Wardogs players are avoiding the game's Lonestar faction, as they seemingly attract the worst players and lose the most games.

There are three playable teams in Wardogs: a blue team (Lonestar), a red team (Valkyra), and a green team (Manticore). The different teams don't really have any major gameplay effects, but there is a stigma around Lonestar. For whatever reason, Lonestar has a really difficult time accomplishing much of anything in Wardogs. The team tends to attract the worst and newest players, leading to a major handicap for players on that team. There are a lot of theories as to why this is happening, with one being that it's the first option, so new players pick it by default.

Other teams also fill up extremely quickly because of the stigma, meaning more inexperienced players who don't know any better are sometimes shut out of having other options. One player on Reddit noted that some matches have delayed starts, simply because some players refuse to pick Lonestar, and it leads to the game not starting the match due to a lack of players. You can see one viral clip of Lonestar's antics below to get an idea of the absurdity that some players are experiencing.

I love everything about this clip.

Never change Blues 💙

(Thanks to u/pancakerulez for sharing) pic.twitter.com/BvWsRtOd6q

There are instances of Lonestar overcoming the odds and proving the doubters wrong. In my experience, I have never won on Lonestar. All of my wins in Wardogs come from playing with the other two teams. Is that a coincidence? It seems statistically unlikely, but maybe! Hopefully this will iron out as the game's player base becomes more experienced and more well-rounded, but who's to say when that will happen.

Wardogs has been a breakout hit, selling a million copies prior to launch and sitting near the top of Steam's most-played games. The positive word of mouth keeps attracting new players, and that will likely continue over the next few weeks and months, especially as the game already has a slight discount through Fanatical. If you're a console player hoping to get in on the action, you'll have to wait a while. Wardogs is planned to release on Xbox and PS5 in 2028, so don't expect it anytime soon.

The card collecting community is in an uproar after two dog breeders were caught offering to trade their French Bulldog puppies in exchange for Pokémon cards, highlighting a growing issue within the space.

One such breeder shown on a live stream at a convention and posted online by PICKLEQW33N, a trading card collector with Crimson Card Co. based in South Florida.

During the broadcast, Pickleqw33n remarked to her viewers that some collectors were so desperate to get an edge on the card market that they were even trading their dogs for the chance of scoring rare and profitable Pokémon cards.

Not long after saying this, an attendee walked up to her booth with a gaggle of French Bulldog Puppies, prompting her to give him a free Snubbull sticker.

“It’s for sale,” he told her, referring to the puppies. “I’ll trade ‘em for a card.”

“That’s crazy,” she replied. “Out of curiosity, what do you have them priced at?”

“$4,000,” the collector responded.

After turning down his offer, Pickleqw33n returned to her stream in shock, telling another person who was helping her run the booth, “What did I just tell you?”

“Dog breeders are bringing dogs to trade for Pokémon cards,” the other booth-runner explained.

“I think it’s unethical,” Pickleqw33n added. “Selling a dog like that — how do you know the person you’re giving the dog to is a good home? You’re trading cardboard for a living, breathing animal.”

As noted by Dexerto, this isn’t the only instance of dog owners offering to sell their pets for Pokémon cards; another incident has also sparked backlash online, captured by a card seller during a convention in late August.

French Bulldogs seem to be the prime target for this particular trend, as a seller with B&B Collectibles was also approached by a customer offering to trade a fluffy French Bulldog puppy in exchange for cards, or sell it for a whopping $10,000.

“I do them at every collector con. I got $12,000 in New Jersey,” the collector said.

These videos have sparked calls from players for conventions to ban dog breeders from bringing their pets into the venue, as well as concern from animal rights activists that this trend could compound unethical breeding practices and put the puppies in abusive situations.

“I hope he goes to a good home, because that is a horribly bred dog. Totally unethical breeding practices are required to get a dog like that,” one viewer wrote on YouTube.

“This is genuinely disturbing and disgusting that the guy wants vendors to blindly contribute to his backyard breeding,” another wrote.

“I'm sorry, but how are any decent show organizers also allowing this? Simply don’t let dogs into your card shows (except assistance dogs, obviously). Sure, it won’t stop dodgy dealings elsewhere, but this shouldn’t be happening at shows!” another urged on Instagram.

The Pokémon card craze is continuing to sweep the world, prompting card shops and even The Pokémon Company itself to take extreme measures against theft and scalping. Some Pokémon stores in Japan have implemented facial recognition software to discourage thieves, while some independent card shops have begun quizzing buyers to separate the real fans from those looking to make a quick buck.

Japan has even limited the purchase of certain Pokémon card packs to residents only, requiring a digital ID to get them in one of the first instances of such a protection in the TCG space within the country.

Image Credit: Unsplash.com: Karsten Winegeart / The Pokemon Company

Magic: The Gathering is playable in many formats, but it’d be fair to say the one that’s most popular is Commander. One of the big draws of this 100-card, singleton format is building around a legendary creature you vibe with.

Another draw is that Wizards of the Coast regularly releases preconstructed decks you can play right out of the box (though please invest in some sleeves). And, as of right now, one of my personal favorite precons is down to its lowest price ever, despite only launching this year.

It feels like a long time ago, but Lorwyn Eclipsed was a great set. Magic’s rapid-fire release cadence means it wasn’t long before we were swapping it for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but the set itself was a lot of fun and a welcome homage to the original Lorwyn.

It also came with a pair of Commander Decks, and the one we’re focusing on today is Blight Curse. This Jund (black, red, and green) deck had some great reprints when it launched, and while they’ve since dropped in price, Chimil, the Inner Sun, and Tree of Perdition are very welcome indeed.

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons and Blowfly Infestation even combine to offer an infinite combo, and there are some neat card designs all built around ‘blighting’, which is done by sapping your foes’ creatures with -1/-1 counters.

Right now, it’s seeing a 26% saving, bringing it from $49.99 down to $36.99, and it’s a pretty unique deck archetype that makes it an ideal inclusion in any collection.

As for its Commanders, Auntie Ool, Cursewretch has a Ward cost of Blight 2 and is a 4/4 in its own right. When you dish out the -1/-1 counters, you draw cards if they land on your creatures, or take away life from other players if they land on theirs.

My favorite way to play, however, is with The Reaper, King No More. When it enters, this 3/3 puts a -1/-1 counter on two creatures, and when those creatures (or any other creatures with the same counter on them) die, you can put it onto your side of the battlefield once per turn. There’s nothing quite like claiming your opponent’s biggest threat to fight for you.