EA Confirms DICE and Respawn Are Collaborating on a New Project Amidst Star Wars: Battlefront 3 Rumors

EA has confirmed that DICE and Respawn are working on a new project together, adding more fuel to rumors about Star Wars: Battlefront 3.

As part of a larger letter about the future of EA, the publisher confirmed that it is working on new Battlefield games. It also noted that in addition to Battlefield, DICE and Respawn are working together on a "future project" that they hope will unlock growth in their shooter portfolio. This follows rumors from earlier this week that the two companies are working together to make Star Wars: Battlefront 3.

"In addition to our future Battlefield titles, we’ll be bringing together our Respawn and DICE studios to collaborate on a future project that will help us achieve that ambition," said EA. "We can’t wait to share more when the time comes."

Variety also corroborated the Battlefront 3 rumors via sources, though nothing was shared on what the game will look like or when it might release. Other rumors recently suggested that Bungie was in the mix to work on Battlefront 3 or perhaps another project in the Star Wars universe, though nothing has been confirmed on that front. Star Wars: Battlefront 3 has been one of the most demanded titles over the last decade.

DICE's second crack at the Star Wars shooter franchise was controversial at launch due to issues with its monetization strategy, but the game itself was praised up and down by fans. It has remained a respected title among Star Wars lovers, and they've frequently rallied together to demand a sequel. Now, it seems like it will happen, though this time with the assistance of Respawn.

The Titanfall and Apex Legends studio has its own experience working on Star Wars through the Jedi games and the recently-released Star Wars Zero Company. Respawn also worked on a canceled Star Wars shooter, rumored to be a Mandalorian game, leaving fans to wonder what could've been. Only time will tell what this new Respawn and DICE game really is, but if it's Battlefront 3, it has serious potential to be something special.

This news came alongside some doom and gloom. EA confirmed that it was canceling the next Mass Effect and shutting down veteran RPG studio BioWare. The news comes after about a decade of commercial and critical misfires from the studio with games like Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

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Umamusume Fans Distraught After Los Angeles Concerts Canceled Due to Visa Issues

Two Umamusume concerts in Los Angeles have been canceled after workers could not get their visas approved in time for the event, leaving American fans distraught.

On October 18, the official Umamusume: Pretty Derby Twitter/X account announced that staffers working the shows — scheduled for October 22 and 23 — were having difficulties securing their travel visas. At the time, it did not cancel the events, but warned concertgoers that this may impact the festivities.

The possibility that these concerts would be canceled sparked concern among the game’s fanbase, with many joking (or perhaps being fully serious) that this event might politically “radicalize” them, given the extremely long wait times for visas in the United States right now.

The next day, Cygames confirmed that the Los Angeles concerts had been officially canceled, offering refunds to fans who’d purchased both on-site viewing tickets and streaming tickets to watch the show remotely. Responses to fans who made travel plans are also in progress, though Cygames admitted that this may take “some time.”

“Although we have coordinated repeatedly with all parties concerned and explored every possible option in our efforts to make this event happen, we were unable to obtain the necessary visas for entry into the US, so we have come to the painful conclusion that holding the concerts is no longer possible,” the post reads.

“Once again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this causes to all the Trainers who were eagerly looking forward to the concerts, as well as to the Umamusume cast, partner company staff, and everyone involved who put tremendous effort into making this event happen.”

It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the cancellation of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby – 7th EVENT: THE STAGE in LOS ANGELES concerts planned for Oct 22–23, 2026.

Although we have coordinated repeatedly with all parties concerned and explored every possible option in our efforts to make this event happen, we were unable to obtain the necessary visas for entry into the US, so we have come to the painful conclusion that holding the concerts is no longer possible.

To all the Trainers who were eagerly looking forward to the show, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern this causes, and for announcing this so close to the event date.

Due to this cancellation, we will process refunds for the following:

・On-site viewing tickets

・Streaming tickets

In addition, we are looking into possible responses to Trainers who were planning to attend the concert in person. This will take some time, so we ask for your patience. Details will be announced on the 7th EVENT WORLD TOUR official website.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this causes to all the Trainers who were eagerly looking forward to the concerts, as well as to the Umamusume cast, partner company staff, and everyone involved who put tremendous effort into making this event happen.

Please see the link below for the official notice:

https://t.co/lrZyCDHwhh

— Umamusume: Pretty Derby (@umamusume_eng) October 20, 2026

It’s safe to say that Umamusume fans in the States are completely beside themselves over this news, with many who’d made travel arrangements feeling especially burnt by the situation — not at Cygames, but with the political issues that are making visa acquisitions especially arduous.

“I'm so sorry that this happened. I was excited to have a mini-concert at home and had many friends and acquaintances who were excited to go. I wish things could have worked out,” one fan replied.

“Thank you so very much for trying, it's heart-breaking but we know you tried until the very end,” another wrote.

“This is not the America I wanted to live in,” another said, while yet another joked that the country is currently experiencing an “anti-Uma administration.”

Knowing the power of the Umamusume fanbase, some netizens are genuinely convinced that this incident could result in real political activism; after all, these fans have made several real-world impacts over the years, with the community previously banding together to save a sick racehorse from a slaughterhouse, raising over $600,000 to rebuild stables for the horse Meisho Doto, and even inspiring a disabled fan to perform onstage for the very first time.

Umamusume concerts aren’t the only events getting impacted by long visa wait times; several other shows have also fallen victim to this issue, with the likes of Shinee’s Taemin being forced to cancel his entire North American tour due to being unable to secure visas for its staff and key personnel.

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Hideo Kojima Loved Whalefall, but It Ruined Eating Squid for Him

Whalefall, the movie that sees Austin Abrams attempt to fight his way out of the belly of a sperm whale, has a fan in Hideo Kojima. The Metal Gear Solid creator and serious movie buff shared his thoughts on the film over the weekend, revealing a love for whales that has been with him since school — but says Whalefall has, as a result, put him off snacking on squid.

"It was a literary film that explored, in a somewhat metafictional way, the Steinbeck-like relationship between whales and humans as part of an ecosystem, alongside the familial bond between father and son. The visual effects were also outstanding. However, I don’t think I’ll be eating squid for a while," he wrote on Twitter/X.

I watched “Whalefall.” I had received a copy of Daniel Kraus’s novel, on which the film is based, quite some time ago, but hadn’t had the chance to read it yet. Kraus was also involved in writing the screenplay. It was a literary film that explored, in a somewhat metafictional way, the Steinbeck-like relationship between whales and humans as part of an ecosystem, alongside the familial bond between father and son. The visual effects were also outstanding. However, I don’t think I’ll be eating squid for a while 🦑. I love whales. They appear frequently in my games. When I was in the early years of elementary school, I researched whale ecology for a school project. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated by their enormous size as mammals and their symbolic presence in the marine ecosystem. In MGS2, Raiden is swallowed, digested, and excreted by the enormous Arsenal Gear, a whale that swallows digital information. Whales also feature in MGSV and DEATH STRANDING. There are references to Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” as well. It’s a shame they didn’t make a program for the film 🐳.

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 18, 2026

Director and writer Brian Duffield spoke to IGN for Fall Fan Fest 2026 about the making of the movie and revealed the unusual research he had to undertake when it came to whale guts.

"We would watch autopsies of beached sperm whales, and there's a bunch of endoscopies of beluga whales and dolphins that we would watch and then talk to the experts and see how much of that we could use and how much would be different with a sperm whale," he said.

"But yeah, it was a real weird time in my life where most everything I was watching was very graphic endoscopies and autopsies. My wife would walk into the room and I'd close my laptop lid, and she was just like - she knew I wasn't watching porn - she was just like, 'Just another autopsy?' I was like, 'Yes, it's my job.'"

Whalefall is in movie theaters now, and our review said it "pulls the viewer into an unthinkably frightening, incredibly gross, and panic-inducing environment that plays on primal human fears about being predator or prey." You can read more of that review here.

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PlayStation Shadowdrops Saros Zenith Update With Boss Rush, New Game+ and Fancy Golden Crown Powerups

A new update for Saros dropped today, adding some new features to the hectic Housemarque shooter. New Carcosan Modifiers allow players to further tweak the challenge, a boss rush mode lets you compete on leaderboards, and Arjun gets a golden glow.

Zenith adds 10 new Trial Modifiers to increase the challenge level. One example is “Hostile Regeneration,” which allows you to stun larger enemies, but you have to get in and finish them with a melee strike before they recover.

The update also adds New Game+, which adds mysterious new nodes to the Armor Matrix back at Passage. You use these to move through Eclipse Layers, which ramp up the challenge with new rules and deadlier enemies.

During Eclipse Layers, Arjun dons a golden crown and his armor glows. The more trials you have active, the more it glows and the flashier his gilded attire gets. Wearing the crown also grants access to new story and lore entries called Visions.

Then there’s Overlord Rush, accessed via the primary unit in Passage. This is a training simulation boss rush mode that lets you take down the fiercest Saros enemies and compete for a place on global leaderboards.

“Overlord Rush is divided into multiple Sets, each of which contains a different selection of Overlords,” the post on the PS Blog said. “The Incursion and Ascension Sets contain three Overlords each, and can be completed in 10 minutes, for a nice little Saros snack. The final Set is known as Totality. As the name implies, it lines up all eight Overlords from around Carcosa in one continuous gauntlet!”

Elsewhere, Housemarque has added a bunch of accessibility modifiers for people who are struggling with Saros, including the ability to slow projectiles down, giving you more time to dodge. “You have control over how much the game slows down, and can even choose if you want the setting to kick in automatically during combat, or if you want to manually toggle it on when things get hairy,” the blog said.

There’s also a new Auto Fire setting you can toggle on, which fires your weapon for you whenever you’re aiming at an enemy. You can also change the controls to aim with the motion sensor, for players who can’t get used to patting their head while rubbing their tummy and running on a treadmill at the same time.

“We here at Housemarque are super excited for everyone to get their hands on the new content Zenith adds,” Housemarque said. “I can’t wait to hear what players think about all the new control options, see your Crown-equipped Photo mode snaps, and compete (and likely lose) to your high scores in Overlord Rush.”

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Modern Warfare 4 Pays Tribute to Call of Duty Co-Creator Vince Zampella

Last December, co-creator of Call of Duty and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, Vince Zampella, passed away in a car accident. He left behind an enduring legacy as one of the people who shaped first-person shooters and changed video games forever.

This week saw the release of Modern Warfare 4, the latest entry in a series that Zampella led the inception of almost 20 years ago in 2007. His contribution is honoured by his former studio, Infinity Ward, in the credits for its campaign.

Upon completion of the game’s final mission, which takes place midway through the credits, his name and the others belonging to those who have sadly passed away during its production are the first to appear on screen. These include Rainer Yang, Matt Canale, and Preetam Raj Bordoloi, who also helped craft Call of Duty over the years.

Zampella was instrumental in turning COD into the megafranchise it is today, initially leaving EA after leading design on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault to create the series, before later returning to found Respawn Entertainment, which went on to develop the Titanfall and Star Wars Jedi games. He will, perhaps, always be known best, though, for the development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which not only stands tall today as one of the greatest FPS campaigns ever made, but also changed how online multiplayer shooters are played to this day.

His legacy is honoured in Modern Warfare 4, and it's fitting that it happens to be one of the strongest entries in the series in many years, with fans praising it and the game’s very own Captain Price thanking them.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Player Reveals How They Beat the Campaign on One-Life YOLO Difficulty

One Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign player has already finished YOLO mode, an ultra hard setting with realistic damage, where you go right back to the start when you die. Unlocked once you’ve completed the campaign on any difficulty, YOLO mode is the real test of your COD skills.

Warning! Spoilers for the Modern Warfare 4 campaign follow:

The player, Lost-Equivalent2352 on Reddit, said they managed to beat YOLO mode by taking advantage of their AI allies. “My technique was staying behind a wall for several minutes so that my dumb allies shoot at the enemies,” they said.

They would also use flashbangs and grenades to mop up the stragglers, limiting the chance the enemies could one-shot them. It took them around 20 hours to finish the successful run.

According to Lost-Equivalent2352, one of the toughest elements of the run was the mission “Retreat.” The nighttime mission charts the fall of Hajin, covering the tactical withdrawal of South Korean troops.

Because it takes place during a full-scale invasion, bullets are flying everywhere and civilians are running for cover. Any friendly fire counts as a death, sending players right back to the start of the game, so you can’t use grenades. The Redditor called their success here “pure luck.”

Elsewhere, Lost-Equivalent2352 said they do not believe it's possible to beat YOLO mode on a controller because you need to keep your distance, which requires the kind of high recoil control and precision you only get on a mouse. They also highlighted the double fight as Price against two of his former allies as one of the hardest sections.

Modern Warfare 4 introduces a rough and ready hand-to-hand combat system that lets you feel a bit like John Wick in certain sections. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give you much feedback when hits are coming, so parrying attacks is a bit of a spamfest.

It took Lost-Equivalent2352 three attempts and 40 hours across all attempts to nail a YOLO victory. All that for a Calling Card.

IGN’s review in-progress of the Modern Warfare 4 campaign gave it a preliminary score of 8/10. “It may not have quite enough to be considered amongst the very best Call of Duty campaigns, but if it’s to be the end of this particular saga, then at least Modern Warfare is going out on a high note,” the review said.

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Silent Hill Remake Studio Wants to Make Physical Games 'for as Long as Possible'

Silent Hill developer Bloober Team wants to make physical versions of its games "for as long as possible."

Studio CEO Piotr Babieno opened up about the company's appreciation for physical media and collectibles during an interview with GamesRadar. He started his thoughts by touching on how the gaming landscape and player desires have changed as technology has advanced over the years, explaining that "we have reached a moment where you can't really do much more" in terms of visual and auditory fidelity.

"Like, OK, the game can have a slightly higher resolution and maybe better lighting and whatever, but will it make it a more engaging game? I don't think so," Babieno said.

The CEO for the studio behind the Silent Hill 2 remake and its in-development original Silent Hill remake also talked about how stats show "the majority of players are playing on hardware which is five, seven years old, if not older." He continued, saying, "But are they less interested in games because of that? I don't think so."

As AI shapes a new, controversial future in the gaming industry, the Bloober executive seems to be more interested in "thinking about other senses." It's this mindset that the team has carried into its new Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive 2.5D horror game, Onyx: The Dark Group. For this experience, which comes from Bloober subsidiary Broken Mirror Games, it's become about "putting horror back in your hands."

"As humans, we have four other senses, and AI can deliver something for what you see, for what you hear, but why not touch?" Babieno said. "I think the physical element of gaming will always, always be there."

When the conversation turned to the topic of physical games – which has become a hot-button issue in the wake of Sony's decision to kill disc releases for PlayStation games, as well as Rockstar's disc-less approach to Grand Theft Auto 6 – Babieno admitted he does see why some are beginning to favor digital releases. After all, as he said, "digital distribution is much easier, much cheaper, and will be more profitable for everyone."

For Babieno, it's hard not to think about how game collecting has affected him, personally, when looking to the future.

"Collecting games also [made] an emotional connection between the game and me, between the studio which produced the game and me," he said. "This little emotional touch is so important that, I think in some way, we would lose the opportunity of being closer with our fans [without it]. So, if we are able to produce a [physical] retail version of our games, we would like to make them for as long as possible."

Also during the interview, Broken Mirror's executive director, Tymon Smektala, who left Dying Light developer Techland to join the Bloober company earlier this year, said that he and Babieno both share a love for game collecting.

"Like, if I could unblur my screen, you would see lots of stuff behind me and I have lots of stuff that's not even in the camera, so this is what gaming is to us," he said during the video interview. "This is the gaming I know, and this is the gaming I expect. And as long as it will be possible, and as long as the big decision makers will allow us to have that, then of course I'll be into that."

Bloober's Silent Hill 2 remake was initially released for PC and PlayStation 5 in 2024 and received physical disc support at the time. Supporting that angle for future games will officially become more complicated when Sony ends support for PlayStation discs in 2028. The Silent Hill 1 remake was announced in June of last year and currently remains without a release date. It's unclear if it will be out before Sony ends support on its end.

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