Larian Studios faced a major backlash this week after CEO Swen Vincke revealed the company uses generative AI tools in its development process for the next Divinity game. Online criticism erupted following an interview where Vincke discussed evaluating the technology, with many players interpreting it as a move to replace human artists.
Vincke quickly responded, forcefully denying that Larian is pushing to replace concept artists with AI. The controversy prompted former developers and narrative designers to criticize the studio's hiring practices, while other industry figures like Warhorse Studios' Daniel Vávra defended Larian, stating most studios are quietly exploring similar tools.
In a final statement for the year, Vincke...
Samsung is reportedly planning to use its new Exynos 2600 chipset in next year's Galaxy Z Flip 8. This move would help reduce costs for the more affordable foldable phone, as the alternative Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor is estimated to cost around 280 dollars per unit. The high price of the Qualcomm chip makes it a less viable option for the lower margin Flip model.
Mass production of the Exynos 2600, which uses Samsung's 2-nanometer GAA process, reportedly began months ago. Equipping its own foldable with this silicon would serve as a real-world showcase for the chip's performance and efficiency, potentially attracting other client orders. The flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8 is still expected to ship with the Snapdragon chip...
Joseph Cross, the lead art director for Bungie's upcoming game Marathon, has left the studio. His departure comes just months before the game's scheduled release in March 2026, after he spent fourteen years with the company. Cross confirmed the news himself, stating he was proud of the visual world the team built and would enjoy the game as a fan.
Cross was the senior figure who, alongside game director Joe Ziegler, publicly addressed a recent controversy where Bungie used an artist's work without permission. That incident involving artist Antireal was resolved to the creator's satisfaction. This was not an isolated event, as the studio faced similar accreditation issues in prior years while Cross held senior art roles.
In a...
The Coalition calls its upcoming game, Gears of War: E Day, its most ambitious project ever. This prequel, developed with help from People Can Fly, is built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. Set fourteen years before the original game, it follows Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago during the first Locust invasion, known as Emergence Day.
The Vancouver-based studio has been working on the title for nearly six years, alongside other support projects. They claim it is designed to both honor the series roots and introduce a new gameplay feel. Despite a recent franchise remaster appearing on PlayStation 5, E Day is currently announced only for PC and Xbox Series consoles, targeting a 2026 release. The studio plans to share more next...
ASRock just showed off a new white version of its top-tier RDNA 4 graphics card, the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White OC. This model upgrades the standard black Taichi edition with a full white color scheme for themed PC builds. A key addition is a small LCD panel on the side, which can display system stats like GPU temperature and resolution, along with things like the time, weather, or custom animations.
The promotional material for the card, however, contains a glaring error. It lists the memory interface as a 384-bit bus while keeping the capacity at 16GB. This configuration is currently impossible, as it would require nonexistent 1.33GB memory chips. The physical PCB clearly shows eight standard memory modules, confirming a typical...
Apple’s infamous 2013 Mac Pro, nicknamed the trashcan for its cylindrical design, represented a bold but flawed attempt to reinvent the professional desktop. Then marketing chief Phil Schiller famously mocked critics with a defiant statement about innovation during its launch. The compact machine used a unique thermal core with a single fan, making it quieter and much smaller than its predecessor. It paired Intel Xeon chips with dual AMD graphics cards.
However, the design’s major shortcomings quickly became apparent. The unified internal layout lacked expansion slots for additional graphics or memory, causing the system to become obsolete faster than professionals needed. Users also criticized its limited peripheral connectivity...
According to a recent biography, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is primarily motivated by fear and guilt rather than optimism. This internal drive is credited with the company's relentless push to dominate the AI hardware sector. However, the author Stephen Witt identifies Google as a significant threat, calling the tech giant NVIDIA's potential kryptonite.
Witt suggests Google's advancements with its Gemini models and custom TPU chips could create serious trouble for NVIDIA in the long term. The competition extends beyond raw computing power into supply chains and broad architectural adoption. While NVIDIA currently holds a strong position with reserved production capacity, Google's specialized AI semiconductors are seen as highly...
A YouTuber managed to fit a larger battery into an iPhone 16 Pro Max, surpassing the capacity of the newer iPhone 17 Pro Max. The channel DirectorFeng demonstrated the modification, swapping the original 4,685mAh cell for a third-party 5,142mAh unit from a manufacturer called SEFU. The physical dimensions of the upgraded battery were nearly identical, allowing it to fit inside the phone without any apparent issues.
After installing the new component and running several charge cycles, the device showed one hundred percent battery health. This DIY upgrade results in a capacity increase of almost ten percent over the stock configuration. It also technically beats the 5,088mAh battery reported for the upcoming eSIM model of the iPhone 17...
Taiwanese officials are making it clear that the US will not get TSMC's most advanced chip tech. A deputy minister recently reiterated the island's strict N-2 policy, meaning American facilities will always be at least two manufacturing generations behind Taiwan's leading edge. For example, if Taiwan is producing 1.4-nanometer chips, the US would only get access to 1.6-nanometer processes.
This formal rule confirms a major hurdle for US plans to onshore cutting-edge semiconductor supply. TSMC is still investing heavily in Arizona, with plans for 3-nanometer production by 2027. However, by that time, Taiwan aims to be moving beyond 2-nanometer tech toward 1.6-nanometer nodes. The policy is designed to protect Taiwan's economic security...
