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Street Fighter 6 director shares surprise at Capcom’s controversial decision to charge pay-per-view for its esports finals

by admin October 3, 2025

Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama has shared his surprise at Capcom’s decision to charge for the game’s upcoming esports tournament finals and has apologised “for any concern this may have caused”.

At last week’s Tokyo Game Show, Capcom revealed the finals for its Tokyo-based Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League 2025 World Championship would be viewable globally online only via a pay-per-view model, when usually fans can watch for free across YouTube and Twitch.

The finals for both the Capcom Cup 12 Finals and SFL World Championship will cost ¥4,000 each (around £20), or a bundle of both is available for ¥6,000 (around £30). The earlier qualifying rounds remain free.

Street Fighter 6 – C. Viper Gameplay TrailerWatch on YouTube

The prices are comparable to being in the venue in-person, though prices range from ¥2,000 (£10) to ¥20,000 (£100) for SSS box seats.

The decision has been met by considerable backlash, but now the game’s director has responded on social media.

A fan asked Nakayama if it was strange that Capcom’s esports division and the Street Fighter 6 development team seem so disconnected.

“It may sound strange, but it’s true,” he said. “Revenue targets and assigned tasks differ fundamentally by department.”

He continued: “Even the development team was surprised by this announcement (At least Matsumoto and I were shocked at the venue). That said, since this matter occurred within the same company, we are currently discussing it. We apologise for any concern this may have caused.”

It may sound strange, but it’s true. Revenue targets and assigned tasks differ fundamentally by department. Even the development team was surprised by this announcement（At least Matsumoto and I were shocked at the venue）That said, since this matter occurred within the same…

— TAKA-nakayama (@takaNakayama) October 2, 2025

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In a later response, Nakayama joked: “If I get scolded at work, I will delete the above comment.” Fans certainly appreciated his transparency, at least.

In response to Capcom’s announcement, one user asked: “Isn’t the whole point of Capcom Cup, CPT, and the prize pool supposed to be, y’know… marketing for the game? Why would you PPV gate that?”

The countdown begins. Tickets for #CAPCOMCUP12 drop soon on Oct. 10!

Starting this season, CAPCOM CUP 12 Finals (Mar.14) and SFL: World Championship (Mar. 15) will stream live via Pay-per-view. Free replays will drop Mar. 21 (CC12) & Mar. 22 (SFL:WC). *Pay-per-view tickets will… pic.twitter.com/CrPI1EzXSq

— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) September 28, 2025

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Another noted the Street Fighter League Japanese Finals last year were also pay-per-view, adding “Unfortunately the rest of the world does not have japans culture. This will be the biggest pr nightmare for your brand. Good luck with that.”

The combined event will take place next year, collectively from 11th – 15th March.

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

XRP, DOGE Zoom Higher as U.S. Shutdowns, Japan Bond Slowdown Charge Bitcoin Appetite

by admin October 2, 2025

A U.S. government shutdown and fresh stress in Japan’s bond market failed to derail digital assets this week, as traders positioned for looser global liquidity conditions.

With Friday’s U.S. payrolls report potentially delayed and Japanese yields climbing to their highest levels since 2008, crypto markets are showing signs of decoupling from broader macro caution.

The setup has fueled expectations that policymakers may eventually be forced to ease financial conditions, creating a friendlier backdrop for risk-taking.

“The U.S. government shutdown and weak employment numbers from ADP have impacted markets this past week. Traders believe that these catalysts could be making a case for the Fed to further stimulate the economy and cut rates through the rest of the year, which could boost stocks and cryptocurrencies,” said Jeff Mei, COO at BTSE, in a Telegram note to CoinDesk.

Shutdowns that delay data and weaken fiscal visibility often encourage central banks to act more cautiously, while rising yields in Japan hint at policy shifts that could ripple through global funding markets.

For crypto, these dynamics translate into speculation over fresh inflows and renewed appetite for volatility.

Bitcoin traded near $118,700, gaining more than 3% in the past 24 hours, while ether rose 5.6% to $4,374. Solana added nearly 7% to reach $223, and dogecoin surged almost 9% to $0.25, extending its outperformance among majors.

XRP steadied at $2.97 after volatile swings around the $3.00 level earlier this week. The broad rally lifted the market capitalization of all digital assets to over $2.37 trillion, per CoinMarketCap data.

Meanwhile, volatility metrics also reinforce the picture of steadier markets.

“The major theme this quarter is with lower implied volatilities, evident across equities, rates, FX, and even BTC. This has been driven by a collapse in realized volatilities thanks to an accommodative Fed, stabilizing global GDP, lack of significant tariff-passthroughs on CPI readings, and a flattening of geopolitics and tariff surprises,” said Augustine Fan, Head of Insights at SignalPlus, said in an email.

With bitcoin consolidating just under $119,000 and dogecoin pushing higher, the coming weeks may show whether flows can sustain momentum or whether renewed pressure from Washington and Tokyo will test crypto’s bid for decoupling.

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October 2, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

JBL Charge 6 review: a beefier Bluetooth speaker that’s excellent value

by admin October 1, 2025

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JBL Charge 6: Two-minute review

The JBL Charge 6 portable wireless speaker isn’t as closely related to the outgoing JBL Charge 5 as it might first appear. Oh, in physical terms they’re closely related – but the Charge 6 adds some nice new specification upgrades, as well as a very useful carry handle, in an effort to maintain the Charge’s position as the pre-eminent mid-priced option among the best Bluetooth speakers.

So as well as 45 watts of power and an impressive frequency response of 54Hz – 20kHz, the JBL Charge 6 can be hard-wired via USB-C in order to deliver true hi-res audio. It will run for 24 hours from a single charge – longer if you don’t mind sacrificing some bass response – and can act as a charger for your smartphone.

Two JBL Charge 6 units can form a stereo pair, and it can connect to any Auracast-enabled speakers for as numerous a speaker system as you fancy. An IP68 rating and a predictably robust standard of build and finish means it is happy in pretty much any environment.

And in action, the Charge 6 is a deft and assertive listen with a whole lot of positives about the way it deals with your audio files. Over Bluetooth, it’s punchy and detailed in equal measure, with a nice tonal balance and fairly even frequency response. Up the ante with some hi-res stuff via USB-C and it gains additional dynamism, insight and rhythmic positivity.

Really, only lowering volume to ‘background’ levels can upset it – quite a lot of its direct and expansive nature goes astray when you try to listen quietly. This thing is made for fun.

So yes, ‘Charge 6’ turns out to be a little more than just ‘Charge 5 +1’, and it’s as good as speakers this size, at this price, get right now.

JBL Charge 6 (Black) at Amazon for $199.95

JBL Charge 6 review: Price and release date

Released in April 2025
Officially priced at $149 / £129 / AU$229.95

The JBL Charge 6 is on sale now, and in US you can find it for $159, in the the United Kingdom it sells for £169 (unless you decide you fancy the rather lively purple or red finishes, which for some reason are £5 less expensive), while in Australia it goes for AU$229.

That’s a similar price to the JBL Charge 5 at its launch, though the older model can now be found in the $120-$140 region regularly, or is £119 in the UK at the time of writing.

The Charge 6 is a good price for this kind of speaker – for example, it’s priced similarly to the Sonos Roam 2, which is much smaller and less powerful than this, but the JBL doesn’t have the multi-room Wi-Fi skills of the Sonos.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Charge 6 review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Weight:

1.37kg

Dimensions:

229 (W) x 99 (H) x 94 (D) mm

Battery life (quoted):

Up to 24 hours (28 with boost mode)

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC and AAC codecs

Drivers:

53 x 93 mm mid/bass ‘racetrack’ driver, 20mm tweeter

Aux-in:

No (USB-C audio passthrough)

Charger port:

USB-C

Microphone:

Waterproof rating:

IP68

JBL Charge 6 review: Features

45 watts of power
54Hz – 20kHz frequency response
24 hours of battery normally, can be boosted to 28 hours

When it comes to a wireless connection, the Charge 6 uses Bluetooth 5.4 (good) and is compatible with SBC and AAC codecs (less good, but normal).

Unlike a lot of nominal rivals, though, the JBL has a USB-C slot that can be used for data transfer as well as for charging its battery, meaning that if you connect it to an appropriate source, hi-res audio of up to 24bit/96kHz can be yours (very good indeed).

The battery itself will run for around 24 hours (as long as you’re not absolutely blasting the volume), and if you switch ‘playtime boost’ on, that number rises to 28 hours in exchange for a rather obvious curtailing of low-frequency presence.

This is basically as long as battery life gets for portable speakers – certainly for speakers that are actually easy to carry around.

The JBL will even act as a power bank, so you can connect your phone to the USB-C port to charge it if push comes to shove – but this will, of course, eat into the Charge 6’s own battery life. From ‘flat’ to ‘full’, by the way, takes a fairly leisurely three hours.

No matter how the audio information makes it onboard, it’s attended to by 45 watts of Class D power driving a 20mm tweeter and a racetrack mid/bass driver. It’s basically the same speaker setup as the JBL Flip 7, but with bigger speakers in all cases and more power – lovely.

In conjunction with the passive radiator at each end, JBL claims this arrangement is good for a frequency response of 54Hz up to 20kHz.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Charge 6 review: Sound quality

Big and punchy (but also deft and detailed) sound
Capable of significant volume
Loses interest at lower levels

You might think you know what you’re getting, sound-wise, when you look at the Charge 6. And in some ways, you’d be right – give it a stream of Outkast’s The Way You Move and the JBL delivers it with scale and considerable substance. Its sound is big and weighty, and there’s plenty of drive and momentum to ensure the rhythm is expressed with real positivity.

But the Charge 6 is no blunt instrument. It retrieves and reveals plenty of detail, is more than capable of handling the transient or minor events in the recording, and is just as adept at describing the harmonic variations as it is the broad dynamic strokes of ‘quiet’ and ‘loud’. Sure, it’s an energetic and quite forceful listen – but it pays just as much attention to the light and shade of a recording as it does the attack.

Its frequency response is fairly even; there’s a slight skew to the bottom end, sure, but it’s nothing fatal. And its tonal balance is equally well-judged, so there’s crisp presence at the top end to balance the punchy lower frequencies – and in the midrange, the JBL makes the character and technique of a vocalist pretty apparent.

Switch to a 24-bit/96kHz FLAC file of The Past is a Grotesque Animal by of Montreal, served to the Charge 6 via USB-C, and the entire presentation steps on. The soundstage opens up yet further, detail levels enjoy a big uptick, and the amount of space available to each element of the recording makes for greater overall scale.

Dynamic headroom increases, the unity of the frequency range is made more apparent, and the control of low-frequency activity makes for a rhythmically positive and articulate sound.

It’s worth noting that many of these uncomplicatedly enjoyable aspects of music-making are rather diminished should you decide to listen to the Charge 6 at volumes levels of ‘modest’ or below.

The JBL is not especially tolerant of being treated as a ‘background listening’ device, and a fair amount of its directness and assertiveness deserts it in the circumstance. No one puts Baby in the corner, so it seems…

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Charge 6 review: Design

IP68-rated for dust and waterproofing
Seven finishes, and useful carry handle
Reasonably compact at 229 x 99 x 94mm

In broad terms, it’s JBL Charge business as usual here. The speaker is almost cylindrical, with a flattened area on the bottom for it to rest on. Each end of the almost-cylinder features some sturdy rubberization to protect the passive radiator (and its rather alarming ‘!’ branding) at each end.

A few physical controls are arranged across the top, at the rear there’s a USB-C slot, and the entire thing is wrapped in hardwearing fabric.

Changes in design over the outgoing Charge 5 are very few – but they’re all significant. Those rubber end caps are now even more robust than before. The material that covers almost the entire speaker is now 100% recycled material. The controls are in two rows for even greater ease of operation.

The IP rating has risen from a very acceptable IP67 to IP68 – which indicates the Charge 6 is virtually impregnable. And there’s now a flexible, branded carry-handle that fits to the top of the speaker and means it’s more easily portable than before.

A choice of seven different finishes runs from a business-like black to a camo number JBL calls ‘squad’. No matter the color you choose, though, you’ll be in possession of a carefully designed and beautifully built portable speaker.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Charge 6 review: Usability and setup

JBL ‘Portable’ control app
A few physical controls
Auracast and stereo pairing

The two rows of physical controls on the Charge 6 cover volume up/down, play/pause, power on/off, Bluetooth pairing and Auracast pairing – as long as the other speakers in your prospective group are Auracast-enabled, there’s no practical limit to the number of speakers you can join together or the amount of space you can cover.

Each of the controls is reliable, and very positive in its action – and the ability to pair two Bluetooth devices at a time is very welcome too.

The company’s ‘Portable’ control app is a useful little number too. Here’s where you can form a stereo pair with another Charge 6, check out a number of EQ presets or establish some of your own, check on battery life, and turn on ‘playtime boost’.

It’s a clean and stable app that’s a cut above the sort of thing some rival portable speakers are accompanied by.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Charge 6 review: Value

If you want it for background listening, look elsewhere for your Bluetooth speaker, and spend less money while you’re at it – the five-star JBL Flip 7 would work nicely.

But if you decide to let it do its thing, the JBL Charge 6 has more than enough sonic talent to justify its asking price – and the fact that it’s so well made, so hardy and so very usefully specified only seals the deal.

Should I buy the JBL Charge 6?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyJBL Charge 6

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Can’t fault the battery life, USB-C connectivity, or Auracast option – higher-res wireless would be nice, though

4.5/5

Sound quality

Powerful, well-balanced and more detailed than you expect – especially in its USB-C mode

4.5/5

Design

Tougher than ever, made from more recycled material, and with a useful handle

5/5

Usability and setup

Very easy, with just the right amount of controls on the device, and a good app

5/5

Value

Reliable, long-lasting, great-sound – feels like a superb option for the price

5/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

JBL Charge 6 review: Also consider

How I tested the JBL Charge 6

(Image credit: Future)

Tested for over a week
Tested in a variety of real-world locations
Connected wireless and wired, with a variety of file types

I connect the JBL Charge 6 via Bluetooth to an Apple iPhone 14 Pro, an Apple MacBook Pro and a FiiO JM21 digital audio player.

I also connected it to the laptop via USB-C, where the Colibri software on the machine allowed the Charge 6 to play authentically hi-res content.

I listened indoors and outdoors, at a variety of volume levels and to a variety of types of music. And I did all this for well over a working week (and sometimes at the weekend too).

Feds Charge Brothers in Alleged $8 Million Crypto Kidnapping of Minnesota Family

by admin September 26, 2025

In brief

Two brothers have been charged with kidnapping after allegedly holding a family hostage in a plot to steal $8 million in crypto.
The brothers allegedly forced their way into the family’s home at gun point.
The local school district canceled a homecoming football game as police searched for the brothers.

U.S. federal prosecutors in Minnesota charged two Texas brothers with violently kidnapping a Minnesota family and stealing $8 million in crypto, according to a filing on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The U.S. Attorney Office, Minnesota district accused Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24 of using an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun to force their way into the family’s Grant, Minnesota home, where they bound a man, his wife and their son, and held them hostage until he transferred the amount to their digital wallets. The DOJ did not reveal which digital coins specifically were stolen.

The ordeal led to the cancellation of a homecoming football game. Grant is in the Eastern part of the state about 45 minutes from Minneapolis.

“A violent kidnapping that stole $8 million and silenced a homecoming game is not just a crime. It is a blow to the sense of safety of everyone in Minnesota,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said.

He added: “This is not normal. Minnesotans should not accept wild violence and thievery as normal. Every Minnesotan deserves to live in peace and a life unaffected by rampant crime.”

Mahtomedi High School canceled its September 22 game against Bloomington Kennedy for the “safety of its community,” as police searched for the alleged kidnappers.

Investigators allege that the Garcia brothers restrained the family for nine hours starting on September 19. At one point, Isiah Garcia forced the father at gunpoint to drive three hours away to a family cabin to access a portion of the crypto holdings, while Angelo remained with the wife and son.

According to the DOJ report, the son managed to call 911 when Angelo left the home. Police arrived to witness the son and mother still zip-tied and Angelo fleeing the home. They later found a suitcase that held a disassembled rifle, ammunition, clothing and beverages.

Investigators tracked a rented Chevrolet white Malibu to the brothers’ home in Waller, Texas, where they were arrested. Isiah Garcia has confessed to the kidnapping, according to the DOJ report.

The DOJ charged them with kidnapping. The defendants made their initial appearances in federal court on Thursday.

The brothers also face three counts of kidnapping with a firearm, one count of first-degree aggravated robbery, and three counts of first-degree burglary, according to a complaint in Washington County, Minnesota.

Crypto-fueled kidnappings—dubbed “wrench attacks”—are on the rise worldwide. In France, a total of 25 suspects were arrested this year after a series of crypto-driven attacks and kidnapping attempts, including the failed abduction of the pregnant daughter of Pierre Noizat, co-founder and CEO of French crypto exchange Paymium.

And Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife were kidnapped in France and held for ransom back in January, with Balland’s finger reportedly cut off and sent to associates. Police liberated the couple after about 24 hours of captivity.

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September 26, 2025 0 comments

Anker Magsafe Charger Compatible, Maggo 3 In 1 Charging Station

Game Reviews

Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station Hits All-Time Low, Charge AirPods Pro 3, iPhone 17, and Apple Watches at Once

by admin September 23, 2025

Nobody should have to decide which one of their devices gets the fast charger while the other ones get the slow version, or none at all. You carry your smartphone and earbuds and wear your smartwatch at the same time, so you should be able to fast-charge them the same way.

That’s what Anker’s MagGo 3-in-1 charging station does for your Apple devices, including the brand-new iPhone 17, Apple Watch 11, SE 3, and Ultra, and AirPods 4 and Pro 3. They all get 15W charging power, and your desk or nightstand get a clean, organized look with just one cable for 3 devices. Speaking of cleaning up, that’s what you’ll be doing with this limited-time Amazon sale that cuts the price of the MagGo 3-in-1 charging station by 30%, down to just $63.

See at Amazon

Apple Certified

The Anker MagGo 3-in-1 charging station is one of the rare chargers that’s officially certified by Apple as a fast charger for the Apple Watch. It’s powerful and fast enough to bring an Apple Watch Series 10 from 0 to a full charge in just an hour and 13 minutes — over 2 hours less than other wireless chargers. (It’s not compatible with Samsung or other non-Apple smartwatches.)

That amazing speed also applies to your MagSafe-compatible iPhone — watch your iPhone 16 Pro Max go from totally dead to 20% in just 20 minutes, a task which takes a 7.5W wireless charger over twice as long. And the Qi pad at the rear of the stand is a perfect fit for your AirPods wireless charging case, with a non-slip surface to prevent you (or your cat) from knocking them off in the middle of the night.

Nightstand Upgrade

The MagGo is a charging stand, so let’s not lose sight of that feature. Your iPhone charges with equal speed in portrait or landscape position, and the powerful MagSafe grip holds the phone in place and allows you to tilt it back vertically by as much as 45 degrees. That’s perfect if you want to watch a video or take a FaceTime call at your desk hands-free while your phone charges, and on your nightstand, your iPhone can be placed in StandBy mode and act as your bedside clock, all while receiving an optimal charge.

Anker’s rep for top-of-the-line charging device is well established, especially for the Apple ecosystem. This one’s not going to damage that rep one bit — the MagGo 3-in-1 fast charger earned an Amazon’s Choice tag, and this 30% limited-time deal makes it a $63 steal that will keep your devices charged and your desk or nightstand organized.

See at Amazon

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ethereum ETFs Register $557 Million Inflows As BlackRock Leads the Charge

by admin September 21, 2025

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

According to data from SoSoValue, the Ethereum spot ETFs saw another strong week of bullish trading activity in the third week of September, recording $556.92 million in net inflows. While the figure is slightly below the $637.79 million inflows registered during the second week, the performance underscores sustained investor appetite for Ethereum exposure through regulated institutional vehicles.

Despite the rocky start to the month, marked by $787.74 million in net outflows during the first week of September, Ethereum ETFs have now swung back into positive territory, with a cumulative September net deposit of $406.97 million.

BlackRock Dominates ETF Flows Again

In analyzing the Ethereum ETFs’ performance for the last week, BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) continues to establish itself as the dominant player, after recording an impressive $513.01 million in net inflows, i.e, more than 92% of total ETH ETF inflows. With this momentum, BlackRock’s ETHA now holds $13.40 billion in cumulative inflows and $17.09 billion in net assets under management (AUM), reinforcing its position as the clear market leader.

In usual fashion, other funds lagged well behind in comparison. Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) posted a distant second with $17.99 million in net inflows, followed by Fidelity’s FETH with $15.18 million. Other ETFs with significant traction included Grayscale’s legacy ETHE trust, which added $13.60 million, and Bitwise’s ETHW, which attracted $7.52 million.

However, not all funds shared in the positive momentum as VanEck’s ETHV lost $8.16 million while Invesco’s QETH saw a minor $1.73 million in outflows, highlighting uneven performance across the sector. Taken together, all Ethereum ETFs now report $29.64 billion in total net assets, supported by $13.29 billion in cumulative inflows.

The latest numbers demonstrate that despite volatility in ETH spot prices and mixed performance among smaller ETFs, overall institutional demand for Ethereum remains robust. With BlackRock’s ETHA capturing the lion’s share of flows, its performance will likely remain a bellwether for the sector. If sustained, these inflows would continue to position Ethereum ETFs as a central driver of Ethereum’s institutional adoption heading into 2026.

Related Reading: Stocks Over Spot: The Case For Buying Bitcoin Treasury Companies Instead Of BTC

Bitcoin ETFs Record $887 Million

Meanwhile, Bitcoin ETFs also saw remarkable momentum in the third week of September, recording $886.65 million in net inflows, to push the monthly total to $3.48 billion. Similar to its Ethereum ETF counterpart, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) dominated the market once again, leading with $866.84 million in aggregate inflows.

At the time of writing, total net assets across all Bitcoin ETFs now stand at $152.31 billion, representing 6.63% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization. Meanwhile, cumulative inflows have reached $57.72 billion.

ETH trading at $4,477 on the daily chart | Source: ETHUSDT chart on Tradingview.com

Featured image from IQ.Wiki, chart from Tradingview

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September 21, 2025 0 comments

Hollow Knight Silksong will be supported with extra content for years to come

Game Updates

Hollow Knight: Silksong is reportedly already about a third of the way to the original’s total sales, with Steam leading the charge

by admin September 17, 2025

Hollow Knight: Silksong has sold 3.2m copies on Steam alone since its release, according to analyst estimations.

Ahead of its release, Silksong was the most wishlisted game on the platform with 4.8m wishlists. It seems the majority of these have converted into full sales. That’s all led to large numbers of concurrent players – Silksong reached a concurrent player peak of over 587k two days after release, making it the 17th most played game on Steam.

These sales are according to analysis from GameDiscover in its latest newsletter, which adds Silksong has sold around 500k copies each on PlayStation and Switch (both consoles), as well as reaching 1.5m downloads on Xbox Game Pass.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Review – Beautiful, Thrilling And CruelWatch on YouTube

Of course, part of that success is down to the popularity of the original Hollow Knight. According to GameDiscover’s data, there’s a 78.78 percent overlap in audience between the two games, with 22 percent of all Hollow Knight players on Steam buying the sequel.

The original game sold 15m copies, with sales skyrocketing due to extended hype around Silksong.

Another part of that success is the game’s price – it came in cheaper than many expected, causing debate across the industry around the appropriate cost of indie games.

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September 17, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Pierce Clarkson arrested on felony charge, suspended by UCLA

by admin September 8, 2025

UCLA backup quarterback Pierce Clarkson was arrested on an unspecified felony charge Friday, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records.

Clarkson has been suspended from the team indefinitely “pending the outcome of the legal process,” UCLA said in a statement.

“This situation will be evaluated by the UCLA Office of Student Conduct and any further action taken will be in accordance with that evaluation and University policy,” the school said.

Clarkson, 21, was arrested at noon Friday by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Southwest Division. Bail was set at $30,000. His first court date is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Clarkson, the son of prominent quarterback trainer Steve Clarkson, has yet to play a down for the Bruins, who are 0-2 after losing to Utah and UNLV. Nico Iamaleava has started both games.

Clarkson spent two seasons at Louisville, attempting six passes for 18 yards and rushing five times for 9 yards. Following a short-lived transfer to Ole Miss in January, he committed to UCLA in May.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Hollow Knight: Silksong won’t cost nearly as much as they could probably charge for it

by admin September 2, 2025

Team Cherry have confirmed release times and price points for Hollow Knight: Silksong. It’ll cost $19.99, €19.99 and ¥2300 at launch on Thursday 4th September, with pricing for other regions such as the UK to follow. As an indication, the above pricepoints equate to around £17, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they charged £19.99 for it, purely for the sake of symmetry.

It’s traditional among games journalists to illustrate pricepoints in terms of high street chain cups of coffee. But this is Silksong, a game anticipated as fervently as the ancient Mayans once anticipated the coming of an eclipse, so I will resort to more ornate means of comparison: Silksong will cost you 4200000th as much as a B-52 Stratofortress. It will cost you three-sixteenths of your soul on a rainy Friday, or two-sixteenths if the sun is out. It will cost you considerably less than they could probably charge for it. I’m not saying we should be grateful, mind, but we can breathe a sigh of a relief that this isn’t being published by EA, Take-Two or Microsoft.

The game will launch on 7am PT, 10am ET, 3pm BST, and 4pm CEST this Thursday. This means that North American players can take the whole day off so as to rise and shove their gloating faces into Hornet’s adventure, very first thing. You won’t even have to shower first, you bastards. Seething Brits and Europeans must twiddle their thumbs in apoplexy till mid-afternoon, while the poor, sleepless Japanese seemingly won’t get access till 11pm Tokyo time, if I’m converting the timezones correctly.

James was recently able to actually play Silksong at Gamescom, finding it both enjoyable and familiar. “The upside of playing it safe is that absolutely nothing has compromised what made the first game’s action a tactile pleasure: its abnormally fine-tuned controls and pin-sharp audio/visual feedback on hits and jumps,” James wrote.

We had a bit of a ride with the original Hollow Knight. Back in 2017, John Walker (RPS in peace) recommended that people play Ori and the Blind Forest instead. This caused quite the hullabaloo over the subsequent eight years. My sage and considered verdict in hindsight is that they’re both mid and you should play Animal Well. Here’s to another eight years!

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Creator of Stardew Valley doesn’t charge for collabs with other games, does it to please players

by admin August 22, 2025

The creator of Stardew Valley – Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone – has revealed he’s never made any money directly from in-game crossovers. Instead, Barone agreed to implement these updates because he’s a fan of the games, or thought players would like them.

Barone shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) soon after the announcement of a crossover event with Infinity Nikki, in which a Junimo can be seen landing in Infinity Nikki. This makes sense, Junimo’s being adorable little spirits that fit quite well within the cute aesthetic of Infinity Nikki, but the collaboration was met with surprise and criticism from some Stardew players.

Stardew Valley crossovers are quite rare! Back in 2022 there was a Terraria crossover, and relatively recently Stardew Valley made an appearance in Balatro. But aside from that, the farming simulator has been happy staying in its own lane.

Check out the crossover trailer for Infinity Nikki x Stardew Valley here!Watch on YouTube

In response to Concerned Ape’s post on the matter, the official Infinity Nikki account shared the team’s view of working on this collaboration. It reads: “We really appreciate you sharing your feelings on this. Any unintended stress was the last thing we wanted. It was our way of saying thanks – a free love letter to Stardew Valley from our team and for the community. Working on it felt like we were all tending a little farm together. The care and detail you pour into your world is exactly why we want to make cosy games too. We’re still learning from you every day.”

Should Barone be making some money off these crossovers? Probably, yeah. Though it is his choice ultimately whether he wants to financially benefit off such endeavors. It’s not as though Stardew Valley has been hurting for sales after all. As of December 2024 it has sold over 41m copies. I should hope Barone isn’t too concerned about the money.

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August 22, 2025 0 comments