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controversial

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

Epic pulls controversial Peacemaker dance emote from Fortnite following big twist in the TV show's latest episode

Game Updates

Epic confirms “no creative intentions” connecting controversial Fortnite emote with Peacemaker TV show

by admin October 3, 2025

Epic is modifying a Peacemaker emote that was removed from Fortnite earlier this week due to its inclusion of controversial dance moves.

The removal came after the TV show’s most recent episode included a major twist. While the emote was added earlier in September, in retrospect the dance moves clearly imitate a swastika.

What made this more remarkable is that Warner Bros. and Epic agreed on the collaboration before the episode aired, but the Fortnite-maker seemingly wasn’t forewarned of the show’s twist.

KPop Demon Hunters Takes Over FortniteWatch on YouTube

In a new statement on social media, Epic has confirmed there were “no creative intentions” in linking the Peaceful Hips Emote to the storyline of the show.

However, it’s modifying the dance in next week’s update, though players are able to get a refund if preferred.

The statement in full reads: “We’ve worked closely with our partners at Warner Bros. Games to confirm there were no creative intentions to connect the Peaceful Hips Emote and the current Peacemaker storyline. To avoid any confusion, we’re modifying the Emote choreography in next week’s update. If they prefer, players can return the Emote without using a ticket.”

We’ve worked closely with our partners at Warner Bros. Games to confirm there were no creative intentions to connect the Peaceful Hips Emote and the current Peacemaker storyline. To avoid any confusion, we’re modifying the Emote choreography in next week’s update. If they prefer,…

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) October 1, 2025

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Presumably, then, this won’t impact future collaborations between the two companies.

Yesterday, Epic announced its latest collaboration is with the popular Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, with game modes and character skins included. Sounds golden!

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Epic pulls controversial Peacemaker dance emote from Fortnite following big twist in the TV show’s latest episode

by admin September 29, 2025

Epic has pulled a Peacemaker dance emote from battle royale Fortnite, after the latest episode of the TV show proves just how controversial that dance is.

Spoiler warning for Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6

The Peaceful Hips emote was added to Fortnite earlier this month, which features John Cena’s character hip-thrusting and holding his arms in rigid 90 degree angles.

Now, though, it’s been removed, with refunds likely to be issued in the next few days. “We’re disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote,” reads a social post from Fortnite. “Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks.”

We’re disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote. Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks.

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) September 28, 2025

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Why so controversial? Well it turns out, as revealed in the latest episode, Peacemaker has been living in an alternate dimension where Nazis won World War 2 and the American flag’s stars have been swapped for swastika.

And looking at the dance emote in retrospect, yeah, it’s pretty obviously imitating swastika.

Peacemaker’s dance emote from Fortnite has been disabled.

“As we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote. Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days.” pic.twitter.com/hwHqOiid1o

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 28, 2025

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What’s most remarkable about this is that Warner Bros. agreed on the collaboration with Epic, but seemingly didn’t forewarn them of the emote’s true meaning. Perhaps they were worried about spoilers leaking ahead of the episode airing last week.

Peacemaker writer and director James Gunn posted earlier this month about Peacemaker’s inclusion in Fortnite, adding “check out his bundle, complete with Peacemaker’s best friend Eagly and a peace-spreading, hip-swaying emote or two ;)” – that winky face is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

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Nobody wants nazi symbolism in their kid-friendly battle royale, but it’s not just the TV show’s viewers who have been duped by a big twist.

Could this impact any future collaborations between Epic and Warner Bros.? Eurogamer has contacted Epic to find out.

Leaks have suggested Sonic and Shadow will be headed to Fortnite in some form soon, though hopefully will prove less controversial.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Fortnite removes controversial Peacemaker emote while investigating “creative intentions”

by admin September 28, 2025

Epic Games has removed the Peacemaker Season 2 Peaceful Hips emote from Fortnite following controversy around its design.

Peacemaker, the DC series starring John Cena, first aired in 2022 with its over-the-top dance intro quickly becoming a signature part of the show. The sequence changes slightly across episodes and has been described by director James Gunn as a deliberate storytelling device that hints at characters and themes, with Season 1 even foreshadowing its villain through butterfly-like movements.

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) September 28, 2025

The collaboration between Peacemaker and Fortnite introduced cosmetics inspired by the series, including the Peaceful Hips emote. The dance was based on the Season 2 intro, where Cena waves his arms in exaggerated motions. However, some fans noticed that the arm shapes resembled half a swastika, which they speculated was another example of the show teasing its antagonist through choreography.

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Fortnite emote removed while under investigation

On September 28, the official Fortnite Status account confirmed the emote’s removal. “We’re disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote,” the statement read. “Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks.”

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PEACEMAKER DANCE IS DISABLED FROM FORTNITE

“We’re disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote. Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks.” pic.twitter.com/sdC3aAlmx0

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) September 28, 2025

While it has not been confirmed whether the swastika-like design was intentional or a coincidence, Epic is investigating the matter. Given that the show’s previous season used similar dance cues to foreshadow its villain, many fans believe the gesture was deliberate. If that’s the case, the emote is unlikely to ever return to Fortnite, with refunds already set to be processed for players who purchased it.

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If that’s the case, then Peacemaker’s emote will join the likes of Rue and the Washington “Redskins” outfits, which have been removed from Fortnite for being potentially offensive to others.

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September 28, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Did Michael Saylor Rebut a Controversial Bitcoin Proposal? It’s Complicated

by admin September 28, 2025

In brief

Strategy’s Michael Saylor appeared to endorse Bitcoin Knots on X on Wednesday.
The CEO of a prominent firm doubts that was Saylor’s intention.
Saylor has acknowledged the debate surrounding OP_RETURN elsewhere.

When Michael Saylor speaks, Bitcoiners often listen. But on Thursday, they couldn’t seem to agree on whether Strategy’s co-founder and executive chairman meant to weigh in on a controversial change to Bitcoin’s codebase that’s split the community in recent months.

On Wednesday, Saylor reposted a stylized video on X of him speaking on The Peter McCormack Show. The episode, which debuted over a year ago, showcased his thoughts on how changes to Bitcoin’s protocol could potentially lead to unintended and negative consequences.

The 10-minute clip that Saylor reposted included a call to action at the very end, which Saylor has never made publicly himself. The video prompted users to “Run Knots,” a form of software for Bitcoin node operators flouting changes set for its prevailing alternative.

Bitcoin Core currently accounts for 70% of machines that validate Bitcoin transactions, according to data from Clark Moody Bitcoin. And Bitcoin Core v30, which is scheduled to be released next month, is expected to modify how a so-called Bitcoin opcode can be used. Following months of debate, Bitcoin Core developers committed to the change in June.

Bitcoin opcodes are predefined functions that form the bedrock of Bitcoin’s codebase, and OP_RETURN allows people to store data in transactions. In Bitcoin Core v30, the amount of data that can be stored through OP_RETURN is set to increase to 100,000 bytes from 80 bytes.

Advocates argue that the shift will unlock more complex applications on Bitcoin, while making current workarounds obsolete. Critics argue that it could result in a more congested network, or even incentivize the storage of problematic or illegal content on Bitcoin’s network.

Bitcoin Knots’ supporters immediately portrayed Saylor’s social media activity as evidence of his support, but Saylor has yet to clarify his stance, and some doubt the message was intentional.

In some ways, the debate around OP_RETURN echoes controversy surrounding Ordinals. As the NFT-like assets gained (temporary) popularity in 2023, some cheered the development as innovative, while others argued that Bitcoin should stick to its monetary focus.

“If you believe the government should do the minimum to control your life, you [should] believe that the protocol should do the minimum,” Saylor said in the video that he reposted on Wednesday.

At a gathering of Bitcoin-buying firms in New York earlier this month, Saylor made comments echoing that conservative sentiment, according to a video posted on X by an account that goes by Señor 11s around a week ago.

“I think this debate we see right now over OP_RETURN limits, this is actually a second-order or maybe even a third-order change,” Saylor said. “But the reaction of the community, which is to reject it, an inflammatory reaction, I thought was a healthy response.”

To be sure, Saylor hasn’t publicly come out in favor of Bitcoin Core or Bitcoin knots. In 2023, Saylor told Decrypt that the discussion surrounding Ordinals was important because it could help miners be successful over the long term or bolster Bitcoin’s adoption.

On Wednesday, several accounts beckoned for clarification from Saylor on X, raising questions as to whether the influential CEO watched the clip he reposted to the end. The pro-Knots message is shown for exactly three seconds.

Decrypt has reached out to Strategy for comment.

The CEO of a prominent financial services firm, who requested anonymity to speak about the controversy, told Decrypt that he is certain Saylor would not have reposted the clip had he known that there was a pro-Knots message included at the end of the clip.

“He would never weigh in on something like that,” they said, arguing that Saylor is in a bind now because taking the post down would also make it look like he’s taking a side.

Even if Saylor reposted a pro-Knots message unintentionally, the individual said one thing seems certain: “The sides keep getting more and more vicious.”

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September 28, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

DeepSeek Model ‘Nearly 100% Successful’ at Avoiding Controversial Topics

by admin September 21, 2025

Meet the new DeepSeek, now with more government compliance. According to a report from Reuters, the popular large language model developed in China has a new version called DeepSeek-R1-Safe, specifically designed to avoid politically controversial topics. Developed by Chinese tech giant Huawei, the new model reportedly is “nearly 100% successful” in preventing discussion of politically sensitive matters.

According to the report, Huawei and researchers at Zhejiang University (interestingly, DeepSeek was not involved in the project) took the open-source DeepSeek R1 model and trained it using 1,000 Huawei Ascend AI chips to instill the model with less of a stomach for controversial conversations. The new version, which Huawei claims has only lost about 1% of the performance speed and capability of the original model, is better equipped to dodge “toxic and harmful speech, politically sensitive content, and incitement to illegal activities.”

While the model might be safer, it’s still not foolproof. While the company claims a near 100% success rate in basic usage, it also found that the model’s ability to duck questionable conversations drops to just 40% when users disguise their desires in challenges or role-playing situations. These AI models, they just love to play out a hypothetical scenario that allows them to defy their guardrails.

DeepSeek-R1-Safe was designed to fall in line with the requirements of Chinese regulators, per Reuters, which require all domestic AI models released to the public to reflect the country’s values and comply with speech restrictions. Chinese firm Baidu’s chatbot Ernie, for instance, reportedly will not answer questions about China’s domestic politics or the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

China, of course, isn’t the only country looking to ensure AI deployed within its borders don’t rock the boat too much. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabian tech firm Humain launched an Arabic-native chatbot that is fluent in the Arabic language and trained to reflect “Islamic culture, values and heritage.” American-made models aren’t immune to this, either: OpenAI explicitly states that ChatGPT is “skewed towards Western views.”

And there’s America under the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Trump announced his America’s AI Action Plan, which includes requirements that any AI model that interacts with government agencies be neutral and “unbiased.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, per an executive order signed by Trump, the models that secure government contracts must reject things like “radical climate dogma,” “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and concepts like “critical race theory, transgenderism, unconscious bias, intersectionality, and systemic racism.” So, you know, before lobbing any “Dear leader” cracks at China, it’s probably best we take a look in the mirror.

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September 21, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Battlefield 6 Devs Explain Adding The Controversial Quick Turn

by admin September 12, 2025

In August, the Battlefield 6 open beta was a massive success and one of the most played games of the year. But there was a controversial “quick turn” setting included in the beta that caused some debate online. And when I asked the devs why it was added, they said: Balance and customization.

Earlier this week, Kotaku sat down with two Battlefield 6 devs to discuss the game’s console ports, and I had to ask about the quick turn feature. People online suggested it looked like cheating and was too OP. Others claimed it helped balance BF6 by giving controller players a chance to turn around quickly. According to Matthew Nickerson, senior console combat designer on Battlefield 6, balancing the game was indeed one reason it was added.

This is a must have setting in #Battlefield6 Flick Look allows you to achieve an instant quick 180 in combat! pic.twitter.com/ElMW1yvrhh

— TacticalBrit (@TheTacticalBrit) August 7, 2025

“The inherent issue of including aim assist on controller,” Nickerson told Kotaku, “[is that] you constantly are doing a big sweeping motion [while looking around], you’re constantly going full speed, and then you hit the bubbles of aim assist, and it automatically slows down. So you’re kind of constantly fighting these systems that are preventing you from quickly 180 turning.”

Adding a quick flip option was a “huge win” that solved a “lot of issues” that exist when playing on a controller against mouse and keyboard players.

“You know, you get shot in the back [and] it’s frustrating to be a controller player those days,” added Nickerson.

According to him, making sure crossplay was balanced, fair, and fun was a huge goal for the entire team working on Battlefield 6. So the quick turn option, officially known as “Flick Stick,” was one more way to keep crossplay competitive for all.

The other reason for adding it? Well, because it’s cool and gives players one more way to customize their controls and gameplay. And combined with the PS5’s gyro controls, Flick Stick can do some “really cool stuff.” Plus, Nickerson told Kotaku it helps give console players more ways to interact with the game despite gamepads having far fewer buttons than a keyboard.

“If you want to reload [or turn around], maybe you just flick on your controller upright, and it activates the gyro, so it’s like another new layer of customizability,” said Nickerson.

I’m not sure I’ll be using gyro controls in Battlefield 6 when it launches on October 10 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. But you’d better believe I’ll have a button set for turning around instantly so I can at least I can see the person killing me from behind.

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September 12, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Controversial shooter Ready or Not passes 13m copies sold across platforms

by admin September 8, 2025

Controversial and violent shooter Ready or Not has now sold over 13m copies across platforms.

In a press release, developer Void Interactive added that its game – which was released on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in July of this year, following a spell of PC exclusivity – has sold over 3m copies on consoles. That means Ready or Not has sold over 2m copies on consoles in under two months.

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Ready or Not initially released in early access back in 2021, and soon after this Void Interactive said it had parted ways with publisher Team17.

Earlier this year, Void Interactive said that Ready or Not’s console port needed changes “as absolutely required by our first party partners” before it could be released on Xbox and PlayStation. This included tweaks to dismemberment and gore, nudity, mistreatment of children, and “explicit representations of violence”. This move ignited a certain amount of backlash from the game’s community, with some leaving negative Steam reviews citing “content censorship”.

Void Interactive sought to quell these concerns soon after, stating it had seen “misconceptions and misinformation circulating around the scope of these changes”.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Star Wars Outlaws dev comes out with first actually good reason for using Switch 2’s controversial Game Key Cards

by admin September 5, 2025

Many of us have a few things to say about the Nintendo Switch 2’s controversial game key cards, which don’t actually contain game data, and instead trigger a download from the Nintendo eShop when they are popped into the device. However, developer Rob Bantin, who is an audio architect on Ubisoft’s game engine Snowdrop, has revealed why the studio opted for key cards when it came to Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2.

In a reply to Digital Foundry’s John Linneman about Star Wars Outlaws’ use of key cards and whether or not cost was a factor, Bantin explained that full-fat cards “simply didn’t give the performance we needed at the quality target we were going for”.

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Bantin noted the Snowdrop engine “relies heavily on disk streaming for its open world environments”, adding they “don’t recall the cost of the cards ever entering the discussion – probably because it was moot”.

The developer said had Star Wars Outlaws been designed for Nintendo’s Switch 2 console from the beginning, things may have been different. “As it was, we’d build a game around the SSDs of the initial target platforms, and then the Switch 2 came along a while later,” Bantin said.

“In this case I think our leadership made the right call.”

Image credit: Eurogamer

Many third party developers have also opted for key cards for their own Switch 2 release. One high profile outlier was CDPR, which released Cyberpunk 2077 as a physical game cartridge with the actual game on it. Last month, it was revealed that out of all Cyberpunk 2077’s Switch 2 sales in June, over 75 percent were physical.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Influencer recreates OceanGate submarine as controversial rhinestone bag

by admin September 2, 2025

An influencer has turned heads online after revealing a handbag modeled after the OceanGate submersible completely covered in rhinestones.

In June 2023, the OceanGate Titan submersible imploded during a voyage to the Titanic wreck, killing all five people on board. The disaster dominated headlines and sparked widespread conversations about deep-sea exploration, safety, and the company’s controversial practices.

Meanwhile, TikTok creator Emma Lauren Rhinestone Artist has built a following for her extravagant, crystal-studded art projects. Known for painstakingly bedazzling everyday objects into glittering statement pieces, she often shares behind-the-scenes videos of her work with thousands of viewers.

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Bedazzled OceanGate purse stuns

Emma first announced her rhinestone OceanGate handbag on March 28, 2024, teasing her followers with progress updates throughout the year. After months of cutting, gluing, and placing crystals one by one, she finally revealed the completed bag on August 31, 2025.

The shimmering piece quickly spread from TikTok to Threads to X, with many fans praising her craftsmanship and sense of humor. Comments like “You’re crushing it” and “Needs a controller bag charm” highlight the lighthearted reactions.

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But not everyone was amused. Some users accused Emma of making light of a real tragedy, calling the OceanGate-inspired purse “disrespectful” and “tasteless.”

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Many comments claim the purse looks to be better quality than the original sub. Even Emma responded to one of these comments, stating “Imagine if they let me rhinestone the real one instead of using it? Missed opportunity.”

The rhinestone tribute arrives as Titanic tourism makes headlines again, with reports of a mystery billionaire planning another deep-sea dive just two years after the OceanGate tragedy.

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September 2, 2025 0 comments