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Messenger is an absurdly slick, perfectly lovely free pocket world exploration game you can play in a browser
Game Updates

Messenger is an absurdly slick, perfectly lovely free pocket world exploration game you can play in a browser

by admin



Based on time of day and year, global fertility rates, and our own secret, illegal research into RPS supporter breeding patterns, I calculate that there’s a 12% chance you are reading this while carrying or cradling a small child. If that’s the case, then: what on Earth are you doing here? We post all kinds of awful grown-up things on RPS. Mark is threatening to do another salacious mod article and just this very morning, I posted a picture of a xenomorph covered in blood.


This piece should be safe for kids, however, as long as you don’t explain what a xenomorph is or what “salacious” means. It’s about Messenger, a free browser-based game in which you run around a very small 3D watercolour planet, delivering post. I suspect you and your child will enjoy it, unless we’ve already corrupted them and you’re now playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite.


Created using WebGL, Messenger is from the Short Hike school of vibes-driven pocket worlds with gentle to-do lists. The controls consist of moving with WASD and jumping – more of a lazy hop, really – with space bar. You’ve got a few deliveries to make off the bat, and you can take on more assignments by chatting to people.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Team Cherry


The dialogue writing is quite spry. I delivered a letter to a bald man which turned out to be from his past self. “Take care of your hair,” it read. Sad trombone. You don’t really need an objective, mind: it’s enough just to amble down the road and watch the horizon unroll. There’s also the option of customising your outfit, and an emoji system for communicating with the other players – yes, those are other players! – who pop into your session at random.

Find Messenger here. Try not to get it confused with The Messenger, an upsettingly hard game about ninjas. It’s ridiculous that this sort of game now hums along in a browser, isn’t it? Imagine that it’s 2000 and you found this on AOL – your head would asplode. Your modem would probably asplode, as well. “Asplode” is a reference to noted early noughties comedy website Homestar Runner, by the way – your kid likely isn’t old enough for Strongbad yet, but it’s the kind of thing they’ll love when they start school. Better than the rest of the junk you find on those modern videophones, anyway.


Among the mysteries of Messenger is who exactly made it. The creators are Abeto, who “craft interactive realtime experiences”, and have a picturesque, tastefully information-free website where you can wave away the petals that fall from a perpetually unfurling flower. Please don’t let this be a front for a seedy cryptocurrency joint, or a terrible data-harvesting exercise. Please let it just be a nice game about roaming a pleasant spherical suburb.



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Mental health charity Safe in Our World to run two free awareness sessions for community managers
Esports

Mental health charity Safe in Our World to run two free awareness sessions for community managers

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Safe in Our World, the mental health charity aiming to create and foster worldwide mental health awareness throughout the video game industry, is rolling out free mental health awareness workshops for community managers or any developer supporting the wellbeing of their communities.

The free, bespoke three-hour mental health awareness workshops — supported by Humble and facilitated by Mind Fitness — aim to increase online safety and wellbeing, increase knowledge of mental ill health, boost confidence in signposting to mental health resources, and provide participants with tools to identify and manage stress, including establishing healthy boundaries online.

“The role of the Community Manager can seem limitless,” explains Mind Fitness’ Andy Barker. “Without clear frameworks and established expectations, the internal and external demands can be overwhelming.

“We must provide CMs with the tools to look after their own wellbeing, by giving them the knowledge and confidence to signpost players to resources, and switch off when they’re off the clock.”

Prospective participants can sign up on Eventbrite for one of two sessions, one running on October 9 and the other on November 6, 2025.

“It’s wild to think I started my mental health awareness journey doing this training with Mind Fitness and Safe In Our World back in 2021, when I was a fledgling community manager,” added communications and events manager, Em Aspinall.

“I’d recommend this workshop to any CM or anyone in a player-facing role. Or just anyone in games, really.”



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Crypto Market Prediction: Shiba Inu (SHIB) in Free Fall to Add Zero, Ethereum (ETH) Secures $4,000, Bitcoin (BTC): $110,000 Comeback Attempt
GameFi Guides

Crypto Market Prediction: Shiba Inu (SHIB) in Free Fall to Add Zero, Ethereum (ETH) Secures $4,000, Bitcoin (BTC): $110,000 Comeback Attempt

by admin


The price performance of Ethereum, Shiba Inu and Bitcoin is somewhat similar as all those assets are trying to recover and reach price levels that will make them stand out. Unfortunately, those recoveries are almost completely baseless and unlikely to yield strong movements toward local highs.

Shiba Inu not stabilizing?

The price of Shiba Inu has dropped to $0.00001105 and is not showing any signs of stabilizing, marking yet another period of intense pressure. There are no obvious support areas left to stop the decline after the token broke below its multi-month symmetrical triangle structure. Without volume, momentum, or any discernible buy-side strength, SHIB appears on the verge of dropping its price by another zero.

SHIB has lost important moving averages on the technical front, such as the 200-day EMA ($0.0000135) and the 50-day EMA ($0.0000125). The breakdown below these levels emphasizes the dominance of sellers and validates the exhaustion of bullish attempts. A clear rejection from descending resistance is followed by a steady decline with no indication of a demand spike, as the chart depicts.

SHIB/USDT Chart by TradingView

Trends in volume support this pessimistic view. Comparing trading activity to previous accumulation phases, it has collapsed, indicating a sharp decline in investor interest in SHIB. Since there are fewer bids to absorb sell orders, downside moves typically accelerate in low-volume settings. Another level of concern is added by momentum indicators. The RSI is slightly above oversold territory at 37, indicating weak momentum.

Relief rallies may normally be possible during oversold conditions, but in SHIB’s case, any bounce is unlikely to last due to the absence of accompanying volume. SHIB is basically in free fall because there isn’t any strong support. The $0.00001000 level is the next round-number zone. This psychological level may encourage speculative buying, but if it is broken below, SHIB’s price could drop to a new zero and possibly into the $0.00000900 range.

Ethereum takes it back

Ethereum has successfully recovered the $4,000 mark, which has now turned into a battleground for bulls and bears. ETH recovered from the 100-day EMA at $3,800 after a steep decline from highs close to $4,800, regaining significant ground and indicating that buyers are not yet prepared to relinquish control. Ethereum is currently trading just above $4,000 on the daily chart, but the recovery is not strong.

ETH/USDT Chart by TradingView

At 37, a surge of sell pressure caused the RSI to approach oversold territory, providing technical traders with a point of entry for a recovery. Volume data indicates that although buying interest has increased, it is still not robust enough to ensure long-term momentum. Since it serves as a mid-range pivot between the $3,800 support and the $4,300 resistance, as well as a psychological threshold, the $4,000 level is crucial.

The 50-day EMA and the descending resistance trendline converge at $4,280 and $4,300, which are the next targets if ETH can maintain above this level. If there is a breakout above this area, the path may reopen to $4,600 and ultimately retest the cycle highs around $4,800. Still, there is a significant chance of losing $4,000. An additional retest of $3,800, the final solid support before a possible decline toward the 200 EMA around $3,400, would be exposed if ETH were to close below this level on a daily basis.

In summary, while ETH has gained $4,000, the fight is far from over. To keep the recovery going, the bulls must firmly defend this level, any weakness could make the current rebound into just another relief rally inside a larger correction.

Bitcoin pushback

Talk of a possible push back toward $110,000 has been sparked by Bitcoin’s apparent bounce around $109,000. This comeback attempt, however, seems to be more of a transient response than a firm reversal, because it seems brittle and lacks structural support. Recently, Bitcoin fell below the 50-day EMA ($113,700) and the 100-day EMA ($112,200) on the daily chart, indicating short-term weakness. At $106,200, the price is currently just above the 200-day EMA, which is still the last significant safety net for bulls.

Although the 200 EMA has historically served as a long-term support, the current bounce did not come from it; rather, BTC is merely attempting to regain ground following several days of aggressive selling. This is what gives the recovery attempt the appearance of being unfounded. The current upswing lacks volume and conviction, in contrast to recoveries from oversold extremes or strong support zones. The lack of trading activity indicates that buyers are reluctant to intervene forcefully.

Near 38, the RSI is almost oversold, but not quite low enough to indicate exhaustion. This creates space for additional declines in the event that bearish sentiment returns. Bitcoin must recover the $112,000-$114,000 range, where the broken moving averages are currently acting as resistance, in order to confirm the $110,000 comeback. The market would only be able to view this rebound as more than a brief break in the downward trend at that point. Any short-term gains run the risk of being unwound quickly until that time.

To put it briefly, Bitcoin is making an effort to recover toward $110,000, but the move appears uncertain in the absence of a solid base or robust buyer support. The real test is yet to come: either regain momentum and overcome resistance, or run the risk of another retest of the $106,000 level, where the 200 EMA is waiting as the last line of defense.



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I spent three months with Telly, the free TV that’s always showing ads
Product Reviews

I spent three months with Telly, the free TV that’s always showing ads

by admin


The last few months, I’ve felt like I’m living in a cyberpunk movie. Each night, when I get ready to wind down, I reach for the remote to turn on a TV I got for free. When I hit the power button, a 55-inch screen lights up, but so does a smaller display beneath it. Widgets fill the secondary screen alongside a rotating ad that you can’t dismiss.

Before I can even navigate to the Netflix app, I hear something. “Hello, hello friends!” A smiling woman appears on the screen wearing a gray dress, her brown hair neatly styled into gentle waves. It’s the host of the TV’s built-in news segment, which uses the AI likeness of actress Alison Fiori to deliver today’s top stories on a loop.

This is the future of TV, according to Telly, a company that offers a free TV in exchange for the privilege of constantly blaring ads in your face. It puts the ads in a 10-inch-wide “smart” display that sits just below a built-in sound bar and runs the entire length of the TV. The screen stays on at all times — while you watch shows, movies, YouTube videos, and play video games. Even when you turn off the TV with a tap of the remote’s power button, the secondary screen remains illuminated. It will only turn off if you hold the power button for three seconds.

The bottom display shows you everything from sports scores, the current weather, and stock prices. Photo by Emma Roth / The Verge

Despite my attempts to tune out the lower display, video ads and moving widgets draw my eyes in. Along with displaying the date, time, and current weather conditions, it shows a constant stream of headlines in a news ticker, plus stock prices and even links to news stories from outlets like Fox News, which you can click into and read on the top screen. You can remove or add widgets, but there’s no way to get rid of the ad on the right side that refreshes every so often. Under Telly’s terms of service, you can’t cover up the display. Even if you tried, it just wouldn’t be practical, since you need the secondary screen to navigate to different apps and control inputs. There are settings you can use to decrease the brightness of the secondary display’s backlight, but I found that turning it down to “0” doesn’t make much of a difference.

Some of the ads shown on the bottom screen prompt you to scan a QR code, or will show a prompt to press a button on your remote to move it up to the top display for more information. The ads often appear as videos, which can draw your eyes away from what’s on the screen even more. There is no sound for video ads, but Telly will still display small subtitles that are hard to read if you’re far away from the TV. I’ve seen a range of ads on the little screen, such as some from Sunglasses Hut and Old Navy, as well as location-specific commercials from a nearby crematorium and car dealerships. I saw these no matter what I was watching — whether it was 90 Day Fiancé, Carême, or Law & Order reruns. The ads just kept rolling.

To reserve a Telly, you must agree to use the device as the main TV in your home, constantly keep it connected to the internet, and regularly watch it. If the company finds that you violate these rules, Telly will ask you to return the TV (and charge a $500 fee if you don’t send it back). I’m not sure how strictly Telly tracks the usage of its TVs. At one point, I left my TV unplugged for three weeks while away from home and received no warning from Telly.

The ads just keep rolling. Photo by Emma Roth / The Verge

“We’re not here to micromanage short-term dips but to ensure Telly continues to be a great fit over time,” Dallas Lawrence, Telly’s chief strategy officer, told The Verge. “And if it ever stops being the right match, we’ll pick it up at no cost.”

The first time my TV arrived, the FedEx delivery driver marveled at its size. But he was immediately suspicious when I said it was a free TV. Just minutes after wheeling it up my driveway, he returned to my door after doing some research on his phone, saying he heard the TV might take my data. “I know,” I said, “That’s basically part of the deal.”

When I finally got the TV out of its massive box, lugged it onto my stand, and turned it on, I realized the screen was completely cracked. I was more disappointed by having to repackage the entire thing than by having to wait a little longer to use it. Besides the physical labor involved, the return process was fairly simple. I emailed Telly, filled out a return form, and my new TV was on its way.

Once I actually got to use the TV, I found that the picture quality on Telly’s 4K HDR display is decent, though some low-light scenes can appear grainy. The six-driver soundbar has great audio, and the TV has customizable RGB backlighting. Telly runs a custom version of Android that’s preloaded with only a few apps you might recognize, like Spotify and Zoom, so you’ll need to use the included Google TV dongle to gain access to Netflix, Disney Plus, Max, and other streaming apps.

Allison Fiori’s AI avatar is the centerpiece of Telly’s homepage. Photo by Emma Roth / The Verge

The TV defaults to Telly’s home screen each time you turn it on. That’s where you’ll find the lovely Telly Today news segment, which resets every time you turn off the TV or navigate away from the home screen — meaning you have to hear all the same news stories, in the same order. Fiori often goes over celebrity news, showcases the latest trailers, and shares lighthearted viral videos, like a dog showing a piglet how to use its doggy door.

Lawrence confirmed to The Verge that Telly cast Fiori “specifically for this role.” He added, “We work closely with Allison to shape the experience, blending her on-screen presence with cutting-edge AI technology.” During my time with the TV, I found that a secondary host, which appears to be the AI likeness of a comedian named Vinny Fasline, shows up to highlight viral posts from around the internet or do trivia.

In between these segments, Telly shows a series of ads, which you can conveniently mute by pressing the Telly remote’s “A” button. The mix of ads isn’t always relevant or fresh – I once watched three of the same ads in Spanish (which I don’t speak) in a row.

Telly’s built-in camera comes with a privacy shutter. Photo by Emma Roth / The Verge

The TV also comes with a built-in camera with a privacy shutter and a microphone. The company’s terms of service state that it “may collect information about the audio and video content you watch, the channels you view, and the duration of your viewing sessions,” as well as detect the “physical presence of you and any other individuals using the TV at any given time.” This isn’t exactly comforting, and I found myself becoming paranoid that my viewing habits, conversations, and even footage from the built-in camera would somehow get directly in front of Telly employees.

Telly only opens the privacy shutter on its camera when you select an app that uses it, like Zoom. While trying out the built-in video conferencing app, I found that Telly’s camera is probably about as good as the webcam on my 2020 MacBook Air — meaning it’s a bit grainy but not distractingly so. I barely got to test Telly’s microphone, though; it cut off just moments after I started testing it. When I tried again at a later date, Telly’s microphone just emitted a buzzing sound.

The TV is quite tall. Photo by Emma Roth / The Verge

In addition to holding meetings, you can use Zoom to set up watch parties with people on other devices, whether it’s another Telly TV, smartphone, or laptop. You can use the feature to watch a show or movie on the upper screen, while seeing a video feed of your friends or family members on the secondary display. This is pretty neat, but checking out Zoom quickly made me realize how unwieldy it can be to navigate between Telly’s dual screens. It took me several minutes — and lots of button mashing — to select the “Leave Call” button on the opposite display. Oh, and Telly still displays ads on the bottom screen while you’re in meetings, too.

Telly also uses its camera for a preloaded fitness app, called Gofa, which uses Xbox Kinect-style motion tracking during workouts, along with a set of random games, like Flappy Bird and Wheel of Fortune. Some games, like Whack-a-Mole, use the TV’s camera as you, well, furiously whack moles as they appear on your screen. Most of these games are pretty corny, but I don’t really mind them as a big Kinect fan back in the day.

Another interesting use case for the secondary display is having it function as a playback bar while using the Live One music streaming app, allowing you to continue using the upper display. Unfortunately, you can’t do the same with the Spotify app, as it occupies the entire main screen once you link your account and start playing music.

All of these features point to big ideas for the future of Telly, and I commend the company for trying something far different than your typical TV experience. It’s great that you can get a completely free TV with a bunch of features out of the box, like a soundbar, RGB lighting, and a camera. But the continuous ads and software snags made me realize: TVs are worth paying for.

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Minecraft Is Crossing Over With Dragonball Z, Including Free Super Saiyan Hair Out Now
Game Updates

Minecraft Is Crossing Over With Dragonball Z, Including Free Super Saiyan Hair Out Now

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Minecraft is all about making the world your own, and part of that is making your character look how you like, whether that’s simple customization or something from your favorite show, movie, or game. The latest collab to come to Minecraft is Dragonball Z. Mojang hasn’t given us a hard release date, but says this is happening later this year.

As part of the latest Minecraft Live presentation, Mojang teased the new Dragonball Z collaboration. Details on the collab are light, but right now you can get free Super Saiyan Hair from the Minecraft Marketplace, which is available until November 4, 2025.

Minecraft has collaborated with a variety of companies previously. This includes characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hello Kitty, Terraria, and a whole bunch more. Fashion collaborations include Burberry, Lacoste, and AAPE.

Also announced at Minecraft Live are the Copper Age update landing next week, the holiday 2025 update Mounts of Mayhem, and the educational Friendly Fishing add-on.



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Seagateps4
Game Updates

Seagate 2TB Hard Drive for PlayStation Returns to Nearly Free Per TB Pricing as Amazon Blows Out Remaining Stock

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As much as we all like to joke that “the PS5 has no games,” that’s simply not true. Mine has plenty of PS4 games on it! Ba-dum-tiss. Anyway, there are some awesome PlayStation 5 exclusives. The amazing and cute platformer Astro Bot won Game of the Year last year. Ghost of Yōtei is dropping in under a week. Plus people are still sleeping on 2021’s incredible third-person shooter roguelike Returnal. And then yes of course there really are a bunch of good PS4 games to check if you missed them last generation. A lot of them have great-looking updates too like everything going on with The Last of Us remakes and remasters. Point is there are lots of good games to play, but do you have enough storage space for all of them?

Expand you PS5 storage with the help of Seagate’s officially-licensed game drive for PlayStation consoles. This external hard drive connect to your system over USB 3.2 and will  let you boost your capacity to store games by a full 2TB. Right now, Amazon has the drive discounted down from $90 to just $80. A $10 savings may not sound like much, but that’s already halfway to getting you Hollow Knight: Silksong.

See at Amazon

The PS5 base model only comes with 800GB of internal space (1TB on the Slim), and some of that isn’t even usable to you as it’s got all the system stuff on it that makes the console work. Really you’re working with roughly. The base model really has about 667GB while the Slim has a bout 842.2GB for you to work with, saving your games. This Seagate drive will more than triple your ability to store your game data. nor more deleting and redownloading.

One Small Caveat

There is a catch though. You can’t actually play you games off this external drive. The PS5 requires much faster read/write speeds than this supports. You might be thinking, “Okay, then what the heck is the point?” Well, this drive is still helpful because you can move you games from it to your internal drive when you want to play them. This is a much, much faster process than redownloading a game over the internet. Think of it like the digital version of taking your disc off the shelf and popping it into your console. The good news is you can play your PS4 games directly off of it.

Unlike the internal SSDs available to expand your PS5 storage, this drive requires no tools to install as it just connects over USB. That makes it totally portable so you can bring it over to a friend’s house and fire it up on their PS5 if you wish. Have your whole gaming library on the go.

See at Amazon



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Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2025
Game Updates

LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2025 Arrives Early at Almost Free, Already Selling Like It’s the Holidays

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This new Amazon deal might crank your kids’ holiday excitement all the way up to 11, or even higher if they’re Harry Potter fans. For a limited time you can get the LEGO Harry Potter 2025 Advent Calendar for just $38 after a 16% price cut. It’s like a regular Advent calendar, with 24 doors to be opened in the days leading up to Christmas, but instead of chocolate or candy there’s a buildable LEGO Harry Potter minifigure, magical creature, or mini build behind each door.

This adorable and fun calendar is perfect for boys and girls 7 and up, and the 24 easy-to-build minifigures have a total of 278 pieces. The figures include Harry Potter, Cho Chang, Draco Malfoy, Hannah Abbott, Angelina Johnson, Luna Lovegood, Blaise Zabini, and Cedric Diggory, all wearing Hogwarts holiday sweaters and carrying wand elements.

See at Amazon

New Toy Every Day

The LEGO Harry Potter 2025 Advent Calendar has a door for every day from Dec. 1 to Christmas Eve, and unveiling and building that day’s surprise figure will be your kid’s favorite part of the day. Each buildable figure has illustrated instructions printed on the inside of its door, and don’t forget the LEGO Builder app that lets parents help kids access enhanced 3D views of each figure and other building tools.

In addition to the 8 wizarding minifigures, there are 6 magical creatures — Hedwig, Buckbeak with posable wings, Aragog with posable legs, a Thestral with posable wings, a Mandrake, and a Stag Patronus. There are also 10 mini builds — a Hogwarts acceptance letter, chocolate frog, Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans, butterbeer, the Sorting Hat, 3 potions, the Monster Book of Monsters, and 2 Galleons. Put it all together and by the time the big day rolls around, your boy or girl has 24 buildable, playable Harry Potter figures to enjoy.

Year After Year

One of the best parts about the LEGO Harry Potter 2025 Advent Calendar is, unlike those paper versions that contain chocolate or other sweet treats, this one can be used year after year. Just disassemble the figures, place them back in their individual doors, and put the calendar away until next year. Opening the doors, building the figures, and playing with them will be just as fun next time around.

It might be hard to think about the 2025 holiday season when we’re only a day into Autumn, but it’s coming sooner than you think, so deals like this limited-time one at Amazon offering the 2025 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar for just $38 are a smart buy so you can have it on hand in plenty of time when December 1 rolls around.

See at Amazon



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Hitman's latest free Elusive Target mission makes you Bruce Lee's bodyguard, and is out now
Game Updates

Hitman’s latest free Elusive Target mission makes you Bruce Lee’s bodyguard, and is out now

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Bruce Lee is in Hitman now. Unfortunately, you don’t get to play as him. Fortunately, you do not have to fight him. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Agent 47. You might be the last word in swatting people with Wet Floor signs, but I’ve yet to see you perform a credible one-inch punch. Perhaps you’d get the drop on Bruce Lee if you threw up on him after swallowing an irradiated carbon rod, but I don’t fancy your chances in the context of a proper Bangkok martial arts tournament – like the one depicted in Hitman’s latest Elusive Target mission, the Dragon. Here be trailer.

Watch on YouTube


Available from today, 25th September, until Thursday 20th November, the free Infiltrator Elusive Target update both marks Bruce Lee’s 85th anniversary and reinvents him as an agent of the ICA. Lee is trying to infiltrate the Concord Union crime syndicate by way of a martial arts tournament at the Himmapan Hotel. His job is to flatten a few faces and uncover the Concord Union’s supreme leader. Your job is to stop people sabotaging the tournament.


I imagine this will be stuff like identifying terrain traps and intercepting people who want to spike Bruce Lee’s trademark pre-fight Mai Tai with 14-day-old cat litter. No, I don’t know whether Bruce Lee really drank Mai Tais, but in my defence, I didn’t know he was a secret agent, either. We’re blundering in the dark!


The Elusive Target accompanies the time-limited release of a Bruce Lee DLC pack that grants permanent access to the Dragon contract, together with Lee’s yellow tracksuit, some kali sticks, a jade dagger, some golden dragon scissors, and some cosmetics for your Freelancer Safehouse. All yours for $4.99, €4.99 or £3.99. I would not pay that much for some scissors, not even if they were all yellow and draconic, but you do you. Now, please savour this roadmap of upcoming Hitmen content.

Image credit: Io Interactive


I’m interested to know how well-received the time-limited nature of these Elusive Targets are. The model makes more sense in Hitman’s universe of shifting allegiances and identities, and doesn’t seem to have roused quite the same opprobrium directed at other developers who remove stuff from their games. I’m also keen to know if there’s the option to simply watch the martial arts tournament in the Dragon. It would be a terrible waste of Lee’s charisma if we had to spend the whole time facing away from the arena, tripping over karate students holding sports bottles full of acid.

Jeet Kune Do legends aside, Io Interactive have just updated the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy on PC with the same VR support previously offered by PSVR2 on console. This allows you to “dual-wield weapons, interact with disguises, and use their environment creatively thanks to intuitive motion controls, full ambidexterity, and room-scale implementation”. It’s compatible with all campaign locations from all three games, together with the Freelancer strategy roguelike mode.

Io’s wider activities include a James Bond game. I’m pretty sure Agent 47 could take James Bond.



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A man holds up a lighter to see in the dark.
Game Reviews

The Free PS Plus Game For October 2025 Just Leaked And It’s A Big One

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Sony was probably saving this announcement for the September State of Play but it’s leaked ahead of time. According to Dealab’s billbil-kun, October’s big PS Plus game is Alan Wake 2.

The survival horror GOTY contender came out two years ago next month and catapulted Alan Wake into the ever-expanding Remedyverse following the success of Control before it. The mind-warping metanarrative will be part of the Essentials tier, meaning everyone who has even the cheapest PS Plus subscription option will be able to download and play it as long as they stay paying members of the service.

Alan Wake 2 follows FBI agent Saga Anderson as she investigates a cult responsible for a string of murders in Bright Falls. Coming out 13 years after the original, the sequel takes place that long after the original, too, picking up where the prior game’s narrative threads left off and only getting way weirder from there. If you’re planning on giving Alan Wake 2 a spin next month, you’ll definitely want to make sure you’ve completed the original game first.

The first game is available to revisit via a remaster released a couple years back. The good news is it’s currently on sale for just $5 on PS5 and PS4, but you only have another day to claim it at that price. The sale ends after September 25.



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DAAPrivacyRightIcon
Product Reviews

Ready to download iOS 26? Make sure your iPhone is eligible for the free update first

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Have you updated your iPhone to the new iOS 26 yet or are you holding off? It’s been available to download since September 15 — here’s how to install it if you haven’t yet. The new OS was released alongside iPadOS 26 and Apple’s other operating system updates. Since then, the first beta of iOS 26.1 has already been released with some newer features.

If your phone is compatible with the latest OS, you’ll notice substantial changes when you install the new update. You may have already heard about “Liquid Glass,” which (intentional or not) is sort of like Apple’s take on the old Windows Vista design language. That’s the most notable change, but we spent two weeks test-driving many of the other features included in the update — you can check out our hands-on iOS 26 preview for more impressions.

Not sure if you have an eligible smartphone or tablet but also don’t want to upgrade? No worries, we’ll help you find out if your devices will be able to run iOS 26.

While Apple didn’t nix any iPhones from its eligibility list last year, that’s not the case for 2025, as a few models got axed this time around. All iPhone 8 models and the iPhone X were the last to receive the boot in 2023, and this year, iPhones released in 2018 will be left behind.

You can find a full list of iPhones and iPads that support iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 below. To see everything you get with the latest OS updates, you can check out our big rundown of what to expect from iOS 26. Additionally, here’s everything Apple revealed at the iPhone 17 launch event, including the all-new iPhone Air. (Check out Engadget’s liveblog of the event for full details.)

These three iOS 18 iPhones aren’t compatible with iOS 26

Unlike last year, a trio of iPhones won’t be eligible to download the newest iOS. These three models that were first released in 2018 won’t be coming to the iOS 26 party:

iPhones compatible with iOS 26

Per Apple’s site, the devices listed below will be compatible with iOS 26. In short, if you have an iPhone that was announced in 2019 or later, you’re in the clear:

  • iPhone SE (second generation or later)

iPads compatible with iPadOS 26

Meanwhile, the iPads listed below are eligible to download iPadOS 26:

  • iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (3rd generation and later)

  • iPad Pro 11‑inch (1st generation and later)

  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later, including M2 and M3)

  • iPad (8th generation and later, including A16)

  • iPad mini (5th generation and later, including A17 Pro)

What if I don’t want to buy a new iPhone?

If you want to continue using your older iPhone that isn’t supported by iOS 26, that’s fine. However, you’ll eventually miss out on security updates which could potentially put your phone at risk for malware and other threats. Additionally, some apps may stop working if they require a certain version of iOS or later. And, of course, you won’t be able to access the latest features iOS 26 offers.

Should I upgrade to iOS 18.7 or iOS 26?

When you first open Software Update in Settings, you’ll notice two different upgrade options: iOS 18.7 and iOS 26. Apple released the former to address security issues, so you can at least download that one if you’re unsure about all the big changes on iOS 26. It also gives you more time to wait for Apple to take care of any bugs on the new OS.

However, if you’re excited to finally have the Liquid Glass aesthetic on your phone and use all the new features iOS 26 has to offer, go ahead and install that one. After all, Apple had all summer to weed through the most problematic bugs during its beta phase and usually releases a new update shortly after the initial launch.

iOS 26 features to try out first

Liquid Glass design: Your home screen is getting revamped with new app icons, including dark mode and all-clear options. You’ll also notice buttons with a new floating design. Liquid Glass, in Apple’s terms, was designed to make all of the company’s operating systems more visually cohesive.

Phone app redesign: You can finally scroll through contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new feature called Hold Assist that’ll notify you when an agent comes to the phone so you can avoid the elevator music.

Live Translate: iOS 26 brings the ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone who speaks another language. Live Translate will translate your conversation in real time.

Polls feature: Coming to group messages in the Messages app, chat members can now create polls. This can help prevent the unwanted 30+ messages when it comes to deciding which restaurant you’re meeting at this weekend.

New lock screen options: More customizable iPhone lock screen options are available with iOS 26, including a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper effects, more widgets and better focus mode options.

Snooze longer (or shorter): Say goodbye to the 9-minute snooze setting in your alarms (if you want). You now have the option to change your snooze time from one to 15 minutes.

Fresh Camera app design: You’ll find the Camera app is simpler to navigate in iOS 26, with all the buttons and menus located in convenient spots. That means less swiping, more photo taking. Plus, there’s a new feature that tells you if your lens is too dirty.

Screenshot revamps: When you take a screenshot, you now have the option to search for the image on Google (maybe you’re looking for a sweater you saw on a celeb) and you can ask ChatGPT questions about the photo — all from the edit screen. It’s like a reverse image search but without all the hard work.



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