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The rollercoaster ride of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket releases is continuing at breakneck pace, as TPC has revealed that the next Themed Booster Expansion will arrive next week on 28th August.

The ‘Secluded Springs’ expansion is another Gen II-focused set, with legendaries Raikou, Entei, and Suicune taking centre stage. A bunch of other Johto and Hoenn ‘mon will be tagging along for the ride, and the new teaser trailer showcases some sweet full-arts for the likes of Milotic and our beloved Phanpy.

Here’s a closer look at a handful of the cards shown in the trailer:

It feels like just yesterday that we first set eyes on the Ho-Oh and Lugia Wisdom of Sea and Sky set, and our Pack Hourglasses are still flagging because of it. As a reminder, the last set came bundled with a sizeable slice of drama after TPC was hit with plagiarism accusations following the release of the two central legendary full-art cards. TPC quickly released a statement in which it “deeply apologize[d]” for the error, pulled the card art in question, and replaced it a week later.

In other TCG Pocket news, TPC closed out this year’s World Championships with a tease that Mega Evolutions will be coming to the app at some point “this fall”.

The rollercoaster ride of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket releases is continuing at breakneck pace, as TPC has revealed that the next Themed Booster Expansion will arrive next week on 28th August.

The ‘Secluded Springs’ expansion is another Gen II-focused set, with legendaries Raikou, Entei, and Suicune taking centre stage. A bunch of other Johto and Hoenn ‘mon will be tagging along for the ride, and the new teaser trailer showcases some sweet full-arts for the likes of Milotic and our beloved Phanpy.

Here’s a closer look at a handful of the cards shown in the trailer:

It feels like just yesterday that we first set eyes on the Ho-Oh and Lugia Wisdom of Sea and Sky set, and our Pack Hourglasses are still flagging because of it. As a reminder, the last set came bundled with a sizeable slice of drama after TPC was hit with plagiarism accusations following the release of the two central legendary full-art cards. TPC quickly released a statement in which it “deeply apologize[d]” for the error, pulled the card art in question, and replaced it a week later.

In other TCG Pocket news, TPC closed out this year’s World Championships with a tease that Mega Evolutions will be coming to the app at some point “this fall”.

The rollercoaster ride of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket releases is continuing at breakneck pace, as TPC has revealed that the next Themed Booster Expansion will arrive next week on 28th August.

The ‘Secluded Springs’ expansion is another Gen II-focused set, with legendaries Raikou, Entei, and Suicune taking centre stage. A bunch of other Johto and Hoenn ‘mon will be tagging along for the ride, and the new teaser trailer showcases some sweet full-arts for the likes of Milotic and our beloved Phanpy.

Here’s a closer look at a handful of the cards shown in the trailer:

It feels like just yesterday that we first set eyes on the Ho-Oh and Lugia Wisdom of Sea and Sky set, and our Pack Hourglasses are still flagging because of it. As a reminder, the last set came bundled with a sizeable slice of drama after TPC was hit with plagiarism accusations following the release of the two central legendary full-art cards. TPC quickly released a statement in which it “deeply apologize[d]” for the error, pulled the card art in question, and replaced it a week later.

In other TCG Pocket news, TPC closed out this year’s World Championships with a tease that Mega Evolutions will be coming to the app at some point “this fall”.

The rollercoaster ride of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket releases is continuing at breakneck pace, as TPC has revealed that the next Themed Booster Expansion will arrive next week on 28th August.

The ‘Secluded Springs’ expansion is another Gen II-focused set, with legendaries Raikou, Entei, and Suicune taking centre stage. A bunch of other Johto and Hoenn ‘mon will be tagging along for the ride, and the new teaser trailer showcases some sweet full-arts for the likes of Milotic and our beloved Phanpy.

Here’s a closer look at a handful of the cards shown in the trailer:

It feels like just yesterday that we first set eyes on the Ho-Oh and Lugia Wisdom of Sea and Sky set, and our Pack Hourglasses are still flagging because of it. As a reminder, the last set came bundled with a sizeable slice of drama after TPC was hit with plagiarism accusations following the release of the two central legendary full-art cards. TPC quickly released a statement in which it “deeply apologize[d]” for the error, pulled the card art in question, and replaced it a week later.

In other TCG Pocket news, TPC closed out this year’s World Championships with a tease that Mega Evolutions will be coming to the app at some point “this fall”.

Unlike past Call of Duty games, this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will not allow players to choose a difficulty level for the campaign. Associate creative director Miles Leslie said that the difficulty scale for Black Ops 7 is “baked in” as opposed to being something a player can choose.

The reason for this comes down to how Black Ops 7’s campaign can be played in co-op.

“We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players,” Leslie told IGN.

For players who enjoy a solo experience, Leslie said, “We’re not forgetting about you; we love you.” However, Black Ops 7’s campaign was designed to be a “social experience.”

“We want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well,” Leslie said.

Call of Duty’s difficulty levels over the years have included things like Recruit, Regular, Hardened, and Veteran, along with a super-challenging Realism mode.

For Black Ops 7, the campaign difficulty will scale when playing co-op, meaning partying up with friends doesn’t necessarily make it easier, and teamwork is needed to get through missions.

Another thing that’s new for Black Ops 7’s campaign is how XP progression from the campaign is connected to multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Additionally, Black Ops 7’s campaign closes with a mission called “Avalon Endgame,” which is described as a “brand-new, replayable experience where you and your squad will need to survive overwhelming odds, adapt under pressure, and break the rules of what you thought a Black Ops campaign could be.”

Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and a multiplayer beta will be held in October. The game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, and PC, and it’ll be included with Xbox Game Pass.

Unlike past Call of Duty games, this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will not allow players to choose a difficulty level for the campaign. Associate creative director Miles Leslie said that the difficulty scale for Black Ops 7 is “baked in” as opposed to being something a player can choose.

The reason for this comes down to how Black Ops 7’s campaign can be played in co-op.

“We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players,” Leslie told IGN.

For players who enjoy a solo experience, Leslie said, “We’re not forgetting about you; we love you.” However, Black Ops 7’s campaign was designed to be a “social experience.”

“We want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well,” Leslie said.

Call of Duty’s difficulty levels over the years have included things like Recruit, Regular, Hardened, and Veteran, along with a super-challenging Realism mode.

For Black Ops 7, the campaign difficulty will scale when playing co-op, meaning partying up with friends doesn’t necessarily make it easier, and teamwork is needed to get through missions.

Another thing that’s new for Black Ops 7’s campaign is how XP progression from the campaign is connected to multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Additionally, Black Ops 7’s campaign closes with a mission called “Avalon Endgame,” which is described as a “brand-new, replayable experience where you and your squad will need to survive overwhelming odds, adapt under pressure, and break the rules of what you thought a Black Ops campaign could be.”

Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and a multiplayer beta will be held in October. The game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, and PC, and it’ll be included with Xbox Game Pass.

Unlike past Call of Duty games, this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will not allow players to choose a difficulty level for the campaign. Associate creative director Miles Leslie said that the difficulty scale for Black Ops 7 is “baked in” as opposed to being something a player can choose.

The reason for this comes down to how Black Ops 7’s campaign can be played in co-op.

“We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players,” Leslie told IGN.

For players who enjoy a solo experience, Leslie said, “We’re not forgetting about you; we love you.” However, Black Ops 7’s campaign was designed to be a “social experience.”

“We want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well,” Leslie said.

Call of Duty’s difficulty levels over the years have included things like Recruit, Regular, Hardened, and Veteran, along with a super-challenging Realism mode.

For Black Ops 7, the campaign difficulty will scale when playing co-op, meaning partying up with friends doesn’t necessarily make it easier, and teamwork is needed to get through missions.

Another thing that’s new for Black Ops 7’s campaign is how XP progression from the campaign is connected to multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Additionally, Black Ops 7’s campaign closes with a mission called “Avalon Endgame,” which is described as a “brand-new, replayable experience where you and your squad will need to survive overwhelming odds, adapt under pressure, and break the rules of what you thought a Black Ops campaign could be.”

Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and a multiplayer beta will be held in October. The game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, and PC, and it’ll be included with Xbox Game Pass.

Unlike past Call of Duty games, this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will not allow players to choose a difficulty level for the campaign. Associate creative director Miles Leslie said that the difficulty scale for Black Ops 7 is “baked in” as opposed to being something a player can choose.

The reason for this comes down to how Black Ops 7’s campaign can be played in co-op.

“We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players,” Leslie told IGN.

For players who enjoy a solo experience, Leslie said, “We’re not forgetting about you; we love you.” However, Black Ops 7’s campaign was designed to be a “social experience.”

“We want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well,” Leslie said.

Call of Duty’s difficulty levels over the years have included things like Recruit, Regular, Hardened, and Veteran, along with a super-challenging Realism mode.

For Black Ops 7, the campaign difficulty will scale when playing co-op, meaning partying up with friends doesn’t necessarily make it easier, and teamwork is needed to get through missions.

Another thing that’s new for Black Ops 7’s campaign is how XP progression from the campaign is connected to multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Additionally, Black Ops 7’s campaign closes with a mission called “Avalon Endgame,” which is described as a “brand-new, replayable experience where you and your squad will need to survive overwhelming odds, adapt under pressure, and break the rules of what you thought a Black Ops campaign could be.”

Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and a multiplayer beta will be held in October. The game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, and PC, and it’ll be included with Xbox Game Pass.

Google held its annual Made by Google showcase this week, during which it unveiled the latest Pixel phones and various new AI features. What it didn’t announce is a Gemini-powered smart home speaker, but it might have snuck one into the presentation as an easter egg.

As spotted by The Verge, about 15 minutes into the stream, on a table next to F1 driver Lando Norris during a Gemini demonstration, you can clearly see what looks a lot like a smart speaker. The fabric-wrapped device we see in the video is white with a light around its base, and it looks more like an upside down HomePod mini than any of Google’s other speakers. According to Android Headlines, it’s called the Google Home Speaker, and is unsurprisingly powered by Gemini.

Android Headlines claims to have seen more images of the as-yet unannounced smart speaker, which it says will also be available in red, light green and black. It adds that Google’s Gemini Live AI assistant will be a baked-in feature for voice conversations, though without a screen or camera there’s no visual element here. There could also be new natural voice options on the speaker, as well as standard features like media control and smart home automations. It can reportedly also detect unusual sounds like breaking glass or smoke alarms and can send an alert to your phone or tablet if this happens.

According to the Android Headlines report, the Home Speaker can pair with a Google TV Streamer and double as an additional surround sound speaker, much like the HomePod does with Apple TV. It functions as a smart hub too, with support for Matter. Google announced Gemini for Home this week, which will gradually replace Google Assistant on the company’s existing smart devices, with free and paid tiers offered to users.

What the leak doesn’t contain is a launch date for this mysterious speaker. But given that Google was seemingly happy enough to have one sitting there in its most important keynote of the year, the smart money would be on an official reveal pretty soon. Engadget reached out to Google for comment, but the company said it had nothing to share at this time.

Google held its annual Made by Google showcase this week, during which it unveiled the latest Pixel phones and various new AI features. What it didn’t announce is a Gemini-powered smart home speaker, but it might have snuck one into the presentation as an easter egg.

As spotted by The Verge, about 15 minutes into the stream, on a table next to F1 driver Lando Norris during a Gemini demonstration, you can clearly see what looks a lot like a smart speaker. The fabric-wrapped device we see in the video is white with a light around its base, and it looks more like an upside down HomePod mini than any of Google’s other speakers. According to Android Headlines, it’s called the Google Home Speaker, and is unsurprisingly powered by Gemini.

Android Headlines claims to have seen more images of the as-yet unannounced smart speaker, which it says will also be available in red, light green and black. It adds that Google’s Gemini Live AI assistant will be a baked-in feature for voice conversations, though without a screen or camera there’s no visual element here. There could also be new natural voice options on the speaker, as well as standard features like media control and smart home automations. It can reportedly also detect unusual sounds like breaking glass or smoke alarms and can send an alert to your phone or tablet if this happens.

According to the Android Headlines report, the Home Speaker can pair with a Google TV Streamer and double as an additional surround sound speaker, much like the HomePod does with Apple TV. It functions as a smart hub too, with support for Matter. Google announced Gemini for Home this week, which will gradually replace Google Assistant on the company’s existing smart devices, with free and paid tiers offered to users.

What the leak doesn’t contain is a launch date for this mysterious speaker. But given that Google was seemingly happy enough to have one sitting there in its most important keynote of the year, the smart money would be on an official reveal pretty soon. Engadget reached out to Google for comment, but the company said it had nothing to share at this time.