A txeet from Respawn confirms aspects of a report on Bloomberg which stated Electronic Arts is cutting between 300 and 400 jobs and cancelling a planned new game in the Titanfall series. Respawn does say two "early-stage incubation projects" are cancelled, but does not specify what they are. Last month a rumor emerged that an unannounced multiplayer FPS from Respawn was cancelled, and it is the co-developer on the recently announced Star Wars ZERO Company. Respawn also acknowledges lost jobs, calling them "targeted team adjustments." It does not specify how many teammates these have adjusted to the unemployment line, but says the Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi teams were affected. IGN reports it "understands" around 300 jobs were cut, about 100 of which were at Respawn. Here's official word:

As we sharpen our focus for the future, we've made the decision to step away from two early-stage incubation projects and make some targeted team adjustments across Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi. These decisions aren't easy, and we are deeply grateful to every teammate affected — their creativity and contributions have helped build Respawn into what it is today. We're offering meaningful support to those impacted, including exploring new opportunities within EA.

Looking ahead, our commitment to player-first experiences remains unchanged. Innovation has always been at the core of Respawn's identity, and it continues to drive how we build the future — from evolving live experiences to crafting new worlds and stories.

505 Games announce that WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers will drop on July 24th, kicking off a soulslike action/RPG for PC and consoles from Chinese developer Leenzee Games. Preorders are now underway (on the Epic Games Store and Steam for Windows), and since buying an unreleased game is ill-advised, there's a free Night & White pack as an incentive for ignoring your better judgment. Here's a Pre-Order Trailer with a look, and here's more:

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a soulslike, action RPG set in the land of Shu during the dark and tumultuous late Ming Dynasty, plagued with warring factions and a mysterious illness spawning monstrous creatures.

Become Wuchang, a skilled pirate warrior struck by amnesia, who must navigate the uncertainties of her mysterious past while afflicted by the horrific Feathering disease. Explore the depths of Shu, enhancing your arsenal and mastering new skills harvested from fallen foes. Evolve your fighting style by sacrificing elusive Red Mercury and further develop new techniques obtained throughout your action-packed journey. Augment the weapons in your repertoire with powerful enchantments, allowing for a unique approach to combat and strategy that suits your personal style.

An Anti-Cheat Progress Report from Electronic Arts does some bragging about EA's kernel-level anti-cheat software, which they have now dubbed Javelin. A lot of the article about the success of this software "built and maintained by a development team of superstar security & software engineers" sounds like a victory lap, but it does conclude with the admission that work is not complete in the ongoing fight against cheating. Here's a bit on recent successes:

Last Fall, we introduced new features to EA Javelin Anticheat and rolled them out to Battlefield 2042, which resulted in that Match Infection Rate being roughly cut in half. The team introduced these features slowly in order to prevent false positives. There will always be a difference between the total number of players we think could be cheating, and the amount we actually take enforcement against with high confidence. We take player disputes very seriously as we never want to impact a legitimate player’s ability to play one of our games. We’ve maintained an accuracy rate of over 99% when banning cheaters, and we have overturned enforcements where investigation indicated that enforcement wasn’t warranted.

Early Access to Deadzone: Rogue is now underway on Steam with a 20% launch discount, giving rise to this co-op roguelite first-person shooter from Prophecy Games. You can see this in action in the Early Access Trailer. There was a playable demo, but this is no longer available. The game will be free to anyone who spent on the now-defunct Starsiege: Deadzone among the slightly complicated purchase options:

Deadzone: Rogue will be priced at $24.99 with a 20% launch discount during the first two weeks of early access, at $19.99. For players outside the US, we’ll offer local pricing based on market rates. Early access players will receive Chapters 1 and 2 immediately, and the final chapter of the game, Chapter 3, once it’s Completed!

Everyone who made a purchase in Starsiege Deadzone on Steam will automatically receive Deadzone: Rogue for free in their Steam library once we launch into early access, and receive Chapter 3 later. No action should be needed to claim the game, as we’ve worked with Steam to set up this access for past supporters.

Early Access has concluded for Wizordum, and this Heretic/Hexen-inspired first-person spellcasting game is now officially available on Steam with a 15% launch discount. Those two 1990s games are actually more graphically advanced, as the Launch Trailer shows an even more throwback flavor. The official launch carries a 15% discount for the next week, and there's a playable demo to sample. Here's more including some hype from Scott Miller:

Embark on a perilous crusade to save the land of Terrabruma as one of the last remaining mages in Wizordum’s final act. Battle the Guardians of Chaos in an epic, spellbinding battle of good versus evil. Wield three new elemental weapons and hone wizarding prowess to survive the perils of six new levels.

“Wizordum falls into new territory: a modern retro fantasy FPS. It looks like a simple game at first glance, but the depth of gameplay, puzzles and content is striking, including complex levels that I’ve seen good players take two hours to complete…including me,” says Scott Miller, Founder and CEO of Apogee Entertainment. “This is not a game you can judge properly just from its trailers. Although this is a retro mimicking game, I doubt it could have been made in the early 90’s era it appears to come from.”

Marvel Contest of Champions is coming to PC, bringing Windows gamers this fighting game that debuted on mobile. A PC announcement trailer and a gameplay trailer discuss the news and show off what to expect. Word is this is 'coming soon," and preregistration is underway, now with more FOMO:

After celebrating 10 years on mobile, Kabam is excited to share that Marvel Contest of Champions will be playable on PC in 2025! Pre-registration is now open through the official website with unlockable, exclusive milestone rewards when you enter The Contest on PC, gearing its players for epic battles on the new platform.

The PC version will offer the classic arcade experience of modern combat games, stunning graphics in full HD & 60FPS, and overhauled UI to optimize the game for the platform. Now with cross-play functionality, players can start the game on one platform and then pick up their progress on the other. As with mobile, new events and stories will be released each month on PC, and the game will continue to grow its expansive roster of 300+ Champions to collect and rank up.

The Lost Glitches is now free-to-play for Windows and macOS on the Epic Games Store and Steam, offering a "Techno Optimist Trading Card Game with RPG progression." You can get a look at the game's PvP battles in the STEAM Launch Trailer, which shows what happens when you play your cards right. Here's more:

The techno optimist TCG plunges players into strategic PvP battles enhanced by rich RPG progression. Players will strategically construct unique decks and leverage emergent mechanics to outwit opponents and ascend the global leaderboards in thrilling head-to-head online matches – all without an initial purchase.

The Lost Glitches' tech-optimist setting embraces advanced technology, cybernetic enhancements, and interconnected networks with a bright and hopeful outlook. This innovative backdrop isn't just aesthetic; it fuels the diverse gameplay where players have the freedom to forge their own path to mastery. The Lost Glitches offers a canvas for creative deck-building and skillful execution, rewarding players who can adapt and exploit the emergent possibilities within this optimistic technological landscape.

Wuthering Waves is now free-to-play on Steam after previously launching on the Epic Games Store. This is an open-world RPG for Windows from KURO GAMES that's already collected thousands of positive reviews. Here's word on the game and efforts to work out its kinks on Steam Deck:

Wuthering Waves is a story-rich open-world action RPG with a high degree of freedom. You wake from your slumber as Rover, joined by a vibrant cast of Resonators on a journey to reclaim your lost memories and change the world.

We're working to resolve Wuthering Waves' compatibility with STEAM DECK and will share updates in the community. Thanks for your understanding!

Fatbot Games announces Hordelord, an upcoming survival shooter coming "soon" as a spinoff of Gravelord, a boomer shooter that's still in Steam Early Access. The new game is also coming to Steam, and word is a demo will arrive soon. In the meantime, here's the action-packed Reveal Trailer along with a description:

Hordelord is a hi-octane arena mobility shooter (horde & endless modes) where you face waves of nasty enemies. Armed with powerful weapons and high-mobility skills, zip around and fight to achieve the highest score on global leaderboards. Hordelord sports tight gunplay, satisfying kills, and meaningful upgrades.

• Despite positive reviews, indie dev declares their early access roguelike -fails in fundamental ways,- makes it free forever, and moves the heck on - GamesRadar+.

• Yoko Taro says Nier: Automata has so many endings because -Square Enix told us- to -add more content- - GamesRadar+. Thanks Max.

• Curve Games Publisher Sale- April 28 – May 12.
• Save 25% on Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch on Steam.
• Save 80% on My Friend Pedro on Steam.
• Save 85% on Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark on Steam.
• Complete 2D Game Assets Bundle (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

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

• Logitech Announces Q4 and Full Fiscal Year 2025 Results.
• Subscription spending has been flat since 2021, analyst says subs are not the future of gaming - TweakTown.

• ReactOS now supports 3dfx's Voodoo5 GPUs — open-source Windows alternative offers near-native performance for retro gamers - Tom's Hardware.

• Overwatch 2 x Gundam Wing - Gameplay Trailer. Not much gameplay.

Official patches.

• MAME version 0.277 · GitHub. Thanks Ant.

• Clair Obscur- Expedition 33 Interactive Map is Now Available - IGN.
• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Oblivion Remastered- Potions, Guilds, and Free Housing - Kotaku.

Official trailers.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Season 03 Reloaded Multiplayer Maps.
• Nuclear Gladiators 3000 - Teaser - Nintendo Switch - Steam.

• Eric Barone talks Stardew Valley & Haunted Chocolatier - ConcernedApe Interview - IGN (video).

• We Will Be Gods promises months-long PvP wars with 'no fairness'- 'There can be 140 people on one side and 70 on the other, and that's how it's going to be' - PC Gamer.

• Sylvester Stallone's Best Character Led To One Of The Worst Video Games Ever - SlashFilm.

• Far Cry 4 - Free 60 FPS Patch Out Now on Current Gen Consoles.
• Cooking Companions - Launch Trailer.

• Flappy Bird Epic Games Store for Android Launch Trailer.

• PDF24 Creator v11.25.1 released. Thanks Broadband Bulletin via Ant.

• Trump officials eye changes to Biden's AI chip export rule, sources say - Reuters.
• Microsoft's AI Secretly Copying All Your Private Messages - Futurism.
• Elon Musk says Grok 3.5 will provide answers that aren't from internet sources - Tom's Hardware. Answers will come directly from its ass.
• Meta unleashes Llama API running 18x faster than OpenAI- Cerebras partnership delivers 2,600 tokens per second - VentureBeat.
• Meta AI is here to take on ChatGPT and give your Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses a fresh AI upgrade - TechRadar.
• 'AI is going to become more and more difficult to detect'- Fortnite has no plans to clean up increasing number of AI thumbnails cluttering up user-generated experiences - PC Gamer.

• 75 zero-days exploited in 2024 with focus on enterprise tech • The Register.
• Linux malware can avoid syscall-based endpoint protection • The Register.

• Roblox, Discord sued for 'facilitating the sexual exploitation' of a minor - Game Developer.

Obituary: Mike Peters, Singer for The Alarm, Dead at 66 - TMZ.
Obituary: Priscilla Pointer Dead: 'Dallas' 'Carrie' Actress, Amy Irving's Mom Was 100 - Deadline.

Gearbox Software reveals Borderlands 4 will suffer the very rare reverse delay, saying it is now expected to launch on September 12th. The looter-shooter was previously expected on September 23rd. Since then Bungie announced extraction shooter Marathon would also arrive on September 23rd. But if this is intended to dodge some direct competition, it should be noted that Grand Theft Auto VI is also due in Q3 of this year, so perhaps Gearbox has some inside knowledge from parent Take-Two Interactive of when that will arrive. This post discusses, but does not explain the news, confusingly offering the previous Official Launch Date Trailer which now shows the wrong date. Word is we can expect a Gameplay Deep Dive showcase tomorrow at 5:00 pm EDT. Here's word:

Back in our Launch Date Trailer, we showcased a taste of the explosive action, fearsome enemies, and powerful loot that await you. Since then, we've announced that Borderlands 4's launch has moved up to September 12, 2025, meaning you'll get to enjoy the looter shooter action even earlier!

In this upcoming State of Play, strap in with Creative Director Graeme Timmins and Senior Project Producer Anthony Nicholson for over 15 minutes of developer-guided gameplay, including missions, killer weapons, exciting Action Skills, new and returning characters, and more.

A new Striking Range Mission, Weapons and Skins Pack is now available on Steam for Sniper Elite: Resistance, the latest installment in the sharpshooting franchise. This adds new story content along with the cosmetic content described in the title. It's also accompanied by an update for the base game. A new DLC Trailer shows off what to expect. The story plays with the facts a bit, as you are tasked with preventing a V1 attack on the allied D-Day invasion forces, which in fairness, would have had no effect, as the chance of hitting a ship with a rocket with accuracy measured in miles is pretty farfetched. Here's word:

Prevent a devastating V1 rocket barrage from decimating the Allied invasion fleet ahead of D-Day while also attempting a covert rescue of the captured Resistance operative, Carillon. Extract the asset and employ whatever means necessary to sabotage the launch site and put it beyond use, permanently.

To assist you on your mission, the SVT-40 and Mars Automatic Pistol have been added to your armory. Also known as the Tokarev self-loading rifle, the SVT-40 is a Soviet semi-automatic battle rifle that features a refined, light design with a folding magazine release. Whereas the Mars Automatic Pistol was billed as the most powerful handgun in the world at the time.

1047 Games announces open beta testing of Splitgate 2 will get underway on May 22nd. This portal-fueled multiplayer shooter is coming to PC and consoles with crossplay, but details about platforms for testing are not part of the announcement. This post on Steam has an Open Beta Teaser Trailer hyping the news along with details on the previous alpha and the upcoming beta. Here's word:

We know there is still more work to do, but we’re feeling confident we’re headed in the right direction—and that’s thanks to all of you.

We’ll share more details as soon as we can, but for now, just mark your calendars for May. To be safe, maybe just take the whole month off now? We promise we’ll share the exact dates as soon as we can. You’re not going to want to miss it. The Open Beta is going to have way more than the Open Alpha. Way more.

Aerosoft and Simuverse Interactive announce SubwaySim 2 has rolled out of the station and is now available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The Windows edition is on Steam with a 15% launch discount and an additional 15% off for owners of the first game in the series. Train your eyes on the Release Trailer for a look at how most of the game's subways actually run above ground (in fairness, this is also true of the famed New York City Subway). Read on for more:

SubwaySim 2 immerses players in the bustling underground networks of two of Germany’s most vibrant cities. Navigate the Berlin U1/U3 and Hamburg U3 lines, covering 41 kilometers of meticulously recreated track and 51 detailed stations. Drive three highly realistic vehicles, the DT5, HK, and A3L92, through dynamic weather, interactive depots, and lively passenger environments. From Berlin’s iconic Oberbaum Bridge to Hamburg’s bustling harbor, every journey is packed with stunning landmarks and real-world challenges like delays, disruptions, and red signals.

• Many Nights a Whisper on Steam (Windows). "Many Nights a Whisper is a meditative third-person archery game. Under the gentle guidance of your mentor, you will train to land an impossibly distant shot. Practice tirelessly, honing your skill for the sacred ceremony that will shape the future of your people. Succeed, and their wishes will come true, bringing a decade of prosperity. Should you fail, ten years of calamity will follow, and their hopes will be lost to the winds."

• The Siege and the Sandfox - Release Date Trailer (ENG ESRB). May 20th.
• Twilight Wars (PC) - Release Date Announcement Trailer. May 23rd.

• Star Wars Eclipse concept art gives new look at missing in action Quantic Dream Star Wars game - VGC.

• Baldur’s Gate 3 director says his studio isn’t interested in making DLC because ‘it’s boring’ - VGC.

• XCOM Complete (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.

• KRAFTON Achieves Record-High Quarterly Sales in Q1 2025.

Official patches.

• Infinity Nikki - Version 1.5 Bubble Season.
• inZOI - [v0.1.7] Hotfix.
• MX vs ATV Legends - Update 4.0 Patch Notes.

• DIG VR - Launch Trailer - SteamVR and PS VR2.

• God Save Birmingham - Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer.
• JDM: Japanese Drift Master - Drift Tuning.
• JDM: Japanese Drift Master - Grip Tuning.
• Supremacy Franchise Announcement Trailer. Announcing previously released games.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• The Outer Worlds 2: How Combat Works in Obsidian's RPG-FPS Sequel – IGN First. Thanks Game Rant.
• Nintendo's Greatest Disaster - Nostalgia Nerd.

• Bartosz Kwietniewski & Marcin Paczyński on the evolution of GOG - Deep Dive - Nightdive Studios (video).
• How Two Point Studios stands out in the competitive management sim genre - GamesIndustry.biz.

• PRELUDE DARK PAIN - A Dark Fantasy Tactical RPG by Quickfire Games — Kickstarter. "Prelude Dark Pain is a Tactical RPG set in a dark fantasy world. Assume the role of a local blacksmith named Soren, lead an uprising against the Order of the Ashen Crusade and save a world ravaged by war."
• Starsand Island by Starsand Island — Kickstarter. "Starsand Island is a cozy life simulation sandbox game set on a charming island, inspired by Japanese animation style." If this gets sued would it be the Starsand Effect?

• 5 Famous Video Game Legends That Turned Out to Be Lies - Cracked.com.

• Far Cry 4 now runs at 60fps on PlayStation 5, following a new update - VGC.

• Google Wallet brings digital IDs to more states - how to add yours - ZDNET.

Thanks Frans.

• Amazon launches its first satellites to rival Starlink - The Verge.
• New Starlink subscription drops hardware price to $0 - The Verge.
• Mozilla Firefox 138.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 128.10.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 115.23.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Thunderbird Version 138.0 Release Notes.
• Mozilla Thunderbird Version 128.10.0esr Release Notes.

• Trump’s Tariffs Will Widen the Digital Divide - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Amazon denies report that it plans to show tariff impacts on its prices - Engadget.
• White House: Amazon's Tariff Pricing Plan "A Hostile & Political Act" - Deadline.
• Meet the companies racing to build quantum chips - TechCrunch. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Bitcoin mining now just totes unprofitable, costing over $137,000 to mine just one BTC in the US. Doesn't stop is from making nickels that cost $0.13.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC version 2025.001.20474.
• WinMerge Release v2.16.48 · GitHub.

• OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• AI Is Using Your Likes to Get Inside Your Head - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• A Philosopher Released an Acclaimed Book About Digital Manipulation. The Author Ended Up Being AI - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of April 21, 2025 - CISA. Thanks Ant.
• Infosec pros rally against Trump's attack on Chris Krebs • The Register.

• Congress passes content ban Trump says he'll use to censor critics - Boing Boing.

• Sugardew Island Your Cozy Farm Shop - Christ Centered Gamer.

• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: TRYX PANORAMA SE ARGB 360 Liquid CPU Cooler Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• Graphics Card: ASUS GeForce RTX 5090 Astral Liquid OC Review - The Most Expensive GPU I've Ever Tested - TechPowerUp.
• Keyboard: be quiet! Light & Dark Mount Silent Gaming Keyboards - Nikk Tech.
• SSD: Lexar NM790 4TB M.2 SSD - Guru3D.

Congrats to the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees that I mentioned last night. Some interesting choices this time around, including a couple of more behind-the-scenes session musician monsters, like Nicky Hopkins, who played with everybody, and Carol Kaye, bass player on the famed Wrecking Crew. I've commented in the post that the hall is misbranded, as Rock & Roll is a specific genre. So congrats to Chubby Checker. It's surprising it took him so long to twist his way into the hall, but at least if gives this year's class one genuine rock and roller.

Rock and Roll Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Breakfast Link

• The movie Kurt Russell knew was a cult classic in the making - Far Out.

Story

• After 529 Days, Valerie the Dachshund Has Been Rescued - The New York Times (free account required). Feral mini-dachshund!

Science

• Veteran NASA astronaut says ISS can operate past 2030 - SpaceNews.
• Yellowstone holds potentially untapped cache of 'carbon-free' helium for rockets, reactors and superconductors - Live Science.

Media

• The decline of ownership: Louis' speech from FUTO Don't Be Evil Conference - Louis Rossmann (NSFW). Thanks Simon.

Follow-ups

• As Measles Cases Surge, Mexico Issues a US Travel Alert - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Autopsy confirms Gene Hackman's cause of death was heart disease, notes his Alzheimer's and prolonged fasting - ABC7 Los Angeles.
• 'Enola Holmes' Star Louis Partridge Emerges as New 'James Bond' Favorite - MovieWeb.