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Arizona football vs. NAU fan discussion
It’s Game Day! The long offseason is finally over! The Arizona Wildcats open the 2026 season at home against the NAU Lumberjacks, who are already 1-0. The UA has won the last two meetings, including 22-10 in 2024, while NAU is seeking its third win in series history and first since the major upset in […]
Lyon County Health Officer urges residents to get flu shots
Whenever Labor Day rolls around, health officials really start highlighting the need to get vaccinated against...
Xiaomi 18 Fold: New colors officially revealed
Xiaomi has unveiled two new colors for its upcoming 18 Fold, joining the previously revealed red model. Set to launch in China on September 7, the foldable is expected to feature high-brightness displays, Leica-branded cameras, the new Xring O3 chipset and a 6,000mAh battery.
Dalton Rushing scratched with elbow soreness, Max Muncy sick
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers originally planned to start Dalton Rushing at designated hitter and Max Muncy at third base on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, but both were scratched from the lineup. Rushing has elbow soreness and Muncy is sick, the team said. Rushing spent four weeks on the injured list after a partial […]
Arch Manning Reveals Texas Legend Helping Him Handle Massive Pressure
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has never had the luxury of developing quietly.The Manning name, his status as a former No. 1 recruit and the expectations attached to playing quarterback at Texas have ensured nearly every performance is examined closely. That pressure became especially noticeable early in Manning’s first full season as the Longhorns’ starter in […] The post Arch Manning Reveals Texas Legend Helping Him Handle Massive Pressure appeared first on HEAVY.
Toronto Media Personality Brutally Rips Brady Tkachuk
For fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs who aren’t exactly fond of having to play against either one of the Tkachuk brothers, their schedule didn’t get any easier when it was announced that Brady Tkachuk had been traded from one key Atlantic Divisional rival to another.Brady Tkachuk, who was the captain of the rival Ottawa […] The post Toronto Media Personality Brutally Rips Brady Tkachuk appeared first on HEAVY.
Vacant Title Fight Headlines UFC 332 in Salt Lake City
With less than a month to go until the UFC 332 event in Salt Lake City, Utah, the promotion has finally announced the headliner for October 3. Natália Silva gets her shot at UFC gold. The Brazilian fighter takes on Wang Cong for the flyweight championship. The UFC announced the fight moments ago during the […] The post Vacant Title Fight Headlines UFC 332 in Salt Lake City appeared first on HEAVY.
Glen Powell finally reacts to his famous John Politics meme
Glen Powell is "John Politics" to much of Gen Z because of a meme using a president-themed portrait of him. He says he's not privy to its meaning.
New DLSS 5 Swapper Tool Brings Neural Rendering to Games NVIDIA Never Supported
A new tool called DLSS 5 Swapper, published on GitHub by developer rakanki911, automates installing DLSS 5's Neural Rendering into games, including ones that never officially got support for it. Users can drag and drop a game into the app, or let it scan the drive for installed titles on its own....
Here's a look at 'reach' election races where Democrats hope to pull off House upsets
The party in power traditionally suffers losses during midterm elections. Democrats managed to avoid a predicted 2022 “red wave,” but they saw Republicans flip both chambers when President Donald Trump was reelected last cycle.
How to Watch Michigan Football Without Cable
Streaming sports may seem complicated, but it’s actually very easy to watch any Michigan football without cable this season.Your options will vary depending on what exactly you’re looking for, but we have a complete rundown of every single way you can stream any Michigan game in 2026:Note: Heavy may receive a commission if you subscribe […] The post How to Watch Michigan Football Without Cable appeared first on HEAVY.
The same scientists who reported water erupting from Europa in 2014 have now reanalysed 14 years of Hubble data and cut their confidence from 99.9% to below 90%. The signal may have been statistical noise, leaving Europa’s famous geysers physically plausible—but never conclusively observed, and never proven to connect with the ocean below.
A 2026 reanalysis finds no localized Hubble signal requiring a Europa plume, weakening the original claim while leaving smaller or intermittent eruptions physically possible.
LifeStance Health Group (LFST) Following Mental Health Growth Narrative Still Looks Near Fair Value
Recent performance puts LifeStance Health Group in focus LifeStance Health Group (LFST) stock has drawn fresh attention after a strong run over the past month and past 3 months, prompting some investors to revisit how the company’s current valuation aligns with its fundamentals. Zooming out from the recent rally, LifeStance Health Group’s share price return over the past 90 days and year to date has been strong, and the 1 year total shareholder return of 137.06% suggests momentum has been...
Game 142: Twins at White Sox
First Pitch: 6:10 pm CDTTV: Twins.TVRadio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy What we will call The Math is finally catching up with what we have been calling The Vibe. The Twins, with two September series against the Chicago White Sox loosely circled on the calendar, watched those games progress […]
Atlanta Braves Announce Ronald Acuna Jr. Change During Phillies Series
The Atlanta Braves secured a massive 5-2 series-opening victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.Yet, despite the victory, Braves manager Walt Weiss, as he usually does, is once again tweaking his starting lineup for Game 2 of the series Saturday night. The game will feature left-hander Martin Perez on the […] The post Atlanta Braves Announce Ronald Acuna Jr. Change During Phillies Series appeared first on HEAVY.
Civilization 7 Officially Gets a Major Sci-Fi Update for 2027
Turn your gaze toward the stars for Civilization 7: Earthrise in 2027
Salahdine Parnasse Defeats Dan Hooker in Huge UFC Paris Debut
Salahdine Parnasse has officially arrived in the UFC. The French superstar defeated veteran lightweight Dan Hooker in the main event of UFC Paris on Saturday, giving Parnasse an impressive victory in his highly anticipated Octagon debut. The fight took place inside a packed Accor Arena, with Parnasse entering the bout as one of the most…
"Nothing in Sports Is Worth That": Madison Keys' Behavior After Losing Sparks Concern From Veteran Tennis Reporter
Losing a tennis match can be painful. Losing one after holding a 5-0 lead in the deciding set can, however, be more devastating.
Mike Vrabel could get involved with Christian Gonzalez contract talks
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel doesn't typically get involved in contract talks, but that could change with the Christian Gonzalez situation.
Giants' Well-Documented Concern Might Actually Be a Strength
The New York Giants might have a surprising area of strength on their roster.
Mercury Isn’t What Scientists Thought: New Study Reveals a Surprisingly Different Surface
From tiny glass beads and a map of the Moon to Mercury, a new study uses an indirect method to determine the silicon dioxide content of Mercury’s surface. Mercury’s surface appears to contain substantially less silicon dioxide than researchers previously estimated. A new analysis puts the compound at about 37 percent by mass, up to
Analysis: Sunderland avoid ruing wasteful first half
Sunderland looked like they would rue failing to take advantage of their first-half dominance. Sunderland had so much of the ball in and around Brentford's area in the opening 45 minutes with 25 touches inside the box. Regis le Bris' side seemed stunned by Brentford's changes at the break and it took them a while to really get to grips with the game again in the second half.
Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell Reveals Why 2026-27 Will Be Different
Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell explained why he thinks next season could be different for the team, especially on offense.
Stephens County Hospital Administrators discuss joining Wellstar Health System
Wellstar Health System and Stephens County Hospital have reached an agreement for Stephens County Hospital to become part of Wellstar Health System. Stephens County Hospital Chief Executive Officer Van Loskoski says this opens up a depth of resources and services. “It opens up a depth of resources and services that is going to be really meaningful for the patients that [...]
Dodgers filling in at designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani is the biggest piece of the Dodgers puzzle, whether he pitches or not. He’s the team’s best hitter by a sizable distance, and getting him right for the postseason is of the utmost importance. So as he potentially sits for a third straight game for the first time since joining the Dodgers, let’s […]
How to Watch Oregon Football Without Cable
It’s finally time for Oregon football. Fortunately, even if you don’t have cable, you can watch any and every Ducks game this season.Your options will vary depending on what exactly you’re looking for, but we have a complete rundown of every single way you can stream any Oregon game in 2026:Note: Heavy may receive a […] The post How to Watch Oregon Football Without Cable appeared first on HEAVY.
Forest ‘at a loss’ over controversial VAR decision against Spurs
Nottingham Forest felt they were denied a legitimate goal by VAR after Neco Williams’ finish was controversially ruled out against Spurs on Saturday. The full-back had the ball in the net after Sand...
I Went Shopping for My Ultimate Smart Home of the Future at IFA 2026
Turns out I need a lot more money than I actually have.
The 10,000-step goal was never based on science: here's the number that actually matters, according to a major new study
You glance at your wrist, see 4,200 steps by mid-afternoon, and feel a pang of guilt because the magic number on your fitness tracker still reads so far away. That five-digit target – 10,000 steps – has become the unofficial finish line of daily wellness, the number we chase on treadmills, lunch-break loops, and weekend...
CDFW: Scientists keeping an eye on river conditions to protect winter-and-fall-run salmon
From the Department of Fish and Wildlife As California continues to feel the impacts of a heat dome that is bringing higher than normal temperatures to large portions of the state, it’s a good time to remember that fish and wildlife — especially salmon — need cold water, too. River temperature management is critical for salmon’s survival and spawning. Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial ocean salmon fishing was back after being closed for three […]
Ndiaye 'really enjoyed' perfect City start
Iliman Ndiaye was overjoyed after making his City debut in our 1-0 Premier League victory over Coventry and is excited for what is to come. Match Report Ndiaye and Fernández make debuts as City conti...
Alex Golesh Clarifies Auburn's Offensive Line Plan Against Baylor
Auburn football coach Alex Golesh clarified his plan to potentially play eight offensive linemen against Baylor. The Tigers won't rotate just to rotate, as Auburn looks to protect Byrum Brown and find its best offensive line combination in Week 1.
Long Island Nets Announce 2026-27 Schedule With Canada Games
The Long Island Nets’ 2026-27 schedule is officially here, featuring 50 games and a return to Canada. The Nets will play four home games in Quebec while continuing to build their presence across the border.
Yankees Birthday of the Day: Al Orth
“The Curveless Wonder” had one especially wonderful season in New York.
The Weekend Mauling: 9/5/26
Links! The KC Star breaks down KU’s blowout win over Long Island SI writes that Nik McMillan lived up to his billing in his Jayhawk debut Queen Creek, Arizona (literally right down the street from where I live) has made it a specific crime to damage Flock cameras The John Fetterman drama keeps getting weirder […]
Chapel Bell Curve: Whatever the question, manball is the answer
Yara and Nathan did a fantastic, thorough job previewing the SEC earlier this week. So thorough they sort of ran out of time to actually preview one school in particular: the Georgia Bulldogs. That’s an oversight the dynamic duo remedy with gusto in this episode, turning the Bulldog roster over this way and that, peeking […]
Bethesda Officially Announces Brand-New $13,999 Fallout Release
Bethesda announces a brand-new Fallout release with eye-watering price tags from $7,299 to $13,999.
Fatherhood may actually start months before conception, experts suggest
Get your act together, wannabe dad
‘Really Alarming for Some Republicans in Competitive Seats’
Where the 2026 midterms stand right now, according to POLITICO’s reporters.
Adam Wharton praised for ‘really smart’ transfer decision
Adam Wharton has been lauded by Pierre Sage for choosing to stay at Crystal Palace despite being linked with top Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window. The midfielder has become an integr...
Rohit Sharma show on Sony: Trailer, start date, show timings and how to watch
With Rohit Sharma's TV show finally about to air on the Sony Network, here's everything you will need to know about the timings and where to watch it.
“Health Will Always Be The Focus”: Satou Sabally Faces Crushing Blow Just Days Before FIBA World Cup
Satou Sabally will no longer play in the remainder of this WNBA season after her second concussion. Sabally had a nasty head injury during a matchup against the Aces, after she was hit in the head by NaLyssa Smith. Sabally exited the game for a while but then returned, which made fans believe that she [...]
Could a whale really swallow a human? We asked a biologist.
The new thriller ‘Whalefall’ depicts a diver trapped inside of a sperm whale.
Gamescom apologises for how it initially responded to indie developer hardware thefts
Gamescom has apologised for its initial response to hardware thefts affecting indie developers, admitting it didn't show the empathy people deserved.
Everton v Manchester United: Key stats and talking points
Undefeated Everton host a Manchester United side bidding for a first away win of the season. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday (14:00 BST). As timelines go, turbulent doesn't really do justice to the final days of Everton's transfer window.
Jayden Daniels adjusting to fundamental change in Commanders' offense
Jayden Daniels is having to do something he's never really done before in 2026, at least in a while.
Nearly 50 years in business, The Pantry is Macomb County’s breakfast table
Joe Moceri originally opened the Sterling Heights location in May of 1978, serving up omelets, crepes, pancakes, sandwiches and the kind of hospitality that keeps generations of diners coming back.
Matthias Jaissle Explains Newcastle’s £32 Million Decision After Transfer Deadline
Newcastle United made several significant decisions during the closing stages of the transfer window, but few were more financially intriguing than keeping two experienced players who are entering the final years of their contracts. Sky Sports’ Keith Downie reported on deadline day that Besiktas offered as much as £17 million (€19.7 million) for Joe Willock, […]
Ocean indicators NOAA scientists are tracking for El Niño's arrival on the West Coast
Has El Niño reached the West Coast? You might think it has. After all, the ocean off Southern and Central California is unusually warm. But that warmth is from a recent marine heat wave that predates ...
‘The Cardinal Countdown: 1 Day Until Kickoff’
ISAAC BROWN #1 Height: 5’9” Weight: 190lb Position: RB Class: Junior Hometown: Miami, FL Summary: This is another one of those posts that should be easy to write, but can actually pose a challenge as to where to even start. The injuries from last year created a situation where we got to see the real […]
Why Disease Elimination Demands More Than Control
“When you aim to deliver zero, and that is the goal of eradication, what it means is every person, every community, every village is equally important.”
Liverpool look for new sporting director after Richard Hughes formally leaves
Liverpool are searching for a fourth sporting director in four years after confirming the departure of Richard Hughes, who is set to join Al-Hilal
Blue-collar support trends highlighted GOP gains among rank‑and‑file workers
Forty-five years ago this week: Kathy Oatis of the Colorado AFL-CIO’s Committee on Political Education said that organized labor had a negative image with the American voter. “I don’t think the country is against us,” said Oatis. “I think the leaders of the country are, and they don’t support the things that we have traditionally […]
Supporters and fans rally to protest closing of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Science Museum
The nearly 200-year-old museum is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas.
Meet the American herbalist and wellness founder turning her personal health journey into a global herbal brand with roots in Africa
What began as a personal search for better answers to persistent health challenges would eventually take Jessica Divine far beyond her own wellness journey, leading her to build a global herbal business with growing ties to Africa
Mansour Abbas is betting on a Zionist to make Palestinian votes count
By allying with Segalovich in the Israeli vote, Abbas is hoping for greater acceptance in Israeli coalition politics.
Charles Barkley is ‘100 percent’ leaving Inside the NBA unless one condition is met
NBA legend Charles Barkley’s time with ESPN and Inside the NBA may come to a quick end. Last season, Inside the NBA officially moved on from TNT Sports as the show started airing on ESPN.
Liverpool confirm it: Two new stars to arrive
Liverpool have officially confirmed that two new stars will join the club. Deals have been finalised.Liverpool closed the transfer window without finalising all the business they wanted to get done. T...
Author Lise Barnéoud on the bizarre and provoking world of microchimerism — when cells from one person live in another, genetically distinct individual
Journalist and author Lise Barnéoud talks to Live Science about her book "Hidden Guests," which dives into the field of microchimerism and how it's transforming our knowledge of genetics, immunology and evolution.
'Spicy' qualifying expected for Monza: 'More extreme this year'
Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda expects an especially 'spicy' qualifying session at the Italian Grand Prix. For the second weekend in a row, Tsunoda is in action in Formula 1.
Liverpool enter talks with star's father over groundbreaking deal
Liverpool are now preparing for a groundbreaking deal. One transfer window has shut, but the next one is only around the corner. Life moves thick and fast, especially in the football world.Given how i...
New York Yankees Announce Trent Grisham Update After Exiting Padres Game
The New York Yankees began a weekend series with the San Diego Padres on Friday night.And right when they finally seemed like they were getting healthy again, with players returning and superstar Aaron Judge on the cusp of making his comeback, they suffered another notable setback during the series opener.Trent Grisham Exits Padres Game With […] The post New York Yankees Announce Trent Grisham Update After Exiting Padres Game appeared first on HEAVY.
Why new Newcastle United approach could finally cause Bournemouth problems
Bournemouth have become a proper pain in the backside for Newcastle United lately. It is not just bad luck either, there’s a reason why NUFC have found them so difficult.
How posh are you? Do you have a therapist? What would you say to Trump at a party? Marina Hyde answers readers’ questions
We asked you what you most wanted to put to our Guardian columnist. You responded in droves, querying her ‘beef’ with Burnham, who she thinks is this generation’s Hugh Grant, and what she really thinks about Richard Osman ...
Autumn, finally: A season to calm our politics
September has arrived, which means autumn is here. It couldn’t come soon enough.
New and old East Lansing businesses see boost amid MSU football season opener
Football season has officially returned to Michigan State University and with it, thousands of fans returned to East Lansing — causing a boost for some downtown businesses.
Tom Holland Becomes Third-Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time
Holland's fourth 'Spider-Man' installment, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' has crossed $2 billion globally.
49ers officially sign veteran DE, place another DE on IR
The San Francisco 49ers' already thin defensive line depth is being tested before their regular season opener.
Is it Finally Time for 3D Mario? 14 Predictions for the September 2026 Nintendo Direct and Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct
IGN's Logan Plant shares 14 predictions for the pair of Nintendo Directs airing in the coming days.
North Carolina business owner says sales have bounced back after Hurricane Helene
Panelists Brittany Brady and Joe Dinan discuss how North Carolina is economically recovering and rebuilding two years after Hurricane Helene on ‘The Bottom Line.’
Key moments in the Lindsay Clancy case: the 911 call, mental health care, mistrial
The judge has declared a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. After seven days of deliberating, the jurors failed to reach a verdict on whether she was criminally responsible
Scientists watch as two satellites burn
ESA's Samba and Tango closed out the 26-year Cluster mission with two targeted reentries a day apart, giving airborne researchers a rare, up-close look at how satellites really come apart.
15 discouraging hours with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and 10 brilliant ones with He Who Watches
In the last few weeks, while playing some video games that I might review, I emailed two cries for help. I sent the first to a rep for Capcom, confessing that the company’s samurai game Onimusha Way of the Sword (out today for PC and console) was crushing me. “Feels like I’m playing ‘hard’ mode, not ‘normal,’” I wrote. “And I don’t want to have to knock it down to “story”. I’m exploring, trying to level my gear, but these two-phase boss fights with no mid-fight checkpoints are brutal.” I wagered I was only about halfway through the game, if that. I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the steepening difficulty curve. Was I missing something? Then, on Monday, I took some photos of some puzzles that were baffling me in the mind-bending He Who Watches (out now on PC), wrote out lengthy descriptions of how I’d been trying to solve them and asked Bobby Vanden, the game’s solo developer, for a nudge in the right direction. I told Vanden I’d spent hours on these puzzles. “I’m stuck in triplicate,” I told him. Could he tell me if the solutions I was attempting were even on the right track? I didn’t mention that the puzzles—coupled with major time pressures from other work—were stressing me out so much that playing the game was giving me headaches. This double dose of panic was unusual. I’m used to managing a workload full of reporting and reviewing, used to a crowded schedule and the need to stay calm amid the bustle. But I was stressed about these games. No one was forcing me to review them, nor even play them. I’d simply found them interesting enough to start, hoped they’d be interesting enough to write about and I’d sunk hours into them assuming I’d made the right call. Suddenly, however, I felt trapped. I was emailing for a way out. Above: This guy took me about an hour to beat. The feedback I got from Capcom confirmed my fears. They didn’t say it, but I will: Onimusha Way of the Sword is not for me. It’s a brutally hard game in need of a normal difficulty level. It’s a game that spikes so severely during its abundant boss fights—yet offers such flawed ways to improve when outside of them—that it feels like a bait-and-switch. In the new Onimusha, you play as famed samurai Musashi Miyamoto, aided by a magical soul-absorbing gauntlet that is possessed by a lady who offers advice. (Way of the Sword is a continuation of Capcom’s long-dormant Onimusha series, but that set-up had me wondering if the company was cribbing from their ill-fated Bionic Commando reboot; read about “wife-arm” when you get a chance). Way of the Sword is partially set in 17th century Kyoto, an explorable city where Miyamoto can fight demons, help civilians and eventually rescue ghostly dogs. The city evolves over time, with new mini adventures and obtainable loot on offer, all feeding into systems that promise to upgrade your gear and sword-fighting skills. Upgrades, however, are so incremental as to be imperceptible, causing the exploration of Kyoto to feel like inconsequential busywork. From that hub, players can go on linear missions into forests and old temples, where they will encounter many of the game’s tough bosses. Combat in Way of the Sword is akin to many modern melee games. Players are asked to mix attacks with dodges and parries. They’re encouraged to deplete an enemy’s stamina bar in order to do greater damage to its health bar. The old Onimusha games’ signature move was the issen, a counter-attack so sudden it’s all but pre-emptive. You strike just as they begin to strike toward you, beating them to the cut. By definition, the issen is a high risk move, leaving you wide open to pain. It feels risky in the game, especially against bosses, who can maul you in just a few blows. A game might train you to perform an issen well by offering a variety of lesser enemies who are not as tough as the boss but get close. Or it might offer a toehold against bosses by saving or checkpointing the player’s progress when a boss’ first health bar has been destroyed and before the second health bar appears. It might offer the less skilled player a chance to over-level their character, should the player simply commit to playing through its optional sidequests. Way of the Sword does none of this. Fighting its trivially easy grunt enemies and then its ferociously adept bosses is like playing a game of chess where I’ve got a rook, while the opposing side is all pawns and five queens. Bosses simply don’t checkpoint. You may be able to clear a boss’ first phase without taking much damage. Good for you. Do it again, every time you fail the second phase. As for the the central Kyoto hub, I kept pace with all of its added side activities and never felt like I was overpowered. Bosses could still easily buckle me. The new Onimusha, I concluded, is just too discouraging to keep playing. The advice I got from Capcom had been well-intentioned. They reminded me of the game’s various systems. They alerted me to an optional assist that flashes recommended button inputs (basically: counter this move; dodge that move). It was a little helpful. So was dropping down to “story mode,” which I tried last night. Story mode turns on those button prompts by default. It makes countering and dodging way too easy, nearly automatic. I don’t consider myself a master of action games like these, but I’ve cleared the likes of God of War, Stellar Blade, Star Wars Jedi and others of sub-Sekiro difficulty and had a fun time doing so. Not here. Not yet. Unless they patch Onimusha: Way of the Sword and add a middle difficulty or just checkpoint the damn bosses when they’re between health bars, my streak of loving Capcom games released in 2026 will likely end at two. It’s a shame, because I was having a good time finding those ghostly dogs. And then there’s He Who Watches, a phenomenal first person puzzle game with Portal vibes, except instead of a portal gun you’ve got a magical bow that shoots one arrow that can activate switches or be used to drag blocks. The twist is an actual twist: you can also walk on walls and the ceiling, reorienting gravity as you do, thereby placing blocks onto those other surfaces. Walking on walls and ceilings to solve problems is really the best thing. Would that I could in reality. He Who Watches consists of locked-room challenges, each brief enough to only require about a minute to actually solving, though it will take five, 10, eventually 30 minutes to figure out said solutions. They are not obvious! It’s a game of layered mechanics and shocking solutions. For example, see if you can follow this: You can drag a block to a wall. Then you can walk on the wall, which now feels like the floor, and drag that block across the wall. Later, back on the floor, you might realize you can look up. The block is still on the wall, stuck to it. You can shoot your magic arrow to its underside. Doing so creates a tether, so that you can yank the block off the wall and carry it, as if it were a balloon, into the spot where you need it to be to solve the puzzle. Here, watch Vanden explain some of the game’s basics in this launch trailer: As with any great puzzle game, the solutions to He Who Watches’ puzzles elicit relief and amazement. Oh my god, that worked! I didn’t even think that could be possible! Learning to solve the game’s puzzles feels like learning magic. But, oh, does the game get hard. Its Steam reviews, mostly glowing, are full of players remarking how quickly He Who Watches made them sweat. Wrote one: “loving this one already although my brain is hurting!” Wrote another: “As you get further in the game it feels like you need an IQ level of at least 120+.” Vanden has shown some mercy. Each locked room puzzle includes an optional junior version of the puzzle, meant to teach you. Difficulty nevertheless ramps severely. By the time I was emailing Vanden for help, I was struggling to even clear one of the hint puzzles. When I messaged him, my stress was exacerbated by strange things I’d found in the game’s various hubs: suspicious passageways, odd blocks and some intriguing locked doors. These were hints of secrets, I realized, yet I sensed I needed to play further into the game to understand them. I was stuck, but I wanted to see the rest. Vanden offered to give me the exact solutions, to solve those three puzzles for me, but first he gave four nudges. Three were for the specific puzzles, but his best hint was for all and ultimately proved to be a terrific life lesson: go back a bit, he suggested. Do the puzzles right before those. They were teaching you something. Focus on what their lesson was. Don’t rush, in other words. Recognize what you’ve accomplished. Build off of that. I did so. I absorbed the lessons. I saw those three tough puzzles in a new light. I solved one the night after he wrote back, another the morning after. I left a third for another time. I didn’t need it and I wanted to plunge deeper into the game, closer to the moment when I was sure I could start unlocking those secret doors. My head stopped hurting, too. He Who Watches feels special. It’s got more challenges, and I’m undeterred. It’s also nice that its puzzles don’t have a surprise second health bar. 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: In brief… 🎮 Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder of Helsinki-based Housemarque (Super Stardust HD, Resogun, Returnal) has stepped down from his studio, after a 31-year run, saying he’s “ taking a rare and well-deserved breather.” Sony purchased Housemarque in 2021, and the studio released its newest game, Saros, earlier this year. Trend-watch: Sony-owned Insomniac saw its founder Ted Price retire in early 2025, after a 30-year run. Sony-owned Sucker Punch saw its co-founder Brian Fleming step down in late 2025, after a 28-year run. 👀 Savvy Games Group chief Brian Ward is stepping down from the Saudi-government-backed games conglomerate, Bloomberg reports. No word on a long-term successor yet, nor if this augurs any closer integration between Savvy and Electronic Arts. EA was purchased by a consortium led by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, in early August. 💿 Square Enix has denied a Japanese media report that the company was planning to go private. In very different Square Enix news, the company revealed that the physical version of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the April 2027 finale of its radical remakes of FFVII, will include just one disc in its case, requiring a download for the rest. The first two FFVII remakes in the trilogy shipped on two discs apiece. While Square hasn’t commented on the reason why, a feature here in Game File last month broke down the processes and costs for physical games. The expense of a second disc comes out of the game publisher’s cut of each copy. Square could be saving in excess of a dollar a copy with this move. 🟥 Grand Theft Auto IV’s 26-minute ’‘extended look” gameplay showcase that premiered on Netflix last week—and was exclusive to the platform for six hours—drew 31.1 million views in its first four days, the streamer announced. (Netflix calculates views as total viewed hours divided by runtime; excludes replays). Compared to YouTube: The version that later premiered on Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel is sitting at 22.6 million views after seven days (YouTube’s more liberal counting system tallies anyone who viewed even just the first few second.) Compared to other Netflix mega-events: Last year, Stranger Things season 5’s first four episodes, which debuted together, drew a record 59.6 million views in their first few days on Netflix. For more of a live event type of comparison, in 2024, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match drew 65 million concurrent streams as it happened; Netflix didn’t release live numbers for the GTA premiere. ☁️ Microsoft is changing the way it charges for cloud gaming, from an all-you-can-play offer for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, to caps for the subscription’s tiers (15 hours per month at the Ultimate tier), with the option to buy more hours in bulk beyond that. The company also said it will sell batches of cloud gaming time to non-Game Pass subscribers, details TBA. Microsoft does not release figures for cloud game usage, but said its changes would impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. That implies a small portion of its subscribers exceed the 15-hour monthly mark. Cloud gaming offers the promise of playing games without the need for console or PC hardware, as the graphics, sound and controls are all transmitted via a streaming connection. Microsoft notes that its cloud gaming service can be used for a range of things, including Xbox One players using it to play newer-gen Xbox Series games via streaming; and people playing games via streaming, sans any console, “in markets where consoles are less available or affordable.” (That latter use case could even be relevant in Xbox’s home market soon, as console prices keep rising.) Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick recently told investors he expects game-streaming tech, which has been only lightly adopted by gamers for over a decade, to be widely used within three years. 🇺🇸 The Trump administration has published multiple agenda-driven web video games to the White House’s website. One called Build The Wall partially clones Tetris as it asks players to build a wall to stop a “zombie border siege.” While actual Tetris involves clearing lines and basically not building a wall, the Trump-backed game omits the line-clearing aspect (and omits the fun as well). On Instagram, Tetris’ official license holders reacted by stating: “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community. P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall.’ P.P.S.: We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Item 3: The week ahead: Tuesday, September 8 Game releases: Mewgenics (consoles; already out on PC) is an engrossing tactical combat game (with cats). It is getting its console port right after the release of a Star Wars tactics game and ahead of the late September launch of a Fire Emblem–a bumper crop for the genre. Wanderburg (PC) is an auto-shooting game like Vampire Survivors, but you’re a castle on wheels Event: Nintendo airs a 30-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. A full unveiling of the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is expected. Will they also show footage from next year’s live action movie? Tease the next big 3D Zelda? Add Link to Mario Kart World? Shadow-drop a new Tingle game? Wednesday, September 9 Event: Nintendo again! On this day, they’re planning to air a 45-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on games heading to Switch 2 this winter. Followed by about an hour of gameplay demoed by the company’s Treehouse team. The September Nintendo Directs are always some of the year’s biggest. The 2025 edition included announcements of several major 2026 Switch/Switch 2 games: Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave. Plus the return of the Virtual Boy. Friday, September 11 Game release: EA Sports NHL 27 (PlayStation, Xbox) is a hockey game. There are so few that an indie studio that had been making wacky sci-fi first-person shooters just announced that, hey, we’re going to fill a void and make a hockey game for PC.
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The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off
(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.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, 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 July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film 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… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.
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