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3 new Game Pass games to play this weekend (June 27-29)

3 new Game Pass games to play this weekend (June 27-29)

Digital Trends9 hours ago

It may be hard to believe, but it is already the end of June. This was quite an exciting month, what with Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase giving us a great look at some upcoming Xbox Series X games. Tons of those reveals are also going to be coming to Game Pass, but we're still a ways away from most of them. Never fear, though, because Xbox isn't slowing down the cadence of adding fresh new titles to the service for us to enjoy. This month, I think you'll be pleasently surprised by the variety of titles on offer. Whether you're an old-school gamer, indie lover, or want an addictive game to play with friends, I have the best new Game Pass games you should play this weekend right here.
Rematch
Coming from the team that brought us Sifu, Rematch might seem like a big departure for the studio. However, I find it perfectly lines up with its mentality of making simple but mechanically satisfying controls — only now you're playing soccer instead of fighting. There aren't a ton of moves or any crazy twists here, but that's what makes it so great. The handful of maneuvers you do get have hide a deceptivly high skill ceiling for players who want to master them. If you don't, that's no problem. It is a perfectly enjoyable soccer game to play casually with friends as well. This was a day one addition on Game Pass last week technically but I'm still hooked on it and had to give it a shoutout this weekend.
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Rematch is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Warcraft I, II, and III Remastered
I feel incredibly old saying this, but it is very likely that a lot of you out there never knew Warcraft before it was an MMORPG. But, over 20 years ago, this series was the king of the RTS genre and that classic trilogy has been fully remastered and are all now available to play on Game Pass. The first game is a bit archaic and clunky, even with the new coat of paint, but still a charming and fun bit of history to experience. The second and third games, though, are still masterpieces to this day. The campaigns are epic and filled with lore WoW fans may have only read about. Warcraft III: Reforged did launch in a rough shape for fans, but thankfully has been fully updated with improved graphics, UI, functionality, and more.
Warcraft I: Remastered, Warcraft II: Remastered, and Warcraft III: Reforged are available now on PC.
Volcano Princess
If you're looking for a more chill vibe this weekend, I have just the game for you. Volcano Princess comes from a Chinese studio and tasks you with preparing the your child to one day rule the kingdom. You will build up her stats by getting her new hobbies, helping her study, train in combat, and interact with the townspeople. It has a disarmingly cute art style and characters and wholesome tone that will instantly grip any simulation fan. This game has already been out on PC for over 2 years now but this will be its console debute so any issues it may have had have already been ironed out. Nothing can prepare you for being a parent in real life, but this is a fun facimily.
Volcano Princess is available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.

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Remember Anna Wintour's shocking first Vogue cover?
Remember Anna Wintour's shocking first Vogue cover?

CNN

time37 minutes ago

  • CNN

Remember Anna Wintour's shocking first Vogue cover?

By today's standards, the front cover of American Vogue's November 1988 edition seems typical enough. Beside the text 'the real cost of looking good,' Israeli model Michaela Bercu gazes past the camera, her windswept hair brushing across the shoulders of a bejeweled $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket. Yet, the cover signaled a revolution at the storied fashion bible. It also marked two important — and related — firsts: This was the first Vogue cover produced by editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the first ever to feature a pair of jeans. London-born Wintour, who on Thursday stepped down from the role after 37 years (she will remain as Vogue's global editorial director and publisher Condé Nast's global chief content officer), had been hired to shake things up. The magazine's previous editor, Grace Mirabella, oversaw a surge in readership but was, by her own admission, increasingly out of step with the 1980s zeitgeist. Condé Nast executives were reportedly worried the title was losing its edge. Mirabella had famously repainted former editor Diana Vreeland's red office a shade of beige, which became a metaphor for her reputation as being too unadventurous. Practically every American Vogue cover from 1980 to 1988 had been taken by Richard Avedon, a fashion photographer known for his stark, minimalist style. Models were usually shot against plain studio backgrounds in heavy makeup and statement jewelry. The covers were self-consciously elegant, standing aloof from the more mainstream women's weeklies they shared newsstands with. By contrast, Wintour's debut was warm and easygoing. German photographer Peter Lindbergh held the shoot outdoors rather than in a controlled studio; Bercu's eyes were neither fully open nor looking directly at the camera. As a result, she came across as a glamorous everywoman. Wintour's unpretentious approach was seemingly epitomized by another coverline on that first issue: 'Paris couture: haut but not haughty.' 'It looked easy, casual, a moment that had been snapped on the street, which it had been, and which was the whole point,' Wintour recalled in a Vogue feature marking publication's 120th anniversary. Then there were the jeans. These were not a high-fashion label's take on Americana, they were stonewashed denim pants straight from Guess. Having launched less than a decade earlier, the denim brand's highest-profile moment at that point had come courtesy of Michael J. Fox, who wore a pair of Guess jeans as Marty McFly in 1985's 'Back to the Future.' As such, both in style and styling, Wintour's first cover was a major statement — one that set the tone for hundreds of issues to follow. She went on to forge an editorial identity her predecessors might have looked down on, from spotlighting pop culture icons to featuring a man on the cover (Richard Gere, who appeared alongside then-wife Cindy Crawford). But there was an element of luck behind her debut issue, too. Wintour has since revealed that the jeans were a last-minute decision forced upon the shoot's stylist, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, by unforeseen circumstances. Bercu was initially wearing a full Christian Lacroix suit comprising the beaded jacket (which Wintour described as 'all very 'Like a Prayer'') and a skirt, but the latter didn't fit properly. '(Bercu) had been on vacation back home in Israel and had gained a little weight,' Wintour recounted in the 2012 Vogue feature, before qualifying: 'Not that that mattered. In fact, it only served to reinforce the idea to take couture's haughty grandeur and playfully throw it headlong into real life and see what happened.' Wintour has since recalled that the magazine's printers were so surprised by the front cover that they called to see whether it had been sent in error. The veteran editor also played down the intention behind the image, though she surely knew, better than most, that magazines are judged by their covers. 'Afterwards, in the way that these things can happen, people applied all sorts of interpretations: It was about mixing high and low, Michaela was pregnant, it was a religious statement. But none of these things was true,' she said. 'I had just looked at that picture and sensed the winds of change. And you can't ask for more from a cover image than that.'

After Her Stepfather's Death, She Set Out to Skateboard Across America in His Honor (Exclusive)
After Her Stepfather's Death, She Set Out to Skateboard Across America in His Honor (Exclusive)

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

After Her Stepfather's Death, She Set Out to Skateboard Across America in His Honor (Exclusive)

A few years ago, Brooke Johnson set out on a personal mission: skateboarding 178 miles from Los Angeles to Mexico The trek sparked a bigger idea: what if she skated across the entire country? For a while, it remained just a dream — until her stepfather, Roger, suffered a devastating fall, breaking his C5 vertebra and becoming a quadriplegic. Inspired by his strength, Brooke decided to skateboard across America in his honorA few years ago, Brooke Johnson set out on a personal adventure: skateboarding from Los Angeles to Mexico. The 178-mile trek sparked a realization — if she could go that far, why not farther? As her confidence and skills grew, the idea of skating across the entire country began to take shape. It felt like a natural next step. For a while, though, it remained just that: an idea, tucked away in the back of her mind without a clear purpose. Then everything changed. Her stepfather, Roger, suffered a devastating fall, breaking his C5 vertebra and becoming a quadriplegic. 'Suddenly, I had a reason,' says Johnson, who began skateboarding at age 13. 'I told him, 'I'll skate across the country and raise money for your recovery.' ' The original plan was simple but powerful: she would skate across the United States and, at the end, push Roger in his wheelchair across the finish line. At the time, she had relocated from New York City back to her hometown of Seattle to help support her family. But before the journey could begin, Roger died while recovering from surgery. It was devastating, but Johnson had made him a promise, and she was determined to keep it. She began reaching out to sponsors, eventually partnering with Playtex to bring her vision to life, all while setting her sights on a history-making goal. This summer, she officially hit the road, aiming to become the first woman to skateboard across America — a 3,000-mile journey from Santa Monica to New York City. She's accompanied by a small crew in a support van, which doubles as their mobile home. The team usually sleeps in the van, but every four or five days they splurge on a budget hotel — a Days Inn or Super 8 — to shower, reset and rest before heading back out the next morning. 'I just told myself, I'll keep going until my body gives out, and I'll find out what my limits are,' she says. 'We've had angels show up in the craziest parts of the desert," she adds. "You think, 'There's no way anyone's going to help us out here.' But then someone always shows up. And I don't think that's a coincidence — that's Roger.' Leading up to the journey, Johnson purchased a skateboard specifically for the adventure. It has a lower drop-through deck that sits closer to the ground, so it doesn't hurt her thighs as much when she's pushing. But along the way, she says the skateboard has developed its own personality. 'It's my chariot," she says. "She takes me where I need to go, and oftentimes it's just her and me skating through. I've put stickers on it. The meaning is it's just the thing that gets me where I'm going. She's my seat when I need to cry. She's my transportation when I need to move. She's just a part of me now.' 'We did leave her once by accident at a stopping spot, and I freaked out," Johnson adds. "I was like, 'Oh no!' But the thing is, to get a world record, I have to finish the entire trip on the same board — so I can't get another one. She's very important.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. One of Johnson's favorite questions from people she meets is whether they can see her route. She laughs every time. 'I wish I could see it too,' she says. 'It's constantly changing.' Before she set off, she mapped out a route on Google Maps that seemed manageable. Surprisingly, she and her crew have stuck fairly close to it, reassessing the plan every 100 miles — the rough segments they use to break down the trip. She mostly sticks to car-accessible roads, always steering clear of highways when possible. Each stretch brings new challenges, but Johnson keeps pushing forward — one mile, one promise, one purpose at a time. Some of the toughest moments aren't physical. While long uphills and rough roads take their toll, she says the biggest challenge is mental. 'It's not even the road conditions — it's the act of starting,' she says. 'Every motivational speaker says it, but it's true: starting is the hardest part. And I have to do it every single day. Getting out of bed when all you want to do is sleep ... that's the hardest part for me.' In desert regions, where the daytime heat is brutal, Johnson often chooses to skate at night — something she's grown to love. 'I really like night skating. It's colder, quieter. Honestly, it feels like you're in a simulation,' she says. 'The van follows behind me, and because you can't see very far ahead, you lose your sense of distance. You just keep going. It's peaceful.' 'During the day, you're dodging cars constantly, and that's exhausting — not physically, but mentally. Making sure I don't get hit wears me down more than the skating itself,' she adds. 'I'm constantly jumping off the road for semis, waiting, then starting again. It breaks your rhythm.' Her routine has become a dance with the desert: skating at night, resting during the day. On a typical afternoon in New Mexico, for example, she'd rest when the heat peaked around 5 p.m. She'd sleep for about two-and-a-half hours, then take a 5-Hour Energy, pop three ibuprofen and skate as far into the night as she could. It's a physically brutal journey but more than anything, it's a test of will. And so far, she's meeting that test one determined push at a time, fueled by cheers from the community on social media, where she's amassed more than 200,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram. 'The people in my comment section are so kind,' she says. 'They're hyping me up. They're like, 'Keep going, girl.' ' 'I'm doing this to inspire a generation of women to know that they are capable, that they can do anything they put their minds to, even if it's hard,' she adds. 'We're constantly in this space of social media that's really tough — showcasing only the best of people, and comparison is a problem. But here I am, in a helmet and a highlighter vest. I want girls to know you can do this and still look pretty on days like this. I am who I am, but then I have to go on a date with my boyfriend and want to feel pretty. You can get dirty and still be pretty.' Along the way, Johnson and her team have met countless people in every town — people who feel nothing short of magical. Just a few days before her PEOPLE interview, while skating up a highway, Johnson stopped at a small honey farm that looked a bit run-down at first glance. But it turned out to be part of an Earthship community — homes built sustainably from natural and recycled materials, completely off the grid. There, Johnson met a woman who shared her life story: how she runs a shelter for the unhoused and dedicates herself to helping others. The woman could tell Johnson was feeling low, and before she left, she gifted the crew jars of honey, muscle rub and other thoughtful supplies. 'She asked if she could donate or help in any way,' Johnson recalls. 'I told her I was fine, but she insisted on leaving us with those gifts.' 'We also went through this town called Pi Town, and they gave me free pie," she adds. "I showed up at the top of Pi Town, which is at the top of a hill, and I was so tired — crying, exhausted. They just gave me pie, and I was like, 'All I want is a strawberry rhubarb pie right now.' And they happened to have that. People are just kind.' Most recently, Johnson has found herself in Hereford, Texas, steadily closing in on her goal. She hopes to finish the journey in July. What started as a race against the clock has transformed into a lesson in presence: learning to live fully in each moment, mile by mile. But when she finally crosses that finish line, she has one simple but powerful request. 'I've decided the theme of the rest of my life is going to be buoyancy,' she says. 'After pushing so hard against gravity, wind and heat, I want to feel weightless. I want to be in the water — free, floating and light. My celebration? Swimming with dolphins and snorkeling, letting the ocean carry me instead of fighting against it. It sounds kind of wild, but to me, it's the perfect way to mark this journey.' Read the original article on People

Princess Diana's memorabilia and clothing are up for auction in Los Angeles
Princess Diana's memorabilia and clothing are up for auction in Los Angeles

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Princess Diana's memorabilia and clothing are up for auction in Los Angeles

The largest collection of Princess Diana's belongings have gone up for auction. Memorabilia and clothing from the late Princess of Wales are up for sale in Los Angeles and includes a cheque for £5.50 which she signed just weeks before marrying the then Prince Charles in 1981. The cheque is expected to raise £3,000 but it is items of Diana's clothing that are likely to sell for the highest amounts - with a cream oil Catherine Walker falcon gown designed for her tour of the Gulf in 1986 expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. The dress was worn by Diana - who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 - to a private dinner in Saudi Arabia and she was never pictured in it. A blue silk floral dress that the princess wore on several occasions is expected to fetch a similar figure while a magenta nylon ski-suit and a peach-coloured hat made for her to wear on her honeymoon are among the apparel going under the hammer. Other items include Diana's beloved Dior handbag - which was officially renamed as the 'Lady Dior' by the fashion house in her honour - and birthday cards and handwritten notes that she sent to friends and staff. The sale is taking place at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, which previously sold a ballgown belonging to the princess for a record-breaking $1.14 million. Some of the outfits were auctioned off by Diana herself in the months before her death and Julien's Auctions co-founder Martin Nolan explained that the same clothing is reselling for far more money almost 30 years later. He said: "They're considered an investment item and they're a great conversation piece. People love Diana worldwide and we sadly only knew Diana for 16 years. Yet we feel she's still with us and we want the connection to her and the items provide that connection. That's the tangible conduit to the story. That's what we're selling." Nolan expects interest in the sale to be high around the world but believes that the items that belonged to Diana will appeal most to those in the United States. He said: "Diana is loved and appreciated and celebrated in the UK but she's absolutely held on a high pedestal here in the US. I've seen this with the people who are registering to take part in the auction from rural locations in various states who are suddenly awakened by the opportunity to own something from her life and career."

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