While everything shown was interesting, the biggest highlights of the State of Play were the new game announcements coming out this year or in the near future. Games like John Wick and Project Windless generated a lot of buzz, though they didn’t have confirmed release dates. However, several other games shown did announce 2026 release dates, or promised to launch within the next 10 months.
Following a two-week extension of Version 3.8, Honkai: Star Rail released its 4.0 update on February 12th. This update introduces Yao Guang, the first character in the game who uses the ‘Elation’ Path, with Sparxie arriving later in the update. Players will encounter both characters in Planacardia, the newest area to explore. The game also revealed that Ashveil, Nihilux, and Evanescia will be added in future updates, along with new playable versions of Silver Wolf and Blade. To help players collect these characters, Honkai: Star Rail has released codes for free in-game currency, Stellar Jades.
A new benchmark reveals that long-form analysis by AI agents in the volatile cryptocurrency market often falters not due to factual errors, but due to problems with contextual understanding.
On February 10th, Overwatch began a fresh start with the release of Season 1: Conquest, titled Reign of Talon. This update introduced Emre Sarioglu, a new hero who specializes in dealing damage and has a complex past set in the world of Overwatch. He was once a member of Overwatch, but left and now works with Talon, though his reasons remain a mystery.
The latest trailer for the action game Tides of Annihilation, celebrating the Year of the Horse, shows the protagonist, Gwendolyn, just missing her train. Luckily, another one quickly arrives, pulled by three ghostly horses.
![The system enforces secure communication across the O-RAN architecture-protecting the midhaul (O-DU to O-CU) and backhaul (O-CU to 5GC)-by translating high-level timing and placement intents issued via O-RAN interfaces ([latex]A1[/latex], [latex]E2[/latex], [latex]O1[/latex]) into concrete IKEv2/ESP parameters, all while adhering to 3GPP standards ([latex]TS~33.210/33.501[/latex]) to maintain endpoint cryptographic operations and preserve architectural boundaries.](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.11820v1/fig2.png)
This review explores a novel framework for optimizing security and energy efficiency in Open RAN networks as we transition to a post-quantum cryptographic landscape.
Economists, those so-called wise men, are betting on headline inflation ticking up just a smidge, month-over-month. Annual inflation? They’re pegging it at around 2.5%. Core CPI, the one that ignores the whims of food and energy, is expected to show prices as sticky as a summer day in the valley. No relief in sight, it seems.
Imagine, if you will, a world where stablecoins, real-world assets, and institutional transactions are no longer left to fend for themselves in the wild west of blockchain. No, no! With XLS-85, they are cradled in the warm embrace of the XRPL’s escrow system, secure and serene. What a time to be alive!
Some open-world RPGs take player choice to the extreme, with mistakes and bad decisions having surprisingly far-reaching consequences. These can include losing important characters, missing out on quests or endings, or even permanently altering the game world – sometimes to the point of destroying entire areas. Revisiting a place you’ve irrevocably changed can be a powerful experience, really emphasizing the impact of your actions. Here are some of the best open-world RPGs where players can accidentally – or intentionally – cause lasting damage to the game world, along with some of the most striking examples.
It’s been a while since the last major Rayman game, Rayman Legends, came out in 2013, and fans have been playing spin-offs in the meantime. But interest in the Rayman series has actually grown, especially with the original game nearing its 30th anniversary. Rumors of remakes from Ubisoft and hints on social media from the game’s creators have given platformer fans hope for a new installment. While details are still under wraps, it’s clear the beloved series isn’t being forgotten.