Can’t wait to see what people make using them. Hopefully some cool front plates?
Entertainment
The Verge’s entertainment section collects the latest news from the worlds of pop culture, music, movies, television, and video games. Whether you want to know what to watch on Netflix or how to make the most of your streaming service budget, the entertainment section acts a reliable source. There’s simply too much to read, watch, hear, and play. Let us be your tour guide.


Aftermath wrote about a rally on Wednesday at ZeniMax’s office in Rockville, MD. ZeniMax, which oversees studios like Bethesda, was hit with 379 cuts in the state of Maryland as part of the broader Xbox layoffs.
If you’re planning another Jurassic Park rewatch this week you’ll want to keep this detailed breakdown of all the computers featured in the film on hand. Developer Fabien Sanglard identifies and shares interesting details on all the fictional park’s hardware from SGI workstations to a full-on Thinking Machines CM-5 supercomputer.
The streamer announced its next TV game, called straightforwardly Netflix Minigolf, which is described as pinball meets minigolf, and features courses based on shows like Stranger Things and Squid Game. It launches on July 28th, and follows other recent experiments like the interactive horror game Unhinged.
379 positions were cut in the state, according to a WARN notice obtained by Game Developer’s Chris Kerr. The cuts include major layoffs in Rockville, where the Bethesda Game Studios HQ is located.
Game File reported on the changes as well, including senior leadership departures at Zenimax Online Studios.
Update: Added Game File’s report.

Projects like Odysseus: The Fall highlight how the AI hype machine is powered by stunts and stolen valor.
Applications open on July 22nd at 10AM ET, and you’ll need to have a Switch 2 and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to participate. Applications will be accepted in “the order that they are received,” so if you want a chance to try it, be ready on this page that day.
Selections will be announced on August 7th at 9AM ET. The test will run at specific times from August 21st through August 23rd.
[The Duskbloods]
On Pablo Torre Finds Out, comedian Dan Soder talks about the backlash that pushed EA to remove microtransaction paywalls it had added to single-player modes.
We’ll see how long that holds, but as the crew of Shutdown Fullcast points out, EA could sell things people want, like a SWAC addition, or what I want: a Pony Excess DLC pack that lets me recruit Eric Dickerson with cash and cars.
Matt Reeves’ follow-up to The Batman has been delayed once again, and Warner Bros. now plays for the film to debut on Feb. 18, 2028. In the meantime, you can check out this new screen test from the film.
Spotify gave free users the ability to separate out their kids’ listening habits in May, but limited the initial rollout to Argentina, Colombia, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden. Now Spotify is expanding the feature to free users in the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
As Polygon reports, buying something from Crunchyroll’s store will require a Mega or Ultimate subscription, which got a price increase earlier this year. The basic Fan subscription tier isn’t included. Crunchyroll also says its updated store will focus more on convention-style products, like “collectibles, curated drops, and limited-release products.”
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In an interview with A Rabbit’s Foot, the man who loves pushing technological boundries enough to anger his fans with controversial remasters had this to say about people who oppose artificial intelligence in film making:
“It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.’ There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s progress, it’s the future.”


Alongside an upgraded version of its towering Skelly, Home Depot is introducing several new animatronics this year, including a $179 six-foot-tall hipster bartender — err, mixologist — with tattoos and a well coiffed beard and mustache. John the Last Call Mixologist also stirs a drink in a hand while speaking one of five different prerecorded phrases.
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The WGAE and WGAW are jointly filing a lawsuit alleging the merger violates antitrust law, following a similar lawsuit filed by a dozen state attorneys general. The WGA says it has “opposed the merger since day one,” adding:
[T]he proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would reduce competition between buyers of film and television writing services, giving the combined entity increased incentive and ability to suppress writers’ compensation, erode deal terms, create new barriers for emerging writers to build sustainable careers and diminish the volume and diversity of content reaching audiences.
Disclosure: The Verge’s editorial staff is also unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the partnership also includes new episodes of Mythical Kitchen and Last Meals, and follows similar deals to bring other YouTube shows to Netflix, like content from digital media brands. Mythical Entertainment’s shows will begin premiering on the same day on both platforms starting September 7th.
[The Hollywood Reporter]
AI-generated music is suddenly everywhere. On social media, music streaming services, and elsewhere, stuff made on Suno is becoming unavoidable. The Verge’s Terrence O’Brien joins David to talk about where Suno came from, whether it can truly change the way we create and consume music, and how we can and should respond to AI music. We also have some thoughts on whether these songs might someday be bangers.
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Riot is following in the footsteps of other big live-services titles like Fortnite, Overwatch, Apex Legends, and World of Warcraft in launching a mode built around days gone by.
For League, Riot says it’s treating League Classic as more of a “collection of greatest hits” rather than making it about one season or moment.


As the World Cup nears its end, Apple Arcade is getting the surprise addition of Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition, which hits the service on August 6th. It’s part of a big sports-themed update for Arcade which will also include NFL Retro Bowl ’27 and Retro Bowl College+.
Ash Koosha — the director behind the $2,000 AI-generated movie that debuted at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival — has apparently made his own adaptation of The Odyssey, which will be available to rent / buy from Fountain 0 some time later this summer.


The RPG franchise will have a Saturday session and is mentioned in the first paragraph of a blog post about the event’s schedule. Perhaps we’ll finally get a Kingdom Hearts 4 release date?
Here’s what the session, set for August 15th at 7:30PM ET, will be about:
Join us for a journey through light and darkness as we commemorate 25 years of KINGDOM HEARTS. Discover how this saga united Disney, Pixar, and Square Enix, with insights from the creative minds, character voices, and more behind the magic.
If you catch just one run from Summer Games Done Quick, watch this all-timer Balatro run.
But GDQ had to deal with some controversy shortly after the weeklong marathon ended: following community backlash, it canceled a stream sponsored by SNK, a company that’s majority owned by the Saudi crown prince’s foundation, as it was happening, Kotaku reports.
Neill had starring roles in Peaky Blinders and the Oscar-winning film The Piano. He is best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. News of his death was announced on his Instagram page.
Our first few looks at the upcoming feature film debut from Casper Kelly, the deranged human behind Too Many Cooks, played it completely straight. But with the first official teaser, it’s clear that Kelly is taking the “horror” part of “horror comedy” seriously.
Every Sunday, we drop a recommendation for something to watch, read, or (more often than not) listen to. But I also want to know what you’re into. I’ve already discovered one of my favorite albums of the year thanks to a reader recommendation and am eager for more.


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