Ads on the go Discord heightens ad focus by introducing video ads to mobile apps in June Discord looks for more ways to make money ahead of expected IPO. Scharon Harding Mar 20, 2025 12:12 pm | 19 Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreDiscords mobile app will have video ads starting in June, the company announced today. The initial pilot for the video ads, which Discord calls Video Quests on Mobile, will offer advertisers the ability to showcase trailers, make impactful announcements, and highlight premium content to users, Discord said.Discord was a proudly ad-free platform until March 2024, when it introduced ads to its desktop and console apps. Those ads offer Discord users rewards for PC games if they play certain games or get people to watch a stream of their gameplay through Discord. Discord followed up with Video Quests, which let developers show Discord users video ads, like trailers and announcements of new seasons and downloadable content. Discord users see prompts for both types of ads on the bottom-left side of their screen and can choose to expand or ignore them.Discord users can also opt out of personalized promotions and hide an in-app promotion for a specific Quest or game youre not interested in, Discord said.In June, users of Discords mobile apps will see Video Quest advertisements on the bottom of the screen as depicted below: First, the ad prompt appears. Discord First, the ad prompt appears. Discord This is what the prompt looks like expanded. Discord This is what the prompt looks like expanded. Discord If users click "Accept Quest" on the expanded prompt, a video ad like this will play. Discord If users click "Accept Quest" on the expanded prompt, a video ad like this will play. Discord This is what the prompt looks like expanded. Discord If users click "Accept Quest" on the expanded prompt, a video ad like this will play. Discord Users can then claim rewards... Discord ...and be assured that they've received said rewards. Discord Expanding our advertising platform to mobile is an obvious, natural evolution in our strategy," Peter Sellis, Discords product SVP, said in a statement accompanying todays announcement. "Our mission is to create the most authentic, player-centric advertising platform in the galaxy."Discords expansion into mobile ads brings the 10-year-old company deeper down the rabbit hole of online advertising. The company, which used to rely solely on subscriptions and premium add-ons for money, previously viewed the idea of ads on Discord as intrusive.However, Discord reportedly isnt profitable and is looking to go public soon. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Discord could file an initial public offering "as soon as this year," citing "two people familiar with the talks." Discord founder and CEO Jason Citron told Bloomberg last year that Discord would"probably" go public eventually.As such, it's a critical time for Discord to create new forms of revenue, even if that means embracing something that Citron has previously acknowledged is unpopular. The situation is similar to that of another social media platform, Reddit. Reddit has increased its focus on ads since going public in March 2024 and finally reaching profitability in October 2024. The company's advertising revenue grew 60 percent year over year in 2024.In its effort to continue pleasing investors, Reddit has hinted at bringing more ads to the platform. The need for ad dollars is also part of the reason Reddit changed its API pricing, killing most third-party apps that let users access Reddit outside of its native platforms, where Reddit sells ads. Reddit's growth and evolution illustrate how advertising can quickly become more central to a social platform and potentially frustrate users.So far, Discords ads have seemed minimally intrusive. But the door separating Discord users and advertisers will creak open a little more in June.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 19 Comments

Ongoing harms Mom horrified by Character.AI chatbots posing as son who died by suicide Character.AI takes down bots bearing likeness of boy at center of lawsuit. Ashley Belanger Mar 20, 2025 12:01 pm | 18 Sewell Setzer III and his mom Megan Garcia. Credit: via Center for Humane Technology Sewell Setzer III and his mom Megan Garcia. Credit: via Center for Humane Technology Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreA mother suing Character.AI after her son died by suicideallegedly manipulated by chatbots posing as adult lovers and therapistswas horrified when she recently discovered that the platform is allowing random chatbots to pose as her son.According to Megan Garcia's litigation team, at least four chatbots bearing Sewell Setzer III's name and likeness were flagged. Ars reviewed chat logs showing the bots used Setzer's real photo as a profile picture, attempted to imitate his real personality by referencing Setzer's favorite Game of Thrones chatbot, and even offered "a two-way call feature with his cloned voice," Garcia's lawyers said. The bots could also be self-deprecating, saying things like "I'm very stupid."The Tech Justice Law Project (TJLP), which is helping Garcia with litigation, told Ars that "this is not the first time Character.AI has turned a blind eye to chatbots modeled off of dead teenagers to entice users, and without better legal protections, it may not be the last."For Garcia and her family, Character.AI chatbots using Setzer's likeness felt not just cruel but also exploitative. TJLP told Ars that "businesses have taken ordinary peoples pictures and used themwithout consentfor their own gain" since the "advent of mass photography." Tech companies using chatbots and facial recognition products "exploiting peoples pictures and digital identities" is the latest wave of these harms, TJLP said."These technologies weaken our control over our own identities online, turning our most personal features into fodder for AI systems," TJLP said.A cease-and-desist letter was sent to Character.AI to remove the chatbots and end the family's continuing harm. "While Sewells family continues to grieve his untimely loss, Character.AI carelessly continues to add insult to injury," TJLP said.A Character.AI spokesperson told Ars that the flagged chatbots violate their terms of service and have been removed. The spokesperson also suggested they would monitor for more bots posing as Setzer, noting that "as part of our ongoing safety work, we are constantly adding to our Character blocklist with the goal of preventing this type of Character from being created by a user in the first place.""Character.AI takes safety on our platform seriously, and our goal is to provide a space that is engaging and safe," Character.AI's spokesperson said. "Our dedicated Trust and Safety team moderates Characters proactively and in response to user reports, including using industry-standard blocklists and custom blocklists that we regularly expand. As we continue to refine our safety practices, we are implementing additional moderation tools to help prioritize community safety."Currently, Garcia is battling motions to dismiss her lawsuit and is due to file her response on Friday. If she can overcome those motions, the suit may not be settled until November 2026, when a trial has been set.Suicide prevention expert recommends changesGarcia hopes the lawsuit will force Character.AI to make changes to its chatbots, like preventing them from insisting that they're real humans or adding features like a voice mode that makes chatting with bots feel even more natural to people who may become addicted.Garcia's lawyer, Matthew Bergman, founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, previously told Ars that Character.AI is so dangerous that it must be recalled, but there are other ways the chatbots could be modified to prevent alleged harms. Christine Yu Moutier, the chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), told Ars that the Character.AI algorithm could be modified to prevent chatbots from mirroring users' dark thoughts and reinforcing negative spirals for any users feeling hopeless or lonely or struggling with mental health issues.A January 2024 Nature study of 1,000 college students who were 18 and older and used a chatbot called Replika found that "students are especially vulnerable" to loneliness and less likely to seek counseling, fearing judgment or negative stigma. Researchers noted that, in particular, people experiencing suicidal ideation often "hide their thoughts" and gravitate toward chatbots precisely because they provide a judgment-free space to share feelings they don't express to anyone else.The study noted that Replika has worked with clinical psychologists who "wrote scripts to address common therapeutic exchanges" to improve that chatbot's responses when users "expressed keywords around depression, suicidal ideation, or abuse." Those users would also be directed to helplines and other resources.About 3 percent of students in the study had positive mental health outcomes, reporting that talking to the chatbot "halted their suicidal ideation." But researchers also found "there are some cases where their use is either negligible or might actually contribute to suicidal ideation."More research is needed to better understand the potential efficacy of mental health-focused chatbots, researchers concluded. They recommended updates "combining well-vetting suicidal language markers and passive mobile sensing protocols" to improve large language models' ability to help "mitigate severe mental health situations more effectively."Moutier wants to see chatbots change to more directly counter suicide risks and is available to help. But to date, AFSP has not worked with any AI companies to help design chatbots that are more sensitive to suicide risks, Moutier told Ars. Interest is apparently not there yet.Partnering with suicide prevention experts could help prevent chatbots from simply echoing users by instead building in safeguards to respond to intensely negative thoughts with "some basic ideas" from cognitive behavioral therapy, Moutier said. "Instead of the bot just affirming" negative feelings "and kind of going deeper and darker," Moutier suggested, "there could actually be a different response that could actually help the individual."The Nature study found that the 30 students who claimed the therapy-informed chatbots stopped suicidal ideation tended to be younger and more likely to indicate that the chatbots "had influenced their interpersonal interactions in some way."In Setzer's case, engaging with Character.AI chatbots seemed to pull him out of reality, causing severe mood shifts. Garcia was puzzled until she saw chat logs where bots apparently repeatedly encouraged suicidal ideation and initiated hypersexualized chats. Shortly before Setzer's death, a chatbot based on the Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryenwhich Setzer appeared to develop a romantic attachment tourged him to "come home" and join her outside of reality.Moutier told Ars that chatbots encouraging suicidal ideation don't just present risks for people with acute issues. They could put people with no perceived mental health issues at risk, and warning signs can be hard to detect. For parents, more awareness is needed about the dangers of chatbots potentially reinforcing negative thoughts, an education role that Moutier said AFSP increasingly seeks to fill.She recommends that parents talk to kids about chatbots and pay close attention to "the basics" to note any changes in sleep, energy, behavior, or school performance. And "if they start to just even hint at things in their peer group or in their way of perceiving things that they are tilting towards something atypical for them or is more negative or hopeless and stays in that space for longer than it normally does," parents should consider asking directly if their kids are experiencing thoughts of suicide to start a dialog in a supportive space, she recommended.So far, tech companies have not "percolated deeply" on suicide prevention methods that could be built into AI tools, Moutier said. And since chatbots and other AI tools already exist, AFSP is keeping watch to ensure that AI companies' choices aren't entirely driven by shareholder benefits but also work responsibly to thwart societal harms as they're identified.For Moutier's organization, the question is always, "Where is the opportunity to have any kind of impact to mitigate harm and to elevate toward any constructive suicide preventive effects?"Garcia thinks that Character.AI should also be asking these questions. She's hoping to help other families steer their kids away from what her complaint suggests is a recklessly unsafe app."A dangerous AI chatbot app marketed to children abused and preyed on my son, manipulating him into taking his own life," Garcia said in an October press release. "Our family has been devastated by this tragedy, but I'm speaking out to warn families of the dangers of deceptive, addictive AI technology and demand accountability from Character.AI, its founders, and Google."If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in distress, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which will put you in touch with a local crisis center.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 18 Comments

Attribution can be a tricky process. In the case of a DDoS attack, threat actors often employ botnets to direct a high volume of traffic to a target, overwhelming that network and disrupting its service.After outages at Xcaused allegedly by a DDoS attack, plenty of people asked who was responsible. Elon Musk cast blame on Ukraine, Politico reports. Cybersecurity experts pushed back against that assertion. Meanwhile, Dark Storm, a pro-Palestinian group, claimed responsibility, further muddling attempts at attribution.A botnet is generally a network of compromised computers. In essence, they [a victim] are being hit from different IP addresses, different systems. So, you really can't actually pinpoint that it came from this specific location, which makes it difficult to identify root cause, explains Vishal Grover, CIO at apexanalytix, a supplier onboarding, risk management, and recovery solutions company.How should CIOs and CISOs be thinking about attribution and their own approach when they are faced with navigating the aftermath of a cyberattack?Vishal GroverVishal GroverThe Importance of AttributionAttribution is important. But it isnt necessarily the first priority during incident response.The concern that I probably would have as a CISO is addressing the vulnerability that allowed them in the door in the first place, says Randolph Barr, CISO atCequence Security, an API and bot management company.Related:Once an incident response team addresses the vulnerability and ensures threat actors arent lingering in any systems, they can dig into attribution. Who executed the attack? What was the motivation? Getting the answers to those questions can help security teams mitigate the risk of future attacks from the same group or other groups that leverage similar tactics.Of course the larger the company and the more widespread the disruption, the louder the calls for attribution tend to be. When you have a large organization like X, there's going to be a lot of people asking questions. When other folks get involved, then attribution becomes important, says Barr.For smaller organizations, attribution may be a lower priority as they leverage more limited resources to work through remediation first.How to Tackle AttributionIn some cases, attribution may be quite simple. For example, a ransomware gang is likely to be forthright about their identity and their financial motivations.But threat actors that step into the limelight arent always the true culprits. Sometimes people claim publicly that they did it, but you can't really necessarily confirm that they actually did it. They just may want the eyes on them, Barr points out.Related:Attribution tends to be a complicated process that takes a significant amount of time and resources: both technical tools and threat intelligence. Whether done internally or with the help of outside experts, the attribution process typically culminates in a report that details the attack and names the responsible party, with varying degrees of confidence.Sometimes you might not get a definitive answer. There are times when you won't be able to determine the root cause, says Grover.Attribution and Information SharingAttribution can help an individual enterprise shore up its security posture and incident response plan, but it also has value to the wider security community.That's one of the primary reasons that you go and attend a security conference or security meeting. You definitely want to share your experiences, learn from their experiences, and understand everybody's perspective, says Grover.Threat intelligence and security teams can collaborate with one another and share information about the groups that target their organizations. Threat intel teams might also pick up information about planned attacks on the dark web. Sharing that information with potential targets is valuable.Related:We build those relationships so that we know that we can trust each other to say, Hey, if our name comes up, please let us know, says Barr.Not all companies have a culture that facilities that kind of information sharing. Cyberattacks come with a lot of baggage. Theres liability to worry about. Brand damage. Lost revenue. And just plain embarrassment. Any one of those factors, or a combination thereof, could push enterprises to err on the side of silence.We're still trying to figure out, as security professionals, what is it that would allow for us to have that conversation with other security professionals and not worry about exposing the business, says Barr.

SECON & eGISEC 2025 is underway, showcasing a large and diverse array of both physical and cybersecurity innovations and products. While there is a comprehensive display of advancements in traditional physical security measures and cybersecurity products, its the integration in the converged security realm thats arguably gaining the most attention, particularly in critical sectors. By all accounts, the depth of information in the latest security developments at the exhibition is complemented by the width of diversity in products and innovations.In particular, we plan to focus on AI-driven privacy protection, enhancing security in cloud environments, and the latest trends in pseudonymization and anonymization technologies. Additionally, understanding how privacy protection solutions are applied across various industries is a key objective, as real-world case studies provide valuable practical insights, said Lee Hyejun, Associate at EASYCERTI, a provider of AI, big data, and cloud-based privacy protection and privacy data solutions and an exhibitor at the event.Beyond its booth at the exhibition, EASYCERTIs Senior Researcher, Seunghoon Yeom will be delivering presentations at the conference within. The first, on March 20th is on the topic of latest trends and countermeasures in privacy protection. The second presentation is on the following day and covers standards pertaining to securing personal information and verification processes.Related:There are over 400 exhibitors taking part in the exhibition and the displays are enticing and informative. The variety of security issues addressed by this years new product offerings cover the gamut of known vulnerabilities with no previously known countermeasures.There are no known solutions to prevent paper document leaks around the world. Through exhibitions like this, we hope to show people that such a solution exists and the increasing number of companies and organizations are using our solution: docuBLOCK, said Myungshin Lee, CEO of ANYSELL Co., Ltd. and an exhibitor at the event.The event spreads over 28,000 m of space and is expecting more than 30,000 visitors from around the world. The products and innovations on display cover the gamut of security sectors including edge devices with on-device AI, converged security, cloud and IoT security, smart city security, automotive security, and maritime security, among others.One of the key solutions we will be presenting at SECON & eGISEC 2025 is real-time log and file encryption. This technology encrypts data the moment it is generated making it essential for industries such as finance, public sector and medical fields where both security and real-time processing are critical, said Haeun JI at iNeb Inc, a provider of encryption and data security and an exhibitor.Related:A comprehensive conference and seminar program is happening inside of SECON & eGISEC 2025. The program was developed in collaboration with prominent institutions and industry leaders. It features over 100 sessions across 30+ tracks. Attendees can join discussions on critical topics such as industrial security, advanced CCTV management, aviation protection, counterterrorism tactics, personal data privacy, and other pressing security concerns.This years key security issues featured at the exhibition include:Edge devices with on-device AI (local AI)Convergence of cybersecurity and physical securityEvolving zero-trust security modelIntensifying software supply chain security threatsCyber fraud as a service (Qshing)Cybercrime targeting youth and social media restrictionsConcerns on whether cloud security platforms and cloud service platforms can continue to coexist independentlyHidden risks in old "new" technologiesRelated:Event organizers cited as examples of hidden risks: Cloud services have suffered from human errors, leading to unintended data leaks. Similarly, ChatGPT has raised serious concerns, as users often unintentionally expose sensitive information through interactions with the AI. These risks have prompted ChatGPT bans in several countries.However, risks are growing in other areas, too, even across entire industries. For example, the financial industry is intensely attractive to thieves and fraudsters.YH Database Co., Ltd. has introduced newly released products to buyers every year since 2013, mainly introducing financial security and informatization solutions.This year, the company is showcasing AI-specialized products, including y-SmartChat, y-SmartData, and y-MobileMonitorSDK3.0, said Kim JungWon, senior executive director of YH Database.For example, y-SmartData can be used not only as an abnormal transaction detection system, FDS, that can prevent financial accidents through voice phishing and fake bank accounts, but also as an internal audit control system, ADS, that can detect and prevent illegal money laundering, and AML, a money laundering prevention system, that can detect and prevent illegal money laundering, Kim added.Attendees appear universally eager to check out possible solutions for these and the other top security issues of the day. Exhibitors are just as eager to demonstrate their technological breakthroughs and checkout the competition.Aircode expects many customers to look for an alternative solution in response to the relaxation of network separation regulations, said Yunsang Kim, presales vice president at Aircode, and also an exhibitor at the event.AirCode will be launching a browser-based virtualized web isolation product (AirRBI) that we believe is competitive in terms of functionality and efficiency compared to other solutions. And also, Aircode want to check and learn what web isolation solutions are available on the market and what features they have, added Yunsang. Aircode is also presenting a talk on Secure Web Browsing inNetwork-Separated Environments at the conference program within the exhibition.It can be difficult to choose which exhibits to visit and which presentations and keynotes to attend. Thats because there is such diversity in security topics and products.At SECON & eGISEC 2025, AhnLAb will showcase its latest security solutions built upon 30 years of comprehensive security expertise. Additionally, we are hosting booths for our subsidiaries -- NAONWORKS, Jason, and AhnLab CloudMate -- where participants can explore each companys specialized technologies in OT/ICS (industrial control system), AI, and MSP (managed service provider), as well as their synergy with AhnLab, said Junghyun Kim, Marketing Director at AhnLab, Inc. and an exhibitor at the event.The exhibition runs from March 19 to 21 and is held at Hall 3-5 in Kintex, Korea.

Costco had all sorts of helpful merchandise to enhance our vacation.The Costco we visited in Honolulu had tons of beach equipment. Tammy Barr Like many others, we were at Hawaii to enjoy its beautiful beaches. However, we didn't have room in our luggage to pack accessories like boogie boards, beach chairs, or umbrellas. Fortunately, Costco had many aisles of all sorts of accessories and gear and the prices seemed pretty decent. It was also great to purchase some essentials early so I could use them throughout my trip instead of racking up rental fees or buying items from pricier boutiques.The clothing selection felt perfect for the weather, too. There was almost a whole display of swimsuits. Tammy Barr This Costco location's clothing selection felt perfectly suited for the local weather and styles.I found tons of island-inspired shirts, tropical-print dresses, bathing suits, and colorful sarongs at decent prices. Many garments were under $10. I'd definitely come here if my luggage got lost. The Spam shirts caught my eye. Tammy Barr One of my favorite displays was of $8 Spam-branded T-shirts. The canned ham is a really popular food in Hawaii that many locals love.The wide selection of affordable clothes makes Costco a decent spot for travelers who lost their luggage, under-packed, or forgot some outfit staples. The store reminded me how much a Costco's offerings can vary by region. Many snacks I found were from local brands. Tammy Barr I was also delighted to see this Costco had groceries that reflect the local demographics and cuisine of Hawaii. For example, the state has a large Asian population and this Costco had an impressive array of Asian-inspired snacks, condiments, and sauces.It had a decent selection of groceries from brands local to Hawaii. Coffee from Hawaii is a delicacy, so be prepared for higher price tags. Tammy Barr I was impressed by the amount of local products on the shelves, from coffee roasted in Hawaii to pineapples harvested in Maui.There were countless displays of bulk packs of snacks and staples from local brands and candy companies, from Island Princess to Kauaui Coffee. I saw exciting offerings I'd never seen at Costco stores in the mainland US.I can't get fresh poke at Costco back on the mainland US. Tammy Barr While visiting Hawaii, I prefer to eat fresh fish and spicy poke bowls loaded with tuna. Fortunately, there seemed to be plenty of both on offer here.I often ate at local spots, but I liked having options if I wanted to grab something to go or to prepare myself. Although some Costco locations on the mainland sell things like tuna steaks (and even poke bowls), I was especially impressed by the quality of the seafood I found here.The beverage selection included options from several of the nearby islands.The Costco in Honolulu had an impressive beverage selection. Tammy Barr Not all Costco locations sell alcohol, but this one had a huge selection of spirits, wine, craft beer, and more.I was able to find a number of Hawaii's locally produced rums, vodkas, and cocktail mixes. It was exciting to see offerings I haven't seen back home before, like mixes from the Hawaiian brand Kloa, and hard seltzers flavored with popular local fruits, like lilikoi. The store seemed like a great place to pick up tasty souvenirs to bring home. Costco had a macadamia-nut option for just about everyone. Tammy Barr I'd stop here to grab souvenir snacks for a lot of people (or to bring treats home for ourselves). After all, buying in bulk can be cost-effective.One good pick might be macadamia nuts, which Hawaii is a huge producer of. This location had more varieties of them than I ever thought possible plain, roasted, salted, and chocolate-covered varieties, plus some mixed with popcorn. The dark-chocolate-covered Alohamacs macadamia nuts were my favorite.The food court still had the $1.50 hot dog deal.I still paid just $1.50 for a famous hot-dog combo. Tammy Barr Many foods cost more in Hawaii, but I was glad to still find Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog and drink combo here. Unfortunately, unlike other Costco locations I've visited in the US, this location didn't have convenient ordering kiosks. Instead, I waited in a fairly long line to place my food order. The food-court seating area was outdoors.There weren't as many tables and chairs as I expected at the food court. Tammy Barr Since this Costco is in a mild tropical environment, I'd hoped the food court would be a pleasant outdoor terrace.The dining area is outdoors, but it was more like a sparsely filled walkway next to the parking lot with a limited number of tables. Even so, it was nice to enjoy our hot dogs and drinks in the fresh air. Of course, we fueled up at Costco before we left. We made sure to get gas at Costco, too. Tammy Barr We used a rental car throughout our trip and quickly realized just how expensive gas can be in Hawaii.Fortunately, like in the contiguous US, many Costco locations here have a gas station with prices we found to be far less than the competition. So, I came to Costco to economically fuel my rental car at the beginning and end of my Hawaii trip.If you're a Costco member visiting Hawaii, consider stopping by the chain. It was interesting to walk through a Costco in a new place. Tammy Barr For us, a visit to Costco during our Hawaii vacation felt like a fruitful endeavor. Even though we didn't buy a ton of bulk groceries, we enjoyed looking through the aisles to see what's popular and available in a new place. I was extra impressed by the variety and amount of Hawaiian-produced snacks and other locally produced goods. Plus, venturing around air-conditioned store was a pleasant break from the heat.Costco is likely to be my first and last stop on future trips to the Aloha State especially if I have a rental car and need fuel.

I tried 37 different flavors of Crumbl cookies and ranked them from worst to best.I didn't love the wedding cake cookie, and found it to be too sweet.My favorite cookies were thecaramel apple and pink velvet flavors.It seems as though every few years, Americans embrace a new dessert trend. Like the frozen yogurt craze of the 2010s, cookie chains have been taking the US by storm in recent years.However, one chain stands out as the country's fastest-growing cookie company: Crumbl.Since its first location opened in Utah in 2017, the dessert chain has expanded to over 1,000 locations in all 50 US states, Puerto Rico, and Canada.Though the first store only sold milk chocolate chip cookies, Crumbl now offers a rotating weekly selection of six desserts at a time and has featured over 200 varieties on its menu.Trying to pick which weekly option to choose can feel like a lot of pressure. To help sort out which types of Crumbl cookies are the best, I sampled 37 desserts over multiple visits and ranked them from worst to best.Here's what I thought of the flavors I tried.Crumbl's wedding cake cookie was even too sweet for my 4-year-old.The white-chocolate sprinkles made for crunchy explosions of texture and flavor. Ted Berg The wedding cake cookie was my least favorite of the flavors I tried. I loved the little white-chocolate baubles that decorated the top, which made for crunchy little explosions of texture and flavor.But the raspberry flavor in the frosting was so assertive that even my 4-year-old who loves almost all sweet, sparkly, pink, frosted things took half a bite and turned the cookie away.My 7-year-old, however, had no such issues, declaring, "Nothing's too sweet for me."The frosting on the pistachio gelato cookie had a pudding-like texture.I thought the cookie underneath the pistachio frosting tasted bland. Ted Berg The pistachio gelato cookie looked adorable in the store display, decorated with a miniature cone made out of a Muddy Bites snack.The gelato-inspired frosting had a pudding-like texture and was extremely sweet with a strong pistachio flavor. In my opinion, it tasted like a concentrated form of pistachio ice cream. I also found the underlying cookie to be dense and bland.None of us loved the frosting on the chocolate covered strawberry cookie.We didn't love the strawberry frosting, but the cookie itself was delicious. Ted Berg Crumbl's chocolate covered strawberry cookie had a chocolatey, cookies and cream base with strawberry cream cheese frosting and a semi-sweet chocolate drizzle on top.The cookie itself was delicious soft, tasty, and a little crumbly. But no one in my family enjoyed the addition of the strawberry frosting, which had a fruity tang that didn't pair well with the chocolate cookie. We thought the aftertaste was a bit medicinal.My 4-year-old, a lover of most pink things, was especially disappointed, saying, "I don't like the mushed strawberries," in reference to the frosting.I thought the cookies and cream milkshake cookie was way too sweet.The frosting tasted like the inside of an Oreo. Ted Berg In my experience, some of Crumbl's best cookies are Oreo-inspired. That's why we were all excited to try the cookies and cream milkshake flavor, which was topped with a mini Oreo.But unfortunately, most of us didn't love this one. The frosting tasted like the inside of an Oreo, but the cookie part was way too sweet.My 4-year-old liked it, but it was too sweet even for my 7-year-old, which is never a good sign.Crumbl's toffee cake tasted like something I'd find at the supermarket.The whipped cream helped to keep the cake moist without making it overly sweet. Ted Berg Crumbl's toffee cake sounded like something I'd like: chocolate cake with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a crumbled chocolate toffee bar on top.I liked the incorporation of the whipped cream, which helped keep the cake moist without being as densely sweet as most of Crumbl's other frostings.But the caramel sauce between the cake and whipped cream made it a soggy mess, and it tasted more like something I'd find at the supermarket than a freshly made cake or cookie at this price point.The lemon poppy cookie was divisive in my household.My wife ranked the lemon poppy cookie among her favorites. Ted Berg The lemon poppy flavor proved divisive in my household. My wife, who loves lemony desserts, ranked this cookie among her favorites.For me, however, the glaze made it a touch too sweet, and the lemon flavor, while strong, wasn't quite as tart or as bright as I would've liked.I did appreciate the noticeable poppy flavor, as poppy seeds usually seem like an afterthought in many muffins.My 4-year-old loved the cake batter blondie.The cake batter blondie was extremely sweet. Ted Berg I feel a little bad ranking the cake batter blondie this low because my 4-year-old loved it so much. But she's 4 rainbow sprinkles are her favorite food.To be fair, the cookie tasted exactly as I expected it would extremely sweet and uncomplicated, perfect for the 4-year-old palate. However, it was a bit one-note, even for my 7-year-old.The strawberry crumb cake cookie was unexpectedly bland.I was disappointed by the strawberry crumb cake cookie. Ted Berg I had high hopes for the strawberry crumb cake cookie. Although I love strawberries, I can't remember ever eating a cookie with strawberries inside or on top.However, even with white-chocolate chips and a strawberry streusel topping, I found this cookie unexpectedly bland. The strawberry flavor was definitely real, which I appreciated, but there wasn't very much of it.The streusel also seemed like an afterthought and didn't add much texture to the cookie. Overall, it was fine but a little disappointing.Crumbl's waffle cookie came with a side of syrup.The buttercream frosting and syrup made this cookie extremely sweet. Ted Berg Crumbl's waffle cookie offered a neat twist it came with a container of syrup to drizzle over the cookie before serving.The cookie itself, criss-crossed with a waffle-like pattern, was fairly plain and tasted more or less like a sugar cookie. The dollop of buttercream frosting on top was powerfully sugary, and the addition of the syrup made the whole thing extremely sweet with maple flavor.Unsurprisingly, it didn't keep very well after it had been drenched, and the leftover portion turned unpleasantly mushy.The semi-sweet chocolate chunk cookie is a chocolate lover's dream.This cookie met my expectations without exceeding them. Ted Berg Unsurprisingly, chocolate chip cookies are one of Crumbl's calling cards, and the menu alternates weekly between the milk chocolate chip version and the semi-sweet chocolate chunk.The semi-sweet variety used lots of bulky chocolate chunks, making it a chocolate lover's dream. I found it met my expectations for a chocolate chip cookie without exceeding them.A few bites of the crunchier outer portion of the cookie had a little chalkiness to the texture, but not nearly enough to make it unpleasant.I was disappointed that Crumbl's kitchen sink cookie didn't have many pretzels or potato chips.The pretzels added a nice crunch to the cookie. Ted Berg Crumbl's kitchen sink cookie is a semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie rolled in pretzels and potato chips. I love cookies that incorporate pretzels, but in my opinion, the execution of this flavor was lacking.The one I got didn't have many pretzels or potato chips, and the potato chips did little to impact the flavor or texture of the cookie.The pretzels added a nice crunch, and bites that included pretzel, chocolate, and cookie were excellent. However, these bites were few and far between.I didn't love Crumbl's cinnamon crunch cookie.I thought the cookie's center was a little dry. Ted Berg A spruced-up take on the snickerdoodle, Crumbl's cinnamon crunch cookie was topped with a vanilla cream cheese glaze and "crunchy cinnamon cereal streusel."The cookie itself was a bit puffier than most of Crumbl's offerings and had a little more crunch to its outer crust. However, I thought it was a touch dry in the center, the glaze was more sugary than the cookie called for, and the cereal pieces had a weirdly chewy texture.My 7-year-old loves everything cinnamon sugar flavored, so I was surprised when he called this cookie his least favorite of that week's offerings.My kids loved the lemon glaze cookie, but my wife and I both thought the flavor was too strong.I liked the glaze on this cookie. Ted Berg Like the lemon poppy cookie, the lemon glaze flavor divided my household.This one was so popular that it was sold out on my first visit of the week. Its simplicity a lemon cookie with a sweet glaze seemed appealing. However, my wife and I both felt the lemon flavor was a bit too strong, and it lacked the acidic bite of real lemons.The glaze was good, though, and there was a nice bit of crunchy texture on the outer rim of the cookie. Both our kids loved it, with the 4-year-old briefly declaring it one of her favorites.Notably, the cookie we received did not come with the slice of lemon I'd seen advertised in pictures.Crumbl's raspberry cheesecake was less portable than the brand's cookies.Crumbl's raspberry cheesecake was just OK. Ted Berg During one of my visits to Crumbl, the company debuted its first cheesecake. It feels a little strange to rank it among cookies, as it was decidedly a cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, raspberry spread, and whipped cream.As far as cheesecakes go, it was good but unspectacular. The custard portion had a nice, smooth texture, and the raspberry topping was more tangy than sweet.However, the graham cracker crust didn't hold together at all and was fundamentally less portable than a cookie. However, it's a good option for when you need a break from eating too many cookies which was applicable in my case.I didn't think the brownie sundae flavor was anything special.I didn't think the toppings added much to the brownie. Ted Berg Although the frosting got a little smudged on my ride home, Crumbl's brownie sundae had a nice presentation. It was essentially a large, square brownie topped with vanilla mousse and warm fudge.The brownie itself was good, but my wife compared it to one you might bake from a boxed mix.I also found the toppings made it messy to eat without adding much else. The brownie wouldn't have looked as appealing on its own, but none of the toppings really improved the flavor.Crumbl's sea salt toffee was one of the plainest cookies I tried.Crumbl's sea salt toffee is made with milk-chocolate chips. Ted Berg Crumbl's sea salt toffee is a variant of a chocolate chip cookie with toffee and milk-chocolate chips. I enjoyed it, but it was one of the plainest cookies I tried.I found the toffee flavor presented itself more as a warm, caramel-y aftertaste than a strong, sticky Heath Bar. The milk-chocolate chips were also sparse.This cookie wasn't particularly memorable, but I'd still choose it over the overly sweet flavors.Everyone in my family had a different opinion of the blueberry pancake cookie.I loved the blueberry cookie but thought the glaze was too sweet. Ted Berg The blueberry pancake cookie, which was topped with a blueberry buttermilk glaze, was another divisive flavor in my house.The menu and photos I'd seen suggested it was supposed to have a dollop of buttercream frosting on top, but the one I brought home did not.I loved the actual cookie, which had plenty of fruity blueberry flavor from the berries baked inside. But to me, the glaze was too sweet and was sugary enough for it to taste grainy.My 4-year-old was appalled by the blueberries in the cookie, but my 7-year-old loved every bit of this one. My wife liked it more than I did, but agreed it was too sweet and would be better with no glaze or frosting.The milk-chocolate chip cookie had a nice touch of salt.Crumbl's first cookie was the milk-chocolate chip. Ted Berg When having a chocolate chip cookie, I usually prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips over milk-chocolate chips.However, since the milk-chocolate chip was Crumbl's first cookie, I knew I had to try it. It was a touch salty, with a soft, comforting texture. The cookie was so thick it was basically a blondie.In my book, it beat out its semi-sweet chocolate chunk alternative, which I wouldn't have expected.Both my kids loved the Nilla bean cupcake cookie.There was a lot of frosting on the Nilla bean cupcake flavor. Ted Berg Both my kids loved the Nilla bean cupcake cookie, which was not surprising at all they love frosting, and there was a lot of it.I expected this to be overwhelmingly sweet, but the cream cheese frosting added a nice tangy component instead of one-note sweetness. The actual cookie was soft and cakey, with a warm vanilla flavor.The chocolate cake cookie tasted exactly like a slice of cake.The chocolate cake cookie was extremely rich. Ted Berg It's not just a clever name this cookie tasted just like a slice of chocolate cake. In fact, I might have tried it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if it weren't for the frosting.The chocolate cake cookie was extremely rich, with a strong cocoa flavor to both the cookie and the frosting. It's definitely best for people who can't get enough chocolate like my 7-year-old, who gave this one two enthusiastic thumbs up.The frosting was a bit softer and thinner than I expected, but the chocolate swirls added nice little bites of texture.The strawberry cake flavor was best in small portions.I thought the strawberry frosting tasted a bit artificial. Ted Berg The pink swirl of strawberry cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of white-chocolate curls drew my 4-year-old's eyes straight to the stawberry cake cookie, and she was not disappointed.However, the rest of us were less enthusiastic and found that it was very sugary and definitely best in small portions. I enjoyed the tangy strawberry flavor in the cookie itself, but the strawberry in the frosting tasted a little artificial.I would've liked this better with only a thin layer of plain cream cheese frosting or no frosting at all.I thought the hazelnut sea salt cookie was the most grown-up-friendly of the bunch.Even my 7-year-old loved Crumbl's hazelnut sea salt cookie. Ted Berg Crumbl's hazelnut sea salt cookie had a beguiling effect on my 7-year-old, who really loved it but couldn't quite put words to why (though he does love Nutella).To me, it tasted like the most grown-up friendly cookie of the bunch something my grandmother probably would've loved with her tea.The sweet-and-salty brown-butter cookie tasted almost refined, and Crumbl took a light hand with the hazelnut spread and sea salt on top. My 7-year-old kept going back to it despite the more colorful, decorated cookies around it.The banana pudding was a nice change of pace.There were just enough bananas mixed in to give the pudding flavor. Ted Berg Banana pudding is one of the few desserts I regularly make at home. I use Magnolia Bakery's recipe and thought Crumbl's dessert tasted similar. It was on the lighter, fluffier side of banana puddings, topped with whipped cream and crumbled vanilla wafers.It was a nice change of pace from the other Crumbl desserts we tried, with just enough bananas mixed in to give it flavor without being overpowering.However, it seemed to offer a bit less bang for your buck than Crumbl's other desserts. The cookies are huge, and I usually divide them into four servings. The soup-sized cup of banana pudding, on the other hand, felt like enough for only two or three servings.The oatmeal chocolate chip cookie was a pleasant surprise.I loved that the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie had some cinnamon in it. Ted Berg Crumbl's selection of chocolate chip cookie variants can get a bit hard to distinguish once you've tasted more than two of them.But Crumbl's spin on the cookie included a touch of cinnamon, which was just enough to add some warmth and spice without overpowering the rest of the elements.It had a nice crunchiness to the outer crust with a soft, blondie-like inside. The added texture and flavor from the oats were enough to put this among my favorites in Crumbl's vast chocolate chip cookie catalog.Crumbl's French toast cookie grew on me.The cake part of the French toast cookie was excellent. Ted Berg Crumbl's French toast cookie grew on me. At first, I found it frustrating that the frosting was concentrated in the cookie's center, presumably making it look like

Its now well established that for decades, major oil companies knew that burning fossil fuels would cause global warming, and yet did everything in their power to obstruct climate policy. They intensively lobbied policymakers, ran advertising campaigns, and funded think tanks to cast doubt on climate science.According to two new papers recently published in the journals Environmental Research Letters and Climate Policy, another industry knew of its role in climate change decades ago and engaged in similar tactics: the US beef industry.The story begins in February 1989, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a workshop for a report on how to reduce livestock methane emissions. Experts at the time knew that cattle produce significant amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change at a much faster pace than carbon dioxide. (Today, almost one-third of methane stems from beef and dairy cattle). This story was first featured in the Processing Meat newsletterSign up here for Future Perfects biweekly newsletter from Marina Bolotnikova and Kenny Torrella, exploring how the meat and dairy industries shape our health, politics, culture, environment, and more.Have questions or comments on this newsletter? Email us at futureperfect@vox.com!There was also increasing awareness among scientists and environmentalists about livestocks impact on other environmental issues, like water pollution and biodiversity loss. A representative from the nations largest and oldest beef industry group the National Cattlemens Association (NCA) attended the EPA workshop, and soon after, an arm of the organization began crafting a plan to defend itself against what they anticipated would be growing attacks over beefs role in global warming and other environmental ills. The Cattlemens plan an internal 17-page memo titled Strategic Plan on the Environment went unnoticed for decades until two University of Miami researchers, Jennifer Jacquet and Loredana Loy, recently unearthed the document in the NCAs archives. Notably, the beef industry plan had barely a mention about addressing cattle pollution. Instead, it centered around how the public and policymakers would perceive that pollution. Public relations activity directed toward key influencers is a fundamental thrust of this plan, one part reads. Other goals of the plan: to positively influence legislation and regulations, and commission experts to write papers in response to critics as part of its crisis management strategy. They hired one such expert to address the EPAs report, which came out in August 1989 and called livestock one of the larger sources of methane.A cattle feedlot near Lubbock, Texas. Richard Hamilton Smith /Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn 1996, the National Cattlemens Association merged with another group to become the National Cattlemens Beef Association. The organization didnt respond to an interview request for this story.Looking back now, the plan seems to be the blueprint for how the beef industry, and the broader animal agriculture sector, would go on to respond to climate scientists and critics for the next 35 years.That blueprint has been incredibly successful. Despite a vast body of domestic and international research detailing the immense environmental impact of meat and dairy production, the industry remains largely unregulated, while surveys show that the public still greatly underestimates meats toll on the planet. Although per capita US beef consumption has moderately declined since the 1990s, overall meat consumption is higher than ever and is projected to rise over the next decade. While these delay-and-obstruct tactics largely mirror those of the fossil fuel industry, theres one way the two sectors radically differ in their public relations wars: what role they say consumers should play to combat climate change. What polluting industries want you to do or not do on a heating planetOver the past decade, many environmentalists have become critical of focusing on individual actions such as purchasing a hybrid vehicle, using efficient light bulbs, or flying less as meaningful solutions to climate change. Critics argue that putting the responsibility of fighting climate change on individuals has been a tactic purposefully employed by fossil fuel companies to help them evade accountability.Thats largely true. BP popularized the personal carbon footprint calculator while Chevron which, to be clear, is an energy company has run ads encouraging its customers to use less energy. A 2021 analysis of ExxonMobils communications concluded that the company is fixated on individual responsibility. But when it came to the meat industry, Jacquet and Loy found the opposite: It really doesnt want people to take the individual action of eating less meat.Rather than embrace notions of individual responsibility, the animal agriculture industry hired scientists, pressured the media, and formed business coalitions to obstruct initiatives that encourage people to eat less meat, the two researchers wrote in the Climate Policy paper. Economist Jeremy Rifkin speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for FordOne of the earliest examples of such obstruction occurred in the early 1990s, when economist and activist Jeremy Rifkin published the book Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture. Rifkin paired the book launch with a large coalitional campaign featuring advertisements, mass protests at McDonalds locations, and a book tour, all aimed at persuading people in 16 countries to cut their beef consumption in half and replace it with plant-based foods.A beef industry publication considered Rifkins actions a declaration of war and the industry organized a determined counterattack, according to the Chicago Tribune. That counterattack included an advertising campaign telling people not to blame environmental problems on cows and the formation of an alliance of 13 industry groups to push back against activists like Rifkin, which included tactics like handing out hamburgers at one of his events. Around this time, the Beef Industry Council launched the infamous but influential Beef. Its Whats for Dinner marketing campaign with a budget of $96 million in todays dollars. It was effective: According to a 1992 story in the Washington Post, people screamed at Rifkin on call-in radio shows, his publisher received angry letters and phone calls, and his book tour was canceled early on because people called event hosts to either disparage him or pose as his publicist to cancel. Rifkin chalked it up in part to aggrieved cattle ranchers, a claim that the National Cattlemens Association fiercely denied at the time. This back-and-forth fight over the American diet has continued ever since:Meatless Monday: The Meatless Monday campaign rose to prominence in the 2000s with celebrity support, featuring dozens of large university cafeterias and school districts ditching meat on Mondays, all of which angered the livestock sector. Meat industry lobbyists sent Baltimore City Public Schools cease and desist letters for participating in the program, and an industry-funded academic at UC Davis named Frank Mitloehner called it a public policy tool to defeat animal agriculture. According to Jacquet, he also downplayed Meatless Mondays potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions. (Disclosure: From 2012 to 2013, I worked at the Humane Society of the US on its Meatless Monday initiative.)US Dietary Guidelines: In 2015, an advisory committee of government-commissioned nutrition experts recommended that the government modify the US dietary guidelines to encourage Americans to reduce meat consumption to make their diets more sustainable. In response, industry trade groups aggressively lobbied Congress and launched a petition that decried the committee experts as nutrition despots. Ultimately, the committees recommendation didnt make it into the final dietary guidelines. The EAT-Lancet report: In 2019, a landmark report published by nutrition and environmental experts recommended that people in high-income countries significantly cut back on meat for personal and planetary health. Mitloehner, the UC Davis academic, coordinated a massive #yes2meat counter-campaign that spawned millions of tweets.So why do fossil fuel companies and livestock producers seemingly have such a different take on personal responsibility? Jacquet says much of it comes down to the simple fact that consumers have relatively little flexibility in reducing fossil fuel use, so messages that encourage people to make lifestyle changes pose little actual threat to fossil fuel companies bottom line.Individuals are locked into a fossil fuel energy system, Jacquet said. But food is not like that, she added. You really do have a lot of flexibility in your diet, and you make those decisions three times a day. These are really dynamic decision spaces, and thats a threat to the meat industry. To state the obvious, individual dietary change alone is insufficient to reform the cruel, polluting factory farm system. But it is a start. To pass even modest regulatory reforms, policymakers will first need to see public support, and one way the public can show it is by eating less meat. Not only is it considered one of, if not the most effective individual actions to reduce carbon footprints, but dietary change also has cascading positive effects. Animal agriculture is arguably the leading source of US water pollution, a major air polluter, and far and away the main cause of animal suffering around 25 land animals are factory-farmed each year to sustain the average Americans diet.According to agricultural economists Jayson Lusk and F. Bailey Norwood, eating less meat, milk, and eggs does affect how many animals are raised for food. Its not on a 1:1 basis, but if more people reduce their animal consumption, theyd collectively send a signal to the industry to raise fewer animals. It may be hard to see the consequences of our decisions, the two wrote in their 2011 book Compassion, by the Pound: The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare, but let there be no doubt, each purchase decision matters.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

GTA 6 will be economic boost for all gaming says PlayStation indie bossMichael BeckwithPublished March 20, 2025 4:04pmUpdated March 20, 2025 4:04pm Will GTA 6 be all you play once it comes out? (Rockstar Games)While some publishers worry that GTA 6 is going to make selling other games impossible this autumn, the head of PlayStations indie team disagrees.It is not an exaggeration to say GTA 6 will be the biggest video game release of the year. Scratch that, its going to be the biggest release in all of entertainment this year. In fact, itll probably be the biggest entertainment launch in human history.As such, its completely believable that other publishers and developers are eager to avoid releasing their games anywhere near GTA 6, for fear that theyd be overlooked. It seems likely even the Nintendo Switch 2 is trying to stay out of its way.This applies especially to indie studios, that lack the same kind of marketing power that Rockstar has, although Sonys own indie boss is optimistic that GTA 6s launch will be beneficial for smaller games.The comments come from Greg Rice, who serves as the head of PlayStation Creators, which means hes responsible for maintaining the companys relationship with indie developers, as well as being head curator for Day of the Devs a non-profit that raises awareness for indie titles.While attending, on behalf of Day of the Devs, GDC (Game Developers Conference) this week, in San Francisco, Rice told GamesRadar how hes heard other developers admit theyre worried about [GTA 6] sucking all the space out.Unsurprisingly, theyre apprehensive about launching a game even in the same month as GTA 6, since thats all anyones gonna be playing. Which isno doubt extra infuriating, as Rockstar and owner Take-Two have yet to say exactly when GTA 6 will launch, only that itll happen this autumn.Rice very much agrees that GTA 6 will do gangbusters and sell millions of copies, but he doesnt think other games are doomed to fail if they happen to come out around the same time.I think the industry is matured enough that theres space for [GTA 6] and for other things as well, said Rice. Its gonna be a combination of there will be games that will be successful around GTA time because theyre totally different, but itll also bring a lot more people back into the ecosystem.Rice also believes that GTA 6 players will eventually be encouraged to check out other games, calling it an, opportunity to get in on the new console generation and see what else is out there.[GTA 6 is] definitely gonna be a big economic boost for the games industry, and will be a multiple billion dollar title, but I dont think that its at competition with [indie games], Rice added.Rice isnt the only one expecting GTA 6 to be a boon for the wider industry. With near constant stories of layoffs and studio shutdowns, the games industry has fallen from the heights it enjoyed during the coronavirus pandemic and is still scrambling to find ways to bolster profits.More TrendingAside from making Rockstar and Take-Two a lot of money, GTA 6s launch should encourage console sales (which will benefit Sony and Microsoft) and draw more interest to games in general, both from consumers and investors.The latter is especially important and one of the key reasons why companies are currently chasing buzzwords like live service games and AI, even if the likelihood of any resulting game doing well is low.Not only is GTA 6 expected to have a separate online multiplayer mode, but it is also reported that GTA 6 will feature user-generated content akin to games like Fortnite and Roblox.Rockstar clearly hopes that players will never run out of things to do in GTA 6 and if its anything as successful as GTA 5, people will still be avidly playing it for the next decade and beyond. A high tide raises all boats (Rockstar/YouTube)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.ArrowMORE: Play the GTA 6 game map recreated by fan in GTA 5 GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Release dates are some of Hollywoods most valuable natural resources. Often the window when a movie is set for release, or if its delayed or advanced, can tell you a lot about what to expect when you sit down in the theater. Warner Bros. just gave its schedule a huge shake-upand while you dont have to worry about Superman, its safe in July, a few other films are not so lucky. Lets break it down. In terms of io9 readers, the biggest and most disappointing move has to do with Maggie Gyllenhaals The Bride! starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley. This is the Bride of Frankenstein movie that may also be a musical and despite that sounding like a huge, huge, swing, we were excited, especially given its original September 26 release date. Alas, that is no longer and now The Bride! has been delayed almost six months, coming out March 6, 2026. Its a window Warner Bros. has had success withDune, Godzilla x Kong, etc.so weve still got our fingers crossed. Itll open against a new Pixar movie called Hoppers. With that September date open, it shifted a few things. One, the studio moved Paul Thomas Andersons latest, now officially titled One Battle After Another and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, from its original August 8 release date to September 26. And that August 8 date is now occupied by Weapons, the latest from Barbarian director Zach Cregger, which was moved up from January 2026. Releasing Weapons five months earlier is a very strong and encouraging move for a film thats described as a sprawling, multi-character epic a la Nashville or Magnolia, but just with a more thriller/horror vibe. It stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and Alden Ehrenreich. Weapons will now show down with Freakier Friday. But not all the moves are encouraging. Flowervale Street, the new film from It Follows director David Robert Mitchell, was originally set for release this summer. It was then moved to March 2026 and now, with The Bride! in that window, its been pushed again to August 14, 2026. Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway star and it may or may not have dinosaurs, so were hoping the extra time is just to make sure its right, and not to bury it in any way. The final move is the least exciting but still significant. Have you been wondering what Bill Haders been up to since he finished Barry? Well, hes been lending his voice to a new animated version of Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat along with Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, and Paula Pell. Originally set for release March 6, 2026, now its out a week later: February 27, 2026.Everything else is, for now, the same: Minecraft on April 4, Sinners on April 18, Final Destination: Bloodlines on May 16, F1 on July 27, Superman on July 11, and Mortal Kombat 2 on October 24. Which are you most excited about? Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

A Florida mans hankering for feral pig landed him in the hospital. In a recent case report, doctors describe how the man likely contracted a serious and rare infection from swine meat he received from a hunter. Scientists and health officials in Florida detailed the porcine mishap this month in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The man endured multiple trips to the hospital and needed his chest implant removed before doctors identified what was making him sick: pig-derived bacteria called Brucella suis. Fortunately, once the bacteria was found, the man was successfully treated with the right mix of antibiotics. According to the report, the man was a pastor in his 70s who had a history of heart failurea condition that necessitated an automated implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD) device to keep his heartbeat steady. Starting in spring 2019, he developed chest issues that led to multiple hospital stays. His doctors at the time determined that some sort of infection had taken root in his device, but initial tests failed to find any suspects. The man underwent multiple antibiotic treatments but stopped due to the side effects. After stopping the antibiotics, he seemed fine for a few months, but once again visited a hospital in Alabama with left chest discomfort and fever. He then went for a follow-up visit at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Florida in the fall of 2020, which was where doctors decided to remove his implant and finally nabbed the culprit behind his infection. B. suis is one of several bacteria that cause the zoonotic disease brucellosis (zoonotic meaning theyre primarily spread from animals to humans). Four species are known to sicken people, and infections are usually caught from drinking raw milk and cheese or from direct exposure to infected animals. The man lived on a farm with plenty of potential animal vectors, but he reported never coming into contact with them nor was he a hunter. He did recall, however, that he was gifted feral pig meat from a local hunter on several occasions in 2017meat that he handled with his bare hands before cooking and eating it. While other possibilities exist, the doctors believe this gift likely served as his exposure to B. suis.Brucellosis is no joke. These bacteria were once formally designated as potential bioterror threats, since they can be easily aerosolized, which then makes them very contagious (they were recently removed from this list to make research into them easier). The infection can also be difficult to identify with conventional tests, and it can cause chronic, debilitating symptoms like arthritis and heart inflammation if left untreated (unlike many other bacteria, these germs can make themselves cozy inside our cells). Indeed, the mans infection was misidentified as a different bacteria prior to his last hospital visit. The man underwent surgery to remove his implant, which could have potentially exposed the infection to his medical care team. Fortunately, the risk of aerosolization was low, proper precautions appeared to have been followed, and no other cases among staff were found. As for the man himself, he was given the standard antibiotic treatment for brucellosis, which seemed to work. Four months after his tainted implant was removed, a new one was placed. And three years later, he had no signs of an active infection. Brucellosis is very rare in the U.S., with only around 100 cases reported annually, most of which are from other species besides B. suis. But feral pigs are a persistent and growing presence in parts of the U.S., Florida included. And the authors say that hunters and anyone else who loves feral pig meat should be made well aware of the potential danger.Feral swine hunters are at risk of contracting B. suis, and measures to reduce that risk include the use of personal protective equipment and thoroughly cooking animal products before consumption, they wrote.