Politics, you will notice, has gotten extremely weird.To some degree, of course, this is Donald Trump’s fault. No other president has seen the first part of their term defined by a fight over whether the federal government can send people living in the US to a prison in El Salvador with no due process. No other modern president has decided to ignore decades of settled economic and political wisdom and institute the biggest tariffs since the Hoover administration. No other president has waged war against the entire foundation of American science. Some weirdness is also the fault of Covid. The pandemic introduced a slew of policies that proved divisive, from mask mandates to vaccine mandates to funding for “gain of function” research to school closures. None of these were polarizing topics in 2019 because they either had never happened before or were too obscure for most people to care. And though we’re a few years past the worst days of the pandemic, the appointment of anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary shows just how central many of these topics remain.It’s this context that has made Congress’s debate over a multitrillion-dollar reconciliation bill so fascinating. The bill’s contents are still evolving, but the broad outlines are simple: trillions in tax cuts, tilted to the wealthy; hundreds of billions in spending cuts, particularly to programs for the poor like Medicaid and food stamps; over a hundred billion dollars in increased spending for defense.I know of no better summary of its effects than the above chart from the Urban Institute, which shows that it would make poor Americans earning less than $10,000 dramatically worse off (reducing their income by 14.9 percent) while affluent households earning over $200,000 would thrive.So, all in all, a terrible bill. But whatever else that proposal is, it’s startlingly normal for Republican politics. It represents ideas that have defined the Republican party and its economic and budgetary priorities since 1980, and which the party has strongly held to even in the face of Trump’s total takeover. The Republican party stands for lower taxes, especially on the rich; lower spending on programs for the poor; and big spending on defense. That’s what Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, and other figures who defined the party have all stood for, for nearly half a century now.The extreme weirdness of national politics has led to a temptation to see a new Republican party just over the horizon, defined by rejecting its tax-cutting and program-slashing tradition. This is stoked by strategic leaks that Trump might be open to a higher tax rate on the richest Americans; by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) condemning Medicaid cuts; by party figures like Vice President JD Vance suggesting a break from the party’s hawkish foreign policy.But the composition of the reconciliation bill suggests that when it comes to bread-and-butter economic issues, this is mostly a mirage. The essential Republican message may become blurred around the edges, the way that George W. Bush messed with it by expanding Medicare or his father did by accepting a small tax hike. But the deviations are swamped by the continuity. It’s not, in the ludicrous phrasing of Steve Bannon, a “workers’ party.”Congressional Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, have brought back normal politics, and for them that means one thing: redistributing income upward.The rise and persistence of Normal RepublicanismThis essential pattern of Republicans standing for across-the-board tax cuts and cuts to safety net programs has not always been the norm. Nothing in politics is truly permanent. As late as Richard Nixon, Republican presidents would propose ideas like a guaranteed minimum income and universal health coverage while actually raising taxes on the rich.The ground shifted in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a small group of policy entrepreneurs in Washington centered around Congress member Jack Kemp (R-NY) began promoting across-the-board cuts to individual income tax rates as a solution to stagflation (the combination of slow growth and high inflation then characterizing the economy). In her history of this moment, Starving the Beast, sociologist Monica Prasad notes that major business lobbies at the time opposed this move. Their priority was corporate rate cuts and a balanced budget, and they saw individual cuts as a threat to both.Kemp and his allies, including soon-to-be-President Reagan, overcame corporate skepticism for one simple reason: The cuts were popular, and the public mood was becoming strongly anti-tax. At this point in time, the thresholds for tax rates were not indexed for inflation, which meant that more and more middle-class people were being pushed into higher and higher tax brackets every year without actually becoming richer as inflation worsened. These pressures had forced even Democrat Jimmy Carter to sign tax cuts in 1978, and they only built as inflation rose still further.Timeline of major Republican tax billsTax Reform Act of 1969 — signed by Richard Nixon, cracked down on foundations, extended a temporary across-the-board income tax hike to fund the war in Vietnam, and created the Alternative Minimum Tax, meant to target high-earners claiming many deductions and credits. On net, substantially raised taxes on the rich while cutting them for the poor.Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 — signed by Ronald Reagan, across-the-board cut in tax rates for individuals, with top rate falling from 70 percent to 50 percent. Tax thresholds now indexed for inflation. Businesses allowed to deduct expenses at an accelerated pace.Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 — also signed by Reagan, undid most of the 1981 cuts to corporate taxes, but crucially kept the cuts on individuals in place.Tax Reform Act of 1986 — bipartisan legislation signed by Reagan that eliminated many deductions and credits and simplified the individual income tax to only two brackets (15 percent and 28 percent).Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 — signed by George H.W. Bush, added a 31 percent bracket on the rich to raise revenue on top of the 1986 law. Bill Clinton would add 36 percent and 39.6 percent rates in 1993.Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 — signed by Bill Clinton but championed by Republicans in Congress, created a $500 child tax credit and cut the capital gains rate from 28 percent to 20 percent.Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 — signed by George W. Bush, slashed individual rates across the board, with the top rate falling from 39.6 percent to 35 percent, and gradually eliminated the estate tax. Initially set to expire in 2010. Extended temporarily by Barack Obama in 2010 as part of an economic stimulus deal, and then in 2012 permanently, but only for couples earning under $450,000.Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 — signed by George W. Bush, cut taxes on dividend and interest income, and limited the Alternative Minimum Tax’s effects. Set to expire in 2010, like the 2001 cuts; largely expired under the 2012 Obama deal.Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 — signed by Donald Trump, cut individual rates with the top rate falling from 39.6 percent to 37 percent; doubled the standard deduction and consolidated personal and dependent exemptions into a larger child tax credit; dramatically cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. While some cuts, like the corporate rate cut, were permanent, most of the bill is set to expire at the end of 2025.At the same time, Reagan and his team in the early 1980s were convinced that the US needed a major military buildout to counteract what they claimed had been a Soviet buildout in the 1970s. That led to a big increase in defense spending, from 6.6 percent of GDP in 1981 to 7.6 percent in 1985; at today’s size of the US economy, an equivalent increase would be about $290 billion more per year.To pay for at least some of this, Reagan’s first reconciliation bill included sweeping cuts to safety net programs, notably including Medicaid, food stamps, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). This, too, fit well with Reagan’s image. He had campaigned hard against establishing Medicare in the 1960s, and denunciations of “welfare queens” had been a prominent theme in his ultimately failed 1976 campaign for the presidency. This wasn’t the most popular part of the Reagan brand (he denounced “welfare queens” while trying to win the Republican primary, not the general), but it reflected both his genuine beliefs and the twin pressures of the tax cuts and defense buildout on the budget.This combination of policies was a profound break from the Nixon/Gerald Ford years, when tax cuts were not seriously considered, the priority with the Soviets was detente and arms control, and safety net programs were largely protected. And, sure enough, some Republicans continued to push back against the new regime. Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) successfully fought to limit food stamps cuts; Congressional Republicans worked with Democrats to expand Medicaid throughout the 1980s over Reagan’s objections; most infamously, George H.W. Bush signed a bill adding a new 31 percent tax bracket for rich Americans in 1990, violating his pledge not to raise taxes.But for the most part, the pattern established by Reagan has persisted ever since, and deviations — like Bush’s tax hike, which contributed to his loss in 1992 — are remembered more as cautionary tales than examples to emulate.Look at the Contract With America, the Republicans’ platform during their successful 1994 bid to retake the House for the first time in over 40 years. It included tax cuts (like introducing a child tax credit and lower capital gains rates) and cuts to welfare and other safety net programs. While Bill Clinton was able to tamp down these demands somewhat, all became law in one form or another.A few years later, George W. Bush began his first term with sweeping across-the-board tax cuts, and his second with a failed effort to slash Social Security spending in favor of individual accounts. In the Obama years, Congressional Republicans, led by Paul Ryan, coalesced around plans for yet more across-the-board tax cuts and sweeping cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and other safety net programs. Under Trump, Ryan was able to pass the former, though his attempts at the latter through Obamacare repeal failed.Occasionally, a Republican politician will gesture at trying to break with this orthodoxy, and is invariably greeted with intrigued attention from the press. With George W. Bush in 2000, it was called “compassionate conservatism.” With Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2005, it was “Sam’s Club Republicanism.” With then-Sen. Marco Rubio and his allies in the press circa 2014, it was “reform conservatism.” These days the preferred term for Sen. Josh Hawley and Vice President JD Vance seems to be “national conservative,” which, like the Sam’s Club and Reformocons before, purports to reject the tax-cutting orthodoxy of past Republicans in favor of a more communitarian vision — very little of which, of course, appears to have made its way into the budget bill. All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.A very Normal Republican budgetBut through each of these much-hyped fads, Normal Republicanism on the budget has survived more or less unchanged. The legacy of compassionate conservatism is a prescription drug benefit in Medicare administered by private insurers; the legacy of reform conservatism is mostly increasing the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000 in 2017. These are slight ripples in a pattern that has been remarkably persistent.The 2025 reconciliation package is a perfect illustration of these dynamics. Per a helpful tally by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the centerpiece of the legislation is the extension and expansion of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The cuts here will cost over $4.1 trillion over a decade. Remarkably, some of the cuts aren’t even made permanent, but temporarily extended again, to artificially make the cost look lower than it is; if they’re extended still further, the total cost of the TCJA extensions would be more like $4.8 trillion.Deficits would surge dramatically due to the reconciliation bill. Committee for a Responsible Federal BudgetThese are tax cuts overwhelmingly tilted at the top. $1.4 trillion goes to repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax, which exists to prevent high-earners from taking excessive deductions; $2.2 trillion goes to cutting rates, including the top rate, which disproportionately helps the rich. The pass-through deduction, which arbitrarily lets some business owners exclude 20 percent of their profit from taxation, is extended and also expanded to 23 percent for no apparent reason, for a mere $820 billion. The Tax Policy Center has estimated that extending the TCJA increases incomes for the top 1 percent by an average of 3.7 percent, which swamps the 0.6 percent increase that the poorest fifth of Americans would get.On top of this, the House Ways and Means committee has thrown a potpourri of assorted other tax cuts: through 2028, for instance, tips, overtime income, and car loan interests would be tax-free, and senior citizens would get bigger standard deductions. The spending spree isn’t limited to taxes, either. There’s $144 billion from the Armed Services Committee, focused on shipbuilding ($32 billion) and “air superiority and missile defense” ($30 billion), and $67 billion for border security, including about $50 billion for Trump’s long-promised wall.The gross cost of all these giveaways hits around $5 trillion, before even considering the possibility that giveaways like the tips and overtime tax cuts are made permanent. But the net cost of the package, and impact on the defiict is “only” about $3.3 trillion, per the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. What makes up the difference? $698 billion comes from cuts to Medicaid; including other cuts to Affordable Care Act subsidies, the bill will deprive about 10 million people of health insurance. $559 billion comes from undoing most of the Inflation Reduction Act’s credits for clean energy and electric vehicles. $350 billion comes from cuts to education, heavily focused on student loan programs and subsidies meant to make them more affordable for borrowers. $267 billion comes from food stamps, slashing the program by about 30 percent overall.There’s a lot to say about this set of priorities. The Medicaid and food stamp cuts target the most vulnerable Americans and, combined with the tax cuts for the wealthy, amount to extreme upward redistribution. The Inflation Reduction Act cuts will likely substantially increase energy prices for most Americans, while substantially increasing emissions. I know of no serious economist who thinks that many of the most expensive provisions in the bill, like deductibility of overtime income or the pass-through business deduction, are effective ways to boost economic growth.But, at a moment where so many assumptions about politics have been overturned, the plan is not surprising. This is not a radically different Republican party newly attuned to the interests of the working class. It’s not a party whose tax-cutting passions have been tempered now that their president is imposing new taxes left and right on foreign imports in the form of tariffs (and which will be borne disproportionately by lower-income Americans). It’s not a party reflecting the fact that Medicaid recipients narrowly voted for Trump over Kamala Harris in 2024.It’s just the normal Reagan-Gingrich-Bush-Ryan Republican party, same as it’s ever been.Why, then, are people so eager to hear that the Republican party has changed? Part of it might be the simple fact that voters have had trouble accepting that a political party could actually be like this. When Priorities USA, a Democratic super-PAC in the 2012 election, told a focus group that Mitt Romney wanted to slash Medicare while cutting taxes on the rich, “the respondents simply refused to believe any politician would do such a thing,” per reporter Robert Draper. It does sound vaguely ridiculous: It defies common sense that cutting taxes on the wealthy and funding it with spending cuts on programs for poor and working people would ever be a compelling political message, perhaps outside the extreme inflationary environment of the 1970s that birthed Reagan’s presidency.But ridiculous or not, that’s the world we have. The Republican Party’s budgetary views simply have not changed. They want to blow up the deficit with massive tax cuts tilted toward the rich and pay for a fraction of the cost by slashing programs for the poor. It’s really that simple. It may not be exciting or brand new. But it’s normal Republican policymaking, and it’s back with a vengeance.See More:

Deloitte UK is reducing some bonuses. Peter Dazeley via Getty Images 2025-05-21T16:42:47Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Staff in one of Deloitte's four UK divisions will get lower bonuses after missing profit targets. The firm will also promote fewer staff this year, according to an internal email seen by BI. The promotions move was demotivating and has "dampened" the office mood, a Deloitte employee said. Deloitte told employees in one of its UK consulting divisions to expect lower annual bonuses following weaker-than-expected financial performance.Richard Houston, a senior partner and chief executive of Deloitte UK, wrote in a companywide email on Tuesday that employees in the technology and transformation (T&T) consulting division would receive an average of 80% of their annual bonus.Partners in the division will also face a drop in annual rewards, Houston said in the memo seen by Business Insider.The news was first reported by The Financial Times.The T&T business had "faced a particularly challenging year and fell materially short of its performance goals," Houston wrote. Richard Houston is chief executive of Deloitte UK. Liam McBurney/PA/Getty Images Bonuses have always been linked to individual and firm performance. However, for the 2025 financial year, they will also take into account performance variations in each of Deloitte's four business lines.The shift means that workers in Deloitte's other three business lines — which cover deals, tax and legal, and audit and assurance services — will retain their full bonus.Those three divisions have either exceeded targets or, in the case of the audit and assurance branch, had still increased profits in the 2025 financial year, Houston wrote.Deloitte will also promote fewer employees than in previous years, Houston said.The firm would promote 5,500 employees, or about 25% of the UK workforce, at the start of the next financial year, he said. The previous year 28% were promoted, Houston said.A Deloitte consultant in the T&T division said the news about promotions was demotivating and had "dampened" the mood. The person added that their division had taken "a beating."It's "not the best feeling since T&T functions have historically pulled the firm forward in times of crisis," the employee added.Deloitte UK's total profits for its 2025 financial year, which ends on May 31, would be "slightly ahead of last year" but "below our original plan," Houston wrote."At the start of FY25, we expected greater economic stability and a gradual return of growth opportunities. But an early election, geopolitical complexity, and unexpected economic headwinds — like changes in trade policies — have continued to cause market uncertainty," he said.Deloitte's global revenue climbed 3.1% to $67.2 billion in the 2024 financial year, which marked a sharp slowdown in growth compared to the 14.9% increase in 2023.The firm's UK arm has reorganized its business divisions and laid off workers as it grappled with an industrywide slowdown in demand for consulting services that has hit revenue growth.Cost-cuttingIn October 2024, Deloitte UK cut its spending on staff travel and expenses by more than 50%.Houston addressed the cost-cutting measures in Tuesday's email, acknowledging "it has not been easy" for teams to be unable to meet in person for much of the year.He said the efforts to manage costs had "made a significant difference" and had directly contributed to bonuses for the 2025 financial year.A Deloitte UK spokesperson told BI: "Amid ongoing market uncertainty, we are pleased to be able to recognize our people for their hard work with salary increases, bonuses, and promotions this year. This is alongside other benefits such as fully funded private medical insurance, recently enhanced family policies, and our commitment to offering flexibility and choice in our ways of working."Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at pthompson@businessinsider.com or Signal at Polly_Thompson.89. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

May 21, 20255 min readThe Very Real Health Implications of Medicaid Cuts for Older PeopleFor people aged 65 and older, Medicaid can provide vital health care—and losing coverage makes people sickerBy Jane Tavares, Marc Cohen & The Conversation US Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for more than 82 million Americans. FatCamera/Getty ImagesThe following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research.Republicans in Congress intend to cut about US$880 billion in federal health care spending.One of their primary targets is Medicaid. That government program covers 82 million Americans with health insurance. Most of the people enrolled in the program are low income, have disabilities, or both.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Medicaid, jointly funded by the federal government and the states, is also the biggest funder in the U.S.of long-term care services, whether they are delivered in the patient’s home, another location where they spend part of their day or a nursing home. That makes it particularly important for older adults and those with disabilities. All states must meet the basic federal guidelinesfor Medicaid coverage. But 41 states have optedto take advantage of the Affordable Care Act provision that expanded eligibility to cover more people under the program.We are gerontology researcherswho study health and financial well-being in later life. We’ve been analyzing what the potential impacts of Medicaid cuts might be.While the debate about how to reduce the budget focuses largely on dollars and cents, we believe that cutting federal spending on Medicaid would harm the health and well-being of millions of Americans by reducing their access to care. In our view, it’s also likely that any savings achieved in the short term would be smaller than the long-term increase in health care costs born by the federal government, the states and patients – including for many Americans who are 65 and older.Weak track recordWary of backlash from their constituents, Republicans have agreed on a strategy that would largely cut Medicaid spending in a roundabout way.Previous efforts by the GOP in some states, such as imposing work requirements for some people to get Medicaid benefits, have not greatly reduced costs. That’s largely because there are relatively few people enrolled in the Medicaid program who are physically able to be employed and aren’t already in the workforce. Nor have past efforts to reduce fraud, waste and abuse led to significant savings.According to widespread media reports, Republicans are considering changes that would cut the amount of money that the federal government reimburses states for what they spend on Medicaid.In May 2025, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that 8.6 million Americans would lose their health insurance coverage should the GOP proposal become law.Historically, states have dealt with budget cuts by reducing their payments to health care providers, limiting eligibility or restricting benefits. These reductions all particularly affected home- and community-based services that many disabled and older adults rely on.About 3 in 4 of the people with Medicaid coverage who receive long-term care through the program get that care at home, in their communities or both, rather than residing in a nursing home. States save an estimated 26 cents for every dollar spent on those services delivered outside nursing homes.Losing coverage can be harmful for your healthWe recently analyzed data from a nationally representative study of approximately 6,000 people who had Medicaid coverage but lost it when they turned age 65 because their income exceeded 100% of the federal poverty level. In 2025, that cutoff is about $15,560 for a single person and $21,150 for a couple.Medicaid income eligibility generally drops from 138% to 100% of the federal poverty level at age 65 once Medicare becomes a person’s primary health insurer.The people who participated in the study had lost their Medicaid coverage upon turning 65 between 1998 and 2020. Our team followed the experiences of these participants over a 10-year period starting at age 65 to see how they fared compared with people who continue to be enrolled in Medicaid after their 65th birthday.What we found was both surprising and disturbing.Fewer activities of daily livingOver the decade following that milestone, the people who lost their Medicaid coverage had more chronic conditions and could perform fewer activities of daily living, such as bathing and getting dressed, without any assistance as compared with those who still had Medicaid coverage. In addition, they were twice as likely to experience depression and be in fair or poor health.As people’s health worsened, they also went to the hospital more often and stayed there longer. They also used outpatient surgery services more frequently.These services are particularly expensive for the health care system. Depending on the service, it may also be costly for patients. Unlike the comprehensive coverage of Medicaid, the Medicare program fully covers only inpatient hospitalizations, short-term nursing facility care, hospice, some short-term home care, annual wellness visits, vaccines and some basic preventive care. Beyond that, Medicare requires the payment of premiums to help with uncovered services that can also include deductibles and copays.This arrangement can lead to significant out-of-pocket costs that make health care hard for low-income older adults to afford unless they have both Medicare and Medicaid coverage.We also found that older people who lost Medicaid coverage were less likely to see their primary care physician for routine and follow-up care, despite being enrolled in Medicare. This explains in part why they are going to the hospital more often, likely avoiding routine health care that may incur out-of-pocket costs and eventually utilizing Medicare-covered hospital care when needed.In short, we found that exiting the Medicaid program upon turning 65 actually leads to an increase in the use of some of the most expensive health care services, such as inpatient hospitalization and outpatient surgery. So although Medicaid may no longer pay for these costs, the rest of the health care system does.Just under 90% of older adults enrolled in Medicare have some kind of supplemental coverage that helps them pay for services that the program doesn’t cover. For 16% of the people with Medicare coverage, Medicaid covers those additional health care costs. The rest of that nearly 90% obtain supplemental coverage from private insurance companies or are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that’s run by a private company instead of the government.However, 11% of Americans covered by Medicare don’t have any additional coverage. It is likely that those who lost Medicaid benefits at age 65 may not be able to afford any other supplemental coverage options and fall into this group.People who lose Medicaid coverage may die soonerOne of our more troubling findings was that people who lost Medicaid coverage at age 65 were 14% more likely to die within the next 10 years than were those who kept their coverage in addition to gaining Medicare coverage. This was true even though the people who lost their Medicaid access tended to start out in better health.Roughly 12 million Americans are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid today. Much is at stake for them and other low-income people as Congress considers making major changes to the program to cut federal spending on it.For some Americans, it’s a matter of life and death. For others, it’s a matter of healthy versus unhealthy aging that leads to costlier health care not just for themselves but for the U.S. as a whole.This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Principal Narrative AnimatorActivisionSanta Monica California 90405 United States of America1 hour agoApplyJob Title:Principal Narrative AnimatorRequisition ID:R025330Job Description:Elsewhere Entertainment is looking for a Principal Narrative Animator to join the development of our next AAA title—an exciting new Narrative Driven IP.Feed your creativity while driving the development of our game’s world and story! Collaborate with our highly skilled team to build something innovative, exhilarating, and expansively entertaining.As a member of the animation department, you’ll guide the creation of memorable moments in telling an epic player driven story. You’ll also oversee the project’s cinematic pipelines, tools, and best practices, and you’ll manage your team by tasking and reviewing work, providing growth opportunities in skill and career progression, and tending to the emotional health of the team. You’ll work closely with Narrative, Content, Gameplay, and Art leads to coordinate, design, implement, and polish animation and cinematic content of the game.As a leader on the project, you’ll help take the studio and our game from great to even better—with a focus on inclusivity, mutual respect (for ourselves and our players), thoughtfulness, empathy, professionalism, and collaboration.If you’re a passionate creator and a positive, respectful collaborator who enjoys cross-department communication and creative problem-solving as a part of your workflow, we’d love to talk to you!You’ll help us by…Ensuring consistency of tone and style is depicted across the entire cinematic experience that matches the vision set by the Creative Director.Using traditional animation principles, gameplay fundamentals and motion-capture to craft high quality animations and systems.Take narrative ownership of the cinematic and dialogue presentations and pipelines, helping bring the characters, world, and story to life.Assist in the development and direction of storyboarding and animatics to develop the cinematic pipeline.Support in developing the presentation of the games dialogue, cinematic sequences, etc.Becoming proficient in using the game's proprietary animation tools.Providing constructive feedback on others’ work.Acting as a liaison to other departments, conveying the consistent cinematic & animation vision of the project.Working with directors, animators, narrative designers, cinematics designers, and campaign designers to develop the best visual storytelling practices for the game.Working with 3rd party vendors/clients to help facilitate asset creation, pre-rendered assets both for the game and media support.Mentoring the staff of cinematic animators and designers.Ensuring all tasks are completed according to given specifications and deadlines.Performing any additional cinematic responsibilities as assigned by Studio Leadership.You’re awesome because you have…13+ years of credited CG directorial experience working in either videogame cinematics or TV/film – with mocap and keyframed animation direction.A strong understanding of composition and camera language and how it helps tell our stories.One or more shipped titles as a cinematics director.Fluent in Maya.Experience with technical cinematics content (animation, camera presentation, facial animations, and conveying mood and emotions).The ability to collaborate and thrive as part of a creative team.An eagerness to work independently; are self-driven in taking ownership of tasks in a highly confidential environment.Creativity in problem solving and a positive, respectful team-first attitude.Organization methods and the capability to meet deadlines.Comfort with self-critique and accepting outside feedback.A habit of regularly playing and understanding modern video games and popular media.Bonus points for…Experience with directing cinematics and dialogue for AAA Open World Games.Credited CG Work in other media (Film, television, shorts, etc...)Experience developing both bespoke cinematic content as well as dialogue in systematic systemsExperience working with Hollywood talent and/or reputable VO recording studios and directorsMajor recognition in your field of workFamiliarity with many of the major games released in the last decadeEnjoyment of playing a variety of video game genres and titlesExperience in adjacent disciplines such as quest design, narrative design, environment art, programming, etc...Not sure you meet all the 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! At Activision, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.Our WorldAt Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.Ready to Activate Your Future?#elsewhereRewardsWe 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 $134,000.00 - $247,900.00 Annual. 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

Published May 20, 2025 3:23pm EDT close 'CyberGuy': Wireless, waterproof bionic arm with 360-degree wrist rotation, lightning-fast control Kurt Knutsson discusses how the Hero PRO, a wireless, waterproof bionic arm with fast control and full 360-degree wrist rotation, transforms prosthetics. Most of us do not think twice about picking up a cup of coffee, sending a quick text or carrying groceries in from the car. For people who use prosthetic hands, though, these everyday tasks can be a real challenge. That is why the arrival of the Hero PRO by Open Bionics is such big news.This new bionic hand is waterproof, wireless and faster and stronger than anything that came before it. It is designed to help people who rely on prosthetics move through life with more ease and confidence.Even if you do not need a device like this yourself, the technology behind Hero PRO is changing what is possible for thousands of people, and it is worth knowing how far things have come. Let’s dive into what makes the Hero PRO so remarkable and why it captures so much attention. Hero PRO (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Built for everyday lifeHero PRO is crafted from robust Nylon PA12 using advanced 3D printing, making it both tough and incredibly lightweight. In fact, it is the lightest bionic hand system available today. The design is sleek and customizable with more than 50 cover options in different colors and patterns, allowing users to swap looks to match their style and personality. Hero PRO (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Waterproof and wireless freedomThe Hero PRO is the only bionic hand that is both fully wireless and waterproof. Rated IPX7, which means it can be submerged in water up to about 3 feet deep for 30 minutes without damage, it can handle splashes and even submersion, so users do not have to worry about getting it wet during daily activities. Wireless MyoPods, placed on the skin, pick up muscle signals to control the hand, eliminating the need for invasive implants or bulky wires. A woman using Hero PRO under running water (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Speed, strength and precisionThis bionic hand is twice as fast as leading competitors, with fingers that open and close rapidly to keep up with busy lives. It can carry up to 57 pounds, doubling the load capacity of previous models, making tasks like carrying groceries or lifting heavy objects much easier. The patented thumb design uses a single motor for powerful and precise grips, while the index finger features a touchscreen-compatible tip for seamless device use on the go. A woman carrying a basket using Hero PRO (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Unmatched flexibility and grip modesHero PRO offers more wrist flexion and rotation than any other bionic hand, with up to 45 degrees of manual flexion in both directions and a full 360-degree rotation. Users can quickly switch between work and sports modes, thanks to a USMC-standard wrist connector and more than 50 compatible activity attachments. With seven grip modes, including a precision key grip, users can handle everything from typing and cooking to pushing a stroller or tying shoelaces. These grips can be customized and updated wirelessly through the Sidekick App. A woman picking up produce using Hero PRO (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Battery life and chargingA single four-hour charge powers the Hero PRO for a full day. The battery is cleverly miniaturized and integrated directly into the hand, helping to keep the weight down. USB-C charging makes powering up quick and easy, whether at home or on the go. Hero PRO being charged (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How user feedback and a young influencer helped shape the bionic hand technologyThe development of Hero PRO was shaped by feedback from around 1,000 users, including influencer Tilly Lockey, who lost both hands to meningitis as a child. Tilly played a key role in testing and refining the technology, and her experience highlights just how transformative the Hero PRO can be. She describes being able to multitask effortlessly, like pulling a suitcase and drinking hot chocolate at the same time, and even detaching the hand to control it remotely using muscle signals. Influencer Tilly Lockey wearing Hero Pro (Open Bionics) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How much does the Hero Pro cost?Pricing for advanced bionic hands like the Hero PRO is not always straightforward. Open Bionics, the company behind this technology, does not list a fixed price on its website. Instead, they encourage interested users to contact them directly for a personalized quote, since each device is custom-made to fit the individual's needs.For context, most high-end bionic arms on the market can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000, depending on the features and customization required. Open Bionics aims to make their devices more affordable than traditional options, with some of their earlier models reportedly costing about five times less than conventional robotic prosthetics. However, the exact price for the latest models, including the Hero PRO, will depend on factors like insurance coverage, customization and specific user requirements.If you are interested in learning more about pricing or the process, it is best to reach out directly to Open Bionics for a detailed quote tailored to your needs.Kurt's key takeawaysTechnology like the Hero PRO is not just about gadgets and gears. It is about helping people do more of the things they love with less hassle. For those who rely on prosthetic hands, every improvement can mean a world of difference, whether that is carrying a heavy bag, using a smartphone or simply feeling more confident in daily life. Even if you do not need a prosthetic yourself, it is inspiring to see how far this technology has come and how it continues to open new possibilities for so many people.What everyday challenges do you think advanced bionic technology could help overcome, and what would you most want to see in the next generation of prosthetic devices? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Staff Software Engineer, Progression - VALORANTRiot GamesMercer Island, USA2 hours agoApplyRiot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As a Software Engineer, you’ll also dive into projects that focus on team cohesiveness and cross-team objectives. You’ll lead without authority and provide other engineers with a clear illustration of extraordinary engineering.VALORANT is Riot’s take on a character-based tactical shooter (for more info on VALORANT click here!). As a Staff Software Engineer on the VALORANT team you will be responsible for building metagame client features and scalable backend services for progression systems throughout VALORANT. You'll influence the technical direction for how VALORANT services are built, scale and are operated in production, and collaborate with design to build smooth and intuitive player-facing in-game experiences. All the systems you design and build will be “Player Focused”, meaning striving for the goal of motivating players to choose to engage with them, rather than feeling pressured to.You will report to the Engineering Manager of the Progression team.Responsibilities:Create and/or contribute to best practices, development processes and coding standards; demonstrate a high bar of craft excellence for your teamDesign, build and deliver full-stack, in-game features enabling players to have a world-class experienceDesign, build, and deliver large scale backend services to support millions of playersCollaborate closely with Production, Game Design and UI/UX disciplinesMentor and grow other engineers on the teamRequired Qualifications6+ years of experience as a software engineerBS degree or equivalent experienceExperience with C++, C#, Java, Golang, or similar language(s)Desired QualificationsProfessional experience working with cloud computing and cloud technologiesProfessional experience building large scale backend systems or game servicesProfessional experience building player- or user-facing frontend experiences (e.g. web, mobile, game)Professional experience working with the Go programming languageProfessional or academic experience working with C++Professional or hobby experience working with the Unreal EngineFor this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!Our Perks:Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code . Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming .It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company dataCommunication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minorsAccessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networksEnsuring a safe interactive environment for players and other RiotersThese duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Published May 20, 2025 4:07pm EDT close 'CyberGuy' offers tips for protecting your genetic data Tech expert Kurt Knutsson discusses how users can keep their genetic data safe amid DNA testing company 23andMe's bankruptcy sale. The state of cybersecurity in the healthcare industry worries me a lot. Healthcare organizations, whether nonprofit or for-profit, collect an enormous amount of data. And it's not just phone numbers, addresses or emails but also sensitive information like medical records, insurance details and more. This data is extremely valuable, which makes it a prime target for hackers.What's worse is that many healthcare institutions often neglect cybersecurity and treat it as an afterthought. In 2024 alone, an industry tracker recorded 1,160 healthcare breaches that exposed 305 million patient records. This marked a 26% increase compared to the previous year.Against this backdrop, Ascension, a Missouri-based Catholic health system with 142 hospitals and 142,000 employees, recently disclosed that a December 2024 breach exposed the personal and medical information of more than 430,000 patients. A hacker at work (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What you need to knowAccording to Ascension's breach notification letters, the compromise began on Dec. 5, 2024, when the network learned patient data "may have been involved in a potential security incident." By Jan. 21, 2025, its investigators had determined that Ascension had "inadvertently disclosed information to a former business partner," and that attackers likely stole data from that partner via a flaw in its software. In other words, patient records passed from Ascension into a third party's system and were then siphoned off by cybercriminals.The attackers gained a broad array of information. Impacted patients' demographic and financial details, names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, race, gender and Social Security numbers were exposed. Even more worryingly, the breach included clinical data from hospital stays, including physician names, admission and discharge dates, diagnosis and procedure codes, medical record numbers and insurance details. This is the very data that criminals can exploit for fraud or identity theft. A healthcare worker typing on a laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Timeline and involvementAscension reported the breach to regulators via an HHS filing on April 28, 2025, which shows 437,329 patients affected. By comparison, the company had earlier disclosed the impact in state filings. For example, 114,692 Texas patients and 96 Massachusetts residents were individually notified of exposure. In response, Ascension is offering those affected two years of free identity monitoring services (credit monitoring, fraud consultation and identity theft restoration).For scale, Ascension is a major nonprofit health system, one of the largest in the U.S., operating 142 hospitals across North America. The company has not named the third-party partner, but its description fits a vendor whose secure file-transfer software was breached. The timing aligns with a series of recent Cl0p ransomware attacks. Cl0p has publicly claimed responsibility for exploiting a zero-day flaw in Cleo's secure file-transfer products, stealing data from dozens of organizations worldwide. While Ascension itself was not directly hit by ransomware, its data might have ended up in that same attack campaign.Ascension's patients and employees are no strangers to data breaches. In May 2024, a Black Basta ransomware attack compromised Ascension's own network. That incident, traced back to a single employee opening a malicious file, resulted in the exfiltration of data belonging to nearly 5.6 million people.The fallout was severe. Hospitals lost access to digital records, forcing clinicians to record vitals, medications and orders on paper. Elective procedures and some appointments were paused, and emergency services were redirected to unaffected facilities to avoid delays in care.We reached out to Ascension for a comment on our article but did not hear back before our deadline. A man typing on a laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Ways to protect yourself after the Ascension data breachIf you think you were affected or just want to be cautious, here are some steps you can take right now to stay safe from the Ascension data breach.1) Watch out for phishing scams and use strong antivirus software: With access to your email, phone number or identification documents, Ascension attackers can craft convincing phishing emails pretending to be from healthcare providers or banks. These emails might include malicious links designed to install malware or steal login information. To defend yourself, use a strong antivirus program. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.2) Scrub your data from the internet using a personal data removal service: The more exposed your personal information is online, the easier it is for scammers to use it against you. Following the Ascension breach, consider removing your information from public databases and people-search sites.While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.3) Safeguard against identity theft and use identity theft protection: Hackers now have access to high-value information from the Ascension breach, including Social Security numbers and bank information. This makes you a prime target for identity theft. You might want to consider investing in identity theft protection, which can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. Signing up for identity theft protection gives you 24/7 monitoring, alerts for unusual activity and support if your identity is stolen. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.4) Set up fraud alerts: Requesting fraud alerts notifies creditors that they need extra verification before issuing credit in your name. You can request fraud alerts through any one of the three major credit bureaus; they’ll notify the others. This adds another layer of protection without completely freezing access to credit. 5) Monitor your credit reports: Regularly check your credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com, where you can access free reports from each bureau once per year or more frequently if you’re concerned about fraud. Spotting unauthorized accounts early can prevent larger financial damage.6) Change passwords and use a password manager: Update passwords on any accounts tied to compromised data. Use unique passwords that are hard to guess and let a password manager do the heavy lifting by generating secure ones for you. Reused passwords are an easy target after breaches. Consider password managers for convenience and security. Get more details about my best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 here.7) Be wary of social engineering attacks: Hackers may use stolen details like names or birthdates from breaches in phone scams or fake customer service calls designed to trick you into revealing more sensitive info. Never share personal details over unsolicited calls or emails. Social engineering attacks rely on trust, and vigilance is key.Kurt’s key takeawayAttackers have frequently targeted Ascension, but the company does not seem to be learning its lesson. If it were a one-off incident, it might be understandable. But how do you fail to strengthen cybersecurity after experiencing a nationwide blackout? Rather than being an isolated event, this breach feels like part of a larger pattern. The industry relies on complex vendor networks and outdated IT systems, while cybercriminals continue to exploit emerging vulnerabilities.Should hospitals be penalized for neglecting basic cybersecurity practices? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

May 20, 2025The Hacker NewsPenetration Testing / Risk Management In the newly released 2025 State of Pentesting Report, Pentera surveyed 500 CISOs from global enterprises (200 from within the USA) to understand the strategies, tactics, and tools they use to cope with the thousands of security alerts, the persisting breaches and the growing cyber risks they have to handle. The findings reveal a complex picture of progress, challenges, and a shifting mindset about how enterprises approach security testing. More Tools, More Data, More Protection… No Guarantees Over the past year, 45% of enterprises expanded their security technology stacks, with organizations now managing an average of 75 different security solutions​. Yet despite these layers of security tools, 67% of U.S. enterprises experienced a breach in the past 24 months​. The growing number of deployed tools has a few effects on the daily operation and the overall cyber posture of the organization. Although it seems obvious, the findings tell a clear story - more security tools do mean better security posture. However, there is no silver bullet. Among organizations with fewer than 50 security tools, 93% reported a breach. That percentage steadily declines as stack size increases, dropping to 61% among those using more than 100 tools. Alert Fatigue Is Real The flip side of larger security stacks is that CISOs and their teams must contend with a much larger influx of information. Enterprises managing over 75 security solutions now face an average of 2,000 alerts per week — double the volume compared to organizations with smaller stacks, and those with over 100 tools receive over 3000 (3x the alerts). This in turn, puts much more emphasis on effective prioritization, otherwise, critical threats may get buried in a sea of alerts. In this environment, where alert volumes are high and time to triage is short, organizations benefit most when they can frequently test for exploitable gaps, so they know which issues truly matter before threat actors find them first. Software-Based Pentesting Gains Ground Trust in software-based security testing is growing rapidly. Only 5-10 years ago, many enterprises would never have permitted automated tools to run pentests in their environments for fear of causing outages, but sentiment is changing. As CISOs continue to recognize the advantages of software in scaling adversarial testing and keeping pace with constantly changing IT environments, software-based pentesting is becoming the standard. Over half of enterprises now use these tools to support in-house testing, driven by trust in their reliability and the need for scalable, continuous validation strategies. Today, 50% of CISOs cite software-based pentesting solutions as their primary method for uncovering exploitable gaps​. Insurance Providers Become Unexpected Influencers Beyond internal management and Boards of Directors, a surprising new force is shaping security strategy: Cyber insurance providers. 59% of CISOs admitted that they have implemented at least one cybersecurity solution that they were not previously considering as a result of their cyber insurers. It's a clear sign that insurers aren't just pricing risk, they're actively prescribing how to reduce it, and reshaping enterprise security priorities in the process.​. Low Confidence in Government Support While governmental agencies like CISA (in the US) and ENISA (in the EU) play an important role in threat visibility and coordination, confidence in government cybersecurity support is surprisingly low. Only 14% of CISOs believe the government is adequately supporting the private sector's cyber challenges​, while 64% feel that government efforts, though acknowledged, are insufficient​. 22% believe that they cannot rely on the government at all for cybersecurity help. To benchmark your organization's pentesting practices, budgets, and priorities against other global enterprises, register for the webinar on May 27, 2025 where senior security analysts will discuss the key findings. Alternatively, get the full 2025 State of Pentesting Report and see all the insights for yourself!Note: This article was written and contributed by Jay Mar Tang, Field CISO at Pentera. Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

Design Director, SystemsBlizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America1 hour agoApplyTeam Name:Diablo IVJob Title:Design Director, SystemsRequisition ID:R025353Job Description:We Need YouThe minions of hell are growing stronger...Join us as we continue to shape the Diablo universe! Diablo games are action RPG experiences with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Come work with us, and together, we’ll create experiences that not only meet but exceed the expectations of those who call Sanctuary home.As a Systems Design Director , you will lead our talented team of designers on Diablo, overseeing high-level game systems, player progression, social engagement features, and overall game balance. You will guide and mentor a group of seasoned lead designers, setting a strategic vision to deliver compelling and balanced gameplay systems to millions of passionate players worldwide.This role offers a flexible hybrid work week, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you're also welcome to work on-site full-time if you prefer. Our primary studio locations are in Albany, NY, and Irvine, CA.ResponsibilitiesDevelop and communicate a clear, compelling vision for progression, social, gameplay, and balance systems.Ensure design alignment across multiple teams, fostering consistency and cohesion within the player experience.Coordinate across departments (Art, Engineering, Production, UX/UI, QA, Live Operations) to facilitate smooth and effective cross-team collaboration.Maintain a deep understanding of Diablo’s core mechanics, player motivations, and community expectations to inform system evolution.Lead the creation and refinement of progression and reward structures, social engagement mechanics, competitive leaderboards, and economy systems.Oversee the tuning and iteration of gameplay balance, ensuring fair and engaging experiences at all levels of player skill and progression.Provide mentorship, guidance, and career development to a team of experienced Lead Systems Designers.Represent Systems Design in cross-disciplinary leadership discussions, advocating effectively for team goals and player experience.Minimum Requirements12+ years of professional systems design experience in games, with 4+ years leading design teams.Extensive, hands-on experience developing progression systems, game economies, social features, and balancing complex gameplay ecosystems in live-service games.Deep understanding of the Diablo series, ARPG mechanics, player psychology, and what motivates player retention and satisfaction.Exceptional analytical skills; able to clearly communicate complex systems and balance concepts to both designers and non-designers.Proven track record managing and mentoring teams of experienced designers, demonstrating strong interpersonal and leadership skills.Strong collaboration and communication skills with experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in a highly iterative environment.Demonstrated passion for games, systems design and staying current with industry trends and competitor strategies.Dedication to quality, passion for gameplay, and a deep respect for the player's experience.Commitment to a culture of iteration, transparency, mentorship, and constant improvement.Bonus PointsShipped multiple successful AAA ARPG or RPG titles.Experience navigating large organizations and maintaining clarity of vision across large-scale development efforts.Technical familiarity with data-driven design tools and scripting languages.Your 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 innovative 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 $124,400.00 - $230,300.00 Annual. 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

Limited access Under anti-vaccine advocate RFK Jr, FDA to limit access to COVID-19 shots FDA will require big, pricy trials for approvals for healthy kids and adults >65. Beth Mole – May 20, 2025 3:18 pm | 16 U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Tasos Katopodis U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Tasos Katopodis Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Under the control of anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration is unilaterally terminating universal access to seasonal COVID-19 vaccines; Instead, only people who are age 65 years and older and people with underlying conditions that put them at risk of severe COVID-19 will have access to seasonal boosters moving forward. The move was laid out in a commentary article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, written by Trump administration FDA Commissioner Martin Makary and the agency's new top vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad. The article lays out a new framework for approving seasonal COVID-19 vaccines, as well as a rationale for the change—which was made without input from independent advisory committees for the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Normally, the FDA's VRBPAC (Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee) and the CDC's ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) would publicly review, evaluate, and discuss vaccine approvals and recommendations. Typically, the FDA's scope focuses on licensure decisions, made with strong influence from VRBPAC, while the CDC's ACIP is principally responsible for influencing the CDC's more nuanced recommendations on usage, such as for specific age or risk groups. These recommendations shape clinical practice and, importantly, health insurance coverage. Makary and Prasad appear to have foregone those norms, even though VRBPAC is set to meet this Thursday to discuss COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming season. Restrictions In the commentary, Markary and Prasad puzzlingly argue that the previous universal access to COVID-19 vaccines was patronizing to Americans. They describe the country's approach to COVID boosters as a "one-size-fits-all" and write that "the US policy has sometimes been justified by arguing that the American people are not sophisticated enough to understand age- and risk-based recommendations. We reject this view." Previously, the seasonally updated vaccines were available to anyone age 6-months and up. Further, people age 65 and older and those at high risk were able to get two or more shots, based on their risk. So, while Makary and Prasad ostensibly reject the view of Americans as being too unsophisticated to understand risk-based usage, the pair are installing restrictions to force their own idea of risk-based usage. Even more puzzlingly, in an April meeting of ACIP, the expert advisors expressed clear support for shifting from universal recommendations for COVID-19 boosters to recommendations based on risk. Specifically, advisors were supportive of urging boosters for people age 65 and older and people who are at risk of severe COVID-19—the same restrictions that Makary and Prasad are forcing. The two regulators do not mention this in their NEJM commentary. ACIP would also likely recommend a primary series of seasonally matched COVID-19 vaccines for very young children who have not been previously exposed to the virus or vaccinated. ACIP will meet again in June, but without a permissive license from the FDA, ACIP's recommendations for risk-based usage of this season's COVID-19 shots are virtually irrelevant. And they cannot recommend usage in groups the FDA licensure does not cover. It's unclear if a primary series for young children will be available and, if so, how that will be handled moving forward. New vaccine framework Under Makary and Prasad's new framework, seasonally updated COVID-19 vaccines can continue to be approved annually using only immunology studies—but the approvals will only be for people age 65 and over and people who are at high risk. These immunology studies look at antibody responses to boosters, which offer a shorthand for efficacy in updated vaccines that have already been through rigorous safety and efficacy trials. This is how seasonal flu shots are approved each year and how COVID boosters have been approved for all people age 6 months and up—until now. Moving forward, if a vaccine maker wants to have their COVID-19 vaccine also approved for use in healthy children and healthy adults under age 65, they will have to conduct large, randomized placebo-controlled studies. These may need to include tens of thousands of participants, especially with high levels of immunity in the population now. These trials can easily cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and they can take many months to complete. The requirement for such trials will make it difficult if not impossible for drug makers to conduct them each year and within a timeframe that will allow for seasonal shots to complete the trial, get regulatory approval, and be produced at scale in time for the start of respiratory virus season. Makary and Prasad did not provide any data analysis or evidence-based reasoning for why additional trials would be needed to continue seasonal approvals. In fact, the commentary had a total of only eight references, including an opinion piece Makary published in Newsweek and a New York Times article. "We simply don’t know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had COVID-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose," they argue in their commentary. Their new framework does not make any mention of what will happen if a more dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variant emerges. It also made no mention of vaccine usage in people who are in close contact with high-risk groups, such as ICU nurses or family members of immunocompromised people. Context Another lingering question from the framework is how easy it will be for people dubbed at high risk to get access to seasonal shots. Makary and Prasad lay out a long list of conditions that would put people at risk of severe COVID-19 and therefore make them eligible for a seasonal booster. The list includes: obesity; asthma, lung diseases; HIV; diabetes; pregnancy; gestational diabetes; heart conditions; use of corticosteroids; dementia; physical inactivity; mental health conditions, including depression; and smoking, current or former. The FDA leaders estimate that between 100 million and 200 million Americans will fit into the category of being at high risk. It's unclear what such a large group of Americans will need to do to establish eligibility every year. In all, the FDA's move to restrict and hinder access to seasonal COVID-19 vaccines is in line with Kennedy's influential anti-vaccine advocacy work. In 2021, prior to taking the role of the country's top health official, Kennedy and the anti-vaccine organization he founded, Children's Health Defense, petitioned the FDA to revoke authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from issuing any approvals. Ironically, Makary and Prasad blame the country's COVID-19 policies for helping to erode Americans' trust in vaccines broadly. "There may even be a ripple effect: public trust in vaccination in general has declined, resulting in a reluctance to vaccinate that is affecting even vital immunization programs such as that for measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccination, which has been clearly established as safe and highly effective," the two write, including the most full-throated endorsement of the MMR vaccine the Trump administration has issued yet. Kennedy continues to spread misinformation about the vaccine, including the false and debunked idea that it causes autism. "Against this context, the Food and Drug Administration seeks to provide guidance and foster evidence generation," Makary and Prasad write. Beth Mole Senior Health Reporter Beth Mole Senior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technica’s Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 16 Comments