Square Enix is ending seasonal support for multiplayer battler Foamstars after less than a year.The Japanese publisher explained the next seasonal update, rather ironically called the 'Party Goes On!,' will essentially serve as the title's swan song.The Party Goes On! will take place from December 13, 2024, to January 17, 2025. No more seasonal updates will launch after that period."In this concluding update, expansions will be introduced to enhance gameplay, such as the ability to customize shots of each character, and new enhancement elements, such as Prism Gems, all aimed at ensuring players can continue to enjoy the game for the foreseeable future," wrote Square Enix in a notice to players."All online services will remain available after the "Party Goes On!" season ends. In addition, we plan to hold the Foamstars Cup, a series of in-game events named after each character."The company noted that previous season passes will be made available again to "ensure that new players can fully enjoy Foamstars." Players will be able to flit between existing season passes to obtain items they might have missed. Although Foamstars will remain playable moving forward, it's hard to read this as anything other than the title being mothballed by Square Enix."No new content" for FoamstarsIn a separate blog post, Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani reiterated there will be "no new content" coming down the pipeline and thanked players for their interest."I don't want this to sound like a final message since you will be able to continue playing the game. However I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you all once again," he wrote. "Thanks to all of you, we've managed to successfully complete every update we had planned. We've been able to reach this point because of your warm support. On behalf of the entire team, I'd like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude."Okatani expressed hope that players will be able to access Foamstars for "years to come," but it's clear Square Enix has struggled to realize its vision for the project. Okatani said the development team faced "many challenges" throughout production, while the decision to turn Foamstars into a free-to-play product just eight months after it launched suggested the title has struggled to find an audience.

Gamers Nexus has released a video deconstructing NZXTs defense of its Flex gaming PC purchase and rental program. In it, host Steve Burke says the company is still misleading customers, despite adjustments made in response to his previous video in which he called the program a scam.NZXT said in its response this week that it would clarify details about its Flex program, which Gamers Nexus had criticized for having specs that would change sometimes day-to-day. The company has appeared to update specs and performance numbers for its purchase builds. But Gamers Nexus reports it still spotted issues like inconsistent FPS numbers and a FAQ that implied NZXTs for-sale Player: Three Prime build uses an RTX 4090 graphics card, despite its specs saying otherwise. The FAQ entry Burke mentions seems to be gone now, but as of this writing, theres still an entry titled What GPU is right for me? that lists the RTX 4090 and its benefits. Such inconsistencies are a problem for potential customers, Burke says.The fact that NZXT misrepresented its product, even after its statement, as having a 4090 when it still had a 4080 Super ... seemingly indicates that even NZXT cant keep up with its own specs changes. If NZXT cant keep up with it ... how are they expecting the customer to keep up with it?Gamers Nexus offers other criticisms of the companys rental program, from improper packaging damage fees with upper bounds that exceed the cost of equivalent non-rental versions of the PCs to the creator-based ad videos that continue to exist, despite the company saying it had pulled all influencer-led Flex advertising. NZXT did not immediately respond to our request for comment on the new video.Gamers Nexus said Thursday that its working on a deeper investigation, and its video today ends with Burke saying hes received a number of very concerning tips from former employees and customers.

Theres a lot of Star Trek: Discovery in the official trailer for the Star Trek: Section 31 movie that Paramount Plus just released big drama, explosions, and some looming threat thats unlike anything that Starfleets ever seen. The trailer shows off a little more of the film, with moody corridors, some sort of electrified space ball, and brief looks at the spaceships that the show will feature. It also devotes more time to characters besides Michelle Yeohs Emperor Philippa Georgiou namely Omari Hardwicks Alok Sahar and Kacey Rohls future Enterprise C captain, Rachel Garrett. Its still a mystery what trouble Emperor Philippa is leading her team into, though.Philippa will work with a team that also includes a pointy-eared alien named Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok), an empath named Melle (Humberly Gonzalez), the exoskeleton-wearing Zeph (Rob Kazinsky), and a Chameloid shapeshifter named Quasi (Sam Richardson). Star Trek: Section 31 starts streaming January 24th on Paramount Plus.

Ovani Audio Arcade Humble Bundle Returns / News / December 7, 2024 / Audio, HumbleTheAudio Arcade: The Definitive Collection of Music and Sound by Ovani Humble Bundlecontains a large collection of sound effects, game soundtrack and audio game engine plugins for Godot, Unity and Unreal Engine. If you are a fan of Ovani audio content, also be sure to check out their ongoing Black Friday Game Audio bundle here. This is a 48 hour only re-run of a bundle that happened back in June of 2024. As with most Humble Bundles it is organized into tiers:1$ TierRhythmic Music Pack Vol 2Fantasy Music Pack Vol 4Jazz Music PackRetro Sound FX Pack Vol 2Earth Sound FX PackMedieval Sound FX Pack Vol 3Mid TierChildrens Music PackSynthwave Music Pack80s Music PackPirate Music PackEastern Music PackKeys Music PackFoley: Inventory Sound FX PackAir Sound FX PackFoley: Sports Sound FX PackSteampunk Sound FX Pack Vol 2Roblox Music PluginUnreal Music PluginUnity Music PluginGodot Music Plugin$20 TierGuns Sound FX PackEnvironmental Ambience Godot PluginLo-Fi Music PackEpic Music PackHeavy Electronic Music PackEnvironmental Ambiences Sound FX Pack Vol 2Science Fiction Sound FX Pack Vol 3Electronic Music Pack Vol 5Magical Music Pack Vol 2Casual Music Pack Vol 2Ambient Music Pack Vol 5Metal Music Pack Vol 3Horror Music Pack Vol 5Simple Magic Sound FX Pack Vol 2Explosives Sound FX PackBody Horror Sound FX PackFoley: Props Sound FX PackHarvesting Sound FX PackHeavy Vehicles Sound FX PackEnvironmental Ambience Unity PluginYou can learn more about theAudio Arcade: The Definitive Collection of Music and Sound by Ovani Humble Bundlein thevideobelow. Do remember, this bundle is only available for 48 hours!

This week EA announced they were adding 23 patents to their accessibility patent pledge. In addition, they released a new open-source project, the IRIS Unreal Engine plugin which can be used to detect photosensitivity moments in games. This plugin is built upon the already open source IRIS library and is released under the BSD 3 open source license.Details of the new patents being pledged from Electronic Arts:Gaming isand should befor everyone.For years now, EA has strived to make gamingas inclusive as possibleand to minimize barriers between our players and our shared love for video games. And today, in this spirit and following International Day of Persons with Disabilities we have added 23 accessibility-centered patents to ourindustry-first accessibility patent pledge. Through this pledge, launched in 2021, we share our accessibility-related technology with the wider industry royalty-free, so that together we can work towards meeting the needs of our diverse gaming community at EA and beyond.These newly pledged patents cover technologies to improve speech recognition, generate more personalized speech and simplify the use of speech recognition technologies in computing and gaming devices.Among other things, these patented accessibility technologies could be used to improve the gameplay experience of players who have speech disability or who prefer or need assistance with verbally expressing themselves. They could make it possible for those players speech to be more effectively recognized and reflected in-game in a way that is representative of their age, emotion, language and speaking style.To Blanca Macazaga Zuazo, Software Designer for Player & Quality Insights (PQI) Tech at EA, one of the most exciting contributions being made today is the open sourcing ofa new EA-developed pluginfor Unreal Engine 5 that enables in-engine use of EAs photosensitivity analysis tech, IRIS, which was itself open-sourced as part of last years pledge update.After all, Blanca is one of the key developers of IRIS and its new plugin, and has made it her mission to create, improve and evolve accessibility-based technologies to allow as many players to play and have fun as possible.Details of the pledge itself:Electronic Arts (EA) promises not to enforce against any party for infringing any of the listed EA patents. A list of patents subject to this pledge can be found below, and EA may add additional patents to this pledge at a later date.EA makes this pledge legally binding, irrevocable (except as under Defensive Termination) and enforceable against EA and all subsequent patent owners of the listed patents. This pledge does not provide any warranties or assurances that the activities covered by pledged patents are free from patent or other intellectual property infringement claims by a third party.Key LinksNew Patent Pledge AnnouncementEA Patent Pledge for Increasing AccessibilityIRIS Unreal Engine Plugin GitHubEA GitHubYou can learn more about the EA patent pledge for accessibility as well as learn more about open-source projects from Electronic Arts in the video below.

Clear communication can be surprisingly difficult in todays audio environments. Background noise, overlapping conversations, and the mix of audio and video signals often create challenges that disrupt clarity and understanding. These issues impact everything from personal calls to professional meetings and even content production. Despite improvements in audio technology, most existing solutions struggle to consistently provide high-quality results in complex scenarios. This has led to an increasing need for a framework that not only handles these challenges but also adapts to the demands of modern applications like virtual assistants, video conferencing, and creative media production.To address these challenges, Alibaba Speech Lab has introduced ClearerVoice-Studio, a comprehensive voice processing framework. It brings together advanced features such as speech enhancement, speech separation, and audio-video speaker extraction. These capabilities work in tandem to clean up noisy audio, separate individual voices from complex soundscapes, and isolate target speakers by combining audio and visual data.Developed by Tongyi Lab, ClearerVoice-Studio aims to support a wide range of applications. Whether its improving daily communication, enhancing professional audio workflows, or advancing research in voice technology, this framework offers a robust solution. The tools are accessible through platforms like GitHub and Hugging Face, inviting developers and researchers to explore its potential.Technical HighlightsClearerVoice-Studio incorporates several innovative models designed to tackle specific voice processing tasks. The FRCRN model is one of its standout components, recognized for its exceptional ability to enhance speech by removing background noise while preserving the natural quality of the audio. This models success was validated when it earned second place in the 2022 IEEE/INTER Speech DNS Challenge.Another key feature is the MossFormer series models, which excel at separating individual voices from complex audio mixtures. These models have surpassed previous benchmarks, such as SepFormer, and have extended their utility to include speech enhancement and target speaker extraction. This versatility makes them particularly effective in diverse scenarios.For applications requiring high fidelity, ClearerVoice-Studio offers a 48kHz speech enhancement model based on MossFormer2. This model ensures minimal distortion while effectively suppressing noise, delivering clear and natural sound even in challenging conditions. The framework also provides fine-tuning tools, enabling users to customize models for their specific needs. Additionally, its integration of audio-video modeling allows precise target speaker extraction, a critical feature for multi-speaker environments.ClearerVoice-Studio has demonstrated strong results across benchmarks and real-world applications. The FRCRN models recognition in the IEEE/INTER Speech DNS Challenge highlights its capability to enhance speech clarity and suppress noise effectively. Similarly, the MossFormer models have proven their value by handling overlapping audio signals with precision.The 48kHz speech enhancement model stands out for its ability to maintain audio fidelity while reducing noise. This ensures that speakers voices retain their natural tone, even after processing. Users can explore these capabilities through ClearerVoice-Studios open platforms, which offer tools for experimentation and deployment in varied contexts. This flexibility makes the framework suitable for tasks like professional audio editing, real-time communication, and AI-driven applications that require top-tier voice processing.ConclusionClearerVoice-Studio marks an important step forward in voice processing technology. By seamlessly integrating speech enhancement, separation, and audio-video speaker extraction, Alibaba Speech Lab has created a framework that addresses a wide array of audio challenges. Its thoughtful design and proven performance make it a valuable resource for developers, researchers, and professionals alike.As the demand for high-quality audio continues to grow, ClearerVoice-Studio provides an efficient and adaptable solution. With its ability to tackle complex audio environments and deliver reliable results, it sets a promising direction for the future of voice technology.Check out the GitHub Page and Demo on Hugging Face. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. If you like our work, you will love ournewsletter.. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences. FREE AI WEBINAR: 'Fast-Track Your LLM Apps with deepset & Haystack'(Promoted)

As part of its CCXP reveals, Prime Video unleashed a first trailer for the third season of its fantasy series The Wheel of Time and revealed when it will be making its debut.The Wheel of Time Season 3 will premiere globally on March 13, 2025, around a year and a half after Season 2 wrapped up last October. Josha Stradowski, who plays Rand alThor, and Madeleine Madden, who plays Egwene alVere, were on hand at CCXP24 to announce the news and preview some of the upcoming season. The trailer, which you can watch here, showing an omnious changing world, one where the Shadow's roots have taken hold and the battle between the Light and Dark has only intensified. Plus, it seems like Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) faces a unique struggle of her own.The Wheel of Time Season 3 will premiere on Prime Video on March 13, 2025."I have seen a thousand thousand futures. Every future where I lived, Rand dies," she warns in the trailer. "And the only way he lives is if I don't." The Wheel of Time, which first premiered on Prime Video in 2021, is based on Robert Jordan's fantasy book series that follows Rand al'Thor, a farm boy who learns he's The Dragon Reborn, destined to either destroy the world or save it. In addition to Stradowski, Madden, and Pike, it also stars Daniel Henney as alLan Mandragoran, Zo Robins as Nynaeve al'Meara, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Dnal Finn as Mat Cauthon, Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand, Kate Fleetwood as Leandrin Guirale, Natasha OKeeffe as Lanfear, Ayoola Smart as Aviendha, and Kae Alexander as Min Farshaw.To refresh your memory on where The Wheel of Time left off, check out IGN's review of the finale, where we said Season 2 "ends with a big battle and a messy story that demonstrates The Wheel of Times biggest strengths and weaknesses."Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

CCXP in Brazil is becoming a bigger and bigger deal every year and some of the biggest news and moments in the entertainment world happen during this event. CCXP 2024 looks to continue that trend and we're here to gather all the can't-miss reveals in one place for you here.We've only just begun, but we've already been treated to the first five minutes of Severance Season 2 and a new trailer, a new look at Anya-Taylor Joy and Miles Teller's The Gorge, and much more. We'll be updating this article throughout the weekend, so be sure to check back for all the big reveals of CCXP!Two Brand-New Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Clips Unveiled at CCXP With an In-Depth Look at ShadowAhead of its theatrical debut on December 20, Paramount Pictures shared two new clips of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and one of them includes an in-depth look at Shadow.The first clip shows Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles arriving to the city and being on the lookout for a rogue alien. There is chaos everywhere, and the trio drop in and are quickly confronted by Shadow. He warns them to leave, but they choose to stand their ground instead. We then get to see a ton of flashy fighting that ends with Sonic and Shadow colliding and the city's power going out.The second clip shows Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles arriving at Tom and Maddie's home and convincing them to help them with a top secret mission. They devise a plan to break into Gun Headquarters and it involves, unsurprisingly, Sonic running very fast. We then get to see part of this plan in action and how it begins to fall apart when both Robotniks show up.The footage described here has not been released yet and the trailer below is from earlier.PlayAnya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller on Their New Film The Gorge: 'They Fall in Love Through Their Sniper Scopes'While you can check out the newest trailer for Anya-Taylor Joy and Miles Teller's The Gorge below, we also encourage you to check out our chat with the stars on this new genre-bending movie set to arrive on Apple TV+ on February 14, 2025. In The Gorge, Taylor Joy's Drasa and Teller's Levi are two lethal assassins posted on opposite sides of a mysterious cavern that hides an unspeakable evil. While they aren't supposed to communicate with each other, it doesn't take long before they began to build a relationship and "fall in love through their sniper scopes."PlayThe First Five Minutes of Severance Season 2 Was Just Revealed at CCXP 2024 Alongside a New TrailerSeverance fans were not only given a new trailer for the much-anticipated Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series, but those in the room were also able to watch the first five minutes of the show that is set to return on January 17, 2025.In the footage, we got to see the aftermath of the Overtime Contingency Protocol and see Mark back inside Lumon. Once we are back in Macrodata Refinement, we learn all of his old friends - Helly, Dylan, and Irv - have been replaced by new recruits. The footage ends with Milchick coming in with blue balloons and saying, "Welcome back, Mark S. Been a minute!"While that footage has yet to be released, you can check out the new trailer for Severance Season 2 below.Dexter: Original Sin New Scene Shows Dexter's First Day on the JobShowtime revealed some exciting things for those who can't wait for Dexter: Original Sin, including a new scene that shows Dexter's first day on the job.For this unfamiliar, Dexter: Original Sin is set to premiere on December 15 on Showtime and will serve as a prequel series to Dexter. Patrick Gibson is starring as Dexter Morgan, but Michael C. Hall himself will serve as the narrator of his inner voice.The footage shows Christian Slater's Harry Morgan bringing Dexter into the police station and crime lab to introduce him to his co-workers. We learn Dexter will be working with his father as a paid intern, and we also get a glimpse of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Patrick Dempsey's characters.If that wasn't enough for Dexter fans, those in the room were also able to see the opening credits for this new series. Star Trek: Section 31 Gets a New Trailer Showcasing This Secret Division of StarfleetStar Trek: Section 31 is ready to beam down to Paramount+ on January 24, 2025, and CCXP providing a reprieve from the wait with a brand-new trailer. We get another glimpse of Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Philippa Georgiou in action and learn she will be going up against a threat unlike anything Starfleet has ever seen before.Yellowjackets Season 3 Footage Warns That 'The Past Will Come Back to Hunt You'Yellowjackets is set to return for its third season on February 14, 2025, and CCXP peeled back the curtain with some new footage. It's an intense look filled with tense music, stabbing, howling, blood, and more. Developing...

While 1984s Supergirl is very much a low-budget attempt to cash in on the majesty of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, it does maintain the world that Richard Donner established in one regard. Midway through the film, Supergirl (Helen Slater) strikes a classic hero pose to face off against two baddies.I am Kara of Argo City, daughter of Alura and Zor-El, she says with confidence. And I dont scare easily. Unfortunately, she says those words to a witch called Selena, portrayed by Faye Dunaway at her hammiest. With just a flick of her finger, Selena flings Supergirl into an A&W vending machine.How could anyone defeat the Maid of Might with such a simple gesture? Any comic book loving reply guy would be quick to answer that Kryptonians like Kara and Kal-El are vulnerable to magic (what, exactly, vulnerable means is subject of much debate, but thats not important right now). That fact makes Selena a compelling villain, one who brings something different than the standard baddies in Superman-related movies: the Luthors and the Zods weve seen time and again. No matter the iteration, the pair offer a familiar, and often sci-fi, threat. By contrast to that bog standard villainy, however, is Selena, a sorceress who reminds viewers that Superman and Supergirl are so much weirder than the blue clad boys and girl scouts theyre so often portrayed to be.Both Superman and Supergirl have a host of magical and fantasy-based characters in their history. In Superman #14 from 1942, just four years after Supermans first appearance, the Man of Steel gets thwarted by a pianist called Krazinski, who uses magical hypnotism to befuddle Superman. That same issue sends Superman to an undersea city, foreshadowing Lori Lemaris, a mermaid and love interest. Beyond Lori, other magic-based characters frequent Supermans world time and again. The fifth-dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk is one of Kal-Els oldest and strongest adversaries, a trickster who can only be defeated by being tricked in turn to say his name backwards. Supes regularly fights the Silver Banshee, victim of an Irish curse. As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy served alongside the magical Princess Projectra of Orando and battled the wizard Mordru. The oddball comics of the postwar, early code era dabbled in many other genres as well, including fantasy stories that saw Superman face off against mythical heroes Hercules and Samson, or joining King Arthurs Knights of the Round Table.The fantasy aspects are even more pronounced in Supergirls stories. She interacted with most of the same magical characters as her cousin, including Mxyzptlk and Mordru. But she had her own strange adventures, most famously involving her flying horse Comet, who changed into a human via a spell from the witch Circe and who dated Supergirl for some time. Supergirl counts among her rogues gallery the sorcerer Zond, the sorceress Nightflame, and more recently, Legion baddie the Emerald Empress, whose Emerald Eye of Ekron has magical properties.Dunaways Selena may have been invented for the movie, but shes very much in line with these eerie antagonists. Supergirl writer David Odell and director Jeannot Szwarc follow the tone and world established by Silver Age DC Comics. The Argo City of the film may look like the science-focused Krypton of Richard Donners movies, but it counts among its citizens the wizard Zoltar (Peter OToole), who holds a powerful MacGuffin called the Omegahedron. When Kara arrives on Earth and masquerades as human girl Linda Lee, Selena and the sniping warlock Nigel (Peter Cook) use their powers not just to find the Omegahedron but also to mess with Karas romance with groundskeeper Ethan (Hart Bochner, playing a very different type of white knight than he did in Die Hard).The mixed-up identities, goofy romance, and earnest emotional outbursts in Supergirl fit right alongside the stories of the era, stories that formed the bedrock of the character. Even though several different versions of Supergirl have appeared since the original version died in 1985s Crisis on Infinite Earths #7including a blob of shapeshifting goo, a fallen angel bonding with a teen girl, and a midriff-baring escapee from Darkseidboth the comics and adaptations keep coming back to the original version that debuted in 1959, the one who had all the magical fantasy adventures.In fact, the next Supergirl movie will likely continue this fantasy turn. Written by Tom King and illustrated by Bilquis Evely, the 2021-2022 comic book series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow certainly has its sci-fi elements, as Kara and Supermans dog Krypto go across an alien planet, and even some aspects of a True Gritstyle Western, as it is narrated by a young girl who wants revenge against the man who killed her father.But Evely presents the story as high-fantasy, as announced by the cover of the first issue, which shows Kara raising a sword into the sky. The series imagines Supergirl as a type of wandering warrior or a knight of old who walks into a situation and helps the defenseless, pledging her allegiance to a quest. She even reunites with Comet, albeit back in horse form.James Gunn has announced one of the rebooted DC Universes next movies will be Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, and starring House of the Dragons Milly Alcock as Kara. We dont know at this point how faithful to the comic the movie will be; Gillespies previous films I, Tonya and Fright Night dont have much fantasy, Western, or sci-fi in them. However, its hard to believe that Gunn and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran would stray too far from the source material, especially since the comics writer Tom King is also part of Gunns coterie of creators.If indeed Woman of Tomorrow holds true to the comics, then it will be returning the all-important fantasy aspect back to the House of Steel. It will make Superman, Supergirl, and the entire DC universe that much more wonderful and strange, and it will be following in a trail blazed by Selena and Supergirl, one magical finger flick at a time.

This article contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 11.Outlander fans, whether theyve read the books or not, knew that it was only a matter of time before one of the storys biggest secrets would finally be revealed. In an episode already packed with twists and turns, the very last scene of season 7s A Hundredweight of Stones delivers the ultimate emotional blow.In Season 4, Lord John (David Berry), Jamie (Sam Heughan), and Claire (Caitrona Balfe) agreed that young William would fare better in life if he were presented to society as the future Earl of Ellesmere and not the illegitimate son of a Scottish prisoner of war-turned-landowner. Keeping this promise was much easier when William was an ocean away. Now the events of the Revolutionary War have brought both Lord John and William near Jamie and Claire.Jamies failure to return from Scotland plus Claire being accused of helping the Americans by British authorities in Philadelphia led to the sudden decision of Lord John to marry Claire in season 7 episode 10. Claires grief and the awkward adjustments to save face in public as Lord Johns wife dominate this episode.Williams life has not changed that much since Lord John married Claire. Now William Ransom a.k.a. William Grey, hes still a British soldier. He may not know the full story but he trusts Claire and is more focused on the possibilities of love and future promotion. Jamies unexpected return from Scotland on a different ship suddenly upends everything. He accidentally overhears a conversation between Jamie, Claire, and Lord John where they discuss the truth theyve concealed for over 20 years.Den of Geek spoke with showrunner and writer Matthew B. Roberts, and executive producer and writer Maril Davis about the big reveal. In addition, actors Caitrona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Charles Vandervaart (William), share their perspectives on Williams pain and how this story will continue in future episodes.Anytime Jamie and Claire get separated, its never good, Caitrona Balfe says. That separation sets off this chain of events that has such a huge impact on Jamie, Claire, John Grey, and William. Its one of the biggest tests Jamie and Claire have faced in a very long time this family interrelationship drama coexisting alongside the political drama.Both Claire and Lord John feel Jamies absence from their lives. Claires depression and grief drive her to contemplate suicide as she feels she has lost all meaning and purpose. Lord John also feels Jamies loss but is compelled to dress up the situation for Philadelphia society.We all knew going in that this would be such a weighty episode, and huge props both to Caitrona and David Berry for really bringing it, Maril Davis says. I remember watching it for the first time and I got so teary. I think grief is very individual and they both brought the right amounts of grief in their ways to the table. You dont need to add anything to it.In the last episode, Lord John promises Claire that they dont have to consummate their marriage officially. This situation is especially painful for Lord John as the years of unrequited love hit so much harder after the loss of Jamies friendship. However, their shared grief leads to a moment of intimacy. They would rather have Jamie as a partner.We decided to let the scene breathe onscreen and that we dont need to cut away. We dont need to find other stories to delve into because the audience will be there with us, Matthew B. Roberts says. When you watch Outlander, you may get a 10-minute scene, and thats our language of storytelling.While Claire and Lord John are working out what this marriage for protection means for them, William is searching for Mrs. Right.I believe he is quite naive, and maybe there is a world in which he and Rachel were good for each other, but I think William has a lot of growing to do before he can be present in a relationship, Charles Vandervaart says.Jamies sudden return forces all involved to confront what happened and what that means for Claire and Lord Johns marriage. This is the conversation that William isnt supposed to hear but he does and it changes everything for him.Its a huge moment, and Jamies processing all of this information but I think for Claire and John Grey its way harder, Sam Heughan says. Theyve been through this grieving process, this strange relationship. On top of that, to have William find out is a huge moment for Jamie. Jamies always wanted to be part of Williams life but he also knows how dangerous it is for people to find out that Jamie is actually his father.Its a very painful time in Claires life to have to go through this process of believing hes dead, grieving, and where that leads her, Balfe adds. For then to have to deal with Jamies anger about it is very complicated.Willam was entirely unprepared to hear the truth because of the confidence Lord John instilled in him. Hes lost in this particular moment in his life, Vandervaart says. His end goal was to fight for king and country and to represent those ideals that he learned from Lord John Grey. Now he has no idea because thats a lie. He still identifies with that part of himself, but he doesnt necessarily know if thats who he truly is anymore. This is Williams entire identity falling apart in front of him.William curses Lord John, Jamie, and Claire and storms off. I think in his confusion at that moment, he means it, Vandervaart says. William is a very fiery person and its akin to that really cliche phrase hurt people hurt people.There were a lot of intense emotions portrayed on screen and the on-set experience reflected that for Balfe and Heughan. It was very tough stuff to film, Balfe says. Its one of those storylines where youre like, how do we get into this? How do we make this feel honest to these characters? And working with David in that way was amazing. Its also those challenges that make the work interesting. Because if you were doing the same thing over and over or just doing easy stuff, it doesnt really challenge you and it doesnt make you have to dig deep.As for whats next for William, Lord John, and the Frasers, Vandervaart teases: The scenes just after that in the next episode were the most fun to film because its just pure rage. Hes an incoming wake of destruction because he has no idea what hes supposed to be doing now. His entire moral compass and direction in life are now in turbulence. There are so many great scenes where Im kicking over chairs and channeling that Fraser rage that we all have inside of us, confirming who his dad is.Heughan and company promise that the revelation will have long-lasting effects on the rest of the season. Balfe even goes as far as to say that whats to come is some of the most beautiful dramatic stuff the show has ever done.And Davis agrees: Theres a moment in the last scene of the last episode that propels Outlander into season eight that I think will surprise fans. Im looking forward to it.New episodes of Outlander season 7 premiere Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on Starz.