Overwatch’s game director has responded to calls for the appearance of new hero Anran to be changed, following fan criticism and a public declaration of support by the character’s English-language voice actress.

Over the weekend, Anran voice actress Fareeha took to social media to address “the elephant in the room” surrounding her character’s in-game appearance — which she and many other fans have called out as being a victim of the so-called “Same Face Syndrome”, and different to her earlier appearances in a comic and cinematic. Those appearances set a “precedent” for Anran, Fareeha said, leaving her to now “mourn” the final in-game design made available to play in early access at the weekend.

“There was an unspoken promise that said ‘we’re going to challenge the beauty standards that are plaguing and ransacking media these days’,” Fareeha stated. “The Ozempic chic, the ‘contour your nose,’ ‘you have no nose,’ ‘the tiniest nose.’ And I think because of that precedent, people feel understandably let down.”

Now, Overwatch game director Aaron Keller has released his own statement, and said that Blizzard hoped to make changes to Anran’s in-game design to make her “look and feel more like the fierce older sister” she was originally shown to be.

Without showing a new look for the character or providing any further specifics, Keller suggested Blizzard was working actively on the change, which would be seen by players later in the game’s new Season 1.

“Thank you all for the incredible reception to last week’s Spotlight event,” Keller said in a video posted to game’s official social media account. “We’re sorting through all the questions, comments, excitement and feedback that you guys shared, and I wanted to take a moment to address one thing in particular.

“The team is currently discussing what it will take to make Anran look and feel more like the fierce older sister that we all envision her to be. We’re so proud of the work that our team has put into Anran and the rest of the five heroes launching in Season 1, and we agree that she can be even better if we get this aspect of her right in-game.

Overwatch Spotlight reception and an Anran update from Game Director Aaron Keller pic.twitter.com/mxh0C0IpIj

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 10, 2026

“We discussed sharing this with all of you last week but wanted to wait until we had confirmation of exactly what we can do. We’re hoping to make this update in Season 1 but I don’t have specifics to share just yet. Our hero models are incredibly complicated and we really need to test out what we can do.

“We’re always striving to make Overwatch better and I think Season 1 is a great example of the dedication and tireless work that our team puts into this game, its universe and ultimately, our players. We’re so excited to share it with all of you when Season 1 launches tomorrow. Thanks for the feedback and support, we couldn’t do it without all of you. Please keep it coming.”

Thousands of players flocked back to Overwatch over the weekend following the announcement that the game was dropping its “2” and adding 10 new heroes in future. This year will see Overwatch enter a “new, story-driven era” with a year-long narrative and a major overhaul — beginning with the launch of Season 1 later today, February 10.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

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On March 17, CATACLYSM descends on Hearthstone, bringing back the legendary destroyer, Deathwing. Only this time, he’s not the Worldbreaker you remember. In the final moments of Across the Timeways, Murozond refused to accept defeat from Chromie and the Heroes of Time, so he smashed the Hourglass of Time and opened a portal to a nightmare timeline where Deathwing never fell. Now this undefeated Deathwing is invading Azeroth with six terrifying Lieutenants and they’re ready to break the world all over again!

Last time, Azeroth came within a hair’s breadth of total annihilation. This time, it’s even worse.

The skies of Azeroth fill with embers and ash as the first-ever Deathwing Hero Card rises, massive Colossal minions lay siege, and the Herald keyword signals the beginning of Azeroth’s end! To stand a chance, the heroes must rally the five dragonflights, unleash their new cards, and harness the power of the Shatter keyword.

An unprecedented threat demands an equally unprecedented response. Chromie is calling on the full power of her time magic to arm you for the battle ahead. She’s pulling reinforcements from the past and sending two full sets of cards straight into your collection!

Here’s everything you need to know about CATACLYSM! Shuffle up your deck and get ready to play with fire.

Become the Worldbreaker: New Deathwing Hero Card

Play Deathwing, Worldbreaker to become Deathwing himself! Your destructive Battlecry lets you pick the Cataclysm you want to unleash: topple the biggest enemy minion, raze the board with a wave of flame, enthrall minions to join your army, or summon your fearsome dragon progeny to the battlefield.

But why settle for just one? The more you use the new Herald keyword, the more Cataclysms you can fire off when you transform into Deathwing! We’ll explain how Herald works below.

In the upcoming CATACLYSM Pre-Release Tavern Brawl, you’ll be able to try out the Deathwing, Worldbreaker Hero Card! The Pre-Release Tavern Brawl runs from March 10 at 10:00 a.m. PDT – March 17 at 9:00 a.m. PDT. Keep an eye out for more details.

Colossals Are Back and Stronger Than Ever with Herald

Colossals are BIG! First introduced to Hearthstone in Voyage to the Sunken City, they represent creatures of massive scale, making them perfect for Deathwing’s Lieutenants like Ragnaros and Azshara. When you play a Colossal minion, they expand and take up multiple spaces on the board with appendage cards that act as their huge arms, extra heads, gross tentacles, etc. These appendages have abilities that complement the main Colossal minion, creating a unified display of their enormous power.

All classes are getting a brand new Legendary Colossal card in CATACLYSM. The new Herald keyword is tied to Deathwing’s arrival, so only the six classes aligned with him reap its benefits: Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior. Take a closer a look at the Warrior Colossal, Ragnaros, the Great Fire:

But these aren’t the same Colossals as before. To turn the heat up for CATACLYSM, cards like Envoy of the End use Herald to make them even more effective.

Deathwing’s servants herald the coming of the Worldbreaker and his Colossal cronies, and the Herald keyword showcases that in two key ways. First, when you play a minion with Herald, a Soldier of your class’s Colossal is summoned to the battlefield. These Soldiers share the same effects as that Colossal’s appendages. Since Colossal minions typically arrive later in the game due to their high mana cost, Soldiers let you tap into those abilities earlier. A preview of the destruction your Colossal will unleash.

But that’s not all! The more you use Herald, the mightier Deathwing and your Colossal Soldiers and appendages become. Herald twice to double their power. Herald two more times to double it again.

The undefeated version of Deathwing now wields the Dragon Soul, a source of power that once destroyed him but now answers to his command. His Colossal allies have also been strengthened, making them more dangerous than ever. In their alternate timeline, Ragnaros burned down the World Tree and fused with its charred branches to reach an entirely new level of power. The Herald keyword reflects that rising strength and the escalating danger that builds over the course of a game.

To summarize Herald:

• Herald delivers instant value by summoning a Colossal Soldier and keeps scaling in strength throughout the game.
• Playing a Herald minion summons a Soldier that has the same ability as your class Colossal’s appendages.
• Each Herald use upgrades both the Soldier and your Colossal’s appendages. Herald twice to double their power, four times to double it a final time.
• Herald also empowers Deathwing, Worldbreaker, increasing the number of Cataclysms he unleashes when played. Herald twice to play two Cataclysms, four times to use all four.

Defend with the Dragonflights

The dragonflights were vital in taking down the original Deathwing, and we’re calling on them once again! Mage, Priest, Druid, Hunter, and Paladin are aligned with the dragonflights, and each class receives a Legendary Dragon Aspect card.

The Hunter class features the Black Dragon Aspect, Ebyssian. He can change from his humanoid visage form into a powerful Dragon, gain improved stats, and benefit from his own ability that lets Dragons Rush into battle.

These five classes also receive a Legendary Colossal. The Paladin Colossal is Nefarian’s five-headed monstrosity known as Chromatus. Each head brings a potent effect that makes Chromatus a real nightmare to deal with, but you probably know the drill. Start chopping heads!

New Keyword: Shatter

Deathwing’s destruction is spreading across Azeroth, and our heroes are doing their best to pick up the pieces. Enter Shatter, a new keyword for the dragonflight-aligned classes. When you draw a card with Shatter, it breaks into two pieces that move to opposite ends of your hand. You can play the pieces separately, but if you manage to bring them back together by playing the cards in between, they recombine into a single card that’s doubly strong.

Two great effects for the price of one? What a deal!

Play with Precision Using New Hand-Targeting Cards

You can now target specific cards in your hand with new cards like Battlefield Blaster and Chamber of Aspects.

Expect to see more hand targeting cards in this and future expansions.

Enjoy the Riches of the Dragon’s Hoard: Free Cards!

We’re commemorating the epic release of CATACLYSM with what we’re calling the Dragon’s Hoard, a truly colossal amount of freebies.

Log in for a Free Legendary

Log in to Hearthstone to receive the Legendary Warmaster Blackhorn card, ready to play with immediately.

Try Out the Dream City Trial Cards!

Starting March 10, Chromie will use her Chronomancy to reach into the past and give you full access to every card from Into the Emerald Dream and The Lost City of Un’Goro, including Golden versions. These Dream City Trial Cards* are free to use for the entirety of CATACLYSM. Use them to build your deck and jump right into the action!

If you already own most of these cards, don’t worry, we’ve still got something cool for you! Earning the “Only Missing A Few (Emerald Dream)” achievement grants you a Signature Legendary Ysera, Emerald Aspect, while completing “Only Missing A Few (Lost City)” awards a Signature Legendary Endbringer Umbra. These new achievements unlock starting March 10 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.

For even more free rewards, check out our Dragon’s Hoard Guide to learn how to claim them.

* Login between 3/10/2026 PDT and 36.0 Expansion Launch to gain temporary access to cards from Into the Emerald Dream and The Lost City of Un’Goro until 36.0 Expansion Launch.

Online Event: Rally the Dragonflights

From February 9 – March 17, visit our CATACLYSM Rally Point page to take part in the Hearthstone community’s effort to prepare for Deathwing’s attack. Help rally the dragonflights by signing up for our email list, claiming drops on Hearthstone streams, and interacting with Hearthstone content across our social media channels. Help the community unlock all the dragonflights to earn a free Legendary Ebyssian and two Signature copies of Envoy of the End!

New Hearthstone Board Inspired by Azeroth’s Cataclysmic Destruction

With the launch of the expansion, a new CATACLYSM-themed board is joining the Hearthstone game board pool with a higher appearance rate for the whole year. This board highlights how the original Cataclysm reshaped Azeroth, featuring iconic locations like the cracked Barrens, the flooded Thousand Needles, the fel‑scarred Darkshore, and Nefarian’s secret dragon lab.

Pre-Order CATACLYSM Now!

Prepare for the coming CATACLYSM with one of our pre‑purchase options. Choose the Pre‑Purchase Bundle, the Pre‑Purchase Mega Bundle, or pick up both to receive two free Random CATACLYSM Legendary Cards and unlock the chance to purchase the Pre‑Purchase Sequence Bundle containing the Victor Nefarius Diamond Legendary Card. Pre-purchase bundles are available until the expansion launches on March 17.

CATACLYSM Pre-Purchase Mega Bundle

The most complete way to jump into CATACLYSM, filled with card packs, cosmetics, and premium rewards.

Includes:

• 80 CATACLYSM Packs
• 10 Golden CATACLYSM Packs
• 1 Curated Random Signature CATACLYSM Legendary Colossal Card
• 1 Random Golden CATACLYSM Legendary Card
• 4 Tavern Tickets (used to enter the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl and play Arena)
• Sinestra Hero Skin and Card Back

CATACLYSM Pre-Purchase Bundle

A strong starting option with a large set of packs and an exclusive card back.

Includes:

• 60 CATACLYSM Packs
• 2 Random CATACLYSM Legendary Cards
• Sinestra Card Back

CATACLYSM Pre-Purchase Sequence Bundle

Purchasing both bundles above rewards you with two free Random CATACLYSM Legendary Cards and unlocks the option to purchase this bundle. It offers top‑tier rewards and the Victor Nefarius Diamond Legendary Card shown below.

Includes:

• Victor Nefarius Diamond Legendary Card
• 20 Golden CATACLYSM Packs
• 1 Random Signature CATACLYSM Legendary Card

Ready to make your CATACLYSM pre-purchase? Hit the button below!

Pre-purchase

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Raiders,

What happens topside, stays topside – Raiders have to leave their grudges at the tubes. 

But Speranza also has a conscience. While Raider violence can’t be totally controlled, Celeste is keen to remind us why we took refuge under the dust of the Rust Belt; and that just because we live in the dirt, we don’t always have to act like it. 

The Shared Watch is an annual holiday that reminds us of the true enemy, by celebrating those that look out for their fellow Raiders. Tolerate, team-up, or take out some ARC – it’s all in the spirit of the Shared Watch.

What’s New?

• Shared Watch
• • This is an opportunity to team up in the fight against the machines. 
  • The Shared Watch Event starts today and ends on February 24. Players will earn merits from destroying, assisting and damaging ARC and earn rewards. No merits will be earned from PvP encounters. Bring a friend or bring a stranger, but above all, bring enough ammo to make sure the machines notice you first.
• Cold Snap Map Condition
• • Winter is not quite done with the Rust Belt – We are bringing back Cold Snap!
  • The map condition is back in rotation on outdoor maps with the same mix of risk and reward. Frostbite damage will make your trip topside a short one if you don’t seek shelter, but for those who do brave the tundra – there’s increased loot value at stake! 
  • You can still collect Candleberries, but they are no longer tied to any event. You can also collect, and throw, snowballs! Use them wisely, or don’t.
• Cosmetics
• • The Vulpine set
  • The Slugger set

Content and Bug Fixes 

Some of you have noticed changes in past updates that didn’t make it into the patch notes, thank you for flagging those and keeping us on our toes!

We’ve been building ARC Raiders for years, but we’ve only been live for a short while, and we’re still growing into the rhythm (and discipline) of live operations. Making patch notes that are complete, accurate, and easy to follow is a muscle we’re actively training.

We’re improving our internal process so fewer things slip through, and when something does, your reports help us catch it quickly and update the notes. Please keep letting us know when you spot something missing, it genuinely helps.

Miscellaneous

• Improved instances where players sometimes could not reconnect after disconnecting from a game.
• Fixed an issue where the match start tunnel scene sometimes wasn’t being shown.
• Fixed an issue where trials’ objective rewards could fail to grant at the end of a round due to a timeout, ensuring partial rewards are awarded when earned.
• Fixed an issue where the end of round screen would sometimes show incorrect merits, XP, and Live Event points.
• Fixed an issue where players’ platform icons would sometimes show incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where crafting would sometimes get cancelled.

Utility

• Trailblazer Grenade
• • The explosions no longer deal damage through walls.
  • Deals more damage to small enemies but less damage to bigger enemies such as the Leaper and Bastion.

Weapons 

• Fixed inconsistent weapon cycling when bound to keys other than the mouse wheel; keybinds now swap weapons reliably.

Known Issues

• One of the Marco set helmet variants may appear incorrectly in preview and in the menu but will appear correctly in game.
• Players may occasionally not receive a skill point as indicated in the result screen. A reboot/playing another round fixes the issue.
• ‘Purchase Raider Tokens’ page may appear in front of the inbox and profile page when switching between them.
• Player animations may appear broken when interrupting a search of the Baron Husk.
• Certain containers may be unavailable to be interacted with.
• Ziplines placed onto destroyed ARC parts will not appear correctly.
• Scrappy “Batting Helmet” and the “Slugger” outfit might not appear correctly in the event preview.
• The “Blindsided” achievement may not trigger as intended on the first attempt.

See you Topside,
//Ossen
And the ARC Raiders Team

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Riot Games has announced it is reducing the size of its 2XKO development team, resulting in layoffs impacting approximately 80 workers.

In a blog post written by 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon, the downsizing came as a result of the game not reaching “the level needed to support a team of this size in the long term.”

A spokesperson for Riot told Game Developer that almost half the game’s global development team have been affected by this decision.

“As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO,” wrote Cannon. “The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.”

Cannon continued: “Ultimately, this decision reflects a shift in how we operate. This isn’t a judgment on individual [employees] or a signal that the journey is over. We’re reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward.”

Riot will help affected workers “explore opportunities” within the developer where possible, and provide a minimum of six months of notice and severance pay.

The free-to-play fighting title launched in early access for PC in October 2025, with a console release on January 20, 2026.

2XKO has been in development since 2019, having initially been announced with the codename Project L.

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WhatsApp is now rolling out support for video and voice calls through its web app, bringing support for calls to your computer and other devices.

The WhatsApp web app is a handy way to access your messages from a computer without downloading anything, but it’s always been just for messages. Now, that’s finally changing. As spotted by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is now rolling out support for voice and video calls through your browser.

Calls work through prominent “Voice” and “Video” buttons, but the outlet says that calls are “still under development to ensure a bug-free experience.” For now, users can “start calls directly from individual chats.”

It’s noted that calls support screen sharing, continue end-to-end encryption support, and works on platforms including Linux, which currently lacks an official WhatsApp desktop app.

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It’s unclear when this will be rolling out widely, but it’s certainly a welcome addition.

Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram

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In 2023, we marveled at the sheer mass of Lenovo’s Legion Go, a 1.88-pound, 11.8-inch-wide monstrosity of a Windows gaming handheld. In 2026, though, Ayaneo unveiled details of its Next II handheld, which puts Lenovo’s big boy to shame while also offering heftier specs and a higher price than most other Windows gaming handhelds.

Let’s focus on the bulk first. The Ayaneo Next II weighs in at a truly wrist-straining 3.14 pounds, making it more than twice as heavy in the hands as the Steam Deck OLED (not to mention 2022’s original Ayaneo Next, which weighed a much more reasonable 1.58 pounds). The absolute unit also measures 13.45 inches wide and 10.3 inches tall, according to Ayaneo’s spec sheet, giving it a footprint approximately 60 percent larger than the Switch 2 (with Joy-Cons attached).

Ayaneo packs some seriously powerful portable PC performance into all that bulk, though. The high-end version of the system sports a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chipset, with 16 Zen5 cores alongside a Radeon 8060S with 40 RDNA3.5 compute units. That should give this massive portable performance comparable to a desktop with an RTX 4060 or a gaming laptop like last year’s high-end ROG Flow Z13.

The Next II sports a massive screen and some adult-size controls.

Ayaneo isn’t the first hardware maker to package the Max+ 395 chipset into a Windows gaming handheld; the OneXPlayer OneXfly Apex and GPD Win5 feature essentially the same chipset, the latter with an external battery pack. But the Next II neatly outclasses the (smaller and lighter) competition with a high-end 9.06-inch OLED screen, capable of 2400×1504 resolution, up to a 165 Hz refresh rate, and 1,155 nits of brightness.

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Samsung Gulf accidentally confirms the date of the Galaxy Unpacked event this month

@SamsungGulf on TikTok. On all three, you have to tell Samsung Gulf which devces you expect Samsung to unveil at the next Unpacked event. Submit your entry with the hashtag #GalaxyUnpacked. You can enter as many times as you wish.

But let’s get to the unintended consequence of Samsung Gulf’s tweet. It links to the terms and conditions, which we gave you a link to above, and we’ve also included a screenshot in case Samsung Gulf changes it. The terms and conditions are telling you that the last day of the “Before Galaxy Unpacked” segment of the contest is February 24th. It also shows that the first day of the “During and After Galaxy Unpacked” segment is February 25th. That leads to the conclusion that the Galaxy Unpacked event is taking place on February 25th.

This is the date you need to circle on your calendar

To reiterate, the Samsung Gulf contest has two phases or segments. The first one runs from February 2nd to February 24th called “Before Galaxy Unpacked” and the second, taking place February 25th to April 10th, is called “During and After Galaxy Unpacked.” This eliminates any date past February 25th from being a possibility since it would have forced Samsung to include February 25th and later dates in the “Before Galaxy Unpacked” segment.

The dates of the two segments of the contest reveal the truth. | Image credit-Samsung Gulf

The hardware we expect to see revealed at the event includes the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S 26 Ultra phones. We could also see the Galaxy Buds 4 and the Buds 4 Pro. There is speculation that Samsung might introduce a pair of smart glasses at the Unpacked event. While this is a rumor, my gut feeling is that Samsung wouldn’t run a contest like this unless it plans to surprise everyone at the Unpacked event. Keep your mind open for anything to be introduced, revealed, or previewed.

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Samsung has exclusively used Corning’s Gorilla Armor glass on its Ultra flagships for the past two years. The Galaxy S24 Ultra debuted with Gorilla Armor, and Samsung followed it up in 2025 by upgrading the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the newer Gorilla Armor 2. Continuing that trend, Samsung will use a newer-gen Gorilla Glass on the S26 Ultra this year, one that will supposedly kill screen protectors for good.

The Gorilla Glass on the S24 and S25 Ultra stands out for more than just its anti-reflective coating, which significantly cuts down glare and improves outdoor visibility. It uses ceramic cover material for added toughness and scratch-resistance.

Thanks to this, the glass scratches at level eight on the Mohs hardness scale, two tiers better than the Gorilla Victus 2 found on the S23 series.

With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung and Corning will apparently take things up a level. Leaker Ice Universe claims the new Corning cover glass on the S26 Ultra will solve all the problems that once required using screen protectors “directly at the glass level.”

Typically, most users put a tempered screen protector on their phone’s display for added protection and to prevent micro-scratches. While the previous two Corning Armor glasses already improve on this aspect, Samsung and Corning will further build on that foundation to offer an even more durable experience. Plus, the S26 Ultra’s rumored new Privacy Guard feature could eliminate the need for privacy films altogether.

Ironically, Samsung itself sells official screen protectors for the Galaxy S25 lineup. So, the leaker’s claims of the S26 Ultra’s cover glass killing screen protectors might be exaggerated. It may reduce the need for added protection, but it’s unlikely to eliminate screen protectors entirely.

Galaxy S26 Ultra will only extend Samsung’s display technology lead

Samsung has long used top-notch displays as a key selling point for its flagship Ultra phones. Almost two years after the S24 Ultra’s debut, the iPhone 17 is the only other smartphone to feature an anti-reflective glass. And even then, its anti-reflective properties are not as good as Samsung’s.

If the rumors are accurate, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will only widen that gap, further cementing Samsung’s lead in this segment.

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Sony record players are a bit like buses. You see, we’ve been waiting seven years for a successor to its five-star PS-LX310BT Bluetooth turntable, and the tech giant has just launched not one but two new decks.

Both the PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT are sleek, minimalist designs that prioritise ease of use, as they’re both fully automatic. In fact, they use the same mechanism found in the LX310BT.