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Source: Christian Petersen / Getty / Xbox
The video game industry is in turmoil, and you wouldn’t think that’s the case because of the quality of games we have been getting. While we, as gamers, are enjoying a spoil of riches, developers continue to lose their jobs at a ridiculous clip.
Xbox is navigating choppy waters as it shifts its business model, putting some of its biggest exclusive titles on competitive consoles.
One of those titles was the beloved Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks, one of the many studios Xbox acquired when it acquired Bethesda Game Studios.
In a stunning turn of events, Tango Gameworks is one of four studios, including Arkane Austin, the developer of the massive flop Redfall, Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Games, which have been closed by Xbox, IGN reports.
Xbox is one of the many video game companies that have been unable to avoid the massive layoffs in the industry. The Microsoft company started the year by laying off almost 2,000 employees, which led to then-Blizzard president Mike Ybarra leaving.
Now comes the news of a new round of layoffs due to significant studio closures under the Bethesda umbrella.
Per GameRant:
Xbox has decided to shut down Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Studios, and Tango Gameworks, with Roundhouse Games also effectively shutting down by being “absorbed” by ZeniMax Online Studios. In an email from Matt Booty obtained by IGN, it was explained that these shutdowns are about “prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games.” Arkane Austin worked on the 2017 Prey game and Redfall, Tango Gameworks was known for The Evil Within and the critically-acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush, Alpha Dog Studios was working on the Mighty Doom mobile game, and Roundhouse Games was primarily serving a support role at the time of its closure.
Arkane Austin’s demise could directly result from the disastrous launch of Redfall. Reviewers immediately deemed it a critical flop due to its broken state and abandoned it despite some quality-of-life improvements.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Arkane Studios confirmed the Austin studio’s closure, telling gamers who bought the Hero Pass of the premium Bite Back edition or Bite Back upgrade will be eligible to receive the value of the upgrade.
Arkane says Redfall serves will remain online, but there will be no further updates.
Tango Gamework’s closure is the biggest surprise due to Hi-Fi Rush’s success following its surprise drop on the Xbox Game Pass and, most recently, its newfound popularity on the PlayStation 5 console.
What a spooky time to be a developer in the video game industry.
You can see reactions to the sad news in the gallery below.
1. No lies detected
2. This is also true
3. We’re old enough to remember the push for Xbox to gobble up more studios.
8. Cold world
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Source: Arrowhead Game Studios/ Sony Interactive Entertainment / Helldivers 2
Well done Helldivers. PlayStation is now saying whoops, after gamers made it loud and very clear that they did not rock with the PSN linking requirement to continue playing Helldivers 2 on Windows PC via Steam.
After destroying all the goodwill Arrowhead Game Studios built with Helldivers 2 and its fantastic spin on a live service genre, PlayStation finally admitted they f*cked up by requiring PC players to get a free PSN account.
The decision came after two days of Helldivers 2 players expressing their anger on social media and flooding the game’s Steam page with negative reviews that also hit other PlayStation titles after Steam delisted the popular shooter in 177 countries.
Via PlayStation’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, the company wrote:
Helldivers fans — we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward.
We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you updated on future plans.
What Possibly Led To PlayStation’s Reversal
The fallout from the dumb policy led to Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt expressing his frustration on X. “Waking up to the sunshine of yesterday replaced with a dreary drizzle and shivering winds makes me reflect on how I spent my time those rare few moments when all was perfect,” Pilestedt said.
On Sunday, before PlayStation decided not to proceed with mandatory PSN linking, he noted his company was “talking solutions” with the company, which ultimately led to PlayStation’s change of heart.
He also took some blame on the matter as well, saying he was not completely “blameless,” adding they “didn’t talk about it enough” regarding account linking.
The review bombing and harassment of Arrowhead’s community managers and developers likely aided in PlayStation’s policy reversal.
We’re happy people can spread democracy again and continue the fight to liberate Super Earth.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. For real, they were innocent in the matter.
2. Exactly
3. PlayStation pay attention
8. Only losers do things like this.
9. Lol, chill
10. We do too.
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Source: Arrowhead Game Studios/ Sony Interactive Entertainment / Helldivers 2
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision to require PSN linking has destroyed any goodwill that Arrowhead Game Studios built with its fantastic game Helldivers 2.
Friday, gamers, specifically Helldivers 2 fans, did not have any kind words for Sony Interactive Entertainment, the publisher of Arrowhead’s game, after it announced, “Due to technical issues at the launch of Helldivers 2, we allowed the linking requirements for Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional. That grace period will now expire.”
According to Sony, the bonehead decision was “critical” to the “safety and security” of Helldivers 2.
Following the announcement, gamers immediately pointed out that the PSN account linking would lead to many players no longer having access to the game via Steam because certain countries do not have PSN support.
Welp, those worries are bearing fruit.
Helldivers 2 Is No Longer Listed In 170 Territories Because of PSN Linking Requirement
Despite Helldivers 2’s community manager assuring players in countries without PSN support can continue playing the game and not worry about being denied access on Saturday, the game has been pulled from 170 territories lacking PSN support, according to listings from the Steam Database.
The fallout has been instantaneous.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Culture Crave notes that Helldivers 2’s Steam page has “over 100k negative reviews since [the] change was announced” and that “Steam is approving refund requests for players even if they’ve played over 2 hours.”
Like Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt, community managers are telling fans to direct their anger toward Sony Interactive Entertainment in hopes that bullying will make the company reverse its crappy decision.
As for the refunds, Valve is ignoring its policy by giving players who logged more than 100 hours spreading democracy and liberating Super Earth.
Steam usually only refunds players who have not exceeded 2 hours of playtime. Honestly, this is an intelligent decision on Valve’s part and an indication of how wrong Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision was.
Gamers are still sounding off on Xitter about SIE’s ridiculous decision.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. G R E E D
2. Yup, to put it simply.
4. Exactly
8. We don’t want the game to be buried, let’s just hope Sony just changes it’s mind
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Source: Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment / Helldivers 2
Sony might have put on a masterclass regarding self-sabotage with its latest decision, which has Helldivers 2 players on PC BIG MAD.
Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2 quickly became one of the biggest releases of the year, but now, thanks to a move by Sony, it quickly hit a sour patch with its loyal players.
Players who spread democracy by playing Helldivers 2 via Windows PC via Steam learned today that they will now need a PlayStation Network account to maintain access to the game.
Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game’s publisher, relayed the head-scratching news to players on the game’s Steam page.
“Due to technical issues at the launch of Helldivers 2, we allowed the linking requirements for Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional,” Sony wrote. “That grace period will now expire. See details below in this post.”
Sony claims account-linking with the PlayStation Network is “critical” to the “safety and security” of Helldivers 2.
“This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behaviour,” Sony said. “It also allows those players that have been banned the right to appeal.”
New players will be required to connect their Steam and PlayStation Network accounts beginning May 6 before they can begin playing the game.
Current players will see a mandatory log-in beginning May 30. They will have until June 4 to link their accounts, allowing them to sign up for a free PlayStation Network account if they don’t already have one.
Gamers Are BIG MAD
The reactions to Sony’s move with Helldivers 2 were instant, with the game’s rating on Steam taking a hit.
One user on X, formerly Twitter pointed out why the decision could be potentially bad saying in a post, “To folks wondering why mandating linking your Sony account to Helldivers 2 on PC is such a big deal, players in many countries, such as Belarus, Phillipines and nearly the entirety of Africa don’t have PSN support, so those Helldivers will be defacto banned in a few weeks.”
Another user pointed to the former Xbox exclusive Sea of Thieves requiring the something similar, and players not overeacting.
“Helldivers 2 backlash seems fake. Steam players need a Microsoft account to play Sea Of Thieves and no one bat an eye,” another X user wrote.
In response to the outrage, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt told gamers to direct their anger at Sony and directed them to PlayStation Support.
Lol, bruh.
There is a good chance that Windows PC players will bully Sony into changing their minds. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Damn shame
3. Tsk Tsk Tsk
5. The accuracy
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Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
It’s a new year, meaning new Apple/Beats products. To help roll them out, the company enlisted the help of top female athletes Angel Reese, Naomi Osaka, and Sha’Carri Richardson.
The Apple-owned company unveiled the latest model in its long line of over-ear wireless headphones, the Solo 4. At launch, the Solo 4 headphones will cost $199 and promise up to 50 hours of battery life.
The Solo 4’s exceptional battery life can be attributed to the lack of active noise cancellation, a must-have feature now more than ever. It’s a bummer the Solo 4 headphones do have it, but Beats promises the other features make up for the lack of noise cancellation.
Those features include wired audio and passive tuning, allowing the Solo 4s to continue to work when the battery is dead and plugged in without sacrificing sound quality.
The Solo 4 also features custom acoustic architecture and supports native software on both Android and iOS devices.
Beats Also Announces The New Solo Buds
Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Beats also announced a new entry-level wireless earbuds model, the Solo Buds, which cost $79.99. While they might not be a premium offering, Beats still promises the Solo Buds will offer users “big Beats sound in the smallest case we’ve ever made.”
Also, for a $79.99 price point, you’re not getting ANC (active noise cancellation) or a charging case, but Beats boasts the Solo Buds will offer 18 hours of use on a single charge; after that, you have to plug up via USB-C.
The Solo 4 headphones are now available for pre-order and launch on May 2 in Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink.
The Solo Buds will arrive sometime in June, along with Matte Black, Storm Gray, Arctic Purple, and Transparent Red color options.
You can see more photos of both accessories in the gallery below.
1. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
2. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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3. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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4. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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5. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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6. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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7. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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8. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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9. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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10. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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11. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
12. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
13. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
14. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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15. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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16. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
17. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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18. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
19. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Source:Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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20. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Source: Derek White / Getty
We know you care. The Jeezy and Jeannie Mai saga continues.
*Trigger warning: this story contains incidents of domestic violence.*
Just a week ago, word on the street was that Jeezy was no longer seeking primary care for his daughter Monaco; instead, he wanted to ensure that his ex, former host of The Real, Jeannie Mai, had equal parenting time.
Then, a bomb was dropped on Thursday, April 25, by Mai in the form of domestic abuse allegations, along with some photo evidence per TMZ’s reporting.
Per TMZ:
In her filing, Jeannie outlines a few different instances of alleged abuse — including claims that Jeezy is prone to explosive outbursts, excessive drinking, and domestic violence.
Jeannie cites one alleged incident from April 2022, when she says they were at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, and claims Jeezy choked her from behind while she was going up some stairs, and alleges he even pushed her down those same stairs.
Jeezy Denies Jeannie Mai’s Claims, Provides Receipts
It didn’t take long, but Jeezy immediately shot down those claims and had receipts in the form of text messages and photos provided to the blog, The Jasmine Brand.
In one of her claims, Mai points to an incident involving a golf cart in April 2022. In the photos provided by the “Put On” crafter, he alleges the golf cart incident was nothing but a mere accident, no one was to blame, and they both suffered injuries, adding it took place in June 2022.
Instead of being civil, this situation continues to get ugly. Social media, of course, has thoughts on the matter.
“Jeezy a black man in America and thought he was getting joint custody of an Asian lady baby. They must’ve never sold common sense at his trap house,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another X user wrote, “seeing straight black men pretend to care about being fetishized by women to help protect jeezy from abuse allegations is so funny. they’re so see-thru.”
We sincerely hope these two can be civil for the sake of their daughter.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. That part
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Apple Vision Pro
Not even Apple could make a big splash in the VR/AR space. According to reports, the company Steve Jobs built is slashing shipments of its latest product, the Apple Vision Pro.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the tech giant is cutting Vision Pro shipments to 400,000-450,000 units while the market predicts 700,000–800,000 units or more.
Apple’s headset allegedly flopping signals that the demand for the $3,500 headset was not as high despite viral photos showing people using it while walking the streets and celebrities boasting about it.
The decision to cut sales comes as Apple preps to release the headset overseas.
If you are one of the Apple fanatics hoping that a cheaper model will come, according to Kuo, Apple is considering ditching a more affordable version of the Vision Pro in 2025 as the company reviews the roadmap for the device.
In more Apple Vision Pro news, Frank Casanova, Apple Inc.’s senior director, who was leading the product-marketing efforts for Vision Pro, has retired.
Per Bloomberg:
Frank Casanova, who worked at Apple for 36 years in various roles, including helping to lead the expansion of the iPhone to new carriers, departed last week, according to his LinkedIn page. In 2019, he was named Apple’s first head of marketing for augmented reality before being tapped to lead the headset effort.
X Users React To The Vision Pro Reportedly Flopping
The news of the Apple Vision Pro reportedly flopping isn’t shocking to many people, especially because of the headset’s price and lack of comfort.
One user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, “why are they surprised people don’t wanna spend 3.5k on VR ski goggles to avoid human interactions.”
Another person added, “Apple when they find out niggas don’t wanna spend 3 and a half K on some i robot goggles, when they can buy different ones for a quarter the price.”
Welp.
There’s always the Meta Quest 3; it’s affordable and does many of the same things the Apple Vision Pro does. I’m just saying.
More reactions to the Vision Pro flopping are in the gallery below.
2. Everyone’s reaction basically
3. According to the report they were very serious
4. That plan is reportedly in danger as well.
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Source: Lexie Moreland / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
Late afternoon, the internet was set ablaze when a former videographer for Megan Thee Stallion charged her with a lawsuit accusing her of some eyebrow-raising things that the Houston rapper vehemently denies.
NBC News first broke the news of the 42-page complaint brought by Megan Thee Stallion’s former videographer, Emilio Garcia, accusing the Houston rapper of “harassment, creating a hostile work environment and violating labor codes.”
The one claim that had the internet talking was Garcia allegedly being forced to watch Thee Stallion have sex with another woman while riding in a moving vehicle while on tour in Ibiza, Spain, in June 2022.
Per Huffpost:
“Plaintiff could not get out of the car as it was both moving and he was in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. Plaintiff was embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal,” according to the suit.
The following day, Megan demeaned Garcia and told him, “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.”
“Stallion berated and directed her fat-shaming comments towards plaintiff such as ‘Fat Bitch,’ ‘Spit your food out,’ and ‘You don’t need to be eating,’” the lawsuit says.
Garcia began working for Roc Nation, which manages Megan, as the rapper’s personal cameraman in 2018. In 2019, he quit his other job and switched to full-time employment, working for Megan for more than 50 hours a week.
The website also notes that Roc Nation initially hired Garcia before working full-time for Megan Thee Stallion, earning $4,000 monthly and becoming an independent contractor.
He also claims he was not given meal breaks or rest periods and was forbidden from doing outside work.
Megan Thee Stallion Slams The Accusations
Immediately after the news broke, Megan Thee Stallion slammed the accusation through a statement from her lawyer, Alex Shapiro.
“This is an employment claim for money — with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” Alex Spiro tells Page Six exclusively. “We will deal with this in court.”
The social media streets are talking and, of course, joking about the matter. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Interesting
2. People love a juicy headline, and never care to do the required reading
6. Y’all are not serious people
7. Never fails
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Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty / Draya Michele / Jalen Green
It’s been no secret to the world. Still, Houston Rockets hooper Jalen Green and model/reality star/bikini slinger Draya Michele are finally going public with their relationship and forthcoming child.
Everyone’s favorite gossip site and propaganda-spreading platform, The Shaderoom, dropped some video footage from Jalen Green and Draya Michele’s baby shower on Sunday, April 21. The couple wore matching red outfits to match the event’s cherry-red theme, welcoming their daughter’s impending birth.
Michele (39) set the internet ablaze when she revealed she was expecting a child. Many immediately assumed the father was the 22-year-old professional hooper, which caused quite a stir due to the enormous age gap between them and the fact she also has a son a year younger than Green.
The couple’s daughter will be Green’s first child, but there are rumblings on the internet that he is also the father of two more children on the way with two separate women.
Rumors of Draya robbing the cradle began swirling in the summer when she started popping up at Green’s games. The baby shower marks the first confirmation from the couple outside of Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma tagging Green in his congratulatory comment under Draya’s announcement post.
The couple is still going strong despite the rumors that Green’s other kids will arrive around the same time his child with Draya is due.
Of course, social media is reacting to the baby shower news. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Spits out drink
2. Lol, damn
3. No chill
4. Howling
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Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty / Jontay Porter
Jontay Porter f***ed around and found out. The now-former two-way player for the Toronto Raptors gambled his money and his NBA career away.
NBA.com dropped the news yesterday that Jontay Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets superstar Michael Porter Jr., has been slapped with a lifetime ban for violating the league’s gaming rules.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came down with the hammer on Porter after the league wrapped its investigation and discovering he “disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games,” the website reports.
Per NBA.com:
The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.
The league’s investigation also found that Porter limited his own game participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game. In the March 20 game, Porter played only three minutes, claiming that he felt ill. Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and not paid out.
Jontay Porter Bet On Himself & Lost Big Time
The bets Porter made that involved his performance in the Raptors’ March 20 game were brought to the league’s attention by licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets.
Bruh
The website notes that Porter placed 13 bets from January through March 2024 while traveling with the Raptors and Raptors 905, the Raptors’ G-League affiliate. None of the bets were made on games he played in.
Adam Silver Issues A Statement
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment. While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Welp.
Of course, social media has been lighting Porter’s a** up. There are also some wild takes, which you can see in the gallery below.
3. One way ticket out of here
4. L M A O
5. Hoooowwwllliiinnnggg