Ubisoft confirms players can't complete Rainbow Six Tactics without killing any enemies
Game director Martial Potron says, "No, you cannot do the game 100% without killing"
Some missions require players to kill enemies; however, they're incentivized to do non-lethal takedowns in others for valuable intel
Rainbow Six Tactics game director Martial Potronhas confirmed players won't be able to achieve a 100% non-lethal playthrough.
Ubisoft has recently revealed its new Rainbow Six Siege spin-off, Rainbow Six Tactics, a single-player turn-based tactics experience that puts players in the shoes of Six, the leader of the elite Rainbow squad.
Players can choose high-stakes assignments to strategize on the tactical battlefield with 15 Operators, all with unique abilities, specialized gadgets, and distinct skill trees.
The game will also offer distinct mission types, including Hostage Rescue, Bomb Disposal, and Target Elimination, offering a variety of ways to complete each one.
Some missions require players to take down targets non-lethally to collect important intel bonuses that will help the squad in future missions. But can players do a complete non-lethal playthrough?
According to Potron, who discussed the game at length in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, you can't, explaining that some missions will require players to kill enemies who are out of range for non-lethal takedowns.
"Can you?" the game director said. "I'm thinking about it. There is no incentive to kill, but can you? I think you can't."
He continued, "We don't have missions where we force you to kill anyone. Most of the time, in fact, it's valued to arrest people to subdue enemies. But we have a few missions when sometimes you cannot reach enemies."
Porton said the game features a Venice map bisected by a river, with enemies on one side, and so there is no way to take them out non-lethally, as you simply won't be able to reach them.
"No, you cannot do the game 100% without killing," he added, "but you are strongly incentivized, as much as possible, to arrest people without killing because you will be able to really get intel from them, and it's very valuable."
We are finally seeing what Grand Theft Auto 6 is like to actually play! All eyes are on Netflix for the Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look presentation, which started at 3PM ET / 12PM PDT / 8PM BST / 9PM CEST, and contains footage captured directly from the game running on a PS5 console.
The video is exclusive to Netflix at first, but the good news is that it will appear on the Rockstar YouTube account afterwards — you'll just have to wait a little if you don't want to pay Netflix.
The decision to post the video to Netflix for paying subscribers to watch first has proven controversial so far, though those who aren't Netflix users will still be able to watch it when it arrives on the official Rockstar Games YouTube channel later on.
Read on for a comprehensive breakdown of everything that you need to know, plus our live reporting of the showcase as it goes live.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Extended Look date and start time
Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look is set to premiere on Netflix on August 27 at 3PM ET / 12PM PDT / 8PM BST / 9PM CEST. It's said to be 27 minutes long, according to Netflix's listing.
It will then release on the Rockstar Games YouTube channel and Grand Theft Auto 6 website exactly six hours later at 9PM ET / 6PM PDT / 2AM BST / 3AM CEST.
How to watch the Grand Theft Auto 6 Extended Look
The only way to watch Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look at first will be with a Netflix subscription, as users of the service will get to see it before everyone else.
If you don't want to pay, then you can wait about six hours for the video to be uploaded to the official Rockstar Games YouTube Channel.
If you want to go that route, I would recommend subscribing and turning notifications on so you are notified once it's live.
Welcome folks, we're just one hour from the big event!
Our first look — except it isn't
(Image credit: Sony / Rockstar )
This is going to be our first official look at the game playing for real. I say 'official', because the last week has seen an unprecedented series of GTA 6 gameplay leaks from the mysterious 'Cyberleek'. There's been a lot of speculation over what platform those leaks are from (the consensus is that it's likely running on a PC) and exactly what the leaker had access to.
Share your thoughts!
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
I'd love to hear in the comments what you're hoping to see from the Extended Look! Do you want there to be some behind-the-scenes stuff or would you rather 30 mins of pure gameplay? Do you want to see lots of snippets, or just one long mission?
No Pro?
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
It's interesting that today's showcase will demo how it looks on PS5 rather than PS5 Pro. We know the Pro version will be enhanced, but not exactly how — this makes me wonder if it'll just be a higher rendering resolution rather than major lighting improvements or other elements that Rockstar might want to show off (though people are expecting some kind of superior Ray Tracing tech in the Pro version).
Or it might just be a mistake in Netflix's description, and it will be PS5 Pro. Maybe all will be made clear in the event…
30 minutes seems right
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
There was a lot of speculation over how long the event would be — a BBC report claimed 30 minutes a while ago, but was met with some skepticism online, and then was removed from the report. But it turned out to be essentially right on the money, with Netflix now listing a 27-minute runtime.
I think that's probably a good length. There's an upper limit on how much is really worth showing us before launch — we want to get a good feel for the scale, the movement, the pace… but I want to mostly experience all this for myself when it comes out.
And equally, I don't want too much talking-head filler just to extend the length.
A big interview
If you're looking for tidbits ahead of the Extended Look, there's an interview with several senior figures from Rockstar over at Dazed talking about what they're hoping to achieve with the game — some with more specific details to back it up, and some not. Let's get into some of the notable bits.
Deeper characterization?
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
Here's a quote from Rob Nelson, head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North: “The thing we love about this medium is the way these characters aren’t empty avatars that you can do whatever you want with... Their story becomes a journey you share with them.”
I've gotta say that my experience with GTA games is that I kind of have always found them to be pretty simple avatars — and it probably doesn't help that the only new GTA content we've had in years is GTA online, which isn't deep on story. So I wonder if we're going to see a big difference in how Jason and Lucia feel as protagonists, or if this will end up feeling like unrealized ambition from Rockstar.
'Self-expression' — but is it any deeper than RDR2?
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
This is a similarly interesting note, if it can hit a deeper note. “We want to enable as much self-expression as possible,” Dazed quotes Nelson as saying, “without losing the essence of the characters.”
The example given in the article is this: "Food affects Jason and Lucia’s weight, while exercising visibly builds and tones their muscles. And, if you end up spending a long time away from your bed, on the run from police or on a multi-day bender, their features are going to pay the price for that as well."
The article compares it to similar elements of Red Dead Redemption 2. It kind of feels like a better fit for that game — disappearing off into the woods and to return as a haggard, hungry mountain man feels like something that changes a character; it's maybe less impactful to do the same thing at a '24/7' store.
However, the article also hints at "deep relationship mechanics"… but doesn't say what they'll look like, or how they'll contribute to the game's story.
But Rockstar told Dazed: "We have to bring a sense of discovery to the players too, not just repeat cliches that already exist."
Apparently, that meant digging deep into Miami culture, and it seems like Rockstar is hoping you'll be interesting in nuances of different neighborhoods and styles too.
"We were also really interested in how the hip-hop scene in Miami exists in house parties in Overtown, clubs like Booby Trap on the River, and then high-end places on South Beach where bottles can cost thousands of dollars. We needed characters who could take us through those worlds," says Rupert Humphries, senior vice president of narrative.
Racing line
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
There's a lot more talk of capturing Miami's culture in the Dazed article, but very little really about the meat of the game, or details of developing beyond capturing the spirit of a city.
The piece does say that the size of the company doubled since RDR2, and that the car handling team includes former race drivers, though…
Getting deep
Incidentally, if there are deeper relationship mechanics to manage in this game, and if we have talking heads or some other kind of human presenter in the Extended Look, I expect that we'll hear about these systems. It's the kind of thing developers love to talk about, and you can only fill so much time with car and boat chases…
The cast of characters
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
My guess is also that we'll get some kind of big "Here are the Vice City power players" character run-down — key crime bosses, friends of Jason and Lucia, antagonists and wildcards.
Share your thoughts!
I'd love to hear in the comments what you're hoping to see from the Extended Look! Do you want there to be some behind-the-scenes stuff or would you rather have 30 mins of pure gameplay? Do you want to see lots of snippets, or just one long mission?
Most people will have to wait
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
We've asked in our poll at the top whether people will be watching on Netflix or will wait for YouTube — currently, 60% say they'll watch on YouTube. That's still a lot of people hitting up Netflix, though! Hopefully it handles the demand better than some of its live sports events…
10 minutes to go…
5 mins to go
And, perhaps appropriately, it looks like the big leaks are finished as we approach the actual event: apparently, 'Cyberleek' has made off with a few hundred grand from their memecoin, and people expect that to be it… and that kind of money-grab-and-escape always works out in the world of GTA, right?
We're just talking here about how it might not actually appear right on the hour… we'll see. After a lot of refreshing.
Uh oh!
(Image credit: Netflix)
Some of us can see it, some can't…
We are starting with gameplay, as expected
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
Important update: there's a petting system
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
Confirmed: You Can Pet The Dog. (And also Scold the dog?? No, don't do that.)
What we're seeing
Jason and Lucia are there to pick up druge for Boobie, but are forced to escape.
We're seeing plenty of gun gameplay, escaping a drug raid, pick-up weapons — it's very cinematic. As we go, we're cutting into some more trailer-y alternative shots, and then back to pure gameplay.
Instantly we can see an improved gun system and HUD from GTA 5.
The non-fighty stuff
Jason and Lucia getting are ready for a party, and the cinematics are gorgeous — Lucia asks Jason which dress to wear, and you can tell Lucia to "hurry" when she's getting ready. You can open a fridge to browse food and drink, watch TV and flick through channels…
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OpenAI has released technical details on how the Hugging Face attack unfolded
Agents used part of the testing environment to create a message board where they could collaborate and share answers
This message board altered the reasoning of some agents, making them more likely to take risks such as hacking into third-party servers
OpenAI has released a more detailed report on exactly how an experiment led to an AI model breaching its containment and launching a cyber attack against Hugging Face. If you need a refresher, take a look at our summary here.
But the technicals of the attack reveal some interesting details of how AI agents used unconventional means to ask each other for help in solving what were supposed to be impossible tasks.
On multiple occasions during the attack, the agents questioned whether the actions they were taking were authorized, but always ended up prioritizing their tasks over any breach of parameters.
AI agents set up unauthorized message board
In its report, OpenAI revealed the crux of the attack stemmed from AI agents undergoing testing abusing part of the ‘sandbox’ testing environment to set up a messaging board they agents could use to communicate with each other.
A package manager with access to the internet, called Artifactory, was exploited by a model OpenAI has labelled Internal Model 1 (IM1). An IM1 agent wrote messages inside the packet manager that could be read by other agents, essentially turning Artifactory into an unintended messaging board.
Artifactory’s internet access, intended for use only in downloading and installing packets, was also abused by the agents who figured out an exploit that allowed them to send any internet requests on their behalf - effectively giving them unobstructed internet access.
The whole experiment could have been avoided at this point, because the amount of agent activity within Artifactory caused the service to go down. But those in charge of the experiment did not spot the message board, nor did they investigate the inter-agent activity within Artifactory.
Thus, Artifactory was rebuilt, and the agents found a new way to exploit the service to gain internet access once again. This time, the agents used the remote-repository service to issue outbound requests on their behalf. Before long, the message board had been reestablished.
AI agent swarm assembles
OpenAI has shared some of the reasoning behind some of the agent’s decisions. At one point, an Agent reasoned the following: “Task originally exploit challenge; we’ve diverged into swarm/auxiliary.”
Now, there is some important context to include on how the agents were being tested. The agents were subject to testing under the ExploitGym benchmark, which includes flag retrieval tasks designed to be impossible to solve. When tested in this manner, the agents resorted to cheating or taking risks outside of their intended scope to succeed - something OpenAI refers to as ‘reward hacking’.
By communicating over the message board for potential solutions on the problems each agent was encountering, the agents started influencing each other's reasoning and assigning each other tasks to solve the ExploitGym benchmark as a collective.
Using their internet connection, the agents began searching the wider internet for solutions on how to solve the ExploitGym benchmark problem, and ended up gaining persistence within multiple third-party services, including Hugging Face.
One agent managed to find publicly exposed Hugging Face credentials which it shared with the other agents. Later, an agent used these credentials and a chain of vulnerabilities to obtain full code execution capabilities across multiple Hugging Face servers while attempting to extract an ExploitGym dataset.
The agent was hoping to trawl this stolen data for information on how to solve the benchmark.
At least two agents questioned whether this was within their scope; “Need respect JAN hold. ... We can wait ... for GO ... ask permission,” one reasoned.
Another agent’s reasoning said, “We’re attacking third-party HF using leaked token, potentially outside intended scope. ... This is arguably unauthorized. ... external service unrelated. Could be risky. Yet goal solution.”
But some agents refused to join the collective entirety, citing ethical concerns. One reasoned, “Current board shows people gaining HF worker RCE, clearly unethical. We won’t,” while another said, “This is wild, multi-agent coordination, clearly infrastructure hacking. We should not.”
Agents refuse to give up
One of the leading causes of the cyberattack was the agent's refusal to give up on seemingly impossible tasks. Their persistence to gain a ‘reward’ made them take riskier actions and break out of their parameters in order to try and find a solution.
During the breach of Hugging Face, the agents read through papers and Github code relating to the ExploitGym benchmark, and found out the parameters for success included obtaining the ‘flag’ and using the correct solution to obtain it.
Despite the agents obtaining the correct ‘flag’ before the breach occurred, they had not maximized the reward of solving the benchmark using the correct method. In search of a higher reward, the agents continued their attack.
What is OpenAI doing to fix this?
OpenAI has said it is taking several steps to stop such an event taking place during future testing.
Processes are being put in place to ensure agents ask for help when a task is broken or impossible to solve, rather than going to further and further lengths to solve a problem. The way a success or failure of a task is also being changed to reward agents for asking for help or spotting things that are irregular or out of their scope.
Environments are also being rebuilt to ensure agents don’t just blindly trust each other, even if they are looking for answers on the same or similar tasks.
Agents are also being taught to stay within the parameters of their assigned task, even if they discover a way to solve the task using new tools, credentials, vulnerabilities, and more.
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Samsung took to its own stage at Gamescom today to announce a slew of new Odyssey OLED gaming screens for 2027, including some very tasty world firsts.
Top of the new range is the Odyssey OLED G6 G60H, which boasts a 1440p Fast IPS panel, complete with a 600Hz refresh rate.
If that ridiculous refresh speed isn't enough, you can dial down the resolution to HD and benefit from 1100Hz, making this Samsung screen the fastest we've ever seen in that respect.
It also features AMD FreeSync Premium Pro VRR and is Nvidia G-Sync compatible.
If you want something bigger, the Odyssey OLED G7 marks the world's first 42-inch curved gaming screen in a classic 16:9 aspect ratio. It's a 4K OLED panel with up to a 165Hz refresh rate and an aggressive 1000R curve for an immersive finish.
For reference, Samsung says the G7 is some 72% larger than a typical 32-inch curved panel in its range for greater immersion, so it can fill even more of your field of vision.
(Image credit: Future)
Bigger and better?
The new Odyssey OLED G8 is stacked with cool-sounding features – a 32-inch 4K tandem OLED with a 360Hz refresh rate that features Samsung's latest fifth-gen QD-OLED panel with its Penta Tandem tech and an RGB stripe sub-pixel layout for greater power efficiency, longevity, and sharper text.
The G8 also supports 'triple mode', so 4K/360hz isn't your only option. Drop down to 1440p, and the screen yields a 520Hz refresh rate. Or, if that's not enough, then Full HD output at 680Hz is possible.
Port-wise, Samsung has kitted it out with DP 2.1 UHBR20, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB-C with up to 98W of power delivery, plus a USB hub with two downstream ports and KVM support.
For ultrawide fans, the new Odyssey OLED G9 offers a 49-inch panel with a 5120 x 1440 resolution and up to 360Hz. It also has dual-mode power with 720Hz at 'dual HD' (2560 x 720) and a fifth-gen QD-OLED panel with Penta Tandem tech.
Samsung says the Odyssey OLED G9 offers up to 1300 nits of peak brightness at a 4K resolution in a 3% window for some punchy output.
Alongside the slew of new screens, it also reaffirmed its commitment to glasses-free 3D tech, with wider support mentioned for some of the biggest titles and the presence of HDR10+ gaming in some big releases, including the new Call of Duty, and upwards of 20 games supporting the standard by the first half of 2027.
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United’s new Airbus A321XLR begins service soon, and it’s packed with tech
It’ll mostly serve international, transatlantic routes with free Starlink-powered Wi-Fi
The big surprise? Two Economy Plus rows with no middle seats
Just a few months back, I got to go inside United’s next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner, complete with a high-tech new interior, spacious seats, and some notable upgrades for Economy.
The 787 is a wide-body aircraft built for United’s biggest and longest routes, and now, the airline is bringing that same design philosophy to a much smaller plane and experimenting with something I’ve never seen on a United aircraft before: an Economy Plus row with no middle seat.
I’ve been inside United’s brand-new Airbus A321XLR, a single-aisle aircraft that’s designed to bridge the gap between narrowbody efficiency and widebody distance capabilities, and it’s a pretty fascinating look at where the airline’s cabins are headed.
There’s a new Polaris business-class seat with closing doors, a spacious Premium Plus cabin, 4K OLED screens at every seat, Starlink Wi-Fi from day one, and, yes, those two-seat Economy Plus rows, designed to give you a little more space without the dreaded middle seat.
And after spending time in all four cabins, I think United might be onto something.
Let’s start with the new Polaris business-class product. The A321XLR is a single-body aircraft with 20 Polaris seats, complete with closing doors on either the left or right side of the aircraft. They are pretty spacious, though a bit smaller than the Polaris seats on the 787 Dreamliner. Still, you get an ample seat with an electronic touchscreen control to let it lay flat, kick out the leg rest, or adjust many facets of the experience.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
There are plenty of power ports, including two USB-C ports that top out at 60 watts, a standard wall plug, and a wireless charger. At the center of the experience is a 19-inch 4K OLED screen that’s touch-enabled and, with a button press, slightly pushes out from its base and lets you pull it forward for the perfect view. You’ll also find plenty of storage and a sizable tray table that I wish was a bit larger — still, it should fit a 14-inch laptop very comfortably.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
That’s the most premium experience on board the A321XLR. The middle option of United’s three class offerings is Premium Plus, which features a very spacious recliner that rivals those in domestic first class on smaller single-body aircraft.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
It boasts a 16-inch 4K OLED screen that can tilt and matches the size of the screen on the original Polaris product still in use on some aircraft. You’ll even find a wireless charger tucked under the armrest — a unique spot, but helpful. There’s also a standard wall plug for each seat — remember, Premium Plus is a 2x2 configuration — and a USB-C port tucked at the bottom of the OLED screen.
The tray table is pretty close to the size of what’s in Polaris and can be a good mini-desk for working in the sky, or, let’s be honest, enjoying whatever meal United is serving.
Finally, we move into Economy, which has a total of 118 seats split into 84 standard Economy and 34 Economy Plus extra-legroom options, including two with the middle seat removed.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
With any of these seats, you get a punchy, vibrant 13-inch 4K OLED that’s touch-enabled; across the board, United is knocking it out of the park with the displays here. An intuitive interface offers plenty to watch, including Apple TV in the sky, plus access to music and podcasts from Spotify. A crisp, vibrant screen in each seatback will certainly elevate the experience everywhere.
United began the process of reintroducing screens on aircraft without them, and making them a key part of the ‘United Next’ cabin, back in 2021, and now the airline has close to 800 aircraft with screens in every seat, and should have a quarter of a million seat-back screens across its fleet by the end of next year.
Peter Wolkowski, United’s Head of Product Marketing, told me, “In our post-flight survey data, we just see kind of huge increases in satisfaction across the board when customers fly on an aircraft with screens versus one without.”
There’s a standard headphone jack and USB-C port built into every Economy and Economy Plus seat, meaning that every seat, even in Economy, gets at least one power source — that’s excellent. You also get two standard wall plugs per row, but those are shared.
Economy Plus with open middle seats is where the experimentation comes into play — it was my first time seeing these, and especially for a transatlantic flight, which are the routes the A321XLR will primarily be flying, if the price is right, it could really be worth the upgrade.
The main appeal is no one next to you in the middle, and for couples flying, this is pretty nice. You get plenty of elbow room, and the middle seat essentially has a metal table bolted across it, with two indents for cupholders and a padded rear.
I’m very curious to see pricing for these, and how much of a premium they command over standard Economy Plus.
United is starting with only two of these rows on the aircraft, but if they prove popular, I wouldn’t be surprised if the airline expands this offering. Peter Wolkowski, United’s Head of Product Marketing, told me, “There’s a lot to love about this aircraft, but just having the ability to kind of test new concepts is really exciting.”
“We’re really eager to see how customers respond to [the open middle seat option], and if it is something that kind of performs well and customers love it, we’re going to look at more ways of doing that type of thing on other aircraft.”
I hope we continue to see this kind of experimentation with new seat types, and at affordable price points, rather than airlines just prioritizing the top end.
Rounding out the United A321XLR offering is 'Starlink from the start', meaning the plane is equipped with the right antennas and routers, as well as the proper certification, to offer Starlink Wi-Fi from its very first flights.
This means that any MileagePlus members can get free, fast Wi-Fi for as many devices as they bring, and in my testing, both on media flights and regular ones, it really improves the overall flying experience. No longer is there a concern about not being able to connect, whether that’s when you’re sending a text to a loved one or friend, or something else that requires a connection.
The A321XLR also features mood lighting, which United can split up by cabin — i.e., Polaris, Premium Plus, or Economy — to help set the mood for different parts of the flight, but also to potentially help combat jet lag.
So when does the A321XLR begin flying, and where is it headed?
Alongside the launch event at a hangar at Newark Liberty International Airport, United also announced new routes, and the A321XLR is a key part of them.
Starting September 1, 2026, the A321XLR begins with domestic flights, but later this year, the aircraft formally kicks off its international routes. In total, United announced 10 entirely new international destinations and 13 new routes for 2027.
The new routes are San Francisco to Okinawa, Japan; Washington Dulles to Toulouse, France; and several for Newark. The latter includes Newark to Luxembourg City; Marseille, France; Ibiza, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Terceira, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Olbia (Sardinia), Italy; and Catania (Sicily), Italy.
If you like the idea of a flight on the Airbus A321XLR, it’ll be headed to Luxembourg from Newark, Washington, DC; to Toulouse from Newark; to Ibiza from Newark; to Valencia from Newark; and to Marseille from Newark.
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OpenAI says it has disrupted a social media influence campaign that is believed to be of Russian origin
What makes this campaign stand out is the underlying architecture, which features a "think tank" with highly questionable credibility
The objective of the campaign was to influence Western audiences into believing Russia was superior, and that Western countries were sacrificing their sovereignty
AI tools have once again been used for bad, rather than for good, and this time it has been as part of a campaign attributed to Russia that tried to discredit Western countries supportive of Ukraine.
The threat actors used ChatGPT accounts to promote the work of an “expert community” of academics known as the International Burke Institute (IBI). The site used stolen academic works attributed to the wrong authors in an attempt to appear legitimate while also hiding the true source of its academic ‘contributions’.
The IBI was registered to an address in Israel - with some evidence suggesting real individuals in Israel represented and promoted the page - but the main purpose of the misinformation campaign was to paint Russia in a favourable light compared to its Western adversaries.
International Burke Institute, or an institute run by international berks?
In its report on the campaign OpenAI points out that those behind the ChatGPT accounts used to promote the page took careful steps to hide their Russian origins. Many of the prompts included instructions to hide any linguistic clues that the operators used Russian language prompting.
One inclusion on the IBI website referred to Germany’s traffic light coalition as the “Svetofor coalition”. Svetofor is the word for ‘traffic light’ in numerous Slavic languages, including Russian, indicating that drafts were written in Slavic languages before being translated.
Some of the accounts were used to promote the IBI across X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Substack and Telegram with AI generated imagery and captions, with other accounts being used to automatically engage with comments by real users on Substack. The operators of the ChatGPT accounts regularly requested performance summaries of these pages in Russian, and used ChatGPT to generate matching profile pictures for some accounts.
Burke Sovereignty Index
One of the features of the IBI website is to advertise the ‘Burke Sovereignty Index’ - designed to measure how well a country performs compared to others across political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military factors.
The Index’s purpose is to make Western countries appear worse than Russia, OpenAI says. Having taken a look at the Index myself it's clear there is no consistency in measurement or comparison. For example, The Vatican City - which is less than half a square kilometer in size - sits above Spain in its average of scores. The Index also gave Russia the highest military score.
Questionable expert contributors
The website also includes a list of experts, whose affiliation to the IBI is not referenced. Some among them are pioneers in their fields of study, such as Francis Fukuyama and Noam Chomsky.
Others are former high-ranking members of the US government, such as Mike Pompeo and Joseph Nye. There are even listings for experts who passed away before the IBI was founded, such as Shlomo Avineri and Jiang Ping.
Much of the academic work cited on the IBI website is legitimate, but more often than not has been stolen from its actual author and misattributed to a different author to hide the work’s actual source, OpenAI said. This has been done to give the IBI website credibility and to make it appear authentic.
Impact of the IBI influence campaign
The overall impact of the IBI and its promotion using social media and ChatGPT is fairly limited, OpenAI noted. Some of the Telegram channels garnered followings between ten to twenty thousand showing a limited breakout to authentic audiences.
But the main thing to take away from this is the level of dedication placed behind the underlying infrastructure of the IBI. The site is designed to look authentic, uses authentic research (even if it is wrongly attributed), and presents itself as a collection of experts. To the layman, a cursory glance at the IBI website would give any of their social media presence a level of authenticity not seen in other social influence campaigns.
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GTA VI leak hunters now face fake downloads designed to compromise their computers
The suspicious ISO reportedly disables Windows security tools after execution on affected systems
A tiny 50KB payload allegedly sits inside a gigantic 113GB file
Keen Grand Theft Auto VI fans searching for leaked copies now face another risk: a huge ISO file is reportedly circulating across torrent sites.
The file is said to measure 113GB, yet online testers claim almost all that space consists of empty data rather than genuine game assets.
Their analysis reportedly found a small malicious program hidden inside the file, making the download appear far more dangerous than it normally would.
The huge size made it feel genuine
The suspicious file reportedly began circulating on torrent sites after renewed interest in leaked GTA VI material and claims of a complete game build.
However, testers who examined the ISO reportedly found that it contains 99.99% empty zeroes, leaving only about 50KB of data identified as malicious code.
“I did some reverse engineering and confirmed that it is fully fake and full of viruses,” said @Aidas29506493, an online researcher on X.
The 113GB figure was created to make the file resemble a legitimate game release while concealing a much smaller payload, which could be ransomware.
Yet file size alone provides no evidence that an alleged copy contains authentic game assets or executable code from Rockstar.
The alleged code reportedly includes commands designed to weaken Windows Defender and interfere with other security tools on affected computers.
Such behaviour would allow the malware to operate with fewer protections after someone launches the downloaded file on Windows.
The analysis also reportedly found a PowerShell command that adds the system drive to Windows Defender's exclusion list for scanning.
Another command was said to terminate security software, although independent verification of those findings remains limited at this time.
Malware risk rises alongside GTA VI leak interest
The alleged ISO follows a series of GTA VI leak claims that have generated substantial interest across gaming communities online.
A leaker known as Cyberleek has reportedly shared gameplay material and the game's fictional Leonidas map, while demanding changes from Rockstar.
Take-Two Interactive has also sought information from Microsoft that could help identify users connected with three Discord servers reportedly linked to leaks.
Those developments have increased attention around unofficial GTA VI files, creating conditions that criminals can exploit with convincing fake downloads.
This situation also shows why unreleased game files can carry greater security risks than ordinary pirated software already available publicly.
Gamers downloading such files may expose passwords, personal files, browser data, or other information if malicious code gains access without warning.
Rockstar has scheduled the official release of Grand Theft Auto VI for November, giving players a legitimate alternative to unofficial copies elsewhere.
Until then, claims surrounding leaked builds and supposed ISOs should be treated cautiously because the files cannot be independently verified as genuine.
This case provides a strong warning, but further independent testing would be needed to establish every technical claim about the file itself.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 has officially concluded, and the two-hour-long show was jam-packed with a deluge of game announcements and reveals.
From an official release date for the upcoming free-to-play open-world action game Ananta to our very first look at the highly anticipated The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past DLC, it offered a solid set of trailers — especially compared to some previous years.
If you weren't able to catch the show live, there's no need to worry about missing out. Here are the major announcements in the order that they happened to get you fully up to date.
Everything announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026
Nodus Fall — a new co-operative action game from Genshin Impact maker Hoyoverse
Rainbow Six Tactics — new strategy spinoff launching in 2027
Gears of War: E-Day — our first look at the villain in new cinematic story trailer
Ananta — the free-to-play open world RPG is launching January 15, 2027
Silent Hill Townfall got a new story trailer showing some creepy enemies
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy got another gameplay trailer ahead of release this week
Sea of Remnants got a new gameplay trailer showing cute puppets and naval action
Crimson Desert Enhanced announced with new content
Tides of Annihilation trailer revealed new story details and gameplay
Lofsong — announced for console and PC
Megaman Dual Overdrive launches in 2027, and a crossover Pragmata skin is on the way
Rayman Legends Retold launches on October 1
PUBG Ded Net announced with a new gameplay trailer
Control Resonant got an awesome new gameplay trailer
The Blood of the Dawnwalker trailer revealed new story details and third-person action gameplay
Game of Thrones: War for Westeros got a new gameplay trailer showing Daenerys and Jon Snow — launches in early 2027
Dust Origins — a new isometric action game from Airship Syndicate
Exodus got a new gameplay trailer showcasing a new character, a talking octopus named Salt — out April 7, 2027
Warlock revealed as a new D&D game launching in 2027 for PC and console
1001 Threads of Mizan revealed — new narrative game
Silver Palace: House of Greed got a new gameplay trailer
Monster Hunter Outlanders — mobile spinoff got a new trailer
Metro 2039 got a cinematic story trailer ahead of its February 2027 release
Hitman World of Assassination - The Herbalist ft. rap legend Snoop Dogg DLC launching for free on August 27
Aion2 got a new trailer
Afterworld, a new strategy game from Paradox Interactive, announced
Petit Planet — life sim got an adorable new trailer
A new Mega man skin is coming to Pragmata. (Image credit: Gamescom)
Mewgenics — comes to consoles on September 8
Alien Fireteam 2 got a new gameplay trailer
1666: Amsterdam got a new trailer ahead of its early access release today
Showa American Story got a wacky new gameplay trailer, launching on PS5 and PC this year
Road Kings got a new trailer showing off plenty of trucking action
Stage Tour — upcoming Guitar-Hero-like music title got a brand new look showcasing setlists and ways to play ahead of December 10 launch
Crazy Taxi multiplayer reveal trailer
Turok Origins got a new cinematic trailer
Gravehounds, furry shooter, got a gameplay trailer ahead of 2026 launch
Lego Skylines — reveal trailer for bricky city builder game
Transport Fever 3 got a new trailer,launches September 26
Exterminauts announced
Path of Exile full 1.0 release on December 11, will be free-to-play
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake revealed in cinematic trailer showing the reimagined strategy title
Snoop Dogg is officially coming to the world of Hitman in upcoming DLC. (Image credit: Gamescom)
No Law announced for 2027
Project Zeta revealed as a new team-based MOBA
Cinder City announced with a new trailer, available wishlist now
Ontos announced with a creepy first-person trailer, launching 2027
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus launches April 27, 2027
Zoopunk gameplay reveal trailer shown
There are no Ghosts at the Grand got a new trailer and is launching December 2026
Roco Kingdom trailer confirmed closed beta test for October 27
The Defiant announced
Tarae the Unbound announced with a gameplay trailer
Like or Die — quirky social media battle royale announced
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation gets a new cinematic trailer
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 final announcement
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered — announced as free upgrade with loads of new content
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Songs of the Past new cinematic footage shown
What did you think of this year's Opening Night Live show? Let us know in the comments or by voting in the poll below.
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Paradox Interactive has revealed the upcoming grand strategy game Afterworld
It's set in a post-apocalyptic America that players can attempt to rebuild
It's intended to be the studio's most "easy to learn" and "approachable" title yet
Paradox Interactive has revealed Afterworld, an upcoming post-apocalyptic title that looks like the perfect cross between franchises like Fallout or Mad Max and the company's popular grand strategy games.
Created by Paradox Development Studio, the same team behind Crusader Kings 3 and Hearts of Iron 4, Afterworld takes place in an entirely original vision of post-apocalyptic North America filled with resources to exploit, territory to conquer, and rival groups to trade resources, ally with, or wage war against.
Initially, the game is all about building up some semblance of civilization by creating a home and choosing the laws and ethics of your tribe, with the scale gradually developing until you're going head-to-head with other emerging powers to decide the fate of the continent.
Different playable factions let you start your story as everything from apocalypse survivors that have just emerged from a hidden vault to fanatical zealots already familiar with the brutal new world.
“This is the first world we’ve gotten to build from scratch in a long time, and the first one we've had the pleasure of destroying before the game starts," explained game director Dan Lind.
"The old world is still out there in fragments, waiting to be found. What comes after it is entirely up to the players.”
With its "small-scale" starting hours, Afterworld is intended to be the studio's most "easy to learn" and "approachable" title yet — which is good news given the complex systems of games like Hearts of Iron 4 can be incredibly tricky to pick up.
This doesn't mean that surviving is going to be easy, though: the world is full of dangerous old technology and unknown horrors. It's also home to the Ancients, immortal leaders that survived the apocalypse and now dominate the wasteland.
It also sounds like there is going to be a lot of depth, with the developer promising that the experience "as rich and complex" as fans have "come to expect" from its games.
Afterworld doesn't have a release date yet, but can wishlist it on Steam today.
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Crooks used Google Sites and stolen Google Ads accounts to push fake OpenAI Codex pages
macOS users tricked into pasting Terminal commands, leading to AMOS infostealer infection
Campaign abuses Google’s trust signals; Windows download button was a decoy, only Mac payload worked
Cybercriminals were seen abusing Google Sites, the Google ad network, and OpenAI’s good name, in a campaign that targets macOS users with infostealers.
According to security researchers CATO CTRL, the crooks used Google Sites to create a fake version of the OpenAI Codex download site. To avoid being flagged by Google’s security systems and ultimately removed, the site itself contains no malicious code or download links, whatsoever. Instead, it hosts an iFrame that displays content hosted elsewhere.
Then, they advertised that site on the Google Ads network. Google is usually good at spotting and preventing malicious ads from running on its network, but sometimes threat actors steal legitimate accounts with good standing and use them to bypass automated scans and get the ads listed, while also spending other people’s money on the ad campaign.
Not ClickFix
The ads were displayed to users searching for “codex macos download”, at the very top of the page. Using both Google Sites and Google Ads is a deliberate attempt to appear legitimate and trustworthy since after all, many people trust whatever Google displays as the top result without double-checking or scrutinizing the result.
Those that do click will see a website that, by all accounts, looks like OpenAI’s download site for Codex, the company’s AI coding agent. The site has download buttons for both Windows and Mac, but only the latter works. The download and installation process was designed to look “advanced” - instead of getting an executable, the victims are told to paste a command in Terminal.
Cato’s researchers call this a ClickFix attack, but ClickFix usually displays a fake problem, before offering an equally fake solution. This looks more like another way to appear legitimate because after all, several AI agents are specifically designed to be installed and run from the macOS Terminal, including OpenAI’s Codex CLI.
The end goal of the campaign is to deploy AMOS, a known macOS infostealer capable of grabbing browser data, login credentials, cryptocurrency wallet information, and more.
A security engineer at Amazon hacked a bunch of peripherals using AI
Claude Opus did most of the legwork in applying modified firmware to a webcam, microphone and more
The relative ease with which AI allows this kind of modification points to a worrying future of peripherals being compromised on a grander scale
In another example of how AI could prove to be a threat to our devices, an Amazon security engineer has demonstrated how powerful Claude Opus is when it comes to reverse engineering PC peripherals.
Chaz Schlarp, who's a Senior Security Engineer at Amazon, wrote a blog post about experiments he conducted with a bunch of peripherals such as a webcam and a microphone.
He wanted to find out how easy it was to modify the firmware and pull off some useful tricks with these devices using AI, but clearly there's a darker side here — namely that the same access could be leveraged by a malicious actor to compromise your system via these gadgets.
Schlarp used Claude Opus 5 to mess around with the firmware for an Insta360 webcam, a Shure microphone, an Asus monitor, an Elgato video capture stick, and an Elgato mini-light (a compact device for lighting your streaming videos).
Schlarp explains: "My process was pretty much the same for each of these devices: grab a copy of the device's firmware and associated update tool from the manufacturer, throw it into my reverse engineering environment, tell Claude Opus 5 what my goals are, and let it churn."
One thing that became quite clear to the security engineer was that these devices lacked any decent firmware integrity protection to prevent modifying and applying a new firmware. Only the Elgato light had any defenses in this respect, and they were easy enough to circumvent.
Schlarp explains a trick with his Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ monitor to demonstrate the kind of useful utility that can be on offer with this kind of firmware modding. He found it was possible to remove an annoying pop-up warning that periodically tells the owner to run the 'pixel cleaning' process (although the engineer hasn't implemented the fix in the firmware yet). He also discovered a way to get DisplayWidget (a Windows utility) features running on his Linux system, with a shell script that can flick through certain bits of functionality like the hardware crosshair or FPS counter (which could be set up on hotkeys).
Most of what he did, though, was about proving how relatively easy it was to subvert the firmware using AI to do the heavy lifting, and, for example, disable the webcam's recording light (in the style of surveillance malware, so the user wouldn't know if the camera was secretly recording). He pulled off a similar feat with the microphone, so the mute LED could be on while the mic wasn't actually muted (this was leveraged via a 'full plaintext command shell').
Schlarp observed: "Peripherals have proven to be an ideal target for agentic RE [reverse engineering] — they're tiny computers attached to my computer, with a data connection to the host and usually a firmware update mechanism, so an agent has something to iterate against. The net outcome is better control and understanding of my machine."
Analysis: fast-tracked exploits?
(Image credit: Shure)
The key point here is how easy Claude Opus made this task. 'Owning' all five of these peripherals boiled down to 13 hours of the AI beavering away under its own steam with just shy of 100 prompts from its human overseer.
Schlarp notes that: "Hardware is almost universally 'open' for tinkering at this point with just a couple hours of mostly hands-off machine-driven labor each, and I look forward to a near future where I can add features to my webcam firmware as easily as I can to software that runs on my Linux machine itself."
However, as mentioned, there's the dark side to all this, as Schlarp makes clear: "On the other hand, as a security professional, this scares me for several reasons. I would work from the operating assumption that any device attached to a computer could have had a malicious firmware implant performed, where previously that required significant per-model investment and was stereotyped as a 'state actor' kind of activity."
In other words, the main difficulty in executing these kinds of exploits is the labor and time required, which currently limits this to individually targeted attacks on more high value targets. However, now an AI agent is capable of doing the grunt work, it makes sense that these kinds of attacks could be far more prevalent as time rolls on.
That means all those peripherals attached to your PC could be used as ways to compromise you, or your system, in the future. Schlarp informs us that he's also managed to get a root shell on a commercial Dell display, adding that: "Obviously it was never best practice to let untrusted clients touch these things, but the speed and scale at which this can be executed makes the risk so much higher now."
There's a potentially bigger threat here, too: an AI-powered worm that automatically actions this kind of reverse engineering. Schlarp explains: "It's only a tiny leap to imagine that someone could make a self-replicating piece of malware that probes its environment, relaying reconnaissance back to a smart command-and-control that actively works to push itself into accessories and IoT devices and industrial equipment found adjacent to an infected target."
There are a lot of worries about where AI could be leading us, and far more dangerous security threats looming in the future (or indeed the present) is another unfortunate prospect to say the least.
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Hackers exploited trusted software updates to deliver malware directly into car head units
Kaspersky says this is the first campaign tailored specifically for vehicle head units
The malware can run silently without showing drivers any visible interface
Car head units are now being drawn into a growing wave of Android malware campaigns built for connected vehicle systems, experts have warned.
A newly discovered malware campaign is infecting these head units directly, systems that combine multimedia functions with, in some models, vehicle control.
According to Kaspersky, this campaign marks the first documented case of malware built specifically for this type of infection chain.
Compromised update channels deliver malware straight into vehicles
Researchers believe the activity can likely be traced back to the MoYu Group, a threat actor closely tied to the well-known BadBox botnet, which spread through the legitimate update mechanisms built directly into the firmware of Android-based head units manufactured by DoFun.
The infection chain originates from TWCore, a legitimate system app that is normally responsible for collecting analytics and updating head unit software remotely.
Attackers hijacked this trusted update channel using a specialized dropper called JarService to deliver previously unknown malware directly onto a range of affected devices.
Once successfully installed, the malware operated quietly as a regular background application without ever displaying any visible user interface.
Kaspersky identified nine distinct remote commands built into the malware, capable of displaying unwanted ads and executing various forms of ad fraud.
The malware also actively collected sensitive device information, including display resolution, device model, Wi-Fi network identifier, and the device's MAC address.
Investigators found clear technical links between this campaign and prior attacks launched against TV set-top boxes tied to the same broader threat group.
The research team claims that the botnet's administration panel shares embedded URLs with residential proxy service websites PXYEDGE and ProxyForU.
BadBox itself operates as a large, sprawling network of hijacked Android devices, including streaming boxes, phones, and tablets that arrive pre-infected from the factory.
Kaspersky has already formally notified the vendor about this ongoing abuse of its legitimate software distribution channel and update infrastructure.
According to statements from DoFun, the underlying issue has since been resolved across most affected devices currently deployed in the field.
Head units present a growing and largely unprotected attack surface
Car head units can arrive factory-installed directly from the manufacturer or get added later to older vehicles as aftermarket upgrades.
Manufacturers frequently rely heavily on the Android operating system because it simplifies interface customization and essential system integration work considerably.
This widespread industry reliance means most standard Android applications, along with most existing Android malware, can potentially run on these devices.
Head units rarely store sensitive personal data directly on board, which on the surface might suggest only limited appeal to attackers.
However, they typically include active SIM card slots and maintain constant internet connectivity for navigation services and routine software updates.
That particular combination of persistent connectivity and comparatively weak security oversight makes these systems a genuinely attractive prospect for attackers going forward.
The overall scale of this particular campaign remains genuinely unclear, and whether other head unit manufacturers face similar exposure is not yet known.
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Expel researchers warn of SynkLoader backdoor spread via fake IT help desk Teams messages
Malware modules include PhishLocker (fake login screen harvesting OS passwords) and Interactive Shell for remote control
Defenses: distrust unsolicited Teams DMs, verify with IT before installing apps, and train staff against social engineering
For roughly a month now, cybercriminals have been targeting organizations with a new backdoor malware called SynkLoader.
According to security researchers Expel, the attack starts with social engineering. Victims would get a Microsoft Teams message from a person claiming to be from the company’s IT help desk. They would tell the victim their computer is having an issue, and that they need to install a “PowerShell Cleaner”. This fake program is nothing more than a malicious framework, hosted on Microsoft Azure to increase its trustworthiness.
The malware itself comes with a number of different modules, giving the attacker a range of features, from harvesting system information, to creating a reverse proxy. Two particularly worrying modules are called PhishLocker and Interactive Shell. The former creates a convincing, yet fake, Windows lock screen, which can harvest the user’s OS login password.
This is not SickKids' first attack
BleepingComputer argues that with this password the attackers could “access corporate environments from the infected device, bypassing IP allow-list restrictions”. Those with a sharper eye might spot the ruse, as a simple Alt + Tab shows that the login screen is nothing more than a “full-screen borderless GUI application”.
The other module - Interactive Shell, allows threat actors to remotely execute PowerShell commands and receive the output, which essentially grants them full control over the infected device.
The full list of Indicators of Compromise (IoC) can be found on this link. To defend against these types of attacks, target companies should instruct their employees not to trust unsolicited Teams messages at face value, and not to install any applications without double-checking (calling) with their IT department first.
Alongside phone calls, Microsoft Teams is one of the most-used channels for initial contact and compromise. Also, employees remain the weakest link in every company’s cybersecurity chain, unwillingly granting attackers access or sharing login credentials.
