It has already been a depressingly busy year for layoffs at Ubisoft, and the French publishers Toronto studio is the latest workforce to be hit. Around 40 jobs have been cut at the studio, which is one of Ubisofts largest and has previously worked on games including Watch Dogs: Legion and Far Cry 6.
"This decision was not taken lightly and does not in any way reflect the talent, dedication, or contributions of the individuals affected," Ubisoft said in a statement to Mobile Syrup, which first reported the new layoffs. "Our priority now is to support them through this transition with comprehensive severance packages and robust career placement assistance."
Ubisoft Toronto is currently working on the long-awaited Splinter Cell remake, which was first announced in 2021. The publisher says the game remains in development, and the Canadian studio will continue to assist with development on other games.
The Toronto layoffs come after similar staff cuts at its Swedish studios, while up to 200 people could reportedly be let go at its Paris headquarters. The affected roles are casualties of a wider organizational restructuring at the troubled company, which recently canceled another high-profile remake in The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Last week, 1,200 Ubisoft employees went on strike in reaction to the recent layoffs and sweeping cost-cutting measures.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-lays-off-40-staff-working-on-splinter-cell-remake-says-game-remains-in-development-151139753.html?src=rss
This week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a landmark social media trial, claiming the company only wanted to make Instagram "useful" and not addictive. In this episode, we chat about Zuck's testimony and the potential implications of this trial for social media companies. Also, we dive into the latest effects of the RAMaggedon RAM shortage, including a potential PlayStation 6 delay and a dire future for practically every consumer electronics company.Subscribe!iTunesSpotifyPocket CastsStitcherGoogle PodcastsTopicsMark Zuckerberg testifies that Instagram was meant to be useful, not addictive in social media addiction trial 1:27Meta reportedly plans to launch a smartwatch later this year 13:23The RAMageddon will likely kill some small consumer electronics companies 15:54Apple could unveil a MacBook, new M5 Pro chip, and iPhone 17e at March 4th event 26:26Googles Pixel 10a arrives on March 5 32:17Email leaked to 404 media suggests Ring had plans to use its Search Party function for wider surveillance 34:48Listener mail 45:14Working on 48:40Pop culture picks 49:04 CreditsHost: Devindra HardawarProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale North and Terrence OBrienThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/engadget-podcast-instagram-on-trial-and-the-ramaggedon-rages-on-131526178.html?src=rss
The US State Department is building a web portal, where Europeans and anyone else can see online content banned by their governments, according to Reuters. It was supposed to be launched at Munich Security Conference last month, but some state department officials reportedly voiced their concerns about the project. The portal will be hosted on freedom.gov, which currently just shows the image above. Freedom is Coming, the homepage reads. Information is power. Reclaim your human right to free expression. Get Ready.Reuters says officials discussed making a virtual private network function available on the portal and making visitors traffic appear as if they were from the US, so they could see anything unavailable to them. While its a state department project, The Guardian has traced the domain to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is a component of the US Department of Homeland Security. Homeland also serves as the administrator for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The project could drive the wedge further between the US and its European allies. European authorities dont usually order broad censorships preventing their citizens from being able to access large parts of the internet. Typically, they only order the blocking of hate speech, terrorist propaganda, disinformation and anything illegal under the EUs Digital Services Act or the UKs Online Safety Act. If the Trump administration is alleging that theyre gonna be bypassing content bans, what theyre gonna be helping users access in Europe is essentially hate speech, pornography, and child sexual abuse material, Nina Jankowicz, who served as the executive director of Homeland Securitys Disinformation Governance Board, told The Guardian. The board was very short-lived and was disbanded a few months after it was formed, following complaints by Republican lawmakers that it would impinge on peoples rights to free speech. When asked about the project, the state department said it didnt have a program specifically meant to circumvent censorship in Europe. But the spokesperson said: Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, however, and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like VPNs."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/us-website-freedomgov-will-allow-europeans-to-view-hate-speech-and-other-blocked-content-130000014.html?src=rss
Los Angeles County has sued Roblox for "unfair and deceptive business practices," claiming the platform's moderation and age-verification systems are inadequate. "Roblox portrays its platform as a safe and appropriate place for children to play," the complaint states. "In reality, and as Roblox well knows, the design of its platform makes children easy prey for pedophiles."
Representatives accused Roblox of failing to implement adequate platform safety features to prevent child endangerment. "Specifically, Roblox has not effectively moderated game content or enforced age-appropriate restrictions and warnings established by the creators, allowing the predatory and inappropriate language and interactions between users to persist," the County stated. It also said the platform failed to disclose any danger to children, including sexual content and the risk of predators.
Roblox rejected the allegations, saying the platform was built around safety. "We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications, and users cannot send or receive images via chat, avoiding one of the most prevalent opportunities for misuse seen elsewhere online," the company told the AFP.
The LA county complaint is the latest in a string of lawsuits from US regions including Florida, Texas and Kentucky. The Attorney General in Louisiana also accused the company of having a "lack of safety protocols" that endanger the safety of children in favor of "growth, revenue and profits." That state's lawsuit cited a specific example of a subject arrested last year that used voice-altering tech to mimic a younger feminine voice to lure and sexually exploit young players.
Roblox has said that it has about 144 million daily active users around the world, with over 40 percent of them under the age of 13. However, it has faced repeated accusations that it doesn't do enough to protect young players. In 2024, Roblox banned players under 13 from accessing some types of in-game content and restricted their ability to message with other players outside of specific games. Last year, the company also began asking tens of millions of children to verify their age with a selfie. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/la-county-lawsuit-accuses-roblox-of-exposing-children-to-grooming-and-exploitation-124523028.html?src=rss
Its a big month for Pokémon, with February 27 marking 30 years since the worlds highest-grossing media franchise first introduced itself in the shape of two Game Boy games. Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, which later arrived in the West as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, kicked off a craze in Japan that would soon spread worldwide. And to mark the series 30th anniversary, the little turn-based RPGs that started it all are being re-released on Nintendo Switch.
Well, sort of. The versions were actually getting are the Game Boy Advance remakes, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, which originally came out in 2004. Explaining its decision to bring back the enhanced GBA titles rather than the originals, Nintendo said in an FAQ that it thought Switch owners would like the opportunity to revisit the "ultimate versions of the original Pokémon adventures in the Kanto region."
Get ready to relive the Kanto region Trainers, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version are coming to Nintendo Switch!Pre-order here:https://t.co/WzCCWh1fn8https://t.co/5SdXjg75is https://t.co/XVYS5wVZYp Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 20, 2026
These arent modern remakes or remasters. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will look and play pretty much the same as they did in 2004, just on a far superior display, obviously. Theres no online play, but the original games local multiplayer features return via the Switchs built-in wireless features. If youre playing on Switch 2, you can also play using GameChat. Other than that, it doesnt sound like there are any notable differences between the Switch and Switch 2 versions.
In a move that might surprise some, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen wont be available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online GBA library. In fact you dont even need an NSO membership to play them. Instead, the games are being sold as standalone titles for $20 in the eShop. No physical release is planned outside of Japan. Nintendo added in its FAQ that there are no current plans for more old-school Virtual Console-style releases beyond these ones, with the company still committed to building out its NSO subscription offerings.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will be available to buy after a Pokémon Presents showcase that will air next Friday, February 27 (the day of Pokémons 30th anniversary), at 9am ET. And if you need yet more Pokémon after that, Pokémon Pokopia, which is the series long-awaited stab at a cozy Animal Crossing-like, arrives on March 5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/pokemon-firered-and-leafgreen-are-coming-to-switch-next-week-for-the-series-30th-anniversary-123505741.html?src=rss
Apple has lined up its first event of the year. Already! Its taking place in New York City on March 4 at 9AM ET, but the company hasnt confirmed if it will stream the media event.
It seems likely the event will be mainly iPads and MacBooks so business as usual. However, it could include new entry-level MacBooks in a fresh array of colors. I think thats what everyones reading into the lemon-and-lime tinged invitation.
Im very much up for a return of the colorful Mac. The first Mac I ever used was one of those bubbly orange iMacs, interning at a video-game magazine. Yes, a magazine.
Were also expecting a 2026 MacBook Air and refreshed 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips also breaking cover. Is it too early for an iPhone 17e? Perhaps. Well be reporting from the event.
And for those asking about yesterday's newsletter, thanks for your continued support and we'll have more to say soon.
Mat Smith
The other big stories (and deals) this morning
Metas metaverse is going mobile-first
Meta reportedly plans to release a smartwatch this year
Ring could be planning to expand Search Party feature beyond dogs
Netflixs first MMA livestream is coming in May
Rousey v. Carano.
Netflix is streaming its very first live MMA fight on May 16. The combatants are Ronda Rousey, (last match 2016) and Gina Carano (2009). The streamer has had to pluck fighters out of retirement because more contemporary stars are under contract with various promotional entities. The featherweight bout will take place inside a hexagon cage and stream globally hopefully, Netflix can keep its stream up. The fight is co-hosted by Most Valuable Productions, Jake Pauls production company. Because of course it is.
Continue reading.
The Pixel 10a is your next midrange Android phone
It launches March 5.
Engadget
The worst-kept secret in value-for-money phones remains Googles Pixel A series. In recent years, the Android phone series has offered a great balance of specs, hardware design and software features that embarrass most phones in the same price point. Its camera performance is often better than devices that cost several hundred dollars more.
Its more of the same with the Pixel 10a. For $500, you get a 6.3-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits of peak brightness, 8GB of RAM and a 48MP main camera, paired with a 13MP ultra-wide. Also: No. Camera. Bump. Innovation for $500, right there.
Continue reading.
Dysons tiny PencilVac gets turned into a floorwasher
This is the PencilWash.
Engadget
I wont shut up about floor cleaning. Im 41. Dyson has crunched its wet-floor tech into the same cylindrical profile of its Penac. I like the size, but how does it clean? Ill hold judgment till Ive tried it.
$600 is a lot more than a mop. Yes, I know thats not the point.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122534537.html?src=rss
Bixby isnt typically part of the conversation when it comes to virtual assistants for mobile devices, but Samsung is clearly hoping that you would use it more. The company has launched the latest version of Bixby with the new One UI 8.5 beta, and it has been tweaked to work as a conversational agent. Samsung says youll now be able to talk to it and give it tasks using natural language, like how youd talk to other people or, these days, to chatbots. You dont have to remember exact commands or names for specific settings. You can just describe what you want to happen, such as I dont want the screen to time out while Im still looking at it. Bixby will then automatically turn on the Keep Screen on While Viewing setting. If you ask it a question, such as Why is my phone screen always on when its inside my pocket, it could provide several solutions you can choose from. In addition, the assistant can now access new and up-to-date information on the web. You do searches without opening a browser, and Bixby will display web results right within its interface. At the moment, the updated Bixby is only available in Samsungs home country of Korea, as well as in Germany, India, Poland, the UK and the US, but company will roll it out more widely in the future. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-updates-bixby-to-become-more-conversational-112649179.html?src=rss
Google has announced that with the help of AI, it blocked 1.75 million apps that violated its policies in 2025, significantly down from 2.36 million in 2024. The lower numbers this year, it said, are because its "AI-powered, multi-layer protections" are deterring bad actors from even trying to publish bad apps.
Google said it now runs more than 10,000 safety checks on every app and continues to recheck them after they're published. Its use of the latest generative AI models helps human reviewers discover malicious patterns more quickly, it added. The company also blocked 160 million spam ratings, preventing an average 0.5-star rating drop for apps targeted by review bombing. Finally, Google stopped 255,000 apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data in 2025, down from 1.3 million the year before.
Meanwhile, Google Play Protect, the company's Android defense system, sniffed out over 27 million new malicious apps, either warning users or preventing them from running. The company added that Play Protect's enhanced fraud protection now covers 2.8 billion Android devices in 185 markets and blocked 266 million risky "side-loading" installation attempts.
"Initiatives like developer verification, mandatory pre-review checks, and testing requirements have raised the bar for the Google Play ecosystem, significantly reducing the paths for bad actors to enter," the company said its blog. "This year, well continue to invest in AI-driven defenses to stay ahead of emerging threats and equip Android developers with the tools they need to build apps safely."
Google has steadfastly justified its relatively high fees on app purchases and subscriptions by touting its investments in app safety. However, its Play store has been under pressure from regulators in Europe and other regions that claim it amounts to a monopoly. Last year, the company changed its fee structure for developers using alternative payment channels, but EU regulators recently claimed the company still isn't complying with Digital Markets Act regulations. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-play-used-ai-to-help-block-175-million-bad-apps-in-2025-102208054.html?src=rss
Blizzard Entertainment has finally launched player housing in World of Warcraft (a feature its community had been requesting for decades), and Zillow is jumping in with a playful crossover. Zillow for Warcraft is a custom microsite that lets anyone browse a curated collection of in-game homes from the fantasy realm of Azeroth, complete with 3D tours and aerial-style visuals modeled on Zillow's real-world tools. Listings range from Stormwind townhouses to Horde-influenced bungalows, and the site will continue adding player-created homes over time.For Blizzard, the partnership lends its new housing feature cultural legitimacy beyond the gaming bubble. For Zillow, it's an entry point into one of the most loyal digital communities on earth, arriving at the precise moment players are most excited about making a space their own. The meaning transfer runs both ways: World of Warcraft channels its fandom's creative energy toward Zillow, while Zillow confers "home legitimacy" on virtual housing. If Zillow becomes synonymous with envisioning your future home whether that home is suburban, urban, or virtual the brand equity compounds across realities.TREND BITEAs the boundaries between physical and digital worlds dissolve, people are increasingly eager to play at the seams, exploring moments where the real and the imagined overlap. This collaboration works because it invites exactly that kind of play: browsing fantasy homes with real-world tools, treating a digital realm with the same aspirational energy usually reserved for Sunday afternoon Zillow scrolling. The takeaway for other brands? Don't just parachute into fantasy spaces. Instead, consider crafting singular moments that have one foot in the real and one in the constructed experiences that feel native to both worlds and forced in neither.
Formula 1 has been receiving star treatment from Apple for awhile, and now the racing series will literally be getting even bigger. Apple is partnering with IMAX to show five races from the 2026 season. The Miami Grand Prix on May 3, the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, the British Grand Prix on July 5, the Italian Grand Prix on September 6 and the United States Grand Prix on October 25 will be aired live at select IMAX theaters in the US. Apple landed a five-year deal for the US broadcast rights to Formula 1 last fall and there's already a dedicated channel for the car races on Apple TV ahead of the season's start. It also got the rights for a splashy feature film about the racing league, which amassed more than $630 million at the global box office, including with some IMAX screenings. It's unclear if IMAX will be paying to host more live F1 races at its theaters in future years, but it should be a fun way for fans to get the most immersive experience possible short of actually attending the racetrack.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/apple-inks-deal-for-imax-screenings-of-live-formula-1-races-234003582.html?src=rss
