Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Supports macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Windows Intuitive, modern user interface Flexible pricing Cons Mac client doesn’t offer features like cloud sync, AI chatbot, OCR, or file conversion Account deletion requires customer support Overpriced monthly plan is Our Verdict SwifDoo is free to download and use, but Apple’s built-in Preview app performs most of the tasks offered, including proper PDF editing, which SwifDoo doesn’t do. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Swifdoo PDF for Mac Retailer Price SwifDoo PDF For Mac Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket PDF editors are essential for Mac users living the paperless lifestyle. While macOS can view, annotate, and sign PDFs natively, the OS provides little control over the files’ core content. So, those wishing to tweak the text or images of a certain PDF document will have to rely on third-party solutions. With so many apps out there, however, finding the right pick may be tricky. SwifDoo PDF for Mac is one of the options you may come across when hunting for an editor. Is it any good, though? Pricing and availability SwifDoo PDF supports macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, and Android. Notably, however, the feature sets differ depending on the platform you’re using. So, for example, the Windows app packs distinct capabilities unavailable on macOS or the mobile clients. Similarly, the price differs based on the OS you’re running it on. In this review, we will be evaluating SwifDoo PDF for macOS specifically. The rating, pros, cons, and overall specifications only apply to this particular client. SwifDoo PDF for macOS is available to install and use as a document viewer for free. However, the paid version is required to unlock its core features, such as editing and annotation. At the time of writing, the monthly plan costs $10, while the annual one goes for $20. Alternatively, you could avoid the recurring subscription by paying a one-time fee of $50 or $70 to own a lifetime license for one or two Macs. Before committing to the purchase, you can create an account to claim a 7-day free trial and evaluate the service. Unfortunately, if you decide not to proceed, you’ll need to contact the company’s customer support to have them delete your account and its data. See our round-ups of of the best PDF editors for Mac and our best free PDF editors for Mac. Features Foundry While SwifDoo PDF was designed for Intel Macs and seemingly hasn’t been optimized for Apple silicon chips, it runs pretty smoothly on my MacBook Air M2. It features a clutter-free main page where you can interact with recently viewed files or open a different PDF via Finder. Once you load a document, you can tweak it using the standard annotation tools if you’re using the paid version. These include highlighting, inserting notes, underlining, striking through, drawing, adding text boxes and shapes, stamping, and more. Other SwifDoo PDF perks include page rotation, printing, and an auto-generated index that lets you quickly jump between document sections based on their headings. Beyond the basics, SwifDoo PDF supports simple document manipulation. The software provides full control over PDF files’ core content, letting you intuitively adjust the existing text’s font, alignment, and spacing. Similarly, you get to resize, crop, move, and rotate original images or insert new ones. If you’re handling sensitive files, SwifDoo PDF also enables you to protect documents with a password to prevent unauthorized viewing, editing, or copying. Notably, unlike the Windows client and other rival Mac apps, SwifDoo PDF for macOS doesn’t include an AI chatbot for assistance, optical character recognition (OCR), batch processing, file format conversion, cloud sync, etc. Foundry Should you use SwifDoo PDF? If you’re planning to use the free version of SwifDoo PDF, then the software is not worth it. Given that even annotation tools are now paywalled (a previous version offered them for free), you may want to rely on the built-in Apple Preview app instead. After all, macOS’ native solution requires no additional app installation and offers both viewing and annotation features for free. If you have short-term PDF editing needs and plan to subscribe to the service for just a few months, then you may want to look into alternative PDF editors for the Mac. At the steep price of $10/month, you can find more feature-rich solutions that support the excluded tools mentioned in the previous section. Otherwise, if your PDF editing workflows are limited to basic image and text manipulation, then the software is reliable and may be worth it when opting for the more reasonably priced annual or lifetime licenses. Update: This review has been revised to reflect the latest features and changes in the SwifDoo PDF app for macOS.

I grew up in urban areas where seeing birds “in the wild” are a rarity. That’s why I’m always amazed when I travel and I see different species just flying and hanging around window sills, the park, picnic tables, and some even perch on people. But urban areas are dangerous places for birds as they are filled with hazards for them like tall buildings, glass windows, and artificial structures. People who live in areas like this will probably see injured birds every once in a while but we don’t really know how to treat them on our own. What if giving first aid to these injured birds is as easy as treating mild human injuries? BirdAid is an innovative, biodegradable splint designed to provide immediate first aid to injured wild birds, particularly in urban environments. The project emphasizes sustainability and compassionate care for wildlife. It is made from natural materials including eggshell calcium, agar, and potato starch. The materials, specifically the eggshells, were chosen since they provide natural calcium for bone recovery while the rest are to control the decomposition rate. Designers: Zay Kim, Chaewon Lee, and Jungmin Park They developed three splint variants with different decomposition rates to help users identify the severity of the injury and which to apply to that wound. Each material has a different color, including gardenia (yellow), basil (green), and beetroot (red), and this intuitive system helps non-experts still render first aid when needed. Using it is pretty easy as you just have to take the pack from the kit and then crush it. Then you just gently wrap it around the bird’s wound and wait for it to do its work. If you’re still confused about what to do, you just need to scan the QR code on the kit and read and follow the instructions indicated. The QR code links to a simple, step-by-step guide—complete with visuals—to help anyone, regardless of medical or veterinary background, confidently provide first aid to an injured bird. This ensures that even in stressful or unfamiliar situations, users can take quick and effective action without hesitation. BirdAid represents a small yet significant gesture towards integrating compassionate care into daily urban life. It bridges the gap between professional wildlife rescue and ordinary citizens, empowering people to make a difference in moments that truly matter. By enabling city dwellers to aid injured birds using a tool that is both intuitive and environmentally friendly, BirdAid not only supports animal welfare but also fosters a deeper sense of empathy, responsibility, and connection to the natural world within bustling city environments. The post BirdAid concept brings biodegradable splint for injured urban birds first appeared on Yanko Design.

For his first solo venture, noted chef Mateusz Sarnowski, more affectionately known as Mati Pichci, wanted his restaurant to be the embodiment of the name he had chosen. In Latin, amator refers to a lover, a friend, an enthusiast, all descriptions of people who might dine at the new establishment located in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. To bring his vision of a Danish hjemme spisested or “home dining place” to life, Pichci tapped his friend and fellow Poland native, Adam Wierciński, founder of wiercinski-studio, to design the space, the architect’s first in the city. He envisioned AMATOR as an inviting place where guests could dine and socialize, inspired by the many festive gatherings hosted by Pichci. Wierciński made the most of the compact 538-square-foot space, transforming it into three spots in one: a café, a restaurant, and a venue for private events. During the day the kitchen serves breakfast and lunch. Flavorful fare includes dishes based on seasonal vegetables and the chef’s personal favorite, a classic omelette. Evenings, meanwhile, are reserved for private candlelit dinners. Near the entrance there is a wall-mounted installation featuring a piece of a tree trunk from a forest in Poland, a nod to the project’s prevalent materials. Simple geometric constructions – also designed by Wierciński – are formed of raw steel combined with solid wood. A high counter by the front window offers a view of charming townhouses, a perfect spot to tuck in with a beverage. Rather than basic bistro furnishings, a communal table is the focal point in the restaurant. Made up of a series of small tops, it includes interspersed plates atop stands that are used to hold food, drinks, or even candles. Each oak top is angled, and together they form a distinctive jagged line. Gaps between the tops give the look of separate tables, but by pulling out steel rings they can be easily combined into one large piece. Patrons sit at space-saving oak stools, initial items in the upcoming wiercinski-objects series. A bar, crafted from the same materials, and enhanced with brown mirrors, separates the open kitchen. Pops of the same yellow that fills in the eatery’s signature brand dot are visible here. This sunny shade is found on ceramic tableware and plywood shelves above the gray tile backsplash. Stainless steel elements, from sconces to circular mirrors, add a bit of shine. In a nook at the rear of the space a selection of vinyl from a range of genres is available to spin on a turntable, and custom-made speakers by local company Arda Audio ensure high-quality sound. Music is another key ingredient, and just like the cuisine, is part of the overall sensory experience at AMATOR. Mati Pichci and Adam Wierciński For more information on AMATOR or wiercinski-studio, visit wiercinski-studio.com. Photography by Paolo Galgani.

It’s that time of the year again when EA Sports begins rolling out its annual sports simulators, with the company issuing a trailer for EA Sports College Football 26 on Thursday. The reveal showed off an admittedly hype video soundtracked by Metallica’s classic “Enter Sandman,” with various programs performing historic pre-game rituals. Sure, College Football 26′s graphics look more real, the atmosphere feels big, and I’m sure I’ll get a rush from playing it on Xbox Game Pass for a day before deleting and never touching it again, but what I yearn for is fun. What I yearn for is the revival of EA Sports BIG. As a matter of fact, y’all mind if I remember a beloved friend real quick? Electronic Arts created EA Sports BIG in 2000 with a mission to create extreme sports games. An initiative led by Steve Rechtschaffner, the EA Sports BIG banner first appeared on 2000’s SSX, a snowboarding romp that flipped the sport on its head with over-the-top flare, style, and, of course, tricks. The game was critically acclaimed upon release, with the title being praised for leaning into the often unrealistic elements of video games instead of the grounded reality most sports sims are set in. SSX’s success allowed for the boardercross-inspired game to become a beloved gaming franchise spanning several more games; the success also transformed EA Sports BIG from a fun experiment to a certified hitmaker. EA Sports BIG’s catalog found the studio dipping its toes in a wide variety of sports with soccer (FIFA Street), freestyle motocross (Freekstyle), snow moto racing (Sled Storm), rally racing (Shox), wrestling (Def Jam Vendetta), basketball (NBA Street), and football (NFL Street)). Notably, the latter two franchises became some of the most beloved titles during the EA Sports BIG era. NBA Street was first released in 2001 for the PlayStation and the Nintendo GameCube, a year flooded with basketball sports sims like NBA Shootout 2002, NBA Live 2002, NBA Hoopz, NBA 2k2, and more. Picking up where NBA Jam left off, EA Sports BIG opted to color outside the lines with NBA Street, creating a game featuring prestigious NBA players but an experience more aligned with streetball culture. The 3-on-3 affair practically begged players to infuse their personalities into the game, giving them the ability to pull off tricks and moves that would have been a foul in the actual NBA. Trick points were used to build a trick meter, which, in turn, allows players to perform the aptly named gamebreaker mechanic, a special shot that would give the user points while taking away from their opponent’s score. NBA Street’s formula and sensibilities would be applied to 2004’s NFL Street, using football interpretations of the gamebreaker mechanic for both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. NBA and NFL Street would then add even more out-of-control mechanics to the franchises in subsequent releases, with wall running (NFL Street 2), level two gamebreakers (NBA Street Vol. 2), and even crossovers with Nintendo that got Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach chucking up threes on the court (NBA Street Vol. 3). Sadly, though, EA Sports BIG was shut down in 2008 amid a global financial crisis, which saw EA impose layoffs on 11% of its workforce and shift from creative output to more financially responsible endeavors. (Sound familiar?) That same year, EA created the short-lived EA Sports Freestyle studio, which only released five games before also being shut down. While EA Sports BIG games didn’t have great graphics, were full of jank, and were a bit comical, the studio’s titles gave me a feeling I have never felt from playing Madden or College Football: shameless fun. Yes, I’m glad to have NCAA Football reborn as College Football. But these too-real for-imagination sports sims seldom offer me the same zany nonsensical entertainment that EA Sports BIG used to inject into their games. And neither EA Sports nor any other studio has even come close since. Pour one out for EA Sports BIG.

When it comes to flash drives, there are a few things to take into consideration: capacity, speed, and compatibility. That last one is a problem with the growing prevalence of USB-C because there just aren’t that many good USB-C flash drives around. But right now, you can get the Samsung Type-C flash drive for only $18 on Amazon! You’re getting 128GB of storage space for the price of a couple fancy coffees, which is pretty impressive when you look at the big picture. As the name suggests, this one has a USB-C connector so you can plug it into your laptop, smartphone, tablet—nearly any modern device. It’s also fast, with transfer speeds up to 400 MB/s. When you need to quickly back up files or move them between devices, this is the one to rely on. And it’s super compact, too. You can slip it into your pocket and forget it’s there. The sleek design looks great, but it’s also robust with a cap that protects the connector and a sturdy build that’s waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, magnet-proof, X-ray-proof, and good to use even in extreme temperatures. Oh, and it’ll survive drops and bumps. Snag your very own 128GB Samsung USB-C flash drive for next to nothing on Amazon while you can. Need more capacity? The other sizes are also on sale, including the 256GB version for $27 (was $35) and 512GB version for $50 (was $65). It’s up to you and how much you’re willing to spend for how much space you think you’ll need. Buy now at Amazon

Posted on : May 31, 2025 By Tech World Times Security Testing  Rate this post In a digital era where cyberattacks are increasing in frequency, complexity, and cost, organizations must stay one step ahead by investing in robust cybersecurity strategies. At the heart of this defense lies Cyber Security Threat Analysis, a process that helps businesses detect, understand, and respond to threats before they escalate. This comprehensive guide explores the fundamentals of threat analysis, the methodologies used in 2025, emerging trends, and how companies can implement an effective threat analysis framework to safeguard their digital assets. What is Cyber Security Threat Analysis? Cyber Security Threat Analysis is the process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing potential and existing cybersecurity threats. It involves analyzing data from various sources to uncover vulnerabilities, detect malicious activity, and evaluate the potential impact on systems, networks, and data. The goal is to proactively defend against attacks rather than react to them after damage is done. Why Threat Analysis Matters in 2025 With the growing adoption of AI, IoT, cloud computing, and remote work, the digital landscape has expanded. This has also widened the attack surface for threat actors. According to recent studies, global cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Threat analysis is no longer optional; it’s a critical component of enterprise cybersecurity strategies. Key Components of Cyber Security Threat Analysis Threat Intelligence Gathering Collecting data from open-source intelligence (OSINT), internal systems, dark web monitoring, and threat intelligence platforms.Threat Identification Recognizing indicators of compromise (IOCs), such as malicious IP addresses, abnormal behavior, and unusual login attempts.Risk Assessment Evaluating the likelihood and potential impact of a threat on business operations.Vulnerability Management Identifying weaknesses in systems, applications, and networks that could be exploited.Incident Response Planning Developing action plans to quickly contain and remediate threats. Types of Cyber Threats in 2025 Threat actors continue to evolve, leveraging advanced techniques to breach even the most secure environments. Here are the most prominent threats organizations face in 2025: Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS): Cybercriminals offer ransomware toolkits to affiliates, enabling less-skilled attackers to launch sophisticated attacks. Phishing 3.0: AI-generated deepfake emails and voice messages make phishing harder to detect. Supply Chain Attacks: Attackers compromise third-party software or vendors to gain access to larger networks. Cloud Security Breaches: Misconfigured cloud environments remain a top vulnerability. IoT Exploits: Devices with weak security protocols are targeted to infiltrate larger systems. Insider Threats: Employees or contractors may intentionally or unintentionally expose systems to risk. Modern Threat Analysis Methodologies 1. MITRE ATT&CK Framework The MITRE ATT&CK framework maps the behavior and techniques of attackers, providing a structured method to analyze and predict threats. 2. Kill Chain Analysis Developed by Lockheed Martin, this method breaks down the stages of a cyberattack from reconnaissance to actions on objectives, allowing analysts to disrupt attacks early in the chain. 3. Threat Modeling Threat modeling involves identifying assets, understanding potential threats, and designing countermeasures. STRIDE (Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information disclosure, Denial of service, Elevation of privilege) is a popular model used in 2025. 4. Behavior Analytics User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) uses machine learning to detect anomalies in user behavior that could indicate threats. The Role of AI and Automation in Threat Analysis Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are revolutionizing Cyber Security Threat Analysis in 2025. AI-driven analytics tools can: Correlate large volumes of data in real-time Detect zero-day vulnerabilities Predict attack patterns Automate incident response processes Platforms like IBM QRadar, Microsoft Sentinel, and Splunk integrate AI capabilities for enhanced threat detection and response. Building a Threat Analysis Framework in Your Organization Establish Objectives Define what you want to protect, the types of threats to look for, and the goals of your analysis.Choose the Right Tools Invest in threat intelligence platforms, SIEM systems, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools.Create a Skilled Team Assemble cybersecurity professionals including threat hunters, analysts, and incident responders.Integrate Data Sources Pull data from internal logs, external intelligence feeds, user activity, and cloud services.Run Simulations Regularly test your threat detection capabilities using red teaming and penetration testing.Review and Adapt Continuously update the threat model based on evolving threats and organizational changes. Metrics to Measure Threat Analysis Success Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): Time taken to identify a threat. Mean Time to Respond (MTTR): Time taken to neutralize the threat. False Positive Rate: Accuracy of alerts generated. Threat Coverage: Percentage of known threats the system can detect. Business Impact Score: How much value the threat analysis process adds to business continuity and risk mitigation. Challenges in Cyber Security Threat Analysis Data Overload: Managing and analyzing massive volumes of data can be overwhelming. Alert Fatigue: Too many alerts, including false positives, reduce response effectiveness. Talent Shortage: Skilled cybersecurity professionals are in high demand but short supply. Rapid Threat Evolution: Attack techniques evolve quickly, making it hard to maintain up-to-date defenses. Best Practices for Effective Threat Analysis Prioritize Critical Assets: Focus analysis efforts on high-value systems and data. Implement Zero Trust Security: Never trust, always verify; ensure robust identity and access controls. Automate Where Possible: Use automation to handle repetitive tasks and free up human resources for strategic analysis. Encourage a Security Culture: Train employees to recognize and report suspicious activity. Leverage Community Intelligence: Participate in threat intelligence sharing communities like ISACs (Information Sharing and Analysis Centers). Future of Threat Analysis Beyond 2025 The future of Cyber Security Threat Analysis will continue to evolve with: Quantum Computing Threats: New cryptographic challenges will require upgraded threat models. Decentralized Threat Intelligence: Blockchain-based threat sharing platforms could emerge. Autonomous Cyber Defense: AI systems capable of defending networks without human input. Conclusion Cyber Security Threat Analysis is an indispensable element of modern digital defense, especially in a hyper-connected 2025. With increasingly sophisticated threats on the horizon, businesses must adopt proactive threat analysis strategies to protect their digital environments. From leveraging AI tools to integrating structured methodologies like MITRE ATT&CK and STRIDE, a multi-layered approach can provide robust defense against cyber adversaries. Investing in skilled teams, up-to-date technologies, and continuous improvement is essential to building resilient cybersecurity infrastructure. FAQs 1. What is Cyber Security Threat Analysis? It is the process of identifying, evaluating, and mitigating potential cybersecurity threats to protect data, networks, and systems.2. Why is threat analysis important in 2025? With rising digital threats and complex attack vectors, proactive analysis helps businesses prevent breaches and minimize damage.3. Which tools are best for threat analysis? Popular tools include Splunk, IBM QRadar, Microsoft Sentinel, and CrowdStrike.4. How does AI help in threat analysis? AI helps by automating data analysis, detecting patterns, and predicting threats in real-time.5. What industries benefit most from threat analysis? Finance, healthcare, government, and tech sectors, where data protection and regulatory compliance are critical.Tech World TimesTech World Times (TWT), a global collective focusing on the latest tech news and trends in blockchain, Fintech, Development & Testing, AI and Startups. If you are looking for the guest post then contact at techworldtimes@gmail.com

Sometimes you want to play alone, whether your game of choice is a relaxing solitaire session or an engrossing, cinematic campaign. We get that. Still, some of the best gaming-related experiences come from moments shared with other people. After all, an excellent multiplayer mode makes a video game endlessly replayable and enables good times with local friends or strangers across the country—as long as the servers stay up. Our list of the best multiplayer games casts a wide net that includes console and PC games, competitive and cooperative titles, casual board games and serious esports fare, and, of course, battle royales, shooters, and fighters. If you're interested in playing a game with at least one other person, you'll find something that catches your eye here. These are the best multiplayer video games that you and your friends should play right now. Apex Legends From the ashes of Titanfall rose the best battle royale game. Respawn’s Apex Legends combines unbelievably fluid movement with impeccable gunplay and innovative team communication features. Each character’s unique abilities open strategic options on the expansive battlefield. Among Us Among Us (for iOS) 4.0 Excellent Among Us is more of a social experiment than a game. You and your friends play as crewmates attempting to repair a spaceship, but some players are deadly impostors who are picking off others. Constant lying and manipulation turn even the friendliest relationships into pure paranoia.  Clubhouse Games Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (for Nintendo Switch) 4.0 Excellent This compilation contains more than 50 classic games that have stood the test of time, including bowling, backgammon, and billiards. You can have fun with friends or family, but beware getting so heated that you'll never want to speak with them again. Online play ensures the good (and frustrating) times aren't limited to your immediate vicinity. Counter-Strike 2 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 4.0 Excellent Counter-Strike is a founding father of multiplayer online shooters, and Counter-Strike 2 continues the legacy. In this long-awaited update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, you’ll find a massive community always ready to hop into Terrorist versus Counter-Terrorist tactical team action. Plus, it’s free! Death Stranding Death Stranding: Director's Cut (for PlayStation 5) 4.0 Excellent Hideo Kojima’s freaky odyssey about time rain and babies in jars is also one of the most fascinating and unconventional multiplayer games in recent memory. As you traverse the harsh wasteland, you can leave behind useful items, such as ladders and reports, that other players can use in their sessions. Destiny 2 Destiny 2 (for PlayStation 4) Destiny 2 is the looter-shooter that gives other looter-shooters envy. You gather the shiniest guns, the sickest armor, and show off your gear in front of fellow Guardians. Party-up and shoot your way through alien enemies and strongholds with Bungie’s perfect first-person shooter controls. The first taste is free, and regular, new content releases give you many reasons to keep gunning. Destiny 2 (for PlayStation 4) review Diablo IV 4.0 Excellent No action-RPG out-Diablos Diablo IV, a title that expands the familiar loot-grinding mechanics with massive, demon-filled zones. In terms of character builds, Diablo IV review Dota 2 Dota 2 (for PC) 4.5 Excellent What began as a mere mod has since become one of the most popular esports in the world. Dota 2 sets the standard for the MOBA genre, that strange hybrid between real-time strategy and team sports. New heroes give players constantly changing choices to consider. If you put in the effort to get really good at this game, the sky's the limit.  Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (for PC) 4.0 Excellent The King of Fighters series is great, but Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves resurrects the SNK fighter that started it all. Familiar faces like Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui battle real-life guest characters like DJ Salavatore Gannaci and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo in this excellent take on fundamental, 2D fisticuffs. Rich mechanics add depth to both offensive and defensive play, while comic book-inspired graphics give brawls a distinct visual identity. Crossplay multiplayer shines with rollback netcode. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (for PC) review Fortnite Fortnite (for PC) 3.5 Good Do you really need someone else to tell you about Fortnite? Originally a free battle royale mode for a failed multiplayer game, Fortnite became an absolute phenomenon. Every day, millions of children leap from the in-game battle bus to shoot each other and build elaborate structures, while dressed as their favorite brands. You can also hang out and watch concerts or (for some reason) documentaries on social issues.   Forza Horizon 5 Forza Horizon 5 (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Forza Horizon 5 appeals equally to serious automobile racing enthusiasts and anyone who just wants to drive aimlessly through beautifully rendered Mexican landscapes. Although largely similar to past entries, the new EventLab lets you create clever, custom courses to enjoy with friends. Halo Infinite Halo Infinite (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Halo single-handedly saved the Xbox, and proved that multiplayer shooters could thrive on home consoles. Halo Infinite doesn’t just reinvent the single-player campaign, it continues Halo’s history of excellent multiplayer modes, from capture the flag to random weapon fiestas. Plus, you can play for free, so finish the fight. Halo Infinite (for PC) review Jackbox Party Pack The Jackbox Party Pack 8 (for PC) The annual Jackbox Party Pack games consistently deliver the most hilarious social multiplayer experiences you’ll ever play. Design wacky t-shirts, come up with witty quips, and try to figure out which friend is faking it. Anyone can play, as long as they have a phone. With unique streaming features, even your audience can join the party. League of Legends League of Legends (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Free from any previous mod baggage, League of Legends is arguably the more accessible game when it comes to the MOBA heavy hitters. Still, it takes skill to master every champion and lead your team to victory. The League of Legends universe is expanding into other game genres and Netflix shows, so now’s the time to get caught up.  League of Legends (for PC) review It Takes Two In many ways, marriage is the ultimate multiplayer game. It Takes Two is a cooperative adventure that tasks two people with controlling a couple as they complete wacky challenges to repair their strained relationship. You’ll never know true love until you and your partner escape a giant cuckoo clock together. The King of Fighters XV The King of Fighters XV (for PC) 4.0 Excellent For finely tuned 2D fighting, look no further than The King of Fighters XV. Building off intriguing ideas introduced in previous entries, KOF XV gives you a massive character roster and an expressive, creative fighting system. Tournament features, multiplayer party modes, and rollback netcode make this one of the series' best entries. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (for Nintendo Switch) 4.5 Excellent Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is absolutely everything you could want from Nintendo’s hugely popular kart racing series. It features gorgeous visuals, inventive tracks, and a revamped battle mode. In fact, Nintendo is still selling new courses, years after the game's 2017 debut. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is so spectacular not even the blue shell can stop it.  Minecraft Minecraft (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Minecraft gives young people an unparalleled sense of freedom as they explore and build worlds, brick by brick. In fact, multiple builders can join the same game world for cooperative mining and crafting. Take it a step further by setting up your own Minecraft server, so you and friends can construct a private paradise.  Monster Hunter Rise Monster Hunter Rise (for Nintendo Switch) 4.5 Excellent Monster Hunter Rise finally makes hardened haters see the glory of Capcom’s monster-slaying series. You can craft new weapons and armors by defeating a monster menagerie inspired by Japanese mythology or swing through the air with new wirebug techniques. No beasts will stand in your way as you go beast hunting with friends. Mortal Kombat 1 Mortal Kombat 1 (For PC) 4.5 Excellent With Mortal Kombat 1, the famously bloody fighting game finally breaks free of its infamously stiff gameplay mechanics. Finishing foes has never been more fun thanks to high-flying air combos and custom tag-team Kameo fighter attacks. This reboot is as entertaining to play with friends as it is to watch with horrified onlookers. Mortal Kombat 1 (For PC) review Rocket League Rocket League (for PC) 4.5 Excellent “Cars playing soccer” is such a beautiful premise for an arcade sports game, and Rocket League perfectly pulls it off. Sure, you can just put the pedal to the metal and bash into the ball, hoping it goes into the goal. But the high-flying physics system creates enough depth for sensational tests of skill. The free-to-play season structure means you’ll always have a reason to return.  Rocket League (for PC) review Splatoon 3 Splatoon 3 (for Nintendo Switch) 4.0 Excellent Only Nintendo could take the well-worn shooter genre and turn it into a game about punky squid kids squirting ink at each other. By making battles more about covering turf than blasting opponents, Splatoon 3 is a friendlier and more accessible shooter. However, you’ll need to stay on your toes with so many unique weapons and traversal options. Splatoon 3 (for Nintendo Switch) review StarCraft II StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (for PC) 5.0 Outstanding StarCraft II is the best strategy game since chess. Whether you play as Terran, Zerg, or Protoss armies, you have access to perfectly balanced units for overcoming any opponent during real-time clashes. The StarCraft II trilogy even introduces free, cooperate multiplayer modes, so veterans can introduce newcomers to the fight. Street Fighter 6 Street Fighter 6 (for PC) 5.0 Outstanding Street Fighter 6 is worthy of its iconic name. With its bold new style (graffiti in motion!), expansive new modes (worldwide online Battle Hub!), exciting new roster (Kimberly!), and competitive new gameplay systems (Drive Gauge!), Street Fighter battles are more hype than ever. It's a multiplayer gaming masterpiece. Street Fighter 6 (for PC) review Streets of Rage 4 Streets of Rage 4 (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Streets of Rage 4 breathes new life into the aging beat ‘em up genre thanks to complex combat and stunning illustrated graphics. If smacking goons in solo fashion gets boring, team up with a friend for chaotic co-op action. You can even unlock retro versions of classic characters. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (for Nintendo Switch) 4.5 Excellent Super Smash Bros. Ultimate combines countless characters, stages, modes, and music tracks to create the most incredible video game crossover of all time. It’s also a phenomenal platform-fighting game, speeding up the addictive combat and rebalancing advanced techniques. No matter how seriously you take it, no video game can scratch that satisfying multiplayer itch like Super Smash Bros.  Tekken 8 Tekken 8 (for PC) Tekken 8 is the latest and greatest entry in the venerable 3D fighting game franchise. Prove your worth at the King of Iron Fist Tournament by nimbly sidestepping, laying down painful combos, and activating new Heat Smash attacks. For the true Tekken multiplayer experience, fight your dad and throw him down a volcano. Tetris Effect: Connected Tetris Effect: Connected (for Xbox Series S) 4.5 Excellent Tetris Effect: Connected makes the perfect puzzle game even better. Alongside traditional competitive Tetris multiplayer modes, Effect lets you team up for cooperative “Connected” journeys where you and your partners clear lines on the same massive board. Combine that with trance-inducing audiovisual stimuli, and you’ll never look at blocks the same way again. 

In June, we hosted a webinar featuring experts from Arm, the Unity Accelerate Solutions team, and SYBO Games, the creator of Subway Surfers. The resulting roundtable focused on profiling tips and strategies for mobile games, the business implications of poor performance, and how SYBO shipped a hit mobile game with 3 billion downloads to date.Let’s dive into some of the follow-up questions we didn’t have time to cover during the webinar. You can also watch the full recording.We hear a lot about the Unity Profiler in relation to CPU profiling, but not as much about the Profile Analyzer (available as a Unity package). Are there any plans to improve it or integrate it into the core Profiler toolset?There are no immediate plans to integrate the Profile Analyzer into the core Editor, but this might change as our profiling tools evolve.Does Unity have any plans to add an option for the GPU Usage Profiler module to appear in percentages like it does in milliseconds?That’s a great idea, and while we can’t say yes or no at the time of this blog post, it’s a request that’s been shared with our R&D teams for possible future consideration.Do you have plans for tackling “Application Not Responding” (ANR) errors that are reported by the Google Play store and don’t contain any stack trace?Although we don’t have specific plans for tracking ANR without stack trace at the moment, we will consider it for the future roadmap.How can I share my feedback to help influence the future development of Unity’s profiling tools?You can keep track of upcoming features and share feedback via our product board and forums. We are also conducting a survey to learn more about our customers’ experience with the profiling tools. If you’ve used profiling tools before (either daily or just once) or are working on a project that requires optimization, we would love to get your input. The survey is designed to take no more than 5–10 minutes to complete.By participating, you’ll also have the chance to opt into a follow-up interview to share more feedback directly with the development team, including the opportunity to discuss potential prototypes of new features.Is there a good rule for determining what counts as a viable low-end device to target?A rule of thumb we hear from many Unity game developers is to target devices that are five years old at the time of your game’s release, as this helps to ensure the largest user base. But we also see teams reducing their release-date scope to devices that are only three years old if they’re aiming for higher graphical quality. A visually complex 3D application, for example, will have higher device requirements than a simple 2D application. This approach allows for a higher “min spec,” but reduces the size of the initial install base. It’s essentially a business decision: Will it cost more to develop for and support old devices than what your game will earn running on them?Sometimes the technical requirements of your game will dictate your minimum target specifications. So if your game uses up large amounts of texture memory even after optimization, but you absolutely cannot reduce quality or resolution, that probably rules out running on phones with insufficient memory. If your rendering solution requires compute shaders, that likely rules out devices with drivers that can’t support OpenGL ES 3.1, Metal, or Vulkan.It’s a good idea to look at market data for your priority target audience. For instance, mobile device specs can vary a lot between countries and regions. Remember to define some target “budgets” so that benchmarking goals for what’s acceptable are set prior to choosing low-end devices for testing.For live service games that will run for years, you’ll need to monitor their compatibility continuously and adapt over time based on both your actual user base and current devices on the market.Is it enough to test performance exclusively on low-end devices to ensure that the game will also run smoothly on high-end ones?It might be, if you have a uniform workload on all devices. However, you still need to consider variations across hardware from different vendors and/or driver versions.It’s common for graphically rich games to have tiers of graphical fidelity – the higher the visual tier, the more resources required on capable devices. This tier selection might be automatic, but increasingly, users themselves can control the choice via a graphical settings menu. For this style of development, you’ll need to test at least one “min spec” target device per feature/workload tier that your game supports.If your game detects the capabilities of the device it’s running on and adapts the graphics output as needed, it could perform differently on higher end devices. So be sure to test on a range of devices with the different quality levels you’ve programmed the title for.Note: In this section, we’ve specified whether the expert answering is from Arm or Unity.Do you have advice for detecting the power range of a device to support automatic quality settings, particularly for mobile?Arm: We typically see developers doing coarse capability binning based on CPU and GPU models, as well as the GPU shader core count. This is never perfect, but it’s “about right.” A lot of studios collect live analytics from deployed devices, so they can supplement the automated binning with device-specific opt-in/opt-out to work around point issues where the capability binning isn’t accurate enough.As related to the previous question, for graphically rich content, we see a trend in mobile toward settings menus where users can choose to turn effects on or off, thereby allowing them to make performance choices that suit their preferences.Unity: Device memory and screen resolution are also important factors for choosing quality settings. Regarding textures, developers should be aware that Render Textures used by effects or post-processing can become a problem on devices with high resolution screens, but without a lot of memory to match.Given the breadth of configurations available (CPU, GPU, SOC, memory, mobile, desktop, console, etc.), can you suggest a way to categorize devices to reduce the number of tiers you need to optimize for?Arm: The number of tiers your team optimizes for is really a game design and business decision, and should be based on how important pushing visual quality is to the value proposition of the game. For some genres it might not matter at all, but for others, users will have high expectations for the visual fidelity.Does the texture memory limit differ among models and brands of Android devices that have the same amount of total system memory?Arm: To a first-order approximation, we would expect the total amount of texture memory to be similar across vendors and hardware generations. There will be minor differences caused by memory layout and alignment restrictions, so it won’t be exactly the same.Is it CPU or GPU usage that contributes the most to overheating on mobile devices?Arm: It’s entirely content dependent. The CPU, GPU, or the DRAM can individually overheat a high-end device if pushed hard enough, even if you ignore the other two completely. The exact balance will vary based on the workload you are running.What tips can you give for profiling on devices that have thermal throttling? What margin would you target to avoid thermal throttling (i.e., targeting 20 ms instead of 33 ms)?Arm: Optimizing for frame time can be misleading on Android because devices will constantly adjust frequency to optimize energy usage, making frame time an incomplete measure by itself. Preferably, monitor CPU and GPU cycles per frame, as well as GPU memory bandwidth per frame, to get some value that is independent of frequency. The cycle target you need will depend on each device’s chip design, so you’ll need to experiment.Any optimization helps when it comes to managing power consumption, even if it doesn’t directly improve frame rate. For example, reducing CPU cycles will reduce thermal load even if the CPU isn’t the critical path for your game.Beyond that, optimizing memory bandwidth is one of the biggest savings you can make. Accessing DRAM is orders of magnitude more expensive than accessing local data on-chip, so watch your triangle budget and keep data types in memory as small as possible.Unity: To limit the impact of CPU clock frequency on the performance metrics, we recommend trying to run at a consistent temperature. There are a couple of approaches for doing this:Run warm: Run the device for a while so that it reaches a stable warm state before profiling.Run cool: Leave the device to cool for a while before profiling. This strategy can eliminate confusion and inconsistency in profiling sessions by taking captures that are unlikely to be thermally throttled. However, such captures will always represent the best case performance a user will see rather than what they might actually see after long play sessions. This strategy can also delay the time between profiling runs due to the need to wait for the cooling period first.With some hardware, you can fix the clock frequency for more stable performance metrics. However, this is not representative of most devices your users will be using, and will not report accurate real-world performance. Basically, it’s a handy technique if you are using a continuous integration setup to check for performance changes in your codebase over time.Any thoughts on Vulkan vs OpenGL ES 3 on Android? Vulkan is generally slower performance-wise. At the same time, many devices lack support for various features on ES3.Arm: Recent drivers and engine builds have vastly improved the quality of the Vulkan implementations available; so for an equivalent workload, there shouldn’t be a performance gap between OpenGL ES and Vulkan (if there is, please let us know). The switch to Vulkan is picking up speed and we expect to see more people choosing Vulkan by default over the next year or two. If you have counterexamples of areas where Vulkan isn’t performing well, please get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.What tools can we use to monitor memory bandwidth (RAM <-> VRAM)?Arm: The Streamline Profiler in Arm Mobile Studio can measure bandwidth between Mali GPUs and the external DRAM (or system cache).Should you split graphical assets by device tiers or device resolution?Arm: You can get the best result by retuning assets, but it’s expensive to do. Start by reducing resolution and frame rate, or disabling some optional post-processing effects.What is the best way to record performance metric statistics from our development build?Arm: You can use the Performance Advisor tool in Arm Mobile Studio to automatically capture and export performance metrics from the Mali GPUs, although this comes with a caveat: The generation of JSON reports requires a Professional Edition license.Unity: The Unity Profiler can be used to view common rendering metrics, such as vertex and triangle counts in the Rendering module. Plus you can include custom packages, such as System Metrics Mali, in your project to add low-level Mali GPU metrics to the Unity Profiler.What are your recommendations for profiling shader code?You need a GPU Profiler to do this. The one you choose depends on your target platform. For example, on iOS devices, Xcode’s GPU Profiler includes the Shader Profiler, which breaks down shader performance on a line-by-line basis.Arm Mobile Studio supports Mali Offline Compiler, a static analysis tool for shader code and compute kernels. This tool provides some overall performance estimates and recommendations for the Arm Mali GPU family.When profiling, the general rule is to test your game or app on the target device(s). With the industry moving toward more types of chipsets (Apple M1, Arm, x86 by Intel, AMD, etc.), how can developers profile and pinpoint issues on the many different hardware configurations in a reasonable amount of time?The proliferation of chipsets is primarily a concern on desktop platforms. There are a limited number of hardware architectures to test for console games. On mobile, there’s Apple’s A Series for iOS devices and a range of Arm and Qualcomm architectures for Android – but selecting a manageable list of representative mobile devices is pretty straightforward.On desktop it’s trickier because there’s a wide range of available chipsets and architectures, and buying Macs and PCs for testing can be expensive. Our best advice is to do what you can. No studio has infinite time and money for testing. We generally wouldn’t expect any huge surprises when comparing performance between an Intel x86 CPU and a similarly specced AMD processor, for instance. As long as the game performs comfortably on your minimum spec machine, you should be reasonably confident about other machines. It’s also worth considering using analytics, such as Unity Analytics, to record frame rates, system specs, and player options’ settings to identify hotspots or problematic configurations.We’re seeing more studios move to using at least some level of automated testing for regular on-device profiling, with summary stats published where the whole team can keep an eye on performance across the range of target devices. With well-designed test scenes, this can usually be made into a mechanical process that’s suited for automation, so you don’t need an experienced technical artist or QA tester running builds through the process manually.Do you ever see performance issues on high-end devices that don’t occur on the low-end ones?It’s uncommon, but we have seen it. Often the issue lies in how the project is configured, such as with the use of fancy shaders and high-res textures on high-end devices, which can put extra pressure on the GPU or memory. Sometimes a high-end mobile device or console will use a high-res phone screen or 4K TV output as a selling point but not necessarily have enough GPU power or memory to live up to that promise without further optimization.If you make use of the current versions of the C# Job System, verify whether there’s a job scheduling overhead that scales with the number of worker threads, which in turn, scales with the number of CPU cores. This can result in code that runs more slowly on a 64+ core Threadripper™ than on a modest 4-core or 8-core CPU. This issue will be addressed in future versions of Unity, but in the meantime, try limiting the number of job worker threads by setting JobsUtility.JobWorkerCount.What are some pointers for setting a good frame budget?Most of the time when we talk about frame budgets, we’re talking about the overall time budget for the frame. You calculate 1000/target frames per second (fps) to get your frame budget: 33.33 ms for 30 fps, 16.66 ms for 60 fps, 8.33 ms for 120 Hz, etc. Reduce that number by around 35% if you’re on mobile to give the chips a chance to cool down between each frame. Dividing the budget up to get specific sub-budgets for different features and/or systems is probably overkill except for projects with very specific, predictable systems, or those that make heavy use of Time Slicing.Generally, profiling is the process of finding the biggest bottlenecks – and therefore, the biggest potential performance gains. So rather than saying, “Physics is taking 1.2 ms when the budget only allows for 1 ms,” you might look at a frame and say, “Rendering is taking 6 ms, making it the biggest main thread CPU cost in the frame. How can we reduce that?”It seems like profiling early and often is still not common knowledge. What are your thoughts on why this might be the case?Building, releasing, promoting, and managing a game is difficult work on multiple fronts. So there will always be numerous priorities vying for a developer’s attention, and profiling can fall by the wayside. They know it’s something they should do, but perhaps they’re unfamiliar with the tools and don’t feel like they have time to learn. Or, they don’t know how to fit profiling into their workflows because they’re pushed toward completing features rather than performance optimization.Just as with bugs and technical debt, performance issues are cheaper and less risky to address early on, rather than later in a project’s development cycle. Our focus is on helping to demystify profiling tools and techniques for those developers who are unfamiliar with them. That’s what the profiling e-book and its related blog post and webinar aim to support.Is there a way to exclude certain methods from instrumentation or include only specific methods when using Deep Profiling in the Unity Profiler? When using a lot of async/await tasks, we create large stack traces, but how can we avoid slowing down both the client and the Profiler when Deep Profiling?You can enable Allocation call stacks to see the full call stacks that lead to managed allocations (shown as magenta in the Unity CPU Profiler Timeline view). Additionally, you can – and should! – manually instrument long-running methods and processes by sprinkling ProfilerMarkers throughout your code. There’s currently no way to automatically enable Deep Profiling or disable profiling entirely in specific parts of your application. But manually adding ProfilerMarkers and enabling Allocation call stacks when required can help you dig down into problem areas without having to resort to Deep Profiling.As of Unity 2022.2, you can also use our IgnoredByDeepProfilerAttribute to prevent the Unity Profiler from capturing method calls. Just add the IgnoredByDeepProfiler attribute to classes, structures, and methods.Where can I find more information on Deep Profiling in Unity?Deep Profiling is covered in our Profiler documentation. Then there’s the most in-depth, single resource for profiling information, the Ultimate Guide to profiling Unity games e-book, which links to relevant documentation and other resources throughout.Is it correct that Deep Profiling is only useful for the Allocations Profiler and that it skews results so much that it’s not useful for finding hitches in the game?Deep Profiling can be used to find the specific causes of managed allocations, although Allocation call stacks can do the same thing with less overhead, overall. At the same time, Deep Profiling can be helpful for quickly investigating why one specific ProfilerMarker seems to be taking so long, as it’s more convenient to enable than to add numerous ProfilerMarkers to your scripts and rebuild your game. But yes, it does skew performance quite heavily and so shouldn’t be enabled for general profiling.Is VSync worth setting to every VBlank? My mobile game runs at a very low fps when it’s disabled.Mobile devices force VSync to be enabled at a driver/hardware level, so disabling it in Unity’s Quality settings shouldn’t make any difference on those platforms. We haven’t heard of a case where disabling VSync negatively affects performance. Try taking a profile capture with VSync enabled, along with another capture of the same scene but with VSync disabled. Then compare the captures using Profile Analyzer to try to understand why the performance is so different.How can you determine if the main thread is waiting for the GPU and not the other way around?This is covered in the Ultimate Guide to profiling Unity games. You can also get more information in the blog post, Detecting performance bottlenecks with Unity Frame Timing Manager.Generally speaking, the telltale sign is that the main thread waits for the Render thread while the Render thread waits for the GPU. The specific marker names will differ depending on your target platform and graphics API, but you should look out for markers with names such as “PresentFrame” or “WaitForPresent.”Is there a solid process for finding memory leaks in profiling?Use the Memory Profiler to compare memory snapshots and check for leaks. For example, you can take a snapshot in your main menu, enter your game and then quit, go back to the main menu, and take a second snapshot. Comparing these two will tell you whether any objects/allocations from the game are still hanging around in memory.Does it make sense to optimize and rewrite part of the code for the DOTS system, for mobile devices including VR/AR? Do you use this system in your projects?A number of game projects now make use of parts of the Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS). Native Containers, the C# Job System, Mathematics, and the Burst compilerare all fully supported packages that you can use right away to write optimal, parallelized, high-performance C# (HPC#) code to improve your project’s CPU performance.A smaller number of projects are also using Entities and associated packages, such as the Hybrid Renderer, Unity Physics, and NetCode. However, at this time, the packages listed are experimental, and using them involves accepting a degree of technical risk. This risk derives from an API that is still evolving, missing or incomplete features, as well as the engineering learning curve required to understand Data-Oriented Design (DOD) to get the most out of Unity’s Entity Component System (ECS). Unity engineer Steve McGreal wrote a guide on DOTS best practices, which includes some DOD fundamentals and tips for improving ECS performance.How do you go about setting limits on SetPass calls or shader complexity? Can you even set limits beforehand?Rendering is a complex process and there is no practical way to set a hard limit on the maximum number of SetPass calls or a metric for shader complexity. Even on a fixed hardware platform, such as a single console, the limits will depend on what kind of scene you want to render, and what other work is happening on the CPU and GPU during a frame.That’s why the rule on when to profile is “early and often.” Teams tend to create a “vertical slice” demo early on during production – usually a short burst of gameplay developed to the level of visual fidelity intended for the final game. This is your first opportunity to profile rendering and figure out what optimizations and limits might be needed. The profiling process should be repeated every time a new area or other major piece of visual content is added.Here are additional resources for learning about performance optimization:BlogsOptimize your mobile game performance: Expert tips on graphics and assetsOptimize your mobile game performance: Expert tips on physics, UI, and audio settingsOptimize your mobile game performance: Expert tips on profiling, memory, and code architecture from Unity’s top engineersExpert tips on optimizing your game graphics for consolesProfiling in Unity 2021 LTS: What, when, and howHow-to pagesProfiling and debugging toolsHow to profile memory in UnityBest practices for profiling game performanceE-booksOptimize your console and PC game performanceOptimize your mobile game performanceUltimate guide to profiling Unity gamesLearn tutorialsProfiling CPU performance in Android builds with Android StudioProfiling applications – Made with UnityEven more advanced technical content is coming soon – but in the meantime, please feel free to suggest topics for us to cover on the forum and check out the full roundtable webinar recording.

Engineering Lead, Data PlatformEpic GamesCary, North Carolina, United States11 hours agoApplyWHAT MAKES US EPIC?At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.DATA ENGINEERINGWhat We DoOur mission is to provide a world-class platform that empowers the business to leverage data that will enhance, monitor, and support our products. We are responsible for data ingestion systems, processing pipelines, and various data stores all operating in the cloud. We operate at a petabyte scale, and support near real-time use cases as well as more traditional batch approaches.What You'll DoEpic Games is seeking a Senior Engineering Lead to guide the Data Services team, which builds and maintains the core services behind our data platform. This team handles telemetry collection, data schematization, stream routing, data lake integration, and real-time analytics, bridging platform, data, and backend engineering. In this role, you’ll lead team growth and mentorship, drive alignment on technical strategy, and collaborate cross-functionally to scale our data infrastructure.In this role, you willLead, mentor, and grow a team of senior and principal engineersFoster an inclusive, collaborative, and feedback-driven engineering cultureDrive continuous improvement in the team’s processes, delivery, and impactCollaborate with stakeholders in engineering, data science, and analytics to shape and communicate the team’s vision, strategy, and roadmapBridge strategic vision and tactical execution by breaking down long-term goals into achievable, well-scoped iterations that deliver continuous valueEnsure high standards in system architecture, code quality, and operational excellenceWhat we're looking for3+ years of engineering management experience leading high-performing teams in data platform or infrastructure environmentsProven track record navigating complex systems, ambiguous requirements, and high-pressure situations with confidence and clarityDeep experience in architecting, building, and operating scalable, distributed data platformsStrong technical leadership skills, including the ability to review architecture/design documents and provide actionable feedback on code and systemsAbility to engage deeply in technical discussions, review architecture and design documents, evaluate pull requests, and step in during high-priority incidents when needed — even if hands-on coding isn’t a part of the day-to-dayHands-on experience with distributed event streaming systems like Apache KafkaFamiliarity with OLAP databases such as Apache Pinot or ClickHouseProficient in modern data lake and warehouse tools such as S3, Databricks, or SnowflakeExperience with distributed data processing engines like Apache Flink or Apache SparkStrong foundation in the JVM ecosystem (Java, Kotlin, Scala), container orchestration with Kubernetes, and cloud platforms, especially AWSEPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFEOur intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.ABOUT USEpic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech HardwareLeak AMD Octa-core Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 Processor Spotted On Geekbench: Affordable Strix Halo Chips Are About To Enter The Market Sarfraz Khan • May 31, 2025 at 08:29am EDT After a long time, we finally saw a glimpse of a mid-range Zen 5 Strix Halo chip, which is usually rare to find on devices. AMD Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 Benchmarked on Geekbench; Scores 2489 Points in Single and 14136 Points in Multi-Core Tests It has been quite a while since AMD launched its premium segment Zen 5 mobile chips. The Strix Halo is the strongest-ever lineup based on the Zen 5 architecture, which offers up to a staggering 16-cores/32-threads configuration. However, most of the machines, including AI mini PCs and laptops, are mostly equipped with the flagship model, even though AMD also launched several SKUs in the lineup. AMD's Ryzen AI Max Pro 395 is usually seen on high-end mobile devices, boasting 16-core/32-threads and a Radeon 8060S, but this is probably the first time we have witnessed a mid-range 8-core/16-thread SKU. It's the Ryzen AI Max Pro 385, which offers 8x Zen 5 cores clocked at 3.6 GHz with boost clock of up to 5 GHz and carries the RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 8050S graphics. Unlike the Pro 395, the Pro 385 is significantly weaker in the CPU department but is fairly strong when it comes to the integrated graphics. While the iGPU needs to be tested for comparison, the Radeon 8050S is only 8 Compute Units behind the Radeon 8060S. This will surely put the latter in a noticeably higher position in graphical performance, but the Radeon 8050S is likely the second strongest iGPU you will currently find on the mainstream market. Nonetheless, coming to the CPU itself, the Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 is used on an HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14-inch mobile workstation laptop. We have seen such laptops and mini PCs with faster Strix Halo variants, but it's good to see that manufacturers are going to offer more affordable options. The processor scored 2489 points in single and 14136 points in multicore tests, but that will hugely vary from test to test, and we all know that Geekbench 6 isn't exactly a reliable test platform for CPUs. What's more important is that we can finally see cheaper alternatives to Ryzen AI Max Pro 395-based devices, offering excellent iGPU performance. Mini PCs and laptops equipped with Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 can easily play games at 1080p with playable framerates, but keep in mind that many of these devices will be targeted towards professionals and content creators. Being able to offer up to 50 NPU TOPS and over 100 TOPS of AI performance overall, the Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 can be a solid option for AI workloads as well. Ryzen AI Max Pro 395-based laptops and mini PCs usually cost nearly $2000 and above, but with the availability of Ryzen AI Max Pro 385, we can finally see sub-$1500 systems. News Sources: Geekbench, Videocardz Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada