Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #544) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PUZZLE
• MANIA
• BUZZ
• GATE
• CORE
• HEX
• VEX
• REX
• SLINKY
• STUMP
• POX
• PERPLEX
• JINX
• HAMM
• SPELL
• PILLED

NYT Connections today (game #544) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: State of confusion
• Green: Broomstick
• Blue: Playful Pixar pals
• Purple: The people have spoken

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #544) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: BAFFLE 
• GREEN: CURSE
• BLUE: “TOY STORY” CHARACTERS, FAMILIARLY
• PURPLE: COLLOQUIAL SUFFIXES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #544) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #544, are…

• YELLOW: BAFFLE PERPLEX, PUZZLE, STUMP, VEX
• GREEN: CURSE HEX, JINX, POX, SPELL
• BLUE: “TOY STORY” CHARACTERS, FAMILIARLY BUZZ, HAMM, REX, SLINKY
• PURPLE: COLLOQUIAL SUFFIXES CORE, GATE, MANIA, PILLED

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

The first thing that jumped out from today’s Connections was a collection of words ending in X. Surely we’re not going to fall into the trap of thinking they’re a group, right? Er…

No, no, let’s resist. With Wicked in theaters right now, words connected to witches seem timely, so HEX, SPELL, JINX, and POX didn’t require magical skills to spot.

Staying at the movies, the first thing that came to mind with the word BUZZ was the astronaut from the Toy Story movies. It helps being a parent who’s seen the movies about 62 times, of course, but I didn’t know the pig had two Ms until now.

As someone who exists in a near-permanent state of BAFFLEment today’s yellow was straightforward, but Purple had me stumped – my first thought was things connected to wrestling. I'm not sure what PILLED is, but it could be some killer Caretaker move, surely? Instead it was COLLOQUIAL SUFFIXES – every day’s a school day!

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 5 December, game #543)

• YELLOW: APTITUDE FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, NOSE
• GREEN: EXTERIOR FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, SURFACE
• BLUE: TECH COMPANIES AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, ORACLE
• PURPLE: __STONE BRIM, LIME, RHINE, YELLOW

• Epic Games has released new details regarding Fortnite OG
• Fortnite OG will bring back the game's original weapon pool and iconic locations
• Building and traversal mechanics present in the base game will be featured in Fortnite OG

Epic Games has shared new details on Fortnite OG ahead of its long-awaited release tomorrow.

Fortnite will finally return to its roots on December 6 with the addition of Fortnite OG, a permanent game mode that will take players back to the game's vanilla form, and was first introduced last year for a limited time.

In a new blog, posted today, Epic Games revealed the details for the highly-anticipated update, confirming that all original loot, locations, and gameplay will make a return in Fortnite OG Chapter 1 - Season 1.

"To start, Fortnite OG will run through the original initial Seasons of Chapter 1, recreating those early days, right down to loot pool changes and feature introductions," Epic explained.

Fortnite OG seasons will be shorter than they are in Battle Royale currently, so players can expect Season One to end on January 31.

While Solos, Squads, and Zero Build will be available right away, Ranked mode will be "coming soon".

Epic also made it clear that although Fortnite OG will be returning to its original state, quality-of-life changes that have been implemented over the years will still be present.

For instance, building mechanics will stay the same, and traversal will still feature all the latest abilities like sprint, slide, mantle, door bash, and healing while moving.

"Some of the rough edges from that era have been preserved, while others have been polished," the developer added. "For example, you’ll find Reboot Vans and be able to see the glare from a sniper scope, but max building resources are set to 999 and double pump is enabled for Shotguns (for now)."

As previously mentioned, the original loot pool will be available, meaning all weapons featured in the game seven years ago will be accessible, like the Assault Rifle, Burst Assault Rifle, Scoped Assault Rifle, Pump Shotgun, Tactical Shotgun, Grenade Launcher, Damage Trap, and more.

Like every new mode, Fortnite OG will also have its own Battle Pass. This version will feature 45 tiers of "retro rewards with a modern twist on classic items and Outfits" and players will be able to earn Renegade Rebel, Aerial Assault Bomber, and Skull Commander, with an unlockable alt style for each.

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• Former PlayStation chief Shawn Layden thinks hardware innovation "is starting to plateau"
• Layden doesn't think there will be another PS1 to PS2 jump in performance
• He says the real competition is "content"

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has said there likely won't be another major jump in hardware performance as it's already been 'maxed out'.

Speaking in a recent interview with Eurogamer, Layden discussed the future of PlayStation amid the company's 30th anniversary, as well as the technological advancement of today's current consoles compared to that of the PS1.

"I think we're at a point where the console becomes irrelevant in the next... if not the next generation then the next next generation definitely," Layden said.

When asked if he thinks consoles could see another major leap in performance ever again, like the recent release of the PS5 Pro, the ex-PlayStation chief said he isn't sure what that would look like.

"I don't think so. I mean, what would that leap look like? It would be perfectly-realized human actors in a game that you completely control. That could happen one day. I don't think it's going to happen in my lifetime," he said.

"We're at a point now where the innovation curve on the hardware is starting to plateau, or top out. At the same time, the commoditization of the silicon means that when you open up an Xbox or PlayStation, it's really pretty much the same chipset. It's all built by AMD. Each company has their own OS and proprietary secret sauce, but in essence [it's the same]. I think we're pretty much close to final spec for what a console could be."

Layden went on to discuss the release of PlayStation's consoles over the years and how each improved upon the other in some way, however, he doesn't think the market will see something as significant as the jump from PS1 to PS2 again.

"If you look at it from my lens, which is of course the PlayStation lens, the leap from PS1 to PS2 was dramatic..." Layden said, before touching on the following generations.

He explained that the jump from PS2 to PS3 was "remarkable" with HD standard and the introduction of 60 FPS gameplay and network capability.

"Then PS3 to PS4 was just, like, getting the network thing done right. Then to PS5, which is a fantastic piece of kit, but the actual difference in performance... we're getting to the realm, frankly, where only dogs can hear the difference now," Layden added.

"You're not going to see another PS1 to PS2 jump in performance - we have sort of maxed out there. If we're talking about teraflops and ray-tracing, we're already off the sheet that most people begin to understand."

Layden concluded by saying that the "real competition" will be "content", which "should be the competition for publishers, not which hardware you get behind."

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• Dragon Age: The Veilguard's character creator now has a free standalone application
• BioWare also celebrated Dragon Age Day with a new Veilguard patch
• Players can claim free cosmetics based on Dragon Age 2's protagonist, Hawke

BioWare has released a standalone version of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's character creator alongside the game's latest patch.

In celebration of Dragon Age Day, the developer has announced that a free version of The Veilguard's impressive character creator is now available to download as a separate application on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

"For the folks who have yet to jump into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you can now create a Rook before buying the full game and transfer your character over, as long as you’re on the same platform," a post explained.

Alongside the character creator, The Veilguard has also received its latest software update, as well as free Dragon Age Day goodies.

With Patch 4, players will be able to boot up their game and claim the iconic armor, body paint, and nose blood smear of Dragon Age 2's protagonist, Hawke. These cosmetics will be permanently available in the in-game wardrobe and can be found in the Lighthouse's courtyard.

As for the specifics of Patch 4, BioWare has also added two new complexions of the Qunari in the character creation and introduced a bunch of new quality-of-life improvements.

A new option to take screenshots on the pause menu during conversations and cinematics has also been added on PC, while a "Hide/Show UI" button on the pause screen has been added for console users. You can check out the full patch notes below.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Patch 4

New Content

• Dragon Age 2 Hawke’s Iconic Outfit
  • Armor
  • Body Paint
  • Face Paint
• Qunari Complexions - Two new complexions for the Qunari lineage

Quality of Life Changes

• In Patch 3, we introduced a line on screen showing where a Photo Mode screenshot was saved. In Patch 4, we are reverting that change due to a safety concern brought to us by some content creators. PC players can find their Photo Mode screenshots in Documents/BioWare/Dragon Age: The Veilguard/screenshots
• Added an in-game Setting to turn off Bloom. 
• Added a “Hide/Show UI” button on the pause screen to better take screenshots on Console. 
• Added a “Take Photo” button on the pause screen to take screenshots during conversations and cinematics on PC.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that prevented some saves from loading properly. (PC Only)
• Fixed an issue that was preventing the Frame Rate Limit setting from being saved. 
• Fixed an issue with Rook’s face and hair changing drastically when a save is loaded.
• Fixed an issue with certain longer hairstyles that floated above Rook’s chest and shoulders. 
• Fixed an issue where two Neve characters could appear in the Fire and Ice quest.  
• Fixed a rare issue where Emmrich did not lead Rook to the next task in his recruitment Where the Dead Must Go quest. 
• Adjusted the spirit guides in The Warden Vault quest.  
• Fixed an issue that caused the Ultimate Ability to swap to the default Ultimate. 
• Fixed an issue where the Ultimate Ability Icon was not displayed after Bellara is recruited. 
• Fixed an issue where the first hit in a Warrior Rook’s shield throw may miss the target unintentionally. 
• Fixed an issue where the Slaughter of Pillars Revenant had no health bar. 
• Fixed an issue that caused Achievement Progress to reset when a new Rook was created. This will not restore Achievement Progress that was overwritten, but your Rooks will no longer compete with each other for who can kill more High Dragons. 
• Fixed an issue with the camera in The Demon’s Bargain quest when playing on an HDD. 
• Fixed an issue with the camera in the Sea of Blood quest if Rook backtracked too far. 
• Fixed two instances where Viago was clearly talking to Rook but was too absorbed by Teia’s beauty and staring at her instead. 
• Fixed an issue with Photo Mode screenshots appearing slightly blurry for some players. 
• Fixed an issue where taking a screenshot with the space bar in Photo Mode also toggled the highlighted setting at the same time. (PC Only) 
• Fixed an audio issue that caused battle music to stop playing while Rook was still fighting darkspawn in A Warden’s Best Friend quest. 
• Fixed an audio issue that prevented music from playing during a conversation with Lucanis in the Lighthouse. 
• Fixed a rare lighting issue in the One Last Breath quest
• Fixed a blocking issue in the Fire and Ice quest when returning to the Lighthouse. 
• Fixed a blocking issue in the Blood of Arlathan quest if Rook backtracked too far.
• Fixed a UI issue that caused the “New Item” highlight to get stuck on an item. 
• Fixed an issue with the In Lost Friendship codex that was mentioning events out of order and possibly with the wrong companion. 
• Fixed an issue that was causing the male British Inquisitor (Harry Hadden-Paton) to be pitched too low. 
• Updated several German voice line instances with corrected translations.

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• Activision announces a 7-day free trial for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with access to multiplayer and Zombies
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• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will receive aseven-day free trial next week
• The free begins on December 13 and will run until December 20
• Players will gain access to Multiplayer and Zombies mode

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to receive a seven-day free trial across all platforms next week.

In a recent X / Twitter post, Activision announced that starting December 13 until December 20, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC users will be able to play Black Ops 6 for free for seven days.

During this time, users will gain access to the game's Multiplayer modes including Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Kill Order, and Prop Hunt, the latter of which will be introduced with Season One's mid-season update.

Six current and upcoming Multiplayer maps - Racket, Hacienda, Extraction, Hideout, Heirloom, and Nuketown Holiday, will also be available to play during the trial.

In addition, the free trial will also feature access to Zombies and its Standard and Directed modes, Liberty Falls and Terminus.

At this time, it's unclear if progress and XP will carry over to the full game if players choose to upgrade.

Black Ops 6 Season One: Reloaded is scheduled to launch later today and will introduce a host of new features, including the aforementioned maps, as well as Citadelle Des Mortes, new weapons, bundle, wildcard, and more.

The mid-season update follows Activision's announcement that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch month was the "biggest ever" in series history. The game was released on October 25 and reportedly has the number one total number of players, hours played, and total matches of any title in the series.

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A Fortnite Godzilla skin is set to be added to the game as part of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1. It's not out yet, instead arriving midseason as the Bonus Reward. Epic Games is yet to announce the full details, but we do now know the Fortnite Godzilla release date, and how many associated rewards players will be unlocking.

Now that a brand new season of Fortnite has launched, there's a completely fresh map to try out, and the return of hitscan weapons. As part of the Demon Hunters update, there's a new Battle Pass to work through as well. It's regular refreshes like these that have cemented Fortnite onto our list of the best free games to play in 2024.

Here's everything you need to know about the Fortnite Godzilla skin, including when it's coming to the game, and a prediction on how you'll unlock it. As new info is revealed closer to launch, we'll be sure to update this page.

Fortnite Godzilla release date

Fortnite's Godzilla skin will release on January 17, 2025. This can be seen in the in-game calendar that's on the main menu screen before loading into a game. It's worth noting that timelines have shifted slightly in the past, so stay tuned for the finer details.

The best place to keep up on specific updates closer to the launch of the new season is the Fortnite Status Twitter account. We'll be sure to keep this page up to date as well.

How to unlock Godzilla in Fortnite

While we don't have full details on how Godzilla will be unlocked in Fortnite, it's very likely that he'll follow the same pattern as last season's bonus skins. This means that on January 17, 2025, a set of quests will be added to the Quest Tab. These will likely include using some of the new season's weapons and mechanics to earn XP. As you slowly complete the challenges, you will progress through the Godzilla mini-pass, with two pages of rewards to unlock.

Epic usually details the rewards associated with bonus skins like Godzilla closer to their launch date. On release, the Godzilla skin will have five additional rewards to earn, with five more being added a week after. This is how bonus skins have worked for quite a while, so hopefully Godzilla follows suit. If anything changes, we'll be sure to update this page.

It's worth noting that in the Fortnite: Demon Hunters trailer embedded above, we actually see Godzilla as a huge enemy on the map. Our guess is that unlocking Godzilla rewards will be closely associated with completing challenges around this roaming Godzilla enemy. We'll have to wait and see.

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• A new PS5 system update has been released
• The latest patch makes the data transfer process between consoles smoother
• Other features like usability have also been improved

Sony has released a new system update for the PlayStation 5, simplifying the data transfer process.

Version 24.08-10.40.00 is now live and is a fairly small patch that primarily aims at improving the process of transferring data from one PS5 to another, alongside messages and usability.

Now that the PS5 Pro is out in the wild, users will be looking to transfer their PS5 Pro-enhanced games and other data over to their new system, which can be a hassle.

Thankfully, Sony has made this task much easier, and explained in the patch notes that it's also "enhanced stability when transferring large amounts of data, such as captures".

PS5 Version: 24.08-10.40.00 - Patch Notes

• We've improved the process of transferring data from another PS5 and enhanced stability when transferring large amounts of data, such as captures.
• We've improved the messages and usability on some screens.

Earlier this week, Sony kicked off its PlayStation Store 30th Anniversary sale. Until December 20, users can take part in the massive sale which sees discounts for almost 500 games across PS4 and PS5, like The Last of Us Part 1, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Elsewhere, a new leak claims that a black version of the PlayStation Portal will be released in "limited" quantities "soon" and be priced the same as the original white model.

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• My First Gran Turismo is arriving on December 6
• It offers a bite-sized, free-to-play version of Gran Turismo 7
• The demo includes a handful of race events and 18 cars t collect

Gran Turismo 7 is getting a free demo version as part of the PlayStation 30th Anniversary celebrations. And better yet, it's out very soon.

Titled My First Gran Turismo, the demo aims to give players a bite-sized version of the best racing game on PS5. In an official PlayStation Blog post about the game, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi describes it as "a special free-to-play invitation to dive into the exhilarating world of motorsports."

"This experience holds a special place in my heart," Yamauchi explains, "as it pays tribute to the origins of the first Gran Turismo, where players of all generations discovered the joys of driving. Whether it’s introducing kids to the joy of racing for the first time or reigniting a forgotten passion for driving, My First Gran Turismo was designed to be both approachable and immersive, created for everyone, with no limits on age or driving skill level."

My First Gran Turismo - as its title might suggest - seems designed to introduce new players to the sim racing series in a very beginner-friendly format. Developer Polyphony Digital looks to have gone above and beyond the effort placed into your average demo, with a bespoke user interface and its own suite of achievements related to progress throughout the experience.

In terms of content, My First Gran Turismo offers access to the License Centre tutorial, three race events, three time trials, three Music Rally stages and 18 cars to collect. As a bonus, the PS5 version of My First Gran Turismo will also include PSVR 2 support.

As for when you can play it for yourself, that's the best part. My First Gran Turismo will be available to download and play for free on December 6 on both PS5 and PS4. It also doesn't seem to be a limited time thing, unlike those PlayStation 30th Anniversary themes that you can access on PS5 right now.

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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #543) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• APPLE
• LIME
• YELLOW
• FACE
• NOSE
• FRONT
• RHINE
• AMAZON
• SURFACE
• GIFT
• ORACLE
• BRIM
• INSTINCT
• INTUIT
• OUTSIDE
• FLAIR

NYT Connections today (game #543) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Natural gift
• Green: Outsiders
• Blue: Silicon Valley
• Purple: Think like a rock

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #543) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: APTITUDE
• GREEN: EXTERIOR
• BLUE: TECH COMPANIES
• PURPLE: __STONE

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #543) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #543, are…

• YELLOW: APTITUDE FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, NOSE
• GREEN: EXTERIOR FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, SURFACE
• BLUE: TECH COMPANIES AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, ORACLE
• PURPLE: __STONE BRIM, LIME, RHINE, YELLOW

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

Today's lesson from NYT? Don't ignore what's in FRONT of your FACE.

I got BLUE first today, but it cost me a mistake. My first thought whenever I see the word APPLE is the popular purveyor of laptops and phones. However, seeing it alongside LIME, I initially wondered if I should be considering pies — there's also FACE Pie, but where is the pesky fourth word? Intuit doesn't fit with pies but they are the company behind QuickBooks, so maybe this is a tech answer after all — sometimes the obvious answer is the correct one.

It took me three attempts to get GREEN — mainly overthinking that I was looking for words connected to boxes or packaging. From here I used my natural GIFT for random guesswork to land YELLOW and shamefully clicked on the remaining four tiles without knowing what the theme was — despite RHINEstone Cowboy being one of my favorite songs. Not my finest 15 minutes.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 4 December, game #542)

• YELLOW: STEER DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, SHEPHERD
• GREEN: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S COMPASS, PINE TREE, SEWING KIT, TURNTABLE
• BLUE: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH ATLAS, ECHO, HELEN, PAN
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY CANDLE, JOHNSON, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES

Black Ops 6 CODMAS is right around the corner, allowing players to try out some seasonal holiday-themed events as part of this year's Call of Duty Christmas update. There's plenty being added, including limited-time modes, events, and skins. Nuketown is getting a snowy makeover, and even Zombies Mode is joining in on the fun.

With Black Ops 6 now running its Season One content, there's been a whole host of new maps and weapons to try out. So far, these updates have certainly cemented the game's place on our best FPS games list, so hopefully, CODMAS offers even more of a reason to keep logging back in.

Here's when to expect the Black Ops 6 CODMAS event, as well as some info on the Call of Duty Christmas content that's set to be added. As we get closer to the launch period, we'll likely hear more specifics from Activision. Stay tuned for updates.

When to expect Black Ops 6 CODMAS

The Black Ops 6 CODMAS release date is yet to be confirmed, however, if we look at last year's event, we can expect it to arrive somewhere around December 19, 2024. This is when CODMAS launched for Modern Warfare 3, and the game before that (Modern Warfare 2) launched its Christmas content on December 21. Of course, things could be different this year, but until we hear the exact date from Activision, we're preparing for new holiday-themed content on or around December 19, 2024.

Black Ops 6 CODMAS - what's being added?

Activision has now announced what'll be added to Black Ops 6 as part of CODMAS. This includes new map variations, limited-time modes, and new skins. Here's a brief summary of what's being added:

• Warzone Limited Time Modes: Holiday Rush (Area 99), Slay Ride Resurgence (Urzikstan)
• Black Ops 6 Limited Time Modes: Ran-Snack, Infectious Holiday
• Zombies Limited Time Modes: Jingle Hells (Liberty Falls)
• Events: Merry Mayhem, Archie's Festival Frenzy
• Bundles: Sweater Ops, Season's Bleedings

For a full breakdown of Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded, head on over to the Call of Duty blog. This includes an overview of the Call of Duty Christmas content being added.

Call of Duty Christmas modes

Call of Duty is getting five modes as part of the CODMAS event:

• Ran-Snack (Black Ops 6): Trade gold for sweets in this festive LTM that challenges teams to gather and deposit the most cookies. Grab cookies from the rotating crate, fallen Operators, and by breaching the enemy’s cookie box and taking the goods back to your own.
• Infectious Holiday (Black Ops 6): Even the undead are getting into the holiday spirit as zombies and fallen Operators don festive clothing in this festive twist on the fan-favorite Infected mode.
• Jingle Hells (Zombies): Last seen in Black Ops Cold War, Jingle Hells drops you in what could optimistically be called a winter wonderland, as the entirety of the Liberty Falls map is festooned with wreaths, ribbons, twinkling lights, Christmas trees, garlands of fir tree bunting, and a thin blanket of snow.
• Holiday Rush (Warzone): Enter Area 99, newly outfitted with Deck the Halls trees and Snowball coolers. Get right to the point with access to high-tier loot along with a smaller gas circle and faster transitions between collapses.
• Slay Ride Resurgence (Warzone): Undead Santa has hijacked the train. Toss deadly snowballs, capture trees, hunt reindeer, and battle for control of Santa’s Slay Ride. Last team standing wins.

Black Ops 6 Nuketown Holiday - a look at this year's Call of Duty Christmas map

The Call of Duty Christmas map for this year is Nuketown Holiday, which gives the iconic Black Ops 6 map a snowy makeover. In addition, there are Holiday glow-ups that come with the new modes, and as part of the Jingle Hells Zombies mode. Unfathomable horrors beyond comprehension, now wearing Santa hats!

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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #542) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PAN
• PINE TREE
• LEAD
• CANDLE
• COMPASS
• LOOFAH
• TURNTABLE
• SHEPHERD
• ATLAS
• TOILETRIES
• ECHO
• GUIDE
• SEWING KIT
• HELEN
• DIRECT
• JOHNSON

NYT Connections today (game #542) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Follow
• Green: Get the point
• Blue: Ancient figures
• Purple: Bathroom slang

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #542) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: STEER
• GREEN: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S
• BLUE: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #542) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #542, are…

• YELLOW: STEER DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, SHEPHERD
• GREEN: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S COMPASS, PINE TREE, SEWING KIT, TURNTABLE
• BLUE: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH ATLAS, ECHO, HELEN, PAN
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY CANDLE, JOHNSON, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

Hi, Johnny here, taking over Connections duties from Marc for a little while (he'll be back occasionally, I'm sure – and he's still looking after the daily Wordle today page, don't worry about that!).

Being a very easily LEAD person the Yellow group appeared before my eyes instantly. The same could not be said about the rest of today’s words, which – as is very often the case at close to midnight – appeared to be a random jumble of letters.

I attempted a second group that seemed to be about getting somewhere using very ancient tech – COMPASS, CANDLE, ATLAS and err ECHO which is nature’s GPS (if you’re in a cave or Alpine valley with someone who can yodel).

Getting this one wrong I used up another mistake guessing that CANDLE, SEWING KIT, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES were all presents you’d buy your Grandmother.

Then sense took hold and grasping at some threadbare knowledge of Greek mythology I bundled together ATLAS, HELEN and PAN and took a gamble on ECHO. This made finding THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S to be much easier, after which the final four revealed themselves, making me feel slightly defeated. Oh, dear Connections, you destroyer of souls...

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 3 December, game #541)

• YELLOW: SOPRANOS CARMELA, JUNIOR, MEADOW, TONY
• GREEN: FAMILIAL NICKNAMES CUZ, GRAMMY, MUMMY, POP
• BLUE: “SESAME STREET” CHARACTERS COOKIE, COUNT, OSCAR, SNUFFY
• PURPLE: NAMES THAT SOUND LIKE TWO LETTERS CECE, EDIE, EMMY, KATIE

• The NES version of Tetris is coming to Nintendo Switch Online
• It's set for a December 12 release
• The 1989 title joins the growing collection of classic Nintendo games on the subscription service

Nintendo has announced that the NES version of Tetris will be joining Nintendo Switch Online this month.

In a new X / Twitter post shared today, Nintendo confirmed that the classic 1989 title will be added to its Nintendo Switch subscription service next week on December 12.

This console version of Tetris features two modes of play, A-Type and B-Type, each with its own unique goals. For A-Type, players must achieve the highest score, while in B-Type, the board starts with randomized blocks at the bottom of the field, and the goal is to clear 25 lines.

To play the NES version of Tetris, Nintendo Switch users must be subscribed to Switch Online for $3.99 / £3.49 / €3.99 a month, or $19.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 for a 12-month membership, both of which give access to the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color collections.

To get access to the other classic catalogs, including Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Mega Drive / Genesis, users must purchase the Switch Online Expansion Pack, which costs $49.99 / £34.99 / AU$59.95 for a 12-month pass.

Last week, as part of its November 2024 update, Nintendo added three more classic Sega Genesis games to the service, including ToeJam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron, Vectorman, and Wolf of the Battlefield: Mercs.

The addition of these three titles brought the total number of Sega Genesis games in the collection to 47.

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