
When you buy a CS2 skin, you’re purchasing a digital collectible — similar to trading cards or artwork. You own it, can trade it, and its value depends on rarity, demand, and market trends. There’s no random chance involved once you buy a specific item.
However, gambling starts when chance enters the equation — for example, when you open a case or use skins to wager on external games of luck.
The Key Difference:
Investing in skins: You choose what to buy or sell. It’s about market timing, rarity, and community value.
Gambling with skins: You stake your items or funds on chance-based games hoping for a bigger return.
That’s where CS2 gambling sites come in — completely separate from investing.
On these platforms, players can use skins or coins to play casino-style games like:
CS2Plinko
CS2 Crash
CS2 Blackjack
CS2 Roulette
If you want to explore this side of gaming responsibly, sites like cs2-gambling.gg list and compare trusted CS2 gambling platforms, showing which ones are most reputable and what games they offer.
Still, remember — investing is about analysis and patience, while gambling is about luck and entertainment. Both can involve CS2 skins, but the mindset and risk are completely different.
Final Thoughts
Five years ago, nobody would’ve guessed that gaming cosmetics could rival crypto’s returns. Yet here we are — with skins selling for house-level prices and traders flipping items like stocks.
For long-term investors, diversification across both assets might be the smartest play. Bitcoin offers the scale; skins offer the soul.
And as gaming and digital ownership continue to blend, the CS2 skins market may one day be mentioned in the same breath as early crypto success stories.
Writing a dissertation is among the biggest academic hurdles that require extensive research, organised analysis, and academic accuracy. Students across the United Kingdom struggle to balance strict deadlines and complex university requirements. That’s the reason dissertation writing services have become a lifeline.
Experts provide professional guidance as well as plagiarism-free dissertations tailored to UK students’ needs. However, with a multitude of online dissertation writing platforms and numerous options, how can you find one that writes a premium-quality thesis at affordable prices?
In this guide, we review the top 3 reliable dissertation writing firms in the UK. We have analysed their writers’ qualifications, pricing structure and support quality to help you make a student-friendly choice in 2025-26.
What Does This Article Cover?
Before you dive into the in-depth reviews, let’s take a look at what you will discover here.
What makes these dissertation help services stand out in the crowd of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD degree students?
The writer’s qualifications, pricing, and customer support are compared.
What to expect from features like plagiarism-free writing, editing and proofreading, and urgent dissertation help.
The reasons why students from all over the UK depend on these 3 companies for their dissertation chapters, formatting and guidelines for research.
What Defines a Premium Yet Affordable Dissertation Writing Service
The choice of the best dissertation writing service could make the difference between average outcomes and academic achievement. But what exactly makes a dissertation help provider both premium and affordable, especially in the UK market?
Many students seek AI-free writing when they hire an online dissertation writing service to ensure authenticity and originality.
These are the key elements that distinguish reputable dissertation writing firms from other mediocre companies:
Qualified and Experienced Writers
An exceptional premium dissertation writing service starts with its writers. The best firms employ PhD-qualified dissertation specialists from well-known UK universities, such as the University of Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, and King’s College London. These writers are aware of the depth of research and the discipline-specific methods.
Undoubtedly, they make them ideal for UK students who need someone to “write my dissertation” according to strict academic standards.
Expert dissertation helpers are trained to:
Handle the quantitative and qualitative research with accuracy.
Write on a variety of subjects, including nursing, law, psychology, medicine, and business.
Follow any required format, such as APA, MLA, Harvard and Chicago.
They provide personalised dissertation writing assistance which is in line with your objectives and research style.
100% Plagiarism-Free Dissertations
The quality of the academic work is non-negotiable. Premium dissertation writing service guarantees the highest quality papers that are free of plagiarism and supported by advanced Turnitin reports.
Every single section, from the introduction to the literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion chapters, is written entirely from scratch. Furthermore, they always ensure that your dissertation can pass the university’s plagiarism tests without being caught.
Many thesis writing services in London also provide free editing and proofreading when you buy dissertation online. It enhances the final version when you present your project.
Transparent, Student-Friendly Pricing
The cost of a service should not devalue quality. The best dissertation providers offer transparent prices and never charge hidden fees. They also provide:
Special bundles with discounts for dissertations that include all the content.
Flexible instalment options for longer projects.
The combination of top quality with reasonable prices allows them to be affordable for foreign and local students.
Reliable Support and Confidentiality
A top-rated dissertation writing website will always put trust in the hands of its customers. Secure payment methods, secure data management, and 24/7 live chat service ensure security throughout the entire process.
Top 3 Trusted Dissertation Writing Services in the UK
There are many dissertation help platforms that promise high academic standards. However, it may be challenging to identify the first-class dissertation writing services in the United Kingdom.
Based on extensive research and an in-depth review of 27 dissertation writing services, we have shortlisted the 3 most trusted dissertation writing firms. They consistently produce outstanding results in various academic fields
Here’s a quick look before we dive deeper:
The Academic Papers UK – Overall best UK-based dissertation writing service with 98% PhD-qualified writers.
Cheap Essay Writing UK – Best to get editing, proofreading and help with your dissertation topic
The Academic Papers UK
In the field of dissertation writing services, The Academic Papers UK is regarded as the most reliable among the best dissertation writing services in London, Birmingham, and throughout the UK. This platform is now the preferred choice of students who require assistance with writing their dissertations with PhD experts from various disciplines.
Writer Qualifications and Academic Expertise
The Academic Papers UK has a carefully selected group of dissertation writers, among them 98% hold doctoral degrees with publication experience. Their knowledge of supervising postgraduate research ensures that each dissertation conforms to UK University guidelines.
Students get assistance in quantitative and qualitative analysis, survey design, as well as dissertation defence and dissertation preparation. The writers they employ specialise in a vast spectrum of topics, such as legal, business, nursing, psychology and education.
Pricing and Affordability
Although The Academic Papers UK continues to be the top dissertation writing firm. Its student-friendly pricing policies and flexible plans make it a possible option.
Pricing starts at £13.95 per page for an undergraduate-level dissertation with a timeframe of 15 days. Pricing varies based on the difficulty level and the urgency of the project. Students also get special discounts as well as free initial consultations. This combination of affordable prices and academic accuracy is what makes The Academic Papers UK an excellent choice for international students.
Why Students Prefer The Academic Papers UK
The Academic Papers UK is different from other reliable dissertation-writing companies within the UK, because they provide:
Original content that is free of plagiarism
Doctoral dissertation writers
Dissertation formatting, and citation help (APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago)
Topic suggestions are free, and you can get an initial discussion
Rapid turnaround time to urgently complete dissertations
High-quality reputation and customer satisfaction
Dissertation defence preparation services
Customer Experience and Student Feedback
Student reviews often describe The Academic Papers UK as a responsive, reliable, and professional dissertation service. A majority of them mention that the dissertation helpers were given the freedom to go beyond the writing process to provide genuine dissertation writing help online.
The clients appreciate the speedy delivery, free revisions, and a clear communication process, which makes this company one of the most trusted dissertation writing firms across the UK.
Verdict
All in all, The Academic Papers UK is still a top dissertation writing website. It is best suited for all academic levels, including PhD, Master’s, or undergraduate students who appreciate research-driven quality, security, privacy, and academic assistance.
Affordable Dissertation UK
Affordable Dissertation UK has been recognised as the top dissertation writing firm. They are known for their commitment to punctual service and academic accuracy. Affordable Dissertation UK offers customised support to students in need of dissertation assistance at affordable prices.
Writer Qualifications and Academic Expertise
Affordable Dissertation UK’s team of writers includes 780+ qualified postgraduate and doctoral dissertation writers who know the requirements and structure of UK universities. Every dissertation writer is skilled in managing technical research-based projects and provides expert knowledge.
They help students across multiple disciplines, including business, education, nursing and social sciences. Additionally, their writers support students with the complex interpretation of data and survey-based dissertation projects.
Pricing and Affordability
Like the name implies, Affordable Dissertation UK is based on the idea of providing top-quality, yet affordable dissertation help. Pricing starts at £12.95 per page for a master’s level dissertation with a timeline of 15+ days. They also provide flexibility in instalment plans, as well as special discounts for repeat customers
Affordable Dissertation UK is a favourite among UK students due to its ability to balance quality of education and affordability
Why Students Prefer Affordable Dissertation UK
These are some of the most compelling justifications why students choose this company as one of the best dissertation writing websites:
Affordable Dissertation UK gets 10/10 for its quick communication, flexibility, and consistent standards for delivery. The majority of students say that their native UK thesis writers are highly professional, even when deadlines are tight, and the customer support is attentive
Verdict
In the end, Affordable Dissertation UK is recommended for last-minute dissertation help at cheap prices.
With its combination of professional writers, transparent pricing, and a reliable turnaround time, they truly deliver value-driven dissertation assistance for all kinds of students.
Cheap Essay Writing UK
Cheap Essay Writing UK has established a solid reputation for providing high-quality editing and proofreading, as well as dissertation writing services. They have specialists in their team for improving the quality of dissertations already written.
This dissertation help service provides editing revisions, proofreading, formatting, as well as citation assistance that is in line with the most rigorous academic requirements.
Writer Qualifications and Academic Expertise
Cheap Essay Writing UK’s team consists of expert dissertation writers and editors based in the UK. They have practical expertise in research supervision and peer-reviewed publications. Each dissertation editor dedicates a lot of attention to improving the structure, coherence, grammar and references
Their experts cover many fields, offering specific dissertation assistance that spans psychology, law, business administration, health, educational sciences and social sciences.
Pricing and Affordability
The pricing structure at Cheap Essay Writing UK is absolutely clear, flexible and adapted to the needs of students. The pricing starts at £12.95 for undergraduate to PhD level dissertation editing per page in a timeline of 15+ days. They offer affordable services for proofreading and editing, and discounts on dissertation services, such as chapter rewriting and formatting support
Why Students Prefer Cheap Essay Writing UK
Students frequently hire dissertation writers from Cheap Essay Writing UK because of its high-quality assurance as well as precise editing. The top reasons are:
Specialised dissertation editing and proofreading services
Help with formatting your dissertation and citation
Clarity improvement without affecting their meaning
Assistance for all academic levels, from undergraduate to PhD students
Urgent dissertation writing services
Subject-specific dissertation writing help
Complete confidentiality and safe handling of personal data
Individualised feedback and suggestions for improvement
Unlimited revisions without any extra costs
Got you covered until your dissertation is submitted
Post-submission dissertation help to integrate the supervisor’s feedback
Customer Experience and Student Feedback
Many of the student reviews highlight the attention to detail of Cheap Essay Writing UK and its professional dissertation writing and editing.
Students also appreciate the quick service provided to them, including immediate updates as well as revision tracking, which are crucial elements.
Verdict
Cheap Essay Writing UK is the perfect option for students who need help with professional editing, proofreading or formatting. Indeed, It is one of the most trustworthy dissertation editing companies in the UK because it offers low prices, accurate work, and quick service.
Evaluation Criteria
The Academic Papers UK (TAP)
Affordable Dissertation UK (AFD)
Cheap Essay Writing UK (CEW)
Primary Focus
All-levels dissertation writing & in-depth research
Affordable dissertations & urgent help
Dissertation editing, proofreading & formatting
Writer Qualification Level
PhD-qualified UK-based experts
Postgraduate & PhD-level writers
UK-based editors with doctoral or master’s degrees
Writing Approach
Research-driven, data-focused, and fully customised
Practical, business-oriented, and deadline-conscious
Refinement-focused with editorial accuracy
Best Suited For
PhD & Master’s students requiring scholarly detail
Undergraduate and international students
Students needing proofreading or polishing help
Academic Accuracy
Exceptional, aligns with UK university guidelines
High, clear structure & correct referencing
Excellent, enhances clarity and academic tone
Citation & Formatting Expertise
APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago (expert level)
APA, Harvard, MLA (advanced)
Formatting perfection for all major styles
Customer Interaction
Direct writer contact & project monitoring
Live chat & WhatsApp availability
Email and chat-based editor communication
Revision Policy
Unlimited revisions for
Free revisions until satisfaction
Free rechecking after editing completion
Unique Strength
Ideal for PhD-level research and academic consultancy
Excellent balance of affordability and quality
Best for editing, structure, and grammar improvement
Conclusion
Finding the best dissertation writing services in the UK is all about reliability, academic proficiency, as well as long-term assistance. No matter if you are writing your dissertation, conducting doctoral-level research, or simply require help with your dissertation, the best platform will make your worries a satisfaction.
The Academic Papers UK is a top academic resource for undergraduate, master’s, and PhD dissertations. Affordable Dissertation UK provides affordable, high-quality work with fast turnaround times. Cheap Essay Writing UK provides expert editing, proofreading and formatting assistance.
Whichever you choose, these reliable dissertation writing services will make sure that your dissertation is up to the standard of the university. They remain among the safest and most efficient dissertation help options on the internet for local and international students.
FAQs
1. Can I hire someone to write only specific chapters of my dissertation?
Professional writing services for custom dissertations, as mentioned in this article, allow students to purchase specific chapters. This will enable you to stay active in your work and receive support from experts when and where needed
2. Do dissertation writing services assist with data analysis and surveys?
Absolutely. The Academic Papers UK offer support with both qualitative and quantitative analysis of data, such as SPSS, NVivo, and survey questionnaires. They will ensure that the research results are academically and statistically legitimate
3. Do dissertation services help with viva or defence preparation?
The Academic Papers UK provides dissertation defence preparation, including the creation of your presentation. They also offer Q&A coaching, as well as feedback reviews for you to increase your confidence in the live viva.
4. Can international students safely buy dissertation help online?
Definitely, assistance with completing dissertations for international students is available in a wide range at Affordable Dissertation UK. They offer secure payment options and the safe handling of personal information. The services are accessible worldwide without risking the academic quality.
World of Warcraft has just launched Legion Remix: Skies of Fire. It is the first content update for the time-limited seasonal event. It reimagines the iconic Legion expansion. At the same time, this adds new challenges, simplified leveling, and many rewards. It also offers a wild, fast-paced, fun experience for all players.
Legion Remix: Features and Story
According to Blizzard Entertainment, Legion Remix lets players replay the Legion expansion with a twist. Specifically, fans can make a Timerunner character from one of the 12 original classes. This time around, they can level faster from 10 to 80.
In the same way, every feature in the original Legion content is present. These include all dungeons, five raids, and Artifact quests. Players can also find Class Order Hall campaigns, Invasion Points, and many more.
As for the story, Remix picks up on Mists of Pandaria. It follows Eternus — a dragon from the infinite dragonflight. Now, she is trying to dig into the past. With the heated Worldsoul Saga, Eternus wants to know what caused the current events. More clearly, she needs to understand what saved Azeroth from the Legion.
New Gameplay and Rewards
Based on the official announcement, Skies of Fire has new gameplay systems. All of these additions enhance strategy and customization:
Remixed Artifact Weapons
Heroic World Tier
Timewarped Obelisks
Timeworn Keystone Dungeons
Infinite Research
Similarly, Legion Remix delivers a variety of rewards. Players can earn different cosmetics and new player titles. At the same time, the update brings five new character slots. Plus, there is a character conversion feature.
Availability and Accessibility
World of Warcraft Legion Remix: Skies of Fire is now live in the game.
What makes things sweeter is that players can access the new content without buying an expansion. All it requires is a World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. On top of that, trial accounts will also be able to experience the adventure through the Broken Isles. But level 20 is the highest status free players can get to. They will need to get a subscription to continue beyond the level.
Looking Ahead
Fans of the popular massively multiplayer online RPG can expect new Legion content every two weeks. Particularly, each drop adds fresh offerings. In particular, players will soon find the following content:
Rise of the Nightfallen – October 21
Legionfall – November 4
Argus Eternal – November 18
Infinite Echoes – December 9
With all that is coming to the game, World of Warcraft is likely to end the year strong.
Diablo IV has finally launched its first update for season 10. This comes after its release on September 23. While the patch is relatively smaller than the previous one, it does add notable changes. This update adds tweaks within the Vessel of Hatred system and base game content. In particular, version 2.4.1 brings balance refinements, gameplay improvements, and bug fixes.
Vessel of Hatred: Season of Infernal Chaos
Based on the official patch notes, there is an adjustment in the Vessel of Hatred expansion pack of Diablo IV. The update boosts the power of key Chaos mechanics. Specifically, this applies to the Chaos Power of the Convocation of Spirits. Its bonus damage doubled. From 100% to 200%, it is now 200% to 400%. This makes the ability more effective.
As part of the latest patch, several bug fixes also target the seasonal system. The Yul Rune now correctly triggers from Basic Skills. Before, it was not working properly when using Unstable Power Chaos Perk. Also, the Xan Rune has been corrected. It no longer loses its effect to non-Cast skills. In the same way, the update fixed a display bug affecting Chaos Armor Heshe e Kesungi. It previously showed an extra Greater Affix that did not exist.
Base Game: Season of Infernal Chaos
According to Blizzard Entertainment, Patch 2.4.1 also makes adjustments in the base game content. One of the significant changes is the redesign of A Beast Cornered Chaos Power. At the same time, many class-specific powers were enhanced. From boosts to buffs, Rogues and Barbarians received multiple improvements on abilities.
Aside from these, the post-launch update adds gameplay enhancements. The Rogue class received an increase in damage rate for every second Reload Skill. Likewise, Sorcerers now have higher Crackling Energy retention. Infernal Hordes also improved. The range of Soulspires rises, and monsters attack players more often. On top of that, there are more enemy ambushes. It comes from the Ambushing Hellborne Infernal Offer.
The base game also has a long list of bug fixes. These changes involve classes, quests, and UI. For instance, there is a fix for Druid’s Aspect of Wildrage and many more. Other tweaks include better progression in quests. The developers also addressed UI issues, such as missing fog walls. Rounding out the patch are various visual, performance, and stability improvements. All of these ensure a smoother overall gaming experience.
Availability
Diablo IV post-launch update is now live. It is available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. For the full patch notes, visit Blizzard Entertainment news.
Lia Kohl has announced a new album, Various Small Whistles and a Song, which will be released on November 14 via Dauw. To mark the announcement, the composer and sound artist has a shared a three-song suite: ‘Penny Whistle Seller, Guangzhou’, ‘Home, Los Angeles’ featuring claire rousay, and ‘My Kitchen, Chicago’. Take a listen below.
Responding to Ed Ruscha’s 1964 photographic artist book Various Small Fires and Milk, the album mirrors the book’s structure – 15 images of fire and one of a glass of milk – by reshaping 15 recordings of whistles and one of a song into micro-compositions. “I’ve always been captivated by whistling—it’s musical but often a bit unconscious; usually solo but often done in public places,” Kohl reflected. “There’s something tender and human about hearing someone whistle, a socially acceptable version of hearing their mind wander.” It also features contributions from Macie Stewart, Patrick Shiroishi, and more.
1. Voting Line, Downtown Chicago
2. Penny Whistle Seller, Guangzhou
3. Sullivan’s Island Beach, Charleston
4. Basketball Court [feat. Macie Stewart]
5. Walking Home, Los Angeles [feat. Patrick Shiroishi]
6. My Kitchen, Chicago
7. Outside, Arrington [feat. Colin Held]
8. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Illinois (feat. Corey Smith, Ellie Mejía, and Anna Fox)
9. Train, Antwerp to Amsterdam
10. Belzec Extermination Camp [feat. Jesse Perlstein]
11. Home, Los Angeles [feat. claire rousay]
12. Amtrak, Hudson Valley
13. Home, Portland [feat. Steve Rosborough]
14. Walking Home, Chicago
15. Antwerp Central Train Station, Antwerp
16. Barcelona (6:13 am, January 1st)
Blondshell has announced Another Picture, an expanded and reimagined version of her 2025 album If You Asked for a Picture, arriving November 14. It features covers by Conor Oberst, Samia, and Folk Bitch Trio, as well as two album tracks with new features from John Glacier and Gigi Perez. Listen to a stripped-back version of ‘Arms’, featuring Perez, below.
“Every single artist on the project is someone whose music I’m genuinely a massive fan of so I feel so excited and grateful,” Blondshell explained in a press release. “I have loved Gigi’s music for years so it’s so special to get to do ‘Arms’ with her. John Glacier had one of my favorite records of the year, same with Folk Bitch Trio, Samia, and Conor’s record last year with Bright Eyes. I’m blown away by their interpretations of these songs.”
Another Picture Cover Artwork:
Another Picture Tracklist:
Berlin TV Tower
T&A [feat. John Glacier]
23’s A Baby’ – cover by Samia
Arms [feat. Gigi Perez]
Change – cover by Folk Bitch Trio
Event Of A Fire – cover by Conor Oberst
Thumbtack (Live from Vevo)”
Hannah Frances is a Vermont-based vocalist, songwriter, and dancer with roots from Chicago. Her fusion of avant-folk, progressive rock, and jazz can be traced all the way back to 2018’s White Buffalo, which was followed by 2020’s The Horses and 2021’s Bedrock. Earlier this year, following the breakthrough success of her 2024’s Keeper of the Sheperd, Frances announced her signing to Fire Talk and released a deluxe edition of the album. Her fifth LP, Nested in Tangles, out Friday, is another dazzling invitation into her deeply interconnected world. Continuing her collaboration co-producer Kevin Copeland, Frances expands the earthy intricacies of her last album by leaning into graceful, winding maximalism, with contributions from Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen, Sarah and Andy Clausen, Hunter Diamond, Scott Daniel, and Chet Zenor. If Keeper of the Sheperd was a solemn excavation of grief, familial dysfunction, and a turbulent upbringing, Nested in Tangles spirals outward instead of burrowing further in, creating a lush environment through which past and present selves can move and change shape. Gnarled, playful, and ultimately therapeutic, it knows when to breathe fire and softly exhale, nestle and branch out. “Recollections move through in sudden shifting shapes,” she intones on the final track, “I release into the unburdening.”
We caught up with Hannah Frances for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about the vision behind Nested in Tangles, experimenting with guitar tunings, forgiveness, and more.
Keeper of the Shepherd had one of my favorite album covers of last year, and you kindly shared some words about it for our feature. You talked about the idea of “prayerful self-burial,” which helped me contextualize and visualize the new record; instead of digging deep in that way, it seems to scale upward. Given how quickly you started writing this record after finishing the last one, did you feel it growing in a different direction, or with a different set of intentions?
Yeah, it was a year after I finished writing and recording Keeper of the Shepherd that I started this new project. I think the summer after I finished Keeper, I just entered a different musical terrain, and everything was a little bit more whimsical. I was exploring different guitar tunings, because I was teaching a guitar workshop that summer, so I was naturally gravitating towards more experimental, playful guitar parts. It was slower to coalesce: I was going through a lot of emotional stickiness, anxiety, and heaviness, so that was my expression of feeling like I needed to lift myself out of something, whereas I think Keeper of the Shepherd was going into something very deep, really sinking into it. That’s why all that music has a somberness or a density to it that feels very much like being on the ground, in the roots of something, in the dirt and the moss. As this record started to take shape, the visuals I was playing with lyrically – birds, the sun, the sky, the branches, all of it was very different from Keeper of the Shepherd. I think that’s why it started to become clear in my mind that the album cover was definitely going to be trees and tangled branches.
How did you manifest this vision for the cover art?
I have a very visual creative mind – I guess a version of synesthesia. When I’m working on music, I can really see colors and feel it visually. Once I had all the songs and the sequencing, it was just a very natural vision I kept having. I knew I had to find the perfect tree. I was on the hunt for a tree for a good month or so. I was asking all my friends around the country – maybe I was gonna go to the south and find some wild, old live oaks. I ended up going to the West Coast, to California, where I knew there were incredible cypress trees and live oaks. At that time of year, it was April, so the West Coast and the South were the only places that had a lot of life to them, because I live in the Northeast, in Vermont, and everything in April is pretty much still dead. I was like, “I need an album cover pretty soon, so I think I have to go to California to find the perfect trees.” But I always saw red and blue. Obviously, it’s a little on the nose, because I talk about trees and tangled branches. I was like, “There’s no other way I can express this concept.”
I was going to ask about the red, because I was looking at the lyric sheet, and maybe it’s just the doc I got, but certain words were in red, like “punctures,” and I wondered if there was some symbolism to it.
That’s funny, because I think the red is only when we were finalizing the design for the vinyl, some of my original lyrics that my designer had were a little off, and I had to make some edits to that document. The red was basically just so she could see what words needed fixing in her design. But I love that that is still red, because I kind of forgot I did that. It feels appropriate in many ways. I love red, I love the feeling of red. I think it’s just a very powerful and rich color; it makes me feel connected to something very rich and powerful, within myself. That color kept coming to me, this crimson feeling, or a cardinal, a phoenix. I think there’s a part of me that is very fiery that my music taps into and allows me to reclaim.
Another line that’s marked in red is “I believe in the breakage as an opening” on the first song, which is heavily treated vocally. I think having words spoken at the beginning and ending of the record has a grounding effect, especially because there’s a lot more sonic clarity to the final song. I’m curious when that idea of vocal manipulation came about for the opening.
I think it conceptually makes sense to have it be very muffled and manipulated in the beginning, and then at the end, there’s a lightness and a clarity to my voice that feels like I had to go through the journey of the album to get to. But in the studio, we added the spoken word very much last. That was the last thing we did. All the songs were finished, and I had been thinking if I wanted to sing on ‘Nested in Tangles’, to have actual lyrics anywhere, but no parts were coming to me melodically. So we experimented with just speaking. I was like, “What if I just said all of this?” And I loved it, but it’s hard to sometimes listen to yourself talk. I can listen to myself sing – that’s no problem, but it’s the talking that I think can make me feel like, “Who is that?”
When we were listening back to the spoken word, especially in the mixing process, I kept asking him to muffle it and manipulate it even more. Maybe I wasn’t as conscious at the time, but I subconsciously was like, “I don’t think I’m supposed to fully hear everything that I’m saying.” I wanted it to start off and you understand what I’m saying, and then there is a garbledness to it, which I honestly had to work really hard to remember what I was saying. At the end of it, I was like, “I can’t even hear half of the things I’m saying. But that’s the point!” There was something there that I just kept wanting him to mangle it even more, because I wanted to sound like something else. With the energy of ‘Nested in Tangles’, which is so angular and chaotic, having just a clear voice makes no sense. But then by ‘Heavy Light’, there’s a peacefulness to it. By that time in the record, I feel like it makes sense for my voice to be just more peaceful.
When you’re writing melodies, do you tend to have a set of words in front of you, or do the lyrics come later?
I think it depends on the song. I’ve experienced both of those, where I have a poem or lyrics, and as I start to fit them into a melody, I have to then adjust accordingly. I first write on guitar, so usually I have to find my ground with a guitar part, and then usually a vocal melody comes to me. It’s very in response to the guitar part. The way I write lyrics, at first it’s a lot of gibberish, and I’m humming – it’s such a nebulous, mysterious process that I think no one can truly explain, because it feels almost spiritual. With ‘Nested and Tangles’ and ‘Heavy Light’, for a while, no vocal melody was coming to me, which I have to take at face value. If I don’t hear a vocal melody, then there’s not supposed to be one. But there are things I want to say conceptually, poetically, so they became practice in just sitting here with a pen and paper, like, “What do I want to write about this record?”
When you’re coming up with a guitar part, is changing tunings a way of getting unstuck?
Definitely. I know Joni Mitchell has said this before, and I really resonate with it, but she was like, “I like to keep myself uncomfortable. There’s always something that I’m trying to figure out and that I don’t know, and I think tunings really do that, because you just have this fretboard where you put it into a new tuning, and you have no idea how to navigate it, so you have to figure out a whole new puzzle. In exploring a very unfamiliar terrain, it’s amazing how that keeps your mind so stimulated and receptive to new ideas, because you’re not in your own way. I think that people who write in standard tuning or have kind of mastered the guitar theoretically, you can get into patterns or routines in terms of approaching the guitar that can keep you very comfortable and stagnant. I just love that I’m always keeping myself on my own toes. I start a new song, and I’m like, “What a weird tuning,” and I’m tinkering around, just playing with dissonance, playing with new notes that are rubbing up against each other. And then you get something bizarre like ‘Life’s Work’, where it’s a very explorative guitar tuning. ‘Nested in Tangles’ also came from that tuning, and both of those songs kind of blasted open my mind, creatively.
There’s beauty in comfort, too. I would say ‘Steady in the Hand’ is one of those songs on the record where I wanted to make something that was really comfortable to play. It’s a pretty simple guitar part and a very accessible structure. I found a way to fit into this record so that there were comfortable parts of the album for me and for others who are listening. You get to ride the wave of comfortability, and then it’s leaving you a little uncomfortable, challenging you, but then rewarding you for sitting with the discomfort.
Does that experimentalism make it trickier to bring the songs into a collaborative context? Or is it about working with musicians who can tune into them pretty intuitively?
I think it’s the latter. I tend to work with jazz conservatory musicians who just really don’t care about the tuning. That’s not important to them – they can just hear what the chord is and work within that. They know how to transcribe my music in a way that I can’t articulate, because I know it very emotionally. I know it very instinctually, but they know it intellectually, so I let them figure it out, and I work with really heady people who love to do that. I work with people who emotionally resonate with my music. With Daniel Rossen, I told him nothing. I don’t tell my collaborators anything. I don’t send them sheet music, I don’t tell them the key of the song, I’m just like, “Here’s the recorded song. Add whatever you want to add. I’m hearing some strings here, I’m hearing a huge climax, a beautiful growing part at the end, I’m hearing a sax solo here.” That’s usually as much as I give, and I have a lot of trust in the collaborators that I work with to communicate what needs to be communicated.
I feel like part of what they bring throughout the record is a kind of loudness, which has been an interesting thread across your work in terms of how you interact with it. I’m curious what role that maximalism came to serve for you on this record.
Right from the get, I was like, “This is gonna be a more maximalist record.” There’s a lot going on a lot of the time on this record, but you also have moments like ‘Steady in the Hand’ that are more sparse; it’s trying to find the exact parts that are necessary, but not doing anything more than that. Kevin, my co-producer, and I can throw paint at the wall, and then we peel some layers back, and then we’re like, “We don’t need all of that.” But I want to hear the most maximalist version and then take it away from there. That’s usually what I encourage all of the people who arrange for the record: do as much as you want, as much as you have capacity for, give me a bunch of different ideas for solos. Chet, my guitarist, did the big, crazy solo in ‘Heavy Light’, and then also the end solo in ‘Falling From and Further’, which is a medley of two different solo takes. I love maximalism, but I think Kevin and I both know when the song needs less. I think that’s just the art of producing and having a tasteful maximalism.
That’s a fine line that we have tried to balance on this record, and I tried to do that with Keeper of the Shepherd as well. I did get some extra parts from my saxophonist, and he did some clarinet stuff, and then we’re sitting with it all in the studio, and we’re just like, “I don’t think I want any of that. I don’t think it needs that at all.” But I would rather hear it in its fullest form and go from there, as opposed to starting with minimalism, because I’m just not a minimalist in general. I love ornaments, I love a lot going on musically, and that’s a lot of the music I am inspired by and listen to. It’s busy, complex, stimulating music, so I think that a lot of these songs really called for that on this record.
Even though it’s sparser than the rest of the songs, the wind instruments and Kevin’s pedal steel are tastefully incorporated throughout ‘Steady in the Hand’.
That one was difficult, actually. That was the last one we finished mixing because it stands on its own so strongly without anything. We were just like, “Do we even need percussion? Do we need another guitar tinkering in the background?” We did sit with that one quite a bit, because we didn’t want to take away from the story, and we didn’t want to detract from my voice and my lead guitar. So we were really tasteful with what we added, and same with Chet, who did some extra guitar parts. I remember him being like, “I don’t really hear what my role is here, but I just kind of tinkered around.” Me and Kevin spliced that up, and we were like, “We don’t need all of that. Maybe at this one part Chet’s guitar comes in, and it’s really tasteful, and then it goes away.” I think that is Kevin’s specialty. He’s just an incredible producer and has such a confident and fine ear for what a song needs.
In the arc of the album, something I also think about is not just for a song to stand on its own, but how it actually fits if you’re listening from start to finish. Are my ears tired by track 5? Do I want to hear ‘Surviving You’ right here? No, I want to hear ‘Beholden To’,bring my sonic ear and my brain down, and then I’m ready for ‘Steady in the Hand’, which is a much more tender listening environment, and then ‘A Body, a Map’ transitions you out of that space into ‘Surviving You’.
Not to get too heady with it, but in terms of emotional processing, it also feels like moving from a subconscious place with the instrumentals to something more conscious. Is that a field recording of kids playing on ‘Beholden To’?
Yeah, I captured kids playing at a playground, and Kevin and I just threw it in. That’s in ‘Beholden To’, and then it comes back at the end of ‘Heavy Light’.
Leading into ‘Steady in the Hand’, we’re sort of steeped in this feeling before getting into the details of a formative memory, which elicits one of the most striking vocal performances on the record. Were you nervous about capturing the definitive vocal take?
It’s funny, because ‘Steady in the Hand’ is the most musically straightforward, but it was the most difficult, I would say, to capture emotionally. I remember this very vividly about recording ‘Floodplain’ for Keeper the Shepherd. It was the same feeling, where I was just such a perfectionist because it was so vulnerable. I was like, “This vocal take has to be absolutely perfect.” I mean, I hold myself to that standard for every song, which is why my music is challenging and stressful a lot of the time to record. But with ‘Steady in the Hand’, I did so many takes because I had to be so emotionally clear about what I was delivering.
I think it was the most difficult to record and also mix, because I was such a perfectionist about how my voice was mixed with my guitar. That balance was actually quite difficult to strike. I was very discontent with my guitar tone, and for it to be mostly a strummed acoustic – I was very picky about how that sounds, because I don’t love the sound of a strummed acoustic. The brightness of a strum – I just wanted it to sound so damp and dark. That one actually took quite a lot of energy to fine-tune, because the stakes are high for that song.
You’re speaking about that song kind of in contrast to ‘Surviving You’. But there’s a nuance in how the album deals with dualities, whether that’s heavy and light or “tender heart and jagged hand.” ‘Surviving You’ represents the blood-curdling, raucous, knotty side of the record, and it’s leaning into that, but it doesn’t feel like a negation of the other side.
I have an ability, I think, as a person to hold a lot of both-and. In general, I can understand something, and I can also understand the other side. There’s a way of emotional processing where I can feel anger and understanding, or I can feel pain and joy. There’s so much both-and that I think comes from living through a lot of complexity. I think at a really young age, I had to learn how to hold duality, and this record is really tapping into that. With ‘Surviving You’, I had to tap into a lot of anger and hold space for that, because if you don’t hold space for that, you can’t truly hold space for lightness. I think ‘Heavy Light’ is very much the summation of that. There’s no light without shadow, and there’s no shadow without light; those must coexist.
I feel like it’s understanding the complexity of the self, but also in relation to, and as a result of, family and trauma. Before reading about the healing work that inspired the record, I recognized this process in a lot of the therapeutic language and pattern recognition that’s artfully woven into the record. How mindful were you of integrating this language into the poetry of the record?
I think very conscious of that. At this time, I was kind of having my mind blown by working with a new therapist who really radically stretched my capacity to hold very complex emotions and understand my childhood and memory and validate my experience in ways that therapists in the past haven’t been able to do, or didn’t have the exact resonant language for me. And I’ve been in therapy since I was 11. At this time that I started writing a lot, I was going through a huge rupture. I was trying to find compassion and empathy, but also validating my own experience. There’s this therapeutic model called “parts work” and internal family systems, which is a trauma model of reparenting yourself and really forming a safe environment for all of your parts to kind of find an integration. A part of me is angry, a part of me is scared. Expanding this framework of healing to hold space for dualities – a lot of my language was coming from that process.
My writing is so intrinsic with what I’m truly going through that it has to be authentic, or I can’t sing it. I can’t sing something that’s not authentic. It really opened my world a lot to be framing things this way, and I think this could be an invitation for other people who are processing complex relationships and experiences. Maybe this process that I’m going through could also be shared and very much spoken about, so that others can feel maybe liberated or empowered to do the same.
The lack of language in ‘Beholden To’ made me think of music as a way of keeping that playground up and running. There’s another duality here: the adult self that’s reckoning with the complexity and processing what this all means now, and another part that’s simply reconnecting with the pre-verbal version of yourself.
Absolutely. A lot of the work that I do is reclaiming my child selves – you know, there’s a teenage self, and there’s a child self, and there’s a pre-verbal version of me who is still within me. A lot of the time when I’m in therapy and trying to navigate very adult experiences, she and I have to do that process of reminding my inner child that she doesn’t have to do this. She’s allowed to just go play. She just wants to play piano, she wants to run outside, she wants to go to the playground. She doesn’t have to navigate this heavy world that I’m navigating as an adult 28-year-old. That’s been a huge process: creating an environment that my inner children trust me enough to take care of what I need to take care of as an adult, and they don’t have to. Our inner children truly do just want to play.
The video for ‘The Space Between’ is that. It’s the reclamation of my inner child, and it’s very much a dream world. I grew up as a dancer, so dance was a very important part of this visual. But I was dancing with my inner child, and she was teaching me how to play again, basically. I had all these imaginary animal creatures, and they had these animal heads, and they’re dancing – all my inner parts are now dancing together in this very whimsical world. That’s the theme of the record: holding space for everything, reclaiming my inner child. I’m creating a space where there is play juxtaposed with heaviness, there’s lightness, and that is just the dance of life.
How much stock do you put now in the idea of forgiveness? Does the idea of “unforgiving lightness” that you bring up stand as a kind of alternative to that?
It’s so complex – in society in general, and especially this religious perspective of forgiveness that you must forgive. And that is seen as some sort of ultimate, I don’t know, wisdom? As if you could just forgive. Unpacking what that really means, I think it’s really easy for people to say it very casually. “Oh, just forgive and forget.” What does forgiveness truly look like, though? Because I think when you’ve experienced harm in any way, whether that is the greatest injustices that someone could experience – that I have not even personally experienced – I could never tell someone to just forgive. I’ve really sat with that idea of forgiveness. To forgive someone who is not taking accountability is a very complicated experience. If they can’t acknowledge that they have hurt you, how could you forgive them? There’s no accountability or responsibility. How can you live with that? How can you move forward in your life? Maybe without contact with that person – but you still are experiencing that and having to process that within yourself. I had a difficult relationship with my dad, and he passed, and there was no resolve there. Just no resolve. He just suddenly passed, and I’ve had to live the last decade trying to process what that looks like.
I think there has to be other ways to find resolution within yourself that doesn’t involve the other person. I say, “I don’t forgive, but I do let it live,” meaning there’s a space between me and you, and there is an ability to move forward in my life with my own experience of resolve. I think that’s personal to everybody what that really looks like, but you don’t have to forgive someone. That doesn’t mean that you are immature, and you’re not healing, or you are not, like, a wise being. You can be all of those things and not necessarily absolve someone of their harmful behavior, but you can resolve.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has officially announced its sixth season. The new update brings the Halloween event known as The Haunting. In particular, it introduces new maps, modes, and more. Also, it could be the last major update before Black Ops 7 arrives in November. This latest offering enables players to explore fresh content to catch up before the next installment in the series.
New Maps and Modes
According to Activision, Season 6 comes with a heavy dose of Halloween spirit. Specifically, The Haunting adds a Halloween-themed map variant of Nuketown. Developers call it Boo-Town. It is a variant, core, 6v6, small-sized setting. This makeover features various spooky elements. From spiders to skeletons, players can experience the eerie environment after the sun sets.
Similarly, the latest seasonal update introduces three new multiplayer maps in the game.
Gravity: Brand-New, Core, 6v6, Medium-Sized
Mothball: Brand-New, Strike, 6v6/2v2, Small-Sized
Rig: Brand-New, Core, 6v6, Small-Sized
Aside from the additional maps, Season 6 features a new multiplayer mode. In particular, this is the Slasher Deathmatch. It has matches featuring Jason from Friday the 13th and Chucky from Child’s Play. In every round, players can face off as or against the iconic horror villains. Survivors must do everything to survive rounds. They must also be alert, as slashers will hunt them down using special abilities.
Competitive Play and Rewards
As per the official blog post, the upcoming season refreshes Ranked Play. It uses the same rules and maps as the Call of Duty League. Likewise, players compete to boost their skill rating. At the same time, winning helps them earn special rewards. Among other things, players can get weapon blueprints, calling cards, and unique camos.
Black Ops 6: Free Trial
Activision revealed that there will be a one-week free trial for Black Ops 6. This open access period runs from October 9 to October 16. All players can experience the campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies modes. However, the free trial does not include the Ranked Play. But that is not a huge letdown. This free access even lets players try new content from The Haunting.
Launch Date
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 6 officially comes out on October 9. The seasonal update will be available across all platforms.
From themed events to fresh content, this season could help increase player interest in the first-person shooter franchise. This is a smart way to build momentum before Black Ops 7 launches. It somewhat puts the game in a good position against Battlefield 6 — intensifying competition.
World of Warcraft has just received several hotfixes for October. This update follows the last hotfixes launched on September 24. The new patch applies to multiple expansions and game modes. It fixes issues in Hardcore, Mists of Pandaria Classic, Season of Discovery, The War Within, and WoW Classic Era. All of these updates balance gameplay, fix bugs, and improve the overall gaming experience.
Adjustment in Classes
According to Blizzard Entertainment, the hotfixes gave tuning adjustments to several classes. Particularly, these changes affected damage and healing output. In detail, Frost Death Knight saw a 3% reduction in all ability damage. Likewise, Hunters with the Beast Mastery and Marksmanship specialization also received cuts. Their Dark Ranger abilities now have 8% and 6% less damage, respectively. In the same way, Arcane Mages’ damage dealt dropped by 3%. However, the decrease in damage rates does not affect PvP combat.
At the same time, Priests in the Discipline specialization received a 15% boost to Atonement healing. But this effect has now only increased by 75% outside of raids. It was once 100%.
The update also fixed an issue with Rogue’s Fatebound damage bonus. It got updated to match the showed value.
Dungeons and Raids
Based on the official hotfix notes, there are changes for Mythic difficulty to many dungeon and raid encounters. The patch focuses on balancing boss mechanics and damage output. For instance, Nexus-King Salhadaar in Manaforge Omega had several damage rates reduced by 10% to 20%. Likewise, the All-Devouring Dimensius saw big adjustments. He got a 20% cut in raidwide damages. There are also reductions in health pools. Plus, Dimensius’ cast times rose for key abilities. It gives players more reaction time.
Updates on Player versus Player (PvP)
Blizzard Entertainment said PvP combat has better balance across class abilities. Specifically, the 11.2 Class Set damage bonus of Blood Death Knights is now 33% effective. In the same way, Restoration Druids got an 80% gain in Reactive Resin healing. On the other hand, the Hunters had mixed changes. Additionally, Enhancement Shamans increase damage by 45% to Stormstrike. There was also a 20% rise in Lightning Bolt in PvP, while Retribution Paladins faced a 15% damage reduction.
Changes in Mists of Pandaria Classic
The developer also announced that upgrading gear from the Dominance Offensive and Operation: Shieldwall factions is now possible. Players in Mists of Pandaria Classic can try this new feature. Blizzard even fixed the Empowering Flames debuff. And guess what, players can now start War Games!
Take Note
The availability of the new hotfixes in World of Warcraft varies. Some may take effect right away. But others could need restarts.
Film sets feel organized, yet small mistakes can cause real harm. Cables lie across floors, lights run hot, and tight schedules push people to hurry.
Many crew members and performers work job to job. After an injury, it is easy to feel lost. Domingo Garcia y asociados explains accident basics and legal options in clear language.
Reading a quick overview can help you understand the first steps before you speak with a local lawyer.
How People Get Hurt
Common issues on set include trips and falls, cuts from sharp props, strains from heavy lifts, and burns from lighting or effects. Car scenes, long nights, and fast turnarounds raise the chance of crashes and fatigue. Heat stress is also common during long exterior days.
Industry groups publish safety tips because these problems come up often. SAG AFTRA posts guidance on reporting hazards, stopping work when things feel unsafe, and handling stunts, firearms, and special effects.
You can find those safety pages and reporting steps on their site. They show what a production should do to prevent harm and how a worker can speak up. See the union’s safety resources for details on common risks and how to report them.
You can also learn from official government guidance. OSHA’s Theatre eTool covers lighting, rigging, electrical work, and scenic construction. It is built for live performance, but much of it fits film sets, especially when departments share spaces and power.
These references help when you are writing down what went wrong and who was responsible.
Who Can File a Claim
Your options depend on how you were hired and where the incident happened.
Employees on a production often have access to workers’ compensation. This can include union and nonunion hires who are on payroll. Workers’ compensation usually pays for medical care and part of your lost wages.
You do not have to prove fault to receive basic benefits. It may limit lawsuits against the employer, but it does not block claims against other parties who caused the harm.
Many people are hired as independent contractors. That label does not always decide your rights. If the production controlled your schedule, told you how to do the work, provided tools, and set the rate, a court or agency might treat you like an employee for benefits.
Keep emails, call sheets, contracts, and tax forms. These documents help a lawyer choose the best path for you.
Visitors and background performers can also be injured. If the injury happened because of unsafe conditions, poor supervision, or bad equipment, you may have a claim even if you were on set for a short time.
Workers’ Comp or Third Party Claim
There are two main paths after an on set injury.
Workers’ compensation. If you are an employee, you can usually file a workers’ compensation claim through the production company or payroll provider. This covers medical care and part of your wages.
The process is faster than a lawsuit. It does not pay for everything. For example, it may not cover full wage loss or non economic harm. If you accept this coverage, you normally cannot sue your employer for negligence.
Third party claim. You can seek damages from someone other than your employer who played a part in the incident. Examples include a rental house that supplied a faulty lift, a driver hired by a separate vendor, a venue with a broken walkway, or a special effects company that ignored safety rules.
Third party claims can include medical costs, full lost income, and pain related damages, depending on local law.
Many injured people do both. They file for workers’ compensation to start medical care, then bring a third party claim if the evidence shows outside fault. A lawyer who knows film contracts and vendor chains can find those outside parties and their insurers.
What To Do Right Away
Get medical care first. Visit the set medic, urgent care, or a hospital. Tell the provider your injury is work related. Keep records, including discharge papers, test results, and receipts. Follow the treatment plan and go to follow up visits.
Report the incident in writing. Notify your supervisor, production manager, or safety officer the same day if you can. Ask for an incident report and request a copy. If you are a union member, tell your union rep as well.
Collect evidence. Take photos of the area, gear, and any hazard signs. Save screenshots of call sheets, risk assessments, and stunt or effects plans. Ask witnesses for names and contact details.
Write a short timeline while your memory is fresh. Note pain levels and limits you feel at work and at home. A simple phone note with dates is enough.
Protect your claim. Avoid posting about the incident on public social media. Be careful with casual comments in group chats. Insurance adjusters may read them. Do not sign releases or give recorded statements without advice from a lawyer. Simple words can be misread later.
Evidence, Costs, and Time Limits
Good records help you value your claim. Track all costs. This includes medical bills, transport to appointments, medication, rehab, and gear you had to replace.
Save proof of lost income. For freelancers, gather past invoices, tax returns, and emails that show upcoming gigs you missed. If you act or perform, note auditions and bookings you could not attend.
Responsibility often turns on rules. Safety bulletins, risk assessments, and standard procedures show what should have happened. If a vendor or department ignored a reasonable rule, that supports negligence.
Union and safety resources give you a clear baseline, which helps your lawyer and the insurer talk about the case with fewer disputes.
Deadlines are strict. Time limits to file workers’ compensation forms and injury lawsuits vary by state and country. Some are one year or less. If the claim involves a government site or permit office, notice periods can be even shorter.
Move fast. An early consult helps you avoid missing a deadline and protects evidence before it is lost.
Most cases end in settlement. Many resolve after medical care is stable and the long term impact is clear. A common process includes a demand letter, document exchange, and talks between lawyers and insurers.
If no agreement is reached, your lawyer can file suit and continue to negotiate while preparing for court. This step can take time, because healing and future costs must be measured with care.
How a Lawyer Helps Film Workers
A lawyer who understands production work knows how sets run, who controls each area, and where insurance coverage sits. They can read call sheets, stunt plans, vendor contracts, and payroll records. They can find the right insurers and match each insurer to its risk.
For those who want to learn options before choosing a lawyer,many law firms offer plain guides on accidents, insurance talks, and lawsuits. Clear, native language explanations help you ask better questions when you meet with a local attorney.
A good legal team also works with your doctors, organizes bills, and builds a full picture of your loss. They prepare you for statements and depositions so you are calm and accurate.
Many personal injury lawyers use a contingency fee. Their pay comes from a recovery. Terms vary. Ask for the agreement and read it closely.
Final Takeaway
You do not need to pick between your health and your career. Start medical care, report the incident, save records, and speak with a lawyer who knows film work.
Simple steps and steady documentation make the process easier. They also improve your chance of fair payment so you can return to set with fewer surprises.
