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Callisto Protocol and Call of Duty dev Glen Schofield shares the tough realities of spinning up a new game dev studio, including audits from the powers above.

Years ago, the owners of PUBG, Krafton, announced they were opening a new AAA video game studio called Striking Distance Studios with Glen Schofield at the helm. The idea was to create a new original horror game set loosely in the PUBG universe. It'd be a Dead Space successor called The Callisto Protocol. Unfortunately, the game didn't do nearly as well as Krafton hoped sales-wise, and years later Striking Distance was hit with layoffs.

A new interview with The Game Business reveals some of the major hurdles that Schofield faced while making The Callisto Protocol, including the incredibly high costs of having to build the studio from scratch--both establishment-wise and tech-wise. Striking Distance spent over $100 million making The Callisto Protocol, a figure that surprised even Krafton, who had audited the developer twice while they were working on the project.

ASUS is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a brand new GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, with its ambitious new design and limited edition prowess being unveiled at Gamescom 2025.

We caught teasers of ASUS's new GPU a few days ago, following the company saying it was working on something "top secret" in early July. Now that the "top secret" project has been officially unveiled, and the world can bask in the glory of the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090 30th Anniversary Limited Edition. Quite a mouthful of a name.

The card features both 12V-2x6 and GC-HPWR, or BTF connector power options, so users can place the card in any orientation they like. Additionally, users are able to take advantage of both power connectors simultaneously to expand the available power to 800W, which is notably higher than the standard RTX 5090, which is rated for between 575 and 600W.

ASUS has kicked off Gamescom 2025 by unveiling a selection of new products, and one of those is the ROG Strix OLED XG27AQWMG, one of two brand-new gaming monitors.

The XG27AQWMG is rocking ASUS's brand new Tandem WOLED technology, which enables the panel to be 15% brighter, up to 1500 nits, while using less power than a traditional OLED display. The Tandem WOLED technology means two light-emitting layers that are working simultaneously, enabling the image to reach new levels of brightness in OLED panels. One of the biggest concerns with increasing the brightness of OLED panels is the increased risk of burn-in, and the general lifespan of the monitor being reduced.

However, ASUS writes in its press release that its new Tandem WOLED technology can achieve a 15% higher brightness, 25% more color volume compared to an equivalent QD-OLED panel, while maintaining a 60% longer lifespan when compared to standard OLED panels. So, Tandem WOLED introduces a brighter visual, while increasing the total lifespan of the panel.

ASUS has kicked off Gamescom 2025, which is only a matter of hours before opening night by unveiling a bunch of gaming-related products. One of those products is a new OLED gaming monitor that may cause a little bit of drool.

Introducing the new ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W. ASUS has detailed the specifications for its new OLED gaming monitor in its press release, stating that the PG27AQWP-W utilizes Tandem WOLED technology, which enables the device to shine 15% brighter, up to 1500 nits, while consuming less power than a traditional OLED panel. Tandem WOLED technology means two light-emitting layers work in tandem to produce a brighter image.

As for other specifications, ASUS writes the PG27AQWP-W has 25% more DCI-P3 color gamut coverage compared to an equivalent QD-OLLED panel, and its panel will last 60% longer than standard OLED panels through minimizing brightness degradation and ultimately burn-in risk.

After the teaser of the Halo ODST soundtrack at the end of the last Helldivers 2 trailer, Sony and Microsoft have briefly put down their swords to team up for an epic crossover event. Introducing, Helldivers 2 x Halo: ODST Legendary Warbond.

The hype for this announcementwas sparked when Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios briefly teased a Halo introduction to the game when a snippet of the Halo: ODST soundtrack was briefly played at the end of the "Bring the Boom" trailer released a week ago. As any Halo fan would, the soundtrack was immediately recognized and anticipation reached fever pitch as fans patiently waited for the official announcement.

Now, hours before Gamescom 2025 is about to kick off, Halo has officially crossed over with Helldivers in trailers released to both the official PlayStation and Xbox YouTube channels. It is quite strange to see Halo-themed content being released on the PlayStation YouTube channel, along with Helldivers 2 content being released on the Xbox YouTube channel. How times have changed. As for what the crossover entails, Helldivers 2 x Halo: ODST Legendary Warbond includes the following content listed below.

A newly leaked advertisement confirms new features coming to Black Ops 7.

Activision is set to pull the wraps off Black Ops 7 tomorrow at Microsoft's big Gamescom 2025 press reveal, but some of the thunder of that announcement has been stolen.

The quick 14-second ad says a lot in such a short time, confirming that Black Ops 7 will launch on November 14 while also showing off the new super jump boost pack ability both in combat and in a cinematic cutscene sequence. Users have been careful to point out that this isn't a double-jump or a jetpack, but more of a heavily-amplified boost-jump with more aerial control insofar as movement.

We're weeks away from Borderlands 4 launching on PC and console, and to celebrate, NVIDIA has partnered with developer Gearbox and publisher 2K for its latest GeForce RTX bundle. The new Borderlands 4 GeForce RTX 50 Series Bundle, if you purchase an eligible GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU or laptop system, you'll get a free copy of the game on Steam alongside the Gilded Glory Pack DLC.

This pack unlocks new skins for each of the four playable Vault Hunters, your weapons, and the ECHO-4 Drone companion - seen above. Redemption for both the game and the DLC will be available via the NVIDIA App's rewards section, with the bundle limited to GeForce RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, or 5070 desktops and graphics cards, as well as notebooks with GeForce RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, or 5070 Laptop GPUs.

Unfortunately, it looks like GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti gamers miss out, which is a shame. For the complete list of participating partners, retailers, and full details on the bundle, head to NVIDIA's dedicated Borderlands 4 GeForce RTX 50 Series Bundle page.

Described as an action role-playing game, Phantom Blade Zero comes from Chinese developer S-GAME, and it looks stunning in its latest RTX and DLSS 4-powered trailer. With fluid animation, fast-paced blade and martial-arts inspired combat, and a blend of regional myth, folklore, and history driving the unique visuals, this has every chance to become the next Black Myth: Wukong-style breakout hit when it launches.

Like Black Myth: Wukong, Phantom Blade Zero is set to launch on both PC and PlayStation 5. This new trailer showcases environments, characters, and action in the game's Pang Town region, recorded on PC with a PS5 DualSense controller. With cinematic lighting, depth of field effects, and more, the good news is that this Unreal Engine 5-powered title looks like it's already running pretty smoothly.

This trailer also showcases the game's ray-traced lighting for the first time, with ray-traced reflections, shadows, and ray-traced caustics that accurately replicate the way light distorts under water. These are similar to the ray-traced effects we saw in Black Myth: Wukong; however, the developer hasn't confirmed if the game is also set to receive a 'path tracing' or 'full ray tracing' mode.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, from developers Machine Games and Bethesda Game Studios, was a pleasant surprise when it launched late last year on PC and Xbox and then earlier this year on PlayStation 5. Its first-person take on the cinematic icon presented a mix of exploration, archeology, stealth, and puzzle-solving that felt like a breath of fresh air.

It also didn't hurt that it's one of the most visually impressive PC games out there, thanks to its ray-traced and path-traced visuals, presenting a level of detail that's only possible thanks to AI-rendering technologies like DLSS 4 Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, Multi Frame Generation, and NVIDIA Reflex.

With Indy's adventures set to return to Rome in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC on September 4, 2025, the game is set to receive another visual update in the form of RTX Hair - an innovative new approach to rendering realistic and detail path-traced hair using Linear-Swept Spheres (LSS).

Dying Light: The Beast and Cronos: The New Dawn are both launching next month, and if you're in the mood for moody sci-fi horror, intense action, and open-world exploration, they're both worth putting on your radar. Especially now, thanks to NVIDIA releasing new trailers for these games showcasing their stunning ray-traced visuals on PC and DLSS 4-enhanced image quality and performance.

Dying Light: The Beast is effectively Dying Light 3, and the latest installment in Techland's zombie-infested open-world series sees you take on the role of Kyle Crane, who carries both human and zombie DNA. With the action taking place around the fictional Castor Woods overrun with zombies, the game is set to debut with even more impressive ray-traced visuals than what we saw in Dying Light 2. Check out the trailer above to see some truly jaw-dropping ray-traced locales.

The game will be here soon, on September 19, with DLSS 4 support, including Super Resolution, Multi Frame Generation, NVIDIA Reflex, and DLSS 4's new Transformer model-powered Ray Reconstruction to increase the detail and quality of all ray-traced lighting effects like reflections, shadows, ambient occlusion, and global illumination.

The Trump Administration is in talks with Intel to take a 10% stake in the company, by converting some (or all) of the CHIPS Act grant money from Intel into equity.

Bloomberg is reporting from a White House official and other people familiar with the matter, which would see the US government become Intel's largest shareholder. Intel is set to receive $10.9 billion in CHIPS Act grants for both commercial and military production, and at Intel's current market value, a 10% stake in the company would be worth around $10.5 billion.

According to Bloomberg's sources, the exact size of the stake in Intel, and whether the Trump administration decides to ink the deal, is "still in flux". White House spokesperson Kush Desai declined to comment on the specifics of the discussion, only saying that no deal is final until it's announced by the administration.

A sizable portion of Xbox's record-breaking $23 billion revenues in FY25 were driven by Xbox Game Pass, and now Microsoft gives more interesting Xbox figures from an unlikely source.

Microsoft pulled some surprises today: First, Xbox ecosystem VP Jason Ronald confirmed new details about the upcoming next-gen Xbox, including that the console would be powered by custom NPU tech from AMD. Second, Microsoft actually revealed some Xbox numbers that we didn't know about before, which is a rare occasion.

In the recent episode of Xbox Podcast, the Xbox hardware exec seemed to take on the recent scrutiny around the subscription, including claims from ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden that Xbox Game Pass is unhealthy for developers, or Revenge of the Savage Planet dev asserting Game Pass may hurt indie devs in the long run.

Games and technical demonstrations with NVIDIA ACE technology are something we've gone hands-on with in the past, where AI models and tech are used to generate digital AI characters, recognize speech, and create dynamic responses based on how you interact. At Gamescom 2025, NVIDIA announced that the first NVIDIA ACE game built around speech recognition, interaction, and puzzle solving is coming later this year.

The Oversight Bureau, from developer Iconic Interactive, sees players take on the role of a prisoner called Candidate 404, who's trapped in a mysterious and dystopian underground "reconditioning facility." As seen in the announcement video above, you'll interact and engage in various tests and scenarios using natural language.

"Every day you're forced to participate in simulations as the Bureau attempts to reprogram your mind and turn you into a more compliant member of society," the game's description reads. It's the sort of setting that sounds perfect for one of the first games that relies on NVIDIA ACE technology, as it creates a sense of unease long before you start hearing your first AI-generated responses.

The handheld PC market will continue to grow throughout 2025, undoubtedly catalyzed by the incoming Xbox-branded Ally and Ally X duo.

According to new estimates from analyst firm Omdia, the PC gaming handheld market will expand by 2.3 million units this year. This multi-million range includes a bevy of products ranging from the proprietary Steam Deck to OEM PC handhelds like the MSI Claw, Lenovo Legion Go, and newcomers like the ASUS-made Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X duo.

It's not just hardware that's expected to drive adoption, though. Microsoft's efforts to bring a more streamlined, handheld-friendly version of Windows 11 and the Xbox app are expected to make a big difference in easing friction during the onboarding process.

TSMC has reportedly set the production price of its bleeding-edge 2nm process at $30,000 and has established a new policy of supplying 2nm chips without any discounts according to new reports.

The company plans to kick off trial production in the next 34 months, aiming for a monthly production capacity of 30,000 to 35,000 wafers. By 2026, TSMC plans to establish a production system with a monthly production capacity of 60,000 wafers across its four factories, with initial yields reportedly in the mid 60% range, and for SRAM, yields reportedly exceed 90%, with Korean media outlet DDaily reporting that there are "no obstacles to mass production".

The high pricing on 2nm wafers isn't just a simple reflection of production costs, but rather a strategy to maximize profits by focusing its limited initial production capacity on "premium demand". TSMC is targeting customers with high-performance computing (HPC) and AI needs, including Apple, NVIDIA, and AMD.

Xbox hardware VP Jason Ronald reveals new details about Microsoft's next-gen console plans, including confirmation that Xbox will become a unified platform.

Today, the official Xbox Podcast released a hefty 33-minute episode that discussed a few interesting details about new hardware. Xbox president Sarah Bond has already confirmed that a new console is in the works via a new AI-centric partnership with AMD.

Exact details on the next-gen Xbox are still light, but hardware exec Jason Ronald did confirm that Microsoft is investing in neural rendering tech, and it's likely the new Xbox will utilize new AMD silicon with NPUs (neural processing units) built in.

Intel has just announced that it is bundling free copies of Battlefield 6 with its Core Ultra and Core CPUs as part of the "Gamer Days 2025" event.

Intel partnered with EA on optimizing Battlefield 6 for its Core Ultra + Core CPUs as well as its Arc GPUs, where Battlefield 6 will feature XeSS 2 and Low-Latency support at launch, while also supporting competing AI upscaling formats including NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR.

Battlefield 6 will feature key optimizations focused around scheduling for Intel Core Ultra + Core CPUs, with these optimizations not included in the beta of the game, so we should see some performance improvements using Core Ultra + Core CPUs when Battlefield 6 officially launches in October.

Apple will reportedly not release a regular iPhone 18 in 2026, rather the company will launch the normal iPhone 18 in 2027, with the change in release schedule being a result of the foldable iPhone launching next year.

In a new article from Korean media outlet ETnews picked up by @Jukanrosleve on X, we're hearing from industry sources that Apple plans to release both the budget e-series iPhone and the regular iPhone in the first half of the year moving forward, while unveiling four models including the foldable iPhone in the second half. Only next year's regular iPhone 18 will be affected, and not the iPhone 19, iPhone 20, etc.

The changes to the release schedule are because of the foldable iPhone coming in 2026, as the foldable iPhone -- rumored as the iPhone Ultra -- will be one of the four major releases in 2026.

AMD has announced that it will be hosting its 2025 Financial Analyst Day on November 11 in New York City, where we can expect details on next-gen products and long-term financial plans from the company.

The upcoming event should be filled to the brim with new details on AI and Data Center products, with AMD's next-gen Zen 6-based "Venice" EPYC CPUs and future-generation "Verano" CPUs should be teased, as well as next-gen RDNA 5 and UDNA GPU architectures.

UDNA will be a big concentration for AMD as it has the Instinct MI400 and MI500 AI accelerators already teased, so we might get a glimpse into what to expect from the company's next-generation AI accelerators past 2027. We should get some updates to the ROCm ecosystem for AI, as well as the AMD's strategy for AI with its UDNA architecture.

The two weeks of Battlefield 6 mayhem has officially come to a close as the servers are now offline and players are left wondering where they can continue the chaos. Well, EA has an idea of where they can go - Battlefield 2042.

To entice players with keeping up with the Battlefield action before Battlefield 6 is officially launched, EA has rolled out a massive surprise update to Battlefield 2042, which has released on all platforms. According to the press release, Update 9.2 includes new weapons, maps, vehicles, bug fixes, various gameplay changes, and a new free Battlepass.

Additionally, and this is probably the best way for EA to attract players to the previous Battlefield game, is playing the content in Update 9.2 will unlock exclusive Battlefield 6 rewards that will be available to the player once Battlefield 6 is launched.