Riot tells staff impacted by LA wildfires that "what matters most is taking care of yourselves and each other""The scale of loss is heartbreaking."Image credit: Riot Games News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 10, 2025 As hundreds of thousands of people are placed under evacuation orders, the devastating wildfires sweeping across Los Angeles are not just impacting residents but developers based in the Californian city, too.Activision Blizzard, Riot, and other video game companies have reached out to employees, with Riot telling staff to take care of themselves ahead of work."For Rioters reading this, please remember, the mission and the work will always be there. Right now, what matters most is taking care of yourselves and each other," said Riot Games CEO, A. Dylan Jadeja on LinkedIn."As a leader, you feel a responsibility to say something and to do something in moments like these. But what do you say when frankly there are no words? Nothing can be said to truly acknowledge the pain and suffering that we are witnessing unfold in the communities so many of us call home. The ongoing wildfires across greater Los Angeles have upended lives, displaced families, and devastated communities. Tens of thousands of homes are at risk, and the scale of loss is heartbreaking - more than anyone should have to bear."It's too early for anyone to know exactly what will be needed or what can be done in the aftermath of this. The reality is we are still in the middle of it. But when the time is right, Riot will be ready to stand up for Los Angeles and give back in every way we can to all of these communities that mean so much to who we are. After all, while our reach is global, the heart of Riot Games has always been in Los Angeles. Los Angeles raised us and we are proud to call this great city our home."Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard told PC Gamer that it was "actively monitoring the situation" whilst providing "resources" to those impacted by the fires."Employee safety and well-being is our top priority," an Activision spokesperson said."We're actively monitoring the situation as it is quickly evolving. We've been in contact with the employees closest to the impacted areas to confirm their safety and provide resources."Yesterday, we reported that the same disastrous fires burning across multiple districts of Los Angeles have also shut down production across Hollywood, impacting the filming of Fallout season 2 and a raft of other projects.

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 hereWith Marvel Rivals Season 1 now live with complete patch notes available for players to look up, dataminers have already cracked open the game to discover new goodies on their way to the game.As soon as the season launched, leakers were keen to find out exactly what developer NetEase is adding. As it turns out, the developer is already starting to adapt some of the best outfits in the history of Marvel comics.Leaked Marvel Rivals skinsShared by dataminer X0XLeak, four skin themes have been discovered inside the game files for Marvel Rivals. The game is planning to add Gothic Recursion, Clashing Lions and 60th Wedding Anniversary skins as well as one more theme.In the plans for future skin themes is the Hellfire Gala. For those out of the loop, the Hellfire Gala is an almost-annual event designed as a haven for political discussions with mutants. The fancy event sees characters from the X-Menas well as other beloved charactersdress up in high-fashion versions of their outfits.In the past, characters like Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and more have received some spectacular outfits for the event. Of course, mutants like Scarlet Witch, Wolverine and many more also benefit from some gorgeous designs.As a place for high fashion and extravagance, adapting the Hellfire Gala for Marvel Rivals is an incredibly exciting prospect. In fact, considering how good the outfits are, open-world dress-up game Infinity Nikki might have some competition.With two members of the Fantastic Four now in the game for the first half of Eternal Night, players have even more content to discover in Marvel Rivals. Alongside learning how to play Doom Match properly, theres a bunch of new team compositions to get used to.For more Rivals news, read about the games leaked capture the flag mode or maybe read about the upcoming addition of Ant-Man/Iron-Man villain Ultron in a future update.Marvel RivalsPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Fighting, ShooterRelated TopicsMarvel Rivals Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Silverhand ScreenCyberpunk 2077 fan film offers an extra Johnny Silverhand ending that naturally includes an Arasaka heist, and a key dev on Cyberpunk 2 thinks it's pretty coolAn "incredibly ambitious and complex project" aimed at giving your brain buddy yet another chance to kick his favourite corp's hornet's nest.Image credit: CD Projekt News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 10, 2025 Warning: Spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077 lie ahead.Even if you've elected to become Night City's Johnny-no-mates, Cyberpunk 2077's main story always has at least a couple of ending options to chuck at you when you end up sitting on that rooftop at its main story's climax. That's not stopped one fan from deciding to throw another one into the mix, having devised an extra adventure for their V and Johnny Silverhand to have in an hour-long Machinima film.This project is the work of a cosplayer and virtual photographer who goes by the handle Valerie Silverhand - just in case you were wondering which of the game's characters they like - who's long been a staple of the Cyberpunk community. With this creation, they've even managed to earn a congratulations from the associate game director currently working on Cyberpunk's sequel at CD Projekt.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Their fan film, entitled Black Dog, was teased via a cool trailer late last year, and has now been released in full on YouTube. It's about an hour long, and has been put together via Machinima using assets from Cyberpunk, augemented using some mods and custom cinematics used to convey its original story.It's also important to note that the film seemingly uses some AI voices to give lines to the various characters from the base game it includes - the likes of Silverhand, Judy, Viktor Vektor, you get the idea. Valerie Silverhand writes in a disclaimer at the beginning of the video - which also emphasises that the project isn't associated with or endorsed by CD Projekt itself - that "AI voice tools were used for fan content purposes only, and not used for profit or with intent to exploit voice actors."That might well put you off the fan film, but at least they're being up front of it so folks can make that call for themselves, given this kind of AI use is arguably more of a moral grey area than it being used to mimic VAs' voices for commercial projects, which is definitely an issue with the potential to impact actors' livelihoods.Watch on YouTubeAnyway, to avoid spoilers in case you do go ahead and watch, here's a bit of the setup for the film's plot given early on in it: "A year has passed since V breached Arasaka corporation's data fortress of Digital Souls known as Mikoshi. Upon rejecting the dicotomy offered by the rogue AI, Alt Cunningham, V and Johnny Silverhand leave Mikoshi together in hopes of finding another solution." Things then kick off with V having learned of "a secret Arasaka cryo vault" that's "rumoured to store Saburo Arasaka's most private collection".As alluded to earlier Cyberpunk sequel associate game director Paweł Sasko appears to have gotten a kick out of the movie, having tweeted "Incredibly ambitious and complex project, very proud of you! Congratulations." in response to Valerie Silverhand's post about it.If you're after more fan-made additions to Cyberpunk 2077's main story, we recently reported on a modder who's added a whole new intro sequence and lifepath to it.

Blizzard developers have returned from holiday to deliver some news for all Diablo 4 players eager to hear more about the games next season. Season 7 is kicking off the day Season 6 ends - on January 21 - so its time for the team to reconvene and spill some beans. Read more

Its a new year, but drama in the WordPress community keeps going. Automattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, said that it would reduce its contribution to WordPress core, the open-source project that acts as the backbone of most of Automattics products and ensures the longevity of WordPress as a technology and community.Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg has been in a kerfuffle with WP Engine since September last year over the very issue of contribution to WordPress as an open-source and community project.iIn a blog post, the company said that it would reduce the number of hours it commits to the Five For the Future program to match rival hosting provider WP Engines contribution in terms of the number of weekly hours.As part of this reset, Automattic will match its volunteering pledge with those made by WP Engine and other players in the ecosystem, or about 45 hours a week that qualify under the Five For the Future program as benefitting the entire community and not just a single company. These hours will likely go towards security and critical updates, Automattic said in the latest blog post.The company added that it will redirect the resources to the ongoing legal battle against WP Engine.At an event last year, Mullenweg called WP Engine cancer to WordPress, pointing out a large stake owned by private equity firm Silver Lake in the company and a lack of contribution from the hosting provider to support sustainable growth. In the new blog post, Automattic called out this fact again.WP Engines historically slim contributions underscore the imbalance that must be addressed for the health of WordPress. We believe in fairness and shared responsibility, and we hope this move encourages greater participation across all organizations that benefit from WordPress, Automattic said.Automattic contributes around 2,560 hours per week, as per Five for The Futures dashboard. This number is already significantly less than the 3,900 hours per week the company contributed in September. Its not clear if this reduction is because of the companys shrinking headcount or a general strategy shift.The companys new blog post also sarcastically noted that members of the community have considered working on commercial products like WordPress.com, Pressable, WPVIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce as contributing to WordPress. So engineers will focus on building those products instead of contributing to WordPress core. Automattic is also under pressure to perform better on a financial point of view. In December, BlackRock marked down its investment in Automattic by 10% and this wasnt the first markdown. Overall, the investment firm has devalued its investment by more than 50%.The new directive related to contributions to the community project wasnt the only decision related to WordPress.org. Earlier this week, Thijs Buijs, a WordPress core contributor and the person who led the sustainability team, decided to step down as a representative. The sustainability team focused on the longevity of WordPress through social, economic, and environmental aspects.According to a Slack screenshot posted on Reddit, Buijs disagreed with Mullenwegs approach to advancing WordPress. In response, Mullenweg disbanded the sustainability Slack channel while saying, Today, I learned we have a sustainability team. Notably, Mullenweg initiated this channels idea during an event in 2022.Mullenwegs approach to the legal battle with WP Engine has attracted calls for a different kind of leadership in the WordPress world. Last month, Joost de Valk, the creator of Yoast, a popular WordPress SEO tool, outlined a plan to make a federated approach to the WordPress repository for decentralized access to assets like plug-ins and themes.You can contact this reporter atim@ivanmehta.comor on Signal: @ivan.42

sankai/Getty ImagesThe cybersecurity landscape of 2024 was marked by devastating ransomware attacks, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered social engineering, and state-sponsored cyber operations that caused billions in damages. As 2025 kicks off, the convergence of AI, geopolitical instability, and evolving attack surfaces presents an even more complex threat environment.Security professionals are bracing for what could be the most challenging year yet in cyber defense as threat actors leverage increasingly sophisticated tools and tactics. Based on current threat intelligence and emerging attack patterns, here are five significant cybersecurity predictions that will likely shape 2025.1. Ransomware will become data destruction and manipulationRansomware is no longer just about extortion -- it's becoming a tool for systemic disruption.Also: The Best of CES 2025 awards are in, as selected by ZDNET and the rest of CNET GroupRansomware attacks have become a fixture of the cybersecurity threat landscape, with organizations paying millions to recover encrypted data. However, the nature of these attacks is changing. This year, ransomware groups will move beyond encryption and data theft, targeting the integrity of critical data itself.This evolution could include attacks that corrupt sensitive databases, modify financial records, or disrupt the operations of entire industries. Imagine the implications of altered medical records in a hospital or tampered financial data at a multinational bank. The risks extend beyond monetary losses, threatening lives and destabilizing trust in institutions."Ransomware payloads themselves haven't changed that much. We've seen some minor tweaks and improvements," Dick O'Brien, principal intelligence analyst at Symantec Threat Hunter Team by Broadcom, notes. "However, genuine innovations have occurred in the ransomware attack chain. Your average, successful ransomware attack is a complex, multi-stage process that involves a wide range of tools and a fair amount of hands-on keyboard activity on the part of the attackers."Also: Is prompt engineering a 'fad' hindering AI progress?O'Brien credits the change to evolving tools and tactics. "The main trend has been the move away from malware. The majority of tools used by attackers these days are legitimate software," he explains. "In many attacks, the only malware we see is ransomware, which is introduced and run at the last minute."Recent studies, including insights from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), emphasize the growing sophistication of ransomware operators leveraging AI and automation to launch faster, more targeted attacks.What organizations can doImplement advanced backup and disaster recovery strategies.Prioritize data integrity checks to ensure tampered data is detected.Invest in endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to quickly identify and isolate threats.2. AI-powered attacks will outpace human defensesAI is revolutionizing industries, and that includes cybercrime. In 2025, adversaries will harness AI to craft highly targeted phishing campaigns, develop advanced malware, and identify system vulnerabilities at unprecedented speeds. These AI-driven attacks will challenge even the most advanced cybersecurity teams, as the sheer volume and sophistication of threats will outpace manual defenses.Also: How to protect yourself from phishing attacks in Chrome and FirefoxOne example of this emerging threat is the use of generative AI to create deepfake audio and video, which can be used to bypass identity verification systems or spread misinformation. In 2024, several high-profile incidents demonstrated how convincing deepfake technology has become, and its potential for abuse in cyberattacks is only growing."The cybercrime adversary community is opportunistic and entrepreneurial, and they have been quick to adopt and deploy new technologies [...] the use of deepfakes, artificial intelligence, and LLMs is the next step in this evolution as attackers seek to establish trust with the victim at the initial stages of the attack via social engineering," says Alex Cox, LastPass' director of information security. "They most commonly achieve this by pretending to be a decision maker for the targeted firm, thereby putting known authority behind the attacker's requests."AI-powered attacks are perilous because they scale effortlessly. An attacker can program an AI system to identify weak passwords across thousands of accounts in minutes or to scan an entire corporate network for vulnerabilities far faster than a human could.What organizations can doDeploy AI-driven defensive tools that monitor networks in real-time.Train employees to recognize sophisticated phishing attempts, even AI-crafted.Collaborate with industry partners to share intelligence on emerging AI-driven threats.The cat-and-mouse game of cybersecurity is entering a new, faster phase, where AI is the primary technology deployed by both red and blue teams.3. Critical infrastructure will be an early targetIn 2024, attacks on critical infrastructure made headlines, from European energy grids to water systems in the United States. This trend will accelerate in 2025 as nation-states and cybercriminal groups focus on disrupting the systems that societies depend on most. These attacks are often aimed at causing maximum chaos with minimal effort and are increasingly weaponized in geopolitical conflicts.Also: Technologist Bruce Schneier on security, society and why we need 'public AI' modelsAging systems and fragmented security protocols exacerbate the risks to critical infrastructure. For example, many energy grids rely on legacy technologies never designed to withstand modern cyberattacks. Meanwhile, the growing interconnectivity of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) creates new vulnerabilities."As I've spoken to water companies and utilities, I've found that many lack the basics in their industrial cyber programs," warns Ian Bramson, vice president of global industrial cybersecurity at Black & Veatch. "They haven't established visibility into their OT networks or the control over their environments to prevent, detect, or respond to attacks."Bramson urges leaders to view industrial cyber -- what he calls "the networks, equipment, and devices that impact safety and uptime (i.e., operational continuity)" -- as a matter of safety. "Virtual attacks on these can have significant real-world physical impacts. Making cyber a safety concern mandates action and prioritizes resources. All utilities take safety seriously. Extending that to cyber gives it the priority it needs. Ultimately, it's public welfare and employee safety that make OT mission-critical for water utilities."What organizations can doPartner with government agencies like CISA to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.Segment OT and IT networks to limit the impact of breaches.Invest in continuous monitoring and real-time threat detection for critical systems.Protecting critical infrastructure isn't just a cybersecurity priority -- it's a matter of national security.4. Supply chain attacks will escalateThe interconnected nature of global business has created a perfect storm for supply chain attacks. These breaches exploit vulnerabilities in third-party vendors, allowing attackers to infiltrate multiple organizations through a single entry point. In 2025, experts expect these attacks to grow in frequency and sophistication.One notable example is the SolarWinds cyber attack, which compromised thousands of organizations by targeting a widely used software provider. Similarly, the Kaseya ransomware attack highlighted how small vendors can serve as gateways to larger enterprises. Supply chain attacks are insidious because they exploit trusted relationships between companies and their vendors, often going undetected for months.Also: Anthropic flags AI's potential to 'automate sophisticated destructive cyber attacks'Governments and regulatory bodies are taking notice. In 2024, new guidelines for supply chain security were introduced in both the US and the European Union, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. However, compliance alone won't be enough to stop attackers who are constantly evolving their methods.As Matti Pearce, vice president of information security, risk, and compliance at Absolute Security, explains: "CISOs will need innovative detection and monitoring techniques to uncover unauthorized AI applications that might not be directly observable on network traffic. Focusing on user education and providing secure, approved AI tools will be central strategies in mitigating these risks [...] because the rise in the use of AI is outpacing securing AI, you will see AI attacking AI to create a perfect threat storm for enterprise users.""Today, the security industry still doesn't know how to protect AI well," Pearce continues. "Human error -- not malicious adversaries -- will be the reason for this expected conflict. With the increased adoption of AI, we can expect to see AI poisoning in the already vulnerable supply chain. In addition, a critical AI flaw will be the entry point for a potentially new and novel attack that will go undetected and cause significant economic disruption."What organizations can doConduct thorough security audits of all third-party vendors.Implement zero-trust principles to limit the impact of compromised partners.Use threat intelligence to identify and respond to supply chain vulnerabilities proactively.The security of your supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link.5. The cybersecurity workplace skills gap will deepenThe cybersecurity industry is facing a significant talent shortage. According to a report by ISC, the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs over 3.4 million globally in 2024 is expected to grow in 2025. This workforce gap presents a significant challenge as the demand for skilled professionals rises.Also:You can boost your cybersecurity skills for free with this new initiativeThe shortage isn't just about numbers -- it's about expertise. Many organizations struggle to find employees with specialized skills in threat intelligence, AI-driven defenses, and cloud security. As a result, overburdened teams are at greater risk of burnout, leading to higher turnover rates and further exacerbating the problem."A shift in the balance of power is underway in the criminal underworld, requiring human solutions," says O'Brien. "Historically, the operators of large ransomware families stood at the top of the cybercrime food chain. They franchised their businesses using the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) business model, where "affiliate" attackers leased their tools and infrastructure in exchange for a cut of ransom payments."However, this business model's unintended consequence has been placing more power in the hands of affiliates, who can quickly migrate to rival operations if one is shut down. Ransomware operations are now competing with one another for affiliates, offering increasingly better terms for their business."Also: 'Scam yourself' attacks just increased over 600% - here's what to look forTo address this crisis, organizations are turning to creative solutions. Upskilling programs and internal training initiatives are helping existing employees transition into cybersecurity roles. Additionally, automation and AI handle repetitive tasks, freeing human analysts to focus on strategic decision-making.What organizations can doInvest in training and mentorship programs to develop internal talent.Partner with universities and coding boot camps to build a pipeline of skilled workers.Embrace diversity initiatives to attract candidates from underrepresented groups.Closing the cybersecurity talent gap isn't just an industry challenge -- it's a societal imperative.What these predictions mean for 2025The cybersecurity challenges of 2025 are daunting, but they are not insurmountable. Organizations can defend against innovative cyber threats using a multilayered approach that combines technological solutions with human expertise.AI-powered defensive tools provide real-time network surveillance, while strict segmentation between operational and information technology systems protects critical infrastructure. Zero-trust security principles and thorough vendor audits help mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities. By investing in cybersecurity training programs to address the talent shortage, organizations can leverage human ingenuity to work around vulnerabilities proactively.Featured

This report says about 170 million new jobs will be created by 2030 and AI will play a key role.

A 'binary big bang' occurred when AI foundation models cracked the natural language barrier, kickstarting a shift in our technology systems: how we design them, use them, and how they operate.

Say hello to 2025you will be tracked.gettyUpdated on January 10 with new reports into a user location data leak with major privacy implications. An ironic spat this week in the world of big tech. Google attacked Microsoft for its long history of tricks to confuse users and limit choice, less than than three weeks after it was accused of reducing peoples choice and control over how their information is collected, in response to its new plan to digitally fingerprint users devices, not just Android and Chrome the usual targets of such criticism. That tracking is now just six weeks away.Two unrelated stories barely a fortnight apartand yet not really unrelated at all. The common theme is users as pawns, subject to the whims of the staggeringly expansive ecosystems they rely on each and every day.Google slammed Microsoft after the Windows maker was caught spoofing the Google homepage when users searched for Google on Bing.com. Windows LatestApple went to court to help Google defend its default search spot on a billion iPhones. Its not too many months ago that the iMaker released a video inspired by Hitchcocks The Birds that essentially warned those iPhone users to steer clear of Chrome.This was a clear attempt from Microsoft to make Bing look like Google for this specific search query, reported The Verge. The Google result includes a search bar, an image that looks a lot like a Google Doodle, and even some small text under the search bar just like Google does. Microsoft even automatically scrolls down the page slightly to mask its own Bing search bar that appears at the top of search results.Chrome and Google Search are not one and the same, albeit both carry privacy risks. And thats why those iPhone users are better using Google Search within Safari than Chrome, albeit that becomes much less the case if youre logged into a Google account as you do so. But Chrome doesnt play a leading role in the latest Google tracking warning that hit the headlines just before the holidays. Notwithstanding that Chrome has hogged the bulk of Googles tracking headlines in recent years, with cookies and incognito mode and its privacy sandbox playing recurring roles.The latest issue started when Google pushed out an update to its advertising ecosystem. The changes, it said, have been prompted by the broader range of surfaces on which ads are served (such as connected TVs and gaming consoles), and mean they will be less prescriptive with partners in how they target and measure ads.Fingerprinting is not just a browser issue anymore.This is digital fingerprinting across connected devices, the UKs information regulator was quick to point out. Fingerprinting involves the collection of pieces of information about a devices software or hardware, which, when combined, can uniquely identify a particular device and user... The ICOs view is that fingerprinting is not a fair means of tracking users online because it is likely to reduce peoples choice and control over how their information is collected. The change to Googles policy means that fingerprinting could now replace the functions of third-party cookies.And given the nature of these other devices and that users wont realize whats taking place, there are serious implications. Identity Week warns that organizations using Googles advertising tech can implement fingerprinting without violating Googles policies and complying with the requirements of data protection law... Fingerprinting is so hindering to privacy expectations because it relies on signals that are not easy to wipe. Even if data is permanently deleted, fingerprinting biometrics could detect and recognize your identity.Interesting parallels between the return of digital fingerprinting which is infamously difficult for a user to detect and an unprecedented new leak of user location data, which also exposes a vast array of apps collecting data from users devices. The Gravy Analytics leak highlights the sheer scale of the location data industry, another user tracking ecosystem that takes place behind the scenes, is difficult to detect, and which most users would likely disable if they could.As 404Media neatly puts it, the [Gravy Analytics] news is a crystalizing moment for the location data industry. For years, companies have harvested location information from smartphones, either through ordinary apps or the advertising ecosystem, and then built products based on that data or sold it to others. In many cases, those customers include the U.S. government... But collecting that data presents an attractive target to hackers.What I suspect will prompt users to sit up and take notice more than the scale of the leak is the number of popular apps contributing the data in the first place. Candy Crush, Tinder [and] MyFitnessPal, Wired reports, are amongst the thousands of apps hijacked to spy on your location... Some of the worlds most popular apps are likely being co-opted by rogue members of the advertising industry to harvest sensitive location data on a massive scale.There are various lists of these apps now doing the rounds suffice to say its extensive. Per Wired, it includes dating sites Tinder and Grindr; massive games such as Candy Crush, Temple Run, Subway Surfers, and Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells; transit app Moovit; My Period Calendar & Tracker, a period-tracking app with more than 10 million downloads; popular fitness app MyFitnessPal; social network Tumblr; Yahoos email client; Microsofts 365 office app; and flight tracker Flightradar24.... religious-focused apps such as Muslim prayer and Christian Bible apps, various pregnancy trackers, and many VPN apps, which some users may download, ironically, in an attempt to protect their privacy.Users dont like being tracked behind the scenes. Thats why the Gravy leak has made headlines and its why digital fingerprinting is doing the same. And theres another new twist as reported by Reuters: Google has failed to persuade a federal judge to dismiss a privacy class action claiming it collected personal data from people's cellphones after they switched off a button to stop the tracking. This may lead to a trial in the summer. It follows Googles destruction of billions of data records last year, in the wake of a similar lawsuit relating to data collection while using Chromes incognito mode.Interesting timing nonetheless, two warnings, a legal ruling and a privacy-invasive data leak all within a couple of weeks. The risks, of course, fall to all those millions and millions of users whether on Chrome or Edge or Android or Windows or all of the above. I approached Google and Microsoft for any comments on the various angles to all this nothing yet.Digital fingerprinting begins Feb. 16; in the meantime, just keep all this in mind.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 29: Alex Pereira of Brazil reacts prior to the UFC light heavyweight ... [+] championship fight during the UFC 303 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesIs Alex Pereira moving up to heavyweight for his next fight?It sounds like a definite possibility. According to Brazilian MMA content creator Laerte Viana, Pereira is rumored to be moving toward a fight with No. 3 heavyweight Alexander Volkov.The fight would not be a championship bout, but it seems likely the winner would get the next shot at the heavyweight title. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is expected to defend his title against interim champion Tom Aspinall at some point in 2025.LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 29: Alex Pereira of Brazil reacts to his victory in the UFC light ... [+] heavyweight championship fight against Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic during the UFC 303 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesThe winner of Pereira-Volkov would appear to be set up as the No. 1 contender. Pereira is the former UFC middleweight champion and reigning light heavyweight king.He has expressed interest in moving up to heavyweight to pursue a championship in a third weight class. The UFC has never had a fighter win a world title in three different divisions.Pereira has ascended to become one of the biggest stars in combat sports, and at 38, he is seeking to maximize his time in the UFC and his window as an elite fighter.Volkov is a veteran of 49 professional mixed martial arts bouts and 17 in the UFC. Hes never been UFC champion, but he has been on the cusp of a title shot multiple times. Most recently, Volkov lost a disputed split decision to former interim champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 310.LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Alexander Volkov of Russia exits the Octagon after his heavyweight ... [+] bout during the UFC 310 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLCIf Volkov had won that fight, he would already be in a position to fight the winner of Jones-Aspinall. As it is, UFC President Dana White felt Volkov got a raw deal and vowed to make it up to him.Perhaps putting him in a position for a big-money showdown with Pereira and another shot at becoming the No. 1 contender is the offer.While Pereira-Volkov is an intriguing fight, there is still a chance Pereira stays at light heavyweight to face No. 1 contender Magomed Ankalaev or even Khamzat Chimaev in March.Ankalaev is considered a longshot for that date because he observes Ramadan and would not have proper time to train for the fight. Chimaev is the No. 3 middleweight in the world, so he could be shifting gears to lock horns with Pereira at light heavyweight.Chimaev may not want to wait for the winner of Dricus du Plessis and Sean Stricklands rematch at UFC 312. Fighting Pereira for the light heavyweight title is a shorter path to a championship opportunity, but he could be climbing into the Octagon with a bigger and more dangerous opponent than DDP or Strickland.Its an interesting situation that will play out through official announcements from the UFC over the next few weeks.Here is a look at what we believe is already in place for UFC 313. Besides Pereiras fight and the Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo clash, the other bouts seem like prelims.UFC 313 Card - Known Fights(5) Amanda Lemos vs. (7) Iasmin Lucindo StrawweightBrunno Ferreira vs. Armen Petrosyan MiddleweightAlex Morono vs. Carlos Leal WelterweightMairon Santos vs. Francis Marshall FeatherweightBruno Silva vs. Joshua Van Mens FlyweightJhonata Diniz vs. Vitor Petrino HeavyweightDjorden Santos vs. Ozzy Diaz MiddleweightStay tuned for more information on UFC 313 and other events from the promotion in the first quarter of 2025.