Technologies

League of Legends: How Xbox Game Pass Does (and Doesn’t) Save You $1,000

The new partnership grants you access to all characters in League of Legends and Valorant, with a catch.

If you’ve been interested in trying League of Legends but were put off by the thought of having to unlock 160-plus characters, Microsoft has great news for you. The wildly popular multiplayer online battle arena is now on Xbox Game Pass. It’s a behemoth of a partnership: League has been around since 2009, has spawned an unbelievably successful esports scene and has even been turned into a Netflix animated series. And Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is CNET’s pick for the best deal in gaming. This new partnership makes that already great deal even better.

The presence of League (and Riot Games’ other titles, like Valorant and Legends of Runeterra) in Game Pass isn’t a huge deal in itself. League of Legends is free to play, so you don’t save money by getting access to the game through Game Pass. You do, however, get access to every single League of Legends champion for free for as long as you keep your Game Pass subscription.

I did the math: There are currently 162 champions in League. They cost, on average, about $6.50 to unlock. That means you’d save more than $1,000 with Game Pass, compared with paying to unlock each champion individually. For context, that would pay for more than five years of Game Pass Ultimate. You’ll also immediately unlock new champions when they’re released, typically about five times per year.

A few caveats worth mentioning: First, paying for champions isn’t the only way to unlock them — the game lets you unlock champions for free over time. You can pick one of five champions immediately after completing the tutorial. After that, you can complete daily missions to acquire five additional champs, picking one character per day from a selection of three. Players can also use Blue Essence, which you acquire just by leveling up and earning the first win of the day, and they can earn Champion Shards to reduce the amount of Blue Essence needed. So you can unlock the whole roster without paying for champions — just very slowly over time.

Second, Game Pass technically doesn’t grant you ownership of all 162 champions, according to Riot’s FAQ. It unlocks them for play, but the game doesn’t consider you an owner, which means you won’t be able to buy skins for the champions you’ve only unlocked with Xbox Game Pass. You’ll still need to buy the champion if you want to buy skins (using paid Riot Points or free Blue Essence). Champions and other content that you’ve unlocked with Game Pass will have a special indicator as a differentiator from content you own.

That means if you end your Xbox Game Pass subscription, or if the partnership dissolves in the future, you’ll no longer have access to the champions you’ve only unlocked through Game Pass. But champions you acquired through the new player missions or bought with blue essence or Riot Points will still be available to you.

Still, this partnership is a steal if you’re new to League of Legends or Valorant, especially if you already have Game Pass. (Valorant agents can also be unlocked for free over time but cost $10 to unlock immediately. Players will save about $140 compared with paying to unlock new agents, not to mention future ones.) You’ll have the ability to try out new champs and agents at will, and still have the ability to permanently «buy» the ones you really like for free, just by playing the game.

You can link your Riot account to your Xbox profile by going to the Xbox sign-in page and signing in to both your Xbox and Riot accounts. If you already have Game Pass, you should get a notification when you sign in to the game once the content has been unlocked. Riot says this process may take up to 24 hours.

If you aren’t already subscribed, Xbox Game Pass for PC costs $10 per month, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which combines the console and PC passes and also includes cloud gaming, costs $15 per month.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 16, #675

Here are the hints and answers for Connections for April 16, #675. Plus: We explain that tricky Latin dance category.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections puzzle includes some fun categories. The blue group is a neat mix of words, for one. And oof, that purple category pulled another letter mix-up, but once you figure it out (if you do), it’s kinda cool. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Think Gypsy Rose Lee.

Green group hint: Abrade or scruff.

Blue group hint: Tigers and jaguars do it.

Purple group hint: Everybody dance now!

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Burlesque wear.

Green group: Mess up the surface of.

Blue group: They roar.

Purple group: Latin dances with a vowel changed

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is burlesque wear. The four answers are boa, corset, garter and stockings.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is mess up the surface of. The four answers are scar, score, scrape and scratch.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is they roar. The four answers are crowd, engine, Katy Perry and lion.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Latin dances with a vowel changed. The four answers are mamba, meringue, Simba and tangy.

Wondering what dances those words refer to?

Mamba=mambo

Meringue=merengue

Simba=samba

Tangy=tango

Quick tips for Connections

#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.

#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the «shuffle» button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.

#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. «Rushmore» was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.

Technologies

Skullcandy’s New Method 360 ANC Are $100 Bose Earbuds in Disguise

Skullcandy and Bose team up to create an affordable pair of impressive-sounding earbuds. Here are my early hands-on impressions of the Method 360 ANC after using them for a day.

Ahead of the launch of its new $100 Method 360 ANC earbuds in NewYork City, Skullcandy hyped the new buds as «the boldest audio product of 2025, featuring a partnership you didn’t see coming.» Whether the Method 360 ANC are the boldest audio product of the year is debatable, but I was certainly surprised to learn that Skullcandy had joined forces with Bose to create what’s essentially the budget version of Bose’s $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025

I’ve been using the Method 360 ANC for only a day — they’re available now in five color options — but I’ve been mostly impressed with the new buds, which sound better than most of the earbuds in this price class. From a design standpoint, they share many of the traits of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, with a similar shape and stabilizing «fit» fins, but they’re lighter and lack the more premium finish and overall feel of those pricey buds. That said, they offer a similar fit — and by that, I mean they’re quite comfortable and stay in your ears very securely once you get the buds set up with the right combo of ear tips and fins (three sizes of each are included).

Method 360 ANC’s jumbo case has plusses and minuses

The one glaring difference between the Method 360 ANC and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, as well as the step-down Quiet Comfort Earbuds ($179), is the Method 360 ANC’s charging case. It’s big — perhaps too big for some people — and it’s a little awkward to get the buds in the case. Yes, the case still fits in a pocket or can be clipped onto a backpack or your jacket. But compared with the charging cases of most true-wireless earbuds, it’s pretty jumbo. It also has no wireless charging.

On the plus side, the case does have a distinct Skullycandy-ish vibe, and I like how it slides open/shuts and how the o-ring clip is integrated into the case. It also houses an ample-size battery that stores an extra 23 hours of battery life when the case is fully charged. The buds are rated for 9 hours of battery life with noise canceling on, or 32 hours total (with the juice in the case), and 11 hours with ANC off, or 40 hours total. I haven’t fully tested the buds yet to confirm those numbers, but if accurate, they’re good.

Sound by Bose

Skullcandy describes the buds as having «Sound by Bose,» which involves hardware (a chipset and presumably drivers) and acoustic digital tuning. I don’t know exactly what components the buds use, but they sound similar to Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds and have similar specs, including four-mic hybrid active noise canceling.

Like the QC Earbuds, they’re equipped with ear-detection sensors that pause your music when you take the buds out of your ears and resume playback when you put the buds back in your ears. I also thought the touch controls were well-implemented. They’re customizable via the Skullcandy-iQ app for iOS and Android, where you can also play around with EQ settings to tweak the sound profile.

Bose’s earbuds and headphones are designed to work well with a variety of music and offer generally smooth, punchy sound that’s very pleasant for listening. While some premium buds offer a little more detail and clarity, like Bose’s QC Earbuds, the bass on these Skullcandy buds has good kick to it without sounding boomy.

I don’t think the Method 360 ANC buds sound as good as the QC Ultras, which have a tad more depth and extension (they offer slightly richer, more detailed sound), but the contest was much closer than I thought it would be. It’s also worth mentioning that the Method 360 ANC buds play pretty loud and sound better than any Skullcandy earbuds I’ve tested over the years. I still have to listen to them a little longer and compare them with some other earbuds in this price range before delivering a final verdict, but as far as sound goes, there really isn’t much to complain about for the price.

Skullcandy’s best noise canceling in a pair of earbuds

Noise canceling also seems pretty good, and you can adjust its «intensity» in the app along with the level of ambient sound you let into the buds when you’re in the «stay-aware» mode. While noise canceling isn’t part of the Sound By Bose program, a PR rep told me it was validated by Bose as meeting its standards. As with the sound quality, it isn’t quite up to the level of what you get with the QC Ultra Earbuds or even the QC Earbuds, but it’s respectable and more effective than the middling ANC on earlier Skullcandy noise-canceling earbuds I’ve tried.

I found the voice-calling performance to be something of a mixed bag. In my tests in the noisy streets of New York, one caller said they could hear me clearly with little background noise, while two other callers said my voice warbled and cut in and out (I was hard to hear). I still have some testing to do in this area, but there are some question marks about call quality — at least when it comes to what callers are hearing (I had no issues on my end hearing callers).

An excellent value for the moment

I’ll have my full review of the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds in the coming days. But aside from a few caveats, it’s safe to say these buds appear to be a very good value. Note that Skullcandy refers to their $100 price tag as an «introductory price,» and that it could change in time as the situation with tariffs remains fluid. But a Skullcandy rep informed me that the earbuds went into production in January, so the company was able to get plenty of units to the US before the tariffs went into effect. While there are currently exemptions in place for smartphones, laptops and some other electronics, there are no tariff carve-outs for headphones and earbuds.

Skullcandy Method 360 ANC key specs

Sound By Bose technology
Battery Life: Up to 40 hours ANC off (11 in buds, 29 in case); up to 32 hours with ANC on (9 in buds, 23 in case)
Noise-isolating, ergonomic fit: 3 different size pairs of fit fins and three sets of ear gels, leveraging licensed technology from Bose
Adjustable 4-mic hybrid active noise canceling with customizable Stay-Aware mode
Low latency audio
Wear detection sensors
IPX4 sweat and water-resistant (splash-proof)
Skull-iQ App compatible: Choose one of 3 preset EQ settings or customize your own, reconfigure the button functions, adjust your Stay-Aware or ANC modes and more
Rapid charge: A 10-minute charge provides 2 hours of playtime
Clear Voice smart mic helps isolate your voice and reduce background noise during calls
Spotify Tap compatible
Google Fast Pair
Multipoint Bluetooth Pairing: Pair two devices simultaneously for easy switching
Voice sidetone for calls (hear your voice in the earbuds during calls)
Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio
Five color options: Black, bone, primer, plasma and leopard
Price: $100

Technologies

Grab a New OnePlus Phone for Up to a Massive $400 Off During the Spring Sale

OnePlus makes some of the best and most underrated Android devices on the market, and they can be had for major discounts until April 27.

When it comes to Android devices, Google and Samsung tend to grab our attention the most. While it’s true that these two tech behemoths are behind some great phones, OnePlus is yet another tech company worth considering. The devices are speedy, beautifully designed and many tech options are available at all prices, so folks with any budget can find what they need. Right now, OnePlus is also offering discounts of up to $400 off during their spring sale, which lasts until April 27. Best Buy is also matching most of these deals. So, now is a great time to upgrade, especially if you have any concerns about how tariffs might impact the cost of smartphones.

Right now, the OnePlus 13 is $50 off, which discounts the 16GB RAM phone with 512GB SSD to $950. It’s also an extra 5% off for students and is on sale with this same discount at Best Buy. Budget-conscious shoppers should also consider the OnePlus 13R, which is reduced by $100. It is a pared-down version of the OnePlus 13 and offers all the basics for just $500 at OnePlus and Best Buy. The 13R still includes a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a 6,000-mAh battery for all-day power and a 120Hz refresh rate to watch your favorite shows without lag.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

The biggest savings are on the OnePlus Open, which is a massive $400 off at Best Buy and costs just $1,300. It’s out of stock at OnePlus, but you can sign up to receive a notification when it’s back in stock. The foldable phone has a Hasselblad camera for clear pictures and more creative options. Even the most budget-friendly smartphone in OnePlus’ lineup, the OnePlus Nord N30, is $100 off, which makes it just $200 at OnePlus and Best Buy. The entire spring sale is worth checking out.

OnePlus and Best Buy also have trade-in programs that can help you save a few more bucks, and students can save an extra 5%.

Looking for a new phone but aren’t sure if any of these deals are for you? Check out our list of the best Android phones to find the best option.

Why this deal matters

OnePlus makes high-quality phones at affordable prices, and these spring sale deals mean you can score a new phone for as low as $200 directly from them or Best Buy. Trade-ins and student discounts also mean you could potentially save more on your chosen phone. That makes now an excellent time for an upgrade.