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The Toasty Guy From Mortal Kombat Has Left The Series

by admin October 3, 2025

After 30+ years, longtime Mortal Kombat audio director Dan Forden is no longer a part of the team working on the fighting series. The veteran game developer, famously known as the guy who pops up in the corner and yells “Toasty!” when uppercutting someone in a Mortal Kombat game, has left NetherRealm.

On October 2, as spotted by PC Gamer, Forden posted on Instagram that Wednesday was his last day at the WB-owned studio behind the Mortal Kombat franchise. Previously, Forden had worked at Midway Chicago, the predecessor to NetherRealm and the studio that originally developed the Mortal Kombat games. Forden has worked on every mainline entry in the franchise, starting with 1992’s Mortal Kombat all the way up to 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1.

He’s most famous for being the guy who popped up in the corner of the screen during fights in Mortal Kombat II and yelled “Toasty!” in a high-pitched voice. This Easter egg continued into nearly every subsequent game in the series, including some spin-offs and modern entries. Now, Toasty Dan, as he’s called online, has left behind the franchise he helped build over the last few decades.

“Wednesday was my last day at NetherRealm,” posted Forden on Instagram. “We made a lot of fun stuff over the years. I’m really proud of what we accomplished as well as how much fun we had making that stuff. There are so many smart, talented people there – look for more great things to emerge over the next several years.”

On Instagram, Forden shared a photo of what appears to be a bathroom inside the studio. And on the mirror inside the bathroom is a little sticker of him yelling his famous catchphrase as seen in MKII. Forden added that he “loved” these “little touches that people left around the studio.”

“I wouldn’t have lasted 37 years in the industry if fans weren’t out there playing the games we made,” said Forden. “Thanks to all of you for supporting what we’ve done. Live long and…Toasty!”

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Bhutan Transfers $107M Bitcoin, With $1.1B BTC Left

by admin September 19, 2025

The Royal Government of Bhutan transferred more than $100 million worth of Bitcoin this week, raising concerns about potential sell pressure in the market just as the US Federal Reserve delivered its first interest rate cut of 2025.

The Bhutan government-labelled wallet moved 913 Bitcoin (BTC) worth about $107 million into two newly created cryptocurrency wallets on Thursday.

The original wallet still holds 9,652 Bitcoin worth over $1.1 billion, according to blockchain data platform Lookonchain.

The transfers may indicate Bhutan is preparing to sell a portion of its holdings. If the government liquidated its entire stash, it could add more than $1 billion of supply to the market.

Source: Lookonchain

Related: Standard Chartered venture arm to raise $250M for digital asset fund: Report

It was the first activity in a month from the wallet, which previously moved $92 million worth of Bitcoin on Aug. 18, according to Arkham data.

Bhutan has embraced cryptocurrency under its current monarch, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, including initiatives such as hydro-powered Bitcoin mining and a crypto reserve.

In September 2024, Arkham identified the first Bitcoin address of Bhutan’s investment arm, Druk Holding and Investments, which held about $780 million in crypto, showcasing the benefits of cryptocurrency adoption for developing economies.

Related: ‘Diamond hand’ investor turns $1K into $1M as BNB tops $1,000

Whales stir as Fed cuts rates

The Bhutan transfers came as other large holders moved coins ahead of potential volatility.

On Wednesday, an unknown whale woke up after 12 years of dormancy to transfer $116 million worth of Bitcoin, which he initially acquired for just $847 per token, worth around $847,000 at the time.

The transfer occurred shortly before Wednesday’s highly anticipated Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, which delivered the first US interest rate cut of the year.

While Bitcoin initially topped $117,000 on the interest rate cut announcement, the “median FOMC projection of just 50 bps in total cuts this year tempers the optimism,” introducing short-term volatility risks, Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget exchange, told Cointelegraph, adding:

“Historically, crypto has dipped 5–8% percent following rate cuts before resuming its upward path, suggesting a potential ‘sell the news’ phase in the days ahead.”

“In the near term, Ethereum and Solana may outperform on ETF-driven inflows and network catalysts, while Bitcoin consolidates before targeting $123,000 to $150,000 if subsequent cuts materialize,” the analyst added.

Magazine: Bitcoin is ‘funny internet money’ during a crisis: Tezos co-founder

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Banks reveals the real reason behind why he left FaZe Clan

by admin September 17, 2025

FaZe co-founder Ricky Banks has revealed the reason behind his exit from the esports and entertainment group in July 2025 after former member Temperrr was ousted amid drama.

In spring 2024, Banks ‘rebooted’ FaZe’s roster of content creators, bringing on a group of fresh faces that included top Twitch streamers like JasonTheWeen, PlaqueBoy Max and FaZe Lacy.

The restructuring was a massive success for FaZe, with the group going viral online and taking over Twitch’s ‘Just Chatting’ category thanks to their action-packed subathon that year.

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However, in late July, Banks — who had been with the group since it was founded in 2010 — announced that he was stepping away from the company, and the internet, permanently.

YouTube: All Grown UpBanks is no longer a part of FaZe Clan, clarifying that he officially left the group sometime in August.

“For the time being, I’m gonna be stepping away from not only FaZe, but all this internet sh*t. It’s destroying my life inside and out. …I wish I could say I’ll be back, but I really don’t know if I will,” he wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

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His exit followed an explosive scandal within his community, some of whom accused him of ‘scamming’ fans with an MLG crypto token. Banks denied ever ‘scamming’ anyone, but has remained relatively quiet on social media in the months afterward.

Banks is ‘passing the torch’ to new FaZe members

Finally, on September 17, 2025, Banks opened up about the reason behind his departure in response to a fan asking why he was no longer part of the group.

In his reply, Banks clarified that he officially left the company one month ago, saying he has “no business being front facing anything related to FaZe in 2025.”

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“My goal was to breathe new life into FaZe and pass the baton to a new group of friends who do content together. FaZe was dead and I simply couldn’t live with that. Mission accomplished, these new guys got it,” he continued.

He went on to say that his personal brand and lifestyle no longer aligns with FaZe’s current image, with the streamer citing his gambling hobby and interest in crypto.

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“I’m not interested in pretending I’m someone else or dragging these new guys into my own interests/drama. Like I said before I’ll always be here to help and will always be FaZe’s biggest fan. It’s all love, it’s always been love.”

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X: Banks

Banks’ statement follows an explosive fallout within FaZe’s ranks after FaZe Rain accused Temperrr of inappropriate actions with an underaged person.

Rain has since apologized and “retracted” the label he put on Temperrr, who was booted from the company as a result of the scandal. However, things are still tense between the two, with Temperrr saying Rain “ruined his life,” and Rain continuing to clap back on social media.

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September 17, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Silksong devs left a random mouse cursor on screen during vital cutscene

by admin September 16, 2025

Hollow Knight: Silksong players have spotted a rogue mouse cursor in one of the game’s late cutscenes, a small error that it’s impossible to ignore once you know it’s there.

It’s fair to say that Silksong has lived up to the hype for many players. Despite some debate around its punishing difficulty, the sprawling world, level design, and boss fights that Team Cherry put together have earned it glowing reviews.

However, fans have stumbled across a mistake in Act 3 that rivals Game of Thrones’ infamous coffee cup moment.

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Silksong devs accidentally leave mouse cursor in cutscene

As noticed by Reddit user SooperWooper7044, during one of the game’s crucial late cutscenes, a mouse cursor can be spotted onscreen above Hornet. This happens early on in Act 3, when you use the bell to descend into The Abyss under Pharloom for the final stages of the adventure.

The cursor can only be seen for a couple of seconds before disappearing, so it’s easy to see why it’s not been seen until now. However, we’ve checked multiple playthrough videos, including WilliamGlenn8 and Rizado, and it’s present in all of them.

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We’ve marked it on this screenshot from BeardBear’s video to give you a clear look:

YouTube: BeardBear / Dexerto

It’s a pretty small error that doesn’t exactly ruin the experience, but I challenge you to ignore it now that you know what to look for. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Team Cherry fix the issue in a future patch, but until then, fans are actually doing their best to explain it.

“Considering the context of this cutscene, maybe there’s a camera inside the ‘ship’ and the dude that’s controlling it is looking at a monitor,” theorized one player.

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“Clearly it’s intentional as it’s an homage to their PC fans,” joked another.

Silksong isn’t even the first game to launch with this kind of mistake. Pokemon Sword and Shield had the exact same problem when it released in 2019, with a mouse cursor appearing in the final cutscene and credits.

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By comparison, the Silksong cursor is far less noticeable, so even if the devs leave it in place, it’s likely to become a fun piece of Hollow Knight lore rather than a game-breaking problem.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Nova Launcher’s founder and sole developer has left

by admin September 8, 2025

After nearly everyone working on the Nova Launcher, one of the most recognizable names in Android launchers, was laid off last year, founder Kevin Barry, Nova’s sole remaining developer, said this weekend that he has left Nova’s parent company after being asked to stop working on the launcher and an effort to open-source it. Nova Launcher’s website currently shows a 404 error, though the launcher is still available on Google Play.

Mobile analytics company Branch Metrics acquired Nova in 2022. The company’s CEO at the time, co-founder Alex Austin, said on Reddit that if Barry were to leave Branch, “it’s contracted that the code will be open-sourced and put in the hands of the community.” Austin left Branch in 2023, and now with Barry officially gone from the company, too, it’s unclear if the launcher will now actually be open-sourced.

Barry declined to comment to The Verge. We’ve reached out to Branch for comment.

“I think the newer leadership since Alex Austin left has put a different focus on the company and Nova simply isn’t part of that focus in any way at all,” Cliff Wade, Nova’s former customer relations lead who left as part of the 2024 layoffs, tells The Verge. “It’s just some app that they own but no longer feel they need or want.”

Wade also said that “I don’t believe Branch will do the right thing any time soon with regards to open-sourcing Nova. I think they simply just don’t care and don’t want to invest time, unless of course, they get enough pressure from the community and individuals who care.” Users have started a change.org petition to ask for the project to be open-sourced, and Wade says it’s a “great start” to apply that pressure. Wade said he hasn’t personally seen Barry’s contract, so couldn’t corroborate the claim of a contractual obligation to open-source Nova.

Still, he said that the community “deserves” for the launcher to be open-sourced. “Branch just simply needs to do the right thing here and honor what they as a company have stated as well as what then CEO Alex Austin has stated numerous times prior to him leaving Branch.”

Additional reporting by Dominic Preston.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Shiba Inu (SHIB): 3 Days Left

by admin September 4, 2025

SHIB’s market state
SHIB stays trapped

There are only three days left before the price of Shiba Inu is compelled to break out of its current triangle formation, marking a pivotal moment on the charts. The overall situation is not very encouraging for SHIB holders, even though the consolidation has tightened significantly, and the breakout’s path is still unclear.

SHIB’s market state

SHIB is caught between a rising support line of higher lows and a descending trendline of lower highs on the daily chart. As the squeeze nears its peak, volatility is typically on the horizon. But traders aren’t exactly lining up for this token. In tandem with price action, volume has been continuously declining, indicating a lack of conviction on the part of both buyers and sellers. The fact that SHIB’s foundations don’t inspire confidence only serves to heighten the gloom.

SHIB/USDT Chart by TradingView

A consistent drop in network transactions is revealed by on-chain data, indicating a decline in user activity and utility. Declining engagement in the cryptocurrency space frequently results in a drop in price, because fewer users are willing to speculate or transact on the network. The hype-fueled craze that propelled SHIB appears to have faded.

SHIB stays trapped

SHIB is still trapped in a downward drift unless it can make a convincing break above the $0.000013 zone. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) shows no indication of hidden strength and floats around neutral levels. There is a greater chance of a breakdown than a breakout in the absence of a spike in volume or renewed interest.

SHIB could revert to the $0.000010 level, or worse if support at $0.000012 is not met. Traders should brace for volatility as this triangle closes in three days, but there isn’t much hope. The path of least resistance is downward, and SHIB may soon show its hand unless there is a fundamental shift.

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September 4, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Who is Francoise in Wednesday? Netflix viewers left “disturbed” by Season 2 scene

by admin September 4, 2025

There’s a lot going on in Wednesday Season 2 Part 2, including the introduction of a key new character: Francoise. We have met her before, but the latest chapter reveals her true identity – and there’s a reason she’s left viewers “disturbed”.

At the end of Season 2 Part 1 of the hit Netflix series, Tyler transformed into Hyde and threw Wednesday out of the window after she freed the imprisoned outcasts at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital.

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Thankfully, she survives, and now she’s back on her mission to save Enid following that deadly premonition. Tyler is still at large, as is Slurp the zombie, and there’s also the question of what Principal Dort is up to.

At least one issue was solved in Episode 4: Judi Stonehearst’s reign of terror has come to an end. But what about the mysterious woman Wednesday saved at Willow Hill? Warning: spoilers ahead!

Who is Francoise in Wednesday?

Netflix

In Wednesday Season 2 Part 2, we learn that the woman, ‘Patient 1938’, is actually Francoise Galpin, the wife of the late Jericho Sheriff, Donovan Galpin. That means the theories were correct: she is, in fact, Tyler’s mother.

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She’s also a Hyde, having passed down her genetics to her son. But without a master, Francoise’s health is declining, and this is where Slurp comes in. Turns out, he’s not just a mystery meat-eating zombie – he’s Isaac Night, Francoise’s brother.

Isaac was presumed dead, but he was reanimated by Pugsley in Season 2 Part 1. The Netflix series reveals he’s the genius who created the outcast-reversal machine stolen by Augustus Stonehurst for his mad experiments.

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Decades ago, his plan was to use the technology to remove the Hyde powers from his sister in a bid to save her life. However, in order to do so, he was willing to sacrifice his best friend at the time: Gomez Addams.

Netflix

Thankfully, Morticia managed to put a stop to it before the procedure killed Gomez, and the explosion from that night seemingly killed Isaac. After he was revived in the present day, he feasted on brains and, by Season 2 Part 2, he’s looking a lot more like his human self.

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Francoise is later reunited with Tyler before Isaac pays them a visit. Together, the brother-sister duo decide to try and take back control of the machine at Nevermore and carry out the procedure, sacrificing Pugsley instead.

In short, the Night family are a gang of homicidal maniacs – except when it comes to their own.

Did Francoise deserve to be locked away by the Stonehearts all those years? Given his motives and the conditions of her imprisonment, no. Yet, the fact she’s willing to kill innocent people in order to save her own life (or her son’s) shows she’s a danger to society.

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But there’s another characteristic of hers that has left an impression on viewers – not the good kind.

Francoise Galpin and Isaac Night accused of “incest” relationship

Netflix

Francoise and Isaac’s relationship seems a little too close in Wednesday Season 2, with the pair often embracing in a way that would suggest they’re lovers rather than siblings, and this is something that’s been picked up on by the fans.

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This isn’t Game of Thrones, after all.

Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “Did anyone else get really off vibes from Isaac and Francoise? They seemed more like lovers than siblings and it was so uncomfortable to watch,” to which another replied, “Yeah it feels so incest-y.”

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A third agreed, “The part where they’re looking in the mirror together and quickly pull apart when Tyler comes in really gave off that incest vibe. Like I’m not gonna dramatically pull away from a hug with my sibling if someone walks in, it’s just a hug.”

One viewer had to double check they weren’t reading it wrong. “I even Googled if they’re actually lovers who pretended to be siblings because there is no way siblings act around each other like that,” they wrote. “That hug before Tyler barged in was… so uncomfortable to watch.”

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Netflix

Others highlighted the fact that, despite her clear affection for her brother, Francoise didn’t hesitate to show her dark side to Tyler, even slapping him around the face.

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“For real, all they focused on was showing this lovey-dovey sh*t and we weren’t able to even see Tyler bond or like ask stuff to his mother, also that slap was crazy,” said one, with another writing, “I know right?? I thought it’d be more loving but she was just awful.”

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“Got Thornhill flashbacks when she called him sweetie right after slapping him and when she said love you and finger kissed him while he was bound and begging her to let him go,” commented a third.

At least one fan was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, writing, “Honestly that scene where they were embracing in front of the mirror was kinda jarring to me (totally gave weird vibes).

“But I chalked it up to the visible age difference and the fact that they are both pretty uniquely unhinged (even amongst outcasts) and the only ones who could truly understand each other since they grew up together.”

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For more on Wednesday, find out why Season 3 is what the Addams Family needs and why Xavier doesn’t return. You can also check out what else is coming up with our 2025 TV show release calendar.

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September 4, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Left 4 Dead creator teasing new four player co-op shooter

by admin September 1, 2025

Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth has announced he is working on a new four-player co-op shooter.

In a post shared on reddit over the weekend, Booth said the upcoming game will be “built on the foundations of what made [Left 4 Dead] special”, though he stopped short of giving his new project a name or indeed any concept art.

However, in the words of the developer, “if you enjoyed the teamwork, tension, and replayability of my past games, you’ll probably find this one interesting”.

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Booth added this shooter will expand on the co-op gameplay formula in “ways I’ve wanted to explore for a long time”. Curious.

Booth currently works for Bad Robot Games, which is a subdivision of JJ Abrams’ film and TV production company announced in 2018. In his reddit post, Booth said the team is still in the “early stages” of the shooter’s development. There are, however, going to be playtests for a limited number of participants. If this sounds like something you would like to be a part of, you can join the waitlist here.

Are you interested?

From the creator of L4D
byu/M_Booth inleft4dead

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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 1, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Left 4 Dead’s creator is making a comeback to create the next big co-op shooter

by admin August 31, 2025

Left 4 Dead creator and lead designer Mike Booth announced that he’s stepping back into game development and feels that there’s some unfinished business. He’s aiming to make the next big co-op shooter.

Left 4 Dead is a series that has only two games, both of which are close to two decades old at this point. However, these two titles still have an iron grip on the games industry, with their influence being tangible to this day.

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Mike Booth, the main creator and lead designer of the original game, is coming back with a completely different studio backing him to try and make lightning strike the same spot twice.

What’s more, they’re far enough along in development that they’ve started taking playtest applicants.

Left 4 Dead creator is looking for playtesters on a new project

Mike Booth’s career has hopped around a lot since leaving Turtle Rock Studios in 2012. He was with the studio through Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 but left to join Blizzard and work on an unannounced project.

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Turns out this project “wasn’t a good fit” for the company according to Booth himself, and he left to go work with Facebook (now Meta) on VR projects.

These days he works with Bad Robot Games, a subdivision of JJ Abrams’ film and TV production company of the same name. They’ve got a newly formed internal development studio that’s backing Mike Booth’s vision and has been working on this game for a while.

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“I’m Mike Booth (creator of Left 4 Dead), and I’m excited to share that I’m working on a brand new project —a 4-player co-op shooter built on the foundations of what made L4D special,” he explained in a Reddit post.

Left 4 Dead 2The cast of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 are still iconic to this day.

“If you enjoyed the teamwork, tension, and replayability of my past games, you’ll probably find this one interesting. It expands on the co-op formula in ways I’ve wanted to explore for a long time.”

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And, while it’s not close to release by the sound of it, he has opened up a signup form for playtesters to get some early opinions on the title. You can sign up for that playtest here.

Upon signing up, there’s a small bit of information about the title, the only thing we currently know about this game other than it being a co-op shooter: It’s currently called “Project Tacoma”.

It remains to be seen if Mike Booth can recapture the magic of Left 4 Dead and create a genre-defining title all these years later. However, considering that the core Left 4 Dead series has no sign of getting a new entry from Valve, fans are excited to potentially get a new game.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee Reveals Why Investors Left Ethereum For Solana, But What Does Wall Street Want?

by admin August 30, 2025

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

Tom Lee, veteran trading analyst, Fundstrat co‑founder, and the strategist behind BitMine’s Ethereum treasury strategy, is once again championing Ethereum.

During an interview with Mario Nawfal on X, Lee acknowledged how the broader crypto community appeared to abandon Ethereum in favor of faster alternatives like Solana and Sui. However, institutional investors, particularly Wall Street players, value something far more important, which only Ethereum can provide.

Retail Chases Speed, Wall Street Favors Reliability

In the interview, Lee challenges the belief that blockchain networks must prioritize transaction speed above all. Rather, he argues that institutional investors, particularly Wall Street investors, place much greater value on uptime and reliability, qualities that Ethereum has despite being slower at its base layer.

Lee said that retail investors abandoned Ethereum because they thought faster was better, leading them toward high-throughput networks like Solana and Sui with seemingly superior economics. But according to him, Wall Street thinks differently. Institutions prioritize “100 % uptime,” because they can always deploy on layer‑2 solutions to compensate for Ethereum’s base-layer speed limitations.

Interestingly, Lee pointed to staking as another factor in which Ethereum is better than its counterparts. According to Lee, staking isn’t just about yield, but it’s about influence. “If Goldman stakes enough ETH, they have a positive voice on the Ethereum itself and how they upgrade,” he said. In short, institutional stakeholders like Goldman Sachs would care more about influencing Ethereum through staking, but this is not a weakness.

SOLUSD now trading at $202. Chart: TradingView

Lee noted that many veteran investors he recently spoke with still see Ethereum as underperforming, not because of any technological shortcomings, but because its price consistently lagged behind Bitcoin for months. However, this perception is now beginning to shift with Ethereum’s price action since July.

After Ethereum broke past $4,800, the strength in price is improving confidence among crypto investors, and this momentum could set the stage for much larger growth for its price action in the near future.

Ethereum Price Action

Ethereum indeed has been on a remarkable upward arc since July. In late August 2025, the Ethereum price smashed through its previous all‑time high and traded above $4,880 for the first time since 2021, before finally peaking at $4,946. This, in turn, saw the Ethereum total market cap almost hitting the $600 billion mark

The rally wasn’t just price action. It echoed structural shifts in the institutional inflow dynamics into large cryptocurrencies, especially as seen in the performance of Spot Ethereum ETFs compared to Bitcoin.

Although Ethereum has since entered into a correction path down to the $4,400 level, the sentiment surrounding Ethereum is still bullish. Analysts have raised year‑end forecasts of Ethereum from between $6,000 and $12,000, based on increased institutional engagement and a positive influence from the US Genius Act. At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $4,390, up by 1.1% in the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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August 30, 2025 0 comments