Steam’s Best of 2023 Reveals Its Highest-Selling and Most-Played Games of the Past Year

Valve has unveiled its annual ‘Best of 2023′ list on Steam, revealing which titles dominated sales on PC. The titles haven’t been numerically ranked, but have been grouped into tiers — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze — based on data collected from January 1 through December 15, 2023. The Top 12 category is populated by both free-to-play multiplayer games and the biggest launches, with the award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy emerging as the best-selling titles. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was disliked by both fans and critics alike, also made it to higher echelons, thanks to a dedicated fanbase wanting to experience its multiplayer segment.

The usual suspects like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, Dota 2, and Destiny 2 also made it to the Platinum rank — the last of them is getting a new expansion, ‘The Final Shape,’ in June, this year. Meanwhile, the Gold tier contains some absolute bangers like the Resident Evil 4 remake, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Elden Ring, for which the last-reported sales number was 20 million copies across all platforms. Its popularity was highly instrumental in plunking Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, a lesser-known FromSoftware franchise, among the top 24 best-selling games on the platform. Even FIFA 23 from last year made the cut, which shouldn’t be surprising considering its follow-up EA Sports FC 24 launched mid-year.

In addition to an overall Top-Sellers field, Steam has additional sections for New Releases by gross revenue, Most Played, Early Access purchases, and more. Multiplatform games that were received poorly seem to be the centre of attention among the latest releases, with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Payday 3 emerging on top, with the latter being criticised for lack of content. As you’d expect, multiplayer games held the highest player count (above 300,000 minimum), though some single-player affairs like Goose Goose Duck and Hogwarts Legacy charted alongside Baldur’s Gate 3, which at one point, peaked at over 800,000 concurrent players on Steam. Developer Larian Studios only anticipated 100,000, given the game had been out for nearly three years in early access. At the time of writing, over 176,000 concurrent players are logged into the expansive RPG, which is placed fourth among the most-played games on the platform.

2023 was also a great year for studios to test out their games in early access and gain feedback on them. The ocean exploration and fishing game from Mintrocket, Dave the Diver, was among the favourites, even turning out to be one of the most played games on the Steam Deck. While it’s only natural to expect less graphically intensive games like Vampire Survivor and Half-Life on there, somehow Starfield made it to the top despite its lack of optimisation causing heavy stutters in crowded areas like New Atlantis and the Wild West-themed Akila. Beat Saber and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR emerged among the favourites in virtual reality gaming, along with Half-Life: Alyx, pitting you in a vicious fight against the alien Combines.

Currently, Steam also has its annual Winter Sale going on, bringing steep discounts on new and returning games. It runs until January 5 at 10:30pm IST.


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ISRO Successfully Launches X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite; Will Study Black Holes, Other Celestial Objects

ISRO on Monday successfully launched its maiden X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite that would offer several insights into celestial objects like black holes.

ISRO’s ever reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in its C58 mission, placed the primary X-Ray Polarimeter satellite XPoSat into a 650 km Low Earth Orbit as intended after lifting off at the pre-fixed time of 9.10 am from the first launch pad in Sriharikota.

As the 25-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4-metre-tall rocket lifted off majestically with thunderous applause from spectators who had descended here in large numbers at this spaceport situated about 135 km east of Chennai.

The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is aimed to investigate the polarisation of intense X-ray sources in space.

According to ISRO, it is the first dedicated scientific satellite from the space agency to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.

The X-Ray polarisation serves as a crucial diagnostic tool for examining the radiation mechanism and geometry of celestial sources.

The primary payload of XPoSat is POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-Rays) which is designed to measure polarimetry parameters by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) built by the U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. The Mission life is about five years.

ISRO will also launch the state-of-the-art joint venture satellite with NASA — NISAR — in the first quarter of 2024. Built at a cost of $1.5 billion (nearly Rs. 12,500 crore), NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is targeted for launch onboard India’s GSLV rocket.

Data from NISAR will be highly suitable for studying the land ecosystems, deformation of solid earth, mountain and polar cryosphere, sea ice, and coastal oceans on a regional to global scale.


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Poco X6 Series, Poco M6 4G Design Renders, Colour Options Leaked; Camera Details Tipped

Poco X6 series is confirmed to debut in India soon with a base Poco X6 and a Poco X6 Pro model. The phones have officially been teased ahead of their launch. They have previously been reported to be listed on certification sites. A new report now shows leaked renders of the handsets which show their design and colour options. The report also details similar features of a purported Poco M6 4G model and has suggested some of its key launch specifications.

A 91Mobiles report shared the design renders and colour options of the upcoming Poco X6 models. The Poco X6 Pro is seen in black, grey and yellow colour options, the last of which appears to have a lychee-like faux-leather finish at the back. The base Poco X6, on the other hand, appears with black, blue and white shades. The white colourway is seen sporting a marble-like finish on the back panel. 

Poco X6 Pro (above), Poco X6 leaked renders
Photo Credit: 91Mobiles

 

The leaked design renders of the Poco X6 phones suggest that both handsets will carry 64-megapixel primary rear cameras. The report adds that the models will likely come with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. According to the report, the base Poco X6 is expected to be a rebadged version of the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, while the Poco X6 Pro could be a rebranded Redmi K70E.

The report also mentions the Poco M6 4G model, which is likely to be a rebranded Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G and is also expected to feature a 64-megapixel main back camera. The phone is not likely to launch in China but could debut in select global markets, the report notes. It is seen in black, blue and purple colour options. 

Meanwhile, the Poco X6 series has officially been confirmed to launch in India soon. The company has not announced the exact launch date but the lineup is likely to be unveiled in January. The models are confirmed to debut the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra SoC in Indian markets.


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iPhone 15 Series, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches Available at Discounted Prices at Vijay Sales Apple Days Sale

iPhone 15 series can now be bought at significantly lowered prices in India. Retailer Vijay Sales has announced its Apple Days sale, where several Apple products are listed at discounted rates. The sale is valid from December 31, 2023, to January 7, 2024 in the country. Users can earn loyalty points during the purchase of iPhone 15 series phones, multiple iPad and MacBook models, and AirPods during this sale. Select bank card holders may also be eligible for additional discounts, which helps lower the effective price even further.

The iPhone 15 series was launched in September 2023 with four models – iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Including an instant discount offer of Rs. 3,000 on HDFC credit and debit cards, the 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage variants of the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max can be purchased at Rs. 1,46,240, Rs. 1,61,900 and Rs. 1,69,990, respectively via the Vijay Sales website.

Meanwhile, the 128GB option of the iPhone 15 Pro can be bought for as low as Rs. 1,22,900, including HDFC card offers. Including the same offers, the 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variants can be purchased at Rs. 1,32,240, Rs. 1,48,900 and Rs. 1,59,990, respectively.

The iPhone 13 is available during the ongoing Apple Days sale starting at Rs. 50,820, which includes an instant discount of up to Rs. 1,000 on HDFC Bank cards. Customers will earn 0.75 percent loyalty points on all purchases of Apple products via the online site or offline stores during this sale, Vijay Sales confirmed.

The retailer is also offering the iPad (9th Generation) starting at Rs. 27,900, while the iPad (10th Generation) can be purchased at Rs. 33,430. During this sale, the iPad Air (5th Generation) starts at Rs. 50,680, whereas the iPad Pro starts at Rs. 79,900. These prices include an instant discount of up to Rs. 4,000 on HDFC Bank cards.

Among other Apple products offered at discounted rates, the MacBook Pro with M3 chip starts in India from Rs. 1,47,910, while the M3 Pro chip model is available from Rs. 1,74,910. The MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip, on the other hand, can be bought for as low as Rs. 2,82,910 and the MacBook Pro model with the M2 chip starts at Rs. 1,10,270. MacBook Air models with M2 and M1 chipsets are respectively listed to start from Rs. 96,960 and Rs. 74,900. These prices include a flat instant discount of Rs. 5,000 on HDFC cards.

Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Series 8 and Watch SE (2nd Gen) start from Rs. 36,310, Rs. 32,620 and Rs. 25,690, respectively, including an instant discount of up to Rs. 2,500 HDFC cards. AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) can also be bought for as low as Rs. 18,990 inclusive of a flat Rs. 2,000 instant discount on HDFC Bank cards.


Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company’s new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Microsoft Copilot App Now Available for iPhone and iPad Users With Free GPT-4 Access

Microsoft Copilot app is now available for download from the Apple App Store for both iPhone and iPad users. The iOS app comes just days after Microsoft rolled out the standalone Copilot app on Android. The AI-powered chatbot is powered by the latest GPT-4 and DALL-E 3. The app is free to download and use, but obviously there are a couple of features missing from the mobile version of Copilot. Once again, this appears to be a silent release as Microsoft hasn’t made any official announcement on the rollout.

Copilot was recently rebranded from Bing Chat, and it essentially lets users create text, get answers for queries, summarise text, write essays, poems, and more. Users can also create images using the integrated DALL-E 3 image generator. The app also gives users free access to the latest GPT-4 large language model from OpenAI. However, as tested, you can only get up to 30 responses at a time, and you will have to enable GPT-4 in the app.

The Copilot app on iOS currently doesn’t save chat history, which means that you cannot revisit a recent chat. This feature is available on ChatGPT, but the advantage with Copilot is that it gives free access to GPT-4, whereas you’ll have to pay for access on ChatGPT. Similar to Copilot on Android, users don’t have to sign in to use the chatbot. If you do sign in, you will get access to longer chats.

Users can also use voice or images to ask questions and start a conversation with Copilot on iOS. As per the App Store listing, the app is compatible with iPhone and iPad running iOS 15 or later. It is also available for download on Mac, but only works with Apple Silicon models running macOS 12.0 or later.

Microsoft recently announced a partnership with Suno, which is an AI-powered music creation service. Users can head to Copilot on the web and use Suno to create their own beats. However, this requires the user to sign in using a Microsoft account.


Is the iQoo Neo 7 Pro the best smartphone you can buy under Rs. 40,000 in India? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and what it has to offer on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Boat Enigma Z20 With 1.5-Inch Display, Bluetooth Calling Launched in India: Price, Specifications

Boat Enigma Z20 smartwatch has been launched in India. The latest smartwatch from Boat comes with a 1.5-inch round HD display and offers a traditional luxury watch design. It supports Bluetooth calling and is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. The company claims that the smartwatch is built using a high-tensile metal for extra toughness. It also features a functional crown and is available with three strap options. The watch comes with a bunch of fitness trackers and several sports modes.

Boat Enigma Z20 price in India

The Boat Enigma Z20 is claimed to be a luxury smartwatch with pricing starting at Rs. 3,299 for the Jet Black rubber strap option. If you’d like to get the Metal Black strap or the Brown Leather strap, then you’ll have to spend Rs. 3,499. The smartwatch is available for purchase online via the official store as well as Amazon India.

Boat Enigma Z20 specifications

Boat’s latest smartwatch comes with a round dial and a tensile metal construction. The Boat Enigma Z20 features a 1.51-inch HD LCD round display that offers 360×360 resolution and up to 600 nits of peak brightness. It supports 100+ watch faces and gets a working crown on the left side of the dial. 

The smartwatch offers Bluetooth calling support and comes with Bluetooth 5.0. You get a quick dial pad, ability to save up to 250 contacts on the watch, and an emergency SOS feature. In terms of health tracking, the Boat Enigma Z20 features a heart rate monitor, SpO2, daily activity, and guided breathing. It also supports over 100 sport modes. 

With the Boat Enigma Z20 smartwatch, you also get Voice assistant support and other features such as camera control, free built-in games, music control, alarm, countdown timer, Find My Phone, and sedentary alerts. The smartwatch offers IP68 dust and water resistance rating as well. As for battery life, Boat claims that the watch can after up to five days of usage with Bluetooth calling disabled, and up to two days with the feature enabled. 

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Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ Officially Listed Online; Key Specifications, Colour Options Revealed



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Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ Officially Listed Online; Key Specifications, Colour Options Revealed

Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ has been officially listed online. Earlier this month, the company had confirmed that the new phone would in launched in January. Along with a launch timeline, Tecno also revealed certain key specifications of the handset. The Spark 20 Pro+ will join the Spark 20 lineup, which includes the Spark 20C, Spark 20, and the Spark 20 Pro. Although we still don’t have an exact launch date from Tecno, the smartphone has been listed on the official website.

Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ specifications

According to the official listing, the Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 Ultimate chipset. The handset will get up to 256GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. Users will be able to expand the RAM to 16GB with 8GB virtual RAM. It will get a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with full-HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

Coming to the cameras, the Spark 20 Pro+ will feature a 108-megapixel primary rear camera that uses a 1/1.67-inch sensor with F/1.75 aperture. From the images shared on the website, the phone appears to have a triple rear camera setup, but Tecno has only shared details about the main camera. On the front, the phone will get a 32-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls.

The handset will get a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. Tecno has also revealed that the Spark 20 Pro+ will offer IP53 dust and water resistance, a stereo dual speaker setup, and it’ll run Android 14-based HiOS 14 out-of-the-box. It’ll also feature the Dynamic Port feature, which is basically a replica of Apple’s Dynamic Island.

Finally, Tecno has also fully flaunted the design of the upcoming Spark 20 Pro+. It will be available in Temporal Orbits, Lunar Frost, and Radiant Starstream colour options. There will also be a fourth Magic Skin 2.0 Green colour, that will offer a glossy matte leather finish. We’re not sure about the launch date, but it is likely that Tecno will make the announcement soon.


Is the iQoo Neo 7 Pro the best smartphone you can buy under Rs. 40,000 in India? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and what it has to offer on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Oppo Reno 11 Series India Launch Date Tipped; Design Revealed via Official Website

Oppo Reno 11 series could soon make its way to the Indian market. According to a tipster, the Oppo Reno 11 and Reno 11 Pro will probably launch in India as soon as next week. The phones have already been made official in China. Although Oppo hasn’t given any details on the India launch of the phones, it is teasing the launch of the Reno 11 series on its official website in Malaysia. The website also reveals the design and key features of the global variants of the Reno 11 series. It appears that the vanilla Oppo Reno 11 will feature a slightly different design globally compared to the China variant.

Tipster Ishan Agarwal suggested in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Oppo Reno 11 series would launch in India and globally on January 11. Meanwhile, Oppo Malaysia has officially revealed that the Reno 11 series would launch in the country on January 11. It is likely that Oppo India may also start teasing the launch of the phones in India next week. The Oppo Malaysia website has also revealed some key specifications and design of the phones.

As per the teaser images posted on the Oppo Malaysia website, the vanilla Reno 11 could feature a slightly different design when compared to the China variant. The Reno 11 Pro, on the other hand, looks to carry the same design. The website also confirms that both smartphones will feature a 32-megapixel front facing camera and run on ColorOS 14. The Oppo Reno 11 will offer 67W fast charging, whereas the Reno 11 Pro will bring 80W fast charging to the table.

Oppo Reno 11 series specifications (China)

The Oppo Reno 11 gets a 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC, triple rear cameras with a primary 50-megapixel Sony LYT600 sensor, and a 4,800mAh battery. The Reno 11 Pro offers a slightly larger 6.74-inch with 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, triple rear cameras led by a Sony IMX890 50-megapixel primary sensor, and a 4,700mAh battery. W

We should hear more about the Oppo Reno 11 series India launch in the coming week.


The newly launched Oppo Find N2 Flip is the first foldable from the company to debut in India. But does it have what it takes to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Could Offer AI Photo Editing Tool Similar to Google’s Pixel 8

Samsung Galaxy S24 series is expected to launch soon. Ahead of the rumoured launch, several leaks, renders, and other details regarding the phones have surfaced online in the last couple of weeks. The lineup will most likely include a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Several leaks have suggested that the upcoming Samsung lineup will offer plenty of AI features, including the ability to erase objects from a video. Now, a tipster has leaked some marketing material for the Galaxy S24 series that suggests more AI photo editing features.

As per an image shared by tipster Arsène Lupin (@MysteryLupin) on X (formerly Twitter), the Galaxy S24 series could offer AI photo editing features similar to Google’s Pixel 8 series. The marketing image suggests that the Galaxy S24 series will offer a feature called Generative Edit. This feature can supposedly move or remove objects and also fill empty space with generative edits. However, the feature will reportedly require users to login to a Samsung account and be connected to the internet. There’s no mention of the feature being exclusive to photos only, which suggests that it may also be available for videos, as tipped earlier.

Google’s Pixel 8 series has a similar feature called Magic Editor, which lets you move, remove, and add generative fill to images. This feature also requires an internet connection. Pixel smartphones have had AI features for sometime now, and other brands are now playing catch up. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup will offer several other AI features as well, and according to the leaked marketing material, the Generative Edit feature will be available across all Galaxy S24 models.

The leaked image also suggests other features coming to the Galaxy S24 lineup such as Live Translate, which was recently announced by Samsung. This feature can translate live phone calls with the help of AI. The upcoming phones may also get a Nightography Zoom feature that is said to bring improvements to low-light photos taken from the telephoto camera on the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series is rumoured to launch on January 17, but an official announcement hasn’t been made yet. The lineup is said to use a custom variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC in most regions, while some areas may get the Exynos 2400 chipset.


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OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R Colour, RAM, Storage Options for India Leak Online



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No, spiders don’t want to mate with your viral body butter

Skincare girlies, fear not — your moisturizer probably does not attract spiders.

Sol de Janeiro’s Delícia Drench Body Butter, which launched earlier this month, is quickly becoming a holy grail product among skincare enthusiasts. In addition to hyaluronic acid, the lotion is packed with flashy ingredients like copaiba resin, passionflower seed oil and prebiotic hibiscus to lock in moisture and soothe parched, “lackluster” skin, according to the brand’s website. Scented with velvet plum, vanilla orchid and sandalwood for a “mind-boosting experience” and packaged in cute violet jars, the $48 body butter is sure to be a staple in beauty hauls and GRWM videos.

Sol de Janeiro went viral on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit this week after users claimed they were hunted, bitten and (unsuccessfully) courted by wolf spiders when they applied the brand’s new moisturizer. While the body butter may be irresistible to humans, it’s unlikely that it’s sexually arousing to lonely arachnids.

Catherine Scott, a spider behavioral ecologist and postdoctoral fellow at McGill University’s Lyman Lab, told TechCrunch that wolf spider mating involves visual and vibratory signaling, not just scents.

“They have excellent vision (for spiders) and they would not simply run toward the source of an odor, even if it did smell like a potential mate, unless it also looked like a spider,” Scott said.

 

The product began gaining popularity in beauty circles when early reviews lauded it for its hydrating properties and irresistible fragrance, but went viral on mainstream social media this week after a Sephora reviewer known as chemkats claimed that the scent “attracts wolf spiders.”

“I wanted to love them sooo bad, but one of the ingredients is like kryptonite to wolf spiders! When I put it on instantly one will come out,” the reviewer wrote.

They added that they’d normally see one “every like 3 years,” but since using the lotion, said they began seeing wolf spiders “every day.”

“Oh and one time, the spider wanted to eat whatever ingredient it is so bad that it chased me,” chemkats continued. “Like it was legit following the scent.”

One person claimed that a wolf spider bit them after they used their wife’s lotion. Another Sephora reviewer wrote, “Spiders love it, so do the people in the elevator.” A Reddit user said they put another product from the brand — known as “Brazilian Bum Bum Cream” — on a tissue, and a different brand’s lotion on a different tissue, and that spiders only appeared to be interested in the tissue with Sol de Janeiro’s product.

Scott noted that the phrase “wolf spider” can apply to an “entire family of spiders” scientifically named Lycosidae. What many people might mistake as “wolf spiders” are likely house spiders in the Agelenidae family, which behave and chemically interact differently. 

If the users did correctly identify their arachnid pursuers as wolf spiders, it’s “technically possible” that the lotion could contain compounds that spiders might investigate because they think they’re following chemical cues associated with prey.

“But the story about the spider chasing the person wearing it does not hold up,” she continued. “This sound typical of when people are moving a lot near a spider and it is frightened, so it tries to run for cover, often into the person’s shadow — which makes the person think it is ‘attacking’ when in fact it is trying to hide.”

Wolf spiders are “visual hunters,” and would only try to prey on a target smaller of them, she said, and they don’t feed on human blood, so they generally don’t have any reason to approach humans. 

The original reviewer’s story is especially dubious because they’ve left similar Sephora reviews about beauty products attracting spiders, including a nearly identical one on another Sol de Janeiro product in March this year. In 2022 reviews of two different BondiBoost products, chemkats claimed that spiders kept landing on their head because of the products’ fragrance.

“If they’re just trying to have fun, or if they truly have a grievance with Sol de Janeiro is uncertain,” a Reddit user wrote in a thread warning others about chemkats. “What [is] clear is that they’re trying to spread misinformation … I know that it’s been fun and games, but I just wanted to nip this in the bud before it gets even bigger.”

But hysteria over the body butter has already spread, and many online — including news outlets — quoted a Reddit comment about the “pheromones” in the product. In response to a thread asking about the body butter, a Reddit user posited that the chemicals in the Sol de Janeiro’s product are also found in spider pheromones, and that the right combination of those compounds “might bring all the thirsty boy spiders to your yard.”

The commenter appeared to cite a 2009 paper that identified compounds in the webs of sexually receptive female spiders, indicating “possible pheromone components.” The researchers also found that a combination of two of the identified compounds, farnesyl acetate and hexadecyl acetate, attracted male spiders. Both compounds are used in cosmetic products for fragrance and texture — just not in the viral body butter.

“All of our products, including our new Delícia Drench Body Butter and upcoming Cheirosa 59 Perfume Mist are free from farnesyl acetate, diisobutyl phthalate, and hexadecyl acetate,” Sol de Janeiro said in an Instagram Story posted Thursday. “So while they may attract a lot of attention from people, they won’t from arachnids (even though we love all creatures at Sol de Janeiro. Hope that clears up any concerns and Happy 2024!”

Even if the products did contain those compounds, as many cosmetic products do, the paper only identified components in the female-products sex pheromone of a specific species of spider, Scott said. Pheromones are used for members of the same species to communicate with each other and provide species-specific information like age, sex and previous mating experience.

“Many spider pheromones used for sexual communication are short-range and require direct contact, with the spider essentially ‘tasting’ the silk or body of another individual to determine if it is the correct species and sex before approaching and attempting to court and mate,” Scott added.

In other words, the compounds that would attract one species of spider wouldn’t attract another, like wolf spiders or house spiders.

“What we are more likely talking about here are kairomones, which are info-chemicals produced by one species (like an insect pheromone, intended for communication between males and females of that species) used by another species (a spider) which is not the intended recipient of the chemical message,” Scott said.

Some wolf spiders, for example, user kairomones to avoid larger spiders that might hunt them, or hunt in areas where there’s more prey for them. Research into the specific compounds that make up wolf spider pheromones is limited, but it’s highly unlikely that common beauty products will send them into a hunting (or mating) frenzy.

It’s unfortunate news for those who were planning on building a spider army, like one Reddit user who asked others to send them unwanted body butter.

“I believe pesticides can be harmful, despite the need for them, and spiders are a natural way to keep harmful insects from overpopulating!” the user said. “Taking on the first part of this project in winter means I can release my spider army when the weather is the best for them to survive and do their duty of killing these damn mosquitoes.”

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