Sega’s spin on a battle royale party game, Sonic Rumble, is set to entertain Sonic fans starting in summer.
The free-to-play game brought to fans by Sonic publishers Sega and Angry-Birds developers Rovio has finally got an official release date.
The game is available for pre-registration on the App Store and Google Play, or is available to be added to your Steam wish list.
The team behind Sonic Rumble are tempting potential players to pre-register with the incentive of potentially exclusive in-game rewards.
The team have hinted that these rewards could include character skins, including one for Sonic from the recent Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, Chao stickers and buddies, and in-game currency (set to be the Sonic franchises’ iconic golden rings).
The awards will be released depending on if pre-registrations hit certain milestones, with 200k netting players 5,000 rings, 400k a “Happy” sticker, 600k the “Crystal Chao” buddy and 900k the “Garnet Knuckles” skin for the iconic Sonic antagonist-turned-protagonist Knuckles. The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie skin is the final milestone, with an unknown criteria for achieving it.
However, Sonic fans can rejoice in knowing that four of the five checkpoints have already been met, with Sega announcing pre-registrations hit 900k on April 9, meaning there’s still a month left for fans to get involved and win that movie skin.
The team said in the announcement: “We plan to deliver a truly exceptional title packed with dynamic and exciting stages, an abundance of content, and a variety of features to all our players”.
Release Date and News:
The game will mark Rovio’s first original game since the studio was bought by Sega for a whopping £625m in 2023.
Sonic Rumble was originally slated for a winter 2024 release, but this was delayed until an unspecified spring release.
The game now has an official release date, with players being able to get their hands of the game from May 8th, meaning that any summer parties planned will have the perfect companion.
The game will see 32 players line up in a free-for-all battle royale, having to compete in competitive and argument-inducing rounds similar to those seen in popular party game Fall Guys, win rings (the in-game currency).
Sonic Rumble: Gamemodes and Where to Play:
While many parts of the game remain a mystery, the developers have announced a “sneak peek” at three gamemodes.
Quick Rumble is for players who “just want to hop in and play”, providing a one-round challenge for those short on time.
Rival Rank allows players to prove themselves through a more competitive mode, where risks may be higher but so are rewards.
“Crews” allows players to work together in teams to take on the competition.
Players will also be able to select their favourite characters, all of which will posses their own unique abilities to allow players to “shake up the competition”.
The game will be available on mobile and PC on May 8.
Ahead of the release of her third album, Bloodless, on Friday (April 25), Samia has shared one more single called ‘Carousel’. “You find solace in the horror/ I hear your heart beat for Florida/ All of your celebrity crushes/ Are asymmetrical like me,” she sings on the piercing track, which follows previous cuts ‘Bovine Excision’, ‘Lizard’, ‘Hole in a Frame’, and ‘Pants’. Check it out below.
“‘Carousel’ is a shadow of a long song – it’s about spinning your wheels, and being afraid to make someone’s life less beautiful if you’re in it,” Samia said of the single. Like all of the LP’s advance tracks, the music video for ‘Carousel’ is a collaboration with director Sarah Ritter. The horror-inspired clip draws particular influence from an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? called ‘Dead Man’s Float’, as well as The Twilight Zone episode ‘Mirror Image’.
Billy Idol has shared a new single from his forthcoming album Dream Into It, an infectious pop-punk duet with Avril Lavigne called ’77’. “Fight back like ’77,” they chant on the track, which is notably seven years before Lavigne was born. “It was already good with me on it, but it got three times better with her on it,” Idol said of the song earlier this year. Check it out via its Spencer Ramsey-directed animated video below.
Dream Into It, which also features collaborations with Joan Jett and the Kills’ Allison Mosshart, is out this Friday. Idol and Lavigne are set to perform ’77’ together on Jimmy Kimmel Live on April 28.
A runic dice is special. It has runes and symbols from old alphabets on its sides. People use these unique dice for various purposes. Some just love adding them to their collection. The Runic Dice is symbolic and has a mix of modern craftsmanship.
Runes of a Runic Dice
Runes are letters from early Germanic alphabets. They were carved into weapons, stones, amulets, and onto any sacred object. This was more than just a writing system. Runes hold symbolic meaning. Each rune carries uniqueness and power.
What Is a Runic Dice?
A runic dice is a die or set with a unique rune on each face, often following standard shapes. Each rune carries historical meaning. Rolling the dice reveals symbols interpreted for guidance or insight. This is commonly used in runic divination and RPGs. Every runic dice is mystical and symbolic. Runic dice come in a variety of materials, including:
Metal brings out an ancient vibe.
Stone or gemstone for a spiritual significance.
Resin or acrylic dice incorporate colorful designs.
Wood for a rustic and traditional feel.
Various Uses of Runic Dice
Runic dice serve a variety of purposes. It blends past symbolism with modern practices. They are used to offer insight and immersive experiences. Here are the most popular uses of a runic dice:
Spirituality
A runic dice is often used for spiritual activities. You roll one or more dice to determine what the rune(s) mean. This answers questions and gives new ideas. It will also help direct meditations. Many only use the runic dice for important spiritual activities, like finding a guide for tarot reading.
Tabletop Games
Runic dice can improve your overall game experience. Runes could have different meanings for players. Some prefer to use runic dice instead of regular ones. Some game masters use them to create a magical experience. The intricate design of these dice makes a game even more exciting.
Educational Tools
Runic dice are also used to learn more about the past. Those interested in old languages, mythology, or past culture often purchase them. They are popular for their educational significance. They are tactile tools for education. This allows you to learn more about old alphabets and what they mean easily.
Collectibles
A lot of collectors are seeking the internet for runic dice that they can add to their collection. Runic dice are also a popular collectible because of their symbolic value. There are many creative runic dice today that are more special than regular ones. This allows collectors to showcase their creative expression.
Buying Runic Dice Online
There are a wide variety of Runic dice that you can purchase online. They come in different styles, materials, and rune sets. Whether you have a preference for material or them, many shops can provide what you need. Make sure to read detailed descriptions and consider customer reviews. Always check for authenticity, quality, and shipping details.
You can easily find runic dice for sale online. There is a variety of designs and materials. So, do your research before you decide. It could be for spiritual activity, role-playing games, or for your collection. Find one that matches your preferences and needs.
Conclusion
There is more to runic dice than just a fancy item to own. They are representations of old knowledge that are made to evolve with the modern world. Every runic die roll is mysterious and magical. It’s even more exciting to use a specially designed one. This is very helpful for gaining spiritual insight, immersing yourself in a role-playing game experience, or simply as an addition to your collection.
Have you ever felt like you’ve got nothing to say but still want to talk to someone a lot? It often happens when you’re into someone but feel shy, or when you haven’t broken the ice between you yet. In this case, you can use some interesting questions to ask when online dating feels forced and uninteresting.
But how can you find interesting questions to ask your online dating crush? For most people, it’s an opportunity to highlight their creativity and intelligence, but you can’t always come up with great ideas when needed. We’ve collected a few interesting questions to ask your online dating partner for you. Use them as inspiration and come up with your own questions to make your dating experience unforgettable!
What’s a random skill you secretly wish you were amazing at, even if it’s totally useless?
Most people dream of being natural artists or music geniuses, but that’s boring – everyone knows that these skills are cool. But what about “being great at folding paper planes” or “creating the most gorgeous bouquets”? Skills like that could make your life more exciting in subtle ways. Let your online crush use their creativity and come up with various seemingly useless but secretly amazing skills!
What kind of vibe do you think your aura gives off to strangers?
Most people have the perfect image of themselves in their heads, even when they don’t admit it, and it’s totally normal. Also, most people imagine themselves giving off some specific vibes to others, whether it’s close to reality or not. Asking someone about their vibe helps you see another person’s self-perception better.
What movie or cartoon character is the most similar to you?
It’s not about appearance, of course – it’s mostly about personality, vibes, sense of humor, and other subtle things. This question can be quite helpful when you want to know someone better because it helps you understand their preferences, sense of humor, and the traits they notice in themselves and others better. You might be surprised to know that your potential partner actually sees themselves as introverted or even boring while you see them as the most interesting and charming person ever. Also, you might notice that they prefer quiet and smart characters over loud and easy-going, and it might represent their inner world as well.
What is the song you used to love but now you hate it and why?
Most people have strong emotional bonds with their playlists and listen to music a lot in their free time (or while working, driving, doing sports, etc). Loving a song means having strong emotional bonds with its mood, lyrics, vocals, or emotions it provides. When someone starts hating their favorite song, it might be a sign of their personality changing, a reaction to some major changes in their life, or tough feelings and memories tied to this song. Sometimes people start hating their favorite song because it becomes too popular – and it can also be quite representative. Some songs make us sad, and others remind us about the people we used to be or the people we used to love.
Have you ever had a movie or series you refused to watch for a long time just to understand later that it’s your favorite show?
This question is like an opposite version of the previous one. Sometimes we refuse new experiences because we feel that someone forces us to enjoy them, and it shows our individuality and non-conformism. Meanwhile, understanding your own mistakes is a huge green flag for everyone, just like your ability to overcome your biases and give something a chance.
These qualities can be vital for successful dating, because they show that this person is self-aware, ready to change its mind, and open to new things, even when it takes time to accept them.
Severance has been off the air for a month, so it’s about time for the withdrawal symptoms to kick in. Restlessness. Inability to focus on other media. Obsessively bringing up the show in conversation until your friends stop returning your texts.
Two seasons in, the series became a worldwide phenomenon, with viewers dissecting each episode for clues and enthusiastically coming up with theories about the meaning behind Severance’s cryptic symbols and surreal events.
Eerie and thought-provoking, the show has a knack for gripping you to the point where you become so invested it’s tricky to pull away from the goings-on at Lumon Industries. Not impossible, though.
At least, we hope not. While season 2 ended with a banger of a finale, the series will be on hiatus for a while. Until it makes a comeback, one has to keep busy.
There may not be another series exactly like Severance, which is exactly why the Apple TV+ hit is so compelling. But whether you watch the psychological thriller for the vibes, mysteries, or characters, these 10 titles come close.
Black Mirror
An anthology series exploring the dark side of technology, Black Mirror is the kind of media you should consume slowly rather than binge in one sitting. Each episode packs a punch, delivering a near-future scenario in which innovations take a disturbing turn.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll look at the screen in horror. Like Severance, Black Mirror seamlessly blends sci-fi with psychological drama, making viewers ponder what they’ve just witnessed, sometimes for days on end. Fun!
Fringe
Craving another sci-fi show that will make you care deeply about the characters? Fringe is an excellent pick. With a tremendous cast that nails their performances, the series asks questions about identity and the ethical boundaries of science. Familiar stuff.
Fringe starts like a procedural, when an FBI agent partners up with an eccentric scientist and his son to investigate strange phenomena. Soon, the show hints that there’s a larger, mind-bending mystery at play.
The slow-burn pays off. By the time season 3 rolls around, you won’t just be hooked – you’ll be furiously hitting the Next Episode button.
Maniac
With a cast led by Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, Maniac is best enjoyed in a frenzy. The miniseries consists of only 10 episodes, so we suggest clearing a weekend and settling in for a wild ride.
The show follows two strangers who participate in a mysterious pharmaceutical drug trial. But as the experiment unfolds, they’re plunged into dreamlike scenarios that force them to confront past traumas and their sense of self.
It’s a weird little show, in the best way possible.
Counterpart
Like Severance, Counterpart dives into themes of duality, identity, and the choices that shape who we become. Also, what’s better than watching J. K. Simmons command the screen? Seeing him play a double role.
The sci-fi thriller kicks off when a low-level employee at a Berlin-based UN agency discovers that his organisation is hiding a gateway to a parallel Earth. On the other side, there’s another version of himself, more confident and dangerous. A complex web of espionage ensues.
Silo
If you’re into Severance for the slowly unraveling mystery that challenges the protagonist’s understanding of reality, Silo should climb a few spots on your watchlist.
Based on Hugh Howey’s Wool novels, the dystopian series is set in a giant underground bunker housing the remnants of humanity. It revolves around an engineer who begins to question the official narrative about why the outside world is uninhabitable.
Turns out, he silo’s greatest threat might actually come from within.
Succession
At first sight, Severance and Succession have little in common. The latter centres on the uber-rich Roy family, who own a global media empire. As the aging patriarch is on the verge of stepping back from the company, his children spiral into a ruthless power struggle.
Look deeper, though, and you’ll notice that both series dissect the dehumanising effects of corporate power. They also explore what happens when loyalty to a company takes an emotional toll.
Or maybe this is a reach, and we just love to recommend Succession to anyone willing to listen. You’ll have to watch it to find out.
Dark Matter
Apple TV+ has a weird tendency to release intriguing series and never advertise them. Too bad, because absolute gems like Dark Matter end up flying right under the radar.
The series, based on Blake Crouch’s novel of the same name, follows a physicist who is abducted and wakes up in an alternate version of his life. Not only does he need to find a way back home ASAP, but he has to contend with questions about paths not taken.
You can’t help but root for him, even as you’re on the edge of your seat.
The Leftovers
The Leftovers kicks off three years after 2% of the world’s population mysteriously vanishes in an event known as the Sudden Departure. The story is about the residents of a small town, who struggle to make sense of the loss and crumble under the weight of existential uncertainty.
Highly underrated while it was still on, The Leftovers is less about getting answers and more about emotional truth. Like Severance, it offers a meditative look at what it means to be human when everything familiar starts to fracture. It makes for an interesting follow-up.
Homecoming
Want more unease and psychological tension? Homecoming follows a therapist who used to work at a facility that helps veterans transition back to civilian life through an experimental program. But as she gets drawn deeper into the program’s questionable methods, she begins to uncover disturbing truths.
Homecoming is likely to appeal to Severance fans because it questions the cost of corporate and institutional power. If you need an additional incentive, the first season of the show stars Julia Roberts, and the second Janelle Monáe.
Twin Peaks
A cult classic, Twin Peaks is set in a small and quirky town. When a high school student is murdered, an FBI agent comes to investigate, uncovering a dark underbelly of weirdness. Expect an exquisite blend of surrealism, crime drama, and psychological horror.
Twin Peaks and Severance both use strange, almost otherworldly elements to explore the more sinister sides of the human experience. If you like it when the boundaries between reality and illusion become blurry, you can’t do wrong with giving this iconic series a stream.
Full of Hell have announced a new EP, Broken Sword, Rotten Shield, which comes out May 16 on Closed Casket Activities. The band recorded the seven-track effort with producer Kevin Bernstein, and it serves as a “blistering meditation on love, loss, and the crushing inevitability of grief,” according to press materials. Check out the punishing new single ‘Knight’s Oath’ below, alongside a music video directed by Sam DiGristine and Patrick Costello.
Full of Hell vocalist Dylan Walker explained that ‘Knight’s Oath’ is about “absolute dedication to your charge, be it a person you love or held tenet, and the ignominy that comes with a sudden defeat. That idea acts as a metaphor for the grief you feel when you lose an animal companion. It feels pointless, cruel, and void in the moment. The video channels those ideas and takes the viewer on a quest with our noble dog knight and his cohorts as they quest for glory and wealth in the face of darkness.”
Broken Sword, Rotten Shield Cover Artwork:
Broken Sword, Rotten Shield Tracklist:
1. Broken Sword, Rotten Shield
2. From Dog’s Mouth, A Blessing Full of Hell
3. Corpselight
4. Lament of all Things
5. Mirrorhelm
6. Knight’s Oath
7. To Ruin and the World’s Ending
Moontype have shared a new single, ‘How I Used to Dance’, the opening track from their sophomore LP I Let The Wind Push Down On Me. “Oh, how I used to dance/ In my room, before I went to bed,” Margaret McCarthy sings on the nostalgic, understated track, which follows previous cuts ‘Long Country’ and ‘Four Hands ii’. Check it out below.
“This song is an ode to a particular time in life, living in Ohio with nowhere to put my angst. It felt really liminal living in that small town,” McCarthy explained. “I tried to find meaning in it then and appreciate the moments of beauty and pure emotion. The rhythm of the streetlights that turned to blinking red at night. Smashing glass with my friend. Once those were experiences I was having, now they are memories I hold.”
“Joe starting playing the octave pattern on guitar with me and it felt right just like that, and we built the song around that,” the singer/bassist added.” This song really came together with the help of Nate and Katie in Maryland. That octave pattern sound has guitar, plucked piano, and pitched wine glasses tucked away!”
Yiqi Zhao is a visual artist and illustrator whose work exists in the potent space between personal myth and social critique. Navigating themes of gender, migration, and cultural identity, Zhao employs a distinct ink-based visual language that draws heavily on surrealism and symbolic subversion. Her meticulous yet emotionally raw compositions interrogate how the body, especially the female form, is shaped by external systems of power and expectation. From intimate watercolours to dense ballpoint pen illustrations, Zhao’s art captures what it means to endure, adapt, and reclaim.
This is most vividly seen in her Limited Strength series, a collection of works that transforms traditional Chinese symbols like cranes, mirrors, and flowing hair, into complex metaphors of restraint and resilience. In Escape, the viewer is met with a striking visual vortex of figures submerged in ink-dark waters, their long hair entangling and anchoring them. One woman rises defiantly above the chaos, pulling herself upward with her own hair—a lifeline as much as a tether. Other works in the series such as Safe House or Jail? And Shut Up intensify this tension, depicting crouched, faceless bodies ensnared by decorative yet oppressive motifs. The technical precision of her lines contrasts with the raw urgency of her themes, creating a sense of internal rupture contained within meticulously drawn forms.
In this interview, we explore how Zhao reclaims the human figure as a site of both struggle and resistance. We discuss her symbolic vocabulary, why hair recurs as both shackle and strength, how the act of concealment becomes an act of commentary, and how her transnational journey from China to the U.S. and now the UK informs her layered, often haunting narratives. What emerges is not just an artist documenting emotional states, but one reshaping visual culture through deeply personal and politically charged storytelling.
In Limited Strength, you reclaim the nude female form through ink and surrealism. How do you balance vulnerability and defiance in these depictions, and what makes the body such a powerful site for resistance in your work?
The nude body, for me, is a battleground where vulnerability and defiance collide. In Limited Strength, I use ballpoint ink—a medium as unyielding as societal scrutiny—to etch figures whose postures oscillate between collapse and rebellion. In Shut Up, a woman’s hair morphs into barbed wire, ensnaring skeletal cranes (traditional symbols of wisdom twisted into oppressors). The body’s power lies in its unapologetic presence: nakedness strips away armor, forcing viewers to confront raw humanity. Defiance isn’t found in grand gestures, but in the quiet act of occupying space without flinching.
Traditional Chinese symbols, like cranes or hair, appear as both lifelines and restraints in your work. How do you intentionally subvert these motifs to critique cultural and patriarchal narratives?
Cultural symbols are palimpsests—we inherit their beauty, but also their burdens. Cranes, emblematic of longevity and nobility in Chinese tradition, become jagged enforcers of silence in Shut Up, pecking at a woman’s throat. Hair, traditionally a marker of femininity, transforms into chains or weapons. By distorting these motifs, I mirror how patriarchal systems weaponize tradition: what was meant to elevate becomes a cage. Subversion here is survival—a way to reclaim narratives buried under centuries of expectation.
(Vagabondage, oil paint on canvas, 2025)
Vagabondage captures the emotional cost of migration through a single glowing umbrella. What does this fragile object reveal about your experience of displacement, and how do you translate that into visual language?
The yellow umbrella in Vagabondage is my paradox: a shelter so fragile it threatens to invert into a cage. Its glow is a desperate plea for visibility—See me, but don’t define me. I painted the umbrella suspended in a muted rain, its interior cradling a figure dotted with sparse, starlight-like droplets—subtle brushstrokes hinting at her ambivalent ties to the world. Floating in gray-toned drizzle, the umbrella becomes both cradle and isolate. Displacement is not just physical—it’s a state of psychic suspension, yearning to be acknowledged yet resisting categorization. The umbrella isn’t refuge; it’s a translucent boundary between self and other.
Medium seems inseparable from message in your practice—ballpoint ink, watercolor, oil. How do these materials shape the emotional tension in your work, and what draws you to them over digital or more conventional techniques?
Ballpoint ink’s permanence mirrors societal judgments—once marked, they’re nearly impossible to erase. In Limited Strength, its rigid lines reflect the inflexibility of gendered expectations. Watercolor bleeds unpredictably (as in Anchor’s capillaries), mirroring the body’s fragile resilience. Oil’s tactile layers (Vagabondage) carry the weight of memory. Digital tools lack this aliveness; traditional mediums breathe, stain, and resist—they’re collaborators, not mere instruments.
(Anchor, watercolor, 2017)
Anchor zooms in on your ankle, transforming it into a metaphor for endurance. Why that part of the body, and what does it reveal about the quiet, often overlooked strength you explore across your practice?
The ankle is an unsung hero—bearing weight, yet rarely celebrated. In Anchor, I magnified my own ankle to map its terrain: the blues of hematomas, tendon networks like root systems. This microcosm reflects macro resilience. We fixate on grand displays of strength, but survival often hinges on the quiet persistence of the overlooked. The ankle, like migration, demands constant recalibration—balance isn’t static, but a muscle memory of adaptation.
(Lost & Found, Collage, 2022)
Your visual language sits at the intersection of surrealism and personal myth-making. How does this dreamlike approach help you confront the psychological aftermath of cultural dislocation and identity fragmentation?
Surrealism grants permission to fracture logic. When I paint hair as both noose and lifeline (Escape), or collage WWII radio operators into AI-dominated landscapes (Lost and Found), I’m not escaping reality—I’m distilling its absurdities. Dislocation shatters identity; surreal reassembly becomes a coping mechanism. These dreamscapes aren’t fantasies, but emotional x-rays—they reveal the bones beneath the skin of “normalcy.”
As an artist shaped by China, the U.S., and now the UK, how has your evolving sense of ‘home’ influenced your creative voice, and how do you see your practice contributing to conversations around migration, memory, and resilience in a global context?
“Home” for me is a verb—an act of stitching roots from transient moments. My work (Lost and Found, Vagabondage) rejects the myth of seamless belonging. By layering materials—faded textures of dyed paper, WWII photographs, foam board’s honeycomb grids—I reconstruct the migrant’s patchwork identity. Globally, migration is often reduced to trauma porn or statistics. My practice insists on its complexity: it is loss, but also invention; rupture, but also rebirth.
Some shoes are just easy. You don’t have to think too hard about them; they work with almost anything, and they’ve got the style to pull an outfit together without trying too hard. That’s the Nike Air Max 90. It’s been around since 1990, but it somehow still feels current. It’s got that chunky, but not too chunky, shape, a great mix of materials, and it helps that Nike keeps dropping new colorways we didn’t know we needed.
This is also an extremely comfortable shoe. If you’re thinking about grabbing a pair (and another pair), here are some of the colorways that are in right now.
Infrared
This is the one color combo that started it all: the original 1990 release, and still one of the most-loved. The Infrared colorway has red accents layered over white mesh and black leather. It’s sporty, nostalgic, and somehow manages to go with everything. If you only buy one pair of AM90s, this might be the one.
Triple White
An all-white sneaker isn’t groundbreaking, but it is dependable. The Triple White AM90 is that clean, fresh pair you reach for when you want your outfit to look pulled together but still casual. They’re easy to wear with everything – just avoid muddy trails. They’re not built for mess, but they look great while they last.
Desert Sand
This Nike Air Max is a neutral sneaker that’s anything but boring. Desert Sand mixes ripstop stone, tan suede, and sand leather with laser-etched details that look like tiny terrain maps. The pops of burnt orange and deep purple add color to make them feel fun but not fussy. They look good with cargo pants or a slouchy blazer – basically, they’re the best cool-girl sneaker.
Laser Blue
Bright but wearable, Laser Blue is one of those colorways that makes people ask where you got your sneakers. The pop of electric blue against the white, grey, and black is bold and fun. It feels retro but not dated and pairs amazingly well with a monochro
Multicolor Pastel
This one’s for the playful crowd. These Nikes are all about soft pastels, lavender, mint, and peach. It’s the kind of shoe that fits perfectly with spring and embraces all of its colorful fowery trends. They look great with denim, midi skirts, or matching pastel sets.
Black/Volt
If your style leans a little more toward streetwear or you just like a bold contrast, this one’s worth checking out. The black upper keeps things grounded, while the volt green accents add color. This one makes you look like you know what you’re doing without having to try too hard. Plus, they’re less prone to stains, which makes them a great go-to pair for any occasion.
Final Thoughts
The Nike Air Max 90 has range. Neutrals, bold colors, or something in between, there’s probably a colorway that’ll work for you. And since the shape is timeless, you can keep wearing them long after trends shift.
Black/Volt
