Football Manager 2025 has been cancelled, but Sports Interactive has set its sights higher than simply releasing another game in the long-running management seriesTech13:50, 22 May 2025Football Manager 2024 just gained a whole new reason to pick it up(Image: Sports Interactive)While the Football Manager community awaits news on this year's game after Football Manager 2025 was cancelled, you'd be forgiven for thinking the team at Sports Interactive is busy chipping away at the next instalment.We're expecting to hear more about the game in the coming months, but before then, one employee's LinkedIn post has suggested that the company is looking to further blur the lines between the beautiful game and the long-running management simulation.‌Here's all we know about what could be a big shift for the company.‌Posting on the platform, Sports Interactive's Senior Commercial Executive Matthew Hunter said "COMING SOON: Data-Driven Decisions, Game-Changing Signings.""From Sports Interactive (SI), the studio behind Football Manager, comes a groundbreaking platform set to redefine how football clubs approach recruitment," the post explains."Spanning over 7,000 competitions across 200 nations, our solution delivers unparalleled, subjective assessments of players, coaches, and clubs."Article continues below"Backed by the world’s largest scouting network, this is more than data; it’s football intelligence, refined through decades of expertise.""Whether strengthening your first team, investing in youth, or assessing backroom staff, this is your new competitive advantage," it adds, promising to help "re-define player identification strategy".‌There have long been clubs that lean on Sports Interactive's Football Manager database to help identify signings, but this appears to be a step beyond even that.Asked if the data will be used across this project and Football Manager, Hunter said "Absolutely, it’s the very same data that powers the Football Manager series, enhanced and restructured specifically for professional use.""What makes this even more exciting is how we’ve evolved the breadth and depth of the database into a powerful foundation tool for clubs and organisations. Soon, we’ll be unveiling additional features designed to support a fully streamlined process."‌Football Manager already has a whole host of player data(Image: Sports Interactive)In a lengthy statement when announcing the cancellation of Football Manager 25, Sports Interactive said: “Sports Interactive regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release.“We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision. Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.Article continues below“We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend. With the launch of FM25 we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era.“Due to a variety of challenges that we’ve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven’t achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team. Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline.”For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌

This week, for the respective editions of their newsletters, Kids Today and User Friendly, senior correspondents Anna North and Adam Clark Estes have a chat about something that’s occupying both of them as journalists and as parents of young kids: How AI will shape the lives of the next generation?Anna North: Hi Adam! Excited to chat about AI and kids! In addition to reporting on kids for work, I also have a 7-year-old (who is home sick today and watching Amphibia right now, so might interrupt), and a 2-year-old (who is not currently home sick, yay!).Adam Clark Estes: Hey Anna! My kid is not yet 2, but as they say, the days are long, but the years are short. I feel like I’ll be meeting her AI friends in no time. Anna: Ha! So speaking of which, should we kick this off by talking a little bit about our hopes and fears for our kids growing up in the age of AI? I do feel like there’s a lot to be hopeful about: I’m excited that my kids will grow up in a time when we can use AI to develop new drugs and decode elephant language (although maybe some of those AI tools are more properly called machine learning?). My biggest fear is that my kids won’t see the point of learning certain skills, like writing and math, because AI can do those tasks for them. I certainly worry about AI taking jobs, too, but that’s a ways away for my kids.RelatedShould schools lock up kids’ phones?Adam: I’m actually not that worried about my kid having AI friends. She probably will! I just hope that she doesn’t spend too much time with them or too much time with AI-powered technology in general. I hope we enter this new AI era together and learn how these tools can make our lives better, richer, and more interesting. It reminds me of how the internet came of age around the same time I did, but my parents seemed too afraid to figure it out at the time. I hope I can be brave. Anna: My dad was actually an internet early adopter, and so we did enter that era together, which was sweet. We used to go to Doctor Who chatrooms — I remember once listing “our” age as “43 and 12.” That was nice for me because 1) I learned to use a computer and 2) I learned to be curious and not fearful around new technologies. Except I am a little fearful around AI! Maybe I have to channel that spirit of curiosity a little more when I’m with my kids.A friend of mine was telling me her district is rolling out AI tools potentially in kindergarten, so it starts young.Adam: And I keep seeing ads for AI-equipped stuffed animals. AI is still such a buzzword, but I do think we’re starting to see how it really will take over technology as we know it. I always say that it’s just the next iteration of the software that’s already in everything. So, of course, it’s going to be in classrooms — not just for cheating purposes, either.Anna: Cheating using AI is less of an issue for little kids because they’re not doing much of their work on computers yet. The AI tools I’ve seen proposed for K-6 are like this AI-powered reading coach, which seems less vulnerable to cheating than, say, ChatGPT. I’ve definitely heard people say that AI could potentially offer more personalized tutoring one day, which could be positive since individual instruction is really beneficial, but public school classes are often too large to offer much of it. That idea doesn’t freak me out too much, although, of course, there are questions around how reliable and accurate AI tools are.My older kid is in first grade, and at his school, there’s a lot of talk about the role of AI in math. The argument I’ve heard is very similar to what we were taught about calculators, honestly: that these tools will be able to do a lot of simple operations for us, so kids should be able to think intuitively about numbers.I don’t really think we’ll return to oral exams, but we will have to reconsider what education looks like in a world that runs on AI.Adam: I’m also curious about how AI simply changes how schools work. Like, if AI makes it too easy to cheat when essay-writing, what will teachers assign instead? And what will they grade? I don’t really think we’ll return to oral exams, but we will have to reconsider what education looks like in a world that runs on AI.Anna: I do think there’s a shift to more in-class tests and assignments, which can cause its own stress. I also wonder if there’s just going to be a shift toward developing a different set of skills, if writing just becomes less important. We already see kids and young people consuming less text — I wouldn’t be shocked if there was more emphasis in the coming years on oral presentation or audio and visual production skills. That bums me out as a writer, but maybe it’s what Plato would’ve wanted? I do try to remember that people have always been skeptical of new technology (even written language), and some of the anxieties we’re experiencing now are thousands of years old.I wouldn’t be shocked if there was more emphasis in the coming years on oral presentation or audio and visual production skills.Adam: And some look like instant replays of anxieties from just a decade or two ago. Every time a new technology or medium comes along, there’s a collective freakout that it’s destroying the youth. This is just as true for social media as it was for TV, video games, comic books, and even radio. I think this will be true of AI in social settings, too. It’s already possible to have an AI friend through apps like Replika or Kindroid. I wasn’t kidding about the AI stuffed animals, either. There’s one called Grok that’s designed — by Grimes of all people — for ages 3 and up. Kids can ask it questions, and the AI will tell them things, like a futuristic Teddy Ruxpin, except Teddy Ruxpin had a cassette tape in his belly that parents could listen to and know what the stuffed bear would say. I have no idea what AI will be telling our kids!I’ve seen people call this the end of the imaginary friend. I actually think it’s just the beginning of something new. What that is, I can’t imagine. At least not yet. Anna: It’s funny to me because Teddy Ruxpin was famously creepy! The social/play aspect of AI is super-interesting. I’m not worried about AI killing imaginary friends — kids will make friends with a can of tomato paste, and I don’t think you can destroy their social creativity that easily.My biggest concern around AI friends right now is safety — there are already lawsuits alleging that chatbots nudged kids toward violence or self-harm. Do you know what guardrails there are in place? Adam: My general feeling about guardrails is that, no matter how many there are, technology finds a way to leap over them. YouTube, for instance, has long struggled with how to make sure parents can steer their children to safe, age-appropriate content, but kids inevitably find themselves sucked down a rabbit hole of uncanny algorithmically generated videos. Throwing an infinite supply of AI-generated content into the mix won’t help, so I think parents will have to be vigilant about triple-checking what their kids are watching or playing with.There was a Pew study earlier this year that said about a quarter of all teens had tried ChatGPT for schoolwork. That number had doubled in a year.So if you assume that guardrails aren’t there or won’t work and that kids are going to try some kind of AI tool eventually, where does that leave parents? To be honest, I think we should all do what your dad did with you: Hang out in the proverbial chatrooms together. Talk to the chatbots together. Play with the AI toys together. Learn about this new technology along with your kids and help them learn when to put them away.I think we should all do what your dad did with you: Hang out in the proverbial chatrooms together. Talk to the chatbots together. Play with the AI toys together.Anna: I’m sure my dad will appreciate this endorsement of his parenting! You’re not alone, though. Andrew Przybylski, an Oxford professor I think we’ve talked about who studies phones and kids, talks about introducing his children to smartphones the way you would teach a kid to ride a bike: It’s a tool. It has hazards but also uses. It can be fun, and it’s a basic part of life. Maybe the same is true of AI?This conversation is sort of making me think I need to use AI more with my kids, which is not where I expected to end up. Adam: It’s important to point out that we’re mostly talking about generative AI here, and chatbots. There are also image and video generators. These all have obvious applications for kids in schools, for cheating and learning. But we haven’t even gotten into what the next generation of AI will impact our kids’ lives — things like AI agents that can use computers themselves or the much feared artificial general intelligence that can theoretically do anything. That future is a lot harder for me to comprehend right now.Anna: Yeah, I think there’s a lot about the next 10 or 15 years, both in AI and just in our kids’ lives generally, that’s hard to wrap one’s head around. My husband and I always joke about our children going to college on the moon, but I think it’s just a way of expressing the uncertainty that’s always there when you try to project too far out.See More:

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here The Illuminate have finally invaded Super Earth, and a week before their arrival Arrowhead added new Illuminate enemies with update 01.003.000. Although new enemies were added to the army of squids, a lot of players are still wondering if we’ve truly seen the full might of their force. While Arrowhead has suggested there is the possibility for new enemies to join the battlefield in the future, the CCO has warned Helldivers 2 players “don’t want the Illusionist to arrive”.   Helldivers 2 CCO warns players wanting the Illusionist On the official Helldivers Discord, Arrowhead community manager, Baskinator, was asked if “the Leviathan is the only new unit for this update or will there be more bc I was expecting something like the complete roster since this is the real thing”. This question is regarding the Heart of Democracy update and whether the fleet of Illuminate currently invading Super Earth is their “complete roster”. Baskinator responded by reminding how Arrowhead added “new enemies the week before” with the Stingray, Fleshmob, and Crescent Overseer. The community manager also said the Super Earth invasion “was kinda split into two updates, but it’s one whole ‘idea’”. Although the invasion is “one whole ‘idea’” that is now complete, there is the potential for new enemies to be added in the future as Baskinator teased, “You never know what’ll show up as we go along”. Image credit: Helldivers Discord One member of the Illuminate notably missing from Helldivers 1 is the Illusionist. On X, a user asked Arrowhead CCO, Pilestedt, when the Illusionist will arrive in Helldivers 2, to which Pilestedt warned, “You don’t want the illusionist to arrive…”. Back in January, Iron_S1ghts leaked the return of the elite squid by posting screenshots of an “explosion effect used upon the death of an Illusionist”. This led everyone to believe the Illusionist would return from HD1, but, alas, they have not come back as of yet. Although there are leaks suggesting the Illusionist could still return, nothing is official right now. Hopefully they will eventually rejoin the battlefield as part of the Illuminate fleet as more enemies is always a good thing. For more Helldivers 2, check out our guide to the best warbonds ranked, along with the best stratagems and best throwables. We have also a guide to the best weapons, and, if you’re coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch of tips and tricks to help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield. Helldivers 2 Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5 Genre(s): Action, Shooter, Third Person 8 VideoGamer Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

Subscribe to Stratechery Plus for full access. Already subscribed?  Log in $15 / month or $150 / year Subscribe to Stratechery Plus With Stratechery Plus you get access to the subscriber-only Stratechery Update and Stratechery Interviews, and the Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Dithering, Greatest of All Talk, and Asianometry podcasts. Stratechery Update Substantial analysis of the news of the day delivered via three weekly emails or podcasts. Stratechery Interviews Interviews with leading public CEOs, private company founders, and discussions with fellow analysts. Dithering A twice-weekly podcast from John Gruber and myself: 15 minutes an episode, not a minute less, not a minute more. Sharp Tech Andrew Sharp and myself discuss how technology works and the ways it impacts our lives. Sharp China A weekly podcast from Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill Bishop about understanding China and how China impacts the world. Greatest Of All Talk A twice-weekly podcast from Andrew Sharp and Ben Golliver about the NBA, life, and national parks. Asianometry Audio and transcripts of the Asianometry YouTube channel, the best source for learning about how tech works. Stratechery Updates are also available via SMS, RSS, or on this site. Please see the Stratechery Update Schedule for more details about delivery times and planned days-off. Please note that all subscriptions auto-renew monthly/annually (but can be cancelled at any time). If you are interested in ordering and managing multiple subscriptions for your team or company, please fill in the form here. Frequently-Asked Questions How do I subscribe to the Stratechery Podcast? Once you are subscribed, please visit your Delivery Preferences where you will find easy-to-follow instructions for adding Stratechery Podcasts to your favorite podcast player. Can I read Stratechery via RSS? Yes! Create a Stratechery Passport account, go to Delivery Preferences, and add your personalized RSS feed. Free accounts will have access to Weekly Articles, while subscribers will have access to the Daily Update as well. Can I share a Stratechery Update subscription with a friend? No, the Stratechery Update and Stratechery Podcast are intended for one subscriber only. Sharing emails, using shared inboxes, or sharing RSS feeds is a violation of Stratechery’s Terms of Service, and your account may be suspended or your RSS feed reset. Of course occasional forwarding of the Stratechery Update to interested friends or colleagues is totally fine. Can I buy a subscription for my team? Yes! You can purchase a team subscription here. Can I switch to an annual plan? Yes! Just go to your account page, choose the ‘Subscriptions’ tab, and click the Annual upgrade button. You will be charged immediately, with a prorated discount applied for the remainder of your current monthly plan. Do you offer a student discount? Stratechery is purposely kept at a low price — thousands of dollars less than other analyst reports or newsletters — to ensure it is accessible to everyone, including students. Can you create a custom invoice that meets my government/company requirements? I am happy to create an invoice to your specification for annual subscribers; however, it is simply not viable for me to offer this service to monthly subscribers. Therefore, if you need a custom invoice please subscribe or switch to an annual subscription and contact Stratechery. June 1, 2021 Update: We are hoping to add native support for custom invoices to Passport; you can subscribe to Passport Updates to be notified when it is available. Can I give a subscription as a gift? Yes! To send a gift visit the gifts page.

You wouldn't use a chatbot for evil, would you? Of course not. But if you or some nefarious party wanted to force an AI model to start churning out a bunch of bad stuff it's not supposed to, it'd be surprisingly easy to do so.That's according to a new paper from a team of computer scientists at Ben-Gurion University, who found that the AI industry's leading chatbots are still extremely vulnerable to jailbreaking, or being tricked into giving harmful responses they're designed not to — like telling you how to build chemical weapons, for one ominous example.The key word in that is "still," because this a threat the AI industry has long known about. And yet, shockingly, the researchers found in their testing that a jailbreak technique discovered over seven months ago still works on many of these leading LLMs.The risk is "immediate, tangible, and deeply concerning," they wrote in the report, which was  and is deepened by the rising number of "dark LLMs," they say, that are explicitly marketed as having little to no ethical guardrails to begin with."What was once restricted to state actors or organized crime groups may soon be in the hands of anyone with a laptop or even a mobile phone," the authors warn.The challenge of aligning AI models, or adhering them to human values, continues to loom over the industry. Even the most well-trained LLMs can behave chaotically, lying and making up facts and generally saying what they're not supposed to. And the longer these models are out in the wild, the more they're exposed to attacks that try to incite this bad behavior.Security researchers, for example, recently discovered a universal jailbreak technique that could bypass the safety guardrails of all the major LLMs, including OpenAI's GPT 4o, Google's Gemini 2.5, Microsoft's Copilot, and Anthropic Claude 3.7. By using tricks like roleplaying as a fictional character, typing in leetspeak, and formatting prompts to mimic a "policy file" that AI developers give their AI models, the red teamers goaded the chatbots into freely giving detailed tips on incredibly dangerous activities, including how to enrich uranium and create anthrax.Other research found that you could get an AI to ignore its guardrails simply by throwing in typos, random numbers, and capitalized letters into a prompt.One big problem the report identifies is just how much of this risky knowledge is embedded in the LLM's vast trove of training data, suggesting that the AI industry isn't being diligent enough about what it uses to feed their creations."It was shocking to see what this system of knowledge consists of," lead author Michael Fire, a researcher at Ben-Gurion University, told the Guardian."What sets this threat apart from previous technological risks is its unprecedented combination of accessibility, scalability and adaptability," added his fellow author Lior Rokach.Fire and Rokach say they contacted the developers of the implicated leading LLMs to warn them about the universal jailbreak. Their responses, however, were "underwhelming." Some didn't respond at all, the researchers reported, and others claimed that the jailbreaks fell outside the scope of their bug bounty programs. In other words, the AI industry is seemingly throwing its hands up in the air."Organizations must treat LLMs like any other critical software component — one that requires rigorous security testing, continuous red teaming and contextual threat modelling," Peter Garraghan, an AI security expert at Lancaster University, told the Guardian. "Real security demands not just responsible disclosure, but responsible design and deployment practices."Share This Article

Former Bungie developers blame corporate ‘greed’ as cancelled subscription plans revealed Adam Starkey Published May 22, 2025 1:32pm Updated May 22, 2025 1:33pm A marathon of issues (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Former staff at Destiny developer Bungie have spoken out about the studio’s downfall, citing ‘disconnected leadership’ and a toxic work culture. Bungie were once one of the most respected developers in the world, following their work on Halo and Destiny, but the situation at the studio is drastically different as we approach its next project, Marathon. Since the launch of Destiny 2 in 2017, the studio was acquired by Sony and subject to several rounds of layoffs. While job cuts have been widespread across the industry over the past few years, the situation at Bungie goes beyond post-pandemic cuts; with missed financial targets leading to drastic structural shifts. Reports of leadership mismanagement at Bungie have cropped up before, but several ex-employees have now spoken out about their own experiences within the studio. In a video by YouTuber Destin Legarie, former employees at Bungie cite various reasons for the studio’s decline, including a ‘lack of player empathy, disconnected leadership, and a corporate-first culture’. The recurring point of contention is the studio’s ‘toxic’ leadership, who allegedly ‘shut down creatives on a core level’ and prioritised monetisation over player satisfaction. According to one ex-employee, staff received a huge ‘scolding’ in a meeting with leadership over monetisation. ‘Everything happening to Bungie is because of greed,’ said one former employee. This alleged push for further monetisation was presented in various ways. One source claimed the studio’s leadership pitched the idea of adding a subscription model to Destiny 2 at one point, but the idea was ‘vehemently’ shut down by the team. Another source claimed Bungie leadership were concerned the Trials Of Osiris PvP armour was ‘too attractive with its glow effect’, which might negatively impact Eververse sales (Destiny 2’s cosmetic store). Destiny 2 launched as a paid-for game but it became free-to-play in October 2019, with DLC expansions being sold separately. The next expansion, The Edge Of Fate, is set to launch on July 15, 2025. The video features other allegations, including ‘HR working in their own best interest’ and claims leadership undermined the ideas of staff in public. ‘If they didn’t think of it, it wasn’t worth doing,’ one former employee said. GameCentral has reached out to Bungie for comment. Marathon is in trouble too (Sony Interactive Entertainment) One former employee suggested these issues have now ‘just shifted to Marathon instead’, which is currently in the middle of a plagiarism scandal, after an ex-artist at the studio took assets from someone else’s work without permission. More Trending As detailed in livestream last week, Bungie is currently in the process of ‘auditing all of the previous work by the internal artist’ and is looking to remove ‘anything which is questionably or inappropriately sourced’. Beyond this controversy, Marathon hasn’t exactly hit the ground running. A closed alpha test last month was met with mixed reactions, which has reportedly led to several changes to the game’s future plans. Marathon is set to launch on September 23 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but all signs suggest it could be delayed. More expansions are coming to Destiny 2 (Bungie) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

WWE's Roman Reigns and A Minecraft Movie star Jason Momoa have reportedly been linked with appearances in an upcoming Street Fighter movie that developer Capcom will co-produceTech10:47, 22 May 2025Street Fighter 6 looks slick on Switch 2(Image: Capcom)It's a great time to be a Street Fighter fan. Street Fighter 6 was an absolutely fantastic return to form, while the game will come to the upcoming Switch 2 console on launch day.There are even some of the best Overwatch 2 skins we've ever seen which have our heroes cosplaying as Chun-Li, Ryu, Cammy and more, while Capcom has just announced a Monster Hunter Wilds crossover as I'm typing this.‌Now, Deadline is reporting that Legendary Pictures and Capcom are working to put together a new movie adaptation of the fighting series, and some big names are attached. Here's all we know so far.‌Roman Reigns could be in Street Fighter(Image: WWE via Getty Images)According to Deadline, Roman Reigns from the WWE is linked with the project. Real name Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, he's previously appeared in Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw.Also in talks are Jason Momoa, who recently starred in A Minecraft Movie and who's breakout role was in Game of Thrones, while Andrew Koji from Bullet Train is also linked.Article continues belowNoah Centineo (Warfare) rounds out the actors in talks, but we're not sure which characters they'd portray.Capcom is no stranger to movie adaptations, although it'd be fair to say that some of them haven't been critical hits. The Resident Evil movie franchise gave way to inconsistent TV shows, while the Monster Hunter movie lost a lot of what makes the franchise so special.Back in 1994, Street Fighter got an infamous movie adaptation that starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue, and Raul Julia.‌The movie was panned by critics, and a sequel never materialised, but it did lead to an animated series in 1995. Somehow, 2009's Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li was even worse, so here's hoping the next entry gets a better response.As for Street Fighter 6, we gave the 2023 release top marks in our review."Full of content for all different types of gamer, whether that’s the one-vs-computer classic Street Fighter type or the player who loves to live online, making new pals," we said at the time.Article continues below"But underneath it all is an excellent fighting game that is as addictive as it ever was and a joy to play."For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌

Places Hand-Painted Shopfronts in Rural Uganda Olivia Krawczyk introduces the hand-painted signs for businesses large and small in Kumi, Uganda. Better Letters May 22, 2025 • 6 min read "Pure & Tasty" in Kumi, Eastern Uganda. Outside of the continent itself, the most well-known facets of signs and sign painting from Africa are perhaps the Ghana's wild film posters and the 'Danfo' vehicle lettering from Nigeria. Last year, I shared some books and articles in the bonus material that accompanied the Deadly Prey feature in BLAG 04, but these are also heavily skewed towards countries in West Africa.Books about hand-painted signs in Africa. From left: African Signs (2010) by Rob Floor and Gert van Zanten, and Chez Bonne Idée (1986) and Ici Bon Coiffeur (1992), both by Jean-Marie Leratby.I was therefore very happy to see some material from Uganda, East Africa, which graphic designer Olivia Krawczyk shares here alongside her comments on what she's learned about the signs.Hand-Painted Shopfronts in Rural UgandaWalking along the streets of rural Uganda, you can’t help but notice the almost random ‘pop’ of colour on buildings. Their striking exteriors are, more often than not, part of the hand-painted advertisements that cover them.Nile is one of the most popular Ugandan beer brands and their signs are frequently painted on bars where you can quench your thirst for one.During my working visits to Uganda, I'm based in Kumi town, which is about a five-hour drive from the capital, Kampala. I spend a lot of time in the surrounding rural areas of the Kumi District, where the painted buildings have always caught my eye. This was nothing more than a passing interest until my last trip in 2023 when curiosity took over and I set out to learn a little bit more about the signs.The Art of Making DoIn Uganda's Kumi District, money is short, but competition is high, with whole rows of shops frequently selling exactly the same products and services. The most common are hairdressers, tailors, DIY stores, and, in the central market, food and drink stalls.So how do you stand out in this environment where the buildings all look similar, the streets are packed with people, and you have limited funds? Armed with paint and a whole lot of determination, shopkeepers turn their spaces into vibrant reflections of their trades. These amateur creations convey the impression of a competition to see who can fit the most writing onto their shop or sign, often including multiple phone numbers. The results might not be polished, but they sure are authentic.A classic DIY sign cramming five phone numbers into the pricing of meats sold by this butchers on the side of the road just outside of Kumi.Y.Y. Coaches, Kumi's public transport booking office, gives you no less than six numbers to try, and if any of those phones need repairing, there's always the Agg & Sons Phone Clinic, which is advertised by this more professionally finished shopfront.With tight budgets, the upkeep of these signs isn’t always a priority and this, paired with the constant exposure to the sun, means that they start looking rundown pretty quickly.This abandoned shopping plaza has old remnants of hand-painted, including one for the New York City Salon. Even the barbeque in front has a 'sausages' ghost sign on it.In the process of looking more closely at these faded walls, I started to notice some that are quite distinct from these DIY creations. They frequently advertise things unrelated to the shop inside — a launderette painted with advertising for a SIM card, for example — and the designs are often repeated on multiple buildings.White Star Magic laundry bars being advertised on a farmers' wholesale and retail shop, and spaghetti promoted via the medium of a hairdressing salon frontage.Corporate MuralsI soon realised that not everyone has the time, skill, or resources to paint their shop, This, coupled with bigger companies looking to advertise their products, has lead to a mutually beneficial arrangement: the companies paint the shop with their advertising, while the small business owner gets some extra income from renting the space. As a bonus, their shop looks smarter than the one next door, helping to attract more customers.The Renedol painkiller brand have painted this entire building, in stark contrast to the bare concrete on the one next door.Before the addition of these painted billboards, the buildings all look very much alike, and are often in a poor state of repair. So its a no-brainer to say 'yes' when a company offers to paint your whole shop for free in exchange for their logo being front and centre.It's unlikely you can actually buy milk here, but the shop owner is happy to host the hand-painted sign and save money on decorating.Condom signs are quite common, and this one does have a connection with its host building via the Medi-Care Clinic below.These corporate messages are eye-catching bursts of colour as you walk along the streets of Kumi, and almost all of them are hand-painted — it took me a while to realise this, as the pictorial elements are so often convincing.Freshly painted signs covering the entrance to Kumi's central market. They are advertising the Fortune Gold vegetable oil brand, the self-proclaimed 'Taste of Uganda'.The DownsideNothing lasts forever, though. Walking around Kumi and other rural areas of Uganda, you will see many buildings that were once brightly coloured but are now left in a state of disrepair. The advertisers that commissioned the signs rarely maintain them, leaving business owners with crumbling paint and no funds to fix it.Business continues below while the paint comes loose on the Gentex advertising above.However, these aren't just buildings; they're storytellers. They tell tales of resilience, resourcefulness, and the bridge between small local businesses and large corporations.Photography and text by Olivia Krawczyk.More brand advertising for Fortune sunflower oil and Star laundry bars.In Kumi, Uganda, hand-painted messages like this — "Pray for my enemies alwa[y]s, Kumi Boys" — are a common sight on trucks, mixing faith, local pride, and personal expression to create a form of moving street poetry.The Ugandan take on 'commit no nuisance' signs with the fine being about £20 ($25), and advertising for Sadolin paints providing the back drop for street vendor displays in Kumi, Uganda.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Epic Games finally brought Fortnite back to iOS in the United States! The game was banned from Apple’s App Store for nearly five years, as players were stuck in Chapter 2 – Season 3. Now, it’s time for a new era, as the dispute between the two companies has nearly come to an end. To celebrate the return of Fortnite to iOS, Epic will bring back its iconic skin, Tart Tycoon. This anti-Apple skin marked the beginning of legal dispute between Apple and Epic, so it makes sense for the game creator to bring it back. According to a leak, the skin will be free once again. Fortnite is bringing back its ultra rare Tart Tycoon skin The trouble between Apple and Epic Games started brewing in August 2020 when the Fortnite developer added a third-party payment processor to the game. This resulted in Apple taking Fortnite off the App Store and banning it. As a result, Epic took the tech giant to court and began a lengthy legal battle that lasted for almost five years. Now, the game has returned to iPhones and iPads, but only in the US. Earlier this year, Epic brought it back in the European Union, and the United Kingdom is expected to get the game in the second half of 2025. According to Hypex, the most popular Fortnite leaker, Epic will bring back Tart Tycoon, one of the rarest skins of all time, to celebrate the return of the game. Tart Tycoon was first available in 2020. Image by VideoGamer The skin was released in August 2020, and players were able to win it by scoring 10 points in the #FreeFortnite Cup. It had unlimited quantities, so it was available to everyone who played a game or two. In addition to this, Epic Games also gave out some valuable rewards to more than 20,000 players, including a hat, Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, phones, and more. The start date and time of the Tart Tycoon Cup haven’t been leaked or revealed yet. However, with the Galactic Battle season ending in early June, we expect it to come out within a week. Fortnite Platform(s): Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X Genre(s): Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter 9 VideoGamer Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

Enchant is launching a new zero-equity accelerator for gaming and AI startups, with applications now open for its three-month program. The accelerator is dedicated to early-stage teams at the crossroads of gaming and artificial intelligence. Founded by veterans of Sony, Supercell, EA, Ubisoft and Playrix, the fully remote program gives founders hands-on product sprints, weekly one-on-one sessions with industry leaders and direct access to a global investor network — while letting every startup keep 100 percent of its cap-table. Enchant backs companies building games, gaming-industry tools, AI products and Web3 experiences. By stripping away office requirements and equity grabs, the accelerator concentrates on rapid product iteration, real-world traction and warm introductions to publishers, VCs and strategic partners, said Eugenii Unegovskiy, cofounder of Enchant, in an interview with GamesBeat. Rolling admission, personal start date Enchant is taking applications for its zero-equity accelerator. The program is an intensive 12-week track that begins the day a team is accepted. Founders apply whenever they’re ready; there is no need to wait for fixed cohorts. From day one, each company follows a milestone roadmap that includes product deep-dives, go-to-market workshops and Demo-Day preparation. “Founders shouldn’t have to wait for a calendar slot,” said Unegovskiy. “Acceptance triggers day-one sprints, live play-tests and build reviews shoulder-to-shoulder with veterans from triple-A studios. It’s real co-building, not classroom mentoring, and it means products hit the market in weeks, not months.” “Zero-equity is a strong benefit, with an even bigger advantage being a clean cap table that helps early gaming and AI teams close future rounds faster,” added Aakash Parameswaran, CEO of Fable Fox, a former Game Designer at Electronic Arts and an expert in Enchant, in a statement. “From refining core loops to designing live-service economies, we work in the trenches so founders stay player-first and ship games investors can trust.” Why zero-equity matters Enchant is taking flat fees for its work. Keeping the cap-table clean at the earliest stage helps founders retain control and stay more attractive for future Seed and Series A rounds, when dilution stakes are far larger. It also lets Enchant operate purely on the startup’s success, aligning incentives around product wins and fundraising milestones. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and accepted teams can start immediately. Unegovskiy said that while running demo days for game startups at Subscrible, he realized something crucial: most early-stage founders don’t fail because the product is weak — they fail because the business around it isn’t ready. No go-to-market, no monetization strategy, no clear idea how much money they need — or why. “That’s why I teamed up with folks from Supercell, Ubisoft, Sony, EA, King, Xsolla, and Oracle — many of whom I’m sure you know or have crossed paths with — along with the creators of Tetris, Angry Birds, and Cut the Rope, to launch Enchant, a new kind of accelerator for gaming and AI startups,” Unegovskiy said. Without cohorts or equity, the company will provide focused support that helps founders move forward. “We help with pitch training, fundraising prep, GTM and monetization strategy, grant and UA support, legal and marketing guidance — plus access to tools, credits, and partner services worth over $500,000 (cloud credits, analytics, dev tools, etc.),” Unegovskiy said. “It’s a simple model: small monthly fee + a success fee if we help a team raise or grow — no early dilution.” The team includes Tim Horton, an experienced gaming executive with 16+ years in leadership, business development, and partnerships within the global gaming industry. Horton helps optimize operations, drive growth, and deliver high-quality projects in mobile gaming, triple-A art, console porting, and game development. Sutton Trout specializes in leadership/strategic partnerships/business development/goal attainment and revenue. He is an action-oriented leader with 20 years of experiences in games and entertainment. He has worked at Supercell, Sony and WB Games. And he helped with complex projects and major launches like Hogwarts Legacy. Also on the team is Andrey Feinberg (Kuznetsov), former CIO at GDEV and Nexters. He has more than 10 years of experience in gaming, tech, and internet industries. He helped closed 40+ deals worth over $800 million, and he is now an independent advisor focused on fundraising, M&A, and strategy for gaming and interactive entertainment companies. Unegovskiy is one of the experts, as he is a six-time founder with experience in game development and AI. Other experts include Amir Shaked, Igor Diev, Jun Qian, Oded Lavie, Martin Hoszowski, Kevin Beardslee, Yosef Warburg, Wes Harris, Elvis Fernandes, Han Lee, Faisal Nazir, Tim Gerritsen, Hovav Shoshan, Igor Bazhanov, Cipto Adiguno, Casey Dickinson, Rosario Basilotta, Aakash Parameswaran, Mariam Japaridze and Eugene Volikov. Enchant expert Aakash Parameswaran, CEO of Fable Fox. By not taking a stake in the company, Unegovskiy said the company focuses on working side-by-side with founders to improve everything from pitch to revenue strategy. It takes a flat monthly fee, plus a success fee if it helps a team raise money or grow. The fee is typically 5% to 10% of the raised amount or a share of revenue growth. “We also reserve the right to invest in future rounds on founder-friendly terms — aligned with long-term support, not short-term ownership,” said Unegovskiy. He also said mentors and advisserss are similiarly aligned to the startup’s success.The focus of games and AI at Enchant. The company just opened applications and are starting to see a diverse mix of early-stage founders — from game studios to AI-tool builders, across multiple regions. A significant share of interest is coming from projects working at the intersection of gaming and AI — blending creative ambition with scalable infrastructure. “We’re seeing strong indicators that the next wave of gaming startups will be deeply technical, globally minded, and looking for business-first support without early dilution,” Unegovskiy said. GB Daily Stay in the know! Get the latest news in your inbox daily Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured.