At the heart of game development is animationwhether its bringing characters to life, crafting dynamic environments, or designing visually engaging effects, animation plays a key role in making games immersive. With the landscape of game development constantly evolving, we wanted to take a look at the animation software thats making waves in 2025.

I have to be honest: I was never quite as high on Daredevils famous one-take hallway fight scene as everyone else seemed to be. Its pretty good, and certainly stands out within the superhero subgenre as an example of cogent action design. But it lacks the impact of the fight from Oldboy its very clearly imitating, and isnt nearly as impressive as Tony Jaas mind-melting oner in The Protector, or Sam Hargraves 21-minute oner across multiple locations in Extraction 2, or James Nunn and Scott Adkins stunning work in the One Shot series.To be fair, those are some of the best to ever do it. So its no surprise that by comparison I always thought Daredevils hallway oner was just solid, and mostly appreciated it for the exhaustion depicted by the end of the sequence and how faithful it was in its approach to the comics, which are known for some of the most gorgeous, intricate fight scenes in the Marvel Universe. (My colleague and comics expert Susana Polo quipped a key part of any Daredevil story is making Matt Murdock getting the shit kicked out of him look like the coolest thing youve ever seen.) But I have a renewed appreciation for it after the Daredevil revival Born Again nakedly attempted to recapture that magic with an underwhelming one-take fight sequence in its opening episode.[Ed. note: Spoilers follow for the first 10 minutes of Daredevil: Born Again.]The new sequence starts a little less than nine minutes into the opening episode of Born Again, with an attack by Bullseye on a group gathering at a bar. Bullseye throws a smoke bomb into the bar, setting up a hard-to-follow showdown between Daredevil and Bullseye as the other patrons clear out.The fight starts with a great stunt fall Daredevil swings in, grabbing Bullseye and launching both of them through the bars window, bouncing off a table and onto the floor (it looks like it really hurt).As the smoke fills up the room, the two brawl, Daredevil repeatedly punching Bullseye in the face. And its here where the problems really start: Because the images are so undersaturated, its hard to follow the nighttime scene through the smoke. Darkly lit scenes can look cool and be legible, but there has to be a contrast between the focal points of the image and what surrounds them (or a clear intent behind the muddy image). Daredevil: Born Agains opening one-take fight scene mostly lacks this, resulting in a largely obscured mess that hides much of the hard work and choreography that went into the sequence.This is especially true as bar patrons continually cross the sight lines of the camera while trying to escape a choice that was probably meant to sell the chaos those people felt in the moment, but instead just blocks the action and breaks immersion. Theres a slick moment where Daredevil fully twists his body around for a spinning kick, following it up by throwing his baton off of Bullseyes face, catching it on the rebound. Its actually quite cool, but took me rewinding three times to fully appreciate it, because in the middle of that approximately five-second sequence, a panicked bystander walks directly between the camera and the fighters, disrupting our ability to track the action.In one of the better parts of the sequence, the fighting accidentally takes out the bars lights, setting up a brief, beautiful moment where there is contrast in image, as the brown and gray tones from the smoke lose out in favor of the darkness, resulting in pronounced silhouettes of Daredevil and Bullseye.The camera retreats backward, finding a nice moment of synergy between camera and action as two people close surprisingly ornate sliding glass doors and setting up a fun moment where the fight continues in the shadows before the doors get broken down. We see Bullseye get to flex his unique powers, ricocheting pool balls off walls to knock out unsuspecting targets in another standout mini action beat, before marching up the stairs of the building and murdering some hapless passersby.All told, the sequence is a little more than four minutes long, and while it has its moments, its ultimately a pale imitation of the modern action style its trying to imitate the long takes, exhausting choreo, and motivated camera movements you see in modern action standouts like the John Wick and Raid franchises. In those movies, those techniques are used in concert with top-notch lighting, editing, sound design, and general spatial awareness, as all elements work together to form a greater violent symphony. In Born Agains version, its like half the orchestra is out of tune. While a lot of the fighting in the sequence successfully matches the current action choreography trend of complex, but realistic, its hard to follow the action here, and even when we can, its not all great: Even at their most exciting, both principal fighters have moments where their movements look unnaturally augmented by CG (Bullseyes strange arm movements while fighting Daredevil in the bar; Daredevils uncannily smooth Spider-Man-style movements while he swings outside).The original fight, mostly taking place in a hallway, also has a similarly low-saturation visual style. But the original Daredevil relied more on yellow and green tones for this scene rather than the sludgy grays and browns of Born Again, making the silhouettes of Daredevil and his opponents pop more against their background.Perhaps the biggest difference is how the sequence is set up. The oner starts before Daredevil even arrives, following multiple goons walking through the hallway and the various connected rooms. This is a vitally important part of good action design, giving viewers a sense of the geography of the space before the chaos begins, orienting them in the setting and allowing them to follow the action more easily when it does finally kick off. Born Again does not take that approach at all. Before the fight, the viewers are vaguely aware of the bars layout, having seen people sitting both at tables and at the bar. But when the action moves to that ornate sliding glass door or a stairway that leads up to residences and eventually the rooftop, its brand-new and makes the action hard to follow. Its a scramble to keep up with the complicated geography of the space.The hallway fight in Daredevil also has Matt take on multiple opponents, rather than just the one. Sure, the plot of Born Again necessitates a more one-on-one brawl, and the originals is basically a cheat code for adding visual variety to the scene, but it adds depth and enjoyment that the new scene cant quite make up for. More bodies also means more potential distractions to mask cuts or rotate in stunt performers, and helps convincingly sell the exhaustion as all parties involved wheeze and pant their way through the final moments. One take sequences are rarely truly filmed in one take, instead finding clever ways to hide cuts seamlessly within the action. Hiding cuts in a oner is an art form, and the original Daredevil sequence does a better job of this, zooming into extreme tight shots of walls to hide a cut rather than the uncanny CGI stitching of shots that appears to be going on with Born Again.There are a few moments of life in the Born Again sequence, even if theyre hard to make out. The stunt performers are clearly giving their best effort (again: all my respect to the two that crashed through the window onto the table!), and there are a few standout visual ideas that use the characters powers well or effectively depict exhaustion through the extended-take concept.But ultimately, shooting an action scene in one take is just a gimmick, and in order for it to work well, it needs the fundamentals of good action filmmaking behind it. Otherwise, even the strong moments can get lost in the scenes lack of spatial awareness or legible lighting. Action was an important part of Daredevils vocabulary, giving Matt Murdock an extra avenue to express both his powers and his many feelings. Born Again wants to carry that forward, but this first sequence lacks the focus and attention to detail it needs to make it a real conversation piece. Its a fight that should be tense and thrilling, but instead it all just gets lost in translation.

Ben Mickus has always gravitated to the art of making, even from an early age. His first job was in a lumber yard, where he learned the fundamentals of craftsmanship. He decided to study architecture and lived in Copenhagen for a year, traveling extensively throughout Denmark. It was an exciting time of exploration for Mickus as he experienced Danish design.He viewed many buildings during his travels, but one structure by Arne Jacobsen left a lasting impression, because it embodies the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art. At the Aarhus City Hall Jacobsen designed the building, the lighting, the furniture, the signage, and even the door hardware, says Mickus. I remember my time examining those details while exploring the space, and having the duality of my career as an architect and product designer come into focus.Ben Mickus \\\ Photo: Joy Coakley StudioMickus earned his masters in architecture from UCLA, and his first post-graduate degree position was with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, involved in the transformation of Lincoln Center in New York City. Working closely with Liz Diller and Charles Renfro, the project was a formative one for Mickus. He truly understood that architecture is a vessel for experience, and the interaction between users and the space has to be carefully considered.In 2009, the designer launched Mickus Projects in Brooklyn. Now in the San Francisco Bay Area, the studio produces furniture, lighting, and immersive installations. The team develops products in collaboration with specialists and local craftsmen, with an emphasis on the interplay of materials.A Babyboop dish by Ron Arad is one of Mickus favorite items. A piece he has owned for many years, this four-compartment stainless steel container was made by using heat to form fluid bulbous shapes. It is just one example of how experimentation produces something unique. I follow many of these methods in my own work, and often look to Arad for inspiration, Mickus notes.Today, Ben Mickus joins us for Friday Five!Multi-sensory design is one of my fascinations and is also a core tenet of my practice. So for my five picks, Ive chosen one for each of the senses.Photo: Ben Mickus1. See: Achille Castiglioni Studio, MilanAs an architect and designer, I have a long list of places that I have made an effort to go and see. But my most memorable visual inspirations have come from the intimate setting of a designers studio Alvar Aaltos in Helsinki, Frank Lloyd Wrights in Taliesin West, and most recently, Achille Castiglionis in Milan. Seeing the sketches and maquettes of some of his most lauded light fixtures elucidated the design process, and gave me a deeper appreciation for the design.Joseph Beuys, installation view, Dia:Beacon, Beacon, New York. Joseph Beuys / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York, courtesy Dia Art Foundation, New York2. Hear: Joseph Beuys Fonds SculpturesHave you ever heard a material? This is the best way to describe the sensation when walking through this art installation comprised of stacked felt sheets, piled high enough to create a small labyrinth and walk through it. You will literally feel the sound sucked out of the air around you. The anechoic silence comes across as a form of energy stored in the felt stacks, and expresses the power of acoustics as a sensory design element.Photo: Ben Mickus3. Taste/Smell: Sugar Cane Cocktail, HawaiiTaste and especially smell can elicit strong connections and memories of place. Likewise, a place is more memorable when food or drink are part of the experience, activating multiple senses, rather than just passing through and seeing it. On a recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, I stayed at a historic plantation house set in a lush forest on the slope of a volcano. As if the location alone wasnt memorable enough, the handmade cocktails including black sugar cane harvested on the property, burnished the experience in my memory more deeply.Photo: Ben Mickus4. Touch: Haptic Exhibition, JapanI attended a design exhibition called Haptic, curated by Japanese architect Kenya Hara, filled with examples of how design can go beyond the visual and into the tactile domain. The traditional wood block sandals, designed by Shuhei Hasado, left a lasting impression for the way they convey a unique sensation that one can imagine just by looking at the objects. This exhibition sparked the idea of multi-sensory design, which I pursue in much of my own work.Photo: Ben Mickus5. Kinesthetic: San Diego Childrens Museum, San DiegoI spend a lot of time with my two children, following their interests and trying to understand their curiosity. Weve been to many childrens museums, but one of the best incubators for creative and immersive installations is the San Diego Childrens Museum. The rope tower pictured here was a unique experience of constantly reorienting your body as you move through a 3-dimensional spiderweb, without even needing to worry about gravity. The inspiration I have found in this and other exhibits has informed my own work on Childrens play space design.Works by Ben Mickus:Photo: Ryan GobutyHedron PendantThe Hedron Pendant is a 3d-printed chandelier, inspired by nature and the extraterrestrial. Using hexagonal geometry, bioplastic material, the shade is an array of tapered cell walls, precisely angled to bounce light twice from the internal LED source to the softly diffused light exiting the fixture. The subtle, striated surface texture creates a distinctive gradient across each surface. The Hedron Pendant was influenced by Danish designer Poul Henningsen, whose careful analysis of reflection patterns informed the research for this fixture, while reinterpreting his work through parametric design, CNC-based fabrication methods and renewable materials. The Hedron Pendant is a finalist for the 2025 IF Design Award.Photo: Robert BeanRelief ChairThe Relief Chair is a layered assembly of 1/2 thick sheets of wool felt supported by break-formed stainless steel legs. The design aims to sculpt a piece of furniture from a solid and rapidly renewable material, eliminating upholstery and environmentally unfriendly foam products. The waterjet-cut contours of each piece of felt define the overall form. The cascading edges manifest an integral pattern with a visual, tactile and acoustic effect. The Relief Chair is in the Permanent Collection of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.Photo: Celso RojasUnion PendantThe union pendant is a playful composition of dome pendant shades, intersected and subtracted with boolean operations to evoke the natural forms found in soap bubbles and slot canyons. The aluminum shade with walnut diffuser was created through five sequential fabrication methods, including spun aluminum, template cutting, welding, powder coating, and CNC-shaping the walnut. The LED source concealed on top of the walnut diffuser provides an enigmatic and indirect glow.Photo: Ryan GobutyTaylor House Alameda, California, USAThe Taylor house dramatically expands and transforms a 1910 colonial house, with modern design, sustainable thinking and custom-fabricated furnishings carefully inserted within the historic shell. The finished project is best described as a gradient. On one end, the historic character of the original house interior is restored. At the other end, ceilings are eliminated to create a 3-story cathedral-ceiling atrium beside a wall of operable windows, allowing natural light and views to penetrate all the way through the house. In between are a series of transitional moments serving as focal points where new interleaves with old, while creating unexpected views and spatial connections from one room to the next. A custom-fabricated a matte black steel ships-ladder serves as the focal point within the space. With open risers and bent-plate treads, the stair rises and connects to a catwalk which soars through the upper volume of the kitchen on the way to a finished attic space above.Photo: Ryan GobutyOpen Beam PendantThe Open Beam Pendant is a linear LED light fixture, with luminous strips positioned within a pair of CNC-milled aluminum beams, concealing the light source no matter which angle you look at it. The void space between the parallel bars, capped by CNC-sculpted hardwood blocks at each end, allows reflected light to emanate outward, creating a diffuser glow all around the fixture. The opening also frames a view through the center of the fixture.

SpaceX has lost another Starship, as the vehicle's eighth test flight ended in an explosion just like its seventh. The first few minutes of the flight went according to plan: SpaceX launched the Starship rocket from its Starbase facility in Texas at 6:30PM Eastern time on March 6, and its first stage Super Heavy booster flew back down and was successfully captured by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms. The event marked the third time SpaceX was able to capture the booster with the tower's mechanical appendages.The vehicle's upper stage called the "Ship" was supposed to deploy four dummy Starship satellites as part of the test run before splashing down into the Indian Ocean around 50 minutes later. But eight minutes into the flight, the Ship lost multiple Raptor engines, causing it to lose altitude until it ultimately exploded over the Caribbean. Several people who witnessed the event posted videos of the Ship's debris streaking across the sky.Just saw Starship 8 blow up in the Bahamas @SpaceX @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/rTMJu23oVx Jonathon Norcross (@NorcrossUSA) March 6, 2025 As TechCrunch notes, SpaceX revealed in February that the seventh Starship test flight exploded because it suffered from propellant leaks that resulted in fires. The company took several measures to prevent the same thing from happening, such as adding vents and a new purge system to make the ship resistant to leaks. SpaceX also conducted a longer static fire test to make sure its changes and adjustments were working properly.The company posted on X that the Starship's eighth test flight "experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly" during its ascent burn. However, it it still has to review data from the flight to be able to determine the root cause of the issue. In another statement posted on its website, the company said that "an energetic event in the aft portion of Starship" prior to the ascent burn led to the loss of the engines. SpaceX lost contact with the Ship completely at around nine minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff. The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights departing from and into some of Florida's busiest airports due to "space launch debris." It also told TechCrunch that it's requiring SpaceX to conduct a "mishap investigation" to determine the cause of the failure, so we'll likely get a more detailed report from the company in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacexs-starship-explodes-again-during-its-eighth-test-flight-140018375.html?src=rss

With the Zenbook A14, ASUS has reached a new milestone of portability. It's a 14-inch laptop that weighs just 2.2 pounds, making it feel more like a tablet than a computer when you pick it up. And with its unique Ceraluminum case, which feels like a cross between ceramic and metal, the Zenbook A14 is a more viable premium notebook than LG's chintzy ultra-light Gram lineup. But there's always a tradeoff between size and power, and in this case ASUS has delivered the slowest Copilot+ PC we've seen yet. But I suppose that just makes it a true lightweight. Now to be clear, the Zenbook A14 is a serviceable laptop for light productivity work. Since it's a Copilot+ AI PC, it comes with at least 16GB of RAM, so it can easily deal with juggling dozens of browser tabs and your typical office and photo editing apps. But the A14's Snapdragon X X1 chip limits its ability to do anything truly demanding, so don't expect it to be playing many games or rendering video. And since it's powered by that Arm chip, the Zenbook also has to run apps designed for Intel and AMD CPUs in a slower emulation. Some software won't work at all, including very old apps, and games like Fortnite that use anti-cheat software. So while the Zenbook A14 may seem like a MacBook Air killer at first glance, it's more of a reminder of how well Apple has balanced that laptop. Sure, it's half a pound heavier, but the MacBook Air can also edit videos, render 3D and play games in a pinch. You won't feel the same sort of performance limitations you'll undoubtedly encounter on the Zenbook A14. That being said, there's still an audience for an ultra-light, under-powered laptop. The A14 is an ideal machine for writing on the go, since you can travel with it effortlessly and it offers a whopping 18 hours and 16 minutes of battery life (according to the PCMark 10 benchmark). And let's face it, the Zenbook's sluggish gaming chops may actually boost your productivity. I could see it being a perfect secondary computing device if you've already got a desktop or heftier laptop setup at home. And if you really just need to browse the web, reply to emails and watch the occasional video, you probably won't notice its performance issues. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Hardware The Zenbook A14 makes a startling first impression long before you see it in action. Its retail box feels alarmingly weightless, as if it only contains air and some cardboard cushioning. And once you open it up, it's hard to comprehend how a 14-inch laptop can weigh a mere 2.2-pounds. It also feels as well balanced as an artisanal chef's knife, making it easy to hold. As impressed as I was by the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 last year, the Zenbook A14 feels like a stronger example of how far the company has come from producing cheap MacBook clones. Also adding to the Zenbook A14's overall polish is that aforementioned Ceraluminum case, which simply feels nice to hold. It's warm and inviting to touch, whereas Apple's MacBooks and most other all-metal laptops almost always feel cold (especially in heavily-chilled offices). As we've seen on other recent ASUS notebooks, Ceraluminum also feels sturdy, as there's no flex on the A14's slight frame. The company clearly spent time fine-tuning the usability of such a light machine. Opening it up with one hand is effortless, thanks to a new hinge design that keeps the A14 from tilting backwards as you raise the screen. I've tested other light notebooks, including earlier Zenbook models, that required two hands: one to hold the computer's keyboard section down, and another to lift the display. I can tell you from experience that it's helpful to be able to flip open your computer with one hand while holding a crying kid in the other. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The Zenbook A14 sports an impressively thin profile when it's open, but it's also well-built enough to keep its screen steady when typing on your lap. That may seem like a niche point, but I've grown to despise unstable displays on lesser thin notebooks. It's yet another sign of ASUS getting the little things right in the A14. And speaking of getting things right, I appreciated that ASUS was able to squeeze in a ton of ports: two USB-C connections, one USB Type A, a full-sized HDMI connection and a headphone jack. Apple, meanwhile, only includes two USB-C ports, a MagSafe charging connection and a headphone jack on the MacBook Air. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget In use: A serviceable Arm-based Windows laptop It's a shame that all of ASUS' thoughtful hardware design is held back by the Snapdragon X X1, an eight-core system on a chip (SOC) meant for ultra-slim and low-power devices. In benchmarks and general usage, it's clearly a much slower solution than the X Elite and X Plus chips that graced the Surface Pro and other Copilot+ systems. As I mentioned up top, that's the major compromise ASUS had to make to deliver such a slim notebook, and for some, it may be a complete dealbreaker. The Zenbook A14 handled my basic productivity workflow just fine: browsing on Chrome and Edge with dozens of tabs, while also running Slack, Spotify and occasional photo editing apps. But in comparison to the Surface Pro and Laptop, it's like driving an entry-level car instead of a true luxury offering. And that's a shame since it's priced similarly to those PCs. Best Buy currently lists our review unit, which includes 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, for $1,100. If those specs were paired with a better processor, I'd consider the A14 a smart purchase. Instead, it feels like a machine that should clearly be under $1,000 with 16GB of RAM and a smaller SSD. On Edge and Chrome, I noticed slight hiccups when I was jumping between tabs and multiple windows. And those were native apps developed for Arm processors! Snapdragon chips need to emulate older x64 and x86 Windows apps, which introduces even more slowdown. While writing this review in Evernote (an x64 app), the A14 would often have trouble smoothly scrolling down long notes, and it would sometimes take a few seconds to load older notes. (Evernote owner Notion says it "does not officially support ARM processors at this time," which means users are out of luck if they encounter more significant issues.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget One upside to running a fairly slow processor? Excellent battery life. In the PCMark 10 battery benchmark, the Zenbook A14 lasted 18 hours and 16 minutes. That's around 30 minutes more than Dell's Copilot+ XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite, and it's also two and a half hours longer than last year's Intel Core Ultra-powered Zenbook S14. I appreciated the Zenbook A14 the most when I wasn't trying to benchmark it or search for its occasional slowdowns. It's a wonderful machine to grab when you just want to focus on writing, clearing out e-mail or finalizing accursed corporate training. Its keyboard is responsive and comfortable to type on, though I wish its touchpad measured clicks more accurately. The Zenbook A14 is also great for catching up on Netflix shows in bed, since it feels practically weightless and video looks tremendous on its 14-inch OLED screen. Its speakers sound terribly tinny, though, so I'd use headphones for any serious binge-watching sessions. I was also surprised that its 1080p webcam actually produced decent footage, and it also lets you log into the A14 easily with Windows Hello IR support. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Should you buy the Zenbook A14? Given the combined issues of Arm compatibility and a slow processor, I wouldn't recommend the Zenbook A14 as a primary computer for most people, even though it's priced like a true MacBook Air competitor. If anything, it's a bit of an experiment by ASUS to see what compromises consumers will tolerate to get such a lightweight laptop. Instead of an impossibly light and underpowered notebook, most people would be better off with something like the Zenbook 14 OLED, which currently sells for $1,050 with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Sure, it weighs 2.8 pounds instead of 2.2, but it's still pretty portable. Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air, which starts at $999 with an M4 chip, is a half pound heavier than the Zenbook A14, but far more capable overall. Even the older M2 chip is faster than the Snapdragon X, and macOS has a wider selection of Arm-compatible apps, as well as faster emulation than Windows. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Wrap-up If ASUS goal was to make an impressively premium ultra-light laptop, it almost got there with the Zenbook A14. While it outdoes the MacBook Air in weight and value, its slow processor makes it far less capable than Apples ultraportable. Perhaps one day, with future revisions and more capable hardware, ASUS could finally deliver a powerful near-two-pound laptop. For now, though, youre better off waiting for a discount so the A14 can serve as a secondary PC.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-zenbook-a14-review-a-lightweight-in-every-sense-133013668.html?src=rss

The PCs ended up with infostealers that grabbed their login credentials and other secrets.

UK government guideline websites no longer suggest using ADP.

After investors poured into semiconductor stocks last year, expectations are high, and companies are having trouble making Wall Street happy.

Shares in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) are up a modest amount after the company announced yesterday that it has agreed to be purchased by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. As of the time of this writing, WBA shares are up under 7% to $11.33.Heres what you need to know about the buyout and share movement.Walgreens is going privateAfter years of financial struggles, publicly traded Walgreens announced yesterday that it has accepted a deal from private equity firm Sycamore Partners to be bought and taken private. Rumors of the deal were first reported earlier this week.Under the agreement, Sycamore will take the pharmacy chain private. The move will give the 125-year-old Walgreens more room to maneuver a turnaround without having to answer to Wall Street investors, notes the Associated Press.Walgreens has faced a rough six months in particular. Last October, the company announced it would close over 1,200 stores due to falling foot traffic and increased online competition. And in January, the companys stock price plunged after it announced that it would be suspending dividend payments to shareholders in order to redirect its capital allocation.Shares in Walgreens are down more than 49% over the last year.While we are making progress against our ambitious turnaround strategy, meaningful value creation will take time, focus and change that is better managed as a private company, Tim Wentworth, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, said in a statement announcing the acceptance of Sycamores offer. Sycamore will provide us with the expertise and experience of a partner with a strong track record of successful retail turnarounds.WBA stock is upbut not by a lotSome would expect that when a company receives a buyout offer, its stock price may soar. But WBA stock is up just under 7% in premarket trading, as of the time of this writing, to $11.33.The reason for this is likely due to the fact that the Walgreens-Sycamore deal will see Sycamore pay WBA shareholders $11.45 per share to close the deal. In other words, it doesnt make sense for WBA stock to be bought above that price since shareholders would only get $11.45 per share if the deal does end up going through.Conversely, it doesnt make sense for WBA stock to be sold below that price if the deal ends up going through because shareholders know they could get $11.45 per share from Sycamore when the deal closes.As for the Walgreens-Sycamore deal, though Walgreens Boots Alliance says it has accepted the offer, the deal must still be approved by WBA shareholders and also receive regulatory approvals. If the deal passes both those thresholds, Walgreens and Sycamore say its transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter calendar year 2025.If that happens, WBA shares will no longer be listed on the Nasdaq as the company will become private.