Members of the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union have ratified the contract agreement with parent company Microsoft. This agreement with the union representing the video game studio's quality assurance employees marks the first time Microsoft has entered into any union contract in the US. ZeniMax Studios is probably best known for its work on The Elder Scrolls Online. Stephen Totilo first reported on this news; we've reached out to Microsoft and the Communications Workers of America for additional comment.Β Β
As with many organizing efforts, this step has been a long time coming. The group of employees voted to unionize in 2023, and Microsoft immediately recognized ZeniMax Workers United-CWA following the vote results. Microsoft also made its policy of neutrality toward union organizing at ZeniMax official in 2024. The QA workers from ZeniMax and Microsoft reached a tentative contract this May.
The contract includes provisions for wage increases and minimum salaries, as well as industry-specific content such as a clearer crediting policy recognizing the role of QA and protections for the employees regarding use of AI.
Update, June 20 2025, 12:18PM ET: Microsoft provided Engadget with the following statement, attributed to the company's Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Amy Pannoni: βThis agreement reflects our ongoing commitment to employee voice and collaborative labor relations. Reaching this milestone with the ZeniMax quality assurance team and CWA is another step toward helping everyone here do their best work.βΒ
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/zenimax-and-microsoft-ratify-union-agreement-224148192.html?src=rss
The next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event could be announced any day now. The summertime event usually happens in July or August. No date has been officially set, but at least one rumor suggests that it will all go down on July 9 at 10AM ET, and New York City is being floated as the likely location.
Whenever it happens, we expect that the next Unpacked will center on the latest developments to Samsung's lines of foldables and wearables. A lot of it may be business as usual, but the company has hinted that some possibly exciting new additions are in the works.
Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Based on the usual annual cadence, this summer Unpacked 2025 will most likely introduce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. One recent leak claimed that Gemini Live will be a core part of the foldables' presentation, and considering AI is the buzzword for every tech presentation these days, it would be strange if Unpacked didn't follow suit. AI features got a positive reception from both our Fold 6 and Flip 6 reviewers, although they fell more under the umbrella of parlor tricks than valuable assets.
Android Headlines is back with renders of what it claims show the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The foldable sports a slimmer profile than the prior model and the navy blue chassis is certainly pretty. It also indicates that both the cover display and inner display are reportedly bigger in this design, up to 6.5 inches and 8.2 inches, respectively. The publication also showed purported images of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 that also pointed to increased screen real estate.
There may be a third player in the foldables lineup for this Unpacked. A teaser from Samsung last month pointed toward a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra that will come with Galaxy AI. There are no specs in the blog post, but the company insists that this will have "industry-leading hardware, cutting-edge performance and seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format." This doesn't appear to be the tri-fold design we've heard rumblings about, but that would be a fun reveal if Samsung does pull that off as a surprise announcement.
Galaxy Watch 8
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
On the wearables front, the only thing we're really anticipating is news about the Galaxy Watch 8. But the anticipation is pretty mild.
This smartwatch collection from Samsung hasn't really pushed the envelope for several years; the Galaxy Watch 7 was the third iteration where our reviewers felt the new model offered only incremental improvements over the previous generation. So either this Unpacked will be yet another round of small gains on the specs or Samsung will surprise us with some substantial upgrades. Improved battery life would be a big plus.
Galaxy S25 FE
For the past few weeks, Samsung fans have been speculating that a new smartphone announcement could be on the way soon. Although the company's standard mobile hardware is usually unveiled at the start of the year, we've seen some credible rumors that a new Galaxy S25 FE is in the works. If Samsung is looking to release a new version to that line in the fall, it would make sense to announce and open pre-orders at the summer Unpacked.
The Galaxy S24 FE had some solid specs but was a little pricey to be a true budget model, especially with an underwhelming set of AI features. So far, the leaks about the S25 FE also point toward continued underwhelm, with claims that its cameras won't be seeing much in the way of upgrades, although it may be getting a boost to performance and battery if rumors that it will use the Exynos 2400 processor turn out to be true.
We'll be keeping you posted with all the Unpacked news as it happens, as well as covering the event with a liveblog, so stay tuned!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/what-to-expect-at-the-next-samsung-galaxy-unpacked-150001731.html?src=rss
AI company Midjourney has released its first video model. This initial take on AI-generated video will allow users to animate their images, either ones made in Midjourney or uploaded from a different source. The initial results will be five-second clips that a user can opt to extend by four seconds up to four times. Videos can be generated on web only for now and require at least a $10 a month subscription to access.
Introducing our V1 Video Model. It's fun, easy, and beautiful. Available at 10$/month, it's the first video model for *everyone* and it's available now. pic.twitter.com/iBm0KAN8uy
Midjourney was one of the early names in the space for AI-generated still images, even as other platforms have pushed the forefront of the discussions around artificial intelligence development. Google's latest I/O conference included several new tools for AI generated video, such as the text-to-video Veo 3 model and a tool for filmmakers called Flow. OpenAI's Sora, which debuted last year, is also a text-to-video option, while the more recent Firefly Video Model from Adobe can create video from a text or image prompt.
But being a little late to the video game hasn't stopped it from drawing the ire of creatives who allege that its models were trained illegally. In fact, this video announcement follows hot on the heels of a lawsuit against the company. Disney and NBCUniversal sued Midjourney last week on claims of copyright infringement. And as with any AI tool, there's always a potential for misuse. But Midjourney has nicely asked that people "please use these technologies responsibly" so surely nothing will go wrong.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/midjourney-adds-ai-video-generation-192557140.html?src=rss
Steam has introduced a new batch of features for improved accessibility in the latest beta of the gaming client. The platform is adding a sliding scale for adjusting UI size, a high contrast mode to make text and buttons more distinct from the background, and a reduce motion setting to disable select animations and page transitions. These three features are available for devices running SteamOS and in Steam's Big Picture Mode, which displays a full-screen user interface for easier legibility.
In addition, SteamOS devices are getting support for a screen reader. This feature has adjustments for the volume, rate and pitch of the audio output. The new beta also offers color filters for SteamOS devices, allowing the user to choose modes of grayscale, invert brightness or invert colors. This change to visual output with colors applies to both the Steam client and to games. For now, only the Steam Deck and the Lenovo Legion Go S run Valve's gaming-focused operating system, but the company is clearly planning to add more devices in the future.
"These new settings are only the first available of the accessibility features we're working on, and we're excited to put even more tools in the hands of our players," the company said in the blog post announcing the new updates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-adds-more-accessibility-features-181606704.html?src=rss
Photo modes are a pretty common feature for video games where players go bounding around an interesting open world. Today, Minecraft joined their ranks, making an in-game camera available in the Minecraft Marketplace as a free add-on called Vibrant Memories. The feature requires a copy of Minecraft's Bedrock Edition on any platform; the Java version doesn't appear to support the camera.
As well as capturing the moment as-is and saving particular camera angles to reuse later, Vibrant Memories will let a player decide whether or not to appear in the image. It will also let them set whether the weather is sunny or rainy and if the time is sunrise, sunset, day or night.
That's a pared-back take on photo mode, but then in many ways, Minecraft is a pared-back game. Sure, it's gotten loads of new features and creatures over the past 15 years, but at heart, it's just about mining and crafting.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/minecraft-now-has-a-photo-mode-with-vibrant-memories-215948221.html?src=rss
Hideo Kojima said in an interview with Vogue Japan earlier this year that an anime based on his game Death Stranding was in the works. Today, Deadline reports that Aaron Guzikowski will write the screenplay for the upcoming animated feature based on the game world. His most recent credit is the sci-fi series Raised By Wolves, but Guzikowski has also worked on movies including Prisoners and Papillon. The animated film will tell "an original story" from the same universe as the already quite cinematicDeath Stranding.
Kojima Productions will be involved with this adaptation and Line Mileage is the animation company attached to the project. The executive team at Line Mileage has previous experience making animated series and adaptations. Their bios mention shows such as Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and Castlevania that have reimagined popular games as animated projects squarely targeting adult viewers.
This film is a separate project from the live-action adaptation that's being helmed by writer-director Michael Sarnoski with production company A24 (and of course Kojima Productions). And if you can't wait for either of these movies to wrap to get more Kojima, the release date for Death Stranding 2 is just around the corner.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/animated-death-stranding-movie-gets-its-screenwriter-200537247.html?src=rss
Hades II announced its third update today. The sequel to 2020 indie game darling Hades is technically still in early access on PC and Mac, but has been getting some beefyupdates ahead of its expected official release later this year. The Unseen Update is a free, automatic update that mostly focuses on new combat development.
There's a new Vow of Rivals that allows players to challenge more powerful Guardian foes. All of the main weapons have received hidden aspects that offer new forms and fighting styles. There's also new hexes and blessings, some fresh artwork, and new story events to help grow your relationships with the many members of the ancient Greek pantheon.
When Hades II does exit early access with the launch of v1.0 β and developer Supergiant said that it doesn't have a timeline for that yet β the game will follow its predecessor's launch schedule. Switch 2 and Switch will be the first consoles to get the full release alongside PC and Mac, with PlayStation and Xbox players needing to wait before they'll get a version of the rogue-like.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hades-ii-adds-more-combat-options-in-its-third-major-early-access-update-225206452.html?src=rss
Social media company X has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York over a law governing hate speech. The social network's Global Government Affairs account posted about the suit, claiming the law's required disclosures infringe on First Amendment protections for free speech.
The Stop Hiding Hate Act, which is slated to take effect this week, would require social media companies to report on how they define and moderate content including hate speech, misinformation, disinformation, harassment and foreign political influence.
X sued California in 2023 about a similar state-level law regarding content moderation. A panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals put a hold on the lower court's initial ruling in favor of California. While the law did endure, a settlement between the state and the company at the start of 2025 led to the elimination of the provisions that X claimed were unconstitutional.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-sues-new-york-over-hate-speech-disclosure-law-214655414.html?src=rss
The discourse around artificial intelligence has all been about pursuing the bleeding edge, pushing the tech into the future as fast as possible. So maybe it should be refreshing that OpenAI's latest announcement feels almost quaintly analog. Starting today, users can tap into the company's image generation by texting 1-800-ChatGPT on WhatsApp.
The post on X announcing this new option for using the ChatGPT AI chatbot specifies that the feature is "now available to everyone." I'm not sure what percentage of "everyone" wanted to have a 1-800 number to contact in order to obtain their AI-generated pictures. Considering how long it's been since the concept of a long-distance call was a factor in regular communication, I'd guess that many ChatGPT users don't even know why 1-800 phone numbers were notable. Perhaps this is OpenAI's attempt to lure the older generations away from potentially confusing (and embarrassing) competitors.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/this-1-800-number-will-generate-chatgpt-images-if-for-some-reason-you-need-that-174636780.html?src=rss
Florida, Webster, Withlacoochee State Forest, Richloam General Store & Post Office, old fashioned rotary dial telephone. (Photo by: Rosie Irene Betancourt/Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Google Cloud experienced outages today that led to disruptions for many online services. Reports of issues for Google products and others began around 2 PM ET. The company was able to restore function to its own apps, but several other businesses have continued to experience problems for some users.
In an update at 4:16PM ET, Google said, "We have identified the root cause and applied appropriate mitigations. Our infrastructure has recovered in all regions except us-central1. Google Cloud products that rely on the affected infrastructure are seeing recovery in multiple locations. Our engineers are aware of the customers still experiencing issues on us-central1 and multi-region/us and are actively working on full recovery. We do not have an ETA for full recovery."
Screenshot from DownDetector at about 3:25PM ET
Spotify, Discord, Snapchat, Etsy, UPS and OpenAI all experienced a high volume of reports on DownDetector, with some informing users of disruptions. Even the Pokemon Trading Card Game and Pokemon Go weren't spared issues. Snapchat acknowledged the ongoing issues on its support page. OpenAI has posted that users may have trouble logging in due to "issues affecting multiple external internet providers." AWS also experienced a higher-than-usual volume of reports on DownDetector during the outage, but Amazon clarified in a statement to Engadget that it has no broad service issues and noted that its AWS Health Dashboard is a better indicator of its current status than DownDetector.
Almost all services have now returned to normal operation. By 5PM ET, Spotify's main page loaded for our editors and reports of outages on DownDetector had fallen back to close to their baseline. Other platforms like Snapchat and Discord also seemed to be functioning normally for us. Google said at the time that its products were coming back online across multiple regions and that it expected the recovery to be complete "in less than an hour." However, as of 7:13PM ET, the company noted that several Google Cloud components were still experiencing "residual impact." Google Cloud Dataflow, Vertex AI Online Prediction and Personalized Service Health are all still somewhat affected, and the company did not provide a timeline for when everything will be back to normal. At 9:18PM ET, all issues were resolved.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-cloud-outages-spotify-discord-snapchat-and-more-were-down-for-hours-193156868.html?src=rss
After several years, Google has released a major update to the iOS version of its Snapseed photo editor. Version 3.0 is the program offers a complete redesign of both the iPhone and iPad apps. All of the images that have been edited with the tool are displayed in a grid. Navigation has been rearranged into three tabs, with a new Faves section for the photo tools that you want to quickly use on the regular. It boasts more than 25 different tools and filters for altering photos, including some newly added film filters. Snapseed also has a refreshed its logo with a more streamlined look.
Google acquired Snapseed all the way back in 2012. The new take on the app is a surprise, since Snapseed hadn't received any major updates on iOS since 2021. One thing has not changed: the app is still free and has no advertisements. For now, the listing for Snapseed in Google Play is still a version from last year; it's unclear if or when 3.0 will arrive on Android.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-completely-remade-its-snapseed-ios-photo-editor-222003395.html?src=rss
We've been covering all the news Apple announced at WWDC 2025, but possibly the most exciting element coming to iOS 26 wasn't discussed on stage. The next update to the operating system will let people set custom snooze times. MacRumors reported that iOS 26 will offer anywhere from one to 15 minute snoozes that users can select when setting the alarm.
For years, Apple has kept the snooze timing locked at nine minutes. If you wanted to doze at a different interval, you'd need to set separate alarms or use a different app than the iPhone's built-in Clock. It was an odd choice for Apple to not allow personal preferences on this aspect of its smartphones, so anyone who's been frustrated by the nine-minute restriction will have a little extra treat to look forward to in the mornings when iOS 26 becomes publicly available this fall. And since there's been some recent research showing that snoozing may not be a terrible thing, we can take full advantage with zero guilt.Β
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-will-at-long-last-let-you-customize-snooze-times-on-alarms-in-ios-26-190001600.html?src=rss
During a showcase at Summer Games Fest, developer Dinosaur Polo Club announced that it will be adding a creative mode to Mini Motorways. The new mode will be available in a free game update coming to Apple Arcade, Steam, and Nintendo Switch on August 26, so you can get imaginative on whatever platform you've been playing this excellent strategy game.
Like its predecessor Mini Metro, the core gameplay of Mini Motorways has a lot of calm, meditative elements in the experience of placing those first few roads. But as your city grows and the street network gets more convoluted, things can turn hectic real quick. And if you're like me, you've definitely run out of road tiles because you just couldn't stand making painfully illogical city plans. Creative Mode offers the welcome option to focus on aesthetics, letting players recolor, move and pivot houses and destinations to develop a city with more order. Or with more chaos, you do you!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mini-motorways-is-getting-a-creative-mode-233031208.html?src=rss
One of the best things about an indie game showcase is that you'll see at least one preview that makes you think "huh?" and "lol!" in equal parts. For the Day of the Devs presentation at Summer Games Fest 2025, Tire Boy definitely fits the bill. Mechanics-wise, it's an open-world action-adventure game, which is pretty standard fare. However, like the name says, you play it all out as a tiny anthropomorphized tire. It looks super goofy, but in a way that might also be super great.
The trio from GameTeam6 who presented the early build of the game explained that they wanted to do some odd things with scale in the world, and that's definitely been accomplished. Most other characters tower over little Tire Boy, whether they're a friendly owl, an enemy frog or just a really big heckin bunny. But there's also some sweetness promised as Tire Boy tries to uncover the secrets of his past and his tire people. It's the sort of wacky combination that can be a lot of fun in practice.Β
The studio has a ways to go before it's ready to play; they didn't suggest any time frames for a demo or release window, but Tire Boy can be wishlisted on Steam if you want to keep tabs on this quirky project.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tire-boy-is-a-wacky-open-world-adventure-game-you-can-tread-all-over-000036605.html?src=rss
Drinkbox Studios is back with a new title called Blighted, a 3D Metroidvania that promises to take the concept of generational memory to some bizarre and compelling new places. It will have a solo or co-op story that sees players fighting their way through a world full of monsters and secrets as they attempt to control the blight that corrupts them. And maybe eat some brains. The game was announced during the Summer Game Fest kickoff stream.
The team describes Blighted as a "psychedelic western nightmare," which is pretty much exactly what I love to see from Drinkbox Studios. This company is probably best known for the excellent 2D platformers Guacamelee! and Guacamelee! 2, but don't sleep on the surreal dungeon-crawler Severed either. Drinkbox games have a powerful sense of place and clever action mechanics, so I'm very curious to see how they'll bring those sensibilities into this genre.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/blighted-is-a-trippy-metroidvania-from-the-team-behind-guacamelee-000030687.html?src=rss
Virtual and augmented reality are still pretty new frontiers with a lot of potentially cool ideas yet to be developed. The latest product in the mixed reality space could be coming from a startup called Dopple Works. Lowpass reported that the secrecy-shrouded business from Etsy co-founder and former CEO Robert Kalin is working on a new device called Loop.
Dopple Works has submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission. Many of the details are not publicly available, but that filing indicates that Loop is battery-powered and will use both WiFi and Bluetooth networks. Lowpass also unearthed a patent application that dubs Loop a "dedicated hand-held spatial computing device." The application comes with images that show a camera, speaker and tracking sensor that could capture details on an environment, along with a screen for viewing the mixed reality content.
At this stage, there's not enough information available to speculate on what Loop's purpose will be. But the photos from the government filings do spark some entertaining mental images of a future where people wandering about doing their best Sherlock Holmes imitations with mixed reality magnifying glasses.Β
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/etsy-co-founders-new-startup-is-making-what-really-looks-like-a-mixed-reality-magnifying-glass-224247515.html?src=rss
It's a big day for everyone who has successfully acquired their Nintendo Switch 2, but few hardware launches go off without a single hitch. In addition to some surprising hidden costs to finishing the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, players have also discovered a compatibility problem in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The conditions for this issue to occur, luckily, appear to be pretty narrow. It's happening in online matches of the fighting game where one person is on a Switch 1 and the other is on a Switch 2. If one of the players choses the Mii Fighters as their character, the match may immediately end. Also, thumbnails aren't always saving correctly for the Mii Fighters, which are customizable for each person.
Nintendo is aware of the problem, according to a translation posted on X by user OatmealDome. The game company said that an update for this Smash compatibility issue will be released "soon," although no more specific date has been provided. Basically, if you're going to spend launch day with your Switch 2 playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, just don't pick Mii Fighters.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mii-fighters-are-breaking-super-smash-bros-ultimate-matches-on-the-switch-2-212304774.html?src=rss
"Avengers assemble" isn't just a call to action for superheroes; it's also the basis for a new tag fighting game. The reveal of Marvel TΕkon: Fighting Souls closed out PlayStation's State of Play presentation ahead of Summer Games Fest 2025. PlayStation Studios and Marvel Games are teaming up with Arc System Works, the studio behind the Guilty Gear fighting game series, for this project. The game is scheduled to launch some time in 2026 on PlayStation 5 and on PC through the Steam and Epic stores.
The trailer shows several members of the Marvel roster β Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord and Ghost Rider β cycling on screen and showing off their abilities. Team-based fighting games have a long lineage, but those are commonly trios of characters controlled by a single competitor. Marvel TΕkon ups the ante with a 4v4 team system.
The additional team member creates even more potential for flashy combination attacks. "One of the appeals of Marvel comics is seeing the vast cast of characters coming together to create all kinds of unique team-ups," Game Director and Lead Battle Designer Kazuto Sekine said of the design choice. "With these two ideas in mind, we concluded that creating a 4v4 team VS system would be the best way to not only create those over-the-top moments, but to further evolve the tag fighting genre."
Marvel is having a bit of a moment in gaming, with the team shooter Marvel Rivals becoming a surprise sensation in recent months despite heavy competition from established titles. (Unfortunately, that success didn't save several members of the North American dev team from being laid off in February.) It should be fascinating to compare how the two genres interpret the iconic characters and their powers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-is-a-new-tag-fighting-game-from-the-devs-of-guilty-gear-223633976.html?src=rss
Remasters and remakes seem like they're a dime a dozen these days, but here's one I'm selfishly pretty stoked for. Square Enix announced during PlayStation's State of Play event that is revisiting the 1997 strategy RPG chapter from its famous franchise. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is due out on September 25, 2025 for both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
This updated version of the turn-based strategy game introduces some welcome additions to the original. You'll find new graphics, an updated user interface and voiced dialogue in the enhanced version. It also brings some quality of life improvements, such as a more beginner-friendly Squire difficulty level. But if you want to immerse in the nostalgia and the challenge, you can swap back to the original graphics, gameplay and English translation. The original version also boasts a few modern upgrades, like an auto-save system.
As someone who has clocked several hundred hours in the Fire Emblem series, I've always had Final Fantasy Tactics hovering in my to-play queue. Whether you're a first-timer like me or are already well versed in the political intrigues of Tactics, this fall seems like an excellent change to check out the game.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/final-fantasy-tactics-is-getting-a-remake-in-the-ivalice-chronicles-215000718.html?src=rss
The summer State of Play presentation from PlayStation kicked off with the announcement of Lumines Arise. It's a gorgeous puzzle game being made by the same team as Tetris Effect, Enhance, so for the many of us who fell in love that game, this is a banger development from Sony.
The trailer shows the same dynamic blend between block drops, music and visuals that were the hallmarks of Tetris Effect. However, Lumines Arise is ditching the tetriminos for the slightly different box-dropping mechanics of Lumines. Bringing a new take on the core puzzle mechanics should make this feel like a nice blend of fresh and familiar. And considering how well their first go at reimagining a spatial puzzle game went, I have high hopes for this project.Β
The game is slated for release in fall 2025, but we may get a chance for a sneak peak with both single and multiplayer demos later this summer. It's coming to the PlayStation 5 with optional PS VR2 support for those who want the ultimate immersion experience. (And yes, you really do want that.)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-tetris-effect-team-is-back-with-lumines-arise-211729116.html?src=rss
Login
