Software

You can now bug your WhatsApp group chats with an @all ping

• WhatsApp adds an @all ping to notify everyone in a group chat
• Only admins can use it in groups larger than 32 people
• Polls get end times, anonymous voting and a 15-minute edit window

WhatsApp has rolled out a new "@all" feature that lets users ping every member of a group chat at once, mirroring the "everyone" or "here" mentions already found on platforms like Slack, Discord and Microsoft Teams. The addition is designed to help important or time-sensitive messages get noticed,…

Mr Trippy, an “Ice Cream” (Read: Illegal Drugs) Truck Management Sim, Announced for PC

• Silver Bullet announces Mr Trippy, a drug-dealing management sim disguised as an ice cream van game
• Players evade cops, manage a "Heat Meter" and launder money
• First trailer and screenshots out now; wishlist live on Steam

Developer Silver Bullet has revealed Mr Trippy, a management simulation for PC in which players outwardly run an ice cream van but secretly use it to sell illegal drugs. The announcement leans into dark comedy, presenting the game as a subversive twist on the traditional business-sim genre by…

George R.R. Martin Says He Battled Depression This Year: “The Worst May Be Yet to Come”

• Martin says he has battled depression and grief this year
• Cites Emmy nods, RSC stage hit and House of the Dragon as highlights
• Winds of Winter remains unfinished; he fears "total failure"

George R.R. Martin has revealed he battled depression over the past year, describing 2026 as "stressful" and "overwhelming" despite several professional highs. In a personal blog post, the Game of Thrones author and House of the Dragon co-creator said he had lost friends and struggled with sadness, adding…

Refractor Games cuts most of staff after Fifa World Cup launch

• Refractor Games laid off ~85% of staff after shipping Fifa World Cup
• Cuts followed cancelled funding for the studio's next project
• Around 80 staff affected; studio remains open, not fully closed

Refractor Games, the studio behind Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition, laid off around 85% of its staff less than two months after the game's release, marking a swift and drastic downturn for a team that had just shipped a major title. The game launched exclusively on Netflix on…

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced patch makes the very important change of letting you hide Edward’s blowpipe

• Update 1.0.6 lets players hide Edward Kenway's Blowpipe weapon
• Autosave slots doubled from five to ten, plus new tutorials
• Game has sold over 3.5m copies in its first two weeks

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has received update 1.0.6, headlined by a long-requested option to hide protagonist Edward Kenway's Blowpipe weapon. Though a minor cosmetic tweak, it addresses a common complaint from players who found the Blowpipe clashed with certain outfits or clipped visibly through the character model,…

GTA meets Crazy Taxi in the weirdest new game of 2026

• New game blends GTA-style chaos with Crazy Taxi arcade gameplay.
• Players cause carnage with a delivery truck to help a stranded character.
• Reviewer enjoyed it but found late-game milestones repetitive.

Polygon has reviewed Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!, a new game from developer Strange Scaffold that blends the chaotic vehicular destruction of Grand Theft Auto with the arcade-style timed challenges of Crazy Taxi. It arrives as players await official gameplay footage of GTA 6, giving fans…

Rumours of an Unannounced Elder Scrolls Game Have Been Debunked

• LinkedIn post sparked false rumours of a secret new Elder Scrolls game
• The listing actually referred to the already-known Elder Scrolls 6
• Bethesda remains focused solely on Elder Scrolls 6, still unrevealed in detail

Rumours spread over the weekend that Bethesda was secretly developing a second, unannounced Elder Scrolls title, after a former developer's LinkedIn profile appeared to hint at a hidden project. The claim spread quickly across social media and Reddit and was subsequently picked up by several gaming news outlets,…

Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations

• Apple pulled Telegram over CSAM content, then quickly restored it
• Telegram removed the content and banned the offending user
• Telegram criticised Apple's response as disproportionate

Apple briefly removed Telegram from the App Store on Monday night after a review found the app contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM), before reinstating it once Telegram deleted the illegal content and banned the user responsible. The episode highlights the ongoing tension between platform operators and messaging…

Watch live: Senate convenes Medicaid hearing as work requirements face scrutiny

Health experts on Tuesday morning will testify before the Senate Budget Committee on Medicaid, just months after the Trump administration issued a new rule requiring states to implement work requirements before approving residents for the low-income insurance program. The long-anticipated update guides 42 states and the District of Columbia in carrying…

Live updates: Blanche nomination goes up for Senate Judiciary vote

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will face a Senate Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday morning to advance his nomination for the permanent job. The vote comes a week after a previous one was canceled as GOP Sens. John Cornyn (Texas) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) said they could not vote…