Well, the third wave of Covid is here, and this time it's variant is named after a Decepticon. While we haven't yet gone into a full blown lockdown, governments around the globe have issued restrictions to curb the spread. We've gone from searching for PS5s to searching for Covid tests in a matter of months, and it seems that some people have already adapted.
Wario64 will be known among Twitter users as a handle that sources great deals on games and peripherals, with its most recent focus being on the restock and availability of Sony's next-gen gaming console. However, as the number of new cases continues to rise, Wario64 has changed their focus to more important things, namely, finding Covid-19 antigen self test kits.
If you were trawling Wario64's timeline, looking for the best new deals, you may have come across a particular tweet, informing followers about the availability of the BinaxNOW Covid‐19 Antigen Self Test at Walmart for $14 (thanks, Kotaku).
It says a lot about the state of worldwide healthcare when a handle dedicated to sourcing gaming and tech deals does a better job at helping you find Covid tests than the government. The comments on the tweet were filled with messages of thanks, as well as memes and jokes about how Wario64 was doing a better job than those actually in charge.
The gaming world has begun feeling the effects of the third wave. After revealing that E3 2022 would become a hybrid digital and physical event, the ESA announced two days ago that the in-person event has been cancelled. “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022,” said the ESA in a statement. “We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.” No confirmations were made about a digital event either.
Digital personalities have also been affected by the pandemic, with streamer Pokimane saying she feels like she hasn't "lived life at all" due to a mix of Covid and an early start to her career. "For anyone else in your 20's, did you come out of the pandemic and covid feeling like, 'two years of [the] fun part of my life were just stolen'?" she asked.