#Meta Ad Account Recovery

[reflextickcreativeagency]

Meta Ads Account Disabled? Reasons, Solutions & How to Recover in 2025

Running Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram Ads) is one of the most powerful ways to grow your business online. However, many advertisers face the frustrating issue of their Meta Ads Account getting disabled without clear reasons. If you're experiencing this, you're not alone — but the good news is, it can often be solved.

In this blog, we’ll break down the common reasons for Meta Ad Account disabling, how to fix it, and best practices to avoid it in the future.

Why Was My Meta (Facebook) Ads Account Disabled?

Meta (formerly Facebook) uses AI systems to review ad accounts automatically. These are the most common reasons why your Meta Ads Account gets disabled:

Violation of Meta Advertising Policies

Suspicious Payment Activity or Failed Transactions

Repeated Ad Rejections or Poor Ad Quality

Inauthentic Behavior or Fake Profiles

Promoting Restricted or Prohibited Content

Unusual Spending Patterns or Rapid Ad Scaling

How to Fix a Disabled Meta Ads Account – Step-by-Step Solution

1. Identify the Reason for the Ban

Check your Account Quality Dashboard inside Meta Business Manager.

Review all notifications from Facebook about policy violations.

2. Submit an Appeal Immediately

Go to the Account Quality Center: https://business.facebook.com/accountquality/

Select your disabled ad account and click on "Request Review".

Clearly explain your case, and ensure you admit if any mistakes were made.

3. Review & Follow Meta’s Ad Policies

Read the Meta Advertising Policies: https://www.facebook.com/policies/ads/

Remove or edit any ads violating policies (e.g., misleading claims, inappropriate content).

4. Verify Your Business

Complete Business Verification inside Meta Business Settings.

Provide valid business documents to show you are a legitimate advertiser.

5. Add a New Payment Method

Update your billing information or add a new payment method to remove payment-related flags.

Pro Tips to Avoid Future Ad Account Disabling

Use a verified Business Manager

Avoid misleading headlines or ad copy

Stick to high-quality creatives

Don’t run ads related to sensitive topics (finance, health, politics) without proper compliance

Warm up your account gradually — avoid spending large amounts on day one

Regularly monitor your Ad Account Health

What If My Meta Ads Account is Permanently Disabled?

If your account is permanently disabled and your appeal is denied:

Consider creating a new Business Manager

Work with a Meta Ads Agency with verified ad accounts

Use Agency Ad Accounts (Whitelisted) to continue your campaigns

Final Thoughts: Work Smart, Not Hard with Meta Ads

Managing Meta Ads is tricky, but staying compliant and proactive reduces risks. If you face continuous issues, hiring a professional digital marketing agency or Meta ads expert ensures smoother campaign management.

Need professional help?

Contact our team of Meta Ads Experts to solve your ad account problems and run successful campaigns.

📧 Email: info@reflextick.com

🌐 Website: https://reflextick.com

[transcuratorsblog]

Using Predictive Analytics in Campaigns: The New Edge for Marketing Agencies

In the age of data-driven decision making, predictive analytics has emerged as the not-so-secret weapon of high-performing marketing agencies. No longer just a buzzword, it’s a transformative capability that’s redefining how campaigns are planned, targeted, and optimised. For a modern digital marketing agency, leveraging predictive analytics means delivering smarter strategies, faster growth, and measurable ROI.

Let’s explore how predictive analytics is giving agencies a new competitive edge—and why it’s becoming essential in 2025.

What Is Predictive Analytics in Marketing?

Predictive analytics uses historical data, machine learning, and statistical algorithms to forecast future outcomes. In marketing, this could mean predicting:

Which leads are most likely to convert

When a customer is about to churn

What content a user will engage with next

How a campaign will perform before it even launches

In short, it transforms raw data into foresight—so agencies can move from reactive to proactive.

1. Smarter Audience Targeting

Forget generic buyer personas. With predictive modeling, agencies can:

Score leads based on likelihood to convert

Segment audiences by predicted behaviours (e.g., frequent shoppers, one-time buyers)

Target lookalike audiences who actually resemble your best customers

This precision improves ad efficiency, reduces wasted spend, and boosts campaign relevance across channels like Meta, Google Ads, and programmatic networks.

2. Hyper-Personalised Campaigns at Scale

Predictive analytics enables real-time personalisation. Agencies can dynamically serve:

Product recommendations based on browsing and purchase history

Content tailored to a user’s lifecycle stage

Email workflows triggered by predicted behaviours (e.g., abandoned cart recovery, upsell offers)

It’s not just automation—it’s intelligent automation that adapts to what users will likely do next.

3. Budget Forecasting and ROI Modelling

One of the biggest wins for marketing teams: predictive budgeting. Agencies can use historical performance data to forecast:

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Campaign breakeven points and scaling limits

This allows for data-backed media planning, helping clients set realistic goals and maximise every rupee or dollar spent.

4. Churn Prediction and Retention Campaigns

Customer retention is cheaper than acquisition—but only if you catch churn before it happens.

With predictive analytics, agencies can:

Flag customers showing early signs of disengagement

Deploy retention strategies like loyalty programs, discount nudges, or re-engagement emails

Improve CLV by targeting at-risk users with personalised offers

It's a shift from “reacting to churn” to preventing it altogether.

5. Content Strategy That Works Before It’s Published

Predictive analytics tools help identify:

What topics are likely to trend

Which content formats drive the most engagement by audience segment

The best time to post for maximum visibility

Rather than guess what works, smart agencies use data to pre-validate their content strategy—cutting down on trial and error.

6. Dynamic Ad Optimisation

Real-time bidding platforms and AI ad networks are built for predictive input. Agencies now:

Automatically adjust bids based on conversion likelihood

Serve creatives based on predicted engagement

Pause or scale campaigns based on forecasted performance trends

Predictive algorithms reduce reliance on manual testing and allow faster scaling with less risk.

7. Enhanced Sales and Marketing Alignment

For B2B campaigns, predictive analytics bridges the gap between marketing and sales:

Marketing teams hand off only the highest-quality leads

Sales can prioritise outreach based on lead scores and buying intent

Account-based marketing (ABM) is powered by predictive firmographics and engagement data

The result? Fewer wasted leads, faster closes, and a more aligned pipeline.

8. Campaign Risk Management

Predictive models help agencies spot red flags before a campaign fails. By analysing:

Engagement dips

Anomalies in audience behaviour

Deviation from forecasted metrics

Agencies can pivot strategies quickly—saving time, money, and brand reputation.

Final Thoughts

In 2025, the best marketing decisions won’t be based on gut instinct—they’ll be backed by intelligent forecasts. A digital marketing agency that uses predictive analytics isn’t just optimising campaigns—it’s future-proofing its strategy.

As customer expectations rise and attention spans shrink, agencies that can anticipate behaviour—not just respond to it—will lead the way. Predictive analytics is no longer optional. It’s the new edge—and smart agencies are already harnessing it to turn data into dominance.

[veicolo]

5 Proven Tactics by a Fashion Performance Marketing Agency for Faster Growth

5 Proven Tactics by a Fashion Performance Marketing Agency for Faster Growth

Growing a fashion brand in today’s digital space is no longer about simply running ads or growing followers—it’s about building a predictable, performance-driven engine that converts attention into actual revenue. A fashion performance marketing agency brings the systems, expertise, and creative thinking that many fashion labels need but often lack in-house.

The most effective agencies don’t just launch campaigns—they refine strategy, test aggressively, and optimize with precision. Below are five proven tactics these agencies use to drive faster growth for fashion brands without compromising identity or experience.

1. Audience Segmentation and High-Intent Targeting

The first and most important step is understanding who your real buyers are—not just who you think they are. A performance marketing agency builds detailed customer personas using first-party data, analytics tools, and market insights.

Rather than relying on broad demographics, they narrow the focus to high-intent audiences based on behavior, purchase patterns, and product affinity. This ensures every euro or dollar spent is going toward audiences most likely to convert.

Platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok all respond better to laser-focused targeting—and that means lower cost per acquisition and stronger ROI from the start.

2. Conversion-Focused Creative

In fashion, creative is king—but it needs to work. Agencies that specialize in fashion performance understand the delicate balance between aesthetics and performance.

They craft visual content tailored for platform performance: thumb-stopping visuals, fast-loading product videos, lifestyle imagery with strong call-to-actions—all rooted in your brand’s voice. Importantly, every creative asset is tested in-market. It's not about what looks best on a mood board, but what drives action.

From carousel ads to influencer clips repurposed into high-performing content, this approach keeps the brand’s energy intact while driving measurable results.

3. Landing Page Optimization

You can’t run high-performing campaigns without strong landing pages. A fashion performance marketing agency will often audit and optimize your product pages or direct-to-consumer funnels.

This includes adjusting product copy, layout, images, load time, and even trust signals like reviews or guarantees. The goal is simple: reduce friction, guide the customer, and improve conversion rates—especially on mobile.

A one-second improvement in load time or better product storytelling can mean thousands in additional monthly revenue.

4. Dynamic Retargeting and Lifecycle Campaigns

Most customers don’t convert on the first visit. Smart agencies put retargeting systems in place that keep your brand top-of-mind—from dynamic product retargeting to limited-time offers and cart recovery sequences.

They also work beyond the first sale, setting up post-purchase flows, upsell triggers, and loyalty campaigns. This ensures your customer lifetime value keeps increasing, not just your acquisition volume.

5. Clear Reporting and Financial Accountability

The best agencies aren’t just creative—they’re operational. They tie all actions back to metrics that matter: return on ad spend, cost per acquisition, average order value, and customer lifetime value.

With weekly or monthly dashboards, your brand gets clear visibility into what’s working and what’s not. No fluff, no guesswork—just data-led decisions that drive faster, smarter growth.

In short, working with a fashion performance marketing agency gives you more than just ads—it gives you structure. These tactics aren’t quick hacks; they’re foundational practices that help emerging and established fashion brands compete and win in a noisy market. If growth is your goal, these are the systems that will get you there—faster, and with focus.

[thinktoshare-blog]

The True ROI of a Business Website: How to Measure Success Post-Launch

Launching a website is a milestone—but it’s not the finish line. The real question every business owner must ask is: "What is the return on investment (ROI) of our website?"

At Think To Share IT Solutions, we go beyond build and launch. We engineer websites with clear business objectives and measurable outcomes. This guide explains how to track and calculate the true ROI of your website—months and even years after it goes live.

What is Website ROI?

Website ROI measures the financial and strategic return you gain from your website investment. While direct sales and leads are key indicators, modern websites also contribute to brand trust, customer retention, and operational efficiency.

Basic ROI Formula:

ROI = (Return – Investment Cost) / Investment Cost × 100

But the real value lies in knowing what to count as “return.”

1. Lead Generation and Conversion Metrics

What to Measure:

Total leads from contact forms, quote requests, and chat

Conversion rate (visitors vs. leads)

Cost per lead (if supported by ad campaigns)

Tools:

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

CRM reports (e.g., HubSpot, Zoho)

Conversion pixels (Meta, Google Ads)

Insight: A well-optimized website should show increased lead flow and reduced cost-per-lead compared to offline channels.

2. Sales Revenue Attributed to the Website

For eCommerce or service-based businesses, website-driven sales are a clear ROI driver.

What to Track:

Total revenue from online sales or bookings

Average order value

Abandoned cart recovery rate (if applicable)

Integration: Connect your CMS (Shopify, WooCommerce, custom portals) to sales CRMs or accounting software for accurate revenue tracking.

3. Traffic Growth & Source Quality

Traffic alone isn’t enough—quality and intent matter.

Track:

Total sessions and unique visitors

Source/medium (organic, direct, referral, paid)

Bounce rate and session duration

Insight: Post-launch, a high-performing website should see sustained traffic from organic sources (SEO) and engaged users staying longer and exploring more.

4. Search Engine Performance (SEO ROI)

SEO improvements don’t just bring visibility—they reduce the need for paid acquisition.

What to Monitor:

Organic impressions and clicks

Keyword rankings

Backlink profile and domain authority

Tools:

Google Search Console

Ahrefs / SEMrush

Yoast / RankMath integration for CMS-based SEO

5. User Engagement and Behavior

Understanding what users do on your site reveals friction points and highlights what works.

Metrics to Track:

Pages per session

Click-through rate on CTAs

Scroll depth and heatmap analysis

Tools:

Hotjar / Microsoft Clarity for behavior mapping

GA4 event tracking

6. Customer Support Cost Savings

If your site reduces manual inquiries or offloads support tasks, that's real ROI.

Track:

Fewer repetitive support tickets due to FAQ/self-service pages

Chatbot conversions or lead handoffs

Automated forms for inquiries, support, and onboarding

7. Brand Credibility and Trust Signals

Though harder to quantify, an improved digital brand presence can directly influence buyer decisions.

Indicators:

Increased branded search volume

Positive customer feedback or testimonials

Better client conversion rates during sales presentations

8. Operational Efficiency Gains

Websites that integrate with back-office systems reduce manual work.

Example ROI Drivers:

Online booking instead of phone scheduling

Real-time inventory management

Auto-generated invoices and CRM updates

Setting Realistic Benchmarks

Your website's ROI depends on the industry, business model, and goal. Set KPIs such as:

30% increase in lead volume in 3 months

15% reduction in support requests via automation

20% more newsletter sign-ups with improved CTAs

Final Thoughts: ROI is Ongoing, Not One-Time

A business website is an investment, not a cost center. But to measure ROI effectively, you need:

The right integrations (CRM, analytics, automation)

A clear post-launch strategy

Regular performance reviews

At Think To Share IT Solutions, we don’t just build websites—we build digital assets that drive returns. From analytics to automation, we ensure your website is not just active, but actively working for your business.

[arosejoy]

What I'm Noticing After Leaving Instagram

I’m noticing benefits as I’ve removed mindless scrolling from daily life, removed being inundated with ads selling me things I don’t need, ads that tell me I need more and new and better to stay hip and with it, beauty products to alter my natural appearance and improve my aging face and body, weight loss drugs that if I were to take, would be dangerous as that rapid weight loss would fire up old Eating Disorder thoughts to get as small as possible regardless of the side effects. The urge to shop and spend money has largely been removed.

I feel steadier and more in tune with my self. I’m not comparing my life and self to others in the way I was. I’m more present at home in my down time, reading articles and essays versus numbing out with the mindless scrolling, or reading, or just sitting with my cup of coffee in the morning, listening to music. I’m taking more photos for private memories versus taking them with the intention of posting online. I feel strengthened knowing my time and attention is not benefitting the Meta universe.

These benefits improve my day to day health and well-being. I don’t really miss anything. I still have my Facebook account to connect with my recovery communities and immediate family, as well as discover events around town. I only go on that a few times per week. My phone time has been reduced dramatically. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Anyone else on this train ride?

[thebotmode]

WhatsApp Broadcasting Using WhatsApp Business API for D2C Brands | The BotMode

In today’s fast-moving digital era, WhatsApp Broadcasting using WhatsApp Business API has become a must-have strategy for D2C brands. Direct, instant communication drives better customer engagement, higher conversions, and stronger loyalty.

Whether you’re sending promotional offers, abandoned cart notifications, or important updates, WhatsApp broadcasting transforms how your D2C business connects with customers — fast and at scale.

Send WhatsApp Message to Multiple Contacts with Broadcast Easily

If you’re a D2C brand aiming for growth, the ability to send WhatsApp messages to multiple contacts with broadcast is crucial.

Using the WhatsApp Business API, you can:

Personalize every message for better engagement

Automate your broadcast campaigns

Track delivery, open rates, and customer interactions

Scale up to thousands of messages — without manual efforts

Compared to basic broadcast lists, API-powered WhatsApp marketing delivers smarter, scalable, and measurable customer communication.

How WhatsApp Business API Supercharges Your Broadcast Strategy

The WhatsApp Business API is designed specifically for businesses like D2C brands that require large-scale, automated customer engagement. Here’s how it boosts your broadcasting power:

Verified Business Profile: Build trust and authenticity.

Pre-approved Template Messages: Faster approvals and consistency.

Automation & Chatbots: Manage replies and lead nurturing effortlessly.

Security & Compliance: Ensure customer data is safe with end-to-end encryption.

Using WhatsApp Business API, D2C brands can launch highly personalized, efficient, and compliant WhatsApp campaigns across their customer base.

WhatsApp Broadcast List vs. WhatsApp Business API: What’s Right for Your D2C Brand?

Many small businesses use the basic WhatsApp Broadcast list feature within the WhatsApp Business App. However, it comes with critical limitations:

Messages only reach customers who saved your number.

Maximum 256 contacts per broadcast list.

No automation, segmentation, or deep analytics.

In contrast, sending WhatsApp Broadcast through WhatsApp Business App is no longer enough for growing D2C brands.

With the WhatsApp Business API, you can:

Send thousands of personalized messages without number-saving limitations.

Automate customer journeys.

Track performance and optimize every campaign.

For serious WhatsApp marketing for D2C brands, the API is the clear winner.

Boost Conversions with Automated Abandoned Cart Notifications

One of the highest-ROI strategies in WhatsApp broadcasting is sending abandoned cart notifications.

Using WhatsApp automation for D2C brands, you can automatically send:

Friendly reminders

Personalized discount offers

Free shipping deals

These messages can recover up to 30% more abandoned carts compared to email or SMS reminders — because WhatsApp has a 90%+ open rate within minutes!

Imagine a customer adding products to their cart and receiving a personalized WhatsApp nudge 20 minutes later. That’s real-time sales recovery at work.

Why Leading D2C Brands Trust TheBotMode for WhatsApp Broadcasting

At TheBotMode, we help D2C brands unlock the full power of WhatsApp Broadcasting using WhatsApp Business API.

With TheBotMode, you can:

Send WhatsApp messages to multiple contacts seamlessly.

Recover abandoned carts with personalized, automated flows.

Launch smart WhatsApp campaigns that nurture, convert, and delight.

Automate WhatsApp marketing, sales, and support operations.

Stay fully compliant with WhatsApp’s policies and Meta regulations.

Our platform simplifies everything — from onboarding to broadcasting — so your team can focus on growing faster.

How to Send WhatsApp Broadcasts Using WhatsApp Business API for D2C Brands

Getting started with WhatsApp broadcasting is easy with TheBotMode:

Set up your WhatsApp Business API account through TheBotMode’s quick onboarding.

Get your message templates approved for promotions, cart recovery, and updates.

Upload your customer list and segment based on behavior.

Create personalized broadcast campaigns using dynamic fields.

Schedule and automate your campaigns for maximum engagement.

With TheBotMode, your brand is always a message away from a customer — driving real-time results.

Final Thoughts

In 2025 and beyond, WhatsApp Broadcasting using WhatsApp Business API will define customer engagement for D2C brands.

Whether you’re aiming to send WhatsApp messages to multiple contacts with broadcast, recover abandoned carts, or run high-converting WhatsApp campaigns for D2C businesses, TheBotMode is your go-to platform.

FAQs

1. What is WhatsApp Broadcasting using WhatsApp Business API?WhatsApp Broadcasting using WhatsApp Business API lets D2C brands send personalized messages to thousands of contacts, automate campaigns, and drive customer engagement easily.

2. Can I send WhatsApp messages to multiple contacts with broadcast?Yes! With WhatsApp Business API, D2C brands can send personalized broadcasts to thousands of customers, even if they haven’t saved your number.

3. What’s the difference between a WhatsApp Broadcast List and WhatsApp Business API?A WhatsApp Broadcast List in the Business App is limited in size and functionality. WhatsApp Business API offers automation, large-scale messaging, analytics, and personalization — ideal for growing D2C businesses.

4. How can D2C brands use abandoned cart notifications via WhatsApp?Automated abandoned cart notifications help D2C brands recover lost sales by reminding customers about their incomplete purchases, often with special offers, leading to a 20–30% boost in recovered revenue.

5. How does TheBotMode help with WhatsApp Broadcasting? TheBotMode simplifies WhatsApp broadcasting by setting up Business API access, automating cart recovery flows, sending bulk messages to contacts, and managing WhatsApp marketing campaigns — helping D2C brands scale faster.

know more> https://thebotmode.com/whatsapp-broadcasting-using-whatsapp-business-api-for-d2c-brands/

[accapitalmarket]

US Stocks Climb Higher, Crude Oil Rebounds

US stocks ended higher on Thursday at the start of a new month as tariff worries eased, with tech issues standing out after robust earnings from Microsoft and Meta Platforms, although after-hours tech news was less positive.

On foreign exchanges, the US dollar extended its two-day recovery lifted by hopes that fears of global trade disruption due to the imposition of additional tariffs by President Donald Trump have peaked. The White House signalled on Thursday that it could announce bilateral trade deals with a number of trading partners in weeks.

The greenback shrugged aside some more cautious US data. Ahead of Friday’s key April non-farm payrolls report, the latest initial jobless claims rose by 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted total of 241,000 for the week ended April 26, higher than the estimate for 225,000.

Meanwhile, the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data for April fell to 48.7, lower than March’s figure of 49.0, but higher than estimates for a fall to 48.0.

On Wednesday, first quarter GDP data surprisingly showed the US economy contracted for the first time in three years.

With the dollar firming, gold prices came under pressure, retreating further from recent record levels. Spot gold dropped 1.6% to $3,255 per ounce.

At the stock market close in New York on Thursday, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrials Average was up 0.2% at 40,752, while the broader S&P 500 index gained 0.6% to 5,604.

Meanwhile, the tech-laden Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.5% at 17,710, boosted by above-forecast earnings from two of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ mega cap firms reported after-hours on Wednesday.

NAS100Roll H1

Meta Platforms gained 4.2% after the Facebook and Instagram reported solid quarterly results, with its forward guidance topping consensus as it raised its planned capex to accelerate the construction of AI data centres.

And Microsoft jumped 7.3% after the software giant’s first-quarter revenue increased by 13% and it forecast cloud-computing revenue growth of 34% to 35% for the fiscal fourth quarter.

Two more mega caps reported after the Wall Street close on Thursday - iPhone-maker Apple and online retail giant Amazon.

After gaining 3.1% during the session, Amazon reversed 3.0% in post-market trading after reporting softer guidance for the current-quarter which offset better-than-expected Q1 results despite underwhelming growth in its key cloud computing segment.

Similarly, Apple added 0.4% in the session, but fell 2.3% after-hours as its Q1 earnings only narrowly beat expectations, reflecting caution on the outlook given the uncertainties over Trump’s tariffs.

Away from tech, there were plenty more corporate earnings to assess, with around one-third of all S&P 500-listed firms posting results this week.

Eli Lilly dropped 11.7% after the drugs firm posted disappointing sales of its popular weight-loss drug, Zepbound.

McDonald’s fell 1.9% after the fast-food giant posted a surprise decline in first-quarter global comparable sales.

Meanwhile, Estee Lauder shed 1.8% despite posting better-than-expected third quarter results, as it highlighted ongoing challenges in its travel retail business and subdued consumer sentiment in Asia.

And General Motors fell 0.4% after the automaker said expected the financial hit from tariffs could reach $5 billion and slashed its annual guidance.

Meanwhile, oil prices bounced back from a sell-off on Wednesday as President Trump threatened secondary sanctions on Iran after a fourth round of US-Iran talks was postponed.

USOILRoll Daily

US WTI crude added 1.3% to $58.99 a barrel, and UK Brent crude gained 1.3% to $61.84 a barrel.

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this market commentary is of general nature only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You are strongly recommended to seek independent financial advice before making any investment decisions.

Trading margin forex and CFDs carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Investors could experience losses in excess of total deposits. You do not have ownership of the underlying assets. AC Capital Market (V) Ltd is the product issuer and distributor. Please read and consider our Product Disclosure Statement and Terms and Conditions, and fully understand the risks involved before deciding to acquire any of the financial products provided by us.

The content of this market commentary is owned by AC Capital Market (V) Ltd. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.

[h1p3rn0v4]

Monika Bickert, vicepresidenta de política de contenido de Meta, escribió en una publicación de blog que algunas de las pruebas tienen como objetivo reforzar sus medidas antiestafa existentes, como los escaneos automatizados (que utilizan clasificadores de aprendizaje automático) que se ejecutan como parte de su sistema de revisión de anuncios, para dificultar que los estafadores pasen desapercibidos y engañen a los usuarios de Facebook e Instagram para que hagan clic en anuncios falsos.

[isfeed]

Meta tests facial recognition for spotting ‘celeb-bait’ ads scams and easier account recovery

Meta is expanding tests of facial recognition as an anti-scam measure to combat celebrity scam ads and more broadly, the Facebook owner announced Monday. Monika Bickert, Meta’s VP of content policy, wrote in a blog post that some of the tests aim to bolster its existing anti-scam measures, such as the automated scans (using machine […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use…

[ronit-k]

Massive Outage Hits Facebook and Instagram: About You

In another incidence, on the 5th of March, 2024, Facebook and Instagram were offline for a whole day such that users around the world could not sign into their accounts. It also impacted Meta Ads, which means that many businesses which depend on these platforms for advertising were hugely unconvinced. Below is the detailed analysis of the incident and its consequences and tips for selecting Kasper Infotech for your digital requirements. The Outage: A Timeline

Initial Reports and Acknowledgment

The first signs of trouble appeared around 7: At around 01.00 AM PST, consumers noted that they struggled to sign into Facebook and Instagram. By 7:51 AM, Meta recognized the problem, the company said that

Impact on Meta Ads 

Through the collected surveys, it was identified that meta-ads playing in businesses affected the operation greatly. Thus, in the Ads Manager, there were problems with new ads creation, ads delivery, and ads reporting. This outage affected the sectors or domains such as ITES, Travel, Sports Business, Real Estate, Education, Health & Fitness, Entertainment and social media, Banking & Financial, and E-Commerce.   Yes there is a known problem with Facebook Login We wanted to let you know that our engineers are currently searching for an attempt to fix this problem as soon as possible. 

By 9:7AM, Meta said that recovery was ongoing:

We had an outage in the Facebook Login a while ago, and services were stopped, but they’re now gradually coming back online We are sorry for the inconvenience that this will have caused.   Scale of the Outage Observed on Down Detector website, the outage quickly rose to more than half a million users experiencing problems within half an hour. Login issues dominated the reports with regard to Facebook since fewer people reported problems with Instagram with the common concern being the functionality of the app.

Impact on Meta Ads All the firms employing Meta Ads identified that they had major disruptions. Problems with creating new ads, delivery of ads, and generation of ads report were recorded in the Ads Manager dashboard. This outage affected various sectors such as; IT and BPO, tourism and Hospitality, sporting activities, Corporate, property, schools, Health and fitness, arts and entertainment, social networks, banking and finance and online businesses.   Why Choose Kasper Infotech?

Modern society is running on the Internet; thus, an outage, such as the one that affected Facebook and Instagram, can cause numerous negative effects. Here’s why Kasper Infotech stands out as your ideal digital solutions partner: Here’s why Kasper Infotech stands out as your ideal digital solutions partner:   Reliability and Expertise: Being an experienced IT service provider of years, we at Kasper Infotech provide efficient and professional services that solve the needs of your enterprise.

Comprehensive Services: We hold proficiency in services ranging from ITES to E-commerce, providing you with the best solutions as per your need.

Customer-Centric Approach: Our clients come first; we provide 24/7 so that your business stays up and running.

Innovative Solutions: Being in touch with the latest technology, our company offers technically integrated solutions that are proving to be rather effective from the commercial point of view.

Security: Thanks to our powerful security technologies, your information and the valuable data safe from risks.   Key Industries We Serve ITES: Improving the communication of your IT services with advanced solutions. Traveling: How new technologies can help optimize the processes related to travel services. Sports: Delivering technologies which promote efficiency in sports administration and followership enhancement. Business: Giving full client solutions for the improvement of business returns and efficiency. Real Estate: Real estate business transactions for enhanced organizational performance through digitization. Education: Enabling educational institutions to graduate to higher end e-learning solutions. Health & Fitness: The smart integration of technology into various fields including health and fitness for better services. Entertainment: How technology is enriching the entertainment experience for the audiences. Social media: Offering efficient solutions that will help create a dependable social media management strategy. Banking and Finance: Providing risk free and efficient banking and financial products. E-commerce: Optimizing your e-commerce with professional IT assistance.

FAQs

1.The outage that was experienced by both Facebook and Instagram platforms, what led to it?   Meta has not disclosed the root of the problem, but its engineering divisions are studying the cause and how to avoid similar occurrences. Like how long this blackout/consequent outage perhaps lasted is not clearly stated.   The outage began around 7:by 9:07 AM PST, recovery attempt was stated to be ongoing while the downtime was stated to have occurred at 01 AM PST.

2.What was shut down during the service interruption?   Facebook and Instagram users complained of access problems particularly when signing into the social media platforms. Meta Ads also had some disruptions that occurred in the creation of ads, delivering them, and even in the reporting of the process.

3.What can this Kasper Infotech do for me or for my business? Digital services that we provide at Kasper Infotech are focusing on meeting your unique business requirements while being reliable, fresh, and safe.

4.To what kind of clients does Kasper Infotech provide its services? Our clients include the ITES, Travel and Sports Business and Industry, Real Estate and Education Industry and Health & Fitness, Entertainment, social media and Banking, and Finance and E-commerce sectors.

In conclusion, it has been seen how the recent interruption of the platforms Facebook and Instagram can be termed as vast, but at the same time having trustworthy digital partners like Kasper Infotech is always essential. That is why with our knowledge and our advanced technologies we assist companies to build a strategy and to grow when there are obstacles on their way to digital world.

[cryptoexchangehelp]

Mastering Ledger Live: Your Guide to Cryptocurrency Security

Having a safe and secure crypto wallet tool to keep your digital assets it’s really necessary. If you own any random wallet without knowing it, this could lead to issues for your assets. To get rid of this, you can choose a hardware wallet that is known for its utmost level of security such as the Ledger Live wallet. It was presented by a group of eight experts in 2014.

The main reason behind this wallet to introduced was to provide users with a threat-free environment. As a hardware wallet, it keeps your digital assets and private keys away from the internet and prevents exposing them online. In the following article, we will discuss how to download and create a ledger live new wallet. Therefore, stay with us to learn more. 

How To Download The Ledger Live? 

The Ledger crypto wallet offers pretty simple steps to download your wallet. If you are having issues while downloading, follow the steps mentioned below. 

Head to the “Ledger Live” page on your browser.

Once you reach it, select the compatible version. 

After that click on the “download the app link to begin the process. 

Now wait for a few moments to complete the downloading process. 

Once the downloading process is complete, tap twice on the downloaded file to initiate the installation process. 

This is how you can download the Ledger Live wallet by going through the above steps carefully.

Steps To Set Up Your Ledger Live Wallet

If you are thinking how to initiate set up process, we have briefly discussed every step below. Have a look at it. 

Once you install the application, run it to begin the set up process.

Tap on the “Get Started” button and accept terms and conditions. 

Now it will prompt you to select your ledger device to continue. 

Follow the prompts to set a new device. 

After that, set a PIN for your wallet. 

In the next step, you will receive your secret recovery phrase. 

Write down your seed phrase and keep it secret from others. 

In the final step, confirm your secret recovery phrase to finish the set up process. 

Once you confirm your seed phrase, you are all set to explore the digital investment world. 

How To Add New Account To Ledger Live?

If you are looking to add a new account to Ledger Live, follow the steps mentioned below. 

Open your Leger Live and select the account tab. 

Now click on the Add account tab. 

After that with the help of drop-down or manually, select the crypto for the account you wish to add. 

If prompted, connect and open your ledger device, and open the app to add the crypto you want to add. 

Wait for a few moments for the ledger to synchronize with the blockchain. 

Now in the accounts step, select the account to add and swipe right to rename it. 

Tap on the continue button, your account has been added. 

This is how you can add a new account to the ledger live on the go. 

Conclusion

The Ledger Live wallet is a hardware wallet that offers cold storage for its users. It eliminates the risk of potential online threats and cyber-attacks. Currently, it is providing its service more than 1.5 million active users every month. Apart from this, Ledger’s easy to accessible and seamless design makes it convenient for everyone. 

Whether you are new or a pro in the crypto world, you will find this wallet suitable for every user. Despite this, its industry standard security feature makes it an inaccessible cave for unauthorized users. Overall, if you give priority to your security and privacy, this could be an ideal choice for you. 

Meta Description

Start your trading journey with Ledger Live to keep your assets away from hackers and scammers. You will get here cold storage and a bunch of rich features.

FAQ

Is Ledger Wallet Good To Use?

Yes, the Ledger offers a range of hardware wallets that are equipped with a substantial level of security. It protects your assets against potential online threats such as phishing attacks and hacking.  

Does Ledger Take Withdrawal Fees?

The Ledger itself doesn’t take any additional fees accept the transactions fee, required by the network that you use. Like Bitcoin or Ethereum. 

What if I lose my Ledger wallet? 

In case of losing or physical damage you can simply enter your 24-word recovery seed phrase in a new wallet to recover your all the assets that you have lost. 

[xtruss]

Billionaire Wealth: The Biggest Winners and Losers in 2023

— Preyash Shah | January 15, 2024 | Posts.Voronoiapp.Com

In 2023, the world's wealthiest individuals experienced a significant resurgence, with the combined net worth of the top 500 richest people increasing by $1.5 trillion. This marked a complete recovery from the $1.4 trillion loss incurred the previous year, as reported by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The rebound was largely attributed to the impressive performance of tech stocks, which reached new highs despite concerns over a potential recession, persistent inflation, elevated interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainties.

Tech billionaires, in particular, witnessed a remarkable surge in wealth, growing by 48%, equivalent to $658 billion. This growth was fueled by heightened enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence.

Elon Musk emerged as the top gainer, reclaiming the title of the world's richest person from Bernard Arnault, the French luxury tycoon. Musk's net worth increased by an impressive $113.5 billion, driven by the success of his companies, Tesla and SpaceX. This remarkable rebound followed a substantial loss of $141 billion in 2022. Musk's net worth now surpasses Arnault's by almost $50 billion, as a global slowdown in luxury goods demand affected LVMH shares.

Other notable gains in wealth included Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com Inc., who added over $65 billion to his fortune in 2023, putting him in close competition with Bernard Arnault for the second position.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., also experienced a substantial increase of over $78 billion in his net worth.

However, not all billionaires shared in the wealth surge. Indian billionaire Gautam Adani faced setbacks, losing $21 billion on January 27 alone and a total of $56.5 billion throughout the year. The decline in value was attributed to the negative impact of short-seller Hindenburg Research on the Adani Group. Despite these losses, Adani still retains a significant 11-figure fortune.

As we head into 2024 with strong economic headwinds and global conflicts, it would be interesting to see how this landscape change — only time will tell! Till then may you bank accounts be as robust as Elon Musk’s Twitter game!

[transcuratorsblog]

What to Do When Your Digital Marketing Agency Isn't Delivering Results

Partnering with a Digital Marketing Agency is supposed to accelerate your business growth, not stall it. But what if weeks or even months pass by and you're still not seeing meaningful progress—no clear ROI, no uptick in leads, no actionable insight? It can be frustrating, especially when you’ve invested money, time, and trust into the partnership.

The good news? You're not powerless. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to assess what’s going wrong, how to reset expectations, and when it might be time to part ways.

Step 1: Review Your Initial Goals and KPIs

Before jumping to conclusions, take a step back and revisit the original goals set with your agency. Were they realistic and measurable? Was there alignment on:

What success looks like?

Timelines for early wins vs. long-term growth?

Key performance indicators (KPIs) like CPC, ROAS, conversion rate, or qualified leads?

Many disappointments stem from vague or mismatched expectations. If there was no clear baseline, it becomes harder to define “not delivering.”

Step 2: Ask for Transparent Reporting

If your agency isn’t providing regular, data-backed reports, that’s a red flag. You should be getting weekly or monthly performance updates that include:

What was done (deliverables)

What worked and what didn’t

Next steps and optimizations

Campaign performance against KPIs

Ask for access to dashboards or tools (like GA4, Meta Business Suite, or HubSpot) if you’re not already included. A trustworthy agency will welcome transparency.

Step 3: Request a Mid-Contract Review Meeting

Set up a dedicated review call and openly share your concerns. Keep the tone collaborative, not confrontational. Come prepared with:

Specific issues (e.g., "We’ve spent ₹1,00,000 but leads haven’t increased")

Performance data (if available)

Clarifying questions (e.g., “What is our current CPL? What’s the optimization plan?”)

A professional agency will either clarify the roadmap or admit where things went off track and propose a recovery plan.

Step 4: Evaluate the Quality of Work, Not Just Results

Sometimes the numbers take time, especially with SEO or content marketing. But that doesn’t excuse poor-quality deliverables. Ask yourself:

Are the ads or content aligned with your brand?

Are landing pages optimized for conversions?

Are campaigns backed by research and testing?

Even if ROI isn’t immediate, the groundwork should be solid and strategically sound.

Step 5: Check Communication and Responsiveness

Many client-agency relationships fail not due to poor results, but due to poor communication. Signs of trouble include:

Long delays in responses

Missed deadlines or deliverables

Lack of accountability for performance

A reliable digital marketing agency should offer consistent updates, explain performance honestly, and proactively share next steps.

Step 6: Identify Internal Bottlenecks

Before blaming the agency entirely, check if your internal team is slowing things down. Delays in approvals, lack of creative input, or poor sales follow-up can all sabotage even the best marketing efforts.

Tips:

Assign a single point of contact on your side

Use project management tools (like Trello, Slack, or Notion) to streamline collaboration

Share key insights from sales or customer support to improve targeting

Step 7: Ask for a Pivot Plan

If performance isn’t meeting goals, ask the agency for a revised game plan. This might include:

Changing target audience or messaging

Allocating budget to better-performing channels

Testing new landing pages or offers

Shifting focus from awareness to conversion

An agile agency will be open to pivoting strategy based on data—and fast.

Step 8: Consider Ending the Engagement

If you’ve tried all of the above and things still haven’t improved after 3–6 months, it may be time to move on. Signs it’s time to part ways:

No measurable improvements despite adequate time and budget

Vague responses or evasive behavior

Lack of strategic thinking or innovation

You're doing more of the marketing work than they are

Have a professional offboarding process. Make sure you retain access to:

Ad accounts

Analytics platforms

Creative assets and data

Final Thoughts: Expect Results, But Own the Process

Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency should simplify your growth—not complicate it. But even great agencies need direction, data, and collaboration to succeed. If things aren’t working, don’t just cancel—communicate, course-correct, and clarify your expectations.

That said, if your agency consistently avoids accountability or underdelivers, it’s perfectly reasonable to seek a more committed, transparent partner. Your brand deserves more than vanity metrics—it deserves results you can see and measure.

[sasquapossum]

I'm hating Big Tech a lot right now.

Threads won't stop bugging me about "suspicious activity" and forcing me to re-verify my account. Every time I switch devices. Every time I refresh on the web app. And now it doesn't even work because they never actually send the promised SMS message. Then again, I'm not missing much. Apparently muting all the vapid "influencer" types has put me into a mode where it won't recommend anything at all except people I already follow, and most of those have already dropped off. It's a wasteland. Fuck you, Meta.

Google Search has been useless for a while. Google Maps fucked up uncountable times during my two decent road trips. They're now admitting that they let their ML bullshit scrape your emails (which they were almost certainly doing before anyway). Fuck you, Google.

Amazon is going to put ads in Prime Video, unless you pay another $3/month. Fuck you, Amazon.

Apple's account recovery is absolute crap if you're not on an Apple device. I just want to watch some episodes of Silo, but it will take a week for account recovery to complete, Ridiculous. Nominally this is to prevent hostile account takeovers, but the way they're doing it (e.g. sending the notification to the same email I already used to initiate recovery) has absolutely no such effect. If they really cared, they wouldn't make such takeovers ridiculously easy if you do have someone else's Apple device. Fuck you, Apple.

These are all examples of what Cory Doctorow has called "enshittification"

I highly recommend reading that. The gist is that enshittification proceeds in three stages: do things to benefit users (so you get some), screw them so you can benefit advertisers (ditto), screw them so you can benefit only yourself. All of these companies are in Stage Three now. (OK, one could argue that Apple skipped stage two and thus doesn't fit the model, but that doesn't change much.) These companies are, quite simply, all run by assholes.

[itsthenovelteafactor]

Superhero Gothic

Thanks to everyone who responded to my previous post (special shoutout to @jeyfeather1234 💛 ) about superheroes and gothic media! I know it’s been, like, a month, but here we go.

Here’s a bit of a look into some common gothic themes, and how they apply to Doom Patrol, The Boys, Watchmen (2019), and The Umbrella Academy. This one’s a bit long, not gonna lie, but I hope you enjoy! 

Part I: Let’s Talk About Gothic Media

There is not actually an all-encompassing definition for gothic media, or even a universally agreed-upon one. You’re probably familiar with some well-known gothic works (think Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King) but there is a lot of debate on what exactly makes them gothic. 

There are some common themes in gothic works, though: families/characters under the control of a tyrannical paterfamilias, the crumbling of the established order/estate, long-buried secrets that have consequences in the present, and supernatural events that are stand-ins for/reflective of the emotional state/past actions of the characters. 

(Note: these aren’t all the themes of gothic works or even most of them, but for purposes here, I’d like to limit this analysis to them. I’d love to talk about other themes/ideas, though, if anyone has them. 😊)

So… superheroes (quick overview in case you haven’t watched any of them… spoiler warnings for the rest of this discussion)

Doom Patrol:

Five misfit superhumans attempt to rescue their mentor figure when he is kidnapped by an old enemy.

They are very, very bad at it.

Also features a singing horse head, a sentient nonbinary teleporting street (who is by far the best character) and the narrator is the fourth-wall breaking series villain. 

Beautifully weird but will also emotionally devastate you. Criminally underrated, tbh.

Watchmen (2019):

Story takes place after the canon of the graphic novel which is too much to summarize.

Alternate history (that should really feel more fictitious than it does) where white supremacist organization the Seventh Cavalry, masked police officers, and former superheroes in hiding all collide in Tulsa Oklahoma

Swept the Emmys this year and ABSOLUTELY DESERVED TO

The Umbrella Academy:

Washed up former child superheroes are forced to reunite when their father dies under mysterious circumstances 

Time travel, dysfunctional siblings, and a killer soundtrack

Basically a family drama with the superhero story as secondary (complimentary)

Probably the most obviously gothic of all of these it is aesthetic AF 

The Boys: 

Superheroes exist but they are corporate sellouts under the control of evil company Not-Amazon (AKA Vought)

Regular human protagonists try to hold them accountable for their actions with varying (read: usually minimal) success

Yes, it’s the one from those weird ads earlier this year

Billy Joel!! 

Part II: Niles Caulder, Ozymandias, and Other Terrible Father Figures

The Tyrannical Paterfamilias: 

Does not always mean a father figure explicitly, often relating to the notion of a patriarchal tradition, or family inheritance that plays a role in controlling the main characters. 

Sometimes, it is a father figure. 

Sometimes, it is a representative of patriarchal tradition/male head of pseudo-family unit.

So, uh, role call: 

Reginald Hargreeves (even in death) holds power over his children, and has shaped all of them into the adults they have become, and that drives the majority of the conflict. Each of the major character individually grapples with the after-effects of his abuse. Luther feels the need to be the leader and protect everyone and alienates his allies as a consequence. Diego constantly asserts himself as a hero (often to dangerous extremes) because it is the only way he was ever valued. Allison has to teach herself boundaries and responsible use of her powers after he encouraged her to abuse them for years. Klaus turns to drugs to cope with his childhood trauma. Five disobeyed his father with disastrous consequences and is constantly fighting to not become him. Vanya spent her entire childhood in the background, and never learned to assert herself in a healthy way. Thanks, Reggie.

Homelander says that The Seven are like a family. While whether or not this is accurate (it isn’t) is up for debate, he does occupy the tyrannical paterfamilias roles incredibly well. Homelander controls every member of the Seven, threatening them and their loved ones whenever they step out of line (read: do not do exactly what he wants in the exact way he wants them to do it.) He is also very closely tied with conservative/patriarchal rhetoric in-universe and at one point dates a literal Nazi. 

William Butcher less evil than most of the other characters on this list but the bar is also like, on the ground. Butcher tries to control the Boys in a similar way (Butcher and Homelander are character foils, okay? it’s actually pretty neat). He’s perfectly willing to sacrifice them in pursuit of his own goals, disregards their points of view and the well-being of their loved ones, and tries to cut loose anyone who disagrees with his methods (recall when Hughie tried to rescue his friends at the end of s1 and Butcher… punched him in the face? Yeah, that.) The difference is that the Boys can push back against his without being, you know, brutally murdered. (And also the Butcher isn’t a literal monster; I’m not anti-Butcher, okay? He’s an interesting character and the fact that he seems constantly on the verge of becoming that which he hates most is part of what makes him interesting.)

Guess what, folks? It’s hating Niles Caulder hours. He engineered accidents to turn the main characters into his test subjects, and then kept them conveniently hidden away in his large manor. Stole their autonomy and independence but paints himself as a benevolent father figure. And that’s not even including what he does to his actual daughter, Dorothy. He’s terrified of her growing up (read: becoming a young woman) and so he locks her away for almost 100 years and, when she is freed, yells at her constantly and makes her terrified of showing any signs of maturation (even though she’s 111 and clearly tired of being written off as a child).

The relationship between Ozymandias and his daughter, Lady Trieu, is integral to the final act of Watchmen. Heralded as the “smartest man in the world,” Ozymandias refused to acknowledge his daughter as his until he needed something from her. While Lady Trieu is more self-sufficient and independent than some of the applications of this trope, she goes to great lengths to prove herself, first to him, and then to herself when he rejects her.

Part III: Been a Long Time Gone (Constantinople) 

Gothic fiction is often associated with change, and particularly, the collapse of established systems of power. For example, many works like The House of the Seven Gables and The Fall of the House of Usher take place in old, crumbling manor houses. There is a reason for this! These kinds of estates are remnants of a past that is irreversibly gone, and their continued presence in decrypt forms serves as a reminder. 

Each of the four series takes place at a moment, either on a wide scale or on a personal scale (or both!), in which an established order is being questioned, and the constant reminders of that failed order are used to gothic effect.

The Umbrella Academy plays this most directly (In fact, there are TONS of parallels between the end of s1 of TUA and House of Usher that I don’t have the time to get into right now... lmk if you want that meta). We can see the Hargreeves mansion as a very literal example of this. While not worn down, the house is notably both very large and very empty. Shelves are filled with merchandise for a superhero team that disbanded over a decade prior, and portraits of a family that no longer speaks to each other. None of the family members ever seem truly comfortable or at ease in the house, and for good reason - every back corner is a reminder of their incredibly traumatic childhood. 

In The Boys, the story begins with the fridging death of the main character’s girlfriend, Robin, at the hands of a member of the Seven, a group of heroes so ingrained in the public consciousness that when they later hide out in a costume shop, literally every single costume is for one of Vought’s heroes. The Seven represent the system in power, which, at the disposal of Not-Amazon means corporate greed, shallow altruism, and the cultivation of public personas at the expense of actual humanity. 

From that moment on, the sheer presence of The Seven on everything from public billboards to breakfast cereal is a remainder for Hughie (and the audience) that this established system doesn’t work and is based on lies, which serves this effect on a personal level. In the broader scale, however, we also see that the Seven themselves are fracturing under an unsustainable business model. Even their name, “The Seven” starts to seem a bit dated when halfway through season one through the end of season two there are notably... less than seven of them. 

The main characters in Doom Patrol are all in recovery after the accidents that irreversibly changed their lives. We see through flashbacks the people that they used to be, and the difference is striking. They were each established in their own elements: Cliff a famous race-car driver, Rita a world renowned actress, Larry a hero pilot, Jane was involved in counter-cultural movements, Vic was a student and athlete. The foundations upon which their worlds were established are completely decimated by the accidents, and now they (save Vic and sometimes Jane) live mostly in isolation in Niles’ manor house, an estate that is far larger than would be necessary to comfortably house a group of their size.

And you feel the emptiness, both in the manor, and in the lives of the characters. They have barely created a shadow version of their own existence when the series starts, so fragile that a simple trip into town devolves into utter chaos. 

Angela Abar of Watchmen has also constructed a life following the terrifying act of terrorism on the White Night. It’s a bit of a double life, and we see that the balancing act is challenging for her, even before the story truly begins. The death of Judd Crawford, and the revelation about him that follows is not only traumatizing on a personal level (but it definitely is that), but also upsets her understanding of the world. People she’s come to trust are not just dishonest but truly monstrous. And the more Angela learns about what has been happening, the more her understanding of the world begins to unravel. Her memories, and the memories of those around her are cast in a much more sinister light, and the effect is genuinely chilling. 

Part IV: “I’m the Little Girl Who Threw the Brick in the Air”

In episode 3 of Watchmen, Laurie contacts Dr. Manhattan on the cosmic phone booth to tell him a joke. It’s a version of what TVTropes calls the “brick joke,” and it relies on set up taking place early on, other stuff happening, and then the response coming at an unexpected moment. 

So, yeah. Events of the past/buried secrets resurfacing with consequences in the present.

Continuing with the theme from Watchmen, the entire series is punctuated with the way the past and the present intertwine, with elements from both the original Watchmen graphic novel, and actual American history. One of the things we talked a lot about in my gothic lit class was the manner in which the overhanging specter of past atrocities casts a shadow over the present, and how many works cannot help but have gothic themes because there are so many horrifying things in the past that cannot be ignored, and provide both context and nuance for the discussions we have in the present. No series tackles these topics quite so directly (and with as much care) as Watchmen. (note: it does not always make for easy viewing, but if you’re in a place where you feel like you can engage with that kind of material, I highly recommend the show.)

In Doom Patrol, the past actions of the characters very much control the storyline (see: previous discussion of Niles Caulder), but the character whose storyline I want to talk about here is Rita (partially for plot reasons and partially because I just love Rita, okay?). We learn when we first meet Rita that in the past she was... not a great person. We know that the trauma of the accident that gave her her powers has changed her, we also know that she still holds on to the guilt and that her guilt has limited the scope of her world for years, but we don’t know what exactly it is that she’s done. 

Enter Mr. Nobody, all-powerful narrator who is not just aware of Rita’s greatest sins, but perfectly capable of manifesting reminders of them into the story. She is confronted with empty cradles, and the sound of crying children in the background of many scenes and we see how much it effects her, without a full understanding of why it does (see: The Tell-Tale Heart). Her past begins to haunt her physically, and she begins to crumble in response to it, until finally she is forced to confide in a stranger (and thus the audience). The past actions do not just inform the audience of Rita’s character - they show up to influence her behavior in the present. 

The ending of The Umbrella Academy season 1 is super evocative of the gothic genre with Vanya breaking open the soundproof chamber (wherein she was silenced for years) and rising from the basement to destroy the last remnants of the Hargreeves legacy (which would be awesome if the last remnants of the Hargreeves legacy didn’t include the rest of her family). Pretty much every mistake the siblings make over the course of the season feeds together to create the finale, but the primary cause isn’t something any of them actually did. It all ties back to Reginald Hargreeves’ complete inability to be nice to children. Any children. His own and random strangers that need help. 

In The Boys, while the extent to which people are making f-ed up choices in the present cannot be expressed enough, we see through the characters of Homelander that many of the present difficulties are a result of past mistakes. Particularly, the profit-seeking corruption within Vought. We learn in s1 through Vogelbaum that Homelander was raised in a lab by Vought as an experiment, only to be unceremoniously thrust into the spotlight and told he was a superhero (which... does not justify a single one of his actions but is still a major yikes). As the head scientist of the project, Vogelbaum is very aware that ignoring his conscious if the name of research has essentially created the biggest threat their world has ever seen. 

(Seriously y’all just stop raising your super kids in isolation) 

Part V: Put Them Together, and They’re the MF-ing Spice Girls 

Having the environment respond to characters’ emotions/mental states is pretty common in gothic works (it was a dark and stormy night = someone is probably not doing super well). One of the advantages of the genre’s tendency towards the supernatural is that, often, those elements of the stories, as well, are reflections of the main ideas of a work of fiction (see: Stephen King’s really unsubtle period metaphors).

Because all of these shows have a ton of supernatural/scifi elements by virtue of being, well, superhero shows, I thought it would be easier (and more fun!) to come up with a short list of elements, what they mean, and what cases they might apply to.

1. A Nonlinear Experience of Time

The Umbrella Academy: legitimately about time travel. Characters are attempting to fix the timeline but are unable to because they are both mentally and sometimes literally stuck in the past. 

Watchmen: In the episode This Extraordinary Being, Angela experiences firsthand the experiences of her grandfather, under the influence of a drug called Nostalgia. The episode touches on many themes, one of which being the impact of generational trauma in marginalized communities. Throughout the series, Dr. Manhatten is cursed with experiencing all time at once, and the episode A God Walks into Abar illustrates that, because of this, he is constantly facing the consequences of particular actions before, after, and while he is preforming him.

Doom Patrol: Mr. Nobody is able to physically travel to one of Jane’s flashbacks via his fourth-wall breaking powers, and gives Dr. Harrison an ultimatum for the future. 

What it implies: Events, particularly events that evoke guilt or conflict, are not as rooted in the past as one would like to think.

2. Powers/Abilities that reflect personal trauma/failings

Doom Patrol: Larry’s abilities/bond with the Negative Spirit have made it so that he is constantly covering himself with bandages/avoiding other people, which reflects his experiences having to hide his identity as a gay man in the 50/60s. Rita forced herself to walk a thin line, betraying everything in pursuit of her image; her abilities require constant effort to keep her entire body from becoming misshapen and out of control. Vic’s father with boundary issues can literally control his perception of the world through his cybernetic enhancements. Dorothy’s abilities manifest as imaginary friends because she was kept isolated for years at a time. 

The Umbrella Academy: pretty much all of the kids’ powers are representative of the interpersonal skills they were never able to develop. Luther is super-durable but also the most emotionally vulnerable of the group. Five can teleport and time travel but always seems to be too late to stop things. Diego can manipulate the trajectory of projectiles but cannot escape the path his father set out for him, not matter how much he resents it. Vanya always forced herself to stay quiet until the sound literally explodes out of her.

The Boys: Annie’s abilities allow her to control light, but she struggles (in the beginning) to bring to light the horrible things done to her behind closed doors. 

Watchmen: Not technically a power, but Looking Glass’ mirror-mask is a constant reminder of the hall of mirrors that both saved his life and traumatized him forever. 

What it implies: from a story perspective, these allow for an exploration of trauma/guilt to occur on a scale much larger than people simply talking about their problems (as if anyone on any of these shows knows how to talk about their problems...) It also means that the trauma/guilt of the characters takes on a physical form that is able to haunt them, and constantly remind them/hold them accountable for their past actions.

3. Diluted Sense of Reality:

Doom Patrol: The first season is narrated by its main villain, and throughout the season we see that the act of narration itself has an impact on the story.

Watchmen: The event that kicks off the plot of the story is hinged upon a paradox introduced by Angela near the end of the series when trying to speak to her Grandfather in the past through Dr. Manhattan.

The Umbrella Academy: The pair of episodes in season 1, The Day that Wasn’t and The Day That Was take the same point in time and explore two possible avenue for the future from there, with The Day that Wasn’t ending with the events of the entire episode being completely erased from the timeline.

What it implies: you can’t necessarily trust everything you see, even from the audience perspective, giving them a position not unlike that of the characters. The character’s uncertainty and confusion is magnified and reflected in the world that surrounds them.

Other examples: an apocalypse (The Umbrella Academy, Doom Patrol, Watchmen (of a sort)), ghosts (The Umbrella Academy - hi, Ben!), immortality/invulnerability (Watchmen, Doom Patrol, The Boys), and characters that look significantly younger than they actually are (The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Doom Patrol). 

Part VI: Why Did You Write a Literal Essay Don’t You Have Real Schoolwork (yes... shhhhh...)

And... there you have it. I don’t really have some grand conclusion here. This is (clearly) far from a complete analysis but it is the most my finals-week brain can concoct at the moment. 

If you have other ideas, let me know! You can always add to the notes or message me – my inbox is always open!  If you got this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read this! Much love! ❤️

[thesevenseraphs]

Bungie Weekly Update - 9/5/19

This week at Bungie, Mars is on the mind.

A few weeks ago, we forecast our first Community Challenge. Our destination of choice: Mars. With a unique emblem and additional Menagerie loot to earn, we knew you’d take this on… but we didn’t think you’d prosecute the Hive this quickly. To say we’re impressed with your progress is an understatement. Here’s a quick snapshot of how far you’ve come in so little time:

Remember, to qualify for the exclusive Community Event emblem, you'll need to complete one Nightfall before next Tuesday at 10:00 AM Pacific. Luckily, it looks like there's some work to be done in the Nightfall department. Don't forget, we have the Find Fireteam feature on Bungie.net and the Destiny Companion App if you're in need of some team mates. We'll be sending out emblems to qualifying players next week, so be sure to stay tuned for updates.

We’ve got some exciting news on the docket this week. A Bungie Bounty, upcoming Crucible changes, Sandbox ability tuning, and a fashion show of upcoming armor. Let’s get to it.

JOIN THE STRIKE TEAM

Next week, we’re assembling a special strike team for another Bungie Bounty—and, like we always do, we’re leaving a seat open. In keeping with our streaming tradition, this is your chance to find us in the wilds of matchmaking and engage in live combat with the hopes of winning an emblem as your reward. On this occasion, we’re putting a price on the heads of whichever strike bosses the fates choose.

Bungie Bounty—Strike Team Edition

Destiny 2 on Xbox Live

Heroic Strike Playlist

Tuesday, September 103–5 PM PDT

www.mixer.com/Bungie

If matchmaking chooses you to play on this fireteam, your fellow Guardians will be two titans of industry (even though one of them plays as a Hunter). These are two old friends who have recently been reunited by Cross Save. They’ll be live at Bungie to stream their session.

 If you get matched up with these Guardians, and they decide that you held up your end of the fight, they’ll award you an emblem you can use to prove it—so be sure to back them up on the path to victory. Look alive and play your best game. This will be your first chance to win the Destiny 2 Year 3 Bungie Bounty emblem. Check it out!

 They’ll launch as many strikes as time permits, with a different Guardian from the community as the third player. If you’re watching and participating in chat, there will also be some prizes for you to win as a spectator. We’ll have seven Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Collector’s Editions to award—and those are otherwise sold out.

Our friends at Xbox also have some special prizes up their sleeves, so tune in to watch or queue up to fight alongside two of the biggest Destiny fans we know.

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SHAKE SHAXX

Many of you have been asking how the Crucible experience will change on October 1. While we outlined some changes in the Director’s Cut: Part III article, we wanted to put the magnifying glass on a few more upcoming changes.

Director Update

When Shadowkeep launches, your Crucible Director will look a bit different. Here’s a quick rundown from the Director’s Cut:

We’ve removed the Quickplay and Competitive nodes from the Director.

If you’re looking for an experience like Quickplay, we’ve added Classic Mix (a connection-based playlist [like Quickplay today]). Classic Mix includes Control, Clash, and Supremacy.

Competitive is replaced by 3v3 Survival (which now awards Glory).

We’ve also added a Survival Solo Queue playlist that also awards Glory.

We’ve added 6v6 Control as its own playlist.

With the potential influx of new players this fall, we want to have a playlist that signals to new players where to start.

We feel like 6v6 Control is the right starting place when introducing new friends to Destiny.

We’ve added a weekly 6v6 rotator and a weekly 4v4 rotator.

These rotator playlists are where modes like Clash, Supremacy, Mayhem, Lockdown, and Countdown will appear.

We want to create some variety in the PvP experience from Season to Season, and one way we’re doing that is to bench some maps for the Season. While they’re out of rotation, if time allows we also hope to improve how they play by tweaking spawn areas, ammo spawns, and overall structure so they return better than before. The first four to be removed from all playlists are:

Dead Cliffs

Legion’s Gulch

Retribution

Solitude

We also made a pass on all playlists, removing some maps from playlists where they don’t shine.  Equinox is now only in Scorched, Mayhem, and Breakthrough, and Firebase Echo is only in Supremacy, Mayhem, and Breakthrough. While we are removing a few maps, we are also introducing Widow’s Court, Twilight Gap, and the new map, Fragment. Think Dreaming City meets Infinite Forest.

Elimination is also making its return to Destiny 2 via Crucible Labs. We’ll be testing out multiple variants of Elimination rulesets and settings to see how the mode plays with the new weapons and abilities of Destiny 2.

Heavy Ammo Sharing

Heavy ammo is shared only in all 6v6 modes, and those crates have a sparkling effect to denote this. Once a player picks up Heavy ammo, their teammates have a limited amount of time (currently 7 seconds—this is something we can tweak between Seasons based on community feedback) to interact with the same ammo crate to get Heavy ammo. If the other team picked up the crate, it will turn red to indicate you cannot pick it up during this period. When the time window expires, the crate despawns.   Each player gets less Heavy ammo from shared crates than they do from unshared crates in 4v4 and 3v3 modes. The amount of ammo you receive from a crate is static and does not change based on how many teammates share the crate.

Rank Systems Update: Streaks and Floors

Glory, Valor, and Infamy streaks have been made more resilient. Instead of resetting your streak, losses will now reduce your Valor and Infamy streaks by 1, and your Glory streak by 2. You can still lose Glory, but if your rank is at or below Fabled, you can’t lose Glory if doing so would drop you below that rank (each rank through Fabled acts as a floor for Glory).

Competitive Matchmaking Updates: Skill and Glory

Destiny has always tracked player skill behind the scenes, taking into account things like kills, damage dealt, and so forth. These factors all contribute to a player’s skill rating. In Season 8, we’ve mapped skill ratings to Glory ranks, with the lowest end of the scale mapping to Guardian I, and the high end mapping to Legend. Most players are somewhere between these extremes.

As you play in the Survival playlist, the Glory system will accelerate you to the rank that corresponds to your skill rating. If your current rank is below where your skill rating says you should be, you’ll earn extra Glory based on the criteria above so you can get to your expected rank faster and lose less Glory so you don’t fall farther away. Once you reach your “expected” rank, Glory gains and losses will normalize.

Meanwhile, your skill rating is continually adjusting based on your performance, shifting the system’s understanding of your “expected” rank, and causing the Glory system to respond by pulling you toward that rank. The result should be that over time, your Glory rank will become an accurate reflection of your skill. It also means that teammates of different skill will experience different Glory adjustments from the same Survival match.

When it comes to Crucible, matchmaking and hopper nodes are only half of the puzzle. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be detailing Sandbox changes, which directly impact the meta that you’d find in our PvP environment.

SHADOWKEEP SANDBOX UPDATE: ABILITIES

As Destiny 2 continues to evolve with the upcoming release of Shadowkeep, many of the tools in your space magic toolbox are receiving a tuning pass. This week, we’ll be focusing on subclass changes, as the list is fairly hefty. Below, we’ve paired developer commentary with upcoming patch notes to paint a picture of how your abilities are being updated—and, more importantly, why.

Buffs

Nightstalker Way of the Pathfinder (Bottom)

Goal: We want to lean into the fantasy of a speedy disruptor. Pathfinders need more tools to scout the battlefield and a skill based way to engage with that gameplay more often. We should reward this scouting and battlefield control gameplay, executed well, with more opportunities to do the same. At the same time shadow shot needed some quality of life improvements for long standing frustrations.

Vanish: Smoke bomb grants invisibility to allies

Gives 1 stack of Heart of the Pack (newly revamped) to all allies hit

Grants +34 to armor, recovery, and agility

Gives weapon reload speed and handling

Max 3 stacks

Increased invisibility duration from 7 > 8 seconds.

Provision: Killing tethered enemies creates super orbs and increases agility, armor, and recovery for allies

New Perk (old perk benefits moved to be part of Mobius Quiver)

Damaging enemies with your grenades reduces the cooldown of your smoke bomb (6% per damage tick)

Making allies invis gives you grenade energy (17.5% per ally)

Moebius Quiver: Fire super multiple times and deals massive damage to tethered targets

Added the old Provision perk to naturally be part of Mobius Quiver

Killing tethered enemies creates super orbs and grants stacks of Heart of the Pack for allies

Expanded the range of Heart of the Pack from 20 > 30 meters.

Shadowshot Super (Top and Bottom path)

Damage increased from 150 > 250

One shot kill in PvP

Improved tether accuracy near obstacles

Suppress on hit is more consistent

Sentinel Code of the Protector (Top)

Goal: This path is the main support role for Titans and focuses heavily on melee kills while staying near allies. We want to focus more heavily on buffing allies so that players care about the timing of their buff usage. With a loop which allows players to get their melee energy back more quickly this will be a more engaging path to play. Additionally, Ward of Dawn is currently not up to snuff, and needs a buff that ties in to the fantasy of buffing allies.

Defensive Strike: Melee ability that creates an overshield for nearby allies

All kills while the overshield is active grant melee energy for the player with the shield (works for all allies you grant a shield to)

This is based upon enemy threat level from 5% (minors) to 25% (players and bosses)

Rallying Force: Melee kills heal nearby allies

Heal buffed from 10 health and 10 shields to 10 health and 20 shields (50% increase)

Ward of Dawn: Alternate super that creates a shield bubble

Increase ward health versus supers

Most supers will require the whole thing to be dumped on the ward to destroy it but will (usually) not kill the players inside.

Ward grants weapons of light buff when passing through it (35% weapon damage for 15 seconds)

Grants an additional super orb (3)

Auto-generated orbs now grant the same amount of super energy as regular super orbs (previously the orbs gave less super energy on par with masterwork orbs)

Sentinel Code of the Aggressor (Bottom)

Shield Bash: Shoulder charge that disorients nearby enemies

Now suppresses the target hit and any enemy within 2 meters (have to be basically right next to them)

Voidwalker Attunement of Hunger (Bottom)

Vortex: Nova Bomb leaves behind a damaging AoE pool

Initial explosion damage increased 15%

Lingering damage increased 15%

Dawnblade Attunement of Grace

Well of Radiance: Alternate super that creates a healing/buffing field for allies

Grants an additional super orb (3)

Auto-generated orbs now grant the same amount of super energy as regular super orbs (previously the orbs gave less super energy on par with masterwork orbs)

Nerfs

Nightstalker Way of the Trapper (Top)

Shadowshot: Fires an arrow that damages enemies and debuffs enemies nearby

Damage sharing for the Nightstalker player specifically reduced from 100% to 50%

Now all allied players have 50% damage sharing on tether

Nightstalker Way of the Wraith (Middle)

Flawless Execution: Headshot kills while crouched grant invisibility and truesight

Truesight now lasts 3 seconds (down from 9)

Shattering Strike:

After performing a Flawless Execution, your melee attacks have a longer lunge range and weaken enemies

Advanced warning: When we made the change to Flawless Execution this also unintentionally nerfed this ability to only last 3 seconds (it was directly tied to the truesight). We have prepared a fix for the 4.6.1 patch to restore the weaken and lunge range increase to last the entire 9 seconds regardless of truesight and invisibility status.

Instant Reloading

Goal: In the beginning, Lunafactions and Rally Barricade did exist, but they were clunky to use. They still had dramatic impact on gameplay even in that state, but eventually we decided to make their effects easier to handle. The problems they introduced always existed in the game, but over time these have become magnified due to new abilities, perks, and weapons introduced into the Destiny 2 sandbox. The impact of something that takes all reloading out of the equation means that other perks or effects like the Hunter’s Marksman Dodge or the Sealed Ahamkara’s Grasps can simply fall to the wayside – Even swords take a hit in comparison, being one of the few weapons that naturally never needs to reload.

Reloading is one of those mechanics that are simple, but have wide ranging consequences. Because the effect on gameplay of removing reloading is inversely proportional to the size of your weapon’s magazine and how slow your general reload animations are, weapons like Rocket Launchers and Shotguns can benefit greatly compared to other weapons. This, alongside the increase in general access to damage bonus effects like Well of Radiance left us with the decision to remove this effect from these two sources, as they were causing things to quickly snowball out of control.

Titan Rally Barricade

This ability now provides a large increase to reload speed for the duration of the effect

This ability no longer automatically reloads your weapons from reserves

Warlock Rift/Well of Radiance

Lunafaction Boots now provides a large increase to reload speed for the duration of Well of Radiance

This exotic no longer automatically reloads your weapons from reserves

Super Energy Regeneration

Goal:

These changes will reduce the speed with which players are able to earn their super which supports difficulty and reduces the current ability to trivialize certain content through excessively chaining supers. Systemically, we want to reduce base sources of supers on a large macro scale without diminishing the feeling that your actions are gaining you a worthwhile energy boost. By reducing the speed at which you gain super we can make mods and perks feel more worthwhile. We still want it to feel like you can make meaningful progress not only through normal play but by augmenting super energy through teamwork, class choices, gear, and skillful play.

New Energy Granted by Super Orbs:

Super Orb: 7.143% (50% reduction)

Masterwork Orb: 2.5% (50% reduction)

Kills: (25% reduction)

Minor: 0.6%

Elite: 0.96%

Mini-boss: 1.8%

Boss: 3%

Player: 3%

Assists: (25% reduction)

Minor: 0.3%

Elite: 0.48%

Mini-boss: 0.9%

Boss: 1.5%

Player: 1.5%

Damage Multipliers

Goal: At Destiny 2 launch, damage buffs were fairly sparse – There was Empowering Rift for a small increase, and you could combine it with a weakening effect such as Hammer Strike, but very little else. As time has gone on, we introduced Well of Radiance, Weapons of Light, Guiding Flame, Frontal Assault, etc, and combining these effects has resulted in player damage output far beyond what was previously available. Even with just a small amount of them, a player can go from 1x damage to 3x and beyond, causing there to be an extremely large gap between standard player output and theoretical output. By preventing the larger effects from stacking, we are able to keep each of them around without having to do something in response like raise boss health to compensate for these tactics, as well as create more of them. As an example, Lumina would not have been created in world where the damage bonus effect of Noble Rounds stacked with other damage effects, and these changes are simply an extension along those same lines.

While the weakening effects never stacked, we also took a look at them and adjusted their values as many of our more powerful units would simply evaporate when touched by one of them, but we compensated for that in other ways, such as either extending the duration of the effect or in the case of Shadowshot, making it affect power weapons.

Player Damage Buffs

Player Bonuses

Bonus damage effects that apply to all of a player's weapons simultaneously no longer stack multiplicatively. The highest applicable bonus will be used instead.

This does not affect single weapon buffs such as Rampage, Kill Clip, or exotic weapons that increase their own damage. These will still stack multiplicatively.

Buffs that provide bonus damage will still exist simultaneously on the player, so in the event that the one with the highest multiplier wears off the next highest will be used instead.

This change affects the following weapons/abilities (Empowering Rift, Frontal Assault, Guiding Flame, Sun Warrior, Inertia Override, Well of Radiance, Lumina/Noble Rounds, Weapons of Light)

Notable exceptions: Vengeance (One Eyed Mask)

Frontal Assault

Bonus damage is now +20% (Previously +25%)

Sun Warrior

Bonus damage is now +20% (Previously +25%)

Well of Radiance

Bonus damage is now +25% (Previously +35%)

Weapons of Light

Bonus damage is now +35% (Previously +25%)

Enemy Debuffs (Weakened)

Shadowshot

Incoming PvE damage is now +30% (Previously +35%)

Incoming PvP damage is now +50% (Previously +55%)

This effect no longer excludes power weapons

Tractor Cannon (Repulsor Force)

Incoming PvE damage is now +30% for all elements (Previously +33%/50% for Non-Void/Void damage respectively)

Incoming PvP damage is now +50% for all elements (Previously +33%/50% for Non-Void/Void damage respectively)

Hammer Strike

Incoming PvE damage is now +30% (Previously +50%)

Duration increased from 6 to 10 seconds in PvE

Shattering Strike

Incoming PvE damage is now +30% (Previously +50%)

Duration increased from 6 to 10 seconds in PvE

Reduced Super Damage Resistance

Goal: Since the launch of Destiny 2 we have slowly introduced buffs to supers, especially roaming supers. While we believe supers should be powerful they should not be mindless. We want supers to be more risky in both PvE and PvP. We want players to think about positioning and timing more. Not so long ago we experimented with Spectral Blades by lowering the damage resistance substantially. These changes were generally well received and improved the experience of the super for both the person running it and the person who was running from it. In PvE players shouldn’t feel like their super makes them invulnerable and casting one should call for situational strategic thinking. In PvP players need to feel like they can challenge a super and that with skillful play there’s a chance they can beat it.

Super Damage Resistance removed from masterwork armor

Inherent Super Damage Resistance lowered by category (see below)

Low- 54% → 49% 

Nova Fission

Thunder Crash

Blade Barrage

Nova Bomb

Well of Radiance

Medium - 56% → 51%

Hammer of Sol

Daybreak

High - 60% → 53%

Fist of Havok

Burning Maul

Sentinel Shield

Arc Staff

Arc Lightning

Shadowshot

Other (unchanged)

Spectral Blades - 52% / 54.4%

Golden Gun - 0%

Chaos Reach - 40%

Next week, we’ll be taking a look at how your arsenal of weaponry will be changing.

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ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION

Over the weekend, we were boots on the ground at PAX West. A few attendees helped themselves to a preview of some upcoming armor coming in Shadowkeep. This week, we’d like to showcase more upcoming sets, giving you a fashion show of sorts. Here are the fall collections, arranged by their sources.

Dreambane Armor Set Acquired from activities on the Moon.

Garden of Salvation Raid Armor Set Acquired from the Garden of Salvation raid.

Substitutional Armor Set Acquired from Seasonal activities, free Season Rank rewards, and premium Season Rank rewards.

Phenotype Plasticity Universal Ornament Set Acquired from premium Season Rank rewards.

Iron Will Armor Set Acquired from participating in Iron Banner.

Empyrean Cartographer Universal Ornament Set Acquired from the Eververse store.

In addition to all this, the currently available armor sets will drop as Armor 2.0 versions when Shadowkeep launches.

Armor 2.0: Reprisals

Crucible: Year 1

Includes Year 1 ornaments

Vanguard: Year 1

Includes Year 1 ornaments

Black Armory

Forge

Gambit

Gambit: Forsaken

Gambit Prime: Season of the Drifter

Menagerie

All Menagerie armor

Raids

Leviathan

Eater of Worlds

Spire of Stars

Last Wish

Scourge of the Past

Crown of Sorrow

Destinations

European Dead Zone

Titan

Nessus

Io

Mercury

Mars (Vendor and Escalation Protocol)

Tangled Shore

Dreaming City

There will also be additional world drops that can be found in Legendary engrams which have been updated to Armor 2.0.

DEPLOYMENT COMPLETE

Destiny 2 Update 2.5.2.2 is live, and players have flooded Reckoning for increased chances on their desired weaponry.

Destiny Player Support has kept a finger on the pulse of this update, looking for any missing pieces that may have fallen off the ship during its journey.

This is their report.

Destiny 2 Hotfix 2.5.2.2

This week, we deployed Hotfix 2.5.2.2 to Destiny 2. This hotfix made several targeted quality-of-life improvements to the Destiny 2 experience, including changes to the quests for the Wendigo GL3 and The Mountaintop pinnacle Grenade Launchers.

For the full list of changes made in 2.5.2.2, please see our Destiny 2 Update 2.5.2.2 page. Players who have observed issues after the deployment of this hotfix should report them to the #Help forum.

REMINDER: Moments of Triumph End Date is September 17

With Shadowkeep fast approaching, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind players that Moments of Triumph ends at the weekly reset on Tuesday, September 17.

At that time, the 2019 Moments of Triumph and the MMXIX Seal will no longer be available to players who have not completed them.

PC Silver Purchases—Log In to Claim by October 1

In preparation for the upcoming Destiny 2 PC migration to Steam, this week all Destiny 2 game and Silver product listings were disabled for purchase on Battle.net.

Players should be aware, however, that all in order for recent Silver purchases to successfully transfer to Steam, players MUST log in to Destiny 2 on Battle.net before October 1 to claim their purchased Silver.

The option to purchase Silver will be re-enabled on Steam on October 1 when Shadowkeep launches. For more information on the move to Steam, please visit our PC Move page.

Cross Save Issues

We are aware that some players have entered an undesirable Cross Save state due to Silver purchases on their account prior to the launch of Cross Save. To help mitigate these and other player issues, we have created a Cross Save Contact Form. All tickets regarding Cross Save issues will be addressed at the discretion of Destiny Player Support during regular business hours.