Category: 4. Technology

Irish studio Romero Games has seemingly laid off a number of employees after suddenly losing project funding.

Notably, a number of Romero Games workers claim the cutbacks at Romero are a direct result of Microsoft’s latest layoff spree—which saw the company make significant redundancies across its video game division.

Romero Games detailed the situation in a post on Bluesky but didn’t name Microsoft directly.

“We have some difficult news to share. Last night, we learned that our publisher has cancelled funding for our game along with several other unannounced projects at other studios,” reads the post.

“This was a strategic decision made at a high level within the publisher, well above our visibility or control. We deeply wish there had been something, anything, we could have done to prevent this outcome.”

Romero Games working to support employees after publisher pulls funding

Studio CEO Brenda Romero explained the company is currently evaluating next steps and working to support its team. “Many of us have worked together for more than a decade, some for over 20 years,” she added. “It’s an extremely difficult day.”

It’s currently unclear how many people have been impacted by the cuts. According to job listings posted online, Romero Games had been working on a brand new shooter featuring an original IP. 

Related:Xbox closes The Initiative and cancels its Perfect Dark reboot

A number of employees impacted by the layoffs shared the news on Linkedin and laid the blame firmly at Microsoft’s door.

“Unfortunately, I was affected by the recent layoffs from Microsoft and have lost my role as a material and texture artist at Romero Games, a studio full of incredibly kind, talented, and inspiring people,” reads one post. 

“With a heavy heart, my time at Romero Games has come to an end as a result of our publisher’s layoffs,” reads another, this time from a producer and project manager. 

One environment artist claimed Romero Games is “closing down,” but it’s unclear whether that statement is accurate at the time of writing. Meanwhile, another environment artist stated their time at the studio ended “due to the recent layoffs that happened within Microsoft.”

Game Developer reached out to Romero Games for comment and was referred back to the public statement shared online. We have also reached out to Microsoft for more information on the status of the company’s publishing operations. 

Despite the non-disclosure agreements, Battlefield leaks are still coming fast and freely via its closed playtest. The most recent leak has revealed a peek at the upcoming shooter’s free-to-play battle royale mode.

Battlefield dataminer Temporyal (via Insider Gaming), took to social media to share more unannounced details, including evidence that the map is set in California, insertion is via a CH-47 Chinook, and the “destructive ring [is] made of a compound called NXC.” We’re not yet clear on the lore behind why it’s there yet, though.

The info comes attached to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it seven-second introductory cutscene that seems to show a squadron of helicopters heading towards a battle zone in a way that’ll look familiar to anyone who’s spent time with Call of Duty battle royale Warzone.

Here’s a short video clip showing the start of a Battlefield 6 Battle Royale match:

☀️ Map set in California
🚁 Insertion via CH-47 Chinook
🔥 Destructive ring made of a compound called “NXC”

This work-in-progress material is based on the BF Labs “Alpha” client. pic.twitter.com/uzsIR8lRuJ

— temporyal (@temporyal) July 3, 2025

The Battlefield playtest has proven to be leaky indeed, and developer DICE has “loads of feedback from the very active testers selected.” Unlike Battlefield 2042’s lukewarm reception, fans seem pretty pleased with what they’ve seen so far, and for some time EA wasn’t even trying to take them down. That’s changed somewhat since, however, although there’s still plenty of information around if you’re quick enough to catch it before the takedown notices go out.

So far, we’ve seen evidence of a new drag mechanic and the ability to cling on to vehicles, as well as improved in-game movement, 3D maps, and improved destruction.

EA has been playing its cards pretty close to its chest about the new Battlefield, and we still don’t know when, exactly, it will launch. But EA’s last financial report suggested it’ll come out by the end of March 2026.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

The number of individual steps to create these dials is absolutely staggering, starting with, in some cases, a hand-applied silver plating of the blank base. From there, a myriad of different techniques are used depending on the specifics of the model, some performed by laser and machining (though still closely monitored, guided, and executed by dial makers) to hand application and finishing. The dial featured in the new PanoLunarTourbillon, for example, takes up to three to four months to fully produce. When I first was told that number, I confess, I was skeptical. But after seeing just how intricate each detail is and the care with which it is applied, that figure makes much more sense.

On April 29, 2025, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued
Circular No. 03/2025/TT-NHNN (Circular 03), which provides detailed
guidance on the opening and use of Vietnamese dong (VND) accounts
by non-resident foreign investors engaging in indirect investment
activities in Vietnam. Circular 03, which took effect on June 16,
2025, amends Circular No. 06/2019/TT-NHNN of the SBV on the
management of foreign exchange for foreign direct investment
activities in Vietnam (Circular 06) and replaces Circular No.
05/2014/TT-NHNN of the SBV guiding the opening and use of indirect
investment capital accounts for implementation of foreign indirect
investment activities in Vietnam (Circular 05).

Below are some of the key points of Circular 03.

Change of Account Name

Circular 03 renames “indirect investment capital
account” to “indirect investment account” (IIA).
This change aligns with the terminology used in other legislation,
ensuring consistency across Vietnam’s legal framework governing
foreign exchange and investment activities. Additionally, by
removing the word “capital,” the new term better
encompasses the full range of transactions that may be conducted
through these accounts, such as share transfer and other forms of
indirect investment-related activities. This helps prevent
misinterpretation and facilitates compliance for foreign investors
operating in Vietnam.

Account Types

Circular 03 clearly delineates account types and investor
residency status as follows:

• For non-resident foreign investors: The opening and
  use of investment accounts in VND is for carrying out transactions
  related to indirect investment activities.




• For resident foreign investors: Credit and debit
  transactions are made through payment accounts in VND in accordance
  with relevant laws.

Additional Permitted Uses of IIAs

In addition to the cash inflows and outflows authorized under
Circular 05, Circular 03 introduces more cash transactions that can
be conducted via IIAs. These include:

• Receiving interest and other legal income when conducting stock
  purchase transactions that do not require sufficient funds when
  placing orders by foreign institutional investors under the
  securities law.




• Receiving funds for deposits or collateral related to stock
  purchases, as well as refunds of such deposits.




• Receiving transfers from previously opened IIAs at other
  licensed banks.




• Payment of losses and other expenses incurred from purchasing
  securities that do not require sufficient funds when placing orders
  by foreign institutional investors.




• Payment of fees, charges, taxes, administrative penalties, and
  other expenses associated with foreign indirect investment
  activities in Vietnam.

These changes aim to improve transparency for foreign investors
by clearly defining the purposes of money transfer orders, as well
as enable authorized banks to verify, document, and process
transactions more effectively.

Fixing Mismatch

Circular 03 updates Circular 06 to align with the foreign
ownership thresholds provided in the current Law on Investment.
Specifically, it changes references from “51% or more” to
“more than 50%,” and from “below 51%” to
“equal to or below 50%,” fixing a mismatch in the
classification of foreign ownership thresholds.

Additionally, Circular 03 introduces a 12-month transitional
period from its effective date (i.e., by June 16, 2026), allowing
companies previously exempt under Circular 06 time to open a Direct
Investment Capital Account (DICA). During this period, foreign
investors may continue using their existing IIAs to carry out
capital contributions and share acquisition transactions until the
new DICA is officially opened.

Simplified IIA Opening Procedures

Under the prevailing law, documents issued in foreign countries
must be legalized for use in Vietnam. However, Circular 03 removes
this legalization requirement for documents submitted by foreign
investors to open IIAs for investment in the Vietnamese securities
market, allowing them to submit notarized and certified documents
under Vietnamese law or foreign law within 12 months of the
submission date of the IIA opening application.

The translation of foreign-language documents into Vietnamese is
also no longer required, but is subject to mutual agreement between
licensed banks and foreign investors. However, licensed banks must
ensure the accuracy and compliance with Circular 03 of
foreign-language documents, and provide certified or notarized
translations if requested by the competent authorities.

These reforms aim to streamline the administrative process and
shorten the timeline for the document preparation of foreign
investors to open IIAs.

Opening Multiple IIAs

Under Circular 05, foreign investors were only allowed to open
one IIA for their indirect investment activities. This could cause
difficulties for foreign investors (especially investment funds or
organizations managed by many fund management companies) to
separately manage their investment portfolios.

To address this issue, Circular 03 permits multiple IIAs to be
opened by foreign investors corresponding to the different issued
securities trading codes, subject to regulatory conditions and
applicable to the following subjects:

• Foreign securities companies;




• Foreign investment funds;




• Foreign organizations managed by many foreign fund management
  companies; and




• Investment organizations under foreign governments, or
  financial or investment organizations under an international
  financial organization of which Vietnam is a member.

These amendments will facilitate foreign investors in monitoring
and managing their investment portfolios on the Vietnamese stock
market.

Other Changes

Circular 03 adds the following new principles:

• Opening a joint IIA by two or more foreign holders is not




• All money transfer orders related to foreign indirect
  investment in Vietnam must specify the purpose of the transfer.
  This requirement enables commercial banks to verify, compare, and
  retain relevant documentation, thereby ensuring proper execution of
  the transaction in accordance with regulatory guidelines.

Circular 03 also removes the list of indirect investment forms
in Vietnam (e.g., capital contribution and acquisition, bonds or
other securities trading, etc.) that was specified in Circular
05.

Outlook

Circular 03 aims to significantly modernize Vietnam’s
foreign exchange management, address evolving challenges in foreign
indirect investment, and promote the country’s appeal to
foreign investors. This is expected to be a catalyst for further
reforms in Vietnam’s financial and investment sectors.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.

Alvin Lang
Jul 03, 2025 14:05

GeForce NOW introduces a lineup of 20 new games for July, including ‘Figment’ and ‘Little Nightmares II’, enhancing cloud gaming experiences with RTX power.

GeForce NOW, NVIDIA’s cloud gaming service, is heating up the gaming scene this July with the introduction of 20 new titles, according to the GeForce NOW Community. This update enhances the platform’s extensive library and includes six fresh releases, such as the adventure game ‘Figment’ and the atmospheric ‘Little Nightmares II’.

July’s Gaming Lineup

Players can expect an exciting range of games throughout the month. Highlights include ‘The Ascent’, released on Xbox and PC Game Pass on July 8, and ‘Every Day We Fight’, which becomes available on Steam on July 10. Other notable releases are ‘Mycopunk’, ‘Brickadia’, and ‘HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×IMPACT’, all debuting on Steam within the first half of the month.

In addition, GeForce NOW is offering a summer sale, allowing gamers to upgrade to a six-month Performance membership for $29.99. This promotion provides access to popular titles like the ‘Borderlands’ series and ‘DOOM: The Dark Ages’, utilizing the powerful GeForce RTX technology.

Exploring New Releases

‘Figment’, a standout in the latest offerings, takes players on a whimsical journey through the human mind. The game combines hand-drawn visuals, musical battles, and a narrative exploring themes of courage and emotional healing. This artistic title, alongside the eerie ‘Little Nightmares II’, offers players an immersive and diverse gaming experience.

Additional releases scheduled for later in July include ‘Killing Floor 3’ and ‘RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business’, expanding the variety of genres available to GeForce NOW users. These additions highlight the platform’s commitment to providing diverse gaming content for its subscribers.

Previous Month’s Highlights

June saw the addition of 25 games, with 11 more joining the GeForce NOW library, including demos and full releases such as ‘Frosthaven’ and ‘Kingdom Two Crowns’. These games, alongside new July releases, continue to enrich the gaming options available to cloud gaming enthusiasts.

With these new additions, GeForce NOW continues to solidify its position as a leading cloud gaming service, offering a robust library with RTX-powered gaming experiences. Gamers are encouraged to explore the new titles and maximize their cloud gaming potential this summer.

Image source: Shutterstock

It should come as no surprise that Microsoft wants Windows users to change how they perceive and use passwords. That was made quite clear when the Seattle tech behemoth announced that it was blocking 7,000 attacks on passwords every second and looking to get a billion users to change to passkeys instead. With state-sponsored hackers targeting Windows passwords, automatic password hacking machines, and even printers, yes, printers, being employed to target Windows passwords, something needed to be done.

Now, Microsoft has confirmed that it is making significant changes to Microsoft Authenticator: in June, you stopped being able to add new passwords, during July, you will no longer be able to use the autofill feature, and, from August, saved passwords won’t be accessible and any generated passwords that have not been saved will be deleted.

ForbesFBI 2FA Bypass Warning Issued — The Attacks Have StartedBy Davey Winder

The Changes to Microsoft Password Management

You might be wondering just what is happening at Microsoft that has caused this seismic shift in password management, and truth be told, those attack figures and links above pretty much explain it all. Something has to be done, and when it comes to Microsoft Authenticator, that something is to persuade you to embrace the password management functionality of the Edge browser. Microsoft itself has stated that “your saved passwords (but not your generated password history) and addresses are securely synced to your Microsoft account, and you can continue to access them and enjoy seamless autofill functionality with Microsoft Edge.”

Here’s the important part, and it points to the desire to get all users employing the much more secure passkey technology that is available to Windows users, Microsoft Authenticator will continue to support passkeys. Indeed, Microsoft has reminded users that if they have passkeys set up for their Microsoft account, then they must “ensure that Authenticator remains enabled as your passkey provider — disabling Authenticator will disable your passkeys.”

ForbesThese PDFs Put Your Microsoft, PayPal And Geek Squad Accounts At RiskBy Davey Winder

Act Now To Save Your Microsoft Passwords

What you need to do first, then, is to ensure that you have saved your passwords before the end of the month. If you don’t wish to use Microsoft Edge to access them, you can use another platform, such as Google or Apple’s iCloud Keychain, as your default autofill provider. To do this, however, you will need to export your passwords and import them to the new service. However, this exporting must be completed before August 1, as although your saved passwords will still be seen in Edge, they will no longer be accessible in Microsoft Authenticator, so you won’t be able to export them anywhere else.

Now, I’m a remote worker. And while that technically gives me the free reign to work from anywhere, for the longest time I found myself only ever working from my desk at home. Here at my desk I’ve got three large monitors giving me so much flexibility when I work to have multiple tabs open along with Slack, my email, and more. When I’m working off just my laptop screen, I feel too restrained. That is, until I got a portable monitor. Now I don’t have to sacrifice productivity when I want a change of view. You too can unshackle yourself from your desk with this laptop screen extender for 44% off. For a limited time, the 14-inch portable monitor has been cut in price from $160 down to just $90—saving you $70.

The 14-inch display is an excellent accessory for anyone who travels with their laptop, effectively doubling your screen real estate while you work. It doesn’t matter if you’re working from a coffee shop around the corner from you on in a hotel room, states away. A laptop extender can help recreated the desktop experience wherever you decide to go.

See at Amazon

Widely Compatible & Portable

This laptop extender is easy to setup. It mounts on to your laptop’s screen so long as your laptop is between 13 and 17.3 inches. It plugs in via either USB Type-C or HDMI, your choice depending on what your laptop supports.

The display can be rotated a whole 280°, giving you a wide range of flexibility to ensure you have the ideal viewing angle when working. It’s even great for working collaboratively if you decide to mirror the display and angle the second toward a colleague.

You can even choose to use the laptop screen extender in portrait mode. Instead of mounting it to your laptop, the mount can be used as a stand, propping up the monitor vertically. I’m a big proponent of the vertical monitor as it is ideal for Slack or your email—allowing you to view more of your message history at once.

For a limited time, you can secure yourself the 14-inch Full HD laptop screen extender for 44% off. That saves you $70, bringing the price down from $160 to just $90. Are two screens still not enough? You’re in luck because there is also a triple screen option which adds a portable screen to either side of your laptop’s own screen, tripling your workable space. That is normally priced at $500, but after a 54% discount, you can nab it for just $186.

See at Amazon

Researchers have spotted a serious flaw in file archiving tool WinRAR that could allow hackers to run code on systems.

WinRAR’s developer RARLAB has already issued a patch, along with advice to update the software immediately.

Following the success of Surrenne Belgravia’s debut in London, the wellness and longevity club has now arrived on the Côte d’Azur, going far beyond a traditional hotel spa with longevity stays, retreats, personalized treatments, and expert-led movement and fitness practices. Surrenne’s holistic and science-backed approach elevates wellbeing for guests and members alike. This debut comes at an exciting time as the summer high season is in full swing and the Riviera is abuzz with the energy of Monaco and recent restoration of Gabrielle Chanel’s clifftop artist and intellectual retreat, La Pausa.

Spanning three floors, Surrenne Riviera offers signature treatments that merge cutting-edge technology with holistic therapies, tailored to address the unique needs of every guest. Surrenne also offers personalized facials (in partnership with Biologique Recherche – fusing science and skincare for lasting, visible results), recovery therapies including a signature lymphatic drainage treatment, and expert nutritional guidance, complemented by cold therapy, infrared therapy, osteopathy, and red-light therapy.

Surrenne Riviera also features four wellness-focused studios: the Surrenne Gym with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment; the Performance Studio for one-on-one training; and the open-air Waves Studio and Riviera Reflections, which offer group classes like yoga, spinning, TRX, and Pilates, created with Lagree Fitness.

More than a wellness retreat and in-keeping with Maybourne’s legacy of excellence, Surrenne establishes a new benchmark in transformative wellbeing for guests and members.

Perched on the rocky peninsula of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, The Maybourne Riviera offers breathtaking views from Italy in the east to Monte-Carlo in the west. This jewel of the French Riviera features 65 rooms, including 24 suites, each with a private terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. A true gastronomic destination, the hotel boasts 4 restaurants and one bar, including a private beach and abc kitchens, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Surrenne a longevity center, dedicated to well-being, and an infinity pool complete this unique experience, suspended between sky and sea.

Hotel website

Surrenne Riviera
1551 Rte de la Turbie
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, 06190
France

+33 4 93 37 24 72