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New Harlowe short graces the Borderlands 4 lead up to launch
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New Harlowe short graces the Borderlands 4 lead up to launch

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We saw the first drop on Harlowe last week, and Gearbox keeps adding more flavor to an already delicious Borderlands 4 soup. Today, the team released a character short, which should be amongst the final pieces of intel before launch. Check it out below.

2K and Gearbox Software have shared the Official Character Short for Harlowe the Gravitar, the final entry in an ongoing series about the four all-new Vault Hunters who are wreaking havoc on Kairos in Borderlands 4! 

Harlowe is a former Maliwan combat scientist, driven by the need to understand how things work. While this initially made her an outcast amongst her Traunt relatives, Harlowe has used her intellect to bring new tech and gadgetry to the battlefield as a Vault Hunter. Harlowe’s brilliance is apparent in everything she does, but so is her enthusiasm and love for life. Harlowe brings everything to the fight, including her sunny disposition. 

In Harlowe’s new Character Short “Family Reunion”, you can watch as Harlowe the Gravitar takes on the Maliwan corporation to reclaim technology she designed, and ends up encountering a Traunt family member in the process.

Borderlands 4 launches worldwide on September 12, 2025 via PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. It will also be coming to Nintendo Switch™ 2 on October 3, 2025, and is now available for pre-order on all platforms!

For the latest information on Borderlands 4 and to pre-order the game, visit www.borderlands.2k.com, and follow the game across YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Borderlands 4 news and info!


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Coinbase, Strategy Lead Crypto Stock Rebound as Bitcoin and Ethereum Soar

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In brief

  • Shares of crypto companies rose in price alongside digital assets and major stock indices.
  • The price surge comes after Federal Reserve Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank could cut rates next month.
  • Bitcoin and Ethereum were also trading higher on Friday, with ETH and altcoins leading the charge.

Crypto-focused company stocks rose Friday alongside digital coins following a more dovish-than-expected speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. 

Nasdaq-listed Coinbase (COIN) spiked and was recently trading more than 6% higher on the day at $319. Meanwhile, Bitcoin treasury and software firm Strategy—MSTR—was up by nearly 65 to $354. Both had been trading down in recent days, but COIN is now in the green over the past week while MSTR remains slightly down during the span.

And Circle, which debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in May in a blockbuster IPO, jumped higher. The stablecoin giant was recently priced 6% higher over the past day, currently at $140, but had shown a 9% leap earlier in the morning.

Elsewhere, leading Bitcoin miners, CleanSpark (CLSK) and Riot Platforms (RIOT) rose by 5% and nearly 9% on the day, respectively, to nearly $10 and above $13.

Crypto treasuries like SharpLink and BitMine Immersion—which focus on buying and holding Ethereum, the second biggest digital coin—both jumped by more than 12%, hitting nearly $20 and $54.

Broadly, stocks are up on the day, with The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing higher by 880 points, or nearly 2%, touching a new high. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 climbed 1.45%, and the Nasdaq rose by 1.6%.



The rise in equities comes as leading cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum also jump. Bitcoin was recently priced at $116,318, up 3% in the hour after Jerome Powell spoke, CoinGecko data shows. Ethereum spiked higher by nearly 8% in one hour. The coin was recently trading for $4,740, about $130 away from its all-time high mark from 2021.

Over the past day, Bitcoin and Ethereum were up 3% and nearly 12%, respectively. 

An interest rate cut would likely help cryptocurrency and tech stocks. Both assets have typically done well in the past in a low interest rate environment, as traders are more drawn to risk assets.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressuring Powell to cut rates, frequently insulting the Fed chair on Truth Social and even threatening to fire or even sue him. 

The Fed started aggressively raising rates in 2022 in an attempt to control 40-year high inflation brought on by COVID-19. The central bank then started cutting borrowing costs again last year as the economy cooled.

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Cloud Chamber lays off "unspecified" number of staff as Rod Fergusson is parachuted in to lead troubled BioShock 4 production
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Cloud Chamber lays off “unspecified” number of staff as Rod Fergusson is parachuted in to lead troubled BioShock 4 production

by admin


Update, Wednesday August 20, 2025: 2K Games has confirmed it has “reduced the size of the development team” working on BioShock 4.

Sharing an internal Cloud Chamber memo with our sister site, Eurogamer, 2K president David Ismailer told staff “we’ve made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game, and in doing so are reducing the size of the development team to focus on this work.”

“BioShock is woven deeply into the fabric of 2K,” Ismailer wrote. “It’s one of our most beloved franchises and respecting its legacy and meeting our fans’ expectations is critical to its future success.

“Work on the next BioShock game has been underway for several years. While we’re excited about the foundational gameplay elements of the project, we’ve made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game, and in doing so are reducing the size of the development team to focus on this work and give the game more time in development.

“I know this is tough news for everyone. If your role is being affected, you’ll hear from your manager or studio leadership today with details on severance, career services and support resources. There is no easy way to do this, but we hope to do whatever we can to support you through this. I want to thank each of you for your dedication and hard work.”

“I recognise that today is a day of mixed emotions,” Ismailer concluded. “We’re excited to have Rod [Fergusson] joining us, and are equally grateful to everyone at Cloud Chamber who has helped us get this far. These changes are rooted in 2K’s firm confidence in BioShock as one of the most beloved franchises, and our commitment to deliver the best game in franchise history.”

2K did not confirm how many developers have been impacted by the cuts.

Original story:BioShock 4 developer Cloud Chamber has reportedly appointed former Diablo boss Rod Fergusson as studio head and laid off an “unspecified number of staff.”

Firaxis veteran Kelley Gilmore departed earlier this month after Take-Two Interactive reportedly overhauled parts of the upcoming BioShock and reshuffled its leadership team following a failed internal review by publisher 2K Games.

At the time, “people familiar with the situation” claimed the next entry in the BioShock series “recently failed a review by executives at 2K Games,” with the game’s narrative highlighted as needing improvement.

Now, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reports layoffs at the BioShock 4 developer as Rod Fergusson takes over as Cloud Chamber’s new studio head.

Fergusson announced his departure from Blizzard on August 8. While there’s been no formal confirmation that he has joined the BioShock production, he was similarly parachuted in to lead the troubled BioShock Infinite project, staying at Irrational just eight months before moving on.

In a post on social media, Fergusson wrote: “Would you kindly allow me to share some news? Some of you guessed it, I’m returning to 2K to lead a series that means a lot to me as the new Head of the BioShock Franchise. I’ll be heading up Cloud Chamber and overseeing development of the next BioShock game, along with franchise extensions like the in-development Netflix movie.

“While I’m excited to get started in the coming weeks, I recognize the studio restructuring is a difficult time for the team. I’m deeply grateful for the work done so far, and I’m committed to building a BioShock game we’ll be proud of and that our players will love. For now, the firehose of onboarding awaits, and I look forward to sharing more when I can.”

The fourth mainline entry in the BioShock series was confirmed to be in development at 2K Games-owned studio, Cloud Chamber, back in 2019. This upcoming entry will be the series’s first new entry since BioShock Infinite’s release in 2013.



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BioShock 4 studio Cloud Chamber lay off staff, as ex-Diablo lead Rod Fergusson comes aboard
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BioShock 4 studio Cloud Chamber lay off staff, as ex-Diablo lead Rod Fergusson comes aboard

by admin


2K have laid off an unspecified number of staff at Cloud Chamber, amid efforts to rework BioShock 4. These cuts come at the same time former Diablo lead Rod Fergusson joins as Cloud Chamber’s new studio head, taking up the position recently vacated by Kelley Gilmore.

A report from Bloomberg earlier this month revealed that the game had failed an internal progress check. Gilmore and creative director Hogarth de la Plante reportedly moved into different jobs as part of a resulting leadership shakeup. Despite all of this, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has insisted, amid chatting some nonsense about great being the new great, that the game will still make it to release.

That brings us to yesterday, when Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier reported that Cloud Chamber were letting folks go as they announced Fergusson’s impending arrival. IGN report that 2K haven’t said how many employees have been affected by the cuts, while publishing part of an email to staff from 2K president David Ismailer that aims to explain the reasoning behind them.

“Work on the next BioShock game has been underway for several years,” it reads. “While we’re excited about the foundational gameplay elements of the project, we’ve made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game, and in doing so are reducing the size of the development team to focus on this work and give the game more time in development.”

BREAKING: BioShock 4 developer Cloud Chamber is laying off an unspecified number of staff.

Also, former Diablo boss Rod Fergusson is taking over as Cloud Chamber’s new studio head. More than a decade ago, he joined the troubled BioShock Infinite and helped salvage that game’s production.

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 19 August 2025 at 16:18

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The email reportedly concluded with Ismailer describing the multiple people losing their livelihoods and the hiring of one guy as making for a “day of mixed emotions”, before going full exec rah-rah speech about the state of BioShock. “These changes are rooted in 2K’s firm confidence in BioShock as one of the most beloved franchises, and our commitment to deliver the best game in franchise history,” he declared.

I’ve reached out to 2K for comment.

As for what the future looks like for BioShock 4, it’s clear why 2K have gone for ex-Blizzard man Fergusson. The veteran developer was previously brought in at Irrational games to help get 2013’s BioShock Infinite out of the door, having done the same for the likes of Gears of War.

Best of luck to the staff Cloud Chamber have let go.



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DICE lead responds to criticism that Battlefield 6 beta maps were ‘not how Battlefield should be,’ urges everyone to ‘go play some smaller/medium maps in BF3 and BF4 to get a good example of the intensity curve’

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By all reasonable metrics, the Battlefield 6 beta was a resounding hit. Not only is BF6 already very fun based on the handful of maps and modes we got our hands on, but the two-weekend playtest period broke records for the series on Steam.

The beta wound down this morning with players clamoring for its October 10 launch day, but not without reservations. Among longtime fans, the loudest criticism surrounded map size: The beta lacked a truly big map that captured classic Battlefield chaos.

DICE lead producer David Sirland has been the one to field these complaints over the last few weeks. After the first beta weekend, Sirland assured folks that ‘large maps exist’ in BF6, but the studio chose to test small ones to show it could handle the “full-octane” chaos of CoD.


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Then, well, it added yet another small map in weekend two, reinforcing concerns that the full map pool of nine will prioritize CoD run ‘n gunning over Battlefield’s traditional spaced-out firefights.

“That’s not how Battlefield should be,” X user Blasts4Satan replied to Sirland on August 15. “Listen to the veteran players, not the CoD fanboys. This is y’all’s last chance and it’s already looking a little too much like the other game in the room.”

We are very much looking back at our past modern incarnations when it comes to pacing. I’d urge everyone to go and play some smaller/medium map BF3 and BF4 to get a good example of the intensity curve.It is slower and more deliberate on the larger maps, as it was in the past.August 18, 2025

Returning to the thread days later to reply, Sirland reaffirmed that BF6’s pacing is on the same trajectory as the games it’s most inspired by, Battlefield 3 and 4.

“We are very much looking back at our past modern incarnations when it comes to pacing. I’d urge everyone to go and play some smaller/medium maps in BF3 and BF4 to get a good example of the intensity curve,” Sirland wrote. “It is slower and more deliberate on the larger maps, as it was in the past.”

It’s true that close-quarters, high-intensity maps are nothing new for the series: BF3 and BF4 had loads of smaller, linear meat grinder maps that folks remember fondly. I remember the disappointment when the only map available in the 2011 BF3 console beta (the PC version got an extra, larger map) was Operation Metro, a cramped trek through grass and tunnels that was unfriendly to vehicles.

Battlefield 3: Operation Metro Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer (E3) – YouTube

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At the time, I thought BF3 didn’t feel much like Battlefield, but I warmed to it at launch after playing Caspian Border: a wide valley of rolling hills, military compounds, and jet runways that checked every Battlefield box.

Still, Sirland repeatedly saying “large maps exist” and pointing to a 14-year-old game for proof doesn’t inspire much confidence. If large maps were a focus of BF6, you’d think we’d know what they look like by now. It’s reasonable to conclude that the BF6 beta was BF Studios debuting the primary identity of the game: Pretty and destructible maps, cramped gunfights, and sometimes vehicles.

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HYPE, SUI Lead Altcoin Losses as Ethereum Dips Under $4,300

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In brief

  • Hyperliquid (HYPE) and SUI led losses among major altcoins as Bitcoin’s correction from $118,000 to $115,000 triggered widespread liquidations.
  • The selloff comes ahead of Thursday’s Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, with analysts noting funding rates had been “warning of trouble” and higher-than-expected PPI data forcing markets to scale back September rate-cut expectations.
  • Analysts called the market move “a corrective pullback within an uptrend” but warned that if Ethereum breaks below $4,150 support, further cascading liquidations could target the $3.9k–$3.6k range.

Ethereum’s slip below $4,300 set off a chain reaction across crypto markets Monday morning, wiping out more than $487 million in long positions and leaving altcoins bleeding.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) plummeted 8.7% to $43.38 while Sui (SUI) crashed 7.3% to $3.55, leading a brutal selloff across altcoins.

Ethereum (ETH) shed 5.4%, Solana (SOL) tumbled 5.6%, and Cardano (ADA) declined 6.2%, according to CoinGecko data.

XRP (XRP) fell 4.5%, Stellar (XLM) dropped 5.4%, and Dogecoin (DOGE) retreated 4.6% in the last 24 hours.

“This looks like a fairly natural pullback after the strong run many cryptocurrencies had seen in recent weeks, with liquidations amplifying the downside across the market,” Nansen analyst Nicolai Sondergaard told Decrypt.

“Since altcoins tend to react more sharply during these periods, tokens like HYPE and SUI experienced even steeper declines,” Sondergaard noted, pointing out that Bitcoin’s sell-off triggered the declines.

Traders brace for Jackson Hole meeting

The liquidation cascade comes ahead of Thursday’s Jackson Hole symposium, with QCP Capital analysts sharing in their latest report how “some traders believe that the overnight washout reflects de‑risking ahead of the symposium,” where Fed Chair Jerome Powell takes the stage.

Held each August in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the symposium gathers the Fed, global central bankers, and policymakers.

QCP analysts added that “BTC funding rates had been warning of trouble” with rates turning negative by Saturday despite spot prices rising over the weekend.

“The U.S. PPI came in higher than expected, forcing markets to quickly scale back September rate-cut bets that earlier signs of labor market softness had elevated,” Dan Chen, analyst at crypto exchange Bitunix, told Decrypt.

Chen called the selloff “a corrective pullback within an uptrend” and said the market may consolidate through Jackson Hole if Ethereum “can hold support near $4,150” before resuming its advance.



However, he warned that “a breakdown risks further cascading liquidations with downside targets in the $3.9k–$3.6k range, where altcoins—especially HYPE and SUI—are likely to stay relatively weaker.”

Some 75% of Ethereum’s $206.79 million in liquidations in the last 24 hours came from long positions, totaling more than $180.52 million, according to CoinGlass data.

“The mounting queue of soon-to-be-unstaked ETH could be driving the asset’s recent retracement,” Juan Leon, Bitwise Senior Investment Strategist, previously told Decrypt.

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(Source: NBIM, K33 Research via X)
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Brevan Howard, Goldman Sachs and Harvard Lead Billions in Bitcoin ETF Buying Spree

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Wall Street ramped up its exposure to bitcoin in the second quarter, adding positions not only in spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) but also in U.S. stocks closely tied to the cryptocurrency’s price, according to new filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Brevan Howard nearly doubled its position in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) during the second quarter, according to a securities filing. The macro-focused hedge fund held 37.9 million shares at the end of June, up from about 21.5 million in March.

The stake was worth more than $2.6 billion based on IBIT’s closing price on June 28, making Brevan Howard one of the largest reported institutional holders of IBIT alongside Goldman Sachs, which boosted its position to $3.3 billion in IBIT and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust (FBTC). The banking giant also held $489 million worth of the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), according to a filing.

Goldman’s ownership of the ETFs isn’t necessarily a direct wager by its trading desk on bitcoin’s price; rather, it more likely represents positions held by Goldman Sachs Asset Management on behalf of its clients.

Brevan Howard, best known for macro trading, however, has long been active in the crypto space and operates a dedicated digital asset division called BH Digital. The unit manages billions in assets and invests in blockchain infrastructure, decentralized finance and related technologies.

Harvard, Wells Fargo and more

Other major IBIT investors include Harvard University, which reported a $1.9 billion stake in the ETF, and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, which continues to hold $681 million.

In terms of U.S. banks, Wells Fargo nearly quadrupled its holdings of IBIT to $160 million, up from $26 million in the previous quarter, while maintaining a $200,000 stake in the Grayscale Bitcoin Fund (GBTC).

Cantor Fitzgerald also boosted its holdings to over $250 million while also increasing stakes in crypto-related stocks, including Strategy (MSTR), Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD), among others.

Trading firm Jane Street revealed holding a $1.46 billion stake in IBIT, which represents the largest single position in its portfolio after Tesla (TSLA) at $1.41 billion. It increased its stake in MSTR while reducing its holdings of FBTC.

Spot bitcoin ETFs like IBIT, which launched in January, allow investors to gain exposure to bitcoin’s price without directly holding the cryptocurrency. That structure offers traditional institutions an avenue to participate in the crypto market through familiar brokerage accounts and custodial arrangements.

Norway buys more

For some overseas entities, gaining exposure to bitcoin is easier through U.S.-listed companies that hold large amounts of BTC on their balance sheets.

That’s the approach being taken by Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, along with several other European state-backed investors, which are opting for equity stakes in crypto-adjacent firms rather than holding the crypto directly.

Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the investment arm of the Norwegian central bank and the entity that manages the country’s $2 trillion pension fund, now indirectly holds 7,161 BTC, according to a new note from K33 Research. That figure is up 192% from 2,446 BTC a year ago, and up 87% from the 3,821 BTC it held at the end of 2024.

(Source: NBIM, K33 Research via X)

The largest portion of its exposure — 3,005 BTC — comes through shares in Strategy. The rest is spread across companies like Marathon Digital, Coinbase, Block, and Metaplanet. K33 also counted GME (GameStop) and several smaller holdings as contributing to the total.

Still, the exposure remains tiny in context. Norway’s fund owns stakes in thousands of companies across global markets, and the value of its bitcoin-linked investments is a fraction of its total holdings. At a current market price of $117,502 per BTC, the fund’s 7,161 BTC is worth around $841 million — or less than 0.05% of the $2 trillion portfolio.

The sharp increase over the past year may signal growing institutional comfort with the asset class, but it doesn’t represent a major strategic shift—yet.



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