Last year, Ross Scott who runs the Accursed Farms YouTube channel posted a video about Ubisoft taking The Crew offline and not only making it unplayable for everyone who purchased it, but also revoking people’s digital copies. He used it to launch th

Are you in search of a company that resonates with your proactive spirit and entrepreneurial mindset? Your search ends here with Premier Truck Rental! Company Overview At Premier Truck Rental (PTR), we provide customized commercial fleet rentals nationwide, helping businesses get the right trucks and equipment to get the job done. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, PTR is a family-owned company built on a foundation of integrity, innovation, and exceptional service. We serve a wide range of industriesincluding construction, utilities, and infrastructureby delivering high-quality, ready-to-work trucks and trailers tailored to each customers needs. At PTR, we dont just rent truckswe partner with our customers to drive efficiency and success on every job site. Please keep reading Not sure if you meet every requirement? Thats okay! We encourage you to apply if youre passionate, hardworking, and eager to contribute. We know that diverse perspectives and experiences make us stronger, and we want you to be part of our journey. Inside Sales Representative (ISR) at PTR is a friendly, people-oriented, and persuasive steward of the sales process. This role will support our Territory Managers with their sales pipeline while also prospecting and cross-selling PTR products themselves. This support includes driving results by enrolling the commitment and buy-in of other internal departments to achieve sales initiatives. The Inside Sales Representative will also represent PTRs commitment to being our customers easy button by serving as the main point of contact. They will be the front-line hero by assisting them in making informed decisions, providing guidance on our rentals, and resolving any issues they might face. We are seeking someone eager to develop their sales skills and grow within our organization. This role is designed as a stepping stone to a Territory Sales Manager (TSM) position, providing hands-on experience with customer interactions, lead qualification, and sales process execution. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a strong drive for results, the ability to build relationships, and a proactive approach to learning and development. High-performing ISRs will have the opportunity to be mentored, trained, and considered for promotion into a TSM role as part of their career path at PTR. COMPENSATION This position offers a competitive compensation package of base salary ($50,000/yr) plus uncapped commissions =OTE $85,000 annually. RESPONSIBILITIES Offer top-notch customer service and respond with a sense of urgency for goal achievement in a fast-paced sales environment. Build a strong pipeline of customers by qualifying potential leads in your territory. This includes strategic prospecting and sourcing. Develop creative ways to engage and build rapport with prospective customers by pitching the Premier Truck Rental value proposition. Partner with assigned Territory Managers by assisting with scheduling customer visits, trade shows, new customer hand-offs, and any other travel requested. Facilitate in-person meetings and set appointments with prospective customers. Qualify and quote inquiries for your prospective territories both online and from the Territory Manager. Input data into the system with accuracy and follow up in a timely fashion. Facilitate the onboarding of new customers through the credit process. Drive collaboration between customers, Territory Managers, Logistics, and internal teams to coordinate On-Rent and Off-Rent notices with excellent attention to detail. Identify and arrange the swap of equipment from customers meeting the PTR de-fleeting criteria. Manage the sales tools to organize, compile, and analyze data with accuracy for a variety of activities and multiple projects occurring simultaneously.Building and developing a new 3-4 state territory! REQUIREMENTS MUST HAVE2+ years of strategic prospecting or account manager/sales experience; or an advanced degree or equivalent experience converting prospects into closed sales. Tech-forward approach to sales strategy. Excellent prospecting, follow-up, and follow-through skills. Committed to seeing deals through completion. Accountability and ownership of the sales process and a strong commitment to results. Comfortable with a job that has a variety of tasks and is dynamic and changing. Proactive prospecting skills and can overcome objections; driven to establish relationships with new customers. Ability to communicate in a clear, logical manner in formal and informal situations. Proficiency in CRMs and sales tracking systems Hunters mindsetsomeone who thrives on pursuing new business, driving outbound sales, and generating qualified opportunities. Prospecting: Going on LinkedIn, Looking at Competitor data, grabbing contacts for the TM, may use technology like Apollo and LinkedIn Sales Navigator Partner closely with the Territory Manager to ensure a unified approach in managing customer relationships, pipeline development, and revenue growth. Maintain clear and consistent communication to align on sales strategies, customer needs, and market opportunities, fostering a seamless and collaborative partnership with the Territory Manager. Consistently meet and exceed key performance indicators (KPIs), including rental revenue, upfit revenue, and conversion rates, by actively managing customer accounts and identifying growth opportunities. Support the saturation and maturation of the customer base through strategic outreach, relationship management, and alignment with the Territory Manager to drive long-term success. Remote in the United States with some travel to trade shows, quarterly travel up to a week at a time, and sales meetingsNICE TO HAVE Rental and/or sales experience in the industry. Proficiency in , Apollo.io , LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Power BI, MS Dynamics, Chat GPT. Established relationships within the marketplace or territory. Motivated to grow into outside territory management position with relocation On Target Earnings: ($85,000)EMPLOYEE BENEFITSWellness & Fitness: Take advantage of our on-site CrossFit-style gym, featuring a full-time personal trainer dedicated to helping you reach your fitness goals. Whether you're into group classes, virtual personal training, personalized workout plans, or nutrition coaching, weve got you covered!Exclusive Employee Perks: PTR Swag & a Uniform/Boot Allowance, On-site Micro-Markets stocked with snacks & essentials, discounts on phone plans, supplier vehicles, mobile detailing, tools, & equipmentand much more!Profit SharingYour Success, rewarded: At PTR, we believe in sharing success. Our Profit-SharingComprehensive BenefitsStarting Day One:Premium healthcare coverage (medical, dental, vision, mental health & virtual healthcare)401(k) matching & long-term financial planning Paid time off that lets you recharge Life, accidental death, and disability coverage Ongoing learning & development opportunitiesTraining, Growth & RecognitionWe partner with Predictive Index to better understand your strengths, ensuring tailored coaching, structured training, and career development. Performance and attitude evaluations every 6 months keep you on track for growth.Culture & ConnectionMore Than Just a JobAt PTR, we dont just build relationships with our customerswe build them with each other. Our tech-forward, highly collaborative culture is rooted in our core values. Connect and engage through:PTR Field Days & Team EventsThe Extra Mile Recognition ProgramPTR Text Alerts & Open CommunicationPremier Truck Rental Is an Equal Opportunity Employer We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need support or accommodation due to a disability, contact us at PI6e547fa1c5-

A Bridgehampton home that Susan Breitenbach, a Hamptons real estate agent, sold for more than $14 million in May 2025. Courtesy of Susan Breitenbach 2025-06-05T08:07:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Hamptons home sales are booming despite stock market volatility and recession fears. Home sales were up about 86% in the first quarter over the same time period in 2024. Prices and sales are soaring in the beach destination despite Wall Street volatility. As Wall Street reels with every twist and turn in President Donald Trump's trade war, there's little sign of economic uncertainty in Manhattan's favorite beach destination just 100 miles east.Demand for luxury real estate in the Hamptons is only growing. Sales and home prices have surged over the last year.Rising prices in the tony enclave are nothing new. The pandemic ushered in a surge of buyers looking to escape the city. The median sales price of homes in the Hamptons in the first quarter of 2025 was more than $2 million, a 13% increase over the previous year and nearly double what it was five years ago, according to a recent Douglas Elliman report.Perhaps more notably, the pace of sales is also soaring this year. Sales were up about 86% in the first quarter over the same time period last year, according to the Douglas Elliman report. That's after home sales fell in the wake of the pandemic buying frenzy, and haven't returned to the highs of 2020."The tired story of the housing recovery coming out of the pandemic is high prices, low sales," Jonathan Miller, who leads the real estate appraisal and consulting firm Miller Samuel and authored the Douglas Elliman report, told Business Insider. "The Hamptons doesn't fit that pattern. It's high prices and high sales."Miller added that the sharp rise in sales is "unusual and counter to the prevailing trends."Susan Breitenbach, a top Hamptons real estate agent with the Corcoran Group, said she's closed more deals so far this year than in all of 2024. She's sold a slew of luxury homes, including a $17.5 million oceanfront property in Bridgehampton, an Amagansett home for $13 million, a Sag Harbor home on less than an acre for $21 million, and a Southampton house for $5.6 million. "It was really very surprising," Breitenbach, who's been selling property in the Hamptons for more than 30 years, told BI. A Southampton home Breitenbach sold for $5.6 million in May 2025. Courtesy of Susan Breitenbach While some agents like Breitenbach are closing deals at the highest end of the market, the middle of the Hamptons market — homes between $1 million and $5 million — has driven the uptick in sales. These "meat and potatoes" sales, Miller said, are way up.So-called "tangible assets," like luxury real estate in very in-demand markets, can be particularly attractive to certain investors when markets are wobbly.Global stocks plummeted following Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs announcement, and while they've mostly rebounded since the administration walked back some of their tariffs, markets are on edge. In early June, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development cut its forecast for the US economic growth rate in 2025 from 2.8% to 1.6%, citing Trump's trade policies."Hamptons real estate has a long history of appreciating over time," Andrew Saunders, president of the Hamptons real estate brokerage Saunders & Associates, told BI. Some more cautious buyers "might look at what's happening in the world at large and say, 'You know what, I'm going to wait a month or two and let the world take a few spins and see what happens.' But we're not seeing that occur en masse."Miller credited big Wall Street bonuses in 2024 for some of the spike in sales and agreed that market volatility could be pushing some to diversify their investments.The Hamptons rental market might be more sensitive to economic uncertainty. Breitenbach said rental interest was much higher than usual in January but has since fallen off. Miller, who doesn't track rentals in the Hamptons, added that an increase in sales would naturally lead to a drop in rental demand.Breitenbach recently listed a home on 2.5 acres of oceanfront property in Water Mill, which sits between Southampton and Bridgehampton, for $44.5 million. "It's not about the house, it's about the land," she added. "And that's a deal." A Southampton home Breitenbach sold for nearly $12.7 million in January. Courtesy of Susan Breitenbach Hamptons buyers are from all over. Breitenbach said she's seen an uptick in California buyers this year, and she still has foreign buyers. But a large share of her clients are still Manhattanites."A lot of it is the high-end New York — Manhattan — buyers, because there aren't many places they can go on the weekends," she said.Breitenbach said Memorial Day weekend this year felt more packed than ever out east, even with cooler-than-normal weather. "It looked like Fourth of July," she said.She doesn't expect market volatility and even threats of a recession to change that."It's going to be a busy summer in the Hamptons regardless," Breitenbach said. "People keep coming out here no matter what's going on."

39 Summer Fonts That Really ‘Sizzle’ In this article:See more ▼Post may contain affiliate links which give us commissions at no cost to you.As a graphic designer who lives for those long, lazy summer days, I can’t help but get excited when it’s time to break out the summer fonts. There’s something absolutely magical about typography that captures the essence of sunshine, beach vibes, and endless possibilities. Summer fonts are more than just pretty letters on a screen – they’re visual vacation postcards that transport viewers straight to sandy beaches, backyard barbecues, and those perfect golden hour moments. I’ve spent countless hours (probably too many!) curating the perfect collection of typefaces that embody everything we love about the warmest season of the year. Whether you’re designing festival posters, ice cream shop branding, or social media graphics that scream “summer vibes,” the right font can make all the difference. It’s not just about looking good (though these fonts absolutely do); it’s about evoking that carefree, sun-kissed feeling that makes summer so special. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the most sizzling summer fonts of 2025, explore what makes a font feel summery, and discover how to use these typefaces to bring that vacation energy to any project. So grab your favorite cold drink, find a spot in the shade, and let’s embark on this typographic summer adventure together! 👋 Psst... Did you know you can get unlimited downloads of 59,000+ fonts and millions of other creative assets for just $16.95/mo? Learn more »The Hottest Summer Fonts of 2025 Not all fonts are created equal when it comes to capturing that perfect summer essence. I’ve handpicked the most vibrant, energetic typefaces that’ll make your designs feel like a breath of fresh ocean air. Here are my top picks: Summer Sunshine Summer Sunshine is a vibrant decorative font that exudes warmth and cheer. Its playful letterforms and sunny aesthetic make it perfect for summer-themed designs and joyful projects.Summer Days Summer Days is a lively script font that captures the essence of carefree summer vibes. Its fluid, handwritten style and energetic character make it ideal for creating designs with a fresh and vibrant feel.Get 300+ Fonts for FREEEnter your email to download our 100% free "Font Lover's Bundle". For commercial & personal use. No royalties. No fees. No attribution. 100% free to use anywhere. Summer Crab Summer Crab is a unique serif font with a handwritten twist, perfect for summer-themed typography. Its quirky design combines elegance with a touch of whimsy, making it suitable for both formal and casual summer projects.Sunrise Waves Sunrise Waves is a brushy sans-serif font that evokes the calm and beauty of a beach at dawn. Its smooth lines and balanced proportions make it versatile for various summer and coastal-themed designs.Summer Wednesday Summer Wednesday is a charming script font that captures the essence of lazy summer days. Its relaxed, handwritten style is perfect for creating designs with a casual, vacation-like atmosphere.Summers Typeface + BONUS vector Summers Typeface is a versatile script font that comes with bonus vector elements. Its flowing monoline letterforms and additional graphics make it an excellent choice for creating comprehensive summer-themed designs and branding materials.Sunroof & Summer Sunroof & Summer is a carefree handwritten font that embodies the spirit of summer road trips. Its natural, spontaneous style is perfect for creating designs with a laid-back and adventurous feel.Summerica Typeface Summerica Typeface is a playful serif font with a hint of nostalgia. Its unique blend of classic and whimsical elements makes it ideal for summer holiday designs and retro-inspired projects.Summer Heaven Summer Heaven is a delightful script font that radiates warmth and happiness. Its sunny disposition and fluid letterforms make it perfect for creating designs that evoke the joy of perfect summer days.Summer – Handwriting Font Summer is a versatile handwriting font that combines sans-serif elements with a script-like flow. Its natural, easy-going style makes it suitable for a wide range of summer-themed designs and personal projects.AL – Blue Season AL – Blue Season is a refreshing cursive font that captures the essence of cool summer breezes. Its flowing letterforms and subtle blue hues make it perfect for creating designs with a calm, seasonal atmosphere.Summer Fruits – Layered Font Summer Fruits is a playful layered font that adds depth and vibrancy to designs. Its fruity aesthetic and customizable layers make it ideal for creating eye-catching summer-themed typography and graphics.Sunburned Tropic – Summer Brush Font Sunburned Tropic is a bold brush font that exudes tropical summer vibes. Its rough, organic texture and energetic strokes make it perfect for creating designs with a beachy, sun-soaked feel.FLIES SUMMER FLIES SUMMER is a modern sans-serif display font with a unique twist. Its clean lines and subtle summer-inspired details make it versatile for various design projects, from branding to editorial layouts.Summer Festival Summer Festival is a lively decorative fun font that captures the excitement of outdoor events. Its playful letterforms and festive character make it ideal for creating designs for summer concerts, fairs, and celebrations.Summer Journey Summer Journey is a versatile font that combines decorative and sans-serif elements. Its unique design evokes a sense of adventure, making it perfect for travel-themed projects and summer vacation designs.Summer Times Summer Times is a chunky, fun script font that radiates positivity with its mid-century font style. Its bold letterforms and playful style make it excellent for creating eye-catching headlines and designs with a cheerful summer vibe.Summer Foliage Font Summer Foliage Font is a nature-inspired typeface that blends sans-serif and script elements. Its organic shapes and leafy details make it perfect for creating designs with a fresh, summery botanical theme.Summer Dust Font Summer Dust Font is a clean and airy typeface that combines sans-serif and handwritten styles. Its light, breezy character makes it ideal for creating designs with a soft, summery atmosphere.Summer Splash Summer Splash is a vibrant splashy water font with a decorative flair. Its energetic letterforms and splashy details make it perfect for creating designs that evoke the fun and excitement of summer water activities.Summer Vibes Summer Vibes is a relaxed sans-serif font with a handwritten feel. Its casual style and subtle imperfections make it ideal for creating designs with a laid-back, beachy atmosphere.Summer Dance Summer Dance is a lively script font with decorative elements. Its fluid, rhythmic letterforms make it perfect for creating designs that convey movement and joy, ideal for summer event promotions.Summer Show Summer Show is a bold display font that combines sans-serif and decorative features. Its striking design and summer-inspired details make it excellent for creating eye-catching headlines and promotional materials.Summer Tropics Summer Tropics is a fun and chunky script font that exudes tropical vibes. Its playful letterforms and bold character make it perfect for creating designs with a lively, vacation-like atmosphere.Summer Diary Summer Diary is a charming decorative font with a personal touch. Its handwritten-style letterforms and subtle embellishments make it ideal for creating designs that evoke memories of summer adventures.Salty Bash Handwriting Script Salty Bash is a carefree handwriting script with a beachy vibe. Its natural flow and slightly weathered appearance make it perfect for creating designs with a relaxed, coastal feel.Summer Flash Summer Flash is a dynamic decorative font with a sense of energy and movement. Its bold, eye-catching design makes it ideal for creating impactful summer-themed headlines and promotional materials.Summer Tropica – Playful Font Summer Tropica is a fun and vibrant font that combines script and sans-serif elements. Its playful character and tropical flair make it perfect for creating designs with a lively summer atmosphere.Ocean – Hand Writing Summer Font Ocean is a refreshing wavy font with a beachy feel. Its natural flow and subtle irregularities make it ideal for creating designs that evoke the relaxed atmosphere of seaside vacations.Summer Party Summer Party is an energetic script font that captures the excitement of summer festivities. Its lively letterforms and dynamic style make it perfect for creating designs for summer events and celebrations.Summer Funny – Summer Display Font Summer Funny is a quirky and playful display font with a chunky design. Its fun character and bold presence make it ideal for creating eye-catching headlines and designs with a lighthearted summer vibe.Summer Lemonade + Extras Summer Lemonade is a refreshing script font that comes with extra design elements. Its crisp, fluid letterforms and additional graphics make it perfect for creating comprehensive summer-themed branding and designs.Tropical Summer Font Tropical Summer Font is an exotic blend of script and decorative elements. Its lush, organic design and tropical motifs make it ideal for creating designs with a vibrant, paradise-like atmosphere.Fest Summer Font Fest Summer Font is a bold and chunky script that radiates fun and excitement. Its playful letterforms and energetic style make it perfect for creating designs for summer festivals and outdoor events.Fresh Kids – Fun Display Font Fresh Kids is a lively bubble font designed with children in mind. Its playful character and cheerful design make it ideal for creating kid-friendly summer designs and educational materials.Summer Blaze – Summer Brush Font Summer Blaze is an energetic brush font that captures the heat of summer. Its bold strokes and dynamic character make it perfect for creating designs with a sun-soaked, beachy vibe.Beach Vibe – Summer font Beach Vibe is a laid-back sans-serif font with a summer twist. Its relaxed style and subtle coastal elements make it ideal for creating designs with a cool, holiday atmosphere.SUMMER QUICK – Fun Font SUMMER QUICK is a lively sans-serif display font with a fun, casual feel. Its quirky letterforms and energetic style make it perfect for creating designs with a spontaneous summer vibe.Benji Holidas Summer Display Font Benji Holidas is a charming decorative font with a summery disposition. Its unique letterforms and playful design make it ideal for creating eye-catching headlines and designs for summer holidays and events.What Makes a Font Feel Like Summer? Ever wondered what gives certain fonts that unmistakable summer vibe? It’s not magic (though it might feel like it) – there are specific design elements that trigger those warm, sunny associations in our minds. Relaxed, Flowing Letterforms Summer fonts often feature loose, organic shapes that mirror the laid-back nature of the season. Think flowing scripts that feel like ocean waves or casual handwritten styles that look like they were penned on a beach towel. These relaxed letterforms create an instant sense of ease and vacation mode. The beauty lies in their imperfection – slightly uneven baselines, varying letter sizes, and that wonderful hand-drawn quality that says “life’s too short to stress about perfect alignment.” Bright, Energetic Personality Summer fonts radiate energy and optimism. They’re the typographic equivalent of a sunny day – bold when they need to be, playful in their character variations, and always ready to put a smile on your face. Many summer fonts incorporate fun details like decorative flourishes, tropical motifs, or beach-inspired elements that add personality and charm. These little touches transform ordinary letters into summer storytelling devices. Vintage Beach Resort Vibes There’s something irresistibly nostalgic about classic summer typography. Fonts that reference vintage surf culture, retro vacation postcards, or mid-century beach resort signage tap into our collective summer memories. These typefaces often feature bold, confident letterforms with a touch of that authentic vintage wear – like sun-faded signs that have weathered countless summers and still look absolutely perfect. Where to Use Summer Fonts Summer fonts are incredibly versatile, bringing that vacation energy to a wide range of design applications. Their cheerful, relaxed nature makes them perfect for projects that want to feel approachable and fun. Event and Festival Branding Summer fonts are absolute stars when it comes to music festivals, beach parties, food truck events, and outdoor celebrations. Their energetic personality helps capture the excitement and community spirit of summer gatherings. From concert posters that need to grab attention from across a crowded street to wristbands that become summer souvenirs, the right summer font sets the perfect tone for memorable experiences. Hospitality and Tourism Beach resorts, vacation rentals, travel agencies, and tropical restaurants all benefit from summer fonts that instantly communicate relaxation and escape. These typefaces help potential guests imagine themselves already on vacation. Whether it’s a boutique hotel’s website, a restaurant’s poolside menu, or a travel blog’s header, summer fonts create that crucial emotional connection with wanderlust. Food and Beverage Ice cream shops, juice bars, beachside cafes, and summer pop-up stands rely on fonts that feel as refreshing as their offerings. Summer fonts help communicate that products are fresh, fun, and perfect for hot weather. From smoothie shop logos to popsicle packaging, these fonts add flavor before customers even take their first taste. Social Media and Digital Design Summer fonts absolutely shine in digital spaces where catching attention is crucial. Instagram posts, Pinterest graphics, blog headers, and email newsletters all benefit from typography that stops the scroll and says “summer!” Where to Avoid Summer Fonts While summer fonts bring joy and energy to many projects, there are definitely situations where their casual, playful nature might not be the best fit. Corporate and Professional Contexts Financial institutions, law firms, medical practices, and other professional services typically need fonts that convey trust, reliability, and expertise. Summer fonts, with their relaxed and playful nature, might undermine the serious tone these industries require. Save the beach vibes for beach-related projects, and opt for more traditional, authoritative typefaces when professionalism is paramount. Technical Documentation User manuals, software interfaces, scientific reports, and instructional materials need maximum clarity and readability. Summer fonts, while beautiful, can sometimes sacrifice legibility for personality – not ideal when clear communication is critical. Formal Occasions Wedding invitations (unless it’s a beach wedding!), memorial services, graduation ceremonies, and other formal events typically call for more elegant, traditional typography that matches the occasion’s gravity and importance. How to Choose the Perfect Summer Font Selecting the ideal summer font involves balancing aesthetic appeal with practical considerations. Here’s how to nail that perfect summer typography choice: Consider Your Audience Think about who you’re designing for. A family beach resort might want fonts that feel welcoming to all ages, while a trendy rooftop bar could go for something more sophisticated and contemporary. Young festival-goers respond to different visual cues than luxury vacation travelers. Match the Summer Vibe Summer encompasses many different moods – from energetic beach parties to serene sunset dinners. Identify the specific summer feeling you want to evoke. Is it playful and energetic? Relaxed and tropical? Nostalgic and vintage? Let this guide your font selection. Test Readability Summer fonts often prioritize personality over perfection, but your message still needs to be clear. Test your chosen font at various sizes and in different contexts to ensure it maintains readability across all applications. Consider Seasonal Flexibility If you’re designing for a brand that operates year-round, consider how your summer font choice will work in off-season communications. Some fonts are specifically summery, while others have enough versatility to work across seasons with different color palettes or supporting elements. Alternatives to Traditional Summer Fonts While dedicated summer fonts are fantastic, there are other typographic approaches that can capture seasonal energy: Tropical Script Fonts Flowing scripts with exotic flair can evoke tropical paradise without being explicitly summer-themed. These work beautifully for destination weddings, luxury resorts, and high-end travel brands. Vintage Surf Typography Fonts inspired by classic surf culture bring authentic beach credibility to modern designs. These work especially well for brands that want to tap into surf and beach lifestyle culture. Hand-Lettered Styles Custom hand-lettered looks feel personal and authentic – perfect for small businesses, artisanal products, and brands that want to feel approachable and genuine. Common Summer Font Questions Let’s tackle some frequently asked questions about summer typography: What makes a font look summery? Summer fonts typically feature relaxed, flowing letterforms, bright energetic personalities, and often include decorative elements that reference beach, tropical, or vacation themes. They tend to feel casual, approachable, and optimistic. Can I use summer fonts year-round? While some summer fonts are specifically seasonal, many can work year-round with the right warm color palette and supporting design elements. The key is choosing fonts with enough versatility to adapt to different seasonal moods. Are summer fonts professional enough for business use? It depends on your business! Summer fonts are perfect for hospitality, food service, entertainment, and lifestyle brands. However, they might not be appropriate for more conservative industries like finance or healthcare. How do I pair summer fonts with other typefaces? Summer fonts often work well paired with clean, simple sans-serifs for body text. The contrast between a playful summer display font and a readable sans-serif creates visual hierarchy while maintaining that seasonal energy. Making Your Designs Sizzle Summer fonts are more than just typography – they’re instant mood boosters that transform ordinary designs into sunshine-filled experiences. Whether you’re creating a beach resort’s brand identity, designing the perfect festival poster, or crafting social media graphics that capture those golden hour vibes, the right summer font sets the stage for memorable design. Remember, the best summer font isn’t necessarily the most decorative or tropical-looking one. It’s the font that perfectly captures the specific summer mood you’re trying to create while still serving your project’s practical needs. So go ahead, embrace those warm-weather vibes in your next design project. Choose fonts that make people want to kick off their shoes, grab a cold drink, and soak up some vitamin D. After all, life’s too short for boring typography – especially in summer! What’s your favorite summer font? I’d love to hear about the typefaces that make you dream of beach days and endless sunshine! Riley Morgan Riley Morgan is a globe-trotting graphic designer with a sharp eye for color, typography, and intuitive design. They are a color lover and blend creativity with culture, drawing inspiration from cities, landscapes, and stories around the world. When they’re not designing sleek visuals for clients, they’re blogging about trends, tools, and the art of making design feel like home—wherever that may be. 17 Cutest Kawaii Fonts That are So AdorableKawaii fonts are exactly what they sound like – typefaces that embody the Japanese concept of “kawaii” (meaning cute). These...26 Billboard Fonts You Can Read at 80 MPHWhen you’re racing down the highway at 80 mph, you’ve got about 3 seconds to grab someone’s attention with your...40 Christmas Fonts that are ‘Santa-Approved’As a designer with a serious case of Christmas spirit, I can’t help but get giddy when it’s time to...

Sophie Rucker had been living and working in London for five years when a trip to a yoga training school in Bali presented her with an alternative to the rat race. Despite enjoying life in London, witnessing digital nomads balance work with sun, sea, and relaxed vibes in the Indonesian island province prompted her to pursue more freelance work.  At the start of 2020, having set herself up as a communications strategist for NGOs and social impact organisations, Sophie quit her permanent role and moved to Bali. Despite the uncertainty of the progressing pandemic, she found the space she needed to grieve her mother, whom she had lost not long before. And to Sophie’s delight, the digital nomad lifestyle has fulfilled many of her expectations. She soon noticed, however, a distinct bias against her choice of location. Some potential clients wouldn’t even entertain a conversation, because she was based in Bali. “I couldn’t make sense of it — it felt so stupid,” she explains. “I’m working with organisations like Greenpeace and the UNDP to instigate positive global change, as well as being a somatic trauma counsellor, so when people assume I’m not doing ‘serious work’ out here, it grinds my gears.” Now she has greater control over the projects she pursues, Sophie tells employers she lives in Indonesia, and is transparent about exactly where once she’s secured a contract. It’s the same for many of her remote working friends in Bali, who don’t disclose their location to remote employers for fear of losing work. Getting snubbed from projects, haemorrhaging your savings on basic living costs and constantly edging on burnout are usually the hardships associated with full-time home-based working in a metropolitan centre like London, New York, or Amsterdam. Despite the dominant utopian narrative presented in the media — think bossing it at the beach, bottomless cocktails, and a perennial tan — the reality of balancing global travel with remote work has always been hard. And it’s only getting harder: surging costs, political turbulence, and fickle visa rules are pushing digital nomads in new directions. Forking out for freedom New research from the Dutch neobank Bunq has revealed the hidden financial, emotional and mental toll, with its survey of 5,000 workers across Europe who identify as digital nomads and/or living internationally. Indeed, just one in five say that working internationally has positively impacted their career, with Britons in particular (25%) saying their career has actually suffered as a result of being a digital nomad. It’s certainly not the picture that wistful salaried employees conjure when daydreaming at their desks. For experts in the field, however, the tough reality is widely known. “Many of those experimenting with the lifestyle can’t sustain it,” says David Cook, an anthropologist and researcher at University College London who specialises in remote work. “Maintaining self-discipline, staying productive, and finding the space to focus gets worse over time, not better, alongside all the other external circumstances.” Managing the finance side is an area of particular concern. Bunq found that 17% of study participants feel less financially secure, while 14% are spending more than expected. Although this cohort isn’t weighed down by a mortgage or a huge rental deposit, they do have to factor in local taxes, medical bills, nomad visa costs, insurance claims, legal assistance, and banking fees. Sophie boarding a flight from Bali to visit family in Australia. Credit: Sophie Rucker The top unforeseen expenses, according to Bunq, include medical expenses (16%) and local taxes (15%). Less common, but equally unsettling, is that 5% of nomads across Europe have had to pay for emergency evacuation costs.   All that is before budgeting for the rise in everyday living costs, which have impacted home-based and remote workers alike. Everyone is feeling the pinch, with the majority of Europeans (67%) noticing the rise in food and beverage prices in the past 12 months, as per data from the Dutch firm Innova Market Insights. Day-to-day budgeting trumps a laundry list of other anxieties too. In the first quarter of 2025, McKinsey’s ConsumerWise research found that Europeans ranked rising prices and inflation as their number one concern over issues such as job security, international conflicts, climate change, and political tension, to name a few. Geoarbitrage — decoupling life and work from a specific location to make your income go further — has long been a practice employed by digital nomads. Coined by Tim Ferriss in his 2009 book The 4-Hour Workweek, the tactic is now often being reconsidered due to increased outgoings. “Accommodation has always been the biggest challenge, but in the last few years, after COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, it’s significantly more expensive, sometimes €200 extra a month for the same place and conditions haven’t changed,” says Anna Maria Kochanska, a strategist who advises governments on digital nomad policy, and has been nomadic since 2017. Anna Maria tends to avoid Airbnb, negotiating directly with apartment owners for midterm rentals, but even so, her rental outgoings are much higher in 2025. “I’m based in Barcelona at the moment, and of course, one solution is to go to new and emerging destinations, with fewer tourists and nomads, but my travel costs are going up too, so I’m moving around less frequently.” Popular digital nomad hubs like Barcelona, Lisbon, and Mexico City are losing their affordable edge, as available housing dries up, prices rise, and neighbourhoods are transformed to meet the needs of itinerant knowledge workers. Local residents are tiring of the impact remote workers are having, and have been protesting against the influx. The souring of once-beloved hubs is leading nomads to look elsewhere and decamp to more off-the-beaten-track destinations. According to 2025 data from Nomad List, which tracks cities, locations and remote workers through the trips booked on its platform, cities like Sarajevo, Portimao, and Varna are emerging as some of the most popular among nomad, with 46% of them staying in one city for less than seven days, and 33% staying between seven and 30 days. Fatigued by visa strategising While some digital nomads are travelling less and avoiding established hotspots to mitigate rising expenses, others are turning their backs on location independence entirely. Kach Umandap has been nomadic since 2014, originally starting as a virtual assistant, then moving into blogging and e-commerce. “For a Filipino like me, there are a ton of limitations on the places I can visit visa-free, but I was determined to visit every single country in the world,” says Kach. “I had to be really strategic about planning and already figure out where I would go afterwards, which is perhaps not the carefree image you have of digital nomad life.”  During certain weeks, Kach would spend more time arranging visas and doing travel admin than her actual job. She often had to do expensive visa runs to neighbouring countries to reset the clock. For example, when based in Vietnam, she needed to travel to Laos every 30 days, pay for transport, a hotel, and a booking agent each time. Having achieved the goal of working from all 193 UN member states and spending thousands of dollars each year on visa applications, Kach has returned to the Philippines to slowly establish her base there. Kach in Turkmenista, one of the 193 UN states she’s worked in. Credit: Kach Umandap Although new digital nomad visas are being rolled out constantly — the latest include Taiwan and the Philippines — many are launched hurriedly, so governments can have a horse in the race in the global talent tussle. Each one has wildly different eligibility criteria and often high minimum income requirements. Iceland, for example, requires a monthly salary of $7,763 (€6,868). Few digital nomads actually even engage with these visa programs. Grappling with a messy landscape and muddy definitions of “a digital nomad,” those eligible are being deterred. For nomads who do try, an application can take months to process, and putting one in only to find out you aren’t eligible due to poor signposting is hugely stressful. “We have the best lifestyle in the world, yet the worst ecosystem,” says Gonçalo Hall, CEO of NomadX, a global platform for digital nomads and president of the Digital Nomad Association Portugal. “Nomads have the numbers, energy, and economic force, but the cohesion is missing.” What’s more, nomads with ”weaker” passports, such as those from Syria, Pakistan, and Nigeria, have a hard time travelling compared to those from the EU and North America. With ongoing conflicts, political instability, and changing immigration laws, crossing the next border for a period of remote work is getting more intimidating by the day.  People drop off from full-time digital nomad lifestyles for many reasons though, from loneliness and moving too often to dealing with bureaucracy and the precarity of their careers. “It’s not for everyone, and although many people experiment with the lifestyle, they discover the real struggle a few months to a year in,” says Cook, of UCL. “It gets harder over time, so successful, long-term nomads need to be disciplined, resilient and self-motivated — in many ways, the perfect neoliberal person.” Cook is in his eighth year of collecting data in Chiang Mai, Thailand with the same group of people and estimates that 90% of the nomads in his research give up the lifestyle in the first year or two. “They tend to start hyper mobile, but end up craving place and being embedded in communities, which is not easy to sustain while living on the move,” explains Cook. “This is compounded when their income situation is precarious.” A strong pull, no matter the cost With 60 million digital nomads predicted to have joined the ranks by 2030, the lifestyle — despite, or even because of its challenges — remains alluring. For the knowledge workers who are forcibly displaced due to war, climate disaster, or fears of persecution, digital nomadism offers the chance to earn, even when on the move. For today’s remote workers, change is the only constant, and roaming patterns will continue to shift, as people adapt and find ways to thrive amid global change. They might choose to housesit through platforms like Nomador and Trusted Housesitters instead of renting, become an e-resident in a country like Estonia to maximise profit and minimise cost, or travel less and embed themselves deeper in a community. After all, the same autonomy and flexibility that draws people to this lifestyle also enables them to overcome the hurdles that come their way. Back in Bali, the housing and rental market is booming — and the clamour about overtourism is getting louder. To slow its development and ease local worries, the Balinese officials have floated the idea of a tourist tax, set to cost around $100 (€88) per day. In the current climate, Sophie is paying £750 (€881) a month for her cabin in Bali — just £70 (€82) shy of the room she rented in London — so she cannot save and is feeling the pressure to maintain her earnings. “The only thing that means I can make it work is the culture and lifestyle — for example, I work when my clients are sleeping, because of the different time zones,” she explains. “It eases my anxiety and enables me to solve problems more creatively.”  As many of her friends return home due to rocketing costs, Sophie is committed to staying put. “I’m in a privileged position to be working on some big projects, and am paying taxes in the UK and contributing to the local economy here,” she says. “I have to keep checking in on myself, but I’ve come to a very conscious decision: loving Bali and this life as much as I do, why should it be any cheaper than where I started?”  Story by Megan Carnegie Megan Carnegie is a London-based independent journalist who specialises in writing features about the world of technology, work, and busines (show all) Megan Carnegie is a London-based independent journalist who specialises in writing features about the world of technology, work, and business for publications like WIRED, Business Insider, Digital Frontier and BBC. Her work is underpinned by a desire to investigate what's not working in the working world, and how more equitable conditions can be secured for workers — whatever their industry. Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

Shutterstock 2025-05-24T10:44:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter. You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here. Welcome back to our Saturday edition! Are you headed to the movie theater this weekend to see Tom Cruise's next big flick, "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning"? Find out why he's had such staying power. Hint: It rhymes with punts.On the agenda:Living in the forest for four years shaved a decade off a researcher's biological age.Rich Americans are booking fancy vacations. Everyone else is cutting back.Morgan Wallen is the man of the moment because of his controversies, not in spite of them.A week on Mexico's "Happy Coast," the hidden getaway of the wealthy.But first: It's cookout time.If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.This week's dispatchIt's time to sizzle and serve gorodenkoff/Getty Images Summer, is that you? :squints:With Memorial Day on Monday serving as the unofficial kick-off for summer, it's my favorite time of the year — grilling season. Get out the burgers. Get out the hot dogs. And if you'd rather not eat meat, get out the vegetables.Luckily for you, BI's Lifestyle team has been speaking with various chefs for tips on how to ensure people will be coming back to your grill asking for more.Chef Alissa Fitzgerald tells BI that a good burger starts with the kind of beef you buy. Try to aim for beef with "80% meat and 20% fat," allow them to thaw completely, and don't season them too early."Right before placing it on the grill, take a large pinch of kosher salt and gently cover the outside of the patty with a thin layer," she suggests. "Add the burger salt-side down on the grill and sprinkle some on the other side."If you're putting other types of meat on the grill, however, like steaks, you'll want to season them "a few hours before you plan on cooking it and let it sit in the fridge," Chef Marcus Jacobs tells BI.Meanwhile, when grilling chicken, Jacobs suggests creating a "blend of salt, white and black pepper, paprika, coriander, and several different types of chilies."No matter how you season or what you're throwing on the grill, check out the chefs' other tips to make sure you're not the talk of the neighborhood for the wrong reason.Touching grass David Furman When David Furman discovered his body was prematurely aging because of stress, he and his family moved to a one-room cabin in the woods to reset. Furman changed what they ate and how he exercised, and scaled back use of electronics.To his delight, the experiment worked: It dramatically improved his longevity and energy. He continues to reap the benefits now, even after leaving the forest.Travel is for the rich now Slim Aarons/Getty Images Almost half of summer travelers this year make over $100,000, according to a Deloitte survey. The wealth gap is growing, and middle-income vacationers are either staying home or opting for more budget-friendly trips.Even as demand wavers, luxury travel is booming. New accommodations are under construction, and "luxury" short-term rentals are increasing in price faster than other listings.Morgan Wallen's country John Shearer/Getty Images There's nothing sonically special about Morgan Wallen's music, and he has a habit of attracting controversy. Still, in the wake of scandals involving slurs and disorderly conduct, Wallen is more popular than ever.That's because Wallen's messiness is a key part of his brand, writes BI's Callie Ahlgrim. Fans see his scandals as proof of his authenticity, and he embodies an idea of freedom.A Happy Coast hideaway Monica Humphries/Business Insider A 155-mile stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast is a quiet vacation hot spot for the ultrawealthy. Costalegre, Spanish for "Happy Coast," is practically impossible to reach — for those without a private jet, at least.BI's Monica Humphries spent a week resort-hopping in Costalegre. Each had a different appeal, from the neighborhood feel and star-studded history at Careyes to the ATVs and private beaches at Las Alamandas.What we're watching this weekend Netflix; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI "Sirens": Julianne Moore, "The White Lotus" actor Meghann Fahy, and "House of the Dragon" standout Milly Alcock all star in Netflix's new dark comedy set in a beachside town."The Last of Us": Season two of HBO's TV show adaptation of the popular video game series ends this weekend."Nine Perfect Strangers": Nicole Kidman returns as a wellness guru in season two of the Hulu series, this time set in the Austrian Alps.See the full list iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI Deals we loveMemorial Day savings: Mattresses are almost always on sale, but our deal experts know that Memorial Day is when we see the steepest discounts. Here are the best mattress deals for the holiday weekend.Business (Insider) casual: Our men's style editors are here to help you look sharp at the office without feeling stiff. Check out our brand-new guide to the best men's business casual clothes for work.Le Creuset vs. Staub: Our kitchen experts hate to break it to you, but there's a reason the more expensive option is better. Here's why we recommend Le Creuset.More of this week's top reads:I stayed at a luxurious resort in Barbados with my young daughter. From the private pool to the stunning beach, our stay was nearly perfect.Keke Palmer said she didn't feel adequately paid in Hollywood until Jordan Peele's 'Nope' — two decades into her career.Four sandal trends that are in this summer and four that are out, according to stylists and designers.The patent behind a $182 cult-favorite skincare product recently expired. So where are all the dupes?I visited the most expensive city in Utah and spotted five signs of over-the-top wealth and luxury.Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter's choreographer shares how she gets her clients so fit they can sing and dance — in just 12 weeks.Five style mistakes a menswear designer wishes you would stop making.A 56-year-old personal trainer on how to build muscle after 40 — with rucking, body weight exercises, and short workouts.I visited Universal's new theme park, Epic Universe. I see why some people wouldn't like it, but I'd happily go back.The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

Until Dawn (4K Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital) $50 | Releases July 8 Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Until Dawn on Prime Video Buy for $25 / Rent for $20 | Available Now See at Amazon While movie adaptations of video games can be very hit or miss, Until Dawn was one of the more memorable projects thanks to the film putting its own spin on the game's choose-your-own-design mechanics. In case you missed it on the big screen, Until Dawn is now available to watch from the comfort of your own couch. You can rent or buy the digital release from Prime Video for $20-$25. If you prefer physical media and don't mind waiting, Until Dawn's 4K Blu-ray combo pack is up for preorder at Amazon and Walmart ahead of its July 8 release date.Until Dawn is the third video game film adaptation from PlayStation Productions following Uncharted and Gran Turismo. The production company, which was founded in 2019, is also credited with the TV adaptations of Twisted Metal and the critically acclaimed HBO series The Last of Us. Until Dawn (4K Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital) $50 | Releases July 8 Until Dawn's 4K Blu-ray edition also comes a 1080p Blu-ray disc and digital copy of the film. Along with native 4K resolution, Until Dawn will support Dolby Atmos audio on supported devices.Amazon and Walmart have the 4K Blu-ray combo pack priced at $50 at the moment. That said, we expect the price to drop prior to launch. Both retailers offer preorder price guarantees, so you'll be eligible for any future discounts from the moment you place your order until your Blu-ray ships.Until Dawn is also getting a DVD release, in case you want to experience the horror film in spine-tingling 480p resolution. Amazon has the DVD version priced at $28.60, while Walmart listed it for $35.Here's the full list of Until Dawn special features:Adapting a Nightmare - Director David F. Sandberg and writer Gary Dauberman discuss the inspirations of the film and how they built off of the game world from the hit PlayStation game.Death-Defying Cast - Meet the castPractical Terrors - A look at the practical effects and props used to garner realistic reactions from the actors and actresses.pAudio Commentary with director David F. Sandberg and producer Lotta LostenDeleted and extended scenes Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Until Dawn on Prime Video Buy for $25 / Rent for $20 | Available Now If you don't want to wait, you can rent Until Dawn for $20 or buy a digital copy for $25. If you buy the film, you can watch it whenever you want, but rentals on Prime Video have a couple of rules to keep in mind. You'll have 30 days to start watching the movie after making your purchase. Once the movie begins, it will be returned to Amazon in 48 hours. Your rental/purchase grants access to the 4K and standard definition versions of Until Dawn. See at Amazon In case you missed it, Until Dawn tells an original story and is set within the same universe as the game. Connecting the video game and the film is Stormare's character, Dr. Hill, who appeared in both mediums. Another nod to the game is that the movie has the same tone and vibe, as the main characters find themselves caught in a time-loop where they frequently die due to a variety of grisly means. The only way to break this vicious cycle is to survive…until dawn. The film has received mixed reviews, but if you're in the mood for a cheesy horror-comedy with slick direction, Until Dawn is an enjoyable watch.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The idea of becoming a real estate investor for as little as $5 may seem too good to be true. And for many users of Landa, a proptech company that promised just that — it has been. Landa emerged from stealth in August 2022, announcing a total of $33 million in funding and a pledge to help everyday Americans access residential real estate investment through fractional shares. CEO Yishai Cohen and former CTO Amit Assaraf founded Landa in 2019 in an effort to make real estate investment more inclusive. The app’s only requirements were that users be over age 18 and U.S. residents. They could start investing with just $5, and buy and sell shares as well as see real-time updates on their properties from the Landa app. (Assaraf left the company in December of 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has not responded to requests for comment.) Today, Landa’s investment portal site is down and its app is inoperable. Users claim they can’t access their funds and haven’t been paid dividends in months. The startup is embroiled in litigation, including a lawsuit from its early venture investor Viola. One early user told TechCrunch that Landa stopped paying dividends to him on his shares in January. When he asked Landa about it, they “punted the question,” he said. “I repeatedly emailed them about it and just got deflecting answers, nothing real,” the user said. “Then a few months after that, the app became unusable. It would not open.” Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW The user then asked if he could delete his account, which he had opened in 2021, and sell the shares. But he found Landa had disabled his ability to sell shares. “They have essentially frozen me out of my funds and just shut down the app,” the user said. “Where is the money? Why won’t they return it to me?” Over 130 complaints have been filed against Landa to the Better Business Bureau, with dozens of people echoing similar allegations. For instance, on May 1, one user who filed such a complaint shared they had invested over $8,000 through Landa and stopped receiving dividends last fall. The user said Landa customer service replied to their emails by saying that the company is “working on it.”  In mid-April, when TechCrunch asked Landa about the issue — including the status of its downed site and whether the company itself had shut down — CEO Cohen said:  “Of course not. The site will be back up.” When asked why the app was not working and why users had not received dividends in months, Cohen’s terse reply still seemed to refer to the website, blaming the servers: “It’s unrelated to dividends. It’s from our servers. We are on it.” Upon further prodding, Cohen on April 18 shared the following statement: “We are aware of the issues currently affecting our platform and product, and want to assure all investors that we are actively working to restore full functionality as soon as possible. We have kept investors informed through all updates, including the server access issue. We appreciate the continued support of our investors and resident community, and remain committed to delivering on our vision of making real estate investing accessible to everyone.” Cohen did not respond to our request for a status update on May 20. Investors NFX and 83North did not respond to our multiple requests for comment.  Embroiled in a lawsuit  It’s not just users who are upset with Landa. The company’s primary lenders are suing.  Viola Credit and L Finance filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against Landa in November 2024, accusing it of “numerous defaults” on more than $35 million worth of loans they extended to the company. (Viola is also an investor in Landa through its venture division.) The lenders also accused it of missing property tax payments that led to the forced sale of those properties, neglecting properties, and even failing to collect rents. The lawsuit — first reported by real estate industry publication Bisnow — states that after over a year of attempting to get Landa to honor their commitments, the lenders removed Landa as manager of the homes and appointed an independent property manager and a chief restructuring officer.  After further negotiations failed, the creditors later asked the court for, and were granted, an injunction blocking Landa from accessing bank accounts, interfering with their attempts to restructure the business, and reclaiming money they say is owed — including proceeds from property sales. Despite the injunction, the lenders returned to court in January 2025, claiming Landa told tenants to send rent payments to a different bank account not covered by the ruling. They discovered this while making repairs to one property’s septic system. They also accused Landa’s CEO of trying to sell or refinance some properties. The court ordered Landa to explain itself. Instead, in early March, Landa asked the court for a restraining order against Viola Credit and L Finance, claiming the independent manager was “installed unlawfully.”  Judge Jennifer G. Schecter was not pleased. In March, she ordered both sides to find a solution “that’s good for all of your clients.” She denied Landa’s request for an injunction and ordered the company to pay nearly $100,000. A few weeks later, Landa filed a formal countersuit. The case is still pending. Challenging model Landa is just one of several startups that emerged in recent years offering fractional real estate investing. It is also apparently not the only one that has struggled — especially after mortgage interest rates began soaring in 2022.  Fintor raised millions of dollars before seemingly pivoting to offer an “AI Agent to automate finance and real estate operations with human level performance.” Dallas-based Nada, which offered index-like real estate investment products called “Cityfunds,” allowing non-accredited investors to buy into a city’s home equity market with as little as $250, also appears to have pivoted. Its website now promotes a new tagline: “Access home equity to finance anything.”  Arrived was perhaps the highest-profile of the bunch — and the only one that seems to be actively operating under the same model. In May of 2022, TechCrunch reported that Arrived raised $25 million in a Series A funding round including Bezos Expeditions, to allow people to buy shares in single-family rentals with “as little as $100.” According to its website, the startup has to date paid out over $13 million in dividends and interest and has 766,000 registered investors. As for those people who invested with Landa, the future of their money appears uncertain. As of May 23, Landa’s investor portal website still redirects to a “come-back-soon” maintenance message. 

Video games' soaring prices have a cost beyond your wallet - the concept of ownership itself As the industry's big squeeze reaches consumers, a grim bargain emerges. Image credit: Adobe Stock, Microsoft Opinion by Chris Tapsell Deputy Editor Published on May 22, 2025 Earlier this month, Microsoft bumped up the prices of its entire range of Xbox consoles, first-party video games, and most (or in the US, all) of its accessories. It comes a few weeks after Nintendo revealed a £396 Switch 2, with £75 copies of its own first-party fare in Mario Kart World, and a few months after Sony launched the exorbitant £700 PS5 Pro (stand and disc drive not included), a £40 price rise for its all-digital console in the UK, the second of this generation, and news that it's considering even more price rises in the months to come. The suspicion - or depending on where you live, perhaps hope - had been that when Donald Trump's ludicrously flip-flopping, self-defeating tariffs came into play, that the US would bear the brunt of it. The reality is that we're still waiting on the full effects. But it's also clear, already, that this is far from just an American problem. The platform-holders are already spreading the costs, presumably to avoid an outright doubling of prices in one of their largest markets. PS5s in Japan now cost £170 more than they did at launch. That price rise, mind, took place long before the tariffs, as did the £700 PS5 Pro (stand and disc drive not included!), and the creeping costs of subscriptions such as Game Pass and PS Plus. Nor is it immediately clear how that justifies charging $80 for, say, a copy of Borderlands 4, a price which hasn't been confirmed but which has still been justified by the ever graceful Randy Pitchford, a man who seems to stride across the world with one foot perpetually bared and ready to be put, squelching, square in it, and who says true fans will still "find a way" to buy his game. The truth is inflation has been at it here for a while, and that inflation is a funny beast, one which often comes with an awkward mix of genuine unavoidability - tariffs, wars, pandemics - and concealed opportunism. Games are their own case amongst the many, their prices instead impacted more by the cost of labour, which soars not because developers are paid particularly well (I can hear their scoffs from here) but because of the continued, lagging impact of their executives' total miscalculation, in assuming triple-A budgets and timescales could continue growing exponentially. And by said opportunism - peep how long it took for Microsoft and the like to announce those bumped prices after Nintendo came in with Mario Kart at £75. Anyway, the causes are, in a sense, kind of moot. The result of all this squeezing from near enough all angles of gaming's corporate world is less a pincer manoeuvre on the consumer than a suffocating, immaculately executed full-court press, a full team hurtling with ruthless speed towards the poor unwitting sucker at home on the sofa. Identifying whether gaming costs a fortune now for reasons we can or can't sympathise with does little to change the fact that gaming costs a fortune. And, to be clear, it really does cost a fortune. Things are getting very expensive in the world of video games. £700 for a PS5 Pro! | Image credit: Eurogamer Whenever complaints about video game prices come up there is naturally a bit of pushback - games have always been expensive! What about the 90s! - usually via attempts to draw conclusions from economic data. Normally I'd be all on board with this - numbers can't lie! - but in this case it's a little different. Numbers can't lie, but they can, sometimes, be manipulated to prove almost anything you want - or just as often, simply misunderstood to the same ends. (Take most back-of-a-cigarette-packet attempts at doing the maths here, and the infinite considerations to bear in mind: Have you adjusted for inflation? How about for cost of living, as if the rising price of everything else may somehow make expensive games more palatable? Or share of disposable average household salary? For exchange rates? Purchasing power parity? Did you use the mean or the median for average income? What about cost-per-frame of performance? How much value do you place on moving from 1080p to 1440p? Does anyone sit close enough to their TV to tell enough of a difference with 4K?! Ahhhhh!) Instead, it's worth remembering that economics isn't just a numerical science. It is also a behavioural one - a psychological one. The impact of pricing is as much in the mind as it is on the spreadsheet, hence these very real notions of "consumer confidence" and pricing that continues to end in ".99". And so sometimes with pricing I find it helps to borrow another phrase from sport, alongside that full-court press, in the "eye test". Sports scouts use all kinds of numerical data to analyse prospective players these days, but the best ones still marry that with a bit of old-school viewing in the flesh. If a player looks good on paper and passes the eye test, they're probably the real deal. Likewise, if the impact of buying an $80 video game at full price looks unclear in the data, but to your human eye feels about as whince-inducing as biting into a raw onion like it's an apple, and then rubbing said raw onion all over said eye, it's probably extremely bloody expensive and you should stop trying to be clever. Video games, to me, do feel bloody expensive. If I weren't in the incredibly fortunate position of being able to source or expense most of them for work I am genuinely unsure if I'd be continuing with them as a hobby - at least beyond shifting my patterns, as so many players have over the years, away from premium console and PC games to the forever-tempting, free-to-play time-vampires like Fortnite or League of Legends. Which leads, finally, to the real point here: that there is another cost to rising game and console prices, beyond the one hitting you square in the wallet. How much is GTA 6 going to cost? $80 or more? | Image credit: Rockstar The other cost - perhaps the real cost, when things settle - is the notion of ownership itself. Plenty of physical media collectors, aficionados and diehards will tell you this has been locked in the sights of this industry for a long time, of course. They will point to gaming's sister entertainment industries of music, film and television, and the paradigm shift to streaming in each, as a sign of the inevitability of it all. And they will undoubtedly have a point. But this step change in the cost of gaming will only be an accelerant. Understanding that only takes a quick glance at the strategy of, say, Xbox in recent years. While Nintendo is still largely adhering to the buy-it-outright tradition and Sony is busy shooting off its toes with live service-shaped bullets, Microsoft has, like it or not, positioned itself rather deftly. After jacking up the cost of its flatlining hardware and platform-agnostic games, Xbox, its execs would surely argue, is also now rather counterintuitively the home of value gaming - if only because Microsoft itself is the one hoiking up the cost of your main alternative. Because supplanting the waning old faithfuls in this kind of scenario - trade-ins, short-term rentals - is, you guessed it, Game Pass. You could even argue the consoles are factored in here too. Microsoft, with its "this is an Xbox" campaign and long-stated ambition to reach players in the billions, has made it plain that it doesn't care where you play its games, as long as you're playing them. When all physical consoles are jumping up in price, thanks to that rising tide effect of inflation, the platform that lets you spend £15 a month to stream Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Oblivion Remastered and the latest Doom straight to your TV without even buying one is, at least in theory (and not forgetting the BDS call for a boycott of them) looking like quite an attractive proposition. Xbox, for its part, has been chipping away at this idea for a while - we at Eurogamer had opinions about team green's disregard for game ownership as far back as the reveal of the Xbox One, in the ancient times of 2013. Then it was a different method, the once-horrifying face of digital rights management, or DRM, along with regulated digital game sharing and online-only requirements. Here in 2025, with that disdain now platform-agnostic, and where games are being disappeared from people's libraries, platforms like Steam are, by law, forced to remind you that you're not actually buying your games at all, where older games are increasingly only playable via subscriptions to Nintendo, Sony, and now Xbox, and bosses are making wild claims about AI's ability to "preserve" old games by making terrible facsimiles of them, that seems slightly quaint. More directly, Xbox has been talking about this very openly since at least 2021. As Ben Decker, then head of gaming services marketing at Xbox, said to me at the time: "Our goal for Xbox Game Pass really ladders up to our goal at Xbox, to reach the more than 3 billion gamers worldwide… we are building a future with this in mind." Four years on, that future might be now. Jacking up the cost of games and consoles alone won't do anything to grow gaming's userbase, that being the touted panacea still by the industry's top brass. Quite the opposite, obviously (although the Switch 2 looks set to still be massive, and the PS5, with all its price rises, still tracks in line with the price-cut PS4). But funneling more and more core players away from owning games, and towards a newly incentivised world where they merely pay a comparatively low monthly fee to access them, might just. How much a difference that will truly make, and the consequences of it, remain up for debate of course. We've seen the impact of streaming on the other entertainment industries in turn, none for the better, but games are a medium of their own. Perhaps there's still a little room for optimism. Against the tide there are still organisations like Does It Play? and the Game History Foundation, or platforms such as itch.io and GOG (nothing without its flaws, of course), that exist precisely because of the growing resistance to that current. Just this week, Lost in Cult launched a new wave of luxurious, always-playable physical editions of acclaimed games, another small act of defiance - though perhaps another sign things are going the way of film and music, where purists splurge on vinyl and Criterion Collection BluRays but the vast majority remain on Netflix and Spotify. And as uncomfortable as it may be to hear for those - including this author! - who wish for this medium to be preserved and cared for like any other great artform, there will be some who argue that a model where more games can be enjoyed by more people, for a lower cost, is worth it. Game Pass often offers great value, but the library is always in a state of flux. Collectors may need to start looking at high-end physical editions. | Image credit: Microsoft There's also another point to bear in mind here. Nightmarish as it may be for preservation and consumer rights, against the backdrop of endless layoffs and instability many developers tout the stability of a predefined Game Pass or PS Plus deal over taking a punt in the increasingly crowded, choppy seas of the open market. Bethesda this week has just boasted Doom: The Dark Ages' achievement of becoming the most widely-played (note: not fastest selling) Doom game ever. That despite it reaching only a fraction of peak Steam concurrents in the same period as its predecessor, Doom: Eternal - a sign, barring some surprise shift away from PC gaming to consoles, that people really are beginning to choose playing games on Game Pass over buying them outright. The likes of Remedy and Rebellion tout PS Plus and Game Pass as stabilisers, or even accelerants, for their games launching straight onto the services. And independent studios and publishers of varying sizes pre-empted that when we spoke to them for a piece about this exact this point, more than four years ago - in a sense, we're still waiting for a conclusive answer to a question we first began investigating back in 2021: Is Xbox Game Pass just too good to be true? We've talked, at this point, at great length about how this year would be make-or-break for the triple-A model in particular. About how the likes of Xbox, or Warner Bros., or the many others have lost sight of their purpose - and in the process, their path to sustainability - in the quest for exponential growth. How £700 Pro edition consoles are an argument against Pro editions altogether. And about how, it's becoming clear, the old industry we once knew is no more, with its new form still yet to take shape. There's an argument now, however, that a grim new normal for preservation and ownership may, just as grimly, be exactly what the industry needs to save itself. It would be in line with what we've seen from the wider world of technology and media - and really, the wider world itself. A shift from owning to renting. That old chestnut of all the capital slowly rising, curdling at the top. The public as mere tenants in a house of culture owned by someone, somewhere else. It needn't have to be this way, of course. If this all sounds like a particularly unfavourable trade-in, remember this too: it's one that could almost certainly have been avoided.