Peter Connelly, the video game composer and sound designer on the Tomb Raider Remaster series and Tomb Raider: Chronicles, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for fraudulently applying for a government COVID-19 support loan. Based in Peterlee, County Durham, Connelly obtained a second Bounce Back Loan (BBL) of £37,500 (approximately $55,000) in June 2020 by greatly overstating his company's turnover. This was in direct violation of the loan rules, which only permitted one loan per business. He had already secured a legitimate loan of £22,000 the previous month.

According to the UK Insovlency Service, Connelly claimed his company had a 2019 turnover of £150,000 when, in reality, it had earned just over £58,000. Additionally, he falsely claimed that he had not previously applied for a BBL. His actions led to a criminal investigation by the Insolvency Service, the body responsible for monitoring misuse of the COVID loans.

At a hearing this week, Connelly was sentenced not only to prison but also disqualified from serving as a company director for six years. The Insolvency Service emphasized the seriousness of his fraud, noting that this sort of loan was created to support struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, not to be exploited for personal gain. Chief Investigator David Snasdell condemned Connelly’s "blatant disregard" for the rules.

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Final Fantasy 14 developer Square Enix has announced that Windows 10 support for the game will end on October 14. This coincides with Microsoft also closing the curtain on its longrunning operating system, with Square Enix adding that players will still be able to "likely" play the game after this date.

"We have found that continuing support for this operating system is a difficult proposition," Square Enix said in a statement. "You will likely be able to play Final Fantasy 14 on Windows 10 systems even after the end of support. However, after we discontinue support, we will, as a general rule, no longer be able to provide support for problems arising as a result of the operating system."

The publisher says that it may still respond to requests for technical support, but on a case-by-case basis. Final Fantasy 14 first launched for PC in 2013--PS3--back in 2013, which was when Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system was still in its infancy. Due to its long shelf life, it has naturally been updated for multiple Windows OS versions since then, and its recent Dawntrail expansion provided the game with a graphical update.

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In 2009, Sucker Punch's Infamous gave players a taste of life with superpowers outside of a standard comic-book adventure. While there hasn't been a new game in the series since Infamous: Second Son in 2014, Nate Fox--the director of all three titles in the franchise--would love to revisit that world again. But he can't anytime soon, because Sucker Punch is busy with Ghost of Yotei, the upcoming sequel to Ghost of Tsushima.

"I would love to work on more Infamous," Fox told Game Informer. "I would love to see a trilogy rerelease, but Sucker Punch is a one game at a time shop, and right now we are very focused on finishing Ghost of Yotei."

Fox co-directed Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yotei with Jason Connell, and Sucker Punch has essentially been booked for years between those two titles. Of the first three games, only Second Son is on PS4. The first two Infamous games are only available on PS3, and good candidates for modern remasters if the franchise is ever given a comeback.

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The developers at Sucker Punch have openly acknowledged that Ghost of Tsushima, and its upcoming sequel Ghost of Yotei, owe a lot to samurai cinema. Before Ghost of Yotei is released this fall, Sucker Punch is teaming up with Alamo Drafthouse for special screenings of a curated collection of samurai movies that inspired the game.

Sucker Punch shared the announcement on its social media channels, and revealed that the five films in the screening series are The Tale of Zatoichi by director Kenji Misumi, the 13 Assassins remake by director Takashi Miike, Lady Snowblood by director Toshiya Fujita, Ran by the legendary Akira Kurosawa, and Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance by director Kenji Misumi. The screenings will be held in select Alamo Drafthouse locations between August 2 and September 4.

In collaboration with @alamodrafthouse , a curated film series inspired by #GhostofYotei will be showing in select Alamo Drafthouse locations August 2nd through September 4th.
⚔️Way of the Samurai will include five films:
The Tale of Zatoichi
13 Assassins
Lady Snowblood
Ran… pic.twitter.com/3BQIEzwn9z

— Sucker Punch Productions (@SuckerPunchProd) July 17, 2025

During the development of Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch struck a deal with the estate of Kurosawa to create a black-and-white Kurosawa mode. That mode will make a comeback in Ghost of Yotei, alongside a collaboration with Takashi Miike for a mode that depicts some very up-close and personal kills. Samurai Champloo director Shinichirō Watanabe also received his own mode in the game, which adds some original lo-fi tracks to Ghost of Yotei's soundtrack.

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Italian retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd recently revealed that he was visited by Italian law enforcement, with concerns that his reviews of third-party gaming handhelds could be in breach of Italian copyright law. If charged, the YouTuber could face jail time or hefty fines.

The YouTuber revealed on his channel, as reported by Insider Gaming, that he is being investigated by the Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency under Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance. Armed with a search warrant, the agency seized his phone, as well as over 30 handheld gaming systems.

The concerns center around third-party handhelds Once Were Nerd has reviewed on his channel, by manufacturers such as Anbernic and GoRetroid. The handhelds often ship with unauthorized ROMs of various retro games originally published by companies like Sony and Nintendo.

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Later this year, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yotei will carry on the legacy of Ghost of Tsushima. Nate Fox and Jason Connell directed both games, and they have a plan to keep Ghost of Yotei from making players feel like there's an overwhelming amount of things to do in its open world.

While speaking with VGC, Fox and Connell noted that Ghost of Yotei won't feature a lot of guidance for players about where they should go. Instead, it will let players choose their own path through the game.

"The thing that Jason and I love the most is that moment when you're on your horse and you're looking at this big, beautiful landscape," said Fox. "And maybe the wind is telling you, if you would like to continue the story, go that way. But you see something out of the corner of your eye that catches your curiosity. And you say, 'you know what? I'm going to go check that out.' That moment where the game's not telling you really about where to go or what to do. It's you. That's the most beautiful thing about open-world games."

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Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time

Paperback Box Sets

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Fantasy fiction readers who haven't read Robert Jordan's beloved high fantasy series The Wheel of Time can take advantage of an awesome box set deal at Amazon right now. The first three books in the series are available in a paperback box set for only $12.36 (was $33), which breaks down to $4.12 per book.

To complete the 15-novel series, you'd need to pick up four additional box sets. None of the other sets are as cheap as the first one, but you can get each for $20 or less. Longtime fans who haven't picked up the special 30th Anniversary Edition of The Eye of the World can get the nice hardcover edition of the first book in The Wheel of Time for over 50% off right now.

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Nintendo has announced it is hosting another Switch Online Playtest Program later this month. The closed beta is slated to begin on July 28, and it will give eligible users another chance to sample the same mystery service that was tested out during the October 2024 Playtest Program.

As before, the Switch Online Playtest Program is only open to select players on a first come, first served basis. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old and have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription as of July 17.

We will perform another test in the #NintendoSwitchOnline: Playtest Program. From 8:00 AM PT on July 21st, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can apply to participate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more: https://t.co/xed7zzwzBb pic.twitter.com/JfnMRd9eoH

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 17, 2025

This time around, Nintendo is allowing players to apply either individually or as part of a group. You can create an application starting on July 18 at 3 PM PT/6 PM ET, with registration formally opening on July 21 at 8 AM PT/11 AM ET. Full details can be found on Nintendo's website.

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for PS5 / Xbox Series X

$70 | Releases September 25

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for Nintendo Switch

$60 | Upgrade to Switch 2 for $10

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, the latest arcade racer from Sega, releases in just over two months on consoles and PC. Along with familiar faces from Sonic the Hedgehog, the largest roster in series history will feature characters from Persona, Like A Dragon, Minecraft, and other popular franchises. CrossWorlds will also have cross-platform online multiplayer for PS5, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch when it races into stores September 25. Preorders are live now for physical and digital editions, and you can get exclusive bonuses and even discounts by ordering early.

It's worth noting that Sega is developing a dedicated version for Switch 2, but it won't be available until the holiday season in digital format. A true physical edition for Switch 2--the full game on a 64GB game card--will arrive in early 2026. If you want to play at launch, you can grab the Nintendo Switch edition for $60 and then pay $10 to upgrade when the Switch 2 version launches.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Amazon-Exclusive EditionSonic Racing: CrossWorlds at Amazon

CrossWorlds is one of several upcoming games with an Amazon-exclusive edition. If you preorder a physical copy for Switch, PS5, or Xbox Series X, you'll find an exclusive poster, shown below, tucked inside the box. This edition was announced shortly after Amazon unveiled its exclusive edition of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, which also includes a poster and launches a few days after CrossWorlds.

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The weight of expectation that Sucker Punch Production is carrying is rather heavy. As one of the few first-party PlayStation games of 2025, many players will be looking to it to scratch the story-driven AAA blockbuster itch that has been out of reach for a lot of the year. But, beyond that, it has the unenviable task of following up the beloved Ghost of Tsushima.

Ghost of Yotei has been kept behind the curtain throughout most of its development, but recently, it had a big showing as the focal point of a State of Play broadcast. Depending on who you ask, they'll either say it looks stunning and has some potentially exciting gameplay evolutions or it looks good... but also very familiar.

That split in perspective isn't surprising to directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox. In fact, that very much is the intent. The challenge, however, is in finding a good balance between the two, which is easier said than done. Following the State of Play, GameSpot spoke to Connell and Fox about the success of Ghost of Tsushima and how Sucker Punch approached its sequel, as well as what players can expect when the game launches in October.

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Shadow Labyrinth Standard Edition

$30 | Releases July 18

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Shadow Labyrinth Secret Edition

$60 | Releases July 18

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Pac-Man has starred in many different types of games since becoming an arcade legend, but Bandai Namco's latest game might be the hero's strangest outing yet. In Shadow Labyrinth, Pac-Man teams up with a swordsman in an action-platformer rated T for Teen by the ESRB. Shadow Labyrinth is a side-scroller within the metroidvania genre that's earning pretty decent reviews ahead of its July 18 release (74 on Metacritic). Metroidvania and Pac-Man fans who haven't preordered a copy yet still have time to secure a neat preorder bonus as well as a discount for PC or budget-friendly collector's edition on consoles.

Shadow Labyrinth Physical Editions at Amazon:Shadow Labyrinth Secret Edition

All preorders for Shadow Labyrinth include the "Original Arcade Sound FX" bonus. As the name suggests, this DLC unlocks Pac-Man's sound effects from his arcade glory days.

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Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (4K Steelbook)

$40 | Releases August 5

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Back in 2003, audiences were introduced to oceanic battlefields with the release of Master and Commander: Far Side of the World. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Russell Crowe, the film was a big hit thanks its depiction of naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars and strong performances. The movie is finally getting a 4K release--and a striking steelbook cover as well--and you can preorder it now for $40 ahead of its August 5 launch. The upcoming edition also comes with the film on a standard Blu-ray disc and a digital streaming code for it.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (4K Steelbook) $40 | Releases August 5

Master and Commander's Limited Edition Steelbook features a striking cover of Crowe's character Captain Jack Aubrey alongside his ship, the HMS Surprise. The back cover has a compass motif, and there's a subtle cartography influence for the maritime background. The interior artwork shows Aubrey staring out at the ocean.

This is a native 4K remaster (2160p) based on the original camera negative with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Dolby Atmos.

For the extras, there are deleted scenes, a trivia track for history fans, and a pop-up map that tracks Aubrey's ship across the film.

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One thing that's worth noting here is that the DVD release of Master and Commander offered a far greater variety of special features, which never made their way onto previous standard Blu-ray releases of the film. That two-disc DVD edition has been out of print for ages now, and while there are still copies of it available, it can be pricey. Still, if you're looking to really dive deep into Master and Commander, it makes for a nice companion piece as it has several in-depth documentaries.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World 4K Steelbook Edition

Master and Commander has held up very well in the decades since it was first released. The movie is a loose adaptation of the epic historical fiction series by English author Patrick O'Brien, and it tells the story of Captain Aubrey and his pursuit of a deadly French warship--the privateer ship Acheron--that threatens Britain's naval supremacy. Torn between duty and his friendship with ship's surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), Aubrey chases after the Acheron.

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As one of the biggest video game platforms in the world, and with a particularly high proportion of minors among its player base, Roblox has had to invest heavily in trust and safety technology over the past decade. As part of its ongoing effort to disrupt abuse, misuse, and harm, the company is rolling out a new system to verify players' age: "age estimation" through analysis of video selfies.

In a press release, Roblox announced that it is reconfiguring how its social features work to better protect minors from untrusted or potentially exploitative interactions. First, it is introducing a two-tiered "Connections" system to govern how players are linked to one another: normal and "Trusted Connections."

We’re always innovating how people connect on Roblox. Today, we're introducing Trusted Connections, Age Estimation, well-being tools, and new insights for parents—delivering features that elevate connection, transparency, and digital well-being. https://t.co/Pbe3akLnTx pic.twitter.com/c9Cc4pcm5Z

— Roblox (@Roblox) July 17, 2025

Two players who are Trusted Connections will be able to communicate with each other without restriction, including via party and text chat with no filters. However, becoming Trusted Connections will require clearing several hurdles designed to reduce the potential of child exploitation or other types of harm.

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The Boy and the Heron 4K Blu-ray Steelbook Edition

$26 (was $45)

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Studio Ghibli's Oscar-winning animated film The Boy and the Heron is available for one of its lowest prices yet at Amazon and Walmart. The 4K Blu-ray Steelbook Edition is discounted to just $26, which is the best price we've seen since it reached an all-time low of $25 in March.

The 4K Steelbook Edition of The Boy and the Heron is actually cheaper than the standard 4K edition ($30.73) and only a few bucks more than the 1080p Blu-ray ($23) at the moment. While you're picking up The Boy and the Heron, check out the newly released Grave of the Fireflies Steelbook Edition. The steelbook case design for the 1989 Ghibli film about World War II--it's rated PG-13--matches the style of The Boy and the Heron's cover art.

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What does a day in the life of billionaire gaming boss Gabe Newell look like? Speaking to Zalkar Saliev from one of his yachts, the Valve co-founder said he enjoys the benefit of living on a boat while maintaining a fairly regular work schedule.

"I get up, I work, I go scuba-diving, work some more, [then] either go on a second scuba dive or I go to the gym and work out. I live on a boat so I just hang out with everybody on the boat. Then I work," he said, and PC Gamer confirmed with Valve that this interview is real. "I work seven days a week: I'm working from my bedroom as you can tell. I like working, it's fun, to me it doesn't feel like work. The kinds of things that I get to do every day are super-awesome."

Newell said the traditional idea of retirement is that you "stop doing your horrible job and go do what is most fun and entertaining," and in that sense, he said he feels like he's been retired for a while.

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The current gaming industry is filled with remakes and remasters; some of them are faithful to their source material, while others are more open to changing things around when needed. It's not too often that the original creator of a remade work speaks about a modern reimagining, but recently the co-creator of Crash Bandicoot took to LinkedIn to give his thoughts on 2017's N. Sane Trilogy--and the "most important 30 milliseconds" worth of change that made a world of difference.

As spotted by GamesRadar, Naughty Dog co-founder Andrew Gavin posted a wide range of thoughts about the modern remasters of Crash Bandicoot 1-3, While he says the games "nailed the visuals" and said they "looked great [and] faithful to the original," in his mind, things went south when it came to jumping--or, as he put it, the team "completely botched how jumping works."

That polar bear is just happy to see Crash, right?

The original game, Gavin explains, read how long the player held the jump button down and measured Crash's jump accordingly--the longer a player held the button, the higher Crash jumped. This mechanic was lost in the N. Sane Trilogy, according to Gavin, and replaced with a system when every jump is always the maximum height possible.

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Steam has partnered with the Make-A-Wish charity to launch the "Wish 200 Week Charity Sale" that sees numerous games go on sale to help support the organization. This charity drive benefits Make-A-Wish UK, but anyone can participate.

"Gaming is a lifeline for critically ill children--it's not just entertainment. From when they’re undergoing treatment and unable to attend school or clubs with their friends to urgently needed respite and distraction from the challenges they face every day. Gaming offers a welcoming and inclusive community where critically ill children can be who they want to be again," reads a line from the sale's page.

A portion of sales from the Wish 200 Week Charity Sale now through July 20 will be given to Make-A-Wish UK to help critically ill children. Some of the games on sale include Vampire Survivors ($4), Let's Build a Zoo ($7), Bassmaster Fishing ($7.50), and Haven's Vault ($10). You can visit the sale site to see them all.

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Earlier this month, Unknown Worlds' parent company Krafton reportedly forced out the studio's co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, as well as former CEO Ted Gill, before pushing Subnautica 2 to 2026. The subsequent war of words between the former leadership team and Krafton led to a lawsuit. Now, Cleveland has shared the full details of the lawsuit which alleges a multi-year push by Krafton to deny Unknown Worlds a promised $250 million payout.

The lawsuit has been posted online, and it accuses Krafton of actively attempting to sabotage the early-access release of Subnautica 2 by refusing to perform pre-launch activities it had previously agreed to do. It also notes that Unknown Worlds had a clause in the 2021 buyout that prevented Krafton from firing its leadership team without cause.

Bloomberg was the first to report that Krafton was supposed to pay $250 million to Unknown Worlds if the company reached certain financial goals in 2025. The lawsuit suggests that Krafton's decision to fire Unknown Worlds' leadership team was only made to prevent Subnautica 2 from being released in any form in 2025, which would make it almost impossible for the financial targets to trigger the $250 million payout. The lawsuit goes on to demand that Krafton be forced to pay the previously agreed upon amount and to return creative control of Subnautica 2 to the former leaders of Unknown Worlds.

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Donkey Kong Bananza didn't arrive right in time for the Switch 2 launch, but it's essentially a launch title--and a very good one, by all accounts. Both GameSpot's Donkey Kong Bananza review and the wider critical space have plenty of praise to heap on the game. If you're diving in soon, you'll want to know how long it takes to beat Donkey Kong Bananza. We have that information, along with the game's chapter list, right here for you.

How long is Donkey Kong Bananza?

DK's latest banana-fuelled quest will differ greatly in length depending on how committed you are to finding all of its collectibles, completing optional challenges, and exploring the many sublayers of its mining-focused world. For a typical player--someone who beats the game through to the final boss and does some optional objectives, you're looking at a playthrough of 15-20 hours. However, there's more than one way to play, too.

For someone seeking out every last banana, Banandium Gem, challenge course, transformations, and all Style Shop costumes for both DK and Paulina, a full 100% playthrough will run you closer to 50-60 hours. Careful, as there is such a thing as too much potassium.

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Call of Duty's cartoon-themed content continues for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, as Activision has now officially confirmed the American Dad operator bundles that leaked earlier this month.

Activision released a new trailer for Black Ops 6 and Warzone to reveal the operator bundles for Call of Duty's crossover with Seth MacFarlane's American Dad animated sitcom. Call of Duty's in-game shop will feature bundles for the characters Stan Smith and Roger.

The Stan Smith bundle goes live sometime later today, and Roger's bundle is scheduled to hit the shop July 20. Stan's bundle includes one operator skin and various cosmetics, while Roger's bundle is packed with three different skins for the character as well as additional items. Both bundles also feature operator voice lines, as previewed in the trailer.

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