Gaming

Sony’s has a new generation of gaming monitors on the way, and that’s a good thing because it means that the current line has been heavily discounted to help clear the way. Normally $900, the 27-inch Sony Inzone M9 monitor has been discounted by 22% and is now available for $698 through Amazon. This is an excellent price for the display, especially if you’re looking for something that can take advantage of your PS5 console’s features and horsepower.

The first generation of Inzone gaming monitors aren’t perfect, but if you’re looking for a rock-solid device, these are reliable pieces of tech with a plug-and-play design. Internally, they’re 4K monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate, a 1ms GTG response time, and are DisplayHDR 600 certified. They’re made specifically for PS5 consoles, but you can still use them as a PC monitor if you want to, as they have a built-in KVM switch for quick-swapping between machines.

On top of that, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports, Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, and other PS5-centric features to take advantage of. As a first-gen model, there are some kinks to be wary of–like its stiff stand, some iffy colors in select situations, and a lack of cables out of the box–but at this price, this is a very good 4K monitor for PS5 console owners.

If you’d prefer to wait, the Inzone M10S and Inzone M9 II will be available this month. The $800 M9 II launches today and is a 27-inch 4K IPS display with a 160Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response rate, support for both DisplayPort and HDMI, and what appears to be a better stand. While it’s more expensive at $1,100, the 27-inch M10S does have a lightning-quick 480Hz refresh rate, up to 0.03ms response time, and an adjustable stand inside of its 1440p design, making it a very attractive monitor for competitive gamers specifically.

Sony hasn’t just released its own line of gaming monitors, it’s also dabbled in some other tech like headsets and earbuds for the InZone line. If you’re looking to match the aesthetics of one of these monitors, there are three models of headsets to choose from.

Sadly, they aren’t on sale right now, but they are quite good for their price as they have plush materials in their design, various customization features, and crystal-clear audio. There’s also the InZone Buds, in case you’d prefer your audio technology to be more intimate with your ear canals.

It has been confirmed that the Halo Championship Series will return in 2025 with another $1 million World Championship event. This news comes amid the ongoing HCS World Championship in Seattle, and it’s joined by other tidbits, such as the third-person mode coming to Halo Infinite.

Between 2018 and 2021, the Halo Championship Series went on something of a hiatus. It was a tough time for the Halo esports ecosystem, with few major tournaments taking place as the HCS was sunsetted with an uncertain future. In 2021, things were brought back to life as Halo Infinite was released.

Although the Halo Championship Series struggles with viewership and grandeur today, it remains relatively consistent as an esports league. With that in mind, 343 Industries and Esports Engine have just confirmed that another season of the HCS will land in 2025.

Despite not being considered one of the premier esports titles, Halo has a legacy that cannot be denied. It was once one of the spearhead titles that caused the esports industry to evolve and expand, and it paved the way for other FPS games to surface. Typically, Halo events – even major tournaments – are smaller and less valuable to the industry, but for fans, they’re electrifying.

Let’s not forget that the Halo Championship Series is represented by some of the biggest names in esports – Cloud9, OpTic, FaZe, and Speacestation, to name a few organisations.

It’s great news that the HCS is coming back next year, but what would you like to change ahead of the 2025 season? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.

For more Insider Gaming esports, check out the news that FormaL might still return to Call of Duty

Starfield is boring. Many have said that before. But what’s really boring? The empty space or our empty curiosity. Despite the game being much larger when compared to other exploration games, there’s still not much in it for explorers. Is there?

We are used to this thrill that comes from watching what we see every day through our eyes—nature, life—coming to a halt due to an uninvited event that has turned this planet full of life into something unrecognizable. That’s interesting, and Starfield simply presents it in a sad but mesmerizing way.

Toxic gas from those small regions kind of makes the game Helldivers 2 without giant bugs. But there’s much more to the toxic gas coming out of our own planet in the game. The beauty of the earth is that it still is beautiful after the devastation that the drive to develop the Grav Drive caused.

But then I agree that there’s not much to do. But there’s so much to admire when it comes to sight-seeing in the game. The biomes of Ursa Major II, those breathtaking views of frozen mountains on Nemeria II, those Vormir-esque vibes on Hyugens VII-B, and more—that is something you cannot simply turn your eyes from.

Sure, Starfield should’ve been a perfect product from the start that doesn’t really require saving, but that doesn’t make it all bad when we consider the beauty of the planets. But there’s something special about planet Earth in Starfield. Why so? Because we know it, we have lived it. It’s not just a fantasy.

That view from the top of the messed-up Pyramids is something else. I am not that into the Empire State Building but the St. Louis Gateway Arch is really a huge structure. I now know what to expect when actually visiting it. These real-life structures are the core reason Earth strikes those hearts of ours most.

It would be better a space tourism game than space exploration. Even an American flag on the moon would simply be something I would’ve rushed to see in Starfield. Sadly, it’s not there. Neither are there any of the Voyager’s Golden Records or the musical instruments of Gemini 6A.

Earth is the only thing that is worth exploring in the game. I say this because every beautiful planet present in Starfield is our imagination that comes from whatever we have witnessed here on this planet. In essence, every element, from the flora and fauna to water, is inspired by what we already know.

Exploring the unknown is kind of scary and thrilling at the same time. But in Starfield‘s case, it’s different. I kind of expected some of the best of those imaginations to come to life in this game. Only a few planets did that. I know the map is large, but eight years of development could’ve filled it with other things instead of emptiness.

But sometimes logic has to be on the front seat while imagination takes the backseat. If we think of other planets in our solar system, they are essentially like that only, empty. In a way, developers did a good job re-imagining other planets that might be out there in the universe.

Why does boredom really strike us? There’s a lack of external stimulation, no motivation or purpose, and we don’t really have any choice. You’ll see a majority of planets have these traits in commonality. What other choice remains for us other than getting bored out there on a strange rocky sphere?

I would never want to see a deserted earth in my life, but when it comes to imagination in video games, that becomes something that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. In an alternate reality where things didn’t work out, we ought to see everything in this version.

Bethesda has given the players a large space to explore; maybe give them something worthwhile on other empty planets too. Or at least create a different earth with civilized life reimagined. Yes, I’ll wait not even a second to visit here.

How was your experience on Earth in Starfield? We would like to know about it in the comments section below.

@pwnmaster3000

“Just saying. I know you love your precious Xbox brand and so do I but atleast I admit MS made a mistake making the series S.”

Yes, they did. At the moment, the SS is the very reason why a few games are been released on Xbox consoles on a later date.

But to say that it is holding the Series X back is a lie.

While the SS is struggling to run this game at 25fps atm, while the SX is already running it at solid 60fps and its version will feature both quality and performance, mode.

The developer said that the SS will get a lower resolution and less UE5 feature rich port from the SX´s quality mode.

So you heard from the horse´s mouth that the hardware structure for development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is Top/Down and NOT Botton/Up. Which makes it pretty much impossible for the SS to hold their game back since the SX is the *lead platform*.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn’t an official release for that hardware.

We dug through as many game listings as possible to bring you a comprehensive list of all cross-platform games. Keep in mind that publishers and developers release new games every day, and developers update their games even more frequently. Because of that, it’s best to check with the developer or publisher to see if your favorite game supports crossplay.

Full cross-platform support

This full list of cross-platform games is below. It is growing rapidly, particularly for competitive shooters.

• Among Us: Android, iOS, PC, Nintendo Switch
• Apex Legends: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Back 4 Blood: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Borderlands 3: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Brawlhalla: Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: , , PC
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. PC
• Call of Duty: Warzone: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X, PS5
• Call of Duty: Warzone 2: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. PC
• Call of Duty: Vanguard: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Chivalry 2: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• College Football 25: PS5, Xbox Series X
• Dauntless: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
• Dead by Daylight: Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Deathloop: PS5, Xbox Series X/S
• Deep Rock Galactic: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Destiny 2: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Diablo 4: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Evil Dead: The Game: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
• Exoprimal: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. PC
• F1 22: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Fantasy Strike: PS4, Switch, Mac, PC (including Linux)
• Farming Simulator 22: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Final Fantasy XIV: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Fortnite: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, mobile, Xbox Series X, PS5
• For Honor: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Genshin Impact: PC, PS4, Android, iOS
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut: PS4, PS5, PC
• Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Gloomhaven: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
• Gotham Knights: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• GRID Legends: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Grounded: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
• Helldivers 2: PS5, PC
• Hood: Outlaws and Legends: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Madden NFL 22: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Madden NFL 24: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Madden NFL 25: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Matchpoint Tennis Championships: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch
• Minecraft: , PS4, , , mobile
• Minecraft Dungeons: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
• MLB The Show 21: Xbox Series X, PS5, Xbox One, PS4
• MLB The Show 23: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch
• Monster Hunter: Rise: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch
• Multiversus: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox series X/S, PC
• NBA 2K25: PS5 and Xbox Series X
• Need for Speed: Heat: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• Nerf Legends: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• No Man’s Sky: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• Overcooked: All you can Eat: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Overwatch 2: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Paladins: Champions of the Realm: Xbox One, Switch, PC, PS4
• Payday 3: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• PGA Tour 2K23: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC,
• Pokemon Unite: Switch, Mobile
• Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid: Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Quake: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
• Rainbow Six Extraction: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Realm Royale: Xbox One, Switch, PC, PS4
• Remnant 2: PS5, Xbox SeriesX/S, PC
• Resident Evil Re:Verse: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Riders Republic: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Rocket League: Xbox One, Switch, PC, PS4
• Rogue Company: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
• Sea of Thieves: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Secret Neighbor: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
• Skull & Bones: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• SMITE: Xbox One, Switch, PC, PS4
• Splitgate: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Stardew Valley: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Mobile
• Star Wars: Squadrons: Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Street Fighter 6: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League: PS5, Xbox Series X/S. PC
• Super Animal Royale: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
• Super Bomberman R Online: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
• Super Mega Baseball 2: , Xbox One, PC, Switch
• Super Mega Baseball 3: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
• Tekken 8: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• The Ascent: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. PC
• The Finals: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• The First Descendant: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• The Outlast Trials: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Them’s Fightin’ Herds: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Throne and Liberty: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Warframe: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Wild Hearts: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Worms: Rumble: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
• World of Warships: Legends: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• World War Z: Epic Games Store, Xbox One, PC
• WWE 2k: Battlegrounds: PC, Ps4, Xbox One
• XDefiant: PS5, Xbox series X/S, PC
• Zenless Zone Zero: PS5, Mobile, PC

Partial cross-platform support

Many games support crossplay for some platforms but not all. Several may work with one console and PC, but might not include support with every other system. These are listed below.

Note: A slash indicates separate crossplay support for different platforms

• #IDARB: Xbox One, PC
• Atom Universe: PC, PS4
• Aragami: Xbox One, PC, /, PC
• Ark: Survival Evolved: , , PC,
• Astroneer: , , PC
• Battlefield 2042: PS4, Xbox One/ PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
• Black Desert Online: PS4, Xbox One
• Blobcat: Switch, PC
• Boundless: PC, PS4
• Chess Ultra: Xbox One, Switch, PC/PC,
• Crazy Justice: PC, Switch, Xbox One
• Dawn of the Breakers: PC, Switch
• DC Universe Online: PS4,
• Deep Rock Galactic: Xbox One, PC
• Diablo: Immortal: PC, Mobile
• Dick Wilde 2: PS4, PC
• Disc Jam: Switch, PC/PC, PS4
• Divine-Knockout: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Dragon Quest Builders 2: Switch, PS4
• Eve: Valkyrie: , PC
• Eagle Flight: PC, PS4
• Exoprimal: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Exorder: PC, Switch
• Forza Horizon 5: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Final Fantasy XV: Windows 10, Xbox One
• Full Metal Furies: Xbox One, PC
• Games of Glory: PS4, PC
• Generation Zero: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Grounded: PC, Xbox One
• Guilty Gear: Strive: PC, PS4, PS5
• Gunfire Reborn: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
• Guns of Icarus Online: PS4, PC, Mac
• Guns Up: PC, PS4
• Halo Infinite: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Happy Wars: Xbox One, PC
• Hearthstone: PC, Mac, iOS, Android
• Hero Siege: PC, Mac, mobile, Switch/PC, Mac, mobile, PS4
• Hex: PS4, PC
• Hover: Xbox One, Switch, PC/PC, PS4
• Hunter’s Arena: Legends: PC, PS4, PS5
• Kabounce: PS4, PC
• Killer Queen Black: PC, Switch, Xbox One
• Mantis Burn Racing: PS4, PC/Switch, Xbox One, PC
• MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Mortal Kombat 11: , ,
• Mushroom Wars 2: Switch, PC, Mac, mobile
• NBA 2K Playgrounds 2: , , , PC
• Next Up Hero: Xbox One, , Mac, PC
• Neverwinter: PC, Switch, Xbox One
• Onigiri: PC, Switch
• Overload: Xbox One, PC/PS4, PC
• Outriders: PC, Xbox Series X, or PS5 (PC/console crossplay)
• Powerwash Simulator: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
• Phantasy Star Online 2: Xbox One, PC
• Pinball FX 3: PS4, PC/Switch, Xbox One, PC
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: ,
• Pox Nora: PS4, PC, Mac
• Pure Chess:  , PC, 3DS
• Rainbow Six Siege: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Rec Room: PS4, PC
• Redfall: Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Riptide GP Renegade: Switch, PC/Xbox One
• Roblox: Xbox One, PC, Mac, mobile
• Siegecraft Commander: PS4, PC/Switch, Xbox One, PC
• Sniper Elite V2 Remastered: ,  , , PC
• Spacelords: PS4, PC /Xbox One, PC
• Sports Bar VR: , PC
• Star Trek: Bridge Crew: , PC
• Street Fighter V: , PC
• Streets of Rage 4:PC, Xbox One
• Square Heroes: PS4, PC
• Super Dungeon Bros: , PC, Mac/,
• Tetris Effect: Connected: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Tower of Fantasy: PS4, PS5, PC, Mobile
• Trailblazers: PS4, PC, Mac/Xbox One, Switch, PC
• Treasure Stack: Xbox One, Switch, PC
• Tooth and Tail: PS4, PC, Mac
• Ultimate Chicken Horse: PS4, PC, Mac/, PC, Mac
• Valheim: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide: Xbox Series X/S, PC
• War Thunder:  , PC, Mac/Xbox One
• Wargroove: , , Xbox One, PC
• Weapons of Mythology: New Age: PS4, PC
• Werewolves Within: , PC
• World of Tanks: PS4, Xbox One

Xbox Play Anywhere crossplay

Microsoft’s Play Anywhere initiative allows many first-party titles to be bought once and played on both Xbox One (or Xbox Series X) and PC. Some of the games in the program even support crossplay.

• Crackdown 3:
• Fable Fortune
• Forza Horizon 3:
• Forza Horizon 4:
• Forza Motorsport 7:
• Gears of War 4:
• Gears 5:
• Halo: Master Chief Collection: Xbox One, PC
• Halo Wars 2:
• Killer Instinct:
• Sea of Thieves:
• State of Decay 2:
• Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection:

As to be expected, we’re less than a week out from October Prime Day and Amazon devices are already on sale. Among the deals is an all-time-low price on one of our top picks for the best smart displays, the Echo Show 8. The latest model is back on sale for $85, which is $65 off its normal price. Any time you can get this smart display for less than $100, it’s a good deal — but this is the best price we’ve seen, and it hasn’t been this cheap since Prime Day in July.

We consider this to be the best smart display with Alexa compatibility due to the fact that it combines a lot of handy features and is almost a goldilocks size. The Show 8 has an eight-inch 1,280 x 800 touchscreen, which is just big enough to clearly see recipes and watch videos comfortably without being too large that it would take up too much space on a countertop or side table.

Amazon

The mid-sized smart display is 43 percent off for October Prime Day.

$85 at Amazon

The Show 8 has an improved 13-megapixel camera with auto-framing, which will make for better video calls with friends and family. The camera can also double as a security device, allow you to check in on your home when you’re away. And when you’re not using it, or if you just prefer extra privacy, there’s a physical shutter that will cover the camera entirely.

Of course, devices like the Show 8 are designed to showcase Alexa’s talents. You can use the voice assistant through the smart display to check weather forecasts, refer to your calendar to know when your next appointment is, bring up the show you were binge-watching on Netflix and more. This model also has a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, which means you can directly connect smart home gear like smart light bulbs and plugs without the need for an extra hub. And if those IoT devices have Alexa smarts, you can use voice commands to control them as well.

If you’re looking for something a bit more nightstand-friendly, there are other Alexa smart displays on sale right now, too. The Echo Show 5 is down to $50, while the recently revived Echo Spot has dropped to $45. The former is also one of our favorites thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature. The Echo Spot just came back into the lineup a few months ago, and Amazon’s billing it as a true smart alarm clock. It has a cute, circular design with a bold, half-moon shaped screen that can show the time, weather, alarms, currently playing music and more.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

It’s been a long time since voice actor David Hayter stepped into the role of Snake. For years, the character had been voiced by David Hayter, who became synonymous with the role. Though Kiefer Sutherland joined the ranks as Venom Snake, fans still carried Hayter’s banner. Hayter’s rendition of the character was seen in other properties as Super Smash Bros., with the game reusing previously recorded dialog, but the actor seemed to tease a return to the role in an unspecified project.

Taking to his Twitter, the actor said he was back in the recording booth Thursday, saying he was playing a role he hasn’t done in a long time. He then replied to that tweet with a GIF from the upcoming Snake Eater remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

Fans immediately and collectively lost their minds over the tease. It’s more than likely too late for him to record something for the Snake Eater remake, so it’s unclear when this teased project will be announced and all fans have now are hope and speculation.

Seeing how Konami is focused on continuing the narrative and not looking back on remakes (outside of Delta, obviously), a new Solid Snake game may be in the pipeline. What’s unclear is when the game would take place, as Snake was very rapidly aging by the end of Metal Gear Solid 4.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been a long time coming. Not only have fans been waiting for a follow-up to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl since 2007 but an unexpected event further delayed developer GSC Game World’s plans: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kyiv, Ukraine-based developers have been transparent on social media about all the violence and world-upending situations that have caused the game to be delayed out of its original 2022 release window. Their story has since been compiled into War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, a 97-minute documentary about struggle, war, and determination that’s now available on YouTube. You can watch it above.

The documentary starts out with a history of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and the studio, but then transitions into how the war afffected both development and the lives of the team members. At first they didn’t think Russian President Vladimir Putin would go so far as to attack Ukraine, but CEO Ievgen Grygorovych and his wife, executive producer Mariia Grygorovych, made plans to evacuate team members on buses to Uzhhorod, a town in western Ukraine within 50 kilometers of a theoretically secure NATO border. Buses were booked and parked outside the offices with drivers 24/7, ready to transport employees, their families, and some former staff to relative safety.

Mariia said they didn’t tell the team at first about the buses to not cause a panic. “I doubted myself and wondered if I hadn’t lost my mind,” she says in the documentary. The team had had very different thoughts about what they would do in the event of an invasion. Some knew they would be staying to volunteer and join the military, and many just wanted to keep working on the game.

In total, the team transported 183 employees, their families, and former staff and set up stays in a hotel. The other 139 declined and stayed in Kyiv. In February 2022, the team were all called into the office on a Sunday at 6 a.m. While Russia hadn’t officially attacked Ukraine yet, they all packed up essentials, wrangled their family members (including children), dropped off pets, and went to Uzhhorod for a stay at a hotel.

Not too long after the evacuation, Russia launched its attack on Kyiv, which was way closer than they anticipated. One developer in Kyiv said he was set to go and get his newborn child’s passport paperwork when the attack began. Another said he felt like a “traitor” because his mother refused to leave. “Subconsciously, we were all ready to die,” one developer named Alina says.

Mariia and Ievgen took people willing to evacuate to nearby Hungary from the hotel, while others stayed to fight, but that was easier said than done. The border was only open until 6 p.m., so much of the team had to travel by foot through the Ukrainian winter weather to cross.

Following the start of the war, many of the developers wondered if they’d even go back to working on the game. Their equipment, including a huge motion capture studio, was stuck in Kyiv. Some didn’t have access to internet or could communicate with the outside world. One concept artist, Anton, was stuck in his basement and took to continue development on pen and paper. However, the team set up a new office in Prague, recast their actors, set up spaces for the developers still in Ukraine to work and stay warm. They eventually showcased what they had at Gamescom 2023, but due to a mediocre reception, delayed the game into early 2024. It was delayed again into September, and is now eyeing a November launch.

Digital Trends has since played a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 preview, and by all accounts, it seems like it’ll be worth the wait.

The feud between WP Engine and Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO, recently came to a head when the web hosting service sued the latter, accusing him of “abuse of power, extortion and greed.” In a new blog post, Mullenweg said his opponent’s attacks on him and his company have been effective enough so that “a good chunk of [his] Automattic colleagues disagreed with [him and his] actions.” As a response, he created a “buy-out package” that offered employees $30,000 or six months of salary, whichever is higher, if they resign. A total of 159 people, or 8.4 percent of the company, took the offer.

Most of the employees who left came from the company’s Ecosystem / WordPress business, while the rest came from the division working on apps like Tumblr and Cloudup. As TechCrunch notes, Mullenweg gave the event a positive spin and exclaimed that “the other 91.6 percent gave up $126 million of potential severance to stay!”

Mullenweg called WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress” and accused the company of violating WordPress’ trademarks. He said they offered WP Engine the option to “pay a direct licensing fee, or make in-kind contributions to the open source project,” but the company refused. WP Engine argued that its use of the WordPress trademark was legal. In response, the WordPress Foundation changed its trademark policy page to say that the “WP” abbreviation is indeed not covered by the WordPress trademark, but to please not use it “in a way that confuses people.” It named WP Engine outright and even said that the company has “never once even donated to the WordPress Foundation, despite making billions of revenue on top of WordPress.” The WordPress co-founder also banned WP Engine from accessing some of WordPress’ plug-ins and themes, which broke a lot of the websites it’s hosting.

WP Engine accused Mullenweg of demanding eight percent of the company’s monthly revenue as royalty and of libel, slander, as well as of violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and IRS fraud. In a statement, Automattic’s lawyer Neal Katyal said he stayed up all night reading the complaint and found the whole thing “meritless.” He added that he’s looking “forward to the federal court’s consideration of [the] lawsuit.”

Update October 4, 2024, 1:57PM ET: We updated the post to attribute the quote at the end to Automattic’s lawyer.