texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia About This GameDeveloper: Questline Publisher: Awaken Realms Genre: RPG / Action / Open World Platforms: PC (Steam), PS5, XBS Price: $44.99/43,99€ (Pricing varies by region and platform.) Release Date: May 23rd, 2025 Game Length: 50-70 hours 10/10 https://gamerant.com/tainted-grail-fall-of-avalon-review/ What makes The Fall of Avalon worth playing isn't just its reverence for classic RPGs, but how it reinterprets their ideas through a much darker lens. Questline's take on Arthurian myth is an intense and mature narrative, pulling players through a crumbling world where every choice feels like it might be the wrong one. There are lessons here, but more than anything, there's a story that feels like it was made for players who still crave consequence, immersion, and discovery in their RPGs. And while it might stumble in execution at times, it rarely loses sight of what it's trying to be. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8/10 https://www.dualshockers.com/tainted-grail-the-fall-of-avalon-review/ Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an adventure to behold, especially for those who are fans of Oblivion and Skyrim. With endless build variety, a beautiful dark fantasy world, an interesting story, and satisfying combat that feels weighty, this game is a great choice for RPG enthusiasts. While the game can feel like it's still in early access in some ways, specifically with its enemy AI, outdated character models, and a world that can feel too empty in parts, none of these issues take away from what makes Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon so special. It's a project where passion is on full display and I can't wait to see what Questline does next. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon - Flawed In The Stone (Review) Tainted Grail: The Fall of AvalonReleased: May 23rd, 2025Developer: Awaken Realms, QuestlinePublisher: Awaken RealmsSystems: PC, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series Copy provided by publisherJohn Carpenter’s The Thing is one of my favorite movies, not least for the fascinating concept behind its titular... www.thejimquisition.com Perhaps it will be given the same grace (some early reviews have been quite positive). It's got less of a budget but a lot more heart than its "AAA" templates. It seems to be rooted in the archaic out of genuine love for the style as opposed to rote complacency, which counts for something. Given the size of the game relative to the size of the developer, it deserves to be called ambitious. As a result, I'm far more inclined toward leniency than I have been elsewhere. Plus, y'know, I had fun with it. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is doing its little best, and if Skyrim is a hallmark of roleplaying quality, then Tainted Grail's best has to be good enough. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8.5/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon | Recensione Ci siamo tuffati nelle leggende arturiane con la versione 1.0 di Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon: nella recensione vi raccontiamo com'è andata. www.spaziogames.it If it is true that Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon does not shine in its technical sector and is a bit of a set of successful ideas sewn in a new way, it is also true that succeeding in this operation was anything but trivial. The developers have never hidden their (illustrious) sources of inspiration, and have thus created a love letter for open-world role-playing games, declined in a successful and engaging dark fantasy atmosphere - capable of stealing the hearts of lovers of the genre and, why not, of approaching new ones. It took some time in early access to get to this result, but it was certainly worth it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8.5/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon | Recensione | The Games Machine Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon è un RPG open world con combattimenti intensi, progressione libera e riscrittura cruda del mito di Re Artù. www.thegamesmachine.it The developers of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon call it a love letter to open-world RPGs as if the game were just a tribute to the cornerstones of the genre such as Skyrim or Oblivion, when in reality we are faced with a production with great personality, spectacular from an artistic point of view and with a plot intricate enough to glue us to the monitor for a long time. The gameplay does not aim to revolutionize the genre, but offers everything you could want from a modern RPG, reinterpreting the story of King Arthur in a dark key full of exciting combat. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Review in Progress - IGN So far this is a fun but familiar open-world RPG that reimagines Arthurian myth. www.ign.com Otherwise, a lot of the 5 hours I've played of Fall of Avalon so far has been spent exploring, accidentally picking up smut, talking to people, and so on. This is a pick up everything, speak to everybody, the world exists to be your playground kind of game, and if you've played The Elder Scrolls, you'll probably be right at home Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8/10 View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o03nU7pRdgY View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpoOeihKoZo View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeASWY7m05I View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ViWUExbDY I will add more when posted.  Last edited: 16 minutes ago MacheteSquadSteve Member Jan 6, 2025 285 there's a story that feels like it was made for players who still crave consequence, immersion, and discovery in their RPGs. Click to expand... Click to shrink... That's encouraging. I enjoyed the demo and already planned on checking this out at some point. I just don't have it in me to start another lengthy RPG.   TripleBee Prophet of Truth Member Oct 30, 2017 7,510 Canada Good reviews. Just wondering about performance on console really. I assume I should go PS5 pro over Series X, but also there's a bunch of visual sliders for quality - would be nice to have an idea of how stable it is in the bigger world.   Niosai One Winged Slayer Member Oct 28, 2017 5,235 This game's a ton of fun. I have a review in the works but I can say that if you have an Elder Scrolls itch, this game does a GREAT job scratching it.   ClayModel Member Oct 29, 2017 2,241 Decent reviews, the demo convinced me well enough to get to it one day.   Nameless Member Oct 25, 2017 17,262 I've been looking forward to this but I think I'll give them some patch time as post Early Access areas sound prone to broken side quests and such. Plus I'm still working my way through Oblivion + Clair Obscur, so it's probably not the best idea to bring a 60+ hour game into the mix.  Rhaknar Member Oct 26, 2017 51,799 do we know how much this is on console yet?   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia Review in progress. https://www.mmorpg.com/previews/the-rpg-files-tainted-grail-the-fall-of-avalon-review-in-progress-2000135010?amp=true Between the combat, enemy design, story, and draw to explore one more area, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon has been a great early game experience. I do have two concerns that I will explore more in the final review. Something about the gameplay is missing polish in specific aspects; I can't quite put my finger on it yet. I don't know if it's just some of the timings for combat or a combination of minor things. Also, while the character skills look quite varied, I don't know how much depth they actually have or how engaging specializing in a particular weapon or magic will be. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   chainlinkspiral Member Oct 25, 2017 12,502 Pretty swell reviews! The board game is an all timer.   Buckle Member Oct 27, 2017 44,645 Niosai said: This game's a ton of fun. I have a review in the works but I can say that if you have an Elder Scrolls itch, this game does a GREAT job scratching it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Is magic as fun to use as it was in Skyrim? I had a blast going double barreled flame throwers and necromancy. Thats all I need to know.  Oliver James Avenger Oct 25, 2017 9,832 Damn, I didn't know about this game. I will try and get this.   Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,954 The reviews kind of remind me of Drova, which was my GOTY last year. This game feels right up my alley!! Too much shit to play but I will grab it anyway. Great year for RPG's.  skeezx Member Oct 27, 2017 23,777 enjoyed my time with it in early access awhile back. it undoubtedly felt early access though so i didn't invest too much time in it would like to fire it up but on the heels of Oblivion I'll probably burn out. maybe in a month or three  OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia BassForever One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 31,634 CT So is this a faithful adaptation of the board game or a game inspired by it's story/world?   FF Seraphim Member Oct 26, 2017 16,599 Tokyo Guys if you really love these types of games(oblivion, etc), pick this up. Incredible game. There is jank but it doesn't get in the way of the fun.   wasylycia Member Jan 11, 2024 65 character creator?   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia wasylycia said: character creator? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yes, you create a custom character with their own backgrounds at the beginning. It's not very complex but it's there. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYEXo62eR0Q   Miracle Ache Member Oct 25, 2017 1,590 Enjoyed the demo so it's nice to see the game reviewing well.   carlsojo Shinra Employee Member Oct 28, 2017 37,589 San Francisco where the fuck did this game come from why are there so many games ;'(  Cyanity Member Oct 25, 2017 10,061 What is in the water this year??? I can't play all these games!!!   dreamfall Member Oct 25, 2017 7,366 I need it badly! I can not wait for the 1.0 release, it's going to be so good!   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia https://screenrant.com/tainted-grail-the-fall-of-avalon-review-in-progress/ For those who love dungeon-diving and grow weary of the cut-and-paste approach in these types of games, worry not, as all the interiors here have a noticeable maker's mark. The massive legacy dungeons like Sagremor's Keep are ostentatious centerpiece adventures, but even the many smaller caves and outposts bear their own quirks, surprises, and unique characters. Playing a massive open-world RPG that values its players' time investment is gratifying. I never roll my eyes at a cliché in Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon because it so frequently subverts them outright, nor do I ever fret over some daft resource-gathering distraction or unnecessary spot of padding. Even 40 hours in, it's been primarily killer over filler, so let's see what's yet to come in its endgame. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7.5/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon – Análise – Vale a Pena – Review Desenvolvido pela Awaken Realms, um estúdio polonês conhecido pelo trabalho com jogos de tabuleiro, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon é uma adaptação criticalhits.com.br Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an open-world RPG inspired by Arthurian legends and influenced by games like The Elder Scrolls, bringing an engaging and original narrative. Despite the dated graphics and significant technical issues, such as frequent FPS drops and serious bugs at launch, the game stands out for immersive exploration, full of secrets and intriguing locations. With a well-constructed dark atmosphere and deep mechanics, it's a rewarding experience for fans of the genre who are willing to overlook these initial technical limitations. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7.2/10 Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon Review | A Worthy Alternative｜Game8 2025.05.22 Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is a new indie open-world RPG where you explore Avalon and shape its future in this dark reimagination. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying. game8.co Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is an RPG to look out for. For $44.99, it's a steal for how much content there is in the game. The devs have spent the time and effort to make it as good as it is now, which is evident in the quality and quantity of the first two acts. However, it may take a bit more time for the third act to be polished, as the first two acts were available in early access and were tested for a longer time. Nevertheless, it's a game that we recommend if you're looking for an alternative to play besides Skyrim, Avowed, and Oblivion, as this game is a clear competitor in the same genre. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   Last edited: Today at 12:12 AM wasylycia Member Jan 11, 2024 65 texhnolyze said: Yes, you create a custom character with their own backgrounds at the beginning. It's not very complex but it's there. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYEXo62eR0Q Click to expand... Click to shrink... appreciate it! this is the most "what is this game" to "i want this day 1" feeling ive had in a long time lol. anyone able to get this on ps5 yet/know the release time? just seeing the demo  Elfgore Member Mar 2, 2020 5,221 Damn, those reviews are pretty solid. Looking forward to it!   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia wasylycia said: appreciate it! this is the most "what is this game" to "i want this day 1" feeling ive had in a long time lol. anyone able to get this on ps5 yet/know the release time? just seeing the demo Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think it will release at the same time everywhere, later today at 5pm CET.   Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,954 This is where my boycott of xbox is paying off! I was really really wanting to play Oblivion, so now a weirder maybe more janky version has come out and I am not burnt out on Oblivion? Perfect.   SpellSwordFoxx Member Feb 27, 2025 446 yup, reviews convinced me. gonna jump in as a spellsword, as usual. maybe also try unarmed for the fun.  Puffins Member Nov 1, 2024 325 This sounds great. Liking the comparison to Elder Scrolls - did not expect that at all.   Yam's Member Oct 27, 2017 4,583 It seems like it may be worth waiting for a bit to give them time to polish it more, and maybe add a bit more content to the last area (even if the game is already quite long).   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Review – A Broken Masterpiece? When Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon first entered the conversation, it looked like just another attempt to ride Skyrim’s coattails. But beneath its rough edges lies a game that delivers a uniquely intense and atmospheric experience. It doesn’t pretend to be triple-A, nor does it need to. From... www.gamer.org Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is not polished to perfection. Animations falter, systems sometimes clash, and bugs are part of the ride. But what it lacks in refinement, it makes up for in heart. This is a rare open-world RPG where discovery feels meaningful, combat feels dangerous, and the world itself tells a story through its decay. It's a rough gem—one that clearly comes from a smaller team with big ideas. If you can accept its quirks, you'll find something genuinely memorable beneath the jank. And for under $50, it delivers more than many full-priced RPGs released this year. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7.8/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Review - GamersRD.com Aquellos jugadores que como yo, les gusta la fórmula The Elder Scrolls, o lo que es lo mismo, RPG de mundo abierto, tendrán en Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon un buen candidato. Es un título basado en un juego de mesa, desarrollado por el estudio con sede en Polonia, Awaken Realms, en el que […] gamersrd.com Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is a title heavily inspired by the open worlds of The Elder Scrolls. It doesn't intend to reinvent the formula, but its setting inspired by the Arthurian legend and its freedom to build the character to our liking give it its own identity. The game shines more for its atmosphere, narrative and classic role-playing mechanics than for its graphic innovation, as some technical and visual aspects betray its modest origins. The leisurely progression, challenging combat and free exploration are its calling card, and it does not disappoint. It's not without its flaws, but these don't overshadow a rewarding experience for fans looking for something similar to TES/Fallout. If you're willing to forgive certain graphical limitations and a slower pace, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon offers a dark, deep, and immersive journey. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8.2/10 Análisis Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, el ambicioso sucesor espiritual de Oblivion creado por un equipo independiente Análisis y opinión de Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, un juego que rinde homenaje a clásicos como Skyrim con una aventura de proporciones épicas. www.hobbyconsolas.com In many fantasy RPGs, the story is a backdrop, a mere formality that serves to start the game. This is not the case with Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which articulates its plot with the suggestive universe created by Awaken Realms in its original board game. The "Indie Oblivion" is everything we can hope for, and even more. With nearly 100 hours of content, a variety of activities, a versatile combat system, and superb freedom, The Fall of Avalon is a must-have in the genre of RPGs in the style of The Elder Scrolls. Click to expand... Click to shrink... View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ViWUExbDY   ProdigyZA Member Jun 9, 2024 1,523 Reviews are great, really seems like the main issue was the bugs, but the actual game is really well done and content rich and a must play for Elder Scrolls fans.   LifeInTheFactory Member Jun 3, 2018 591 London BassForever said: So is this a faithful adaptation of the board game or a game inspired by it's story/world? Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's a first person RPG similar to Elder Scrolls, so it's not an adaption of the board game. But I'm a little puzzled as well. Is there any review out that talks about how this exactly relates to the board game, aside from name and scenario? I haven't read all of them, but couldn't find anything about it by skimming through a few reviews.  Kalentan Member Oct 25, 2017 50,673 LifeInTheFactory said: It's a first person RPG similar to Elder Scrolls, so it's not an adaption of the board game. But I'm a little puzzled as well. Is there any review out that talks about how this exactly relates to the board game, aside from name and scenario? I haven't read all of them, but couldn't find anything about it by skimming through a few reviews. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Correct me if I'm wrong, but the previous game before this was Tainted Grail: Conquest in 2021 which was a Rogue-lite Deckbuilder that came out into Early Access 1 year after the board game released. This seems to be a follow up in some kind to that game? A google search indicates the creator of the board game did work with the studio on these, or at least on Conquest.  OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia LifeInTheFactory said: It's a first person RPG similar to Elder Scrolls, so it's not an adaption of the board game. But I'm a little puzzled as well. Is there any review out that talks about how this exactly relates to the board game, aside from name and scenario? I haven't read all of them, but couldn't find anything about it by skimming through a few reviews. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Here's some bits from the hobbyconsolas review. Seems like a retelling of the same story with its own twist or some sort. If you're a fan of tabletop role-playing, you'll have recognized the history. It is the same plot as the board game created by Marcin Świerkot and Krzysztof Piskorski; in fact, much of the art of it, and even some cinematics, are extracted from that title. In many fantasy RPGs, the story is a backdrop, a mere formality that serves to start the game. This is not the case with Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which articulates its plot with the suggestive universe created by Awaken Realms in its original board game. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   Euler Member Oct 27, 2017 5,824 I really enjoy the vibes in the board game. Once I get some time I'll check this out.   Risev "This guy are sick" Member Oct 27, 2017 3,906 When does this release? Anyone got a timesheet for release hours?   weblaus Member Oct 27, 2017 1,062 TripleBee said: Good reviews. Just wondering about performance on console really. I assume I should go PS5 pro over Series X, but also there's a bunch of visual sliders for quality - would be nice to have an idea of how stable it is in the bigger world. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I haven't checked if they already have the planned updates out on consoles in the last few days, but in the original review copy state on both PS5 Pro and Series X the framerate had huge drops once you reach the first open world area and curiously especially in the first city (I stopped playing there for now) - really hope they can get that fixed as anyone who is somewhat sesitive to unstable framerates likely wouldn't much enjoy that.  Ganepark32 Member Nov 21, 2021 2,688 Risev said: When does this release? Anyone got a timesheet for release hours? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I believe it's releasing at 9am PST/12pm EST/5pm BST/6pm CEST. 8 hours, 11 minutes 

Editor's take: Whether these fines will persuade the public to switch to legal streaming services remains to be seen. For now, Italian authorities have made clear that they are prepared to pursue not only the suppliers but also the consumers of pirated content, marking a new chapter in the fight against digital piracy. In a significant escalation of its campaign against illegal streaming, Italy has begun issuing fines to thousands of individuals who subscribed to pirate IPTV services. This move follows a recent memorandum of understanding among the Prosecutor's Office, the Guardia di Finanza (a military police force in Italy), and the country's communications regulator AGCOM, which established a framework for sharing information on users of unauthorized streaming platforms. While the precise origin of the subscriber data remains undisclosed, it is believed to have been gathered during frequent law enforcement raids targeting illicit IPTV operations. These raids have yielded databases containing emails and other identifying information, enabling authorities to target end-users directly for the first time. The crackdown is rooted in Law 93/2023, anti-piracy legislation passed last year that allows for fines of up to €5,000 ($5,581) for repeat offenders. The law also introduced the Piracy Shield, a system enabling rapid ISP blocking of unauthorized streams. After the legislation passed, authorities wasted no time making it clear that the era of impunity for IPTV pirates was over. That warning has now materialized into action. At a recent press conference, the Guardia di Finanza revealed that 2,282 individuals across Italy have been fined for their involvement with pirate IPTV services. Initial penalties start at €154 ($172), but officials have stressed that repeat violations could dramatically increase fines, reaching the €5,000 maximum. This marks the first time the new law has been enforced against consumers, not just the operators of illegal services. The current wave of fines is reportedly linked to an operation in Lecce last October, where a major IPTV network was dismantled and subscriber information seized. // Related Stories Authorities have indicated that this is only the beginning, with ongoing investigations in several regions aimed at identifying further offenders. Three additional prosecutors' offices have already launched their inquiries, signaling a sustained national effort. The crackdown is part of a broader strategy to combat digital piracy in Italy, particularly the illegal streaming of football (soccer) matches – a major concern for the country's lucrative sports industry. The financial stakes are high. Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Serie A, has repeatedly emphasized the severe impact of piracy on Italian football, estimating losses of around €1 billion ($1.1 billion) every year due to unauthorized streaming. These losses threaten the financial stability of clubs and the entire football ecosystem, as television rights constitute a vital revenue stream. Paolo Scaroni, president of AC Milan, has highlighted the importance of enforcing existing laws, arguing that providers and consumers of pirated content must face consequences if the industry is to recover from the damage inflicted by piracy. Political support for the crackdown is strong, particularly from Senator Claudio Lotito, the architect of the anti-piracy law and owner of Lazio football club. Lotito has stated unequivocally that those who break the law will now face real and personal repercussions, declaring that the time for leniency is over. Inter Milan president Beppe Marotta echoed this sentiment, likening the new enforcement regime to a shift from a yellow card to a red card in soccer.

Macworld Super-weird bugs in Messages are nothing new, but this latest one is a real head-scratcher: If you try to send an audio message with the phrase “Dave and Buster’s,” it won’t work. Why would that specific phrasing cause a problem? A coding expert has cracked the case. I won’t say “and the reason will shock you,” but if you’re anything like me, you’ll find it interesting. First, let me explain what happens when the bug triggers. At first, the audio message (“I’m off to eat lunch at Dave and Buster’s,” as an example) appears to send normally. It shows up in the Messages thread to the recipient, along with a transcript of the content. No problem is flagged. It’s at the recipient’s end that we spot the issue. Initially the recipient sees the ellipsis icon, indicating that something is being typed or sent… but this carries on, and carries on, and eventually disappears. And at this point there is no indication that anything has been sent at all: no message, no message transcript, no message failed notification. In fact, if the recipient didn’t happen to have the app open, or had it open but was in a different conversation thread, they never would have known something was supposed to be on the way. This bug is new to me, and the first time I heard about it was when it was discussed on Monday in the blog run by Guilherme Rambo, a coding and engineering expert. Rambo, in turn, heard about the bug on the Search Engine podcast, which devoted its May 9 episode to the subject. Rambo reproduced the bug, guessed the problem must be at the recipient end, then plugged that device into his Mac and started looking at logs. And from that point it doesn’t appear to have taken long for him to work out what was going on: iOS’s transcription engine was recognizing the name of the U.S. restaurant chain, changing it to the correct corporate branding (“Dave & Buster’s,” with an all-important ampersand), and then passing that into the XHTML code used to send a transcript with the audio message. The problem isn’t being caused by the words Dave and Buster’s, but by the ampersand character between them, which has a special purpose in coding and prevents the code from being parsed correctly. The phrase “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t cause a problem in the U.K. because iOS doesn’t add an ampersand (or even an apostrophe).David Price / Foundry As you can see in the image at the top of this story, a seemingly successfully sent audio iMessage ending with the phrase “Dave & Buster’s” appears as sent but never actually appears on the recipient’s phone. After a while, the audio message disappeared from the sender’s phone, and the recipient was completely unaware that the message had ever been sent. With that in mind, it’s a short leap to recognize that other brands could cause the same issue—they just haven’t been spotted doing so up to now. Rambo notes that “M&Ms” will do the same thing. For U.K. iPhone owners, in fact, “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t trigger the bug because that chain is evidently not well enough known here and doesn’t get its ampersand added by autocorrect. To reproduce the issue, I had to ask a friend to send me a message about the supermarket chain M&S. Sure enough, this caused the hanging ellipsis followed by an unsent message. At the time of writing, it seems almost certain that any phrase iOS would recognize as containing an ampersand would cause an audio message to fail, and when I put it like that, it’s surprising the bug hasn’t been more widely reported. But here’s what happens when a U.K. user tries to send a message about the supermarket chain M&S, complete with ampersand.Karen Haslam / Foundry On the plus side, one would imagine it’s a bug that should be easy to patch in an iOS update. The transcription feature in Messages simply needs to be told to “escape” special characters so they don’t mess up the parsing process. And as Rambo notes, this isn’t a bug with any security vulnerabilities; indeed, it shows Apple’s BlastDoor mechanism working correctly. “Many bad parsers would probably accept the incorrectly-formatted XHTML,” he writes, “but that sort of leniency when parsing data formats is often what ends up causing security issues. By being pedantic about the formatting, BlastDoor is protecting the recipient from an exploit that would abuse that type of issue.”