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Hades 2 Gets Final Big Patch Before 1.0 Launch Later This Year
Game Updates

Hades 2 Gets Final Big Patch Before 1.0 Launch Later This Year

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Hades 2 continues trucking along in its journey through Steam Early Access with its third major update which adds new character interactions, art, and weapon aspects. With the longest set of patch notes yet, it’s seemingly the last major overhaul before the game hits 1.0 and launches on Switch 2 later this year.

This Innovative Hades-Like Feels Built For Speedrunners

“Expect Hades II to get bigger and better with the addition of a new Hidden Aspect for each of the Nocturnal Arms, a new variation of every Guardian encounter, expanded relationships with a number of key characters, lots of new visual flourishes, and much more,” Greg Kasavin, creative director at Hades developer Supergiant Games, wrote on the game’s Discord on Tuesday. “After more than a year of Early Access development, we’re now starting to prepare for our v1.0 launch! The final phase of Hades II development involves adding the story’s true ending and other finishing touches. Some additional details are in the in-game Development Roadmap.”

A dramatic reading of the new patch notes runs over 38 minutes and includes things like revamping The Flames of Ygnium for snappier combat, new final forms for Nocturnal Arms, and enemies spawning in faster during waves to limit downtime. Probably most noticeable at the outset is that Narcissus has an actual 3D model, animations, and an updated portrait now. No more being self-obsessed with placeholder art. The game’s main menu has also been updated to state that the next update will coincide with the 1.0 launch on PC, Switch 1, and Switch 2 (PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S will come later).

While Hades 2 is confirmed to be coming out in full sometime in 2025, Supergiant Games isn’t ready to reveal the exact timing just yet, and I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised if it slips to 2026. “We really appreciate your patience on this,” Kasavin wrote. “Sometimes the last stretch of development on a game can make all the difference, so we have always taken this phase seriously and appreciate your continued support.” We also don’t know what the final price will be. Hades 2 is currently $30 on Steam ($27 with the current 10 percent discount), but it could go up to $40 once it’s out on consoles.

The action roguelite is launching simultaneously on both Switch 1 and Switch 2, with improved visual fidelity and framerate on the newer hardware. Supergiant hasn’t confirmed yet whether that “next-gen” upgrade will cost more or be a free upgrade. Hollow Knight: Silksong, another sequel to a critically acclaimed indie action game, is also set to arrive later this year. I can only pray that both sides are talking to one another and not planning to shadowdrop on the same day.

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After getting delisted in March, Dark and Darker will be completely inaccessible on the Epic Games Store later this year
Game Updates

After getting delisted in March, Dark and Darker will be completely inaccessible on the Epic Games Store later this year

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Dark and Darker is a bit of a Schroedinger’s video game, isn’t it? Seemingly fleeting back and forth between a state of being available for sale and being outright delisted. Back in March, the multiplayer extraction game was delisted from the Epic Games Store, with developer Ironmace saying at the time that the “decision appears to be based on claims made by opposing parties in an ongoing legal dispute.”


Now, Epic appear to be sending out emails to those that have the game in their libraries informing them that the game will no longer be playable this year (I’ve received this email myself as I apparently added it to my library at some point despite not having played it).


“We removed Dark and Darker from sale on the Epic Games Store on March 5 in consideration of a court decision in Korea between Nexon and the game’s publisher, Ironmace,” Epic wrote in the email. “On November 1, 2025, we will be removing Dark and Darker from your library, at which point it will no longer be playable via the Epic Games Store.” Anyone that paid for the Legendary Status upgrade will be getting a refund, though those that bought Redstone shards won’t be. Both of these are no longer available for purchase as well.


The court decision Epic referenced is likely the one from February, which found that Ironmace didn’t infringe on Nexon’s copyright of project P3, a game that Nexon alleged was then turned into Dark and Darker using stolen code and assets. However, the court did also instruct Ironmace to pay Nexon 8.5 billion won (about $6.18 million) in damages.


Ironically, at this point in time it doesn’t seem like the game is being booted off of Steam, despite previously facing this in 2023. It’s a messy situation, one that I would guess isn’t quite done yet.



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Nintendo Returns To Amazon After A Year Away
Game Reviews

Nintendo Returns To Amazon After A Year Away

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Image: Amazon / Nintendo / Kotaku

For over a year now, online retailer Amazon hasn’t directly sold new first-party Nintendo games or accessories. It also skipped out on the Switch 2 launch. But over the weekend, the situation changed, and now some first-party Switch 2 games and accessories are available on the retailer.

Nintendo Switch 2 Could Launch With Almost No Reviews

Back in April of last year, people began reporting that some pre-orders of then-upcoming first-party Switch games, like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, were being canceled without warning. And players couldn’t re-order the upcoming games. Since then, Nintendo games have largely been unavailable for purchase directly from Amazon. Instead, when purchased on the site, they were sold and shipped via third-party sellers. And earlier this month, the Switch 2, its first-party launch games, and its official accessories, were similarly unavailable to pre-order on Amazon. It’s been a frustrating situation for gamers who rely on the online retailer. But it’s finally, possibly, coming to an end.

Over the weekend, as spotted by IGN and others, a handful of first-party Nintendo games popped up on Amazon and are being officially shipped and sold by the retail giant. Donkey Kong Bananza, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World are some of the first-party Nintendo games now available to pre-order directly from Amazon and Nintendo. This seems to indicate that the two companies have come to an agreement and ended the lockout. There was even a listing for the Switch 2, though that has been removed for now. But this all seems to point to Nintendo products and games returning fully to Amazon in the near future.

As for why Nintendo stopped selling new games and consoles on Amazon, there’s never been a confirmation from either company. Some fans speculate that Amazon was shipping games ahead of their release and that this led to leaks, but that has yet to be confirmed.

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GameFi Guides

AI Deepfakes Drove 40% of High-Value Crypto Fraud Last Year: Report

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In brief

  • AI deepfakes of celebrities, government officials, and more accounted for 40% of “high-value” crypto fraud in 2024, a Bitget report claimed.
  • Crypto scam losses reached $4.6 billion in 2024, representing a 24% increase from previous year.
  • Social engineering schemes ranked as second-most dangerous crypto fraud method, followed by modern Ponzi schemes.

AI-generated deepfake impersonations of government officials, billionaires, and celebrities accounted for 40% of “high-value frauds” in 2024, a Bitget report revealed.

That same year, $4.6 billion in crypto was lost to scams, a 24% increase from the previous year, Bitget’s Anti-Scam Report 2025—co-authored with Slowmist and Elliptic—found.

“Crypto scams have entered a new era—driven by AI deepfakes, social engineering, and deceptive project fronts,” the report said. “Scams now exploit trust and psychology as much as technology. From wallet takeovers to multimillion-dollar frauds, the attacks are becoming more personalized, more believable, and harder to detect.”

A “frequent” deepfake that appeared, according to the report, featured Tesla CEO Elon Musk pitching fraudulent investment or giveaway schemes. Other uses for deepfakes include bypassing know-your-customer verification, creating virtual identities to lead investment scams, and conducting fake Zoom phishing attacks.



The Zoom scam sees scammers impersonate executives, experts, and journalists—including Decrypt reporters—to get a victim on a fraudulent video call. This may see the attacker offer the victim a job or ask to interview them for a non-existent article. During the fake Zoom call, attackers can gain control of the victim’s computer, steal data, and potentially access private crypto keys. 

Bitget reports that in some cases, the attackers are using deepfake tools to generate video and audio content to trick the victim into joining the call.

Many of these deepfake scams aren’t new; the Elon Musk scam first went viral in 2022. However, with the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence, deepfakes have started to look real. So much so that President Trump signed the bipartisan Take It Down Act last month that protected the victims of deepfake porn—although, deepfakes in general still aren’t prohibited. 

In May, actor Jamie Lee Curtis called out Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg after discovering a fake AI-generated ad of herself promoting a product without her consent.

“The biggest threat to crypto today isn’t volatility—it’s deception,” Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said, in a release. “AI has made scams faster, cheaper, and harder to detect.”

Outside of deepfakes, social engineering and modern Ponzi schemes ranked second and third as the report’s “most dangerous” scams. 

By definition, social engineering scams exploit the psychology of victims in a method that is “low-tech, yet highly effective,” the report says. One of the most common examples is the pig butcher scam, also called a romance scam, which sees the attacker develop a relationship with the victim solely to scam them.

As for the ol’ classic Ponzi scheme—named after the early 20th century scammer Charles Ponzi—the report claims that the scam has gone through a “digital evolution.”

“These scams typically disguise themselves in new concepts like DeFi, NFTs, and GameFi, packaged as project fundraising, liquidity mining, or platform token staking,” the report states. “Fundamentally, they remain classic Ponzi schemes where ‘new money fills old holes.’ Once the cash flow breaks or the operators cash out and exit, the entire system collapses quickly.”

The report notes a rise in Ponzi schemes that adopt “game-like user interfaces” and use deepfakes to forge endorsements from celebrities to boost credibility in the scheme. AI has revolutionized the scamming industry, resulting in a markedly different landscape from just a few years ago.

“Five years ago, avoiding scams meant ‘don’t click suspicious links,'” the report finished. “Today, it’s ‘don’t trust your own eyes.'”

Edited by James Rubin

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Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.



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Helene Braun
NFT Gaming

Trump’s Empire Pulled In $57M From World Liberty Financial Last Year, Filing Shows

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Donald Trump’s crypto wallet and branding empire earned tens of millions of dollars last year, with World Liberty Financial netting the U.S. President $57.4 million, according to a newly released federal financial disclosure.

The document, published by the Office of Government Ethics, shows Trump’s personal crypto holdings are estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million. He also declared gold bars as investments between $250,000 and $500,000, various money market funds, equity and Treasury bond holdings, and real estate.

In addition to his crypto holdings and income, Trump seemingly collected over $11 million in royalties tied to branded merchandise.

That includes $3 million for a coffee table book titled “Save America,” $2.5 million from Trump sneakers and fragrances, $2.8 million from watches, $1.3 million for “The Greenwood Bible,” a religious book bearing his name, and $100,000 from non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The latter also brought in $1 million from licensing fees.

Trump’s assets are reportedly held in a trust managed by his children.

While the U.S. President’s financial disclosure document spans 234 pages, Vice President JD Vance filed a 15-page disclosure showing more modest holdings and not mentioning crypto.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comments on Trump’s holdings.



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NFT Gaming

Crypto-Related Anti-Money Laundering Reports Rose by 8% in Germany Last Year: FIU

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In brief

  • Germany’s FIU revealed that anti-money laundering reports involving crypto are up 8.2% year-on-year.
  • The FIU said that cryptocurrencies have become a key component of international money laundering structures.
  • AI-powered detection tools could enable financial institutions and regulators to better identify illicit activity, experts told Decrypt.

Anti-money laundering reports involving cryptocurrencies rose by 8.2% in Germany last year, according to the annual report from the German Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Total crypto-related reports climbed from 8,049 in 2023 to hit 8,711, accounting for a record 3.3% of all suspicious activity reports (SARs) submitted to the FIU, the agency responsible in Germany for combating money laundering.

The total figure marks a 23.6% increase since 2020, with Bitcoin predominating in the vast majority of last year’s reports, followed by Ethereum, XRP, Tether and Litecoin.

According to the FIU, credit institutions and banks submitted over 6,000 of the crypto-related reports, which generally referred to transactions to or from trading platforms, mixing services and gambling sites.

And for the agency’s analysts, this predominance of lenders is a sign that “traditional financial players have long since become key observers of crypto-based risks.”

The FIU interprets the growth in crypto-related AML reports as a sign that financial crime is adapting rapidly to new innovations, and that cryptocurrencies have become a key part of complex and international money laundering structures.

“The underlying mechanisms often elude traditional control systems and require advanced analytical approaches,” the report explains.

As an example, the report provides details on one money laundering case that involved a network of individuals and channels, with an investigation spanning much of 2024 revealing that the main participant in the network made use of 44 bank accounts and eight crypto-trading accounts.

Given such complexity, the FIU concludes the crypto-focused section of its report by affirming that “dealing with complex money laundering structures requires a coordinated approach by all parties involved,” and that the rapid evolution of new laundering methods necessitates a similarly rapid development of new analysis and investigative techniques.

Financial crime on the rise

For experts working in the area of AML, the record figures in Germany stem not only from the growth in cryptocurrency adoption globally, but also from the growth in financial crime in general.

“Germany’s uptick in crypto-related suspicious activity reports is driven by the combination of those two trends,” says Tobias Schweiger, the CEO and co-founder of Munich-based anti-financial crime firm Hawk, speaking to Decrypt.

According to Schweiger, digital assets are proving increasingly attractive to potential money launderers because it’s easier for them to hide money flows on a digital ledger, with detection mechanisms struggling to keep up with the pace of change.

“Digital ledger technology is still relatively new and financial institutions are in the process of upgrading their anti-money laundering processes and tools to address this development,” he explains.

Yet he suggests that the EU’s MiCA regulation will play an increasingly vital role in this context, helping and requiring financial firms to ensure that their KYC measures are sufficiently robust.

And because detection and reporting measures will be improving, Schweiger expects that Germany and other nations will continue to see a rise in crypto-related suspicious activity reports “over the next few years,” in addition to a rise in reports involving fiat currency transactions.

“With adoption of more AI-powered detection tools, financial institutions and regulators will be able to better identify illicit activity that may have previously gone unnoticed,” he says.

Ideally, Schweiger would like to see a shift in the near term from reactive reporting to “proactive risk mitigation,” which would include an emphasis on real-time analytics as well as data-sharing between institutions and authorities.

He concludes, “To effectively fight financial crime in the era of crypto, consistency and technology implementation will be essential.”

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Control multiplayer spin-off FBC: Firebreak has two major updates planned for this year
Game Reviews

Control multiplayer spin-off FBC: Firebreak has two major updates planned for this year

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Remedy already has two major updates for its Control multiplayer spin-off FBC: Firebreak planned for this year, with more to hopefully follow.

FBC: Firebreak is set to release later this month, on 17th June. It will throw players back into the halls of Control’s mysterious Federal Bureau of Control, letting them revisit a number of familiar locations from that game but with a fresh multiplayer twist.

FBC: Firebreak Preview – How Does It Play And Is It Good? Watch on YouTube

Following its initial launch, the studio will then release a major update this autumn. This will include a new Job, codenamed Outbreak, and a new Jobsite: the Research Sector. Players will also find new gameplay systems and enemies, new free earnable rewards, and new (paid) Classified Requisitions. These will include unique armor sets, sprays, skins, and character voice packs.

Winter will then bring in a second major update. Again, this will add a new Job to FBC: Firebreak, with this one codenamed Blackout. There will also be a new Jobsite, but for now where that is located is a mystery. Along with the new Job and Jobsite, this update will also add new equipment and enemies, new free earnable rewards and new (paid) Classified Requisitions, including unique armor sets, sprays, skins, and character voice packs.

Writing on social media, Remedy’s communications director Thomas Puha said the team also has plans afoot for 2026, but the team wants to “launch the game first, see what the reception is and what the community wants to see, what you might gravitate to before we make more decisions on what kind of content we’ll be releasing”.

Image credit: Remedy

Our Chris went hands-on with FBC: Firebreak earlier this year, when he called it a “frantic, electrifying run-based shooter, with difficulties feeling like gambles”.

“Its potential is up there with the games other Remedy staff reference in casual chit-chat around the studio’s corridors, from Helldivers 2, yes, to Darktide, Payday, Deep Rock Galactic or even Overcooked,” he wrote in Eurogamer’s FBC: Firebreak preview. “It might be coming together somewhat at the last, but again, perhaps that’s exactly the way these kinds of games need to work.”



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SAG-AFTRA formally calls off industrial action after almost a year of strikes
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SAG-AFTRA formally calls off industrial action after almost a year of strikes

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SAG-AFTRA – the union that represents 160,000 actors, voiceover artists, and other media professionals – has formally called off its industrial action after 11 months of strikes.

The union voted to strike at the end of July 2024 after it failed to reach an agreement with the convenience bargaining group over rights and protection concerns raised by the industry’s exploration of AI technologies. In March, it said it remained “frustratingly far apart” from video game publishers after two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors claimed they had been replaced for participating in the SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Now, however, after announcing yesterday that it had reached a “tentative agreement” with a bargaining group, national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland officially suspended the strike against the companies signatory to the Interactive Media Agreement, effective from noon PT today, June 11.

All SAG-AFTRA members have now been instructed to return to work on productions under the interactive media agreement (IMA), including work promoting or publicizing projects produced under the IMA, as the board meets in a special session tomorrow, June 10, to consider the tentative agreement.

“If approved, it will be sent out for ratification by the union’s membership in accordance with established policy. Details of the agreement will be released at that time,” the union said.

SAG-AFTRA recently filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Llama Productions and Epic Games for using AI to portray Darth Vader in Fortnite.



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Amazon Offers the Newest Model of Echo Pop at Its Lowest Price of the Year as Stock Runs Low
Gaming Gear

Amazon Offers the Newest Model of Echo Pop at Its Lowest Price of the Year as Stock Runs Low

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When it comes to smart speakers, they’ve quickly transformed from pricier “nice to haves” into affordable options that are available to just about anyone. Amazon has been leading the charge in this respect, releasing a wide variety of models and options that don’t break the bank while offering lots of different features and options for consumers. Famously, the Echo series is part of this rollout, and there are a few form factors you can choose from for this smart speaker. And if you’re curious about trying one out, now’s the best time to do so thanks to this Amazon deal.

See at Amazon

Right now, you can head to Amazon to get an Amazon Echo Pop for $25, down from its usual price of $40. That’s $15 off and a discount of 38%.

A colorful, multifaceted smart speaker

The newest model of the Echo Pop is one of Amazon’s most refined versions of its compact smart speaker. Despite its small size, it delivers surprisingly clear and full sound. It’s loud enough to fill a room without distortion or that hollow, tinny sound you get from older or cheaper models. Whether you’re streaming a playlist, asking for the forecast, or setting a kitchen timer, it’s quick and responsive, and the voice controls work great.

But while you might primarily use it for music, you’d be surprised at how many other things it can do in addition. The built-in temperature sensor can automate other smart devices like thermostats or fans. Alexa Routines allow you to string together multiple actions like dimming the lights and turning on ambient music just by saying a few words. You can even use it as an intercom to communicate between rooms if you have multiple Echo devices. So if you want to get one for one area of the house and another, like maybe your room and the kids’ rooms, there’s your justification.

It’s also worth noting that Amazon has taken steps to address privacy concerns. If you’re worried about that kind of thing, it has a microphone mute button and privacy settings to give you more control.

With its discounted price, the diminutive Echo Pop makes a good case for anyone looking to bring more convenience and control into their home, especially for just $25. Whether you’re just getting started with smart tech or want to expand your existing setup, this is one of the most affordable and practical ways to do it. And it comes in such a pretty color, too!

See at Amazon



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2025 Most 'Dangerous' Year for Crypto Holders, Here's Why
NFT Gaming

2025 Most ‘Dangerous’ Year for Crypto Holders, Here’s Why

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According to a recent chart prepared by cryptocurrency firm Galaxy Digital, 2025 is on track to be the most dangerous year for cryptocurrency holders to date. 

The chart shared by research analyst Alex Thorn shows that this year is already nearing the full-year totals of some previous years, like 2023, and even approaching 2018. 

2025 is on track to be the most dangerous year ever for crypto owners 🔧💥

more than 25 documented physical attacks against crypto owners this year, and the year isn’t even half way done

chart by @glxyresearch w/ data from @lopp pic.twitter.com/25SSydC1OP

— Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) June 8, 2025

If the current rate continues, 2025 is extremely likely to overtake 2021, thus becoming the most dangerous year to date. This year, of course, is not even halfway done. 

There have been more than 25 documented physical attacks against cryptocurrency owners this year. 

Countries like the UAE and India have seen a noticeable uptick in reported extortions.

As reported by U.Today, Satoshi collaborator Martti ‘Sirius’ Malmi recently suggested the idea of creating the so-called “Bitcoin Mossad” in order to protect long-term holders by going after criminals.

The most high-profile criminal case involved the kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of cryptocurrency wallet firm Ledger. The French entrepreneur was abducted from his home together with his wife in January before being rescued by authorities. 

Another prominent case involved a failed kidnapping of the daughter of another well-known cryptocurrency entrepreneur from France.   

French authorities have now stepped up protection for crypto entrepreneurs in light of the recent incidents that attracted widespread media coverage. 

Meanwhile, some companies are now offering tailored insurance policies for cryptocurrency entrepreneurs. 





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