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The next major expansion for Diablo IV wont come out until 2026, according to remarks made by franchise general manager Rod Fergusson at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday. This isnt too surprising, given that the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, didnt release until the game had been out for 17 months. Fergusson announced that Blizzard will drop a 2025 roadmap just ahead of Season 8, but that it wont include any details on the next major expansion. Additionally, he didnt say when in 2026 it was likely to drop, nor did he provide any details. Blizzards original plan was to put out a new expansion every year, similar to how Destiny 2 handled things in its early run. That idea went out the window when Vessel of Hatred missed the release window by nearly six months. There were bugs that needed to be fixed and community feedback to incorporate. Its tough maintaining a live-service game. In any event, I would prefer a polished expansion with plenty of new gameplay mechanics instead of a rushed effort to meet a yearly release quota. The next season of Diablo IV is currently set to go live in April, so we can expect that 2025 roadmap sometime ahead of that. Its also highly likely well start to get teases for the next expansion later in the year. The hype machine surrounding Vessel of Hatred started up in 2023. We called Diablo IV one of the best games that Blizzard had released in a decade in our official review. The dungeon-crawling mechanics are just about perfect, though we thought the world-building felt a little flat. Vessel of Hatred added a new class and a new area to explore.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/diablo-iv-wont-get-another-expansion-until-2026-194245537.html?src=rss
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Those who are in the market for a new game controller that works with pretty much any device outside of a PlayStation or Xbox could do a lot worse than consider the options from 8BitDo. The brand's Pro 2 controller is certainly worth your attention, not least because it's on sale. The black version of the peripheral has dropped from $50 to $38.39. That's a record low price. The other two colorways G Classic and Gray have been discounted as well, but the deals aren't quite as generous there. Those versions have each dropped by $10 to $40, which is still a solid offer. These discounts are for variants of the Pro 2 with Hall Effect thumbsticks. These should prevent stick drift (an issue that had emerged with Nintendo's own Joy-Con controllers for the Switch) and help you to aim more precisely. In fact, the 8BitDo Pro 2 is among our picks for the best Switch controllers. Along with the Switch, the Pro 2 controller is compatible with Apple devices (i.e. those running iOS, iPadOS, tvOS and macOS), Android devices, Windows PC, Steam Deck and Raspberry Pi. The controller is deeply programmable, thanks to 8BitDo's Ultimate software, which you can even use to set up macros for the controller. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/8bitdos-pro-2-controller-with-hall-effect-thumbsticks-drops-to-38-193028015.html?src=rss
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Sony is giving Days Gone the remaster treatment. Nestled in Sony's latest State of Play event, the company announced that Days Gone Remastered is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC on April 25, 2025, with updated graphics and new content in tow. Days Gone Remastered features "improved graphical fidelity, increased foliage draw distance, improved shadow and lighting quality" and support for the PS5's 3D audio and haptics-stuffed Dualsense controller. You'll be able to play through the zombie survival story of "former outlaw biker" Deacon St. John as it was originally conceived, and also enjoy a new permadeath mode, a "Horde Assault" mode, accessibility features and some point after the launch of the game, a speedrun mode. Remastering another PlayStation game isn't out of the ordinary. Sony's done it to Horizon Zero Dawn and technically multiple times to The Last of Us. It's just that of all the PS4 games demanding some graphical spit-and-shine, and more importantly, a revisit from players, Days Gone doesn't rank high. The game was fine, the large zombie hordes were impressive, it's the story that left most reviewers wanting. And increased foliage draw distance doesn't fix that. The vast majority of people would prefer a Bloodborne remaster, and now nearly 10 years from that game's original release, it doesn't seem like it's going to happen. Sony has been, on the other hand, at least somewhat invested in Days Gone. The game was brought to PC, there's this remaster and the company was reportedly working to adapt the game to film in 2022, the ultimate fate of most of its franchises. Maybe Days Gone Remastered is just the start of a Days Gone renaissance.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sony-is-actually-remastering-days-gone-before-bloodborne-191411680.html?src=rss
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The OnePlus Open was a surprisingly good device, especially considering that it was the company's first attempt at making a foldable phone. Unfortunately, in a community note published today, OnePlus announced that a proper follow-up to the Open won't be arriving in 2025. In the post, OnePlus Open product manager Vale G. said that the company has "carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year." That's definitely a bummer, particularly for fans of devices with flexible displays in the US, who aren't able to easily buy handsets from Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus' parent company Oppo. It's also a bit of a shock considering that the Open hit the shelves more than a year and a half ago in late 2023, so it was due for an update. The one positive takeaway from this is that while the OnePlus Open 2 isn't happening this year, the company isn't giving up on foldables forever, saying "This is not a step back, its a recalibration. Our commitment to innovation is stronger than ever, and were excited to bring you fresh, unique experiences that truly Never Settle." For owners of the Open, OnePlus also noted that the phone will continue to receive regular software and security updates as scheduled. Unfortunately, this means that for the US market, there are only two main manufacturers still making big foldable phones: Samsung and Google, who we expect to announce refreshed models sometime later this summer. What's worse is that when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold line, the recent lack of competition feels like it has allowed Samsung to slack off, with the Z Fold 6 only offering middling improvements over previous generations. So here's hoping OnePlus can rejoin the fray soon to help spur competition between the handful of phone makers still trying to innovate with a small but slowly growing niche. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-oneplus-open-2-isnt-happening-this-year-184514367.html?src=rss
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The UKs shockingly intrusive order for Apple to create a backdoor into users encrypted iCloud data doesnt only affect Brits; it could be used to access the private data of any Apple account holder in the world, including Americans. Less than a week after security experts sounded the alarm on the report, US Congress is trying to do something about it. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that, in a rare show of modern Capitol Hill bipartisanship, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) wrote to the new National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, asking her to take measures to thwart the UKs surveillance order including limiting cooperation and intelligence sharing if the country refuses to comply. If Apple is forced to build a backdoor in its products, that backdoor will end up in Americans phones, tablets and computers, undermining the security of Americans data, as well as of the countless federal, state and local government agencies that entrust sensitive data to Apple products, Biggs and Wyden reportedly wrote. The US government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means. The pair told Gabbard that if the UK doesnt retract its order, she should reevaluate US-UK cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as US intelligence sharing with the UK. Wyden sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Biggs is on the House Judiciary Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Wyden reportedly began circulating a draft bill that, if passed, could at least make the process harder for UK authorities. The proposed modification to the 2018 CLOUD Act would make information requests to US-based companies by foreign entities more onerous by requiring them to first obtain a judges order in their home country. In addition, it would forbid other countries (like, oh, say... the UK) from demanding changes in encryption protocols to the products or services of companies in the US. Request challenges would also be given jurisdiction in US rather than foreign courts. Apple The UK order, first reported by The Washington Post, requires Apple to create a backdoor into its Advanced Data Protection, a feature introduced in iOS 16.2 in 2022. Advanced Data Protection applies end-to-end encryption to many types of iCloud data, including device backups, Messages content, notes and photos, making them inaccessible even to Apple. The order demands a blanket ability to access a users fully encrypted data whenever and wherever the target is located. The order was issued under the UKs Investigatory Powers Act 2016, known (not so affectionately) as the Snooper's Charter, which expanded the electronic surveillance powers of British intelligence agencies and law enforcement. It would be a criminal offense for Apple to publicly confirm receiving the order, so the company hasnt commented on the matter. Security experts warn that implementing this backdoor would needlessly expose anyone with an Apple Account to foreign spying, hackers and adversarial countries. Apple reportedly received a draft of the order last year when UK officials debated the changes. In a written submission protesting them, the company said the planned order could be used to force a company like Apple, that would never build a back door into its products, to publicly withdraw critical security features from the UK market. The company can appeal the notice but cant use the appeal to delay compliance. Most experts in the democratic world agree that what the UK is proposing would weaken digital security for everyone, not just in the UK but worldwide, Ciaran Martin, former chief executive of the UKs National Cyber Security Center, told The Washington Post.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/us-lawmakers-respond-to-the-uks-apple-encryption-backdoor-request-182423656.html?src=rss
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