The latest trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, released earlier this week, gave us our first look at new character Neil, played by Luca Marinelli. Game director Hideo Kojima has taken to social media platform X to talk about Marinelli, his role, and how the two ended up working together for the sequel.Kojima wrote about how he first came to know of Marinelli thanks to his role as antagonist Fabio Cannizzaro/Zingaro in the Italian movie They Call Me Jeeg. He also praised Marinellis work in the autobiographical movie Martin Eden. Kojimas work in helping promote the movies Japanese release in 2020 led to the two meeting and talking, with Marinelli telling Kojima about how he grew up as a fan of the Metal Gear franchise.During the pandemic, I was casting for Death Stranding 2. Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from Death Stranding 1, wrote Kojima. The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads.Ultimately, it was Marinellis work on Netflixs The Old Guard that helped Kojima decide that he would be ideal for the role of Neil in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. While they couldnt meet, thanks to Marinelli working on The Eight Mountains, they finally spoke through an online call.After that, I Zoom called with Luca once he was home, pitched the idea of DS2, and he agreed to play the role, Kojima wrote. When I told him I was looking for someone to play Lucy, he introduced me to his wife, Alissa, who is also an actress (and filmmaker). We did their scan and performance capture during the height of the pandemic, but their on-set performance was excellent.You can see that in the digitized results from even the small bits of the trailer. I can only thank Luca and Alissa for agreeing to perform when we didnt even have a script yet.As Kojima revealed, Marinellis role as Neil does seem to bear quite a bit of resemblance to that of Mads Mikkelsens character, Cliff, from the original Death Stranding. Both characters seemingly have similar story arcs, with past regrets turning them into antagonistic forces in their respective games. Interestingly, Marinellis character Neil also cheekily referenced Metal Gear Solid protagonist Solid Snake with his bandana.The trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach also showed off quite a bit of gameplay. While a lot of the core gameplay loop will be similar to the first game, where players control Sam Porter Bridges and complete deliveries by traveling across vast stretches of wilderness on foot, the sequel seems to have a lot more action set-pieces.Among the action scenes were epic boss fights and even vehicular combat on bikes racing through player-made highways.The trailer also revealed that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be coming to PS5 on June 26. For more details on pre-orders and its various editions, check out our coverage of the event.

Photo credit: The Pritzker Architecture PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize has announced Liu Jiakun, of Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, as the 2025 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, an award that is regarded internationally as architectures highest honour. Liu is the 54th Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the founder of Jiakun Architecture, established in 1999.Liu offers architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens and uses architecture to foster community and inspire compassion. Throughout his works, he demonstrates a deep respect for culture, history and nature, and familiarity through modern interpretations of classic Chinese architecture.Born in 1956 in Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, Liu spent a majority of his childhood in the corridors of Chengdu Second Peoples Hospital, founded as Gospel Hospital in 1892, where his mother was an internist. According to the Pritzker Architecture Prize, while almost all of his immediate family members were physicians, he displayed an interest for creative arts, and a teacher later introduced architecture as a profession.Hu Huishan Memorial by Liu Jiakun. Image Jiakun ArchitectsIn 1978, Liu was accepted to attend the Institute of Architecture and Engineering in Chongqing (renamed Chongqing University). He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Architecture in 1982 and was amongst the first generation of alumni tasked with rebuilding China during what was a transformative time for the nation.Liu has been featured in international exhibitions including Experimental Architecture by Young Chinese Architects The 20th UIA World Congress of Architects (1999, Beijing, China); TU MU Young Architecture From China (2001, Berlin, Germany); Urban Creation, Shanghai Biennale (2002, Shanghai, China); the 1st, 3rd and 7th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (2005, 2009 and 2017, Shenzhen, China); the 11th and 15th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2008 and 2016, Venice, Italy); the 56th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2015, Venice, Italy); Now and Here Chengdu | Liu Jiakun: Selected Works (2017, Berlin, Germany); and Super Fusion Chengdu Biennale (2021, Chengdu, China).Shuijingfang Museum by Liu Jiakun. Photo credit: Arch-ExistHe is currently a visiting professor at the School of Architecture Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing, China), and has previously lectured at Cit de larchitecture et du patrimoine (Paris, France), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America), Royal Academy of Arts (London, United Kingdom), and leading institutions in China.His awards include the Far Eastern Architectural Design, Outstanding Award (2007 and 2017); ASC Grand Architectural Creation Award (2009); Architectural Record China Awards (2010); WA Awards for Chinese Architecture (2016); Building with Nature, Architecture China Award (2020); Sanlian LifeweekCity for Humanity Awards for Public Contribution (2020); and UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, New Design in the Heritage Contexts (2021).ImageArchitecture should reveal somethingit should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people. It has the power to shape human behavior and create atmospheres, offering a sense of serenity and poetry, evoking compassion and mercy, and cultivating a sense of shared community, said Liu.Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick by Liu Jiakun. Photo credit: The Hyatt Foundation/The Pritzker Architecture Prize/Jiakun ArchitectsHis career spans over forty years, with more than thirty projects ranging from academic and cultural institutions to civic spaces, commercial buildings and urban planning throughout China. Significant works include Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster (Chengdu, China, 2007); Design Department on new campus, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (Chongqing, China 2006), Lodging Center of China International Practice Exhibition of Architecture (Nanjing, China, 2012), Chengdu High-Tech Zone Tianfu Software Park Communication Center (Chengdu, China, 2010), and Songyang Culture Neighborhood (Lishui, China, 2020).Through an outstanding body of work of deep coherence and constant quality, Liu Jiakun imagines and constructs new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint. Instead of a style, he has developed a strategy that never relies on a recurring method but rather on evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently. That is to say, Liu Jiakun takes present realities and handles them to the point of offering sometimes a whole new scenario of daily life. Beyond knowledge and techniques, common sense and wisdom are the most powerful tools he adds to the designers toolbox, said the 2025 Jury Citation, in part.Calligraphy: H.Masud TajLiu will be honoured at a celebration in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates this spring, and globally with a virtual ceremony video this fall.The 2025 Laureate Lecture and Panel Discussion will be held in May and open to the public in-person and online.The post Liu Jiakun Announced Recipient of 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Ontario Fourplex Rendering. Credit LGA Architectural PartnersThe federal government has released the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details as part of the Housing Design Catalogue, an initiative under Canadas Housing Plan.The catalogue features about 50 standardized housing designs for rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units across the country.Saskatchewan/Manitoba Fourplex Rendering. Credit: 5468796 ArchitectureIn January 2024, the Government of Canada began targeted engagements with key stakeholders, partners, and experts to inform the types of designs, features, and amenities in the Housing Design Catalogue.In July 2024, the federal government launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the development of low-rise designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue. The successful proponents of the RFP process were MGA | Michael Green Architecture for the British Columbia region and LGA Architectural Partners Ltd., who worked with five other teams of regional experts including Dub Architects, 5468796 Architecture, KANVA, Abbott Brown Architects, and Taylor Architecture Group.Quebec Fourplex Rendering. Credit: KANVAThe release of the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details aims to provide a head start for homeowners, builders, and communities in their planning processes. The designs were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams, and focus on creating gentle density and infill development in existing neighbourhoods in all regions of Canada. The final architectural design packages will be released this spring.NOR Fourplex Municipal Rendering. Credit: Taylor Architecture GroupIn order to help ensure the Housing Design Catalogue supports the goals of Canadas housing system, various principles were considered during the development phase including adaptability and accessibility, energy efficiency, financial feasibility, use of regional construction methods and materials, and compliance with local regulations and building codes.BC Fourplex Rendering. Credit: Michael Green ArchitectureThe Housing Design Catalogue will help builders streamline the process from concept to construction, cutting costs and speeding up housing delivery once the final architectural design packages are ready. The catalogue also aims to simplify design, ensures compliance with building codes, and helps estimate costs so that homes can be built faster.ATL Fourplex Rendering. Credit: Abbott Brown ArchitectsThese standardized designs will help smaller homebuilders cut through the complexity, speeding up the time between concept and construction and lowering costs of building, said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.Alberta Fourplex Rendering. Credit: Dub ArchitectsThe federal government continues to work with provinces, territories, and municipalities to streamline and fast-track approvals for the standardized designs included in the Housing Design Catalogue. The designs cover all regions of the country: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces, and the territories.Summary packages for each of the designs are currently available, which provide a high-level plan overview. Homeowners, builders, and communities interested in receiving updates on when the final architectural design packages are available can sign up on the Housing Design Catalogue webpage.The post Federal government unveils designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Longdue has unveiled the atmospheric debut teaser and Kickstarter date for its in-development psychogeographic RPG, Hopetown.Read More

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz9apwrMKi8ZA/UM Studio today introduced its next game, codenamedProject[C4], a new mind-warping espionage RPG.Read More

Castle of Secrets developer Serene Questworks has been accused of hiring human voice actors, only to fire them and replace them with performances made with generative AI. Voice actor Mika Nerida claimed the studio "decided they wanted to use AI-trained voices" for its debut game, and "canned every voice actor they had, refusing other talent onboard."A picture in the post from Castle's voice director Ian Mitchell shows he was also banned from Castle's Steam hub by a Serene Questworks developer for "personal hostility and imposing their position." The now-deleted post on the game's forums claimed the studio "used AI to make voice actors sound like multiple different people, instead of having the actors act out as the characters. Make it less authentic, as a computer's doing the voices."Nerida told Game Developer she was initially cast under the belief she was meant to replace the game's initial AI placeholder voices. She later alleged Serene "doubled back" and implied AI would be used in some capacity. Both she and Mitchell refused this, after which they and the game's other human actors were "kicked off" the project.Per Mitchell, the actors were fired before voice recording was set to begin. He said the generated voices are more than a simple "voice filter," and they "make you sound like a different person completely. This was to save on costs of different voice actors, even though the voice actors who auditioned could do a MASSIVE range of voices for them.""We asked to just let us voice act, instead of letting the computer do it for us," he continued. He also revealed one voice actor had agreed to Serene's terms just hours before they and everyone else were let go, and Serene "told us they're switching to their original plan."Castle of Secrets' Steam page acknowledges the game has "sometimes generated voice acting." According to Nerida, that acknowledgement was on the page prior to actors being booked.In a followup post, Nerida said Serene Questworks "doesn't have any content of mine that would allow them to steal, take, or sample me." She also made her feelings on the technology clear: "Fuck AI. Shit's stupid. Create authentically."Game Developer has also reached out to Serene Gameworks and publisher Wandering Wizard for comment, and will update when a response is given.

It's been a hot minute since Kickstarter was the powerhouse funding tool for indie devs. In 2012 Double Fine's Broken Age Kickstarter was such a smash hit it boosted the crowdfunding odds of every other game on the platform. But after a few heady years (and some frustrating post-funding fumbles) the platform became less potent for developersespecially during a time period where venture capital was pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into small-to-mid-sized studios.But the funding boom has gone bust. And Kickstarter is suddenly back in the conversation. Frogwares hit its funding goal for The Sinking City 2 in under two days. Playable Worlds has raised $550k just a third of the way through its campaign for Playable Worlds. And Aesir Interactive, makers of Mongolian horse-riding sim The Legend of Khiimori is already past the $100k mark just a few days into its campaign.It's not life-changing cash$100-$500k from two to three thousand backers won't buy boats. But it's a spark that can light a fire. And if there's one company looking to strike that light, it's NEARStudios, the team of ex-triple-A devs making the woodland fantasy RPG Hawthorn.NEARStudios co-founders Heather Cerlan and Jason Richardson are living a tale of the times. They're ex-triple A, bootstrapping their dream game, getting lots of verbal praise from potential funding partners but no hard cash. The team decided to turn to Kickstarter before their 2024 studio debut, but after the announcement went wide (and they scored a cool 200,000 wishlists on Steam in the process), they realized Kickstarter might not just be a last-ditch effort to find fundingit could be the best way possible to bring Hawthorn to life.Related:Hawthorn hits with players, but not with fundersCerlan and Richardson had different paths to the game that became Hawthorn. Richardson's been stewing on the idea of a "cozy" co-op game for some time. In his days at Funcom he'd search for games that he could play with his wife, his kids, and his friends, but nothing hit all three groups. Iron Gate Studios' survival crafting game Valheim was a close match, but it wasn't quite what he was looking for.Richardson's spent years in the world of multiplayer game design, and began noodling on a woodland creature co-op game that would fit his family. Elsewhere, Cerlan was dreaming about striking out on her own with a new game studio making games that bring people together, and as she and Richardson compared notes, they realized they were on the same wavelength.In Hawthorn, players create characters based on several woodland animals, each with different affinities and weaknesses (owls can easily fly, otters take to the water, mice to the fields, etc). The diversified roles let people with different playstyles play together, and the woodland-themed vibe (inspired by the likes of Redwall, Watership Down, Beatrix Potter, etc.) is meant to stand out from the rest of the survival genre, which tends to tack toward Fortnite-adjacent cartoon characters, pixel art aesthetics, or hardcore grittiness inspired by the likes of Rust.Image via NEARstudios.Image via NEARstudios.The pair spoke about how "nostalgia" was a key theme for the team, but it definitely seems to be nostalgia with an edge. To a woodland creature, corn stalks are as tall as trees, rivers can be as big as lakes, and predators the size of titanic beastsbuilding a home in the forest can feel like carving a safe haven against the pounding rain.It's a vibrant pitchone that hits with players (Cerlan described pitching her game to prospective fans at TwitchCon and MAGFest, and feeling relieved when their faces lit up at the premise)but never that quite clicked with investors. The gap in enthusiasm was confusing, to say the least. Maybe it's because their team of ex-triple A workers is assembled from rank-and-file devs, not studio or creative leads?Maybe, said Cerlan. "We were the people on the ground floor, the cogs in the wheel," she said. "I don't know how much that played a factor in us trying to get funding, but on the flip side that was really, really good because we had a team of folks that could get in the editor and do the work."Because they could all "do the work," Richardson said they kicked open the door with a more robust gameplay preview than he's seen from other venture-backed studios. "I've heard stories from other startups that had money, or had vision, or had executives, but just didn't have gameplay," he said. Those studios struggled to find the "soul" of their gamebut as Hawthorn's debut showed, NEARstudios seems to have found something that clicks.The nitty gritty of pivoting to KickstarterDon't just take the 200k wishlist stat as a sign of life for Hawthorn. Cerlan recalled the day the video went wide, waiting for the embargo to breakand a feeling of anxiety as few outlets picked the story up (sorry guys, we needed a few hours). But stories did drop throughout the day, and shortly after, videos from content creators followed.Scan the comments of videos about Hawthorn and you'll find frothing enthusiasm for the game's similarities to Brian Jacques' Redwall book series (and yet not a "Eulalia!" in sight...). Here, Cerlan had to fess up: she hasn't read Redwall, though it's an inspiration for other NEARstudios employees like Richardson and community manager Daniel Warren.But hard work always comes after days of heady player praise, and for NEARStudios, that work came in the form of expanding what will go into their Kickstarter. First, they had to field surprise interest from publishers. Now that they'd landed wishlists and a few thousand views across TikTok, YouTube, and beyond, maybe they were a more appealing catch than before?Possiblybut the pitches they received didn't reflect it. Richardson and Cerlan expressed frustration that the publishers who'd reached out offered what seemed to be very unfavorable terms. Certainly nothing that offered more stability than Kickstarter would.Expanding a Kickstarter's scope isn't just about updating pitch documents and stretch goals. Marketing plans need ironing out, budget tiers have to be set, and maybe most importantly, the cost of backer awards needs to be assessed. Several Kickstarter creators have pointed out the amount of revenue you pull in from a campaign isn't just slashed by taxes and the platform cut, it's neutered by how much you spend on backer rewards.Cerlan said the studio's still working on those challenges, but they came armed with key advantages. First, they've spent the entirety of development not just building content but assessing what kind of game they can produce at different budgets. As experts like Finji CEO Rebekah Saltsman have explained, it's best for devs seeking funding to plan out what they can accomplish at different budget tiers. "We have a $6 million budget, we have a $3 million budget, and we have a $1.5 million budget," Cerlan explained. It's a jumping off point for establishing what the team can accomplish if it hits the campaign's base goaland then what's physically possible with the ascending stretch goals.Image via NEARstudios.Image via NEARstudios.On the topic of backer rewardsthe pair admitted they needed expert help here. One NEARstudios employee is a former senior finance manager at Zenimax (the Microsoft-owned parent company of Bethesda Softworks, where Cerlan and Richardson were both previously employed). "That's our biggest concern, being able to deliver what we say we're going to be able to deliver," said Cerlan. "You're really putting almost your entire roadmap out for the public to see, and that's terrifying because development is hard."And then there's one final twist with going to Kickstarter. The upside of Kickstarter is that your players can fund development directly in exchange for pre-ordering the game (and maybe picking up a few goodies for an extra purchase). For a multiplayer game like Hawthorn, it also helps to have an excited batch of players ready to leap in and build a landing pad for newcomers.The problem is when your game launches, you already have their money, and not many will plan to double dipso your launch sales have to attract a healthy amount of new players, or you've essentially cashed in your chips early. "Our hope is that this game is broadly appealing enough that like, Kickstarter is just going to be like a drop in the bucket," said Cerlan. If the Kickstarter is successful, NEARstudios will have enough funding to bring Hawthorn to Early Access. If Hawthorn can get to Early Access, the team can market it through Steam festivals and attract more player attention through demos.If that seems like a lot to pull off between the initial announcement and the Kickstarter debutit is. Cerlan acknowledged that after NEARstudios' big public debut, they chose to seek out more friends and family investments to build out their runway. The adage is unfortunately true: to make money, you have to spend money.What does a resurgence of Kickstarter mean for the game development community?There are probably dozensif not hundredsof small teams like NEARstudios in the same rickety boat. They set out to make their dream game right when investment funding dried up. They pitched, and pitched, and pitched, but got nothing or worse than nothing back from partners. And now with time running out, they're looking at funding opportunities that let them speak directly to players.It's a hell of a gamblebut sometimes you have to roll the hard six.NEARstudios' journey also invites the industry to think about what it means that Kickstarter and other platforms help developers raise funding that "they wouldn't get from publishers or investors." In 2012, that statement was a question of logistics as much as it was company strategy or taste. In 2025 it has a more glaring meaning.]It makes me think of an exchange I witnessed between an investor and an indie game dev at a DICE Mixer in 2022. "I'm looking for funding," the indie dev explained."Are you making any blockchain games?" the investor replied. I wouldn't even say he was being cynicalhe was soliciting a sincere pitch. Yet for all his cheerfulness, a dour mood fell on the group.At this year's DICE conference I happened to pass that same investor taking a meeting at the Aria Starbucks. The developer he'd spoken with three years prior was also at the event, still searching for funding. Would that conversation look different now? Was this investor's portfolio more diversified, with a number of small-to-medium sized investments sitting alongside the AI slush?Maybeor maybe not, if all the conversations I had with a number of talented devs were anything to go by. So many had stories like NEARstudios'. Pitch after pitch after pitch, only to receive mild praise or underbaked offers in return. There's sturm and drang about needing to make "safe bets" but it's funny how "safe bets" still look like millions of dollars poured into the same kinds of companies they spent the last half-decade swinging and missing with.Richardson and Cerlan aren't former Zenimax executives or fabled creative directors. They're people who make games. And they and others like them are turning to Kickstarter not just out of a sense they can speak directly to players, but because they've been turned away by those with the keys to the cash vaults. If the Kickstarter boom pays offif they, Frogwares, Playable Worlds, and other studios find success on the platformit should be seen as a mark of shame on the financing world.Are games like Hawthorn really such a huge risk? A few million dollars to deliver a woodland creature fantasy that's been the backbone of literature for centuries? Does our industry really believe great games can only come from people who held senior roles at financially successful juggernauts? When I check in with teams like NEARstudios, I worry they're fighting to survive in an industry isn't just bored of creativity, but downright hostile to it.The "soul" of Hawthorn, as Richardson put it, is that it's a game about small creatures with different specialties banding together to not just take down beasts, but to support one another and build a thriving community in a hostile world. May we all root for the mice, the otters, the owls, and the snakes trying to survive and thrive in these stormy times.

Theres an unbelievable amount of work going on right now to boost the performance of lithium-ion batteries. PhDs around the globe are, at this very moment, furrowing their respective brows, trying to eke out a few percentage points of extra energy density, shave a few minutes off of charging times, or add a few months to a given cells effective lifespan.And then along comes a startup called Breathe Battery Technologies with an algorithm that promises to boost charging speeds by upward of 30 percent, all while preserving the lifespan of those cells. Its part of a software package light enough to run on ancient embedded systems and small enough to be deployed via over-the-air updates. Best of all, its not theoretical: Volvo will feature this tech on the companys upcoming ES90 sedan, and you can already find it on some smartphones.Heres how it works. Breathes tech underpins Volvos upcoming ES90 sedan.Battery basicsBefore we delve into the details, lets quickly run through exactly whats happening inside a battery. The charge provided by a battery happens when ions flow from anode to cathode, then journey across the electrolyte while carrying electrons with them. When its time to recharge, the process is effectively reversed, shoving those ions back across the void as quickly as possible.These processes generate heat, and while some heat is fine, too much can damage the battery. Overheat your cells? Best case, their lifespan is reduced. Worst case? Well, youd better stand back. Charging, and particularly fast charging, is a careful dance between wasting time by charging too slowly and damaging the battery by charging too quickly. In most EVs, that dance is choreographed by a lookup table.Similar to the fuel injection tables of yore that dictate how much juice to squirt into the cylinder for each combustion cycle in an engine, battery tables say precisely how much current should be applied to a given cell at a given temperature and state of charge. The problem is, those tables arent very good. Breathes algorithm promises to boost charging speeds by upward of 30 percent.Turning the tablesTo use these tables, you must know the batterys temperature and state of charge. Find those figures, and the table tells you how much current can be applied to recharge the battery. It literally defines the charge curve for the cell. These tables are developed by the companies that make the cells (like Samsung SDI or LG Energy Solution) and the companies that put them in their cars.The problem is that these lookup tables can be vague, lacking specific values for every temperature and state of charge. A lack of data fidelity makes for imprecise results. Its like trying to draw a beautiful, flowing curve, but you can only use a few straight lines. The tables are also inflexible, covering a narrow range of temperatures. If you start with a table, you are fundamentally locked into the dimensions of that table. You are really bottlenecking yourself from the very get-go, Ian Campbell, the CEO of Breathe, said.Battery tables say precisely how much current should be applied to a given cell at a given temperature and state of charge.Additionally, cars often waste a lot of energy to keep the batteries in a very narrow temperature range just to optimize the use of the lookup table. You need to heat up or cool down the battery in order to prepare for this fast charging, and that also consumes a lot of energy, Bjrn Fridholm, technical specialist in battery management at Volvo, added. That takes us back to Breathe and its special sauce. Youre still working with the same basic factors: voltage, temperature, and current. Here, though, a software package (called Breathe Charge) determines the ideal charging rate with much more precision across a wider performance envelope than could be reasonably contained within a table. So you end up with this incredible level of fidelity and adaptivity across all timescales, Campbell said. To resurrect the metaphor from above, instead of jagged lines, you can now draw flowing charging curves that more closely match the ideal performance of the individual battery cells.By mirroring that curve, cars equipped with Breathes tech will charge faster without putting any additional stress on the battery cells. And by providing a wider range of data, cars can charge more quickly even when outside their ideal thermal windows.How much more quickly? Breathe and Volvo say this tech delivers a 30 percent reduction in charge time when going from 10 to 80 percent on a high-speed charger. But Breathes algorithm also delivers even bigger improvements when operating outside of ideal conditions. At zero degrees Celsius, that charge time improvement was 48 percent. Cars equipped with Breathe tech will charge faster without putting more stress on the cells. Image: BreatheSystem constraintsWhy isnt everyone doing this? It comes down to two constraints, the first being a deep enough understanding of the behavior of the individual cells. To gather that data, Breathe has a pair of labs in London where it stress tests sample cells from manufacturers. Breathe determines a given cell chemistrys strengths and weaknesses, breaking those chemical attributes into computer data, which drives the companys digital physics model.That then takes us to the second constraint: system overhead. While manufacturers and chipmakers love to talk about cars becoming supercomputers on wheels, the reality is that most of todays cars still rely on embedded systems, dated chips with limited memory, and specs closer to yesterdays graphing calculators than todays GPU-laden rigs.If you start with a table, you are fundamentally locked into the dimensions of that table. You are really bottlenecking yourself from the very get-go.Efficiency is key. Breathes algorithm requires minimal processor cycles and fewer than 10 kilobytes of memory. The lightweight nature means that Breathes tech can be run on all sorts of limited hardware, even deployed via over-the-air updates assuming those integrated systems are smart enough to be reflashed remotely. Getting that efficiency means reliance on industry simulation and physics modeling tools, primarily MATLAB and Simulink. However, Campbell said that Breathe (which currently numbers about 75 employees) is working on future versions for the faster automotive processors to come.Many of these future automotive processing chips also deliver some aspect of onboard AI, but it isnt on the roadmap for Breathe. Campbell said hes bullish on machine learning tech in this application but that it isnt quite ready yet. But the biggest constraint is the battery cells themselves. The amount of current they can receive is dictated by their construction and chemistry. Breathe Charge doesnt violate the laws of physics; it simply ensures that the car is always feeding the right amount of current at the right time.Breathes algorithm requires minimal processor cycles and fewer than 10 kilobytes of memory. Image: BreatheRolling outVolvos electric ES90, with Breathe Charge onboard, is slated to hit the market later this year. Fridholm confirmed the software could theoretically run on Volvos other EVs, including those already on the market, but he made it clear that we shouldnt expect charge-boosting over-the-air updates hitting models like the EX30 anytime soon. For now, were launching it on the ES90, he said, and left it at that. But Breathe wont stop there. On its Careers page, the company currently has openings for sales-related positions in Detroit, Michigan American auto manufacturers are clearly a target. Breathes tech can also be found on the Oppo 8, where its optimized to extend battery health. Campbell said the company is also working to line up a couple of cool customers on the consumer devices front. In other words, hopefully well be able to sample some fast-charging software in something a bit more affordable than a new Volvo soon.See More:

Blizzards next BlizzCon conference will take place on September 12th and September 13th in 2026. Thats not a typo the show will happen next year.BlizzCon 2026 will once again be hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center. Blizzard isnt sharing specific details about what games might be featured, but the company says that alongside BlizzCon staples like Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competition, hands-on gameplay, and more, we aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.The last BlizzCon event took place in 2023, where the company announced details about things like Diablo IVs first expansion, new World of Warcraft expansions, the addition of Mauga to Overwatch, and more. Blizzard also hosted a virtual BlizzConline in 2021 and an in-person edition of the show in November 2019.

Blizzard has announced today that it will once again hold an in-person BlizzCon convention at the Anaheim Convention Center. However, it won't be happening until 2026.In a press release today, Blizzard revealed the next in-person BlizzCon dates: September 12 and 13, 2026. It also promised to bring back favorite convention elements such as the opening ceremony, panels, the Darkmoon Faire, competitions, and hands-on gameplay. Additionally, Blizzard says it will "aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it."PlayBlizzard did not provide an explanation for why it was skipping 2025, or if it has plans for any sort of online celebration this year.BlizzCon's status has been rocky the last few years. Formerly an annual event, it was, like many other similar events, canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021 as a digital show in 2021, then went on hiatus again in 2022. In 2023, BlizzCon was held once again in person with plans to follow it up in 2024, but the event was then canceled for that year as well. While no reason was given at the time, the 2024 cancellation followed its acquisition by Microsoft, and a rash of mass layoffs company-wide.The question of what BlizzCon will look like under Microsoft's oversight remains, and we won't find out the answer until at least next year. At least we have loads of time to plan our cosplay.Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.