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Hisense 116UX review: a step forward for TV, but at a price that’s too premium for most people

by admin October 4, 2025

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Hisense 116UX review: Two minute review

The Hisense 116UX is the brand’s flagship 4K TV, and it introduces RGB mini-LED technology to the world in a 116-inch screen size. Some elements of its picture rival the best TVs, and it has a wide array of features, but its appeal is limited by key shortcomings.

With a launch price of $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999, the Hisense 116UX is an expensive TV that will exceed most budgets. And while it features exciting new RGB mini-LED tech, Hisense will also be introducing RGB mini-LED in 100- and 85-inch models in the future, and more buyers are likely to gravitate to those.

The 116UX’s bold, vibrant colors take mini-LED to the next level. Textures are crisp, and the high brightness gives pictures a strong level of punch. Contrast and black levels are mostly good, but backlight blooming and inconsistent backlight control lead to a clouding effect in some dark scenes that hamper what would otherwise be a remarkable picture. Even with the TV’s large size, viewing angles are limited, with pictures losing contrast when viewed from off-center seats .

A 6.2.2-channel sound system delivers mostly solid performance, with immersive effects, impressive accuracy and clear dialogue. Bass has good impact, but the 116UX’s soundstage isn’t as wide as I’d hoped for. A screen this size deserves one of the best soundbars to match, ideally a premium option like the Samsung HW-Q990F.

The 116UX is great for gaming, with 4K 165Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming all supported across three HDMI 2.1 ports. While its 14.6ms input lag time is higher than the best gaming TVs, its overall gaming performance is good enough for an enjoyable experience on a big screen.

This TV’s high price is hard to ignore, and even though the 116UX features an RGB mini-LED panel and has a gargantuan screen size, you can build a truly great home theater system with some of the best 4K projectors at this price. The 116UX will deliver better value when its price drops, but right now, it’s a big ask.

Hisense 116UX RGB-MiniLED TV (HDR) at Amazon for $24,999.99

Hisense 116UX review: Price & release date

(Image credit: Future)

Release date: September 2025
Price: $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999

The Hisense 116UX, Hisense’s flagship 2025 TV, uses a new RGB mini-LED panel. It sits above the Hisense 110UX, U9Q, U8Q, U7Q and U6Q mini-LED TVs and is priced at $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999.

Although the 116UX had only been available for a few weeks at the time I reviewed it, the price has dropped to $24,999 in the US. I expect the TV’s price will drop even further over the coming months.

Hisense 116UX review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Screen type

RGB mini-LED

Refresh rate

Up to 165Hz (4K)

HDR support

Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Audio support

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV

Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK& Aus)

HDMI ports

3 x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner

ATSC 3.0

Hisense 116UX review: Benchmark results

Hisense 116UX review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

RGB mini-LED panel
Hi-View AI Engine X processor
Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced support

The 116UX features Hisense’s RGB mini-LED panel, which uses RGB mini-LEDs to produce a wider, more refined color gamut. HDR support includes Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+, as well as the HDR10 and HLG formats. It also supports IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker Mode.

Hisense’s flagship TV comes equipped with a 6.2.2-channel speaker system, totaling 110W in power. It supports Dolby Atmos, but not DTS. Alongside the usual sound presets – Standard, Movie, Sport – it also has AI sound, which adapts the sound and dialogue based on both the content showing onscreen and the viewing environment.

The 116UX’s gaming features include 4K 165Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM support. All features are supported across the TV’s three HDMI 2.1 ports.

Hisense’s smart TV platform varies by region. Google TV is used in the US, while Hisense’s own VIDAA smart TV platform features in the UK and Australia. I reviewed the UK version, so I used VIDAA, which has access to popular streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video, and also UK apps such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. If you want a review of the Google TV smart TV platform, check out our Hisense U8Q review.

Hisense 116UX review: Picture quality

Color is where the Hisense 116UX really shines, thanks to its RGB mini-LED panel (Image credit: Disney / Future)

High brightness and brilliant color
Refined detail
Black uniformity issues

The 116UX’s peak HDR brightness hit 5,441 nits and fullscreen HDR brightness was 1,090 nits, with both measured in Filmmaker Mode. That peak brightness result is over twice what I measured on the Hisense 110UX, a TV that uses a standard mini-LED panel.

The 116UX’s measured HDR color gamut covered 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is an excellent result for a mini-LED TV. Its BT.2020 color gamut coverage was even more impressive at 92.64%, which is the highest amount we’ve measured on a TV to date.

I first started my testing with some SDR content, beginning with an HD stream of Fight Club on Disney+. I chose Filmmaker Mode but set brightness and local dimming to medium as the picture was too dim at the default settings. I was impressed by the 116UX’s effective upscaling of textures, which gave the picture a crisper look. Even at a 116-inch size, the image was clean. Lower resolution content on YouTube didn’t fare as well, with the image looking blocky on the large screen.

Color is where the 116UX shines – literally. Watching Elemental on Disney Plus in Dolby Vision IQ picture mode, reds and oranges were vibrant and punchy, with the 116UX’s brightness adding real pop in a scene where Ember makes a vase. In Wicked on 4K Blu-ray, pink flowers in a tree in the ‘Wizard & I’ scene had a bold look, as did the greens of the Emerald City.

Image 1 of 2

The 116UX sometimes handles dark scenes well (1) but struggles with others (2), even in the same movie, as shown here with Alien: Romulus(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: 20th Century Studios / Future )

As I’ve discovered with most Hisense TVs, motion handling requires a bit of setup. I watched a stream of a soccer game on Prime Video and found that most motion presets worked, but either Standard or Custom, with Blur set to 3 and Judder set to 5, produced the smoothest image. This was also true for movie viewing, as a scene from No Time To Die where a camera pans across a rocky hillside looked much smoother with the above settings.

Textures looked consistently crisp and realistic on the 116UX, with close-up shots of people’s faces showing fine details such as marks or hair. Clothing was also true-to-life and given a 3D look.

Watching black and white scenes from Oppenheimer on the 116UX, whites looked bright and there was a good range of gray tones. Blacks were slightly raised, but they still looked solid. The 116UX also delivered good shadow detail in darker scenes, such as objects against dark walls in a scene where Strauss and Oppenheimer are in an office after their first meeting.

Dark scenes ultimately were a mixed bag on the 116UX. Blacks appeared rich and deep in some instances, such as the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray’s demo footage, but they came across as more of a dark gray in movie scenes from The Batman and Alien: Romulus. While contrast was also strong in these movies, there was a clouding effect across the screen in dark sections of the image. Strangely, one exterior space shot in Alien: Romulus demonstrated good accuracy in the blacks, but another in a dark tunnel revealed the clouding effect at its worst.

The 116UX also demonstrated some backlight blooming around bright objects against dark backgrounds when viewed from off-center. Plus, the clouding issue became more apparent when viewing from more extreme angles.

I reached out to Hisense regarding dark scene viewing and the clouding effect and it said it was aware of and looking into it, but couldn’t provide a fix at this time. If there are any updates, I’ll be sure to add them to this review.

Picture quality score: 4 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Sound quality

The 116UX delivers decent built-in sound, but overall a screen like this deserves a soundbar to match (Image credit: Future)

6.2.2-channel speaker array
Clear, expansive, accurate sound
Only average soundstage

The 116UX comes with a built-in 6.2.2-channel, 110W Devialet sound system that supports Dolby Atmos, but not DTS. It has subwoofers built into the rear of the screen, with two speakers running down each side of its frame and height speakers positioned on the top of the TV.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman, the 116UX accurately connected the sound to the action on screen. The overall sound was punchy with clear dialogue. The 116UX’s sound was also immersive at times, going beyond the borders of the screen and making Dolby Atmos effects, such as rain in The Batman, feel as if they’re overhead.

While the 116UX’s built-in sound system is good, at times it felt restrained. Bass in particular lacked fullness. And while there was some suggestion of surround effects, I expected a sound system like this to produce a wider soundstage.

Some people will be happy with the 116UX’s sound, but I feel it deserves a sound system to match its gargantuan, cinematic picture.

Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Hisense 116UX review: Design

Image 1 of 2

The 116UX uses metal feet to support its heavy weight (Image credit: Future)But the 116UX is surprisingly thin despite is large size(Image credit: Future)

Sleek, modern design
Weighty and cumbersome
Basic support feet

At 116 inches, the 116UX requires a large space. Its big screen will be too cumbersome for most living rooms and, unlike retractable projector screens of a similar size, it will dominate a space.

Hisense has done its best to make the 116UX appear as sleek as possible while still housing a substantial built-in sound system. Its frame is trim, and it’s made of a premium-looking black metal. As a result, the 116UX is an incredibly weighty 239lbs (108kg), meaning you’ll need to carefully consider installation, although there are two carry handles on the rear. The TV is supported by two metal feet, which, although plain, are expected for a TV this size.

The 116UX comes with Hisense’s solar remote, which is reminiscent of Samsung’s SolarCell remote and can be charged using the rear solar panel or by USB-C. It has a nice design with a burnished steel finish and feels more premium than Hisense’s standard TV remotes.

Hisense 116UX review: Smart TV & menus

VIDAA (Hisense’s smart TV platform in the UK) has plenty of picture settings and good app access (Image credit: Future)

Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK & Australia)
Good number of picture settings
Performance can lag at times

Like all Hisense TVs, the 116UX’s smart TV platform will be different based on your region. In the US, it uses Google TV, and in the UK and Australia, it uses Hisense’s own VIDAA smart TV platform. I reviewed the 116UX in the UK, so I will be focusing on VIDAA. Check out our Hisense U8Q review to read about a Google TV Hisense model.

VIDAA has access to all major streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video, and all UK-based streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. It also supports Freely, a service in which you can watch live TV over Wi-Fi with no need for an antenna or satellite connection.

There are a good number of picture settings on the 116UX. VIDAA’s overall look is plain and not as user-friendly as LG’s webOS, and the 116UX’s overall performance during navigation suffered from lag on occasion. VIDAA could do with a visual overhaul, as it does look dated in some of its menus.

Hisense 116UX review: Gaming

The Hisense 116UX has great gaming features and impressive picture quality for gaming (Image credit: Future)

4K 165Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium
14.6ms input lag
Three HDMI 2.1 ports

The 116UX has impressive gaming features, such as 4K 165Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming, and these are all supported on three HDMI 2.1 ports. There is also a 288Hz game booster mode for PC gaming and a Game Board pop-up menu that displays useful information such as frame rate and VRR, as well as settings that can be adjusted, such as Dark Detail.

Gaming performance on the 116UX is generally smooth and responsive. Playing a demo of Dynasty Warriors: Origins on PlayStation 5, the action felt fast-paced and chaotic as expected at both 60Hz and 120Hz. I noticed during gameplay that the frame rate varied a lot in the 120Hz Performance mode, but I chalked this up to the game itself, due to its rendering of many enemies on screen.

The 116UX’s measured input lag is 14.6ms, which is higher than rivals like Samsung and TCL, but still under the 15ms threshold most gamers look for.

Hisense 116UX review: Value

The Hisense 110UXN comes with Hisense’s premium remote, which has both a USB-C port and a solar cell on the bottom rear for charging (Image credit: Future)

Expensive
Similarly priced to big-screen OLED TVs
Much pricier than the 110-inch 110UX

At $29,999 / £24,999 / AU$39,999, the Hisense 116UX is a pricey, premium TV. It may come with an exciting, new RGB mini-LED panel that produces superb brightness and color, but that’s still a lofty price, even for a TV this feature-packed.

At this price range, you can pick up some of the best projectors on the market, such as the JVC DLA-NZ800 ($15,999 / £15,999 / AU$24,999). It won’t have the 116UX’s brightness, but it will still produce an excellent picture. Plus, you can build an entire home theater system around it with the same budget.

The 116UX is also much pricier than the step-down 110UX ($14,999 / £18,999 / AU$24,999), and while it delivers better performance and picture quality, that’s still a significant price gap.

Should you buy the Hisense 116UX?

The Hisense 110UXN comes at a premium price that most won’t be able to afford (Image credit: Future)Swipe to scroll horizontallyHisense 110UXN

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

RGB mini-LED panel with good amount of smart and gaming features

4.5/5

Picture quality

Superb color reproduction, brightness and realistic textures, but dark scene viewing can be an issue

4/5

Sound quality

Punchy, precise sound system with decent bass, but sound feels narrow at times

4/5

Design

Trim design considering size, and feels sturdy as well

4/5

Smart TV and menus

VIDAA has good number of picture settings and apps, but looks dated

4/5

Gaming

Great array of gaming features including 165Hz and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and 3 HDMI 2.1 ports

4.5/5

Value

An exciting step forward for mini-LED, but expensive price means it remains exclusive

3/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Hisense 116UX

Hisense 110UXN

Samsung QN90F (65-inch)

Hisense U8QG (65-inch)

Price

$24,999 / £24,999 / AU$34,999

$14,999 / £19,999 / around AU$24,300

$2,499.99 / £2,499 / AU$3,499

$2,199 / £2,199 / AU$2,999

Screen type

RGB Mini-LED

Mini-LED

Refresh rate

120Hz (up to 165Hz)

120Hz (up to 144Hz)

120Hz (up to 144HZ)

HDR support

Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10/HLG/HDR10+

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

Smart TV

Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK/Aus)

Google TV (US/Aus), VIDAA (UK)

Tizen

Google TV (US/Aus), VIDAA (UK)

HDMI ports

3 x HDMI 2.1

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 x HDMI 2.1

3 x HDMI 2.1

How I tested the Hisense 116UX

(Image credit: Future)

Tested in light controlled testing room
Tested SDR and HDR sources for picture quality

I tested the Hisense 116UX in a light-controlled demo room at Hisense Europe HQ in Leeds, England.

I first established which picture modes I would use for my testing with some casual viewing. For my critical viewing, I used several reference scenes from both SDR (broadcast TV and streaming) and HDR sources (4K Blu-ray and streaming). I tested the 116UX’s picture for brightness, color, shadow detail and contrast, screen uniformity, upscaling and motion. I also used these same sources to test the UX116’s audio performance. To play 4K Blu-rays, I used the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

I also tested gaming performance and features using a PlayStation 5.

Measurements for the Hisense 116UX were taken by my colleague Matthew Murray, Head of Testing at Future, at a separate event in the US.

These tests included peak (10% window) and fullscreen (100%) SDR and HDR brightness, measured on a white window test pattern.

HDR color gamut was also measured, examining the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Color and grayscal accuracy were measured using Delta-E values (the margin for error between the test pattern signal and what’s shown on screen).

Finally, the TV’s input lag was measured using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester.

For a more detailed explanation of how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out the link.

Hisense 116UX RGB-MiniLED TV: Price Comparison

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October 4, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Bitcoin Futures Buyers Step Up: Taker Buy Volume Tops $1.8B

by admin October 3, 2025

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

Bitcoin bulls are mounting a strong offensive as the world’s largest cryptocurrency reclaimed the $120,000 level, sparking renewed speculation about an imminent push toward fresh all-time highs. After weeks of uncertainty and volatile swings, BTC has regained momentum, fueling optimism across the market. Traders and long-term holders alike are closely watching whether this rally can break decisively above the previous peak and confirm the continuation of the bull cycle.

However, not all analysts are convinced. Some caution that if Bitcoin fails to secure new highs soon, the market could face another wave of profit-taking, introducing downside risk just as bullish sentiment builds. The $125,000 zone is emerging as the critical resistance level that could determine BTC’s trajectory in the short term.

Top analyst Maartunn has highlighted one of the most important signals in the current rally: Bitcoin futures buyers are stepping up. Since the monthly open, taker buy volume has exceeded sell volume by billions, showing aggressive positioning on the long side. This development reflects growing conviction among leveraged traders, but also raises the stakes for the market if momentum stalls.

Futures Buyers Step Up as Bitcoin Tests Highs

Maartunn shared key data showing that since the monthly open, taker buy volume has exceeded sell volume by nearly $1.8 billion. This marks a significant imbalance in favor of aggressive buyers and signals that futures traders are stepping up with conviction. In crypto markets, such an imbalance often highlights a strong wave of long positioning, where traders use leverage to bet on further upside.

Bitcoin Net Taker Volume (Binance) | Source: Maartunn

This aggressive positioning comes at a pivotal moment, with Bitcoin consolidating above the $120,000 level. The surge in taker buy volume reflects a growing appetite to capture momentum as BTC edges closer to all-time highs. However, Maartunn emphasizes that while leveraged positioning can fuel sharp rallies, sustainable uptrends generally require confirmation from spot demand. Spot volume represents real capital flowing into the asset, and historically, bull runs with deep spot support have proven more resilient.

That said, crypto history also shows exceptions. There have been instances where leverage-driven moves extend trends, forcing short squeezes and pushing prices higher even without robust spot inflows. If Bitcoin continues to attract aggressive long positioning, the market could see a rapid extension toward new highs, even before spot demand fully catches up.

For now, the imbalance in futures markets paints a picture of bullish conviction but also heightened risk. If momentum continues, leveraged longs could fuel Bitcoin’s push past $125,000. But if the move falters, cascading liquidations may bring volatility back into the spotlight.

BTC Price Analysis

Bitcoin is trading at $120,539, holding strong after reclaiming the critical $117,500 resistance level, which now acts as support. The 12-hour chart shows a sharp upward move from lows near $110,000, signaling renewed bullish momentum. The breakout above both the 50-day and 100-day moving averages confirms strength, while the 200-day moving average remains well below, reinforcing the overall bullish structure.

BTC testing critical resistance around $120K | Source: BTCUSDT chart on TradingView

For now, the key test lies ahead at the $121,000–$122,000 zone, where BTC previously faced rejection in mid-August. A clean breakout above this level would open the door for a retest of all-time highs near $125,000. If bulls maintain momentum, this could signal the start of another aggressive leg higher.

On the downside, $117,500 has become the critical line to watch. If Bitcoin falls back below this zone, the rally could lose steam, with potential retracement toward $114,000 and the mid-range supports. Volume has picked up during this surge, which strengthens the case for a continuation, but overextension in the short term cannot be ruled out.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

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

Game Updates

Black Ops 7 Multiplayer Avoids The CoD Fatigue, But Warzone Falls A Step Back

by admin October 1, 2025

With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch is going back-to-back with Black Ops releases. The new game brings a futuristic setting for multiplayer, the largest round-based Zombies map ever, and a new Resurgence map for Warzone called Haven’s Hollow. GameSpot went hands-on with Black Ops 7 during Call of Duty: Next, and while the jump into the future does enough to distinguish the multiplayer from last year’s offering, and the latest iteration of Zombies creates a new experience, Warzone’s upcoming integration currently falls flat for Black Ops 7.

Futuristic and refined multiplayer

I’ve always believed that Call of Duty was at its best with a rotating developer cycle. I liked flip-flopping between developers and the different series within Call of Duty. Going from Modern Warfare to Black Ops was refreshing because the different teams each introduced different styles, modes, and features to their takes on the game, lessening the yearly “CoD fatigue.”

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Now Playing: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Multiplayer Gameplay Reveal Trailer

So, with another Black Ops title coming so soon, my biggest concern was how Treyarch would make Black Ops 7 feel fresh enough. I didn’t want another year that felt like more of the exact same, because we already lived through that with back-to-back Modern Warfare titles. Thankfully, I can happily report that Black Ops 7 does enough to remain an invigorating multiplayer experience.

Taking Black Ops out of the ’90s of last year’s entry and into the year 2035 does a lot to change how multiplayer feels. Treyarch leans into the tech of this future, providing more interesting scorestreaks such as the dog-like robot called the D.A.W.G. and the Rhino, which is a robotic take on Call of Duty’s juggernaut enemy type from previous games.

Loadouts can also be equipped with other tech and gadgets from the future to further differentiate Black Ops 7 from its predecessor. There are field upgrades that let you launch drones, temporarily cloak yourself, and even place decoy holograms of your operator to trick your enemy. These aren’t new mechanics in Call of Duty, but we haven’t seen equipment like this since the days of the high-tech jetpack games, and they add immersion to Black Ops 7’s futuristic warfare.

Treyarch also enhanced the omnimovement system introduced in Black Ops 6, making the movement faster, more fluid, and oftentimes flashier. The team removed the tactical sprint (you now need a specific perk to use it), increased the base movement speed, and added a wall jump. On paper, these changes to omnimovement seem minimal, but the adjustments do feel impactful. Wall jumps can be chained together, and these hops can be used to reach windows and other areas not previously accessible in boots-on-the-ground Call of Duty games.

During my hands-on time, I was able to perform a few fancy wall jumps where I could tap the wall, giving me extra height, and then spin around in the air to catch an opponent off guard. I could also toss a stun grenade into a window to daze a sniper, and then wall jump high enough to reach and eliminate them, which is a play the previous game’s movement didn’t allow for. I’m not super savvy with advanced movement, so there will be players who perform much more impressive plays, but it does give you more options on how you approach areas of the maps, as well as your gunfights. This also may or may not sound like a huge feature to some, but fundamentally impacting the moment-to-moment gameplay in this way can really freshen things up for Black Ops 7.

The maps I played were also large enough to give space for pulling off these over-the-top action moves. One complaint I ended up having in Black Ops 6 was that most of the maps were on the smaller side, with a focus on chaotic and in-your-face action, but the Black Ops 7 maps we played gave me much more room to breathe. These aren’t huge designs, but they are all medium-sized Call of Duty maps.

In an interview with Treyarch associate design director Matt Scronce, and senior director of production Yale Miller, the developers explained how this year’s maps were meant to feel more like classic maps inspired by Black Ops 2.

“The big things we talk about with map design are being fair and fun,” Miller said. “It’s also because this is a spiritual successor to Black Ops 2, so it’s really leaning into those core beliefs on three-lane maps. Each lane needs a really clear purpose. If one side has a power position, there should probably also be a power position on the other side.”

Forge was easily my favorite multiplayer map. We played Domination on Forge, which is set at a Guild research and development center. There are two large wings of the facility to fight indoors, and the B flag for Domination is located outside at the center hub of the map. Uniquely, the B flag is surrounded by sections of cover that continuously rotate around the point. This center hub provided a lot of interesting opportunities while fighting for B. Sometimes the rotating cover would move at just the right time to expose an enemy, while other times it would catch me off-guard and leave me vulnerable. There are also exterior building walls that curve around this center hub, giving plenty of opportunity for those flashy wall-jump plays.

Forge was also the map the developers said proved to be most challenging.

“Not from a sheer design point, but just everything that went into it,” Miller said. “There is rotating cover, and like, how is that going to work?”

The map is also complicated from a technical standpoint, he said.

“There’s a lot of glass. Glass canopies and other stuff,” Miller explained. “To make the map look right when light is coming through the glass, you need reflection and refraction, so it drops a little bit of shade.”

Scronce and Miller also confirmed that last year’s training grounds would return in Black Ops 7 to give you a safe place to practice the game’s updated omnimovement. Black Ops 7’s training takes place on Forge, and the map’s design makes a great location to practice wall jumps and other moves, as this was the map that provided me the most real estate and opportunity for performing these actions.

There is also an intelligent movement setting in Black Ops 7 that helps you with the wall jump.

“It’s listed as a wall jump assist in your movement settings,” Scronce said. “Then, you can jump at the wall, and it will wall jump for you.”

This, combined with the practice map, should help players like me improve their movement skills.

Most of the standard Call of Duty weapons, perks, and attachments remain in Black Ops 7, so it was the map design, refined movement, and future tech that sold the multiplayer for me. I had a blast wall-jumping and launching drones into the air, and I look forward to trying out the rest of the map pool at launch.

The Wonder Vehicle changes the Zombies experience

Black Ops 7 introduces Ashes of the Damned, the largest round-based Zombies map ever, but this time the design is more road-like than that of a standard map. It’s inspired by Black Ops 2’s Tranzit and features a figure-eight layout with separate chunks of map locations that are all connected by dangerous stretches of road. In Tranzit, you navigated the roads via a bus that would continuously loop around the map, but Ashes of the Damned puts you in the driver seat of Ol’ Tessie, the map’s new Wonder Vehicle. Tessie is an old junker of a truck that you gain access to at the start of your match, and you can drive and upgrade the vehicle on your journey.

Design director Kevin Drew and lead game designer Steve Bianchi explained that Ashes of the Damned was specifically designed around Tessie.

“We created it around the vehicle,” Bianchi said. “The scale of the map matches having a vehicle as a core element to the map. It’s the fifth member of your squad.

“The fog and the roads between are treacherous to travel, so we wanted those to be very streamlined but also really cool for the vehicle to travel,” Bianchi continued.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Ashes of the Damned Zombies Cinematic Trailer

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In my short time with Zombies, I did get to ride around in Tessie, and it was very satisfying to run over the hordes of zombies in my path. I didn’t get to experience the full upgrades available, but I did get to the portion of the map where you can upgrade the vehicle to include a Pack-a-Punch machine. That’s right: The truck becomes a moving Pack-a-Punch machine, and you can upgrade your weapons on the fly.

If you decide to take the roads on foot, you’re met with a fast-moving enemy type called Ravengers. These creatures swarm you and make it difficult to proceed, so it’s a lot safer to travel with Tessie. It also made for awkward and tense moments when our vehicle was destroyed while traversing these roads. Enemies and crashes can cause enough damage to disable the Wonder Vehicle, and while Treyarch told us there was a way to repair Tessie, we didn’t figure that part out.

Like other Zombies maps, Ashes of the Damned features a main storyline quest, a unique Wonder Weapon, and plenty of mysteries to uncover. Features like Wall Buys, GobbleGums, and the iconic Mystery Box return. I also appreciate that Treyarch isn’t drip-feeding the perks to us this year. Black Ops 6 started with a small selection, and each seasonal update expanded the list of perks. Black Ops 7 includes all the perks available in Black Ops 6 and introduces a new perk called Wisp Tea. I didn’t get to try this perk out for myself, but it spawns a spectral orb-like protector to help you fight off zombies.

In addition to being the largest round-based map, Ashes of the Damned also includes the largest cast yet. The map features eight playable characters: the crew of four from Black Ops 6, as well as the iconic cast of Takeo, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Richtofen. You can mix and match any of these characters for up to four-player co-op. They all have unique voice lines, and Drew said some dialogue will depend on which characters are included in your party. Much of the character dialogue was blocked from our hands-on session, as Treyarch wanted to preserve the story elements for the full launch, but I am excited to see where Tessie and this new story will take me in Black Ops 7.

Warzone lacks meaningful changes

Black Ops 7 will integrate with Warzone during Season 1. A date hasn’t been confirmed for this first post-launch update, but the content will include map changes for Verdansk and a new Resurgence map called Haven’s Hollow.

Due to the popularity of Verdansk, I’m not surprised the developer is bringing it back as Warzone’s big map battle royale. However, I am surprised by how uninspiring the map’s changes proved to be in our hands-on session.

The Season 1 update will add two POIs: Factory and Signal Station. Factory is a large factory-style building next to Superstore, and it’s a very forgettable location. Signal Station is a little more interesting as it offers objectives you can complete in order to get rewarded with extra intel. Completing the objectives will upgrade your Tac Map to reveal enemy density for a portion of the map. The Tac Map will highlight quadrants in orange or red based on how populated those areas are. Intel is always handy, and maybe this will become a hot spot for players, but ultimately my time on this version of Verdansk played the same as any other match pre-integration.

The season’s new map is a smaller one for Resurgence. Haven’s Hollow is set in the same town as Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode. Of course, this version of Liberty Falls is designed pre-outbreak, meaning there are no Zombies elements or destruction here; this is just a quaint West Virginia town. It does include the church, bowling alley, bank, and other major points of interest, but the playable area also extends beyond the areas within the Zombies maps.

Haven’s Hollow is a vibrant map, and it’s filled with rich color not often seen in a Warzone map. I do appreciate the effort to make this map easy on the eyes, and I wish other maps had been this colorful, but unfortunately, it’s not a memorable location to fight for a victory royale. Liberty Falls was the least interesting of all the Zombies maps, and when you take away the Zombies elements, it feels even truer for Warzone . A boring ’90s version of West Virginia feels like another missed opportunity to do something futuristic and fitting of the Black Ops 7 theme. Of course, this was just my initial impression after a few matches on Haven’s Hollow, so maybe this map will grow on me with time, but it lacks any initial wow factor.

It would’ve been nice to see a futuristic new map or an upgraded version of Verdansk with new lighting and robots to fit the Black Ops 7 theme. Warzone’s yearly integration with a new title usually brings something new or fresh-feeling, but this is definitely the battle royale’s most uninspiring yearly update yet.

Treyarch did announce the return of Black Ops 4’s popular Blackout battle royale mode on the Avalon map. This new Blackout battle royale experience won’t arrive until sometime in Spring 2026, and we didn’t get to play or learn any details about the mode at Call of Duty: Next. While Warzone is leaving me disappointed and wanting a whole lot more, I am excited to see what the return of Blackout looks like in Black Ops 7. I just hate that we’ll be waiting long after launch to play it.

Final thoughts

Warzone really missed the mark with uninspired maps, and it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Fans like myself will likely need to wait until the springtime to get any major or impactful changes to battle royale, and that is a huge disappointment for the yearly integration. However, multiplayer and Zombies content make me excited for the full launch of Black Ops 7. Redefined omnimovement makes the game even more satisfying to play, and if the rest of the maps have the same quality as the ones I sampled at Call of Duty: Next, it can be another enjoyable and action-filled year for Black Ops.

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October 1, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The EPA Is Ending Greenhouse Gas Data Collection. Who Will Step Up to Fill the Gap?

by admin October 1, 2025

The Environmental Protection Agency announced earlier this month that it would stop making polluting companies report their greenhouse gas emissions to it, eliminating a crucial tool the US uses to track emissions and form climate policy. Climate NGOs say their work could help plug some of the data gap, but they and other experts fear the EPA’s work can’t be fully matched.

“I don’t think this system can be fully replaced,” says Joseph Goffman, the former assistant administrator at the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “I think it could be approximated—but it’s going to take time.”

The Clean Air Act requires states to collect data on local pollution levels, which states then turn over to the federal government. For the past 15 years, the EPA has also collected data on carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases from sources around the country that emit over a certain threshold of emissions. This program is known as the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) and “is really the backbone of the air quality reporting system in the United States,” says Kevin Gurney, a professor of atmospheric science at Northern Arizona University.

Like a myriad of other data-collection processes that have been stalled or halted since the start of this year, the Trump administration has put this program in the crosshairs. In March, the EPA announced it would be reconsidering the GHGRP program entirely. In September, the agency trotted out a proposed rule to eliminate reporting obligations from sources ranging from power plants to oil and gas refineries to chemical facilities—all major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. (The agency claims that rolling back the GHGRP will save $2.4 billion in regulatory costs, and that the program is “nothing more than bureaucratic red tape that does nothing to improve air quality.”)

Joseph says shutting down this program hamstrings “the government’s basic practical capacity to formulate climate policy.” Understanding how new emissions-reduction technologies are working, or surveying which industries are decarbonizing and which are not, “is extremely hard to do if you don’t have this data.”

Data collected by the GHGRP, which is publicly available, underpins much of federal climate policy: understanding which sectors are contributing which kinds of emissions is the first step in forming strategies to draw those emissions down. This data is also the backbone of much of international US climate policy: collection of greenhouse gas emissions data is mandated by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which undergirds the Paris Agreement. (While the US exited the Paris Agreement for the second time on the first day of Trump’s second term, it remains—tenuously—a part of the UNFCCC.) Data collected by the GHGRP is also crucial to state and local climate policies, helping policymakers outside the federal government take stock of local pollution, form emissions-reductions goals, and track progress on bringing down emissions.

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October 1, 2025 0 comments

Brian Quintenz (Senate Agriculture Committee, screen capture)

GameFi Guides

U.S. SEC Takes Preliminary Step to Expand Universe of Crypto Custody to State Trusts

by admin October 1, 2025

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has cracked the door to welcome crypto custody at a wide range of firms who’ve earned state charters as trust companies — a list that would include the trust affiliates of Coinbase, Kraken and other high-profile names in crypto.

The SEC’s Division of Investment Management issued a so-called no-action letter on Tuesday, a document that assures that the regulator doesn’t intend to pursue any enforcement actions by those engaging in the specific activity — in this case, that SEC-registered advisers and funds can park digital assets in state trusts.

Such qualified-custodian questions had represented a policy battleground during the tenure of former SEC chairs Gary Gensler and Jay Clayton, the former having led the agency to introduce a later-abandoned proposal that would have constrained what kinds of companies could handle the crypto of regulated investment advisers. Gensler made it clear he specifically meant to muscle out exchanges such as Coinbase.

But the SEC’s new management — most notably Chairman Paul Atkins — is pursuing a crypto-forward campaign, with Atkins saying earlier this week that establishing industry policies is the agency’s top priority (as assigned by pro-crypto President Donald Trump).

While Tuesday’s no-action letter isn’t a formal agency rule, it carries enough weight to free firms from short-term compliance worries. Specifically, the document said the SEC “would not recommend enforcement action to the commission under the custody provisions against a registered adviser or regulated fund for treating a state trust company as a ‘bank’ with respect to the placement and maintenance of crypto assets.”

The earlier argument from Gensler was that crypto firms weren’t safe and sufficiently regulated to qualify as risk-free enough for registered investment advisers to keep their customers’ assets.

“Even though it was never adopted, the proposal has created problems for investment advisers through its assertion that most crypto assets are likely to be funds or crypto asset securities covered by the current rule, and thus must be maintained with a qualified custodian,” Commissioner Hester Peirce said in a speech in Singapore on Tuesday.

She argued that the agency “should consider updating the rules governing permissible custodians for registered investment advisers and investment companies,” adding that maybe technologically adept companies should be permitted to custody assets themselves.

But Democratic Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, who was allied with Gensler on this point two years ago, issued a statement opposing the no-action treatment, saying the SEC is effectively treating crypto as something apart from the rest of the financial sector. And it’s ignoring the efforts of firms pursuing federal chartering from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

“Rather than create a level playing field, we leave investors and the markets to gamble in an unnecessary game of 50-state regulatory roulette – just to accommodate crypto,” she said. “Executing a shift of this magnitude via no-action relief without public comment and without any economic analysis is ill-advised for many reasons, not least of which because it likely violates the Administrative Procedure Act, though this has become commonplace by this commission.”

The SEC has been pursuing a number of crypto policies under Atkin’s recent Project Crypto, and the chairman has set an agenda to issue formal crypto rules in the coming months. Meanwhile, Congress has made extensive progress on legislation to more completely regulate the U.S. digital assets markets.

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October 1, 2025 0 comments

Roblox continues efforts for child safety by expanding age estimation to all users by end of the year

Game Updates

Roblox’s new ‘sensitive issues’ label deemed “a step backward for both creative expression and social justice” by advocacy groups

by admin September 30, 2025

Roblox has been criticised for its new guidelines on “sensitive issues”, described by advocacy groups as “a step backward for both creative expression and social justice”.

Back in August, Roblox introduced a new content descriptor for sensitive issues as part of an improvement to parental control. The descriptor is meant for Roblox experiences themed on social, political, or religious issues, but the company stated it is “not meant to take a stance on any specific issue”.

That has now been opposed in an open letter to Roblox by advocacy groups Women In Games, Out Making Games, and BAME in Games, each focused on supporting marginalised groups.

“Roblox’s recently proposed creator guidelines regarding ‘sensitive issues’ represent a step backward for both creative expression and social justice,” the open letter reads. “These changes threaten to undermine the vibrant, inclusive creative community that has flourished on the platform since 2006, while potentially causing real harm to marginalised groups in society.”

Essentially, the letter argues, by introducing these descriptors Roblox is treating issues of equality and human rights as “debatable rather than fundamental”.

Roblox’s criteria for the descriptor applies to “experiences where a majority of the content, gameplay, or experience details…refers to the sensitive issue”, which can include immigration, capital punishment, gun control, marriage equality, pay equity in sports, racial profiling, reproductive rights, and more.

“We support efforts to keep children safe online – especially girls, who face disproportionate harassment and grooming,” the open letter continues. “But safety cannot be achieved by silencing content that educates and empowers.

“Issues such as equal pay, reproductive rights, and gender equality are central to girls’ and women’s lived experiences. Marking these as ‘sensitive’ risks hiding content that is vital to representation, education, and inspiration.”

Suppressing such experiences, the advocacy groups claim, is “false neutrality” and instead of protecting children, “the policy risks teaching Roblox’s diverse audience that issues of justice and equality are controversial opinions rather than universal values, thereby reinforcing the very divisions it claims to guard against.”

Instead, the groups believe Roblox should rely on internationally recognised age-rating systems like PEGI and the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), instead of “invent[ing] a vague, easily abused ‘sensitive issues’ label”.

Eurogamer has contacted Roblox for its response to the open letter.

Back in July, Roblox also introduced new safety features, including an AI used to estimate a user’s age through video selfie. Earlier this month, it announced this would be expanded to all users by the end of the year.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

EA Sports FC 26 Review – An Immersive Step Forward

by admin September 30, 2025

Outside of the name change to EA Sports FC, EA Sports’ football series had stagnated. With each passing entry, the community has grown increasingly concerned about the lack of significant changes to the annualized franchise. But after spending several hours with EA Sports FC 26’s many modes, I emerged impressed by the strides EA Sports took with this year’s entry.

Sports games are driven by their communities, and EA Sports turned to community feedback to inform this year’s iterations of the studio’s titles with varying degrees of success. EA Sports FC 26 builds on this by overhauling gameplay with authenticity as its primary goal. Newly introduced for FC 26, the “Competitive” and “Authentic” gameplay presets enable players to choose how they want to play. The former’s arcade style is the perfect mode of play for FUT and the online suite, and the latter imbues career modes with a level of realized play that rewards your time on the pitch.

Authentic mode allows players looking to immerse themselves in the most beautiful game to experience the chaos of scrambles in the box, the value of playing positionally, and the importance of winning every header. With its responsive gameplay, FC 26 is the closest attempt to pure simulation that the franchise has taken in years. But with authenticity comes a more methodical and slow-paced approach to matches, which you can easily feel from the moment you step onto the pitch.

Authentic and Competitive mode choices allow EA Sports FC 26 to develop gameplay that is closest to simulated, deliberate play. However, the most crucial element is that the jarring experience of switching between FUT and other solo-player modes is in your control, with gamble play pacing at your discretion. If you’re a fan of the fast-paced, high-scoring nature of FUT games, you can have that in your career modes. You’re in control of the pace, and that allows you to chart your time in FC 26 your way.

Regardless of which gameplay style you choose, goalkeeping receives a significant boost. Bad goalkeeping drastically impacts your love of the game, so thankfully, I can’t recall any goals that clearly should have been saved or cheap rebounds. This keeps scores lower, works to impact authenticity further, and helps make scoring more dynamic.

You can feel the most significant difference in goalkeeping while playing FUT, but even as you progress through a career, the keepers you are playing against all feel different. Keepers matter, not just when their overall stats are in the high 90s, and that forces you to plan your attacks instead of just taking every shot on goal. One of the elements that most impacts goalkeeping is the fact that keepers now block with different animations for different saves, which makes it more difficult for strikers.

The enhancements to goalkeeping are a good starting point, particularly because of save percentages that come close to the completion percentages we see in EA Sports College Football’s robo-QB problem, which can push challenging into frustrating, especially in close matches. Better balancing is essential to make this quality-of-life enhancement for a core position a shining star.

Despite the gameplay enhancements, EA Sports FC 26 sometimes shanks the punt thanks to technical issues, including menu crashes and server disconnects. These aren’t constant, but when they do happen, they not only remove you from the immersion – they remove you from the game itself. What starts to wear on you is how frequently your account will disconnect from EA Sports servers, which, depending on the mode, will force you to stop playing, even if the game technically hasn’t crashed.

Choice continues to guide EA Sports FC 26 in Player Career mode with the introduction of archetypes. At first glance, archetypes may seem familiar to those who also play EA Sports’ American football games. However, FC 26 isn’t copying anyone’s homework and instead has introduced a robust archetype progression system that adds much-needed depth to developing your player.

Inspired by the real-life greats, the Archetype system is more realized than any other EA Sports has put together. Replacing the Player Growth System of the past, everything you do as a player matters. From on-pitch goals to hit, set forward by your manager, to the choices you make off the field, player development isn’t just about looking at stat lines. Instead, you’re developing an entire identity and personality.

Archetypes are broken into three identity categories: Virtuoso, Heartbeat, and Maverick. Are you looking to be the driving force of your team? Are you looking to play all 11 positions on the field? The important thing here is that you get that choice. This is made even more critical as you begin to specialize your player within the Archetypes.

How you respond to your fans on social media, how much you praise your team, and as you start to build your nest egg with your weekly salary, the off-the-field activities also impact how you develop. Each of the choices you make about how to respond after losses, or if you book activities for your fans, shapes how the team views you. As you develop each of these three categories, you unlock different abilities that impact how you play, with the number of slots locked to progression, and from there, the abilities locked by how far into each of the three identity branches you have progressed.

As you begin to specialize and define your player through their playstyle, specializations like Recycler, Maestro, and Spark for forwards, or Progressor and Marauder for defenders, give you control in charting your path and taking advantage of the nuances in how you play. Are you more of a Rapinoe or a Morgan? A Sun or an Mbappe? These specializations work to build that path. Archetypes are the core progression system, and they work exceptionally well to push role-playing expectations and immersion in sports titles.

Much like other RPG choice systems, how you respond, the actions you choose to buy, all contribute to how fast you can unlock Virtuoso, Heartbeat, and Maverick abilities. Additionally, the ability to become a hybrid between all three isn’t easily obtained, pushing you to pick a specialty to get the full benefits. While you can split your identity between two branches, taking the time to read through what you can unlock in the future is essential to building a player you will be happy with. From a gameplay perspective, restricting branch movement is a crucial key to balancing players against one another. This is especially important for building characters within online clubs.

The level of role-playing elements introduced for clubs and Player Career mode is one of the most in-depth overhauls in a sports title yet. It boosts immersion to a point that begs you to engage with your career as more than just scoring goals or landing a new contract. Modern sports titles are, in actuality, one part sport and one part RPG. It’s why we spend much time building Online Dynasties, Franchises, and, for FC 26, clubs. Stepping back and looking at the three standard bearers of the EA Sports catalog, FC 26 offers the most robust RPG experience that the studio has put forward.

EA Sports FC 26 also features the largest roster of players, clubs, and stadiums yet. While this is vital to driving authenticity, it’s also key to immersion. Playing with a newer club, like my home team, Austin FC, as my male pro and the Houston Dash as my female pro, showcased how much investment has been given to both men’s and women’s soccer. Playing through parallel careers, there weren’t many moments that felt like either side was less than the other.

While contracts for both women and men are drastically different, with my Austin FC pro making around $14k a week and my Houston Dash pro making only $1.4k, both players still had access to the same activities, with the prices adjusted to the salary you were locked into – a slight nod to authentic pay disparity without penalizing the player.

The game wants to put you in your player’s shoes, and when you score a goal, you’ll experience a replay of the moment from the first-person perspective. While this feature is fun and has no significant impact on gameplay, the POV feature often suffers from visual issues, including awkward hair clipping through the frame. This stands out even more when compared to the visual successes of character models during cutscenes and gameplay, as well as the immersive stadium presentations.

Even with its issues, EA Sports FC 26 offers a level of player development and immersion that you just don’t get in other sports titles. On the surface, it’s easy to describe the gameplay overhaul as simple quality-of-life updates, but this year’s changes tackle several player frustrations (particularly around goalkeeping), ultimately improving the franchise for the long haul.. EA Sports FC 26 is a robust step forward for a franchise I had lost faith in, and now, I can’t stop playing.

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September 30, 2025 0 comments

Dwight from The Office appears on official Magic: The Gathering cards

Product Reviews

Magic: The Gathering cards featuring Dwight from The Office are a step too far for some, though others think they’re ‘so bad its circling back to being funny’

by admin September 28, 2025

“I’m rarely at a loss for words,” says Saffron Olive on the hive of scum and villainy formerly known as Twitter, “but I honestly have no idea what to say about the Dwight from the Office Secret Lair drop.”

Others have eagerly stepped in to fill the gap. Over on the MagicTCG subreddit, HiroProtagonest says, “I don’t wanna associate with someone who’d buy merch for The Office”, though in another thread Raevelry says, “This is so bad its circling back to being funny Like, this is a HIGH QUALITY shitpost cringe, its almost impressive, all of these fit his ‘lore’, they’re well drawn, amazing lore text”.

Secret lairs are mini-sets containing a handful of cards a regular Magic expansion wouldn’t have room for. A lot of them present alternate art, with guests like Junji Ito invited to present their own take on iconic cards, though since the best-selling Walking Dead secret lair back in 2020 they’ve often been crossovers. While more thematically matching crossovers like Final Fantasy tend to get full-size sets, secret lair crossovers provide a space for something smaller and often a bit more light-hearted, like Hatsune Miku or Monty Python.

And this is how now Dwight from The Office arrives in Magic. As announced in a roundup of October’s secret lairs, he’ll be getting his own six-card “drop” alongside fantasy artist Kieran Yanner, Iron Maiden, Jaws, and Furby. You might expect the Furby cards to attract the most controversy, but apparently it’s Rainn Wilson as a muscular farmer holding a giant turnip on a reskin of the Swords to Plowshares card that crosses the line.

Admittedly I’ve never seen the American version of The Office, but I’m struggling to have an opinion about this. Magic did a Fortnite-themed secret lair in 2021, so complaints about “Fortnite-ification” are a bit late to the party, and as someone who has read a bunch of Magic comic books and short stories I don’t think the sanctity of the game’s official setting is really worth preserving. I’m just going to shrug and move on with my day if that’s OK with you.

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September 28, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

The campaign against predatory in-game practices takes a step forward in Brazil, as President Lula bans loot boxes targeted at under-18s

by admin September 26, 2025

The president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) has signed a ban on loot boxes for under 18s into law. This ban is set to go into effect in March 2026.

This ban comes as part of a wider digital protection law aimed at protecting young people from abuse and exploitation online. Chapter seven of the law focused on electronic games prohibits loot boxes aimed at children or adolescents for games without an 18+ age rating.

In addition, the law requires games that are likely to have adolescents interact with other people through text, audio, or video messages to adhere to legal safeguards. These include a report system, information on the progress of said reports, and instruments to request review and reconsideration of imposed penalties.

Debates surrounding a loot box ban have been widespread and global for years now. Back in 2022 Dutch political parties backed a loot box ban, however after some deliberation there was no outright ban. Loot boxes were declared illegal in Belgium back in 2018, though in the following years it’s become clear this hasn’t been strictly enforced. The UK has slapped some game companies on the wrist due to not declaring loot boxes in advertisements, but a ban has been far from reach.

As such, this Brazilian ban for under 18s is a big step forward for those against loot boxes, putting up barriers between what many consider gambling mechanics and younger people. It’s been a long time coming, with investigations into loot boxes starting in 2021. There remain two larger questions: will clear age ratings for games actually prevent young people from buying loot boxes in games they want, and will this law’s implementation in a strong market for video games influence change in the industry at large?

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September 26, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Borderlands 4 Stuttering On PC? Gearbox Has An Unusual Step To Fix Stability Issues

by admin September 26, 2025

The newest Borderlands 4 patch arrived on September 25, addressing stability and performance issues. The update doesn’t fix everything, though, and now developer Gearbox has given players some advice about how to addresses ongoing stability issues.

The developer said it’s aware of players experiencing stuttering issues following installation of the new update, impacting performance. This is due to shader compilation that’s occurring in the background during gameplay, which it said should clear up after 15 minutes of “continuous play.” That’s an unusual note, as shader compilation is typically handled during start-up, before you begin playing, in order to avoid just these sorts of issues.If the stuttering doesn’t clear up after 15 minutes, Gearbox advised clearing your shader cache, which is a process specific to your graphics card’s manufacturer.

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Now Playing: Borderlands 4 Video Review

The technical issues with Borderlands 4 prompted Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford to post through it, but he’s since moved on to posting a lot about the upcoming Now You See Me movie sequel. Pitchford contributed to the magic elements of the movie and says he was more involved with that film that the Borderlands movie.

The September 25 patch for Borderlands 4 also added an FOV slider on console, which is something fans had asked for (and something that can reduce performance). The patch also made some balance changes to Vault Hunters, and even more are coming in another update that’s planned for next week.

In other Borderlands 4 news, the Switch 2 edition has been delayed indefinitely and all digital preorders are being refunded. Gearbox delayed the game to help add more polish and to support cross-saves.

For more, check out GameSpot’s Borderlands 4 review and our roundup of all the Shift codes.

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September 26, 2025 0 comments