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BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Surging Up 2025 Leaderboard
Crypto Trends

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Surging Up 2025 Leaderboard

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As noted by ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) has now made it to the top 5 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by year-to-date inflows. 

The extremely successful product has now attracted close to $9 billion in YTD inflows. 

Notably, IBIT was in 47th place in terms of inflows last month. Over the past month alone, however, they attracted more than $6.5 billion worth of inflows. 

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“As gold and cash ETFs slip down, the leaderboard is slowly turning back into 2024,” he said. 

At the current rate, IBIT is now on track to become the second-biggest ETF in terms of inflows by July 4.



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Microsoft’s AI security chief accidentally reveals Walmart’s AI plans after protest
Gaming Gear

Microsoft’s AI security chief accidentally reveals Walmart’s AI plans after protest

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Microsoft’s head of security for AI, Neta Haiby, accidentally revealed confidential messages about Walmart’s use of Microsoft’s AI tools during a Build talk that was disrupted by protesters.

The Build livestream was muted and the camera pointed down, but the session resumed moments later after the protesters were escorted out. In the aftermath, Haiby then accidentally switched to Microsoft Teams while sharing her screen, revealing confidential internal messages about Walmart’s upcoming use of Microsoft’s Entra and AI gateway services.

Haiby was co-hosting a Build session on best security practices for AI, alongside Sarah Bird, Microsoft’s head of responsible AI, when two former Microsoft employees disrupted the talk to protest against the company’s cloud contracts with the Israeli government.

“Sarah, you are whitewashing the crimes of Microsoft in Palestine, how dare you talk about responsible AI when Microsoft is fueling the genocide in Palestine,” shouted Hossam Nasr, an organizer with the protest group No Azure for Apartheid, and a former Microsoft employee who was fired for holding a vigil outside Microsoft’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza.

Walmart is one of Microsoft’s biggest corporate customers, and already uses the company’s Azure OpenAI service for some of its AI work. “Walmart is ready to rock and roll with Entra Web and AI Gateway,” says one of Microsoft’s cloud solution architects in the Teams messages. The chat session also quoted a Walmart AI engineer, saying: “Microsoft is WAY ahead of Google with AI security. We are excited to go down this path with you.”

We asked Microsoft to comment on this protest and the Teams messages, but the company did not respond in time for publication.

Both of the protesters involved in this latest Microsoft Build disruption were former Microsoft employees, with Vaniya Agrawal appearing alongside Nasr. Agrawal interrupted Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and CEO Satya Nadella later during the company’s 50th anniversary event last month. Agrawal was dismissed shortly after putting in her two weeks’ notice at Microsoft before the protest, according to an email seen by The Verge.

This latest protest comes days after Microsoft announced last week that it had conducted an internal review and used an unnamed external firm to assess how its technology is used in the war in Gaza. Microsoft says that its relationship with Israel’s Ministry of Defense (IMOD) is “structured as a standard commercial relationship” and that it has “found no evidence that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies, or any of our other software, have been used to harm people or that IMOD has failed to comply with our terms of service or our AI Code of Conduct.”



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Steel City Interactive expands technical and creative departments
Esports

Steel City Interactive expands technical and creative departments

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Steel City Interactive has announced a partnership with recruitment agency Amiqus as it looks to scale its technical and creative teams.

The Sheffield-based studio has begun a recruitment drive to support the future of its Undisputed franchise, which fully launched last October and has since surpassed one million copies.

It’s currently looking for experienced developers in engineering, art, and design.

“[Our] recruitment drive represents a studio with long-term ambitions not just for Undisputed as a game, but for Steel City Interactive itself as a leading creative force in gaming,” the developer’s recently appointed VP of studio Tim Coupe tells GamesIndustry.biz.

“Our direction points towards greater technical polish, deeper player engagement, and Undisputed as the flagship franchise in a revitalised category.”

Steel City Interactive was founded in 2020 by brothers Ash, Asif, and Asad Habib.

“Steel City Interactive is undoubtedly on an impressive growth trajectory under their new leadership,” Amiqus business manager Liz Prince added.

“And as the studio continues to expand, Amiqus is delighted to be working alongside the team as their recruitment partner of choice, as we deploy our new Amiqus Alliance service for them.

“It is an exciting time for the growth of the games development sector in the region, and we are looking forward to playing our part.”



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XRP
GameFi Guides

Ripple Issues Stern Warning To Investors As CEO Celebrates New XRP Milestone

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

XRP is about to start drawing a fresh wave of attention from institutional investors, following a major update that reflects the token’s growing relevance in the crypto market.

The latest milestone involves the listing of XRP and Micro XRP futures on the CME Group, which marks a notable milestone for the cryptocurrency. Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, recently took to social media to share this exciting announcement, while Ripple issued a critical alert for crypto investors.

Ripple CEO Hails Institutional Breakthrough For XRP

Brad Garlinghouse took to the social media platform X to mark what he described as a key institutional milestone for XRP: the official launch of both XRP and Micro XRP futures contracts on CME Group, the largest derivatives marketplace in the world. Interestingly, the contracts were quick to become active, as Garlinghouse also confirmed that the first block trade on CME had already been executed by Hidden Road, a prominent institutional trading firm.

This move introduces XRP to a regulated derivatives framework, which traditionally appeals to asset managers, hedge funds, and other large-scale investors. It places XRP in the same category as Bitcoin and Ethereum, both of which saw improved investor confidence and deeper market activity after their own CME futures listings.

As such, the launch of XRP and Micro XRP futures plays well into the current market dynamics for XRP, especially in terms of growing institutional interest. Furthermore, the presence of XRP futures on the CME marketplace shows that the cryptocurrency is maturing into a more structured financial asset, which could influence future decisions of the SEC around Spot XRP ETFs. 

CME Group XRP futures are available in both a micro-sized (2,500 XRP) and a larger-sized contract (50,000 XRP). According to Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, more than $19 million in notional volume was traded on the first day of launch.

Ripple Issues Major Alert To Investors

Shortly after the announcement of the futures launch, Ripple’s official account posted a public service warning highlighting a rise in scams targeting the XRP community. The company urged users to stay alert, noting that no official Ripple representative would ever ask individuals to send XRP. The warning included a reminder to avoid suspicious links and noted the importance of verifying accounts before engaging.

This alert is based on a pattern in the crypto space, as scam activity tends to rise when markets are bullish. One such example is the recent arrest of a Wellington-based man by the New Zealand Police in connection with a crime syndicate accused of stealing $450 million New Zealand dollars ($265 million). Crypto exchange Coinbase was also recently subjected to a phishing attack that resulted in the leak of a small fraction of user data.

At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.35, down by 8.7% in a seven-day timeframe.

XRP trading at $2.3 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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The Street Fighter Movie Could Star The Greatest WWE Champion Of All Time
Game Updates

The Street Fighter Movie Could Star The Greatest WWE Champion Of All Time

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The long-in-development Street Fighter movie may have just landed some undisputed star power, as a former WWE champion and DC Comics hero have reportedly been cast for the film.

According to Deadline, WWE superstar Roman Reigns, Jason Momoa (A Minecraft Movie), Andrew Koji (Bullet Train), and Noah Centino (Warfare) are currently in talks to star. If the actors are involved, then the Street Fighter movie will have recruited some big acting muscle. Mamoa previously appeared as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe of live-action films and he’ll be playing the legendary intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is scheduled to arrive in June 2026.

Reigns is another well-known face on television, as he held the Undisputed WWE Championship for a staggering 1,316 days. The former champion also appeared on the big screen in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Meanwhile, Koji has appeared in multiple movies and TV shows over the years, flexing his martial arts skills in projects like Warrior. Representatives for the actors have declined to comment to Deadline on whether they are or are not involved in the project. As for Centino, he appeared in the gritty action film Warfare, which was directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.

The latest live-action incarnation of Street Fighter has been in development since 2023. At one point, Talk To Me‘s Danny and Michael Philippou were attached to direct, but they later left and were replaced by Bad Trip director Kitao Sakurai. Legendary Pictures is co-producing the film with Capcom, the developer and publisher of the Street Fighter games.

First released in 1987, the lore of the franchise has been expanded over several games, and the mainline entries have revolved around a group of elite martial artists taking part in a major fighting tournament organized by M. Bison, the leader of the sinister Shadaloo syndicate who seeks to take over the world. The first Street Fighter live-action film was released in 1994 and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme in the lead–as well as a scene-stealing Raul Julia in his final theatrical performance–and in 2009, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li was released.

The massive success of a few recent video game movie adaptations–Sonic, Mario, Minecraft–has supercharged Hollywood’s desire to turn more games into movies. Dozens of video game adaptations are also in varying stages of development, and upcoming projects like Watch Dogs and Mortal Kombat 2.



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Impossible Movies Deserve A Great New Game
Game Reviews

Impossible Movies Deserve A Great New Game

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The fuse has been lit and the mission has been accepted. That’s right folks, it’s time for a new Mission: Impossible film. Final Reckoning, the latest entry in the popular action franchise, arrives in theaters this week. But if this new film has you all excited about the series again and you want to play a Mission: Impossible video game, well, bad news: It’s been over 20 years since the last one. That’s not cool. It’s time for a new MI game!

Nintendo Switch 2 Price Is Set at $450 for Now, But Could Go Higher

This article was originally published on July 13, 2023. It has been updated as part of Kotaku’s Mission: Impossible Week.

The Mission: Impossible franchise technically started as a spy-themed television series from the 1960s, which got a sequel series in the ‘80s. But when most people talk about the Mission Impossible franchise in 2025, they are likely referring to the long-running action film franchise starring Tom Cruise that has grown into something much larger and over-the-top than the old TV shows. These films, which began in 1996, typically showcase Cruise risking his life in at least three or four large stunts and also, bizarrely, have only gotten better with each release. A globe-trotting action-adventure franchise that makes tons of money, is loved by critics, and has a massive fanbase seems like ideal material for a video game adaptation. Oddly, that’s not been the case.

Since the beginning of the franchise, only five Mission: Impossible video games have been released. (Confusingly, four of them are just named Mission: Impossible.) The first game launched in 1990 for the NES. The second game was released the following year for DOS. These two were based on the 1980s sequel series that aired on ABC.

Then in 1998, two years after the first Tom Cruise film, another Mission: Impossible game launched on the Nintendo 64. This one has some fans, and played a lot like a third-person spin on Rare’s popular GoldenEye 007 game. Two years after that, right before the second film hit theaters, a very short and not-good Mission: Impossible game landed on Game Boy Color. However, this game did include a neat feature that let players use the Game Boy as a remote control.

Finally, in 2003, Mission: Impossible — Operation Surma launched on PlayStation 2 and later GameCube. This third-person action-adventure spy-thriller takes place between the events of Mission: Impossible II and the third film, but is also never directly referenced in the films and doesn’t even feature the likeness of Tom Cruise. It was essentially a Metal Gear Solid/Splinter Cell clone and in 2025 has been mostly forgotten, like the rest of the M:I video games.

It’s time for a new Mission: Impossible video game

And…that’s it! After 2003, we stopped getting new Mission: Impossible games. I understand that the film series hit a six-year lull between the second and third, but after 2011’s Ghost Protocol, the franchise kept getting bigger and better with each entry. 2018’s Mission: Impossible Fallout is probably the best film in the series. (Dead Reckoning, sadly, couldn’t keep the trend going.)

And yet, even as the franchise grows bigger and bigger, no new video games are on the horizon. What a shame! So many moments in recent MI films feel almost like setpieces from AAA video games of the last decade. It makes sense to me that this series would translate well into a modern video game.

I understand that over the last decade or so, we’ve stopped getting crappy games based on popular films. And I’ve been mostly fine with that, as the vast majority of games based on films were awful and not worth playing. Then again, we are getting a new 007 game from the Hitman devs, and a new Avatar one from Ubisoft, so it’s not like games based on movies are impossible to make these days.

And I think a Mission: Impossible game—if done right and given enough time and resources—could be amazing. Honestly, a game where you just recreate all the famous and dangerous stunts from the films would be great, like a new Stuntman but based entirely on Mission: Impossible scenes. Actually, it’s been a long time since we got a good Stuntman game, too.

Okay, new plan: Someone convince the right people to fund the development of a new Stuntman-like game based on Tom Cruise’s wildest Mission: Impossible stunts. That’s the game I want. Thank you.



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Ethereum
NFT Gaming

Ethereum’s Latest Key Upgrade Fails To Ignite Network Activity, Is Adoption Sinking?

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Ethereum‘s ongoing bullish action hasn’t fully faded yet as the general crypto market builds momentum. While Ethereum’s price has displayed a brief surge, the network continues to show weakness in user engagement, even with recent key updates meant to boost the network’s performance and appeal.

On-Chain Engagement With Ethereum Lagging

A leading on-chain data analytics platform, Glassnode, shared a recent worrying report about the Ethereum network. ETH’s price may have displayed signs of resilience in the midst of ongoing market fluctuations, but the network activity tells a different story.

Glassnode has revealed a persistent, weakened performance in ETH’s on-chain activity, raising concerns about whether its core ecosystem is losing momentum. This consistent lack of network activity occurs despite ongoing positive narratives and upgrades.

According to the on-chain platform, the latest key updates, like the Pectra upgrade, have been unable to ignite activity on the network. “Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade hasn’t translated into a spike in network engagement just yet,” the platform stated.

ETH’s network activity lagging | Source: Glassnode on X

It is worth noting that the Pectra Upgrade was officially launched in early May, with the purpose of bolstering ETH’s network’s scalability and efficiency. The upgrade consists of two synchronized updates: The Prague execution layer hard fork and the Electra consensus layer upgrade.

Glassnode stated that user attrition has decreased, and the Pectra Upgrade still has not increased the number of new or returning users after analyzing the ETH Month-over-Month activity Retention metric. Data from the on-chain platform shows that the average count of new and revived addresses has decreased since the upgrade compared to year-to-date (YTD) values.

ETH’s average new addresses have decreased by about 1.8%, whereas resurrected addresses have declined by 8.4% during this period. Additionally, user churn has witnessed an approximately 8.5% drop in the same time frame. Thus far, Glassnode noted that it remains to be seen whether this is a result of the network upgrades or more general cycle trends.

A Breakout After A Short-Term Correction

Even though network activity has weakened, it does not fully hinder ETH’s price from experiencing a rally. On-chain expert and author ShayanMarkets has predicted an impending breakout to the upside as the Ethereum market overheats near the $2,500 mark. However, a short-term correction is likely to take place before the breakout.

Using a bubble chart that illustrates the total trading volume across all crypto exchanges, the expert highlighted that an overheating scenario, marked by a notable spike in trading volume, has resulted from ETH’s approach to the $2,500 resistance level, now acting as a support level.

This spike is mainly triggered by profit-taking and the available resting supply at this key zone. Furthermore, the overheated situation suggests a probable short-term drop as the market cools and makes room for fresh accumulation. While the altcoin has surpassed $2,500, Shayan’s analysis noted that this move is probably driven by fresh demand.

ETH trading at $2,549 on the 1D chart | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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Bitcoin
Crypto Trends

BREAKING: Historic $109,500 Bitcoin High: Here’s What Analysts Predict Next

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

On Wednesday, the market’s leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), surged by more than 3% to a new all-time high (ATH), fueled by the market’s strong buying pressure experienced over the last month.

According to Coin Metrics data, the Bitcoin price climbed beyond the $109,000 level, reaching an astonishing $109,500 record. This milestone not only marks a substantial rebound, but it also exceeds BTC’s prior high in January.

Bitcoin’s Record High Result Of Favorable Macro Factors

The recent price increase can be attributed to several converging factors, particularly easing regulatory pressures in the United States. With key crypto legislation poised for passage in the US Senate, the environment appears increasingly supportive under pro-crypto President Donald Trump. 

Alongside these political developments, favorable macroeconomic conditions, including softer inflation numbers and a de-escalation of tensions in the US-China trade war has created a conducive atmosphere for Bitcoin’s rise. 

Antoni Trenchev, co-founder of the crypto exchange Nexo, commented, “Bitcoin’s new high has been concocted by an array of favorable ingredients in the macro cauldron.”

“It’s possible a three-month window has opened for risk assets to thrive as a broader agreement between the US and China is thrashed out,” Trenchev added in a recent interview with CNBC. 

Could BTC Reach $120,000?

Looking ahead, crypto analyst Doctor Profit—known for accurately predicting Bitcoin’s previous drop to $77,000 and subsequent recovery above $100,000—has set new targets for the cryptocurrency. 

In a recent social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the analyst suggested that BTC could reach between $117,000 and $120,000, which would represent an additional 10% increase. This potential rise could signal a new price discovery phase for the token, a first in several months.

The 1D chart shows BTC’s price reaching a new record high on Wednesday. Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com

At the time of writing, BTC attempts to consolidate above $109,000, with the aim to convert this floor into the new support for the rest of the new uptrend. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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Picture showing Xin Zhao in League of Legends.
Esports

Here are the early LoL Patch 25.11 notes

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League of Legends has reached a rare “steady state” of balance with the last patch that Riot Games have introduced on the live servers, and they’re making small buffs and nerfs in the upcoming update to help champions stay healthy ahead of the MSI 2025.

League also showcases the Ionia-themed Summoner’s Rift this season, a region which is known for its balance and spirit realm. While there aren’t many rogue champions in the current meta, the developers are still keeping a close eye on champions who could use minor adjustments to make them relevant.

When does LoL Patch 25.11 release?

Wild Rift is getting new MECHA skins for many champions. Image via Riot Games

League updates usually release on Wednesdays, and it is the same for every upcoming patch. They usually come ahead of time on the PBE servers and then make their way to the live one. The patch 25.11 update is scheduled for May 28, 2025. While the official release times across all regions have yet to be confirmed, the expected release windows for each region are as follows:

  • 3pm CT (NA)
  • 5am GMT (EU West)
  • 3am CET (EU North East)
  • 8am KR (Korea)

What’s in Patch 25.11?

League is celebrating Pride. Image via Riot Games

While the last patch brought a myriad of changes to the mage items, this one’s fairly quiet on new changes, as it takes up champions like Rengar, Twitch, and other champions and gives them buffs. On the other hand, there are a few champions like Cho’Gath and Smolder, who got a bit too much power from the last patch, so Riot is giving them small nerfs to nullify their impact. Lastly, Kassadin, Samira and some other champions are getting some neutral changes without buffs and nerfs.

Champion buffs

The following champions will all be receiving buffs in League Patch 25.11:

Ashe

  • [Q] Ranger’s Focus: Now stacks when attacking structures.

Diana (Jungle)

She was very reliant on Liandrys, and she’s getting a little buff now to compensate for the changes to it.

  • [P] Moonsilver Blade: Monster mod increased from 2.25 to 2.6.

Rengar

  • [R] Thrill of the Hunt: Cooldown has been reduced from 110/100/90 to 100/90/80.

Ryze

  • [Q] Overload: Damage against Flux targets (based on R rank) has been increased from 10/40/70/100 percent to 35/50/75/100 percent.
  • [W] Rune Prison: Damage deceased from 80-200 to 70-190.

Sivir

  • [W] Ricochet: Total AD ratio has been increased from 30-50 to 40-50 percent.

Twisted Fate

  • [Q] Wild Cards: Damage increased from 60-240 to 70-240.

Twitch

The changes aim to steer AP Twitch toward farming lanes rather than being a support, improving his viability slightly while keeping him balanced overall. He remains a bit weak, but he isn’t out of the meta.

  • [E] Contaminate: AP ratio per stack has been increased from 30 to 35 percent.

Udyr

He was very reliant on Liandrys, and getting a little buff now to compensate for the changes to it.

[R] Wingborne Storm

  • Bonus damage on attack has been increased from 10-30+ 30 percent AP to 10-40+ 35 percent AP.
  • Total damage has been increased from 80-360 to 80-400.

Champion nerfs

The following champions will all be receiving nerfs in League Patch 25.11:

Cho’Gath

Armor growth has been reduced from 5.0 to 4.5.

Elise 

  • [P] Spider Queen: On-hit AP ratio has decreased from .2 to .15.

Lucian 

  • [E] Relentless Pursuit: Cooldown has been increased from 14-12 to 16-12.

Smolder

  • HP regen has been decreased from 4.5 to 3.75.
  • Armor has been reduced from 26 to 24.

Champion adjustments

The following champions will all be receiving adjustments in League Patch 25.11:

Aatrox 

  • [P] Deathbringer Stance: Damage decreased from 4-12 percent max HP to 4-8 percent max HP.
  • [Q] The Darkin Blade: Sweet spot damage mod has been increased from 1.6x to 1.7x.
  • [W] Infernal Chains: Damage type has been changed from Magic to Physical.

Annie 

  • Armor has been adjusted from 19+ 4.7 to 23+ 4.0.
  • [W] Incinerate: Damage has been decreased from 70-270 + .85 to .70-250 + .8.

Garen

The developer is making Garen’s non-crit and fighter-focused builds feel more rewarding. Moreover, a lower E cooldown aims to support sustained trades while preserving meaningful windows for opponents to react.

[E] Judgment

  • Cooldown has been adjusted from 9 to 9-6.
  • Damage has been increased from 4-20+ 0-8.2+36-40 percent total AD to 4-20+ 36-44 percent total AD.
  • Crit mod has been reduced from 1.5x to 1.4x.

[W] Courage

  • Cooldown has been reduced from 23-15 to 22-12.
  • Damage Reduction has been changed from 30 percent to 25-41 percent.
  • Quest capstone (10 percent total armor/MR) has been removed.

[R] Demacian Justice: Damage has been reduced from 150/300/450 + 25/30/35 percent missing HP to 150/250/350 + 25/30/35 percent missing HP.

Kassadin

Kassadin is getting a slight early game boost to help him contribute more before the late game by trimming some of his late-game power to balance it out. This change should make him more viable in high-skill games that heavily punish weak early laners.

Armor has been increased from 19-21.

  • [E] Force Pulse: Damage has been increased from 60-180 to 70-190.
  • [R] Riftwalk: AP ratio per stack 10 percent (max 90 percent) has been reduced to seven percent (max 78 percent).

Samira

These changes aim to enhance Samira’s lifesteal scaling to better support her snowball and teamfighting strengths, making builds like early Bloodthirster more appealing and giving her a clearer identity.

  • [Q] Flair: Life steal effectiveness has been increased from 66 to 80 percent.
  • [W] Blade Whirl: Bonus AD ratio has been reduced from .6 to .5.
  • [R] Inferno Trigger: Life steal effectiveness has been increased from 50 to 80 percent.

System Buffs

Horizon Focus

After the last patch balanced mage items, Horizon Focus still feels weak to the developer, so it gets a buff to make it more relevant alongside other items.

  • The price has been decreased from 2900 to 2800.
  • Ability power has been increased from 110 to 115.

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Cyberpunk 2077's sequel includes a new city that "feels more like Chicago gone wrong", and I'm now wondering how the USA's collapse might have affected Michael Jordan's legacy
Game Updates

Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel includes a new city that “feels more like Chicago gone wrong”, and I’m now wondering how the USA’s collapse might have affected Michael Jordan’s legacy

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Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel will let us take a detour from the returning Night City to visit a new location which feels a bit “like Chicago gone wrong”. Naturally, this news has me questioning how Cyberpunk’s timeline might have affected the most prominent basketball dynasty of the 1990s.

The tiny nugget of info we got about this second city comes from Mike Pondsmith, creator of the Cyberpunk TTRPG series that CD Projekt’s futuristic RPGs are based on. It’s the first bit of concrete info about the game – beyond just where it’s at in the production process – we’ve gotten for a while.

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Speaking to Tvgry during this year’s Digital Dragons Conference, Pondsmith touched on his current relationship with CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk devs. He’s “not as involved directly with the sequel as he was with the first Cyberpunk, but he does still pop by the studio to look at scripts and offer his views on stuff like new cyberware made for Project Orion.

For instance, he revealed that when he was there recently, he “spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion – because there’s another city we visit, I’m not telling you any more than that, but there’s another city we visit.”

“Night City’s still there,” Pondsmith continued, telling us more, “I remember looking at it and going ‘yeah, I understand the feel that you’re going for in this, and this really does work – it doesn’t feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong’. I said ‘yeah, you know, I can see this working.'”

Watch on YouTube

This chatter starts at around the three hour and 45 minute mark of the video embedded above, if you want to check it out for yourself. I don’t know if you’ll do the same, but the mention of a Cyberpunk city that might be a bit like Chicago got me wondering what the existing Cyberpunk lore says about the actual Windy City.

According to the series’ Fandom Wiki (which does note that it needs more citations), Chi-town was “left in a state of absolute devastation” by the collapse of the United States that occurs between 1996 and 2008 in the Cyberpunk timeline, and was subsequently ravaged by a “catastrophic bio-plague” created by the federal government itself. By 2077, the city’s “implied to have undergone some level of reconstruction” by rumours of it being connected to Night City via the transcontinental maglev rail network that Cyberpunk 2077’s database describes as “currently inoperational”, but subject to revitalisation efforts by Night Corp.

Cool. But here’s the thing. If Chicago started to fall apart in 1996 – the year that martial law was declared across the USA in Cyberpunk lore – do Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls win the 1996, 1997, and 1998 NBA championships to cement themselves as arguably the greatest basketball dynasty of all-time? That’s assuming Jordan and the Bulls even exist in the Cyberpunk universe, but I think it’s worth exploring anyway.

The situation is this as far as I can tell – the aforementioned martial law runs from 1996 to 1999, so Jordan and co have that to contend with, in addition to a 1998 midwest drought and the collapse doing so much damage that “an estimated 90%” of Chicago is abandoned by the end of it in 2008. It’s MJ though. I’m still banking on him to beat the Jazz in the finals, even if he’s got to dribble past bio-plagues and hostile cybernetically-augmented soldiers to do it.

Do you think his airness still ends up with six rings on his weird cyber-fingers? Also, how do you feel about visiting this second city in Cyberpunk 2? Let us know below!



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