Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports is now available for PC and consoles, offering the chance to play arcade versions of basketball, soccer, golf, and tennis with beloved Looney Tunes characters. The Windows edition can be found on the Epic Games Store and Steam. There's no launch discount, but each site will give you a free copy of the Sweet Deal Sports Pack DLC as a bonus. The Official Launch Trailer can't figure out if it's wabbit season or duck season, but it does show off the game in action. Here's more on the Acme of sports games:

Play against your friends featuring 4 classic sports: Basketball, Soccer, Golf and Tennis. Avoid the wacky obstacles and gain power-ups to incite chaos against your friends and family as you control your favorite Looney Tunes character. Play your way in this 4-player local co-op sports arcade game and choose the character that best suits your play style.

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REYNATIS is now available for Windows on Steam and for PlayStation and Switch, launching an action/RPG from FURYU and NIS America. This is set in a modern Tokyo filled with wizardry and magic, as seen in the Launch Trailer. This is not an Early Access release, but the plan includes monthly content updates from now through April: "Starting October 1, 2024 REYNATIS will receive a free content update on the first of every month through April 1, 2025. These updates include new story episodes for main characters Marin Kirizumi and Sari Nishijima and a secret episode filled with new action, magical clashes, and additional story insights." The recent playable demo remains available if you want a sample. Here's word:

The year is 2024. In Shibuya, Tokyo, the Criminal Magic Response Act has issued an order barring citizens from going out at night. However, it was quickly disregarded, and few enforce it.

Marin Kirizumi is a wizard who grew up oppressed by others due to his magic. “If you become the strongest, you'll be set free." Following those words left by his father, he arrives in Shibuya at night.

When Sari Nishijima discovered her magic, she decided to use her powers to maintain order. She follows her own sense of justice to protect Shibuya from forces with dangerous ideals and illegal drugs that turn people into monsters.

Continue here to read the full story.

• "It feels as if we've fought our way back" with Helldivers 2, mood at Arrowhead "much, much better." - VG247.

• Music Creators Bundle (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*
• Jurassic World Evolution Completionist Bundle (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*
• Save 67% on Monster Hunter- World on Steam.
• Save 50% on REMNANT II on Steam.
• Save 80% on Screencheat on Steam.
• Save 30% on Helskate on Steam.

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

• Poncle launches publishing arm for third-party developers - Game Developer.
• Annapurna Interactive Resignations Started With Megan Ellison Dinner - Bloomberg (may require registration or subscription).

• Hideo Kojima on 'Death Stranding' Movie, His Hollywood Phase With WME - Variety.
• Capcom teams up with Fender for this Monster Hunter-inspired Telecaster - Eurogamer.net.

• Deadlock is giving players the chance to turn cheaters into frogs, as Valve hops on the issue in cheeky fashion - VG247.

• Hands-on with Meta's Orion augmented-reality smart glasses prototype - CNBC. Thanks Matthew.

Official trailers.

• Trackmania Fall Season 2024 Trailer.

• Recreating Dune II for the Amiga - Spillhistorie.no.

• Star Wars: The Old Republic - October 2024 In-Game Events.

• Dreamland Farm - Release Trailer - Nintendo Switch.

• Warcraft Rumble — Enter the Emerald Dream in Season 9.

• CNN will start locking some articles behind a paywall - The Verge.
• The messy WordPress drama, explained - The Verge.

Thanks DSLReports and Ant.

• DirecTV, Dish Are Close to Clinching Merger Deal - Bloomberg (may require registration or subscription).
• LibreOffice version 24.8.2.
• Oracle VirtualBox Changelog-7.1.2.

• Microsoft to re-launch ‘privacy nightmare’ AI screenshot tool - BBC.
• Cloud-busting ransomware gang likened to Scattered Spider • The Register.
• AI bots now beat 100% of those traffic-image CAPTCHAs - Ars Technica.
• Arc browser adds security bulletins and bug bounties - The Verge.

• Valve removes arbitration from its Steam agreements - here’s what that means for you - Polygon.
• Pokémon Lawsuit Shows ‘Just How Seriously Nintendo Views the Threat of Palworld,’ Patent Expert Says - IGN.
• Caroline Ellison sentenced to two years in FTX crypto fraud - BBC.
• Facebook- Meta fined €91m after password storage investigation - BBC.
• US charges 3 Iranians with Trump campaign 'hack-and-leak' • The Register.

Obituary: Singer: Songwriter Sayuri Dead at Age 28 - Siliconera.

As noted on the THRONE AND LIBERTY Website, Early Access to THRONE AND LIBERTY is now underway on PC and consoles for those who purchased Early Access packs for Amazon's new MMORPG. This promises five days of play before it launches as a free-to-play title. The Windows edition is on Steam, and this post discusses the news, offering this trailer as an illustration. As noted in a post on X, Early Access has already included some downtime as things get sorted out, but the game is back online at this point. Here's a description:

Welcome to THRONE AND LIBERTY, a free-to-play MMORPG that takes place in the vast open world of Solisium. You can scale expansive mountain ranges for new vantage points, scan open skies, traverse sprawling plains, explore a land full of depth and opportunity. Adapt your fight to survive and thrive through strategic decisions in PvP, PvE or both as you encounter evolving battlefields impacted by weather, time of day, and other players. There is no single path to victory as you seek to defeat Kazar and claim the throne while keeping rival guilds at bay.

Continue here to read the full story.

EA SPORTS announces the release EA SPORTS FC 25, saying the new installment in the futball/association football/soccer series is now available for PC and consoles. The Windows edition is available from the Electronic Arts Store, the Epic Games Store, or Steam. The Official Launch Trailer takes a look, and here are the details:

From Madrid to New York, Sydney to Riyadh, Paris to London, and more - current footballing stars, including FC 25 cover athletes Jude Bellingham and Aitana Bonmatí, were joined by legends of the game such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Didier Drogba, to celebrate the launch of the new title across 8 global locations. Stars got to try out the latest game in the longstanding series, ahead of its official launch today. Competing in 5v5 Rush tournaments, the worldwide events saw football’s top athletes, streamers, creators, and cultural icons compete against one another whilst the flagship event in Madrid culminated in a live performance from EA SPORTS FC™ 25 soundtrack artist and reggaeton legend J Balvin, presented by Spotify™.

Continue here to read the full story.

A post on Steam announces the release of a new version 0.8.004 update for Manor Lords, the medieval strategy game. After some beta testing this is now live on all platforms, upgrading to Unreal Engine 5 and adding new content including fishing, crossbows, and new jobs. The game is discounted as part of the Hooded Horse Publisher Sale 2024, so right now you can pick it up for 30% off. Word is if you do so you'll be joining a group of 2.5 million others who have already taken the plunge:

Since launching in late April 26, Manor Lords has sold over 2.5 million copies, clearing the first million of those within 48 hours, and clearing 2 million after three weeks. It currently holds an 87% “Very Positive” rating on Steam with over 47,000 reviews

The new update introduces brand-new features, mechanics, and the usual swathe of tweaks and quality-of-life changes, all while upgrading the game engine to Unreal Engine 5. Whether players are excited about the new military unit, the new production options, or are just really jonesing for that Trade Overview screen, there’s something for everyone!

Realm of Ink has spilled into Early Access for Windows on Steam, debuting this action/roguelite with ink style graphics shown off in the Official Early Access Launch Trailer. There's a playable demo to check out and a 10% launch discount if you decide to pick it up. Here's word on the game and how the community has already influenced this before Early Access:

Realm of Ink immerses you in the world of expert swordsperson Red, who discovers she is merely a fictional character in a story called ‘Realm of Ink’. Controlled by the mysterious Book Spirit, Red must uncover the dark secrets of the Book Spirit and discover the truth of her existence and defy her predetermined fate. Realm of Ink is brought to life with a mix of 2.5D Chinese-style ink painting and modern art direction and features a rich combat system and a deep, intriguing story of life and beliefs.

Developer Leap Studio has been working closely with the Realm of Ink community, gathering valuable feedback to support them in delivering a deep and fulfilling Early Access gameplay experience.

Continue here to read the full story.

KOEI TECMO announces Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian, a new installment in the series expected on PC and consoles next year. This is not to be confused with Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land, which was announced three weeks ago, because why should any of this be confusing? The new game is described as a magical adventure featuring a new protagonist set in the same universe as Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator (hopefully you're keeping up: there will be a test). Here's a Teaser Trailer and here's word on this "completely offline" game:

A new adventure with new protagonists and an original story in the world of “Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator” is coming to PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™ and Steam® as a “completely offline” title.

Building on the experiences of the Atelier series while also evolving, we invite you to look forward to another story of "Resleriana".

Continue here to read the full story.

• Blizzard Reportedly Working on a StarCraft Shooter — With Ex-Far Cry Chief Dan Hay at the Helm - IGN. Third time's the charm?

• Skygard Arena on Steam (Windows). "Play unique Champions from 5 diverse Factions in this fantasy turn-based tactical RPG. Create your own team with over 1 million possibilities and win fast-paced battles with strategic objectives. Discover the world of Skygard through the campaign or battle other players in 1v1 matches!"
• Spirit Mancer Demo on Steam (Windows). "Slash, Shoot and Break demons. Capture their spirits and summon them out into your battle in the beautiful yet dangerous world of Inferno. Fight against hordes of demons and stop the evil queen with the power of the Spirit Mancer."

• Video game maker Activision Blizzard laying off 400 workers in Irvine, LA – Daily News.
• Remedy enters into €15 million loan agreement with Tencent - Game Developer.

• Dungeon Defenders II x Wizard101.

• FINAL FANTASY XVI - Version Update 1.01.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes- September 26, 2024.

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

• New God of War- Ragnarok mods let you bypass the AVX2 requirement and use a dynamic FOV - DSOGaming.

• Space Marine 2 Patch 3.0 Made a Seemingly Innocuous Change to the Game’s Ending — and Now Warhammer 40,000 Lore Fans Are Losing Their Minds - IGN.

• Anyone can now make their own games on Discord to share them with the world - XDA. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Official trailers.

• FAIRY TAIL 2 - Game System Overview Trailer.
• Once Human丨New Scenario - Prismverse's Clash is NOW LIVE.
• Six Days in Fallujah - Command and Control Gameplay Trailer.
• Torchlight: Infinite - “The Frozen Canvas- Teaser Trailer.

• One Last Breath Seeds Of Hope Edition Unboxing Trailer ENG.
• Zelda review: 'Echoes of Wisdom' is a worthwhile remix, not a revolution - NPR. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Thanks Reddit and Ant.

• Air France launches free ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi on board all its aircraft.
• Starlink Is Now Available on All Hawaiian Airlines Airbus Flights - CNET.
• MKBHD to fix his wallpaper app, but not its $50 price tag - Android Authority. Wonder how he'd review this app?
• Calibre 7.19.0. Thanks Console General.

• The Internet Archive’s Fight to Save Itself - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Tor Project Browser version 13.5.5. Thanks Console General.

• The world's first fully functional 32-bit bendy CPU can run while wrapped around a straw, but boy is it slow - PC Gamer.
• Paralyzed Jockey Loses Ability to Walk After Manufacturer Refuses to Fix Battery For His $100,000 Exoskeleton - 404Media. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• Plex Media Server v.1.41.0.8994. Thanks Console General.

• Case: NZXT H7 Flow (2024) Review - TechPowerUp.
• Microphone: FIFINE K688 Review - APH Networks.
• Router: TP-Link Archer BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 router review- Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 for less than $100 - Tom's Hardware. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Most of us have been flooded the last couple of years with notifications of changes to just about every tech company's Terms of Service. These all seem to follow the same playbook, which is to disallow lawsuits and relegate the resolution of all conflicts to binding arbitration. So it wasn't a shock to get word from Valve of a ToS change on Steam. Except in this case, the Steam Subscriber Agreement states that rather than arbitration, all disputes will be handled in the courts. This carries its own baggage of having to travel to Valve's jurisdiction, and I am certainly no lawyer to figure out the pros and cons of the different approaches. But I do find it interesting that Valve is choosing to zig on this front when just about everyone else is zagging.

Obituary: Maggie Smith, beloved ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Harry Potter’ star, dead at 89 - CNN.

Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Story

• Robocop TV Series in the Works at Amazon With James Wan - The Hollywood Reporter. Boo.

Science

• Astronomers spot a possible 'future Earth' — 8 billion years into its future - Live Science.
• Study of 'Slap Fighting' Reveals Signs of Brain Injury in 78% of Participants - ScienceAlert. An obvious finding in a world of obvious findings.

Media

• Superman III Pitch Meeting.
• Helene Leaves Behind Major Damage In Cedar Key - Videos from The Weather Channel.

Follow-ups

• A Patchwork of Cannabis Laws Creates Health Risks, Study Finds - The New York Times. Thanks j.c.f.
• Lawsuits allege deadly 2021 Texas blackouts were an inside job - The Hill. Thanks The Flying Penguin.