Gaming

Is the ROG Phone kind of boring now?

Too good at what it does

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It’s been five years since the first ROG Phone was released. In just half a decade, it has established itself as THE go-to gaming smartphone. And the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is the latest in this line that ROG seems to have perfected.

In a media briefing, I asked ROG if the goal of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is to attract new users or get older ones to upgrade. To which they answered, “a little bit of both.” The company said they see a core user base that upgrades every two or three years. That behavior appears to be in line with most other smartphone users. 

But the ROG Phone isn’t just any other smartphone. It’s a smartphone designed specifically for someone who wants to play mobile games. So, I asked current and former ROG Phone owners what made them buy one. Unsurprisingly, the two most prominent reasons are Gaming Capability and Battery Life. 

What mobile gamers want

ROG Phone 7 Ultimate

ASUS has had five years to perfect the ROG Phone formula. And you can say that they have to some extent. The improvements over the last two iterations of the phone have been marginal. They have maintained and refined everything that made users want to buy the phone in the first place. 

Gaming performance 

ROG Phone 7 Ultimate | Honkai Star Rail

While the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate does use a processor that other Android flagships use — the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The company does a few things to draw out more of its power.

It showed no signs of struggle in playing any of the games I played. Then again, this is par for the course for any recent ROG Phone. And I tried everything from the power-heavy Honkai Star Rail, the criminally free on Netflix TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, the racing game staple Asphalt 9, and a timeless classic, Subway Surfers.

ROG Phone 7 Ultimate | TMNT Shredder's Revenge

TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is a free game if you’re subscribed to Netflix

Interestingly enough, it’s this same reason that keeps the ROG Phone from supporting models beyond 2-3 years. Its features are so specific that it makes more sense to just release a new one over maintaining active support for older models. 

Air Triggers

No other manufacturer does air triggers as well as the ROG. The ROG Phone, being especially skewed to gaming, means they’re really the only ones taking the time to master this pretty handy feature. 

The air triggers function much like shoulder/trigger buttons on more traditional controllers. They are mappable and can help any player have a more comfortable, if not advantageous, gaming experience while gaming competitively. 

It has been especially useful to gamers who play Call of Duty: Mobile and other shooter-type games.

Front-firing speakers 

ROG Phone 7 Ulitmate | aespa Karina, "Spicy" fancam

Watched plenty of aespa Karina, “Spicy” fancam on this thing

A boon for both gamers and video enjoyers. This is one of the other aspects of the ROG Phone that make just as much of a daily smartphone like other flagship. 

It’s great for catching up on anime like “Mashle”

Like a broken record, year-after-year, it’s one of the best. It’s loud without distorting the audio. And the sound is generally balanced, as full a sound you can get from a smartphone’s form-factor. 

Battery endurance maxed out

It’s pretty great as just a regular smartphone.

Again, this is one of the things that the ROG Phone is fantastic at. If you use it for a couple of days only as a regular smartphone, you won’t feel the need to rush to the nearest power outlet. 

When I knew I was pretty much done testing its gaming capabilities, I didn’t use it much to play — only to browse socials, watch a few videos, and answer a few chats. With this usage, it took about two and a half days before I felt the need to juice it up again.

Cool to be cool  

AeroActive Cooler 7

A huge talking point during the briefing with the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is what they did with cooling. In fact, for a few devices now, that’s been one of their main talking points. 

Naturally so. You play a demanding game for an extended period and the phone will heat up. To keep the performance at a manageable level, the manufacturer has to be creative with how the cooling works. 

And for extra cooling, they also apply the same solution they’ve had for users – an extra cooling unit called the AeroActive Cooler, now also with a “7” to its name. 

Is the ROG Phone boring now? 

Armoury Crate on ROG Phone

Hear me out. I’m not saying it’s a bad smartphone. But the ROG Phone has reached a level of notoriety that it’s just not as exciting to report on anymore. And that’s true even for the Samsung Galaxies and the iPhones of the world — but that’s another topic altogether. 

With the ROG Phone, you know what you’re getting: A gaming smartphone with gaming-specific features. There’s the distinctly gamer look with a bunch of lines that evoke a mech-vibe. In both the top-line models of the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 7, you even get the ROG Vision. It’s a tiny display on the back of the phone whose only real purpose is for showing off. 

ROG Vision just for kicks

Of course, you also have the staples — the Air Triggers, front facing speakers, and a display that’s built to keep you immersed. Battery life hovers around the same ballpark too. But writing all of that felt like a slog. Absolutely nothing new

Point is, the ROG Phone is a known quantity. That’s a great thing for fans of the product line. But it doesn’t leave much room to be talked about in the pretty crowded smartphone space. 

Is the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate your GadgetMatch? 

As a product to report on or write about, I would argue that, yes, it kind of is boring now. Writing about the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate felt like taking a test I already knew the answers to. But that’s only because it knows exactly what it is and who it is for. 

Literally no one else is doing it quite like the ROG Phone. From form to function, it’s THE undisputed gaming smartphone of choice. And the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate continues that tradition. It’s the best that the ROG Phone has ever been and that’s something we’ve come to expect year in and year out. 

If your smartphone priorities align with that of the ROG Phone, then it is an excellent product. It’s certainly a mobile gamer’s GadgetMatch.

Is it newsworthy? In the general sense, not really. Not anymore. But is it a goddamn good product? Hell yeah it is. One that deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.


More on the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate here.

Gaming

Wild Rift Patch 7.3, celebrates K/DA comeback

K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER

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Riot Games is celebrating the return of virtual K-pop group K/DA with new music, exclusive skins, and major gameplay updates in League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 7.3.

After a six-year hiatus, K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER, the group’s newest track and the title track of an EP featuring three additional songs. The release marks a new chapter for the virtual group, which brings its latest musical era to the mobile MOBA through the new HEATBRINGER skinline.

To celebrate the comeback, Riot Games hosted FIRE IT UP: The K/DA Comeback Party in the Philippines. The event brought fans together for a listening party featuring music from across Riot Games’ virtual acts, live Wild Rift gameplay, community activities, and exclusive photo opportunities.

Attendees also experienced live AAA ARAM matches featuring gameplay disruptions and augments inspired by Riot Games’ musical universe, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.

K/DA returns with new HEATBRINGER skins

The K/DA comeback introduces the HEATBRINGER skinline, featuring new looks for the group’s four original members: Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai’Sa.

The skins give the champions a new visual identity inspired by K/DA’s latest musical era, with fiery red and white elements that bring their stage presence to the Rift.

The collection also includes Prestige K/DA HEATBRINGER Evelynn.

The new skins are exclusive to Wild Rift and are scheduled to launch on November 4, 2026.

The comeback extends beyond the cosmetics. With FIRESTARTER and its accompanying EP now available on major music streaming platforms, K/DA’s return brings together Riot Games’ music and gaming communities.

Wild Rift Patch 7.3 overhauls marksmen and item builds

Beyond the K/DA celebration, Patch 7.3 introduces significant gameplay changes that reshape champion builds, jungle strategies, and objective control.

One of the biggest changes targets marksmen, giving critical-strike builds more room to scale. Base critical-strike damage increases from 175% to 200%, while the attack-speed cap rises from 2.5 to 3 attacks per second.

Several marksmen also receive individual adjustments, including Ezreal, Kai’Sa, Twitch, Lucian, Caitlyn, Draven, Miss Fortune, Samira, Zeri, Jinx, Vayne, and Ashe.

The item system gets an overhaul to support these changes. Players can explore new or redesigned options, including Hexoptics, Yun Tal Wildarrows, Fiendhuler Bolts, Stormrazor, Rapid Firecannon, and Immortal Shieldbow.

Lifesteal also receives changes intended to support basic attacks, on-hit damage, and abilities treated as basic attacks.

Support items are part of the update, too. Echoes of Helia is positioned toward offensive supports who want to convert damage into healing, while Ardent Censer, Staff of Flowing Water, and Harmonic Echo also receive changes.

Jungle changes reward efficient farming

Patch 7.3 also changes how junglers approach the early and mid-game.

The updated jungle system rewards consistent camp clearing with bonus gold and introduces a catch-up mechanic for junglers who fall behind. This reduces the pressure to constantly gank and encourages players to balance farming with opportunities to assist their teammates.

Clearing camps also progresses Ecosystem Protection stacks, allowing Smite to scale from 600 to 1,000 and eventually 1,400 true damage.

These changes make efficient farming more important when preparing to secure major objectives such as Baron Nashor, Rift Herald, and Dragons.

Epic monsters also adjust to the pace of each match, scaling according to the average player level rather than simply growing stronger as time passes.

Turrets receive substantial changes as well. Plating now extends to outer, inner, and inhibitor turrets and remains permanently. The new Crystalline Overgrowth mechanic lets turrets accumulate crystals that champions can detonate with their first basic attack.

Together, these changes place greater emphasis on lane pressure, defensive positioning, and coordinated pushes. Winning team fights remains important, but teams must also turn their advantages into meaningful objective damage.

Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai join the roster

Patch 7.3 expands the champion roster with three additions: Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai.

Hwei, the Visionary, brings a flexible set of abilities to the mid lane. His Subject: Disaster, Subject: Serenity, and Subject: Torment ability groups give him tools for dealing damage, supporting allies, and controlling opponents.

Sylas offers explosive damage and crowd control. His kit includes an ability that pulls enemies into a stun-to-knock-up combination, while Kingslayer restores health based on his missing health. His ultimate lets him steal an enemy champion’s ultimate ability.

Rek’Sai brings another approach to initiating team fights. Her Unburrow ability knocks up nearby champions, while her ultimate helps her track nearby enemies before striking.

These additions give players more options for adapting their team compositions and strategies.

Ranked play and game modes get updates

Competitive players also get changes to Ranked and Legendary Ranked.

The S/A and MVP scoring systems now evaluate performance according to a player’s lane and champion role instead of relying on a single universal metric. Strong performances can also yield more Ranked energy.

Legendary Ranked receives adjustments to its seasonal entry requirements for former Grand Masters, alongside a new trial format designed to help top performers advance from Legendary Commander Rank.

Players looking for something different can also try Rift Rumble, a new 3v3 mode played on a symmetrical map. Teams battle for kills and compete to capture ultimate stones that can change how their champions secure eliminations.

Meanwhile, AAA Realm continues to evolve with a music-themed season and new augment cards. These include Sonic Waves, which draws inspiration from Riot Games’ musical acts, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.

A new era for K/DA and Wild Rift

With FIRESTARTER, the HEATBRINGER skins, and a sweeping gameplay update, Patch 7.3 connects Riot Games’ music and gaming communities through a shared celebration.

K/DA’s return gives fans a new soundtrack and fresh looks for their favorite champions, while the gameplay changes introduce new ways to approach champion builds, jungle farming, and map control.

Players can follow Wild Rift Philippines’ official social media channels for updates on the latest patch, champion releases, and in-game content.

K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER.

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Gaming

Petit Planet launches December 4

HoYoverse’s cozy life sim arrives soon

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Petit Planet

HoYoverse will launch Petit Planet, its first cozy galactic life simulation game, on December 4, 2026. The game will be available on PC, iOS, and Android, with a Nintendo Switch 2 release planned for 2027.

The announcement was made during the Petit Planet Pre-Launch Special Program on November 1. HoYoverse also revealed more details about the game’s characters, gameplay features, and launch events.

Build a planet and meet new Neighbors

In Petit Planet, players take on the role of Planet Tenders who travel across the Starsea with Oumuamua, a Starsea Spirit said to listen to people’s wishes.

Each player starts with their own planet, where they plant a Luca Seed that grows into a Luca Arbor. This tree gradually shapes the planet’s landscape, seasons, and ecosystem.

Players will also meet various Neighbors, including Planet Coordinator Mobai and Starsea Racer Elsasani. Getting to know these characters allows players to develop friendships and discover their individual stories.

Beyond their home planets, players can explore scattered Islets across the Starsea. They can also visit the Galactic Bazaar to play games, participate in auctions, and share their creations with others.

Launch events offer free rewards

HoYoverse has prepared several events to celebrate the game’s launch.

Players can enter a pre-registration lucky draw through the official website for a chance to win prizes. Regular gameplay will also offer more than 1,000 clothing and furniture items for free.

The Besties, Made to Match! event rewards players who invite two friends to pre-register. Each participant will receive an exclusive clothing item.

Starting November 1, the Launch a Planet event will let players design their own planets through the official event website. Participants will also have a chance to win surprise grand prizes.

The first Petit Planet Seasonal Creation Event will begin alongside the game’s launch. Selected fan creations can win cash prizes, in-game rewards, and official merchandise.

Players can also visit the game’s official X account after the special program to receive a Moving Guide and join a giveaway featuring a suitcase, gift cards, and an exclusive luggage tag.

Pre-register for Petit Planet

Petit Planet is now available for pre-registration on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Epic Games Store. Players can search for the game on these platforms to pre-register and receive a notification when it launches.

The game arrives globally on December 4, 2026, for PC, iOS, and Android. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is scheduled for 2027.

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Gaming

FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods delayed to 2027

The game needs more development time.

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It’s been a while since the last time we got a FromSoftware game. Elden Ring Nightreign felt like an age ago, even if it was launched just last year. Plus, the title isn’t even a new one, technically, since it’s just building off of Elden Ring. Unfortunately, our wait for a new FromSoftware game has to go on for a little bit longer. FromSoftware has delayed the launch of The Duskbloods to 2027.

The Duskbloods is an interesting addition to the FromSoftware oeuvre. Compared to the usual fare, the Switch-exclusive title is a multiplayer extraction game with a distinctly Bloodborne-like feel. If you’re used to FromSoftware’s usual formula, The Duskbloods represents a huge change.

But it’s a welcome one, nonetheless. If the recently released Elden Ring port of the Switch 2 is any indication, FromSoftware does have a handle of what performance looks like on the console.

Sadly, the new title needs a bit more time in the oven. Citing “final adjustments to game rules and balancing,” FromSoftware is delaying the launch of the game to 2027. According to the studio, this is in response to the successful network test a while back.

The delay shouldn’t come off as a surprise. Though the studio promised a 2026 launch for the title, most of the year has passed without a definite launch date. That was already a telltale sign that a delay was coming.

At the very least, the delay comes with the benefit of launching the game farther away from Grand Theft Auto VI and the Ocarina of Time remake, which will surely dominate holiday gaming this year.

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