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Sony aired a State of Play event in June, meaning we may not be getting one for a little while. Still, there's sure to be more of them by the end of the year, and thankfully we do know there will be a bespoke presentation for an upcoming PS5 exclusive at some point this month.
Since the series of shows began in 2019, Sony has used the State of Play presentations to reveal big-hitting games and details such as the initial reveal of Saros, debut gameplay footage for Death Stranding 2, and more. So, it's always worth tuning in to the State of Play live streams if you want to be alerted to any big announcements for new PS5 games.
Following the release of the PS5 Pro console, all eyes have turned back to the next State of Play - a new console will need new games to play on it, after all, even if it is a mid-gen refresh machine. Here's what we know.
When is the next Sony State of Play?(Image credit: Kojima Productions)There's no info on when to expect the next Sony State of Play, and considering we just had one on June 4, we could be waiting a while. There was a Ghost of Yotei-focused gameplay showcase to enjoy earlier in July, which showed off gameplay and the open world design for the first time.
What was revealed at the last Sony State of Play?(Image credit: IO Interactive)The last Sony State of Play event aired June 4, 2025. We covered the State of Play event live, where we saw 007 First Light for the first time. elsewhere, Baby Steps got a release date, and Nioh 3 was announced. Here's everything that was shown:
- Lumines Arise, PS5, PSVR 2
- Pragmata, 2026
- Romeo is a Dead Man, 2026
- Silent Hill f, , September 25, 2025
- Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, 2026
- Digimon Story Time Stranger, October 3 2025
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, September 30, 2025
- Baby Steps, September 8, 2025
- Hirogami, September 3, 2025
- Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots, September 5 2025
- Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, July 31 2025
- Cairn, November 5, 2025 (demo available today)
- Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, 2025
- Project Defiant fight stick
- Metal Gear Solid Delta, August 28 2025
- Nioh 3, early 2026 (demo available today)
- Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, PSVR 2
- Tides of Tomorrow, Feb 24, 2026
- Astro Bot free DLC later this month + the Astro Bot DualSense returning
- Sea and Remnants, 2026
- Sword of the Sea, August 19
- 007 First Light, 2026
- Ghost of Yotei, gameplay demonstration coming in July
- Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls, coming to PS5 and PC in 2026
We just had a State of Play event focusing on 007 First Light, Sword and the Sea, as well as a bunch of other announcements. That means we'll be waiting a while for the next one, though I'd expect to see more on Marathon, Ghost of Yōtei, and perhaps even Saros, the next game from Returnal developer Housemarque that's due in 2026. We'll have to wait and see.
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- OpenAI figures claim ChatGPT now has 500 million users globally
- Younger workers use it more, but the youngest aren't the biggest users
- OpenAI wants to democratize artificial intelligence and support workers
OpenAI has released new research claiming its AI tools technology is providing major productivity benefits - whilst also recognizing it could majorly disrupt some areas negatively.
This year, ChatGPT has been used by 28% of US adults for work purposes, up from 8% in 2023, suggesting more and more are getting to grips with its productivity and efficiency benefits.
Among its most popular use cases are learning and upskilling (20%), writing and communication (18%), programming, data science and maths (7%), creative ideation, business analytics and even translation.
ChatGPT looks to boost productivityInterestingly, while we usually see younger generations adopting emerging technologies more quickly, OpenAI revealed that more 25-34-year-old use ChatGPT (32%) compared with 18-24-year-olds (24%), suggesting that generative AI could be more beneficial to slightly more senior positions than entry-level roles.
Lawyers, customer support agents, consultants, government workers and teachers have all reported considerable time savings when using AI.
OpenAI's 'Unlocking Economic Opportunity' paper also claimed AI helps to lower the barrier to entry for entrepreneurship and small businesses, with Y Combinator's 2025 cohort growing at around 10% weekly due to the growing number of AI-first startups.
However, even OpenAI acknowledges AI can bring disruption despite its significant productivity promises.
Claiming it now supports more than 2.5 billion messages per day from 500 million users globally, the company noted it has a responsibility to guide the change – not halt it – by democratizing access, supporting workers and building inclusive systems.
"We’re off to a strong start, creating freely available intelligence being used by more than 500 million people around the world, including 3 million developers," the company wrote.
"OpenAI looks forward to working with policymakers, workers, educators and the public to better understand how AI is changing the economy and ensure that the economic gains that AI brings result in widespread growth and expanded opportunity."
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- Russia is considering banning WhatsApp
- The Meta-owned app is the most popular messaging service in the country
- Max, a domestic messaging app integrated with government services, will be installed on every new device from September 2025
People in Russia may soon need to find a replacement for WhatsApp, the most popular messaging app across the country.
Talking to Reuters on Friday, July 18, 2025, the Deputy Head of the Russian parliament's Information Technology Committee, Anton Gorelkin, said that "it's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," adding that Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia.
On Tuesday, July 22, Russia passed a law to punish online searches for so-called 'extremist' content, while adding new penalties to those using VPN services.
How likely is WhatsApp to leave Russia?(Image credit: Getty Images)Russian authorities haven't shared any details on how or when the WhatsApp ban will be enforced.
That said, Meta, the provider behind WhatsApp, has already been designated as an extremist organization, with two of its other services (Facebook and Instagram) being banned since 2022.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, also reiterated the fact that WhatsApp "has certain duties under laws of the Russian Federation" that must be fulfilled – Interfax reported.
Two more government sources have then confirmed to Meduza, a Russian Independent media outlet, that "there’s a 99-percent chance" the WhatsApp block will happen.
The looming WhatsApp ban comes as the Kremlin is developing its own messaging app with government services integrated. From September 2025, Max is set to be installed on every device sold in Russia, the Independent reported.
Can a VPN help?A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts users' internet connections while spoofing their real IP address. The latter skill is generally used to bypass this type of internet geo-blocking – something Russian authorities have been trying to prevent for a long time.
From ever-sophisticated VPN blocking tactics, which make many VPN services stop working, the Kremlin even criminalized the spread of information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions in March 2024, forcing the likes of Apple to remove some of the best VPN apps from its official App Store.
Now, a new law further complicates things for VPN users. Starting from July 22, there are new penalties for people searching for and accessing "knowingly extremist materials," including when they do that while connected to a VPN.
Furthermore, lawmakers have reportedly also adopted a provision that makes using a VPN to access extremist content – something that WhatsApp may be set to become – "a crime as an aggravating factor."
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- The law also adds new penalties for VPN users, making its usage to access extremist content a crime as an aggravating factor
- WhatsApp is the latest app set to be banned in Russia
People in Russia are set to face new fines for "searching for or accessing knowingly extremist materials," including through VPN services.
Russian Parliament, the State Duma, passed the new law on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, with 306 votes in favor, 67 against, and 22 abstaining – as reported by Russian Independent news outlet Meduza.
The law has so far attracted strong criticism, even among pro-government figures, according to Reuters. Digital rights experts are also raising the alarm.
Russia VPN – what's changing with the new law?A virtual private network (VPN) is a crucial tool for people in Russia, thanks to its IP-spoofing capabilities that allow bypassing of government-imposed geo-restrictions, as well as strong encryption to help fight back against online surveillance. (Image credit: Getty Images)The Kremlin's fight against VPN usage certainly isn't new. As more people in Russia have turned to the best VPN apps to bypass ever-stricter internet censorship, authorities have been doing their best to prevent this.
From deploying sophisticated VPN blocking techniques in March 2024, the government introduced for the first time a law to criminalize the spread of information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions.
That's likely the basis that led the Kremlin's infamous censorship body regulator Roskomnadzor, to issue VPN removal demands against the Big Tech giant. Apple was the most complainant of the lot, killing at least 60 VPN apps, including the popular Russian service Amnezia VPN, from July 2024 onwards alone.
Now, the new law introduces additional penalties for violating rules on VPN usage. This means that advertising VPN services can now cost individuals between 50,000–80,000 rubles ($640–$1,020). This rises to 80,000–150,000 rubles ($1,020–$1,900) for officials, and 200,000–500,000 rubles ($2,550–$6,380) for legal entities.
As Meduza reported, lawmakers also adopted a provision that makes using a VPN to access extremist content "a crime as an aggravating factor."
How Russia's new law affect VPN users?According to the Kremlin, banning the online search of so-called extremist content comes as an alternative to completely blocking foreign platforms.
"In our understanding, this [the adoption of the bill] allows us to strike a balance: on the one hand, to prevent the further dissemination of extremist materials, [and] on the other hand, to refrain from blocking major Western platforms for now," said Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev – Interfax reported.
Crucially, Shadayev also assures that "ordinary users will not be affected," despite failing to explain how.
This assurance isn't, however, convincing digital rights experts who now fear stronger repercussions against dissidents.
Talking to The Moscow Times, co-founder of Russian digital advocacy group Roskomsvoboda, Sarkis Darbinyan said: "If you have a VPN on your phone, that alone might be enough to trigger a deeper check. Eventually, we could see criminal charges for VPN use after just one or two warnings – like with the law on foreign agents."
It's also worth mentioning that the highly popular WhatsApp app is now likely to be restricted in Russia.
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- The threat actors would send RFQ emails and ask for Net 45 financing terms
- The goods would end up sold in African countries
Cybercriminals have found a way to leverage stolen company files to obtain actual physical goods, and it revolves around a business practice called Request for Quote (RFQ).
An Request for Quote is when one business asks another how much it would cost to purchase certain products, and is used when buying in bulk, wanting to compare prices, or looking for volume-based discounts.
But according to security researchers at Proofpoint, scammers are using files stolen in other cyberattacks to spoof the businesses and create convincing RFQ emails.
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Shipping to GhanaIn the emails, they would ask for all kinds of equipment, from networking gear, to CCTV cameras, healthcare hardware, and similar.
After receiving a quote, they would then ask for Net 15/30/45 financing terms - payment terms that give the buyer 15, 30, or 45 days to pay the full invoice amount, with interest, *after* receiving the goods - which is common practice in B2B transactions.
If the victim business agrees, the scammers would share a shipping address. Sometimes, these are residential addresses, and other times, they lead to rented warehouses across the US. From there, the crooks would hire shipping forwarding services that specialize in sending goods to West African countries like Nigeria and Ghana, where the gear ends up (likely to be sold).
The victim, on the other hand, never gets their money as the scammers just disappear.
Proofpoint also stated the shipping forwarding services most likely don’t even know they’re transporting stolen goods, and that people living in houses listed as the shipping address can be scammers, or former scam victims themselves looking to pay off a debt.
The researchers also said they were tracking and blocking emails associated with RFQ scam groups, and partnered with the company’s Takedown Team to successfully take down 19 domains associated with these scams.
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- Wednesday has been renewed for season 3
- This news comes ahead of the season 2 premier on August 6
- The creators have teased they "want to continue digging deeper into characters while expanding the world of Nevermore"
Wednesday season 3 is officially happening, with Netflix confirming the news ahead of the upcoming Wednesday season 2 premier on August 6.
The news was confirmed on Wednesday (of course), July 23, when Netflix shared a new poster featuring the iconic disembodied hand, aka Thing, holding a crystal ball with the number 3 on it.
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A photo posted by on
The tagline reads "bad things come in threes", focusing on the Addams Family's tendency to focus on the macabre and thankfully not the quality of the series. It's one of our best Netflix shows for a reason after all.
Speaking about the renewal, co-creator and co-showrunner Alfred Gough said in a press release: “Our goal for season 3 is the same as it is for every season: to make it the best season of Wednesday we possibly can. We want to continue digging deeper into our characters while expanding the world of Nevermore and Wednesday.”
What's coming up on Netflix's Wednesday?The wider Addams Family will be explored in Wednesday season 2. (Image credit: Netflix)Right now it feels like the world is Wednesday's oyster, as Wednesday season 2 is shaping up to be bigger and better than the first installment. I enjoyed the first season immensely and can't wait to see the new one.
Season 2 will focus on the wider family, much to Wednesday's horror, with creator Tim Burton teasing to Tudum: "This year, we bring the family to Nevermore. Your family at school is the worst thing possible, isn’t it?”
We should expect to see an expansion of the lore focusing on both Nevermore Academy, the school for outcasts which Wednesday attends, as well as meeting some more members of the morbid family.
Following Gwendoline Christie's departure in season 1, legendary actor Steve Buscemi steps into the role of Nevermore's principal, while British icon Joanna Lumley plays Wednesday's grandmother. So there's an expansion of the already brilliant cast this season, as seen in this sneak peek which teases bucketloads of Addams Family lore.
As for season 3, we'll have to wait and see where the story goes but I'm confident it'll keep going from strength to strength. With plenty of dark and comical Addams Family lore to dive into, I could quite happily watch many more seasons of this.
The new season is split into two parts this time, mirroring popular shows like Stranger Things season 5. The second part of Wednesday season 2 releases on September 3, so there's not too much of a wait.
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