Credit: The Dan Patrick Show / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Dan Patrick isn’t fully on board with the swings Netflix took to dress up Monday’s Home Run Derby.
Discussing the broadcast on Tuesday’s episode of his eponymous show, Patrick said Netflix could stand to do a better job getting the word out about the star power it brought to the event, noting he had no idea names like Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols were involved until the broadcast was already underway.
“I’d like to think I’m at least socially aware of sporting events, but I had no idea,” Patrick said. “And then all of a sudden, it’s like Netflix, and then you had Will Ferrell show up, you had Bonds and Pujols, and I’m like, OK. They’re trying. Netflix is trying, trying different things. Now, sometimes you can try too hard. Sometimes you can try to dress something up, and you really don’t need to.”
That tracks with the broader reaction to Monday’s broadcast, which got the Derby’s new swing-based format right while stumbling on execution elsewhere, including a Will Ferrell-led intro segment that landed with viewers about as well as it did with Patrick.
“I didn’t need Will Ferrell on the broadcast. I think they tried too hard in what they were trying to do there,” he said. “But, still, you’re trying to do new things. Sometimes, it’s just good the way it is.”
Patrick has been down this road with Netflix before. Back in March, he tore into the streamer’s Opening Night broadcast, an hour-long pregame slog padded with celebrity cameos that pushed first pitch to 8:25 p.m. and left him feeling like he’d “tuned into a PowerPoint on Netflix” with a baseball game buried somewhere inside it.
He wasn’t uniformly critical of Monday’s broadcast, though. Patrick praised Bonds’ ability to pick out small, specific details in hitters’ swings, after previously knocking him for spending too much time rambling about his own playing days a few months prior.
Netflix gets another shot Aug. 13, when the Phillies and Twins play at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Two broadcasts into the deal, Patrick has made a habit of grading its work. There’s little reason to think he sits this one out.
At Spa-Francorchamps, there are multiple straights, more so than the average F1 track, which is causing concerns about how much power the cars will have.
The FIA, in an attempt to unlock more power on straight sections, has announced five Straight Mode zones at the track to minimize drag.
Straight Mode allows cars to activate a setting on the front and rear wings, which unlocks a speed boost similar to DRS.
Cars, apart from needing to deal with very long straights, will need to contend with a lack of braking zones.
May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem walks through the paddock after the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Following the British Grand Prix, which featured a similar set of problems, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso explained why the cars will face so many challenges.
“Obviously, Silverstone and Spa, they are very thirsty on energy. You cannot deploy in all on the straights. Next week, it is going to be the same thing. If you deploy in Spa from Turn 1 to 5, it is finito for the rest of the lap,” Alonso said.
“So, you need to save a little bit there to have deployment from 14 to the bus stop [chicane]. But if you deploy in those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then there is one minute, sector two, with no deployment at all.
“And with no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year and less power than F2, that is the case when you cut the deployment. So, yes, it is a challenge.”
British Grand Prix, Saturday, Jiri Krenek during Sprint race the Formula 1 British Grand Prix 2026, 9th round of the 2026 Formula One World Championship from July 3 to 5, 2026 on the Silverstone Circuit, in Silverstone, United Kingdom – Photo Jiri Krenek / Active Pictures
How will the Belgian Grand Prix look?
For fans tuning in, they can expect a good number of overtakes, but they won’t always be based on moves; rather, some cars conserve energy while others deploy.
This can be known as a “yo-yo” effect, and it should be pronounced at Spa. However, with more overtaking zones, there should be a bit more aggression and tactics involved in this kind of racing.
However, those looking to see “pure racing” may be disappointed by how each driver is forced to attack every lap.
The Changan CS55 Plus is the third best-selling vehicle in Kazakhstan in June.
21,860 new vehicles hit Kazakh roads in June, a splendid 12.7% year-on-year improvement. This way, the H1 volume tilts into positive territory at +0.2% to 105,885. Chevrolet (+39.9%) reclaims the brands top spot with 14.3% share, a smidge above Hyundai (-26.3%) at 13.9%. Both manufacturers however evolve far below their YTD levels of 16.6% and 16.3% respectively. Changan (+121.5%) is the best performer in the Top 10, repeating at a record third place. JAC (+87.8%), Haval (+63.6%) and Chery (+40.8%) also impress just below. All in all, Chinese carmakers hold 56.2% share of Kazakh sales in June vs. 42.4% a year ago thanks to sales up 49.3% to 12,276.
The Chevrolet Cobalt (+64.4%) cements its dominance of the models charts with 13.2% share vs. 15.5% year-to-date. The Hyundai Tucson (+1.6%) is also faithful to its traditional 2nd spot with 7% of the market. The Changan CS55 Plus (+42.8%) overtakes its sibling the new Changan CS35 Max, with the JAC S3 (+82.5%) rounding out the Top 5. Excellent scores also by the JAC J7 (+218.5%), Haval M6 (151.4%) and Jolion (+137.3%). Just outside the Top 10, the Chery Tiggo 7 advances 4 spots on May to #11 and the Changan CS75 Plus (+265.5%) is up five to #12.
Wuthering Waves is a fairly popular gacha game that first launched on PC and PlayStation before eventually making its way to Xbox. Unfortunately for fans, the Xbox release hasn't quite lived up to expectations. Players have been calling on developer Kuro Games to address a range of technical issues, with one user, @ClebsAlexandre on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing just how rough the game looks on an Xbox Series X.
The footage highlights severe texture pop-in, graphical glitches, missing shadows, and what appears to be very low-quality settings, leading some fans to speculate that the Xbox version may have been built using the game's mobile version as its foundation.
Wuthering Waves side by side (Image credit: @jianxin501st)
I must admit, I'm not particularly into gacha games myself, but seeing just how poor the game looks on Xbox is genuinely disappointing, especially when the PlayStation version appears to run and look far better, at least according to some users.
Fans on X are understandably frustrated. One user wrote, "Thank you so much for the experience of a mobile game running on low settings on the Xbox!" That said, while looking into the issue, I did come across a handful of PlayStation 5 players reporting similar problems, suggesting this may not be entirely isolated to Xbox.
Even so, I hope Kuro Games is able to get these issues sorted. As things stand, the Xbox version looks and performs well below what you'd expect from a modern title, especially on the Series X.
If you've been playing Wuthering Waves on Xbox, let me know how it's been running for you. Are you happy with its performance, or are you just as disappointed as many of the players posting online? Be sure to leave a comment below, and as always, don't forget to take part in our poll!
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
OpenAI, which is in the middle of a legal battle with Apple over hardware trade theft allegations, just released a light-up keyboard designed to be paired with its agentic coding app.
The stock has steadily fallen from the euphoric post-IPO high, showing that markets may be sobering up to the promises CEO Elon Musk made before and after SpaceX went public.
Xbox's planned 3,200 layoffs by July 2027 are already easily the biggest round of layoffs the industry has ever seen if taken at mere face value, but Bloomberg's Jason Schreier argues that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. In a new YouTube video, the journalist highlights the "hidden cuts" of the many contractors that were linked to a canceled project. Nowadays, triple-A game development involves several studios working together, some of which are external. For example, he reveals that the Perfect Dark reboot wasn't developed solely by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics: sister studio Eidos Montréal was also involved, […]
"We've removed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 from the list of titles coming soon to Game Pass."
As for why it was removed, your guess is as good as mine, but Tony Hawks is actually an IP Xbox owns, making its removal even more head-scratching, though some have speculated it could be due to music licensing. Rumors surrounding the long-term viability of Xbox Game Pass have been circulating online for a while now, with some reports claiming Xbox leadership views the service as unsustainable. Xbox is also in the middle of a major restructuring, with studios becoming independent and around 1,600 layoffs taking place so far.
It's impossible to say whether pulling a single game from the lineup means anything on its own, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence either. At the very least, it leaves me feeling a little more cautious about what the future of Game Pass might look like.
I'm actually a big fan of Game Pass. It's given me the opportunity to play games I probably never would've tried otherwise, and I'm much more willing to take a chance on something new if it launches on the service.
Let me know how you feel about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 being removed from the upcoming Game Pass lineup. Do you care, are you worried, or do you think it was simply a mistake?
As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Dozens of games were just made available to stream through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Those titles are now supported by the "Stream Your Own Games" part of Xbox Game Pass that lets you stream supported titles through the cloud.
As popular as playing titles that come with Xbox Game Pass is, many of the best Xbox games do not come with the subscription. Stream Your Own Games allows you to play many of your favorite titles to your phone, tablet, PC, or other supported devices.
This month's collection of newly supported games includes several popular titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.
The folks over at True Achievements gathered together the complete list:
Game Title
#Blud
A Hat in Time
Absolver
Ascend to Zero
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Beat Cop
Blightbound
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Buckshot Roulette
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Carto
Disc Room
D-topia
Exit the Gungeon
Fade to Silence
Forager
Gato Roboto
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
I Hate Running Backwards
Ikenfell
Lock's Quest
Metal Wolf Chaos XD
Minit
Monaco 2
Monaco: What's Yours is Mine
Monster Jam Steel Titans
My Friend Pedro
Olija
Pepper Grinder
Phantom Abyss
Pikuniku
Protodroid DeLTA
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior 2
Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition
South of the Circle
Stories Untold
Supraland
Tamashika
Temtem
The Messenger
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu
The Occupation
The Talos Principle: Reawakened
Void Bastards
Wandersong
Wildfire
Winds of Arcana: Ruination
Wizard with a Gun
World of Tanks Modern Armor
Wuthering Waves
To use the Stream Your Own Games feature, you need to purchase a copy of the game and be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. You can be subscribed to Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate to stream your games.
Originally, the Stream Your Own Games library only had 50 games. It's steadily grown since then and supported games now number in the hundreds. Over 70 new titles were added this May.
Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and play day one Xbox games whichever way you'd like, on Xbox consoles, PC, or even through the Cloud on a wide range of devices. Going with this tier means you never miss out on anything coming to the service.
NVIDIA CEO, Jensen Huang, has arrived in Japan and will be holding key meetings with robotics partners to advance the Physical AI era ahead. Jensen Huang Arrives In The Birthplace of Humanoid Robots To Kickstart The Physical AI Era AI is a multi-domain market, and while Agentic AI is all the buzz these days, there's one other key market that is growing at a rapid pace with the evolution of AI: Physical AI. Robots are to Physical AI what humans are to Agentic AI. And NVIDIA has a vast robotics platform ready for the future. It is mainly powered by […]
CXMT's DDR5 memory has some major drawbacks versus DRAM modules from the big three, as ASUS highlights poor overclocking and worse performance. Motherboard Vendors Have Unlocked Over 8000 MT/s Speeds On CXMT-Based DDR5 Memory Modules, But The DRAM Is Inferior In Performance & Overclocking With the ongoing DRAM shortages, China's DIY PC market has started relying heavily on domestic memory solutions. We have seen brands such as Kingbank, Gloway, Lexar, and many more utilize CXMT DDR5 memory. As such, motherboard vendors have started offering optimized support for these modules. With strengthened BIOS support, these memory modules can now surpass 8000 […]
According to local manufacturers association PAMA, 22,741 new locally assembled vehicles found a buyer in Pakistan in June, hit Pakistani roads in May, a +4.4% year-on-year improvement. The H1 2026 volume is up 35.2% to 118,123 vigorous. Note not all manufacturers present in Pakistan are members of PAMA such as Kia, Changan and MG notably and therefore don’t appear in these statistics. Suzuki (-12.7%) is down quite significantly year-on-year but still manages an outstanding 50.8% share, up from 48% year-to-date. Toyota (-4.9%) also struggles at #2 but Honda (+64.4%) and Sazgar Haval (+62.8%) shine. Newcomer Tank is estimated to rank #6 with 2.4% share.
Model-wise, the Suzuki Alto (-23.8%) easily keeps the lead with 31.8% share, its YoY evolution hampered by a particularly high year-ago result when it reached its highest volume in 3 years. The Sazgar Haval H6 its estimated to rank #2 with 9.6% share but the hero of the month is the Suzuki Fronx up to #3 and 7.6% share for its second month in market. The Suzuki Swift (-6.5%) is relegated to 4th place ahead of the Honda Civic estimated to gain 51.7% at #5.
You know what Rick and Morty season 9 has been missing so far? Something marginally normal. Thankfully, Morty and Summer are off to summer camp (the season, that is — they didn't name the camp after her) in this week's episode.
Obviously, I'm being hopelessly naive in thinking that this is going to resemble anything like a routine summer-camp adventure, especially seeing as Beth and Rick are being left home alone in the meantime; I mean, what could go wrong — at either venue?
It's exhausting even trying to guess at what's coming, so I might as well stop trying, and answer the question you're here to have answered: when does Rick and Morty season 9 episode 9 arrive on Adult Swim, Hulu, and HBO Max?
What time can I watch Rick and Morty season 9 episode 9 on Adult Swim, Hulu, and HBO Max?
In the US, Rick and Morty season 9 episode 9 will debut on Adult Swim on Sunday, July 19 at 8pm PT / 11pm ET.
Viewers elsewhere, as well as in the US, have two streaming options: Hulu and HBO Max. Episodes should appear on these platforms 24 hours after they've aired on Adult Swim, meaning you can expect episode 9 to land on Monday, July 20.
These are the timings you need to take note of:
US – 12am PT / 3am ET
Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
UK – 8am BST
India – 12:30pm IST
Singapore – 3pm SGT
Australia – 6pm AEST
New Zealand – 8pm NZDT
When do new episodes of Rick and Morty season 9 come out?
(Image credit: Adult Swim)
Rick and Morty season 9 is set to have 10 episodes. As long as there are no unexpected delays, we can expect it to follow the following release schedule:
GTA 6 is without a doubt the most anticipated game of 2026 for many, but only PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S owners will be able to experience Rockstar Games' open-world title this November, as the game will not hit PC at the same time. Although many have long suspected this staggered release strategy is meant to get players to purchase multiple versions of the game, veteran GTA 5 producer John Ricchio (who worked at the studio from 2003 to 2014) confirmed there are other reasons behind this strategy, mostly technical. Speaking in an interview with Kiwi Talks, Ricchio emphasized […]
China's DFSX is working on fueling its domestic AI supply chain with next-gen 3.5D "Infinity Chiplet" architectures & 3D DRAM technologies. DFSX Is Working on China's First DF1000 AI Accelerator With 3D DRAM Technology, Also Unveils 3.5D+ Packaging DFSX recently hosted a presentation where they announced China's first 3D AI chip that is built entirely using China's domestic supply chain. There is a lot to unpack here, but the key product is the DF1000, which is a software-defined near-in-memory computing AI accelerator that will be used by domestic AI and tech firms. DF1000 - China's First 3D DRAM-Powered AI Accelerator […]
There's no other way to describe the latest Microsoft Xbox layoffs under parent company Microsoft Gaming than tragic. With 3,200 jobs getting cut by July 2027, it's no surprise that studios from Bethesda Softworks to Obsidian Entertainment have been significantly impacted, but it feels like few have been hit as hard as id Software, the legendary development studio behind the DOOM and Quake series. An official statement released a few days ago downplayed the brutal reset, but it seems like the situation is as dire as it looked like when the first reports came in, as the cuts may have […]
Motorola has launched the Edge 70 Max in India, introducing a new premium smartphone with flagship hardware, advanced AI capabilities, and the largest battery ever fitted inside a Motorola smartphone. It is the most powerful Edge 70-series phone, sitting between the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ and Edge 70 Signature in the lineup.
Motorola Edge 70 Max specifications and features
Motorola Edge 70 Max
The Motorola Edge 70 Max sports a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Extreme AMOLED LTPO display with a 144Hz adaptive refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate and up to 7,000 nits peak brightness. The panel is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Powering the phone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage.
The phone packs a 7,100mAh fourth-generation silicon-carbon battery while maintaining an 8.29mm profile. It supports 90W wired TurboPower charging, 25W Qi2 magnetic wireless charging with MagSafe accessory compatibility, and 5W wired reverse charging.
The Edge 70 Max features a 50-megapixel Sony LYTIA-710 primary camera with OIS, paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera that also supports macro photography. A 32-megapixel front camera handles selfies and video calls.
Running Android 16 with Hello UX, the device is promised three Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. To keep temperatures under control, Motorola has included a 5,500mm² vapour chamber along with an advanced cooling system covering a total thermal area of 29,550mm². Other highlights include Wi-Fi 7, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Snapdragon Sound, MIL-STD-810H certification, and IP66, IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.
Motorola Edge 70 Max price and availability
The Motorola Edge 70 Max is priced at Rs 54,999 (~$570) for the 8GB + 256GB variant, while the 12GB + 256GB model costs Rs 59,999 (~$625). It comes in Pantone Aqua Gray, Pantone Ice Melt and Pantone Dark Shadow color options. Sales will begin on July 20 via Flipkart, Motorola India, and authorized offline retail stores.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
Huawei just officially rolled out the Pura 90s Pro and Pura 90s Pro Max to international markets, giving the Pura 90 lineup a proper global push beyond China.
The two models share a lot of the same DNA but carve out their own identities depending on what you’re after: size, charging speed, and a few camera tweaks. The Pura 90s Pro Max packs a generous 6.9-inch flat LTPO OLED display (1,308 x 2,880 pixels). The smaller Pura 90s Pro goes with a 6.6-inch LTPO panel (1,256 x 2,760) that’s easier to handle one-handed. Both screens use an anti-reflective coating that supposedly slashes reflections by up to 70%, and they’re protected by Kunlun Glass (second-gen on the Pro).
Photography is still the star of the show here. The Pro Max steals the spotlight with an industry-first 200MP RYYB telephoto sensor (1/1.28-inch, f/2.6, 4x optical zoom) that supports macro shots and even 20x telephoto video thanks to strong CIPA 7.0 stabilization. Its main camera is a 50MP 1/1.28-inch LOFIC RYYB sensor with a versatile 10-step adjustable aperture (f/1.4 to f/4.0) and OIS, backed by a 40MP ultra-wide. The Pura 90s Pro packs the same 50MP main (without LOFIC), a 12.5MP ultra-wide, and its own 50MP 4x telephoto.
Under the hood, both phones run on Huawei’s new Kirin 9030S chipset, available with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage. They ship with EMUI 16 (based on AOSP 16). Connectivity looks solid: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Huawei’s NearLink.
Both phones get a 6,000mAh battery (though EU models drop to 5,500mAh because of regulations). Charging is faster on the Pro Max with 100W wired and 80W wireless, while the Pro settles for 66W wired and 50W wireless.
Pricing and availability:
On the availability front, they’re launching gradually. In Malaysia, the Pro starts at MYR 3,700 for the 12/256GB version and MYR 4,000 for the 12/512GB model, with pre-orders already underway. The Pro Max is listed at MYR 4,900 for the 12/512GB.
In Europe, pricing kicks off at roughly €900 for the Pro 12/256GB, rising to €1,050 for the 12/512GB. The Pro Max starts at €1,150 for 12/256GB and goes up to €1,300 for the 12/512GB. Expect rollouts soon in Singapore and the Middle East (with a July 16 launch event) as well.
Chelsea want Crystal Palace’s centre back and Palace may want Chelsea’s as a replacement. The solution is obvious.
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Chelsea and Crystal Palace have done a fair bit of business over the last few years, and that doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon.
The two clubs are both locked in talks over central defenders that could see them effectively change players. Chelsea insider Simon Phillips’ piece about the Blues’ plans for Trevoh Chalobah reveals all.
Chelsea and Palace have transfer arrangement fall into their lap
The defender was at Palace on loan two years ago and really impressed, before being recalled. Chelsea are now willing to sell permanently, while they’re keen to sign Maxence Lacroix from the Eagles.
The obvious solution is for each to sign the defender from the other. They can even mutually inflate the asking prices as a nice little PSR boost. Of course it’s not easy to pull off, and it would require both players to be keen on the move, but we can well imagine both sides are exploring that idea.
Lacroix was only eliminated at the World Cup last night, while Chalobah is still with England. That has slowed things, but the next couple of weeks will be very interesting.
In other news…
Another experienced Premier League defender could be on the move, with West Ham likely forced into a sale after their relegation.
Christos Tzolis is a major target for Arsenal, and he’s available at what sounds like a pretty reasonable price for a player with that much talent.
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The adventurous developer who recently released Linux for the Atari Jaguar (1993) has brewed up a version of the open-source OS for the Sega 32X (1994). If you can’t remember the 32X, it was Sega’s mid-gen answer to early fifth-generation challengers like the Jaguar, 3DO, and Amiga CD32. Sega’s solution added some potent processing power to a mushroom-like slot in an expansion to its popular Mega Drive/Genesis. Now cakehonolulu has got it running Linux, despite facing several major hurdles.
Compared to its Genesis host, the Sega 32X was incredibly muscular. The Genesis had relied on the capable but long-in-the-tooth Motorola 68000 (7 MHz) for years, but the 32X add-on boosted that with a pair of Hitachi SuperH SH2s (SH7604) CPUs (23 MHz). It also ramped up system RAM from the base 64KB by adding 256KB of its own. Sega’s expansion offered more than just speed; the console’s color palette was ramped up from 64 to 32,000 simultaneous colors on screen, and it was powerful enough to introduce hitherto unachievable 3D graphics elements to mainstream console gaming.
As with cakehonolulu’s tale of Linux wrangling on the old Jag, the above-linked blog talks through a long list of hurdles that needed to be leapt to get the Linux kernel booted and running BusyBox. This time around, particularly steely roadblocks included: the even more constrained RAM situation, the lack of hardware synchronization primitives, the desire to get SMP working across the pair of SH2 CPUs, no direct UART access from the 32X, and scheduler bugs, among other things.
On the positive side, smoothing the development process along were access to Chilly Willy’s 32X devkit, the linuxmd project, the Krikzz FPGA-based flash cart with ROM – RAM mapping tools, and existing SH2 documentation and sample projects. Please check through the linked blog for far more technical details from cakehonolulu.
Linux booted with BusyBox prompt on the Sega 32X (Image credit: cakehonolulu)
As you can see, cakehonolulu was successful again. So, what’s the next stop for this adventurous dev – the Sega Saturn? Whatever the project may be, it was interesting to read that works like this are basically forming a portfolio for the Spanish dev, which they hope will help them with job hunting.
NVIDIA & SEGA are celebrating 30 years of collaboration, as SEGA's "Legendary" gaming titles are announced for RTX Spark PCs. There Would've Been No NVIDIA Without SEGA, & Both Brands Celebrate Their 30 Long Years of Collaboration, Starting With NV1 To RTX Spark PCs NVIDIA's first graphics accelerator, before the term GPU existed, was the NV1. The 3D/2D chip was released back in 1995 and enabled the porting of classic SEGA games such as Virtua Fighter over to PC. From Troubled Beginnings to a 3-Decade-Long Collab The NV1 was the first and only chip to feature quadratic texture mapping, a […]
NVIDIA hosts a giveaway for Gears of War fans, offering custom wrap on the GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition. NVIDIA to Giveaway an RTX 5080 Founders Edition Inspired by Gears of War: E-Day Instalment Another Gears of War game is about to be released in a few months, which will be based on the origin story of the franchise. While the Gears of War: E-Day is scheduled to launch on October 6, 2026, we have NVIDIA is already preparing for its launch by offering a free GPU to the lucky winner in the latest giveaway. The giveaway is a part […]
"Willson Contreras says he went to the Red Sox and told them he would not be willing to waive his no-trade clause. He wants to finish his career in Boston. Joked that he got out ahead of potential rumors by making his stance clear."
Contreras added a heartfelt line: "I've found my family."
He's having the best season of his career, and he even made it to the Home Run Derby in addition to his All-Star selection.
Clearly, Contreras feels comfortable in Boston, and this isn't the last year of his contract, so it wouldn't be overly key for the Red Sox to consider trading him even if rumors had been true.
But considering Contreras doesn't plan on leaving, it's all a moot point.
Boston has turned things around heading into the All-Star Break, a nine-game winning streak giving them a chance of doing big things in the second half.
It'll certainly give them a better chance of making noise and chasing a playoff spot if Contreras is in the lineup. And he's not planning on wearing any other uniforms this season.
“Still to this day, he swears it just got away from him,” Duncan said after Bonds reflected on the incident, which was the only time he charged the mound in his MLB career.
“No it didn’t, it did not get away,” Bonds insisted. “He’s a good pitcher and he’s a good man. In that situation, it was part of the game of baseball during that time, and I accepted it.”
There was maybe one day where Bottalico swore it got away from him. But in just about every other day since, Bottalico has been open about the fact that he plunked Bonds on purpose.
“Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong,” Bottalico responded to Elle Duncan and Netflix during his Tuesday afternoon show with co-host Bill Colarulo on 97.5 The Fanatic. “That is a bald-faced lie.
“I’ve told the story on this show, I’ve told the story on NBC Sports Philadelphia, I have told the story. I was told to go in and hit Barry Bonds. It’s that simple. When it happens, in the newspapers in the next day and all that back then, I had to say I didn’t do it on purpose or else I’m suspended for a month. It’s that simple. Yes, we had to lie back then!”
Bottalico explained that Bonds attempted to steal a base while the San Francisco Giants were already up by around seven runs on the Phillies. Shortly after that happened, manager Terry Francona phoned the bullpen and summoned an unnamed reliever to throw a pitch at Bonds. When that reliever allegedly declined, Bottalico was next man up, and he obliged with one pitch that garnered the only mound charge of Bonds’ career. Nearly three decades later, the story appeared to be news to Netflix.
Baseball's biggest stars will arrive at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
There is no shortage of stars who will take the field, from Philadelphia native Mike Trout (Angels) and Yordan Alvarez (Astros) for the American League to Juan Soto (Mets) and Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) for the National League.
Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela will represent the Red Sox in the Midsummer Classic, but starting pitcher Ranger Suarez will not be available to play. He was recently placed on the 15-day IL with a groin injury.
Follow along right here for live updates and highlights from the 2026 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
MLB All-Star Game 2026 score
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
F
American League
3
0
0
0
0
0
3
National League
0
0
0
0
0
0
MLB All-Star Game 2026 live updates, highlights
10:12 p.m.: Though Contreras gets on, Randy Arozarena grounds out to short the next at-bat to end the top of the sixth.
We head to the bottom of the inning with the score still 3-0 American League.
10:11 p.m.: Willson Contreras is in business at the All-Star Game.
With two outs in the top of the six, the Red Sox first baseman gets on base with a single.
End of the fifth: American League 3, National League 0
10:00 p.m.: The AL pitching staff is dominating the night, with 9 strikeouts in 15 at-bats so far tonight. Now, it's Nick Martinez of the Tampa Bay Rays who strikes out the first two in the fifth.
Then, Clement makes an acrobatic play on a grounder by Pages to end the inning for the AL. Through five, it remains 3-0.
9:54 p.m.: The 30-year-old rookie Foster Griffin starts the fifth inning by striking out two straight batters. Then, Miguel Vargas lines one to center field, but it's in the range of Andy Pages.
Griffin gets through the top of the fifth in order, and we're halfway through the Midsummer Classic.
9:50 p.m.: Reasons like this show why baseball is America's pastime.
End of the fourth inning: American League 3, National League 0
9:42 p.m.: After Soto gets on, the NL goes down in order, with Muncy popping out to end the inning.
After four, it's still the AL who leads 3-0. The NL has just one hit on the night, courtesy of Soto.
9:37 p.m.: The NL is on-base to start the bottom of the fourth, with Soto drilling a single into the outfield.
9:33 p.m.: The offense has died down at Citizens Bank Park, with Jesus Luzardo getting out the side in order. Greene struck out swinging, followed by Clement and Trout grounding out.
Due up in the fourth for the NL is Soto, Freeman and Abrams.
End of the third inning: American League 3, National League 0
9:28 p.m.: Schwarber grounds out to Witt Jr. to end the third inning, and it's 3-0 AL.
The NL didn't get any runners on in the inning.
9:20 p.m.: With the runners on, Riley O'Brien gets Rice to strike out and the NL gets out unscathed.
We head to the bottom of the third with the AL leading 3-0.
9:15 p.m.: With two runners on, Bobby Witt Jr. hits a fielders choice, with Max Muncy getting out the runner at third before Witt Jr. is safe at first.
The NL is challenging the call.
9:11 p.m.: Langliers is on base for the second time tonight, hitting a blooper single to start the third.
End of the second inning: American League 3, National League 0
9:08 p.m.: Marsh strikes out looking, and it's 3-0 at the end of the second.
The NL can't get any runners on in the inning.
9:06 p.m.: With two outs in the bottom of the second, Brandon Marsh comes up to a standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd.
9:01 p.m.: The second inning is a quick one for the AL, with three batters going down in order.
The NL will come up in the bottom of the second facing the same deficit.
End of the first inning: American League 3, National League 0
8:55 p.m.: Cease gets Abrams to strike out swinging, and he ends the inning striking out three batters.
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will air nationally on Fox with Joe Davis (play-by-play) and John Smoltz (analyst) calling the Midsummer Classic.
Viewers can stream the game with fubo, which gives fans the ability to watch ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 100-plus top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
MLB All-Star Game 2026 date, start time
Date: Tuesday, July 14
Time: 8 p.m. ET
The MLB All-Star Game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 14. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
MLB All-Star Game rosters 2026
American League starters
Position
Name
Team
C
Shea Langeliers
Athletics
1B
Ben Rice
Yankees
2B
Ernie Clement
Blue Jays
3B
Junior Caminero
Rays
SS
Bobby Witt Jr.
Royals
OF
Mike Trout
Angels
OF
Riley Greene
Tigers
OF
Cody Bellinger
Yankees
DH
Yordan Alvarez
Astros
Will not play: Byron Buxton, Twins; Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays; Aaron Judge, Yankees; Nick Kurtz, Athletics
Arsenal centre-back William Saliba has gone off injured in the first half of tonight’s World Cup semi-final clash between France and Spain.
The Frenchman was unable to continue as he seemed to have a sudden problem with his back, and he’s been replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
It is not yet clear how serious this injury for Saliba will prove to be, but it’s perhaps not a great sign that he was taken off immediately despite suffering this problem when there wasn’t anyone around him.
Watch below for the moment Saliba simply had to stop playing as he fell to the ground…
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Saliba was a star performer for Arsenal as they won the Premier League title in 2025/26, and he’s been key for France at this World Cup as well.
It remains to be seen if this will now be his final moment at this tournament, with France 1-0 down to Spain at the time of writing, while one imagines there could be doubts over his fitness for the start of the new club season as well.
William Saliba’s injury concerns going into this World Cup
This is not the first time we’ve heard about Saliba having a back problem, as it was reported as being an issue for him ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
The 25-year-old was reported as looking likely to miss the World Cup, as per ESPN, though in the end he was able to take part, at least until this evening’s flare-up.
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Meanwhile, L’Equipe also reported that Saliba may require surgery after the tournament, which could mean a delay to the start of the 2026/27 campaign with Arsenal.
After playing so much football for Arsenal as they won the title and reached two cup finals in the season just gone, it’s not too surprising that it’s all caught up with Saliba a little bit.
AFC supporters will just be hoping this doesn’t mean he’ll be out for a really lengthy period, or they’re surely going to find it very hard to replace him.
Amid all the problems that besiege Microsoft's Xbox division, the studio divestitures, the layoffs, the declining business, and even the loss of a few million Game Pass subscribers, lies one lingering question: what actually is Xbox? A platform or the biggest third-party publisher? Microsoft certainly tried its damnedest to confuse consumers with its constantly shifting strategy regarding first-party content, as well as the delirious "This Is an Xbox" campaign. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma quickly tossed it in the trash after taking over from Phil Spencer, seeking a return to the brand's core values. But even she admitted that there's a fundamental […]
A facelift pushes the Tata Punch to its first win in 2 years.
New vehicle wholesales in India soar 25.8% year-on-year in June to 391,968 units, a new record for the month eclipsing the 339,418 units of June 2024. Maruti Suzuki (+23.8%) trails its home market slightly but still holds a commendable 37.6% share. Tata (+67.4%) surges ahead to 15.8% share vs. 14.6% so far this year while Mahindra advances +27.7% at #3. Hyundai (-10%) is completely overwhelmed in 4th place. Nissan (+128.9%) posts the biggest YoY gain in market but only holds 0.8% share. Renault (+54.8%), Citroen (+43.8%) and MG (+29.8%) also shine.
Model-wise, Tata manages a historic 1-2 for the first time. It places the Punch (+101.1%) at #1 for its first win since June 2024 and a new record volume above 21,000 units, and the Nexon (+58%) at #2. Leader last month, the Maruti Suzuki DZire (+15.6%) falls to #3, followed by the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R (+31.1%) and Ertiga (+13.9%). Other Top 10 members beating the market are the Hyundai Venue (+57.1%), Maruti Suzuki Baleno (+39.3%) and Fronx (+33.8%). Below, the Maruti Suzuki Alto (+105.9%) impresses. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris (#15) is the best-selling recent launch above the Mahindra XUV 7X0 (#18) and Tata Sierra (#27). We welcome the Toyota Ebella EV (aka Urban Cruiser) at #69 with 459 sales.
There was a comeback at MLB’s Home Run Derby on Monday night. And no, we’re not talking about Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker’s rally to overtake Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. We’re talking about Netflix, which bounced back strongly following its critically panned coverage of MLB Opening Night.
The streaming giant’s coverage of Yankees-Giants from Oracle Park in San Francisco in March amounted to one big Netflix ad. There was shirtless comedian Bert Kreischer in a branded Netflix kayak in McCovey Cove, Little Brother star John Cena trying to explain ABS, Stranger Things teasers, etc.
Netflix has a three-year, $150 million deal with MLB to show Opening Night, the Home Run Derby, and a special event like the upcoming “Field of Dreams” game. Well, let’s give the sports team at Netflix credit for learning quickly and not making the same mistakes again.
During its debut coverage of the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Netflix let the event come to them. It focused on the action on the field; not itself.
Led by host Elle Duncan, I thought the streamer’s Home Run Derby coverage was light-years better than Opening Night. The studio team of Duncan, Barry Bonds, Anthony Rizzo, Albert Pujols, plus play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian was looser, funnier, more relaxed. They kept the focus on mechanics and the mindset necessary to pound baseballs into the distant stands. They let the event breathe—which is saying something given this was only its second MLB event ever.
Still, Netflix is going to Netflix. There was one big swing and a miss. Viewers rightly panned funnyman Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Jimmy Tatro for their awkward attempt to tout their Netflix show The Hawk. Their jokes weren’t funny and their antics only took away from player introductions.
One viewer wrote on X/Twitter: “Ben Rice was in diapers the last time Will Ferrell was funny please don’t put him on my screen again.” As my Front Office Sports colleague Ryan Glasspiegel tweeted, “The only person who gets booked and ever says anything funny in these scenarios is Shane Gillis.”
Netflix also needs to improve its camera angles, which generated numerous complaints across social media. Again, a less-is-more approach is the way to go. Don’t try to reinvent something sports television has perfected over the decades.
Some other observations:
Duncan has proved she’s the right pick to host Netflix’s global sporting events. The former ESPN SportsCenter anchor can host any event with humor, smarts, and style. She had fun right from the beginning, declaring: “I like big bats and I cannot lie.” Duncan was able to get the normally sour Bonds to smile and share some war stories. As she previously predicted to FOS, MLB’s decision to eliminate timed rounds in the Home Run Derby proved to be a hit. As Duncan told me, Netflix is trying to reach casual, as well as hardcore sports fans, with its “eventized” sports. “We’re trying to get the people who are baseball-curious, who are sports-curious, and who are interested in the way Netflix can present something we’ve seen for a really long time,” she said.
The likable Rizzo had a big night. The former Cubs first baseman had one of the best lines of the night when he described the hulking Schwarber—who he played with in Chicago—as “every beer league softball player’s hero.” Rizzo is proving to be just as good at media as my sources predicted after charming the snarky New York press corps as a Yankee.
Little changes matter. It was more entertaining to have “Batting Stance Guy” impersonating the distinctive swings and stances of Bonds, Rizzo, and Pujols than Kreischer acting the fool.
With more than 325 million subscribers globally, Netflix is here to stay in big-time sports. Given its bounce-back performance last night, I will be curious whether it can keep up the momentum during the “Field of Dreams” game between the Phillies and Twins from the cornfields of Iowa on Aug. 13.
Again, it’s not rocket science. Keep the focus on baseball, not cross-promotion. Netflix mostly did that Monday night. It’s a promising sign for its future sports coverage.
The Leapmotor A10 is up to #3 overall for its 4th month in market.
According to data by CAAM, wholesales of Chinese-made vehicles are down -3.2% year-on-year in June to 2,810,000 units, after rising 14% to 2,904,000 in June 2025. However this includes exports. Domestic wholesales in contrast dive -23% to just 1,773,000 after gaining 10% to 2,312,000 last year. Exports surge 75% to surpass the monthly million unit mark for the first time at 1,037,000, up from 592,000 a year ago. Total sales of light passenger vehicles are down -5,.3% to 2,402,000 while commercial vehicles are up 11% to 408,000. Production is off -1.2% to 2,760,000. Sales have been affected by the withdrawal of some government subsidies and tax exemptions for new energy vehicles (NEVs) at the end of last year.
In the brands ranking, BYD (-44.3%) lodges another disastrous month, its steepest fall since last February, but stays on top for the 4th month in a row, reclaiming the YTD top spot in the process. The Sealion 05 (+10.7%), Yuan UP (+16.9%) and Song Pro (-12.3%) are the brand’s best-seller, with such blockbusters as the Dolphin (-28.2%), Qin L (-68%), Qin PLUS (-64.5%), Seagull (-68%) and Song L (-77.1%) all hitting a wall. The new Sealion 06 (16,843), Song Ultra (11,423) and Great Tang (2,451) prevent the marque’s overall fall to be even steeper. Geely (-15.5%) also suffers but outpaces the market’s decline. Its best-seller the Xingyuan (-18.4%) falls but stays atop the models charts, while the Galaxy sub-brand, now composed of no less than 10 models, adds up to 35,528 sales, up 56.5% year-on-year.
Toyota (-25.6%) is up to #3 for the 5th time in the past seven months, distancing a freefalling Volkswagen (-41%). Repeating at a record 5th place, Leapmotor (+61.1%) blissfully ignores the market decline and advances to an all-time high 72,376 sales. Tesla (-13.9%) follows ahead of Chery (-23.3%) and Wuling (-23%). Xiaomi (+36.4%) comes back into the Top 10 for the second time in the past three months at #9 with BMW (-32.7%), in perdition, rounding out the Top 10. Xpeng (+5.7%) is up 10 spots on last month to reach a best-ever #12, also hit in February 2025. Arcfox (+215.5%), MG (+188%), Nevo (+68.4%), NIO (+49.9%), Fang Cheng Bao (+47.6%), Denza (+31.1%) and Deepal (+18.6%) stand out below. Newcomer Shangjie breaks its volume record at 11,974. Among foreign carmakers, only Mazda (+52.9%) and Land Rover (+228.3%) are up.
Model-wise, the Tesla Model Y (-13.8%) delivers its 4th win in the past 13 months despite a sizeable YoY drop. The Geely Xingyuan (-18.4%) is down to #2 but easily remains #1 year-to-date. The new Leapmotor A10 spectacularly sells almost 25,000 units for its 4th month in market and lands on the third step of the podium. Also new, the Li i6 is up one rank on May to #4 while the Xiaomi SU7 (-12.1%) rounds out the Top 5. Another recent launch, the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 climbs up 4 spots to #6. BYD places the Sealion 05 (+10.7%) at #7, the Yuan Up (+16.9%) at #9 and the Song Pro (-12.3%) at #10. The Qiyuan/Nevo Q05 (+795.3%) lodges a second Top 10 finish in the past three months.
CAPCOM is among the third-party publishers that is supporting the Nintendo Switch 2 the best, delivering incredible ports of games such as Street Fighter 6, Resident Evil Requiem, PRAGMATA and Devil May Cry 5. Although the base game is remembered alongside Monster Hunter Wilds as one of the games powered by the RE Engine with the worst performance, Dragon's Dogma 2 Dark Arisen is already exceeding expectations on the system, running at 30 FPS and higher in its current state, which bodes incredibly well for the game ahead of its release on October 9. "We've been working not only to […]
It's been a fascinating trade tree to follow since the Devers deal.
He hasn't been his best self in San Francisco, and then the Giants turned around and dealt Kyle Harrison (acquired from the Giants) this offseason in the Caleb Durbin trade with the Brewers.
A lot of moving parts have made it tough to reach overall conclusions about that trade, but that's not really the point here.
It was a subtly cool moment to see Rafaela smile like that when thinking about his time with Devers.
Sometimes, there doesn't have to be any more complicated than that. Two former teammates recall their time fondly in Boston.
Once Human first launched two years ago, initially just on PC, with a mobile version following in 2025. Now, finally, it's coming to console after a period of beta testing.
Once Human is officially set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on August 25, 2026. Additionally, it will be coming to the Xbox app on PC on the same date.
It's not Xbox Play Anywhere, but it doesn't need to be, since it's a free-to-play game. It does have full cross-play and cross-progression, though, including account linking if you've previously played on PC or mobile.
Additional goodies include keyboard and mouse support on console, and while it is free to play, there will be a couple of paid packs you can buy if you so wish with some premium items in to help you on your way.
"Survive in a supernatural apocalypse where reality has fallen apart. As a Meta-Human, explore a vast, Stardust-infected open world where monsters are threat and key to your survival. Every expedition is risk and resource. Gather materials and build your ultimate territory, but be prepared to defend your home against relentless sieges."
Two years is a pretty long wait, and Once Human now is not Once Human as it was. But it's an interesting idea. There are aspects of looter games mixed with survival elements and both PvE and PvP gameplay, with the latter being an opt-in rather than forced upon players.
The console version doesn't appear to be up-to-date with the existing PC and mobile versions, at least at first. A Q&A on the Once Human website states that "in the future, the console version will catch up with the progress of other platform versions, and it is expected to remain consistent."
Build the post-apocalyptic base of your dreams. Or just somewhere to hold up. (Image credit: NetEase)
That all seems fair, at least for launch. For one, it's more important to get it out there and make sure it's actually all working as intended. Two years is a lot of content and updates, and I think it's a smart move. It should be less overwhelming, if nothing else.
The one thing that isn't listed in the Xbox version right now is any sign of achievements. For two years this has been a frustration of the Steam release, with multiple threads referencing the fact that the developers haven't added any.
Xbox console games should have achievement support, so maybe it's just an omission from the early listing. Conversely, maybe the launch on console may finally help bring achievements to Steam. In any case, we don't have long to wait and find out.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
The Xbox camp's airwaves have been dominated by pessimism now for as long as I can remember.
For years and years, Xbox fans and employees alike have endured a rollercoaster of ups and downs for Microsoft's gaming brand. Whether it's layoffs, unpopular decisions, or external factors like the memory crisis — team Xbox can't catch a break. Things can't get any worse, right? Well ...
Much has been said about the callousness of this latest round of Microsoft layoffs, which hit the entire run of the company, as has become tradition almost every July now. It's painful knowing that these cuts and reductions won't solve the biggest problem facing Xbox, and traditional gaming platforms in general.
The eternal question: where will the next phase of real growth come from?
The attention economy is getting more saturated by the day
Even before the advent of TikTok, social media has been frying attention spans for some time. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)
The uncomfortable truth for traditional video game platforms is that revenue is only growing by squeezing the existing user base. PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and even Steam are basically trading the same fixed amount of users back and forth. Some estimates predict a contraction in gaming this year, owing to the memory crisis pushing prices beyond people's means.
The memory crisis won't be forever, but even after that, therein lies an existential question: huge swathes of younger cohorts have side-stepped Xbox, PlayStation, and even Nintendo, in favor of Roblox.
The Robloxification of gaming demographics cannot be overstated. Roblox has more monthly active users than Steam and Xbox combined, and double that of Minecraft. It's only when you throw in casual games like Candy Crush Saga that Xbox really begins to approach similar figures, but it obviously becomes a faulty comparison at that point.
It's also true that Roblox hasn't made a penny (yet). They're in their growth phase, burning cash on changing user behavior before jacking up prices — effectively the Spotify and Netflix model. Eventually, creditors will want to see returns, by which point Roblox hopes to have become the default gaming development platform. For many, it already has.
The kids love Roblox, not Xbox or PlayStation. (Image credit: Roblox Corproation)
Xbox and PlayStation have grossly under-invested in younger cohorts, and Nintendo's insistence on gatekeeping their franchises behind hardware has limited their ability to reach younger audiences. The fact that traditional core games also take exponentially longer periods of time to produce means that youngsters might completely age out of titles that target them before they even ship, by which point trends will have changed, and tastes will have evolved.
Indeed, in our attention-anemic, hyper-infotainment, insta-gratification society, Roblox's "quick and dirty" game delivery model is perfect for the era. Games come and go in a flash, devouring the latest memes and in-jokes that baffle older generations and celebrate youth culture in ways God of War or Halo simply cannot tap into now.
For sure, Roblox's rise to dominance is less about gameplay quality or visual fidelity, but more about the social value Roblox offers that has made it a juggernaut. The vibes.
The fact Microsoft looked to a former Meta executive to run Xbox is likely no coincidence.
Can Xbox become ... COOL?
Younger cohorts increasingly care more about talking to friends on Roblox on their phones than they do sitting down with a controller. (Image credit: Microsoft)
One criticism I have of Phil Spencer and, honestly, Microsoft in general is their utilitarian approach to product design. Xbox and Windows both have become sterile in recent years, with fun and quirky features relegated to memes and memories. Indeed, trends are cycling more quickly than ever, turbo-charged by artificial intelligence and short-form social media. That's perhaps not ideal if you're a corporation that moves as slowly as Microsoft, which also has no culturally relevant social media layer.
Therein lies Xbox's core problem. Putting the legal troubles and safety concerns to a separate discussion for now, Roblox has amalgamated social media and gaming into this amorphous digital monster that seems inaccessible to Microsoft and Xbox in general.
How can Xbox hope to become culturally relevant in an era where culture is now a chaotic revolving door? It was barely relevant to begin with, but in ages past it had the advantage of an era where corporations had greater control over content and context. Modern internet culture spawns from a vast and increasingly artificial digital ooze which bubbles up an occasional banger only for it to almost instantaneously deteriorate when corporations get their tasteless claws in. The rise of independent creation has corporations like Microsoft and Xbox completely locked out.
But Xbox does have one cube-shaped trick up its sleeve here ...
Will Asha Sharma FINALLY leverage Minecraft to boost Xbox? Up until now, Xbox has left Minecraft to the side to do its own thing, but times are changing. (Image credit: Mojang Studios)
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has stated that her short-term goal is to improve the situation for the core. Namely, older gen-z, millennials, and gen-x, who are pretty locked in their ways and want specific types of games and experiences. They aren't the future of the platform, though, nor are they the future of growth. We're aging out, getting old, having kids, and, ya know, dying to be blunt about it.
For Xbox to maintain competitive salaries against AI funny-money talent scouts and inflation, it needs to find new growth. This summer, that growth came from cuts and price increases. That's hardly sustainable, though. It's a short-term solution to hedge against a longer-term problem.
The big problem is Xbox's lack of new user acquisition. Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and devices like the Xbox Ally haven't really helped. Most Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox handheld gamers are already Xbox Series X|S users. The trick is finding those elusive new users, which Microsoft describes as "NTX" internally (new to Xbox).
Microsoft defined internet culture in the 90s and early 00s with programs like MSN Messenger and Skype, but weirdly did nothing to maintain their position. Xbox can't afford to be this unimaginative if it's to survive. (Image credit: Windows Central | Ben Wilson)
The crux of it will make for uncomfortable reading for Microsoft higher-ups: Xbox needs to become social media adjacent. It needs to be less sanitized. It needs to lean into that digital ooze I mentioned, and, perhaps even a little dangerous if it wants to succeed in an era where cultural capital is more important than pixel density.
I don't think Microsoft has the stomach for it ... but this is Asha Sharma's wheelhouse. It's probably no accident that she was specifically chosen for this job. It's probably no accident that she just bought Minecraft, Xbox's closest Roblox allegory, in-house. It's probably no accident that she hired Matthew Ball, who wrote the book on social media-adjacent games like Roblox as CSO.
It might take years to see the fruits of her ideas in this area ... and in the short term, she's going to focus on strengthening the core of what Xbox is today. But I believe she's also planting seeds for a social media revolution at Xbox — bringing Microsoft into an industry that it has long been too afraid to even touch.
What's your take? Let me hear it in the comments, down below.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Montréal-based developer Compulsion Games is among the studios that were officially divested from Microsoft's Xbox last week. Indeed, Compulsion Games (like Double Fine Productions) was sold back to its own management and has therefore returned to full independence, but that does not mean they won't need partners. In fact, they haven't wasted any time at all in opening the search. A few hours ago, the official LinkedIn account of the studio posted the following call-out message to fellow industry members: With Compulsion Games returning to its roots as an independent developer, we are expanding opportunities to collaborate with studios across […]
The company just dropped another connector-less motherboard, but with the micro-ATX form-factor for compact builds. GIGABYTE Releases B850M AORUS Stealth Motherboard, Featuring 12 Power Phase VRM, 4x DIMMs, Dual PCIe x16 Slots, While Keeping the Rest of the Connectors at the Back Popular hardware maker GIGABYTE is silently expanding its Stealth lineup with more motherboard models. GIGABYTE's Project Stealth was introduced back in 2022, and since then, it has added several motherboard models in the series, including 600 and 800 series motherboards with different chipsets. The company has now introduced a new Stealth motherboard called B850M AORUS Stealth, which introduces […]
Formula 1 simulators are notoriously optimistic, but the latest leak out of Silverstone is raising eyebrows across the 2026 grid.
According to Spanish outlet Autonocion (highlighted by @FormulaDirecta, Aston Martin’s highly anticipated AMR26 chassis upgrades are yielding a staggering 2-second lap time improvement in virtual testing. If this correlation holds true when rubber meets the asphalt, the entire midfield dynamic is about to shift.
Aston Martin has spent the first phase of the 2026 season completely out of sorts. Instead of chasing incremental gains, the team actively chose to hold its fire, committing to tackling the AMR26’s baseline aerodynamic flaws with one massive, overarching upgrade package.
With design heavyweight Adrian Newey now heavily influencing the AMR26, this incoming package represents the team’s first major swing at salvaging the season. And if the simulator numbers are even partially accurate, the math looks highly favorable for Silverstone.
Currently, Aston Martin is languishing roughly 1.4 seconds behind the new Cadillac entry in race pace. A 2-second gain wouldn’t just erase that deficit; it would instantly catapult Alonso and Lance Stroll past Cadillac and put them squarely in the fight with established midfield runners like Williams.
But can a team actually find two full seconds mid-season? The paddock remains highly skeptical. Finding pace in the simulator is vastly different from unlocking it during FP1, and the team will need to master the setup immediately to extract that theoretical maximum.
However, Aston Martin doesn’t necessarily need the full two seconds to achieve their goal. Even if only a fraction of that simulated lap time materializes in Hungary, it should give the team the firepower they need to comfortably clear the backmarker fight. The AMR26 is about to get its biggest test of the season—and the rest of the midfield better hope the simulator is lying.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced does a lot of things right, enhancing the visuals of the fourth entry in the series to new heights while introducing choice combat and parkour changes for a more engaging experience, and new content allowing players to delve deeper into Edward Kenway's story, which remains as engaging as it has always been. For some, myself included, one of the highlights of the experience is underwater exploration, which I feel is one of the best ever seen in video games to date. However, having created what's one of the best features of the game wasn't enough […]
MSI has become one of the first motherboard makers to offer optimized CXMT DDR5 memory support on its Intel Desktop platforms. After AMD AM5, MSI Brings CXMT DDR5 Memory Support To Intel LGA 1851 Platforms, With Speeds Topping Past 8000 MT/s China is rapidly adopting its domestically produced memory to reduce reliance on offshore brands that are charging heavy prices for their DRAM solutions. As such, CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies) has become the go-to choice as it is the country's premier DRAM manufacturer. While there have been reports that CXMT has started supplying DRAM to global markets, those aren't true […]
There have been reports suggesting that Redmi could unveil the Redmi K100 series as early as next month. One reason behind the expected early launch is that the upcoming models are unlikely to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, which is reportedly being reserved for the Xiaomi 18 series expected to debut in September. Ahead of the anticipated launch, reliable tipster Digital Chat Station has shared a new post on Weibo, revealing the key specifications of an upcoming Redmi K100 series model.
Redmi K100 series phone’s key specifications tipped
According to the leak, the engineering prototype of the forthcoming Redmi K100 series phone features a large flat display with rounded corners and support for a 185Hz refresh rate, along with an advanced display technology aimed at delivering sharper visuals. The handset is also tipped to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with a dedicated display chip for enhanced graphics performance.
On the camera front, the phone is said to feature a 200-megapixel large sensor primary camera alongside a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera for long-range zoom photography. Other expected features include a large 3D ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, flagship-grade stereo speakers, a bigger vibration motor, and IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.
The prototype is said to feature a battery with around 9000mAh capacity, along with support for 100W wired fast charging and wireless charging. If these specifications make it to the final product, it would mark a notable upgrade over the Redmi K90 Pro Max, which packs a 7560mAh battery with 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and a 50-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto camera.
While the exact branding of the upcoming Redmi K100 series phone remains unclear, its leaked hardware suggests it could launch as either the Redmi K100 Pro or Redmi K100 Pro Max.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
We’ve seen plenty of tablets that promise to replace your laptop. They’re loaded with power, sure, but they also weigh a ton. So when Huawei showed up in 2026 with the MatePad Pro Max and took the exact opposite approach—going ridiculously thin and light—I was curious. At just 4.7mm thick and 499 grams, this thing is practically anorexic compared to other 13‑inch flagships that keep bulking up on specs. But does cutting so much weight mean cutting too much “Pro” performance? After using it daily for a month, here’s the unfiltered truth.
Design
The moment you pick it up, your brain does a double take. 499 grams—that’s nearly 200 grams less than the same‑size iPad Pro, and even lighter than a hardcover art book. At 4.7mm, you can literally pinch it between two fingers and wander around the house like it’s a fancy notepad. Slip it into your bag, and you’ll genuinely forget it’s there. Huawei calls this the “Cloud Falcon Architecture,” and it’s earned TÜV Rheinland’s ultra‑thin bend‑resistance certification—I gave it a good twist, and it stayed impressively rigid. My review unit is the blue “Flow Back” version, and yes, the 3.5mm headphone jack is gone, but the trade‑off is a six‑speaker HUAWEI SOUND setup that actually delivers: decent bass, clear vocals, and a genuinely enjoyable experience for movies or podcasts, easily beating most tablets in this class.
Display
Then you turn on the display. That 13.2‑inch flexible OLED panel has no notch, no punch‑hole, no distractions—just pure screen. With a claimed 94% screen‑to‑body ratio, videos truly fill your view, and the 3K resolution (3000 x 2000) plus 144Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and gaming butter‑smooth. There are two variants: the standard glossy OLED with punchy colours and 2,000,000:1 contrast, great for HDR, and the PaperMatte Edition I tested, which uses nano‑etched glass to cut glare and add a paper‑like drag for the stylus. That version is slightly less punchy for pure media, but it’s a lifesaver if you work near windows or take lots of handwritten notes. One caveat: the 1600‑nit peak brightness only fires up for specific HDR scenes in small windows—day‑to‑day, it’s fine by a window or outdoors, but don’t expect smartphone‑like visibility under blazing sun; that’s just the physics of big screens.
Productivity
Productivity is where things get interesting. Huawei touts this as a productivity beast, but honestly, the real wins for me weren’t the PC‑level WPS suite—it was the multi‑window, stylus, and keyboard combo I actually used every day. You can run three apps side by side: I’d have a browser for research, HUAWEI Notes for jotting, and the gallery for reference images, all switching without lag. It’s not mind‑blowing, but it’s rock‑solid. However, plug in an external monitor and the magic fades; it’s simple mirroring, not true desktop expansion, so you can’t drag windows to a second screen like a laptop. That stings if you wanted a dual‑monitor workflow.
The M‑Pencil Pro (sold separately) pairs beautifully, especially with the PaperMatte screen where the etched glass gives real paper‑like friction. The GoPaint app isn’t a throwaway—brush strokes have natural ink bleed, and the smart colour palette pulls suggestions from your drawing, making it way more than “good enough” for sketching, storyboarding, or visual notes. But the surprise hit was the AI handwriting beautification in HUAWEI Notes—my handwriting is barely legible, and toggling it on transforms my scrawl into neat, natural‑looking script without turning it into robotic print. That alone made me take more notes.
The Glide Keyboard has short key travel but snappy feedback, fine for banging out a 2,000‑word article in a pinch. The fatal flaw? No cantilever hinge. The tablet lies flat on the keyboard base—no floating angle like a Surface or iPad Pro. On a desk, it’s fine; on your lap, bed, or couch, the fixed low angle gets awkward fast. So productivity isn’t about replacing your workstation; it’s about making you actually want to pull this out of your bag to sketch, write, and stay in the flow.
Performance, Battery, and Heat
Under the hood, the international model runs Huawei’s Kirin T93 Pro chip with up to 16GB RAM, and daily tasks like notes, video, and office apps are flawless. Push it with heavy video renders or Honkai: Star Rail, though, and frame rates stutter a bit, with heat building around the upper‑middle section. Thermal management is surprisingly good—thanks to dual‑layer VC cooling, it gets warm but never hot, even during long video calls, with no throttling. Battery life is rated at 14.5 hours of local video playback; in my real‑world mix (Wi‑Fi, 50% brightness, two hours of video calls, three hours of docs, one hour of gaming), it lasted about ten hours—enough for a full workday and commute. And that 40W reverse wired charging is a lifesaver when your phone is gasping for juice.
Final Verdict
Of course, no product is perfect. The keyboard’s flat design is a genuine ergonomic pain for lap use, and the professional software ecosystem, while growing, still isn’t a full desktop replacement. And at £999.99 in the UK, it’s firmly in flagship territory.
So who is this for? The MatePad Pro Max is a laser‑focused, even specialised, flagship that puts extreme portability and an uninterrupted big screen above all else, making deliberate trade‑offs in pro performance and form factor. It’s perfect for heavy document readers and mobile workers who live out of a bag, for anyone ultra‑sensitive to weight who wants something they can forget they’re carrying, for media junkies who crave an immersive panel with great speakers, and for sketchers and note‑takers who need a digital notebook that feels natural. The moment you hold it, every spec‑sheet anxiety melts away under that barely‑there weight. It doesn’t try to replace your laptop—it wants to be the screen you actually want to take with you. Sometimes, subtraction takes more guts than addition, and Huawei just proved it.
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PHILADELPHIA — With hometown favorites Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper both participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby, the Philadelphia faithful booed the other six participants loudly as they were introduced and later stepped to the plate. In character, Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras embraced the villain role before ultimately bowing out Schwarber in the semifinals.
The fiery Contreras repeatedly put his hand to his ear to ask the crowd to boo him louder, egging them on both during introductions and in the semis, which Schwarber won, 9-8. In his first Derby experience, Boston’s first baseman made sure he had fun.
“That’s what they do here. It’s nothing new,” Contreras said. “They’ve been booing me for 10 years, so I had fun with it.
“I like when I get booed,” he added. “It inspires me a little bit.”
Though St. Louis’ Jordan Walker won the event with a dramatic comeback to beat Schwarber in the final round, it was Schwarber — in the head-to-head 15-pitch semifinal round — who knocked out Contreras, his ex-Cubs teammate. Schwarber went first and hit nine homers and Contreras was at eight blasts with one swing to go. He popped out to shallow center field and the crowd went crazy as Schwarber advanced.
True to form, Contreras was also hit by a pitch in the semifinal round by bench coach José Flores, who was throwing to him. The league included magenta-colored baseballs in the contest when the hitters were down to one swing, allowing the hitter to continue if they homered in that scenario. Those baseballs were slippery and one got away from Flores, who couldn’t help but chuckle on the mound.
“It was funny,” Contreras said. “The reaction of the crowd was that they laughed. It was all about the show.”
Contreras, the first Red Sox player to participate in the contest in 15 years, set the high-water mark with a strong showing in the first round. As the first competitor to hit in the eight-man field, he hit 13 homers on 20 swings and finished the round tied with Walker for the lead. The top four competitors (Contreras, Walker, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero and Schwarber) advanced under the new rules, which were introduced for this year’s contest and included untimed rounds. The absence of a clock allowed drama to build throughout the event, especially as Walker chased down Schwarber in his home ballpark at the end.
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“The new format and the way of the Home Run Derby makes it fun, and it’s way better than before,” Contreras said.
In the first round, Contreras hit the left-field wall with his first swing and took a couple swings to find his footing before getting hot, knocking out seven of his first 10. With Flores throwing to him, Contreras cooled down a little bit in the second half. He pulled all 13 of his first-round home runs, hitting eight more than 450 feet. His longest was his eighth blast, which went 490 feet with a 115 mph exit velocity. One of Contreras’ goals was to hit the left-field scoreboard but that was just out of reach.
In the semis, Contreras pulled six homers and hit two to center. His longest of that round was 461 feet. In total, Contreras hit 1.76 miles of homers.
Contreras’ Derby bat — depicting the Mario character Bowser, which inspired his nickname this season — was taken by a Baseball Hall of Fame official after the event. Contreras said he wants to do the Derby again in the future after enjoying the experience so much Monday. He wanted to win it but was happy to be knocked out by a friend in Schwarber, with whom Contreras won a World Series title in Chicago in 2016.
“We’re good friends. I love Schwarber,” Contreras said. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”
Netflix’s second crack at live baseball came with a built-in advantage: the Home Run Derby doesn’t need much help to be entertaining. Strip away the ceremony, and it’s just batting practice with stakes, and this year, MLB handed the streamer a genuine upgrade by scrapping the countdown clock in favor of a format that lets hitters keep swinging as long as they’re producing. It’s the best change the event has seen in years, and it deserved a broadcast that didn’t get in its own way.
For long stretches, Netflix delivered that. For other stretches, it seemed determined not to.
Start with the good, because there’s a lot of it. Untethering the Derby from a timer was an easy, obvious improvement, and it’s the rare format tweak that generated no real pushback. Well, besides maybe Jeff Passan. The new setup rewards hot streaks instead of racing a clock, and it made for a night with a noticeably different rhythm than derbies past. Whatever else went wrong Monday night, the league deserves full credit for finally fixing this.
The picture itself, in the moments the broadcast let you see it clearly, backed that up. The image was sharp, the graphics package was clean and legible — almost to a fault — and this was a clear step forward from Netflix’s Opening Night broadcast back in March, if only because the network mostly resisted the urge to remind viewers every few minutes that they were watching Netflix.
Mostly.
But before the swinging started, Netflix leaned on Will Ferrell, Jimmy Tatro, and Luke Wilson to open the broadcast, and the segment landed with a thud. The audio made it hard to hear what anyone was saying, the comedy felt manufactured rather than spontaneous, and the whole bit doubled as an ad for a Netflix original. It’s the same instinct that dragged down the network’s Opening Night pregame in March — a reflexive need to cross-promote the platform’s other content — just in a smaller dose this time.
Oh my God, the three guys doing supposed comedic commentary on the Home Run Derby player intros are the least funny people to be given such a national stage, without question. They. Are. Brutal. Who wrote these godawful lines for them? Embarrassing, Netflix. Utterly embarrassing.
Elle Duncan’s aside about the 1996 Derby being a topic of enduring conversation in Philadelphia, which Philadelphia sports fans were quick to note isn’t actually true, was a minor unforced error in the same vein.
Elle Duncan on Netflix’s Derby broadcast: The 1996 Home Run Derby is something “Philadelphians talk about to this day.”
But the pregame, promos, and all were never going to be the story of the night. Once the players stepped in and the swings started counting, the broadcast had to stand on its own, and that’s where the real test began.
The lounge pairing of Duncan, Barry Bonds, and Albert Pujols had the makings of the better booth, and the set itself worked. But calling live swings wasn’t where Bonds and Pujols were comfortable, and the commentary came out vanilla and subdued — pleasant, but not adding much to what was already on screen. Duncan held her own despite not being the one expected to call the action, and the read on her was fair: this wasn’t a knock on her so much as a format that didn’t play to the group’s strengths.
There’s an easy fix sitting right there, too, as The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand noted. Instead of parking the lounge as a standalone set, Netflix could use it as a between-batters destination, where they bring a hitter over for a quick conversation with Bonds and Pujols once his round wraps, rather than sending Lauren Shehadi or CC Sabathia to chase an interview down mid-swing. It would give the lounge a job beyond commentary and solve the in-game interview problem in the same move.
The preference, when the ball was actually in the air, ran toward the crew of Matt Vasgersian, Anthony Rizzo, and Hunter Pence. Rizzo was the standout of the group, sharp and insightful whenever the conversation turned to mechanics, which is exactly the kind of expertise a Derby booth should lean on. Hunter Pence brought real energy too — he was clearly locked in and into the moment, and that enthusiasm read as one of the booth’s better qualities. Where the group as a whole stumbled was in occasionally tipping past that energy into over-the-top territory during routine swings, something that applied to Rizzo, Pence, and Vasgersian alike at various points.
Chris Berman spent decades hollering his way through this exact event and never once sounded like he was performing enthusiasm rather than feeling it; the swings earned the volume. Monday’s booth hadn’t figured out that distinction yet, and by the third round of manufactured hysteria, the excitement had started to cancel itself out.
Neither booth had a poor showing. One added insight and energy but occasionally ran hot; the other was pleasant and composed but rarely had much to say. A happy medium between the two was exactly what was missing.
If there’s one throughline in how this broadcast will be remembered, it’s the camera work, and not in a good way.
I like this new format for watching on TV, I just need them to stop switching the camera angles so many times.
The Home Run Derby has one job: show the ball leaving the bat and show where it lands. Netflix, with its cinematic ambitions, treated that job as optional. Tight close-ups on hitters’ faces during their swings repeatedly cost viewers the actual moment of contact, and the broadcast leaned on those close-ups instead of following the ball in flight. On at least one stretch, the camera stayed locked on the pitcher through consecutive swings from Jordan Walker, which is about as far as you can get from what anyone tuned in to see.
they literally had the camera on the PITCHER for two straight swings by Walker
It wasn’t a matter of a broadcast finding its footing over the course of the night, either, as the same complaint kept surfacing swing after swing. The frustration turned into something close to a consensus among viewers: a Home Run Derby doesn’t need much more than a shot behind the pitcher and a shot on the ball’s landing spot, and Netflix kept finding ways to use neither. There was no shortage of suggestions for a fix, either, with multiple viewers noting that simply holding the camera on the hitter through contact and then following the ball would solve the entire problem. It’s a two-camera fix for a production with far more cameras than that at its disposal.
Dear @netflix production team and director: for the love of God, leave the camera on the batter until he hits the ball then just follow the ball. You only need two cameras for this. #homerunderby#mlb
The absence of exit velocity data compounded the issue. Between the missing numbers and the wrong camera angles, a broadcast built around a single visceral moment — bat meets ball — kept finding ways to obscure that exact moment.
Alright I’ve been silent about the @netflix Home Run Derby experience, but not having exit velocity and launch angle in a literal home run derby is akin to an attack on my life.
Then there was the non-call. Junior Caminero’s final swing of the round sent a ball down the left field line, and by the look on his face, he thought it was fair — which would have kept his turn going. Netflix never showed a replay, so nobody watching ever got to find out if he was right. A broadcast that spent the night favoring close-ups over the ball’s flight ran into the one moment where that habit actually cost something.
So Netflix, you have a just down the line fair or foul ball that Caminero clearly thinks was fair on his last swing (where if he gets a HR he keeps swinging).
This was a broadcast pulling in two directions. The format Netflix inherited from MLB was close to perfect, the picture was frequently excellent, and the network mostly avoided the self-promotional bloat that weighed down its Opening Night debut. But the actual job of a Home Run Derby broadcast — showing the swing, showing the flight, showing where the ball lands — kept getting lost to close-ups, ill-timed interviews, and a director seemingly more interested in mood than information. Netflix has the format and the infrastructure. What it still needs is the discipline to point the camera at the baseball.
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Netflix’s maiden Home Run Derby telecast came with plenty of hype. The field of participants included stars both familiar (Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber) and new (Junior Caminero, Munetaka Murakami), from the east (Ben Rice, Willson Contreras ) and midwest (Jac Caglianone, Jordan Walker).
In the end, the July 13 exhibition at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia was remarkable not for who was or wasn’t on the field, but how the streaming giant mastered the details.
Judging by the early reviews of the event, mastery remains out of reach.
Some online commentators criticized Netflix’s maximalist camera cuts, which seemed bound by law not to hold a single shot for more than 2 seconds at a time.
Despite the many angles available to the director, a number of viewers noted that the act of the bat hitting the ball was often ignored.
“If a camera angle doesn’t show me the bat coming off the ball, I don’t want to see that angle,” Jason Foster of MLB.com wrote on Twitter/X.
“Netflix knows the worst part of the Derby is watching that moment of impact where the bat meets the ball,” Pirates beat writer Alex Stumpf wrote on Twitter/X. “The people yearn for close ups of faces and then cuts to balls mid-flight.”
Some criticized the new format, which eliminated the countdown timer for the first time in 11 years.
Others criticized the lack of numbers on the screen. Besides each player’s remaining number of swings and the distance (in feet) of each home run, the cameras and commentators were left to tell the story.
Others criticized Netflix’s choice of entertainment personalities — Jimmy Tatro, Will Ferrell and Luke Wilson — who warmed up the broadcast.
“Oh my God, the three guys doing supposed comedic commentary on the Home Run Derby player intros are the least funny people to be given such a national stage, without question,” longtime Atlanta Braves beat writer David O’Brien wrote on Twitter/X. “They. Are. Brutal. Who wrote these godawful lines for them? Embarrassing, Netflix. Utterly embarrassing.”
Considering many fans of the Home Run Derby likely subscribed to Netflix just to watch the one event, it was an underwhelming debut.
The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby is on Netflix, and quite predictably, that’s led to Netflix going all in to promote its additional current and future content offerings. And with The Hawk — a Netflix comedy series starring Will Ferrell as Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins — set to premiere on July 16, Netflix even had the show’s stars on hand to provide commentary during the Home Run Derby player introductions.
Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Jimmy Tatro sat at a desk on the field offering random commentary as Home Run Derby participants were introduced on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. And for much of this time, legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer was introducing players at the same time, so the commentary clashed.
It was hard to even understand what Ferrell, Wilson, and Tatro were saying at times, with the commentary basically just serving as racket for Netflix viewers.
Even for fans of Ferrell and friends, this was a hard listen that felt very forced as an obvious promotional tactic for an upcoming Netflix series.
Here’s a look at how Netflix viewers reacted to the commentary from Ferrell, Wilson, and Tatro to open the Home Run Derby:
Maybe I’m way off, but I don’t think the Will Ferrell-Luke Wilson thing is working at all. (Honestly, I get the sense that *they* also know it isn’t working.)
This is the first Home Run Derby broadcast for Netflix (in year one of a three-year media rights agreement with MLB), and it didn’t get off to a great start.
With new rules, baseball’s top hitters put on a show during this year’s Home Run Derby. Citizens Bank Park, full of Phillies fans, let it be known that it was their stadium. It was evident when slugger Kyle Schwarber hit home run after home run to the delight of the crowd.
However, the hometown crowd wasn’t enough to stop Jordan Walker. The cool, calm, and collected superstar from St. Louis beat Schwarber to become the first Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby.
Schwarber started the opening round of the HR Derby, which no longer had a timer, with ten home runs, outlasting teammate Bryce Harper to advance. He beat Willson Contreras in the semifinals and hit eleven in the finals. It was thought he had the trophy and chain in the bag.
Unfortunately for him, Walker did not falter under pressure.
Walker, with 22 home runs this year, tied Contreras for the lead in the opening round with thirteen home runs. He hit six to beat Junior Caminero. And then, with Schwarber’s wide lead and the fans booing his every move, except for when he missed a home run, Walker went to work.
Six of Walker’s last swings were home runs. With one out away from losing, Walker hit the game-tying shot and then hit the last shot out of the park for the win. The crowd was shocked by what they saw as Walker remained stone-faced.
Walker wasn't the first player to represent the Cardinals. Albert Pujols, on commentary, appeared three times (as a member of St. Louis). Jim Edmonds, Matt Holliday, and Carlos Beltran also participated in the HR Derby. But Walker was the first to win.
Walker’s win wasn’t the only highlight from the Derby. Outside Schwarber vs. Harper, Contreras hit a ball 490 feet, while several players had key highlights in a short time.
Below are the full results and best highlights from the 2026 Home Run Derby.
Home Run Derby 2026 results
Total home runs
Player
Home Runs
Jordan Walker, Cardinals
31
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
30
Willson Contreras, Red Sox
21
Junior Caminero, Rays
17
Munetaka Murakami, White Sox
9
Jac Caglianone, Royals
8
Bryce Harper, Phillies
8
Ben Rice, Yankees
7
Round 1 results
Player
Home Runs
Willson Contreras, Red Sox
13
Jordan Walker, Cardinals
13
Jac Caglianone, Royals
8
Munetaka Murakami, White Sox
9
Ben Rice, Yankees
7
Junior Caminero, Rays
12
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
10
Bryce Harper, Phillies
8
Round 2 results
Willson Contreras vs. Kyle Schwarber
Seed
Player
Home Runs
1
Contreras
8
4
Schwarber
9
Jordan Walker vs. Junior Caminero
Seed
Player
Home Runs
2
Walker
6
3
Caminero
5
Final results
Jordan Walker vs. Kyle Schwarber
Seed
Player
Home Runs
2
Walker
12
4
Schwarber
11
Home Run Derby 2026 live updates, highlights
10:40 p.m. ET: He hit number ten. Oh my. One to tie, two to win. Walker with the tie! And Walker with the win!
10:38 p.m. ET: Walker had five home runs with five swings left. He looked calm. He had eight home runs with one swing left. Walker hit one to center for number nine. Things are getting interesting.
10:35 p.m. ET: The crowd was booing Walker, except for when he missed. He had three home runs with ten swings left. The fans got louder with each miss.
10:28 p.m. ET: Walker time!
10:26 p.m. ET: Schwarber had eight with three swings left. He crushed number nine. And he crushed number ten. He was the first to home run in his "final swing." With the extra swing, he hit number eleven. It ended there to a loud ovation!
MVP chants for Kyle Schwarber as he homers his last swing 🔥
10:24 p.m. ET: Schwarber with a monster shot over 444 feet to start. He had five home runs with eight swings left. Number six went to the second deck. Number seven went 436 feet. Harper is heard saying "It's over."
10:20 p.m. ET: Schwarber up first.
10:17 p.m. ET: Bobby Abreu and Ryan Howard presented the trophy and chain that will be awarded to the winner. Michael Buffer came out again to announce the finals.
10:11 p.m. ET: Contreras had one swing left and eight home runs. He almost got hit by his own pitcher. His night ended, Schwarber advanced. It's Schwarber vs. Walker in the Finals.
10:08 p.m. ET: The fans in Philadelphia were booing Contreras except for when he didn't get a home run. Contreras started to get hot. He hit one 461 feet. Oh he's feeling it. He had six home runs with three swings left.
10:04 p.m. ET: Contreras, Schwarber's former teammate with the Cubs, was up next.
10:03 p.m. ET: Schwarber's shots were getting some distance. He started reaching for home runs. With a loud crowd pulling for him, Schwarber ended the round with nine home runs.
10 p.m. ET: Schwarber tried going all over the field to hit a home run, but to no avail. He hit one with twelve swings left. Schwarber hit one 440 feet. He then started getting hot.
9:56 p.m. ET: Willson Contreras vs. Kyle Schwarber is next. Contreras could be the ultimate villain if he takes out Schwarber.Schwarber is up first.
9:51 p.m. ET: Walker already had three with ten swings left. He hit number five with eight swings. It didn't take long to hit six to take Caminero out and advance to the finals.
Jordan Walker punches his ticket to the Home Run Derby final, eliminating Junior Caminero in the process 👏
9:46 p.m. ET: Caminero started things off with fifteen swings. He hit shots over 400 feet to start. Caminero ended with five home runs. 491 was the longest.
9:41 p.m. ET: Contreras will take on Schwarber, while Caminero faces Walker.
It will be Contreras, Caminero, Walker and Schwarber in contention for the trophy.
9:34 p.m. ET: After making things interesting, Harper ended his night with eight home runs. He is out.
9:31 p.m. ET: Harper hit one over the batter's eye. He then hit his fourth 482 feet. With ten swings left, he had four home runs. It's looking unlikely he can beat Schwarber.
9:28 p.m. ET: Harper is up next. Looks like only one member of the Phillies will make it to the next round.
9:26 p.m. ET: Schwarber continued to hit massive shots. He had nine home runs with two swings left. He ended the first round with ten. Will he survive, or will Bryce Harper take his teammate out?
9:23 pm. ET: After missing a few, Schwarber started mashing home runs. They were short and sweet. He then hit a monster shot 414 feet, and another 451.
9:20 p.m. ET: Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber is next to a loud ovation.
9:18 p.m. ET: Caminero ended his night with twelve home runs.
9:17 p.m. ET: Caminero started crushing the ball over 470 feet. Some were line drives. He had eight home runs with eight swings left. One went 487 feet. He hit his tenth home run 479 feet. And his eleventh 478.
WHAT A GRAB FROM THIS FAN ON A 487 FOOT JUNIOR CAMINERO HOME RUN 👏
9:12 p.m. ET: Junior Caminero, the runner-up from last year, is up next.
9:09 p.m. ET: Rice struggled to start, with four home runs with seven swings left. His dad was not helping his cause. He ended his night with seven home runs.
9:04 p.m. ET: Compared to normal Home Run Derby's, where the crowd cheers everything, the crowd in Philadelphia, majority Phillies fans, only cheer for Harper and Schwarber. Fascinating.
9:02 p.m. ET: Ben Rice of the Yankees is next.
8:56 p.m. ET: Murakami started slow, just like Caglianone. He did start landing big shots to right. Murakami passed Caglianone with nine home runs. His run ended there.
8:47 p.m. ET: With his dad pitching to him, Caglianone struggled at first. With eleven pitches and only one home run, Caglianone started getting hot. He hit one to right field over 477 feet! He hit one over the batter's eye. Oh my!
8:44 p.m. ET: Young royals player Jac Caglianone is up next.
8:41 p.m. ET: After a slow start, Walker started crushing the balls. He was tinkering with his swing, which affected his performance. With two swings left, he hit two home runs. With the new rules, the round did not end. But he failed to keep the at-bat going. Walker tied Contreras with 13 home runs.
Not Philly fans booing after this kid didn’t make the catch 😭
8:37 p.m. ET: Jordan Walker was up next. The Cardinals hitter hit a few lasers to left field to start. Walker was patient with his swings to start.
8:32 p.m. ET: With one swing left, Contreras had 13 home runs. His last shot didn't make it over the wall.
8:29 p.m. ET: Contreras barely missed a shot on his second pitch. Contreras made up for it with a second-deck shot. He hit his second shot over 440 feet. One shot went over 482 feet! Another one went 487 and then one went 470 feet. One went 490!
8:03 p.m. ET: Boxing's Michael Buffer kicks things off, getting the crowd hyped for the expected action.
8 p.m. ET: Here we go! The Home Run Derby has begun!
6 p.m. ET: Here is the official order for the first round of the Derby. Willson Contreras kicks things off on Netflix, while Bryce Harper will go last.
Updated batting order for tonight's @TMobile Home Run Derby:
The Major League Baseball season is approaching the All-Star Break, and baseball is seeing strong viewership midway through the season.
NBC is leading the way in terms of baseball viewership, as it replaces ESPN for the rights to Opening Day and Sunday Night Baseball. Games on NBC are averaging 2.25 million viewers according to Nielsen through 11 games, rising to 2.51 million when including additional Peacock streaming measured by Adobe Analytics. That is up 51% from games on ESPN in the same period last year, which averaged 1.66 million through the All-Star Break.
However, there are some factors tilting the scale in NBC’s favor. Switching the package from ESPN, a cable network, to NBC, a broadcast network, will naturally increase viewership. Not to mention, NBC has aired fewer games to this point than ESPN did last season. Nielsen’s updated methodology likely also contributes to higher measured audiences.
The New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox game on Sunday, June 28, leads the way so far for both NBC and baseball at large. The game averaged 3.27 million viewers according to Nielsen, rising to 4 million when including streaming. The game went into extra innings, but coverage joined the game in progress in the fourth inning due to a golf overrun.
Fox is averaging 2.24 million viewers according to Nielsen with 13 Baseball Night in America windows so far this season. A regional window on the 4th of July featuring the New York Mets against the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals against the Chicago Cubs, leads the way with 3.34 million viewers for Fox. That is up 7% from 2.09 million for the same period last year. That is within the range that could be explained entirely by Nielsen’s new Big Data methodology, which has generally increased sports viewership numbers, in extreme cases by as much as 15%.
ESPN’s games, including two games on ABC, have combined to average 1.12 million viewers. On ABC, Yankees-Red Sox on June 27 leads the slate with 1.99 million viewers. ABC did not air any regular-season games last year. Yankees-Kansas City Royals on the afternoon of Memorial Day is ESPN’s top game so far this season, averaging 1.63 million viewers.
ESPN’s lower viewership average this season, 1.12 million compared to 1.66 million at the same point last year, comes as a result of the shift of ESPN’s games from weekends to weeknights. ESPN aired three weekday games last year, which combined to average 1.23 million viewers, much more in line with this season’s average.
Finally, MLB Tuesday on TBS and truTV is averaging 466,000 viewers before the All-Star Break. Unlike games on the other platforms, games on TBS are generally blacked out in local markets, forcing in-market fans to watch via their regional sports network (though TBS is allowed one “co-exist” with local broadcasts). Los Angeles Dodgers-Toronto Blue Jays on April 7 leads the way for TBS, with a 708,000 viewership average. That was good enough to be the most-watched MLB Tuesday game since a Yankees-Blue Jays game during Aaron Judge’s home run chase in 2022.
TBS viewership in 2026 is up 21% from 2025, when the network averaged 385,000 viewers. Notably, according to TNT Sports, viewership among women is up 41% versus 2025.
With the 2026 NBA Finals and FIFA World Cup hitting recent viewership highs during the MLB season, it seems especially impressive that baseball is still seeing such strong viewership so far. With much of July and August not facing such competition, it will be interesting to see if MLB can build more on its viewership success.
Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber GettyNEW YORK, NY - JULY 15: Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals gets a hug from his father Ron Haper during the Chevrolet Home Run Derby on July 15, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 07: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 07, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
One of the most popular, fun, and entertaining events on Major League Baseball’s calendar each season is the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, which is a fan-favorite All-Star break festivity that features eight of MLB’s top sluggers duking it out for a prize of $1 million. The All-Star game (and Home Run Derby) is being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Phillies’ home ballpark, Citizens Bank Park.
MLB.com’s Thomas Harrington provided some insight on the new Home Run Derby format, which is powered by T-Mobile:
“Eight players will still make up the field, same as in years past. But instead of trying to hit as many homers as they can during timed rounds, participants will start each round with a finite number of swings: 20 in Round 1, 15 in Round 2 and 15 again in the final round.”
“All swings will count against a playerâs swing allotment, whether it results in a homer or not. However, a player who homers on his final swing of a round can keep swinging until he doesn’t hit one out.”
The eight sluggers participating in the 2026 Home Run Derby include: Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies), Bryce Harper (Phillies), Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox), Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays, 2025 runner-up), Jac Caglianone (Kansas City Royals), Willson Contreras (Boston Red Sox), Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals), and Ben Rice (New York Yankees).
It’s a pretty stacked field, and honestly, one of the more anticipated Home Run Derbies in recent memory, it feels like. Two participants from the host city (Schwarber, Harper), last year’s runner-up in Caminero, and a guaranteed new winner. Add in the likes of rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami, and rising stars in Ben Rice, Jordan Walker, and Jac Caglianone. Sign me up.
Let’s get into some of the very important details of the event, plus some sharp predictions/odds.
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How to Watch MLB Home Run Derby, Presented by T-Mobile.
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 15: Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals gets a hug from his father Ron Haper during the Chevrolet Home Run Derby on July 15, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
How to watch the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. Event details:
Channel: Watch the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby live on Netflix. This is the first time that Netflix is hosting the event.
Time:Â The 2026 Home Run Derby is set to take place at 8:00 p.m. There is pre-event coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET, and also player introductions, which will likely start at 8.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, @ Citizens Bank Park.Â
GettyST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – JULY 07: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 07, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
First, let’s start off with the odds for each participant to win the HRD, courtesy of FanDuel SportsBook. Odds are subject to change:
*Indicates home run total for 2026.
Kyle Schwarber (+290); $100 bet wins $290 ($390 total) *32
Junior Caminero (+400); $100 bet wins $500. *28
Munetaka Murakami (+550) *20
Jac Caglianone (+700) *15
Jordan Walker (+700) *22
Bryce Harper (+950) *20
Ben Rice (+1000) *29
Willson Contreras (+1100) *20
Disrespect on behalf of Ben Rice?? Perhaps.
Prediction Time!!
Kyler Schwarber is very obviously going to be the most popular pick to win this thing, and why wouldn’t he be? Schwarber has been the perfect HRD candidate, but he’s turned the event down in recent memory. He remains the game’s top pure slugger, and in his home ballpark, it’s possible he just flicks balls out of the yard.
However, for my prediction, I’m going to hand out two potential winners that I like to win the whole thing.
Prediction: Junior Caminero (+400); Ben Rice (+1000)Â
The biggest factor I take into account when trying to bet this event is which players need the $1 million the most (right now). Of course, every player in this event is going to get paid in due time, but the players whose salaries are less than $1 million on this list are Ben Rice, Junior Caminero, Jordan Walker, and Jac Caglianone.
Murakami, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Willson Contreras are all signed MLB players.
Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading, and enjoy the 2026 Home Run Derby, presented by T-Mobile.
Responding to Musk accusing him of being a scammer, Altman said, "homeboy you're the one sellling [sic] public market investors on short-term space datacenters."
MLB returns to Netflix tonight for the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby. Netflix previously aired the opening night game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants to what can generously be described as “mixed” reviews.
The first ever Home Run Derby on Netflix will feature a new format. It will be MLB’s third format change in just over a decade after they decided the classic outs-based derby format which they used for three decades was no longer viable.
This year each player will get a set number of swings with no time limit. If you think that could be a recipe for disaster, you’re not alone. In fact, one of the most prominent names in baseball media agrees.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was asked about the new format on “First Take” this morning and did not mince words about what could happen if hitters take their time.
“I think it’s gonna stink,” said Passan. “And genuinely, I’m worried about that because the whole reason that the timer came in in the first place is because it felt really slow and the timer brought urgency. The timer brought a countdown and an end. We’re just gonna see tonight I think, time between pitches, it’s gonna grind a little bit.”
Passan went on to say that Junior Caminero, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper can all hit the ball really far so that will still be cool, but he brings up a very valid point. With no time limit and a finite number of swings guys wouldn’t be taking the event seriously if they weren’t waiting for pitches they really like.
‘Eventize’ the disaster
If that’s the case, there will be extra pressure on Netflix to keep viewers interested. Luckily, they’ve got some tricks up their sleeve. And they even made up a word to describe how they’re treating sports. Via Sports Business Journal:
“The thing that they continue to do is they ‘eventize’ their programming. That’s their verb, and they’ve made good use of it,” said Lee Berke, president and CEO of LHB Sports, Entertainment and Media. “They were able to do that with the Giants-Yankees game on Opening Day, and I’m intrigued to see what they’re going to do with Home Run Derby. They’re going to try things out in baseball, and baseball distribution is ripe for innovation.”
Considering the reaction to their opening night broadcast, who knows what bells and whistles they have in store for fans while the Home Run Derby on their second screens.
Unless the players involved tonight put on an epic and efficient show, tomorrow morning should feature the usual opinion pieces and rants about how to fix the derby for next year. Just by putting it on Netflix means there’s a whole new party to blame if it’s anything besides an instant classic. So at the very least they’ve found a way to eventize the Home Run Derby conversation.
Sometimes, as rabbits waste their time on petty feuds and habitual sloth, the tortoise can win the sprint. This is exactly what appears to have happened with StepX and its just-teased Neo AI phone, as Apple and OpenAI remain locked in a high-stakes battle over alleged technology theft related to their upcoming consumer-facing AI devices. StepX Neo clinches the first-mover advantage on the AI phone as Apple and OpenAI remain mired in a technology theft feud As we detailed recently, Apple filed a damning lawsuit against OpenAI last week, accusing it of stealing its proprietary technology, circuit designs, and component […]
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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced brings back one of the most beloved entries in the franchise with a faithful, visually stunning remake of Edward Kenway's open-world adventure. Developed by Ubisoft, this definitive edition completely revitalizes Edward's legendary journey of personal growth, chronicling his transformation from a reckless privateer into a dedicated Master Assassin. Welcome to our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Complete Walkthrough & Guides Hub. Whether you are looking to master naval combat aboard the Jackdaw, hunt down upgrades across Havana, Nassau, and Kingston, or track down the secrets of The Observatory, you will find all the help you […]
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced introduces plenty of new features to the game, including some optional cosmetics that allow you to customize Edward, your crewmates and the Jackdaw ship. While some of these cosmetics can only be purchased with real money via the game's criticized microtransactions, there are a few active codes available that will grant you access to both new cosmetics and Animus Keys which can be used in the Animus Hub Exchange to buy some cosmetics. Active Codes and Free DLC (July 2026) Codes ACBF-PHGN-SYBJ-RTRF ASC-BFR-PMK-000 Free DLC Red Bull is running a promotional campaign which rewards players […]
Indeed, with its fourth episode officially marking the midpoint of the show's latest installment, HBO has released a foreboding new trailer that teases what's to come in the weeks ahead. Judging by the latest round of footage, we can expect another major battle to take place — in episode 5 or beyond — that'll reshape the entire Targaryen Civil War, too.
There's plenty to unpack from this new hype-inducing teaser — Rhaenyra's continual descent into madness and the return of Aemond Targaryen, whom we haven't seen since episode 2, being chief among the biggest reveals.
It's the HBO Max TV series' interpretation of the First Battle of Tumbleton, though, that takes center stage here. Indeed, we see Daemon Targaryen's forces converging on the market town that — at this moment in time, anyway — is still loyal to Rhaenyra and Daemon. However, with Ormund Hightower's forces occupying the strategic settlement's buildings and streets, a life-threatening fight for Tumbleton — and, by proxy, the Iron Throne itself — awaits in the Game of Thrones prequel's next chapter.
Why the First Battle of Tumbleton is such an important event in the Targaryen Civil War
The First Battle of Tumbleton is a significant event in the Targaryen Civil War (Image credit: HBO)
It would be incredibly unfair of me to spoil everything that happens during the First Battle of Tumbleton, especially with the conflict potentially being the focus of next week's episode.
That said, there's a particularly vital incident that occurs— one that House of the Dragon has been sowing the (dragon)seeds for since its third season premiered — that's worth raising. The reason? Basically, it turns the tide of the Targaryen Civil War in favor of House Hightower, aka Team Green.
Full spoilers immediately follow for Fire and Blood, the book that House of the Dragon is based on. Turn back if you don't want this season's fifth chapter ruined before it airs on one of the world's best streaming services.
Will Ulf and Hugh betray Rhaenyra during the show's next tentpole conflict? (Image credit: HBO)
If you've read Fire and Blood, and/or know your Thrones lore, you'll know I'm referencing the moment known as the Two Betrayers.
During the First Battle of Tumbleton, Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White, both of whom are of Targaryen blood and swore their allegiance to Rhaenyra in season 2, defect to Team Green. As part of their betrayal, the pair use their dragons Vermithor and Silverwing to burn Tumbleton to the ground. Not only does Rhaenyra lose two of her dragon-riding allies, she also a key stronghold in a vital region of Westeros.
Fire and Blood doesn't contain an explanation as to why Hugh and Ulf turn their backs on Team Black and join the Hightowers' cause.
Admittedly, Rhaenyra hasn't helped her cause — after all, among other things, she refused Ulf's request to officially bear the Targaryen name when he was knighted, and she's been incredibly short-tempered and cold with Hugh since taking the throne. Nonetheless, with two less dragons on her side, things could be about to get even dicier for Rhaenyra as she struggles to retain her sanity and the wider support of the realm.
Anyway, HBO's adaptation has taken certain creative liberties with its source material and added narrative content to illustrate why characters make the choices they do. So, don't be surprised if, as long as the First Battle of Tumbleton occurs in season 3 episode 5, it includes some new material that, the above reasons notwithstanding, spells out why Hugh and Ulf symbolically stab Rhaenyra in the back.
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Microsoft has delayed its latest Xbox Insider build to deliver something that’s “worth the wait” Rumour has it that Microsoft plans to deliver its “Positron” system to Xbox Insiders this week. Positron is Microsoft’s codename for its rumoured “Disc-to-Digital” system, which will allow gamers to digitise their disc-based Xbox game collections. Microsoft’s Brad Rossetti confirmed […]
After Sony announced that it's delisting over 500 movies from users' accounts with no refunds, discontinuing physical discs for PlayStation games, and closing down PlayStation 3 and PSVita's digital stores — people are increasingly skeptical of making all media digital-only.
Brazilian Xbox gamer, Ordo_Liberal, also found this out the hard way, as back on April 6 (via Reddit), 2026, his Microsoft account was hacked and promptly suspended by Microsoft as its IT team determined it was "unrecoverable" by policy, due to the account's security details being changed by the hacker.
This isn't the first time we've seen reports of this at Windows Central. Microsoft's policies for restoring accounts are often incredibly flimsy. Getting in touch with the right support services can be a Kafka-esque nightmare of AI bots and outsourced customer service layers.
A Brazilian Xbox gamer wins digital library lawsuit against MicrosoftMicrosoft had suspended his Xbox account (including his OneDrive) indefinitely after someone hacked it.The court ruled in the gamer's favour under Brazil's strict consumer laws, ordering Microsoft to fully… pic.twitter.com/cTA16eimteJuly 12, 2026
As a result of being blocked, Ordo_Liberal not only lost his Xbox games but also lost all his OneDrive files.
Enraged that Microsoft took away his game library and insisted he buy them again, Ordo_Liberal then sued Microsoft in a digital library lawsuit. The court case dragged on until July 12, 2026, when Ordo_Liberal announced on Reddit that he had actually won.
According to (translated) comments, the Brazilian court ruled in favor of Ordo_Liberal under Brazil's strict consumer laws, and has ordered Microsoft to completely restore Ordo_Liberal's account, giving him his entire Xbox digital games library back, and pay him $400 in damages.
Digital preservation of games has become quite a hot topic in recent days, following Sony's culling of physical media to the point where some would argue that "piracy is the only extant form of media preservation" due to no viable, legal option being available.
However, Ordo_Liberal's court win against Microsoft for taking away his digital library for something that wasn't his fault proves that it is possible to find a legal means to protect and preserve digital games and a player's ownership rights over them, provided they have the courage, legal know-how, and careful planning to do so.
The European Union is also taking a more aggressive stance on digital preservation lately. As more and more of our data goes up to cloud services, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the consequences when companies like PlayStation or Xbox pull the plug.
Microsoft needs to do better here, and if they refuse, maybe the courts will be able to force them to do so.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
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One of the original Xbox founders, Laura Fryer, suggests Sony is stripping away game ownership via an all-digital future
It comes after PlayStation announced physical game discs won't be produced starting from January 2028
Fryer claims Sony let Rockstar 'take the heat' by announcing a digital-only GTA 6 first
Sony is still under fire after its latest announcement of a future all-digital future for PlayStation games, as physical game copies are due to be axed — and not only are consumers livid, some gaming industry veterans are too.
As reported by Notebookcheck, Laura Fryer, one of the original founding members of Xbox, has recently condemned Sony's announcement ending physical game discs for future PlayStation games, and highlights the threat the move poses to game ownership.
The announcement from Sony has since resulted in major backlash regarding game ownership from thousands online, including a slight pushback (or support for physical media) from indie game developers like Astrolabe Games.
In this case, Fryer hasn't been shy about noting just how dangerous the end of physical game discs will be once 2028 arrives, especially since rumors suggest Microsoft may follow in a similar direction with its next Xbox console.
"Digital is convenient until someone else decides you've had enough, and there are some games and movies where I will never have enough of them," Fryer stated, which is arguably a valid statement since Sony recently removed over 500 purchased movies from users' libraries.
It's worth noting that Rockstar Games recently opened GTA 6 pre-orders, with the announcement that there won't be a physical copy of the game, which Fryer highlights as an important step to Sony's latest plans, stating: "Sony waited for Rockstar to make the first move, take the heat, and now they're going all in to make this the new normal."
Fryer even references Don Mattrick's infamous statement regarding an 'always online' Xbox One console experience, as she suggests that this is what Sony, Microsoft, and, frankly, Hollywood are doing today.
"When was the last time you put a disc in and the game just worked without a big download? All the major players, Sony, Microsoft, even Hollywood, they're all aligned here. Digital kills the used market, and it stops your old library from competing with new games on the next console."
That 'always online' future is closer than it ever has been, and with Sony also shutting down PS3 and PS Vita stores in 2027. That means whenever the PS6 (or future PlayStation consoles) eventually becomes a retro console like the PS3, there will be no way to play games on the system unless it's via digital means — and that directly eliminates game ownership completely.
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NEW YORK — The Red Sox will unplug the struggling Jarren Duran from the outfield — but not the lineup — as they finish the unofficial first half of their season at Citi Field on Sunday.
With left-hander Zach Thornton pitching for the Mets, the Red Sox will start Nate Eaton in left field and have Duran serve as the designated hitter for the seventh time this season. Saturday hero Andruw Monasterio is the shortstop with Romy Gonzalez back in the lineup at first base. Connor Wong is doing the catching.
Interim manager Chad Tracy opted to go with Duran at DH over Masataka Yoshida, who homered in Saturday’s 4-0 win. Duran has hit just .217 with a .606 OPS against lefties this year, which is actually better than his .186 average against right-handers. So far in July, Duran is hitting just .167 with a double and a homer in eight games.
Coulombe's Spotrac page, which has his contract details, shows that if he pitches in 30 games this season, he makes $75,000.
He'd make another $75,000 each if he pitched in 35, then 40, then 45 games.
As mentioned above, Coulombe has appeared in 29 games this season for the Red Sox.
If there was a time to make this move, this was the time.
"The 36-year-old Coulombe did earn $250,000 bonuses for being on the active roster for 30, 60, and 90 days this season, so he wound up netting $1.75 million from the Red Sox for half a season," On SI's Jackson Roberts wrote on Sunday.
Boston needed to clear space anyway with Brayan Bello back in MLB and Ranger Suarez on his way to healing, as well.
Coulombe is nearing the end of his major league career, but it seems he could still get a chance elsewhere as a lefty specialist.
Early in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox picked a few players earlier than many expected.
But because MLB bonus pools can be spread out however a team chooses throughout a draft class, that allowed them to take a big swing later on Martin Shelar, a high school outfielder.
Shelar is committed to Mississippi State, and teams aren't sure whether he'll sign, which is why he was available in the ninth round.
The Red Sox must've felt they can offer him an over-slot deal to have a chance of landing him.
The Boston Red Sox have completed their 2026 MLB Draft class.
They kicked it off with a couple of players from the University of North Carolina, but then they hit a wide variety of talents from there.
The draft used to be 40 rounds and even longer, but these days it's 20 rounds, along with some potential compensatory picks.
The MLB Draft also has more of a delay in impact at the highest level than the other major sports. These guys will first put their work in across the minor leagues.
But the big first step is being drafted, and all the players below had the big news this weekend of being picked by the Red Sox.
When things are going well, they just keep going well.
The Boston Red Sox needed some help from New York Mets star shortstop on Sunday, but in the end, a blunder by Lindor propelled Boston toward yet another win -- stretching the win streak to nine in a row.
The Red Sox trailed 2-0 in the ninth with a runner on first and one out when Romy Gonzalez hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop Lindor.
If he fields cleanly, it's probably a groundball double play.
The Red Sox have finally completed the Caleb Durbin trade with the Brewers. Here's a look at the deal and which team came out ahead. Getty
The Boston Red Sox have officially completed the Caleb Durbin trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing the deal to its final conclusion and renewing debate over which club ultimately got the better return.
With every piece of the trade now in place, it’s possible to fully evaluate the transaction, comparing what each team gave up, what they received and who appears to have gained the long-term advantage.
The final piece was put in place Saturday, when Boston used the competitive balance pick it received in the trade to select outfielder Owen Hull with the 67th pick in this year’s MLB Draft.
Hull is a 21-year-old outfielder out of Alexandria, Virginia, listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, according to UNC Athletics. He started his college career at George Mason, then transferred to North Carolina for his junior season.
The move paid off immediately. Hull hit .393 with a .500 on-base percentage in 2026, piling up 103 hits, second in the country, and 27 doubles, third nationally, according to a report from Tar Heels Wire‘s Brooks Kirst.
He added nine home runs, drove in 87 runs and walked nearly as often as he struck out, numbers that helped land him First Team All-America and All-ACC honors. He shifted to center field for the Tar Heels and showed off the speed to stay there, stealing 18 bases.
Scouts view his bat speed as still developing, but his combination of contact skills, discipline and outfield range made him a logical target at the back of the Competitive Balance Round. Hull carried a slot value near $1.32 million and landed roughly in the 60-to-67 range on the industry’s top draft boards, according to MLB.com‘s analysis. The pick came after Boston used its first-round selection at No. 20 this year on another Tar Heel, Jake Schaffner.
Boston acquired Durbin, infielder Andruw Monasterio, utility man Anthony Seigler and the pick that became Hull by sending left-hander Kyle Harrison, infielder David Hamilton and left-hander Shane Drohan to Milwaukee on February 9, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ breakdown.
Durbin arrived as a finalist for 2025 National League Rookie of the Year, a switch-hitting infielder who slashed .256/.334/.387 with 11 homers and 18 stolen bases in his debut season with Milwaukee. Boston wanted a solid replacement for the departed Alex Bregman at third base. The Brewers wanted rotation depth and speed on the infield.
Harrison, who was acquired by the Red Sox in the 2025 Rafael Devers trade, has been a rotation fixture, going 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts across 17 starts, according to MLB.com‘s player page. But over his last four starts, the left-hander faded, allowing 10 earned runs on 16 hits in 18 innings. The Brewers placed Harrison on the 15-day injured list Saturday with “left forearm tightness,” a condition that in about one of every five cases ends with Tommy John surgery or a similar elbow repair procedure. Hamilton has chipped in a steady glove at .238 with 18 steals, and Drohan has posted a 3.09 ERA in relief and spot starts, according to a recent NESN review of the trade.
Durbin, meanwhile, got off to a dismal start in April and May, batting just .183 with just one home run. But he turned his season around in June and July, hitting .294 in those months while blasting eight round-trippers. Seigler was called up and inserted into the starting lineup on June 20. In his 18 games the Red Sox have a 13-5 record while the former New York Yankees first-round pick had posted a .797 OPS. Monasterio has served as a solid utility player, but has picked up his production at the plate with more regular playing time, compiling a .912 OPS over his last six starts.
That leaves Hull as Boston’s final piece in the return on the trade. He’s unsigned as of draft night, but if his junior-year production translates, the pick at the bottom of the deal could end up making the deal a clear win for the Red Sox and their chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
Boston Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow shared insight into the Trade Deadline, and how the team won't need to prove anything to add. GettyBRONX, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 21: New York Yankee general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 21, 2022 in Bronx, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) GettyBraves potential trade package for Joe Ryan revealed. Getty
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is just over three weeks away, and with some minor trades transpiring across the league already, there’s surely a lot more to come in the following weeks. MLB trade rumors are swirling everywhere, and on Sunday, July 12, a new report emerged from USA Today’s Bob Nightenagle that suggests Tarik Skubal may want to stay in Detroit for the rest of the season. Of course, it’s partially just speculation, because what Skubal wants may be different than what the Detroit Tigers want, but that’s a huge development in recent trade rumors.
Another massive development over the past week or so has been the Boston Red Sox recent surge back into AL playoff contention. The American League isn’t putting on the best show this season, as the Red Sox (who are under .500), are just a game out of a playoff spot on the last day before the MLB All-Star break. So, after it looked like they would likely be sellers at this deadline, Boston’s trade deadline plans may be shifting by the day, and there’s almost certainly going to hold onto their key players until the very last day before a decision is made. Remember, the Red Sox also have some of the more coveted players thought to be on the market.
More MLB on Heavy: New York Yankees Receive Encouraging Aaron Judge Update Before All-Star Break
Are the Red Sox Trade Deadline Plans Shifting?
It appears so. The Boston Red Sox are 45-48 after going 8-2 in their last 10 games. They’ve won eight straight games and will go for the sweep of the Mets on Sunday afternoon. Boston has a wealth of ‘tradeable assets’, which include names like Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Aroldis Chapman, and Jarred Duran. All names that have steadily been linked in trade rumors, but Craig Breslow and the rest of the Red Sox front office may have a completely different trade deadline plan now, after the recent winning surge.
The Red Sox could very well go from sellers to strong buyers in the market. Perhaps their biggest need is another front-line starter with Garrett Crochet still sidelined, and a right-handed hitting infield bat.
So, the Red Sox now carry heavy speculation ahead of Aug. 3, and it will be very interesting to see the moves they make as well as the names they get connected to.
GettyBRONX, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 21: New York Yankee general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 21, 2022 in Bronx, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees, per usual, are always going to dominate headlines around this part of the season, and given their constant World Series aspirations, Brian Cashman is under a lot of pressure to get this trade deadline right.
New York’s biggest need remains bullpen help. Here are some of the ‘likely’ available trade candidates that they may target: JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Pete Fairbanks, and AJ Minter.
Sources near and around the Yankees have already indicated that their main focus will be bullpen help, especially with the recent struggles of Camilo Doval, and lacking a true southpaw leverage arm in the Pen.
Braves-Phillies Bidding War for Joe Ryan
GettyBraves potential trade package for Joe Ryan revealed.
The last, and perhaps most important storyline to watch out for over the next three weeks is definitely going to be the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies potential bidding war for Joe Ryan. If Tarik Skubal is no longer going to be traded this season, Joe Ryan immediately surfaces as the top starter available (if the Twins trade him), and he is certainly going to come with a hefty pricetag.
The Braves’ need for a starting pitcher is growing drastically by the day, but the Phillies believe they need another back-end rotation arm, as well, and Dave Dombrowski has been a lot more willing to part with top prospects than Alex Anthopoulos has, which sets up for a bidding war between the NL East foes.
Atlanta holds just a two-game lead in the NL East. Philadelphia has been one of the hottest teams in baseball since early May. With the two duking it out for the division crown, both organizations will likely be targeting similar players, which makes this Joe Ryan- Braves/Phillies a fascinating storyline to watch out for over the next few weeks.
NEW YORK — Just over five weeks since he was demoted to Triple-A Worcester after a brutal two-month start to the season, Brayan Bello is re-joining the Red Sox on Sunday — for at least one day in a different role.
Bello was called up to join the bullpen as a long relief option for the series (and first half) finale against the Mets, sources confirmed. Bello will take the spot of veteran lefty Danny Coulombe, who was designated for assignment after Saturday’s win.
As the Red Sox look to win their ninth game in a row, they’ll have rookie lefty Payton Tolle on the mound to start. But after using five different pitchers to cobble together a bullpen game in a 4-0 win Saturday, they need a long man who can cover innings if the need arises.
Bello, who hasn’t pitched at Triple-A since July 1, will fill a multi-inning role behind Tolle, who appears likely to have a shorter start than usual Sunday. Interim manager Chad Tracy hinted that Tolle — who has thrown a combined 95 ⅓ between Triple-A and the majors so far this season — will be limited as the Red Sox look to monitor his workload in his final start before the All-Star break.
Bello — who declined to speak to reporters pregame — could piggyback Tolle.
“The big thing is... over the last handful of days, how short we are bullpen-wise,” Tracy said. “(It’s) to make sure we have that amount of bullets down there and have coverage to get through the game. We’ll see. It depends on, is there gonna be a bridge needed? Is there going to be coverage at the back end (of the bullpen) or an extra-inning game? We’ll see how it plays out.”
Bello, who has made 97 starts for the Red Sox over the past four seasons and was the club’s No. 2 starter during their 2025 postseason run, had his bizarre start to this season bottom out on June 4 when he was shelled for eight runs against the Orioles at Fenway Park. After that game, he was demoted to the WooSox, where he has logged a 4.34 ERA and recorded 22 strikeouts in 18 ⅔ innings over four starts. In Worcester, he has worked with pitching coach Dan DeLucia to refine his pitch mix in hopes of being promoted again.
“His work ethic has been great,” said Tracy. “He’s done everything they’ve asked. He’s put in a lot of work taking down the starts he’s supposed to take down. He comes out the next day and he’s ready to get to work in between starts.”
That opportunity has now come, albeit in surprising fashion. Needing a starter Saturday, the Red Sox opted to promote lefty Eduardo Rivera for his first-ever start and were rewarded as Rivera pitched 3 ⅔ shutout innings. Bello had his scheduled Worcester start pushed back a day as a potential contingency plan for Sunday. Bello is also a candidate to start for the Red Sox on Friday when they have a doubleheader scheduled against the Rays to open the second half of the season. The Red Sox will need to consider various depth options with lefties Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early recently hitting the injured list.
Bello had a 6.34 ERA in 61 big league innings before being demoted. He logged a 10.35 ERA in 10 starts while pitching much better (0.71 ERA in 25 ⅓ innings) in four games following an opener. Most of Bello’s struggles came in the first inning, in which he allowed 15 runs and 19 hits in eight frames.
The 2026 MLB Draft is underway and the Boston Red Sox have three picks on Day 1.
Boston has 19 picks this year, including No. 20 in the first round and No. 67 overall. The Red Sox acquired the 67th pick, which is a Competitive Balance Round B selection, from the Brewers on Feb. 9 in a six-player trade. In that deal, Boston acquired Caleb Durbin, Anthony Seigler and Andruw Monasterio for Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton and Shane Drohan.
Boston does not have a second-round pick or a fourth-round pick. The Sox forfeited those two selections when they signed qualified free agent Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract in January.
MassLive will be tracking all of the Red Sox’ picks on July 11 and 12:
Building a gaming PC in 2026 has become considerably more expensive than it was only a year or so ago, and graphics cards are not solely responsible this time. The ongoing memory shortage has driven up the cost of all DRAM and NAND flash-based products, such as memory kits, SSDs, and graphics cards. For that reason, we consider approximately $1,000 to be the realistic starting point for a decent new gaming PC in July 2026. Even then, some compromises are unavoidable. Moving up to higher pricing tiers allows progressively stronger CPUs and GPUs, not to mention higher system memory and […]
The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Cholowsky has been an enormously praised prospect for a few years and was viewed as the clear favorite to be the top pick of the 2026 MLB Draft before the season even began.
So, much of the baseball world has been well aware of Cholowsky for a long while, and one would think that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would be too. Or that he would at least practice how to pronounce the name before announcing it to the world during the draft.
But Manfred mispronounced Cholowsky’s name when announcing the first pick of the draft, which was shown nationally on NBC for the first time (for the first 10 picks).
Huge blunder by the #MLB Commissoner. Can’t happen. Not a surprise Roch was the #1 pick. Manfred has to know how to say his name. https://t.co/ulzTVyKXq9
Cholowsky was even asked by the media about Manfred’s blunder and said (via the Associated Press/KTLA), “I didn’t hear it get butchered. I heard Roch and kind of lost it.”
Still, that’s pretty embarrassing stuff from the league’s commissioner on the big stage.
A set of updates for Sega Dreamcast hardware has been merged into the Linux 7.2-rc3 kernel this weekend. Dmitry Torokhov submitted updates addressing the legendary console’s input subsystem and Linus Torvalds merged them on Saturday. The updates even surprised Linux-focused site Phoronix, That’s probably due to context: the Dreamcast continues to enjoy support while admittedly older but real computing hardware like the i486, PowerPC 40x chips, DEC Alpha, and Itanium / IA‑64, have all been sidelined in recent times.
In brief, the updates should mean new versions of Linux will come with more stable mouse, keyboard, and joystick drivers for Dreamcast stalwarts. If you are one of the Dreamcast faithful, still satisfying your computing (and gaming) needs on the final original consumer gaming hardware from Sega, this is good news.
Reading the pull request we can see some details about the new drivers for the Dreamcast’s Maple‑bus peripherals (mouse, keyboard, controller). Specifically, there’s a “fix for a crash in Sega Dreamcast (Maple) mouse driver when opening the device, caused by missing driver data,” as well as “Fixes for Maple drivers (keyboard, mouse, joystick) to properly order setting driver data and device registration to avoid races.” In this context races refers to things happening in the wrong order to result in crashes: it’s a timing bug that’s now been quashed.
Dreamcast hangers-on will now be able to craft specialized Linux builds on CD-R for their machines. The maplemouse driver has had the now-fixed crash-inducing bug since 2017.
Phoronix also comments that Linux kernel fixes for the GD-ROM driver used by the Dreamcast and a proposal for the VMUFAT file-system driver were also seen this year.
The Sega Dreamcast launched at the end of 1998 (in Japan, and the following year in the U.S.). So, in some ways it isn’t that surprising that it is still getting Linux kernel updates when the Intel i486 (1989) has been retired from mainline support. But one might have expected stronger demand for supported Linux distributions among i486 desktop and laptop users.
It also includes Owen Hull, who went off the board at No. 67 overall and we'll focus on here.
He was technically part of the Competitive Balance Round B, but he's more or less a second-round pick.
Hull is one of those guys who looks the part from the moment he gets off the bus, standing 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds.
He had an oddly slow start to his college career at George Mason, but he eventually became one of the best players in college baseball for the Tar Heels.
"After going just 4-for-22 as a George Mason freshman in 2024, Hull slashed .367/.474/.557 and ranked fourth in NCAA Division I in runs (83) and 10th in steals (42) last spring," MLB.com wrote in its draft blurb about Hull. "He boosted his line to .393/.500/.615 after transferring to North Carolina, finishing second in D-I in hits (103) and RBI (87) and third in doubles (27) while leading the Tar Heels to a runner-up finish at the College World Series. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he offers one of the best combinations of physicality and athleticism in the college ranks."
The only question mark is the nature of Hull's swing.
"The complicating factor with Hull is that scouts don't love his unorthodox left-handed swing, which can get rigid and features so-so bat speed," MLB.com writes. "He controls the strike zone well and makes hard contact with ease, but he also hits a lot of balls on the ground. He did start to hit for more power later in the season and has enough raw pop to produce 15-20 homers annually as a pro if he can make adjustments."
The Red Sox will be hoping that the results of the swing continue to be good, regardless of the swing itself.
Hull has enough speed to potentially play centerfield, or he could end up in right.
Either way, it's a Tar Heel blue tint to this year's Red Sox draft class.
AMD's latest Radeon drivers silently added Multi-Frame Generation (MFG 8x) modes along with other FSR overrides, as exposed in RadeonTuner. AMD Seems To Be Cooking FSR MFG 8x (Multi-Frame Generation) Tech, Surpassing NVIDIA's MFG 6x Mode AMD has been teasing FSR Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) support for its Radeon GPU in the latest drivers for a while. The last FSR Redstone update saw preliminary support added to the ADLX FidelityFX SDK. Although MFG is not available across any Radeon GPU yet, the listed feature will allow users to select a desired frame generation ratio for "optimal performance & visual quality". This was […]
SK Hynix CEO has warned that memory shortages will be at their worst in 2027 as it celebrates its trading debut on Nasdaq in Times Square. Memory Supply Won't See Any Sign of Relief Beyond 2030 As SK Hynix Signals 2027 To Be The Worst Year In Terms of Shortages Well, memory shortages have gripped all aspects of the tech industry, and it seems to have become the norm these days. As the supply crunch continues, the CEO of SK Hynix, one of the three largest DRAM producers, has said that things are about to get much worse for the […]
Microsoft did say it wanted to make more console exclusives, but perhaps this isn't what Xbox fans had in mind.
One of the best features on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S is the backwards compatibility program. It features hundreds of games from Xbox 360 and OG Xbox consoles, giving you the opportunity to dip into some nostalgia even on modern systems. Some games on there aren't available at all on any other platform, too.
Some of the older Call of Duty titles were simply never ported to modern PlayStation systems, meaning the only ways to access them on modern platforms is via either PC or a modern Xbox.
To plug the gap, Microsoft and Activision just did some very basic ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 to PlayStation 5. And PlayStation fans are loving it. The games are beating GTA 6 on the PlayStation charts, which shows how much nostalgia there still is for some of these classic games. Xbox fans, however, are NOT happy — and it's not because they're gatekeeping.
The Black Ops and Black Ops 2 ports are the #1 and #2 trending games on the PlayStation Store, even ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI pic.twitter.com/4VrOgWo8nNJuly 10, 2026
Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard gave it full control of the Call of Duty franchise. Classic Call of Duty games were already broadly available on Xbox backwards compatibility, complete with online matchmaking and the like. However, given the lack of security updates for Xbox 360 consoles, system hackers are prevalent, making some of them virtually unplayable.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are as basic as ports can be. Activision has practically done nothing to enhance them besides a res bump, and it seems honestly intentional. I imagine the reason they haven't is because it would rub even more salt in the Xbox wound — it's almost like they're designed to mimic the Xbox 360 back compat versions as much as possible. Iron Galaxy also did the (very solid) ports for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, so it's not a matter of skill here.
Even if they do offer some visual enhancements, the real issue is the prevalence of hackers on the Xbox back compat versions. The Xbox 360 security layers have been torn down over the years, allowing for cheaters to ruin the experience. Since the Black Ops 1 and 2 ports on PlayStation 5 are siloed away from older systems, they're far less susceptible.
As a result, what you have here is a de-facto PlayStation console exclusive, published by Xbox.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is one of the most beloved entries in the storied franchise. (Image credit: Microsoft | Activision)
Usually I would gloss over a basic port of a Xbox 360 game, but as you can see from how hard the game is charting, these are very beloved titles. While players wait for September's sprint of heavy hitters, indulging in some innocent nostalgia would've been a nice bet. Clearly the PlayStation charts agree.
It's a pure oddity that Microsoft decided to leave Xbox fans out here, and the reactions on social media have been what you might expect. As a gesture, it seems like Microsoft has decided to make the Black Ops' DLC free on the Xbox Store, but the hacker-ridden base game is still a frankly absurd $40.
As someone who has played Black Ops on both Xbox and PlayStation, I can confidently say Xbox players are getting completely screwed out of the reunion PlayStation players are having right now.The PS4/PS5 ports find games almost instantly. I haven’t encountered a single hacker,… https://t.co/7EAP5kCDADJuly 12, 2026
I've reached out to Microsoft and Activision to get comments on why they decided to leave the Xbox version of Black Ops 1+2 broken in light of this trending PS5 port. But I suspect they had no idea it would do so extremely well on PlayStation. Had they not trended, it probably wouldn't have shined such a bright light on the state of the Xbox backwards compatible versions either — although I've been receiving messages about it for quite a while now.
I suspect Microsoft and Xbox won't do much to resolve the situation. They've opened a can of worms here. The source code for the original games and their server infrastructure is likely on ice. Microsoft could ship new Call of Duty: Black Ops 1+2 ports that cut off the previous versions. The downside is, users on Xbox 360 (and yes, there are still tens of thousands of players on Xbox 360) and back compat would be left adrift.
Elon Musk was never the gracious sort to let an opportunity to take a jab against his fiercest opponent pass him by. And now that Apple has lobbed a figurative thermonuclear warhead on OpenAI in the form of a damning lawsuit, Musk is using the ensuing social media buzz to land a few choice punches on his nemesis number one, OpenAI's Sam Altman. Elon Musk now believes SpaceX will start deploying AI1 satellites by next year, but wonders if Sam Altman would be able to see the launch, strongly implying that OpenAI's CEO would be in jail by then While […]
In 2026, we live in the worst kind of memory crisis that the consumer market has ever faced. Some people call it the RAMmageddon, and others call it the RAMpocalypse. Whichever way you want to call it, one thing is set: shortages created by massive demand in the AI and data center segment have led to a severe hike in prices across all memory segments. This came at a time when memory speeds were seeing rapid updates. We saw speeds surge past 9000 MT/s, and some kits were hitting close to 10,000 MT/s. We saw the launch of CUDIMMs and […]
A Brazilian gamer who lost his Microsoft account and all his digital games has won a court order forcing the company to hand it all back, after support staff told him to simply repurchase his library. The user, who posts as Ordo_Liberal on Reddit, shared a screenshot of a small-claims ruling in the Xbox subreddit that gives Microsoft 15 days to restore access or face fines and roughly $400 (R$2,000) in damages. He said the account had two-factor authentication enabled when it was flagged and permanently suspended, and that none of Microsoft's recovery options allowed him to regain access before he filed his lawsuit.
According to the support emails he posted, Microsoft suspended the account after detecting what it described as unauthorized access, and said an investigation found the account's security information had been changed. The company treated the suspension as permanent and directed him to buy his games again rather than reinstating the ones already tied to the account.
Anyone with a large Microsoft account might want to take note here, because the suspension didn’t target a single game or console but the user’s entire account. Microsoft accounts can carry Xbox purchases, Windows licenses, store apps, 365, and OneDrive data, and a permanent suspension blocks all of it, even, as in this case, when you’ve got strong security and two-factor authentication set up.
Brazil's Consumer Defense Code and its small-claims track allow individuals to bring cases without a lawyer and without paying court costs, meaning Ordo_Liberal was able to take Microsoft to court without incurring any costs. If Microsoft misses the payment deadline, an additional 10% penalty will be imposed. While the damages awarded in this case are minor, it's notable that Microsoft has been compelled to restore the account and its contents, which runs counter to the standard platform position that customers license digital games rather than own them.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is a rather faithful remake of the fourth entry in the series. Even so, the remake does feature plenty of new content to sink your teeth into, including a late-game new questline called A World Without Gold, which comprises eight new quests. Here's how you can unlock this new questline tying all of the remake's new content together. How to Unlock A World Without Gold The A World Without Gold questline is unlocked after completing Sequence 11: Everything is Permitted, so you will have to play through most of the game's story before you can access the new […]
The industry is hyping up the alliance between Chinese memory manufacturer CXMT and Apple, with the latter previously reported to have begun testing the company’s DRAM chips for use in future products. Unfortunately, a new rumor buries any hope that these modules will be found in the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and it’s not due to any political pressure. Apparently, it’s a technological limitation involving the A20 Pro’s Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module Packaging (WMCM). All hope isn’t lost because Apple’s standard A20 found in the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e could still be paired with CXMT DRAM For […]
Schneider, who formerly served as the CEO of Automattic and is a partner at True Ventures, says he is "all in" on the unconventional social media platform.
Amid signs of slowing engagement, Netflix is reportedly considering launching "always-on" live channels, giving subscribers something to tune into 24/7.
The Renault Boreal is an instant blockbuster in Turkiye.
The Turkish new light vehicle market recedes -11.4% year-on-year in June to 105,041 units, leading to a H1 2026 tally down -8.2% on a record H1 2025 total to 558,179. Once again Renault (+55.7%) goes completely agains the market with a stellar YoY uptick. It is followed by Fiat (-2.4%) improving its share to 9.3% and Volkswagen (-26.7%) in trouble. Peugeot (-10.8%) and Citroen (-12.4%) evolve roughly around the market evolution but Toyota (-19.8%) falls faster at #6. Local EV maker Togg (+45.4%) surges ahead to repeat at #9 with Hyundai (+15.2%) the only additional gainer in the Top 10. Contrary to most of worldwide markets, Tesla is off -94.5% to #30 this month.
The Renault Clio (+22.4%) remains the most popular vehicle in the country but is threatened by the Fiat Egea Sedan (+34.9%) ending the month just 65 units below. The Renault Megane Sedan (+7.9%) is down one spot on May to #3 but stays at #2 year-to-date. The Togg T10X (-5.3%) is up to #4 but falls year-on-year while the Toyota Corolla (+40.2%) rounds out the Top 5 ahead of the Renault Duster (+180.1%). The event of the month is the arrival directly at #7 by the new locally produced Renault Boreal, based on the Dacia Bigster and exclusively sold outside Europe. Notice also the KG Mobility Torres (+143.4%) breaking into the Top 10 for what is believed to be the first time at #8.
The Territory (+167.1%) helps Ford up 28.4% this month.
It’s another poor month for new light vehicle sales in Argentina, with June volumes down -13.7% year-on-year to 43,199 units. The year-to-date tally is off -10.5% to 277,049. Toyota (-17.8%) leads the brands ranking for the 4th month in a row and finally ascends to the first spot year-to-date, displacing Volkswagen (-31.6%) in complete freefall this month. Fiat (-28.2%) also endures a harsh fall but Ford (+28.4%) defies the negative market and stays at #4 with 10.1% share. Chevrolet (-13%) evolves like th market and rounds out the Top 5 above sinking Peugeot (-37.3%) and Renault (-49.3%). Newcomer BYD equals its ranking record at #8 and is at an all-time high 1,740 sales. Chery (+1316.3%), BAIC (+302.9%) and Haval (+180.6%) stand out in the remainder of the Top 20.
Over in the models charts, the Toyota Hilux (+34.1%) goes against the depleted market and achieves its highest share so far this year at 6.9%. The Fiat Cronos (-34.6%) is back up to #2 ahead of the Ford Ranger (-16%) while the Ford Territory (+167.1%) continues to perform very well at #4. The VW Amarok (-34.7%), in poor form, rounds out the Top 5 which is better than the 7th spot it holds year-to-date. The VW Tera (#6) is the best-selling recent launch in the country above the Toyota Yaris Cross (#9), BYD Atto 2 (#24), BYD Dolphin Mini (#26) and BYD Song Pro (#27).
While the ZeniMax and Bethesda studio id Software is best known for its DOOM games — including both the classic titles as well as the modern installments DOOM 2016, DOOM Eternal, and DOOM: The Dark Ages — it's explored other properties and ideas in the past, and has reportedly been "toying around" with doing so again.
Described as a "bloodbath" by one former dev, the cuts have seemingly made it extremely unlikely that id's ideas for non-DOOM projects will ever be developed (especially with Xbox directing ZeniMax/Bethesda to focus on core IPs). A new report from GamesBeat, though, gives some insight into what those concepts were.
Aside from a multiplayer-focused DOOM game with co-op, the studio was also considering a game heavily inspired by the John Wick films called Fury, a new entry in the Perfect Dark series, and a survival-focused Western game with robots called Ironwood.
The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot may have been canceled, but I would have loved to see id Software develop a new entry in the long-dormant franchise. Alas. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Fury was a new original property pitched by id Software's studio co-director and game director Hugo Martin, with "elements of sci-fi, noir, and Louisiana and Chicago gangsters" and "a modern, cyberpunk-like feel." Notably, it had a "Gun Fu" gameplay style that blended gunplay with martial arts melee combat, and was intended to feel like a playable John Wick movie. It was never greenlit.
Allegedly, id was also exploring the possibility of making a Perfect Dark game. The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot was canceled last year when Microsoft and Xbox shuttered the studio; with nobody else working on a new installment in the 2000s stealth-action shooter series, id considered doing so and reportedly even had concept art drafted.
Finally, there's Ironwood. Very little is known about it other than that it would be set in a Western environment with robots and survival gameplay, though it's been said it would be very similar to the popular HBO TV show Westworld.
Apparently, there were, and are, no plans for a new Quake — another iconic shooter series id created in the '90s.
Personally, I think the concept for Fury sounds incredibly cool, and I'd love to have seen the full id Software team make a Perfect Dark game. With over half the studio now gone, however, the chances of anything other than a DOOM title being made seem extremely slim.
Perhaps one day, several years into the future, id will be able to explore some of these concepts further. With Xbox CEO Asha Sharma aiming to "move faster" with its biggest franchises, though, I doubt that would happen anytime soon.
How are you feeling about Microsoft's mass Xbox layoffs, and the major impact they've had on id Software? I'm curious, so let me know in the comments below as well as in our poll.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Though the redundancies have affected teams across all of Xbox, they've impacted certain game studios such as ZeniMax and Bethesda and Obsidian Entertainment quite disproportionately. Another developer that's experienced a severe reduction in force is id Software, the team that creates and oversees the modern DOOM games.
According to a new report, however, the total number of layoffs at the Texas-based developer is even larger. At first, it was believed that 96 roles were removed at id. Now, though, Game Developer writes that a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications (WARN) notice — obtained by the outlet from the Texas Workforce Commission upon request — has revealed that 40 remote workers at the studio have been let go as well.
Microsoft's mass Xbox layoffs hit id Software just one day before the release of its new Revelations DLC for DOOM: The Dark Ages. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
That brings the total number of id Software cuts up to 136, meaning that the studio's workforce has been hit significantly harder than early reports indicated. Notably, the WARN document also confirmed that 22 staffers have been affected at Bethesda Game Studios' office in Austin, Texas, with 158 Texas employees laid off across both teams.
With how concerning the news of the loss of half of id was, hearing that an additional 40 workers were laid off on top of that is extremely worrying. I can't help but be fearful about the studio's future, and that it no longer has a headcount sufficient for the efficient development of new DOOM games and other projects moving forward.
The painful irony of the situation is that these cuts have come at the same time id released its new Revelations DLC for its latest game, 2025's DOOM: The Dark Ages. So far, the new expansion has garnered strong reviews, and I'm glad to see it...but it's also heartbreaking to see that many of the creative minds responsible for it, The Dark Ages, and other modern DOOM titles are now gone.
Do you believe that Microsoft and Xbox went too far with the cuts made to id Software? Voice your feelings on the matter in the comments, and vote in our poll as well.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
That news comes from a new Bloomberg report that Windows Central can corroborate with our own sources. According to those familiar with the situation at the storied Irvine-based studio, multiple planned projects — including a sequel to 2025's Pillars of Eternity action RPG Avowed — have been canceled to prioritize the Fallout title.
Notably, the team working on the new Fallout game will be led by Josh Sawyer, the game director of Obsidian's legendary 2010 title Fallout: New Vegas that was developed in partnership with Bethesda to fill the gap between 2008's Fallout 3 and 2011's The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. New Vegas is widely considered by many fans to be the series' best RPG, lauded for its writing quality, reactivity to player actions, and deep, systems-driven gameplay design.
Bloomberg reports that previously, Sawyer was working on an RPG that was "similar structurally and thematically to Fallout," but wasn't actually part of the iconic franchise.
In order to prioritize and focus on its newly planned Fallout game, Obsidian is canceling a sequel to its 2025 Pillars of Eternity RPG Avowed. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
It's also been said that Bethesda Game Studios — the steward of the Fallout IP, and the developer behind the creation of Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and the Fallout Shelter spinoff — will work with Obsidian on the new game. At the moment, it's unclear if this means the two studios will directly co-develop it together, or if Bethesda will merely provide support.
Demand for a new mainline Fallout entry is very strong right now, what with Amazon's extremely popular Fallout TV show, now filming its third season, driving significant excitement for and interest in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi property.
With Bethesda largely focused on The Elder Scrolls 6 after Starfield and Fallout 5 a long way off, I'm not surprised to see Microsoft and Xbox direct Obsidian to pivot over to the series. After all, given its experience working on it with New Vegas, you could argue there's not a team better suited for the task...though, Obsidian losing a quarter of its staffers — many of whom are reported to have been senior devs — makes me wonder how many of New Vegas' creators are actually still there.
As for the canceled Avowed sequel? Development on it was reportedly progressing smoothly and Obsidian was planning to announce it in 2027, but in the end, it didn't fit in with Xbox's new "reset" and plans to double down on its largest franchises. Its CEO Asha Sharma recently stated she wants the brand to "move faster" with core IPs like Fallout.
It's been said that some Obsidian devs will continue to work on the sequel with hopes that it will one day be fully greenlit again. Additionally, the studio will continue to develop planned DLC expansions for 2025's The Outer Worlds 2 RPG, as well as content for the Early Access survival game Grounded 2.
Are you excited for Obsidian to make a new Fallout, or would you have preferred it to finish its Avowed sequel? Let me know in our poll above, and in the comments below.
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Workers have been affected throughout Xbox teams and its first-party game development studios, with some affected more severely than others. Since news of the cuts came on Monday morning, it's become clear that staffers under the ZeniMax and Bethesda umbrella and at DOOM dev id Software have been hit particularly hard, with the latter losing half of its entire workforce.
According to sources in contact with Kotaku, roughly 60-70 employees were laid off from Obsidian — a number that constitutes 25% of the developer's headcount. Affected roles are stated to include "producers, artists, designers, programmers, QA testers, writers, and others," including many senior staff members and the only recruiter at the studio.
It's been said that most of these discharges were a part of the 1,600 immediate cuts that Microsoft made on Monday, with "a few" coming later this year as the firm lays an additional 1,600 Xbox workers off in the next 12 months.
Obsidian Entertainment has developed several games under Microsoft and Xbox, the most recent of which is 2025's open-world sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds 2. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
One source told Kotaku that those who remain at Obsidian have concerns about how the studio will be able to proceed with further development on its "huge list of projects" after how steep these cuts have been. There's apparently been no guidance from Microsoft on the matter yet.
Reportedly, the developer plans to continue working on the Early Access survival game Grounded 2 and its two announced DLC story expansions for the open-world sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds 2. Beyond that, though, it's unclear what Obsidian will do moving forward.
Notably, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently commenting that she wants the brand to "move faster" with its core IPs and directly mentioning Fallout by name alongside The Elder Scrolls and Halo, I can't help but wonder if we'll see Microsoft bring Obsidian back to the post-apocalyptic RPG series. I would be quite excited for that...but a major portion of the studio's senior devs that helped create New Vegas were just let go.
I'll also highlight that these layoffs have come months after Obsidian confirmed it was going through some internal reorganization after recent games like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 failed to meet performance expectations. At the time, I hoped those changes would help the studio develop new games more efficiently. We can only hope that they will ultimately do so, and mitigate the impact of these redundancies.
How do you feel about Microsoft and Xbox reportedly laying off 25% of Obsidian's workforce? Did the firm go too far? Make your voice heard in the poll below, and drop me a comment with your thoughts, too.
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As it is, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is one of the greatest Assassin’s Creed games ever made. Buckling gameplay from bow to stern, Black Flag is the title that set a pirate craze in the world. To the point that Ubisoft spent well over a decade developing the cursed game Skull and Bones.
Black Flag Resynced factsheet
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Genre: Open-world action-adventure Released: July 9, 2026 Developer: Ubisoft Available on: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 Price: $59.99 at Best Buy Xbox Play Anywhere: ❌ Xbox Game Pass: ❌
Even with the dastardly failure of the game, Ubisoft’s vision of a pirate game has crawled its way back in the form of the Black Flag remake, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. As a player who gained every single achievement in the original game, you can bet your coin that I had high expectations when it came to this remake.
I’m happy to say that a little over a dozen years after the original game, Resynced is back to claim the piracy title.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: The Story
A dashingly handsome man if I do say so myself. (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
You’re Edward Kenway, the ever-loving and charismatic privateer with a dashing Welsh accent. Driven by dreams of wealth for his wife and glory to boot, Edward sets sail for the West Indies in search of riches beyond measure.
From the start, Edward finds himself in turmoil under a naval encounter that sees his world unraveled and shipwrecked. A shady figure by the name of Duncan Walpole crosses paths with Edward, and an entire world beyond the realm of piracy unfolds before him. One of the shadow and ancient struggles between the Templars and Assassins. The fight between true freedom and control.
Within hours, players will find themselves commanding their very own vessel, the Jackdaw. A versatile ship under the command of a man with legendary pirate friends like Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch, Anne Bonny, Charles Vane, and more. With his trusty crew and mythical friends, Edward looks to create a pirate paradise free from the control of the outside world.
Faced with the decision to play again, I will twice more! (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
Along this path, Edward discovers the Observatory, Black Flag’s integral piece left behind by the First Civilization that both Assassins and Templars are fighting for. A device that could potentially locate any person across the globe, powers beyond Edward’s imagination begin to clash, with him caught right in the middle.
With everything at stake, Black Flag Resynced, like the game before it, does a wonderful job of depicting a struggle of self-discovery as Edward grapples with his own ambitions as they come at odds with protecting what truly matters in the world.
Unlike the original Black Flag, none of the original modern-day storyline is present. Instead, the entire game is set from beginning to end within the eyes and confines of Edward Kenway. No more will the player find themselves going through the motions of some Abstergo office.
On top of the original story, players can expect extra epilogue missions as well that add more to the world of Edward Kenway.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: Sail beyond the original
A blast from the past, but with updated manual aim mechanics similar to Assassin's Creed Rogue. (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
Everything you loved from the original Black Flag returns in Resynced, alongside a plethora of new activities to explore. From new locations to entirely new end-game missions that expand upon the original story, Resynced is more than just a remake, all while packing itself into a single game.
Modern-day stories have been replaced by Rifts, which are optional quests within the Animus that provide players with a unique “what-if” perspective shift. I won’t spoil anything, but a single one of these missions is far better than all of the modern-day experiences found in the original game, combined.
Alongside the main story, side-quests have also been expanded upon. With entirely new missions that give a better glimpse into some of the game’s most iconic characters, as well as other contracts that begin to number beyond what I’m willing to write about. Needless to say, even players who come fresh from the original will find tons of newly packed story content in Resynced!
There are new dive locations for players to discover as well! (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
With all the newly minted narrative pieces, Ubisoft also delivered the goods when it came to combat on foot and on the high seas. First, let’s talk about Edward’s expanded repertoire.
Edward’s melee capabilities have been expanded with perfect parries and heavy attacks. Now, when an enemy takes a parryable swing at Edward, a perfectly timed parry will open them up for a devastating finisher.
Players can also add heavy attacks to their swashbuckling swings to engage in melee beatdowns on enemies on their heels. These heavy hits are multi-enemy swings that apply to all melee weapons in the game.
I never get tired of these finishers. (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
Another fantastic “addition” is the rope dart, a mechanic that was part of the original, but many players felt was unlocked far too late in the game to be of any use. Correcting this mistake, Ubisoft has unlocked it for use within the first few hours of gameplay, as well as expanding on its combat capabilities.
Naval combat, as I said earlier, has also been heavily expanded. Each and every weapon on the Jackdaw now has an added secondary fire mode that drastically changes how the weapon performs. For instance, let's talk about the heated shot for the broadside cannons.
Rather than a single please-don’t-miss-shot, the heated-shot is a close-quarters monster. Enabling a rapid-fire “fire” shot that barrages the enemy with flaming cannonballs. The heated-shot is an up-close face melter when it comes to naval combat, and something I could never go back to the original without.
That’s just one of the added secondary weapons as well, with the upfront chain shots, swivel gun, mortars, and fire barrels all getting some fantastic additions to their arsenals. Open-water combat that was once perfection is now peak perfection.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: Looks and runs amazingly
Harpooning is back on the menu! (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
Very rarely do I get to see a remake that captures the magic of the original while surpassing it in every way. Generally, there’s always something that seems to throw me off, something that the new team felt was needed but doesn’t quite fit the world of the initial creation.
Having played through the entirety of the original Black Flag in 2013, I went into Resynced immediately astonished. The world I had once known has been captured and enhanced in ways my nostalgia-driven mind thinks the original always looked.
Iconic cities like Nassau have been overhauled with incredibly new, detailed textures and meshes, all while triggering memory circuits in my brain I thought had been long lost. My first time on shore activated something in my head that I assumed I had completely forgotten. The buildings all fit perfectly in their places as I had once remembered them.
I can't believe a remake looks this good! (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
Even trees contain the same pathways I once ran through, while paths leading from ships initiate the same but greatly updated animations of the originals. The entire Resynced experience is absolutely breathtaking in terms of how closely the world has been reimagined while remaining faithful to its predecessor.
With that, you’d think a massive performance hit would come as well, but as someone playing on PC through Ubisoft Connect, it didn’t!
I’m happy to report that I achieved well over 120 frames per second on my build with a little DLSS Quality and Nvidia Frame Generation set to 2x. I know, I know, “frame generation sucks!” I’m here to tell you that as a competitive player, frame generation is perfectly fine in this case, given the native performance I was getting was well beyond 60 fps.
My current build is an RTX 5080, 9800X3D, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM. I was running the game on the Very High preset for most of my gameplay. I bumped it to Ultra settings with ray-tracing and field-of-view maxed, and Resynced still managed to maintain an average of 110+ frames per second.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: Should you buy it?
The double Edward experience. (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
If you loved the original game, then yes, you definitely should. If you've never played it, but love that older-school Assassin's Creed formula, then yes, you should too!
For everyone else, it really comes down to what you're looking for in a game.
While Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is massive, players can adhere to most of the mainline story without too much side-tracking. So if these larger-than-life open-world games aren't your cup of tea, just know that Black Flag Resynced can be played as a sort of linear experience.
For collectathon people like myself, Resynced isn’t quite as bad as the latest Legend of Zelda entries, but you’ll definitely be busy running around each and every island, crossing off the to-do checklist you’re presented with. Especially if you want to grab every cosmetic as I do.
Then there’s an added layer of their new Animus Hub that was originally introduced with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. More points mean more unlocks, which all just feels like an expanded version of their original Ubisoft Uplay Store.
At the end of the day, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is everything I’ve ever loved about the series, now dressed to the Blackbeard nines and bursting with new features to keep gamers busy for days. Sure, I’ve been overwhelmed by the treasure trove of things to do, but not once have I played without a grin plastered across my face.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Black Flag Resynced is everything a remake should be, the new gold standard. Whether you played it before or not, you're going to want to check it out.
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Toys for Bob, the studio behind revivals of the classic Crash Bandicoot series with a long-awaited 4th installment and doing the same with Spyro the Dragon with "Spyro: A Realm Beyond", has recently expressed interest in reviving another classic platformer series, Banjo-Kazooie.
Toy for Bob confirmed its interest during an episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, in which the show's hosts approached them about Banjo-Kazooie. They replied: "It's a franchise we love. As platformer fans, Banjo's top of the heap."
"We have some huge, huge fans of that franchise on our staff – I'm talking, they've got the Jiggie as their profile pic, kind of a thing. They're that level of fan. If the opportunity ever arose, that would be amazing. We love the franchise."
They continued: "If you look at the through-line of the types of games we like to make, I can imagine that's part of that staple as well. I think of [those characters] as timeless. They're iconic, and I think the types of games we want to produce are ones that speak to a timeless place in the player as well, an ageless place – we call it the "inner child". So, I think they're wonderful games; we're huge fans."
While I never played Banjo-Kazooie growing up, I am fully aware of how much impact the original game had on 3D platformers, as it, along with Super Mario 64, helped set the standard for how the genre should be made for generations to come with their timeless cartoon charm and gameplay.
Unfortunately, despite popular demand, there hasn't been a new entry in the franchise since the controversial Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts from 2008, which traded the series' iconic platforming gameplay for open-world car racing and building.
Plus, the title characters themselves, Banjo & Kazooie, haven't made an appearance in a game since they were included in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2019. However, if there's any studio out there that can pull a miracle in bringing the lovable duo out from Microsoft's vault, I believe it's Toys for Bob.
Toys for Bob has done a fantastic job making platformers with their awesome remasters of the classic Crash Bandicoot and Spyro trilogies, as well as Crash Bandicoot 4, and the studio clearly loves the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, judging by how enthusiastic the developers were in the interview.
Plus, Toys for Bob fought tooth and nail to get the green light for a new Spyro game while winning back their independence at the same time, which shows they're willing to go to any length to make a new game for any franchise they cherish.
However, time will tell if Toys for Bob will be fortunate enough to be given the chance to take the reins of Banjo-Kazooie, but for now, I'll be looking forward to Spyro: A Realm Beyond because I can't wait to finally play a true sequel to the original classic Spyro trilogy I grew up playing on the PlayStation 1 during the 1990s.
How do you feel about the idea of Toys for Bob making a new Banjo-Kazooie game? Do you think they're fit for the job, or would you have another developer make a new game?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit community.
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The Toyota Land Cruiser (incl. the 70 Series) ranks #6 in the regular car ranking.
The Japanese new vehicle market is up by a solid 8.6% year-on-year in June to 426,993 units. Toyota (+18.6%) continues to outpaces its home market to a splendid 33.2% share. Suzuki (+2.3%) follows but sells less than half at 14.9% share. Mazda (+18.3%) and Honda (+17.5%) also shine below, while Nissan (+6.5%) and Mitsubishi (+4.2%) are shy and Subaru (-11.6%), Daihatsu (-9.5%), Lexus (-5%) and Isuzu (-1.7%) struggle. Further down, Hino (+24.8%), Porsche (+20.5%) and Mitsubishi Fuso (+17.2%) stand out. BYD (+4.7%) is up one spot to #23 but only grabs 0.1% of the market.
In the regular cars ranking, the Toyota Yaris/Cross (+5.6%) remains at #1 but the real leader when separating Yaris and Yaris Cross is the Toyota Raize (+8.8%). The Toyota Sienta surges 39.9% to #3, overtaking the Toyota Corolla/Cross (+3.4%). The Toyota Roomy (+8.7%) repeats at #5 while the Toyota Land Cruiser (+118.1%) more than doubles its sales YoY and gains 12 spots on May to break its ranking record at #6, its previous best (#7) hit last April. The Alphard (+23.5%) makes sure the Top 7 is entirely composed of Toyotas. The Honda Freed (+3.7%) is the best of the rest once again but retreats two ranks to #8. Notice also the Toyota RAV4 (+180%), Mazda CX-5 (+127.6%), Nissan Kicks (+192.1%) and Leaf (+297.9%). The Toyota bZ4X is down one spot to #25 while the new Honda Super-ONE is down 12 to #43 for its second month in market.
Looking at kei cars, the Honda N-BOX (+20.9%) and Suzuki Spacia (+18.9%) cement their leadership and become the two best-selling vehicles in the country when adding regular cars. The Daihatsu Tanto (-6.6%) and Move (-24.4%) pay the price of artificially high year-ago volumes when supply caught up after production stoppages in 2024. The Nissan Roox (+42.4%) delivers the biggest gain in the Top 10, with the Honda N-ONE (+118.5%), Nissan Sakura (+68.2%) and Suzuki Every Wagon (+59.1%) doing even better below.
As for foreign models, the Mini lineup (-11.3%) easily stays on top while the VW Golf (-10.8%) is up one spot on Q1 to #2, overtaking the VW T-Cross (+5.8%). The Mercedes G-Class (+14.2%) manages the extraordinary feat of being the brand’s best-seller in Japan and ranks #4 overall. Another big surprise: the 5th place of the Porsche 911 which is a new record. Notice also the Mercedes GLB up 5.4%, the VW Polo up to #14 and the Audi Q3 (+15.9%) at #15.
Much like Xbox's "it's only four games" statement about going multiplatform previously, the "it's only two games" mantra applies here in reverse. Microsoft is looking at making even tentpole single player games, historically multiplatform, exclusive to Xbox hardware (at least on console.) Could this mean we eventually see the next mainline Fallout and Elder Scrolls go exclusive to console on Xbox?
Bloomberg: "While big multiplayer games will still be available on all major platforms, [Xbox] will make more of its best titles exclusive to Xbox so gamers have a reason to buy its console."https://t.co/uzaantseAn pic.twitter.com/ohiK6zUlTGJuly 7, 2026
Reaching the biggest possible audiences has been the best margin play Xbox has had in recent years. Microsoft was previously driving Xbox to chase a 30% profit margin, and an easy way to do that is sell software wherever you can. However, Asha Sharma is not operating under that mandate. Instead, Sharma is operating under an ecosystem growth mandate.
Sharma has spoken at length about how her initial focus will be on Xbox's core: the console gamer. Console gamers in the Xbox ecosystem represent 4 times higher lifetime spending than other types of users across Microsoft's vast gaming ecosystem. On PC, they compete with Steam for margins. On mobile, they compete with well-established and dominant Eastern titles, while handing away millions to Apple and Google for the privilege.
Despite Xbox's retreat from PlayStation in the recent term, there remains tens of millions of active users in the Xbox ecosystem. These users are disproportionately passionate and spendy. Indeed, I would posit that anyone left in the Xbox ecosystem after all the disappointments represent the least "casually-invested" consumers in all of gaming potentially. Sharma wants to grow that base.
Xbox could see more integrations and activations with Minecraft, which Phil Spencer's Xbox was strangely hands-off with. (Image credit: Mojang Studios)
It's more true than ever that Xbox represents discretionary spending, and console gaming in general. Next-gen (and even current-gen) consoles are going to be expensive, owing to the memory availability crisis, tariffs, and the rest of it.
Arguably, creating desire through exclusive content is more crucial than ever to maintain an ecosystem in this universe.
One way I've heard Microsoft is exploring achieving this is direct integrations between Xbox and Minecraft. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma restructured Minecraft to answer directly to her for the first time. Integrating Minecraft's features at a platform level into Xbox consoles will be one avenue of exploration her team will look into here. What that looks like remains to be seen. I don't think Microsoft will do anything to degrade the Minecraft experience on other platforms (especially PC and mobile), but there might be exclusive (albeit basic, but fun) integrations for Minecraft on Xbox consoles. I can see Microsoft leveraging Minecraft to sell Xbox Helix as well in some ways, with more aggressive co-marketing activations and bundles.
Longer term, Microsoft may explore doing this with Activision-Blizzard properties too, but there are currently regulatory restrictions preventing Xbox from leveraging things like Call of Duty in the same way.
Microsoft has been oddly reluctant to associate some of its acquisitions with Xbox. (Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios)
PlayStation recently landed a massive (multi-million dollar) marketing deal for Grand Theft Auto 6. The marketing deal is so vast, that Rockstar can't even mention the fact there's an Xbox version. PlayStation rebranded its apps to match Grand Theft Auto branding, and you can expect billboards, ads, and other campaigns to follow — excluding Xbox from the conversation.
Under previous leadership, Xbox was strangely reluctant, even seemingly embarrassed, to associate some of its acquisitions with the Xbox ecosystem. Games like DOOM, Fallout, and indeed Minecraft, barely had any co-marketing with Xbox console hardware. And it has been to the console ecosystem's detriment.
The new leadership is taking the opposite view, and it might have no choice. If consoles are to be more expensive than ever, there needs to be more reasons than ever to buy one. If I'm going to drop $1000 on a PS6 or Xbox Helix, why would I buy the box that gets less content?
Asha Sharma hopes by leveraging some of Xbox's biggest franchises in co-marketing, co-integrations, transmedia content, and exclusivity regimes, she might be able to convert more gamers into core Xbox users.
It will take years to find out if she's right — but will Microsoft corporate give her years to implement this strategy? That's arguably an even bigger question.
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This week saw Microsoft and Xbox initiate the single biggest layoff wave in the gaming brand's history, with 3,200 Xbox and game development roles cut — 1,600 immediately, and another 1,600 throughout the next 12 months — as well as four studios divested from the Xbox Game Studios publishing division.
Given the strong success of the DOOM 2016 reboot, DOOM Eternal, and last year's DOOM: The Dark Ages — which has a new Revelations DLC coming out today, one day after the cuts — the fact that id Software has been affected so significantly by the Xbox layoffs has come as a shock to many. Cuts to the id Tech team are surprising as well, as the studio's engine has historically run well and has been used for non-DOOM projects like the Wolfenstein games and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
That shock extends to id's developers themselves, many of whom have taken to social media platforms to express their astonishment and frustrations with the layoffs. One such employee, gameplay animator Skai Chow, has reacted to them with a scathing message for both Microsoft as well as for those "celebrating and worshipping" the cuts as a "move in the right direction."
For your kind attention.We hope our pain was worth it. pic.twitter.com/nwzJmXWZ2KJuly 7, 2026
"For my friends and followers who don't work in game development celebrating and worshipping that the layoffs yesterday were 'necessary for change and a move in the right direction'...I sure hope the sixth round of layoffs is worth our pain and your pleasure," wrote Chow. "After all, things are gonna be different this time around. Right?"
The new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma contends that these latest cuts were a difficult but necessary move as part of a "reset" for the brand after it "overextended" with lots of expansion and "overly complex" internal systems.
Regardless of how true that ultimately is or isn't, I can't blame Chow or any other developer for feeling angry and bitter. Throughout the last four years, several thousand layoffs have wracked both Xbox and the wider gaming industry at large following overinvestment in gaming during the pandemic, resulting in extreme volatility and repeated devastating losses of talent.
I don't know what the right path forward is, especially with tariffs and the RAM crisis further complicating matters, but it's clear that the business as it is now isn't sustainable — and Chow is correct to highlight that layoffs haven't yet solved the problem. We can only hope for brighter times as Xbox and the industry reorganize.
Do you believe Microsoft and Xbox have gone too far with the layoffs at id Software? Share your thoughts below, and vote in our poll.
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The Danish new car market shoots up 12.8% year-on-year in June to 21,487 units. This way, the H1 volume is also up 12.8% to 101,032. BEVs account for 79.1% of the market for the month and 79.9% so far this year. Toyota (+126.6%) continues to post stratospheric gains, and distances a plunging Volkswagen (-33.1%). Tesla (+38.7%), Mercedes (+31.9%) and BMW (+22.9%) also impress and round out the Top 5. But Kia (+86.3%) is the only additional Top 10 member to beat the market. Just outside, Xpeng surges 229.5% to #11 and we welcome a new EV brand in the charts: Vietnamese Vinfast, landing directly at #13 with 2.6% share. However this is dedicated to ride-sharing and taxi firm Green SM, with private consumer sales unavailable at this stage.
Model-wise, the Tesla Model Y (+17.3%) repeats at a distant #1 for its second win this year but stays at #3 year-to-date. The Toyota bZ4X (+1175.4%) posts an extravagant YoY uptick at #2, as does the Kia Niro (+1733.3%) at #3. The Skoda Enyaq (+47.6%) is also in great shape while the Xpeng G6 (+279.1%) scores its second highest ever ranking at #5 (best is #4 in November 2024). Still leader year-to-date as it was also over the Full Year 2025, the Skoda Elroq (-71.3%) completely implodes YoY to #6. The Toyota C-HR+ is the most popular recent launch again at #9, followed by the VinFast VF 8 at #21.
7,433 new cars hit Finnish roads in June, a small 1.9% year-on-year improvement. This is enough to tilt the year-to-date volume into positive territory, albeit by just 7 sales at 36,585. Toyota (+70.6%) posts another fantastic month, climbing to 21.9% share, its highest since last October (22%). Skoda (+17.7%) overtakes a plunging Volkswagen (-35.9%) which was #1 a year ago in June 2025. Mercedes (+52.1%), Tesla (+70.4%) and BMW (+39.9%) are all on a roll below. In contrast Volvo (-20.3%) and Kia (-56.4%) implode. Excellent performances by Audi (+31.2%), Seat (+40.8%), Cupra (+173.7%), BYD (+553.8%) and Smart (+204.5%).
For the second month in a row, Toyota places five models inside the Top 6: the Corolla (+84.3%) repeats at #1 followed by the Yaris (+64.7%). The bZ4x (+3400%) surges to third place with 350 sales and 4.7% share, both records. The Yaris Cross (-15.5%) is down three spots on May to #5 and the C-HR (+108.6%) down one to #6. The Tesla Model Y (+63.7%) is once again the odd one out, this time at #4. The new Mercedes CLA (+1530.8%) continues to make waves at #6, with the VW T-Roc (+608.7%) and Tesla Model 3 (+85%) both in outstanding shape. Finally the BMW iX3 breaks into the Top 10 for the first time at #10.
The Chevrolet Groove achieves a podium finish for the first time in almost two years.
New vehicle sales in Chile advance 9.5% year-on-year in June to 26,576 units, bringing the YTD tally up 5.5% to 153,574. Toyota (+11%) holds onto the brands top spot but Suzuki (+27.4%) is getting closer in 2nd place. Hyundai (+13.2%) is at #3 ahead of a surging Ford (+36.9%) while Kia (+9.8%) closes out the Top 5. MG (+29%), Foton (+27.9%) and Changan (+24.5%) shine below. Further down, Tesla (+512.3%), Jeep (+201.8%), BYD (+126.8%), Jetour (+93.5%) and BMW (+67.1%) stand out. All in all, Chinese manufacturers hold 34.6% of the Chilean market thanks to sales up 16.2% year-on-year.
Looking at the models charts, the Mitsubishi L200 (-5.7%) is the overall best-seller again above the Toyota Hilux (-14.4%) with both models missing out on the market growth. In contrast the Chevrolet Groove (+63.3%) score its first podium finish since August 2024 while the Suzuki Fronx (+114.7%), Swift (+188.1%) and Hyundai Grand i10 (+96.6%) all post sensational gains. The Omoda C5 (+10%) delivers its best ranking since last October at #9, just as the MG ZX (+123.7%), Ford F-150 (+110.6%) and Toyota RAV4 (+105%) make themselves notice below.
The Vauxhall Frontera breaks into the Northern Irish Top 10 in June.
Now that we covered the UK market for June, it’s time to go into the detail of UK nations. This month, England is up 12.2% to 183,883 sales, Northern Ireland up 12.4% to 4,826, Scotland up 4.4% to 17,836 and Wales up 7.8% to 6,282. Over H1, England is up 9.9% to 982,328, Northern Ireland up 1.6% to 25,585, Scotland up 5.5% to 92,596 and Wales up 7.5% to 35,972.
Podium finishers are as follows: the Tesla Model Y is #1 in England, the Ford Puma #1 in Northern Ireland, #2 in Wales and #3 in England, the Vauxhall Corsa #1 in Scotland, the MG HS #1 in Wales and #3 in Scotland, the Tesla Model 3 #2 in England and Northern Ireland, the Nissan Qashqai #2 in Scotland and #3 in Wales and the Hyundai Tucson #3 in Northern Ireland and #4 in Scotland
Notice also the Renault Clio #6 in Scotland, Toyota Aygo X #6 in Wales, Omoda 5 #7 in Scotland, Ford Kuga #8 in England, the Vauxhall Frontera breaking into the Northern Irish Top 10 at #9 and the Dacia Sandero #10 in Scotland.
Tally Solutions today announced the launch of TallyPrime 7.1, which introduces three key enhancements for UAE businesses: e-Invoicing readiness, direct EmaraTax-powered VAT compliance, and enhanced invoice personalization, helping organisations align with the country’s evolving digital ecosystem while continuing to operate with simplicity and confidence.
As one of the few business management software providers offering direct integration with the EmaraTax portal, Tally continues to simplify tax and compliance workflows for businesses across the UAE. Businesses using TallyPrime for VAT e-return filing have experienced an average improvement of over 17% in filing efficiency through direct API-based integration with EmaraTax.
A key highlight of the latest update is comprehensive support for UAE e-Invoicing workflows. TallyPrime 7.1 offers a guided onboarding journey, from initial setup through EmaraTax registration, helping businesses become e-Invoicing ready through a simple and intuitive process.
Built-in validations proactively identify missing or incorrect information before invoices are exchanged, helping improve accuracy and ensuring smoother interactions with the e-Invoicing ecosystem.
Businesses can choose between instant invoice exchange and bulk processing based on their operational requirements, while bilingual support in English and Arabic ensures ease of adoption across the UAE’s diverse business community. To further strengthen security, TallyPrime 7.1 incorporates two-factor authentication fore-Invoice exchange, adding an additional layer of protection through OTP-based verification and helping safeguard business transactions from unauthorised access.
As an FTA-accredited solution for VAT filing, TallyPrime 7.1 further strengthens its connected compliance capabilities through direct integration with the EmaraTax portal. Users can securely access filing statuses, download and reconcile Customs Import and Tourist Refund Scheme data, compare VAT returns against their books, and submit VAT 201 returns directly through TallyPrime.
By bringing compliance workflows closer to day-to-day business operations, the release enables businesses to maintain greater accuracy, visibility, and control over their tax processes. For organisations maintaining accurate accounting records, VAT returns can typically be prepared in less than five minutes using TallyPrime’s built-in VAT reporting capabilities.
The release also introduces a substantially enhanced invoice personalisation experience, enabling businesses to create invoices that reflect their unique identity while maintaining the trust and credibility associated with a Tally invoice. With a range of modern,customisable invoice templates, businesses can personalise invoices with logos, signatures, watermarks, and business-specific information, allowing them to express their brand in a way that is uniquely their own. The result is an invoice that reflects boththe business’s identity and Tally’s consistency, professionalism, and credibility.
Commenting on the launch, Vikas Panchal, Senior General Manager – MENA, Tally Solutions, said, “The UAE continues to set a strong benchmark in driving digital transformation initiatives that are creating a more connected and future-ready business environment. As businesses prepare for the next phase of the country’s e-Invoicing journey, they needtechnology that not only supports evolving requirements but also works the way they do. With TallyPrime 7.1, we have focused on helping businesses embrace this transition with confidence through e-Invoicing readiness, connected compliance through direct EmaraTax integration, and greater flexibility in everyday business operations. By bringing these capabilities together in a single experience, we are enabling businesses to participate more effectively in the UAE’s digital economy while staying focused on growth.”
The launch comes at a pivotal moment as businesses across the UAE prepare for a more digitally connected business and compliance ecosystem. Through TallyPrime 7.1, Tally Solutions continues its commitment to building technology that adapts to the way businesses operate, helping them simplify operations, stay aligned with evolving regulatory requirements, and confidently participate in the UAE’s digital economy journey.
TallyPrime 7.1 is now available for businesses across the UAE. Existing customers can seamlessly upgrade to the latest release and immediately access the new e-Invoicing, connected VAT compliance, reconciliation, security, and invoice personalisation capabilities.
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