The latest news from games, film, technology and digital culture. The stories that matter, without the noise.
We are thrilled to pull back the curtain on Effingham, a vital new urban addition to the forthcoming Illinois DLC for American Truck Simulator. Nestled in the heart of the Prairie State, this city serves as a pivotal junction for long-haulers, and our team has been working diligently to recreate its unique ambiance and signature...
Following a storied tenure at the helm of Nintendo’s North American division, Doug Bowser—the man whose name was a delightful coincidence for Mario fans everywhere—has officially embarked on his next chapter. After announcing his retirement from Nintendo last autumn, Bowser concluded his nearly seven-year run as President and COO on December 31. While he was...
Image credit: Max The moment showrunner Ira Parker decided to depict Ser Duncan the Tall in a state of explosive gastrointestinal distress in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a singular realization struck me: the era of the gritty, unrefined commoner has officially returned. While Game of Thrones and its successor House of the Dragon...
Billboard Appoints Leila Cobo and Jason Lipshutz as Co-Chief Content Officers Jason Lipshutz and Leila Cobo | Jenny Regan; José “Chepe” De Villegas In a significant leadership expansion, Billboard announced on Tuesday (Jan. 20) the promotion of Leila Cobo and Jason Lipshutz to the roles of Co-Chief Content Officers. The veteran journalists will now co-manage...
Image: Netflix/Everett Collection Although Patrick Stewart is now as inextricably linked to the Star Trek legacy as icons like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, his 1987 debut as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation was met with skepticism. The point of contention? His lack of hair. When a journalist pointed out that medical science...
A Fresh Start: Reintroducing Developer Corners Greetings, Generals! As we embark on a new year, our team is hard at work mapping out the future of Hearts of Iron IV. To better involve the community in our creative process, we are officially reviving Developer Corners. To provide clarity on how we communicate our progress, it...
Visual by Paulo Kawanishi/Polygon | Assets courtesy of Mappa and CygamesPictures Japanese animation is currently navigating an unprecedented golden age, dominating cultural conversations both domestically and abroad. The current winter lineup is so densely packed with high-quality releases that keeping pace has become a challenge for even the most dedicated fans. Meanwhile, cinematic juggernauts like...
Image: Warner Brothers/Everett Collection Last week, the *Tomb Raider* community received a glimpse of its new future as Amazon/MGM revealed Sophie Turner as the legendary Lara Croft. The initial reaction was largely positive, with Turner’s aesthetic channeling the character’s definitive ’90s grit. However, not everyone was on board. GameStop’s social media arm—seemingly more focused on...
Billie Eilish Reaffirms Stance Against ICE and Administration Policies at MLK Jr. Awards Billie Eilish at the “Avatar: Fire and Ash” World Premiere at the Dolby Theatre. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Variety) Only a week after a Trump administration representative dismissed Billie Eilish’s critiques of ICE as “garbage rhetoric,” the Oscar-winning artist intensified her condemnation of the...
Image: Sony It is somewhat poetic that Underworld, the melodramatic saga of a blood feud between vampires and Lycans, debuted in 2003. This was the same year the Matrix sequels dominated the cultural zeitgeist, and Underworld often felt like a spiritual spin-off—specifically of that pivotal moment in The Matrix Reloaded where the Oracle mentions rogue...
