- EV & MobilityJust now
One free app now puts 211,000+ EV chargers in one place
Octopus Energy is taking a swing at one of the most irritating parts of public EV charging: needing a phone full of apps just to plug in.
- EV & MobilityJust now
Just 10% of California’s EVs could provide 9 GW of grid power
California could turn parked EVs into one of its largest sources of energy storage – but utilities need to make it a lot easier for EV owners to participate.
- Gaming8 minutes ago
Dragon Ball Officially Reveals Earth’s Strongest Human
Fans have been debating who the strongest human in Dragon Ball is for decades now. While the actual winner is contentious, most fans agree that the two most powerful Earthlings in the Dragon Ball franchise are Krillin and Tien Shinhan. In the Majin Buu Saga, Yamcha calls Krilin the strongest human , but Tien hadn't been seen in years at this point, and he was trying to keep Krillin's daughter, Marron, from getting upset.
- Gaming9 minutes ago
Commander Role Guide - Hell Let Loose Vietnam
Becoming the Commander in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is a strategic experience where you need to generate resources, spend them wisely in your faction's favor, and lead your troops in a formation that brings the best outcome. For the newcomers who seek to lead their side of the battle, this is a complete guide for the commander role, with every ability fully explained to give you the tips you need to succeed.
- Gaming9 minutes ago
How Vampire Survivors became Vampire Crawlers: Six lessons from building a game based on another developer's IP
Andreas Firnigl started his career as a tester on Big Mutha Truckers, way back on Gamecube. He founded Nosebleed Interactive almost 15 years ago as CEO and creative director. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Leaked emails reveal Blizzard is Xbox's top-performing studio for FY26
Blizzard closed Microsoft's 2026 fiscal year as the best-performing studio within Xbox Game Studios, according to internal emails obtained and verified by Windows Central . Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
HandyGames rebrands as THQ Nordic Mobile
HandyGames has rebranded as THQ Nordic Mobile, with the publisher shifting its focus toward bringing premium PC and console titles to mobile platforms. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Valve confirms Steam hardware buyers' data exposed in CEVA Logistics cyberattack
Valve has begun notifying European customers who ordered Steam hardware that their personal information may have been exposed following a cyberattack on CEVA Logistics, the company that handles Steam hardware deliveries across the region. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Halloween: The Game denied classification in Australia and New Zealand over drug depiction
IllFonic's asymmetric horror title Halloween: The Game has been refused classification by the Australian Classifications Board, barring its sale in both Australia and New Zealand. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Square Enix Q1 profit soars following Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch on Switch 2 and Xbox
Square Enix reported strong first-quarter growth, with profit rising 175.5% to ¥13.2 billion ($82.9 million). Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Razer just dropped a PC setup's worth of Xbox accessories that still cost less than the rumored price of the 25th anniversary Series X
The 25th Anniversary Xbox celebrations continue. Razer has just dropped a series of officially licensed Xbox accessories on its online store, which sport the same transparent-green retro look as the upcoming anniversary console. Part of the Xbox 25th Anniversary Collection, the brand has launched pre-orders for a new Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds, Razer BlackWidow V4 75% keyboard, and a Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K gaming mouse that are set to drop on October 20 later this year. Better yet, you can pick up the entire set of Razer accessories for $199.99 , $209.99 , and $179.99, respectively, and still spend less than the rumoured $899.99 for the upcoming limited-edition console . Razer Hammerhead V3 X Hyperspeed Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35k Razer Blackwidow V4 75% The limited edition collection starts with the $199.99 Razer Hammerhead V3 X Hyperspeed gaming earbuds. Just like the original model, these earphones are equipped with the brand's SmartSwitch Dual Wireless, so you can alternate between Bluetooth 5.2 and a low-latency 2.4 GHz connection. The buds also provide up to 10 hours of battery life, with an additional 25 hours if you top up their juice via the RGB charging case. If you don't want to carry around Xbox-branded earbuds , you can save $20 by grabbing either the multi-platform or the PlayStation model instead. But you'll have to accept the extra cost if you want to add a touch of nostalgia to your PC setup. (Image credit: Razer/Xbox/Microsoft) It's the same situation with the $179.99 Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K mouse. It's $20 more than the original release, but you're essentially paying more for that Xbox branding and retro-futuristic design. The gaming rodent boasts a second-generation Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor and a whopping 140-hour battery. It's also rocking customizable RGB lighting, which you can customize through Razer's Chroma software and sync up with the matching Razer BlackWidow V4 75% keyboard. At $209.99, it's the most expensive item
- Gaming10 minutes ago
'GTA 6' Hacker's New Leak Is Total Rage Bait For Rockstar
After over a dozen Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay leaks, hacking group Cyberleek is evidently still intent on poking the bear. The group has spent an entire week taunting and mocking Take-Two Interactive, GTA 6 's publisher, alongside developer Rockstar Games. Now, a day after encouraging viewers to harass Rockstar and Take-Two in real life, the hacking group has shared a new GTA 6 clip that many are reading as a direct callout to the people making and distributing the open-world game.
- eCommerce10 minutes ago
Target apologizes for offensive Halloween costume
The retailer is facing backlash over a costume critics described as evoking racial stereotypes. The incident comes over a year after the company's DEI changes made headlines.
- Gaming10 minutes ago
GamesAid appoints six new trustees as it raises £82,000 in funding during 2025/26
GamesAid has appointed six new trustees to its board and raised £82,000 for four charities in 2025/26. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Original Halo art director "may disagree" with some Campaign Evolved "creative decisions," but says "I’m rooting for the team and for Halo"
Halo co-creator and art director Marcus Lehto says he disagrees with some of Campaign Evolved's decisions, but is rooting for the franchise nonetheless. The former Bungie creative director recemtly commented on the Halo franchise , with Lehto saying that "talk of Halo's future is certainly very exciting," but that it's "fanciful and that I doubt Asha [Sharma, Xbox CEO] really gives a shit." He added that fans may not actually want him to return to the franchise, saying, "If I were to make another Halo these days, I bet many of you would not like it." This also followed his comments that he is unhappy the new Halo remake left multiplayer out of the package. In a post on Twitter , Lehto acknowledges there's been "Lots of discussion about my thoughts on Halo lately." He explains, "I genuinely enjoyed Campaign Evolved and think there’s a lot of great work in it. I may disagree with some decisions, but I’m rooting for the team and for Halo." Lehto adds, "I helped create it, and I’ll always care deeply about it." Unfortunately, Halo hasn't had the best time since Bungie stopped working on the franchise. Halo 4 was received well enough, but Halo 5 and the subsequent messy release of Halo Infinite have left the fanbase burnt out. While remaking the first game in the series certainly feels like setting the stage to reboot it altogether, there's no denying that Halo has lost its luster along the way. Give Master Chief a break – I want more Halo games like ODST and Reach .
- Gaming10 minutes ago
$50,000 NES collection stolen from 40-year collector who was going to use it to pay for his grandkids' college: "I don't think I will ever collect another thing again in my life"
Roger Holler spent 40 years trying to build the perfect NES collection. With just three games left in his quest for a complete library, tragedy struck at his home in Puyallup, a small city near Tacoma, Washington. He and his family returned home from an out-of-town trip to find their house had been broken into and their entire collection was missing. Holler tells local news station KING 5 that the collection included over 860 NES games and "was valued between $50,000 to $100,000." The family has reported the theft to local police and is speaking with their insurance company, though it's unclear whether the collection was covered. Regardless, Holler's emotions after the theft are clear. "I shake, I get headaches, I get all this stuff," he says. "I don't even want to look at them. The shelf, I want to rip that shelf out and get it out of my house because I know what was there." He says he's been collecting NES games since he was 11, when he received his first NES console as a gift from his mother. "To me, this week, it feels like I'm losing my mom again," Holler says. "Similar, but it's different. Your parents are your loved ones, but this was my other love. This was my other child. I have three boys, but this was my other child. I started this before they were even born." The local report isn't clear on the contents of the collection, but there is an image of the shelf from before it was robbed bare. There are some doubles in there – there would have to be, since the North American NES library only consists of 675 games – and given Holler's valuation, I suspect that his collection included some of the platform's most notable grails. The median value of an NES game is about $16, according to PriceCharting – spread across 860 games, that comes out to around $14,000 in current market value. The fact that Holler puts a far, far higher price on his collection suggests that he had acquired some of the platform's most infamous collectibles, which include $1,000-plus raritie
- Gaming10 minutes ago
‘Stranger Things’’ Return to Netflix Revealed in New Trailer
The second season of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is right around the corner. On Tuesday morning, Netflix dropped the first trailer for the upcoming season 2, and it seems like the story will focus on a mysterious plant that creates paranormal phenomena.
- Gaming10 minutes ago
How to beat the How to Fish Piranha boss
To defeat the How to Fish Giant Piranha boss you need to come prepared with adequate firepower and good movement and awareness. This is quite a significant step up from the How to Fish Spider Crab fight, as this big fish is a lot harder to kill and flops all over the place – I should also mention that it spits out regular piranhas too that also try to chomp you. If you're struggling to beat this boss, let me explain the best strategy for taking it down. How to defeat the Piranha (Image credit: Dazed Games) Before you even begin the Piranha boss fight in How to Fish, it's best to have an upgraded shotgun on you. It costs $150 and then you need to pay an additional $90 in total for three ammo upgrades, and there's an optional $140 laser sight upgrade too (dynamite fishing is by far the quickest way of getting enough money). Once you're equipped, get some How to Fish Leeches and reel in the Giant Piranha! While the shotgun is very powerful, getting close to the Giant Piranha to deal maximum damage isn't without risk, so outmanoeuvring this boss is key. The Piranha isn't especially fast and can be kited around quite easily, so the best strategy is to sprint away from it, turn around and blast it with both barrels, then run away again as you reload . If the Piranha is far enough away that you can reload on the spot and fire another two shots, even better. (Image credit: Dazed Games) Use this method as you run around the grassy area of the island that doesn't have any trees and is away from the cabin as you'll always be able to see the Piranha and will know where to run. It also means you'll have a good view of all the smaller piranhas this boss spits out , which are significantly less threatening unless several attack at once. It's therefore a good idea to shoot these whenever you have a chance to thin their numbers, then pick a few up and eat them to heal if needed. Repeat the above strategy of alternating between running away in loops and using your shotgun and you'll
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Remedy reports revenue declines in Q2 and H1 as it prepares for Control Resonant launch
Remedy reported revenue declines in the first half and second quarter of 2026 while increasing marketing efforts for Control Resonant. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
New GTA 6 leak shows physical media is alive and well in Vice City, including one game that pokes fun at The Last of Us and Naughty Dog's many remasters
The drip of GTA 6 leaks from anonymous group Cyberleek has turned into a flooding riverbed . The rush of information isn't slowing, and Cyberleek seems intent on never stopping, despite Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two, trying its best to unmask the leaker group's members. Meanwhile, a new gameplay clip from Cyberleek suggests that GTA 6 features a The Last of Us reference. In Cyberleek's most recent clip, which was uploaded to Twitter and beyond but went down shortly after due to a copyright strike, Jason checks out a store named Game Horde while Cyberleek watermarks the screen with a message about its antagonistic leaks: "THIS IS NOT ABOUT ACTUAL DISCS. IT IS ABOUT OWNERSHIP." If you say so. On that note, Jason seems to have approached the Game Horde building intending to expand his physical game ownership, but then he doesn't. (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Instead, Jason uses binoculars like a creep to observe every detail in Game Horde's streaky windows, including the several video game parodies Rockstar snuck in for the most observant among us. Then, around the 0:22 mark, we can see an advertisement for the fictional JS8, which impresses me with how far it's past our culture's current PS5 generation. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Jason once again pulls out his handy binoculars to better observe several titles on the store shelf, which is now right in front of his face. The spines stuffing the shelves reveal a choice selection of games like Dark Souls parody GLORY SOULS II, Desolate Rim, whose font looks a lot like FPS Titanfall, and We Came Together I, II & III Remasters of the Remakes – a spoof on The Last of Us franchise's seemingly incurable need to renew and represent itself in front of a fresh audience. This implied criticism is being thrown from a glass house, however, since Rockstar isn't usually ever willing to abandon its most profitable game series, either. Otherwise, it wouldn't spend a decade building anticipation for GTA 6. Ultimately, Jason
- Gaming10 minutes ago
New Paralives update adds the camera options we've wanted from The Sims 4 competitor since its Early Access release: "You're welcome"
Paralives just got a brand-new update, addressing some of the most common bugs and adding various hotly requested features to the indie life sim – including alternative camera controls, which I might be a tad bit too excited about. As per the Paralives roadmap , there's still plenty to come to The Sims 4 competitor , but the developers have undeniably been on the case. Recently, we saw improvements made to baby Paras' uncanny appearances – and, now, we've got more columns in the Paramaker, new camera controls, fresh animations, and more. Paralives Studios reveals as much in a post over on X , showcasing some of patch 0.1.8's big highlights we’ve added new alternative camera control options, you’re welcome 😈 pic.twitter.com/NxNpN5RH3Q August 24, 2026 The alternate camera controls are such a big deal, in fact, that they've spurred their own little follow-up thread from the studio, in which it says, "You're welcome." Attached is an amusing edit of various – and I mean various – complaints and screenshots from Reddit and the like regarding the old Paralives camera controls and the (previous) inability to change them. The comments are nice there, too, with many a "thank you" rolling in. How do the alternative camera controls work, though? "Notably," as Paralives Studio writes, it "allows players to rotate the camera with middle click and scroll their view with right click." Yes, please. As for everything else that 0.1.8 has to offer, the column customization in both the Build Mode and Paramaker is pretty dang great if I do say so myself – especially as someone who uses Sims 4 mods to properly adjust the columns in Create-A-Sim. new patch! 🗣️get your new patch here! 🗣️get the latest improvements and bug fixes now! pic.twitter.com/KXZQUN6NeX August 24, 2026 There's also a new set of embarrassed animations, because we all know our Paras might find themselves in some less-than-ideal situations at times. Plus, "various optimizations" to the game's code, the ability to turn
- eCommerce10 minutes ago
Dick’s keeps Foot Locker in the game despite losses, gloomy outlook
The mall chain, which depends on new and retro sneaker styles, is getting hit hard by fewer launches and shifting demand in athletic footwear.
- EV & Mobility10 minutes ago
July's rainfall recovery partly eased farm risks, says RBI report
FDI flows revives in June: Robust Q1 eco momentum continued in July
- Gaming10 minutes ago
The Sinking City 2 locked buoy solution
The Sinking City 2 locked buoy is a confusing puzzle involving fish and a code that makes little sense and, if I'm honest, I kind of solved it accidentally. However I did solve it and if you're here, you haven't. So let me tell you what you need to do now I've worked out what's going on. It's a weird little challenge that seems designed to be confusing, and not one you can tackle until a while after you first find it, so it's easy to get a bit lost. The Sinking City 2 locked buoy solution The solution to the locked buoy comes from two notes you can find: From Ezekiel's Wife, which you'll find on the shop counter not long after leaving the first Safe Room at the Fish Market, and About Ezekiel, which you can find in the Guard Post once you have a Leyden Jar to unlock it. The important bit from these two notes are the mention of fish: The eel and the lantern come first The Coelacanth The angler has the last word Scattered around the shop and the office behind the counter are various fish with symbols attached to them. Those fish mentioned above give you these symbols: (Image credit: Frogwares) So that's lantern fish/lighthouse, gulper eel/ropes, coelacanth/starfish and Anglerfish/octopus. These match the code symbols on the buoy lock. While it's not entirely clear, the note explains the eel and lantern fish are first, although not in what order, while the angler is last. That leaves the coelacanth third, as the only position left unclaimed. With a little trial and error you can discover that the eel and lantern fish actually go in the reverse of the order mentioned, giving you this combination as a solution for the locked buoy - Lighthouse, Ropes, Starfish, Octopus: (Image credit: Frogwares) Open it up and you'll get Doyle's Hot Streak, a magazine for the submachine gun that increases damage with continuous fire. That's actually a really useful upgrade against tougher enemies that can take a pounding, especially if you have enough ammo to just keep peppering them incre
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Reforj developer 4J Studios unveils Rixels: modified pixels that reduce texture memory requirements by 98%
Reforj developer 4J Studios has debuted a technology called Rixels that offer an alternative way to provide textures using a fraction of the memory requirements. The Dundee-based studio has applied to patent the technology. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Lies of P director says he wouldn't settle for a game-key card on Nintendo Switch 2 because everyone at his studio is a "proud gamer"
Lies of P director Jiwon Choi says that Nough Studio didn't consider launching the game's complete edition as a game-key card on Switch 2 as everyone at the company is a "proud gamer." There has been a lot of discussion about physical versus digital games, particularly since PlayStation announced that it would end physical disc production, before emailing PS5 players to remind them they don't own their digital games . Essentially, the question of game ownership is on everyone's lips with new topics around the subject arising every day. For Choi and his team, only having a digital version of their game available for Switch 2 players was apparently not a consideration. In an interview with RPG Site , Choi explains how the team always planned to include Lies of P: Complete Edition on the Switch 2 cartridge. "We actually decided on a standard physical release with the full game on the cart at the same time we decided to port the game to the Switch 2," he says. "Everyone at Nough Studio is a proud gamer, which is why our studio slogan is 'Games by Gamers,'" he continues. "For us, preparing a physical edition of Lies of P that includes both the base game and Overture on the cartridge was a natural choice. We really want it to feel like a gift to our fans, so we’re putting a lot of care into it." One of the points of contention for fans of physical games, is that digital games are difficult to resell and to give to others as gifts. It seems that Choi and his team understand how many people still treasure their physical games. 3 years after the best Soulslike not by FromSoftware, Lies of P leads feel "pressure" to make the sequel even better
- Gaming10 minutes ago
King Legacy codes (August 2026) for Cash, Gems, EXP boosts, and more
King Legacy codes have been around for a long time now, but they are still useful in this popular RPG adventure as you sail the seas fighting pirates, dragons, and other enemies. Your search for a wide range of physical in-game fruits will take you all over the map, so any help is always welcome. The promos that are currently active provide a variety of benefits, from a significant cash injection and some free stat resets so you can respec your character to a decent period of double EXP earning in this anime-flavored Roblox experience. If you're keen to hunt down that elusive fruit, then these are the codes for King Legacy and how to redeem them. If you'd prefer some promos that provide rewards for all of your experiences, then we've got the Roblox promo codes covered as well. All King Legacy codes (Image credit: Sea King Games) The following King Legacy codes can be redeemed in-game: 2MFAV – +1 Refund Stats FREESTATSRESET – +1 Refund Stats RainbowDragon – 100x Gems (Need to have unlocked Rainbow Dragon color before Update 7) DragonColorRefund – 50x Gems (10x Gems if your old color was original red) SKGames – 2x EXP for 30 minutes (Need to join the Sea King Games Roblox group first) WELCOMETOKINGLEGACY – 2x EXP for 30 minutes – 2x EXP for 30 minutes Peodiz – $100,000 DinoxLive – $100,000 There are a decent number of active codes for King Legacy available, though none of them have been released recently. You can use them to get Cash and Gems, as well as stat resets that will get added to your menu. Note that the EXP boost periods stack and they only count down while you are in the game, so you don't need to worry about losing any benefits from them. How to redeem King Legacy codes (Image credit: Sea King Games) To redeem King Legacy codes, you first need to tap the Menu icon to the right of the Health bar at the bottom of the screen, then from the row of options that appear above it select the Basket icon to open the Shop. Scroll to the bottom of that menu to find th
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Supermassive Games announces layoffs, up to 75 workers may be affected
Supermassive Games has announced a third round of layoffs in three years, potentially impacting up to 75 positions. Read more
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Xbox's Big Change to Achievements Hands PlayStation an Uno Reverse Card on a Silver Platter
For years, Xbox fans have been begging for Microsoft to consider adding an equivalent to the best feature of PlayStation ’s Trophy system: Platinums. Used to mark 100% completion on a game’s achievement list, Platinums have been an instantly recognizable way for players on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and PS5 to track how many games they’ve mastered. The gamerscore system has long lacked this option, with achievements completely blending together and making it hard to identify specific full completions that players are particularly proud of. Fortunately, that will be changing soon, with new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently acknowledging the need for a platinum-like.
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Total War: Warhammer shows off its spicy new endgames, including a 'rat counter' that tells you how many Skaven still need killing in The Vermintide
Since the full reveal of Total War: Warhammer's new Lords of the End Times expansion, the content is coming in thick and fast. Last week, Creative Assembly showed off Neferata, the incoming Free-LC lord, alongside the extremely fun-looking rework for the Vampire Counts . This week we're getting more information about the new end game crises. The latest livestream went deep on Archaon's new Chaos Invasion endgame, Nagash's Great Ritual of Nagash, and the Skaven's Vermintide. We got to a rundown of each crisis, saw differently devastated world regions and special devastated battle maps, and even got an introduction to new End Times units. Most notable for me, though, was the news that The Vermintide endgame features a rat counter that shows how many Skaven you still have left to kill. "You can see an estimated number of rats" says Mitch Heastie, Lead Game Designer on Total War: Warhammer, during the livestream. "It is based on the actual numbers, like roughly." The counter on the stream reads 165,000 RATS, who make up 60 Skaven armies you'll have to defeat. The Vermintide end game does sound fun, though. You'll have to destroy Skaven Under-Cities before they blow up your settlements with Doomspheres and quickly recapture territory, as the rat men will keep spawning armies otherwise. There are also new buildings to help deal with the menace, and it sounds like there's a narrative component, as each defeated army helps you uncover the Skaven's insidious plot. By comparison, Nagash's end game is more focused on the climactic final battle. As the Black Pyramid slowly travels to Nagashizzar, you'll have to mitigate the Lord of Undeath's conquests and weaken him as much as possible for that final confrontation. And of course, there's Archaon's reworked Chaos Invasion , where you'll have to defeat his armies and fortresses to weaken his ward save before he destroys too much of the world. Otherwise he'll be functionally immortal. Easy enough. I've got to say, all of these upd
- Gaming10 minutes ago
Lenovo says it is 'clear' Legion Go faults 'not user error' and even devices out of warranty could be repaired 'free of charge'
If after installing BIOS version N3CN42WW on your Lenovo Legion Go , you have found it unable to get past the BIOS or entirely bricked , Lenovo says it's not your fault. The good news is that you will likely be able to get it fixed for free. Taking to the Lenovo forums (via VideoCardz ), Lenovo clarified that it was able to replicate the same bricking problem with three devices, while other Lenovo teams were able to update to N3CN42WW without any problems. They say, "as such the issue is most likely related to [a] specific component used on mainboards in a certain batch or batches, or the issue needs to have specific circumstances to manifest." As part of this, the employee also states that "while the root cause has not been identified yet, it is clear it is not user error." Finally, Lenovo confirms that those under warranty should aim to get the device fixed or replaced and "in the case of out-of-warranty devices, it should be repaired free of charge, but please check local laws." The user the Lenovo employee was replying to is based in the European Union, and Lenovo clarifies that those in the EU will be covered even if not under warranty if the BIOS update caused the problem. (Image credit: Future) One user has replied to this post stating that they were told their Legion Go couldn't be repaired in Belgium as they were out of warranty, so one can only hope that the support team are made aware of this communication from Lenovo. This clarity has been expected by the Lenovo community for some time, who have been reporting bricking problems with this specific BIOS version for a while now. They were likely hoping for some sort of communication weeks ago when it first popped up, even if it were Lenovo simply acknowledging it has seen the problem. Version N3CN42WW appeared to have been released in June and was removed at the start of August, with no communication from Lenovo at the time. That means users were left in the dark for potentially weeks with a handheld that w
- EV & Mobility17 minutes ago
Hyundai IONIQ 5’s base price goes up $250 for 2027, but it still starts at just $35,250
With prices starting at $35,250, the 2027 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is still one of the most affordable EVs on the market.
- EV & Mobility18 minutes ago
Einride to deploy 500 Tesla Semis in biggest electric truck order yet
Einride is putting 500 Tesla Semis on US roads, the largest commitment to Tesla’s electric truck that anyone has made public. That will takes the Swedish freight company from roughly 250 deployed electric trucks to about 750. First deliveries start next month, with the rest arriving in phases over 24 months.
- EV & Mobility18 minutes ago
Ride1Up unveils new and improved $895 Portola 02 folding e-bike – and I tested it
Ride1Up’s Portola has been one of those e-bikes that make a lot of sense on paper: a compact folding design, useful cargo capability, and the kind of pricing that helped Ride1Up build its reputation for high-value e-bikes in the first place.
- EV & Mobility19 minutes ago
Volkswagen EV drivers gain Digital Key access through Samsung Wallet
Volkswagen electric vehicle drivers will finally have access to Samsung Wallet with Digital Key, hands-free entry, and more. The service is initially rolling out to select VW ID vehicles in Europe.
- EV & Mobility19 minutes ago
BYD’s new 5-seat electric SUV has a range of over 1,000 km and 5-minute charging
BYD confirmed the new Denza N8 has a “world-leading” pure electric CLTC range of 1,003 km (623 miles), and it can recharge in as little as 5 minutes.
- EV & Mobility19 minutes ago
Tesla ‘Robotaxi’ rams through bollards weeks after ‘impeccable’ claim
A Tesla “Robotaxi” running with no safety monitor onboard drove straight through a row of bollards protecting a closed-off lane in Austin, then kept driving. The video surfaced Monday, less than a month after Tesla’s head of AI told investors the Robotaxi program has an “impeccable safety record” with “zero notable incidents.” While no one was hurt or in danger in this incident, it is worrying to see an unsupervised Tesla vehicle ram through clearly visible bollards with plenty of time to see them and think about going around them.
- EV & Mobility19 minutes ago
Tesla owner says DIY upgrade to HW4 was easy… so why isn’t Tesla doing it?
There are millions of Tesla vehicles on the road today which were sold on the promise of full autonomy, but without hardware capable of doing so. Tesla has hemmed and hawed about solutions to this problem – so one owner took it into his own hands.
- EV & Mobility20 minutes ago
Lectric XPress2 extra battery bundle for 100+ miles $1,399, Aventon Pace 5 + Level 4 REC e-bike launch, Segway S2 kids scooter, more
We’ve got an even more EV-packed edition of Green Deals than we saw yesterday, filled with first-time deals from three of our favorite brands. First, there’s the backorder bundle deal on Lectric’s XPress2 Long-Range Step-Thru Cruiser e-bike with $723 in FREE gear, including an extra battery for an extended 100+ miles of travel – all for $1,399 . Right behind that we have the first-ever discounts on Aventon’s upgraded Pace 5 REC Smart Cruiser e-bike at $1,599 , while the Level 4 REC Smart Commuter e-bike is down at $1,799 . There’s also the pre-order launch deal for Segway’s Ninebot S2 Kids Self-Balancing Scooter at $100 off , and more waiting for you below, including the hangover deals from this week that are down at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s full Aventon Labor Day e-bike Sale lineup , and more. Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek ’s best EV buying and leasing deals . Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories .
- EV & Mobility20 minutes ago
The 2027 Toyota bZ is now on sale: Here’s how much it costs
The 2027 Toyota bZ is now on sale, starting at $34,980 in the US and CA$45,985 in Canada.
- EV & Mobility20 minutes ago
Ford has a new $25,000 crossover SUV coming, but will it go electric?
The crossover SUV will be Ford’s lowest-priced vehicle, starting at around $25,000. According to dealers who were shown a preview of the vehicle, it will not be based on the Universal EV platform.
- Gaming28 minutes ago
Xbox Game Pass Adds Day-One Game From Award-Winning Studio
Xbox Game Pass has added Blood Dungeon to its ever-rotating content catalog, in addition to making one slightly older title available to even more subscribers. The day-one platformer is officially the 128th new addition to Xbox Game Pass in 2026, yet only the sixth brand-new Xbox Game Pass release since the beginning of August.
- Gaming29 minutes ago
Pokemon Deluxe Character Guide Official Review
If there’s one thing you should, and maybe already do, know about me, it’s that I’m a massive, massive Pokemon fan. It’s undoubtedly the series I’ve put the most time into, and I still own all the games, loads of Pokemon tat, and an obscene collection of Pokemon trading cards . Alongside this, my bookshelf is filled with tons of Pokemon books.
- Gaming29 minutes ago
Is FNAF Coming to Fortnite?
The rumor mill has begun circulating once again about the potential of Fortnite x Five Nights at Freddy's , and there are plenty of reasons why this could actually end up being real for 2026. While this isn't the first time rumors circulated regarding this collab, it could end up being the last, and we'll talk through all of the evidence as to why this may be the perfect time for Fortnite x Five Nights at Freddy's to come to reality after so much speculation.
- Gaming29 minutes ago
Gamescom Dev speaker survey identifies potential impacts of AI on team structure and productivity
Gamescom Dev has released its annual speaker survey results, revealing that 83% of respondents expect AI to impact team structure or productivity. Read more
- Gaming29 minutes ago
UKIE-backed Digital Schoolhouse partners with Roblox to provide suite of tools for students to develop Roblox games in-class
UKIE-backed educational non-profit Digital Schoolhouse has partnered with Roblox to develop a suite of free tools designed to teach children how to create Roblox games as part of in-classroom education. Read more
- Gaming29 minutes ago
Pearl Abyss Q2 earnings decline as impact of Crimson Desert's launch period subsides
Pearl Abyss reported a weaker second quarter as the initial impact of Crimson Desert's March launch tapered off. Read more
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Dispatch Physical Pre-Order Guide: Price, Editions, Bonuses, And Release Times
AdHoc Studio has announced that Dispatch is finally getting a physical edition (as well as a Vinyl release) later this year, with pre-orders for the standard deluxe and steelbook deluxe live now.
- Gaming30 minutes ago
BAFTA Games Awards updates voting requirements and entry fees as it opens entries for 2027 ceremony
Entries for the 2027 BAFTA Games Awards are now open, alongside updates to its entry requirements, fee structure, and AI policy. Read more
- Gaming30 minutes ago
How Planet of Lana became a hit through dogged determination after being rejected "hundreds" of times
The story of Planet of Lana is the story of triumph over adversity. But it's also one of naivety. The developers themselves admit they had no clue what they were doing at first. Read more
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Dispatch Is Getting The Physical Edition Fans Have Been Waiting For, Plus A Vinyl Soundtrack
Ahead of the first anniversary of Dispatch , developer AdHoc Studio has announced that the superhero workplace comedy-drama is finally getting a physical edition release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch. Published in partnership with PM Studios, the release offers fans a choice between a standard and a steelbook edition, each featuring an assortment of physical and digital goodies. The $50 Standard Deluxe Edition includes the full game on disc/cartridge, all DLC, an artbook with a digital copy, four digital comics, a Superhero Dispatch Network booklet, a download key for the game soundtrack, and a double-sided poster. If you feel like spending a little more, you can grab the Steelbook Deluxe Edition for $60. This includes all of the aforementioned extras, as well as a steelbook cover featuring box art created in-house at AdHoc Studio. The steelbook edition might also be released later due to manufacturing times, AdHoc added. Each version will be available from retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart, and more. With the Nintendo copy of Dispatch, AdHoc has noted that it is the Switch 1 version of the game, and it includes the Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack--as well as some censorship, but the studio did manage to apply some hilarious fixes to meet Nintendo's standards. Dispatch Deluxe Edition contents Dispatch Steelbook Deluxe Edition Full game on disc/cartridge The Art of Dispatch digital artbook: 100+ pages of behind-the-scenes concept art Four digital comics: Issue #1: Splash & The Last Bender Issue #2: Pas De Deux & Shellshock Issue #3: Get Up Issue #4: The Death of Mecha Man Original soundtrack digital download code SDN’s Guide to Dispatching, a 16-page printed booklet Double-sided Mecha Man poster Steelbook cover (Only in Steelbook Deluxe Edition) On top of all that, the complete Dispatch soundtrack is also getting a physical release via Lost in Cult Records. Andrew Arcadi and Skyler Barto's or
- eCommerce30 minutes ago
Walmart goes all in on boho style with new private label
Scenario will launch in all stores across five departments, representing one of the broadest category footprints in Walmart Fashion.
- Gaming30 minutes ago
One Of The Best SNES Action-RPGs Is Getting The Rebirth It Deserves
Terranigma is getting a surprise port to modern platforms
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Amazon steps back from MMOs, transfers operations of Throne and Liberty and Lost Art to NC and Smilegate
Update, August 13, 2026: Amazon Game Studios has ended its publishing deal with Smilegate's MMO Lost Ark. Read more
- Fintech30 minutes ago
Amex’s low fraud rate turns on its closed system
More access to cardholder and merchant data also gives the card network an edge in fraud detection over its rivals.
- Gaming30 minutes ago
CodeDev Group launches dev studio Full Spectrum Interactive
CodeDev Group, also known as The Unreal Guys , has launched a new studio called Full Spectrum Interactive. Read more
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Saber Interactive CEO responds to claims that a writer was replaced with AI
Update, August 13, 2026: Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch has responded to accusations that former lead writer Stella Sacco was replaced with ChatGPT on Rideshare Simulator. Read more
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Arc Raiders still has a cheating problem because cheats are an $8 billion industry and "we'd need thousands of developers" to counter it, says Embark engineer
Since the game's release, Arc Raiders devs have been up against it over cheating. It's a continuous bugbear for both Embark Studios and the community, and in a recent panel, the team discussed just how difficult it is to maintain preventative measures. Tom van Dijck, a senior software engineer at Embark, spoke at Gamescom about the unending whack-a-mole against exploits and third-party tools. "We're just a small team, and even if we weren't, we're up against an $8 billion industry," he said, per OtakuKart . "It's operated like a commercial industry. How do you fight an industry that’s operated like a full business?" Sadly, using outside methods to make your playing better is a lucrative market. There are large companies offering a variety of ways to enhance your abilities in a variety of games, including Valorant and Counter-Strike , and they all have a large customer base. It doesn't matter that it takes the fun out of the game and completely devalues winning. Cheaters continually find a way to do so, making everyone else's lives harder. Embark's been stamping out all sorts of glitches and enhancements for months now, and the Sisyphean task won't be slowing down any time soon. In fact, van Dijck points out the company banned 15,000 accounts this past Monday alone, but they just keep coming. "We can't keep up with the cat and mouse game, because we’d need thousands of developers to counter the cheats," he says. Embark also makes The Finals, stretching resources even further. It's not as simple as just relegating certain kinds of tools, either, because you have accessibility features and add-ons such as Steam or Overwolf that can get caught in the crossfire. It all seems tiring, but it's a strong reminder that the developers are doing what they can against players who refuse to play the game fairly. Arc Raiders is shutting down Expeditions "until early 2027" to make "major improvements" after mountains of feedback
- Gaming30 minutes ago
GTA 6 leaker goes full cornball in newest videos, insists 'using crypto is the only way'
Listen, I know the last week of GTA 6 leaks have let us all—except the employees of Rockstar—enjoy a bit of collective mania. But as time goes on, I'm beginning to suspect that the mysterious leaker who's been using their illicit GTA 6 footage as a vehicle for their personal memecoin scheme might have ulterior motives. As Take-Two's subpoena-seeking effort to track down the leaker intensifies, Cyberleek seems to be responding to the increasingly obvious writing on the wall by leaning even harder into the crypto cornball act. In a fresh pair of GTA 6 gameplay uploads, the world's most wanted allium has descended to a new low of sheer saucelessness as they seek additional funds for their alleged "operational costs." (Image credit: Rockstar) As with Cyberleek's previous leaks, their two newest GTA 6 videos—one showing protagonist Jason puttering around a nightclub, another capturing an evening bike ride at a Vice City beach—prominently feature a text screed and QR code directing viewers to the website where they've been able to "support" Cyberleek's "effort" (i.e. give them electronic crime money). The watermark's latest iteration, however, indicates Cyberleek isn't enjoying the scrutiny that comes with using the highest-profile game leak for peddling cryptocurrency. "Stop the hate. Channel that energy into protests. Not at those actually fighting for you," Cyberleek writes. "CL is taking huge risks in this battle. Leeks are free and donations cover operational costs, using crypto is the only way." (Image credit: Rockstar) Cyberleek has repeatedly claimed to be "fighting for gamers" throughout this debacle, but so far hasn't provided any explanation as to how they intend to do so beyond writing a generic manifesto and urging viewers to stand outside Rockstar' offices while holding game discs . Because gamers are mad about the disc thing, see. They're just like us. Don't worry, though: They've insisted that the funds raised by promoting their $Cyberleek token will go to
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Backwards compatibility is neat, but I'd grab an original PS1 rather than listening to people saying "just buy a PS2"
By rights, the original PlayStation should be an icon, but I can't help but feel the PS1 lives in the shadow of the PlayStation 2. After all, the latter is the best-selling console of all time, not to mention it can run its predecessor's library thanks to backwards compatibility. However, I need everyone to stop telling new players to just "pick up a PS2", as if you're specifically looking to play those original black discs; it could end in tears. That's not to say that if you've already sussed out how to play PS2 games on original hardware, you can't use it for PS1 discs. The sequel system has the same MIPS R3000A microprocessor as the '90s retro console , and that means it can run 98% of the OG PlayStation library. The problem is that various other hardware differences can get in the way of you playing certified classics, and the issues stem from subtle differences with the PlayStation 2 outside of backwards compatibility. When I first got my hands on the mighty PlayStation 2, it evicted every other console from my CRT TV trolley. Luckily, I've never gotten rid of a console in my life, so upon running into various weird hiccups with PS1 games, including even Tomb Raider 2, I fetched the original and popped it on top of its successor. To this day, I still use a separate system for PlayStation discs, and if you're serious about that specific library, you probably should too. Laser tolerance turmoil (Image credit: Phil Hayton) Functionally speaking, the PS1 and PS2 perform similar tricks. Pop in a disc, close the lid, and boom, you're playing a video game. Of course, even those of you who aren't tech-savvy will know the PlayStation 2 is designed to run DVDs, whereas its predecessor deals in CDs, and while that doesn't stop the sixth-gen system from running both, it's more a secondary role. I don't want you to think the PS2 is bad at reading CDs; that's not strictly true. It's got a dual diode laser assembly that's specifically designed to run DVDs and those black dis
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Witcher multiplayer spin-off Project Sirius hit by fresh layoffs
Update: August 12, 7.15pm: CD Projekt has now confirmed that 18 developers previously working on Project Sirius have either been made redundant or "invited" to apply for redeployment oppportunities. Read more
- Gaming30 minutes ago
One of 2025’s Best Games Is Getting a Physical Edition and Collectable Vinyl
Sony ruffled feathers all around the world last month when it announced plans to discontinue physical discs for PlayStation games beginning in 2028. Thankfully, there are still plenty of studios and publishers out there who continue to support physical media. One of them is AdHoc, the makers of 2025's superhero workplace comedy, Dispatch . The game was nominated for dozens of awards, took home three BAFTAs, and has sold more than four million copies since launch. Now, it's getting a spiffy new physical edition, published in partnership with PM Studios. AdHoc also plans to release a vinyl record set of Dispatch 's original soundtrack with Lost In Cult Records.
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Avengers: Endgame Encore trailer relives Marvel's greatest cinematic moment and promises "exclusive look" at Doomsday
The first trailer for Avengers: Endgame's re-release is here, and it shows why Encore is essential viewing on the road to Avengers: Doomsday. Not only does it promise an "exclusive look" at Doomsday (whatever that may entail), Endgame Encore's trailer also takes us back to 2019 and that electric atmosphere in theatres. If you were hugging random strangers during the portals scene or Captain America catching Mjolnir, you weren't alone. And now you can do it all over again. In case you needed a reminder, Avengers: Endgame deals with the fallout from Thanos' snap at the conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War. With half of the universe (and its heroes) dusted, Earth's Mightiest Heroes aim to strike back at the Mad Titan and, later, travel back in time for the ultimate universe-saving heist. If reliving moments such as the Portals sequence or Thor's swift defeat of Thanos wasn't enough to tempt you back into the cinemas to watch Avengers: Endgame once more, a glimpse of what else is included just might. "It’s critically important to re-release the movie, and, in fact, we’ll be re-releasing the film with footage that is set in the Doomsday story that we have added to Avengers: Endgame," co-director Joe Russo said during an appearance at Sands Film Festival (via Deadline ). Russo added, "We can enhance the story of Doomsday by bridging it to Endgame." Encore's confirmed runtime of 185 minutes suggests we're getting four minutes of bonus footage. Avengers: Endgame Encore is out in cinemas on September 25. For more, we have an essential guide to upcoming Marvel movies .
- EV & Mobility30 minutes ago
Is bidirectional AC charging nearing the mass market?
Bidirectional charging works – and the first DC solutions are already making the leap into practice. But for the mass market, Cubos, Compleo, and Valeo are focusing on AC. The vision: Millions of affordable charging points connecting EVs with the energy system.
- Gaming30 minutes ago
With a sequel coming, this Pokemon-like RPG inspired by Evangelion is free to keep on Steam and has already been claimed over 1 million times
Dokimon Quest, one of the more interesting and nostalgically gorgeous Pokemon-like games around, is totally free to keep on Steam. But you'll have to act fast if you want to join the 1 million people who have already claimed the pixel art monster tamer. Developer Yanako RPGs made its throwback monster-collectathon available to Steam goers for the small fee of nothing just yesterday. The offer runs until tomorrow, so there's not long left if you want a free shot of GBC-era nostalgia heavily inspired by Evangelion . If that doesn't sweeten the pot, I don't know what will. Since then, the developer revealed that over a million people have already grabbed the offer and easily smashed the turn-based game's concurrent Steam peak with a full day still left to go. All this goodwill comes at a good time, too. A Steam page for Dokimon Quest 2 went live around the same time as well, this time promising an adventure set in Edo-period Japan with fresh monsters to fight against and train. New features include mounts, dungeons, more polish, faster battling, and updates to multiple corners of the game. I'm particularly excited to craft and collect furniture for the in-game house that's being added to the sequel. The original Dokimon Quest isn't being left out in the cold, either - that, too, received a really hefty update to coincide with its free-to-claim offer. For the first time, PC players will be able to trade creatures and battle against other players' teams by generating codes - a feature that won't be coming to the game's console ports. "This is by far the most exciting thing to go into this update," the mostly solo dev writes in a recent blog post , explaining that any online functionality that's more souped up would require a substantial amount time and funding to pull off. Other additions include a tutorial fairy who clears up some of the game's more obtuse mechanics, new background art for battles in certain biomes, a completely remade quest log, and much more. Pokemon
- Gaming30 minutes ago
Testronic appoints Sonia Kerr as CEO, Sharon Baylay-Bell becomes company chair
Testronic has appointed Sonia Kerr as CEO, succeeding Sharon Baylay-Bell, who moves into the role of company chair. Read more
- Social Media30 minutes ago
People’s bodies are changing in the age of Ozempic. How are we meant to talk about it?
Discussing people’s bodies can be fraught. We asked eating disorder experts how to do so – or not – responsibly In the age of Ozempic and people being open about plastic surgery , discussion about people’s bodies is rife . At the same time, nobody seems quite sure how to talk about them, as shown by recent coverage of celebrities like Ariana Grande . It is a fraught topic. We asked eating disorder experts for guidelines to follow when talking about other people’s bodies, and how to do so without doing harm. Continue reading...
- EV & Mobility37 minutes ago
Ex-Tesla president: Roadster delay is about getting closer to SpaceX ahead of merger
A former Tesla president says the endlessly delayed next-generation Roadster is being held up by SpaceX “hovering” technology — and that the project is really about pulling Tesla and SpaceX closer together. Jon McNeill, Tesla’s president from 2015 to 2018 and now co-founder of VistaShares and CEO of DVx Ventures, made the comments as Tesla preps a long-promised Roadster demo nearly nine years after the car was first unveiled.
- EV & Mobility38 minutes ago
VMAX VX2 Lite review: Power and full suspension fun without the heavyweight price
Electric scooters have long demonstrated an interesting dichotomy. On one end of the spectrum, you’ve got cheap commuter scooters that feel like they’re one pothole away from shaking themselves apart. On the other end are increasingly large, dual-motor monsters that weigh 80 or 100 pounds (45 kg) and blur the line between scooter and motorcycle. The VMAX VX2 Lite aims for the sweet spot in the middle. It promises a genuine full-suspension ride, respectable 25 mph (40 km/h) performance, and up to 56 miles (90 km) of claimed range without turning into something you dread carrying up a flight of stairs. After spending time riding the long-range version, I think VMAX got surprisingly close to that goal.
- EV & Mobility38 minutes ago
Here’s our first look at the new Hyundai Tucson inside and out [Images]
Hyundai revealed the exterior and interior design of the all-new Tucson for the first time, and it already looks like a big upgrade.
- EV & Mobility38 minutes ago
Lucid unveils its 2027 Air EV lineup with a new Stealth package
Lucid unveiled its 2027 Air lineup, streamlining the options across its electric sedan range and adding a new Stealth & Sound Package for the entry-level Air Pure. The Air Grand Touring keeps its title as the longest-range EV on sale at up to 512 miles, and pricing holds flat across all four trims for the new model year.
- EV & Mobility39 minutes ago
Surprise! London’s tax on polluting cars made everyone much healthier (updated)
The city of London has released a report showing drastic drops in air pollution since it expanded its Ultra Low Emission Zone, an area within the city where polluting vehicles must pay a fee to visit. ( Update 8/19/26, original article 5/15/25: A new study shows that children in London have significantly better lung function than before the zone was implemented, just as the UK government considers loosening pollution rules )
- EV & Mobility39 minutes ago
Heybike Hero mid-drive carbon-fiber all-terrain e-bike at exclusive new 1,049.50 low, EcoFlow power station flash sale, more
Our midweek Green Deals is being led by an incredible exclusive deal on the Heybike Hero 750W Mid-Drive Carbon-Fiber All-Terrain e-bike at a new $1,049.50 low . Right behind that, we have EcoFlow’s latest 48-hour flash sale with up to $2,200 savings on four units, like the DELTA 3 Max 2,048Wh Portable Power Station with a 500W modular solar panel at $1,399 . There’s also the lineup of Best Buy 60th Anniversary Sale EV deals on models from Segway, Lectric, Hiboy, NIU, and more starting from $284 , the Anker eufyCam E40 Solar Security Camera 2-pack bundle with a HomeBase hub at $180 , and more from Anker SOLIX, Jackery, and Velotric down below. There are also the hangover deals from the last two days that are down at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Lectric XPress2 extra battery bundle for 100+ miles of travel, the first-time discounts on Aventon’s Pace 5 REC + Level 4 REC e-bikes, and more. Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek ’s best EV buying and leasing deals . Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories .
- EV & Mobility39 minutes ago
Portland airport can charge 20 rental EVs at once – from overhead
Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon can now charge up to 20 rental EVs at once without sacrificing valuable floor space, thanks to a new overhead ChargePoint fast charging system.
- EV & Mobility39 minutes ago
As US tries to starve Cuba, solar electric garbage trikes offer a lifeline
Cuba is struggling with a US-imposed blockade on fuel shipments, which has led to many crises, including a breakdown in garbage collection in Havana. But a startup is stepping up to collect garbage in one neighborhood, using electric three-wheeled vehicles powered by solar.
- EV & Mobility40 minutes ago
Wawa-branded EV chargers are expanding beyond Tesla
Wawa launched self-branded Tesla Superchargers earlier this year , and now it’s doing the same with Electrify America EV fast chargers.
- EV & Mobility40 minutes ago
This fascinating folding e-bike is lighter than Brompton’s lightest electric bike
British folding e-bike maker FLIT has just unveiled its latest lightweight folding e-bike, the FLIT M2i. And at just 13.3 kg (29.3 lb), this thing is getting impressively light for a fully equipped electric bike.
- Gaming49 minutes ago
Nintendo Officially Reveals New Switch 2 Bundles Ahead of Console Price Hike
Starting in September, Nintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2 console by $50 to $499.99. To make the price hike a little more palatable for customers, the console maker has announced new bundles that offer some of the best deals on the Switch 2 available.
- Gaming49 minutes ago
Sensor Tower: 89% of GTA6 preorders are for the $100 ultimate edition
The digital intelligence firm Sensor Tower reports that 89% of preorders for GTA6 are for the $100 ultimate edition rather than the $80 standard edition. Read more
- Gaming49 minutes ago
Mattel launches new global studios business to develop games based on its IP
Mattel has announced the formation of Mattel Game Studios, a global development organisation that will create games based on the company's IP. It follows the company's February acquisition of 100% of Mattel163 , a joint venture that was previously 50% owned by partner firm NetEase. Read more
- Gaming49 minutes ago
Netflix shutters Night School Studio and Moonloot Games
Netflix has closed Night School Studio and Helsinki-based Moonloot Games. Read more
- Gaming49 minutes ago
"I don't see why people are scared of it" – ShipShaper developer Tomas Sala on why indies shouldn't be stressing about GTA6
GTA6 is messing with Tomas Sala's plans. He'd intended to launch ShipShaper earlier this year, but "life got in the way," he tells GamesIndustry.biz . "And then I saw all this stress about, 'Oh my God, GTA is coming, you have to pack it before September'." Read more
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Arc Raiders generates $114.9m during Nexon's Q2, sells an additional 800,000 units
Nexon's Q2 results exceeded expectations, driven by strong performances from its MapleStory franchise and the ongoing success of Embark Studios' Arc Raiders. Read more
- Gaming50 minutes ago
2K establishes AAA sports developer Small Axe Studios
2K has launched Small Axe Studios, an AAA development team based in Vancouver, Canada. Read more
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 21 Release Date
The anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's Daemons of the Shadow Realm is gearing up for one explosive finale, with only a handful of episodes left to neatly tie up Yuru and Asa's exciting and treacherous journey. In recent installments, characters once thought to be immortal and untouchable have been put to the test, and the siblings are getting closer to working side by side, something that many viewers have been eager to see. Like Arakawa's magnum opus Fullmetal Alchemist , Daemons of the Shadow Realm is defined by its memorable characters , and as the end of this already beloved action-adventure series comes to a close, who can truly be trusted remains to be seen.
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Niko Partners: India games market exceeds $1bn, forecast to reach $1.2bn by end of 2026
India's games market exceeded $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2025, up 14.8% year over year to $1.04 billion. Read more
- Gaming50 minutes ago
One Piece Creator Oda Drops A Big Update About Series Ending
On July 18, 1997, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #34, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece began its serialization and has since continued incredibly strongly. Right now, One Piece is in its Elbaf arc, with its latest chapter having been published on August 23, 2026. With each passing chapter, the One Piece series heads closer to the end of the Elbaf arc and, at the same time, the end of the series as well.
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Still more GTA 6 details from the latest leaked video: traffic cameras, car trackers, and drivers that put up a fight
Another seemingly legit GTA 6 video surfaced today via Cyberleek , this time showing a couple minutes of high-speed driving through Vice City. The clip (which we can't link here, but you can probably find it quickly with some web searches) begins with protagonist Jason ditching a pickup truck and carjacking a "Truffade Thrax," a fancy sportscar that just happens to already contain a driver. After throwing the car's owner into the street, Jason speeds off, taking us from the Vice City airport through some busy streets downtown, onto the highway, and then into an industrial area. It's not the most eventful trip: the player has a wanted level for jacking the ride but isn't caught and barely even causes any damage along the route. There also aren't a metric ton of new details to pore over, but we did spot a few interesting things to note. Drivers struggle You know the drill. Put your elbow through a car window, open the door, drag the driver out into the street, hop in, and speed away. But it looks like in GTA 6, drivers don't just passively let you gank their whips. In the leaked video, we see Jason struggle with the driver—with the leaker probably having to mash a button—before they can be liberated from their ride. We noticed the new stamina system in the original leak video , and wrestling with drivers drains Jason's stamina meter—so it probably won't be a great idea to try it if you're fully depleted. Traffic cameras Good timing, with all the concern about Flock cameras. As Jason speeds away in the stolen car, there's an icon briefly shown in the middle of the highway: three small connected circles. He passes it, we see the HUD briefly indicate that it saw him, and he immediately enters a red zone and gains two wanted stars. Gotta be a highway traffic camera identifying the stolen car. As soon as he's out of the red zone, the wanted stars vanish again. Lojack When Jason enters the stolen car, we see the gas and engine meters we first noticed in the earlier leak, bu
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Modern consumers crave "events", and the games industry needs to provide them | Opinion
For almost as long as the games industry has existed, the conventional wisdom around sequels has remained the same: strike while the iron is hot. If you have a hit game, ensure you get a sequel out the door before the public loses interest. If you have more than one hit in a row, that's a franchise, and those need a steady release cadence to ensure the brand's momentum doesn't falter. Read more
- Gaming50 minutes ago
The latest cooperative craze is a physics-based fishing simulator where you can launch your catch into the air and no-scope it with a sniper rifle
As someone who grew up in the '90s and early '00s when cooperative games were scarce, I'm a big fan of this current era of cheap and cheerful experiences designed to play with your pals. I enjoy the knockabout vibe of games like Peak and R.E.P.O , which acknowledge their disposable nature and focus on being daft fun, rather than trying to engage you for weeks and months at a time as more traditional live service games do. As such, I'm always interested to see what coop nonsense bubbles up to the surface of Steam's algorithm next, and it appears the catch of the day is How to Fish , a 1-4 player, physics- based fishing simulator where you subdue marine life in the most preposterous ways possible. The premise sees you and your pals stranded on a barren, rocky islet after drunkenly crashing onto its shores. You start out surviving by picking clams off the rock, which offer meagre sustenance. But you can also sell the clams for cash (which you do in the traditional manner of shoving them into an old seadog's mouth) thus enabling you to buy a fishing rod and begin learning how to fish. The fishing element of How to Fish is relatively simple. You cast your line, wait for something to take the bait, and reel it in. Where things get more interesting is in what happens after you've landed a catch. Fish and other sea-life don't just appear in your inventory: they will flop, scuttle or crawl around land until you've subdued them. Initially, you'll have naught but your fists to do this with, but over time, you can purchase knives, brass knuckles and even guns you can use to exact bloody vengeance on the ocean. Needless to say, How to Fish is an extremely silly game. Not only can you launch fish into the air and then blast them with firearms Ridiculous Fishing -style, but you can also barbecue seagulls and gamble your catch on slot machines and roulette wheels for a chance to gain even more cash. That said, How to Fish isn't wholly devoid of structure. There are NPCs dotted abou
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Dishonored was a last-ditch effort by Arkane Studios after years of fruitless contract work, according to the game's co-creator: 'I think we had four months of money left'
Former Arkane Austin head Harvey Smith recently announced his new studio, Black Pony Immersive . As the name suggests will be dedicated to making immersive sims in the tradition of Deus Ex and System Shock . It's a commitment that I wholeheartedly support, though as is always the case with this genre, there's a concern over whether such a move is commercially viable. As it turns out, however, this isn't the first time that Smith has bet the house on an immersive sim and come up trumps. That's exactly what happened with Dishonored —the game that cemented Arkane's reputation as the new guardian of this particular strand of RPG. Speaking to The Game Business, Smith revealed that Dishonored was a ride or die project, a way out of a mire of fruitless contract work for other developers. "People would come tell us 'Man, to keep the business alive, you better take some contracts. You need to be working on whatever you can get.' And for a while we tried that, even though it felt wrong." Despite some promising projects like a cancelled Half-Life 2 episode , Smith's fears proved justified: "There was a point in time when Arkane was about to go under. I think we had four months of money left. We were working on Boom Blox with EA. We were pitching to Ubisoft. We had a couple of guys on a zombie shooter. We were farming people out left and right. We were on nine projects at once." Eventually, Arkane decided to stop simply taking on third-party projects just to survive and create what they wanted come hell or high water. "At some point, we realised this is not the way. We are here to do a very specific thing. Let's focus on that, and let's go under if that's what is going to happen. Instead, the result was Dishonored, which was one of the big turnarounds of my career." This experience reinforced Smith's belief that the best chance of succeeding in the games industry is to make what you're truly passionate about. As such, Black Pony Immersive has already stated that it won't chase
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
Building AI models that understand chemical principles
Among all of the possible chemical compounds, it’s estimated that between 10 20 and 10 60 may hold potential as small-molecule drugs. Evaluating each of those compounds experimentally would be far too time-consuming for chemists. So, in recent years, researchers have begun using artificial intelligence to help identify compounds that could make good drug candidates. One of those researchers is MIT Associate Professor Connor Coley PhD ’19, the Class of 1957 Career Development Associate Professor with shared appointments in the departments of Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. His research straddles the line between chemical engineering and computer science, as he develops and deploys computational models to analyze vast numbers of possible chemical compounds, design new compounds, and predict reaction pathways that could generate those compounds. “It’s a very general approach that could be applied to any application of organic molecules, but the primary application that we think about is small-molecule drug discovery,” he says. The intersection of AI and science Coley’s interest in science runs in the family. In fact, he says, his family includes more scientists than non-scientists, including his father, a radiologist; his mother, who earned a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry before going to the MIT Sloan School of Management; and his grandmother, a math professor. As a high school student in Dublin, Ohio, Coley participated in Science Olympiad competitions and graduated from high school at the age of 16. He then headed to Caltech, where he chose chemical engineering as a major because it offered a way to combine his interests in science and math. During his undergraduate years, he also pursued an interest in computer science, working in a structural biology lab using the Fortran programming language to help solve the crystal structure of proteins. Af
- Gaming50 minutes ago
This mod transforms Doom into a terrifying tactical shooter, and it's partly inspired by another PC gaming classic
It takes a brave soul to ask the question "What if Doom was an incredibly slow-moving tactical shooter?" In fact, it's not a question I ever thought I'd want an answer to—we aren't exactly short of grim-faced, hyper-lethal first-person shooters these days. But the most recent footage of Blackout has convinced me that tactical Doom might be a good idea, if only because its dark and dangerous demo looks so darned terrifying. Blackout is a work-in-progress mod built for Doom source ports Zandronum and UZDoom, currently available in playable alpha. Created by modder PKmX, it's designed to provide "tactical military simulation-based gameplay that focuses on slow methodical clearing", according to a breakdown posted on the ZDoom forums , with players expected to "hide behind covers and execute proper breaching techniques to maximise chances of survival." The mod makes several radical changes to Doom's basic playstyle. Movement is much slower, while your character is significantly more fragile. Weapons are based on real-life firearms that feature ADS and reloading, with damage and recoil that reflects their calibre, fire-rate, and so forth. The enemies you face remain classic Doom monsters, but PKmX says their behaviours have been "tweaked to suit tactical gameplay". Attacks are deadlier but take longer to charge, and they can both suppress you and be suppressed by you. There's also a stealth and awareness system where gunfire draws monsters to your location, while remaining quiet may enable you to sneak past enemies unseen. In motion, Blackout reminds me a lot of Stalker , with relatively slow movement but highly reactive (and vicious) gunplay. Surprisingly though, this isn't the inspiration that PKmX cites. Apparently, Blackout draws significantly from Crysis , right down to featuring an energy suit inspired by Crytek's nanosuit. Not only does this feature a damage-absorbing energy shield and an "adrenaline system" that provides a speed boost when near death, but it also
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Fallout meets Crusader Kings as Paradox accidentally leaks its next grand strategy game ahead of Gamescom reveal
It seems to be a bad time to be working in Paradox Interactive's marketing department, as the publisher has apparently just leaked its next big announcement. It appears that Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 will bring us the reveal of Afterworld, a post-apocalyptic grand strategy game that sounds like Fallout meets Crusader Kings. Reddit user DimDimio first discovered the name of Afterworld while browsing the official Paradox Forum, where it appeared in a list of "unreleased games" in the site's filters. They then followed Paradox's typical URL conventions to track down the game's official Discord server, which describes Afterworld like this: "Lead a tribe of survivors, rediscover ancient technology, manage wasteland settlements and wage wars of conquest and political struggle in Afterworld, an original post-apocalyptic survival grand strategy game." I've been unable to independently verify any of this – mentions of Afterworld have apparently been scrubbed from the forum, with no Archive.org backup, and it seems Paradox quickly cut off access to that Discord – but this all matches with the developer's official teases of its new project. Paradox's official website features a big teaser for its "next grand strategy game," with a countdown set to end during Gamescom Opening Night Live. In the background, a desert storm obscures a scene featuring half-buried structures, a machete, and a stick plunged into the ground with a makeshift flag attached. Sure looks like it could be a teaser for a post-apocalyptic strategy game about laying claim to a newly ravaged world. Paradox's brand of grand strategy tends to focus much more on politics and relationships between governing leaders than other strategy titles, and while there is potential for plenty of military conflict in these games, it's usually just one factor in a wide array of gameplay systems. I guess we'll find out for sure what Paradox has in store when Opening Night Live broadcasts on August 25. We've got the whole
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Sekiro's combat is a "remarkable refinement" of the Souls games, says dev of new action RPG "honored" by comparisons to FromSoftware
A stunning little action RPG crept onto Steam last month, and after some small wobbles at launch, it's stabilized with hundreds of very positive user reviews. Lunarium , from developer Lunariumstudio (per its English Steam profile), is a lush isometric game about two girls on a starcrossed journey. Its deflect-driven combat drew comparisons to action greats like Nier: Automata and, especially, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice at launch, and director Jixiang tells me they're "very honored" to hear them. "Both of those games were important references and learning resources for us during development, and they're also games that many members of our team really love as players," Jixiang explains. "Sekiro in particular has been a major source of inspiration. I think Sekiro's combat system is a remarkable refinement and innovation on the ideas established by the earlier Souls games. The more you study it, the more you appreciate how sophisticated and carefully designed it is. "I believe Sekiro's combat system is something that any developer interested in making action games can learn a great deal from." Alongside the massive collective fandom of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, Sekiro has cultivated a particularly devoted community which not-unreasonably holds it up as the pinnacle of action combat design. Just as Dark Souls shaped a generation of dark fantasy RPGs, Sekiro's ripples are seen in Nine Sols and, arguably, the likes of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty ( which is due a sequel , by the way). Even compared to the Souls games, Sekiro was even stricter in how it presents challenges to players: it's you, a sword, and a boss. You cannot out-think Sekiro the same way you can some other FromSoftware games; you can only learn to keep up with its tempo. Lunarium is intentionally broader in its buildcrafting, with a clever embroidery system adding abilities via the main character's cloak. Jixiang examines the ideal difficulty for an action RPG like this. "I think the game should r
- Gaming50 minutes ago
2XKO's shutdown has me feeling glum about Riot's future MMO—because I don't think the genre can survive corporate cut-and-run tactics
I find myself pretty gloomy about the shutdown of 2XKO—but not because I'll miss it on a personal level. I don't have the mental bandwidth to training-montage myself into a serious fighting game player other than a few stints with Guilty Gear: Strive, but I did have a reasonable time messing around with 2XKO during its beta. And while I'm aware my lack of continued playing makes me part of the problem, I genuinely felt a little sad to see it sink into the waves as Riot announced it was winding down development . But I'm also feeling blue for another reason. While I don't necessarily blame Riot for not wasting money in this quarterly-results-driven culture of ours, I also really don't think this sort of attitude helps me believe in the vision of its upcoming MMO, whose details are wrapped in the mists of a development mirage . Riot laid off most of its developers less than three weeks after 2XKO's release —roughly 80 people. People like Patrick Miller , an amazing steward of fighting games who's written a book on the genre. The fact it's shutting down the game less than a year after that "inspired" (these air quotes are so heavy) move speaks to me of a corporate impatience that MMOs seriously struggle to survive. As Raph Koster told me this year in our Terminally Online column, MMOs have become incredibly expensive. MMOs are costly to run and take a long time to get cooking. The continued success of everything that isn't WoW (which found major success right away and sat fat and glad for years) isn't due to some goldrush mentality, but because they've been steadily sustained for over a decade—once you get a solid playerbase, an MMO will keep breadwinning for you for years to come. But they're a commitment. And commitments are something Riot seems flighty about making. I couldn't tell you about the numbers behind the screen—we know that 2XKO was making "only a fraction of what it would take to trend toward sustainability"—but might that have had something to do with th
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
Technology usually creates jobs for young, skilled workers. Will AI do the same?
At any given time, technology does two things to employment: It replaces traditional jobs, and it creates new lines of work. Machines replace farmers, but enable, say, aeronautical engineers to exist. So, if tech creates new jobs, who gets them? How well do they pay? How long do new jobs remain new, before they become just another common task any worker can do? A new study of U.S. employment led by MIT labor economist David Autor sheds light on all these matters. In the postwar U.S., as Autor and his colleagues show in granular detail, new forms of work have tended to benefit college graduates under 30 more than anyone else. “We had never before seen exactly who is doing new work,” Autor says. “It’s done more by young and educated people, in urban settings.” The study also contains a powerful large-scale insight: A lot of innovation-based new work is driven by demand. Government-backed expansion of research and manufacturing in the 1940s, in response to World War II, accounted for a huge amount of new work, and new forms of expertise. “This says that wherever we make new investments, we end up getting new specializations,” Autor says. “If you create a large-scale activity, there’s always going to be an opportunity for new specialized knowledge that’s relevant for it. We thought that was exciting to see.” The paper, “ What Makes New Work Different from More Work ?” is forthcoming in the Annual Review of Economics . The authors are Autor; Caroline Chin, a doctoral student in MIT’s Department of Economics; Anna M. Salomons, a professor at Tilburg University’s Department of Economics and Utrecht University’s School of Economics; and Bryan Seegmiller PhD ’22, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. And yes, learning about new work, and the kinds of workers who obtain it, might be relevant to the spread of artificial intelligence — although, in Autor’s estimation, it is too soon to tell just how AI will aff
- Gaming50 minutes ago
The first physical PC game I remember playing shows what Sony is thoughtlessly destroying
Weird Weekend Weird Weekend is our regular Saturday column where we celebrate PC gaming oddities: peculiar games, strange bits of trivia, forgotten history. Pop back every weekend to find out what Jeremy, Josh and Rick have become obsessed with this time, whether it's the canon height of Thief's Garrett or that time someone in the Vatican pirated Football Manager . You might have caught it in the news: Sony infuriated absolutely everyone recently with a single blog post (usually it's me who does that) announcing that, come the big year 2028, PlayStation owners can wave goodbye to physical media . It's the information superhighway or the, ah, highway from here on out—your games will be digital or they will be nothing at all. The tide of anger at Sony was such that it was only temporarily diverted when Xbox CEO Asha Sharma spent a Monday marching from studio to studio with a chainsaw and a can-do attitude . I suppose Sony's antics are old-hat to you and me. We are PC people; we have been de facto digital-only for over a decade at this point (almost two for me, to be honest: I made my Steam account in 2009). The last time I built a PC with a disc drive was back in 2015, and I didn't use it for anything but moving around photos. Nevertheless, Sony's war on the physical realm got me thinking: what was the first big-box PC game I remember handling, back when I was a speck of a boy at a hulking Fujitsu desktop? Was it good? Was it an all-time classic, rightly embodied in unconquerable materiality? (Image credit: Throwback Entertainment) Tunnel vision No. It was Tunnel B1, a 1996 first-person shooter that asks 'What if a hovercraft had machine guns?' and which no one but me remembers. It's an odd thing—despite its year of release, it feels like a transitional fossil between dime-guzzling arcade shooters and something more modern, more narrative, more id-inflected. It is a messy beast of a game that does not really have all that much going on, which I imagine is why its Wiki
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is officially the highest-grossing Marvel movie at the US box office after dethroning Avengers: Endgame
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now the biggest Marvel movie at the US box office, knocking Avengers: Endgame down to second place. Per Collider , Brand New Day has earned $855 million at the domestic box office, and is set to pass Avengers: Endgame, which has an overall domestic gross of $858 million, by midweek. Endgame still holds the title for highest-grossing Marvel movie of all time, as it has a global gross of $2.8 billion. Brand New Day currently sits at $2.2 billion. The new film, which takes place four years after the events Spider-Man: No Way Home, sees a pretty lonely Peter Parker obsessively check in on Ned and MJ while doing his daily Spider-Man duties. When a new, seemingly undefeatable threat hits New York City, Peter is forced to confront his past... and maybe finally heal. Brand New Day has a 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes , and a nearly perfect 98% audience score. We may not see Spidey again until Avengers: Secret Wars, given that it's the Secret Wars comic book arc that introduces the alien symbiote known as Venom and gives Peter that snazzy black Spidey suit (that we haven't seen since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3). Though, he could always pop up in Avengers: Doomsday, especially given the fact that nearly every Marvel hero to ever exist is making an appearance . Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in theaters now. For more, check out our Spider-Man: Brand New Day review , or, check out our guide to the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending explained .
- Fintech50 minutes ago
Embattled bank names next CEO after investor challenge
Cashmere Valley Bank tapped a Nicolet executive to take the reins. But the investor who publicly pressured the Washington state-based lender said he's still pursuing changes at the board level.
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Rockstar "overreacts a bit at times," says former tech lead as GTA 6 leaks continue, but it's "their job" to stop them
Most reasonable people would say charging for ad space on leaked footage from the most anticipated media launch of all time warrants a pretty strong response from the IP holder, but when it comes to Rockstar's years-long predicament with GTA 6 leaks , unfortunately there is reliable reporting that suggests that response disproportionately impacts employees with no involvement in the leaks. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier , Rockstar implemented tight security measures including a return-to-office mandate for all employees following the explosive GTA 6 leak from 2022, which added salt to the wound when more leaks surfaced last week. The new leaker causing everyone at Rockstar to lose sleep currently has yet to be identified and has threatened substantial story spoilers . Rockstar has yet to respond publicly but has pursued aggressive legal action , as is its right, in the view of former Rockstar technical lead Obbe Vermeij, who was with Rockstar from 1995 to 2009. Over on Twitter , Vermeij used his insights as a former lead at the company to say, "[Rockstar New York] overreacts a bit at times" before adding, "But it is their job to try to stop these kind of leaks." Never thee mind, though, as Vermeij said in the same breath that the leaks "are a nothing burger" because 90% of prospective players aren't looking around online for spoilers. "I was there during Hot Coffee," he added, referring to an incident in which a very NSFW mini-game mistakenly made its way into GTA San Andreas . "It was a nightmare for management [Rockstar's New York offices] but didn't affect us [Rockstar North] much. The current leaks are far less consequential than [Hot Coffee] was. It looks like GTA 6 will be phenomenal and sell for the next 15 years or so. The leaks are just a tiny blip." A tiny blip feels a little reductive considering gameplay and map details have been revealed against Rockstar's will and now story spoilers are on the table, but at the end of the day, GTA is going to
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Fallout dev Tim Cain says we should pay more attention to bad games: '[Publishers] often don't learn from failure because they only look at the games that sold well'
"Jesus Christ, I could write this shit:" The great Alan Moore once said that the sort of negative inspiration you get from reading drivel is even more fruitful for aspiring authors than the kind you get from reading the classics. Fallout co-creator and prolific video blogger Tim Cain took it a step further in a video he published Wednesday , saying everyone from bigwig publishers to the casual gamer could learn a thing or two from bad games. Granted, he's not talking about irredeemable refuse like Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude , but rather the "many" cases where "one game came out, it wasn't very good, and it was forgotten … you could learn a lot from games like that." You know, stuff like Viking: Battle for Asgard . "For a publisher, their success is game sales. Because of that, they often don't learn from failure because they only look at the games that sold well," he said in the video. "Gamers will frequently point to popular games and say, 'we want more of that,' without necessarily knowing exactly what part of those games made them so good. If they do point to bad games, they tend to point to well-known bad games." He likened the industry's tunnel vision on critical darlings, sales behemoths, and only the most prominent flops to survivorship bias . "In addition to looking for common features among games that sell well, you should look for common features among games that are considered unsuccessful." If you can't tell the good from the bad in a good game, Cain reckoned "you will possibly miss out on why they are successful. This happens all the time in videogames, and everybody does it." While it's all subjective, Cain's point is ultimately that not every aspect of a good game is an equal part of why it's good—plenty of great games have "a low framerate, atrocious user interfaces, and crash bugs," he noted—and a reliable way to understand games more deeply is to sit with an unsuccessful one, curious about what went wrong. 2026 games : All the upcoming gam
- Gaming50 minutes ago
GTA6 leaker Cyberleek shows off gas station rampage, refueling, promises strip club gameplay if people juice his cryptocurrency enough
GTA6 leaker Cyberleek is still at it, even as his digital wanted level is skyrocketing to never-before-seen heights. His latest, two-minute clip was shared to the Gaming Leaks and Rumors subreddit. The post has already been removed, and, to keep my job, you've got to find the clip on your own. It shows protagonist Jason assaulting two gas station attendants before crashing a sports car. I guess there's more to it than that: The clip shows the interface for filling up at a gas station. While the cars need gas now, refueling is a bit seamless and gamey—it appears you just press a button at the pump and it's taken care of instantaneously, though the options are greyed out in this clip, perhaps because of Jason's wanted level. Multiple commenters also pointed out that GTA6 is boasting a shockingly lavish progressive damage system for vehicles. Cyberleek then goes in the station and leaps behind the counter to brutalize and rob the attendant, incidentally demonstrating the swiftness of Florida justice as sheriff's deputies immediately rock up to ruin Jason's day—though he did already have a two-star wanted rating before adding assault with a deadly weapon to his rap sheet, and the previous leak hinted that the car he stole may have a tracker in it . There's no stopping Jason, though, as he rockets away to do the same at another gas station before having a high-speed collision with a truck, which is shown in slow-motion. In addition to Cyberleek's usual mascot watermark entreating viewers to "Show support, buy $Cyberleek," the anonymous leaker also has a watermark promising to show gameplay at a strip club if his cryptocurrency reaches a $3 million market cap. To tease this, the final shot of the video is a cut to Jason entering a grungy rural strip club. And I gotta say: I'm a crypto and GTA hater, this is the first one of these I've watched, the vid is all washed out like the HDR settings are messed up, Cyberleek plays like a middle schooler whose parents aren't home,
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Compulsion Games' buyout is complete, so now Microsoft won't get a cut if you buy South of Midnight
South of Midnight was one of 2025's seemingly innumerable highlights—in their 83% review , evergreen writer Andrea Shearon called it "a Deep South delight drenched in superstition and pain." If you've been holding off but nonetheless rooting for the award-winning studio behind it, Compulsion Games, now's a great time to dive in: it's independent again after a lengthy stay under the Xbox Game Studios banner. After rumors of closure came in the wake of Xbox's most recent layoffs , Compulsion announced it'd be leaving Microsoft instead and pursuing other partnerships . On Thursday, CEO Guillaume Provost explained to GamesBeat that "the management buyout is complete and that it owns its original intellectual property games again, as Microsoft has transferred the IP back to Compulsion Games," according to the article. "Provost said management has acquired the studio and staff as well." Granted, if you happened to be avoiding games by Microsoft-owned studios because of the BDS boycott protesting the roles of various corporations in Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians, this particular game and others like it were already excepted by some advocates. No Games For Genocide named it as a possible exception due to its indie-like production scale and "themes of black liberation" in its FAQ , saying "it’s worth putting our time, energy and efforts into building mass boycotts for the larger titles." Still, if you've been holding out, the studio now gets a bigger cut of the money when you buy the game now and Microsoft gets none, assuming you don't buy it through the Xbox digital storefront. And regardless of any of that, it's still noteworthy as a critical time for the studio also behind We Happy Few and 2013's Contrast . Sustainably cutting ties with such a huge publisher is no easy feat, and the turmoil at Xbox already had Compulsion devs looking for new jobs before the infamous "reset" even took place. 2026 games : All the upcoming games Best PC games : Our all-time favor
- Gaming50 minutes ago
SWG lead's new MMO, Stars Reach, almost lost me—until I met an animal conservationist mayor
Terminally Online (Image credit: Future) This is Terminally Online : PC Gamer's very own MMO column. Every other week, I'll be sharing my thoughts on the genre, interviewing fellow MMO-heads like me, taking a deep-dive into mechanics we've all taken for granted, and, occasionally, bringing in guest writers to talk about their MMO of choice. Full disclosure, here— Stars Reach is, in my humble opinion, a bit of a mess. It's an MMO headed up by Raph Koster , who knows what he's doing on account of his involvement in Ultima Online and, more relevant to the game at hand, Star Wars: Galaxies, and it released into early access this week to the price point of almost $30 (£28). Stars Reach tries to follow in SWG's vein of being a socially-driven MMO with a huge array of skills you can train. The vision is a galactic society where being a dancer or a journalist is just as viable a playstyle as, say, going outdoors and gunning some beasties down. I say the "vision", because Stars Reach isn't quite there yet. In fact, it makes a god-awful first impression, starting with a brief stint in a tutorial zone to get you accustomed to your tools—a terraformer, a scanner, a harvester, a gun, and a deeply janky grappling hook. By far, the most interesting part of these mechanics is the terraformer—which lets you dig into the fully malleable earth and spit out the terrain you've mined. Everything else is deeply so-so. The scanner's a hot/cold beeping system to help build out your map, and the gunplay is… ah, you shoot things and they die. None of it feels particularly good. The issue—aside from the raft of crusty UI issues and unfinished icons—is what the game does to you next. You're plonked on a rather bland-looking space station and encouraged to go and grab a few missions, of which you can only snap up a handful. These are randomly-generated and dull as driftwood, but they at least get you used to the core mechanics and how you could feasibly use them. Playable Worlds, Inc. Playable W
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
Media Advisory: MIT to establish regional quantum hub
MIT and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced plans to establish the Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) at MIT, which will be open to researchers across the region. With the new funding from the state, which will match federal funding for quantum research already underway at MIT, the Institute aims to begin construction on the QSL facility this summer. The QSL will host specialized facilities that will enable Massachusetts scientists to undertake impactful work applying quantum research across practical domains, including life sciences and national defense. Quantum technologies promise transformative changes in fields from computing, security, and navigation to health sciences, defense technologies, and space exploration. But how do we ensure Massachusetts stays on the leading edge of our nation’s coming quantum leap? Doing so is vital to the prosperity and security of our Commonwealth and country, serving to protect and advance America’s technological leadership in a world that has been upended by geopolitical rivalries. On Thursday, May 28, Governor Maura Healey joined President Sally Kornbluth at MIT to announce a new effort aimed at establishing Massachusetts as a national hub for quantum innovation and catalyzing next generation quantum technologies. MIT and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced plans to establish the Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) at MIT, a new shared-use facility that will serve as a quantum toolbox for the region, aimed at accelerating quantum research, innovation, and growth in this critical field. The QSL seeks to be the first facility in the world to bring together state‑of‑the‑art quantum computers with quantum sensors and peripherals, joined by quantum interconnects (physical channels that transfer quantum information). The facility will provide researchers from MIT and other institutions hands‑on access to significant quantum hardware and specialized experimental capabilities that a
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
MIT researchers teach AI models to interpret charts
To accelerate and refine decision-making in a fast-paced, global marketplace, enterprises may deploy generative artificial intelligence models to help summarize and interpret the charts that often fill market summaries and financial reports. But even the latest vision-language models sometimes struggle with this task, since it requires a model to integrate visual, numerical, and linguistic understanding. A company that invests in a state-of-the-art model might still receive inaccurate or incomplete information. To fill this performance gap, researchers from MIT and the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab developed a multifaceted resource for AI users that is specifically designed to teach vision-language models (VLMs) how to effectively interpret charts. They used a novel data generation method to build a state-of-the-art dataset that includes more than a million varied charts. The dataset also encodes many visual, linguistic, and numerical components of each chart image, which enable models to robustly reason about the information in a chart. The researchers used this dataset, called ChartNet , to train a series of open-source VLMs. Many of these smaller models significantly outperformed orders of magnitude larger, commercial models on tasks like data extraction and chart summarization. By enabling open-source models to outperform their commercial counterparts, ChartNet could allow small firms with limited budgets to more readily utilize AI. The open-source dataset can be used to improve the capabilities of AI models for tasks like business trend analysis and scientific figure interpretation. “We developed ChartNet to be a one-stop shop for chart understanding, covering basically anything that an AI model and a practitioner who is training that model might need. We hope our work motivates researchers to achieve state-of-the-art performance with smaller models that don’t require infinite amounts of computation,” says Jovana Kondic, an MIT electrical engi
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
Tod Machover receives George Peabody Medal for contributions to music and technology
Tod Machover, the Muriel R. Cooper Professor of Music and Media, faculty director of the MIT Media Lab, and director of the Opera of the Future research group, will receive the George Peabody Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Music and Dance in America — the highest honor bestowed by the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. As a composer and music tech pioneer, Machover has helped expand music’s possibilities for artists and audiences alike through his work in participatory opera, artificial intelligence, and creative technologies. He joins a roster of previous George Peabody Medal recipients that includes Stevie Wonder, Misty Copeland, Herbie Hancock, Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Leonard Bernstein. In the citation for the Peabody Medal, Peabody Institute Dean Fred Bronstein writes: “The breadth and depth of Tod Machover’s career — his work in participatory opera, as an educator and faculty director of the MIT Media Lab, his genuinely groundbreaking and prescient work at the intersection of music and technology, along with an overall and broad impact on the American music scene — make him an ideal recipient for the Peabody Medal … Machover continues to provide inspiration especially in the fast-evolving relationship between AI and the creative process. We are honored to welcome to campus a true pioneer and thought leader.” Hailed as a “musical visionary” and “America’s most wired composer,” Machover is recognized as one of the most innovative composers active today. He is praised for creating music that breaks traditional artistic and cultural boundaries and for developing technologies that expand music’s potential for everyone. Machover was the first director of musical research at Pierre Boulez's IRCAM in Paris and was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024. His work has been recognized by organizations including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Na
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
The crucial human component in computing and AI
On April 30, the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing’s Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) initiative hosted a full-day research symposium examining how artificial intelligence is shaping the world and its implications for society. The symposium included research talks by SERC’s latest seed grant recipients on topics such as air pollution forecasting and responsible computer vision deployment, panels on AI alignment and AI in education, and a keynote address by Jon Kleinberg PhD ’96, the Tisch University Professor of Computer Science and Information Science at Cornell University. The event also featured a poster session, where student researchers showcased projects they worked on throughout the year as SERC Scholars . “There is so much amazing research being done at MIT on how AI and computing can be forces for good that benefit humanity. It was inspiring to see so much community interest in all this cutting-edge work,” said Brian Hedden, co-associate dean of SERC and professor of philosophy, who holds an MIT Schwarzman College of Computing shared position with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). “As computing and AI become increasingly embedded in nearly every dimension of society, SERC’s mission is to help ensure that ethical reflection and technical progress advance together,” said Nikos Trichakis, co-associate dean of SERC and the J.C. Penney Professor of Management. “This year’s symposium highlights the extraordinary range of work underway across MIT, and creates a forum for our community to engage deeply with the responsibilities that come with shaping the future of computing.” Aligning AI with human values — and what values those might be The challenges with AI alignment and moral meshing lie in the ethical questions of how to instill “human values” onto a very powerful and rapidly changing technology. Who makes the decision on what values and rational
- Gaming50 minutes ago
The 1998 horror game that haunted my dreams even more than Resident Evil 2 is back, "modernized," and available on consoles for the first time
Few things linger in your subconscious longer than memories of being frightened as a child. Some of my strongest are moments from video games I was probably way too young to be playing, like the gas station scene from the original Resident Evil 2, Scissorman from Clock Tower, and maybe a little more niche, mutated kids from the 1998 point-and-click psychological horror game, Sanitarium. That's why, when a co-worker asked if I'd seen the newly announced Sanitarium Enhanced , a "modernized" version and the first official launch on consoles, I had a visceral reaction. It's been almost 30 years since I've played Sanitarium, and to be frank I'd mostly forgotten about it until today, but watching the trailer for Enhanced brought back some powerful memories. I specifically remember the inmates of the asylum banging their heads against the stone walls and the splatter of blood left behind. Sanitarium places you in the shoes of an unfortunate man who wakes up in a ruined asylum, disfigured and without any memory of his previous life. Once you get out of there it's like a horrible amusement park full of genuinely disturbing attractions, from the aforementioned village of deformed children to the town crawling with giant, mutant insects, to the circus level with squid man and dog man. As you point and click through the world, you'll uncover the likely horrific truth of your past. Sanitarium Enhanced includes various modern features like full controller support for consoles and Steam Deck, widescreen display, "never-before-seen bonus material," and "other quality-of-life improvements." Crucially, there are also "fixes to legacy bugs and issues" and an optional hint system to help you find interactables. In my research, two of the most common pain points about the original game is that it's pretty buggy and its interactable objects can be hard to separate from environments due to the dated visuals. The game comes out in 2026 for Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 1 and 2. I c
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Resident Evil director explains how the new movie honors the "spirit and tone" and power progression of the games, despite telling its own story
Zach Cregger has opened up about his approach to adapting Resident Evil in his new movie. Instead of a direct adaptation, the Weapons director is telling a new story set in the world of the franchise. "I happen to worship these Resident Evil games and pull a lot of inspiration from the experience of playing them," he said in a new featurette , before listing some of the references he included. "I tried to keep the environment changing every seven or eight minutes, like the games. You're always moving into another level as it were." Cregger went on to explain that he includes weapon progression in the movie, from pistol to machine gun, as well as including healing spray cans, typewriters, and herbs. He's even included a particularly niche frustration, which fans of the franchise will know all too well. "There's a lot of items from the games, he's constantly coming up against these padlocks that are stopping him from progressing," he added. As Cregger puts it, while the new movie won't include Leon or adapt any particular story, "This is an opportunity for me to be loyal to the games in spirit and in tone and build a story that puts you in that scenario again and again, with increasing stakes." Resident Evil stars Austin Abrams as a hospital delivery driver tasked with taking an important package to Raccoon City hospital. However, what follows is no ordinary night as a viral outbreak of infected monsters swarm him as he makes the perilous journey. The horror movie opens on September 18, 2026. For more scares, check out our guide to upcoming horror movies as well as a breakdown of all the new video game adaptations on the way in 2026 and beyond.
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
Startup’s nuclear-inspired cooling system could make data centers more sustainable
The rise of artificial intelligence is riding on the back of an enormous data center expansion. Data centers are projected to account for anywhere from 9 to 17 percent of total electricity usage in the U.S. by the end of the decade. Today, around a third of data center electricity is devoted to cooling the chips that run AI models. That’s the process Ferveret is working to make more efficient. The startup, founded by Reza Azizian, a former MIT postdoc in nuclear engineering, and Matteo Bucci, MIT’s Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, is adapting an approach from nuclear reactors to cool chips using no water and significantly less electricity. The company’s cooling system submerges computer servers in a specialized liquid that absorbs heat much more efficiently than air from a fan. What makes the solution different from other liquid cooling systems are the bubbles: Ferveret’s Adaptive Phase Cooling (APC) solution produces much smaller bubbles at the surface of the server, which detach more frequently, accelerating the heat transfer process. Ferveret is already testing its solutions with companies including CleanSpark, the data center developer and operator, as well as FuriosaAI, an AI accelerator company, and Switch, one of the largest data center operators in the U.S. In a recent study in collaboration with the Samueli Computer Science Department at the University of California at Los Angeles, Ferveret found its APC solution led to a 15 percent improvement in computational power efficiency compared to state-of-the-art liquid cooling solutions. By combining those savings with Ferveret’s power control system to optimize operating conditions, the company says it allows data centers to get 35 percent more tokens — small pieces of text or data — from their AI models with the same amount of power. “Our goal is to make data centers as sustainable as possible and help them use every single watt of power to
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Matchmaking platform Sail.game launches free tier for devs ahead of Gamescom
Matchmaking platform Sail.game is introducing a free tier for PC and console game developers ahead of Gamescom. Read more
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Dark Matter season 2 showrunner says it was "totally freeing" to venture beyond the book, and he still wants to make season 3
Dark Matter season 2 presented an entirely different challenge for the team behind the Apple TV sci-fi series. While Dark Matter's mind-bending first season stuck closely to the novel of the same name, there was no second book for season 2 to adapt, meaning no roadmap to follow. For showrunner Blake Crouch, who also wrote the original novel, this meant season 2 was "a lot harder" to make, but it also proved "totally freeing" by opening up infinite avenues to explore. Speaking with GamesRadar+ at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 , where the cast and crew of Dark Matter appeared on the Hall H stage as part of the Apple TV panel, Crouch discussed the challenge involved in forging a new path on the fly for season 2. "Well, at first it really sucked," Crouch says with a chuckle. "It made it a lot harder. But once we jumped over that initial hurdle, it was totally freeing because we weren't locked into things that the book demanded us to do. So we got to follow our fancy a little bit more and write a few episodes that would never have existed in season 1." After being kidnapped by his own alt-reality self, Dark Matter's first season saw physicist Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) reunite with his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley), and depart for a new world. Season 2 picks up with the Dessens settled into a secluded new home, but with the potential for infinite threats to emerge from the multiverse, danger is never far away. (Image credit: Apple TV) Debuting in 2024, at a time when multiversal storytelling was all the rage thanks to the MCU and DCEU, Dark Matter offered a more cerebral and grounded alternative to the likes of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Flash by exploring the unpredictable consequences of opening Pandora's box, and audiences responded in kind. "It just shows you that audiences want to be challenged," Crouch says. "The Golden Age of television started in the 2010s with The Sopranos, Mad Men, things like that, and it
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Disney isn't stopping with Kingdom Hearts 4 and a new anime, as "there are so many things we want to do" with the 25-year-old JRPG series
Kingdom Hearts is celebrating its 25th anniversary next year with the release of Kingdom Hearts 4. While it doesn't have a release date yet, it was also revealed that a Kingdom Hearts animated series is in development for Disney's streaming platforms. However, this is apparently just the beginning of the franchise's plans, according to Disney's director of games, Nana Gadd. In an interview with 4Gamer that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Gadd discussed the new Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer and anime announcement that were part of Disney's biennial fan convention D23. The series, which features a mash-up of Disney and Final Fantasy characters with original roles sprinkled in, is already known for its expansiveness, but it seems Disney is eager for more. So far, Kingdom Hearts has been mostly focused on gaming, with over a dozen releases spanning a wide range of genres. While there are also manga and light novels, the majority of the fandom focuses on video games. However, with the announcement of the animated series, it's clear that Disney is hoping to expand. "Even though Kingdom Hearts has been around for 25 years, there are so many things we want to do," says Gadd. "The announcement of the animated series is truly just the first step." The franchise is already known for its complicated story, where you need to experience every piece of media just to have a hope of figuring it out. With that in mind, this statement has an exciting yet threatening aura. Kingdom Hearts 4 features Pixar's Coco because Tetsuya Nomura thought it "would be the best world" for Sora's story
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
When it comes to predicting people’s preferences, it pays to consider “the power of three”
In his 1927 paper, “A law of comparative judgment,” the American psychologist L. L. Thurstone proposed that when people select one option among multiple alternatives, they are picking the one that has the highest value to them, even though they cannot assign a particular number to that choice. Thurstone was a pioneer of “psychometrics” — a field built upon the premise that mental processes, which we cannot see, can nevertheless be measured and quantified. His 1927 paper laid the groundwork for what are now called random utility models, which provide a mathematical framework for describing human preferences — information that can be relied upon, in turn, to make predictions about various hypothetical situations. Random utility models (RUMs) are so named because they assess the “utility,” or benefit, that can be obtained from a given choice — such as deciding which book to read first among the stack of novels you brought back from the library. “These models are inherently random,” explains Gabriele Farina, an assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and principal investigator at the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), “because people are different. Everyone has their own preferences, and even those preferences can vary from time to time.” For example, someone who normally picks coffee over tea in the morning, and prefers tea after dinner, may, upon occasion, mix up that order entirely. RUMs, to be sure, are frequently used within government and industry in situations of far greater consequence than the selection of a hot (or iced) beverage. The models routinely facilitate predictions regarding what people will elect to do in so-called counterfactual (“what-if”) scenarios such as: How will they get to work or school if a major thoroughfare is shut down for construction? What routes and modes of transport will they take? Or, if a city suddenly receives a windfall of $20 million, how shou
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Lanterns theory suggests Zoe Macon isn't the Manhunter, but a deep-cut DC character linked to Sinestro
With the introduction of Manhunters and the mysterious circumstances of Hal Jordan's death in Lanterns so far, plenty of wild theories have been circulating about the DC Studios show. The latest fan speculation to emerge surrounds the mysterious Zoe Macon and how she might be linked to Sinestro . Posting on Twitter , one fan suggested that Zoe could be Soranik Natu, the daughter of Sinestro. The character is the leader of the Sinestro Corps in the comics, as well as being a former member of the Lantern Corps. The theory of why Zoe could be her in hiding seems to stem from Sinestro's knowledge of John Stewart. At the very end of Lanterns episode 2, Hal Jordan visits his former mentor, who quizzes him on what he knows about John. But as fans pointed out, if he's imprisoned, then how does he even know about John? One answer could be that his daughter is communicating with him somehow. We know that Zoe and John are well acquainted in the HBO Max show after their liaison in episode 1. Could she be the missing link? "Today's episode had a lot of yellow imagery and lighting around this scene in particular with John and Zoe," Twitter user sz0 added. "And again, it’s definitely possible she’s the manhunter. Or, she was told by Sinestro to keep a close eye on Hal, and that's how he knows about John." Intriguing… As the user suggests, Zoe is also one of the prime Manhunter suspects. As we learnt in episode 2, the mysterious and highly dangerous alien has infiltrated Rushville and is hiding in human form. Zoe's husband William Macon, son Billy Macon, and Sheriff Kerry Kane are all also suspects. Only time will tell who the real villain is. For more on the show, check out our guide to when Lanterns takes place on the DC timeline as well as our breakdown of the Lanterns release schedule .
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii says AI "hardly ever makes things up" anymore, even if it once made up that he works for Nintendo
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii admits he's a fan of AI and of how much it's evolved over the years, saying it "hardly ever makes things up" anymore. He made these comments after being asked about the Gemini-powered chatbot that was recently added to the series' MMO. The Dragon Quest series is credited with having one of gaming's first AI systems: in 1990's Dragon Quest 4, the player could give party members general instructions, and the AI then selected actions for each one. However, the series' latest implementation of AI has been far less popular. Dragon Quest 10, the series Japanese-exclusive MMO, recently launched its seventh and final expansion, Lost Children of Time and Space, with a divisive addition. The expansion included a companion called Oshaberi Slimey – literally talkative Slimey – one of Dragon Quest's iconic blue slimes in a jester's hat. However, fans were disappointed to hear that Slimey works by using a Google Gemini-powered chatbot . In an interview with Famitsu that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Horii explains his choice to implement Slimey and his opinions on AI in general. "Because nowadays AI is really smart, it's fun," he says. "It doesn't matter what I ask it, it hardly ever makes things up [anymore]." AI often has issues with factual accuracy, as it often gives users an answer even if it doesn't have the necessary information. The game designer who is most commonly associated with Square Enix has had a similar experience. "Quite some time ago I asked AI about myself and it said I was 'a Nintendo employee,'" he says with a laugh. He goes on to defend AI by saying, "It's evolving, and lately there are a lot of things you can do with it. Slimey is a conversational partner, so I think it lowers the barrier of entry to interacting with AI." Like Final Fantasy 7 Revelation boss, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii worries live streams may not actually sell games: "Some people will be satisfied by just watching"
- Gaming50 minutes ago
Game Developer Association of India picks 15 studios for first Supernova cohort
The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) has announced the first cohort of its Supernova incubation program, selecting 15 studios from more than 260 applicants. Read more
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
Jinhua Zhao named head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Jinhua Zhao MCP ’04, SM ’04, PhD ’09 has been appointed head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), effective July 1. Zhao is the Class of 1941 Professor of Cities and Transportation at MIT. In making the announcement, dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning Hashim Sarkis noted that Zhao is a renowned transportation planner, educator, and scholar, and a world leader in imagining and shaping better futures for mobility. “Jinhua is one of those rare scholars who moves seamlessly between cutting-edge research and real-world policy,” says Sarkis. “His work with governments and transportation agencies around the world is a model for what MIT’s impact can look like beyond our campus.” Zhao succeeds Professor Christopher Zegras, who has served as department head since 2020. Under his leadership, DUSP expanded opportunities for students to engage directly with communities and policymakers around the world and continued to strengthen its long-standing connection between research and practice. “I want to extend my gratitude to Chris Zegras for his excellent and level-headed leadership, especially in challenging times,” says Sarkis. After earning advanced degrees at MIT, Zhao joined the DUSP faculty. He says he found the Institute’s lack of conventionality and its culture of sharing ideas across disciplines stimulating. “MIT is a small school in the best sense of the word,” says Zhao. “We have fewer boundaries than other universities — intellectually and physically. Our ‘infinite corridor’ literally connects us to so many disciplines.” Shaping mobility systems worldwide That connectivity has been key for Zhao’s research and programs he has founded at MIT. Respected as a global authority on mobility, his research has been put into practice across some of the world's most complex mobility challenges. He and his team have shaped policy for Transpo
- AI & Deeptech50 minutes ago
MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing builds momentum
In May, the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) marked its first anniversary with MIT Manufacturing Week, four days of events that attracted more than 800 registrants including students, faculty, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and government officials to explore topics ranging from how companies are using AI on factory floors to the role of startups in introducing innovation to new workforce solutions to address the worker shortage. “INM launched a year ago with the premise that strengthening the industrial base needed a coordinated response, and MIT has a responsibility to lead it,” says Paula T. Hammond, dean of MIT’s School of Engineering and co-chair of INM’s Steering Committee. “The response and participation level has been huge. MIT Manufacturing Week proved that the appetite for change — from students to chief executives — is real and urgent.” The week opened with a cybersecurity workshop co-led by INM and Google Cloud for the initiative’s industry members. It continued with the MIT MIMO (Machine Intelligence for Manufacturing Operations) symposium focused on deploying artificial intelligence on factory floors, alongside discussions on workforce development, emerging technologies, startups, and industrial transformation. The week closed with a regional research showcase and competition that drew more than 140 graduate students and postdocs from across New England. Over the past year, INM has also continued its distinguished speaker series featuring manufacturing leaders including Keith Flynn, senior vice president of manufacturing at Anduril; Roland Busch, president and CEO of Siemens; and Venky Alagirisamy, COO of Nike. Inspiring a new generation of manufacturing startups A central goal of INM is to help more students see manufacturing as a frontier for scientific discovery, technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and societal impact. To support that effort, INM is launching and leading programs to help move early-stage ideas and ne
- EV & Mobility58 minutes ago
Geely prepares revolutionary 500 Wh/kg solid-state EV battery that could beat diesel
Geely says its next-generation solid-state EV battery will reach an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg, and it’s already running the cells through real-world validation ahead of a pilot rollout in 2027. That number is the whole story. At 500 Wh/kg, Geely’s cells would hold roughly twice the energy per kilogram of the best lithium-ion battery packs shipping in EVs today.
- EV & Mobility58 minutes ago
You can now ride a Chinese EV in the US as Waymo opens Zeekr Ojai to all
Waymo is now letting all riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix hail its next-generation Ojai robotaxi — a vehicle built in China by Zeekr. That makes the Ojai one of the only ways for an American to ride in a Chinese-made EV, a car they still can’t legally buy for themselves.
- EV & Mobility58 minutes ago
The Genesis GV90 takes luxury up a notch with coach doors and all [Images]
Genesis unveiled its first full-size flagship SUV, the GV90, and it’s about as over-the-top as they come. The ultra-luxe electric SUV packs coach doors, a built-in refrigerator, massive digital screens, air suspension, and plenty of other high-end touches.
- EV & Mobility59 minutes ago
This $0-down Illinois home solar deal includes a huge 60 kWh battery
Illinois homeowners can now get rooftop solar paired with a whopping 60-kWh home battery for no money down – but this isn’t free equipment.
- EV & Mobility59 minutes ago
Anker SOLIX 2kWh power station $600, Segway Navimow i105N Robot $140 off, WORX 2-in-1 reciprocating saw $73, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Green Deals is headlined by Anker’s 2026 SOLIX S2000 portable power station at $550 off , but you can also cash in and take a chore off your list with Segway’s Navimow i105N Robot Lawn Mower down at $669 . Another notable markdown today is the WORX 2-in-1 reciprocating saw for $73 , which I personally own and love. Head below for other Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek ‘s best EV buying and leasing deals . Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories .
- EV & Mobility59 minutes ago
Colorado’s largest electric school bus fleet gets a 26-plug charging hub
Colorado’s largest electric school bus fleet has a new charging hub to keep its 28 buses ready to run their daily routes.
- EV & Mobility59 minutes ago
Tesla says FSD v15 is a ‘step-change,’ Optimus sells in 2027
Tesla laid out an updated timeline for Full Self-Driving, its Cybercab, and the Optimus robot in a recent meeting with JPMorgan at its Fremont factory. The bank walked away with claims that FSD v15 is a “step-change,” that today’s HW4 computer can handle unsupervised driving, and that Optimus could go on sale to outside buyers as soon as the second half of 2027. Most of it repeats promises Tesla has made, and missed, before.
- EV & Mobility59 minutes ago
Tesla confirms Semi electric truck is coming to Europe, reveal at IAA
Tesla confirmed that its Semi electric truck is coming to Europe, and that it will reveal the specs and launch details next month at IAA Transportation, the continent’s largest commercial vehicle show. The Tesla Semi account posted that “specs & launch details for Semi in Europe” will be “unveiled at IAA Transportation in Hannover, Germany,” which runs September 15-20. A Semi will be on display at the show.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Tesla discontinues its Solar Roof tiles, not economically viable
Tesla has discontinued the Solar Roof, its solar-tile roofing product, Electrek has learned. The company has told third-party installers that it will no longer supply solar roof tiles going forward, only solar panels, according to two sources close to the program.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Mercedes CEO on his fake-V8 electric AMG: ‘like a born-again Christian’
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius, a self-described “petrol head” who once ran AMG, says driving an electric AMG with a simulated V8 turned him into “a born-again Christian.” The comments, made in a new interview, are Mercedes’ clearest pitch yet that enthusiasts, not just early adopters, are supposed to love its next wave of EVs.
- Gaming1 hour ago
All Rex Infernus Masks Guide - Black Ops 7 Zombies
There are 4 masks on Rex Infernus, and each of them provides a unique special effect that will help you get to high rounds. Some masks provide damage immunity, others provide useful ammo mod benefits, and you're not going to want to miss out on acquiring them all! We've posted full guides for all 4 masks in Rex Infernus below so you know how to get them and what they do.
- Gaming1 hour ago
New Steam Game Could Be an Endless Farming Sim Nightmare
A solo developer is making a Steam game where players take on the role of a farmer who must single-handedly separate wheat from chaff 10,000,000 times. Steam seems to have found a new subgenre of viral games that task players with organizing huge quantities of items. But this new title aims to take the formula to extremes.
- Gaming1 hour ago
Video Game Collabs That Fortnite Needs in CH7S4
Fortnite loves a good collab, and we've already seen a bunch of exciting Gaming Legends skins, like Leon S. Kennedy, Johnny Silverhand, Geralt, Solid Snake, and much more! However, with Chapter 7 Season 4 being a Gaming Legends theme, it's only right that Fortnite Override adds more than just Sonic the Hedgehog , Crash Bandicoot, and Joker ( Persona 5 ) to the roster, and you can find some of our tip picks that we want as skins below!
- Gaming1 hour ago
Resident Evil Meets Evangelion in 2022’s Most Unforgettable Horror Game
The year was 1998, and I was sitting in my living room in the late evening, with a PlayStation controller in my small hands. I had just fired up this new-ish game all my classmates were talking about: Resident Evil 2 . You must play it at night, they said. Sure, why not. I remember getting to the police station, barely. Then a zombie unexpectedly crawled out in a hallway, giving me a jump scare I still remember today. I put my controller down, turned the game off, and never played again.
- Gaming1 hour ago
Pokémon Go 'PokémonXP and 2026 Worlds' event guide
Pokémon is hosting its first-ever PokémonXP convention alongside the Pokémon 2026 World Championships , so naturally, Pokémon Go is hosting an event themed around them. The "PokémonXP & 2026 Worlds" event runs from Aug. 25-30 and features a lot of competitively used Pokémon alongside these adorable costumed Pikachu.
- Gaming1 hour ago
Saber Interactive adds AI disclaimer to Rideshare on Steam; CEO Matt Karch apologises to former lead writer
Saber Interactive has added an AI disclaimer to Rideshare Simulator's Steam page following controversy over allegations the firm had dismissed a writer working on the game in favour of using AI-written copy. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
US Senate to investigate Roblox following claims it "prioritises revenue and engagement" over child safety
The US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism has launched an investigation into Roblox, saying the platform "appears to prioritise revenue and engagement metrics" over child safety. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
Robert Pattinson’s 8/10 Sci-Fi Action Movie Officially Finds Success on Streaming
The internet can’t get enough of Robert Pattinson being a freaky little guy. Even considering The Odyssey ’s significant star power, Pattinson’s performance as the despicable worm Antinous was a major standout, so much so that one of his lines from the film (“Somebody get these BEGGARS out of here!”) has gone viral . Shortly after, another Pattinson line caught on, this time from his portrayal of Chris Hansen in A24’s upcoming thriller Primetime . It’s already been a big year for Pattinson, with more on the way like his upcoming role as Scytale in Dune: Part 3 and his reprisal of The Dark Knight in 2028’s The Batman: Part II .
- Gaming1 hour ago
What time does TFT Set 18 release in your time zone?
Teamfight Tactics Set 18 , also known as " Enchanted Wilds ," is going live on Wednesday, Aug. 26 with patch 18.1.
- Gaming1 hour ago
The Hollywood disruptors making a large-scale game with a 12-person team – and no generative AI
You might recall the trailer for Join Us being featured in the Xbox Showcase back in June. It depicts a darkly comic co-op cult simulator, with robed cult members riding around on pigs and loosing off machine guns, before ending on an image of Cthulu-like giant tentacles. Not shown was the snake gun, says Joe Dietsch, CEO and creative director of Join Us developer Wolf Haus Games. Read more
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Sebi proposes distribution model to deepen corporate bond reach
This follows recent proposals to ease fundraising and improve risk disclosure to support debt mkt
- Gaming1 hour ago
GYLD raises $1m to fund proprietary games research system that marked Clair Obscur as a potential hit
Games publishing and investment agency GYLD has raised $1 million in funding to support its proprietary games research system Critical Compass. Read more
- Fintech1 hour ago
Building Block’s Square base
The fintech is expanding its efforts to market local restaurants using its point-of-sale system across Cash App’s user base.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
India's forex reserves jump $9.9 bn to $716.9 bn in week ending Aug 14
India's forex reserves jumped USD 9.905 billion to USD 716.907 billion during the week ended August 14, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday. In the previous reporting week ended August 7, the overall kitty had jumped USD 14.136 billion to USD 707.002 billion. Reserves had expanded to an all-time high of USD 728.494 billion during the week ended February 27 this year before the onset of the Middle East conflict that led to several weeks of a drop as the rupee came under pressure and the RBI had to intervene in the forex market through dollar sales. For the week ended August 14, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased USD 7.225 billion to USD 581.851 billion, the central bank's data showed. Expressed in dollar terms, foreign currency assets include the effects of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units, such as the euro, pound, and yen, held in foreign exchange reserves. The RBI and the government had launched a series of measures to att
- Gaming1 hour ago
Save the Children announces its first game and streaming fundraising event called Save Point
This Christmas, Save the Children will launch is first game and streaming fundraiser called Save Point. Read more
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Finnish firms eye India after EU FTA, but 'Make in India' poses challenges
Finnish companies are looking to expand their India presence from next year, though local manufacturing requirements could pose challenges for some high-end products
- Gaming1 hour ago
Deus Ex creator Warren Spector announces retirement – "it's time to ride off into the sunset"
Deus Ex creator Warren Spector has announced his retirement after over forty years in game development. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
Can the Epic Games Store turn things around? 'I don't see how they can recover at this point,' says Newzoo analyst
Back in February Epic Games told us about its plan to overhaul the Epic launcher , with an update in June mentioning it would start up five times faster on average . That technical overhaul will apparently be accompanied by changes to the storefront including personalized game recommendations, quick-access categories, and patch notes right there on the shop. All stuff that would have been nice to have at the end of 2018 when the Epic launcher arrived, but is it too late for a recovery? I asked Emmanuel Rosier, director of market intelligence at industry analysts Newzoo . "I don't really see how they can turn that around," Rosier says, "because Steam has become so inevitable. The Epic Games Store, they get players by giving free games, but people just go, they log in, they get the free games, they don't even play them. You know, it's almost like collecting games rather than actually playing them." On a sample size of one I am the person who actually plays some of the free games I've been given by Epic over the years, and without that program I probably wouldn't have tried Guardians of the Galaxy, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Vampyr, Control, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, or Kardboard Kings. But whether most people play them or not, it's telling that a free giveaway can actually boost sales on Steam, as it did for Blood West , thanks to players not wanting to split their library. "The challenge I think Epic is facing is that they try to win everywhere in the past few years," Rosier says. "They try to win against Steam, they try to win against Apple, against Google Play, and probably they run out of steam on where they cannot fight all these battles at the same time." Rosier is more positive about the outlook for Epic as a game developer than as a storefront. "They probably need to focus on what really matters," he says, "which I think is Fortnite. You can see they put a lot of thought in Fortnite right now. They are doing everything they can, and I think it's working better when y
- Gaming1 hour ago
The dungeoncrawler where you really can roll to seduce the dragon has been delayed until next year
The game whose full name I forget and have to copy-paste every time—here goes, it's called Rizz Dungeon: Skeleton Key to My Heart—was scheduled to release on September 17. It's been delayed until next year because developer Snoozy Kazoo's previous games—hang on, let me warm up Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V again—Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion and Turnip Boy Robs a Bank have sold better than expected. Now Snoozy Kazoo can afford to make Rizz Dungeon the game they really wanted it to be from the start. "This delay allows us to both add more content and avoid crunch. As a tiny studio of five people, there were quite a few features (and Monster Girls!) we were cutting in order to hit this September 17th release date, and we were starting to crunch to ensure this game was something we were proud of," says Snoozy Kazoo's founder and director Yukon Wainczak. "While we understand the delay likely comes as a disappointment, we hope that you can be reassured by the fact that we are making a better—and healthier made—Rizz Dungeon with this delay." Rizz Dungeon is an RPG about exploring a dungeon to get loot from a dragon, only the dragon is your ex-girlfriend and the loot is all the stuff she took. Also, you have put all your points into Charisma instead of combat stats and have to charm your way out of fights until you can recruit monster girls to handle the fighting for you. It sounds kind of like Pokémon if the creatures you were collecting were hot. (If you think Pokémon are hot already I don't want to know about it.) Given that September still has—don't give up on me now, copy-paste friends—The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Silent Hill: Townfall, and a bunch of other games coming out, and I'll probably still be playing Star Wars: Zero Company as well, it's going to be a busy month. Probably a good thing Dawn of War 4 has also shifted out of September , though presumably in that case it's not to add more monster girls. (If you think necrons are hot I don't want to k
- Gaming1 hour ago
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's first beta patch adds a new map and mode, as Infinity Ward responds to complaints about footstep noise and weapon lethality
The beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 kicked off in earnest this weekend, with Infinity Ward commencing public testing of what we all hope is a return to form after the disappointment of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 . And changes are already being made, with the developers releasing a new patch that makes a couple of mechanical tweaks while also adding a new map and mode. We'll deal with the latter additions first. The new map is called Cachette, and it is truly a new map, making its debut in Modern Warfare 4. It's a compact, 6v6 affair set on the outskirts of a French rail terminal, where some military types have made an armoury out of an old mechanics garage and an abandoned wine warehouse. The new mode, meanwhile, is called Inflation, and it is a cash grab in the most literal sense. Eliminating enemies during a match gives you cash, while players with the most cash become marked as high-value targets. If you get the better of a high-value target, you get to steal their cash and, presumably, become an HVT yourself. I always think Call of Duty shines brightest when it adds a little bit of structure to its inherently frenetic nature, and this sounds like the right balance of the two. (Image credit: Activision Blizzard) As for those mechanical adjustments, footstep volume has been reduced after players complained it was too loud. On top of that, Infinity Ward concurs with players that "time-to-till [TTK] isn't quite right yet" and as such has "turned down the lethality of some of our guns." Oh, and map voting has been introduced, with Infinity Ward stating that the system needed four maps to work effectively—which it now has with the addition of Cachette. Infinity Ward says it will continue working on the beta throughout its runtime, so further patches may be waiting in the wings. The early access beta ends on August 25, with a second, open beta arriving on August 28. Alongside the multiplayer modes and playable campaign mission made available this weekend, the op
- Gaming1 hour ago
Bain & Co: Research shows only one in five players seek out new titles
Global gaming software revenue has grown at a compound annual rate of 3% over the past four years and is expected to continue at this pace for the next four years. But two-thirds of players prefer familiar games or sequels, and only one in five seek new titles. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
This newly announced soulslike has a main character inspired by Dark Souls' most heartbreaking boss fight
Honestly, I'm surprised nobody thought of this sooner. Via Kotaku , Stray Dog: Nobody Cares is a soulslike directly inspired by Dark Souls , which asks: "What if you played as Great Grey Wolf Sif?" It's an idea that seems painfully obvious in hindsight, and I can only credit developer Parry Frames Studio for doing the hard work of making it a reality. Obviously, you don't actually play as Sif in Stray Dog: Nobody Cares. But Knight Artorius' lupine companion is clearly the archetype behind Parry Frames' four-legged protagonist. Even the backstory is similar, with you playing the faithful friend of a knight-errant in a dark fantasy kingdom. When its master is captured, the hound takes it upon itself to track him down and release him. In its basic structure, Stray Dog appears to be a straightforward dark-fantasy soulslike—offering a world of crumbling ruins, undead enemies, bonfires and boss fights. Much like Sif, your hound fights with a sword in its mouth, and its acrobatic combat style strongly recalls Sif's own balletic sweeps and pirouettes. Developer Parry Frames says there will be "multiple" combat styles that players can learn, and they'll be able to parry, backstab, and perform deathblows on enemies in the classic Dark Souls style. Stealth will play a role too, though Parry Frames doesn't provide much detail on this front. Indeed, the announcement of Stray Dog appears to have caught Parry Frames off guard. In a Steam post , the developers explain that the game "suddenly became popular on X" , after the studio posted some early test footage of the game to its account. Parry Frames released its debut game— the soulslike Crimson Oath—earlier this year, which it has been making over the course of eight years and was partly funded by an Epic Megagrant. Crimson Oath has a 'very positive' rating on Steam, with some players praising how it harks back to FromSoft's earlier titles, while others compare it to Sekiro and even Piranha Bytes' Gothic. At the very least, it d
- Gaming1 hour ago
Gunstoppable gives me the same head-empty unbridled joy as Ultrakill—it doesn't hurt that Gabriel's voice actor is in it too
I like thinking as much as the next guy. It can be really fun to play a videogame that challenges your mental prowess, as it encourages you to weigh up every strategic shred of dialogue or split-second decision. But, counter to this, I also really like not thinking in videogames, and just riding the wave of adrenaline, muscle memory, and bloodlust. Usually, when I want to scratch this itch I play something like Ultrakill , but now I can add another game to the rotation: Gunstoppable. And let me tell you, it lives up to the name. (Image credit: CAGE Studios) It's an action roguelike in which you grapple, slide, and wall run around various maps killing whatever poor robot falls into your path. You're ultimately doing this to save your family and take down the evil billionaire ruling class, one of which is the CEO who made you into the killing machine you are today. Ok, so the story isn't going to win any Pulitzers, but that's fine because the action is where it's at. You can dual wield weapons, whether that be automatic rifles, knives, or rocket launchers, and as you progress through the levels you also get the chance to upgrade said weapons from a pool of randomly selected bonuses. Some are pretty basic, like Adrenaline Shot which grants you double attack speed after taking damage, or Rocket Recoil which upgrades any attack so it launches you back when you fire a gun (and also adds force per stack). But there are other more niche upgrades like building into your grapple hook with Supply Hook, which restores ammo. (Image credit: CAGE Studios) On my first run, however, I decided to build into power (obviously) but also sliding, because running is such a cliche way to move when you can infinitely slide on your knees and look like a badass. So with this in mind, I spent the rest of the run sliding around across the floor. Not only am I a harder target to hit, but I also got a perk which meant if I did get hit while sliding I'd take less damage, I built into that and soon
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
Could AI tell you where you left your keys?
An auto factory worker can remember the storage bin where she left a partly assembled component the night before, and quickly return to that spot to pick it up. But robots that may work side-by-side with her would struggle to develop and access this same type of “spatiotemporal” memory. Now, MIT researchers have developed a long-term memory framework that allows robots to rapidly form and recall a detailed mental model of complicated, large-scale environments. In the future, this advance could allow the factory worker to send a robotic assistant to fetch the item, simply by asking it to “go and grab the component we started assembling last night.” This new method combines advanced map representations with rich descriptions of the environment that the robot gathers as it travels over a long period of time. The robot can quickly access this memory to answer complex queries about its environment in plain language. This memory framework, which answers questions more accurately than state-of-the-art methods, runs fast enough for a mobile robot to use in real-time. In addition to its potential uses in robotics, this method could have applications in augmented reality systems that aid maintenance workers in anomaly detection or assist commuters in wayfinding. “If we want robots to work side-by-side with humans and interact better with humans, they must speak the same language. The robot must be able to reason about time and space the same way humans do. That is essentially what our method is doing. It is turning a traditional map into a language-based map that is easier for the robot to think about and access using language,” says Luca Carlone, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro), principal investigator in the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), and director of the MIT SPARK Laboratory. He is joined on the paper by lead author Nicolas Gorlo, an MIT graduate student; and Lukas Schmid, a former research s
- Fintech1 hour ago
Valley National Bank to acquire Chicago-area lender for $247M
Acquiring Providence Bank & Trust would give the $66 billion-asset regional bank a branch footprint in a market where it operates a single commercial office.
- Gaming1 hour ago
If you're desperate for more Baldur's Gate 3, here's a 6-hour mini-campaign all about Astarion with 4 different endings and 6 new companions
We don't really need more Baldur's Gate 3 , given how vast and replayable Larian Studios' RPG already is. That said, I'd never say no to more adventures within Larian's highly flexible adaptation of the Forgotten Realms. And while Larian itself has sworn off expanding BG3 any further, the modding community is still plugging away with new stuff, including the recent release of a 6-hour campaign revolving around everyone's favourite nefarious vampire elf Astarion. A Dream of Silence ReVamped (via GamesRadar ) is a mini-campaign based on a text game of the same name created by developer Abigail Corfman. The mod is divided into three acts which have been released separately over the last twelve months. With the release of the third and final act, however, the mod has been packaged and released as a single story. The story itself takes place in Astarion's mind. But before you dismiss this as a hackneyed 'it was all a dream' narrative—the dreamscape of this particular tale is under the control of a Bastellus—essentially living nightmares that feed on dream energy. To help Astarion escape the Bastellus' grasp, your character—who is projected into Astarion's mind—must accompany him through an even more twisted version of Cazador's dungeon. The campaign includes four different endings and six all-new companions to chat with. And like Baldur's Gate 3 itself, each of the three acts is structured very differently. Act One is primarily dialogue based, while Act Two features new mechanics, introduces the companions and lets you fight as well as talk through your problems. Apparently, Act Three changes things up further too, though the mod's creator, lizardphunk, doesn't specify how. Lizardphunk says they created ReVamped to showcase the power of Baldur's Gate 3's modding tools, so hopefully it will lead to further custom campaigns being developed for Larian's RPG masterpiece. If you'd like to check it out yourself, you can download A Dream of Silence: Revamped over on Nexus Mods.
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
In game theory, generalists sometimes win out over specialists
Whether you’re playing poker against a single opponent or find yourself in a bidding war over a home purchase with another prospective buyer, you are operating under conditions of imperfect information. You know what cards you’re holding in the poker game, and you also know how much above the home’s asking price you can afford, but you don’t know your opponent’s hand in the card game or how high the other home buyer is willing to go. A paper co-authored by MIT researchers and presented in April at the International Conference on Learning Representations in Rio De Janeiro won’t tell you what to do in these situations, specifically. But it does offer new insights into so-called imperfect-information games that involve two contestants facing off in a “zero-sum” competition, where one player’s gain means the other player’s loss. MIT researchers on the project include Sobhan Mohammadpour, a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS); and Gabriele Farina, an assistant professor in EECS and a principal investigator at LIDS. Additional co-authors include Max Rudolph of the University of Texas at Austin (UT), Nathan Lichtlé of the University of California at Berkeley (UCB), Alexandre Bayen of UCB, J. Zico Kolter of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Amy X. Zhang ’11, MNG ’12 of UT; Eugene Vinitsky of New York University; and Samuel Sokota of CMU. The focus of the new work is on algorithms that could be used to train neural networks to participate in imperfect-information games. The assumption, long-held in the field, was that algorithms grounded in principles of game theory would, in this setting, clearly outcompete a general-purpose variety of algorithms called policy gradient methods, which came into use for decision-making in the 1990s. The term “policy” in this context basically means strategy, whereas “gradient” refers to a path that leads in the directio
- Gaming1 hour ago
Big Walk is a new co-op puzzle game classic
Play This Right Now Welcome to Play This Right Now, the site version of our weekly newsletter in which we celebrate a new game, update, or DLC that we think is well worth checking out. You can subscribe to the newsletter at the link if you want to get our thoughts about a new videogame happening direct to your inbox every Thursday. A grave error: During one Big Walk puzzle, I flailed my arms around to signal "Hooray, you picked up the correct puzzle piece" to my puzzle-solving partner, and he immediately dropped it on the floor and picked up a different, not-correct piece. Oh no. Big Walk is a puzzle-adventure game for up to 12 players (but three or four seems ideal, realistically) that insists players use its built-in proximity chat rather than sitting in a Discord channel , for the most part so that it can decide when you aren't allowed to talk. In this case, we were separated by soundproof glass, so my panicked voice could not be heard when I said, "No no, you had the right piece before!" I had no one to blame for this mixup but myself: Not more than 10 minutes ago, I'd explicitly designated flailing one's arms around as the signal for "no, not that one," even though we'd also been celebrating every solved puzzle with arm flailing for hours by that point. With no good and sensible way to use Big Walk's limited gesturing to communicate an idea as complex as "I screwed up and did the wrong gesture and you actually had the right piece already," I resorted to vigorously shaking my camera left and right, flailing my arms some more, pointing at the piece that had just been dropped, and jumping up and down. (Image credit: Panic) It's amazing how complex of an idea can be communicated, or at least implied given the context, with so little, because my meaning was picked up immediately. Maybe the signal for "no" shouldn't be the same as the signal for "yay," we agreed after the puzzle was done. Part of the puzzle of Big Walk is finding the puzzles. You and your adventuring
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
MIT in the media: For the future of tech, "Massachusetts can absolutely lead"
On June 9, The Boston Globe released its 2026 “Tech Power Players” list , recognizing 50 influential local leaders in technology and business across Massachusetts. The list includes eight MIT affiliates including President Sally Kornbluth, Prof. Daniela Rus (director of CSAIL), Prof. Regina Barzilay, Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang, Prof. Max Tegmark, Ana Bakshi (executive director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship), Katie Rae CEO and Managing Partner of Engine Ventures), and Senior Lecturer Brian Halligan, along with a number of MIT alumni. In addition to recognizing individual leaders, the Power Players coverage highlights MIT’s research labs, its culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, industry connections, new AI initiatives, and the Institute’s deep commitment to maintaining Massachusetts’ technological leadership. “Massachusetts can absolutely lead in this next wave,” says President Kornbluth , noting that the future is bright with burgeoning opportunities to advance technologies in fields from manufacturing, life and health sciences to quantum technologies and energy in service of Americans across the country. Advancing AI and entrepreneurship When it comes to AI, MIT is “working to drive artificial intelligence forward in sectors where the region is strongest, from biotechnology and robotics to defense and clean energy. It’s also trying to broaden entrepreneurship through a ‘dorm-to-startup’ push, creating a pipeline of support services — from hack-a-thons to venture funding — to help students to start companies between classes,” writes Robert Weisman for The Globe . Looking ahead, The Globe highlights how MIT aims to remain a central driver of AI advancement within higher ed. “President Sally Kornbluth is reinvigorating the school’s support of the local innovation ecosystem,” writes Aaron Pressman , noting how MIT is “unveiling new online classes dedicated to AI — with free entry-level classes for anyone — and encour
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
India's informal sector suffered sharpest contraction in Q1 FY27
Establishments and employment remained above year-ago levels but contracted sequentially, with rural India accounting for much of the decline in the June quarter
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
A better way to model the behavior of metal alloys
Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy, and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they’re inside rockets or on computer chips, companies first have to make the material and then test it. That’s because even the most powerful simulation techniques struggle to model the complex chemical arrangements in most of today’s solid materials. The problem adds costs and time to materials innovation. Now a team of MIT researchers has created a way to accurately model the behavior of metals, regardless of the complexity of their chemical arrangement. At the center of the approach are machine-learning models that make simulations of materials faster and more accurate. The researchers improved those models by building training datasets that capture the diversity of atomic environments in chemically disordered materials. In a new paper in Sciences Advances , the researchers showed their approach could be used to accurately predict material properties for a diverse group of metal alloys under a range of conditions. They also showed how the approach could be used to develop new materials, especially in scenarios where experimentation is expensive. “The focus of the paper is metallic alloys, which is the field I work in, but this could be adapted to other types of materials, like semiconductors,” says senior author Rodrigo Freitas, MIT’s TDK Career Development Professor in Materials Science and Engineering. “This is not specific to any one application — you could use this approach to create new sustainable steels, new materials for aerospace, and more. That’s what makes this exciting.” Joining Freitas on the paper are first author Killian Sheriff PhD ’26; MIT PhD students Daniel Xiao and Yifan Cao; and University of Sheffield Senior Lecturer Lewis R. Owen. Modeling metals Material properties are mostly determined by the internal arrangement of their chemical el
- Gaming1 hour ago
Ray Chase, the voice of Cyclops in X-Men '97, has '1,000 freaking hours' in Slay the Spire and is running a 'smell build' in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: ' I wear perfumes and walk into battle with my fancy boy outfit'
Disk Cleanup (Image credit: Future) Welcome to Disk Cleanup , our regular weekend feature delving into the PCs of PC gaming luminaries. Come back every weekend to read a new interview, digging into the important questions, like "How tidy is your desktop?" and "What game will you never uninstall?" Ray Chase's first encounter with PC gaming was on an old DOS computer from his father's accounting job. He grew up on a digital diet of shareware demos from PC gaming's golden era. "My grandfather gave me this basket of shareware games, and we played them nonstop for years," Chase recalls. "There was Duke Nukem 1 and 2. There was Ken's Labyrinth. Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold. There was Wolfenstein 3D , of course. Jack Pack was one of my favourites because it had a level editor." A voice actor since the early 2000s, Chase has appeared in hundreds of games, films and TV shows. He played the lead character Noctis in Final Fantasy 15 , and currently voices Cyclops in X-Men '97, which just aired season two and is in the process of recording season four: "The stuff that's going on in the seasons we're recording now, I guess we'll see in a couple of years, but it's really cool, man." Chase is also the co-founder of Sassy Chap Games, developer of 2025's Date Everything . A dating sim where players can romance dozens of anthropomorphised household objects, Date Everything was designed to be a celebration of voice acting talent. "We just finished our big update for Date Everything and we are working hard on the next chapter of our story," Chase says. "We're in the pitching process for that now." Chase took a break from designing romanceable soft furnishings to show me around the hunk-strewn household of his Steam library. Gather round for a tale of perfumed peasants, disordered dungeons, and plane potatoes. What game are you currently playing? (Image credit: Deep Silver) I'm currently playing Deltarune Chapter 5, but not [for] super long. The other one that I have is Kingdom Come: Del
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
New chip could help tiny robots traverse complex environments
A new chip developed by MIT researchers could help tiny, low-power UAVs avoid obstacles as they zip around tight corners inside an industrial HVAC system to check for gas leaks. The chip allows small autonomous robots and other battery-limited devices to construct detailed 3D maps of their environments in real-time using only about as much power as a single LED. A robot could use such a map to plan a collision-free path to reach its goal. Typically, generating such thorough maps requires power-hungry systems and a great deal of memory to build and store 3D representations of the obstacles in a robot’s environment. The MIT researchers took a different approach by combining an extremely efficient mapping algorithm with specialized hardware designed to accelerate its workload, which minimizes memory and power consumption. This system-on-a-chip consumes only about 6 milliwatts of power, a fraction of the power required by other systems. This low-power operation could also make the chip well-suited for lightweight augmented reality headsets that can be worn for extended periods, for applications like educational medical simulation or detailed repair and assembly work. “This paper showcases a key example of how you can leverage co-design of the algorithm and hardware to really push energy efficiency. While there has been a lot of work looking into compact 3D maps, what stands out about this work is that it also ensures that the process to generate those maps is as efficient as possible. Our chip allows you to store very large maps in a very small space, and do it in a very energy efficient manner,” says Vivienne Sze, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), and senior author of a paper on the chip . She is joined on the paper by co-lead authors and MIT graduate students Zih-Sing Fu and Peter Zhi Xuan Li as well as Sertac Karaman, a professor of aeronautics and
- Gaming1 hour ago
Three Epic veterans are building an AI-powered game engine to break the industry's doom cycle
Unity and Unreal have dominated the development scene for a long time now, and were used to make roughly 70% of the games released on Steam in 2025 . Godot has seen some significant growth in the past few years , and many big companies still favour proprietary engines – like Capcom with its RE Engine – but otherwise, Unity and Unreal have got the game engine market sewn up. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
Game of Thrones star replaces Nicholas Hoult in Harry Potter series, and he's already played the character before
Superman's Lex Luthor star Nicholas Hoult has dropped out of the second season of HBO's Harry Potter series , but he has already been replaced by Game of Thrones' Jon Snow actor Kit Harington. Harington is joining Harry Potter season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart, as per Deadline . The fantasy star is taking over the role from Hoult, who was cast less than two weeks ago . Hoult stepped away from the show due to scheduling issues, with HBO letting him out of his deal as the show would've had to work around two other projects. Introduced in the second Harry Potter book, Lockhart is a famous author and wizard, hired by Professor Dumbledore to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. However, the boastful and charming public figure is not as he seems, as Potter and co soon find he has dark connections. The character was brought to the screen by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. (Image credit: Alamy) However, Harington has technically played the character before. The star voices Lockhart in the Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions audiobooks released last November. The audiobooks contain the voices of over 500 actors, including Matthew Macfadyen as Voldemort, Riz Ahmed as Snape, Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall, and more. Earlier this year, Audible shared a snippet of Harington on YouTube , in the recording booth as the narcissistic wizard, as part of a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the book. The clip has since been posted on Twitter, which you can watch below. The star is also a long-time Harry Potter fan. "This is a world I am heavily invested in," said Harington. "To be able to play, in my opinion, one of the best characters in it was a joy." Trecho do Kit como Gilderoy no audiolivro ❤️ Ele vai entregar tudo! pic.twitter.com/66DH6bcKiH August 24, 2026 Season 2 is set to start filming this fall, following Potter's return to Hogwarts after a terrifying monster is unleashed in the school. Season 2 will take
- Gaming1 hour ago
Discord will "evaluate the validity and scope before responding" to controversial GTA 6 leaks court order, but the platform "has not yet been served"
It's been a wild few days for excited GTA 6 fans, as one very brave – you know, considering how Rockstar Games previously cracked down on unauthorized footage being shared – leaker has posted a plethora of supposed clips from the upcoming game. In case you've missed it, Rockstar has responded in turn with DMCA takedowns against the leaker's posts, which come from a profile that links to a manifesto of sorts… one that demands better digital rights , physical copies, and claims to be "raising funds for a secret project" of sorts. Heck, it's even caught the eye of Stop Killing Games , the video game preservation movement spurred by Ubisoft's 2014 shutdown of The Crew . Most recently, Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company, has subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord , demanding hundreds of thousands of users' personal information, including emails, IP addresses, phone numbers, and the like… all reportedly in an attempt to track down the leaker. According to Discord, however, this subpoena has not come through to the instant messaging platform – yet, anyway. I can share an update on this:Discord has not yet been served with a subpoena from Take Two.When we do, we'll evaluate the validity and scope before responding. https://t.co/FshT3VlUCy August 24, 2026 Ryan K. Rigney, marketing director at Discord, confirms as much over on X in response to concerns over Take-Two's subpoena and its implications for users' privacy. "I can share an update on this," he writes. Discord has not yet been served with a subpoena from Take-Two. When we do, we'll evaluate the validity and scope before responding." Understandably, the comments still highlight numerous concerns. "No, you're supposed to just say no," one reads. "Wtf do you mean you'll negotiate our privacy for ONE person?" Another argues, "That subpoena wouldn't stand up to a mouse fart," explaining that "you can't blanket" so many users "to get personal information on a game of Where's Waldo without some kind of relevance for each account.
- Gaming1 hour ago
Persona 6 will have a physical PS5 copy, leaving fans convinced Atlus is releasing the JRPG before Sony ditches discs in 2028
Persona 6 is getting some kind of physical release on PS5, and some fans are taking it as a sign that Atlus plans to launch the long-awaited game before Sony buries PlayStation discs in 2028. The news comes courtesy of an announcement post published by Sega Japan around the same time as the game's official reveal - June 8 - though it seems series enjoyers only recently caught wind of the small print tucked away at the bottom of the page : "Only physical copies of the PlayStation 5 version are available." (It's worth noting Persona 6 may get a physical Xbox release outside of Japan, just as previous Atlus games have, since this presser comes from Sega's Japanese arm.) While Persona 6 doesn't have a whiff of a release date or even a release window, Sony has announced that it'll stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games in January 2028. "Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only," the console maker said, and as a small relief, "this transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format." Many fans were then left convinced that developer Atlus has plans to put Persona 6 out before physical PlayStation discs become a thing of the past. "So it's releasing next year then," one Redditor writes . "If Sony goes digital as of 2028, it must be penned in for later in 2027," says another. There's certainly precedent for two big Atlus RPGs coming out in the same year - Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio were a one-two punch back in 2024 - so it's entirely feasible that Persona 4 Revival and Persona 6 could also launch back-to-back next year. Although I wouldn't get too excited about that prospect for now. For one, Sony's announcement of a disc-less future actually came a whole month after Sega's blog post went live. Then there's the fact that "physical copies" could refer to anything from a full-on disc to a mostly empty plasti
- Gaming1 hour ago
Spider-Man: Brand New Day villain actor has theories on where his Marvel character is now after the ending left his fate unclear
Bill Metzger actor Trammell Tillman has some theories on what his Marvel character is doing after the ending of Spider-Man: Brand New Day . In the film, his fate is left ambiguous, though it would seem he escaped after the Punisher accidentally shot Peter Parker while aiming for Sadie Sink's Jean Grey . "He's on the apology tour," Tillman joked to Polygon . "I don't know. Probably taking a vacation. He encountered some pretty heavy stuff. I remember having this conversation with [director] Destin [Daniel Cretton] and Justin [Kuritzkes], the writer that I was working with. We were talking about what it would be like to experience power like Jean Grey. And as a result of the experimentation that he was doing on Jean, it intensified. Metzger got a front-row seat to experience that. "So I imagine he's probably hiding out somewhere trying to recoup," he continued. "Because that's intense. Like near death. The glass was right in his eyes. He probably thought he was going to die." In the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending , Jean does indeed almost kill Metzger as retribution for her sister, who was kidnapped, experimented on, and ultimately killed by Metzger's Damage Control. While Jean will soon be seen in Marvel's X-Men movie , it's unclear when – or if – we'll ever see Metzger again. Still, with Peter Parker creating a universal inhibitor chip that suppresses superpowered DNA, it seems likely Damage Control will continue to be a big part of the MCU moving forward. Next up for Marvel is VisionQuest on October 13, followed by Avengers: Doomsday on December 18. While you wait, fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows .
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
Exploring the societal impacts of AI
At the recent AI and Society Forum at MIT , experts from across the Institute discussed the potential benefits and dangers of technological innovation on labor, the nature of work, civil discourse, election administration, and other topics. The event featured individual research presentations and panel discussions, as well as a musical performance exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence in the arts. The forum was co-organized by the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) and the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC). It was presented in collaboration with two of MIT’s strategic initiatives: the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC) and the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC). Agustín Rayo , the Kenan Sahin Dean of SHASS, and Dan Huttenlocher , dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, provided opening remarks. Rayo said bringing scholars from across MIT together was intentional because understanding AI’s impact requires expertise from disciplines throughout the Institute. “Paying attention to the societal consequences of AI is not a departure from MIT’s mission; it’s a way of ensuring that our technical leadership has maximum impact,” Rayo said. Huttenlocher added that computing and AI’s rapid growth makes it critical to support interdisciplinary conversations and research. “Understanding where AI excels and where it falls short is essential not only to unlocking its benefits, but also to avoiding critical errors, overreliance, and unintended consequences,” Huttenlocher said. Jobs and AI Held in the Tull Concert Hall in MIT’s Linde Music Building, the May 12 forum opened with a keynote presentation from economist David Autor , the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in the MIT Department of Economics. Autor challenged the common narrative that AI will simply eliminate jobs by proposing instead that technology's impact depends on how it affects th
- Gaming1 hour ago
Luke Cage showrunner reveals why Mahershala Ali was only in 7 episodes as Cottonmouth despite "killing it"
The MCU may have let Mahershala Ali slip through its fingers with vampire hunter Blade, but Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker revealed why he didn't "fumble the bag" with the Oscar-winning actor for his turn as iconic crime boss Cottonmouth. "I didn’t fumble the bag the first time," Coker wrote on Twitter in response to a fan suggesting Marvel fumbled Ali twice. Ali played Cornell Stokes, AKA Cottonmouth, in the first season of Luke Cage and instantly became one of the standout characters in a packed roster of Marvel's Netflix TV outings. Cottonmouth's death in the show may have come as a shock – and opened up a power vacuum at Harlem's Paradise – but came about due to Ali's packed schedule. In a moment of serendipity, Ali departing Luke Cage also allowed him to film Green Book, a film for which he won Best Actor. "He took the role because it was a limited appearance. He was always going to die in episode 7, by design. He made Luke Cage, Hidden Figures, and Moonlight simultaneously. He was killing it on Luke Cage and Marvel TV and the other actors begged me to change my mind, which would have locked him into a long term contract (and cost him the Green Book Oscar) but I kept my word to him on a handshake. That’s why we’re friends to this day. Always keep your word." Unlike Luke Cage, Ali's other experience with Marvel is less straightforward. Ali was attached to Blade, first announced at 2019's San Diego Comic-Con. Multiple directors and writers attempted to get the project off the ground, with Ali first portraying Blade in a voice cameo in 2021's Eternals. Ultimately, Blade went nowhere. Ali voiced his frustrations in an interview with GQ earlier this month. "No offense to them. I’ve been doing this professionally for pushing 30 years now, and one thing I've learned is that what is for you is for you and what is not is not. For whatever reason, that project is not for me. If they wanted to do it, we would've done it. So I have to move on, and I have moved on,"
- Gaming1 hour ago
Gamescom 2026 sets new record as number of country pavilions increases by 25%
With Gamescom 2026 less than a week away, the event will host nearly 50 pavilions from 40 countries, up 25% and 14% over 2025, respectively. Read more
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
Improving the speed and energy-efficiency of AI agents
Agentic workflows are artificial intelligence-powered software systems that chain together multiple models and external tools to tackle complicated tasks, like analyzing a video and answering questions about it. But the way these highly fragmented systems are designed and deployed often causes inefficiencies that can lead to wasted computation, energy, and cost. To improve efficiency, researchers from MIT and Microsoft developed an intelligent system that streamlines the process of designing agentic workflows and automatically optimizes how those workflows are implemented. With this new method, a developer can describe what they want the agentic workflow to do in plain language, without needing to specify all the details of their application in advance. The system automatically figures out the best models and tools to use, as well as the ideal hardware configuration and computational resource allocation when the workflow is executed by a cloud provider. It adjusts those configurations on the fly based on each user’s priorities, such as minimizing costs or maximizing speed. When tested on several agentic workloads, this new system reduced the number of computational units needed for deployment, significantly cutting energy requirements and costs compared to traditional approaches without hampering performance. “Agentic workflows are getting very complicated and quickly becoming the backbone of what cloud providers are doing. Energy usage is a huge concern, so we need to be very careful about how efficient these workflows are. It is very easy to over-allocate resources, wasting energy and money. Enabling a cloud provider to intelligently make these workflows more resource-optimal is a win for everyone involved,” says Gohar Chaudhry, an electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) graduate student and lead author of a paper on this system . He is joined on the paper by Adam Belay, an associate professor of EECS and a member of the MIT Computer S
- Gaming1 hour ago
Saoirse Ronan says she's "dead serious" about playing a Bond villain as rumors about Jack Lowden's 007 casting swirl
Another day, another James Bond rumor has been circulating. Jack Lowden, the star of Apple TV runaway hit Slow Horses is being closely linked to 007, according to GQ . And now the star's partner, Saorise Ronan has shared her desire to become a Bond villain. "I want to go dark. I said that I wanted to be a Bond villain and I’m dead serious," she told Empire recently. "I think it would be really interesting, having a young female villain. Especially for girls and women, to see someone who can just take all that pent-up anger and direct it somewhere, there’s something interesting in that dramatically. So I would love to do more of that." Ronan and Lowden previously shared the screen in the historical drama film Mary Queen of Scots where they played husband and wife. It would definitely be interesting to see the two stars appear opposite each other once again, especially in a more antagonistic scenario. Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie with Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight down to write the script. Amazon MGM Studios, who recently acquired the Bond rights, are currently holding auditions for the iconic role . Lowden is just one of the names that has been touted recently with others like Callum Turner and Aaron Taylor-Johnson also in the running. We won't have too long to wait until we find out who's got the top job after producer Amy Pascal shared an update recently. Speaking to Deadline , she teased: "I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different." For more on 007, here's our full list of the next James Bond contenders as well as our round-up of the best James Bond movies , ranked.
- Gaming1 hour ago
How to upgrade Tarstones in Mortal Shell 2
You can upgrade Mortal Shell 2 Tarstones to level three, with each level requiring different materials. You'll also do so in different areas of the map, as upgrading Tarstones to level one happens passively, as long as you have the specific Tarstone equipped. However, the higher you upgrade your Tarstones, the harder it gets, and you won't be able to fully upgrade every Tarstone in one playthrough, so you'll have to choose which you want to upgrade carefully. While you think it over, here's everything you need to know about upgrading Mortal Shell 2 Tarstones. Mortal Shell 2 Tarstone upgrades (Image credit: Cold Symmetry) To upgrade Mortal Shell 2 Tarstones, you must first have them equipped. Equipped Tarstones will passively upgrade to level 1 as you earn XP. Only then can you upgrade them to level 2 at the Tarforge using 100x Coins. To upgrade Tarstones at the Tarforge, you'll first need to give Etching Needles to Franz. If you haven't got this yet, find out where to get it in our guide to Franz and his Tarforge . To upgrade Tarstones to level 3, you must again equip your level 2 Tarstone and earn enough XP to unlock the level 3 upgrade. Return to the Tarforge and upgrade your Tarstone using six Tarcores. It's impossible to earn enough Mortal Shell 2 Tarcores in one playthrough to upgrade every Tarstone, so you'll want to test out the best Mortal Shell 2 Tarstones first, and figure out your favorites (or just use those recommended in my guide!). © GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
MIT in the media: Exploring how curiosity-driven science is an essential ingredient in America’s success
Over the past 80 years, America’s bold, sustained investment in scientific research, and the discoveries, ideas and innovations that flowed from it made America a world leader. The nation’s scientific leadership has been essential to our shared prosperity and national security, and delivered real benefits for all Americans. On June 16, Scientific American released a special section, “ The Young American Scientists ,” which celebrates early-career professionals actively engaged in scientific research, and features commentary from MIT faculty on why they continue to be so devoted to curiosity-driven science, demonstrating how their hard work and dedication make Americans safer, healthier, and more prosperous. Among the section’s profiles are many MIT faculty, students, and alumni, who share their advice for young scientists and their reasons for optimism in uncertain times. President Sally Kornbluth emphasizes the importance of curiosity-driven research, noting that discovery “is part of our American DNA and has yielded vast returns to the citizens of this country and the world.” She adds, “what’s needed is a rededication to public investment in American science. Even if I were not the leader of a premier scientific institution, this is what I’d say. Investing in American science is not a gamble; if you look back in time, there is no question about the benefits.” Adds Institute Prof. Robert Langer : “What American science has done over the past 50, 100 years has been remarkable.” Scientific American notes that at MIT, that commitment to discovery is reflected in initiatives such as Curiosity on a Mission and the Generative AI Impact Consortium , which are aimed at finding “solutions to real-world problems in a way that is beneficial to society.” “On one hand, we’re at a time, technologically, where things could not be more exciting [and] our science [could not be] more cutting-edge. At the same time, we’ve never seen a situation where people felt so uncertain a
- Gaming1 hour ago
Lanterns episode 2 contains some hilarious Hal Jordan Easter eggs that you may have missed
We're only two episodes into Lanterns , but it is packed with Easter eggs and DC references. However, you may have missed some hilarious pop culture nods in the recent installment. Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for Lanterns season 1 episode 2 , so turn back now if you haven't caught up. First, read our spoiler-free Lanterns review . Partway through Lanterns episode 2, when Aaron Pierre's John Stewart looks around Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan's huge house for the Lantern, he stumbles upon some pictures on the wall from Hal's time in the limelight. One picture shows Hal meeting the pope, another shows the hero sitting with ex-US President Barack Obama, and another shows Jordan standing with the cast of Harry Potter on the red carpet. Now his rant in episode 1 makes a lot more sense. When he interrogates the alien, Jordan asks the suspected extraterrestrial some pop culture questions to prove he's not human, including "Where does Harry Potter go to school?" Now, every English-speaking person should know that. When the alien fails to answer, Jordan says, "Harry Potter went to Hogwarts, you ignorant alien fuck!" Lanterns fans are loving the little tidbits, as one wrote on Reddit , "God, this show is so fucking funny." However, another has pointed out that Hal's wall of celeb meetups is actually rather sad. "It really reinforces how alone he is and how the job is all Hal really has. Not a single picture of anyone he cares about. It’s a really fun way to set up his fear of being replaced and having no purpose." Hal's loneliness is reinforced by his big empty house. He doesn't even have a couch, just a sole camping chair positioned in front of a huge TV. Hal's time as the Green Lantern meant he never got married or had a family, with his companion being an alien plant he keeps in his backyard. This might explain why he behaves the way he does, and why he is so eager to push John away at any given moment. Some think his erratic behaviour puts him under suspicio
- Gaming1 hour ago
Over an hour of footage from the canceled Iron Man game is online, and it sure looks like the Just Cause devs' take on Marvel
Avalanche Studios' canceled Iron Man game was never officially announced to the public, but over an hour of footage from the open-world superhero game has now spilled online. To quickly catch you up on the project, the developer of Just Cause and Mad Max was once in charge of making an open-world game starring Iron Man during the MCU's early years in the 2010s. While Disney and Avalanche never went public about their collaboration, studio co-founder and former boss Christofer Sundberg spilled the beans in an interview a few years ago. Now, we can finally see what Avalanche's Stockholm studio was cooking thanks to well over an hour of leaked footage that was supposedly sourced from a PS3 development kit, per Reddit . And, yep, that sure looks like an Iron Man game made by the folks behind Just Cause. The billionaire playboy is seen jetting through the skies at top speed in a fashion that's not too dissimilar from the way players could glide and grapple all across the Just Cause maps - add in some crazy physics and huge explosions, and you're halfway there. The footage certainly isn't polished, which is to be expected considering its development was cut many years short, but what is here definitely looks fun. As well as aerial flight, Iron Man is shown using his recognizable suite of gadgets and tech, with small missiles shooting out of his mechanical shoulders. Melee combat seems to have been inspired by the Batman Arkham games, as it was in 2015's Mad Max as well. And, interestingly, there's also a big emphasis on environmental destruction in many segments. Speaking to MinnMax back in 2022, Sundberg said the project was canned due to "company politics," with Disney supposedly wanting to cut about a year from the game's development schedule. He also revealed that the game had been in development "for a couple of years" before its untimely end, and he thought it was shaping up to be "really, really good." Of course, Avalanche's Iron Man shouldn't be confused for EA Mo
- Gaming1 hour ago
VS Studio adds another Tekken veteran as Kohei Ikeda joins as game designer
Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda has joined Katsuhiro Harada's VS Studio. Read more
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Majority of HR leaders expect new job creation in H2 2026: Report
Most Human Resources leaders expect hiring (both new and replacement) to continue in H2 2026, with 79 per cent anticipating fresh job creation, a report said on Tuesday. The bi-annual Naukri H2 2026 Hiring Outlook is based on insights from more than 540 senior HR leaders and hiring decision-makers across sectors. Nearly 97 per cent of HR leaders surveyed expect hiring (both new and replacement) to continue in H2 2026, and 79 per cent predict fresh job creation, the report said. Real estate leads the optimism with 86 per cent of its HR leaders forecasting new jobs, followed by FMCG at 85 per cent, it added. The IT and technology sector has gained momentum, with 83 per cent of HR executives being optimistic about hiring in the second half of this year, up from 79 per cent in H1, the report noted. The report further revealed that HR leaders anticipate maximum hiring in Business Development, Marketing, and IT roles, with 45 per cent, 37 per cent, and 31 per cent, respectively, predict
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
LLMs help robots understand vague instructions and focus on key details
Imagine working at a warehouse or office sometime in the near future, and you’re asked to help a new trainee learn the basics of their job. The catch: It’s a robot. To teach them, you might want to play a game of “show and tell” — that is, physically showing how to do something a few different ways, while also explaining what you’re doing. Let’s say you asked the robot to place some coffee on your desk without disturbing you during a Zoom call. You’ll prefer that the robot doesn’t get too close to you and the laptop so that it doesn’t interrupt your meeting. To enable this behavior, the robot should be trained with data that clearly demonstrates the full task. Computer scientists have attempted to explain manipulation tasks to robots by recording lots of physical demonstrations or writing extensive directions. But if you don’t have both, the machine is likely to misunderstand what it needs to do. It’s laborious for humans to do all that showing and telling, so researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have automated the process of teaching a robot, while clarifying instructions automatically and using nearly five times less demonstration data. Their “Masked Inverse Reinforcement Learning” (Masked IRL) approach uses a large language model (LLM) to elaborate on ambiguous prompts based on the data collected from a user’s demo. Another LLM then narrows down which details an algorithm should incorporate into a motion plan, so that a robot can safely complete chores in homes, offices, and factories. “Our approach could come in handy when a human interacts with a robot but doesn’t want to spell out all the details of a task,” says MIT PhD student and CSAIL researcher Minyoung Hwang, who is a lead author on a paper presenting the project. “We’re minimizing human effort by enabling machines to get to the bottom of what users really want.” According to Hwang, Masked IRL can help robots safely maneuver in settings where there ar
- Gaming1 hour ago
EverQuest Legends dev says 'I'm sure we would' add new classes, races 'in the longer-term vision of the game'
EverQuest Legends, the EverQuest spinoff that remixes an old-school version of the early MMORPG into a multiclassing, froglok-murdering ARPG minmaxer's paradise , has a lot on the way. In a recent Twitch stream , developers from Daybreak Games and Game Jawn floated some pretty big ideas for the future: perhaps most notably, all-new classes that weren't in the original EverQuest at all. "Definitely, I think, long-term we have discussed additional races, additional classes. Is it realistic to have another class by [the upcoming expansion] Kunark? I don't think so," said Daybreak executive producer David Youssefi. "But definitely would not rule it out for the longer-term vision of the game. In fact, I'm sure we would." Game Jawn CEO and technical director Eda Spause chimed in, "Yeah, absolutely." Granted, they were careful to temper expectations. Before Youssefi said that, lead content designer Eric Wellman addressed the topic by saying it's "a matter of how much work, and is it worth the work." Spause replied, "I'm of the opinion it would be, however, that opinion is also at odds with the reality of how much we have to do." In other words, this is less a guarantee and more an optimistic plan for the future. While, for the most part, Legends is just a casual-friendly remix of an old game, this particular long-term ambition calls to mind Old School RuneScape and the oft-rumored 'Classic+' version of World of Warcraft taking after the game's private server scene . Every class playable in even the modern version of the original EverQuest is already represented, so the addition of new classes would see Legends join the chorus of MMOs and live service games building new stuff using an old version as scaffolding. And while Legends already has an original playable race in the catlike kerran and revamped zones here and there, I'd argue new playstyles are the bigger deal in a game all about concocting builds and farming phat loots. As for what those classes would even be, it's
- Gaming1 hour ago
DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is a definite improvement but path traced fidelity is still not a 100% solved issue
Nvidia's new DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction feature is laser-focused on trying to fix the second most annoying thing about ray traced or path traced games: visual artifacting. Yes, the lighting effect does deliver the most accurate-looking lighting and shadows in games, but in motion there is a definite visual weirdness added into scenes. And that weirdness generally comes from the denoising pass designed to turn the low-fidelity path traced image, with its limited number of rays, into a fully realised frame. Leave a game's viewport still and the scene will pretty rapidly come together to make a sharp, convincing image. Shift that around, or have that scene filled with moving objects or characters and you're going to see the sort of visual trails you might only have been used to in the warehouse parties of your early twenties. Just me? The issue is that it's way too expensive in terms of raw compute to trace every single photon/pixel that would otherwise make up a fully traced scene. Even with the current method of tracking a far smaller representative sample of rays bouncing around the geometry of your game world it's still incredibly demanding of your PC's hardware. This is, by the way, the most annoying thing about ray traced or path traced games: the amount of graphical horsepower the tech demands over pre-baked lighting techniques. The huge performance hit it involves is punitive for all but the most powerful GPUs, and we are still no closer to solving that right now. So we still have to use small numbers of tracked rays to create an approximate scene which looks something like this: (Image credit: Nvidia | CDPR) But that doesn't look great if you're trying to make a convincing world, though I guess there's something to that aesthetic in a sort of 3D ASCII kind of way . Anyway, to realise this image into a production ready frame you need to use a denoiser to fill in the blanks between the sampled rays, and the hand-tuned denoisers track and group pixels across mul
- Gaming1 hour ago
For an unhinged 84 minutes, Slay the Spire 2 expert contemplates 1 damage and explains a fight simulator built to solve the game
At the beginning of an 84-minute video, Slay the Spire 2 YouTuber Jorbs wonders if it is more optimal to play two Strikes and deal 12 damage now, or play Bash on Ironclad to set up for 13 average damage across two turns. Around 75 minutes into that video, with the help of a fight simulator made to help optimize encounters, we finally approach an answer. Jorbs is known for granular analysis of high-ascension Slay the Spire 2 runs, and his new machine learning-backed fight solver may be his magnum opus. It's excessive, finicky, impractical, and truly glorious. "The amount of time that I have spent on being able to do stuff like this... it's fortunate that I can say this is my job, because otherwise this would be a concerning amount of commitment to a hobby," Jorbs says. This Slay the Spire 2 fight solver, made in Sandbox, can theoretically be used to optimize for different outcomes – generally, reducing damage taken. Enter the cards in your hand and deck, tell the simulator what enemies you're facing, and let the computer break down different lines of play. Who needs basic arithmetic when we've got heuristics and probabilities? The Strike and Bash example comes from a proof-of-concept fight. In the first encounter of your run, assuming you only have starter cards as Ironclad, do you save health by assuming and playing four Strikes across two turns (24 damage), or a Bash into two Strikes (26 damage), while accounting for draw variance and the possibility of only playing one Strike on turn two after Bash (for 17 total damage), all gauged against the enemy's health? To answer this, we will drain the Earth's oceans if we must. This tool, like the video explaining it, is a masterclass in overcomplicating something simple purely and literally for the love of the game. As Jorbs agrees, the moment you apply this simulator to more complex decks and fights – say, a 24-card Ironclad deck versus the Act 2 Decimillipede elite – it explodes like dough in hot oil. Even a single poti
- AI & Deeptech1 hour ago
David Autor named head of the Department of Economics
David Autor, the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in the MIT Department of Economics, has been named head of the Department of Economics, effective July 1. “David is a world-class labor economist,” says Agustín Rayo, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. “He is also an individual of wisdom and insight. I look forward to welcoming him to the school’s leadership team.” Autor’s scholarship explores the labor-market impacts of technological change and globalization on job polarization, skill demands, earnings levels and inequality, and electoral outcomes. He serves as faculty co-director of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work . “I’ve been at MIT since 1999, and I owe my career to the Institute, the department, and colleagues who are as kind as they are accomplished,” Autor says. “Stepping into this role is a chance to contribute to a place that has shaped me at every stage.” Autor succeeds Jon Gruber, the Ford Professor of Economics, who has served as department head since July 2023. Autor says he “aims to build on the stellar standard set by its faculty and students while navigating budget tightening and a shifting political landscape.” “Just as important, I want to lead the department toward the opportunities that advancing AI is opening in how we teach and what we research,” he adds. Autor serves as co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Labor Studies Program . He earned a BA in psychology from Tufts University in 1989 and a PhD in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 1999. Autor has received numerous awards for both his scholarship — the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, the Sherwin Rosen Prize for outstanding contributions to the field of Labor Economics, the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2019, the Society for Progress Medal in 20
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Tesla recalls nearly 3 million cars in China over door escape risk
Tesla is recalling 2,975,910 vehicles in China after the country’s market regulator determined that its emergency door release is too hard to find and operate in a crash. It’s Tesla’s largest-ever recall in China, and it lands as the automaker’s door design faces mounting legal and regulatory pressure on two continents. Several other automakers who followed Tesla into similarly designed door releases have also issued similar recalls.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Tesla (TSLA) recalls over 2 million cars in China to add driver monitoring
Tesla is recalling 2,740,642 vehicles in China to strengthen driver monitoring on its assisted-driving system, after regulators found that checking for a hand on the wheel isn’t enough to keep drivers watching the road. The fix forces Tesla to use the car’s cabin camera to track the driver’s eyes — the same kind of monitoring Chinese drivers were recently caught defeating with $20 plastic doll heads.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Hyundai and Genesis EV drivers can now score a 20% discount on IONNA charging
Hyundai is offering EV drivers, including select Genesis models, an extra 10% discount on all IONNA charging sessions through the end of September. With a stackable bonus from IONNA, drivers can save 20% on charging for a limited time.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
A first-of-its-kind US factory could make grid batteries safer
Anthro Energy has broken ground on a first-of-its-kind US battery materials factory in Louisville, Kentucky, with enough planned annual output to support up to 25 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of lithium-ion batteries.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Lectric Labor Day e-bike sale offers up to $694 savings + price cuts, EcoFlow 4,096Wh power station $2,549 in flash sale, more
We’re closing out this week’s Green Deals with the new Lectric Labor Day Sale leading the pack, offering up to $694 on e-bike bundles + XPeak2 and XPedition2 price cuts – all starting from $799 . Next, EcoFlow has kicked off a 4-day website-exclusive flash sale with offers like the 4,096Wh DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station down at $2,549 , and more from $799. We also have EGO’s premium 16-inch Carbon Fiber Cordless Electric String Trimmer with Line IQ and POWERLOAD tech at its $251 2026 low , the meross Two-Zone Wi-Fi Smart Water Timer at a new $76 low , Aiper’s HydroComm Smart Pool Monitor with optimization tips, some solar-powered garden lights from Nanoleaf, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget we have all the hangover deals from this week that are down at the bottom of the page, like the massive 2,049.50 exclusive savings on Heybike’s Hero mid-drive carbon-fiber all-terrain e-bike at a new $1,049.50 low , and more. Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek ’s best EV buying and leasing deals . Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories .
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Walmart’s 400 kW EV charging network just hit 100 stores
Walmart has opened its 100th company-owned EV fast-charging site, bringing its fast-growing network to 100 stores across 20 states.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Hyundai starts taking orders for $17,700 Ioniq V, but you can’t have it
Hyundai has started taking pre-sale orderss for its upcoming Ioniq V, but if you’re reading this from anywhere that speaks English, you can’t have it… yet?
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Podcast: Tesla kills Solar Roof, Cybercab launch, Genesis GV90, and more
In the Electrek Podcast , we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla killing the Solar Roof, Cybercab launch, Genesis GV90, and more. Today’s episode is sponsored by GM . GM EV charging made easy, with Energy Pass and Plug and Charge. Learn more at https://gmenergy.gm.com/energypass
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
Heybike launches low cost 28 MPH full-suspension moped-style e-bike
Heybike is expanding into a rather different corner of the e-bike market with the launch of the new Heybike Titan, a full-suspension, moped-style electric bike that can be had with either one or two batteries. And perhaps just as importantly, Heybike is coming out swinging on price.
- EV & Mobility1 hour ago
XPeng robotics raises $900M at $6.3B valuation for IRON robot push
XPeng’s robotics business has raised over $900 million at a post-money valuation of more than $6.3 billion, the Chinese EV maker announced today. XPeng calls it the largest single-round private financing in the history of China’s embodied AI industry. The round is meant to push XPeng’s IRON humanoid robot into mass production by the end of 2026 — a timeline that keeps the automaker ahead of Tesla’s stalling Optimus program.
- Gaming1 hour ago
Cult Classic RPGs That Are Near-Perfect Masterpieces
The concept of a cult classic RPG is rather loosely defined. "Cult classic" is usually meant as a compliment, but it's not merely synonymous with "good." Generally speaking, a cult classic is a piece of media that was unsuccessful or otherwise underappreciated during its time, but managed to gain a small and dedicated, AKA "cult," following.
- Gaming1 hour ago
Konami's Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls to be taken offline next month
Konami has announced the shut down Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls next month. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
Human: Fall Flat veterans launch new UK studio Pretty Cool Games with funding from Arknights developer Hypergraph
Pretty Cool Games has been co-founded by Human: Fall Flat veterans Sitara Shefta (CEO) and Will Dudley (CCO) with the aim of building a sustainable studio that's fair to its employees and rewards them for their success. Read more
- Gaming1 hour ago
Exclusive: Magic Designers Reveal Why Secret Lair's New Zeta Set Had to Come in Booster Packs
What do a baby swan, a prosthetic elf ear, a disco ball, and a pile of loose change all have in common? They’re all featured on cards in Magic: The Gathering ’s first-ever Secret Lair booster packs.
- Gaming1 hour ago
"We chose the worst time in history" – Harvey Smith on starting his own studio after Arkane
Microsoft's closure of Arkane Austin in May 2024 left 96 developers out of work – among them studio head Harvey Smith, whose storied career spans Deus Ex, Dishonored, and Prey. Now, after a two-year quiet period, Smith is ready to reveal his next venture: Black Pony Immersive, a new studio co-founded with former Arkane colleague Ben Horne. Read more
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