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2025-05-14 02:17:52 ·

A Beginner's Guide To Mastering Sciel In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
When you reconnect with Sciel in the Gestral Village, she’s been champion at their local arena tournament for a while, and absolutely dominant at that, like a sexy, French Roman Reigns or something.
It’s not till you finally get around to using her in your party that you really figure out why.
She obviously took it easy on you in your arena fight.
If Sciel wanted to, she could turn your ass into mirepoix faster than she puts up her ponytail.
Suggested ReadingThe 3 Best And 3 Worst Korok Challenges In Tears Of The Kingdom
Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingThe 3 Best And 3 Worst Korok Challenges In Tears Of The Kingdom
Share SubtitlesOffEnglishRead More: That might not be totally obvious at the outset though, because my girl’s combat mechanics are the most unique and complex in the game; and it’s so easy to blow so many turns doing chip damage to low level grunts when you could and should be an unstoppable death dealer.
Let’s show you how.
1.
Basic kit2.
Special mechanic: Foretell and Twilight3.
Recommended builds and synergiesThere’s not too much to say here since even compared to the rest of her Team, Sciel’s entire loadout is inextricable from the Twilight mechanics.
But, just to keep it real simple, Sciel uses a double-sided scythe for a melee weapon.
There are actually really heartbreaking reasons for that, but in context, it does mean that despite everything else, she’s still got some powerful melee capabilities you can and should take advantage of.
In particular, though, one of her bread-and-butter abilities, Sealed Fate, will depend on what element and what weapon you’ve got equipped, so more than some of the others, you still wanna choose her main weapon wisely, and not just for max Attack power.The main reason for that is because the vast majority of her abilities cast some form of Dark energy.
She and, later, Monoco are the only ones who have consistent access to Dark skills, and given how rare it is for enemies to have a defense against it, that makes her innately pretty useful.
But, of course, that’s the tip of the iceberg.Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuAnd now, the feature presentation: Sciel’s tutorial technically tells players all they need to know to use the Foretell system, but it sucks at telling you how to use it effectively.
And you can see why, given how easy it is for Sciel to become Death, Destroyer of Worlds with the right loadout.
So, there’s actually two special mechanics going on here.
The first is Foretell.
Think of Sciel’s Foretell cards like they’re little sticky bombs.
You can stick a maximum of 10 onto an enemy, and whenever you’re ready, you can Consume them, which detonates some or all of them for additional damage.
Obviously, you want a full payload of 10, and to hopefully not waste too many turns getting there.
The second is the Twilight mechanic.
Each of Sciel’s skills is coded as either a Light or Dark skill, noted by the little sun and moon icons in the upper right of the descriptions in the menus.
Using a skill generates a card with either a Sun or Moon on it.
Once you’ve generated at least one Sun card and one Moon card, Sciel enters Twilight mode, which increases damage by 50%, but also doubles the amount of Foretell you can slap onto an enemy from 10 to 20.
That damage increase actually goes up by 25% for every card of one type you generate before generating the opposite card to enter Twilight (i.e.
adding multiple Sun cards before generating a Moon and vice versa).
It’s not a hard mechanic to grasp, but the trickiness mostly comes in the fact that the skill descriptions get very Magic the Gathering real fast, and especially when you’re just getting acclimated, they’re throwing a LOT at you.
Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuWe could honestly be here all day with this one.
Synergizing means spending some considerable time in your skill menu optimizing your personal easiest path to a strong Twilight.
But oh, believe us, it’s worth it.
It’s kind of a shame you can’t actually pin Skills in the menus, because Focused Foretell (applying 5 Foretell to enemies with no other Foretell) is going to be the way you say hello to every enemy 99% of the time.
Searing Bond is the closest you get to a replacement later on, but the four-AP cost upfront can put you at a disadvantage a bit too early.
That said, Searing Bond is still a pretty excellent second skill to have in your arsenal to get an enemy you hit with Focused Foretell to 10 Foretell in a hurry, and it pairs nicely with Maelle and Lune’s multi-enemy Fire skills and Sciel’s own Firing Shadow for clearing out group fights in a hurry.
Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuSealed Fate is Sciel’s Ace maneuver, though.
It’s the best go-to trigger for Twilight once you’ve got your cards stacked.
It’s right next to Phantom Blade on the Skills tree, so you can grab it early on; it does a pretty absurd amount of damage for only a fourAP cost.
Pair it with the Critical Burn or Critical Break Picto/Lumina, and you’ve basically taken a chainsaw to a massive chunk of every enemy’s lifebar.The main thing to remember is that it does attack using your weapon’s element, so be aware if your opponent’s immune so you don’t wind up healing your enemy for thousands of points like a dumbass.
And oh yeah, if you think that Skill hurts enemies now, once you’re actually in Twilight, Sealed Fate can be an absolute wrecking ball, especially once you’ve got the enemy up to 20 Foretell.
Once you’ve unlocked Gradient Attacks, drop this right after Shadow Bringer, and watch enemies melt away.
While this is just a guide to get you started, it is worth noting just how much the game can and will change once you’ve got stuff like Fortune’s Fate in your back pocket.
Also, when you’re finally brave enough to take down the colossal Sprong enemy hanging out in the southwestern part of the map, he’ll drop the Cheater Picto, allowing you to take two turns in a row, and putting that thing on Sciel makes her an absolute monster in terms of building up high Twilight percentages fast.
If you go that route—and should—just make sure she has a skill that can trigger a Break, because she can get an enemy there fast.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.
.
Source: https://kotaku.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-sciel-foretell-twilight-1851780506" style="color: #0066cc;">https://kotaku.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-sciel-foretell-twilight-1851780506
#beginner039s #guide #mastering #sciel #clair #obscur #expedition

A Beginner's Guide To Mastering Sciel In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
When you reconnect with Sciel in the Gestral Village, she’s been champion at their local arena tournament for a while, and absolutely dominant at that, like a sexy, French Roman Reigns or something. It’s not till you finally get around to using her in your party that you really figure out why. She obviously took it easy on you in your arena fight. If Sciel wanted to, she could turn your ass into mirepoix faster than she puts up her ponytail. Suggested ReadingThe 3 Best And 3 Worst Korok Challenges In Tears Of The Kingdom Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingThe 3 Best And 3 Worst Korok Challenges In Tears Of The Kingdom Share SubtitlesOffEnglishRead More: That might not be totally obvious at the outset though, because my girl’s combat mechanics are the most unique and complex in the game; and it’s so easy to blow so many turns doing chip damage to low level grunts when you could and should be an unstoppable death dealer. Let’s show you how. 1. Basic kit2. Special mechanic: Foretell and Twilight3. Recommended builds and synergiesThere’s not too much to say here since even compared to the rest of her Team, Sciel’s entire loadout is inextricable from the Twilight mechanics. But, just to keep it real simple, Sciel uses a double-sided scythe for a melee weapon. There are actually really heartbreaking reasons for that, but in context, it does mean that despite everything else, she’s still got some powerful melee capabilities you can and should take advantage of. In particular, though, one of her bread-and-butter abilities, Sealed Fate, will depend on what element and what weapon you’ve got equipped, so more than some of the others, you still wanna choose her main weapon wisely, and not just for max Attack power.The main reason for that is because the vast majority of her abilities cast some form of Dark energy. She and, later, Monoco are the only ones who have consistent access to Dark skills, and given how rare it is for enemies to have a defense against it, that makes her innately pretty useful. But, of course, that’s the tip of the iceberg.Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuAnd now, the feature presentation: Sciel’s tutorial technically tells players all they need to know to use the Foretell system, but it sucks at telling you how to use it effectively. And you can see why, given how easy it is for Sciel to become Death, Destroyer of Worlds with the right loadout. So, there’s actually two special mechanics going on here. The first is Foretell. Think of Sciel’s Foretell cards like they’re little sticky bombs. You can stick a maximum of 10 onto an enemy, and whenever you’re ready, you can Consume them, which detonates some or all of them for additional damage. Obviously, you want a full payload of 10, and to hopefully not waste too many turns getting there. The second is the Twilight mechanic. Each of Sciel’s skills is coded as either a Light or Dark skill, noted by the little sun and moon icons in the upper right of the descriptions in the menus. Using a skill generates a card with either a Sun or Moon on it. Once you’ve generated at least one Sun card and one Moon card, Sciel enters Twilight mode, which increases damage by 50%, but also doubles the amount of Foretell you can slap onto an enemy from 10 to 20. That damage increase actually goes up by 25% for every card of one type you generate before generating the opposite card to enter Twilight (i.e. adding multiple Sun cards before generating a Moon and vice versa). It’s not a hard mechanic to grasp, but the trickiness mostly comes in the fact that the skill descriptions get very Magic the Gathering real fast, and especially when you’re just getting acclimated, they’re throwing a LOT at you. Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuWe could honestly be here all day with this one. Synergizing means spending some considerable time in your skill menu optimizing your personal easiest path to a strong Twilight. But oh, believe us, it’s worth it. It’s kind of a shame you can’t actually pin Skills in the menus, because Focused Foretell (applying 5 Foretell to enemies with no other Foretell) is going to be the way you say hello to every enemy 99% of the time. Searing Bond is the closest you get to a replacement later on, but the four-AP cost upfront can put you at a disadvantage a bit too early. That said, Searing Bond is still a pretty excellent second skill to have in your arsenal to get an enemy you hit with Focused Foretell to 10 Foretell in a hurry, and it pairs nicely with Maelle and Lune’s multi-enemy Fire skills and Sciel’s own Firing Shadow for clearing out group fights in a hurry. Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuSealed Fate is Sciel’s Ace maneuver, though. It’s the best go-to trigger for Twilight once you’ve got your cards stacked. It’s right next to Phantom Blade on the Skills tree, so you can grab it early on; it does a pretty absurd amount of damage for only a fourAP cost. Pair it with the Critical Burn or Critical Break Picto/Lumina, and you’ve basically taken a chainsaw to a massive chunk of every enemy’s lifebar.The main thing to remember is that it does attack using your weapon’s element, so be aware if your opponent’s immune so you don’t wind up healing your enemy for thousands of points like a dumbass. And oh yeah, if you think that Skill hurts enemies now, once you’re actually in Twilight, Sealed Fate can be an absolute wrecking ball, especially once you’ve got the enemy up to 20 Foretell. Once you’ve unlocked Gradient Attacks, drop this right after Shadow Bringer, and watch enemies melt away. While this is just a guide to get you started, it is worth noting just how much the game can and will change once you’ve got stuff like Fortune’s Fate in your back pocket. Also, when you’re finally brave enough to take down the colossal Sprong enemy hanging out in the southwestern part of the map, he’ll drop the Cheater Picto, allowing you to take two turns in a row, and putting that thing on Sciel makes her an absolute monster in terms of building up high Twilight percentages fast. If you go that route—and should—just make sure she has a skill that can trigger a Break, because she can get an enemy there fast. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs. . Source: https://kotaku.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-sciel-foretell-twilight-1851780506 #beginner039s #guide #mastering #sciel #clair #obscur #expedition

KOTAKU.COM

A Beginner's Guide To Mastering Sciel In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

When you reconnect with Sciel in the Gestral Village, she’s been champion at their local arena tournament for a while, and absolutely dominant at that, like a sexy, French Roman Reigns or something. It’s not till you finally get around to using her in your party that you really figure out why. She obviously took it easy on you in your arena fight. If Sciel wanted to, she could turn your ass into mirepoix faster than she puts up her ponytail. Suggested ReadingThe 3 Best And 3 Worst Korok Challenges In Tears Of The Kingdom Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingThe 3 Best And 3 Worst Korok Challenges In Tears Of The Kingdom Share SubtitlesOffEnglishRead More: That might not be totally obvious at the outset though, because my girl’s combat mechanics are the most unique and complex in the game; and it’s so easy to blow so many turns doing chip damage to low level grunts when you could and should be an unstoppable death dealer. Let’s show you how. 1. Basic kit2. Special mechanic: Foretell and Twilight3. Recommended builds and synergiesThere’s not too much to say here since even compared to the rest of her Team, Sciel’s entire loadout is inextricable from the Twilight mechanics. But, just to keep it real simple, Sciel uses a double-sided scythe for a melee weapon. There are actually really heartbreaking reasons for that, but in context, it does mean that despite everything else, she’s still got some powerful melee capabilities you can and should take advantage of. In particular, though, one of her bread-and-butter abilities, Sealed Fate, will depend on what element and what weapon you’ve got equipped, so more than some of the others, you still wanna choose her main weapon wisely, and not just for max Attack power.The main reason for that is because the vast majority of her abilities cast some form of Dark energy. She and, later, Monoco are the only ones who have consistent access to Dark skills, and given how rare it is for enemies to have a defense against it, that makes her innately pretty useful. But, of course, that’s the tip of the iceberg.Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuAnd now, the feature presentation: Sciel’s tutorial technically tells players all they need to know to use the Foretell system, but it sucks at telling you how to use it effectively. And you can see why, given how easy it is for Sciel to become Death, Destroyer of Worlds with the right loadout. So, there’s actually two special mechanics going on here. The first is Foretell. Think of Sciel’s Foretell cards like they’re little sticky bombs. You can stick a maximum of 10 onto an enemy, and whenever you’re ready, you can Consume them, which detonates some or all of them for additional damage. Obviously, you want a full payload of 10, and to hopefully not waste too many turns getting there. The second is the Twilight mechanic. Each of Sciel’s skills is coded as either a Light or Dark skill, noted by the little sun and moon icons in the upper right of the descriptions in the menus. Using a skill generates a card with either a Sun or Moon on it. Once you’ve generated at least one Sun card and one Moon card, Sciel enters Twilight mode, which increases damage by 50%, but also doubles the amount of Foretell you can slap onto an enemy from 10 to 20. That damage increase actually goes up by 25% for every card of one type you generate before generating the opposite card to enter Twilight (i.e. adding multiple Sun cards before generating a Moon and vice versa). It’s not a hard mechanic to grasp, but the trickiness mostly comes in the fact that the skill descriptions get very Magic the Gathering real fast, and especially when you’re just getting acclimated, they’re throwing a LOT at you. Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuWe could honestly be here all day with this one. Synergizing means spending some considerable time in your skill menu optimizing your personal easiest path to a strong Twilight. But oh, believe us, it’s worth it. It’s kind of a shame you can’t actually pin Skills in the menus, because Focused Foretell (applying 5 Foretell to enemies with no other Foretell) is going to be the way you say hello to every enemy 99% of the time. Searing Bond is the closest you get to a replacement later on, but the four-AP cost upfront can put you at a disadvantage a bit too early. That said, Searing Bond is still a pretty excellent second skill to have in your arsenal to get an enemy you hit with Focused Foretell to 10 Foretell in a hurry, and it pairs nicely with Maelle and Lune’s multi-enemy Fire skills and Sciel’s own Firing Shadow for clearing out group fights in a hurry. Screenshot: Sandfall Interactive / Justin Clark / KotakuSealed Fate is Sciel’s Ace maneuver, though. It’s the best go-to trigger for Twilight once you’ve got your cards stacked. It’s right next to Phantom Blade on the Skills tree, so you can grab it early on; it does a pretty absurd amount of damage for only a fourAP cost. Pair it with the Critical Burn or Critical Break Picto/Lumina, and you’ve basically taken a chainsaw to a massive chunk of every enemy’s lifebar.The main thing to remember is that it does attack using your weapon’s element, so be aware if your opponent’s immune so you don’t wind up healing your enemy for thousands of points like a dumbass. And oh yeah, if you think that Skill hurts enemies now, once you’re actually in Twilight, Sealed Fate can be an absolute wrecking ball, especially once you’ve got the enemy up to 20 Foretell. Once you’ve unlocked Gradient Attacks, drop this right after Shadow Bringer, and watch enemies melt away. While this is just a guide to get you started, it is worth noting just how much the game can and will change once you’ve got stuff like Fortune’s Fate in your back pocket. Also, when you’re finally brave enough to take down the colossal Sprong enemy hanging out in the southwestern part of the map, he’ll drop the Cheater Picto, allowing you to take two turns in a row, and putting that thing on Sciel makes her an absolute monster in terms of building up high Twilight percentages fast. If you go that route—and should—just make sure she has a skill that can trigger a Break, because she can get an enemy there fast. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs. .

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Hitmarker | Gaming Jobs شارك رابطًا

2025-05-14 02:17:16 ·

Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics) at Blizzard Entertainment
Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)Blizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America2 hours agoApplyTeam Name:CinematicsJob Title:Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)Requisition ID:R025212Job Description:Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a dedicated 3D animator to assist our Cinematics team in crafting the next generation of Epic animated films.What You Bring to the TablePriorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:The cinematic animator will be skilled at animating characters at a level that lives up to the ever-increasing Blizzard Entertainment standard of quality.
The ideal candidate has a passion for animation and film making, with experience animating a diverse array of characters and creatures in different styles, from cartoony to realistic and anywhere in-between.
A solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are critical.
You must enjoy working on a highly collaborative team of peers as passionate about making phenomenal movies and games as we are.
Blizzard Entertainment offers a fun, creative, and technically challenging environment with excellent compensation.This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home.
The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.
However, we understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.We have multiple temporary roles open with 5-month and 6-month terms.
Start dates will be the beginning of June 2025.Minimum RequirementsExperience6+ years' experience in game development, television, or film industry using Maya or equivalent 3D programExperience working with Directors, Animation Supervisors and Leads developing, defining, and maintaining high-end cinematic animationsKnowledge & SkillsA demo reel demonstrating high quality hand-keyed animations through solid body mechanics and engaging performancesA solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are essentialKey AttributesPassion for film, animation, and video gamesSelf-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player attitudeAssist in supporting and evolving the Cinematics team with constructive feedback both technically and artisticallyExtra PointsArtistic skills: storyboarding, gesture drawing, 2D animation, compositionTechnical skills: rigging, scripting, and understanding of pipelinePhysical skills: acting, martial arts, and choreographyFilm making skills: cinematography, pre-visualization, editing, and story writingUnderstanding of FX, particles, cloth, and hair as they contribute to a character’s performance and other facets of both 2D and 3D animation is essentialYour PlatformBest known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
(www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences.
Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards.
Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.Our WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment.
We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty ®, World of Warcraft® , Overwatch ®, Diablo ®, Candy Crush ™ and Bubble Witch ™.
Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.
We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment.
We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve.
As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry.
Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities.
If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com.
General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here.
Thank you for your interest.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.
You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $38.85 - $71.83 Hourly.
These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S.
locations.
Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location.
Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process.
In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation.
Incentive compensation is not guaranteed.
While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.
Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings.
Apply
Source: https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Animator-Temp-SFD-Cinematics-at-Blizzard-Entertainment-3725" style="color: #0066cc;">https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Animator-Temp-SFD-Cinematics-at-Blizzard-Entertainment-3725
#senior #animator #temp #sfd #cinematics #blizzard #entertainment

Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics) at Blizzard Entertainment
Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)Blizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America2 hours agoApplyTeam Name:CinematicsJob Title:Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)Requisition ID:R025212Job Description:Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a dedicated 3D animator to assist our Cinematics team in crafting the next generation of Epic animated films.What You Bring to the TablePriorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:The cinematic animator will be skilled at animating characters at a level that lives up to the ever-increasing Blizzard Entertainment standard of quality. The ideal candidate has a passion for animation and film making, with experience animating a diverse array of characters and creatures in different styles, from cartoony to realistic and anywhere in-between. A solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are critical. You must enjoy working on a highly collaborative team of peers as passionate about making phenomenal movies and games as we are. Blizzard Entertainment offers a fun, creative, and technically challenging environment with excellent compensation.This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. However, we understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.We have multiple temporary roles open with 5-month and 6-month terms. Start dates will be the beginning of June 2025.Minimum RequirementsExperience6+ years' experience in game development, television, or film industry using Maya or equivalent 3D programExperience working with Directors, Animation Supervisors and Leads developing, defining, and maintaining high-end cinematic animationsKnowledge & SkillsA demo reel demonstrating high quality hand-keyed animations through solid body mechanics and engaging performancesA solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are essentialKey AttributesPassion for film, animation, and video gamesSelf-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player attitudeAssist in supporting and evolving the Cinematics team with constructive feedback both technically and artisticallyExtra PointsArtistic skills: storyboarding, gesture drawing, 2D animation, compositionTechnical skills: rigging, scripting, and understanding of pipelinePhysical skills: acting, martial arts, and choreographyFilm making skills: cinematography, pre-visualization, editing, and story writingUnderstanding of FX, particles, cloth, and hair as they contribute to a character’s performance and other facets of both 2D and 3D animation is essentialYour PlatformBest known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.Our WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty ®, World of Warcraft® , Overwatch ®, Diablo ®, Candy Crush ™ and Bubble Witch ™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $38.85 - $71.83 Hourly. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply Source: https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Animator-Temp-SFD-Cinematics-at-Blizzard-Entertainment-3725 #senior #animator #temp #sfd #cinematics #blizzard #entertainment

GAMEJOBS.CO

Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics) at Blizzard Entertainment

Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)Blizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America2 hours agoApplyTeam Name:CinematicsJob Title:Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)Requisition ID:R025212Job Description:Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a dedicated 3D animator to assist our Cinematics team in crafting the next generation of Epic animated films.What You Bring to the TablePriorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:The cinematic animator will be skilled at animating characters at a level that lives up to the ever-increasing Blizzard Entertainment standard of quality. The ideal candidate has a passion for animation and film making, with experience animating a diverse array of characters and creatures in different styles, from cartoony to realistic and anywhere in-between. A solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are critical. You must enjoy working on a highly collaborative team of peers as passionate about making phenomenal movies and games as we are. Blizzard Entertainment offers a fun, creative, and technically challenging environment with excellent compensation.This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. However, we understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.We have multiple temporary roles open with 5-month and 6-month terms. Start dates will be the beginning of June 2025.Minimum RequirementsExperience6+ years' experience in game development, television, or film industry using Maya or equivalent 3D programExperience working with Directors, Animation Supervisors and Leads developing, defining, and maintaining high-end cinematic animationsKnowledge & SkillsA demo reel demonstrating high quality hand-keyed animations through solid body mechanics and engaging performancesA solid grasp of body mechanics and character acting with a mastery of the 12 principles of animation are essentialKey AttributesPassion for film, animation, and video gamesSelf-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player attitudeAssist in supporting and evolving the Cinematics team with constructive feedback both technically and artisticallyExtra PointsArtistic skills: storyboarding, gesture drawing, 2D animation, compositionTechnical skills: rigging, scripting, and understanding of pipelinePhysical skills: acting, martial arts, and choreographyFilm making skills: cinematography, pre-visualization, editing, and story writingUnderstanding of FX, particles, cloth, and hair as they contribute to a character’s performance and other facets of both 2D and 3D animation is essentialYour PlatformBest known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.Our WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty ®, World of Warcraft® , Overwatch ®, Diablo ®, Candy Crush ™ and Bubble Witch ™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $38.85 - $71.83 Hourly. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

·125 مشاهدة

الرجاء تسجيل الدخول , للأعجاب والمشاركة والتعليق على هذا!
The Verge شارك رابطًا

2025-05-14 01:19:05 ·

Meta’s beef with the press flares at its antitrust trial
Long-simmering tension between Silicon Valley and the press that covers it is surfacing during the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Meta.
During a heated cross-examination of the FTC’s key economic expert, Scott Hemphill, Meta’s lead attorney, Mark Hansen, noted that Hemphill joined Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and former Biden official Tim Wu in pitching regulators on an antitrust probe of the company back in 2019.
The pitch deck for the probe that was shown in court included “public recognition” of the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy from two reporters: Kara Swisher, who currently hosts two podcasts for The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media, and Om Malik, the founder of the early tech blog GigaOm who is now a venture capitalist.In an attempt to undercut Hemphill’s credibility, Hansen caught Swisher and Malik in the crossfire.
He called Malik a “failed blogger” with an axe to grind against Meta.
He then suggested that Swisher, whom he referred to as a Vanity Fair columnist (she last wrote for the site in 2015), was similarly biased against the company.
In court, he projected a headline about her recently calling Mark Zuckerberg a “small little creature with a shriveled soul.”The 2019 pitch deck shown at court by Hansen also cited a Post story to support that Facebook should be investigated as a monopoly.
Meta’s Hansen asked if Hemphill agreed that “The New York Post is a scandal sheet,” to which he replied that he didn’t “have a view one way or another.” Hansen showed the infamous Post front page headline, “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” to make his point.The exchange resurfaced years-old tensions between the press and tech titans.
After experiencing relatively positive coverage during the early, aspirational days of Silicon Valley, Facebook and a handful of startups grew to become the largest platforms in the world.
Along the way, they’ve chafed at increasingly critical coverage of their businesses.
Malik and Swisher have indeed both criticized Meta and its executives.
In 2016, Malik critiqued Facebook’s intentions for offering free access to its apps and others in India, after board member Marc Andreesseen blamed local resistance to the program on “anti-colonialism” in a later-deleted tweet.
“I am suspicious of any for-profit company arguing its good intentions and its free gifts,” Malik wrote at the time.
It was not the first time Meta has pointed a finger at the media while at trialSwisher is famous for taking tech CEOs like Zuckerberg to task in public interviews.
Zuckerberg defended platforming Holocaust deniers to her in 2018, and she has called him “the most damaging man in tech.”Tuesday’s exchange was not the first time that Meta has pointed a finger at the media while at trial.
When discussing major scandals like Cambridge Analytica from the witness stand, company leaders have chalked up downswings in user sentiment to negative media attention and testified that Meta’s services haven’t seen comparable declines in engagement.
The FTC has argued that this fact is a sign of monopoly power because people can’t leave Facebook and Instagram without viable alternatives.
A judge will ultimately decide if that is true or not.
In the meantime, Meta’s grudges with the press are on full display.See More:
Source: https://www.theverge.com/politics/666507/meta-tech-press-antitrust-trial" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.theverge.com/politics/666507/meta-tech-press-antitrust-trial
#metas #beef #with #the #press #flares #its #antitrust #trial

Meta’s beef with the press flares at its antitrust trial
Long-simmering tension between Silicon Valley and the press that covers it is surfacing during the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Meta. During a heated cross-examination of the FTC’s key economic expert, Scott Hemphill, Meta’s lead attorney, Mark Hansen, noted that Hemphill joined Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and former Biden official Tim Wu in pitching regulators on an antitrust probe of the company back in 2019. The pitch deck for the probe that was shown in court included “public recognition” of the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy from two reporters: Kara Swisher, who currently hosts two podcasts for The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media, and Om Malik, the founder of the early tech blog GigaOm who is now a venture capitalist.In an attempt to undercut Hemphill’s credibility, Hansen caught Swisher and Malik in the crossfire. He called Malik a “failed blogger” with an axe to grind against Meta. He then suggested that Swisher, whom he referred to as a Vanity Fair columnist (she last wrote for the site in 2015), was similarly biased against the company. In court, he projected a headline about her recently calling Mark Zuckerberg a “small little creature with a shriveled soul.”The 2019 pitch deck shown at court by Hansen also cited a Post story to support that Facebook should be investigated as a monopoly. Meta’s Hansen asked if Hemphill agreed that “The New York Post is a scandal sheet,” to which he replied that he didn’t “have a view one way or another.” Hansen showed the infamous Post front page headline, “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” to make his point.The exchange resurfaced years-old tensions between the press and tech titans. After experiencing relatively positive coverage during the early, aspirational days of Silicon Valley, Facebook and a handful of startups grew to become the largest platforms in the world. Along the way, they’ve chafed at increasingly critical coverage of their businesses. Malik and Swisher have indeed both criticized Meta and its executives. In 2016, Malik critiqued Facebook’s intentions for offering free access to its apps and others in India, after board member Marc Andreesseen blamed local resistance to the program on “anti-colonialism” in a later-deleted tweet. “I am suspicious of any for-profit company arguing its good intentions and its free gifts,” Malik wrote at the time. It was not the first time Meta has pointed a finger at the media while at trialSwisher is famous for taking tech CEOs like Zuckerberg to task in public interviews. Zuckerberg defended platforming Holocaust deniers to her in 2018, and she has called him “the most damaging man in tech.”Tuesday’s exchange was not the first time that Meta has pointed a finger at the media while at trial. When discussing major scandals like Cambridge Analytica from the witness stand, company leaders have chalked up downswings in user sentiment to negative media attention and testified that Meta’s services haven’t seen comparable declines in engagement. The FTC has argued that this fact is a sign of monopoly power because people can’t leave Facebook and Instagram without viable alternatives. A judge will ultimately decide if that is true or not. In the meantime, Meta’s grudges with the press are on full display.See More: Source: https://www.theverge.com/politics/666507/meta-tech-press-antitrust-trial #metas #beef #with #the #press #flares #its #antitrust #trial

WWW.THEVERGE.COM

Meta’s beef with the press flares at its antitrust trial

Long-simmering tension between Silicon Valley and the press that covers it is surfacing during the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Meta. During a heated cross-examination of the FTC’s key economic expert, Scott Hemphill, Meta’s lead attorney, Mark Hansen, noted that Hemphill joined Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and former Biden official Tim Wu in pitching regulators on an antitrust probe of the company back in 2019. The pitch deck for the probe that was shown in court included “public recognition” of the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy from two reporters: Kara Swisher, who currently hosts two podcasts for The Verge’s parent company, Vox Media, and Om Malik, the founder of the early tech blog GigaOm who is now a venture capitalist.In an attempt to undercut Hemphill’s credibility, Hansen caught Swisher and Malik in the crossfire. He called Malik a “failed blogger” with an axe to grind against Meta. He then suggested that Swisher, whom he referred to as a Vanity Fair columnist (she last wrote for the site in 2015), was similarly biased against the company. In court, he projected a headline about her recently calling Mark Zuckerberg a “small little creature with a shriveled soul.”The 2019 pitch deck shown at court by Hansen also cited a Post story to support that Facebook should be investigated as a monopoly. Meta’s Hansen asked if Hemphill agreed that “The New York Post is a scandal sheet,” to which he replied that he didn’t “have a view one way or another.” Hansen showed the infamous Post front page headline, “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” to make his point.The exchange resurfaced years-old tensions between the press and tech titans. After experiencing relatively positive coverage during the early, aspirational days of Silicon Valley, Facebook and a handful of startups grew to become the largest platforms in the world. Along the way, they’ve chafed at increasingly critical coverage of their businesses. Malik and Swisher have indeed both criticized Meta and its executives. In 2016, Malik critiqued Facebook’s intentions for offering free access to its apps and others in India, after board member Marc Andreesseen blamed local resistance to the program on “anti-colonialism” in a later-deleted tweet. “I am suspicious of any for-profit company arguing its good intentions and its free gifts,” Malik wrote at the time. It was not the first time Meta has pointed a finger at the media while at trialSwisher is famous for taking tech CEOs like Zuckerberg to task in public interviews. Zuckerberg defended platforming Holocaust deniers to her in 2018, and she has called him “the most damaging man in tech.”Tuesday’s exchange was not the first time that Meta has pointed a finger at the media while at trial. When discussing major scandals like Cambridge Analytica from the witness stand, company leaders have chalked up downswings in user sentiment to negative media attention and testified that Meta’s services haven’t seen comparable declines in engagement. The FTC has argued that this fact is a sign of monopoly power because people can’t leave Facebook and Instagram without viable alternatives. A judge will ultimately decide if that is true or not. In the meantime, Meta’s grudges with the press are on full display.See More:

·82 مشاهدة

الرجاء تسجيل الدخول , للأعجاب والمشاركة والتعليق على هذا!
Hitmarker | Gaming Jobs شارك رابطًا

2025-05-13 23:30:30 ·

Senior Third-Party Risk Management Analyst at Epic Games
Senior Third-Party Risk Management AnalystEpic GamesCary, North Carolina, United States2 hours agoApplyWHAT MAKES US EPIC?At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people.
Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment.
Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users.
We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.COMPLIANCEWhat We DoWe help the company do the right thing by identifying, monitoring, and reporting on potential risks in order to support the company’s goal of promoting trust in our products and services.What You'll DoAs a Senior Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Analyst, you will play a key role in protecting Epic’s ecosystem by leading security-focused due diligence and ongoing oversight of third-party service providers.
You will take ownership of high-impact assessments, leverage your deep knowledge of information security and GRC frameworks, and serve as a strategic partner in maturing our third-party risk program.
This role will be critical in ensuring third parties align with Epic’s security, privacy, and compliance standards, especially within a fast-paced, evolving regulatory environment.In this role, you willLead third-party risk assessments with a focus on Information Security and GRC, evaluating inherent and residual risks to drive risk-informed decision-makingPerform in-depth due diligence on prospective and existing vendors, with an emphasis on cybersecurity controls, regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001), and data protection practicesManage periodic reassessments of high-risk and critical vendors to monitor for emerging threats, changes in control environments, and compliance postureEnsure integrity, consistency, and audit-readiness of third-party data within the GRC platform, supporting executive reporting and regulatory complianceCollaborate with key stakeholders across Information Security, Privacy, Legal, Procurement, and Business Units to integrate third-party risk insights into broader enterprise risk initiativesProvide expert guidance during third-party offboarding, ensuring risk is appropriately retired and that data retention, access, and continuity controls are validatedSupport external audits, internal investigations, and regulatory inquiries by preparing accurate and timely responses related to TPRM practices and control effectiveness while contributing to the enhancement of TPRM policies, playbooks, and metrics to continuously mature the programWhat we're looking for5+ years of experience in third-party risk management, information security, IT audit, or GRC, preferably within Gaming, Technology, or ConsultingDeep understanding of security risk assessment frameworks and best practices (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, SIG, CSA, etc.)Proficiency in GRC platforms such as Archer, OneTrust, ServiceNow, or similar tools, with the ability to lead data analysis and system improvementsDemonstrated ability to identify and assess security, privacy, and operational risks with a practical and solutions-oriented mindsetExcellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and challenge stakeholders at all levels while maintaining constructive relationshipsComfortable navigating ambiguity, leading through change, and managing complex or sensitive third-party issuesExperience with regulatory requirements related to vendor management and data security is strongly preferredComfortable working in a cross-functional environment and adapting to changing business and regulatory requirementsEPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFEOur intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life.
We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents.
Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match.
We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents.
Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks.
We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.ABOUT USEpic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally.
For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before.
Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design.
As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer.
Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement).
We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party.
Further details on these matters can be found here.
Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings.
Apply
Source: https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Third-Party-Risk-Management-Analyst-at-Epic-Games" style="color: #0066cc;">https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Third-Party-Risk-Management-Analyst-at-Epic-Games
#senior #thirdparty #risk #management #analyst #epic #games

Senior Third-Party Risk Management Analyst at Epic Games
Senior Third-Party Risk Management AnalystEpic GamesCary, North Carolina, United States2 hours agoApplyWHAT MAKES US EPIC?At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.COMPLIANCEWhat We DoWe help the company do the right thing by identifying, monitoring, and reporting on potential risks in order to support the company’s goal of promoting trust in our products and services.What You'll DoAs a Senior Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Analyst, you will play a key role in protecting Epic’s ecosystem by leading security-focused due diligence and ongoing oversight of third-party service providers. You will take ownership of high-impact assessments, leverage your deep knowledge of information security and GRC frameworks, and serve as a strategic partner in maturing our third-party risk program. This role will be critical in ensuring third parties align with Epic’s security, privacy, and compliance standards, especially within a fast-paced, evolving regulatory environment.In this role, you willLead third-party risk assessments with a focus on Information Security and GRC, evaluating inherent and residual risks to drive risk-informed decision-makingPerform in-depth due diligence on prospective and existing vendors, with an emphasis on cybersecurity controls, regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001), and data protection practicesManage periodic reassessments of high-risk and critical vendors to monitor for emerging threats, changes in control environments, and compliance postureEnsure integrity, consistency, and audit-readiness of third-party data within the GRC platform, supporting executive reporting and regulatory complianceCollaborate with key stakeholders across Information Security, Privacy, Legal, Procurement, and Business Units to integrate third-party risk insights into broader enterprise risk initiativesProvide expert guidance during third-party offboarding, ensuring risk is appropriately retired and that data retention, access, and continuity controls are validatedSupport external audits, internal investigations, and regulatory inquiries by preparing accurate and timely responses related to TPRM practices and control effectiveness while contributing to the enhancement of TPRM policies, playbooks, and metrics to continuously mature the programWhat we're looking for5+ years of experience in third-party risk management, information security, IT audit, or GRC, preferably within Gaming, Technology, or ConsultingDeep understanding of security risk assessment frameworks and best practices (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, SIG, CSA, etc.)Proficiency in GRC platforms such as Archer, OneTrust, ServiceNow, or similar tools, with the ability to lead data analysis and system improvementsDemonstrated ability to identify and assess security, privacy, and operational risks with a practical and solutions-oriented mindsetExcellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and challenge stakeholders at all levels while maintaining constructive relationshipsComfortable navigating ambiguity, leading through change, and managing complex or sensitive third-party issuesExperience with regulatory requirements related to vendor management and data security is strongly preferredComfortable working in a cross-functional environment and adapting to changing business and regulatory requirementsEPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFEOur intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.ABOUT USEpic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply Source: https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Third-Party-Risk-Management-Analyst-at-Epic-Games #senior #thirdparty #risk #management #analyst #epic #games

GAMEJOBS.CO

Senior Third-Party Risk Management Analyst at Epic Games

Senior Third-Party Risk Management AnalystEpic GamesCary, North Carolina, United States2 hours agoApplyWHAT MAKES US EPIC?At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.COMPLIANCEWhat We DoWe help the company do the right thing by identifying, monitoring, and reporting on potential risks in order to support the company’s goal of promoting trust in our products and services.What You'll DoAs a Senior Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Analyst, you will play a key role in protecting Epic’s ecosystem by leading security-focused due diligence and ongoing oversight of third-party service providers. You will take ownership of high-impact assessments, leverage your deep knowledge of information security and GRC frameworks, and serve as a strategic partner in maturing our third-party risk program. This role will be critical in ensuring third parties align with Epic’s security, privacy, and compliance standards, especially within a fast-paced, evolving regulatory environment.In this role, you willLead third-party risk assessments with a focus on Information Security and GRC, evaluating inherent and residual risks to drive risk-informed decision-makingPerform in-depth due diligence on prospective and existing vendors, with an emphasis on cybersecurity controls, regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001), and data protection practicesManage periodic reassessments of high-risk and critical vendors to monitor for emerging threats, changes in control environments, and compliance postureEnsure integrity, consistency, and audit-readiness of third-party data within the GRC platform, supporting executive reporting and regulatory complianceCollaborate with key stakeholders across Information Security, Privacy, Legal, Procurement, and Business Units to integrate third-party risk insights into broader enterprise risk initiativesProvide expert guidance during third-party offboarding, ensuring risk is appropriately retired and that data retention, access, and continuity controls are validatedSupport external audits, internal investigations, and regulatory inquiries by preparing accurate and timely responses related to TPRM practices and control effectiveness while contributing to the enhancement of TPRM policies, playbooks, and metrics to continuously mature the programWhat we're looking for5+ years of experience in third-party risk management, information security, IT audit, or GRC, preferably within Gaming, Technology, or ConsultingDeep understanding of security risk assessment frameworks and best practices (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, SIG, CSA, etc.)Proficiency in GRC platforms such as Archer, OneTrust, ServiceNow, or similar tools, with the ability to lead data analysis and system improvementsDemonstrated ability to identify and assess security, privacy, and operational risks with a practical and solutions-oriented mindsetExcellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and challenge stakeholders at all levels while maintaining constructive relationshipsComfortable navigating ambiguity, leading through change, and managing complex or sensitive third-party issuesExperience with regulatory requirements related to vendor management and data security is strongly preferredComfortable working in a cross-functional environment and adapting to changing business and regulatory requirementsEPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFEOur intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.ABOUT USEpic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

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2025-05-13 22:34:18 ·

May Patch Tuesday brings five exploited zero-days to fix

Microsoft has issued fixes for a total of five new zero-day vulnerabilities out of a grand total of just over 70 addressable common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) on the fifth Patch Tuesday of 2025 – over 80 when third-party issues are accounted for.
In numerical order, this month’s zero days are as follows:
CVE-2025-30400, an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in Microsoft DWM Core Library;
CVE-2025-30397, a memory corruption leading to remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Scripting Engine;
CVE-2025-32701, an EoP vulnerability in Windows Common Log File System Driver (CLFS);
CVE-2025-32706, a second EoP flaw in CLFS;
CVE-2025-32709, an EoP issue in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD.sys).
All five of these CVEs are listed by Microsoft as being exploited in the wild, but have not yet been made public.
They are all rated as being of Important severity, and all save the Scripting Engine flaw carry CVSS ratings of 7.8.
Mike Walters, president and co-founder of patch management specialist Action1, said that the two CLFS issues stood out as particularly dangerous given its importance in computing – the CLFS is a critical component that providers logging services to user- and kernel-mode applications, and is widely used by various system services and third-party applications.
“Attackers exploiting these vulnerabilities can escalate privileges to system level, granting them full control to run arbitrary code, install malware, modify data, or disable security protections,” said Walters.
“With low complexity and minimal privileges needed, these flaws pose a serious risk, especially given the confirmed in-the-wild exploitation [and] while no public exploit code is currently available, the presence of active attacks suggests that targeted campaigns, potentially involving advanced persistent threats (APTs), are already underway.
“Organisations should prioritise immediate assessment and remediation of these vulnerabilities to prevent potential compromise. Any organisation running Windows systems – across enterprise, government, education, or consumer sectors – could be exposed.
Given Windows’ global footprint, millions of devices are likely at risk,” said Walters.
CVE-2025-30400 in DWM Core Library should also be high on security admins’ patching lists, observed Kev Breen, senior director of threat research at Immersive.
He explained: “If exploited, it would allow attackers to gain system-level permission on the affected host.
With this level of privilege, attackers would be able to gain full control over the host, including any security tools and user accounts, potentially allowing for domain-level access to be compromised.
“This CVE is marked as ‘Exploitation Detected’ by the Microsoft team, meaning patches should be applied immediately as threat groups, including ransomware affiliates, will be quick to leverage this once more details become public.”
Breen added that once this happens, cyber teams and threat hunters should work quickly to review their systems for indicators of compromise (IoCs) to ensure that they haven’t been hit in the window between the point at which threat actors began at-scale exploitation, and the patch was released.
Breen’s colleague, cyber threat intelligence researcher Ben Hopkins, ran the rule over the remaining exploited zero-days, CVE-20205-30397 in Scripting Engine and CVE-2025-32709 in AFD.sys
“A scripting engine memory corruption vulnerability occurs when the Microsoft scripting engine mishandles objects in memory, in this case leading to an elevation of privilege being performed by an attacker,” he explained.
“This specific vulnerability exists … involves access to a resource using (‘type confusion’) which allows attackers to execute code over a network.
Type confusion in this context occurs when a program mistakenly treats a piece of data as a different type than it actually is, which leads to undefined and unpredictable behaviour, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code and elevate their privileges,” said Hopkins
For the layperson, this means that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network.
Turning to the issue affecting AFD.sys, a core Windows kernel-mode driver that supports network socket operations by bridging from WinSock (Windows Sockets API) in user space, and lower-level network drivers in the kernel, Hopkins explained that an unauthorized attacker could exploit a condition in which memory that has been deallocated can still be accessed to inject controlled data into memory and influence how the program behaves, ultimately granting them the ability to elevate their privileges.
In both cases, what this means is that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network.
Two additional zero-days have been publicly-disclosed today (13 May) but have not yet been reported as coming under attack at the time of writing.
These are CVE-2025-26685, a spoofing vulnerability in Microsoft Defender for Identity, and CVE-2025-32702, an RCE vulnerability in Visual Studio.
Both of these are rated of Important severity, carrying CVSS scores of 6.5 and 7.8 respectively.
Finally, the May update brings a total of 11 critical flaws affecting Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, Azure Storage Resource, Microsoft Dataverse, Microsoft msagsfeedback.zurewebsites.net, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Virtual Machine Bus and Remote Desktop Client (RDP).
In their impact, these issues run the gamut from EoP to spoofing to information disclosure, and six of them lead to RCE, said Microsoft.
Of the critical issues, Walters’ co-CEO and co-founder at Action1, Alex Vovk, told Computer Weekly that the two RDP flaws stood out in particular.
These are tracked as CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967.
“Both vulnerabilities pose critical risks, including remote code execution, full system compromise, and data breaches,” remarked Vovk.
“Given the broad adoption of remote desktop services, many organizations are potentially exposed.
CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967 underscore the urgent need to secure both client and server components in remote access environments.”
Read more about Patch Tuesday
April 2025: Microsoft is correcting 124 vulnerabilities in its March Patch Tuesday, one of which is being actively exploited in the wild, and 11 of which are ‘critical’.
March 2025: The third Patch Tuesday of 2025 brought fixes for 57 flaws and a hefty number of zero-days.
February 2025: Microsoft corrected 57 vulnerabilities, two of which are being actively exploited in the wild, and three of which are ‘critical’.
January 2025: The largest Patch Tuesday of the 2020s so far brings fixes for more than 150 CVEs ranging widely in their scope and severity – including eight zero-day flaws.
December 2024: Microsoft has fixed over 70 CVEs in its final Patch Tuesday update of the year, and defenders should prioritise a zero-day in the Common Log File System Driver, and another impactful flaw in the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
November 2024: High-profile vulns in NTLM, Windows Task Scheduler, Active Directory Certificate Services and Microsoft Exchange Server should be prioritised from November’s Patch Tuesday update.
October 2024: Stand-out vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday drop include problems in Microsoft Management Console and the Windows MSHTML Platform.
September 2024: Four critical remote code execution bugs in Windows and three critical elevated privileges vulnerabilities will keep admins busy.
August 2024: Microsoft patches six actively exploited zero-days among over 100 issues during its regular monthly update.
July 2024: Microsoft has fixed almost 140 vulnerabilities in its latest monthly update, with a Hyper-V zero-day singled out for urgent attention.
June 2024: An RCE vulnerability in a Microsoft messaging feature and a third-party flaw in a DNS authentication protocol are the most pressing issues to address in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday update.
May 2024: A critical SharePoint vulnerability warrants attention this month, but it is another flaw that seems to be linked to the infamous Qakbot malware that is drawing attention.

Source: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623992/May-Patch-Tuesday-brings-five-exploited-zero-days-to-fix" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623992/May-Patch-Tuesday-brings-five-exploited-zero-days-to-fix
#may #patch #tuesday #brings #five #exploited #zerodays #fix

May Patch Tuesday brings five exploited zero-days to fix
Microsoft has issued fixes for a total of five new zero-day vulnerabilities out of a grand total of just over 70 addressable common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) on the fifth Patch Tuesday of 2025 – over 80 when third-party issues are accounted for. In numerical order, this month’s zero days are as follows: CVE-2025-30400, an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in Microsoft DWM Core Library; CVE-2025-30397, a memory corruption leading to remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Scripting Engine; CVE-2025-32701, an EoP vulnerability in Windows Common Log File System Driver (CLFS); CVE-2025-32706, a second EoP flaw in CLFS; CVE-2025-32709, an EoP issue in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD.sys). All five of these CVEs are listed by Microsoft as being exploited in the wild, but have not yet been made public. They are all rated as being of Important severity, and all save the Scripting Engine flaw carry CVSS ratings of 7.8. Mike Walters, president and co-founder of patch management specialist Action1, said that the two CLFS issues stood out as particularly dangerous given its importance in computing – the CLFS is a critical component that providers logging services to user- and kernel-mode applications, and is widely used by various system services and third-party applications. “Attackers exploiting these vulnerabilities can escalate privileges to system level, granting them full control to run arbitrary code, install malware, modify data, or disable security protections,” said Walters. “With low complexity and minimal privileges needed, these flaws pose a serious risk, especially given the confirmed in-the-wild exploitation [and] while no public exploit code is currently available, the presence of active attacks suggests that targeted campaigns, potentially involving advanced persistent threats (APTs), are already underway. “Organisations should prioritise immediate assessment and remediation of these vulnerabilities to prevent potential compromise. Any organisation running Windows systems – across enterprise, government, education, or consumer sectors – could be exposed. Given Windows’ global footprint, millions of devices are likely at risk,” said Walters. CVE-2025-30400 in DWM Core Library should also be high on security admins’ patching lists, observed Kev Breen, senior director of threat research at Immersive. He explained: “If exploited, it would allow attackers to gain system-level permission on the affected host. With this level of privilege, attackers would be able to gain full control over the host, including any security tools and user accounts, potentially allowing for domain-level access to be compromised. “This CVE is marked as ‘Exploitation Detected’ by the Microsoft team, meaning patches should be applied immediately as threat groups, including ransomware affiliates, will be quick to leverage this once more details become public.” Breen added that once this happens, cyber teams and threat hunters should work quickly to review their systems for indicators of compromise (IoCs) to ensure that they haven’t been hit in the window between the point at which threat actors began at-scale exploitation, and the patch was released. Breen’s colleague, cyber threat intelligence researcher Ben Hopkins, ran the rule over the remaining exploited zero-days, CVE-20205-30397 in Scripting Engine and CVE-2025-32709 in AFD.sys “A scripting engine memory corruption vulnerability occurs when the Microsoft scripting engine mishandles objects in memory, in this case leading to an elevation of privilege being performed by an attacker,” he explained. “This specific vulnerability exists … involves access to a resource using (‘type confusion’) which allows attackers to execute code over a network. Type confusion in this context occurs when a program mistakenly treats a piece of data as a different type than it actually is, which leads to undefined and unpredictable behaviour, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code and elevate their privileges,” said Hopkins For the layperson, this means that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network. Turning to the issue affecting AFD.sys, a core Windows kernel-mode driver that supports network socket operations by bridging from WinSock (Windows Sockets API) in user space, and lower-level network drivers in the kernel, Hopkins explained that an unauthorized attacker could exploit a condition in which memory that has been deallocated can still be accessed to inject controlled data into memory and influence how the program behaves, ultimately granting them the ability to elevate their privileges. In both cases, what this means is that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network. Two additional zero-days have been publicly-disclosed today (13 May) but have not yet been reported as coming under attack at the time of writing. These are CVE-2025-26685, a spoofing vulnerability in Microsoft Defender for Identity, and CVE-2025-32702, an RCE vulnerability in Visual Studio. Both of these are rated of Important severity, carrying CVSS scores of 6.5 and 7.8 respectively. Finally, the May update brings a total of 11 critical flaws affecting Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, Azure Storage Resource, Microsoft Dataverse, Microsoft msagsfeedback.zurewebsites.net, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Virtual Machine Bus and Remote Desktop Client (RDP). In their impact, these issues run the gamut from EoP to spoofing to information disclosure, and six of them lead to RCE, said Microsoft. Of the critical issues, Walters’ co-CEO and co-founder at Action1, Alex Vovk, told Computer Weekly that the two RDP flaws stood out in particular. These are tracked as CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967. “Both vulnerabilities pose critical risks, including remote code execution, full system compromise, and data breaches,” remarked Vovk. “Given the broad adoption of remote desktop services, many organizations are potentially exposed. CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967 underscore the urgent need to secure both client and server components in remote access environments.” Read more about Patch Tuesday April 2025: Microsoft is correcting 124 vulnerabilities in its March Patch Tuesday, one of which is being actively exploited in the wild, and 11 of which are ‘critical’. March 2025: The third Patch Tuesday of 2025 brought fixes for 57 flaws and a hefty number of zero-days. February 2025: Microsoft corrected 57 vulnerabilities, two of which are being actively exploited in the wild, and three of which are ‘critical’. January 2025: The largest Patch Tuesday of the 2020s so far brings fixes for more than 150 CVEs ranging widely in their scope and severity – including eight zero-day flaws. December 2024: Microsoft has fixed over 70 CVEs in its final Patch Tuesday update of the year, and defenders should prioritise a zero-day in the Common Log File System Driver, and another impactful flaw in the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. November 2024: High-profile vulns in NTLM, Windows Task Scheduler, Active Directory Certificate Services and Microsoft Exchange Server should be prioritised from November’s Patch Tuesday update. October 2024: Stand-out vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday drop include problems in Microsoft Management Console and the Windows MSHTML Platform. September 2024: Four critical remote code execution bugs in Windows and three critical elevated privileges vulnerabilities will keep admins busy. August 2024: Microsoft patches six actively exploited zero-days among over 100 issues during its regular monthly update. July 2024: Microsoft has fixed almost 140 vulnerabilities in its latest monthly update, with a Hyper-V zero-day singled out for urgent attention. June 2024: An RCE vulnerability in a Microsoft messaging feature and a third-party flaw in a DNS authentication protocol are the most pressing issues to address in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday update. May 2024: A critical SharePoint vulnerability warrants attention this month, but it is another flaw that seems to be linked to the infamous Qakbot malware that is drawing attention. Source: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623992/May-Patch-Tuesday-brings-five-exploited-zero-days-to-fix #may #patch #tuesday #brings #five #exploited #zerodays #fix

WWW.COMPUTERWEEKLY.COM

May Patch Tuesday brings five exploited zero-days to fix

Microsoft has issued fixes for a total of five new zero-day vulnerabilities out of a grand total of just over 70 addressable common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) on the fifth Patch Tuesday of 2025 – over 80 when third-party issues are accounted for. In numerical order, this month’s zero days are as follows: CVE-2025-30400, an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in Microsoft DWM Core Library; CVE-2025-30397, a memory corruption leading to remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Scripting Engine; CVE-2025-32701, an EoP vulnerability in Windows Common Log File System Driver (CLFS); CVE-2025-32706, a second EoP flaw in CLFS; CVE-2025-32709, an EoP issue in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD.sys). All five of these CVEs are listed by Microsoft as being exploited in the wild, but have not yet been made public. They are all rated as being of Important severity, and all save the Scripting Engine flaw carry CVSS ratings of 7.8. Mike Walters, president and co-founder of patch management specialist Action1, said that the two CLFS issues stood out as particularly dangerous given its importance in computing – the CLFS is a critical component that providers logging services to user- and kernel-mode applications, and is widely used by various system services and third-party applications. “Attackers exploiting these vulnerabilities can escalate privileges to system level, granting them full control to run arbitrary code, install malware, modify data, or disable security protections,” said Walters. “With low complexity and minimal privileges needed, these flaws pose a serious risk, especially given the confirmed in-the-wild exploitation [and] while no public exploit code is currently available, the presence of active attacks suggests that targeted campaigns, potentially involving advanced persistent threats (APTs), are already underway. “Organisations should prioritise immediate assessment and remediation of these vulnerabilities to prevent potential compromise. Any organisation running Windows systems – across enterprise, government, education, or consumer sectors – could be exposed. Given Windows’ global footprint, millions of devices are likely at risk,” said Walters. CVE-2025-30400 in DWM Core Library should also be high on security admins’ patching lists, observed Kev Breen, senior director of threat research at Immersive. He explained: “If exploited, it would allow attackers to gain system-level permission on the affected host. With this level of privilege, attackers would be able to gain full control over the host, including any security tools and user accounts, potentially allowing for domain-level access to be compromised. “This CVE is marked as ‘Exploitation Detected’ by the Microsoft team, meaning patches should be applied immediately as threat groups, including ransomware affiliates, will be quick to leverage this once more details become public.” Breen added that once this happens, cyber teams and threat hunters should work quickly to review their systems for indicators of compromise (IoCs) to ensure that they haven’t been hit in the window between the point at which threat actors began at-scale exploitation, and the patch was released. Breen’s colleague, cyber threat intelligence researcher Ben Hopkins, ran the rule over the remaining exploited zero-days, CVE-20205-30397 in Scripting Engine and CVE-2025-32709 in AFD.sys “A scripting engine memory corruption vulnerability occurs when the Microsoft scripting engine mishandles objects in memory, in this case leading to an elevation of privilege being performed by an attacker,” he explained. “This specific vulnerability exists … involves access to a resource using (‘type confusion’) which allows attackers to execute code over a network. Type confusion in this context occurs when a program mistakenly treats a piece of data as a different type than it actually is, which leads to undefined and unpredictable behaviour, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code and elevate their privileges,” said Hopkins For the layperson, this means that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network. Turning to the issue affecting AFD.sys, a core Windows kernel-mode driver that supports network socket operations by bridging from WinSock (Windows Sockets API) in user space, and lower-level network drivers in the kernel, Hopkins explained that an unauthorized attacker could exploit a condition in which memory that has been deallocated can still be accessed to inject controlled data into memory and influence how the program behaves, ultimately granting them the ability to elevate their privileges. In both cases, what this means is that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network. Two additional zero-days have been publicly-disclosed today (13 May) but have not yet been reported as coming under attack at the time of writing. These are CVE-2025-26685, a spoofing vulnerability in Microsoft Defender for Identity, and CVE-2025-32702, an RCE vulnerability in Visual Studio. Both of these are rated of Important severity, carrying CVSS scores of 6.5 and 7.8 respectively. Finally, the May update brings a total of 11 critical flaws affecting Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, Azure Storage Resource, Microsoft Dataverse, Microsoft msagsfeedback.zurewebsites.net, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Virtual Machine Bus and Remote Desktop Client (RDP). In their impact, these issues run the gamut from EoP to spoofing to information disclosure, and six of them lead to RCE, said Microsoft. Of the critical issues, Walters’ co-CEO and co-founder at Action1, Alex Vovk, told Computer Weekly that the two RDP flaws stood out in particular. These are tracked as CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967. “Both vulnerabilities pose critical risks, including remote code execution, full system compromise, and data breaches,” remarked Vovk. “Given the broad adoption of remote desktop services, many organizations are potentially exposed. CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967 underscore the urgent need to secure both client and server components in remote access environments.” Read more about Patch Tuesday April 2025: Microsoft is correcting 124 vulnerabilities in its March Patch Tuesday, one of which is being actively exploited in the wild, and 11 of which are ‘critical’. March 2025: The third Patch Tuesday of 2025 brought fixes for 57 flaws and a hefty number of zero-days. February 2025: Microsoft corrected 57 vulnerabilities, two of which are being actively exploited in the wild, and three of which are ‘critical’. January 2025: The largest Patch Tuesday of the 2020s so far brings fixes for more than 150 CVEs ranging widely in their scope and severity – including eight zero-day flaws. December 2024: Microsoft has fixed over 70 CVEs in its final Patch Tuesday update of the year, and defenders should prioritise a zero-day in the Common Log File System Driver, and another impactful flaw in the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. November 2024: High-profile vulns in NTLM, Windows Task Scheduler, Active Directory Certificate Services and Microsoft Exchange Server should be prioritised from November’s Patch Tuesday update. October 2024: Stand-out vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday drop include problems in Microsoft Management Console and the Windows MSHTML Platform. September 2024: Four critical remote code execution bugs in Windows and three critical elevated privileges vulnerabilities will keep admins busy. August 2024: Microsoft patches six actively exploited zero-days among over 100 issues during its regular monthly update. July 2024: Microsoft has fixed almost 140 vulnerabilities in its latest monthly update, with a Hyper-V zero-day singled out for urgent attention. June 2024: An RCE vulnerability in a Microsoft messaging feature and a third-party flaw in a DNS authentication protocol are the most pressing issues to address in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday update. May 2024: A critical SharePoint vulnerability warrants attention this month, but it is another flaw that seems to be linked to the infamous Qakbot malware that is drawing attention.

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Futurism شارك رابطًا

2025-05-13 22:23:45 ·

Company Regrets Replacing All Those Pesky Human Workers With AI, Just Wants Its Humans Back
Two years after partnering with OpenAI to automate marketing and customer service jobs, financial tech startup Klarna says it's longing for human connection again.Once gunning to be OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's "favorite guinea pig," Klarna is now plotting a big recruitment drive after its AI customer service agents couldn't quite hack it.The buy-now-pay-later company had previously shredded its marketing contracts in 2023, followed by its customer service team in 2024, which it proudly began replacing with AI agents.
Now, the company says it imagines an "Uber-type of setup" to fill their ranks, with gig workers logging in remotely to argue with customers from the comfort of their own homes."From a brand perspective, a company perspective, I just think it’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will be always a human if you want," admitted Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the Swedish fintech's CEO.That's a pretty big shift from his comments in December of 2024, when he told Bloomberg he was "of the opinion that AI can already do all of the jobs that we, as humans, do." A year before that, Klarna had stopped hiring humans altogether, reducing its workforce by 22 percent.A few months after freezing new hires, Klarna bragged that it saved $10 million on marketing costs by outsourcing tasks like translation, art production, and data analysis to generative AI.
It likewise claimed that its automated customer service agents could do the work of "700 full-time agents."So why the sudden about-face? As it turns out, leaving your already-frustrated customers to deal with a slop-spinning algorithm isn't exactly best practice.As Siemiatkowski told Bloomberg, "cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality."Klarna isn't alone.
Though executives in every industry, from news media to fast food, seem to think AI is ready for the hot seat — an attitude that's more grounded in investor relations than an honest assessment of the tech — there are growing signs that robot chickens are coming home to roost.In January of last year, a survey of over 1,400 business executives found that 66 percent were "ambivalent or outright dissatisfied with their organization’s progress on AI and GenAI so far." The top issue corporate bosses cited was AI's "lack of talent and skills."It's a problem that evidently hasn't improved over the year.
Another survey recently found that over 55 percent of UK business leaders who rushed to replace jobs with AI now regret their decision.It's not hard to see why.
An experiment carried out by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University stuffed a fake software company full of AI employees, and their performance was laughably bad — the best AI worker finished just 24 percent of the tasks assigned to it.When it comes to the question of whether AI will take jobs, there seem to be as many answers as there are CEOs excited to save a buck.There are gray areas, to be sure — AI is certainly helping corporations speed up low-wage outsourcing, and the tech is having a verifiable effect on labor market volatility — just don't count on CEOs to have much patience as AI starts to chomp at their bottom line.Share This Article
Source: https://futurism.com/klarna-openai-humans-ai-back" style="color: #0066cc;">https://futurism.com/klarna-openai-humans-ai-back
#company #regrets #replacing #all #those #pesky #human #workers #with #just #wants #its #humans #back

Company Regrets Replacing All Those Pesky Human Workers With AI, Just Wants Its Humans Back
Two years after partnering with OpenAI to automate marketing and customer service jobs, financial tech startup Klarna says it's longing for human connection again.Once gunning to be OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's "favorite guinea pig," Klarna is now plotting a big recruitment drive after its AI customer service agents couldn't quite hack it.The buy-now-pay-later company had previously shredded its marketing contracts in 2023, followed by its customer service team in 2024, which it proudly began replacing with AI agents. Now, the company says it imagines an "Uber-type of setup" to fill their ranks, with gig workers logging in remotely to argue with customers from the comfort of their own homes."From a brand perspective, a company perspective, I just think it’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will be always a human if you want," admitted Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the Swedish fintech's CEO.That's a pretty big shift from his comments in December of 2024, when he told Bloomberg he was "of the opinion that AI can already do all of the jobs that we, as humans, do." A year before that, Klarna had stopped hiring humans altogether, reducing its workforce by 22 percent.A few months after freezing new hires, Klarna bragged that it saved $10 million on marketing costs by outsourcing tasks like translation, art production, and data analysis to generative AI. It likewise claimed that its automated customer service agents could do the work of "700 full-time agents."So why the sudden about-face? As it turns out, leaving your already-frustrated customers to deal with a slop-spinning algorithm isn't exactly best practice.As Siemiatkowski told Bloomberg, "cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality."Klarna isn't alone. Though executives in every industry, from news media to fast food, seem to think AI is ready for the hot seat — an attitude that's more grounded in investor relations than an honest assessment of the tech — there are growing signs that robot chickens are coming home to roost.In January of last year, a survey of over 1,400 business executives found that 66 percent were "ambivalent or outright dissatisfied with their organization’s progress on AI and GenAI so far." The top issue corporate bosses cited was AI's "lack of talent and skills."It's a problem that evidently hasn't improved over the year. Another survey recently found that over 55 percent of UK business leaders who rushed to replace jobs with AI now regret their decision.It's not hard to see why. An experiment carried out by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University stuffed a fake software company full of AI employees, and their performance was laughably bad — the best AI worker finished just 24 percent of the tasks assigned to it.When it comes to the question of whether AI will take jobs, there seem to be as many answers as there are CEOs excited to save a buck.There are gray areas, to be sure — AI is certainly helping corporations speed up low-wage outsourcing, and the tech is having a verifiable effect on labor market volatility — just don't count on CEOs to have much patience as AI starts to chomp at their bottom line.Share This Article Source: https://futurism.com/klarna-openai-humans-ai-back #company #regrets #replacing #all #those #pesky #human #workers #with #just #wants #its #humans #back

FUTURISM.COM

Company Regrets Replacing All Those Pesky Human Workers With AI, Just Wants Its Humans Back

Two years after partnering with OpenAI to automate marketing and customer service jobs, financial tech startup Klarna says it's longing for human connection again.Once gunning to be OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's "favorite guinea pig," Klarna is now plotting a big recruitment drive after its AI customer service agents couldn't quite hack it.The buy-now-pay-later company had previously shredded its marketing contracts in 2023, followed by its customer service team in 2024, which it proudly began replacing with AI agents. Now, the company says it imagines an "Uber-type of setup" to fill their ranks, with gig workers logging in remotely to argue with customers from the comfort of their own homes."From a brand perspective, a company perspective, I just think it’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will be always a human if you want," admitted Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the Swedish fintech's CEO.That's a pretty big shift from his comments in December of 2024, when he told Bloomberg he was "of the opinion that AI can already do all of the jobs that we, as humans, do." A year before that, Klarna had stopped hiring humans altogether, reducing its workforce by 22 percent.A few months after freezing new hires, Klarna bragged that it saved $10 million on marketing costs by outsourcing tasks like translation, art production, and data analysis to generative AI. It likewise claimed that its automated customer service agents could do the work of "700 full-time agents."So why the sudden about-face? As it turns out, leaving your already-frustrated customers to deal with a slop-spinning algorithm isn't exactly best practice.As Siemiatkowski told Bloomberg, "cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality."Klarna isn't alone. Though executives in every industry, from news media to fast food, seem to think AI is ready for the hot seat — an attitude that's more grounded in investor relations than an honest assessment of the tech — there are growing signs that robot chickens are coming home to roost.In January of last year, a survey of over 1,400 business executives found that 66 percent were "ambivalent or outright dissatisfied with their organization’s progress on AI and GenAI so far." The top issue corporate bosses cited was AI's "lack of talent and skills."It's a problem that evidently hasn't improved over the year. Another survey recently found that over 55 percent of UK business leaders who rushed to replace jobs with AI now regret their decision.It's not hard to see why. An experiment carried out by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University stuffed a fake software company full of AI employees, and their performance was laughably bad — the best AI worker finished just 24 percent of the tasks assigned to it.When it comes to the question of whether AI will take jobs, there seem to be as many answers as there are CEOs excited to save a buck.There are gray areas, to be sure — AI is certainly helping corporations speed up low-wage outsourcing, and the tech is having a verifiable effect on labor market volatility — just don't count on CEOs to have much patience as AI starts to chomp at their bottom line.Share This Article

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2025-05-13 22:22:28 ·

Reinforcement Learning, Not Fine-Tuning: Nemotron-Tool-N1 Trains LLMs to Use Tools with Minimal Supervision and Maximum Generalization

Equipping LLMs with external tools or functions has become popular, showing great performance across diverse domains.
Existing research depends on synthesizing large volumes of tool-use trajectories through advanced language models and SFT to enhance LLMs’ tool-calling capability.
The critical limitation lies in the synthetic datasets’ inability to capture explicit reasoning steps, resulting in superficial tool call training.
In many cases, reasoning is either completely omitted during the training or deferred to inference through prompting techniques.
This results in pseudo-reasoning: models merely learn to mimic surface-level patterns without truly understanding the underlying decision-making process.
Existing research explores multiple approaches to enhance LLMs’ tool-use capabilities.
Previous methods have focused on two key strategies for improving tool learning.
The first approach concentrated on dataset curation and model refinement, involving the creation of large-scale supervised datasets and applying advanced training techniques such as SFT and DPO reinforcement learning.
LLMs are combined with various external tools, including search engines, calculators, vision tools, and Python interpreters, to expand their functional capabilities.
The second approach targeted reasoning improvement, shifting from traditional train-time scaling to more complex test-time scaling strategies.
Earlier methods relied on step-level supervision and learned reward models to guide reasoning trajectories.
Researchers from NVIDIA, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Washington have proposed the Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 series to address the limitations of existing tool-use methods.
It diverges from traditional SFT and reasoning trace distillation techniques by implementing a unique RL paradigm.
Drawing inspiration from DeepSeek-R1’s success, a lightweight supervision method has been developed to focus on the structural validity and functional correctness evaluation of tool invocations.
The Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 model employs a binary reward mechanism that enables the model to autonomously develop reasoning strategies without relying on explicitly annotated reasoning trajectories.
Researchers unify and preprocess data from existing tool-calling datasets, xLAM, and a subset of ToolACE, which provide single-turn and multi-turn synthetic tool-calling trajectories.
A lightweight prompting template is created to guide tool call generation, featuring explicit instructions for intermediate reasoning within <think>…</think> tags and tool invocation enclosed in <tool_call>…</tool_call>.
The template helps to minimize rigid formatting constraints and reduce the risk of overfitting to specific prompt patterns.
The primary backbone model utilized is Qwen2.5-7B/14B-Instruct, and to evaluate the generalization ability of the proposed method, evaluations are performed on alternative backbone models, including multiple variants from the LLaMA family.
Results on the BFCL and API-Bank benchmarks show Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 models’ superior performance.
On the BFCL benchmark, the Tool-N1-7B/14B models outperform closed-source models like GPT-4o and specialized fine-tuned models such as xLAM-2-70B and ToolACE-8B.
The models surpass SFT baselines trained on identical data sources, highlighting the effectiveness of the R1-style RL approach.
Further, the API-Bank benchmark validates these findings, with Tool-N1-7B/14B achieving 4.12% and 5.03% higher accuracy than GPT-4o.
These results conclusively demonstrate the potential of the proposed method in enhancing large language models’ tool-calling capabilities through a novel reinforcement learning paradigm.
In conclusion, researchers introduced Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1, a significant advancement in LLM tool-use capabilities.
The research shows a paradigm shift from traditional SFT methodologies by introducing a novel rule-based RL approach.
The proposed method enables models to develop sophisticated reasoning strategies without relying on explicitly annotated reasoning trajectories.
Benchmark evaluations across BFCL and API-Bank consistently validate the approach’s effectiveness, showing substantial performance improvements over existing baselines.
The findings open new avenues for developing more adaptable and intelligent language models that can autonomously generate reasoning strategies.
Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project.
Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 90k+ ML SubReddit.
Here’s a brief overview of what we’re building at Marktechpost:
ML News Community – r/machinelearningnews (92k+ members)
Newsletter– airesearchinsights.com/(30k+ subscribers)
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AI Dev & Research News – marktechpost.com (1M+ monthly readers)
Partner with us
Sajjad AnsariSajjad Ansari is a final year undergraduate from IIT Kharagpur.
As a Tech enthusiast, he delves into the practical applications of AI with a focus on understanding the impact of AI technologies and their real-world implications.
He aims to articulate complex AI concepts in a clear and accessible manner.Sajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/RL^V:" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/RL^V: Unifying Reasoning and Verification in Language Models through Value-Free Reinforcement LearningSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Offline" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Offline Video-LLMs Can Now Understand Real-Time Streams: Apple Researchers Introduce StreamBridge to Enable Multi-Turn and Proactive Video UnderstandingSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/AI" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/AI That Teaches Itself: Tsinghua University’s ‘Absolute Zero’ Trains LLMs With Zero External DataSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/This" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/This AI Paper Introduce WebThinker: A Deep Research Agent that Empowers Large Reasoning Models (LRMs) for Autonomous Search and Report Generation

Source: https://www.marktechpost.com/2025/05/13/reinforcement-learning-not-fine-tuning-nemotron-tool-n1-trains-llms-to-use-tools-with-minimal-supervision-and-maximum-generalization/" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.marktechpost.com/2025/05/13/reinforcement-learning-not-fine-tuning-nemotron-tool-n1-trains-llms-to-use-tools-with-minimal-supervision-and-maximum-generalization/
#reinforcement #learning #not #finetuning #nemotrontooln1 #trains #llms #use #tools #with #minimal #supervision #and #maximum #generalization

Reinforcement Learning, Not Fine-Tuning: Nemotron-Tool-N1 Trains LLMs to Use Tools with Minimal Supervision and Maximum Generalization
Equipping LLMs with external tools or functions has become popular, showing great performance across diverse domains. Existing research depends on synthesizing large volumes of tool-use trajectories through advanced language models and SFT to enhance LLMs’ tool-calling capability. The critical limitation lies in the synthetic datasets’ inability to capture explicit reasoning steps, resulting in superficial tool call training. In many cases, reasoning is either completely omitted during the training or deferred to inference through prompting techniques. This results in pseudo-reasoning: models merely learn to mimic surface-level patterns without truly understanding the underlying decision-making process. Existing research explores multiple approaches to enhance LLMs’ tool-use capabilities. Previous methods have focused on two key strategies for improving tool learning. The first approach concentrated on dataset curation and model refinement, involving the creation of large-scale supervised datasets and applying advanced training techniques such as SFT and DPO reinforcement learning. LLMs are combined with various external tools, including search engines, calculators, vision tools, and Python interpreters, to expand their functional capabilities. The second approach targeted reasoning improvement, shifting from traditional train-time scaling to more complex test-time scaling strategies. Earlier methods relied on step-level supervision and learned reward models to guide reasoning trajectories. Researchers from NVIDIA, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Washington have proposed the Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 series to address the limitations of existing tool-use methods. It diverges from traditional SFT and reasoning trace distillation techniques by implementing a unique RL paradigm. Drawing inspiration from DeepSeek-R1’s success, a lightweight supervision method has been developed to focus on the structural validity and functional correctness evaluation of tool invocations. The Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 model employs a binary reward mechanism that enables the model to autonomously develop reasoning strategies without relying on explicitly annotated reasoning trajectories. Researchers unify and preprocess data from existing tool-calling datasets, xLAM, and a subset of ToolACE, which provide single-turn and multi-turn synthetic tool-calling trajectories. A lightweight prompting template is created to guide tool call generation, featuring explicit instructions for intermediate reasoning within <think>…</think> tags and tool invocation enclosed in <tool_call>…</tool_call>. The template helps to minimize rigid formatting constraints and reduce the risk of overfitting to specific prompt patterns. The primary backbone model utilized is Qwen2.5-7B/14B-Instruct, and to evaluate the generalization ability of the proposed method, evaluations are performed on alternative backbone models, including multiple variants from the LLaMA family. Results on the BFCL and API-Bank benchmarks show Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 models’ superior performance. On the BFCL benchmark, the Tool-N1-7B/14B models outperform closed-source models like GPT-4o and specialized fine-tuned models such as xLAM-2-70B and ToolACE-8B. The models surpass SFT baselines trained on identical data sources, highlighting the effectiveness of the R1-style RL approach. Further, the API-Bank benchmark validates these findings, with Tool-N1-7B/14B achieving 4.12% and 5.03% higher accuracy than GPT-4o. These results conclusively demonstrate the potential of the proposed method in enhancing large language models’ tool-calling capabilities through a novel reinforcement learning paradigm. In conclusion, researchers introduced Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1, a significant advancement in LLM tool-use capabilities. The research shows a paradigm shift from traditional SFT methodologies by introducing a novel rule-based RL approach. The proposed method enables models to develop sophisticated reasoning strategies without relying on explicitly annotated reasoning trajectories. Benchmark evaluations across BFCL and API-Bank consistently validate the approach’s effectiveness, showing substantial performance improvements over existing baselines. The findings open new avenues for developing more adaptable and intelligent language models that can autonomously generate reasoning strategies. Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 90k+ ML SubReddit. Here’s a brief overview of what we’re building at Marktechpost: ML News Community – r/machinelearningnews (92k+ members) Newsletter– airesearchinsights.com/(30k+ subscribers) miniCON AI Events – minicon.marktechpost.com AI Reports & Magazines – magazine.marktechpost.com AI Dev & Research News – marktechpost.com (1M+ monthly readers) Partner with us Sajjad AnsariSajjad Ansari is a final year undergraduate from IIT Kharagpur. As a Tech enthusiast, he delves into the practical applications of AI with a focus on understanding the impact of AI technologies and their real-world implications. He aims to articulate complex AI concepts in a clear and accessible manner.Sajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/RL^V: Unifying Reasoning and Verification in Language Models through Value-Free Reinforcement LearningSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Offline Video-LLMs Can Now Understand Real-Time Streams: Apple Researchers Introduce StreamBridge to Enable Multi-Turn and Proactive Video UnderstandingSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/AI That Teaches Itself: Tsinghua University’s ‘Absolute Zero’ Trains LLMs With Zero External DataSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/This AI Paper Introduce WebThinker: A Deep Research Agent that Empowers Large Reasoning Models (LRMs) for Autonomous Search and Report Generation Source: https://www.marktechpost.com/2025/05/13/reinforcement-learning-not-fine-tuning-nemotron-tool-n1-trains-llms-to-use-tools-with-minimal-supervision-and-maximum-generalization/ #reinforcement #learning #not #finetuning #nemotrontooln1 #trains #llms #use #tools #with #minimal #supervision #and #maximum #generalization

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Reinforcement Learning, Not Fine-Tuning: Nemotron-Tool-N1 Trains LLMs to Use Tools with Minimal Supervision and Maximum Generalization

Equipping LLMs with external tools or functions has become popular, showing great performance across diverse domains. Existing research depends on synthesizing large volumes of tool-use trajectories through advanced language models and SFT to enhance LLMs’ tool-calling capability. The critical limitation lies in the synthetic datasets’ inability to capture explicit reasoning steps, resulting in superficial tool call training. In many cases, reasoning is either completely omitted during the training or deferred to inference through prompting techniques. This results in pseudo-reasoning: models merely learn to mimic surface-level patterns without truly understanding the underlying decision-making process. Existing research explores multiple approaches to enhance LLMs’ tool-use capabilities. Previous methods have focused on two key strategies for improving tool learning. The first approach concentrated on dataset curation and model refinement, involving the creation of large-scale supervised datasets and applying advanced training techniques such as SFT and DPO reinforcement learning. LLMs are combined with various external tools, including search engines, calculators, vision tools, and Python interpreters, to expand their functional capabilities. The second approach targeted reasoning improvement, shifting from traditional train-time scaling to more complex test-time scaling strategies. Earlier methods relied on step-level supervision and learned reward models to guide reasoning trajectories. Researchers from NVIDIA, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Washington have proposed the Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 series to address the limitations of existing tool-use methods. It diverges from traditional SFT and reasoning trace distillation techniques by implementing a unique RL paradigm. Drawing inspiration from DeepSeek-R1’s success, a lightweight supervision method has been developed to focus on the structural validity and functional correctness evaluation of tool invocations. The Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 model employs a binary reward mechanism that enables the model to autonomously develop reasoning strategies without relying on explicitly annotated reasoning trajectories. Researchers unify and preprocess data from existing tool-calling datasets, xLAM, and a subset of ToolACE, which provide single-turn and multi-turn synthetic tool-calling trajectories. A lightweight prompting template is created to guide tool call generation, featuring explicit instructions for intermediate reasoning within <think>…</think> tags and tool invocation enclosed in <tool_call>…</tool_call>. The template helps to minimize rigid formatting constraints and reduce the risk of overfitting to specific prompt patterns. The primary backbone model utilized is Qwen2.5-7B/14B-Instruct, and to evaluate the generalization ability of the proposed method, evaluations are performed on alternative backbone models, including multiple variants from the LLaMA family. Results on the BFCL and API-Bank benchmarks show Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1 models’ superior performance. On the BFCL benchmark, the Tool-N1-7B/14B models outperform closed-source models like GPT-4o and specialized fine-tuned models such as xLAM-2-70B and ToolACE-8B. The models surpass SFT baselines trained on identical data sources, highlighting the effectiveness of the R1-style RL approach. Further, the API-Bank benchmark validates these findings, with Tool-N1-7B/14B achieving 4.12% and 5.03% higher accuracy than GPT-4o. These results conclusively demonstrate the potential of the proposed method in enhancing large language models’ tool-calling capabilities through a novel reinforcement learning paradigm. In conclusion, researchers introduced Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1, a significant advancement in LLM tool-use capabilities. The research shows a paradigm shift from traditional SFT methodologies by introducing a novel rule-based RL approach. The proposed method enables models to develop sophisticated reasoning strategies without relying on explicitly annotated reasoning trajectories. Benchmark evaluations across BFCL and API-Bank consistently validate the approach’s effectiveness, showing substantial performance improvements over existing baselines. The findings open new avenues for developing more adaptable and intelligent language models that can autonomously generate reasoning strategies. Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 90k+ ML SubReddit. Here’s a brief overview of what we’re building at Marktechpost: ML News Community – r/machinelearningnews (92k+ members) Newsletter– airesearchinsights.com/(30k+ subscribers) miniCON AI Events – minicon.marktechpost.com AI Reports & Magazines – magazine.marktechpost.com AI Dev & Research News – marktechpost.com (1M+ monthly readers) Partner with us Sajjad AnsariSajjad Ansari is a final year undergraduate from IIT Kharagpur. As a Tech enthusiast, he delves into the practical applications of AI with a focus on understanding the impact of AI technologies and their real-world implications. He aims to articulate complex AI concepts in a clear and accessible manner.Sajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/RL^V: Unifying Reasoning and Verification in Language Models through Value-Free Reinforcement LearningSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/Offline Video-LLMs Can Now Understand Real-Time Streams: Apple Researchers Introduce StreamBridge to Enable Multi-Turn and Proactive Video UnderstandingSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/AI That Teaches Itself: Tsinghua University’s ‘Absolute Zero’ Trains LLMs With Zero External DataSajjad Ansarihttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sajjadansari/This AI Paper Introduce WebThinker: A Deep Research Agent that Empowers Large Reasoning Models (LRMs) for Autonomous Search and Report Generation

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Reinforcement Learning, Not Fine-Tuning: Nemotron-Tool-N1 Trains LLMs to Use Tools with Minimal Supervision and Maximum Generalization