Xbox Game Pass late April titles announced GTA 5! Modern Warfare 2! Clair Obscur! Dredge! Image credit: Xbox / Eurogamer News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on April 15, 2025 Microsoft has announced its next wave of Game Pass titles available in April 2025, including the return of Grand Theft Auto 5, a game you may have heard of. As announced previously, this return also brings with it the PC Game Pass debut of GTA 5's new Enhanced Edition for PC players - the first time the game has been offered in any PC subscription service. Also included in these latest additions is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - the more recent one from 2022 - although you'll only be getting access to that, for now, if you have Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. It's the same deal as well for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the turn-based RPG from France that we've been keeping a hopeful eye on. Here are the list of Xbox Game Pass additions for late April 2025: Grand Theft Auto 5 (Cloud, Console and PC, via Standard, Ultimate and PC) - available now Neon White (Console, now with Game Pass Standard) - 16th April SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game (Cloud, Console and PC, via Standard, Ultimate and PC) - 16th April Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC, via Standard, Ultimate and PC) - 17th April Tempopo (Cloud, Console and PC, via Ultimate and PC) - 17th April Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC, via Ultimate and PC) - 24th April Towerborne: Game Preview (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC, via Ultimate and PC) - 29th April Far Cry 4 (Cloud, Console and PC, via Standard, Ultimate and PC) - 30th April Anno 1880 (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC, via Standard, Ultimate and PC) - 1st May Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Cloud, Console and PC, via Ultimate and PC) - 1st May Dredge (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC, via Standard, Ultimate and PC) - 6th May Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 preview - can an incredible battle system make up for bland exploration?Watch on YouTube As ever, whenever Microsoft giveth, so it taketh away. Games getting the chop this time include Rebellion's Sniper Elite 5 and the Annapurna-published Thirsty Suitors. The full list of titles leaving Xbox Game Pass on 30th April are as follows: Have a Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC) Kona II Brume (Cloud, Console, and PC) Sniper Elite 5 (Cloud, Console, and PC) The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Cloud, Console, and PC) Thirsty Suitors (Cloud, Console, and PC) The Rewinder (Cloud, Console, and PC) If you want to keep playing these games after they leave Game Pass, you'll need to purchase them. On the plus side, Game Pass subscribers get a 20 percent discount before they leave the service. For everything else in Microsoft's subscription, you can check out our handy Xbox Game Pass guide listing every title available.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Marvel Rivals Season 2 sparked the competitive scene with a massive balance patch, new heroes, and maps that reshaped the game’s dynamic. Emma Frost, together with the Krakoa map, introduces new strategies to the 6v6 hero shooter. NetEase’s patch notes reveal buffs and nerfs for practically every class to diversify team compositions and counter Season 1’s support-heavy supremacy. Vanguards such as Hulk and Thor received mobility, while Doctor Strange and Magneto were nerfed, lowering their pick rates. Duelists like Winter Soldier had changes to temper their ferocity, while Strategists like Rocket Raccoon received considerable modifications. The meta currently favors fast-paced, dive-oriented play, with Emma Frost emerging as a game-changer in backline management. The patch also changed Team-Up abilities, removing synergies like Magneto’s Metallic Fusion and introducing new ones like Namor’s Gamma Monstro with Hulk. During this patch, one Strategist rose to prominence, redefining the healer role, and it’s none other than Rocket Raccoon. Rocket’s Season 2 buffs have transformed him into a powerhouse, with a tweak in his kit sparking debates about his dominance—an exploit that’s quietly making him the go-to healer. Marvel Rivals Rocket Raccoon bug makes him overpowered in Season 2 by doubling his healing rate In Marvel Rivals Season 2, Rocket Raccoon gains balance adjustments that elevate his role as a Strategist, giving him a meta-defining choice. His ultimate, C.Y.A., receives a significant overhaul: the damage boost is lowered from 40% to 25%, but it now offers linked teammates 100 Bonus Health per second, with a limit of 150, and a 75 per second falloff after breaking the link. His Healing Orbs have also been tweaked, with healing per second reduced from 70 to 50, but a new 55-health burst on hit improves his ability to save low-HP friends swiftly. Bounce Rocket’s Orbs to apply a double healing bonus to allies. Image by VideoGamer. However, players soon found out that upon bouncing these orbs off the floor and a wall to heal allies, this 55 bonus healing burst twice on the healed ally. While a normal hit heals an ally at the usual rate, this bounce tricks the system by implying there are two different orbs fired at a teammate, thus granting a whopping 110 healing boost. Upon trying this feature out, one player clarified that the exploit is an intended feature and not a bug, “This was confirmed to not be a bug, but rather an intended feature. Whoa! Be sure to be ground-bouncing those Rocket orbs for RIDICULOUS heals!” Despite a nerf to Jetpack Dash (cooldown raised from 6 to 10 seconds, distance lowered from 10 to 8 meters), Rocket’s mobility remains high, complementing his improved healing output. These modifications improve his performance in clutch situations, ensuring his viability in high ranks and rush-style combinations. Marvel Rivals Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter Related Topics Marvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

This is the second cover we have produced with Lenny Kravitz, a superstar who is both a rock legend and an AD100 designer—a rare combo indeed. AD photographed Kravitz for our May 2019 cover story on his bucolic Brazilian farm, and the atmospheric Open Door video of that vast property is widely considered one of our best ever. (I agree and will never forget the Portuguese word for farm— fazenda—which viewers learned from Kravitz himself in the video.)A corner of the primary suite. Photo: Matthieu SalvaingKravitz’s Grammy Awards and James Brown’s boots. Photo: Matthieu SalvaingPhotos of Kravitz’s mother hang in a room dedicated to her. Photo: Matthieu SalvaingThis time we visit his grand 1920s mansion in Paris, which he bought some 20 years ago and first shared with our sister publication AD France in 2010. Kravitz has since extensively reimagined the interiors in the way only a pro can—and also shares a secret subterranean party space that has never before been published. The ravishing retreat is a tour de force mix of art, furniture, and objects, alongside artworks and photographs that lovingly document his own family history. On these pages and in the epic accompanying Open Door video on YouTube and archdigest.com—don’t miss it!—Kravitz is definitively revealed as a connoisseur, a collector, a curator, and a multihyphenate creative visionary. The things he surrounds himself with—Warhol masterpieces, African artifacts, major music memorabilia, and rare furnishings by Paul Evans, Karl Springer, Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Joe Colombo, and others—offer an astounding feast of the dreamily recherché.Describing his aesthetic as “soulful elegance”— a fitting description of the man himself—Kravitz says, “It’s designed, curated, balanced, not too minimal, not too maximalist.” Adding: “It’s comfortable, clearly. But also chic.” Welcome to his world!Kravitz at his Brazilian ranch on AD’s May 2019 cover. Photo: Simon UptonAD, May 2025

The European Commission is giving staffers visiting the US on official business burner laptops and phones to avoid espionage attempts, according to the Financial Times. The use of clean and locked-down hardware is common practice for anyone visiting China, Russia, and other states where aggressive electronic surveillance is expected. Apparently the European Union has added the United States to that list. "The transatlantic alliance is over," an EU official told the newspaper, which reported the commission "is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some US-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage — a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China." Next week, officials from the EU are due in Washington DC for the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund. Four sources told the FT the EC had changed its guidance to ensure that visitors to America take serious precautions against cyber-espionage. "They are worried about the US getting into the commission systems," said one. The relationship between the US and Europe has chilled severely in the past few months since President Trump threatened to invade Greenland, slapped tariffs on Euro imports, backed a Sieg-Heil'ing Elon Musk, sent Vice President JD Vance to lecture the continent on free speech, humiliated Ukraine's president, and made other smart foreign policy moves. Germany, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Ireland have all altered their travel advice for citizens visiting the Land of the Free, mainly urging travelers to follow all requirements as strictly as possible or consider simply not going, after a bunch of visitors from the EU and UK were detained for visa and immigration infractions. Trans-gendered travelers are advised that they may be barred from entry. France’s minister of higher education and research, Philippe Baptiste, lodged an official complaint last month after one French boffin was reportedly barred from entering the country for a conference after a border patrol examination of their phone found what was said to be extreme anti-Trump comments, although the US says it was because officers found confidential American information in the scientist's possession. Taking a burner device, to be honest, sounds like standard practice for people in sensitive lines of work, though this is all being interpreted as an indication of quite how badly relations have slipped between Europe and the US. And while a certain amount of spying on one's allies is expected – former German chancellor Angela Merkel was most peeved when it turns out her phone was being bugged by the NSA – a recommendation to take fresh devices is something new. Ultimately, spies spy, and when it comes to spying on the world, no one doubts America's abilities, regardless of who is in charge. "Washington is not Beijing or Moscow, but it is an adversary that is prone to use extra-legal methods to further its interests and power," Luuk van Middelaar, director of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics think tank, told the FT. "Democrat administrations use the same tactics. It is an acceptance of reality by the Commission." A European Commission spokesperson, an in email to The Register, did not deny equipment was being handed out to staff as reported. And while the spinner claimed the commission had not issued official guidance to use burner laptops and phones, they did admit it had tweaked its recommendations. "We have recently updated several country specific traveling recommendation factsheets for officials. They reflect the latest changes in the way the commission communicates and the general increase of threats globally regarding cybersecurity," the spokesperson told us. "Finally, indeed we recommend linking the e-visa to an EU laissez-passer for senior officials, in order to underline the official nature of the visit and facilitate visa processes in embassies prior to departure. Again, these updated recommendations were included in many other countries' factsheets to the attention of travelling senior officials." We understand the FT stands by its yarn. And it wouldn't be the first time the EU had denied a story, only to later confirm its veracity. ® PS: Facebook giant Meta intends to train its AI on public posts and other data in Europe after last year pausing the practice. "People based in the EU who use our platforms can choose to object to their public data being used for training purposes," the tech giant noted.

Baldur's Gate 3's huge Patch 8 is now live, finally giving you your chance to dive into its new subclasses, cross-play mechanics, photo mode, and more. Yep, your days of jealously staring through the window at all of those stress testers enjoying some early fun are now over. Read more

Image: HallmarkHallmark has released its 2025 Dream Book catalogue, showcasing all of its new Keepsake Ornaments for the upcoming holiday season. And plenty of Nintendo franchises show up among the newcomers. Look, we know the headline here is outrageous — it's only April — but indulge us. (Thanks to VGArtAndTidbits for highlighting this on Bluesky!) Some of the new arrivals, which are launching between July and October this year, include Elephant Mario from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Princess Peach driving a kart, singing Jigglypuff, Tom Nook's nephews Timmy and Tommy from Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and the decayed Master Sword from Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube808kWatch on YouTube Other video game series you'll spot are Minecraft's Polar Bears, the pink sheep from A Minecraft Movie, the Halo 3 game box, a light up Xbox 360, and the classic Super Sonic. Plus, those old school-looking Pokémon look great, right? Images: Hallmark Each of the ornament prices vary but most start at around $19.99, with the smallest ones coming in at $9.99. And we've only included a few shots here, but if you want to scroll through all of the upcoming ornaments, you can check out all of the pop culture decorations and video game ornaments in the catalogue itself. We're still waiting for a light-up N64, Hallmark, but we suppose the Elephant Mario makes up for it. Maybe. Let us know what you think of these in the comments.

Lucid has spent years working on its second EV — a plush van-like SUV designed to be the category killer that could take market share from the likes of other luxury EV and internal combustion people haulers like the Rivian R1S, Cadillac Escalade IQ, BMW X7, and Audi Q8. The Saudi-backed company’s aim was to create an SUV without compromise — a lofty goal other automakers have tried and failed at before. After a first drive in the EV, which has a starting price of $96,550, it’s clear the company did more than just focus on luxurious touches. Although there are plenty. The Lucid Gravity may just be over-engineering at its best. The EV is loaded with tech and upgrades from its predecessor, the Lucid Air sedan. Peter Rawlinson, the former Lucid CEO and CTO, who stepped aside in February, may no longer be at the company, but his engineering fingerprints are all over the new Lucid Gravity. And while customers may never see the tech under the proverbial hood, they will experience it. The Lucid Gravity has up to 450 miles of EPA-rated range, a zero to 60 mph time under 3.5 seconds, and charging times that are unheard of for current EVs. The Gravity can charge up to 200 miles in just 11 minutes on DC fast charging, according to the company, thanks to a new boost mode that leverages the rear motor as a transformer to boost charging. All of this luxury, tech, and spaciousness do come with a price. The vehicle’s price tag ranges between 96,550 for the two-row Grand Touring trim to $99,450 for the three-row version. A “cheaper” $81,550 Touring model is expected to arrive later this year. Lucid Gravity’s tech guts Image Credits:Lucid Engineers working on Gravity took what they learned from Lucid Air Sapphire and the Lucid Air, to create the company’s new Gen 2 system that underpins the SUV. That includes a new battery developed in partnership with Panasonic (which Lucid says offers a 40% charging speed improvement over the competitive set) , a new drive unit, a new thermal system, and a new charging system.  Specifically, engineers created a system that allows the Lucid Gravity to charge at 225 kW on 500-volt architecture (which underpins Tesla’s V3 chargers) chargers and at up to 400 kW on 1000-volt chargers (which underpins Tesla’s new V4 chargers that are due to roll out this year).  To do this, engineers used the Gravity’s motor and inverter as a transformer to boost 500-volt charging to the battery’s required voltage without adding extra hardware. They also implemented plug-and-charge for the system so that owners don’t have to fuss with payment and charge initiation at certain chargers.  EV charging innovation The changes are part of Tesla’s North American Charging standard that came out last year. The announcement of the standard came at a time when the development of the Gravity was nearly complete.  The updated standard required a significant rethinking of the underpinnings of the Gravity when it was roughly 70% developed in late 2022 and early 2023, according to Emad Delala, the senior vice president of powertrain at Lucid.  “When I joined in 2015, 400-volt was state of the art,” Delala said. “Quickly, we realized that we needed to take it to the next level,” he continued, “So we developed a new technology that enabled charging through a legacy 500-volt charging architecture through a future 1000-volt charging architecture. What we learned from Air in 2021 has been completely changed.” The team behind Gravity also made a number of hardware changes to add in redundancy, support its infotainment system, and to allow the company to eventually add more automated driving features to its advanced driver assistance system.  The company is using NVIDIA’s Orin-X processors for AI perception and video processing for its advanced driver assistance system, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8295 for infotainment, and Infineon TC397 for vehicle dynamics and body control.  Today, the Gravity offers what is known as Level 2 automated driving, a system that automates some of the driving, but still requires the driver to pay attention. Lucid is aiming to eventually offer Level 3, or L3, which typically offers hands-off, eyes-off driving on the highways in certain conditions. Its upcoming Dream Drive 2 Pro, an upgrade to its ASAS is coming soon, according to the company, and will offer features like visualization of up to five lanes of traffic, curve speed control, lane change assistance, curb rash alert, and automated parking. Lucid Gravity: cargo and passenger space Image Credits:Lucid The Gravity was designed to be spacious for occupants and their cargo. And engineers and designers achieved that goal. The interior is cavernous inside with a whopping 120 cubic feet of interior space, which Lucid says is 40% more than the closest competitor.  It turns out an effort to avoid fuses helped them get there.  The company wanted to find a way to not use fuses since they need to be regularly accessed and replaced when they blow, and they tend to take up precious interior space that could be used for cargo and passengers, according to Jean-Phillipe Gauthier, the head of software engineering at Lucid.  Instead, Lucid decided to use diffusers in the Gravity, which are essentially electronic switches. These diffusers reset automatically when the car is cycled off, respond faster to shorts in the system, eliminate the potential error of installing a fuse with the wrong amperage during replacement and allow the fuse box to be buried deeper inside the vehicle instead of encroaching on interior space. Diffusers also can power down unneeded systems and reduce parasitic losses in the vehicle.  To prove the Gravity was roomier than its competitors, the EV maker lined up a Cadillac Escalade IQ, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Rivian R1S and BMW X7 on hand at the event in Los Olivios, California. Reporters were challenged to take boxes that filled the Gravity (including its spacious frunk) and stack them into the EQS SUV.  It was an impossible task and with no other close competitor on hand. One fellow journalist who happens to be 6-foot, 6-inches was able to lie down in the rear of the Gravity comfortably and close the rear hatch without any issues.  Lucid Gravity on the road Image Credits:Lucid The Gravity is big and measures a whopping 198.2 inches in length and 87.2 inches wide. That puts the EV SUV slightly below the Chevrolet Suburban in size. Still, the vehicle is massive, which helps boost the interior space. Typically, full-size SUVs with that kind of footprint tend to be boomy inside and giant rollie-pollies on the road, making them uncomfortable to hustle, especially on winding roads.  Not so with the Lucid Gravity. I drove the Gravity from Nipomo, California on the Central Coast along Cuyama Highway and Tepusquet Road, a steep, one-lane, sharply winding road, to Los Olivos for my test drive and it was surprisingly enjoyable and, dare I say, fun to drive.   The Gravity is heavy (6,000-plus pounds in the three-row option I drove). I did feel some of that weight on the road. However, once I placed the vehicle in its comfort setting known as “Smooth,” it handled highway cruising and wide sweepers with ease.  I toggled it up to Swift for Tepusquet Road, and the adaptive dampers and air springs ate up the rough undulations and curves without unsettling the vehicle, or getting nauseatingly rolly at any point. It was so smooth on that winding road in the Swift setting that my passenger fell asleep.   The Gravity gets rear wheel steering when outfitted with the Dynamic Package (which adds around $,2900 to the base price), which gives you an additional 3-degrees of rear wheel steering — both in phase and out of phase depending on how quickly (or slowly) you’re moving.  That rear wheel steer increases the agility of the vehicle and take up less of the road as it drives on single-lane mountain roads and even dirt track, which I did try out at a local ranch where Lucid set up a rally cross experience for us.  Even when pushed (and sliding) through the dirt, the Gravity stayed remarkably flat and comfortable. And yes, you can do some very light off-roading with the Gravity as it gets 7-inches of ground clearance that can go up to 9-plus inches of clearance when raised.  One of the surprising things that I liked the most about Gravity was the so-called “squircal” steering wheel. Having driven other vehicles with (dumb) yokes, the squared-off circle wheel makes the Gravity feel even more agile and responsive, and the electrically-assisted rack and pinion steering is adjusted to be absolutely spot on: where you point the wheel, the vehicle goes without any mushiness.   Lucid also tuned one pedal drive to be so intuitive that I didn’t have to touch the brake once on the winding roads around Los Olivos.  All in, it’s clear that after more than four years in development, the seven-passenger all-electric SUV delivers remarkable range and efficiency, agility, and functionality for a wealthy buyer looking for an “American-made” vehicle that isn’t a Tesla.

Heritage Auctions has launched the “May 4 Star Wars Day Entertainment Signature Auction,” which will feature over 300 lots ranging from original Star Wars movie posters to screen-used props, high-end replicas, toys, comics, and artwork. The event will conclude with a live session on May 4. Leading the fleet is the Star Wars Sears Exclusive Set of 12 Carded Figures, the only graded example in existence. Also up for grabs is the Star Wars Sears Exclusive Set of 9 Carded Figures, which includes the highly coveted Boba Fett. These sets, authenticated by industry expert Tom Derby and AFA, are expected to surpass six figures at auction. “These sets represent a pivotal moment in cinematic history and were among the earliest opportunities fans had to bring the Star Wars universe into their home,” said Justin Caravoulias, Heritage’s Consignment Director of Action Figures and Toys. “Finding them in such incredible condition is exceptionally rare, and the opportunity to win treasures like these on May 4 makes this auction even more special.” Additionally, the auction features 20 pieces of original artwork from the early days of Lucas Film, including signed Star Wars Droids C-3PO Original Line Art by Alice Carter. John Alvin’s original concept paintings for the unreleased Star Wars Concert Series poster, Greg Hildebrandt’s striking portrait of Darth Vader’s funeral pyre mask, and Olivia De Berardinis’ Grogu painting are also available. “This auction is a dream for Star Wars fans and collectors alike,” Caravoulias added. “The forces vying for treasures like Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian helmet will be strong. We encourage collectors not to wait until May 4 to peruse the catalog and to decide now which item they want to take home on May 4.” Source: Heritage Auctions Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.

Breakdown & Showreels Captain America – Brave New World: VFX Breakdown by Outpost VFX By Vincent Frei - 15/04/2025 Sam Wilson’s wings and armor take center stage in Captain America: Brave New World, thanks to the artistry of Outpost VFX, who brought detail and realism to Marvel’s new era of flight! WANT TO KNOW MORE?Outpost VFX: Dedicated page about Captain America: Brave New World on Outpost VFX website.Alessandro Ongaro: Here’s my interview of Production VFX Supervisor Alessandro Ongaro. © Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2025

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded British defense company Babcock a proof-of-concept contract to help Ukrainian personnel 3D print military equipment. As the lead contractor, Babcock will work with defense technology firm QinetiQ to create digital drawings, including computer-aided design (CAD) files of key military components. These files would enable Ukrainian forces to manufacture replacement parts locally, using 3D printing. Tom Newman, CEO of Babcock’s Land Sector, said, “We aim to give Ukraine the capability to recreate the military parts that they need, where and when it really matters. This innovation builds on our engineering expertise and technology capability, giving us further opportunities to optimise 3D printing.”Separately, Babcock is helping maintain and repair vehicles such as Challenger 2 tanks, managing spare parts and supply chains, and training the Ukraine military to carry out repairs independently. The Challenger 2 tank. Photo via UK MoD. Global military support for Ukraine A core element of the project involves reverse engineering older or legacy components that are difficult to source or no longer manufactured. By analysing their structure and function, the team aims to digitally recreate them for fabrication in the field. This approach could help Ukrainian forces maintain equipment in combat zones where conventional supply chains are disrupted or delayed. The broader significance of the effort lies in its potential to showcase how digital manufacturing can be used to support military logistics during active conflict. A validated digital catalogue of essential components would allow faster repairs and reduce downtime for high-use or frequently damaged systems. Babcock noted that the project builds on its broader expertise in engineering and field support, while QinetiQ brings specialist capabilities in materials assurance and technical validation. Alan Hart, Managing Director of Science, Technology and Weapons for QinetiQ explained that this latest contract demonstrates QinetiQ’s “commitment to support to the frontline, whether our own or those of our allies.”  This initiative adds to the UK’s ongoing military assistance to Ukraine. Away from the British, militaries from other nations reportedly contributed to Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia.   In 2023, SPEE3D delivered seven WarpSPEE3D 3D printers to Ukraine as part of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Ukraine Security Assistance program. To support their effective use, the company ran a 15-day training course for Ukrainian military personnel, focusing on how to operate cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) systems in the field. According to Calum Stewart, SPEE3D’s Director of Defense Programs, the technology allows soldiers to keep more equipment operational for longer durations. Similar to the XSPEE3D, the WarpSPEE3D system is designed for deployment in remote or hard-to-access areas, enabling the on-demand production of metal parts. Stewart noted that the machines are transportable and can be set up and ready for use in under an hour. Essentium is another 3D printing company providing support to Ukraine. In partnership with KVG, the company introduced its High-Speed Extrusion (HSE) 3D printers at multiple sites across the country. Like SPEE3D, Essentium ensured local teams received hands-on training to keep production running smoothly and consistently. Essentium’s High-Speed Extrusion (HSE) 3D printer. Photo via Essentium. 3D printing military equipment 3D printing is increasingly being used to produce military equipment on demand, speeding up repairs, reducing supply chain reliance, and enhancing frontline readiness. Earlier this year, Creech Air Force Base’s 432nd Wing installed two Bambu Lab 3D printers to support US Air Force (USAF) maintenance training for MQ-9 Reaper drones, addressing part shortages that previously disrupted operations. As part of a new manufacturing setup, over 800 personnel can now produce replacement components on-site, helping reduce downtime and logistical strain.  Fabricated parts include those for airframe propulsion and power generation systems, with broader applications such as diagnosing aircraft damage and printing spares at the point of need. In some cases, parts that once cost thousands can now be produced in-house for a fraction of the price. In 2020, the Indian Navy partnered with Indian 3D printing bureau think3D to address spare part shortages caused by aging, imported equipment. Focusing on components like centrifugal pump impellers, think3D reverse engineered and 3D printed replacements using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology.  The new impellers were lighter, 40% cheaper, and produced in just two days compared to three months via traditional methods. After successful shipboard testing, think3D began developing a digital repository for on-demand production and is working on a customized 3D printer capable of operating offshore with pre-loaded CAD designs to enable rapid in-situ manufacturing. What 3D printing trends should you watch out for in 2025? How is the future of 3D printing shaping up? To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook. While you’re here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays. Featured image shows the Challenger 2 tank. Photo via UK MoD.