The Oscar nominations are in. Thankfully. After previous attempts to announce what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences deemed the greatest achievements in film this year were delayed due to the deadly and tragic wildfires ravaging Southern California, its a small mercy that something as trivialbut normalas Oscar nominations could resume.And this mornings nominations certainly came with their fair share of shocks and surprises, all of which you can read about here. Was Margaret Qualley overlooked for The Substance? Did Jeremy Strong deserve a nomination over Denzel Washington? All that is water under the bridge now. What remains is the nominees. Who should win and why?With the admitted caveat that this is absurdly early to speculate on, we decided to give you our reading of the race as of nomination morning and attempt to predict this far out who will win in the major categories. Well give our reasons and leave to you whether theyre worth heeding ahead of placing your own bets and predictions in the office pool. But going forward the movies and contributions we think will win will be bolded. The ones we think should win will be italicized. And theyll be both when the choices are one in the same.Best PictureAnoraThe BrutalistA Complete UnknownConclaveDune: Part TwoEmilia PrezIm Still HereNickel BoysWickedWeve been doing this for a while now, and to be honest Best Picture is usually one of the easier races to call in most years (like last year or the year before it). By this point, narratives have taken root after the festivals, the critics groups awards, and industry chatter. But frankly 2025 is so wide open that even this morning I had to reevaluate my theory that Conclave could be this years Spotlight (a consensus pick which benefits from the preferential voting ballot the Academy uses for BP).As it turns out, the love for Conclave might be a lot less fervent in an Academy that conspicuously snubbed Edward Berger for Best Director and the films immaculate cinematography, courtesy of Stphane Fontaine. But you know who did get into that category? Paul Guilhaume for Emilia Prez, a nod that added to the films massive 13-nomination haul. The industry love for Prez is visibly strong through all corners of the Academy, but is it stronger than the media backlash, particularly on apps like X and TikTok? To be sure, the frontrunner is still probably The Brutalist, a more elegant and epic achievement from director Brady Corbet.The Brutalist is impressive work. However, it is also brooding, pensive, and ultimately pessimistic about the American immigrant experience. While that might reflect the feelings of a lot of Academy members right now, historically the Academy prefers films that uplift their spirits over those that leave them beleaguered. It is one reason why perceived frontrunner The Power of the Dog lost to CODA in 2022 (and Power wasnt 3.5 hours). Conversely, Emilia Prez sends a message of hope wherein a trans woman becomes a better person after her transition, leaving behind a lifestyle of murder and pain as a Mexican drug cartel leadereven as she is not fully absolved of her past sins.There are plenty of reasons why Emilia Prez could still lose. No, not the social media hate. They also despised Green Book (which much more uncomfortably rewrote the life of Donald Shirley to fit its feel-good narrative). Furthermore, Emilia appeals to the international members of the Academy which are less concerned with American culture wars. But Emilia also is a Netflix release, and the Academy has adamantly refused to give the streaming service the Best Picture Oscar. But in such a wide open field as this, Netflix might have found its best opportunity to finally nab the top prize.Meanwhile, I personally much prefer the elegiac grace and groundbreaking innovations of RaMell Ross Nickel Boys. Anora is also a one-of-a-kind movie that skewers the classism of our current world without being alleged of appropriating culture.Best DirectorSean Baker, AnoraBrady Corbet, The BrutalistJames Mangold, A Complete UnknownJacques Audiard, Emilia PrezCoralie Fargeat, The SubstanceStrangely, despite all the equivocating and second-guessing on Best Picture, Best Director seems much more straightforward. Ultimately, the reason we hesitate to recognize The Brutalist fulfilling its frontrunner status in BP is because the movie is a downer, and the Academy has historically been reluctant to give too many of those their top prize. The serious subject matter of following Holocaust survivors could be viewed as an exception to that rule, but not when it follows them into an indictment of the American experience.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Yet giving such cynicism Best Director will be an easier asksimilar to Jane Campion, Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu for The Revenant, and Alfonso Cuarn for Roma all taking home this award while losing Best Picture. We also admit of this shortlist (where Ross and the equally monumental achievements of Denis Villeneuve are absent), Corbets audacity and vision is the one to probably reward. Though truth be told we still had a lot more fun with Coralie Fargeats mischievous rage in The Substance.Best ActorAdrien Brody, The BrutalistTimothe Chalamet, A Complete UnknownColman Domingo, Sing SingRalph Fiennes, ConclaveSebastian Stan, The ApprenticeAnother category where The Brutalist will likely shine brightest is Best Actor. There has admittedly been some negative press about the film using AI to enhance accent marks for when performers are speaking (occasionally) in Hungarian, but we suspect that bit of awards season campaign sniping and gossip will fall on deaf ears given how poignant Adrien Brody is in a film that romanticizes the American immigrant, if not the America which resists him.Still, personally, Colman Domingo gave the best male performance of the year as an inmate at Sing Sing prison who finds transcendence, and maybe even fleeting escape, through artistic expression.Best ActressCynthia Erivo, WickedKarla Sofa Gascn, Emilia PrezMikey Madison, AnoraDemi Moore, The SubstanceFernanda Torres, Im Still HereWhat a difference a single speech can make. A month ago, I wasnt sure Demi Moore would be nominated by virtue of starring in a horror movie (look at Qualleys snub). Yet after her powerful acceptance remarks at the Golden Globes, she went from on the bubble to the absolute frontrunner. Her turn in The Substance is the performance of her career, which as she noted had been dismissed and diminished over the years by men in the industry. That she now is nominated for playing a middle-aged woman who destroys her body in order to attract the male gaze will not be lost on Academy voters.We wont be upset to see Moore have her long overdue moment on the Oscar stage. But speaking purely unto the performances, there wasnt a better one this year in any category than Mikey Madisons ferocious creation in Anora. She brings the humor, defiance, and barely teased tragedy of a sex worker from Brooklyn to life in a film that is equal parts screwball comedy and emotional heart-wrencher.Best Supporting ActorYura Borisov, AnoraKieran Culkin, A Real PainEdward Norton, A Complete UnknownGuy Pearce, The BrutalistJeremy Strong, The ApprenticeJesse Eisenberg wrote the role of Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain for his friend Kieran Culkin, and in the process appears to have set Culkin up for an Oscar. It is a true actors showcase where Culkin employs his natural charisma to ingratiate the audience and also make them wince as the hurt and loneliness that humor can only cover up for so long.Best Supporting ActressMonica Barbaro, A Complete UnknownAriana Grande, WickedFelicity Jones, The BrutalistIsabella Rossellini, ConclaveZoe Saldaa, Emilia PrezIs it category fraud to nominate what is clearly a lead performance like Zoe Saldaas under the Best Supporting Actress umbrella? Absolutely. Does that change the fact she is going to win? Not anymore than it did for Viola Davis in Fences or Tatum ONeal in Paper Moon. And Saldaa really is wonderful in Emilia Prez, a fact even its harshest critics must begrudge. World-weary and beaten down by life, she exudes exhaustion and anxiety even while belting songs atop a hotel ballrooms glossy tables.Best Adapted ScreenplayJames Mangold and Jay Cocks, A Complete UnknownPeter Straughan, ConclaveJacques Audiard (in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, La Mysius, and Nicolas Livecchi), Emilia PrezRaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel BoysClint Bentley and Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, and John Divine G Whitfield, Sing SingA category where Conclave might still get the recognition it deserves is here. With its taut and instantly immersive narrative making the intricacies and relics of the Vatican seem accessible and exciting, Peter Straughans scriptEmilia PrezBest Original ScreenplaySean Baker, AnoraBrady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The BrutalistJesse Eisenberg, A Real PainMoritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, and Alex David, September 5Coralie Fargeat, The SubstanceOne of the most original and intriguing voices of his generation, Sean Baker has gone ignored by the Academy, even as he has won over other awards bodies like the Independent Spirits and Gothams. This might finally change with the warmth and delayed ratatat charm of his Anora screenplay. The Brutalist could still win this one too, but it shouldnt.Best Animated FeatureFlowInside Out 2Memoir of a SnailThe Wild RobotWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most FowlFour months ago, I would have sworn The Wild Robot had this locked up. Chris Sanders and DreamWorks Animations unique take on motherhood by way of synthetic intelligence and a baby gosling is still the animated film of the year that will stick with me most, but plenty of animators who work within the industry and Academy admire the independent ambition and achievement of Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis on Flow. Theyll likely put the animated mini-epic about a catand which was also nominated for Best International Featureover the top.Best International FeatureIm Still HereThe Girl With the NeedleEmilia PrezThe Seed of the Sacred FigFlowEmilia Prez is a darling across acting, directing, and the Academys various technical branches. Its Netflix status might be a hindrance for the top prize, but definitely not here. Even so, the tragedy and heartbreak in The Seed of the Sacred Fig feels a lot more authentic.Best CinematographyThe BrutalistDune: Part TwoEmilia PrezMariaNosferatuCinematographer Lol Crawley and Brady Corbet shot The Brutalist on antiquated VistaVision lenses from the 1950s in order to present it in a roadshow 70mm format. The nostalgia and tip of the hat to old timey Hollywood epics will probably win it this Oscar, though Greig Fraser did way more with a larger-scale format (and on an admittedly bigger budget) in Dune: Part Two. Both also pale when compared to the flawless shadows and precise camera movements in candlelight implemented by Jarin Blaschke on Nosferatu.Best Film EditingAnoraThe BrutalistConclaveEmilia PrezWickedAnother technical category where we suspect Emilia Prez will do well is Best Film Editing by virtue of how it balances the avant garde musical numbers with a kinetic pace. You never truthfully are certain where the movie is going. Among these, however, the best choice is Conclaves ability to mimic a thriller despite it never being much more than old men squabbling in gardens and courtyards. Still, the category itself feels a bit like a sham since the best achievements in film editing this yearChallengers and Dune: Part Twoare missing.Best Production DesignThe BrutalistConclaveDune: Part TwoNosferatuWickedA place to recognize the most popular movie of the year, Wickeds production designs are admittedly exquisite. But Nosferatu actually felt transportive into a different time and place.Best Costume DesignA Complete UnknownConclaveGladiator IINosferatuWickedIt is a bit arbitrary to pick between what were all sumptuous examples of worldbuilding by fabric in Wicked, Gladiator II, and Nosferatu. We know where the Academys tastes lie, but as a personal preference, Denzel Washington really got to rock the hell out of those robes.Best Makeup and HairstylingA Different ManEmilia PrezNosferatuThe SubstanceWickedDid you watch The Substance? Did you see the Monstro Elisa-Sue? Yeah, so did we. Hats off to you all, Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli.Best Original ScoreThe BrutalistConclaveWickedThe Wild RobotThe love theme between Lzl and Erzsbet is gorgeous and haunting in The Brutalist, but the perpetual tension of Volker Bertelmanns work on Conclave is cumulatively more satisfying. But to be candid, the absence of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and their invigoratingly fresh score for Challengers makes this category suspect.Best Visual EffectsAlien: RomulusBetter ManDune: Part TwoKingdom of the Planet of the ApesWickedDune: Part Two will and probably should win this award. However, given the first Dune won for similar sights, we wouldnt be upset if Wetas eerily convincing ability to make a talking chimp a pop star in Better Man somehow miraculously broke through.

During the latest Developer_Direct, we showed off tons of brand new gameplay and provided developer insights on four upcoming games launching for Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass, and cloud and even surprise released a bonus remaster along the way.We visited the studios behind DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the never-before-seen NINJA GAIDEN 4 to get an inside look at new gameplay footage, as well as key information from each game, direct from the developers working on them. Plus, to celebrate the return of NINJA GAIDEN, we also announced that a remastered version of the beloved Xbox classic, NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black will be available for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass from today.In addition to Xbox Cloud Gaming, all the games in our show also support Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning when you buy them through the store on Xbox or Windows, theyre yours to play on Xbox and Windows PC at no additional cost, and your game progress and achievements are saved across Xbox and Windows PC.Heres a summary of everything we announced and covered during Developer_Direct today:DOOM: The Dark Ages Launching May 15, 2025Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, and play it day one with Game Pass*The team at id Software shared a deep dive into DOOM: The Dark Ages and revealed that the cinematic, epic first-person shooter will launch on May 15, 2025.DOOM: The Dark Ages, a prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, is set in a dark fantasy/sci-fi world with DOOMs immediately recognizable hellish twist. In the segment, three core pillars of the game were explored: Combat, which dug into deadly new weapons of mass destruction the Slayer can wield; Exploration, which offered a glimpse at an incredible new medieval-inspired setting that will take players to never-before-seen dark and sinister realms; and Story, which gave an overview of the characters and stakes the Slayer will face in his journey to turn the tides of a war.This is the most ambitious DOOM game to date. id Software is seizing the chance to present both newcomers and long-time fans alike with an epic adventure as the super weapon in a medieval war against hell itself. Find out more about the game, with extra information from the developers in our Xbox Wire article.South of Midnight Launching April 8, 2025Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, and play it day one with Game Pass*Compulsion Games took us behind the scenes at their studio in Montreal, Canada to learn more about South of Midnight, their new third-person action adventure game which releases on April 8, 2025.In Compulsions segment, we learned more about the journey of Hazel, the games protagonist, which leads her into a darkly magical world where she discovers her new abilities as a Weaver. Her story is filled with macabre Southern Gothic folklore and encounters with mythical larger-than-life creatures that shape her growth and understanding of her newfound powers.You can see more of South of Midnights hand-crafted art style, world building, and combat in South of Midnights new story trailer and get ready to explore the American Deep South with Hazel by pre-ordering today and play up to five days early with the South of Midnight Premium Edition. Find out more about the games story in our exclusive Xbox Wire article here.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Launching April 24, 2025Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, and play it day one with Game Pass* (see developer website for other platforms)We visited Montpellier, France, home of Sandfall Interactive, as they develop their first game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This turn-based RPG is set in a fantasy version of late 19th Century France, where the world is facing an existential threat, one year at a time. The developer shared a deeper look at the games innovative mechanics, such as the Reactive Turn-Based system, and the unique art direction that brings the games world to life. We even got a first look at Expedition 33s expansive overworld map.As the coup de grace, Sandfall Interactive confirmed the games release date: our journey to stop the Paintress begins April 24. For more on the teams creative vision and deep customization options, weve got more on Xbox Wire here.NINJA GAIDEN 4 Launching Fall 2025Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, PlayStation 5, and play it day one with Game Pass*Team NINJA announced the return of a beloved franchise with the reveal ofNINJA GAIDEN4. After more than a decade, the masters of action at Team NINJA and PlatinumGames have partnered with Xbox Game Studios Publishing to bring us an exciting new chapter in the NINJA GAIDEN series, a series with a long history on Xbox.We were introduced to Yakumo, a new protagonistwhose objective lies at the heart of a devastated Tokyo. On his mission, Yakumo will not only encounter fiends and demons , but also the legendary master ninja himself: Ryu Hayabusa. Gameplay footage showed that Yakumo will introduce players to a stylish new take on ninja action with Bloodbind Ninjutsu, alongside legacy techniques like the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop. Ryu will also return as a playable character with a revamped arsenal that stays true to his signature brutality and precision.During the segment, developers from both PlatinumGames and Team NINJA shared details about the games story, the setting in a near-future Tokyo, and its action-packed combat mechanics. We also got a glimpse into the creative process behind this highly anticipated title, which will be released in Fall 2025, and can be wishlisted on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5. For the latest information, follow Team Ninja on social media (YouTube, X,Facebook,Instagram). Check out an exclusive interview with the developers on Xbox Wire.NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black Available Today!Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, and play it day one with Game Pass*The highly-acclaimed and legendary game from 2008 returns graphically remastered! NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black features the high-speed ninja action of iconic hero Ryu Hayabusa and his deadly Dragon Sword. Embark on a global battle against formidable foes, engage in relentless combat, and play as additional characters Momiji, Ayana and Rachel.Looking AheadAs with every Developer_Direct, todays show marks just a selection of the games coming to Xbox this year. Next up is Avowed, Obsidian Entertainments upcoming fantasy RPG, which launches on February 18, 2025 for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, cloud, and will be available on day one with Game Pass. With our own studios and incredible partners working on new experiences, stay tuned to Xbox Wire and Xbox social channels this year to see why theres never been a better time to be an Xbox player.*Game catalog varies by plan Xbox.com/gamepass.

SummaryDuring Xbox Developer Direct, id Software unveiled gameplay and lots of new information for DOOM: The Dark Ages.Three core pillars for the game were explored: Combat, Exploration and Story.DOOM: The Dark Ages launches on May 15.Today, during Xbox Developer Direct, the id Software team took us inside the studio to get an in-depth look at DOOM: The Dark Ages, the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, and the most ambitious DOOM game to date.The segment gave us extended peeks into three of the titles core pillars: Combat, Exploration and Story. As the Slayer, youll be invited to explore a dark fantasy/sci-fi world with DOOMs immediately recognizable hellish twist, fighting your way across sprawling fantasy battlefields with an expanded arsenal of weapons and equipment.With DOOM: The Dark Ages, the team has taken the opportunity to reimagine every aspect of the DOOM experience to create an explosive new action adventure for both long-time fans and newcomers.CombatThe action in DOOM: The Dark Ages is a grounded experience focused on the sheer power that the Slayer wields devastating melee abilities, and the return of strafing, a classic DOOM manoeuvre. The team puts it best: In DOOM Eternal, you felt like a fighter jet, but in DOOM: The Dark Ages youll be an iron tank, ready to stand and fight. A loadout of new melee weapons, plus a brand-new melee skill tree means youll be able to get up close and personal to your demons and deliver some serious damage.During the show, we were introduced to the Shield Saw, packed with features to both block incoming fire, decapitate foes from afar, or traverse the environment. The segment also showed us a huge, spiked flail, an electric gauntlet built to pummel and paralyze incoming foes, and a fierce spiked mace; three new weapons that all come with their own combos and upgrade options.Its all about engagement; creating a loop or dance thats intuitive, innovative and loaded with depth fun on the outside smart on the inside, Game Director Hugo Martin says. An appealing power fantasy thats new but familiar who hasnt wanted to feel like an iron tank in the middle of a medieval war against hell?Obviously, DOOM is also all about the guns, and that trademark top-shelf shooting is here in abundance too. We saw a handful of the ranged weapons in action a hulking double-barrel shotgun packing a punch, a mean, energy-powered gun spewing paralysing shots, and, perhaps the most impressive a preposterous-looking machine gun that fashions high-speed rounds by breaking down actual skulls. Its an utterly menacing arsenal built to take on the biggest and baddest demons youve ever faced in a DOOM game.Bigger demons means bigger battles, and mech fans, rejoice youre in for an absolute treat. In DOOM: The Dark Ages, youll be able to pilot your own gigantic Atlan, a mech of gargantuan proportion built to take on baddies on a colossal scale. One clip in the segment looks like a kaiju movie, showing the Atlan throwing annihilating hits at a demon the size of a building its Dooms epic, brutal combat moments on a literally next level scale.If that wasnt enough, the team has also leaned more into the fantasy flair with another new weapon a giant cybernetic dragon complete with mounted gatling guns, able to swoop in from above and absolutely drill through anything standing in its way letting you hop on and take the fight to the skies. While DOOM: The Dark Ages internal motto has been Stand and Fight, this piece of equipment lets us mix it up with some fantasy style airborne combat, which looks extremely fun,Both the dragon and the Atlan come with their own suite of upgrades too, so as you use them, theyll actually get even more impressive and effective than they already are.ExplorationIn DOOM: The Dark Ages, were met with a mysterious world from the Slayers past, shrouded in dark forests and towering structures, alongside dangerous dungeons, and ancient battlefields. The setting blends DOOMs signature, recognizable hellscapes with a menacing medieval twist, and the juxtaposition of hi-tech weapons and cybernetically enhanced demons against this imposing fantasy backdrop is truly remarkable.Youll also be able to fully explore these levels with a level of freedom that has rarely been possible in a DOOM game. The levels in DOOM: The Dark Ages are less linear than previous instalments you have autonomy over which areas to explore and which objectives to pursue. Its a DOOM sandbox, your playground to cause carnage in whichever you want, and the biggest player space ever seen in DOOM.The Shield Saw we mentioned earlier also doubles up as a cool exploration tool you can use it to traverse across broken bridges, scale up ledges, smash through hidden paths, and crack into treasure troves nestled in every corner of the world. Exploration isnt just encouraged, its rewarded with loot, upgrades, and secrets.Its power through progression which leads to exploration, Hugo adds. Every critical item you need to dominate in Dark Ages is either held by your enemies or hidden in the world. Seek, discover, destroy!StoryThe id team is going big on narrative in DOOM: The Dark Ages, with aims to make the story and lore much more approachable, bringing deep story beats out of the codex and into incredible cutscenes for maximum impact. With the Slayer imprisoned at the start of our story the balance of power between good and evil is shifting and time is running out, Martin says. Our hero is a feared outsider among an imperilled people, his strength controlled by the gods they serve, in a world under siege by an ancient evil.The main plot is being kept under wraps for now, but the team shares that were expected to meet exciting new characters alongside old allies and of course, terrifying new villains. This story also leads right into the Slayers testaments in DOOM (2016), serving as something of an origin story for the two previous games. Its an action story worthy of the Slayers legend, and we cant wait to uncover it.The best part is that theres not too long to wait before you can become a medieval super weapon. DOOM: The Dark Ages launches May 15, for Xbox Series X|S, theDOOM: The Dark Ages Premium EditionBethesda Softworks$99.99Pre-orderGet a head start on slaying demons with the Premium Edition, including up to 2-Day Early Access* and the campaign DLC**. Youll also receive the Digital Artbook and Soundtrack, and the Divinity Skin Pack, which includes matching skins for the DOOM Slayer, dragon and Atlan. Pre-order now to receive the Void DOOM Slayer Skin at launch.INCLUDES: Base Game (digital code) Up to 2-Day Early Access Campaign DLC Digital Artbook and Soundtrack Divinity Skin Pack*Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages. **DLC availability to be provided at a later date.BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELLDOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayers rage. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell. A DOOM FOR ALL SLAYERS A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it's the perfect entry point whether youre new to the franchise or a long-time fan.REIGN IN HELL As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for. THE ORIGIN OF YOUR RAGE Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayers rage in this epic, cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war. DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id's largest and most expansive levels to date.DOOM: The Dark AgesBethesda Softworks$69.99Pre-orderPre-order now to receive the Void DOOM Slayer Skin at launch.BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELLDOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayers rage. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell. A DOOM FOR ALL SLAYERS A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it's the perfect entry point whether youre new to the franchise or a long-time fan.REIGN IN HELL As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for. THE ORIGIN OF YOUR RAGE Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayers rage in this epic, cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war. DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id's largest and most expansive levels to date.DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium UpgradeBethesda Softworks$34.99Pre-orderGet a head start on slaying demons with the Premium Upgrade*, including up to 2-Day Early Access**, the campaign DLC***, Digital Artbook and Soundtrack, and the Divinity Skin Pack, which includes matching skins for the DOOM Slayer, dragon and Atlan. Pre-order now to receive the Void DOOM Slayer Skin at launch.INCLUDES: Up to 2-Day Early Access Campaign DLC Digital Artbook and Soundtrack Divinity Skin Pack*Base Game required (sold separately) **Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages. ***DLC availability to be provided at a later date.BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELLDOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayers rage. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.A DOOM FOR ALL SLAYERSA dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it's the perfect entry point whether youre new to the franchise or a long-time fan.REIGN IN HELLAs the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.THE ORIGIN OF YOUR RAGE Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayers rage in this epic, cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMSIn his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id's largest and most expansive levels to date.

Benjamin and Chance give their thoughts on Apples attempts to placate the BBCs complaints about notification summaries with iOS 18.3. Also, the rumored iPhone 17 Air design has a divisive camera bar on the back, and this week also saw an intriguing leak showing apparent design changes for the iOS 19 Camera app.And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance struggles to find new things to watch and much to Benjamins delight brings his own Apple TV app complaints to the table. Subscribe at9to5mac.com/join.Sponsored by Shopify: Grow your business no matter what stage youre in. Sign up for a $1 per month trial atshopify.com/happyhour.HostsChance Miller Benjamin MayoSubscribe, Rate, and Review9to5Mac Happy Hour PlusSubscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:Ad-free versions of every episodePre- and post-show contentBonus episodesJoin for $5 per month or $50 a year at9to5mac.com/join.Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or ThreadsEmail us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com LinksAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Over the last year, weve seen multiple long-term holdouts finally cave to the pressure and adopt Apple Pay. At this point, the largest holdout in the United States is Walmart, and the company today indicated that it has absolutely zero plans to change its stance.Walmarts stance on Apple Pay isnt changingFor years, Walmart has insisted that its own payment technologies are superior to Apple Pay. For example, it launched Walmart Pay across the United States in 2016. Walmart Pay works by having shoppers scan a QR code at checkout, then complete their payment on their phone. The company also offers a Scan & Go platform that lets users skip checkout lines altogether, but there are a number of limitations on when you can actually use that offering.At one point, Walmart even tried to justify its decisionby making the bizarre claimthat Walmart Pay is more popular than Apple Pay.In a statement to MacRumors, a Walmart spokesperson said that it believes these convenient solutions negate the need for the retail chain to support Apple Pay:We do not accept NFC and instead have implemented convenient solutions, such as Walmart Pay, that provide our customers easy, touchless payments on any smartphone. We have also invested in innovative technologies that go beyond payments, such as Scan & Go, which allow Sams Club and Walmart+ members to bypass the checkout altogether, providing a truly touchless shopping experience.Id wager that the vast majority of Walmart shoppers strongly disagree with the sentiment. A quick search on social media reveals that Walmart shoppers are incredibly frustrated by the companys lack of Apple Pay support.Whats the real reason Walmart doesnt support Apple Pay? My belief is that it all boils down to data collection. Apple Pay comes with a number of privacy protections in place that prevent a merchant from learning about your transaction history. This makes it harder, if not impossible, for merchants like Walmart to track your purchase patterns. Tracking your purchase history is something Walmart relies on for building customer profiles for targeted ads, marketing, and more.While Walmart continues to neglect Apple Pay, other long-term holdouts have started to cave. Kroger rolled out Apple Pay support in 2023, followed by grocery chain H-E-B and Home Depot.Has Walmarts lack of Apple Pay support affected your shopping habits? Do you think the company will ever launch support for the platform? Let us know down in the comments.My favorite iPhone 16 accessories:Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

The reactor contained plasma for almost 18 minutes.Sun IntendedScientists claim that China's "Artificial Sun" nuclear reactor has more than doubled its own previous world record, confining extremely high-energy plasma for a whopping 1,066 seconds this week (that's in comparison to its previous record of 403 seconds, set in 2023.)Using the experimental reactor known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST),scientists heated plasma to temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius, and managed to contain the swirling soup of atoms for over 17 minutes.The goal is to essentially recreate the processes that power stars like the Sun inside nuclear fusion reactors here on Earth as a way to produce a renewable source of green energy without running the risk of a nuclear meltdown, which still lingers at fission reactors like the Fukushima Daiichi plant that melted down in 2011."A fusion device must achieve stable operation at high efficiency for thousands of seconds to enable the self-sustaining circulation of plasma, which is critical for the continuous power generation of future fusion plants," said Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) director Song Yuntao in an official statement.Holy GrailIt's a step in the right direction, but a future in which fusion reactors can take up the mantle for grid-scale power generation remains a holy grail.Despite decades of research and countless "breakthroughs," scientists have only recently started producing tiny amounts of net positive energy, or harvesting more energy out of the reaction than they had to put in and doing so at a meaningful scale will likely prove enormously difficult.The EAST is a donut-shaped reactor that's designed to confine highly energized plasma spinning in a loop. But to achieve ignition, or reach the point where the reaction can self-sustain itself, still requires copious amounts of energy, far surpassing the amount being generated.Scientists are nonetheless hopeful that future reactors could flip that equation on its head. The super-expensive International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France, for instance, could set the stage for future fusion reactor designs that could turn the idea of fusion energy into a reality.But we'll have to remain patient until we can find out whether that's even a possibility. Operations at ITER aren't expected to start until at least 2039, despite the reactor finishing construction over half a year ago.Share This Article

Thousands of Capital One customers recently experienced the fallout of a multi-day outage. Customers could not access online banking services and faced delays in receiving direct-deposited paychecks, The New York Times reported.Capital One attributed the outage to a technical issue with a third-party vendor, according to a Jan. 16 post on X.The third-party vendor in question? Fidelity Information Services (FIS), a financial technology company. On Jan. 19, Capital One posted that all customer account functionality was restored.Capital One was one of several banks impacted by the FIS system outage.Whether via malicious actors executing ransomware attacks or unintentional mistakes, third-party outages can have widespread ripple effects. We can see that here with the FIS outage and thousands of banking customers. Last year, we saw impact on a global scale with the CrowdStrike and Microsoft outage.In a time when most companies rely on third parties to operate, this kind of risk isnt going anywhere. What can enterprise leaders learn from the Capital One outage as they assess the ongoing third-party risk their organizations face?The OutageFIS attributed the outage to a local area power loss and a hardware failure, according to a company statement.Related:The company did not share more details regarding the nature of the outage, but it does raise questions about the testing and backups it has in place.There should be testing done. There should be the right tools in place with backups, Randolph Barr, CISO at Cequence Security, an API security company, tells InformationWeek. Surprising that there was a power outage that caused a disruption in their customers environments.When an outage like this happens, who gets the blame depends on who you ask. FIS attributes the outage to power loss and hardware failure. Its customers are likely to place blame on FIS. For consumers, their relationship is with their bank.A Capital One consumer they don't know who FIS is and they don't care, says Jason Rebholz, vice president, cyber risk officer at insurance company Travelers. At the end of the day, your customers are going to hold you accountable. They don't care about the details.Regardless of the ultimate cause of the outage, the impacted companies -- FIS, Capital One, and other impacted banks -- must manage the fallout.Evaluating Third-Party Relationships and Managing RiskThe interconnected nature of business and the supply chain is unlikely to change anytime soon. If anything, it will continue to grow more complex as companies look for partners in AI and machine learning. That means the possibility of outages and breaches, related to third parties isnt going anywhere either. Most organizations (98%) have a third party that has been breached in their supply chains, according to SecurityScorecard.Related:How can enterprise leaders evaluate their relationships with third-party vendors to better understand and manage that risk?Review contracts. A major outage is always a reminder for enterprise leaders to consider their third-party contracts. What kind of service level agreements (SLAs) are in place? What uptime guarantee does a vendor offer?The larger the company, typically, the more power it possesses to negotiate on these terms. If I were to look at small-, medium-sized companies, they don't have that much flexibility working with larger organizations. But when you're a large fintech company or banking company -- Capital One being a large one -- they have a lot more influence over the contracts and working closely with their vendors, says Barr.Conduct regular assessments. A businesss security is only as good as its vendors security and business continuity plans. What steps does a third party take to protect its operations, and by extension its customers operations?Related:Start off with classifying your vendors based on the criticality [to] your business, says Rebholz. The bigger impact a vendor outage would have on your business, the more critical it is.Regularly conduct assessments of that vendors security and business continuity practices.Evaluate vendor scale. As companies grow, leaders need to consider their third-party vendors ability to keep up. As [businesses] grow , they have to reevaluate every single one of [their third parties] to make sure that they can scale right along with them, says Barr.Businesses can manage those third-party relationships and diversify their supply chains to create more fail-safes, but that doesnt mean that outages or breaches wont happen.There are always these edge cases that pop up no reasonable person [who] would assume that all of these things are going to happen together, says Rebholz.When the perfect storm hits, whether its a power outage and hardware failure or something else, enterprise leaders need to be ready.You still have a lot of work that you should be doing on your side to make sure you plan for the inevitable failure or security incident at your critical vendors, Rebholz points out.Insurance can play an important role in that business continuity planning process. What kind of coverage does an enterprise have, and is it enough?The cyber insurance business is going strong; annual premiums are expected to hit approximately $23 billion by the end of 2026, according to S&P Global. But enterprise leaders need to examine the details of any policy they have or are thinking about buying.A lot of cyber insurance policies are very much geared towards malicious events, cyberattacks that type of stuff, and don't cover the accidental, Scott Kannry, CEO and cofounder of cybersecurity company Axio, points out.Risk quantification can help enterprise leaders determine the type of insurance coverage they need and the amount. What is the risk of a third-party vendor outage? How big is the potential financial loss? Does my policy cover third-party outages, accidental and caused by cyberattack?The FIS outage and its impact on Capital One and other customers is not the last incident of this nature the market willsee.We need to learn from a lot of these incidents, and we need to remind ourselves on a regular basis that this can happen to anybody, says Barr. Therefore, we need to make sure we step up our game in assessing these vendors.

Robert Eggers is adding another cult classic to his resume.After turning the Germain silent horror filmNosferatuinto a modern hit, Eggers will soon begin work writing and directing a newLabyrinth, based on the 1986 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson.According toDeadline, the film is a sequel to, rather than a remake of, Jim Hensons 1986 classic. Eggers is writing the script with Sjn, his collaborator on 2022 Viking actionerThe Northman.Eggers andSjn are already working onanother new project as well, this one titledWerwulfabout a farmboy from an alien world who receives a call to adventure from an old wizard and journeys into deep space and discovers a massive battle station whoops no sorry, wrong movie, no okay itsactually about a werewolf, that makes more sense.TriStar PicturesTriStar Picturesloading...READ MORE: The 10 Worst Cult Movies EverThe originalLabyrinth starred Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie; the former as a teenager who must save her baby brother from the latter, the Goblin King who rules over the labyrinth where the kid has been stashed. Although the movie (Hensons finalfeature as a director) was not a massive success with critics or with audiences in 1986, its reputation has grown steadily through the years.There have been other works set in theLabyrinth universe, mostly comics, but this will be the first full-fledged sequel if it comes off.It joins other 80s Henson favorites in getting legacyquels in recent years. Netflixreleased aDark Crystal television series and Apple TV+ has made several new seasons of the popular childrens showFraggle Rock.EggersNosferatu has become the directors biggest hit to date, grossing over $156 million worldwide. Earlier today, it receivedfour Academy Award nominations, for Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costumes, and Best Production Design.Get our free mobile app12 Hit Movies That People Mistakenly Call Cult FilmsDespite what people write about them, these movies were hits they were not cult films.

The reputation of theStar WarsSequel Trilogy The Force Awakens,The Last Jedi, andThe Rise of Skywalker is not so great these days. And here at ScreenCrush and on our YouTube channel weveleveledour fair share of criticism against these three films (especially the last one).But this trilogy is now five years old. That gives us something we never had before: The benefit of hindsight. And with the benefit of hindsight we can see that for all their flaws (and they do have some!) theStar Wars sequels have a lot going for them, and a lot to say about the world as we live in it today.In our latestStar Wars video, we break down all three films and talk about why these films arenotas bad as you think evenThe Rise of Skywalker and why a lot of the bad stuff in that movie, and all three sequels, actually makes a lot of sense. Watch our full defense of the Sequel Trilogy below:If you liked that video on why the Star Wars sequel trilogy is way better than you remember, check out more of our videos below, including one on the one line of dialogue that ruined Star Wars, one on Daisy RidleysStar Wars movie and the state ofStar Warscinema in 2024, and one onDarth Plagueis cameo in Star Wars: The Acolyte and why it is maybe the single most important event in the entire season. Plus, theres tons more over at ScreenCrushs YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.The new Star Wars TV show, Skeleton Crew, is now streaming on Disney+.Sign up for Disney+ here.10 TV Show Flops That Turned Out to Be Huge HitsUniversally beloved TV shows aren't always universally beloved from episode one.Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky

After weeks of buzz, OpenAI has released Operator, its first AI agent. Operator is a web app that can carry out simple online tasks in a browser, such as booking concert tickets or filling an online grocery order. The app is powered by a new model called Computer-Using AgentCUA (coo-ah), for shortbuilt on top of OpenAIs multimodal large language model GPT-4o. Operator is available today at operator.chatgpt.com to people in the US signed up with ChatGPT Pro, OpenAIs premium $200-a-month service. The company says it plans to roll the tool out to other users in the future. OpenAI claims that Operator outperforms similar rival tools, including Anthropics Computer Use (a version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet that can carry out simple tasks on a computer) and Google DeepMinds Mariner (a web-browsing agent built on top of Gemini 2.0). The fact that three of the worlds top AI firms have converged on the same vision of what agent-based models could be makes one thing clear. The battle for AI supremacy has a new frontierand its our computer screens. Moving from generating text and images to doing things is the right direction, says Ali Farhadi, CEO of the Allen Institute for AI (AI2). It unlocks business, solves new problems. Farhadi thinks that doing things on a computer screen is a natural first step for agents: It is constrained enough that the current state of the technology can actually work, he says. At the same time, its impactful enough that people might use it. (AI2 is working on its own computer-using agent, says Farhadi.) Dont believe the hype OpenAIs announcement also confirms one of two rumors that circled the internet this week. One predicted that OpenAI was about to reveal an agent-based app, after details about Operator were leaked on social media ahead of its release. The other predicted that OpenAI was about to reveal a new superintelligenceand that officials for newly inaugurated President Trump would be briefed on it. Could the two rumors be linked? OpenAI superfans wanted to know. Nope. OpenAI gave MIT Technology Review a preview of Operator in action yesterday. The tool is an exciting glimpse of large language models potential to do a lot more than answer questions. But Operator is an experimental work in progress. Its still early, it still makes mistakes, says Yash Kumar, a researcher at OpenAI. (As for the wild superintelligence rumors, lets leave that to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to address: twitter hype is out of control again, he posted on January 20. pls chill and cut your expectations 100x!) Like Anthropics Computer Use and Google DeepMinds Mariner, Operator takes screenshots of a computer screen and scans the pixels to figure out what actions it can take. CUA, the model behind it, is trained to interact with the same graphical user interfacesbuttons, text boxes, menusthat people use when they do things online. It scans the screen, takes an action, scans the screen again, takes another action, and so on. That lets the model carry out tasks on most websites that a person can use. Traditionally the way models have used software is through specialized APIs, says Reiichiro Nakano, a scientist at OpenAI. (An API, or application programming interface, is a piece of code that acts as a kind of connector, allowing different bits of software to be hooked up to one another.) That puts a lot of apps and most websites off limits, he says: But if you create a model that can use the same interface that humans use on a daily basis, it opens up a whole new range of software that was previously inaccessible. CUA also breaks tasks down into smaller steps and tries to work through them one by one, backtracking when it gets stuck. OpenAI says CUA was trained with techniques similar to those used for its so-called reasoning models, o1 and o3. Operator can be instructed to search for campsites in Yosemite with good picnic tables.OPENAI OpenAI has tested CUA against a number of industry benchmarks designed to assess the ability of an agent to carry out tasks on a computer. The company claims that its model beats Computer Use and Mariner in all of them. For example, on OSWorld, which tests how well an agent performs tasks such as merging PDF files or manipulating an image, CUA scores 38.1% to Computer Uses 22.0% In comparison, humans score 72.4%. On a benchmark called WebVoyager, which tests how well an agent performs tasks in a browser, CUA scores 87%, Mariner 83.5%, and Computer Use 56%. (Mariner can only carry out tasks in a browser and therefore does not score on OSWorld.) For now, Operator can also only carry out tasks in a browser. OpenAI plans to make CUAs wider abilities available in the future via an API that other developers can use to build their own apps. This is how Anthropic released Computer Use in December. OpenAI says it has tested CUAs safety, using red teams to explore what happens when users ask it to do unacceptable tasks (such as research how to make a bioweapon), when websites contain hidden instructions designed to derail it, and when the model itself breaks down. Weve trained the model to stop and ask the user for information before doing anything with external side effects, says Casey Chu, another researcher on the team. Look! No hands To use Operator, you simply type instructions into a text box. But instead of calling up the browser on your computer, Operator sends your instructions to a remote browser running on an OpenAI server. OpenAI claims that this makes the system more efficient. Its another key difference between Operator, Computer Use and Mariner (which runs inside Googles Chrome browser on your own computer). Because its running in the cloud, Operator can carry out multiple tasks at once, says Kumar. In the live demo, he asked Operator to use OpenTable to book him a table for two at 6.30 p.m. at a restaurant called Octavia in San Francisco. Straight away, Operator opened up OpenTable and started clicking through options. As you can see, my hands are off the keyboard, he said. OpenAI is collaborating with a number of businesses, including OpenTable, StubHub, Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber. The nature of those collaborations is not exactly clear, but Operator appears to suggest preset websites to use for certain tasks. While the tool navigated dropdowns on OpenTable, Kumar sent Operator off to find four tickets for a Kendrick Lamar show on StubHub. While it did that, he pasted a photo of a handwritten shopping list and asked Operator to add the items to his Instacart. He waited, flicking between Operators tabs. If it needs help or if it needs confirmations, it'll come back to you with questions and you can answer it, he said. Kumar says he has been using Operator at home. It helps him stay on top of grocery shopping: I can just quickly click a photo of a list and send it to work, he says. Its also become a sidekick in his personal life. I have a date night every Thursday, says Kumar. So every Thursday morning, he instructs Operator to send him a list of five restaurants that have a table for two that evening. Of course, I could do that, but it takes me 10 minutes, he says. And I often forget to do it. With Operator, I can run the task with one click. Theres no burden of booking.