Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Faye/Laufey in God of War: Laufey, says the online criticism surrounding the game's female lead doesn't bother her. Speaking at Florida Supercon, she explained that staying off social media has helped and said she believes the game is "great," even if it's not everyone's cup of tea. Today I react to her comments and the ongoing discussion surrounding the game. Sources: - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2077710082595582218 - https://www.gamesradar.com/games/god-of-war/negative-reactions-to-god-of-war-laufey-dont-bother-star-deborah-ann-woll-i-just-know-its-great/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLMX2w3cwuE - https://www.tiktok.com/@quinnphobic/video/7662451619644181774 - https://x.com/Kotaku/status/2077392683547455544 - https://www.ign.com/articles/god-of-war-laufey-is-taking-the-sort-of-risk-more-playstation-series-need-to-take - https://youtu.be/WXoOfXcpGcQ?si=fljRgwNkkWbO0qbA

Fortnite's Gotham City Summer event has arrived with swimsuit versions of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, plus one detail players immediately noticed: jiggle physics. Today I react to the new cosmetics, the event, and why it feels like Epic is finally embracing fun again. Gamers... we might actually be back. Sources: - https://x.com/ShiinaBR/status/2077669725417492618 - https://x.com/madcap412/status/2077789175408099761 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJk98La_jA - https://x.com/LOCONGAMER01/status/2077895438439493806 - https://x.com/Sceai_FN/status/2077749561742033367 - https://x.com/MakoDiestro/status/2077726853926686753 - https://x.com/ALegendaryDrops/status/2077783107772538990 - https://x.com/masakun_Beast/status/2077693678643220757 - https://x.com/MinEffortLive/status/2077831967027204307 - https://x.com/Cyael/status/2077482840170889367 - https://x.com/Bee_cHs_/status/2077742401029079524 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2077847173417644515

Bungie has quietly appointed a new General Manager for Marathon following the departure of longtime studio veteran Scott Taylor during June's layoffs. Joshua Deane, Bungie's Head of Product, has now taken over leadership of Marathon as the studio talks about "player health" and "sustainable community growth." Forbes' writer Paul Tassi is SUPER excited about the updates too! Sources: - https://steamdb.info/app/3065800/charts/ - https://steamdb.info/app/1085660/charts/ - https://x.com/TauCetiGG/status/2077799601571090917 - https://x.com/TauCetiGG/status/2077840401088582116 - https://x.com/PaulTassi/status/2077777503846793323 - https://x.com/DestinLegarie/status/2077788926480421022 - https://x.com/PaulTassi/status/2077806605597381011 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R5UpLAwGRw - https://x.com/TauCetiGG/status/2077839736211714192 - https://www.reddit.com/r/MarathonHate/comments/1uy3mr6/marathon_fans_are_entering_the_bargain_phase/ - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2077724944184869271

PlayStation's ongoing social media backlash may now be affecting third-party publishers. A report claims studios are paying Sony for premium promotional posts, only to see those announcements buried beneath criticism aimed at PlayStation itself. Today I break down the report, what it could mean for Sony's relationships with publishers, and why this controversy may be growing beyond just gamers. Sources: - https://x.com/eXtas1stv/status/2077552885378801792 - https://x.com/PlayStation/status/2077415483033243846 - https://x.com/Wokenessisevil/status/2077425490780905967 - https://x.com/PlayStation/status/2077473900775018529 - https://x.com/wesleytypes/status/2077360574229254389 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2077484093508362402 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2077498672145723522

Crunchyroll is facing major backlash after announcing that access to its online store will soon require a Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan subscription. Fans and collectors are questioning why they now have to pay just for the opportunity to shop, while new final sale policies further limit returns on select products. Today I break down the changes and why so many anime fans are frustrated. Sources: - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2077151159580598548 - https://x.com/DJK_0797/status/2077175881433231614 - https://x.com/ChibiReviews/status/2077080980540539286 - https://x.com/TheBlackHokage/status/2077290085100446085 - https://x.com/SrcasticGamer/status/2077188953182961784 - https://x.com/Dexerto/status/2077411628362944961 - https://www.dexerto.com/anime/crunchyroll-is-putting-its-online-store-behind-a-monthly-paywall-3387553/ - https://x.com/Dungeon00X/status/2077551520086659182

One PC gamer has recreated the feeling of swapping physical game cartridges by putting individual Steam games on dedicated SSDs, and it's one of the coolest ideas I've seen in a long time. Then we take a look at GOG's latest jab at Sony following PlayStation's decision to end new physical game releases after 2028. Physical media isn't going down without a fight. Sources: - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2077408093172842763 - https://x.com/GOGcom/status/2077037131751432515 - https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/2077490954106220774 - https://www.gog.com/ - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2077136301728383415 - https://x.com/WinC_Gaming/status/2077382698096635919 - https://x.com/GameSpot/status/2077484159635767429 - https://x.com/GameSpot/status/2077148526816239643 - https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-wants-you-to-make-your-own-physical-games/

When "Marathon Revival Week" was sent to me, I honestly thought it was a joke. Then I discovered it was real... and the subreddit mods had already deleted the post before more people could make fun of it. Today I react to the community's desperate plan to revive Marathon just four months after launch, why it completely backfired, and Paul Tassi's sudden shift away from Marathon coverage to talking about Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Sources: - https://steamdb.info/app/3065800/charts/ - https://steamdb.info/app/1085660/charts/ - https://www.reddit.com/r/HighGuardgame/comments/1uw9pyz/this_is_just_sad_think_its_gona_drop_to_4k_peak/ - https://www.reddit.com/r/Marathon/comments/1uxa50i/removed_by_moderator/ - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2077481930480832887 - https://www.reddit.com/r/HighGuardgame/comments/1uwtipa/out_of_the_loop_why_does_this_sub_hate_marathon/ - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2077362553504887039

Sony's move away from physical PlayStation games may be only part of a much larger digital strategy. Today I examine Sony Bank's reported work involving stablecoin technology, discuss how it could fit into Sony's broader ecosystem, and explain why some gamers are concerned about where the PlayStation marketplace could be headed. Is this the beginning of a more controlled digital future? Sources: - https://x.com/srcasticgamer/status/2076080170663071959 - https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/video/sony-pushes-dollar-stablecoin-playstation-173000710.html - https://x.com/pirat_nation/status/2076955359520948627 - https://x.com/techdroider/status/2076929667811225752 - https://x.com/RohanKarMooN/status/2075975146234593432 - https://x.com/Detective_Roo/status/2075825660736754160 - https://x.com/Boogie2988/status/2077128414713053418 - https://x.com/PressX_O/status/2077096655979950406 - https://x.com/thicc_stick_boi/status/2077139475776553028 - https://x.com/AI_EmeraldApple/status/2077103556809953457