Gaming

Assassin’s Creed characters join Balatro in latest update

Swap out Balatro face cards for Assassin’s Creed characters

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Beloved characters from Assassin’s Creed are now available on roguelike poker game Balatro. This, as Ubisoft collaborated with Playstack and LocalThunk.

The free Friends of Jimbo 4 update lets Balatro players swap out the traditional face cards with characters from the historical action-adventure franchise.

There’s timeless characters Ezio Auditore (King of Spades) and Jacob Frye (Jack of Spades). Meanwhile, new face Fujibayashi Naoe (Queen of Spades) from Assassin’s Creed Shadows is also available.

This is an opportune time for the Assassin’s Creed franchise to sneak in some extra digital presence via Balatro, as Assassin’s Creed Shadows is coming out on March 20.

The 14th installment in the video game series will be available on multiple platforms. Players may access Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Ubisoft+, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, the Mac App store, and PC (Ubisoft, Steam, and Epic Games).

Collaborations are nothing new for Assassin’s Creed. In fact, they’ve had interesting partnerships with other video games over the years.

In 2017, the franchise and Final Fantasy XV had a crossover event. Two years after, For Honor had a limited-time event called “For the Creed” which featured themed content, including character skins and more.

In 2019, Monster Hunter: World also introduced a special event where players could obtain themed gear. This included the iconic Assassin’s hood.

Moreover, Ezio Auditore himself appeared as a guest character for Soulcalibur V, bringing his unique fighting style to the arcade title.

Gaming

Esports Nations Cup 2026 secures US$ 45M funding

ENC to elevate global esports with structured national ecosystem

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The inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 has just secured a US$ 45 million funding commitment, the Esports World Cup Foundation has announced.

This three-part funding commitment is structured to support the esports ecosystem through player and coach prizing, club release incentives, and national team development.

The first ever ENC will include a US$ 20 million in total prize money, paid directly to players and coaches across 16 titles.

The ENC introduces a placement-based prize framework, applied across all game titles. It is designed to be clear and player-centric.

Every qualified participant earns prize money and is guaranteed a minimum of three matches. Equal placement earns equal pay, meaning the same finishing position plays the same amount per player across all titles.

For a quick overview, the first-place finisher earns US$ 50,000 per player, whether competing in a solo or team title. Second-placers get US$ 30,000 per player, and third-placers get US$ 15,000 per player.

For team titles, payouts scale with roster size, so the result is consistent and transparent for everyone competing.

Meanwhile, the EWCF will provide US$ 5 million in club incentives for esports clubs that release and enable their professional players to participate in ENC.

In addition, there will also be another US$ 20 million for the ENC Development Fund. This supports official national team partners with logistics, travel, program operations, marketing, and the long-term growth of national team pathways.

The ENC 2026 is set to debut from November 2 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will move to a rotating host-city model, bringing nation-based esports to major cities around the world.

The event is to be held every two years. Among confirmed titles for 2026 include Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania, and DOTA 2.

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Gaming

CODE VEIN II now available for consoles, PC

Launch trailer previews characters, combat gameplay, more

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Bandai Namco’s CODE VEIN II is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

A new launch trailer has also been revealed, previewing the Soulslike action RPG’s characters, combat gameplay, and more.

Players can experiment with the character creator demo and create their own ideal character for the game.

The demo showcases how in-depth and detailed players can get when creating their own character. It allows for them to experience Photo Mode in the base of MagMell to take pictures of their looks.

Additionally, players who try the demo are allowed to carry their created looks over into the game.

CODE VEIN II is set in the dystopian near future, focusing on the stories of Revenants who must fight against their terrible fate.

In this reality, civilization has collapsed due to an event called the Resurgence.  Humanity has only managed to survive, thanks to immortal vampire-like creatures called Revenants.

However, the sudden appearance of Luna Rapacis has turned these Revenants into mindless cannibals.

As a Revenant Hunter, the protagonist is tasked to save the world. Joining him in a journey 100 years into the past is a young girl.

In the process, they will witness the history-changing drama as they try to save the world from ruin.

The game is a combination of exploration action, wherein players can venture through dangerous areas and tackle powerful foes.

Combat against enemies are mainly hack-and-slash, while the protagonist can also explore the world like in the case of riding a motorbike.

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Gaming

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra makes Gran Turismo 7 debut

Xiaomi’s premium, high-performing electric sedan joins the GT7 roster

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Xiaomi’s high-performing electric sedan, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, is now on the acclaimed racing simulation, Gran Turismo 7.

The premium EV debuted as part of the “Update 1.67” patch, marking Xiaomi’s first entry into the storied Gran Turismo franchise.

Players worldwide can now experience the prowess of the high-performance luxury car on the game’s virtual tracks.

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra represents a new addition to the series’ curated lineup, following an official collaboration announcement last June 2025.

As a benchmark in racing simulations, the Gran Turismo series is recognized for its hyper-realistic driving experience and stringent vehicle selection criteria.

The EV was test-driven on multiple occasions in several locations, including Beijing, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and the Tsukuba Circuit.

To ensure an authentic experience, Xiaomi EV’s vehicle dynamics performance team traveled to Polyphony Digital’s studio for the final driving experience validation.

In reality, the SU7 Ultra is powered by an in-house developed Dual V8s + V6s Xiaomi Hyper TRi-Motor system.

It delivers 1,548 horsepower and achieves 0-100km/h in 1.98 seconds. The production version previously set a lap time of 7:04.957 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

To celebrate the launch, Gran Turismo 7’s developer will host a two-week official lap-time challenge on the title’s historic Monza circuit.

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