After a tease, Bungie officially announces Edge of Fate, a new paid DLC for Destiny 2 coming to the free-to-play first-person shooter on July 15th. This will kick off The Year of Prophecy, and today's revelations also lay out the plan that this and future annual seasons will each feature two paid expansions and two major free updates for all players. The Year of Prophecy Page has details and preorders the Edge of Fate Standard Edition as well as a three variants on Year of Prophecy Editions. The news also prophesizes that Destiny 2: Renegades is the second premium expansion in the Year of Prophecy. As seen in the Teaser Trailer this is a crossover with the Star Wars universe. The Destiny games are set centuries in the future, while Star Wars was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but in the future it's probably easy to get a DeLorean up to 88 mph to work this out. Here's a bit:

When The Edge of Fate releases on July 15, players will be reintroduced to the Nine, powerful and mysterious beings who existed long before the Traveler, and face a new threat that predates everything Guardians know about Sol. Two major characters will step into the spotlight: Lodi, a new ally from a distant place, and the legendary Warlock Vanguard Ikora. The Edge of Fate will propel Guardians into a multiyear saga that will unfold across multiple expansions.

The expansion will take place on Kepler, a new destination inspired by the puzzle-solving and pathfinding challenges of Destiny 2’s dungeons and destination design, which encourages deep exploration, mystery, and player-driven discovery. New enemies, weapons, gear, and destination-specific abilities await those brave enough to dive into its secrets.

Following a recent spate of cost cutting measures, Electronic Arts Reports Q4 and FY25 Results, saying "Q4 marked a strong finish to FY25." The report reiterates previously announced plans to launch the next Battlefield game in Fiscal Year 2026, which will end March 31, 2026. Word is we can expect a full reveal in Q3 of this year. Here are the highlights:

Selected Operating Highlights and Metrics

• Net bookings for FY25 totaled $7.355 billion.
• The EA SPORTS portfolio delivered another record net bookings year in FY25.
• EA’s American Football franchise exceeded expectations and reached over $1 billion in net bookings in FY25.
• Celebrating its 25th birthday, The Sims franchise continues its strong momentum with double digit growth in the quarter.
• In EA SPORTS FC, player monetization was up double digits, starting with the mid-January gameplay update.
• Split Fiction has sold nearly 4 million units since its hugely successful launch in March.

The EA financial reporting mentioned above says Split Fiction has "sold nearly 4 million units." A post on BlueSky from Hazelight updates this, saying the co-op action/adventure has actually now surpassed the four million sales mark in the two months since its launch:

MILLION!!!!
So many of you have picked up Split Fiction already, it’s amazing… 🤯

Seeing the fun you have with our game and the love you show for Mio, Zoe and each other warms our hearts here at Hazelight ❤️

And so many hot dogs made…😨

• Void Scout - Release Date Announcement Trailer. June 2nd.

• Save 70% on Thief Simulator collection on Steam.
• Save 90% on Jalopy on Steam.
• Save 50% on Builders of Greece on Steam.

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Corsair Gaming Reports Strong First Quarter 2025 Growth in Revenue, EBITDA and Gross Margin.

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is selling more than twice as fast as other JRPGs on PC, analyst says – here's why - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Presenting... Sea of Thieves: The Art of Piracy.

• Dead by Daylight - 8.7.0 - Steady Pulse.
• Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons - Two New Fighters Join the Fray.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• New STALKER 2 Mod restores two Duty side quests that were cut - DSOGaming.

• Meta investors ask whether there is 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Reality Labs - Game Developer. They should ask AI if the "metaverse" was a bubble.

• Epic Games' plans for Unreal Engine 6 are dividing developers - Creative Bloq.

• Double Dragon Gaiden- Rise of the Dragons - Characters 1 & 2 DLC Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Stupid RPG Classes in Video Games - Viva La Dirt League.

• Everwind - FPP Survival RPG in the world of floating islands by Enjoy Studio S.A. — Kickstarter. "Everwind is a sandbox survival game with RPG and combat elements. Expand your airship with steampunk machinery and embark on a journey to discover the mysteries of this world's rich history and lore!"

• Elden Ring: Nightreign - Ironeye Hands-On Impressions – IGN First.

• Knock on the Coffin Lid - Console Release Date Reveal Trailer.
• Above Snakes - Console Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch.

• Service Update- Original & Large Size Download Limitations on Free Accounts - Flickr Blog. Thanks Ant.
• POP Peeper version 5.6.3.

• Your Service Teams Just Got a New Coworker — and It’s a 15B-Parameter Super Genius Built by ServiceNow and NVIDIA - NVIDIA Blog. Your teams of service just got new terms of service.

• The Signal Clone Mike Waltz Was Caught Using Has Direct Access to User Chats - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Tulsi Gabbard Reused the Same Weak Password on Multiple Accounts for Years - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• A new bill would force Apple to allow third-party app stores - The Verge. Not in time to save Epic all those legal fees.
• Meta wins more than $167 million in damages from spyware maker that targeted WhatsApp - Engadget.

Last Link of the Day: Crash leads to dramatic rescue of semi truck driver dangling off bridge - ABC7 (video). Thanks Boing Boing.

"Oh, just fixing some leaks," is some relevant dialog from the beginning of Trailer 2 from Grand Theft Auto VI. Rockstar released this new look at the upcoming open-world RPG today, presumably to help ease the sting of the game's recently announced delay. The description has a bit of on the game's dual protagonists:

Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.

The video game companies negotiating with SAG-AFTRA have presented the union with what Variety reports is a final offer to end the ongoing strike seeking a deal for voice actors in the burgeoning artificial intelligence era. The story includes a copy of the offer, and despite this being called "last and best," it also has a counteroffer from the union. On one hand it appears the two sides are close, with tentative agreements on 24 of 25 proposals. On the other hand, the outstanding issue remains how to handle generative AI, which has been a sticking point all along. "We are hopeful the union will not choose to walk away when we are so close to a deal," Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game companies tells Variety. "Our proposal includes wage increases of over 24% for SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games, enhanced health and safety protections, industry-leading terms of use for AI digital replicas in-game and additional compensation for the use of an actor’s performance in other games. This is our last and best offer, and we hope the union will return to the table so we can reach a deal." Here's the response from the union:

“SAG-AFTRA condemns the video game companies’ attempt to sow confusion in the community by releasing misleading rhetoric about our ongoing negotiations. The statement suggesting that the union would “walk away” from negotiations on this contract is absurd and the opposite of the truth. It is the employers who have threatened – through backchannel representatives – to move work to foreign countries and recast performers, in an unsuccessful effort to intimidate our negotiating committee and membership to capitulate to their demands.

It is the employers who have characterized their last counter as “their last and best offer,” the union has taken no such step. To the contrary, SAG-AFTRA responded to that offer within 72 hours – on May 2 – with our own response to the open issues relating to artificial intelligence. We have to date received no response to our counter offer of May 2.

Starbreeze announces a deal with Plaion to take over as publisher on PAYDAY 3, its first-person heist shooter sequel. The game was released in September 21, 2023, but if you think that makes the timing odd, you are apparently wrong, as word is it is "opportune":

Background and rationale

• Starbreeze has reached a mutual agreement with PLAION regarding the publishing rights for PAYDAY 3. With the game now on the market for over 18 months, the timing is opportune for Starbreeze to assume full publishing responsibility.
• This will enable Starbreeze to accelerate content development and pursue broader business opportunities for the PAYDAY franchise as a whole.
• While this agreement marks the conclusion of the current publishing arrangement, it also lays the groundwork for a long-term partnership between Starbreeze and PLAION on future PAYDAY franchise projects.
• To finance the transaction, Starbreeze will issue new shares representing 10 percent of its outstanding share capital.

NVIDIA announces details about DLSS 4 updates coming this month to MechWarrior 5: Clans, New World: Aeternum, and Spirit of the North 2 along with the addition of DLSS Super Resolution support for Bodycam, Lost Skies, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree, and Necrophosis. Along with these software announcements is hardware news, as there's word to expect GeForce RTX 5060 graphics cards, systems, and laptops to be available for purchase beginning May 19th:

Starting May 19th at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, GeForce RTX 5060 graphics cards and GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUs will be available from add-in-card partners, OEM partners, system integrators, and retailers worldwide. The graphics cards will start at $299, and laptops at $1,099.

GeForce RTX 5060 GPUs and GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUs boast the same NVIDIA Blackwell RTX architecture advancements as the rest of the RTX 50 Series, including DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, the latest Ray Tracing and Tensor Cores, superfast GDDR7 memory, and more. With these features, GeForce RTX 5060 offers double the performance of the previous generation GeForce RTX 4060 in games with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, and offer an even larger jump in performance and responsiveness for gamers upgrading from older GPUs such as the GeForce GTX 1660 or GeForce RTX 2060. With GeForce RTX 5060 you can play your favorite games at 100+ FPS.

A post on Steam catches us up on Battlefield Labs, the collaboration with the community to help shape the future of the Battlefield series of first-person shooters. Now that server performance and stability testing is complete, the plan is to invite more players into the program for global scaling testing. Those interested can still sign up here. Here's more on how this is expanding:

Alongside testing new content, we'll continue to iterate on our initial focus areas, such as balancing the different weapon archetypes and damage values, as well as movement and combat pacing mechanics.

Destruction also remains an ongoing topic across our play sessions. We’ll continue to test destructible objects across a variety of maps and fine-tune damage levels of surfaces.

A post on BlueSky announces that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over two million copies since the launch of the RPG just 12 days ago. The game was an immediate hit, selling a half-million copies in 24 hours and hitting the one-million sales mark in just three days. Here's word on the latest milestone:

Twelve days in, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has crossed two million copies sold.

We’ve watched in awe as so many of you began your journey.

Feeling every step, every emotion, every revelation alongside you.

To those just joining us: welcome.

Tomorrow comes.

• Ctrl Alt Deal on Steam (Windows). "With your superior intelligence and sneakiness, you can find a way to escape from this heartless megacorp! (As long as no one realizes you’re actually a self-aware AI...) Spy on humans, offer them deals, and negotiate your way to freedom in a turn-based strategy game of corporate dysfunction."

• Pixel Gun 2 on Steam. Voxel Gun? "Say hello to your new favorite arena shooter—Pixel Gun 2! Build insane gun combos, flex your skills, or just surf the chaos. Limits? Nah, we respawn past those. Whatever you're lookin’ for—nostalgia, hardcore competition, pure fun, or just a time-killer—you get it here."

• Tales of Seikyu - Release Date Trailer. Fantasy life simulation on May 21st.

• Lords of the Fallen Developer CI Games Boss Claims He Has Data That Proves "'Modern Audience' Is A False Myth" - Wccftech.

• Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 Collab leaked on PSN - ResetEra.
• Dave the Diver is coming to Revenge of the Savage Planet.

• The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 4: TV Show vs Game Comparison - IGN (video). Thanks Ant.

Official patches.

• FOUNDRY - Update 2: Galactic Commerce is LIVE. Here's a Galactic Commerce Trailer.

• Coming to Game Pass: DOOM: The Dark Ages, Revenge of the Savage Planet, Dragonball Xenoverse 2, and More.

Official trailers.

• Empyreal - Official Character Trailer.
• RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business Gameplay (4K 60FPS).

• Dorian Hart on Looking Glass Studios & Irrational Games - Deep Dive (video).

• GTA 6's delay doesn't mean the games industry's in trouble - it's already dead - Eurogamer.net. "But over time this will change. There'll be fewer triple-A games in the traditional sense, and those that remain will be exceptions, either in the dwindling GTA mold - if GTA 6 took 12 years, how long until GTA 7? Does it change the approach entirely, to something faster like the olden days? Or even arrive at all? - or from platform holders with secondary incentives, or the still independent studios such as Larian, that know their limits and need only turn enough profit to fund the next one. Or, as we're already seeing, in the form of ever more prevalent remasters and ports of games that seemed to barely come out yesterday."

• Xbox is selling a lot of games on PlayStation - The Verge.

• How to securely attach an Apple AirTag to pretty much anything - ZDNET.
• Musk’s politics see Tesla sales collapse in Europe - Ars Technica.

• Intel Arc Celestial discrete GPUs have hit pre-silicon validation and that makes me a little more hopeful for their eventual launch - PC Gamer.
• LG's new OLED technology literally stretches the boundaries of display tech and promises to turn almost any surface into a screen—or should that be the other way round? - PC Gamer.
• Hyundai bets $21B on Atlas humanoid robots for US car assembly - Interesting Engineering. Thanks Slashdot.
• GeForce RTX 5090D Is Reportedly Getting Banned In China In Q2 As US Export Restrictions Take Effect - Wccftech.
• Windows 11 is getting a new Start menu this month - The Verge.
• WinSCP version 6.5.1. Thanks Ant.

• ChatGPT's hallucination problem is getting worse according to OpenAI's own tests and nobody understands why - PC Gamer.
• NBC Sports Will Use AI-Generated Voice of Jim Fagan in NBA Coverage - The Wrap.
• Report: OpenAI is buying AI-powered developer platform Windsurf — what happens to its support for rival LLMs- - VentureBeat.

• Trump would cut CISA budget by $491M amid ‘censorship’ claim • The Register.
• US Border Agents Are Asking for Help Taking Photos of Everyone Entering the Country by Car - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• DOJ asks court to split up Google’s ad tech empire - The Verge.

• Revenge of the Savage Planet review - PC Gamer.

• Case: AORUS RTX 5090 MASTER Review - Vortez.
• Graphics Card: GIGABYTE RTX 5080 GAMING OC Review - Vortez.
• Graphics Card: RTX 5060 Ti 8GB: Even Slower Than The Arc B580! - Hardware Unboxed (video).
• Monitor/Projector: Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27 3D - PC Gamer.
• PSU: FSP VITA GM 1000W PSU Review - Vortez.
• PSU: SilverStone Hela 850R Platinum power supply review - Tom's Hardware.
• Sound Card/DAC: Fosi Audio K7 Gaming DAC-Amp - OCinside.

• Overwatch 2 is preparing to answer the internet's current obsession- Who would win, 1 gorilla or 100 men, and it's all going to be livestreamed - PC Gamer…

Today is the anniversary of the Hindenburg disaster, which took place on this date in 1937. As impossible as it seems from footage of the accident, most of the passengers and crew actually survived the calamitous fire, which resulted in 36 fatalities. This put a quick end to dirigible travel, but the crash came not even two years before the first jet aircraft flight, so it seems doubtful it had much of a future anyway. But it did hold out long enough for the disaster, which is referenced in Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures: See You in the Funny Papers from 1987 as part of one of the funniest animated sequences I have ever seen.

Oh the Humanity's Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Science

• New quantum theory of gravity brings long-sought 'theory of everything' a crucial step closer - Phys.org.
• Giant Global Survey Identifies What Makes Humans Flourish - ScienceAlert.

Media

• Taken: The Musical. I have a very particular set of scales.
• When you’re running late to your tee time. Don't you hate when you overshoot the green and end up in the bunker? Thanks VideoSift.

Creature Features

• Parrot sings classic rock hits in awesome and hilarious style - Boing Boing.

Follow-up

• Washington Post Cartoonist Who Quit Over Bezos Cartoon Wins Pulitzer - TheWrap.

The Funnies

• xkcd- About 20 Pounds.

Xbox Wire has the announcement of Gears of War: Reloaded, a "faithfully" remastered version of the original Gears of War that will launch on August 26th for PC, Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A Steam Listing is live and accepting wishlist requests for the Windows edition. An Xbox account will not be required to play, though one will be necessary for crossplay functions. As for what's changed since the original version of this third-person shooter launched in 2006, word is: "From faster frame rates to deeper visual fidelity, every detail has been tuned to bring the original game into the present with clarity, smoothness, and immersion that matches the power of today’s hardware." Here are the details:

No matter where you play, Gears of War: Reloaded has been re-engineered to look and feel incredible. Players can expect:

• 4K resolution
• 60 FPS in Campaign
• 120 FPS in Multiplayer
• High Dynamic Range (HDR)
• Dolby Vision & 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos
• 7.1.4 3D Spatial Audio
• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
• 4K assets and remastered textures
• Enhanced post-processing visual effects
• Improved shadows and reflections
• Super resolution with improved anti-aliasing
• Zero loading screens during Campaign

French-Canadian entrepreneur Stephan Tetrault has acquired GameStop Canada, and the GameStop Canada Website is welcoming users to what will once again be known as EB Games Canada. This resumes the name it carried prior to a 2021 rebranding that did not save the game store chain from this fate. Word is: "The transition to EB Games Canada will roll out nationwide over the coming months, including updated store signage, a redesigned website, and new branding across digital and social platforms all in order to enhance customer experience." Going back to its previous name leads to the paradoxical announcement that the company is "returning to its roots with a fresh identity." Here's more:

The acquisition marks a new chapter for the Canadian retailer, which will relaunch as EB Games Canada—a beloved and iconic name many Canadian gamers still associate with their earliest gaming experiences.

The move reflects a commitment to revitalizing Canada's gaming retail scene, bringing renewed focus to customer experience, collector culture, and the unique preferences of Canadian gamers.

Steam has kicked off three days of Early Access to Revenge of the Savage Planet, a perk for those who preordered the pricier Cosmic Hoarder edition of this sci-fi action/adventure from Raccoon Logic Studios. This post discusses the news, illustrated by this Early Access Launch Trailer, which shows off gameplay and revels in the game's satirical humor. Here's word on the game and an additional early adopter incentive:

Grab a friend and blast-off in May with exclusive limited-time Steam launch perks. Purchase Revenge of the Savage Planet within the first month of launch to receive the Trash Panda Suit and a bonus copy of Journey to the Savage Planet.  This buy-one-get-one bundle is only available on Steam and for the first month of launch. Additionally, purchase the first week on Steam and you’ll also receive a 10% discount. Don’t miss out, wishlist today so you can be notified of the release and to secure your spot in space! Launch news is right around the corner.

Drop Duchy is now available on the Epic Games Store and Steam, offering a "hybrid" strategy game that warns of the dangers being inattentive when you pass the dutchie 'pon the left hand side. The Launch Trailer shows off a "charming, maquette-inspired medieval world" and gameplay featuring deckbuilding, puzzles, and roguelite progression. Sleepy Mill Studio and The Arcade Crew offer a 10% launch discount for the next week, and the following details:

With intuitive, puzzle-like block placement, Drop Duchy offers a satisfying depth that’s approachable for newcomers and rewarding for seasoned tacticians. Successful rounds guide your duchy’s forces along branching, decision-filled paths toward the ultimate goal: storming an enemy fortress.

Unlock upgrades and modifiers with over 110 unique cards, gaining access to new structures, enhanced soldier recruitment, improved resource gathering and other perks to improve strategies through robust deck customization. Drop Duchy keeps its blend of block-stacking, deckbuilding, and tactical decision-making fresh, challenging, and replayable with three playable factions, each of which command a distinct playstyle:

• One Year Countdown Clock Is Teasing Ecco The Dolphin's Return - Kotaku.

• Soldak 20th Anniversary Sale on Steam. Includes some all-time high discounts.
• Save 90% on Do Not Feed the Monkeys on Steam.
• Save 90% on Gal-Gun- Double Peace on Steam.
• Save 20% on WARRIORS: Abyss on Steam.
• Save 70% on Thief Simulator collection on Steam.
• The Complete Vibe Coding, Automation and Profit Super Bundle (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*
• 3D CAD Professional Bundle (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt Stats Snapshot.

• Citizen Sleeper is also a solo board game now — and it’s free - Polygon.

Official patches.

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows Title Update 1.0.4 - Release Notes.
• V Rising - V Rising 1.1 Hot Fix 3.

• Survival Tips For Revenge of the Savage Planet, Available Today - Xbox Wire.

• Formula Legends - Official Announcement Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• The COMPLETE Story of Mafia - GVMERS. Thanks Ant.

• Star Wars: The Old Republic - Galactic Seasons Objectives: May 6 - June 2.

• No fate, just pixels: Terminator 2D revives Judgment Day, pixel by pretty pixel - Epic Games Store.
• Warside - ROADMAP TO v2.0.

• YouTube Premium Is Offering a Cheaper Two-Person Plan in Some Markets - CNET.
• New York Times Games launches leaderboard to celebrate daily wins - VentureBeat.

Thanks Console General.

• Software update makes HDR content “unwatchable” on Roku TVs - Ars Technica.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5581 (Dev Channel) - Windows Insider Blog.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3950 (Beta Channel) - Windows Insider Blog.

• The people refusing to use AI - BBC. "Why would I bother to read something someone couldn't be bothered to write?"
• OpenAI says nonprofit retain control of company, bowing to pressure - CNBC.
• Perplexity AI's Comet browser will streak across the web this month - TechRadar.
• Open source AI models favor men for hiring, study finds • The Register. Tech bros gotta tech bro. Thanks Broadband Bulletin via Ant.

• Signal clone used by Trump official stops operations after report it was hacked - Ars Technica.
• A whopping 94% of leaked passwords are not unique - will you people ever learn? - ZDNET. We're not the ones leaking them.
• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of April 28, 2025 - CISA. Thanks Ant.

• Apple will appeal contempt ruling in Epic Games case over App Store - Reuters.
• States sue Trump over ‘existential threat’ to wind energy - The Verge.

Last Link of the Day: Did 'Thunderbolts*' Just Get Re-Titled? Movie Opens To $74M Box Office - Deadline.

Paradox Interactive announces more DLC (get that shocked look off your face) for Stellaris, as the new BioGenesis expansion is now available for the Windows sci-fi grand strategy game. This is available on GOG.com* and Steam and is also part of the Season 09 - Expansion Pass, so you may have purchased it already. The add-on is accompanied by a new "Phoenix" update that rises from the ashes for free for all owners of the game. A big update on Steam has the details and a new Biogenesis Release Trailer. Here's a bit:

BioGenesis, the first episode in Stellaris: Season 09, allows you to step into the role of a master geneticist, sculpting the galaxy to your design with living ships, engineered ecosystems, and enhanced species. Forge new paths with unparalleled bioengineering tools to create a civilization that thrives on adaptability and evolution – or exploit these tools to dominate the stars.

But beware, the wonders of life may harbor unforeseen dangers, including ancient threats lurking in the depths of space. The line between creator and creation blurs as you unravel the mysteries of life itself, unlocking the power to forge a living weapon capable of reshaping the galaxy – or devouring it.

Steam now features the Early Access launch of Knights of the Crusades, a "hybrid" strategy game for Windows that comes with a 20% launch discount for the next 10 days. A Launch Trailer takes a look at what to expect, which you can experience firsthand thanks to a playable demo. As the title states, this is set during the crusades, and word is it offers the chance to rewrite history, though it sounds like whatever path you follow, a holy war will result:

Rewriting history is made possible by Reverie's unique blend of real-time tactical combat, grand strategy systems, and open-ended campaign design. Beginning as a fledgling military order, players must pay close attention to logistics, ensuring their wandering army doesn’t arrive at the gates of Jerusalem with an empty stomach and no materials to build siege engines. They’ll also master tactical combat in a time when kings led charges from the front and the great equalizer of gunpowder had yet to arrive. With the right mix of strategy, leadership, and fortune, players will carve out their domain and enter an even more dangerous battlefield: the world of shifting alliances, fractured diplomacy, and long-term political maneuvering. With a combination of strategic thinking, talented leadership, and the right amount of luck, players will carve out their domain and enter an even bloodier battlefield - great politics in a rapidly shifting landscape, making and breaking alliances in pursuit of the goal.

• SpreadCheat on Steam (Windows). "SpreadCheat is a puzzle game that fuses intricate spreadsheet challenges with a comedic, 90s financial vibe in a retro Windows 3.11 setting. The Player takes on the role of the new office prodigy, solving absurd tasks and manipulating spreadsheet cells to hit specific targets using clever formulas."

• Hex Blast on Steam (Windows). "Hex Blast is a horde survival x roguelike deckbuilder where you strategize on a hex grid, chaining explosive card combos to wipe out cyber hordes. Build your deck, collect overclocked chips, and discover the most broken builds to annihilate cyber threats—before they overwhelm you."
• Kimono Cats on Steam (Windows). "Pop bubbles, collect coins, and build a dream cat village in Kimono Cats – an uplifting festival adventure set in old Japan!"

• Assassin's Creed gamers harassed a professor over a 'woke' character. She fought back with kindness - AP News. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• Game veteran Warren Spector raises awareness about working with bipolar condition - interview - VentureBeat.

• This Doom themed Harley Davidson is the most metal game collab I've seen since The Dark Ages - PC Gamer.

Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• This Unofficial Frasier Video Game Lets You Play The Show's Greatest Hits - SlashFilm.
• First 4K Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered - DSOGaming.

• Pets & Stuff - Coming to Steam on May 23rd! - HyperVR Games.
• 60-Hour Dance Sessions, Simulated Sex, and Ketamine- Inside the World of Hardcore VR Ravers - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

Official trailer.

• Daemon X Machina- Titanic Scion - Combat Basics Trailer.

• EA SPORTS FC Mobile Partners With MLS and Apple TV to Bring Four Live Match Broadcasts to Players Worldwide.

• A Steven Spielberg Classic Gave Rise To The Worst Video Game In History - SlashFilm.

• Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• One UI 7 update triggers battery life crisis on Galaxy S24 and Fold 6 - android Police. Thanks Reddit.

• The Dream of the Metaverse Is Dying. Manufacturing Is Keeping It Alive - WIRED (may require registration or subscription). Pipe dream.
• Microsoft finally retires Skype after 22 years of service - Tom's Hardware.

• Trump White House on 100% Movie Tariff: 'No Final Decisions' Made Yet - TheWrap.
• Trump’s ‘100% tariff’ on non-American movies sounds bad for anime - Polygon.
• Windows 11 24H2 update is now automatically downloading on some PCs - Tom's Hardware.
• Trump promises protection for TikTok as sale deadline nears • The Register.
• Notepad++ version 8.8.1. Thanks Console General.

• Opinion - Is AI Enhancing Education or Replacing It? - The Chronicle of Higher Education. Thanks Max.

• Security Researchers Warn a Widely Used Open Source Tool Poses a 'Persistent' Risk to the US - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Leading deepfake porn site is shut down for good - Engadget.
• 7 ways to lock down your phone's security - before it's too late - ZDNET. Without a time machine?

• Bungie fails to provide evidence for Destiny 2 copyright lawsuit because the content is ‘vaulted’ - VGC.

• Case: Thermaltake CTE E550 TG Review- Turn Your PC Build Sideways, If You Dare - PCMag. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Case: Thermaltake TR100 Mini Tower Chassis Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 A-RGB Review - TechPowerUp.
• Motherboard: ASRock B860 LiveMixer WiFi Motherboard - Nikk Tech.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This is a Mexican holiday that's apparently more popular in the U.S. than at home. It's often celebrated with margaritas, the most popular cocktail in the states and one of the most popular in the world, but perhaps not actually genuinely Mexican, as its origins are not clear. And while I'm not much of a drinker, I do enjoy the occasional visit to Margaritaville. But tonight is a school night, so I won't be searching for my lost shaker of salt before the weekend. So if you're celebrating, have one on me, provided you have a designated driver.

Also, "mein leben!" Happy 32nd birthday Wolfenstein 3D.

Obituary: 'Ren & Stimpy' Artist and Spümcø Co-founder Jim Smith Has Died, Age 70 - Animation Magazine. Thanks Neutronbeam.
Obituary: Charley Scalies Dies: 'The Wire' & 'The Sopranos' Actor Was 84 - Deadline.

Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Story

• Reopen Alcatraz? Trump's idea for prison has been tried before - USA Today.

Science

• As Trump Targets Researchers, Europe Makes a Pitch to Attract Scientists - The New York Times (free account required).
• The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early May 6 — Here's how to see fragments of Halley's comet burn up in the atmosphere - Space.
• SpaceX pushed “sniper” theory with the feds far more than is publicly known - Ars Technica.

Media

• IGORRR - ADHD. Thanks VideoSift.
• How to Throw a Football by Tom Brady.

Follow-up

• Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Makes Just $25,000 From Limited Theatrical Release - TheWrap.