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Besides a wealth of Fortnite skins based on Disney IP, it hasn’t really been clear what the entertainment company has gotten in return for its $1.5 billion investment in Epic from 2024. That could change this November, Bloomberg reports, when Epic releases a Disney-themed extraction shooter. The game is one of three Disney projects the publisher is currently working on, and is reportedly expected to be Epic’s comeback after the company laid off 1,000 employees in March due to a “downturn in Fortnite engagement.” The game is reportedly similar to Arc Raiders, a multiplayer shooter where players fight for resources before escaping through an extraction point, but with Disney characters fighting enemies instead of post-apocalyptic survivors. Bloomberg writes that internal reviewers have worried that the game’s mechanics are “not very original,” but the project is the most promising of the three Epic is developing. The second title received middling internal reviews, according to Bloomberg, and Epic moved resources off the third project “after reports that Disney was disappointed by Epic’s release timeline.” While details of Epic’s work for Disney are coming into focus, it’s still unclear whether this new extraction shooter will be a standalone game or incorporated as a mode in Fortnite. In its efforts to sell the title as a “multiverse” and a competitor to Roblox, Epic has introduced multiple games inside Fortnite over the last few years with distinct mechanics. The developer announced that it would shut down three of those titles — Rocket Racing, Ballistic and Fortnite Festival Battle Stage — as part of its recent round of layoffs. According to current and former Epic employees Bloomberg spoke to, several affected employees were also working on these unannounced Disney games. When it invested in Epic in 2024, Disney suggested it would build an “entertainment universe” with the developer, where players could “play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more.” Epic’s current plans sound far less ambitious than that, but if they manage to increase engagement with Fortnite and Disney’s brand, that might not matter. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-is-reportedly-building-an-extraction-shooter-for-disney-220401382.html?src=rss

Apple is closing three of its retail stores this summer, including its first location to unionize. The tech company said it plans to permanently close Apple Store in Trumbull, CT, Escondito, CA, and Towson, MD. The Apple Store location in Towson, was the first where unionized workers and Apple reached a contract agreement back in 2024.  MacRumors published a statement from Apple confirming the closures. The company credited noting “the departure of several retailers and declining conditions” at the shopping centers where this trio of stores are housed as the reason for ending operations. “Our team members at Trumbull and North County will continue their roles at nearby Apple Retail stores,” the statement reads. “Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.” We reached out to the company for additional comment, and were sent the same statement.  The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which leads the union the Towson workers had joined, released a statement about the closure. “Apple’s claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union,” the organization said. “We are exploring all legal options and will work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable.” This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-is-closing-three-us-stores-including-the-first-to-unionize-225941912.html?src=rss

OpenAI has closed a yawning gap in its ChatGPT subscription pricing with a new $100 per month Pro plan that slots between the $20 per month Plus plan and $200 per month Pro plan. Offering five times more Codex than the $20 option, it appears designed to challenge Anthropic’s $100 per month Claude option. “Compared with Claude Code, Codex delivers more coding capacity per dollar across paid tiers,” an OpenAI spokesperson told TechCrunch.  So what’s the difference between OpenAI’s two Pro plans? The $200 version does offer four times the Codex. However, you get the same advanced tools and models with $100 plan, according to OpenAI’s product page. To encourage users to jump in, it will offer double the Codex for a limited time, or 10 times what you get with the Plus plan.  Users have been screaming for such a plan for a while now, according to posts on OpenAI’s developer community forums. “The Plus plan will continue to be the best offer at $20 for steady, day-to-day usage of Codex, and the new $100 Pro tier offers a more accessible upgrade path for heavier daily use,” OpenAI said in a post on X.  With the launch of GPT 5.2 late last year and GPT-5.3-Codex in February, OpenAI significantly boosted the speed and reasoning capabilities of Codex, giving developers a tough choice between ChatGPT and Claude Opus. However, the sticking point for many power users was ChatGPT’s $200 per month price — so OpenAI no doubt hopes the new plan will convince those on the fence to switch.  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-has-a-new-100-chatgpt-pro-plan-to-better-match-up-with-claude-062705626.html?src=rss

Google has removed popular psychological horror game Doki Doki Literature Club! from the Play Store. According to Dan Salvato, who led its development team, and publisher Serenity Forge, Google told them the visual novel was removed because it violated its Terms of Service in its depiction of sensitive themes. The game is “widely celebrated for portraying mental health in a way that meaningfully connects deeply with players around the world,” they said in their announcement. Its free version, which came out first, has been downloaded at least 30 million times, while the paid “Plus” version has had at least one million downloads. The visual novel has repeatedly made Engadget’s lists of favorite games over the years. Doki Doki Literature Club! has the drawing style and the makings of a typical dating sim, but players find themselves confronted with serious themes, including depression and suicide, soon after starting. Its Play listing was appropriately marked as “Mature 17+,” which means that children won’t be able to download it if their devices have parental controls. In addition, the developers clearly communicate that the game tackles serious issues. “This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed” is the first line of the game. “In-game content warnings for such material can be enabled in the Settings menu at any time,” it also warns players. In settings, there’s link to a page that lists content warnings that apply to the visual novel. We’ve asked Google for a statement on why the game was removed, and we’ll update this post when we hear back. Salvator and Serenity Forge said they’re doing everything they can to “find a path forward for getting DDLC reinstated on the Google Play Store.” They’re also looking at other methods of distribution for Android devices. At the moment, the game’s Play listing shows that it’s still not available, but it’s still out on Steam, PlayStation, Switch eshop and iOS. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/google-removes-doki-doki-literature-club-from-the-play-store-080615951.html?src=rss

Tesla may be shifting strategy once again. Reuters reported that the company is working on a smaller and less expensive electric SUV. This would be a brand new vehicle rather than a variant of the existing Model 3 or Model Y, according to the publication’s sources. The new EV would allegedly be about 14 feet long, shorter than the 15.7-foot Model Y. Reuters didn’t have details about whether this would be an autonomous vehicle or a traditional one, but one source reportedly said that Tesla is generally looking to offer a driverless option in its vehicle lineup.  The company had previously been working on a budget EV with a target price of $25,000, but Tesla appeared to abandon that effort in 2024 to work on robotaxis. And as recently as the start of 2026, Tesla discontinued two of its EV models in order to refocus the business on robotics. Perhaps the brand felt it needed to have a bigger auto imprint after cutting the Model S and X and relaunched the budget EV project. Or perhaps this is just the latest whim of the company’s leadership and it won’t actually come to pass. We’ll have to wait and see. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-may-be-working-on-a-smaller-and-cheaper-electric-suv-175230630.html?src=rss

Razer just released the Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds, another entry in the recently-crowded field of gaming earbuds. These have been designed for low latency, which is a necessity when playing video games. To that end, the earbuds integrate with Razer’s proprietary HyperSpeed 2.4GHz streaming platform, which allows for “gaming-grade lag-free” audio. This works with plenty of devices, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, the Steam Deck, the PS5 and more. The earbuds can also connect via Bluetooth for devices that don’t support Wi-Fi-based streaming audio. The charging case includes a dongle that plugs into devices via USB-C, which doubles as a wireless transmitter. Razer promises that users can quickly switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth audio, which would be useful when going from a PC to, say, a smartphone to listen to music. These earbuds include improved ANC, when compared to the previous generation. The battery here lasts for 40 hours, with the earbuds getting 10 hours per charge and the case offering four charges.  Razer The case can charge via USB-C, which means it charges as the transmitter is being used to stream audio. However, the dongle can also work on its own without the charging case. The earbuds also support THX spatial audio on PCs. Razer’s Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds are available right now and cost $130. The almost identically-named Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds run $100 and connect via Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 6.0, with a slightly reduced battery life. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/razer-just-released-some-new-gaming-earbuds-with-low-latency-and-fast-switching-between-devices-172907717.html?src=rss

Windrose was a hit in a recent Steam Next Fest event, with more than 850,000 people checking out the demo. More than 1.5 million people have wishlisted the pirate survival-adventure title on Steam as well. So, it’s safe to say this game has some wind in its sails, and it’ll be arriving very soon. During Thursday’s Triple-i Initiative showcase, developer Windrose Crew revealed that it’s charted a course for an early access release on Steam, the Epic Games Store and Stove on April 14 for $30. In Windrose, you can sail the high seas solo or explore the open world with friends. While the world is procedurally generated, the developers have handcrafted more than 90 points of interest, such as dungeons, temples and shipwrecks. You and your buds can team up to take down rival ships by sharing command of your vessel’s weapons. Once you get close enough, you can board enemy ships for close-quarters combat. A broad range of weapons (including swords and muskets) can help you in battle with adversaries such as sailors, monstrous creatures and bosses. Windrose also features farming, fishing, crafting and trading, as well as a reputation system and base building. You can hire non-player characters for your crew as well.  Windrose Crew expects the game to remain in early access for around 1.5 to 2.5 years. It plans to add 50 percent more content, such as new biomes (the early access version has three), enemies, ships and gear. The developers might introduce more gameplay systems as well. The team also said the main story should take players between 50 and 70 hours to complete. This is a grittier alternative to Sea of Thieves and Skull and Bones for those who want to engage in a spot of piracy with some of their friends. If you’d like to sample what Windrose is all about, the demo remains available on all three PC platforms. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/co-op-pirate-survival-game-windrose-hits-pc-in-early-access-on-april-14-175842163.html?src=rss

The hit mountain climbing simulation Cairn is getting a series of free DLC drops, under the banner On the Trail. The first will be released this summer and it’s called Deep Water. The DLC introduces three new climbing areas and plenty of “fresh challenges.” There’s also a new avatar, as players can now climb as Aava or the game’s original sidekick Marco. As the name suggests, there’s some new water-based mechanics here. It looks like players will be able to fall into the water without automatically dying, though the developer hasn’t shown how that works exactly. In the original game, a fall into a body of water would be treated just like any other fall. This is the first in a series of new DLC releases, but we don’t know what the other updates will entail. We do know that they’ll all be free. The base game is $30, when not on sale, so this is a nice little perk for fans. For the uninitiated, Cairn is a serious mountain climbing sim that forces players to keep a keen eye on balance and stamina. It’s got a fairly complex control scheme, with a manual mode that mandates independent control of each limb. There’s an emphasis on route planning and gear management. The game is also quite easy on the eyes. Today’s DLC announcement came as part of the Triple-i Initiative showcase, which spotlights indie games. The stream also gave us reveals for a new Don’t Starve game and an intriguing title from the devs behind the hit narrative adventure 1000xResist. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mountain-climbing-sim-cairn-is-getting-free-dlc-this-summer-182908992.html?src=rss

Netflix has added a heavy hitter in party activities to its gaming lineup. The streamer announced that Jackbox Party Essentials is joining the Netflix Party Games collection. This move makes three of the popular Jackbox group games available for free to Netflix subscribers: Fibbage 4, Quiplash 3 and Drawful 2. Each one supports up to eight players.  Netflix has been refocusing its interactive strategy to highlight family-friendly and party games. The company has even offered tie-ins to its original content; for instance, playing Overcooked through Netflix will let you use a member of Huntr/x from Kpop Demon Hunters as your in-game avatar. We also saw Netflix’s Game Controller software, which turns any mobile device into a gamepad for its game library, take the crown as a top-downloaded iOS app around the Easter holiday weekend. That performance could indicate that many families were at least thinking of trying out the streamer’s games as part of their festivities. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/netflix-adds-three-jackbox-games-to-its-tv-app-190220143.html?src=rss

Developer Klei Entertainment has announced a follow-up to Don’t Starve that adds a new sense of depth to the popular survival game. And that’s in a literal sense: Don’t Starve Elsewhere translates the game’s resource gathering and sanity management to a world with three-dimensional terrain at different elevations, a first for the traditionally flat series. Don’t Starve Elsewhere doesn’t quite seem like the Super Mario 64 to Don’t Starve‘s Super Mario Bros. but based on the trailer, having actual mountains, cliffs and plateaus does offer plenty of new opportunities to have your world rocked by an unfriendly goat. The game also incorporates new biomes, what looks like plenty of new animals, enemies and bosses and several features that were first introduced as DLC for the first Don’t Starve. Klei released the original Tim Burton-inspired Don’t Starve all the way back in 2013, and has been remarkably consistent in supporting it with paid DLC introducing new characters, mechanics and biomes over the last 13 years. Additions like multiplayer support, from standalone expansion Don’t Starve Together, and dynamic weather patterns, introduced in Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked, appear to be built into the new game from the start. A mobile spin-off created by Tencent, Don’t Starve: Newhome, was announced in 2020 and appears to still be in active development. Klei hasn’t announced a release date for Don’t Starve Elsewhere, but if the game is anything like the developer’s previous games, it will be released in early access on PC before it makes its way to a full release on other platforms. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/another-dont-starve-game-is-on-the-way-184400774.html?src=rss