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Trump Administration Restricts Drone Activity Along U.S.-Mexico Border
The new restrictions ban unauthorized drone flights within a nautical mile of the southern border, up to 400 feet in the air.
Netflix Scrambles to Rewrite Its Narrative With Layoffs and a Sudden Firing
Despite strong revenues and profits, the streaming service cut 1,000 jobs and jettisoned its chief content officer. Drops in the stock price and viewer engagement are to blame.
Trump Returns to Dalton for a Rescue Mission in Georgia
Plus, Katie Zacharia’s ouster, A.O.C. on the trail, and another tense debate in Maine.
Appeals Court Questions Justice Dept. Claim that Trump Owns White House Records
A three-judge panel appeared unconvinced by claims that a federal law requiring the president to preserve and hand over his presidential papers was unconstitutional.
A Former Rome Reporter on the Pope’s Health and Legacy
For a former Rome bureau chief, Pope Leo’s lung cancer diagnosis prompted pressing questions about life and legacy.
The Leap Second Has Been Canceled
Earth’s rotation subtly changes the length of the day. Now our clocks won’t change with it — at least not for a very long time.
US Rep proposes bill to give video game buyers "ownership," not "a license"
There are still significant hurdles ahead, both technical and legislative.
Testimony: ITEP’s Nick Johnson weighs in on D.C.’s Business Activity Tax proposal
A D.C. Business Activity Tax, or BAT, meets commonly held standards for sound tax policy.
Russia Appears to Step Up Efforts to Influence U.S. Voters
One campaign has created social media posts focusing on U.S. support for Israel to sow discord ahead of the midterm elections.
Katie Zacharia, Trump’s New Press Secretary, Is Ousted After 5 Days
Ms. Zacharia was shadowed by questions about how she had presented her legal career and handled her first press briefing.
God Help Me, I Actually Loved Street Fighter
Stupid, surreal, and a little sexy are how best I can describe yet another video game movie.
Hill Country businesses get more time to apply for flood recovery grants as holiday season nears
Video: Zara Larsson Won’t Abandon Her Politics for Fame
Zara Larsson refuses to censor her political beliefs for money or fame. The Swedish pop singer has spoken out on issues like abortion rights and Palestine, and she shares with Popcast why she refuses to sacrifice her integrity no matter how lucrative the opportunity.
How“ Street Fighter”’s surprising ending sets up a sequel — and introduces an iconic final boss
The new video game adaptation comes across as a clear part one of a two-part series.
PDHD Farmers Market promotes mental health and connections
Click here to view this video from wpsdlocal6.com.
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Put In Doubt Kingdom’s Sports and Business Events
The Iran-backed group’s attacks have disrupted sports tournaments and threatened business events that the kingdom has long used to attract investment and raise its profile.
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Put In Doubt Kingdom’s Sports and Business Events
The Iran-backed group’s attacks have disrupted sports tournaments and threatened business events that the kingdom has long used to attract investment and raise its profile.
Ocasio-Cortez Transfers $1 Million to Help El-Sayed in Michigan Senate Race
The transfer represents an unusually large amount for a House member to give to a Senate race.
College Football 27 predicts Alabama vs. Tennessee in Week 7
Alabama travels to Tennessee this Saturday for a huge rivalry matchup. Here is who the College Football 27 video game predicts to win.
Cisco Expands Work With Hawks, Cavaliers, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
Cisco is expanding its work with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) as the 2026-27 NBA season gets underway, providing digital infrastructure for their arenas...
Penn Wood High School suspends all sporting activities
Penn Wood High School, in Lansdowne, has paused all sporting activities.
What's the 411?
The new "Street Fighter" movie, based on the infamous video game, is coming to theaters Friday. The cast includes 50 Cent, Jason Momoa, Noah Centineo, among others.
Ken Kutaragi ‘understands’ why PlayStation fans don’t want to give up physical games
‘Father of PlayStation’ suggests game companies need to change sentiment around digital ownership…
Taskmasters Greg Davies & Alex Horne Talk Dropout crossovers & unfiltered chaos in series 22
"A bit of willful disobedience."
Huanyu Entertainment Showcases New Productions at 42nd MIPCOM Cannes
The 42nd MIPCOM Cannes opened October 12 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, focusing on branded entertainment, AI-generated content, microdramas and vertical video. Huanyu Entertainment presented new productions, including Shadows of Desire and Echoes, and participated as a lead partner in the October 14 AI Entertainment Forum, discussing AI content monetization.
Footage from a reportedly cancelled Assassin’s Creed game set in China has leaked
The title known as ‘Assassin’s Creed Destiny’ was allegedly cancelled by Ubisoft…
Citizen Science Groups Grapple With the Rise of A.I. Slop
Facing a flood of A.I. slop, groups bent on democratizing science create new checks and balances.
Opinion | Why Is No One Doing Anything About Affordability?
Can 1990s-style politics make a comeback?
$137 Million in A.I.-Generated Ads Flood the Midterms
Republicans have used A.I.-generated content more often than Democrats, ranging from subtle enhancements to convincing deepfakes.
‘I’m on a War Footing’: Terry Tao and the Crisis in Math
The Fields Medalist and celebrated mathematician is on the front lines of a debate about artificial intelligence and the future of his field.
Fish, Oil and Corruption: 6 Takeaways From Alaska’s Senate Debate
The Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan, and his Democratic challenger, Mary Peltola, veered from serious discussion of high prices and economic challenges to blistering personal attacks.
Most of Ken Paxton’s Money Can Be Traced to One Man: Elon Musk
The world’s richest person, who has become the biggest known midterm donor, gave $158 million to a group that quickly spent that much to help Mr. Paxton’s Senate bid in Texas.
In Michigan Senate Race, Ocasio-Cortez Joins El-Sayed on Trail in Trump Country
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in a swath of Michigan including areas won by President Trump, making a progressive pitch in a key Senate race.
5 Takeaways From the Senate Debate in Maine
The race’s fourth and final debate centered around whether Senator Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent, was as independent as she claimed to be from President Trump.
Trump Ally, Paolo Zampolli, Leaves State Department
Paolo Zampolli, a close friend and ally of President Trump’s, gained attention when his ex-wife was detained by ICE after his request.
How U.S. Support to Ukraine Has Evolved Under Trump
President Trump’s latest push to end the war in Ukraine has raised questions about the future of U.S. support.
SF leaders slam video game where players shoot Tenderloin ‘zombies’
San Francisco leaders condemned a new game that turns a digital version of the Tenderloin into a shooting gallery, with targets that critics say resemble homeless residents and people with...
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Public Service & the Midterm Elections
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) discussed the 2026 midterm elections, public service, and the direction of American politics at an event hosted by Georgetown University's Institute of Politics & Public Service. Walz reflected on his unsuccessful 2024 vice presidential campaign, the need for Democrats to deliver policy wins if they hope to win the presidency in 2028, and his contentious relationship with President Trump. He also encourages young people to pursue public service and help shape the country's future.
Oct. 15: Why Feds Are Investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar and Why Science Journalist Cleo Abram is Optimistic about AI
Just weeks before the midterm elections, federal agents searched the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., seizing her phone and issuing around a dozen subpoenas, two people familiar with the DOJ investigation told NBC News. NBC News senior justice reporter Ryan J. Reilly explains how the move fits into a broader trend of the DOJ going after President Trump’s perceived political enemies and why it’s so unusual to launch this kind of probe right before an election. Then, Cleo Abram is a video journalist and the host of the widely popular YouTube series “HUGE* if true” and “HUGE* conversations,” where she looks at the potential and the solutions offered by science and technology. Cleo talks about why she’s still a tech optimist in light of growing AI doomerism and how her interviews with industry leaders have shaped her perspective on security and regulation. Lastly, we wade into the internet’s favorite controversy this week: singer and TV personality Kelly Clarkson’s social media fight with a Brooklyn shop over a mechanical bird. NBC News entertainment correspondent Chloe Melas spills the tea on the back-and-forth – and why the bird is now going for $15 million.
Gov. Spencer Cox & Martin Luther King III Discuss Bridging Political Divides
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), South Carolina former Gov. David Beasley (R), and Martin Luther King III discussed how faith leaders and political leaders can bridge political divides. They each shared a call to action, which included breaking bread with someone of a different background, working to make the world a better place, and preaching hope. The Salt Lake Tabernacle hosted the discussion.
Senators Demand Investigation Into Ukraine Satellite Disruption
Republicans joined Democrats in calling on the Pentagon’s inspector general to look into whether the Trump administration was responsible for the interruption.
IP Saves the Day On Streaming
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get started, I wanted to highlight a new idea I saw from Real Good AI, proposing a ratings system for AI use. (H/T to Anthony Kaufman’s article highlighting this.) It would look something like this: In general, I think that this is a solid, middle-ground solution that should appease both the pro-AI camp (who love AI) and the anti-AI camp (who wants to know if what they’re watching didn’t come from humans). Regardless of your feelings on AI/LLMs—I’ll never use it for my writing—transparency is often the best solution to many problems. In general, I think way more media outlets need to be using way more AI disclosures. My quick “Yes and...” to this idea: what about ads? In particular, I hate it when I see or hear ads that are obviously AI-generated, but a person or voice says, “I used this product”. AI doesn’t use products! Just today, I watched a YouTube ad where a “person” said they use some sort of rain wind chime...but that’s not a real person! They didn’t use this product. (Especially since the video of the wind chime itself also appeared to be AI-generated...) I believe most traditional advertising already has standards like this anyway.1 Okay, on to this week’s issue. We’re covering the week of 14-Sep, and then next issue, I’ll be fully caught up with Nielsen’s new release schedule. In the future, I plan to put out Streaming Ratings Reports each Monday after Nielsen’s Thursday releases. Overall, we had some big new shows this week, like Prime Video’s Reacher spinoff_, Neagley_, which is off to a big, big start, and Netflix’s latest in its Monster anthology, which is their largest opening since June and the second-largest since One Piece came out in March. All that, plus Slow Horses returns, the trio of returning shows (Lioness, Reacher and Ted Lasso) continue to dominate the top tens, Paramount+’s latest crime drama, a big whiff for a Netflix original film and a precipitous drop for Netflix film charts, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of September 14th to September 20th 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - IP For the TV Win Can I use the dirty word of entertainment journalism right now? IP. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone I said it. But IP works at the box office, and we’ve seen some evidence it works in TV too. Not as well, and not all the time—no absolutes here!—but often enough. And glancing at the Nielsen top ten…it worked this week! Take Prime Video, who has a monster hit in the crime drama Reacher. Would a spinoff work for that show? Yep! They binge-released Neagley, about a detective from the original Reacher series, and its eight episodes debuted to 29.6 million hours. Here’s how it stacks up to Reacher, one of Prime Video’s biggest shows: That’s great. Nearly as strong as Reacher’s opening! (Both shows started with eight, binge-released episodes, so this comparison is apples-to-apples.) Notably, Prime Video scheduled the debut of Neagley to overlap with Reacher’s most recent season, to help drive tune-in. Obviously, I love smart release strategies like that. And even though I wrote “obviously”, it’s not really that obvious, since streamers don’t often take advantage of natural overlaps like this_._2 Other data backs how well Neagley performed. It opened at second place on Samba TV for two weeks and got 51.7 million hours on Luminate. That’s the eleventh biggest opening on Luminate since May of 2024 and tied with Bridgerton’s third season opening. That’s a huge opening! Its IMDb is solid too, a 7.7 on 24K reviews. Netflix’s latest edition in the “Monster” series—which started with Jeffrey Dahmer and comes from Ryan Murphy—did well too, opening to 24.7 million hours. That’s the biggest opening for Netflix since I Will Find You in June, and second biggest since March. Unlike the Reacher series, this franchise is trending downward, though. The first Monster show—Dahmer - Monster—was giant. More than anything, I think this reflects that Netflix running out of extremely popular—if that’s the right word?—serial killers to feature. Still, the data says this is a very good opening. It made it to third place on Samba TV for two weeks. It also opened to 40.0 million hours on Luminate. That’s not quite as elite as Neagley, but still very, very strong. I’ll be honest: my priors coming into any given week are that IP works to help drive buzz for new shows, but TV shows need to stand on their own even more than movies, so they will succeed or fail based on their quality. But these two spinoffs definitely worked. Quick Notes on TV The top show, film or special this week? Football, again. Specifically, Prime Video’s season opener of Thursday Night Football. The games run long (three hours) but mainly a lot of people watch each game. That adds up to a lot of viewership. Paramount released the second season of MobLand on an unusual day for that service, a Friday! Often, they put their new shows out on a Sunday, as they did last year with a run of shows (Lioness, Tulsa King and Landman). MobLand didn’t make Nielsen in its first week, but on Samba TV it got to eighth and seventh place. Luminate had a smaller opening too, only 5.3 million hours. MobLand missed the Nielsen charts for its first eight weeks, so this season is off to a stronger start. (Bonus note: the first season streams on both Prime Video and The Roku Channel, but I only have it as Paramount+ on those charts.) I’ve mentioned a few times that foreign-language originals do lower numbers than English-language originals on Netflix most of the time. But I don’t usually emphasize what country those originals come from, and observationally, they tend to be from Western or Northern European countries, in general. So credit to Not a Stranger, a Turkish Netflix original, for breaking through on Luminate, getting to 7.9 million hours in its first full week on those charts. As I mentioned last issue, Crew Girl ended up making the Nielsen charts in its second week. That’s still a soft performance compared to many shows, but again this, one looks affordable. And if you’re curious, here’s how it stacks up to some other sports romance shows: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… …about a new data source and how it drives streaming viewership… ...what reality show is struggling in its latest season…. ...what Netflix film bombed…. ...How Reacher, Ted Lasso, and Lioness are doing on the charts… ...what obscure sport put up great viewership numbers… …how far streaming films are falling… …all the flops, bombs and misses for the last week… …and more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue. Coming Soon! Next week, we’ve got a double issue, then we’ll be all caught up with Nielsen’s data. Yes! The goal is to have my report out on the Monday after I get Nielsen’s data. So next issue, I’m looking at East of Eden, The Great British Baking Show, a Willy Wonka game show (that people are upset uses AI, but viewers might not care), and a Cosby show spinoff reboot on Netflix, and Brothers on Apple TV (starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey). That’s about it for TV, but who’s going to win the streaming week, The Breadwinner or Backrooms on streaming? Answer: Toy Story 5. Plus Netflix has a Unabomber film and a new Tyler Perry film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma tries to repeat The Substance’s run on MUBI, and Paramount+ has Jackass: Best and Last. Long term, Netflix is remaking Lonesome Dove. I love this choice, but man, there are a lot of westerns on TV right now. And they’re making Sega TV shows, including a Crazy Taxi TV show and Sonic show with an “edge”.
Trump Administration Sues California Over Voter Rolls
The lawsuit is seeking to block the state temporarily from counting mail ballots of voters it claims are likely noncitizens, opening a new front in the administration’s legal fights with election officials.
Greater Cincinnati man faces multiple charges after breaking into, stealing from business
Gabriel Larkin was caught on security video breaking into the fenced lot of 2J Supply HVAC Distributor.
Soccer Coach Avoids Eye Contact With Reporter During Awkward Interview: He Was ‘Fighting for His Life’
A soccer coach’s awkward postgame interview has become an unexpected internet sensation. David Oulehla — head coach of Czech soccer team FK Viagem Ústí nad Labem — is getting a lot of attention over his exchange with a female reporter. In a video shared on the team’s Instagram account, Oulehla, 43, appeared determined to avoid […]
'Street Fighter' review: What if it's giving Super Mario Bros. live-action, but I love that?
Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo, Cody Rhodes, and more bring this epic video game to new life.
1986 Storm Research/National Science Foundation WAVY Archive
The latest videos from WAVY.com
James Talarico Raises Quarterly Record of $64 Million in Texas Senate Race Against Ken Paxton
The amount is the most that a Senate candidate has ever raised during that period, his campaign said, eclipsing his opponent in Texas, Ken Paxton.
CAA, WME and UTA Lead Coalition Pushing for Law to Force Streamers to Spend Half Their Budgets on Indie Productions
CAA, UTA and WME have joined forces as founding members of the American Entertainment Alliance -- which among other things wants U.S. legislation to force streaming providers like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and Disney+ to spend at least 50% of their budgets on independent productions.
Prime Video add-on streaming deals: $2 Apple TV, Starz, AMC+, and more
Through Oct. 28, you can save up to $13 per month on a two-month subscription.
The ‘Call of Duty tax’ means games media doesn’t cover COD the way it used to, Activision says
Its large audience has “become status quo” and people forget the work that goes into each entry…
SMAC Entertainment, CAA, EverWonder Studio Launch Grand Slam of Flag Women’s Flag Football Series
SMAC Entertainment, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and EverWonder Studio have launched Grand Slam of Flag, a global tournament series featuring top women’s national flag football teams and their federations. The...
‘No offense to Zelda’ but GTA 6 and COD Modern Warfare 4 are ‘the two biggest games of the year’, Activision exec says
Modern Warfare 4 is out next week…
Shook Research Changes Name to Veritant After Forbes Scandal
The company, known for its rankings of wealth advisers, sped up a rebranding after its founder acknowledged a secret $6 million payment to the top editor of Forbes.
This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition - Women’s Center plans expansion as service demands grow
NVIDIA brings DLSS 4.5 controls to GeForce NOW, Ultimate members get up to 4X Frame Generation
GeForce NOW subscribers can now adjust DLSS 4.5 settings on supported cloud games. Ultimate members get additional controls through RTX 5080 cloud systems.
Broncos vs. Seahawks: Video preview for 'Thursday Night Football'
Check out the NFL's video preview for the Broncos-Seahawks showdown on 'Thursday Night Football.'
Paid DLC is coming to Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave—Wave 1 is out now! – News
Watch the video for your first look at the paid Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Expansion Pass DLC. This Expansion Pass DLC will add extra content in three different waves.
A former Nintendo employee is auctioning a wealth of classic items, including the original Donkey Kong art
The art, one of 49 pieces up for auction, has an estimated value of up to $150,000…
Redditor runs FurMark on NVIDIA RTX Spark laptop at a store, nearly gets kicked out
A Redditor installed FurMark on an ASUS ProArt P16 RTX Spark display laptop in France. The 1080p benchmark ran before the user was nearly kicked out of the store.
Inside the Plague Research Labs at the Heart of a Russian Mystery
A Russian researcher, who died from an unknown illness, worked at a remote anti-plague facility. Few foreigners have visited these labs, which dot the former Soviet states, and are shrouded in secrecy.
Lessons From a New Widow on the Life After
As people think about living longer, a New York Times writer reflects on the recent death of her husband and what helps life go on.
What's new to streaming this week? (Oct. 16, 2026)
What’s new on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more? We've got you covered.
Treasury shows off new Trump dollar coin, urges Americans to spend it at liberal coffee shops
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach challenged Americans to use the new Trump dollar coins at liberal coffee shops in a Treasury Department TikTok video.
Physical media is here to stay
As society delves deeper into the digital age, physical media separates itself as its own niche. On July 1, PlayStation announced that production of physical video game discs would be discontinued from January 2028. From that point forward, all future releases would be available only digitally in the PlayStation store or retailers. PlayStation claims the...
Fairfax County seeks to cut red tape for local businesses facing hurdles
Fairfax County leaders are exploring ways to streamline bureaucratic processes and cut red tape for local businesses.
Connection Needed: Mammoth Owner Ryan Smith Unveils New Salt Lake City Entertainment District
Vance’s Talarico Attacks Show His Penchant for Personal Broadsides
At a rally in Texas, the vice president suggested the Democratic Senate nominee is gay, a comment criticized as homophobic.
Katie Zacharia Is Trump’s New Press Secretary. But Is She a Lawyer?
Katie Zacharia told The New York Times that the confusion over her legal credentials was the result of one big misunderstanding.
New batch of Zelda 40th Switch 2 console and Pro Controller contain replaceable battery
UK video game and toy retailer Smyths have just received a new batch of stock of the Zelda 40th anniversary Nintendo Switch 2 console and the Zelda 40th anniversary Pro Controller and these new…
The Shores Mental Health in Westport expands access to behavioral healthcare services
WESTPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — The Shores Mental Health is expanding access to its mental healthcare services to Westport with new upgrades. The program is a part of St. Vincent’s Medical Center an…
Supreme Court Again Sides With Republicans in Political TV Ad Fight
The Trump administration had filed an emergency application asking the justices to intervene in a long-running dispute over political ad rates.
Battle Over the Pierre Ends in Defeat for the Buyer Pushed by Lutnick
Motasem Khashoggi, who hails from a prominent Saudi family, missed a Tuesday deadline to deliver a $100 million deposit to purchase the Manhattan landmark.
Joni Mitchell celebrates citizenship after 62 years living in the U.S.
'Big Yellow Taxi,' 'Woodstock' and 'Both Sides, Now' singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is from Canada but has long resided in the U.S. She shared video of her naturalization ceremony on social media.
The 540: Interview with Nashville Entertainment Executive and Roanoke Music Icon Chris Keaton
Ubisoft plans cuts at German studios, adding to wave of workforce reductions
Ubisoft is planning to reduce its workforce in Germany, where it operates a trio of studios, by about 100 workers, Game File has learned. The company wants to offer employees buyouts to, should enough people accept, avoid having to lay anyone off. “In Germany, we initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across Ubisoft Dusseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin & Ubisoft Mainz,” a company rep told Game File. A “works council” is a union-like group representing employees. “The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organizational changes,” the Ubisoft rep added. The company declined to confirm the scale of the potential headcount cut. Of the impacted studios, Mainz might be the best known to the public. It leads development of the Anno series and shipped the well-reviewed strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana in November 2025. Berlin and Dusseldorf operate as support studios within Ubisoft’s creative network. Berlin recently supported the development of Rainbow Six Siege and the Rayman Legends Retold remake. Dusseldorf also contributed to those projects, as well as The Settlers and Ubisoft-branded escape rooms. Dusseldorf is the biggest of the three studios, with some 400+ workers, compared to just over 100 at the other two, a source familiar with the reductions and the teams told Game File. More than half of these new reductions of about 100 people are expected to happen at Dusseldorf. The planned cuts were announced at a town hall for the German studios on Tuesday of last week. In an email follow-up, the studio group’s managing director, Benedikt Grindel, said the cuts were intended to “best position our German studios for the future... with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities and organizational setup needed for the work ahead.” The email was an echo of the past. In January 2025, Grindel had emailed the Ubisoft developers in his region (or studio “zone”) to explain that a round of 185 cuts at the time, including about 65 at Dusseldorf, were “essential to improve our operational efficiency and ensure the long-term sustainability of our studios, the zone and the company.” A half-decade of continued job cuts Ubisoft has been aggressively cutting its headcount for years. At the end of September 2022, it had 20,729 workers. By the end of March 2026, that total was down to 16,590. Studio management is trying to trim costs as it grapples with a changing industry and a drought of releases, let alone hits. The company announced earlier this year that it had reduced its costs since 2022 by “nearly €325 million” ($362m) and planned to lower them through 2028 by another €180 million ($200m). In June the company said it was closing down its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and cutting roles in its Barcelona team. Even commercial and creative success hasn’t spared studios from this ongoing company-wide contraction. As Game File was nailing down details around the proposed cuts in Germany, Ubisoft management was informing workers of cuts in its Singapore studio, which shipped a hit remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag this past July. Some 70 positions in Singapore are being eliminated “to align the studio with upcoming production needs,” per a company rep’s statement to Game File. In early 2024, a large team in the Singapore studio launched the multiplayer pirate game Skull & Bones. It performed poorly but has been supported with regular content updates since. Many of Ubisoft’s studios around the world are heavily subsidized via regional grants and tax breaks. Singapore had been among them for years, but received no such local assistance in the 12 months ending this past March. News of the Singapore cuts broke today alongside word that Ubisoft is also proposing the closure of RedLynx, pending negotiations with officials. The Finnish studio behind the motorbike series Trials was founded in 2000 and sold to Ubisoft in 2011. As reported by VGC (and corroborated by Game File), Ubisoft management told employees it could not come up with a new, sustainable assignment for RedLynx. The 2025 workforce at Ubisoft Dusseldorf were straight-up cuts. This time, Ubisoft is hoping the reductions at its trio of German studios will largely come from workers taking a payout to leave. The company offered such voluntary dismissals at its Massive Entertainment studio (The Division) a year ago. For the German studios’ buyouts this time around, Ubisoft and the Works Council had discussed a formula that’d pay a worker’s monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by the number of years they’ve worked at the company, according to Game File sources. The formula is still subject to negotiations with the Works Council and has not yet been part of an official offer to workers. It could be adjusted up or down, and it could be supplemented with additional bonuses. Asked about the floated payout formula, a Ubisoft rep told Game File, “The terms of a potential voluntary departure program remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives. No final agreement has been reached, and we won’t comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: Epic’s AI adventures Epic Games (Fortnite, the Unreal engine) is all-in on using AI to try to transform the way it makes video games and game-making tools. It’s leaders appear to be undeterred by any resistance among gamers and some game developers around generative AI—and instead emboldened by advances, particularly in AI-assisted programming. A recap of the last three days: On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Epic management told workers last week that development of an upcoming game combining Star Wars and Marvel characters would be “AI first.” Employees would be expected to use AI models such as Claude to code the game. A manager told Epic’s developers there would be “[n]o more hand-written code” and that art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows,” per the outlet. Just ahead of that story running, Epic founder Tim Sweeney tweeted: “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.” In a follow-up, Sweeney predicted that most game development processes would be at least three times faster a year from now than they were in January 2026, thanks to AI. To a person on X who told him he was failing to read the room, Sweeney said: “Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it’s not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be.” On Wednesday, Epic announced it was releasing a faster launcher for its Epic Games Store marketplace. It did so by stating in a blog post as clear as could be that the launcher is an AI-enabled, vibe-coded project: Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look. Programming is hard? That was unexpected phrasing from a company founded by a legendarily great programmer. Back in 2011, Sweeney told me that he’d picked up programming quickly as a kid and rejoiced at the power it gave him. “I could look at any program that anybody else had written and, with enough effort, build something cooler.” Item 3: The Xbox Labs experiment (and one of the people behind it) Microsoft’s Xbox division, which is flooding the zone with announcements lately, yesterday revealed a new internal tech-tinkering team called Xbox Labs. In the words of Xbox boss Asha Sharma Labs is “a small group of game makers, engineers and scientists whose job is to turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience.” Conventional wisdom coming out of the announcement is that Labs is a team that’ll focus on ideas driven by generative AI. In her announcement, Sharma cited some of the dizzying achievements in tech and gaming over the past month as AI agents and other AI tools have been deployed to swiftly figure out how popular games work, then rebuild them and mix them up. She mentioned seeing ”games rapidly decompiled and rebuilt to run on hardware they were never originally designed to support” and said “[p]erhaps more surprisingly, we’ve seen many of the biggest games in the world have been remixed into the source code of another.” (Minecraft plus Elden Ring, for example, or Fortnite + Super Monkey Ball + Overwatch + Diablo + others.) Sharma also cited the work of Windows PC games being ported to run in browsers, a seeming reference to a recent AI-assisted fan port of Halo. Or perhaps Call of Duty or GTA. Sharma didn’t use the specific term “AI” in her memo, but she came close, citing AI “agents” and their potential for game-making tools that Labs could help craft: I think XBOX has an important role to play here. Coding became the first major workload for agents because they can write, run, and test software. Games share many of those same properties, and people spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing XBOX games, roughly five times the estimated time spent writing code worldwide. We’ve spent 25 years learning how to make great games, and I want our game makers to help shape what these new technologies make possible. As we learn, we’ll share the tools we build with developers across the industry, just as we always have. When I asked an Xbox rep if Labs was an AI-centric team, they said genAI was not the focus, describing it as having a broader mandate for using new tech in new ways in gaming. As an example, they pointed to Xbox’s recently launched disc-to-digital gaming usage rights program. Microsoft didn’t specifically name anyone involved full-time in Xbox Labs yesterday, but on social media and LinkedIn, I spotted Adrian Mato IDing himself as leading the creatio of tools at Labs and talking up the launch. Mato first caught my attention in late September, when he said on X that he was “starting to build a new team at Xbox focused on products and tools for how games get built and distributed as agentic tools become more capable.” At the time, he framed AI-based tools as a supplement to traditional game dev tools. “I don’t think we need to replace them,” he said. Since then, he’s publicly shown interest in AI and in games. He’s recently spent some of his X feed marveling at the power of AI agents and praising the lighting in the latest Gears of War. Following the Labs announcement yesterday, he enthused about the Xbox Labs’ stylish landing page. He wrote: “We built some fun tools to art-direct shaders in real time, experimented with interactive ASCII art, and sprinkled in lots of tiny details. “Move your mouse to leave a colorful trail that reveals the original footage, or interact with the video to trigger bursts of particles. “A lot of love went into making it all feel just right. “More to come”
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How the Zelda Ocarina of Time remake changes the classic game’s script
At the start of the iconic 1998 Nintendo 64 game The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, our playable hero Link wakes up in his tree cabin, heads outside and is greeted by his friend Saria. “Yahoo! Hi, Stotil!" she says. In other people’s copies of the games, she might say “Hi, Link!” or “Hi, Brick!” or use whatever other name the player was allowed to input when first launching the game. The more important point is that she starts with a “Yahoo!” In Nintendo’s 2011 remake of Ocarina of Time for the 3DS handheld, Saria greets Link with that same word. But for the 2026 Switch 2 re-remake of Ocarina of Time, out November 5, Saria’s salutation has changed: “Hello, Link!” she exclaims. There’s no “Yahoo” to be heard. Last month, in an official Nintendo video preview, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma described the remake as a “faithful interpretation using modern technologies.” Faithful means the gameplay hasn’t changed much. Dungeons, quests, and just generally what you do in the game doesn’t seem to have changed, not based on what Nintendo has shown nor the hour of the game I played in New York City a couple of weeks ago. The graphics have been overhauled. The controls have been tweaked. Players can now manually control the camera and make Link jump with the press of a button, both notable differences from the original 1998 design. But Link’s journey appears to take the same path, with the same obstacles in its way. The remake’s biggest alteration to Ocarina of Time that I’ve spotted so far just might be the script. About the game’s story, Aonuma said in September, “We’ve added quite a lot of new dialogue for the characters, so that their personalities shine even more.” Earlier this month, I played a chunk of the Ocarina of Time remake at a Nintendo showcase. In the game’s earliest moments, I made a point of talking to characters and recording what they said. I found the script to be more colorful, more natural in its phrasing, more careful to establish its characters, and certainly more wordy even with the removal of that one “Yahoo!”. I’ve got some very early-game examples, so you can judge the new writing for yourself.
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