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A Palworld character looks at the camera.
Game Reviews

Ex-Capcom Dev Has Absurd Take On Palworld Lawsuit

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Palworld has been controversial from the get-go. With strikingly similar aesthetics and game mechanics to Pokémon, the game has been accused of plagiarism by fans and lawyers alike. And according to ex-Capcom dev Yoshiki Okamoto (Monster Strike, Folklore), you–yes you–shouldn’t even be playing Palworld until and unless the lawsuit is settled in Pocketpair’s favor. “I don’t want the world to think [Palworld] is acceptable,” Okamoto said, urging folks not to play the game.

It was only a matter of time before Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, ever-quick to use legal means to shut down anything they consider a misuse of their IP (unless, of course, that IP is used to promote the rounding up and abuse of real humans), would sue developer Pocketpair. And in a recent video (h/t PC Gamer), Okamoto said Pocketpair has committed such a grave sin in their creation of Palworld that it “transcends the boundaries of war” and that “by playing the game you are supporting it, so please don’t buy it.”

Okamoto has been torched in the comments over this assertion, especially considering his suspected use of the term “anti-social force,” which is not a punk band name, but rather an actual term used to describe fraudsters and yakuza-owned businesses. (It’s not entirely clear if he actually used this term, as he deliberately obfuscated the final kanji in both the video’s audio and its subtitles.)

Folks in the comments of this wild video have rightly argued that many of Okamoto’s own games involve monster battling and the capturing of your foes to do your bidding, mechanics which are also at the core of Pokémon. Others are just voicing their frustrations with Nintendo’s now-predictable behavior when it comes to the alleged misuse of their ideas.

Read More: Nintendo’s New Pokémon Patents Threaten The Entire Monster-Taming Genre

Telling folks that they shouldn’t play a game until the courts deem it okay to do so (as if courts, in 2025 of all times, are rational machines of truth) is a bold move. And it doesn’t seem to be paying off for him, Cotton.



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Call of Duty's U-turn on absurd cosmetics is proof that Battlefield 6 competition is a really good thing
Game Reviews

Call of Duty’s U-turn on absurd cosmetics is proof that Battlefield 6 competition is a really good thing

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People say competition is a good thing, and in the world of video games it’s a phrase that history has proven correct over, and over, and over again. This has happened once more with Call of Duty, which has done a mighty U-turn in regard to its approach to paid cosmetics in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

First, a bit of context. You may have seen all manner of wacky, out-there skins popping up across recent Call of Duty games and Warzone. Beavis and Butthead, American Dad, and Nicki Minaj have all grabbed rifles and taken to the front lines. Snoop Dogg has shown up, as has Messi. Cheap looking Fallout vault suits have made a wasteland of what is left of the series’ visual identity.

The reason why these have become so popular is multifaceted but to put it quickly and simply it’s because they make money, and because it pushes Call of Duty further towards the cosmetic goldmine that is Fortnite. This process is not solely linked to Call of Duty, and has hence been dubbed ‘Fortnitification’ : the constant chase to make metaverses of online games.

Here’s the Call of Duty campaign reveal trailer.Watch on YouTube

An evening in an FPS is no longer just a tense firefight, it’s an endeavor of self-expression. A way for you to champion your fandom to the millions of other players doing the same, the developer and publisher profiting nicely from the nurtured culture of seasonal spending.

But here’s the problem as far as Call of Duty is involved. Call of Duty is not Fortnite. It is not a wacky, saturated sandbox. It is a modern military game with decades of history. It has a story mode about government black ops, international incidents, betrayal, and a gaggle of British geezers with funny names. The resulting tonal whiplash between what Call of Duty is and has been with the aesthetic direction of its multiplayer has left fans of the genre dejected. With Call of Duty being largely the only game in town for large-scale AAA FPS, it was something to live with.

Until, a little game called Battlefield 6 popped up. It’s a return to form for the series judging by early previews (including ours), has proven incredibly popular in open betas ahead of launch, and is confirmed to be staying true to a military aesthetic. A good game that’ll look like a proper shooter, with all the trimmings. Well, maybe I – imagine I’m a normal person who likes FPS games here – maybe I will try out this new Battlefield game! It seems like it’s doing what I’ve wanted CoD to do for a while.

This, it turns out, isn’t for everyone. | Image credit: Activision

Fast forward to today, and a blog post on the official Call of Duty website has gone live. A community post, speaking to you: the community. Call of Duty has pulled up a chair, spun it backwards, and is sitting on it all cool-like. The opening paragraph reads: “We know there’s been a lot of conversation recently about the identity of Call of Duty. Some of you have said we’ve drifted from what made Call of Duty unique in the first place: immersive, intense, visceral and in many ways grounded. That feedback hits home, and we take it seriously. We hear you.”

Hey sport, hey champ. Come here pal, buddy, buster. We hear yo- hey! We here at Call of Duty hear you. That’s why weapon and operator skins from Black Ops 6 won’t be carrying over to Black Ops 7. A clean slate, a lesson learned thanks to your passion around Call of Duty. They will still be usable in Warzone though, obviously. That’s the metaverse experiment that’s been rolling for years, but our new AAA game coming soon Black Ops 7? We’re changing it just for you.

It is my belief that this wouldn’t have happened without Battlefield 6 walking in and sucking up a lot of oxygen. Why would it, with Call of Duty Black Ops 6 nearing the end of its lifecycle one of the reasons buying those cosmetics was still a good move is because you knew they would cross over to the next game. Now, they won’t, because the sentiment has put Call of Duty on the back foot here. A decision made to please the fans at the cost of some cash, sparked by competition.

This is why, even if you’ve never really vibed with Battlefield games, it’s a good thing that Battlefield is back and garnering a healthy amount of hype. It pushes other games in its vicinity to do better, and when that happens, all of us benefit from it. Competition in the world of video games will always be a good thing.



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GameFi Guides

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Criticizes France Over ‘Absurd’ 2024 Arrest

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In brief

  • Durov has called his August 2024 arrest “legally and logically absurd,” claiming French police detained him over crimes by users he’d never heard of.
  • The Telegram CEO must report to French authorities every 14 days despite ongoing investigation finding no wrongdoing by him or his platform.
  • Durov remains under judicial supervision in France, required to report every two weeks, with no appeal date yet set.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov called his arrest by French police “legally and logically absurd” on Sunday, exactly one year after being detained for four days over alleged criminal activity on his messaging platform.

In an X thread posted one year after his arrest at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, the 40-year-old tech mogul revealed he must still return to France every 14 days with “no appeal date in sight.” 

Since his release on €5 million (US$5.8 million) bail, Durov has been permitted to travel briefly to Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, but remains under judicial supervision. 



Durov was initially detained on charges related to alleged criminal activity on his messaging platform, which prosecutors claimed he failed to moderate adequately.

“So far, the only outcome of my arrest has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country,” he tweeted Sunday.

“This legal action against a platform’s CEO over user actions highlights a fundamental tension between legacy legal frameworks and the core Web3 principle of individual sovereignty,” HashKey Group chief analyst Jeffrey Ding told Decrypt. 

The case prompts a “broader, global discussion” on the balance between innovation and “regulatory oversight” in the digital ecosystem, he said.

Durov’s arrest immediately impacted crypto markets, causing Toncoin (TON), the native token of The Open Network blockchain, closely affiliated with Telegram, to plummet as news broke. 

French authorities detained Durov on charges including complicity in distributing child pornography, narcotics sales, and organized fraud, saying Telegram’s encryption tools were being used without proper government authorization. 

The National Anti-Fraud Office accused the platform of refusing to cooperate with law enforcement requests and failing to moderate criminal content.

Durov’s detention drew condemnation from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and ex-NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, compelling President Emmanuel Macron to defend France’s record on free expression.

However, Durov pushed back against these accusations, claiming the French police had made procedural errors that revealed their own incompetence, and “they could have learned the correct procedure simply by googling it or asking.”

The tech executive said Telegram was easy to reach, saying they have “always responded to every legally binding request from France.”

He added that his platform’s “moderation practices align with industry standards,” declaring “we’ll keep fighting—and we will win.”

Kadan Stadelmann, CTO at Komodo Platform, told Decrypt that “governments in Europe are waging an assault on privacy by coercing compliance from platforms that offer users encryption and user autonomy.” 

He noted that “Russia and Iran banned Telegram for not handing over surveillance keys,” pointing to a pattern where “governments want to scare developers out of developing encrypted technology that undermines their centralized control.”

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Telegram founder Pavel Durov slams French case as 'absurd'
GameFi Guides

Telegram founder Pavel Durov slams French case as ‘absurd’

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Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, criticized French authorities on Sunday, Aug. 24, over what he described as a baseless criminal investigation that has left him tied up in legal proceedings for more than a year.

Durov, who was granted temporary permission to leave the country for Dubai in March, faces multiple charges linked to allegations that Telegram enabled organized crime. In a statement posted Sunday, he argued that holding a CEO accountable for the actions of users on a global messaging platform sets a dangerous precedent.

“Arresting a CEO of a major platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was legally and logically absurd,” Durov said.

According to Durov, French police made “a mistake” by failing to follow proper legal channels before August 2024 when submitting requests for user data. He said the company has consistently responded to every legally binding request and maintains moderation practices in line with industry standards.

Durov said he is still required to return to France every 14 days, with no appeal date set.

“Sadly, the only outcome of my arrest so far has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country,” he said.

The case against Durov highlights the growing tension between law enforcement and tech platforms over responsibility for online content, particularly as governments worldwide intensify their scrutiny of social media and messaging services.

This isn’t the first time Durov has criticized French authorities.

In September, he responded to his legal troubles in France by criticizing authorities for bypassing official EU channels and questioning him directly. He called holding a CEO liable for user crimes a “misguided approach,” especially under outdated laws.

Durov defended Telegram’s moderation efforts, noting its daily removal of harmful content and cooperation with NGOs, while reaffirming his commitment to the platform’s nearly one billion users.

As the case continues, questions remain over whether the legal battles will affect Telegram’s operations or the value of its crypto initiatives.

How TON powers Telegram’s blockchain vision

Toncoin (TON), the digital token linked to Telegram’s Telegram Open Network (TON), is currently down 6.4% over the last seven days. See the chart below.

Source: CoinGecko

The TON token, currently valued at $3.30, is down 60% from its all-time high of $8.25. Still, the coin is considered an integral part of Telegram’s blockchain initiatives.

Originally created by Telegram and now maintained by the TON Foundation, the token is designed to share, as Durov once put it, “the principles of decentralization pioneered by Bitcoin and Ethereum, but… vastly superior to them in speed and scalability.”

At its core, TON powers peer-to-peer payments. Users can transfer funds quickly and at minimal cost, a feature that dovetails with the platform’s push to integrate TON directly into its messaging app. Within chats, users can already send the token to friends, tip creators, or pay for services, highlighting Telegram’s role as a ready-made distribution channel for crypto adoption.

Beyond payments, it also secures the proof-of-stake network through validator staking, supports DeFi apps, NFT marketplaces, and games, and powers services like TON DNS and decentralized storage.

Telegram’s user base is roughly 1 billion monthly active users as of July 2025.



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Product Reviews

Abxylute will sell an absurd 3D handheld from Intel and Tencent Games for “under $1,700”

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As the handheld PC boom has taken off, companies have tried to push the boundaries of the Steam Deck form factor Valve helped popularize. Lenovo tried detachable controllers. Acer is trying an 11-inch screen. And Abxylute is apparently combining them both (and then some) into the Abxylute 3D One, which The Verge reports features an 11-inch, glasses-free 3D display and detachable controllers, all for “under $1,700.”

The Abxylute 3D One is based on a hardware prototype co-developed by Intel and Tencent that the companies demoed at CES 2025. The prototype, dubbed the “Sunday Dragon 3D One,” featured a display that used eye-tracking to achieve its 3D effect. The version Abxylute is selling seems to be offering more or less the same features, with an Intel Lunar Lake chip, 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, an 120Hz display and a built-in kickstand.

The Abxylute 3D One’s controllers can detach like Joy-Cons, which leaves it looking like a chunky Surface Pro.

(Abxylute)

“Abxylute claims the product’s specifically optimized to deliver 3D for 50 of the top Steam games,” The Verge writes, though it can also be used for more than gaming if you’re desperate. The Abxylute 3D One will include software for converting 2D photos and video to 3D, and a detachable keyboard accessory complete with a trackpad.

No part of what Abxylute is offering here seems particularly practical, but if you like 3D and are into the company’s maximalist approach, you could be getting a deal. Acer’s 11-inch handheld, the Acer Nitro Blaze 11, starts at $1,100. A 3D laptop like the ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 starts at $2,000. The Abxylute 3D One could approximate the features of both for a fairly reasonable price in the middle.

That might not make up for the fact that it seems too heavy to hold for more than 30 minutes at a time, but you can put that to the test yourself when the Abxylute 3D One goes on sale in “late September or early October.”



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