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Crypto In Japan May Soon Open Wider As Holdings Giant Pushes Expansion

by admin October 3, 2025

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

Based on reports, Nomura Holdings is preparing to strengthen its footprint in Japan’s crypto market as trading activity picks up across the country.

The move comes through Laser Digital Holdings, a Nomura unit based in Switzerland that is now in pre-consultation with Japan’s Financial Services Agency to seek a license to offer trading services to institutional clients.

The talks signal a push to bring more traditional finance players into the market.

Nomura Deepens Its Bet

Laser’s CEO, Jez Mohideen, told Bloomberg the application reflects the group’s confidence in Japan’s digital asset scene. Laser was launched in 2022 and already won a full crypto business license in Dubai in 2023.

Nomura Holdings plans to expand in Japan’s digital-asset market through a subsidiary, as crypto trading in the country heats up https://t.co/vV6z8i9JTZ

— Bloomberg (@business) October 3, 2025

A Japanese subsidiary was set up that same year. If regulators approve the new application, Laser plans to act as a broker-dealer for banks, pension managers and crypto firms, and to support exchanges that operate in Japan.

A History Of Ambition And Mixed Results

Nomura created Laser to cover asset management, venture investments and trading services for digital assets. The unit has not been a steady profit engine.

Nomura disclosed a quarterly loss in Europe earlier this year that was partly tied to Laser’s activities. CFO Hiroyuki Moriuchi described the unit’s results as “not very good.”

Mohideen had predicted Laser would break even within two years of launch, but he later warned that turning a profit might take longer than originally expected.

BTCUSD now trading at $120,392. Chart: TradingView

Trading Volumes Double

According to the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association, the value of crypto transactions in Japan rose to ¥33.7 trillion — about $230 billion — in the first seven months of the year, roughly double the previous pace.

On-chain value received jumped 120% in the 12 months to June 2025, outpacing markets such as South Korea, India and Vietnam.

Reports have disclosed that policy steps, including possible tax cuts and new rules for crypto funds, are helping attract both younger retail investors and larger institutional players.

Mainstream Firms Move Toward Crypto Collateral

Daiwa Securities recently allowed clients at its 181 retail branches to use Bitcoin and Ether as collateral for yen loans. That sort of move shows how some big financial firms are incorporating crypto into everyday financial services.

A yen-backed stablecoin issuer has also gained a license, adding more tools for traders and fund managers to use.

Profit Questions Remain

Even as trading and on-chain measures climb, the business case for some newcomers is still unproven. Laser’s early losses and delayed profit expectations highlight that risk.

Nomura’s expansion into Japan is a clear long-term play, but short-term returns are uncertain and will depend on how quickly institutional flows keep growing and how regulators set the rules.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Team Fortress 2 Classic, the throwback version of Valve’s famed team-based shooter, is having an open beta on Steam in October

by admin September 30, 2025

Team Fortress 2 has come a long way in the nearly 20 years it’s been around, not entirely in ways that everyone would agree is better. For those who yearn for the days before hats (and bots) dominated the scene, the Team Fortress 2 Classic mod does just that.

Originally released in 2014, developer Eminoma announced plans for a Steam version earlier this year, enabled by the launch of the Team Fortress 2 SDK in February, and work seems to be coming along well: The team announced today that an open beta will get underway on October 13, alongside the start of the upcoming Steam Next Fest.

“We’re not sure if mods are normally at Next Fest, but the opportunity presented itself and we took it!” dev team member Nito wrote. “We have been working overtime for the past month to get ready for this, and I could not be more proud of the devs who have been toughing it out.”

The open beta will include “every TF2C-exclusive weapon, gamemode, and map” (except Casbah), as well as new additions including damage feedback, balance changes, and “revamped” support for Four-Team, which adds Green and Yellow to the traditional TF2 mix of Red and Blue. The game will be playable on both official servers and “a number of community servers.”

TF2 Classic has been available for years, but the shift to Steam is significant. For one thing, it adds new features like Steam achievements, and more importantly it greatly simplifies the process of running it for people like me, who might be interested in some pre-hat TF2 action now and then, but not so much that we’re interested in dealing with the headache of setting it up.

We’re also good sources of new information for the developers, as Nito said developers quite often only get feedback from people who already know TF2 Classic: “The open beta is a great chance to cut through any sampling biases and get a good look at what newcomers think. If you love what you play of the open beta, please let us know! If you don’t, please let us know even more!”

The Team Fortress 2 Classic open beta is set to run for two weeks, until October 27. To take part, you’ll need to have Team Fortress 2 installed (it’s free, so no worries there)—otherwise, just download the mod from Steam when the open beta begins and you’re set to go.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Vanguard to allow crypto access to brokerage clients

Crypto Trends

Vanguard prepares to open brokerage doors to crypto ETFs

by admin September 29, 2025

Vanguard, the most formidable holdout in asset management, is drafting plans for a strategic retreat. The $10 trillion giant is reportedly preparing to grant its brokerage clients access to crypto ETFs, signaling a profound shift in institutional acceptance.

Summary

Vanguard is reportedly preparing to let brokerage clients access third-party crypto ETFs, reversing its 2024 ban.
The shift follows rising client demand, regulatory changes, and new CEO Salim Ramji’s influence.
The firm still has no plans to launch its own crypto products.

On Sept. 26, crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett reported that Vanguard has initiated internal groundwork and external discussions to facilitate access to select third-party crypto ETFs for its brokerage clients.

According to a source familiar with the plans, the firm is acting in response to mounting client demand and a notably shifting regulatory landscape. The source emphasized that Vanguard is being “very methodical” in its approach, acknowledging the market dynamics that have evolved since the landmark ETF approvals in 2024.

Crucially, the report indicates this move does not include plans for Vanguard to launch its own proprietary crypto products.

From rejection to reconsideration

This potential pivot marks a stark departure from Vanguard’s firm stance in January 2024, when the firm blocked client access to the newly approved spot Bitcoin ETFs. At the time, the asset manager stated the products conflicted with its offering focused on traditional asset classes like equities, bonds, and cash, which it considered the essential building blocks of a long-term portfolio. It deemed Bitcoin’s volatility incompatible with its investment philosophy.

The road to this reversal, however, has been paved with telling clues. As Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted, the appointment of Salim Ramji as CEO in mid-2024 was a critical signal.

Ramji, who personally oversaw the launch of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), brought an insider’s understanding of the digital asset market to Vanguard’s top role. Balchunas had previously speculated that Ramji’s leadership could lead to a reversal of the ETF ban within a year or two, characterizing it not as a radical shift but as an incremental change for a platform that already offers gold ETFs.

This context makes the current developments appear less like a sudden about-face and more like the execution of a deliberate, CEO-led strategy. Further complicating Vanguard’s public skepticism was its quiet ascent to becoming the largest shareholder in Strategy, which is widely regarded as a publicly traded Bitcoin proxy.

According to Bloomberg, through its various funds, Vanguard accumulated an 8% stake in the firm. This substantial investment stood in sharp contrast to its public statements, suggesting a nuanced, if not contradictory, approach to gaining exposure to the digital asset ecosystem through traditional equity channels.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

Why Solana’s vertical accumulation suggests a price rally to $260

NFT Gaming

Solana price stalls at $200 support as Open Interest resets

by admin September 28, 2025

Solana price is stalling at the $200 psychological level, supported by Fibonacci and VWAP confluence. With open interest resetting to neutral levels, conditions are favorable for a bullish rotation toward higher levels.

Summary

Solana stalls at the $200 psychological level, aligning with the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement.
Open interest has reset to neutral levels, creating healthy conditions for fresh positions to fuel upside momentum.
Market structure remains bullish, with consecutive higher highs and higher lows pointing toward continuation toward $260.

Solana (SOL) is consolidating at a crucial support zone following its recent correction from near $260. After a sharp pullback, price action has reclaimed the $200 psychological level, which aligns with multiple technical confluences. The overlap of high-timeframe support, the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement, and VWAP has reinforced $200 as a critical level for the bullish trend to continue.

Adding to this, open interest has reset to neutral levels, providing fresh conditions for new positions to build as price stabilizes. At the same time, Kazakhstan is rolling out a stablecoin backed by Solana, Mastercard, and a major domestic bank, a development that could further strengthen Solana’s ecosystem and long-term adoption narrative.

Solana price key technical points

$200 Support Zone: Solana is holding at $200, supported by the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement, VWAP, and high timeframe levels.
Open Interest Reset: Contracts have been closed following the correction, setting the stage for new positions to fuel the next move.
Bullish Structure: Higher highs and higher lows remain intact, supporting continuation toward $260 resistance and beyond.

SOLUSDT (1D) Chart, Source: TradingView

The correction from Solana’s attempt to test the $260 resistance led to a sharp decline, sending price directly into the $200 region. This level, now reinforced by the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement and VWAP support, has acted as a strong floor for buyers.

The psychological significance of $200 has further enhanced its role as a pivot for potential reversal. Price has stalled here over the past sessions, suggesting market participants are waiting for confirmation before committing to the next trend move.

From a structural perspective, Solana’s broader uptrend remains intact. The sequence of consecutive higher highs and higher lows has not been broken, which means the current move can still be classified as a higher low in the context of the larger bullish trend. Holding above $200 increases the probability of continuation toward $260 and potentially higher resistance levels.

Solana Open Interest, Source: Coinglass

One of the most notable developments during this correction has been the reset of open interest. As price fell, many active contracts were closed, returning open interest to neutral levels. This is a healthy sign for market structure because it clears excessive leverage and creates the conditions for fresh positions to open.

When open interest begins to rise again alongside increasing price, it will indicate new bullish flows entering the market, adding momentum for continuation higher.

What to expect in the coming price action

If Solana continues to defend the $200 support, the probability of a bullish rotation increases. With market structure intact and open interest reset, conditions favor another leg higher toward $260.

A sustained breakdown below $200 would weaken the bullish outlook, but for now, the confluence of support and reset positioning points to continuation of the broader uptrend.

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September 28, 2025 0 comments

The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro in a sunny outdoor setting.

Product Reviews

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: a few neat features don’t save these problem-plagued open earbuds

by admin September 28, 2025

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We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro: Two-minute review

“I can hear your music,” is something my mother used to tell me when I was young, worried that I’d damage my hearing by cranking my music too loud, and it’s something I’ve heard from multiple people since I started testing even the best open earbuds.

These safety-focused open-fit headphones don’t put the earbud in your ear but just outside it, letting you hear surrounding sounds – but until the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro came along, this also meant that people around you could hear the distant ring of your tunes too.

No more! Xiaomi’s sophomore open-ear offering fixes the problem, with a bespoke 10mm driver that’s designed to eradicate sound leakage, and does a decent job at stopping bystanders hearing your music. My local park was no longer regaled by early-morning Busted and Hansen sprints, which I’m sure the community was overjoyed with.

That driver’s just one of five nestled into each earbud, a surprising spec given that most earbuds have one and even top-end ones have only two or three, and you can see them arranged in a flower-like pattern on each bud. But my first-glance comparison between this layout and the look of the five-camera Nokia 9 PureView, which was the first smartphone to use this many rear sensors, continues further than I’d like. Just as that phone offered a packed spec-sheet that didn’t deliver as promising results in testing, the OpenWear Stereo Pro may have the hardware but can’t seem to make good on it to stand a cut above the rest.

For most of my testing, I listened on the default sound profile and the buds sounded awful, really tinny and compressed – luckily I discovered that changing to one of the other few audio presets clears up lots of my problems, adding depth and range, and I wish I hadn’t written most of this review before discovering that! Oh well, a few hours of rewrites gave me more time to review the buds.

That extra testing time didn’t give me extra insight on the design, which isn’t quite as robust or rigid as open-ears need to be for gym users. Doing exercises that don’t see me stand upright like sit-ups, skull-crushers or anything reclined saw gravity drag the buds away from my ears, though thankfully they were okay when running or cycling.

It’s in the feature set that Xiaomi goes some way in winning me over. I’ve already mentioned the sound leak suppression system but the company has also brought back an easily-toggled voice note recording system, which I’ve found really useful in quickly letting me leave reminders to myself.

Despite winning points back, though, the Stereo Pro level out as being ‘fine’ buds, instead of the solid ones they’d need to be to compete in this rapidly-growing and hotly contested market.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Available from September 24, 2025
Costs £139.99 (roughly $180, AU$280)
In line with most open-ears

The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro were announced in September 2025 at a launch event by the company, which also included the Xiaomi 15T smartphone, some new versions of existing wearables and a few other bits and pieces.

The earbuds cost £139.99 (roughly $180, AU$280). A US release is unlikely given precedent, and an Australian one is possible due to Xiaomi releasing some of its earbuds there, but not guaranteed.

That price puts the Stereo Pro in line with most other open-ears, which generally sit between £100 and £160 (or $/AU$ equivalent), though some of our favorite options sit at the lower end of that spectrum. More on that in the Competition section below.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

Tweeter + 2x balanced armatures + 18x13mm dynamic driver + 10mm driver

Active noise cancellation

Battery life (ANC off)

8.5 hours (buds) 45 hours (case)

Weight

9.7g (buds) 72g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

Two useful features
Presets, but no equalizer
8.5 hours of listening per charge

Xiaomi puts the battery life of the OpenWear Stereo Pro at 8.5 hours for the buds, a figure which my own testing gave me no reason to doubt. The charging case bumps that up to 45 hours and both are slightly above average, the case figure to a commendable degree.

The Xiaomi Earbuds app for your phone or tablet gives you some extra control over your buds, with the ability to customise touch controls and jump between a few sound profiles (like EQ presets, but without there being an actual EQ). I’ll mention these in more detail later but it’s not quite as much as customization as other buds give you.

The flashy feature that’s designed to make the Stereo Pro stand out from the crowd is a driver which is designed to stop sound leaking. By ‘leaking’, I mean music from the buds that people around you can hear, which is both annoying for them and embarrassing for you (especially if your music taste is poor but trust me, we’re all judging you).

From my testing (and my partner’s, due to her being my guinea pig) the feature does a decent job at reducing sound leaking. It doesn’t totally remove it and sound leaking is still apparent, but it downplays open earbuds’ natural tendency to spread music around (due to the design). It’s most efficient in public areas where it brings your music just quiet enough to be drowned out by background noises.

Another feature present, that Xiaomi has ported over from its standard earbuds, is a recording mode. You can enable this with a gesture command, and it records audio from the buds or, apparently, a built-in speaker in the case.

It’s a useful feature for people who like to record their own voice notes on the go (let’s be honest: it’s a lot easier than using your phone’s notes app) but many countries have laws against recording unawares people, so you’ve been warned.

Throughout testing, I bumped up against a problem that seemed to be a connectivity one, rather than a sound one, though it did affect the audio. Now and then the buds would jump between tunings, from the usual one to an extra-compressed one and back again after a few seconds. There was no way of controlling or pre-empting this. I put it down to a connectivity issue because from time to time the buds would also lose connection for a few moments, a problem likely linked.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Very shiny earbuds
Comfortable to wear but unreliable hold
Hardy carry case

If you’re familiar with the look of open earbuds, the thing that’ll hit you about the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro is just how shiny they are. The counterweight and bud both come with a sheen so clean you can do your hair in them, making them look really rather premium. You can pick up the buds in gray, white or, like my test unit, rose gold.

And if we’re making judgements based on appearance, seeing the five drivers on the other side, complete with the text ‘5-driver sound system, designed by Xiaomi’ makes a loud statement about the buds’ audio quality.

Each bud weighs 9.7g, which is a little more than some rivals I’ve tested, but it doesn’t tell. They’re comfortable to wear for long gym sessions or trips, though when I wore them for my workout the bud would often move away from my ear if I leant down or lay down. I’ve found this problem in a few other open-ears and it seems to happen most when the material connecting the bud and counterweight is weak, and therefore unable to hold the bud rigidly.

The case is an oval clamshell that retains your color choice from the bud – and again, has a little ‘designed by Xiaomi’ in case you forget who made it (the name appears four times across the case and buds, not counting a little removable information sticker on the case).

Strong magnets grip the Stereo Pro when you put them in the case, so I never needed to fuss much about putting them in perfectly, which was handy when I wanted to sheathe the Xiaomi in a hurry. Features of the case include a USB-C charging port and pairing button but not much else.

Pre-release information provided to TechRadar didn’t mention an IP rating for the buds or case, so keep them safe from rain.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Sound quality

Five drivers per bud
Default sound profile is bad
Low max volume

(Image credit: Future)

A glance at the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro’s specs list sets up high expectations for the buds’ audio chops, and that’s because each bud has a startling five drivers (most rivals have one).

There’s a tweeter for refining treble, dual balanced armatures aimed again at higher-frequency tones, an 18x13mm dynamic driver that’s targeted at bass and the aforementioned 10mm sound leak reducer. And if that overwhelming hardware list somehow doesn’t impress you, perhaps the support for Hi-Res Audio and LDAC, SBC and AAC codecs will.

After reading all those specs, seeing the five drivers individually presented on the earbuds in a distinct way, and setting up my expectations fittingly, I was pretty shocked to discover that the Stereo Pro don’t sound good at all. In fact, I wrote a pretty scathing review of the sound – and then connected the buds to the phone app (not available immediately because I had early access to my review sample), changed from the default sound profile and found most of my issues vanish. If you’ve just bought these buds, make this change straight away.

In their default sound profile, the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro sound tinny, compressing a multitude of instruments into one sound and losing the details from almost all of them. In rock songs instruments like rhythm guitar, accompaniment keys and backing vocals are muddled and drum lines and more prominent guitar lines are akin to sleigh bells for how jangling they sound. Reverb fills the space that a detailed soundstage should take up.

Changing from the default sound profile really widens instruments, as well as the soundstage (though if you’re a masochist, the in-app toggle to increase the dynamic range turns the tinniness up to 11). It doesn’t make audio sound great, but it brings it in line with other open-ears.

The drivers’ emphasis on higher-end audio helps vocals and guitar solos stand out, and while there’s sufficient bass it sounds ill-defined and loose unless you fix it in the equalizer. Most of the time, it turns songs into a wall of distorted sound in which you can’t make up the textural details. I can see some listeners being okay with this aspect of the buds, especially ones who like high-powered metal music, but bear in mind that if you try head-banging these buds are going to go flying.

The buds don’t even go very loud, so I sometimes struggled to hear music when I was nearby a road.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

Your money could go further
…unless you want those features

As mentioned before, the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro sit around the average price of open earbuds, and also as mentioned, there’s lots of competition.

In fact, some of our favorite options are cheaper, making Xiaomi’s offering feel hard to recommend given that its performance also doesn’t match up.

The exception to this is whether or not the buds’ features sound enough to win you over, but for me, the sound quality is a sticking point.

Should I buy the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro?

(Image credit: Future)Swipe to scroll horizontallyXiaomi Openwear Stereo Pro score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The decent battery life and useful extras make up for the wobbly connection.

4/5

Design

The buds are flashy and shiny with handy touch controls but the buds aren’t held in place reliably.

3.5/5

Sound quality

The Stereo Pro gives unconvincing sound, even when you’ve turned off the poor default mode.

3/5

Value

There’s bound to be something that works better within your budget… unless the features appeal to you.

3/5

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Xiaomi Openwear Stereo Pro review: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Xiaomi Openwear Stereo Pro

Huawei FreeArc

Honor Earbuds Open

Technics EAH-AZ100

Drivers

Tweeter + 2x balanced armatures + 18x13mm dynamic driver + 10mm driver

17x12mm

16mm

17x12mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

8.5 hours (buds) 45 hours (case)

7 hours (buds) 28 hours (total)

6 hours (buds) 40 hours (total)

7.5 hours (buds) 38.5 hours (case)

Weight

9.7g / charging case: 72g

8.9g / charging case: 67g

7.9g / charging case: 52.5g

9.6g / charging case: 88g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IP57

IP54

How I tested the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro

(Image credit: Future)

Tested for two weeks
Tested at home, in the office, on runs, at the gym and while cycling

I used the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro for two weeks before writing this review, which is the standard TechRadar testing time.

During the testing period I used the buds at home, on walks around my neighborhood, on runs, at the gym, while cycling and on busy public transport. I paired them to my Android smartphone and most of the testing was done on Spotify and Netflix.

I’ve been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for nearly six years, which has included lots of Xiaomi gadgets in the past. For the last year I’ve been reviewing countless open earbuds, and so have a lot of experience in the area with which to compare the Xiaomis.

First reviewed in September 2025

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro: Price Comparison

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September 28, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Forza Horizon 6 Has The Franchise’s Biggest Open World Yet

by admin September 26, 2025

On Thursday, after a lot of rumors and leaks, Xbox officially announced Forza Horizon 6. And yes, as many expected, the next Forza Horizon game is set in Japan and will launch in 2026. We haven’t seen much of the upcoming open-world racing sequel, but we do know that it will have the franchise’s biggest open world, and you can expect a lot to see and do in this big ol’ map.

In a new interview with Gamesradar, Forza Horizon 6 art director Don Arceta claimed that the open-world racer will have the “biggest map yet” in the history of the series. Considering the fact that Forza Horizon 5 was twice the size of the game before that, it seems players will have a lot of digital Japan to explore. But don’t expect Horizon 6‘s Japan to be empty or boring, as Arceta told the outlet that the new map is Playground’s “most full.”

“Like, obviously, we can’t go bigger without filling it with things to do and see,” explained Arceta. “And I think this map that we’ve created for Japan, or Horizon’s version of Japan, is big, but also dense. There’s always something around the corner for you to discover and see. But yeah, it’s bigger. I won’t put a number on it. It is bigger.”

And inside this large open world is Forza Horizon 6‘s version of Tokyo, which the game’s art director calls the “biggest city” the studio has ever created.

“[What] I’m really excited about that is also bigger, is our urban area, which is Tokyo city. That’s the biggest city that we’ve done in a Horizon game yet,” said Areta. “I think people will be most surprised about the city, Tokyo city, because I think it is probably our most ambitious. It’s really layered and complex. And I think players will just enjoy that space. It’ll be something new and fresh.”

Interestingly, as revealed in Gamesradar’s interview, the elevated roadways players will find in Forza Horizon 6′s version of Tokyo were built using the tech the studio created for the Hot Wheels tracks in Forza Horizon 5. Don’t expect any orange plastic tracks around Japan at launch, though. Forza Horizon 6 will arrive sometime in 2026 on Xbox Series X/S and PC, with a PS5 port coming at a later date.

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September 26, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Arc Raiders’ devs would you like you to slam its servers with one last, open to all tech test next month

by admin September 23, 2025

With Marathon having received an indefinite delay back in June, that just leaves one game to test whether extraction shooters can make it mainstream: Arc Raiders. While this one has been cooking for a while now, it actually has a release date, October 30th. There’s been a few tests along the way, and it turns out the devs have one last one in them!

The good thing about this test – they’re calling it a Server Slam – is that it’s completely open to everyone. You don’t need any kind of access code, and despite this announcement coming with the shooter’s pre-order trailer, you do not in fact have to pre-order it either. This test is taking place between October 17th and 19th, across PC and console, and essentially it’s just to get as many people playing as possible to ensure there are no server hiccups when the game actually launches.

Watch on YouTube

Apparently this test will take place on the Dam Battlegrounds map for those in the know, and you’ll be able to get a taste of the game’s progression, crafting, and quest systems. It’s worth noting that none of this progress will carry over to the full game, so don’t get too deep into it. You’ll get a backpack cosmetic as a little treat in the full game for your troubles at least.

I’ve said it before on this site and I’ll say it again, I’m not particularly big on shooters, but I’m always curious about a burgeoning genre or subgenre. Sure extraction shooters aren’t exactly new, but they are quite hard to recommend given how easy it can be to lose progress. Not sure if I’ll be jumping in at launch, though I’ll be keeping my eye on it to see how things go at least.

Arc Raiders is out October 30th.

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Black Ops 7 blows the doors wide open on its multiplayer mode ahead of Call of Duty: Next

by admin September 23, 2025

Black Ops 7 is a little far off still, but if you thought next week’s big Call of Duty: Next multiplayer reveal event was going to be where most remaining information would be revealed, you’d actually be a little off base this time.

That’s because Treyarch and Raven have unveiled practically all details about the game’s multiplayer mode ahead of Next, showing off the hardware, the multiplayer arenas, and even going deep on movement and map design.

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The blog post has to be one of the largest I’ve ever seen for a Call of Duty game. It’s split into several different sections covering all aspects of multiplayer, essentially leaving very little a mystery.

The post walks us through all 18 maps coming to Black Ops 7 at launch – 16 core (6v6) multiplayer maps, and two Skirmish maps. Of those 16, three are Black Ops 2 remakes; those being Express, Hijacked, and Raid.

Skirmish is the new, big-player-count mode in Black Ops 7, offering 20v20 matches on two large maps that include team objectives, vehicles, and more. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, and it’s actually one of the least discussed in the blog post. The other new addition to the mode gallery is Overload, which is a riff on Capture the Flag.

Watch on YouTube

In terms of loadout-building, the big new feature this year is Overlock. It lets you modify tacticals, lethals, Field Upgrades, as well as Scorestreaks. You can have up to two Overclock abilities, which offer upgrades that could boost the damage of equipment, the way it interacts with the world, its cost (such as for Scorestreaks), how quickly it charges up (Field Upgrades) or give you the ability to carry more of it.

There’s also a section on progression in the post, which covers how the camo grind is going to work this time around, alongside several other details about the return of Weapon Prestige, and how progression is being tweaked in the game across the board.

We’re getting a similar deep dive into Zombies this week, but you can catch up on what’s been revealed so far about multiplayer at the link at the top of the post. Black Ops 7 arrives November 14 on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

XRP price holds $2.70 support as Open Interest resets

by admin September 23, 2025

XRP has returned to high-time-frame support at $2.70, a critical level that must hold to maintain bullish market structure. Technical confluence suggests this zone could fuel a reversal toward $3.55.

Summary

Key $2.70 support aligned with value area high and Bollinger Bands
Potential higher low supports continuation of bullish macro trend
Open interest reset provides base for reversal toward $3.55

Ripple (XRP) is testing one of its most critical technical regions as price action trades back into high-time-frame support at $2.70. This level carries significant weight for the broader trend, with technical confluence from the value area high and Bollinger Bands strengthening its importance.

XRP has recently dipped despite bullish drivers, such as the REX-Osprey XRPR ETF launch and rising odds of Act 33 ETF approvals. A sustained defense of this zone could form a higher low and confirm the continuation of XRP’s bullish macro trend, characterized by consecutive higher highs and higher lows.

Ripple price key technical points

Support: $2.70 high-time-frame zone with confluence from value area high and Bollinger Bands.
Resistance Target: $3.55 high-time-frame level as the next upside objective.
Market Structure: Potential higher low forming within an ongoing bullish macro trend.

XRPUSDT (1D) Chart, Source: TradingView

The $2.70 support zone is emerging as a pivotal level for XRP. Price action has returned to this area after a corrective pullback, and structurally, this is where a higher low can form. If this level holds, it will reinforce the broader bullish framework, allowing continuation toward the next resistance at $3.55.

Adding weight to this zone is its technical confluence. The value area high aligns with the bottom half of the Bollinger Bands, providing dual layers of support. Historically, when XRP has defended similar zones, strong rotations have followed. The technical setup suggests that this region is not only structurally important, but also strategically positioned to support a return in demand.

XRP Open Interest, Source: Coinglass

Another key factor is open interest. Following the recent drop, open interest has returned to neutral levels, currently trading at around $8.96 billion. This is significant because it reflects a balanced market after prior aggressive positioning. Since Aug. 3, XRP has repeatedly gravitated around this open interest level, making it a base for potential reversals.

The path forward will depend on whether open interest begins to rise again in alignment with price action. A climb in open interest at $2.70 would signal renewed participation and conviction from market participants. This could provide the fuel for a rotation higher, with $3.55 standing out as the next upside target.

What to expect in the coming price action

If XRP holds $2.70 support and open interest rises in tandem with price, the conditions for a reversal toward $3.55 become increasingly likely.

Failure to defend this region would weaken the bullish macro trend and delay continuation.

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Fellowship open beta available now

by admin September 21, 2025

The open beta for first-of-its-kind multiplayer online dungeon arena (MODA), Fellowship, is available now! Players can take part in the open beta from September 18th to September 23rd. For more information on the game, the beta, and who made it, read the below:

Redwood City, CA – September 18, 2025 – Arc Games and Chief Rebel are excited to announce the Steam Open Beta has begun for Fellowship, the first-ever multiplayer online dungeon adventure (“MODA”) game that takes the best elements of MMOs, MOBAs and ARPGs – and is set to launch in Steam Early Access on October 16 for $24.99. Starting today until September 23, PC players from around the world can experience how this new, original title takes out the fluff and grind of MMOs to give players what they really want: all dungeons, all the time. During the Open Beta, players will discover brand-new content, including the recently revealed hero, Mara, plenty of new dungeons, gameplay systems and more.

Fellowship is a new, original title in development from Chief Rebel, a brand-new studio with industry veterans who’ve worked on major titles like World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Helldivers 2, the Just Cause and Battlefield series and more. Following a very successful Steam Next Fest in February with the demo for Fellowship reaching over 16,000 players and landing the top 5 spot in the “Steam Next Fest: Most-Played Demos” list, the Chief Rebel team is excited to open up Fellowship and let players jump into this one-of-a-kind dungeon crawling experience right before the game enters Early Access on October 16.

Watch the Open Beta Launch Trailer here: https://youtu.be/SnsHsUrbeuc

Jump in the Open Beta on Steam and wishlist Fellowship today: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2352620/Fellowship/

“We were absolutely thrilled to see all the passion and support Fellowship received during Steam Next Fest. After seeing all the new players coming in, all the dungeon runs they were going on, and even all the requests to extend the demo to be available longer (which we did!), we knew we had to get an Open Beta going,” says Axel Lindberg, CEO and Game Director at Chief Rebel. “With Early Access launch around the corner on October 16, this Open Beta is a huge milestone for us, as it will help us get one final round of feedback before Fellowship enters Early Access. Ever since we’ve announced Fellowship back in August 2024, we’ve been building and playing the game alongside our incredible community of players in private playtest, and we’ll continue to do so – as we enter Early Access and beyond.”

ABOUT THE OPEN BETA

The Open Beta for Fellowship via Steam is available now and will end on Tuesday, September 23 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. For the Open Beta, there’s a North America, Europe and Asia server available. This playtest will give players the chance to experience seven heroes (two Tanks, three DPS – including a recently-revealed DPS, Mara, and two Healers) who will be in Fellowship’s diverse roster of heroes, go on epic dungeon runs, take on challenging enemies and acquire epic loot along the way. Compared to the Steam Next Fest demo back in February, in addition to introducing a new DPS hero, Mara, the Open Beta introduces new gameplay systems, including a fresh take on matchmaking and group finding, and an engaging progression system including Weapons, Gems, Talents, Crafting, Legendary items and more. Additionally, the Open Beta introduces a new dungeon “Urrak Markets”, new gameplay features like cosmetic customization allowing players to change the look of different pieces of armor, new Gear, new Mounts, new visual element improvements and improvements on previous gameplay mechanics based on Steam Next Fest player feedback.

HISTORY OF FELLOWSHIP

Fellowship has been in development since Chief Rebel was established in 2018. The genesis for Fellowship was born from the team playing a slew of MOBAs and coming up with the idea to take the core of what a MOBA is but make it a PvE experience rather than a PvP experience that’s usually found in most MOBAs. Additionally, Chief Rebel also quickly drew inspiration from MMOs and the endgame dungeon experience within MMOs. The team realized that when it comes to endgame dungeons, there’s often several barriers of entry for accessing them, so they wanted to make a game that makes endgame dungeons easily accessible for all players. With the idea of making a PvE MOBA blended with the idea of making endgame dungeons found in MMOs accessible, Chief Rebel came up with Fellowship.

ABOUT FELLOWSHIP

Fellowship is a multiplayer online dungeon adventure set in an exciting fantasy setting, with endlessly scaling dungeon runs – and is set to launch in Steam Early Access on October 16 for $24.99. Players must focus on working together as a team, with an emphasis on skill, cooperation, and strategy to defeat bosses, collect loot, and work together to overcome ever-present challenges. Experience the “Holy Trinity” and build the ultimate team of tanks, healers and damage dealers to take down hordes of enemies and imposing bosses. Work together with your friends to overcome the greatest challenges, creating unbreakable bonds and memorable moments. Players can also flex their individual skills on the competitive leaderboards that show where you stand in Fellowship. Persevere, overcome and ascend through the top ranks in Fellowship!

Game Features:

GATHER YOUR PERFECT TEAM – Play alongside your friends in teams with 4 Player Co-op Multiplayer in a rich, fantasy world full of challenging enemies and exciting rewards. Swap between a large pool of tank, healer and DPS roles with unique kits to build the perfect balance for your team.

ENDLESS SCALING REPLAYABILITY – Every run will feel like a brand-new challenge with dungeons that will get more difficult as players progress and level up. Players will never out level the game with seasonal updates, dungeon modifiers, new features and rewards that will keep each run fresh and exciting, adding another layer of replayability.

UNIQUE AND COMPLEX BOSS MECHANICS – Each boss has unique and varied mechanics, for a fresh experience every run. Enemy skills grow as difficulty increases and additional modifiers continue to challenge players as they grow and improve.

REWARDS, LOOT, AND GEAR GALORE – After each completed dungeon run, players will earn loot to make their characters even more powerful! The tougher the dungeon, the better the rewards.

Players will find that Fellowship’s most unique feature that sets it apart is how it streamlines the dungeon running experience and how players can take part in endlessly scaling dungeon runs. Instead of grinding and spending hours to be able to access and go on endgame-like dungeon runs, with Fellowship, players can dive right into these type of dungeon runs from the beginning. Unlike other titles, including MMOs, there’s no barrier of entry at all – whether it’s time commitment-specific or needing to get through a ton of prerequisite content – for being able to jump into endgame dungeons in Fellowship. Both newcomers and seasoned veterans will discover they can get the dungeon experience they want from the start, as they can choose to play Quick Play Dungeons that offer more casual 10-15-minute dungeon runs or Ranked Dungeons that offer a more competitive experience with Curses, Ascensions and difficulty scaling that drastically change the dungeon running experience. To stay up to date on all things Fellowship, please visit the game’s website, X/Twitter, YouTube and Discord.

ABOUT ARC GAMES

Arc Games is a leading publisher of premium and live service games in North America, Europe and Asia. The company is known for creating and publishing titles based on well-known global entertainment franchises, such as Star Trek and Dungeons & Dragons. Its product portfolio also includes beloved gaming titles: the Remnant series, Hyper Light Breaker, Have a Nice Death, Gigantic: Rampage Edition and the Torchlight series. Originally founded in 2008 as Perfect World Entertainment, the publisher was acquired by Embracer in February 2022 and was later rebranded as Arc Games. The company is headquartered in Redwood City, California, with global offices in Amsterdam and Shanghai. Arc Games is part of the Embracer Group AB, based in Karlstad, Sweden. For more information about Arc Games, please visit: www.arcgames.com.

ABOUT CHIEF REBEL

Chief Rebel is a brand-new, independent game studio located in Stockholm, Sweden, with video game industry veterans who’ve worked on critically-acclaimed video game franchises, such as World of Warcraft, Diablo, Helldivers, Battlefield, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Just Cause and more. Established in 2018, the studio’s mission is to craft incredible, stylized games with deeply involved mechanics; providing thousands of hours of entertainment for players. The new Swedish game studio is currently working on its debut title as a studio, Fellowship, a multiplayer online dungeon adventure (“MODA”) set to launch on in Steam Early Access on October 16, 2025 for $24.99. For more information about Chief Rebel, please visit: www.chiefrebel.com.

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September 21, 2025 0 comments