What’s the opposite of a “bear hug”?That was the phrase often used to describe President Joe Biden’s approach to Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks: publicly and enthusiastically backing Israel, particularly when it comes to its wider regional conflict with Iran and its proxies, while quietly trying to restrain Israel’s actions in Gaza. Now President Donald Trump is traveling through the Middle East this week for a multi-country tour and dealmaking bonanza that pointedly does not include a stop in Israel. (Trump has denied the snub, saying his trip is “very good for Israel.”)The trip is the latest example of how Trump’s approach to the country often seems like a mirror image of his predecessor’s: he has little interest in restraining or pressuring Israel on its war in Gaza, but perhaps even less interest in supporting Israel on wider regional issues or aligning the two countries’ approach to the region. This is still an administration that is fiercely “pro-Israel” in rhetoric and in its willingness to punish Israel’s critics in America. But in practice, as he conducts his foreign policy, Trump seems remarkably unconcerned about what Israel has to say about it. “The one message that’s consistent [from Trump] is ‘I have plans for the region. You’re welcome to be a partner, but if you prefer to be ignored, go ahead,’” said Nimrod Novik, former foreign policy adviser to the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. This is not the Trump Israel was expectingWhen Trump was reelected last November, the response from the Israeli government was near rapturous. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had an often fraught relationship with Biden’s administration, praised Trump for “history’s greatest comeback” and predicted a “powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”It’s not hard to figure out why Netanyahu was so optimistic. During his first term, Trump, who often describes himself as the most pro-Israel president in history, took a number of precedent-smashing steps to demonstrate that support, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, which is not considered the country’s capital by most of the international community, and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights.His first term included the Abraham Accords — a series of deals, mediated by the United States, normalizing relations between Israel and a number of Arab countries — as well as the scrapping of President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, loathed by Netanyahu’s government. Even by the standards of the US-Israel relationship, Trump’s approach stood out for its unconditional support. There were early indications that the second term would bring more of the same. For his ambassador to Israel, Trump picked Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist whose views on Israeli-Palestinian issues would put him on the far right even in Israeli politics. One of Trump’s most notable domestic initiatives so far has been a widespread crackdown on universities and activists over last year’s anti-Israel protests. Nor has his White House engaged in much Biden-style soul-searching about Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza: Trump quickly lifted the limited restrictions on arms exports to Israel and sanctions on violent West Bank settlers that Biden had put in place. His suggestion that Gaza be “cleaned out” of its Palestinian inhabitants to make room for a resort was received ecstatically by the Israeli far right. But when it comes to the Middle East, writ large, it’s been a different story. Trump seems remarkably unconcerned about appearing to be on the same page as the Israelis in his approach to the region, and has repeatedly negotiated directly with Israel’s main adversaries while cutting Israel out entirely.In early March, Axios reported that Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, had been negotiating with Hamas over the release of American hostages — without coordinating with Israel, and breaking a longstanding precedent of the US refraining from direct talks with the terrorist group. The news created a firestorm of controversy and Boehler was removed from the talks, but just this week, Hamas agreed to release the last surviving American hostage, Edan Alexander. The negotiations that led to the release, led by Trump’s all-purpose foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly came after Hamas reached out via an “Arab Americans for Trump” group. Israel learned about the talks not from the White House, but from its own intelligence services. It was not the only surprise Netanyahu has gotten recently. During an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister last month, Trump dropped the surprise announcement that he was dispatching Witkoff and other negotiators to begin direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Netanyahu, who learned of the talks only after arriving in Washington, DC, has pushed the US to insist on a complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program. But officials including the secretary of state and vice president have suggested they might be open to Iran maintaining some type of civilian nuclear program — effectively returning to a similar framework to the one Trump tore up in 2018. And while Israel welcomed Trump’s decision in March to step up the US air campaign against the Houthis, the Yemeni militant group that has been firing missiles and drones at Israel as well as ships traveling through the Red Sea since the start of the Gaza war, Trump abruptly announced an end to the bombing earlier this month. He said he had received assurances from the Houthis that they would refrain from attacking US ships. (The rate at which the campaign was burning through American money and munitions also probably played a role.) Trump’s announcement made no mention of Israel, even though the Houthis had attacked Tel Aviv’s airport days earlier. The message was unmistakable: Israel could deal with the Houthis on their own. All in all, the Trump administration has been in direct talks with three of Israel’s main adversaries — Hamas, Iran, and the Houthis — to cut deals without Israel’s input, a nearly unprecedented situation according to longtime observers of relations between the two countries.“I don’t think there’s an administration, Democrat or Republican, that has even come close to undertaking the sort independent outreach that the Trump administration has now contrived over the course of the last three months,” said Aaron David Miller, a veteran Mideast peace negotiator who served in several US administrations. A changing GOP meets a changing Middle EastWhat explains the new frostiness in the US-Israel relationship? One answer may be that Trump is simply growing frustrated with Netanyahu. If there’s one consistent theme in Trump’s worldview, it’s skepticism about allies that, as he sees it, take more from America than they give. During his Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu, Trump brushed aside a suggestion that he should lift tariffs on Israel, saying “We give Israel $4 billion a year. That’s a lot. Congratulations, by the way.” Some Trump critics in the US have been crediting him for his approach to the relationship. The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman praised the president for realizing that “Netanyahu is not our friend,” while former Bernie Sanders foreign policy adviser Matt Duss credited him with handling “Netanyahu more effectively than alleged foreign policy expert Joe Biden did.” Netanyahu himself is probably not the only factor here. The second Trump term has also seen the rise in influence of the so-called “restrainer” wing of Republican foreign policy, who want to reduce America’s military footprint abroad, especially in the Middle East, at the expense of traditional hawks. While not uniformly anti-Israel (though some outside Trump allies like Tucker Carlson would probably qualify), the restrainers are much less inclined to think that US and Israeli interests are aligned. Vice President JD Vance, for instance, has stated that while Israel has a right to defend itself, he doesn’t believe the US should be drawn into a war with Iran. Trump’s speech in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, which included pointed shots at “neocons” and “nation builders,” may have been an indication of which faction is winning the battle for influence. And according to reporting by the Washington Post, former national security adviser Mike Waltz, one of Trump’s most traditionally hawkish advisers, was fired in early May in part because of Trump’s anger that Waltz had been in communication with the Israeli government about using military force against Iran. This is also not the same Middle East that Trump dealt with last time around. Israel isn’t the only longstanding US ally getting snubbed on Trump’s trip; previous presidents might have been expected to make a stop in Egypt or Jordan. But Trump is making a beeline for the Gulf, home of lucrative arms and computer chip deals, not to mention golf resorts and free 747s.During Trump’s first term, the Saudis and Emiratis were more or less aligned with the US and Israel on wider regional security matters — namely, the perceived danger posed by Iran. This was the context that made the Emiratis’ recognition of Israel in the Abraham Accords possible. This time, when Trump sits down with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, he’s likely to hear a different story. The Saudis and Iranians have reached a detente, and both Gulf countries have tried to extricate themselves from the long and brutal conflict with the Houthis in Yemen. Both now support a deal with Iran that would avoid war, and both supported an end to the US campaign against the Houthis. They’re also increasingly frustrated with Israel’s war in Gaza and the anger it has provoked throughout the region, including in their own populations. The scenes coming out of Gaza have raised the costs of appearing to be aligned with Israel.“Both MBS and MBZ have his respect. He listens to them,” said Novik, now a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum, of the Saudi and Emirati leaders. “They believe that what happens in Gaza doesn’t stay in Gaza. It’s destabilizing the region, and that’s bad for business.” All indications are that Trump is these days more interested in what he calls the “gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi” than the winding streets of Jerusalem. A case in point: both the first Trump administration and the Biden team sought a major regional deal that would tie US nuclear or security cooperation with Saudi Arabia to Saudi recognition of Israel. Though Trump is still calling for the Saudis — who have never recognized the Jewish state — to normalize relations, his team has reportedly dropped it as a demand for US-Saudi nuclear cooperation. If this comes to pass, it would effectively be giving up on what would be the crown jewel of the Abraham Accords process. A hands-off stance on GazaAll this is a dramatic shift, but it’s certainly not the change that critics of Biden’s support for Israel were hoping for. Trump has iced out the Israelis on regional diplomacy just as Israel is considering a plan for an “intensive escalation” of its military operations in Gaza. This could include the destruction of most of the enclave’s remaining buildings and and would give civilians a choice between moving to a tiny “humanitarian area” or leaving — though it’s not clear what countries would be willing to accept them if they did. Trump and his senior officials have not spoken out publicly about the plan and, according to Axios’ reporting, have “effectively given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a green light to do as he sees fit.” Israeli officials say the operation will begin if there is no ceasefire and hostage deal by the end of Trump’s visit to the region this week, though there are few indications that Trump is actively involved in pushing for one. It seems unlikely that Trump would employ pressure tactics that Biden was unwilling to use, such as conditioning military aid or addressing the Israeli public directly about the war. Trump has shifted radically on policy in the past, but for the moment, his cold shoulder doesn’t seem any more likely to put an end to the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza than Biden’s bear hug. See More:

Warner Bros. Games has announced and released Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition, which it described as "the most extensive version" of the gory fighting game. But for fans, the release of the Definitive Edition has sparked significant concern that NetherRealm has now moved on from the game, and that it won’t see any new DLC characters or significant content updates. The Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition offers the main game packaged together with previously released downloadable content, including the Khaos Reigns story expansion, Kombat Pack 1, and Kombat Pack 2.The Definitive Edition also adds new character skins for Johnny Cage, Kitana, Scorpion, and Shao Khan “inspired” by the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 film, the Mortal Kombat (2021) movie character skin for Sub-Zero; and the tournament themed character skin (outfit) for Liu Kang.PlayFor fans, The Definitive Edition feels like a line has been drawn under Mortal Kombat 1. While Warner Bros. is known for its definitive and ultimate editions, and indeed NetherRealm games tend to get them, this time there is a sense of finality to the release. And with no announcements forthcoming about a Kombat Pack 3 or anything else meaningful for Mortal Kombat 1, fans believe that March 2025's release of the T-1000 guest character will go down as the game's final content drop.If true, it’s a big disappointment for hardcore Mortal Kombat 1 fans, who had hoped for significantly longer term support for the game. Indeed, many are now pointing to a September 2024 tweet from NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon, who at the time moved to reassure fans already concerned that the studio had moved onto its next game by saying: “NetherRealm is still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come.”"The game is done, it’s their way of saying ‘Goodbye! Come back the next year or two for another overly priced game bloated with guest characters!’ " said a clearly disgruntled redditor.“MK1 officially has a shorter content lifespan than the f***ing Texas Chainsaw Massacre game lmao,” said another.For context, in July 2021, NetherRealm announced it had started work on its next project (Mortal Kombat 1) and, as a result, there would be no further DLC for Mortal Kombat 11. That announcement came two years and three months after the release of the game. NetherRealm is yet to make a similar announcement for Mortal Kombat 1.Mortal Kombat 1 enjoyed something of a resurgence in January with the secret fight with Floyd, the pink ninja developer Ed Boon had been teasing for years. That sparked a fun community-wide effort that breathed new life into the game. But that was a rare bright spot for what has, overall, been a disappointing release for many core Mortal Kombat fans.T-1000 Terminator was the final DLC character added to Mortal Kombat 1 as part of the Khaos Reigns expansion, and follows playable fighters Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian. Fans have wondered for some time now whether developer NetherRealm plans a third set of DLC characters, or a Kombat Pack 3, amid questions about Mortal Kombat 1’s sales success.Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has indicated, however, that it still believes in the Mortal Kombat franchise. In November, CEO David Zaslav said that on the games side of things, the company plans to double down on just four titles, one of which is Mortal Kombat.Most fans of the studio’s work expect it to release a third game in its DC fighting game franchise, Injustice, although neither NetherRealm nor Warner Bros. has yet to confirm that. The first game in the series, Injustice: Gods Among Us, launched in 2013, with its sequel, Injustice 2, coming out in 2017. NetherRealm released Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019 and for a time it seemed like the studio would alternate between Mortal Kombat and Injustice games, but it went on to release another Mortal Kombat, the soft reboot that is Mortal Kombat 1, in 2023 instead.In an interview with IGN in June 2023, Boon spoke in vague terms about this decision. "There were a number of factors, some of which I can talk about, some of which I probably shouldn't," Boon said.Two reasons Boon was willing to discuss were the unfortunate onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the team's choice to switch to a newer version of the Unreal game engine (Mortal Kombat 11 runs on Unreal Engine 3, whereas Mortal Kombat 1 runs on Unreal Engine 4)."But we did go to a new graphics engine, Unreal," Boon said. "We really wanted to be careful with COVID and all that stuff and everybody staying safe. So there were a bunch of variables involved that eventually we realized, 'Okay, let's do another Mortal Kombat game and hopefully we'll get back to the Injustice games.' "Just to be sure, we wanted to confirm with him directly that the door was not closed on the Injustice franchise."Not at all," Boon answered.Mortal Kombat 1 has sold 5 million copies, with the franchise now up to 100 million. Mortal Kombat 11 became the best-selling game in the franchise by passing Mortal Kombat X's nearly 11 million units sold worldwide. By 2022, Mortal Kombat 11 had sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Clearly, Mortal Kombat 1 has underperformed compared to previous games in the series.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Ubisoft has finally given word on a release window for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, stating that the game will launch by the end of March 2026.In its earnings call today, Ubisoft revealed that it plans for the Sands of Time remake to drop in fiscal year 2025-26, which officially ends on March 31, 2026. This significantly narrows down the release timeline for the game, as previously the publisher had only said it was coming in 2026.This release window would mark nearly six years since the announcement of the game. Ubisoft originally teased the Sands of Time remake way back in 2020 for last-gen consoles. Since then, it has had a rocky development process, switching developers a few years ago following fan backlash to the original trailer and a missed launch date. It's probably safe to say at this point that the remake, now in the works at Ubisoft Montreal, will come to current-gen consoles.Continue Reading at GameSpot

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has told Apple CEO Tim Cook to stop expanding manufacturing operations in India despite New Delhi offering a "no-tariff deal" to the United States, a move that could impede India's aspirations to become a global technology manufacturing hub. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, referring to the Apple chief executive. "He is building all over India. I don't want you building in India. India can take care of itself." Apple has significantly increased its Indian manufacturing footprint, assembling $22 billion worth of iPhones in India during the 12 months through March. Apple said earlier this month a majority of its devices shipped into the U.S. in the June quarter will originate in India and Vietnam. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The next year for Ubisoft could be a quiet one. The French publisher announced that it’s pushing back some of its biggest games to allow them more time for development. The move comes after an internal review that took place last fall and could see upcoming sequels like Far Cry 7, Assassin’s Creed Hexe, and the next Ghost Recon all delayed into 2026 and beyond. Suggested ReadingWhy This Under-the-Radar AAA Title Is More Than Just A Far Cry Clone Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingWhy This Under-the-Radar AAA Title Is More Than Just A Far Cry Clone Share SubtitlesOffEnglish“After a thorough review of its pipeline that took place from October to December, the Group decided to provide additional development time to some of its biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success,” Ubisoft announced in a press release on Wednesday. “This decision has already been beneficial to the quality of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As a consequence, FY2026-27 and FY2027-28 will see significant growth vs. FY2025-26 on the back of strong content coming from the Group’s largest brands.”While the company didn’t call out its “biggest productions” by name, it’s likely safe to assume it’s talking about entries in the Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, and Tom Clancy universes. 2025 marks four years since Far Cry 6, with Far Cry 7 well into development but still not officially announced amid the longest break in sequels in the franchise’s recent history (Insider Gaming reports it is slated for late 2026 at the moment). Assassin’s Creed Hexe, meanwhile, has already been teased as the next major entry in the stealth RPG series, but looks unlikely to arrive before 2027 at this rate.Lots of other projects at Ubisoft also remain up in the air, including a Splinter Cell remake and the perennially MIA Beyond Good & Evil 2. We did get some sense of what’s next up in the publisher’s pipeline today, however. Anno 117: Pax Romana, the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, Rainbow Six Mobile and The Division Resurgence are all expected to come out by March 31, 2026, alongside other still-unannounced projects. That leaves a 12-month gap with no major heavy hitters for one of the biggest publishers in the world, followed by a potential onslaught of tentpole releases. In the meantime, upheaval at Ubisoft will continue as it “crystalizes the true economic value” of a new Tencent-funded shell company containing its most valuable assets and an additional $100-million cost-cutting program that will likely result in additional layoffs over the next two years. .

Dungeons & Dragons has been working to integrate some of the biggest third-party publishers of 5E content into its D&D Beyond digital ecosystem, making it easier for Dungeon Masters to keep track of all their books, and allowing players to incorporate unofficial classes, feats, and spells into their virtual character sheets. D&D Beyond incorporated Ruins of Symbaroum earlier this month and Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting in March, and the latest addition to the toolset is The Crooked Moon, a folk-horror setting and adventure based on Legends of Avantris’ actual-play series Edge of Midnight. The Crooked Moon earned more than $4 million on Kickstarter in 2023, making it the most successful D&D 5e crowdfunding campaign on the platform to date. Backers received their PDFs in March, and preorders are open now for the D&D Beyond version, which will release on June 16. The Player Options & Campaign Setting book and Monsters & Adventure Campaign cost $39.99 each, or can be bought together for $69.99. The ambitious project includes a 350-page adventure taking characters from levels 1 to 13 in the spooky world of Wickermoor Hollow, where they’ll travel on the Ghostlight Express to face the Crooked Man. The campaign features 85 folklore-inspired monsters and rules for multiphase boss fights with their own minions and terrain.  Players can also embrace the horror with plenty of new subclasses and species. So a ranger can become a Grim Harbringer, a warlock can choose the Horned King as a patron, and you can play a pumpkin-headed Harvestborn or a rat-like Plagueborn. There are also rules for new spells, rituals, and items, plus Fateweaving, a system to bind characters together and link them to folklore. Prefer a physical version of the book? Preorders are available at thecrookedmoon.com, with fulfillment expected this fall, when the books will also be available at retail.

options aplenty OpenAI adds GPT-4.1 to ChatGPT amid complaints over confusing model lineup Two new AI models join 7 others, leaving some paid users wondering which one is best. Benj Edwards – May 14, 2025 6:16 pm | 18 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more On Wednesday, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT users now have access to GPT-4.1, an AI language model previously available only through the company's API since its launch one month ago. The update brings what OpenAI describes as improved coding and web development capabilities to paid ChatGPT subscribers, with wider enterprise rollout planned in the coming weeks. GPT-4.1 and 4.1 mini to ChatGPT adds to an already complex model selection that includes GPT-4o, various specialized GPT-4o versions, o1-pro, o3-mini, and o3-mini-high models. There are technically nine AI models available for ChatGPT Pro subscribers. Wharton professor Ethan Mollick recently publicly lampooned the awkward situation on social media. As of May 14, 2025, ChatGPT Pro users have access to eight main AI models, plus Deep Research. Credit: Benj Edwards Deciding which AI model to use can be daunting for AI novices. Reddit users and OpenAI forum members alike commonly voice confusion about the available options. "I do not understand the reason behind having multiple models available for use," wrote one Reddit user in March. "Why would anyone use anything but the best one?" Another Redditor said they were "a bit lost" with the many ChatGPT models available after switching back from using Anthropic Claude. Reportedly better at coding So, what is actually different about GPT-4.1? Notably, it features a very large 1 million token context window that allows processing roughly 3,000 pages of text in a single conversation. The API launch included three versions: GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano. So far, only the full and mini versions are available in ChatGPT. The full GPT-4.1 model reportedly prioritizes instruction following and coding tasks, which the company positions as an alternative to its o3 and o4-mini simulated reasoning models for basic programming needs. For the smaller of the two models in ChatGPT, the company claims that GPT-4.1 mini performs better in instruction following, coding, and "overall intelligence" compared to GPT-4o mini. OpenAI is replacing GPT-4o mini with GPT-4.1 mini across all ChatGPT tiers, including free accounts. Free users will automatically switch to GPT-4.1 mini after reaching usage limits for GPT-4o. ChatGPT subscribers using Plus, Pro, or Team plans can access GPT-4.1 through a "more models" dropdown menu in the platform's model picker. The release comes just two weeks after OpenAI made GPT-4 unavailable in ChatGPT on April 30. That earlier model, which launched in March 2023, once sparked widespread hype about AI capabilities. Compared to that hyperbolic launch, GPT-4.1's rollout has been a fairly understated affair—probably because it's tricky to convey the subtle differences between all of the available OpenAI models. As if 4.1's launch wasn't confusing enough, the release also roughly coincides with OpenAI's July 2025 deadline for retiring the GPT-4.5 Preview from the API, a model one AI expert called a "lemon." Developers must migrate to other options, OpenAI says, although GPT-4.5 will remain available in ChatGPT for now. A confusing addition to OpenAI’s model lineup In February, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged his company's confusing AI model naming practices on X, writing, "We realize how complicated our model and product offerings have gotten." He promised that a forthcoming "GPT-5" model would consolidate the o-series and GPT-series models into a unified branding structure. But the addition of GPT-4.1 to ChatGPT appears to contradict that simplification goal. So, if you use ChatGPT, which model should you use? If you're a developer using the models through the API, the consideration is more of a trade-off between capability, speed, and cost. But in ChatGPT, your choice might be limited more by personal taste in behavioral style and what you'd like to accomplish. Some of the "more capable" models have lower usage limits as well because they cost more for OpenAI to run. For now, OpenAI is keeping GPT-4o as the default ChatGPT model, likely due to its general versatility, balance between speed and capability, and personable style (conditioned using reinforcement learning and a specialized system prompt). The simulated reasoning models like 03 and 04-mini-high are slower to execute but can consider analytical-style problems more systematically and perform comprehensive web research that sometimes feels genuinely useful when it surfaces relevant (non-confabulated) web links. Compared to those, OpenAI is largely positioning GPT-4.1 as a speedier AI model for coding assistance. Just remember that all of the AI models are prone to confabulations, meaning that they tend to make up authoritative-sounding information when they encounter gaps in their trained "knowledge." So you'll need to double-check all of the outputs with other sources of information if you're hoping to use these AI models to assist with an important task. Benj Edwards Senior AI Reporter Benj Edwards Senior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 18 Comments

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube812k It's been some time since Ubisoft provided an update about the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 'Remake' project, but we've officially got one in the company's latest earnings call. Although the plan is to now provide unannounced major IPs additional development time to improve the overall quality of each experience after a similar delay helped Assassin's Creed Shadows - it seems the long-awaited Sands of Time remake could be on the horizon. The long-awaited title, originally revealed in 2020, is now scheduled to be released in the current financial year, ending March 2026. “After a thorough review of its pipeline that took place from October to December, the Group decided to provide additional development time to some of its biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success... This decision has already been beneficial to the quality of Assassin’s Creed Shadows." It's believed The Sands of Time Remake will be narrowed to a release sometime between January and March of next year at this stage. No platforms have been confirmed, but a Switch version was referenced at one stage, and the original game was released on GameCube. This project update follows the news last year Ubisoft had bolstered the remake's development with Ubisoft Toronto joining the project. The last Prince of Persia game released on a Nintendo platform was The Lost Crown last January, which unfortunately led to the same team being disbanded by Ubisoft after a disastrous year for the company. More recently Ubisoft has opened a new subsidiary with Tencent focused on key IP. Could another Ubisoft game be on the way? "A new chapter in its history" What series would you like to see next-gen? Would you be interested in returning to The Sands of Time in the future? Have you played the original release? How do you feel about Ubisoft giving its other games more development time? Let us know in the comments. [source videogameschronicle.com] Share:0 0 Liam is a news writer and reviewer across Hookshot Media. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of many iconic video game characters. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles Nintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Switch 2 Games And original Switch, of course Here's A Look At The Back Of Mario Kart World's Switch 2 Box Art The race begins next month The First Review For Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Is In A fantasy score? SNK Announces ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 5 And Vol. 6 For Switch Update: Multi-language release confirmed Feature: "We're Very Confident" - CD Projekt Red On Delivering The Full Cyberpunk 2077 Experience On Switch 2 "Nintendo was very supportive"

They Always Do Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, which inexplicably skipped PC when it came out last year, finally returns home this month It never made sense why the Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy kind of pretended the PC platform doesn't exist when it was released last year. Image credit: GSC Game World. News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on May 14, 2025 Whether or not you liked the direction GSC Game World took Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, you’d have to admit that releasing a game as ambitious as it was under the conditions the studio went through was nothing short of a miracle. You can, of course, appreciate that, and still prefer the old Stalker games. Unfortunately, because of their age, playing those games on modern PCs requires a lot of modding and tweaking. Although that's fairly standard for classic PC games, it's nevertheless a hurdle. That, however, creates an opportunity for a proper re-release. Which, you may recall, actually came out last year - just not on PC. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. We’re talking about the Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, which was announced and released in March last year as part of an Xbox Partner Preview presentation. The trilogy was mainly designed to make the games work on consoles, but it still felt strange for PC players to be left behind. That version had very much been designed for last-gen consoles - Xbox One and PS4 - even if you could play it on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 thanks to backwards compatibility. At the time, GSC said it’s going to release a patch later in the year to allow the games to take better advantage of modern console hardware, but that never materialised. Which brings us to today’s announcement of Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition, a re-release of a re-release. This one, thankfully, won’t be skipping PC when it arrives on May 20. This is also when it’s going to be available across PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Watch on YouTube The good news is that owners of last year’s, non-enhanced release will receive the upgrades for free. Those who purchased games individually from the same bundle will get an enhanced version of whichever game they own. Things are even better on PC, where owners of the original, classic games will receive the enhanced editions of all the games they own entirely free. You’ll even get the classic games for free if you buy the Enhanced Edition. All the upgrades from last year’s re-release remain, but PS5 and Xbox Series X/S owners will have a wider selection of graphics and performance modes to choose from, including a 2K/120fps mode. Keyboard and mouse support is also an option on the same consoles. As for PC, the biggest upgrade is Steam Deck support for the entire trilogy, as well as Steam Workshop integration. All three games now have full controller support, too. Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition is priced $40 (or $20 for each title), and includes three games: Shadow of Chornobyl (2007), Clear Sky (2008), and Call of Prypiat (2009).

UPDATE: In a statement, Valve says the leak involves "older text messages that had previously been sent to Steam customers" and is "NOT a breach of Steam systems.""We’re still digging into the source of the leak, which is compounded by the fact that any SMS messages are unencrypted in transit, and routed through multiple providers on the way to your phone," it says. However, the phone numbers that received the one-time codes are not associated with a Steam account, password information, payment information or other personal data.A password reset is not required, it adds, but this is "a good reminder to treat any account security messages that you have not explicitly requested as suspicious." Valve recommends regularly checking your Steam account security and setting up the Steam Mobile Authenticator.Original Story:Account details of 89 million Steam PC gamers are up for sale on the dark web. Spotted by Underdark.ai on LinkedIn and highlighted by XDA, the dataset is on sale on a well-known dark web forum for $5,000. A hacker who goes by Machine1337 provided details from the data to prove its authenticity. That has yet to be confirmed, but if you've ever used Steam, now is a good time to update your password.Recommended by Our EditorsIf you reuse your Steam password on other online accounts, meanwhile, you should also update those services. And keep an eye on your email for potential phishing attacks, especially around the topic of gaming.The source of the leak is unclear right now. Steam owner Valve shot down reports that it's linked to cloud software company Twilio.We asked Valve to confirm whether a breach had occurred and, if so, what next steps it recommends. We'll update this story when we hear back. Steam celebrated a major milestone earlier this year when it hit 40 million active users in March, suggesting the breach potentially includes data on inactive accounts or occasional Steam users.Steam also made headlines in March when a demo for a fake title called Sniper: Phantom's Resolution was found to be malware. Rather than hosting the malware directly on Steam, the listing linked to a different website to fool users into installing a computer virus.