Mashable

SAVE OVER $90: As of Oct. 12, the Sony WH-CH720N headphones are on sale for $88 at Amazon. That's a 51% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH720N $88 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $91.99   Get Deal

Whether you're commuting, working from home, or working out, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones can make all the difference. And if you've been thinking about upgrading your audio setup, but don't want to spend a small fortune, this latest Amazon discount on the Sony WH-CH720N headphones will save you over $90.

As of Oct. 12, these budget-friendly headphones have dropped in price from $179.99 to just $88. That's more than half off the list price. They come in two colors (white and pink), both at the same low price.

If you care about good audio, these headphones are seriously impressive. And for such a low price, you're really getting great noise cancellation. Sony's Integrated Processor V1 works with Dual Noise Sensor Technology to help block out unwanted background sounds, and the Adaptive Sound Control automatically adjusts your listening experience to your surroundings. There's also an adjustable Ambient Sound mode for when you want to stay aware of what's happening around you. It also helps with audio output, with the Precise Voice Pickup Technology keeping your voice clear during calls.

Battery life is another plus, giving you up to 35 hours of listening time on a full charge. If you're running low, a quick three-minute USB-C charge will give you up to an hour of playback, so you won't have to wait long to get back to listening.

Find this Sony deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $120: As of Oct. 12, Apple AirPods Max 2 are down to $429 on Amazon. The H2 chip powers active noise cancellation, adaptive audio, and even live translation.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max 2 $429 at Amazon
$549 Save $120   Get Deal

If you’ve been eyeing Apple's flagship over-ears but couldn't stomach the eye-watering $549 price tag, now is your chance to snag them. The Apple AirPods Max 2 just hit $429 at Amazon, cutting a massive 22% off the list price. That saves you $120, knocking Apple's premium H2-powered cans down to a far more palatable price point.

The core upgrade is Apple swapping in its H2 chip. That unlocks 1.5x better Active Noise Cancellation, alongside smart features like Adaptive Audio — which tweaks noise control based on your surroundings — and Conversation Awareness, which automatically drops your volume when you speak.

SEE ALSO: AirPods Max 2 vs. Sony WH-1000XM6: Which headphones win?

Apple also packed in a few features for power users and frequent travelers. If you hold down the listening mode button, you can trigger real-time Live Translation (powered by Apple Intelligence), which translates what someone is saying straight into your ears. On the hardware side, Apple ditched Lightning for USB-C, meaning you can charge them with the same cable as your Mac or iPad and plug them directly into your devices for ultra-low-latency, 24-bit lossless audio.

Everything else retains Apple's signature luxury build, including the breathable knit-mesh canopy, custom memory foam ear cushions, and standard 20-hour battery life with ANC cranked.

If you’ve been holding off on Apple’s ultimate over-ears, grab a pair of AirPods Max 2 while this $120 price cut is still live on Amazon.

SAVE $10: As of Oct. 12, the latest Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) 4-Pack is down to $89 at Amazon. That's a 10% discount off its $99 retail price, bringing the cost down to just $22.25 per tracker.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) 4-Pack $89 at Amazon
$99 Save $10   Get Deal

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to finally tag all your gear with Apple’s Bluetooth trackers, this is it. The Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) 4-pack is currently down to $89 at Amazon, a 10% markdown off its usual $99 list price.

Apple’s second-gen AirTag doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and honestly, it didn't need to. Visually, it’s identical to the original — same white puck design, same coin-cell battery setup, and same stainless steel back. But Apple threw in upgraded Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband wireless chips that turn this tiny tracker into a much better item finder.

The new internal hardware pushes Precision Finding out to nearly 50 feet through multiple interior walls. That means your iPhone locks onto the tracker from a completely different room instead of forcing you to walk aimlessly around your apartment waiting for a signal. Apple gave the built-in speaker a massive volume boost. The chime is now around 50% louder, so if your AirTag is buried deep inside a thick leather backpack or stuck in the trunk of your car, you can easily hear where it’s hiding.

They also expanded how you track your gear. For the first time, you can trigger Precision Finding directly from an Apple Watch (Series 9 or Ultra 2 and newer running watchOS 26.2.1), complete with step-by-step directional arrows on your wrist.

There is one important catch: to get the upgraded range and precision features, you need a newer iPhone (iPhone 15 or later, excluding the 16e) running iOS 26. If you're still rocking an older iPhone, stick with the first-gen model.

Grabbing this 4-pack while it's down to $89 drops the per-tracker price to just $22.25 — making it the cheapest way to tag your keys, wallet, backpack, and luggage all at once.

Online dating as a gay man is a rite of passage. From the Craigslist m4m era to today's endless scroll, it's been a part of gay culture since the early days of the web. But for all the high rewards, even the best dating apps come with a unique set of challenges for LGBTQ men: ghosting, catfishing, straight guys who shouldn't be in your feed, and even some not-so-subtle fetishization. It's a lot to take in when you're just trying to find a cute guy.

Yet, despite the BS, the best gay dating apps are still one of the main ways to meet new guys. In fact, a 2026 report by SSRS found that 63 percent of LGBTQIA+ adults have used a dating site or app, including 14 percent who were current users, compared to just 34 percent of non-LGBTQIA+ adults. And a 2023 Pew Research Center report found that about one in four partnered lesbian, gay, or bisexual adults met their current partner through a dating site or app, compared with one in 10 partnered straight adults.

We love to complain about the apps, but they're still a big part of how we meet each other.

We have to talk about Grindr

Of course, we can't talk about gay dating without talking about Grindr. It's still our top pick overall, even if the user experience has been suffering of late. The free version of Grindr is now stuffed full of ads, leaving many guys longing for an alternative. Plus, because of its well-deserved reputation as a hookup app, it's not always the right place to make a love connection.

"Grindr is a tried and true app that many queer men gravitate toward to find partners or for relationships that require lesser commitment, so it’s easy to point to it as the No. 1 app," Michelle Herzog, LMFT, AASECT-certified sex therapist, tells Mashable. "However, like Tinder, it’s gained a reputation as a hookup app — but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t men looking for long-term commitments, either."

SEE ALSO: The great Grindr glossary: all terms and acronyms explained

The good news is that the gay dating app landscape is bigger than Grindr. Hinge gives relationship-minded guys a mainstream option, while Scruff combines dating with travel and community features. Feeld makes room for kink and non-monogamy, and cruising platforms like Sniffies and Squirt cater to those who want to skip the small talk entirely.

The key is figuring out which dating apps are worth your time. Here's our guide to the best gay dating apps of 2026, whether you're looking for a boyfriend, a hookup, or a community that feels more like you.

Recent changes to this dating app guide include:

• OkCupid (removed October 2026): We removed OkCupid from our main picks. Its question-based matching still has appeal for values-driven dating, but it no longer earns a place among our strongest recommendations for men. The FTC's March 2026 action over its past sharing of user photos and other personal information also warrants consideration.

• Archer (closed June 2026): Archer shut down on June 17, 2026. Previously, this was our favorite gay dating app for finding serious relationships. Hinge is now our pick in that category.

• Feeld (added October 2025): We added Feeld as our top pick for kink and threesomes, giving guys interested in non-monogamy and exploring their sexuality a more specialized option.

• Hinge (added October 2025): Hinge joined the guide as a mainstream option for relationship-minded guys. Following Archer's closure, it's our top recommendation for serious relationships.

• Squirt (added early 2026): We added Squirt for its cruising-focused community and free unlimited direct messaging. Its SQ Dating app is also available on iOS and Android.

Which gay dating apps didn't make the cut?

You'll notice a few well-known apps are missing from our main list. Not every platform is a good fit for every guy, and leaving one out doesn't mean nobody has had a good experience there. Here's why we're recommending other options in this guide.

• Taimi: While Taimi markets itself heavily as a queer community space, we've opted to leave it off the list. The feedback from real users is frankly brutal. Redditors say the free version is "completely unusable"; you need a premium subscription just to view a basic profile. Worse, users reported feeling unsafe, noting the app is filled with scammers, "obvious homophobes," and "more straight cis-men and creeps than even Tinder or Bumble." Skip it.

• Raya: We know Raya is the "celebrity dating app," but we're not recommending it. Why? Because, as our own Chance Townsend discovered, its exclusivity is "a bit overhyped." After shelling out $25 per month, he found the vibe "so Tinder-esque," and the user pool wasn't A-list celebs but "consultants, aspiring actors, medical professionals, recruiters, and even students." The consensus: Raya is basically "an expensive Tinder with a better PR team." Save your money.

• Recon: Recon has a reputation as the app for the kink community, but we've opted to leave it off the list. User reviews on Reddit are brutal. One thread described the app as "really buggy" and "not much activity on there anymore." Users in that thread complained that the app is a "waste of time," full of flakes, "catfish," and "fake doms wanting you to be their slave or boy." Other users noted that "a lot of kink/fetish guys have moved on to Instagram, Twitter/X, [or] OnlyFans" or that mainstream apps like Scruff are now "more open and welcoming spaces" for the community.

• Planet Romeo (now Romeo): Planet Romeo (which took over the old Guys4Men, or g4m, site ) is another legacy app we didn't include. While it was once a go-to for finding meaningful relationships, particularly in India and parts of Europe, it's now mostly seen as an app from a bygone era. Reddit threads on the topic are full of nostalgia for the "age of Planet Romeo" and the "slow communication" of the early 2000s.

TL;DR: Get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote with a Microsoft Office 2024 lifetime license for $114.97. Sale ends Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC: One-Time Purchase $114.97
$149.99 Save $35.02   Get Deal

Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 a year. That’s actually the cheapest option, and you only get that if you pay the full price all at once. Every year. Forever.

If you want a better option, Microsoft Office 2024 gives you many of the same apps for PC or Mac, lasts for life, and is on sale now during extended Deal Days for $114.97 (reg. $149.99).

Your license includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. That’s enough for students writing papers and building presentations, or for families keeping a household budget in a spreadsheet. All four apps work fully offline, and your files stay on your device and sync when you reconnect to the internet. Free tools like Google Docs and Sheets need a browser and a connection before they’ll work at all.

Office 2024 also adds newer tools to each app. Smart Compose in Word suggests text as you type, based on what you’ve already written. In Excel, dynamic array formulas like FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE update their results automatically when the data changes, so a filtered sales list stays current as new entries come in. PowerPoint can record a presentation with voice, video, and closed captions for online classes or remote meetings. Real-time co-authoring lets classmates or family members edit the same document at once, with comments and chat built in.

This license isn’t for Microsoft 365. It doesn’t have the little things like cloud storage or Copilot, but there are better ways to store your files or ask an AI questions that don’t require paying nearly $100 every year.

Get the Office apps you use every day without paying for them every year.

Get a Microsoft Office 2024 Home lifetime license while it’s on sale for $114.97. Sale ends Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Convert files offline on your own computer with a Morphjet lifetime subscription on sale for $39.99 (reg. $79).

Opens in a new window Credit: Morphjet Morphjet Single Plan: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
$79 Save $39.01   Get Deal

Free online file converters make you upload your files to someone else’s server, and many of them limit you to a few files a day or add a watermark to the result. Morphjet is a desktop app that converts images, video, audio, documents, and archives on your own computer instead, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $39.99 right now.

Morphjet reads files from your drive and writes the results back to that same drive, so nothing leaves your computer. Each type of conversion downloads its engine the first time you use it. After that, you can keep converting with the Wi-Fi off, whether you’re on a plane or working in an air-gapped office. You won’t need to make an account either. Install the app, enter your key, and start converting.

In total, Morphjet supports 2,911 conversions across images, documents, video, audio, ebooks, spreadsheets, and subtitles. That list includes iPhone HEIC photos and conversion from 21 camera RAW formats, although converting to RAW isn’t supported. Batch mode converts 5 files or 5,000 at once with no daily cap and no watermark. If an attachment has to fit under an email limit, you can set a target like 8 MB, and Morphjet picks the right quality setting for you. Watch folders automatically convert, rename, and file anything you drop into a chosen folder.

Morphjet also includes a full PDF toolkit for merging, splitting, rotating, compressing, locking, unlocking, and reordering PDFs. Its OCR tool turns scanned PDFs into searchable files without sending them anywhere. Local AI tools transcribe audio, upscale photos, and remove backgrounds on your computer instead of a cloud service. Before sharing a photo, you can view and remove GPS location, camera serial numbers, and owner names without re-encoding the image. An archive tool opens zip, 7z, tar, and rar files, including password-protected ones.

Get a Morphjet lifetime subscription on sale for $39.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tin is available for $34.98 at Amazon, considerably cheaper than the $59 price we spotted earlier this month.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tin $34.98 at Amazon
$69.95 Save $34.97   Get Deal

Getting hold of Pokémon's 30th Celebration Mini Tins without spending a fortune has become a lot easier since the expansion launched. After weeks of prices hovering around $50 or higher, new Amazon listings have brought individual tins below $35 for the first time.

As of Oct. 12, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tin (randomly selected from the 10 versions available) is now $34.98 at Amazon, with free shipping through its third-party sellers. That's the lowest price we’ve ever seen on the site (confirmed via price tracker camelcamelcamel), and $24.02 less than the $59 Amazon price we covered earlier this month.

This deal works out at around $17.49 per booster pack before accounting for the other collectibles included.

Walmart has gone one better, with Mini Tins now available for $31.99 through marketplace seller Petty Commodities. This undercuts Amazon by another $2.99, with free shipping estimated to arrive by Oct. 20 at the time of writing. Just be aware that Walmart lists these as non-returnable.

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is close to market price at Amazon — buy for under $140

Each Mini Tin comes with two 30th Celebration booster packs, a sticker sheet, a matching Pokémon art card, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

There are 10 designs to collect altogether, with their respective art cards combining into two larger scenes. Both Amazon and Walmart are selling these tins at random, so you won't know which design you're getting until it arrives.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection is on sale for $51.98 at Amazon, down from its $66.93 typical price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $51.98 at Amazon
$66.93 Save $14.95   Get Deal

The 30th Celebration Poster Collection has been one of the more affordable ways to get into Pokémon's anniversary expansion, especially compared to the bigger boxes. After some decent discounts at Walmart in September, one of Amazon’s sellers has now offered a new record low. 

As of Oct. 12, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection is available for $51.98 at Amazon, down $14.95 from its previous $66.93 price. This 22% discount through third-party seller Gem City Supplies comes with free shipping, estimated between Oct. 19 and 23, and a handy 30-day refund/replacement policy.

That's cheaper than Walmart’s sale price of $57.77 and the lowest price Amazon has ever offered, confirmed by the price tracker camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is close to market price at Amazon — buy for under $140

For the money, you'll get three 30th Celebration booster packs of trading cards, three foil promo cards featuring Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, and a double-sided poster showcasing artwork from over 160 cards in the expansion.

To check out what valuable Pokemon chase cards you can pull (including the $6,000+ RGB Rare Mew), you can buy almost every single 30th Celebration card at TCGplayer.  

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister is available to preorder for $42.93 at Amazon, but Walmart is cheaper at $39.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister $43.49 at Amazon
  Get Deal

With Delta Reign preorders now appearing across major retailers, Pokémon TCG collectors don't have to spend hundreds on a Booster Display Box to get packs ahead of launch. The go-to triple pack of boosters has finally hit Amazon, Walmart, and TCGplayer at or below market price — with some prices better than others. 

As of Oct. 12, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister is available to preorder for $39.99 at Walmart, sold and shipped by third-party seller T. Gaming. At the time of writing, free delivery is currently estimated for Nov. 18, 12 days after the expansion’s Nov. 6 release date. 

If you want yours earlier, Amazon has the same blister listed for $42.93 through third-party seller Collectors Expedition — $2.94 more than Walmart, but estimated to arrive earlier on Nov. 10.

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is close to market price at Amazon — buy for under $140

At Walmart's price, you're effectively paying $13.33 for each of the three Delta Reign booster packs, with an additional Seel promo card included. That’s 19 cents cheaper per pack compared to the $13.52 price we’re seeing for single boosters on TCGplayer. You can think of the Seel promo as a free bonus.

As standard, each pack provides 10 trading cards from the titular Delta Reign expansion — 135+ cards revolving around Mega Rayquaza ex and other powerful Mega Evolutions, like Mega Golurk ex, Mega Malamar ex, and Mega Golisopod. 

You know how security experts always tell you to be careful about posting your private (and especially private financial) data online? Yeah, what do they know. Elon Musk knows better.

Over the weekend, whilst explaining to X users how the company's AI helper Grok can do the shopping for them, Musk suggested that they should simply feed the AI a photo of their credit card.

"To buy stuff, you can just take a picture of your credit card, drop it in the chat and Grok @Bot will scour the Internet for the best deal on the item you want and order it," Musk wrote.

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The X community soon reacted with a community note that says what most people already know.

"xAI explicitly warns users not to include personal information in prompts, yet credit card photos may contain such information. Grok Bot's terms state that user data and credentials may be stored in its cloud environment and require human review for financial transactions," the note said.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

When asked by a users whether this was "totally safe or stupid and dangerous," Grok itself called it "neither," but did warn people they should "not drop an actual credit card photo."

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk to rename SpaceXAI as SpaceXSI

The replies ranged from memes (so many memes) and people asking Grok for Musk's credit card to folks taking it a step further and (ironically) recommending sharing your entire DNA sequence with the bot.

Anyways, it's all fun and games until you really start trusting a trillionaire's advice and post photos of your credit card online. Don't do that, folks.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for who watch football.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Capitol sports

• Green: Famous Georges

• Blue: Nicknames

• Purple: Dribbling

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: DC Sports Teams

• Green: Georges

• Blue: Nicknames of NFL Cornerbacks

• Purple: ___Dribble

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #749 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• DC Sports Teams: CAPITALS, COMMANDERS, SPIRIT, WIZARDS

• Georges: FOREMAN, GERVIN, KITTLE, SPRINGER

• Nicknames of NFL Cornerbacks: KOOL-AID, PS2, SAUCE, SPOON

• ___Dribble: CROSSOVER, DOUBLE, SEAL, SPEED

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 12, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for October 12, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 12 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 12 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 3-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 12 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Provider.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

GIVER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Greek letter.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 12, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

GAMMA

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Relish.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 12, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 12, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SAVOR

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Celtic priest.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

DRUID

Final Hurdle hint

Overturn.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

UPEND

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The Moon is slowly starting to make its way back into the sky. Just a small crescent is visible for now, but it will continue to grow over the coming nights.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Monday, Oct. 12, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 3% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During that time, its position changes relative to the Earth and Sun, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible to us. This produces the familiar lunar phases, beginning with a thin crescent and progressing through the quarter phases before reaching a Full Moon. The sequence then repeats as the Moon continues its orbit. According to NASA, the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon's changing position in relation to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it's not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 12, 2026 Condition meaning

The physical state or situation that a person, animal or object is in.

Shape meaning

The external boundary, outline or surface form of an object, distinct from color, texture or material.

Situation meaning

A combination of circumstances, conditions or events happening at a particular time and place.

State meaning

A condition or way of being that exists at a particular time

Bear meaning

To accept or put up with something painful, difficult or unpleasant

Handle meaning

To put up with or tolerate stress or pressure.

Stand meaning

To endure something difficult, unpleasant or painful.

Weather meaning

The short-term state of the Earth's atmosphere at a specific place and time, measured by factors like temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation.

Abbreviation meaning

A shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase used to represent the full version.

Contraction meaning

The act or result of becoming smaller, shorter or reduced

Elision meaning

The omission of a sound, syllable or word in speech or writing, often to make pronunciation faster, easier or to fit a poetic meter.

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Nickname meaning

An informal name used instead of a person's, place's or thing's real name

Alkylamide meaning

An organic compound made by combining a fatty acid chain with an amine group.

Calamari meaning

The culinary term for squid.

Mandarin meaning

The most widely spoken form of the Chinese language.

Melamine meaning

A white, crystalline organic compound with the chemical formula C₃H₆N₆ that is widely used to manufacture durable plastics.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you can handle anything.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 12, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Position

• Green: Put up with

• Blue: Cut it short

• Purple: State shortenings

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Status

• Green: Tolerate

• Blue: Word shortenings, often

• Purple: Words made using U.S. postal abbreviations

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1218 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Status: CONDITION, SHAPE, SITUATION, STATE

• Tolerate: BEAR, HANDLE, STAND, WEATHER

• Word shortenings, often: ABBREVIATION, CONTRACTION, ELISION, NICKNAME

• Words made using U.S. postal abbreviations: ALKYLAMIDE, CALAMARI, MANDARIN, MELAMINE

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're talkative.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 12, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: In a manner of speaking

The words are related to language.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe how people talk.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Turn of Phrase.

NYT Strands word list for October 12

• Dialect

• Lingo

• Turn of Phrase

• Vernacular

• Jargon

• Parlance

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to sing.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 12, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Carol.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter Y.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

YODEL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Wordle.

From the creator lounge at New York Comic Con, the view is hard to beat. Below, thousands of fans stream through the Javits Center's main entrance, a colorful procession of elaborate cosplays, oversized props, and familiar characters brought to life. Towering banners celebrating everything from Tamagotchi and The Apothecary Diaries to YAGA and NYCC's 20th anniversary hang overhead. It's a spectacle in its own right, and an even better backdrop for a TikTok.

That's intentional. For this year's convention, organizers designed the lower portions of the banners in the venue's Crystal Palace with photo and video opportunities in mind, anticipating how attendees might capture their experiences and share them online.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators defining the internet in 2026

The creator lounge offers a particularly good vantage point. The open space overlooks the crowds below, with dedicated Wi-Fi, room to film and edit, and a place to recharge throughout the day. It's one of the ways NYCC is accommodating a growing contingent of content creators who arrive at the convention with cameras, microphones, and their own audiences.

On the show floor, cosplayers pose for photos, fans capture moments for their feeds, and creators stop attendees for interviews. The convention is as much a place to make content as it is to experience the fandoms that brought everyone together. For some, that means sharing their excitement with an online audience. For others, it's work. Increasingly, it's both.

Conventions have always been places where fans gather to celebrate the things they love. As fandom continues to flourish on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and beyond, events like NYCC are evolving alongside it, becoming sprawling content studios where nearly every corner offers something worth capturing. Organizers are beginning to design their spaces accordingly.

From convention floor to content feed

For NYCC, that shift began in earnest in 2021, when live events returned after the pandemic and short-form video was transforming the way people discovered and engaged with pop culture. That year, NYCC hired two creators to take over its TikTok account during the convention. According to marketing director Fallon Prinzivalli, the experiment reached more than 8 million people in four days.

"We started engaging with them very intentionally following the pandemic when live events were coming back," Prinzivalli told Mashable.

What followed was a more formal approach to working with creators, including dedicated badges and, eventually, a lounge designed around their needs. Previously, influencers had been applying for press credentials despite not necessarily qualifying as editorial media. NYCC recognized that these creators offered something different, but no less valuable, to the convention and its exhibitors.

SEE ALSO: TikTok has more ways than ever for creators to make money

Today, NYCC offers a limited number of complimentary creator badges. Although its guidelines specify at least 200,000 followers across platforms, Prinzivalli said the convention also considers smaller creators based on their communities, originality, and impact. The demand is significant. NYCC received thousands of applications this year and closed submissions in August after reaching capacity. Prinzivalli declined to disclose how many badges were issued.

The lounge itself grew out of the practical realization that creators needed more than a table and an internet connection. "We wanted to give them dedicated Wi-Fi. We wanted it to be in the middle of the energy," Prinzivalli explained. "We wanted it to be a space where they can film videos, or they can connect with other creators."

And perhaps most importantly, somewhere to catch their breath before heading back into the chaos.

When fandom becomes a production schedule

For Kallen Zborovsky-Fenster, a New York City-based creator who posts as @king_kallen on TikTok, NYCC is one of the biggest events on his content calendar. He spends weeks preparing, developing interview topics, gathering equipment, and transforming his usual at-home recording setup into something portable. This year, he's interviewing fellow creators and attendees about everything from Avengers: Doomsday to the state of the DC Universe.

"This is one of my highest priority events," he told Mashable.

The creator lounge gives him a quieter place to conduct interviews, charge his equipment, and connect with others in the entertainment industry. Still, he doesn't want to spend the entire convention upstairs. "I want to go where the people are," he said.

For Caroline Martini, who shares cosplay and convention content as @newyorkcaroline, preparation looks a little different. Before arriving, she keeps a running list of TikToks and shots she wants to capture in her iPhone Notes app. She also makes some of her own costumes, including an Éowyn cosplay from The Lord of the Rings that she wore to NYCC.

Between cosplay videos and convention vlogs for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, there's plenty to keep her busy. Convention days can be so overwhelming that her daily vlogs sometimes don't make it online until the following day. When you're making content about something you love, it can be hard to separate the enjoyment of the moment from the urge to capture it.

Martini appreciates the creator lounge's lighting and photo opportunities, but she doesn't spend much time there. Not all her friends have creator badges, and she wants to experience Comic Con with them, too. Because even as conventions increasingly recognize creators as professionals, the people behind the cameras are often fans first.

A new kind of convention community

The benefits of creator access extend beyond having somewhere to film. Zborovsky-Fenster, a Columbia University student interested in entertainment production and law, sees NYCC as an opportunity to build professional relationships. This is his second year receiving a creator badge, and he was determined to return. He sent multiple emails during the application process, sharing examples of last year's videos and explaining what he hoped to create this time.

The complimentary badge makes attendance more affordable, but the connections are just as valuable. "When you meet new people, through them, you meet more people," he said, describing the growing network of creators who collaborate, attend industry events together, and support one another.

For Dominique Little, who shares vlogs and dance videos with her 1.8 million TikTok followers as @nojill, the lounge makes it a little easier to collaborate with other creators. Instead of trying to find each other on a sprawling convention floor, creators have a dedicated place to meet, film together, and make appearances in one another's videos. There are even tripods available for anyone who needs one.

And their needs aren't always glamorous. Between recording, editing, and uploading, reliable Wi-Fi, charging outlets, and somewhere to sit can make all the difference.

For Brandon Bullock, who covers anime news as Anime News Guy on social media, the lounge serves another purpose. His coverage is largely dictated by whatever news comes out of the convention, which means he has to be ready to film, edit, and publish as announcements happen. He shoots his videos on the show floor, then heads upstairs to the creator lounge to edit and get them online while the news is still fresh.

Bullock identifies himself as a reporter, even as he participates in NYCC's creator program. It's a distinction that, these days, feels difficult to draw. Creators are conducting interviews, covering entertainment news, hosting livestreams, and building their own media brands.

Prinzivalli has seen those boundaries blur firsthand. Some creators, she said, are treated like celebrities within the fandoms they cover, getting stopped on the convention floor by fans asking for photos.

At NYCC, someone can be a fan, a reporter, and the person everyone wants a selfie with, sometimes all at once.

Built to be shared

The growing influence of creators is evident in the way conventions are designed, down to the smallest details. "We're very conscious that everything we create now is a shareable moment," Prinzivalli said.

A picture-perfect entrance, by design. Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

That thinking extends from sponsor activations to signage and the layout of the show floor. For NYCC's 20th anniversary, organizers intentionally designed the lower portions of the entrance banners in the Crystal Palace to serve as photo and video backdrops. Even the convention's physical spaces are being imagined through the lens of a camera, with an eye toward how those moments will travel online.

A creator's-eye view of New York Comic Con. Credit: Photo by Joy Malone/Getty Images

NYCC has also expanded its livestream production, with broadcasts from major stages, roaming segments on the convention floor, and a studio in the River Pavilion interviewing casts and creatives between panels. This year's coverage featured a rotating lineup of hosts, including experienced journalists and personalities with established online followings, such as creator and podcast host Brandon Davis.

Together, these efforts are extending the convention's reach far beyond the Javits Center, giving fans who couldn't attend a way to experience the excitement as it unfolds.

Prinzivalli sees the relationship between online fandom and in-person events as something circular. Digital communities bring fans together at conventions, where their shared enthusiasm becomes the photos, videos, interviews, and conversations that find their way back onto those same feeds.

There's something fitting about that. So much of fandom exists online, in group chats, comment sections, and the endless scroll of a social feed. Conventions offer a rare opportunity to bring those connections into the physical world. The mutuals become friends. The usernames become faces. The characters and stories that brought everyone together become something tangible.

And as those experiences find their way back online, the people documenting them are gaining influence of their own. For Kallen, who's hoping to build a career in entertainment, the growing investment in creators reflects how much their role in shaping pop culture has evolved.

"I think the creator economy is becoming so much larger now, and big entities are really starting to take it seriously," he said. "Because a lot of people get that information from content creators."

A huge trove of behind-the-scenes animation material from Cartoon Network’s history appears to have leaked online, and it’s the kind of stuff animation nerds rarely, if ever, get to see.

The leak centers on a Google Drive folder containing production files from shows including The Amazing World of Gumball, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Powerpuff Girls, The Looney Tunes Show, Duck Dodgers, and Garfield. Mashable was able to access the Drive and independently confirm its contents.

SEE ALSO: The latest Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra rumors and leaks: Everything we know so far

According to IndiaTimes, the leak totals more than 200GB of Cartoon Network material.

The leak appears to trace back to an anonymous X account called "totallynotaburner." According to its profile, the account is based in the U.S. and was created this month. Mashable reached out to the account but did not receive a response.

Beyond the Drive folder, the leaker shared a master Google Doc linking to material from even more of Cartoon Network’s back catalog, hosted on a separate file-sharing site. That includes Teen Titans, Dexter’s Laboratory, Robot Chicken, and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Many of those links have already been taken down, and links to the Drive folder and other Google Docs are being struck for copyright violations as they spread.

Mashable reached out to Warner Bros. and Paramount to confirm the leak’s authenticity, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

What's inside

To the average viewer, a cartoon is just the finished episode. But each one is built from thousands of pieces most people never see, and this leak is full of them. Some of the material will be familiar to anyone who’s watched a DVD extra, like storyboards and pitch documents. Other parts are more inside baseball.

Model sheets are reference drawings that show a character from every angle, with notes on proportions and expressions, so dozens of animators can draw the Powerpuff Girls exactly the same way. Puppet rigs are digital versions of characters broken into movable parts, a bit like a paper doll, which animators can pose and move in software instead of redrawing every frame by hand. Many of the character files are EPS files, a vector graphics format that lets the art scale to any size without getting blurry.

For artists and the broader public, this material offers a rare look at how professional productions are made. Some of it usually only surfaces in official art books, studio exhibits, or artists’ portfolios, and much of it never surfaces at all. That’s especially true for older shows, whose production files can easily get lost as studios restructure. Cartoon Network itself has already shown how easily its history can vanish, as its website was shut down after 26 years.

That doesn’t make the leak harmless. These files represent years of unpaid-for access to other people’s work, and artists have pushed back on past leaks for exactly that reason.

The timing of the leaks should be noted. On Oct. 6, Skydance, led by David Ellison, completed its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The combined company, also called Skydance, now controls Warner Bros., HBO, DC Studios, CNN, and Paramount, along with CBS News and Cartoon Network.

That’s why plenty of people on social media were quick to pin the leak on Paramount’s security.

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The studio has had a rough year with leaks. In April, clips and eventually the full Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender movie surfaced online about six months before its planned Paramount+ debut. The leaker claimed Nickelodeon had accidentally emailed them the movie. And back in 2023, Nickelodeon confirmed that leaked production files from its animation department were legitimate, though it said some of the material appeared to be decades old.

Still, there’s no evidence yet tying this leak to Paramount’s systems. In the Avatar case, Paramount’s initial investigation found the leak didn’t come from within the studio, according to Variety. How the Cartoon Network files got out and whether they predate the merger remain unclear.

What’s clear is that Ellison’s newly enlarged empire has another leak to deal with. And for animation fans, a rare and unauthorized look behind the curtain of some of their favorite shows.