The latest Hearthstone expansion – Rise of Shadows – has just been revealed! Rise of Shadows will feature 135 new cards, and will launch on April 9 in North America and April 10 in Australia/New Zealand.

The set introduces the “League of E.V.I.L.”; a coalition of returning villains led by Arch-Thief Rafaam, and featuring King Togwaggle, Madam Lazul, Dr. Boom and Hagatha the Witch.

These familiar faces bring with them a number of new gameplay mechanics. Schemes, for instance, are spells that grow in power each turn they’re in your hand. So far we’ve only seen Hagatha’s Scheme, which is obviously a horrible top deck, but can be insanely powerful if given time to charge up.

Lackeys are also new – these minions are generated by cards like EVIL Miscreant and have powerful battlecries relative to their cost. Players that have been around since Goblins vs Gnomes could think of them a little like Spare Parts, except with a body attached. There are five Lackeys in all.

In a neat touch, the set will also debut a number of “callback cards”. The new Priest spell Forbidden Words, for instance, riffs on Forbidden Shaping from Whispers of the Old Gods, except instead of spending all your mana to summon a random minion that costs the same amount, you’re able to spend your remaining mana to destroy a minion with that much attack or less. It’s powerful single target removal for Priest that very much fits the class’ identity and goes well alongside the similarly tricky board clear Mass Hysteria. It’s also fitting that the card art features Madam Lazul, who fans will remember from the Whispers of the Old Gods trailer, and who is debuting as a new playable Priest hero with this expansion.

Rise of Shadows isn’t just about bad guys, however, as the expansion will also feature cards themed around a “mysterious crime-fighting group” known as the Defenders of Dalaran. These heroes also bring their own mechanics, such as the new Twinspell keyword. A spell with Twinspell generates a copy of itself into the player’s hand when cast. In other words, they’re spells that can be cast twice.

A few other cars have also been revealed, and they’re pretty interesting…

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Rise of Shadows pre-purchase bundles are available now, with two options: a 50-pack bundle that includes a random Legendary and the Jewel of Lazul card back, and an 80-pack Mega Bundle that includes a random golden Legendary, the card back and the new playable Priest hero Madam Lazul. These bundles are available for USD $49.99 / AUD $66.95 and USD $79.99 / AUD $109.95 respectively. They’re limited to one of each per account.

The release of Rise of Shadows will usher in the Year of the Dragon, which is set to shake up the game considerably, particularly with Genn and Baku being sent to the Hall of Fame early. It will also mark the first chapter in a yearlong story for Hearthstone that will be told across three expansions and three solo adventures. The solo adventure for Rise of Shadows will be released starting in May, and the first chapter will be free, with the additional four chapters unlocked for 700 gold each or AUD $9.50 / NZD $10.99 each. The complete set can be purchased for USD $19.99 / AUD $26.95 / NZD $31.99.

Cam Shea is Editor in Chief for IGN’s Australian content team and spends a lot of his time in the worlds of CCGs. He’s on Twitter.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Akron’s Lauren Burke, Coleman’s Cassidy Tucker, North Duplin’s Rylee Pate, Chase County’s Bailee Swift and Marist’s Lauren Burke have been named MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week for contests played May 9-15.

East Region – Abby Stone (Akron (N.Y.) HS)
Stone had a game and a week to remember at the plate for the Tigers. The sophomore captain hit .750 (12-for-16) with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and 20 RBI, including 11 in her first game of the week. Stone collected 12 hits, scored 11 times and her nine extra-base hits attributed to her 1.812 slugging percentage. Her monstrous week started with a bang as Stone erupted against Wilson for the the tune of five hits, 11 RBI, a double, two triples, a pair of long balls and five runs scored. Not to overshadow the rest of the week, she recorded a four-hit game against Albion, registered two doubles and three RBI versus Greene and generated a double, home run and four RBI in a 5-0 triumph over Athens.

North Region – Cassidy Tucker (Coleman (Minn.) HS)
In four games for the Comets, Tucker put up an .824 batting average with a double, two triples, three home runs, 15 RBI, 11 runs and a 1.733 slugging percentage. In game two of a doubleheader sweep of Montabella, Tucker clubbed two home runs and knocked in seven during a 20-1 victory. In the opener, she finished 4-for-4 with a double and four runs scored. The senior second baseman/outfielder continued her hot bat into game one against Ashley in which she went 3-for-3 with a triple, long ball and five RBI.

South Region – Rylee Pate (North Duplin HS – Calypso, N.C.)  
Pate’s dominance in the circle last week was highlighted by a perfect game against Gates County. The junior allowed just one hit, recorded two shutouts, struck out 30 and did not walk a batter in 12 innings. Against Gates County, she retired all 21 batters she faced, sending 16 back to the dugout via a strikeout in a 3-0 victory. Earlier in the week, she tossed a one-hit complete-game shutout versus KIPP Pride. Pate fanned 14 over five innings and also helped herself out at the plate with a double and four RBI.

South Central Region – Bailee Swift (Chase County HS – Cottonwood Falls, Kan.)
Swift was crucial in doubleheader sweep of Moundridge last week. She went 6-for-7 (.857) with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, a 2.000 slugging percentage and .875 on-base percentage. In game one, the junior infielder was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Swift closed out the sweep with two dingers, a double, five RBI and two runs scored in a 6-2 triumph. In addition, she was flawless in the field, recording 10 putouts and four assists without committing an error.

West Region – Lauren Burke (Marist HS – Eugene, Ore.)  
Picking up the first award out of Oregon this year, Burke was nearly perfect at the plate with a .900 batting average (9-for-10), a double, triple, three homers, 10 RBI and a whopping 2.100 slugging percentage. The junior shortstop started the week with back-to-back 3-for-3 outings against Crater and Ashland. Burke homered twice in the first contest with three RBI and three runs scored. Three days later in game one against Ashland, she doubled, left the yard, knocked in four runs and scored three times. In game two of the twinbill, she was 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI.

MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. 
To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete’s game stats into MaxPreps.com  by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award.

The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the spring season, with one representative chosen from each of five separate high school regions. During the fall campaign, just a single player will be selected representing all participating regions.

Please note, in order for a school to have multiple player(s) recognized during the course of a season, a coach from that institution must be an NFCA member. To become an NFCA member, please click HERE or call 502-409-4600.

MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on Max Preps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.

Previous 2015-16 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week

5/9

Bri Mirabile | Hopkinton (Mass.) HS | East

Isabel St. Arnold | King (Wis.) HS | North

Ashlee Swindle | Curry (Ala.) HS | South

Montana Fouts | East Carter (Ky.) HS | South Central

Hannah Peterson | South Summit (Utah) HS | West

5/2

Nicole Williams | St. Joseph (Conn.) | East

Sammi Miller | Indian Lake (Ohio) HS | North

Laura Peyton Trammell | Germantown (Miss.) HS | South

Kennedy Ratliff | Rison (Ark.) HS | South Central

Mikayla Rojas | Heritage Academy (Ariz.) | West

4/25

Cassie McGrath | Tuckahoe (N.Y.) HS | East

Kelsey Corn | Menominee Indian (Wisc.) HS | North

Alexee Haynes | Sissonville (W.Va.) | South

Tylar Vernon | Pangburn (Ark.) HS | South Central

Amanda Naylor | Manti (Utah) HS) | West

4/18

Kelly Nelson | Norton (Mass.) HS | East

Emily Lipsett | Culver (Ind.) Academies | North

Makray Odom | Dickson County (Ky.) HS | South

Abby Garcia | Sweetwater (Texas) HS | South Central

Noemi Farfan | Calvary Christian (Calif.) | West

4/11

Raeanne Geffert | Seymour (Conn.) | East

Rachel Kedl | Red Rock Central (Minn.) | North

Corynn Miner | Admiral Farragut (Fla.) | South

Hannah James | East Jessamine ( Ky.) | South Central

Jadin Placencio | Cobre ( N.M.) | West

4/4

Cameron Lischinsky | Lakeland (N.Y.) | East

Maggie Balint | Avon Grove (Pa.) | North

Madison Aughinbaugh | St. Mary’s Ryken (Md.)  | South

Haidyn Bassett | Oskaloosa (Kan.) | South Central

Mikayla Rojas | Heritage Academy (Ariz.) | West

3/28

Jillian Weinstein | Half Hollows Hills West (N.Y.) | East

Ashley Swartout | Westfield (Ind.) | North

Rivers Andrews | Cedar Ridge (N.C.) | South

Jordan Carlson | Council Grove (Kan.) | South Central

Ashley Bodin | Spring Creek (Nev.) | West
  

3/21

Nicole Danyi | Baldwin (N.Y.) | East

Abby Marlow | New Athens (Ill.) | North

Mia Davidson | Orange (N.C.) | South

Grason Gasser | Bethlehem (Ky.) | South Central

Hailey Heeringa | Valley Christian (Ariz.) | West

3/14

Emily Merritt | Herford County (N.C.) | South

Aziah James | Spring (Texas) HS | South Central

Amanda Sink | Legacy (Nev.) HS | West

3/7

Hera Varma | Tampa Catholic (Fla.) HS | South

Tylar Vernon | Pangburn (Ark.) HS | South Central

Shaye Bowden | Sunnyslope (Ariz.) HS | West

 
2/29

Sarah Dugan | Oak Grove (La.) HS | South

Jordan Llinas | Cypress Woods (Texas) HS | South Central

Aurora Adams | Santiago (Calif.) HS | West

Fall

10/13 – Jessie Briley | Bishop Neuman (Neb.) HS | South Central

10/6 –   Victoria Haugsness | North Platte (Mo.) HS | South Central

9/28 –   Taylor Parham | Wilber-Clatonia (Neb.) HS | South Central

9/21 –   Savannah Chalfant | Gilmer (Ga.) HS | South

9/14 –   Madison Ingram | Bowling Green (Mo.) HS | South Central

9/7 –     Riley Craig | Mountain Range (Colo.) HS | West

8/31 –   Sieara Price | Eaton (Colo.) HS | West

8/24 –   Callyn Carter | Charlton County (Ga.) HS | South

We have witnessed how many recent political campaigns have benefited from one’s popularity on social media. Former U.S. president Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and ex-Montreal mayor Denis Coderre all had a strong online presence.

There are endless advantages in the quickness of communication; in the availability of information or entertainment; and the ease of sharing that the internet and social media gives us. But social media also has its faults. Among them: being a huge misinformation generator that bypasses traditional media with its speed and spreading capacity.

The infinity of online news sources is part of the reason why traditional media struggles. Their signal gets lost in an ever growing pool of transmitters. The voice of the reporter fades in the cacophony of countless e-journalists. Now any individual with internet access can become a media publisher through their social network; which, depending on the number of followers, could even challenge the reach of TV channels.

The self-broadcasting president

The biggest news show ratings in the United States are regularly over five million for CNN, seven-plus million for ABC and NBC. While there is no official way to measure a Twitter posts ratings, it’s interesting to consider the potential reach.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has 54.3 million followers on Twitter. Meaning that in perfect conditions, he could reach 54.3 million people with a single tweet. If he only reached 20 per cent of his followers, he would still beat the daily ratings of any of the above-mentioned news show, without considering the amplifying power of re-tweets.

Trump doesn’t broadcast an hour of informative content. He tweets 280 characters or less at a time. Still, it’s a pretty impressive reach for something an individual can produce from a mere smartphone while sitting on the toilet, especially considering that CBS’s numbers are coming from 200 TV stations.

The “social news” direct-reach to viewers has had the perverse effect of forcing traditional media to report on tweets. When notorious public figures become channels themselves (obviously enjoying the exclusivity of their own headlines) media outlets have no choice but to follow and quote these super-fast feeds that publish without allowing time for fact verification or research. They just cannot ignore stories that are so widely shared.

We see on a daily basis how established facts clash with President Trump’s “truth.” His Twitter feed often uses his imagination as a source, yet it carries the weight of 54.3 million followers; and tens of thousands of them give his declarations (a sort of) legitimacy by liking and re-tweeting.

Buying credibility

In today’s virtual market, people can now buy likes, followers and subscribers. Google it: 3000 followers can go for as little as $2.97. It’s like buying a prospect list, only, it’s instantaneous. No door knocking, no phone calls, no e-mails. You pay and magie!, as many as one million followers at a time can be added to your fan club for $2,950! “Fast Delivery” claims one vendor.

What can the same tools do for politicians? How can traditional media keep up with the pace of a self-published one-man media?

While some social networks have begun to address the problem of fake accounts, there’s no telling how efficient they will continue to be.

Flooding the truth

Media and technology evolves daily, changing our customer habits. There are no certitudes on how the dynamics of media are going to function over the next decades. For future readers, the sum of followers may give credence to what they consider to be a reliable news source.

Global affairs analyst Susan Glasser recently acknowledged, during an appearance on Don Lemon’s CNN Tonight, that President Trump’s Twitter feed will be studied by historians. This is both interesting and pathetic (just imagine historians analyzing one of the president’s tweets for hours). Who knows how confusing it will be for future generations to make sense of such things as “Facts are in the eye of the beholder” – a quote from the president’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Or the “Alternative facts” explanation from Trump’s then-press secretary, Kellyanne Conway.

However, since Trump is under constant scrutiny, these quotes will be given context from numerous sources. But there is no way to certify that over time, the facts (the non-alternative ones) won’t get drowned out by myriad soundbites from the 45th American president and his team. One day, his words might end up being the top entry for a search on “truth.”

In 50 years, what if truth is based on how many likes or shares one has on a statement? For the quick reader, “5.4 million followers” can replace “50 years of publishing” to determine the reliability of a source. This reader won’t question if these followers are legitimate, or artificial, or if there was any research on the published facts.

Social media has become a fifth estate, able to criticize and comment on anything, including traditional media. But as a news source, it’s deeply flawed since it lacks a code of ethics. This absence makes it necessary for readers to constantly battle against intellectual laziness. It’s the reader’s responsibility to search and verify facts before sharing information, and now more than ever, before believing anything.

Have you been affected personally by this or another issue? Share your story on HuffPost Canada blogs. We feature the best of Canadian opinion and perspectives. Find out how to contribute here.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Newbury College (NCAA DIII) garnered the overall college GPA with a 3.770, while Byron Nelson (Texas) High School (4.916), for the third consecutive year, and Champion (Ohio) High School (3.858) led the high school weighted and unweighted categories, respectively, in the Easton / NFCA Top 10 Academic Team rankings for the 2015-16 school year. Individually 5,152 softball players earned Easton / NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors.

The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across seven membership divisions. NCAA Division I, with 1,240 honorees, had the most student-athletes with a 3.5 grade-point average or higher, while 1,124 in Division III earned recognition, followed by 963 Division II student-athletes. High School weighted and High School unweighted posted 618 and 512 honorees apiece. NAIA amassed 384 recipients and Junior College totaled 311.

For complete listings by membership division click on respective division links.

NCAA DI | NCAA DII | NCAA DIII | NAIA | JC | High School (Unweighted) | High School (Weighted)

Grand Canyon University (3.670) and Upper Iowa University led NCAA Division I & II, while Siena Heights University (3.720) posted the top NAIA mark and Allen Community College set the junior college standard with a 3.660 GPA.

For the complete listing of GPAs by membership division and school, click on the respective links below.

NCAA Division I 
1. Grand Canyon – 3.670; 2. Nebraska Omaha – 3.643; Saint Louis – 3.641; 4. Southern Illinois – 3.627; 5. Western Carolina – 3.607; 6. Georgia State – 3.595; 7. DePaul – 3.591; 8. Harvard – 3.590; 9. Fairfield – 3.589; 10. Missouri State – 3.569.

NCAA Division II 
1. Upper Iowa – 3.764; 2. Adelphi – 3.757; 3. Bridgeport – 3.712; 4. Northern State – 3.680; 5. Lincoln Memorial – 3.660; 6. Washburn – 3.650; 7. California (Pa.) – 3.640; 8. Drury – 3.604; 9. Arkansas Monticello – 3.583; 10. Georgia College – 3.563.

NCAA Division III 
1. Newbury College – 3.770; 2. Fontbonne University– 3.662; 3. Whitworth University – 3.620; 4. University of Dubuque – 3.551; 5. Smith College – 3.545; Springfield College – 3.538; 7. Union College – 3.518; 8. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse – 3.517; 9. Illinois Wesleyan University – 3.511; 10. Iowa Wesleyan University – 3.509.

NAIA 
1. Siena Heights– 3.720; 2. William Woods – 3.713; 3. William Carey – 3.639; 4. Spring Arbor – 3.598; 5. Bellevue – 3.562; 6. Arizona Christian – 3.510; 7. Robert Morris University-Springfield – 3.460; 8. Peru State – 3.458; 9. Lourdes – 3.451; 10. Bethel – 3.442.

Junior College 
1. Allen CC – 3.660; 2. Barton CC – 3.631; 3. Itawamba CC – 3.605; 4. Northwest Mississippi CC – 3.560; 5. Holmes CC – 3.486; 6. North Platte CC – 3.450; 7. Blinn College – 3.447; 8. Fort Scott CC – 3.440; 9. Western Nebraska CC – 3.410; 10. Iowa Western CC – 3.400.

High School (Unweighted) 
1. Champion (Ohio) – 3.858; 2. Santa Gertrudis Academy (Texas) – 3.846; 3. Central High School of Clay County (Ala.) – 3.819; 4. Topeka-Seaman (Kan.) – 3.817; 5. Lexington (Tenn.) – 3.770; 6. Rock Creek (Kan.) – 3.765; 7. Rochester Adams (Mich.) – 3.760; 8. La Monte (Mo.) – 3.744; 9. Blue Springs South (Mo.) – 3.727; 9. Homer (Alaska) – 3.727. 

High School (Weighted) 
1. Byron Nelson (Texas) – 4.916; 2. Bay City (Texas) 4.729; 3. James F. Byrnes (S.C.) – 4.498; 4. Magoffin County (Ky.) – 4.429; 5. High Point Christian Academy (N.C.) – 4.290; 6. Holly Hill Academy (S.C.) – 4.232; 7. Northern Guilford (N.C.) – 4.160; 8. Cambridge Christian School (Fla.) – 4.115; Deerfield (Ill.) – 4.041; 10. Olathe North (Kan.) – 4.040. 

— Image courtesy of Newbury College Athletics

A new AAA game from Final Fantasy 15’s Luminous Productions is seemingly now in the works.

Luminous was set up by Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata (who has now quit the company), and includes much of the original FF15 team in its staff.

According to a Famitsu interview with Final Fantasy 15 DLC director, Takeshi Terada (via ResetEra), the studio’s next title will be set in a brand new world, and is the reason that Luminous Productions was established.

“I can not talk about the details, but like ‘FFXV’, I will create a game based on a new world drawn with high quality, high end. Please be assured that the next project is already in motion,” said Terada, when asked what the studio is developing now that the Final Fantasy 15 story has drawn to an end.

A screenshot of a Luminous Productions job listing from last year mentioned work on a “new AAA title for PS5”, as well as Final Fantasy 15 DLC episodes. With all Final Fantasy 15 DLC after Episode Ardyn now cancelled, it’s likely that development of the new game is now in full swing.

Final Fantasy 15: Episode Ardyn is available now, and delves deeper into the villainous Ardyn Lucis Caelum’s story.

Shabana is a freelance writer who enjoys JRPGs, wine, and not finishing games. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

As the old saying goes: give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to make fish in the slow cooker, and he’ll never go hungry again.

Or something like that. Anyway, you’re welcome in advance, because this Delish recipe for salmon in the slow cooker is about to change your life. Not only is it ridiculously easy to make, but the salmon is so flavourful and moist, it’s the only way you’ll ever want to cook fish from now on.

And, as Delish notes, you can use this recipe as a base for all your future fish endeavours.

“Feel free to switch up the citrus you use, or lose it all together! You could make a bed of sliced onions or leeks instead, or throw in some aromatics like rosemary or thyme. Swap out lemon juice and broth for white wine and melted butter. Do you!” Delish writes.

Oh, we will. Serve with rice and salad, and that’s dinner!

Get the full recipe for salmon in the slow cooker here.

The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved a change to the super regional format of the Division I Softball Championship, which will take effect in the 2017 season.

Next season, the super regionals will be conducted as three-day competitions. Previously, the softball super regionals were conducted over a two-day period with the third game, if necessary, played as part of a doubleheader on the second day.

Since the third game of the best-of-three series is for a berth in the Women’s College World Series, the Division I Softball Committee believes it should be played as a standalone game on a separate day.

The super regionals can be played Thursday-Sunday the week before the start of the Women’s College World Series.

“The move to conduct the Division I softball super regional as a three-day competition is one that the committee feels will benefit student-athlete welfare,” said Mollie Lehman, committee chair and senior associate commissioner and CFO of the Western Athletic Conference. “The new schedule allows teams to get proper rest before playing the most important game of their season. We certainly want our student-athletes to have the opportunity to be at their peak performance level as they attempt to advance to championship play at the Women’s College Series.” 

– Courtesy of the NCAA

Taika Waititi, known for directing Thor: Ragnarok and What We Do in the Shadows, will reportedly co-write, direct and executive produce a pilot episode for Apple’s series remake of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 classic Time Bandits.

Reported by Deadline, Gilliam will also executive produce and People of Earth’s Dan Halsted will act as producer. Anonymous Content, Paramount Television and MRC will all co-produce the potential series.

The original Time Bandits starred Sean Connery, John Cleese and Shelley Duvall. Its story revolves around an 11-year-old boy with a wild imagination and love of history who travels in time with six dwarfs to steal treasures throughout history. The film included various historical and mythological figures, like Agamemnon, Napoleon and Robin Hood.

Apple acquired the rights to Time Bandits last year, adding it to a long list of TV shows it’s developing to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Apple also has shows coming from Oscar-winner Damien Chazelle, JJ Abrams, M. Night Shyamalan and more.

For more on Waititi, check out how he’s directing an episode of the upcoming Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and how he definitely won’t be directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.