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Battlefield 6 Quietly Yanks Planned Mass Effect Collab From Its Store After BioWare Closure
The EA-owned military shooter has collaborated with the sci-fi RPG in bad taste before
Battlefield 6 devs to fix "Secuty" skin typo, but five-pistol outfit was intentional
Battlefield Studios says a typo on a Season 5 skin will be fixed, but the outfit with five pistols was deliberate.
Battlefield 6 Gets Slammed For More Slop Slipping Through: 'Charging Players $$$ For AI-Generated Content Is Peak Disrespect'
Operators with five guns and misspelled patches have fans shaking their heads
Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers criticize slowing of Starlink in Ukraine
On Wednesday, Ukraine reported its drones losing speed after sudden and unannounced restrictions on its battlefield use of Starlink
Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers criticize slowing of Starlink in Ukraine
On Wednesday, Ukraine reported its drones losing speed after sudden and unannounced restrictions on its battlefield use of Starlink
Ukraine says Starlink access slowed down, affecting missions
Ukraine's military relies heavily on Elon Musk's Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations.
Battlefield 6 Season 5 Littered With AI-Made Cosmetics; With One Operator Equipped With 5 Pistols
Earlier today, publisher Electronic Arts and the Battlefield Studios stable released Season 5 of the hugely successful Battlefield 6. Same as with every other season, this means that a new…
Mental Health Support for Cyber Operators Is Critical to U.S. National Security
Many Americans can picture the movie Top Gun’s dogfights, but cyber battlefields and their stresses are harder to envision. The majority of personnel work long shifts in front of computer monitors in...
Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Battlefield 6, Valor Mortis, Forever Ago, and More
Hope you’ve been having fun digging in with Bravo Squad for Gears of War: E-Day or clearing the dungeons in Minecraft Dungeons II. When you’re ready for your next game, we’ve got more coming soon.
Battlefield 6 Resurrects the Corpse of Dead Space With The Marker Tease
The corpse of Dead Space is being reinimated for Battlefield 6, with the latest trailer for Season 5 seemingly teasing a crossover.
The counties to watch on the massive midterm elections battlefield
The breadth of the public backlash against President Donald Trump’s tumultuous second term is rapidly widening the campaign battlefield for 2026.
After a deepfake voice fooled her grandfather, this founder sprang into action
After her grandfather was scammed by a deepfake of his brother's voice, Tarini Padmanabhuni founded DetectifAI, a San Francisco startup building AI models small enough to run directly on smartphones and flag fake voices in real time, and it's now one of the companies competing in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Pioneer of China NewCo model sued in US over trade secret misuse, double-dealing
A legal feud unfolding in New York is putting a spotlight on the work of a business development veteran who is credited for pioneering one of biopharma’s hottest dealmaking mechanism: the China “NewCo” model. In a lawsuit originally filed in New York state court and recently moved to federal court, China’s Lepu Medical Technology has alleged that biopharma business development consultant Su Zhang, who was hired to help shop its GLP-1 weight-loss candidates to Western partners, engaged in corporate double-dealing and trade secret leaks. According to the complaint, while acting as Lepu’s primary dealmaking liaison for a group of obesity and metabolic disease drug candidates, Zhang was secretly double-dipping as the acting chief business officer for a direct competitor, BrightGene Pharmaceutical. “She never adequately disclosed the role, never sought Lepu’s consent, and never proposed any safeguard,” Lepu alleged in its complaint, which was filed in July after Zhang’s consulting firm, CoDevCo, sought certain transaction-based success fees from its angry customer through an arbitration process in Singapore. Lepu, the parent company of Lepu Biopharma, has asked Zhang to pay back its $500,000 retainer and disgorge all benefits she received during the alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, plus other damages and relief. The company has also requested the court grant injunctions to protect Lepu’s trade secrets. The ill-fated partnership officially kicked off in December 2024, when Lepu tapped CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism” to identify collaborators for the company’s drug candidates. According to Lepu’s complaint, Zhang personally negotiated and signed the agreement as managing director for CoDevCo, which used her home address. Before the Lepu deal, Zhang made a name following a short stint as the global head of business development for Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. It was during her tenure that Hengrui signed a landmark deal granting exclusive rights for a portfolio of GLP-1 assets to Hercules, which was at that time newly established by a group of private equity and venture capital firms. In addition to the regular upfront and milestone payments, Hengrui also gained an equity stake in Hercules, which later became Kailera Therapeutics. The Hengrui-Hercules deal opened a new paradigm, where a Chinese biopharma company spins off certain early-stage assets to investors for further development through the creation of a new company abroad. The “NewCo” model quickly came into vogue as it allows Western investors to access high-potential assets originating from China at an early stage while giving the Chinese licensors an opportunity to reap long-term benefits through equity stakes in the new firms. The NewCo model proved its value when Kailera staged a record-breaking $625 million IPO on Nasdaq this April, merely two years into the Hengrui deal. Related Kailera CEO 'knew we were in a good spot' before obesity biotech's record-breaking $625M IPO On her LinkedIn page, Zhang described her work at Hengrui as “[b]uilding team and capability from the ground up,” forming NewCo and major pharma partnerships worth billions of dollars. Lepu clearly wanted that kind of track record to help boost its own cardiometabolic portfolio, which includes a range of assets for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and muscle preservation during weight loss treatment. “Lepu’s pipeline is very valuable, but only if Lepu could secure the right international partner to expand into the overseas market during the available commercial window,” the company argued in its complaint. The Chinese biotech said it had little knowledge of U.S. laws, customs or business practices in the business development field, and therefore “needed to rely entirely” on the expertise of Zhang and her team as the firm’s first engagement of a U.S.-based BD consultant. “Zhang’s dominating influence on the business development strategy is further evidenced by the fact that she personally controlled the business-development communications on behalf of Lepu with potential partners,” Lepu said in its complaint. After entering the deal, Zhang introduced Lepu to her four associates. According to Lepu’s version of events, all of them were allegedly employed at different time points to perform similar jobs at other Chinese companies that Lepu described as its competitors, while having access to Lepu’s confidential information. As such, Lepu described Zhang’s team as “a roster of individuals whose primary professional loyalty, by virtue of their concurrent full-time employment, ran to Lepu’s competitors.” As well as the specific examples set out in the case, a look at Lepu’s deals over the period suggests Zhang may have been involved in at least one transaction. During their partnership, Lepu, through its subsidiary Shanghai Minwei Biotechnology, also out-licensed its GLP-1/GIP/FGF21 agonist MWN105 to a NewCo called Sidera Bio in the fall of 2025. The deal included an upfront and near-term payment of $35 million, up to $1.01 billion in milestones, and a 9.99% stake in the Danish startup. It seems likely that Zhang facilitated the Minwei deal given that Lepu is on record as having used CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism.” The big shock for Lepu came in the form of a news article on June 25, 2025. The article, reporting on phase 2 data for BrightGene’s GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist BGM0504, identified Zhang as acting chief business officer of the Lepu rival. Blindsided by her association with BrightGene, Lepu confronted Zhang in July 2025. “Lepu was given assurances that there was nothing to be concerned about and told that Zhang would explain the matter to Lepu,” Lepu alleged in its complaint. “Zhang never did.” Lepu claimed that Zhang had the motive and opportunity to steer potential prospective partners toward BrightGene or other competitors. Later, in February 2026, one of Zhang’s associates joined BrightGene as the vice president for global business development, according to the complaint. Around the same time, Lepu sent written demand letters asking Zhang to account for her BrightGene role, identify what confidential data were shared with the rival firm, and provide any conflict-of-interest or firewall policies during the engagement. According to Lepu, neither CoDevCo nor Zhang answered the questions in their responses. Related Novo vs. KBP: How a $1.3B deal turned into a fraud accusation and an international legal fight In a motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York on Sept. 4, Zhang’s legal team argued that Lepu’s agreement was signed with CoDevCo, and that an employee of the contractor does not owe fiduciary duties to the client. In its complaint, Lepu said: “That CoDevCo was the contracting entity does not insulate Zhang from personal liability for duties she personally undertook and personally breached.” Taking the argument one step further, the defending party argued that the consulting agreement “does not create a fiduciary relationship even between CoDevCo and Lepu; instead, it identifies CoDevCo as an independent contractor retained to market Lepu’s business to potential western partners.” Although CoDevCo was Lepu’s exclusive business-development contractor, there were no terms stipulating that the consulting firm should serve only Lepu, Zhang’s lawyer noted. As to Lepu’s claims that Zhang misappropriated trade secrets, the defendant argued that Lepu authorized the use of the information so Zhang’s team could perform their service per the agreement. In a rebuttal filed on Sept. 11, Lepu’s lawyer set out why they believe the Chinese biotech satisfied New York law’s misappropriation definition by alleging that the defendant used a trade secret “in breach of a duty or through improper means.” As an alternative to dismissing the suit, the defendant suggested the action should be stayed pending outcomes from the arbitration of a separate case in Singapore. While NewCo pioneer Zhang is defending her business arrangements, momentum behind the NewCo trend has continued unabated into 2026. Through August, Chinese biotech assets have spurred 15 NewCo deals this year, according to local trade publication PharmaDJ.
New entertainment spot ‘Funder Alley’ opens in Fort Oglethorpe, GA
Discover Funder Alley, a fresh entertainment spot in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, offering duckpin bowling, axe throwing, and darts alongside a varied food menu and full bar. Located on Battlefield Parkway, it boasts both indoor and outdoor seating options, perfect for casual fun and group events.
The next wave of VCs judging Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2026
The next wave of VCs judging the Startup Battlefield 200 contenders on the main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Register by Sept 25 to save up to $200.
Lost WWI trench lives on in immersive VR installation
Archeology and gaming technology join forces to preserve battlefields of the past.
Is NATO ready to fight? The Ukraine war is raising doubts among military analysts
Ukrainian and Western defense officials told Reuters that developments on the battlefield are moving so quickly that some NATO weapons and tactics risk becoming outdated.
How Democrats Are Rethinking Election Protection for the 2026 Midterms
Democrats are gearing up to fight back against what they see as potential voter intimidation on the part of Republicans ahead of this year’s midterm elections. State parties announced Monday that they are launching an initiative called the “New Battlefield Project,” intended to recruit 10,000 ...
Six decades of politics (but little government)
The first aired episode of “Star Trek,” entitled “The Man Trap,” premiered on September 8, 1966 — 60 years ago today. I’m actually editing a political science fiction issue of The Forum right now, and it’s prompted to me think a lot about the ways that Trek deals with politics and government and what it’s offered us as commentary. The @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe The original TV series ran from 1966 to 1969. It had a loyal but modest following, but the audience grew substantially with the series in syndication for years after that. The franchise developed its first motion picture in 1979, followed by five sequels, and then a whole other series of films built around the “Next Generation” series that first aired in 1987. In recent decades, several more TV series have built up around it, including the current “Strange New Worlds,” now in its fourth season. Throughout the past six decades, the franchise has offered us a good many insights into US politics and international relations, although often disguised as science fiction yarns. The original series was largely a Cold War fable, with the United Federation of Planets (a stand-in for the US) perpetually at odds with the Klingon Empire (a stand-in for the USSR). The “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” episode (1969) posited a planet divided into two races, largely indistinguishable to outsiders, but nonetheless constituting a brutal racial hierarchy. “Patterns of Force” (1968) showed a struggling planet where the leader had attempted to construct a benevolent dictatorship — literally Nazism without bigotry — and found that authoritarianism could not exist apart from hierarchy and oppression. (Relatedly, I’d put “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” high on a list of dad films about the end of the Cold War, near “The Hunt for Red October.”) Get 20% off for 1 year Indeed, the original series itself was something of a political statement, with a multi-racial crew running the Enterprise, a diverse and largely peaceful Federation mostly free from want and oppression, and protected by Starfleet, an armed force whose scientific mission was at least as important as its military one. Famously, when Nichelle Nichols wanted to walk away from the role of Uhura on the original series, none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. met with her and urged her to remain on the show, discussing the importance of viewers seeing an intelligent Black woman as part of the command team three centuries hence. Later series in the Trek franchise offered a good deal of political commentary on their own, but probably none as explicitly and incisively as “Deep Space Nine,” which ran from 1993 to 1999. The episodes surrounding the Dominion War, especially the “In The Pale Moonlight” (1998), showed the compromises, sacrifices, and moral rot associated with winning even a just war — probably better than any series would until “Andor” (2022-25). In “Far Beyond The Stars” (1998), Captain Benjamin Sisko is somehow transplanted to the role of a science fiction writer in 1950s New York. The writer is frequently sidelined and his ideas stolen because publishers don’t want to credit a Black writer. Several series have depicted the secretive Section 31 — an unacknowledged black ops security force operating within Starfleet. These episodes often end up using Section 31 as a foil to show the dangers of a lawless group within a lawful society, even (especially) when that group posits itself as essential for everyone else’s freedom to continue. The current “Strange New Worlds” has played with a few political themes. I found the first two seasons of this show among the best that the Trek franchise has produced in decades, but this season and the last have really been struggling for ideas. Yet one interesting thread is the idea that the diplomatic and enlightened leadership style of Captain Christopher Pike will not work in all situations. “A Quality of Mercy” (2022), which I wrote about here, puts Pike in the middle of a battle with a Romulan vessel in an alternate timeline, and finds that Pike’s conciliatory style would actually make a lengthy and deadly war more likely, while a quick and more violent approach might have prevented the war. This season’s opener, “Valles Marineris,” shows a pre-lightspeed civilization locked in a war to the death with a neighboring planet. The idea of an alliance or a federation hasn’t even occurred to them — their ship’s commander is curious but doesn’t see it as an option. For a franchise as political as “Star Trek,” one thing we almost never see is the government. We get occasional glimpses of Starfleet’s council — mostly uniformed people at a rectangular table — but almost no sense of how the Federation is governed. Are there elections? Who is in the legislature? How much power does the president have? What kind of factional divisions do they wrestle with and how? The shows and films are pretty silent on this. We’ve seen a few military tribunals within Starfleet, but little about how civilians deal with crime and injustice. With recent years seeing some of the franchise’s more interesting plot lines and casts, it seems clear that Star Trek is still full of energy and ideas. Given the erosion of American democracy and the reshuffling of the international order, there’s no shortage of material for future shows to comment on. I’m not sure we should toast to 60 more years, but cheers to a show that continues to teach us about ourselves. Share
Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman, Sean Parnell, on the Clinical G
The War Department remains focused on building and maintaining a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.
Annual training manuals too slow to train Ukraine soldiers: commander
Training for Ukrainian troops on NATO soil aims to mirror the battlefield, but the commander in charge says bureaucratic manuals can't keep up.
gamescom 2026’s Steam wishlist winners
gamescom wrapped up last weekend, and it was bloody fantastic. It really felt like the industry had a spring in its step again. The show itself was BUZZING, with 368K attendees (+3% over last year), maxed-out exhibit space, and Opening Night Live pulling over 78M online views (+7.5%). Let’s have a look at the games at the event that brought in the most new Steam wishlists between August 23 and 30. One quick thing before we start, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but wishlists are NOT a barometer for launch sales (they’re bookmarks, not baskets is what we always say over here at Alinea). With that aside, wishlists are a nice gauge of hype, so let’s dive in. Witche(r)s and Warlocks take the top two spots The biggest game of the event (by new wishlists, anyways) wasn’t a game at all. It was an expansion. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s upcoming expansion, Songs of the Past, nabbed 451K Steam wishlists by the end of the weekend. It’s a big example of something we bang on about constantly: proven IP with built-in fandom is the most powerful force in this market. But said IP can also ripple into other external success stories (more on that later!). Anyway, Songs of the Past debuted at Opening Night Live, and it’s the first Witcher 3 expansion in over a decade, landing next year after a full Witcher 3 remaster (free for existing owners!) arrives next month. The Witcher 3 has sold around 66M copies, and I’ll be one of those owners jumping back in to refresh myself on the core game (like there isn’t enough to play!), then play the expansion next year. This is all part of CDPR’s plan. The studio is clearly whetting everyone’s appetite for The Witcher 4 in 2028 via a classic bridge strategy. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Releasing a free 4K remaster next month – followed by a proper expansion in 2027 – keeps IP top-of-mind across a huge gap between content (games-wise, anyway). It kind of echoes Capcom’s evergreen catalogue strategy. And outsourcing co-development to Fool’s Theory (a studio led by trusted Witcher 3 veterans) keeps CDPR’s internal headcount focused on The Witcher 4. #2 by wishlists between Aug 23 and 30 went to another giant IP: Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast and developed by Invoke Studios (a team of ex-Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell devs). It’s due to launch in 2027, and it looks brilliant so far. It’s a dark-fantasy open world with third-person spell-slinging. It’s a very Witcher-ish aesthetic. As you might expect, 48% of Warlock’s Steam wishlisters have played Baldur’s Gate 3, and 46% have played The Witcher 3. One to watch. For sure! Mash-ups: Anime GTA (!?) and a city-builder for kids (and adults) Ananta took #3 with 302K new wishlists. It’s an open-world game that looks like GTA and Persona had a baby. It was published by NetEase, developed by Naked Rain, and got a trailer at Opening Night Live. I got hands-on at the show, and it wears its influences openly; there’s literal web-slinging (very Spider-Man) and a LOAD of mini-games (Like a Dragon). It’s free-to-play and out in January. For Ananta, Naked Rain is taking the free-to-play, cosmetics-only route. That’s certainly a choice for a single-player open-world game. Without gacha mechanics driving high ARPU, Ananta is betting purely on top-of-funnel reach and long-term retention. This puts pressure on skin appeal when there’s no multiplayer lobby to flex in (although, co-op is reportedly coming later). Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Then there’s Lego Skylines (273K wishlists between Aug 23 and 30), which does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a cosy Lego twist on the city-builder genre, as shallow or as deep as you fancy (five min quick sesh or ten-hour no-lifer session; latter for me). There’s some family-friendly stuff in there like couch co-op, which is only really viable on console. Iceflake Studios, which Paradox acquired back in 2020 is developing this one. So Paradox is probably looking for a family-friendly onramp to its rad Cities: Skylines games. The overlap there is plain, with 33% of Lego Skylines wishlisters having played Cities: Skylines and 16% Skylines II. There’s no doubt plenty of parents here (and uncles, ahem) planning to indoctrinate the next gen of city-builders. I’ll definitely be playing with my youngest nephew. This one could be big and educational. I’m very curious to see more. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Mature IP, new and old, rounds out the list As for the rest of the list of gamescom games by new wishlists between Aug 23 and 30: Heroes of Might & Magic III Remake got 189K new wishlists. It remakes the iconic 1999 turn-based-strategy classic in full 3D and 4K. It follows this year’s Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era (~1.8M copies sold, as per our estimates), and around a quarter of the III Remake wishlisters have played Olden Era, including 7% of them this month. Wardogs – a $40 PvP shooter – added another 146K to an already massive pile (nearly 1.6M total). It’s published by Team17 and made by Bulkhead. It plays somewhere between the tactical squad stuff of … Squad and the all-out-chaos battlefield of … Battlefield. It’s up to 100 players, and it’s out in about 10 days. It’s already pre-sold over 500K copies on Steam ($16.6M), boosted by a pre-order-only beta. It sold another 70K copies during gamescom, too. Afterworld managed 121K new wishlists. It’s a Paradox-made post-apocalyptic grand-strategy game, and it was announced at the show. It’s a departure from Paradox’s usual historical stuff, and the studio’s first new setting in over a decade. The Paradox purists are into it, with over half its wishlisters having played Hearts of Iron IV (19% this month) and 41% Crusader Kings III (17% this month). Metro 2039 got 110K during the show, tunnelling its total past 1.3M. Nearly 40% of wishlisters have played 2020’s Metro Exodus, the previous mainline title in the series. The Metro novels are Russian, dev 4A Games is Ukrainian, and it’s set in Moscow, so it’s unsurprising that – after the US (17.3% of wishlisters) – the next two countries are Russia (12.7%) and Ukraine (10.0%). The Blood of the Dawnwalker drew in (the blood of) 108K new wishlisters, now totalling an impressive 1.7M (at a $70 price point, though). It’s an open-world dark-fantasy action-RPG set in 14th-century Europe (with vampires!), made by some former Witcher devs at Rebel Wolves. Again, it shows. Over half of Blood of the Dawnwalker’s wishlisters have played The Witcher 3, and its #2 market is Poland, home of Rebel Wolves. That’s that hometown-hero effect we keep banging on about again! And Blood of the Dawnwalker plays very well, by the way. While it looks like a Witcher clone on the surface, it actually brings a lot to the table mechanics-wise. I love the whole time-as-a-currency spin on RPG gameplay. It gives the game a different, refreshing pace. Essentially, you start Blood of the Dawnwalker with a pool of 480 action points spread across 30 days and 30 nights. As for how the game performs, we’ll be posting some numbers next week, so hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready. Subscribe The Witcher’s legacy ripples Make no mistake: on a high level, this was The Witcher‘s gamescom. The #1 game by wishlisters was a Witcher 3 DLC. Warlock is clearly Witcher-inspired – as is Blood of the Dawnwalker, which was made by ex-Witcher devs. There was a lot of other cool stuff on the floor that we’ll no doubt be covering in subsequent newsletters, though! As always, wishlists went through the roof for sequels, remakes, DLC, and licensed IP. As always, though, these wishlists will likely convert to about 5% to 10% of launch-day buyers, with the probable exception of The Witcher DLC – the exception that proves the rule. Either way, we’ve got a nice, diverse list here – one that is very Witcher-y, Paradox-y, and – if you’re a fan of great games on Steam – a bloody good list. We even got a bunch of new IP to get excited for. Great gamescom! Even if we are still processing that unfathomable number of mini Kölsch beers! One more thing: GTA 6 broke the internet (again) Move aside, Spider-Man and The Odyssey (I love you both, really). But the decade’s defining entertainment zeitgeist is round the corner. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Rockstar dropped an extended look at GTA 6 last week. It was INSANE, the most impressed I’ve ever been by a showcase like this. You can see the budget seeping through every second of the extended look, and this level of game is unobtainable for any other publisher. Everyone’s going nuts, and rightly so. GTA 6 is out in holiday 2026, and it’ll be the biggest entertainment release ever, full stop. For those without a PS5 or Xbox Series console, a $500-$900 console is a big ask in this economy, but GTA will pull a lot of last-generation-console fence sitters over the current-gen fence either way: The autumn timing puts GTA 6 on (digital) shelves for the holidays, meaning a PS5 or Xbox (let’s be honest, mostly the former) will be on many a Christmas and Hanukkah list. Demand will outweigh the struggling supply, though, and PS5 Pros are already sold out and being sold at a markup via scalpers. Every console that isn’t on a shelf is a sale deferred or lost, and worse, it hands scalpers the margin. GTA has cultural clout that reaches everyone. It’s been a mainstream fixture since 2001’s GTA III and its clout has only grown exponentially since then. There’s a touchpoint for every generation alive. The FOMO-word-of-mouth double punch does the rest. Loading... It’ll reactivate the lockdown cohort, the millions who picked up gaming in 2020-21 and churned. GTA 6 will bring them back. Remember when College Football 25 brought a bunch of US gamers to current-gen consoles? GTA will do that globally. Once they’re back (or upgraded), and all GTA’d out, the fresh current-gen-console folks will check out the rest of the current-gen catalogue they missed. GTA Online, if not free to play, will also lead to a boost for PS+ and Xbox Game Pass, another boost for the ecosystem players. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even some of the smug PCMR 60FPS crew won’t be able to resist their FOMO and will bite the bullet on a console to play this one early (then double dip). The consoles cost the same as a decent stick of RAM these days anyway lmao… Don’t get me wrong, though. GTA 6 is no silver bullet for the mature console market, but it does prime the current gen for a couple of strong swan-song years. And it’ll also give the consoles more users from which to maximise ARPU. ‘’We are in the latter half of the lifetime cycle of [the PS5],’’ said Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki in a Wall Street Journal interview. ‘’That means we do not need to aggressively sell the console today; rather than that, we are focusing on the current revenue from the current user base.’’ The biggest, best premium games always arrive late in a console cycle, so getting more players aboard now, ahead of that content storm (the new current-gen-only Call of Duty included), is a clear win for the platforms. On the Netflix thing, though: let’s all chill out a bit, like. Half my LinkedIn feed was going bonkers treating the reveal debuting on Netflix like it’s the future of entertainment. It wasn’t. It was a six-hour head start, and Netflix left that detail out of the “first-of-its-kind partnership” press release. The extended look hit Netflix at 3pm ET on 27 August, then went up on YouTube and Rockstar’s site for everyone six hours later. And it was all over social immediately, anyways. This reveal was going to reach an untold number of people whether it debuted on Netflix, YouTube, a Times Square screen, or a group chat. The last trailer did nearly half a billion views in a day with no gatekeeper at all. Netflix just stood next to that audience for six hours, borrowing it. It’s was a tidy deal for Netflix, sure. But every outlet on earth was breaking the thing down frame by frame by the evening anyway. Anyway. I’m hype. And we’ll be covering some GTA numbers on the newsletter soon. So hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready! Subscribe The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]
Trump's 'golden age of science' is not just another war to be won
Let's get off the battlefield and into the laboratory — this should be one arena where great power competition can be kept in its place
Western training for Ukraine's troops is purposefully close to the war
Norway is leading training for Ukrainian troops in eastern Poland to preserve training time and keep lessons tied to the battlefield.
12 races scramble Senate battlefield as Democrats eye comeback
Six toss-up senate races could flip the majority before Election Day 2026 as Republicans defend seats in Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Maine, and Alaska.
Future of battlefield medicine showcased at 2026 Military Health System Research Symposium
Driving rapid capability development for the front line, team members from the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Medical Products (PAE-MP) highlighted critical medical solutions during the annual Military Health System Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida, Aug. 3 – Aug. 6, 2026.
Battlefield 6 Player Successfully Refunds Game After 470 Hours of Game Time Due to Game Modes Being Removed by Devs
One Battlefield 6 player managed to successfully issue a refund for the game, and this is despite pouring in 470 hours of playtime.
Battlefield 6 Player With Over 400 Hours Gets Full Refund from Steam After Key Modes Were Removed
A Battlefield 6 player with hundreds of hours of playtime has scored a full refund of the game after Battlefield Studios removed key modes from the game's quick-play matchmaking.
Battlefield 6 Removed A Fan-Favorite Mode, As Devs Look For "Best" Way To Bring It Back
Battlefield Studios is, however, looking for the "best" ways to bring it back.
Steam reportedly refunds Battlefield 6 player with 470 hours logged after EA quietly pulled Rush mode from Quickplay
A Battlefield 6 player "upset" at the removal of the popular Rush mode claims to have secured a full refund from Steam despite having clocked up 470 hours.
Norwegian soldiers training Ukraine's soldiers for 'Viking mentality'
Norwegian troops are bringing battlefield skills and a Viking-inspired warrior mentality to training Ukrainian soldiers on NATO soil.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Will Allow You To Strategise With Mouse Controls
"Intuitively move units across the battlefield"
Video Game Giant Electronic Arts Closes $55 Billion Go-Private Sale of Its Business
CHICAGO (AP) — Video game giant Electronic Arts officially has new owners. The California-based maker of popular titles like “Battlefield” and “The Sims” announced Tuesday that it closed the $55 billion sale of its business to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, investment firm Silver Lake ...
Saudi Arabia's PIF completes acquisition of Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, the gaming company known for franchises like "The Sims" and "Battlefield," has officially been acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners for $55 billion.
Igniting the desire to live: adaptive sports give war veterans a new purpose
When Artem Peredereiev, 36, woke up after the amputation of both his legs, he could not imagine a future outside the hospital walls. A volunteer who joined the army in 2024, from a small settlement near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, he was severely wounded on the battlefield and brought to Ivano-Frankivsk for rehabilitation. His physical condition was poor, and emotionally he was depressed. “Everything was new and different. I had no place to return to because my hometown was occupied. I did not understand how to live further,” he recalls. Every year, hundreds of wounded servicemen and women pass through the Centre for
After laying off Battlefield 6 devs, EA boss Andrew Wilson's bonus rose $8m to $38m last year, thanks to the game's success across "all milestones"
Andrew Wilson took home the staggering bonus, alongside his $1.3m base salary.
Politics is now a fight for your feed (Communication Concepts)
It’s the new battlefield of political communication. It’s not who has the better argument but who can grab attention first and hold it longest.
Politics is now a fight for your feed (Communication Concepts)
It’s the new battlefield of political communication. It’s not who has the better argument but who can grab attention first and hold it longest.
Battlefield 6 is getting an evolved Carrier Assault mode in Season 4, and the Top Gun collab brings more than cosmetics
Battlefield 6 will deliver an evolution of Carrier Assault alongside a Top Gun collaboration in Season 4, but you'll have to wait a while for that.
Battlefield 6 to Get Top Gun Crossover in August
Battlefield 6 is getting a Top Gun crossover next month.
Military Health System experts collaborate with NATO partners on brain health guidelines to improve warfighter readiness
In reaffirming its commitment to implementing protective actions against blast exposure for warfighters, the Military Health System collaborated with experts across the Department of War to develop and release the NATO report, “Guidelines to mitigate military occupational brain health risks from repetitive blast exposure.” The landmark guidelines provide a deeper understanding of repeated exposure to low-level blasts in military training and the battlefield — impacting brain health, force health, and readiness.
Russian troops live an average of 30 minutes on battlefield: CIA chief
John Ratcliffe said the deadly conditions have been spurred mainly by Ukraine's AI-powered drones. He urged the US to learn quickly from Kyiv.
Battlefield 6 Is Getting A Feature Not Seen In 21 Years And A Top Gun Crossover
Highway to the Battlefield zone.
WATCH LIVE: Trump touts battlefield technology investments at Army War College in Pennsylvania
Battlefield 6 is bringing back a feature we've not seen since Battlefield 2, and teasing a fitting Top Gun collab alongside it
Battlefield 6's upcoming season may be bringing more to the game than we initially thought, and some of it was entirely unexpected.
AI is already reshaping US politics at every level
Artificial intelligence is barging into the workplace and transforming the battlefield. Now, it’s coming to the ballot box, promising to rewrite the DNA of politics. Driven by a flood of Silicon Valley money, AI has emerged as one of the biggest financial forces in this year’s U.S. elections, fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars […]
Trump to Meet With Zelensky as Russia-Ukraine Battlefield Remains ‘Frozen’ | WSJ Politics Newsletter for July 6
Also, Trump faces obstacles to put the new Air Force One in his museum, and an inside look at Europe’s rupture with the U.S.
AI is already reshaping US politics at every level
Artificial intelligence is barging into the workplace and transforming the battlefield. Now, it’s coming to the ballot box, promising to rewrite the DNA of politics. Driven by a flood of
The 9 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2026
Four months into the primary calendar, most of the battlefield is set in the race for control of the US Senate. Now the real fight begins.
Landlocked Colorado’s sea-change primary
Colorado’s primary elections held in the doldrums of early summer tend to be routine affairs, most often predictable and by the book. Tuesday’s battlefield was anything but. It is no exaggeration to call it a sea change. Its ripples will shape our state’s politics for many years to come. Writing on this morning after, let’s […]
Battlefield 6 is altering its long-range gunplay to feel more like Battlefield 4
In just a few short days, Battlefield 6's combat encounters could potentially play out a lot differently from the way they do today.
The Big Summer Preview – New Starter Sets and ready painted terrain
Dive into Warhammer 40,000, and fight on the battlefields of Armageddon with new terrain kits.
How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party
The struggle over control of the Democratic Party’s direction has roared to new heights this year, with New York’s primary on Tuesday looming as the next major battlefield between left and center.
The preening prince of perfection
Stride across the battlefield with contempt thanks to Sigvald’s new Army of Renown for Warhammer Age of Sigmar.
How the Military Health System is reimagining health IT from the battlefield to the exam room
AI is accelerating health IT integration, empowering providers and patients alike to more easily access and utilize data, according to Dr. Stephen Ferrara.
Western arms makers line up to test weapons on Ukraine's battlefields
Hundreds of companies have expressed interest in the "Test in Ukraine" program, and the number is growing, a top defense executive said.
Bari Weiss: Think For Yourself, Not By Yourself
When we launched The Free Press, the plan was simple: Tell the truth plainly, and let readers come to their own conclusions. I thought there would be a sizable enough group of people who would pay the cost of one coffee a month to read high-quality news and opinion journalism. But what happened next surprised even me. Yes, you came for the stories—for the investigations, essays, debates, interviews, podcasts, and arguments. But over the past few years, you also found one another. I’ve watched strangers become friends in the lobby before our debates. I’ve seen people trade numbers after live recordings of Honestly, launch businesses after Free Press dinners, fall in love after our meetups—even get married (!?), and say some version of the same sentence over and over again: I thought I was the only one. We live in the most connected age in history, and yet, millions of people feel isolated, alienated, politically homeless, and starved for real conversation. We have followers and no neighbors. Algorithms instead of interlocutors. Our social media feeds are like troughs, but what we really need is a table to gather around. The Free Press is a publication, yes, but it is also a gathering place for independent minds. So today, I’m thrilled to share our new investment in you. We are launching a new world of community experiences for our paid subscribers, designed to bring _Free Press_ers together online and in real life. Introducing Our Community Launch The Free Press Forum Our new digital home for paid subscribers, the Forum, is now live. This is where _Free Press_ers can meet, debate, recommend, organize, joke, argue, and converse like civilized people. Imagine that. This is not social media as you know it. No bots. No algorithmic rage bait. No performative nonsense. Just smart people talking to one another. Inside the Forum, you’ll find conversations on the things our readers already care about most: the issues of the day, recommendations (books, music, travel), work and networking, parenting, dating, and where to find your people—online and in real life. Jump in! Introduce yourself and join the first conversations in the Free Press Forum here. You’ll also find announcements from us (paid subscribers are first to hear!) and our writers, hosting regular Ask Me Anythings (AMAs)—live conversations where subscribers can ask questions, push back, and continue the discussion beyond the page. This Thursday, subscribers can chat with our brilliant reporter, culture vulture, and co-founder Suzy Weiss. Friday, I’ll be lending you Nellie Bowles, queen of TGIF, to answer subscriber questions live. Read more about The Forum directly from Nellie here. The Free Press Supper Club The best part of being a _Free Press_er is meeting other _Free Press_ers. So we’re inviting you all to dinner to do just that. It’s part salon, part blind date, part old-fashioned dinner party. Here’s how it works: You answer a short questionnaire. We match you with a small group of _Free Press_ers in your city. We send you to a great restaurant. You show up for supper. The rest is up to you. Your next best friend, co-founder, or future spouse may already be waiting at the table. Learn more and sign up here for our first Supper Club in 12 cities in three countries taking place on June 18. Don’t see your city? Raise your hand if you’d like a Free Press Supper Club near you. Yes, St. Louis—we hear you. The Free Press Retreats and Excursions We’re also building something new for 2027: immersive experiences for Free Press readers who want to continue the conversation trailside, poolside, or around a fire long after dessert. The Free Press Retreat will be an intimate long weekend built around big ideas, outdoor adventure, great meals, and the kinds of discussions that happen when curious people spend meaningful time together. Bring your spouse, your parents, your children—or come on your own. Free Press Excursions will take us farther afield: curated trips with Free Press writers and contributors exploring places that help explain the world we live in, from the battlefields of Gettysburg and Normandy to the Vatican in Rome. We’ll share more details this summer. If you’d like an early look when these experiences open for registration, show your interest here.**A Note to Our Subscribers** These new offerings exist because of our paying subscribers. If you’re already one: Thank you. You built this. And you keep us going. If you’ve been reading us for free and wondering whether to join, this is a very good time. For a short while only, we’re offering a rare 20 percent discount for you to join our community as a paid subscriber. You’ll unlock everything we publish, plus exclusive access to our members-only Forum, Supper Clubs, and more insider perks. Thinking for yourself shouldn’t mean thinking by yourself. See you there. —Bari
Saturday pre-orders – Shake the battlefield with new tanks
Add the Spartan Prometheus and Falchion to your Legiones Astartes army in Warhammer: The Horus Heresy.
Fable To Launch Cross-Platform Despite Xbox Gaming Reevaluating Exclusives
Since the recent rumblings about the return of exclusive games from both sides of the console war battlefield, there have been questions about the launch strategy of certain cross-platform games. One of those games that raised questions is Playground Games's Fable, which is slated to launch sometime...
Ukraine's defense industry has a battle-proven edge
Ukraine's homegrown weaponry has extensive use on the battlefield, which industry says has Western partners interested.
Democrats Add 8 Candidates to House Battlefield Program for Midterms
The party’s congressional campaign arm is promoting more contenders to take down at-risk Republicans — and is taking sides in some competitive primaries.
Democrats Eye a Broader Battlefield to Capture Congress in November
Weighed down by President Trump’s approval ratings, some Republican incumbents are struggling to raise money while Democrats look for targets like a Tennessee seat south of Nashville.
Battlefield 6 Getting 7 New Maps This Year, Plus A Server Browser And More
Classics Battlefield map Wake Island and Grand Bazaar will arrive later this year alongside a server browser, prox chat, and more
Battlefield 6 2026 Roadmap Confirmed
Bigger maps and naval warfare are just two of the additions coming to Battlefield 6 in 2026, as its developers have promised to finally, directly address community feedback with a series of major updates.
Fact-checking Trump and Hegseth's claims of U.S. 'victory' in the Iran war
Based on available information, the U.S. and its military partner, Israel, achieved significant battlefield wins, experts said. However, they said that calling it a "total victory" overlooks significant strategic setbacks for the U.S.
Announcing Riftbound's First Bans
Effective March 31, 2026, four cards and three battlefields will be banned in constructed.
It Sucks to Work in the Video-Game Industry Right Now
Even developers who successfully release big hits, like Fortnite and Battlefield, are losing their jobs
Russia turned cheap 'Molniya' strike drones into advanced recon tools
The modifications allow Russia to use these drones for battlefield reconnaissance instead of relying on more expensive platforms.
American Airports Are Latest Washington Battlefield | WSJ Politics Newsletter for March 24
Plus, the diplomatic back channel that led to Trump’s U-turn on the war
High-speed combat drone production starts at new US Anduril plant in days
Anduril Industries will begin building its new FURY, "loyal wingman," high-speed combat drones in the coming days at a new facility in Ohio, as the U.S. military's interest in unmanned aircraft surges following battlefield successes in Ukraine and Iran.
US race to counter Iranian drones echoes response to roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan
Facing deadly Iranian drone attacks across the Middle East, the US military has been rushing defensive systems into the region while adjusting to a threat that has come to dominates modern battlefields and carries echoes of a weapon that haunted service members during the 20 years of the war on terror.
Riftbound: Unleashed Card Preview – Vex’s Gloomist Rewards Battlefield Control
Preview season for Riftbound: The League of Legends Trading Card Game's upcoming Unleashed set is officially underway, and one of the first cards revealed, exclusively byu Inven Global, highlights the
The admiral navigating the battlefield — and the politics of Trump’s Iran war
As CENTCOM commander, it’s up to Adm. Brad Cooper to keep the military campaign on track until a political decision is made to end it — however long that may take.
Palantir CEO: Value Creation Is All That Matters In War Or Business
Palantir CEO: Whether on the battlefield or in business, value creation determines survival. Without delivering outsized, unreplicable value, you disappear.
Electronic Arts is laying off workers at the Battlefield 6 studios
"We’ve made select changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams around what matters most to our community"
Battlefield 6 teams hit with layoffs despite ‘biggest launch in franchise history’
Another one.
EA Lays Off Staff Across All Battlefield Studios Following Record-Breaking Battlefield 6 Launch
EA is laying off an unknown number of individuals from across its Battlefield teams, including workers at Criterion, Dice, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios, IGN understands.
How Iran fights an imposed war
Regime's strategy is not battlefield victory but raising the regional and global costs of any attempt to overthrow it.
Miracle on Ice transcended sports and captivated the nation
The Way I See It Art Smith One of the biggest battles of the cold war with the Soviet Union occurred not on the battlefield but on the ice of a smallish hockey rink in the quiet village of Lake Placid, New York. Forty-six years ago, a group of young men, the youngest ever sent […]
Business Lookahead: Nvidia earnings take center stage
STORY: As global markets react to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Trump's tariffs, Nvidia earnings head for center stage. These are the stories to watch in business and finance in the coming week. :: Nvidia's momentMarkets will be watching for Nvidia's quarterly results Wednesday...as investors worry about returns on AI spending and industry disruptions caused by the emerging tech.Nvidia shares have soared following the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.But shares of the company and others in the "Magnificent Seven" have stalled so far in 2026.:: Anniversary angstTuesday marks the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.While the push for a ceasefire continues, getting one over the line remains difficult.Ukraine has faced sustained pressure to agree to a deal that could mean painful concessions, as Russian forces pound its power grid and slowly advance on the battlefield.The International Monetary Fund looks set to rubberstamp extended support, meaning Kyiv's bonds are flying high.:: Key Australia dataAustralia's consumer price reading Wednesday will be closely watched by investors, who are betting the central bank will hike rates at least once more this year.Earlier this month, Australia's central bank became the only one in the G10 outside Japan to tighten policy, as it struggles to bring inflation under control in a supply-constrained economy.:: British uneaseBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a reckoning Thursday in a Manchester special election.Investors will be watching the results closely. Friday could be another volatile day for British markets and Westminster.British gilts and the pound wobbled earlier this month as a crisis engulfed Starmer over what he knew of Peter Mandelson's links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed the former as U.S. ambassador.
Free Play Days – Battlefield 6, Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids, Sunderfolk, Polterguys, and Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash
Free Play Days: Game Pass members can enjoy Battlefield 6, Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids, Sunderfolk, Polterguys, and Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash.
Battlefield 6 Fails to be Revived by New Season Release
The new release of Battlefield 6's season two update has failed to generate much traction in the game, data reveals.
Battlefield 6 Battle Pass Season 2: All Guns, Skins, And Other Rewards
Here is everything included in the Season 2 battle pass for Battlefield 6 and Redsec.
Battlefield 6 Roadmap Has Devs 'Biting Their Nails'
Battlefield 6 developers are biting their nails on whether the new roadmap and trailer are enough to bring players back to the game.
Revealed: The new Defiler stomps onto the battlefield
Wield six legs of absolute devastation on the battlefield.
'Overwatch' just hit its highest player base on Steam PC since launch — passing Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty
All it needed was a flying kitty. Overwatch is so back, as the kids say.
South Korean scientists create life-saving spray to stop bleeding...
Scientists have developed a new, lifesaving spray that stops heavy bleeding in one second. The spray was developed for use on the battlefield, but it is also to be used in civilian hospital emergency...
NATO troops can't let guns get too warm to work on frozen battlefields
Finnish military personnel told Business Insider that temperature variation is a huge threat to their weapons in the Arctic.
Marseille’s drug war reshapes France’s political battlefield
A surge in violence is dominating the mayoral contest as French politics gears up for next year’s presidential election.
PS5 And PS4's Most-Downloaded Games Of 2025 Revealed, Including A Call Of Duty Surprise
Sports games reigned in 2025, and Battlefield 6 wasn't far behind.
I flew drones on Ukraine's fiercest battlefield, and saw their limits
Sgt. Dimko Zhluktenko, a commander of a drone team, told Business Insider what it was like flying in the heavy fog that Russia used to its advantage.
Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 let me play 'Battlefield 6' at 190 fps on a Lenovo ultraportable
Intel's Arc graphics has come far enough to let me playing Battlefield 6 at insanely high fps rates.
The top 6 media/entertainment startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield
Here is the full list of the media/entertainment Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on what made us select them for the competition.
‘ARC Raiders’ Has Kept 91% Of Its Playerbase, ‘Battlefield 6’ Has Lost 85%
ARC Raiders has absolutely wild player retention, while Battlefield 6, over the same time, has lost tons of players.
How ‘Call of Duty’ Got Dethroned in 2025
‘Battlefield,’ ‘ARC Raiders,’ and the juggernaut franchise’s own failings knocked ‘Black Ops 7’ off the series’ perennial top perch
The 7 top space and defense tech startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield
Here is the full list of the space and defense tech Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on what made us select them for the competition.
Battlefield 6 players suspect AI cosmetics have been snuck into the game, despite EA saying that wouldn't happen
Battlefield 6 players have found what they believe to be an generative AI sticker in the game, causing outrage.
'Call of Duty' co-creator Vince Zampella dead at 55
Zampella also founded Respawn Entertainment, which created hits like " Titanfall." He was a leader at DICE, of "Battlefield" fame.
Bookman: Republicans are fighting a losing battle on health care
In politics, as in war, victory often depends on your choice of battlefield. Here in Georgia, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff has chosen health care and the economy as the grounds on which he will defend his Senate seat in next year’s election. His Republican opponents have chosen loyalty to Donald Trump and, I guess, “wokeness.” […]