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Editor's Note: EA recently cancelled work on the new Black Panther game, and shuttered developer Cliffhanger Games. As such, it's not coming out, but you can still find info on everything announced on the game in this article.A new Black Panther game is in the works over at Cliffhanger Games, a new outfit under the EA banner. After a couple of years of rumors swirling around the internet, EA finally announced its Black Panther game, alongside some details on what to expect. Since then, we've not heard much at all, and we've even seen a completely different game featuring Black Panther announced.While information is admittedly light at the moment on the Black Panther game, we do know that it is being worked on by developers that previously led the Shadow of Mordor game series. With such pedigree behind it, Black Panther certainly has a great chance at landing among the best superhero games when it eventually launches.It could be a while before we hear more on Black Panther, so while we wait, here's everything revealed about the game so far. This includes a look at what's been said about gameplay, and all of the latest news.Black Panther - cut to the chaseWhat is it? The untitled Black Panther game from EAWhen’s does it come out? TBCWhat can I play it on? TBCBlack Panther gameplay details revealedSo far, we've yet to see gameplay of the new Black Panther game from EA. There is some information buried in the announcement for the game, which describes it as an "original, third-person, single-player Black Panther game." While there's still plenty to learn about the gameplay, we do at least know that it will be third-person, and action-focused. Hopefully we hear more sooner rather than later.One interesting tidbit from the blog post comes from project lead Kevin Stephens:"We’re dedicated to delivering fans a definitive and authentic Black Panther experience, giving them more agency and control over their narrative than they have ever experienced in a story-driven video game."From this, we're betting that Black Panther has story choices, or perhaps something akin to the nemesis system from the Shadow of Mordor games. More info followed in April of 2024, as part of a job listing that suggests the new Black Panther game will be open world (Eurogamer). The advert describes the role:"Reporting to the Design Manager, the Sr. Technical Designer Sandbox will be instrumental in designing and populating encounters, systems, and gameplay within a dynamic and evolving open world,"This all means that the game could still be in early development, though it does at least suggest that the team is currently designing it around an open-world system.New Black Panther game settingCould EA's Black Panther draw inspiration from the MCU? (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney)What we do know about the new Black Panther game is that it is set in Wakanda. The in-game world of Wakanda is described as a "rich Super Hero sandbox." This could mean more of an open-world, or something slightly more constrained. The aforementioned blog post also outlines Cliffhanger Games' plans for Wakanda:"As we begin this remarkable journey, we are excited to be working with Marvel Games to ensure that we craft every aspect of Wakanda, its technology, its heroes, and our own original story with the attention to detail and authenticity that the world of Black Panther deserves."You Might Also Like...Upcoming Games 2025 for PC and consolesOur picks for the best PC gamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 review

By using Nim, miscreants are able to bypass traditional AV measuresThey approach their victims on Telegram and invite them to a Zoom meetingThe malware steals sensitive data and crypto tokensNorth Koreans are targeting Mac users with brand new malware in an attempt to steal cryptocurrency and other sensitive data, experts have warned.Security researchers from SentinelLabs discovered NimDoor, a unique backdoor malware written in a lesser-known programming language called Nim, which they attributed to North Korea state-sponsored adversaries engaged primarily in cryptocurrency theft, which is then used to fund both its state apparatus and its weapons program.Nim is used, first and foremost, to evade detection. The backdoor also uses AppleScript for beaconing and asynchronous sleep timers, tricking traditional security measures and maintaining persistence.Get 55% off Incogni's Data Removal service with code TECHRADAR Wipe your personal data off the internet with the Incogni data removal service. Stop identity thievesand protect your privacy from unwanted spam and scam calls.View DealAlarming evolutionThe attack usually starts on Telegram, where victims are approached by a seemingly trusted contact and invited to a fake Zoom meeting.The link redirects the victim to a spoofed Zoom page that prompts them to install an update in order to participate in the call. Instead of the update, the victims are dropped the malicious payload, which steals all sorts of sensitive data, from browsing history, search activity, cookies, Telegram data, to Keychain passwords.“This represents an alarming evolution in North Korean cyber capabilities, particularly because it specifically exploits the growing remote-working trend and Mac users' perceived lower vulnerability to such attacks,” the researchers explained.North Korean state-sponsored threat actors are known for their campaigns targeting cryptocurrency and Web3 companies. Among the biggest and most dangerous groups is Lazarus, a threat actor that netted more than $3.4 billion, in different attacks between 2021 and 2025.Among the biggest heists is the ByBit attack that happened in February 2025, when they stole approximately $1.5 billion in different tokens. Ronin Bridge was compromised in March 2022 for $600 million, while Poly Network lost roughly the same amount of money the year prior.You might also likeNew Lazarus Group campaign sees North Korean hackers spreading undetectable malware through GitHub and open source packagesTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

It's a good day to be a Prime Video user. Right now, almost 30 – yes, 30 – subscription add-ons have had their prices slashed ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2025. So, if you've ever wanted to try out of the many bolt-on channels and/or best streaming services that are offered as part of your Amazon Prime package, now is as good a time as any to do so.Apple TV+ is one I'd recommend checking out, too. Not only is it currently available for just $4.99 a month for the first two months if you bolt it onto your Prime Video subscription – that's a saving of 50%, FYI – but Apple's streaming platform is also home to some absolutely brilliant Movie and TV Originals.Apple TV+ two-month subscription: was $9.99 per month now $4.99 at Prime Video Stream Severance season 2, The Gorge, and Stick for just $4.99 per month, down from the usual $9.99. This represents a 50% saving on the usual monthly price, but note that the offer is only available for two months. View DealReady to take advantage of this unmissable deal? Here are four of the best Apple TV+ shows (all of which hold 86% or higher critical ratings on Rotten Tomatoes) ready to stream as soon as you've added Apple TV+ to your Amazon Prime subscription.FoundationSeasons: 2Age rating: TV-MAMain cast: Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Laura Birn, Leah Harvey, Cassian Bilton, and Terrence MannRT critical score: 86%Apple TV+ is home to some of the greatest sci-fi shows of the modern age, and this criminally underseen space opera is certainly among that number.Based on Isaac Asimov's best-selling book series namesake, Foundation stars Harris as Hari Seldon, a psychohistorian who believes his mathematical predictions can help the human race to avert a 30,000-year long crisis known as The Darkness. The novels follow Seldon's attempts, with protege Gaal Dornick (Llobell) in tow, to convince and later battle against the Galactic Empire, which is ruled by three clones of Emperor Cleon I – Dawn (Bilton), Day (Pace), and Dusk (Mann) – and rejects Seldon's warning-based works.Foundation has been one of my favorite shows since it first aired in September 2021. Read my Foundation season 1 premiere review and Foundation season 2 review to find out why. Foundation season 3 will arrive on July 11, so now's the perfect time to binge its forebears and then read my Foundation season 3 review for more on its best instalment yet.Watch Foundation on Apple TV+SeveranceSeasons: 2Age rating: TV-MAMain cast: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, and Dichen LachmanRT critical score: 96%If you prefer your sci-fi to come with a huge helping of mystery and a seemingly infinite number of fan theories, Severance is the one for you.Scott plays Mark Scout, a Severed Floor-based Lumon Industries employee who underwent the titular surgical procedure upon accepting the job. Essentially, the experiment separates a person's work life (this is called their 'innie') and personal life (their 'outie'), and neither persona has memories of what the other does. However, when one of Mark's fellow Severed employees uncovers some nefarious goings-on at Lumon, and a new hire also begins to question what the company's ambitions are, Mark and his cohorts embark of a quest to unravel the truth.Saying anything else would spoil the workplace mystery-thriller's biggest surprises, so do what I did and go in as blind as you can (ie don't read anything apart from our Severance season 1 review and Severance season 2 review, or watch any trailers) before you stream it. You'll thank me later.Watch Severance on Apple TV+Slow HorsesSeasons: 4Age rating: TV-MAMain cast: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, and Hugo WeavingRT critical score: 98%If Slow Horses was available on HBO in the US and/or BBC One in the UK, it would be one of the biggest shows around. Instead, this critically-acclaimed Apple TV Original continues to be hugely underappreciated by fans of small-screen entertainment.Based on Mick Herron's 'Slough House' book series, it follows Oldman's Jackson Lamb, a grouchy, lazy, unkempt, and sarcastic individual who heads up a division at MI5 where screw-ups, such as Lowden's River Cartwright, are sent if they botch an important mission and/or fail their espionage-based training program.Fans of spy-thriller stories will absolutely love Slow Horses for its eclectic cast of characters, meaty and electrifying narratives, quintessentially British humor, and stylish action sequences. Do me a favor and watch its first four seasons immediately. With Slow Horses season 5 set to premiere in September, and two more seasons already in the works, Lamb and company aren't going anywhere anytime soon.Watch Slow Horses on Apple TV+Ted LassoSeasons: 3Age rating: TV-MAMain cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Phil Dunster, and Nick MohammedRT critical score: 96%The first Apple TV Original to become a worldwide hit, Ted Lasso is a sports comedy-drama that won the hearts and minds of soccer (and non-soccer) fans after it premiered in August 2020. In it, Sudeikis plays the titular character who stuns the soccer world when he becomes the new manager of relegation-threatened AFC Richmond.A fan-favorite and multi-award-winning series that became a global phenomenon, Ted Lasso was the feel-good show we all needed amid the height of the pandemic. You'll laugh, cry, and cheer as the eponymous head coach makes his players, the soccer world, and viewers alike believe in his unorthodox management skills, the power of positivity, and fatherly demeanor.Seasons 1 to 3 are available to stream right now, so be sure to read my Ted Lasso season 2 review and Ted Lasso season 3 review before you watch those installments. With Ted Lasso season 4 also in early development, there's no better time to watch this perfect hattrick of goal-den TV fare.Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV+

Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be here soon on July 8-11, but as to be expected, you can already find some decent sales available now. Amazon always has lead-up sales in the days and weeks before Prime Day, and it’s wise to shop early if you’re on the hunt for something specific and you see that item at a good discount. Prime Day deals are typically reserved for subscribers, but there are always a few that anyone can shop. We expect this year to be no exception, and we’re already starting to see that trend in these early Prime Day deals. These are the best Prime Day deals you can get right now ahead of the event, and we’ll update this post with the latest offers as we get closer to the official days of Prime Day.

Prime Day deals under $50

Audible Premium Plus (three months) for $3 ($42 off): New subscribers can get three months of Audible for only $3, which represents a $42 discount. The Premium Plus tier gives you one book credit per month to use on any audiobook the service has, and you can stream any of the included titles for free on top of that. Audible also has members-only sales and discounts that you'll be able to take advantage of, too. The deal runs through July 31.

Samsung SmartTag 2 for $18.50 (38 percent off): Samsung users looking to keep track of their stuff need look no further than the SmartTag 2. One of our top picks for the best Bluetooth trackers, this accessory easily attaches to keys, bags and other items and uses Samsung's large finding network to show you their last known location.

Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $25 (15 percent off): Jisulife makes handheld fans we've recommended in past gift guides and this is one of its newer models. It can be held, folded so it sits flat on a table or worn around your neck for a cool breeze wherever you're going. It has an easy-to-read display in its center that will show you the fan speed level or current battery life, and its 5,000 mAh battery can last up to 19.5 hours on a single charge when you're running the fan on its lowest setting.

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 (49 percent off): Our favorite budget streaming stick, the Fire TV Stick HD is an easy, dirt-cheap way to upgrade an aging TV set. It supports HD video and its revamped remote can control the power and volume of your TV, so you don't have to keep track of two controllers.

Amazon Echo Spot for $45 (44 percent off): Amazon revived the Spot smart alarm clock last year, which features a half-circle shaped display that shows the time, weather and other information like song titles when you're using the speaker to play music. It has a compact design that will make it easy to fit on a desk or a nightstand, and as with any Alexa smart speaker, you can use it to control IoT devices like smart lights, locks and more.

Blink Outdoor 4 (one camera system) for $45 (55 percent off): These security cameras are some of our favorites, and you can start building a system for your home with this pack that includes one Outdoor 4 camera and one Sync Module 2. These Blink cameras record 1080p video, support two-way talk and deliver speedy and accurate motion alerts to your phone. You don't need a subscription to save footage either; just use a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2 to save clips locally.

Prime Day Apple deals

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If you’re looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning.

AirPods Pro 2 for $199 (20 percent off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid. Their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, though, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. But if that’s the case, we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone owners.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): We consider Apple’s flagship wearable to be the best smartwatch you can buy, period. It's a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer design and a marginally larger display than the prior Series 9. That said, it's still a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices.

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $849 (15 percent off): Apple continues to iterate on its most affordable laptop, and the M4 is the best Air yet. We consider this to be the best laptop for most people, thanks to its excellent performance, thing-and-light design, comfortable keyboard and trackpad and excellent battery life.

Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 ($24 off): AirTags are famous for their ability to keep track of anything you attach them to. We named them the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users in our guide thanks to the AirTags’ almost spooky ability to locate items in the world at large. If you just need a single tag, that’s on sale too.

Prime Day laptop deals

Microsoft Surface Laptop (13.8-inch, Snapdragon X Plus) for $880 (27 percent off): In addition to running on a Snapdragon X Plus processor, this 2024 Surface Laptop has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It's a Copilot+ PC that also has a 13.8-inch touchscreen, and it should last up to 20 hours on a single charge.

Google Pixelbook Go (13-inch, Intel Core M3) for $315 (51 percent off): The Pixelbook Go is a bit old at this point, but if you're a Chrome OS lover and want a Google-made laptop, this is a solid option. It includes an Intel Core M3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 12-hour battery life.

Prime Day smartphone deals

Moto G Play (2024) for $130 (13 percent off): This budget-friendly smartphone packs a lot of value into its 6.5-inch frame. Its LCD screen is surprisingly sharp with a 90Hz refresh rate, its design is IP52-rated for water- and dust-resistance and it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (the latter of which you can expand with a microSD card if you wish).

Prime Day tech deals

Ninja Dual-Zone air fryer (10 quart) for $180 ($50 off): This model is one of our favorite air fryers thanks to its dual-zone cooking system, which allows you to prepare two separate foods at different temperatures and settings. There's even a Match Cook feature that ensures both foods will be done at the same time, regardless of their cooking settings.

Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $183 ($37 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier, Levoit's Core 400S reliably improved air quality in our testing, plus it has easy to use onboard controls and replaceable filters that are not too expensive. We also found it to not be offensively loud, even on its highest setting.

TP-Link Deco XE75 Wi-Fi 6E mesh system for $250 (29 percent off with code DECOXE75): Our top pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system, this Deco XE75 three-pack is easy to set up and provides excellent performance with no-frills. The Deco mobile app lets you check speeds for each node, and you can see all of the devices on your network at any time.

iRobot Roomba Vacuum and Mop Combo for $140 (49 percent off): A version of one of our top favorite robot vacuums, this budget-friendly machine comes with a water reservoir that allows it to mop hard floors. It connects via Wi-Fi to the iRobot app as well, which lets you set cleaning schedules and further control the machine.

Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum for $150 (46 percent off): A favorite budget robot vacuum of ours, the 11S Max has a slim profile that allows it to easily get other some furniture that other robovacs can't reach. It does a good job of sucking up dirt and debris, and even though it doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, it comes with a remote control that gives you most of the functions an app would have.

Eufy E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum for $400 (38 percent off): One of Eufy's latest machines and a top pick of ours for the best robot vacuums, the E20 can putter around your home automatically, sucking up dirt and debris in its path. But then it can quickly transform into a cordless or handheld vacuum, allowing you to clean hard-to-reach spots manually.

Dyson V15 Detect Plus for $570 ($180 off): You can't get much better than a Dyson if you're on the market for a cordless stick vacuum, and the V15 Detect delivers. It's our current top pick for the best cordless vacuum overall thanks to its excellent suction power, lightweight design, good battery life and the included Fluffy Optic cleaning head that uses a laser to show you where all the debris is while you're using it.

Ring Doorbell Battery + Indoor Cam 2 for $70 (50 percent off): If you're looking to build out a security system in your home, this bundle is a good place to start, giving you a video doorbell and an indoor security camera. You'll be able to see both live feeds in the Ring app, and they can send you motion alerts and let you speak to people on the other end of the camera when you're not at home.

Amazon Fire TV soundbar for $85 (29 percent off, Prime exclusive): Amazon's soundbar supports Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X, and it measures just 24-inches long so it should be able to fit into even the most cramped TV setups. It also supports Bluetooth audio, so you can play music from it when you're not using it with your TV.

Amazon Fire TV Cube for $90 ($50 off): Amazon's most powerful streaming device, the Fire TV Cube can play 4K video with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, plus it supports Wi-Fi 6E and has a built-in Ethernet port for those who want a hardwired connection.

Amazon 55-inch Omni mini-LED Fire smart TV for $700 ($120 off): A top-of-the-line model in the Fire TV family, this set has a 4K QLED mini-LED display with 1,400 nits of peak brightness and "intelligence picture" technology that adapts the screen to your room's lighting conditions. It also has a 144Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync.

What is Prime Day?

Prime Day is Amazon's members-only shopping event, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event.

When is Prime Day 2025?

Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be back this year on July 8 through July 11.

How often is Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day typically comes around annually in July. In the last few years, Amazon has also had its "Big Deal Days" in October, which is effectively a second Prime Day and the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

How does Prime Day work?

Prime subscribers can go to Amazon's site on Prime Day to see all of the exclusive deals they have access to. Prime subscribers do not have to do anything additional to get Prime Day sales: the discounts you see on product pages will show up in your cart automatically. If you're not a Prime subscriber and you go to Amazon to shop on Prime Day, you'll likely see tons of items on sale but only "with Prime;" those discounts will not be available to those who are not active Prime subscribers.

Is Prime Day only for Prime members?

Technically yes, but even if you do not pay for a Prime membership, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day. While most Prime Day deals will be exclusively available to subscribers, there are always a handful of sales available to all shoppers. Amazon distinguishes between them very clearly: you'll see "Prime exclusive" on product pages near the deal pricing on the discounts that are only available to paying members.

Separately, it’s very likely that other retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too. So if you're not keen on shopping at Amazon at all, it's worth checking out other retailers during the week of Prime Day to see if they are matching Prime Day deal prices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-2025-the-best-early-deals-live-before-the-sale-plus-everything-else-you-need-to-know-120028014.html?src=rss

I really wanted to love season two of HBO’s The Last of Us. For the most part, I did — but it was also impossible to ignore the online masses saying that showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann had lost the thread in season two. Some of that comes from creative choices the pair made in adapting the first half of the PlayStation game The Last of Us Part II to TV; it’s a story with a sprawling plot that asks a lot of the player and, as it turns out, even more of a passive audience. The season two cliffhanger ending and tease of what’s to come in season three just didn’t land for a lot of people, and (spoiler alert) there are a lot of questions from viewers as to whether the show can survive the loss of Pedro Pascal’s Joel. It feels like fans of the games are mad at the changes the TV show has made, while people who haven’t played the game aren’t vibing with the story as presented in season two.

As such, I haven’t put up a full-throated defense of season two when, say, a colleague tells me it’s a bummer that the show is now “mid.” Even though there are plenty of toxic “fans” who trash the cast and seem to hate the show telling stories with gay characters, I can admit there are also legitimate issues with season two. But despite that admission making its way into my Last of Us-loving heart, I was still shocked at the news that Druckmann, co-creator of both the game and the show, was leaving the project for season three. Shortly after Druckmann’s announcement, Co-writer on The Last of Us Part II and season two of the show Halley Gross also said she was leaving, which means that the two most prominent people who worked on the games are now gone.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neil Druckmann (@druckmann)

How this will affect season three obviously will be the big question over the work leading up to season three, which will probably arrive sometime in early 2027. The simultaneous departure of both Druckmann and Gross reeks of HBO deciding that the tepid reception to season two meant a change was needed. In a statement that lacked all of the passion Druckmann has shown for the show thus far, he said he was transitioning his “complete focus” to Naughty Dog and future games, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

We’ll probably never know if Druckmann left on his own or was forced out, but the part of me that loves Naughty Dog’s games is finding solace in that new focus even as HBO’s The Last of Us is thrown into turmoil. Druckmann will probably be far more useful to Sony as a whole working on new games than dabbling in the TV industry.

That’s in large part because yesterday also reminded us just how chaotic the game industry is. In the biggest news of the day, a series of wide-ranging layoffs at Microsoft impacted numerous Xbox studios, the latest bad news for an industry that has frankly been devastated by instability in recent years.

With that background in mind, Druckmann’s renewed focus on Naughty Dog makes a lot of sense. The TV industry is not hurting in the least for prestige content. Showrunner Craig Mazin already has the plot points he needs to cover in season three of The Last of Us, so Druckmann’s input will probably be missed less than it would have been when the project got started back in 2021. But PlayStation, on the other hand, needs a boost, and having a creative leader like Druckmann helping to make Intergalactic and whatever else Naughty Dog has up its sleeve is something the company could really use.

It’s no secret that the first-party PlayStation studios continue to make exceptional games — but the pace during the PS5 generation has slowed significantly. For the first few years of the PS5’s life, most big exclusives like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West came to both the PS4 and PS5. That slowly changed, with titles like Astro Bot and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 being built exclusively for the PS5. But the cadence of these releases has slowed significantly; this year's releases include Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (likely a timed exclusive) and Ghost of Yotei but five years into this generation it's undoubtedly been a slow burn.

That trend is particularly acute for Naughty Dog. After releasing Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in 2016 and following that quickly with the standalone expansion Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in 2017, Naughty Dog has released one (1) original game since: The Last of Us Part II. Other than that, we’ve gotten… remakes and remasters of both franchises, perhaps not coincidentally to draw in people who found The Last of Us via the HBO show.

Between his duties as Naughty Dog’s studio head and his TV work, it’s fair to wonder how much time Druckmann has spent on actual games in recent years. It's also entirely possible he's spread too thin now, even without co-running the TV show — it's probably past time for some new creative visionaries to take the lead at Naughty Dog given Druckmann's role as chief executive.

If he’s truly the main director and writer for Intergalactic as he said in his statement, it’s good news for the PlayStation brand that he’s back on that gig full-time. It’s just a bit over six months since Intergalactic was first announced, so we have no real idea where the game is in its development cycle. But it sounds like the game has been in development since 2020, and Naughty Dog has said it learned a lesson from announcing The Last of Us Part II so long before it actually launched. Hopefully we’re looking at a 2026 or 2027 release rather than much beyond that.

Meanwhile, Druckmann’s departure from HBO’s The Last of Us might be a bit of a canary in the coal mine for Sony’s broader PlayStation ambitions and a refocus on just making games. Games industry expert Joost Van Dreunen wrote in 2023 that the success of the show’s first season was “the culmination of Sony’s gradual transition to becoming a media company.” That’s something the company itself has talked up in the years since — the idea of becoming platform-less, with franchises existing on the PlayStation, on the movie screen and on the smaller TV screen in your home. Take its CES 2025 presentation, for example; Sony talked up multiple gaming adaptations besides The Last of Us like the Horizon franchise and Ghost of Tsushima.

"While [Sony] continues to sell hardware at scale, its strategic emphasis is shifting toward high-margin digital services and franchise expansion," Van Dreunen wrote last month. "Titles like The Last of Us have crossed into television with critical success, and Sony has invested heavily in anime distribution (via Crunchyroll) and film adaptations of its game IP. It positions PlayStation less as a closed hardware ecosystem and more as the foundation for a vertically integrated content engine. Rather than chasing distribution breadth like Microsoft, Sony is doubling down on cultural depth, using its exclusive IP to build multi-format engagement loops."

I don’t think a less-than-stellar second season of The Last of Us will cause Sony to abandon this strategy. (Sony is also too big of a ship to completely turn away from this plan very quickly.) But the repositioning of Druckmann as the lead of a successful and influential video game studio rather than a multi-medium creative visionary reinforces the fact that if they’re going to have hits on a variety of different platforms, new, ambitious and hopefully good games like Intergalactic are a necessity. At this point, HBO’s The Last of Us is going to keep on rolling, with or without Druckmann — there were a lot of loud complaints, but also still plenty of viewers and positive reviews. But Naughty Dog is past due for another big game that pushes the genre in a new direction. It’s the right time for Druckmann to come home.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-needs-neil-druckmann-more-than-hbo-does-154951145.html?src=rss

Surfshark research found 10 countries imposed internet blackouts in the first half of 2025A total of 24 internet restrictions were recorded in the first half of 2025, with India being the worst perpetratorIncreased internet censorship has seen demand for circumventing tools like VPNs soaredGovernment-imposed internet restrictions have risen in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year. New research from Surfshark identified 10 countries imposed 24 internet restrictions to date this year, up from 20 restrictions across nine countries that occurred in the same period in 2024.Specifically, statistics from Surfshark indicate that internet users in India faced more restrictions than any other country between January and June 2025. Authorities in India have used Section 5 (2) of the Telegraph Act, 1885, to cut internet access in the event of a public emergency. Five shutdowns occurred in India in the first half of 2025 amid country-wide protests.Surfshark, one of the best VPN providers on the market right now, has been charting internet shutdowns since 2015. Disruptions range from full internet blackouts to censorship of specific social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to VoIP services such as Telegram and WhatsApp.Protests and political turmoil are common causes of restrictions(Image credit: Surfshark)"Over the years, governments have used internet shutdowns to control and silence journalists, activists, and the public," said Justas Pukys, VPN Product Manager at Surfshark.Statistics show that local network connection disruptions, which affect a city or region, are more common than national shutdowns. To date, Surfshark has recorded 558 local disruptions worldwide compared to 124 nationwide shutdowns, with protests and political turmoil being the most common causes, followed by elections.At the time of writing, 24 of 196 countries and territories analyzed by Surfshark are blocking social media platforms and VoIP services with Telegram being the most commonly blocked.In January 2025, Telegram was blocked in Venezuela for five days, with authorities even looking to block popular VPN providers as citizens attempted to bypass the disruption. More recently in May 2025, Vietnam blocked access to Telegram with authorities claiming the platform had failed to cooperate with them to halt crimes.During the first half of 2025, two countries imposed restrictions for the first time since Surfshark’s internet shutdown tracking began. Albania issued a one-year ban on short-form video platform TikTok, citing child safety concerns. Authorities in Panama announced a state of emergency due to civil unrest in Bocas del Toro, resulting in a regional internet shutdown.Rising censorship mirrors growing VPN usageSurfshark observes that Iran has had three internet restrictions to date this year.It’s no coincidence then that VPN usage in the country spiked more than 700% in June 2025 as citizens looked to access the internet as normal. This is despite concerted efforts from Iran’s government to block and even outlaw VPNs altogether.(Image credit: Google Trends)"Internet blackouts can be dangerous, especially during critical events such as elections, protests, or other political turmoil. Losing internet access makes it harder to stay in touch with family members, access critical news outlets, and share urgent information with the world about unfolding events," said Pukys.A virtual private network (VPN) takes your device’s internet traffic and routes it through a secure, encrypted tunnel. It also hides your real IP address, allowing you to spoof your location. This means that you can not only sidestep internet restrictions, but prevent snoopers from seeing what you’re doing on the internet.You might also likeIran is discouraging its people from using free VPNsIs the future of censorship-resistant VPNs, no VPNs?2024 was the worst year on record for internet freedoms – again

After reviewing nearly every major device out there, our current favorite laptop, smartwatch, tablet and smartphone are all made by Apple. The only problem is, Apple gear isn’t cheap. But now that Amazon's Prime Day sale is just around the corner (it officially starts on Tuesday) some current model Apple gear is already on sale. Of course, prices could go lower and, if history is any indicator, more products will go on sale as we get closer to the event. So check back as we'll update this guide throughout Prime Day. As of now, these are the best early Prime Day Apple Deals, with links to our reviews so you can make informed purchases.

Editor's note: Apple Watches aren't currently on this list. Current sale prices on the wearables are higher than they've been over the past few weeks, so we're waiting to list them here until the discounts improve. We'll update this guide once the savings are the same or higher than in the recent past.

Best Prime Day iPad deals

Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): We named the iPad Pro the best tablet money can buy. The screen is one of the best we’ve seen and Apple somehow managed to make the Pro model lighter than Air models. If you plan on handling heavy productivity — video rendering and editing, machine learning apps and the like, this is the way to go.

Apple iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The larger iPad pro is the ultimate laptop replacer. The M4 chip is faster than many computers out there but the thin and light design makes it super portable. The battery life will last through a whole day of work and more (we clocked over 10 hours of use in our review) and the screen is brilliant. Our only real complaint is the price, and this Prime Day helps at least a little.

Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off): Apple’s smallest iPad earned an 83 review score from us when it came out late last year. Despite its compact size, it’s still a fully-featured iPad, with support for accessories and a laminated, anti-reflective screen. It’s not a laptop-replacer, but rather the perfect couch companion, handling games, video, web browsing and email triage.

Best Prime Day MacBook deals

MacBook Air (M4, 15-inch) for $1,049 ($150 off): If you want a little more screen real estate, go for the 15-inch Air. Devindra found the screen more immersive than the smaller model, and only slightly less portable. The slightly larger battery gave it a few more minutes of life. Whichever size you go for, the MacBook Air will be able to handle all but the most demanding rendering tasks without breaking a sweat.

MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 24GB RAM) for $1,249 ($450 off): This higher-specced version of the M3 MacBook Air from last year has a 15-inch screen and a little extra internal memory. We gave the 15-inch model a score of 90 in our review when it came out in early 2024. Outside of its older M3 chip (which is still plenty fast for everyday use), marginally improved camera and inability to power two external displays with the lid open, this MacBook is virtually identical to the M4 version.

Best Prime Day AirPod deals

Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) for $199 ($50 off): In Engadget’s guide to earbuds, Billy Steele names the AirPods Pro the best option for iOS users. They pair easily with iPhones and are an ideal conduit to hands-free Siri. Plus you get a transparency mode that’s second to none as well as solid active noise cancellation (ANC). The sound is rich and clear, too. Note, these have sold for as low as $169 in past weeks.

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($69 off): Apple’s only over-ear headphones are due for an update. The company outfitted the AirPods Max with a USB-C port late last year, but the internals haven’t had an overhaul since 2020. Still, we named them the best (and only) over-earn AirPods. They are comfortable and relatively lightweight, have a balanced sound and the noise cancellation is solid.

Best Prime Day deals on Apple accessories

Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 ($42 off): AirTags are famous for their ability to keep track of anything you attach them to. We named them the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users in our guide thanks to the AirTags’ almost spooky ability to locate items in the world at large. If you just need a single tag, that’s on sale too.

Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): Apple announced the Pro version of its pencil at the same time as the iPad Pro with the M4 chip. It adds haptic feedback, squeeze gestures and roll capabilities to the usual stylus tricks. It works with the newest iPad Pro, Air and Mini models.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-early-prime-day-apple-deals-on-macbooks-airpods-ipads-and-more-150005125.html?src=rss