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‘Hades,' ‘Monument Valley' and More Indie Mobile Games Leaving Netflix as Streamer Continues Strategy Shift

‘Hades,' ‘Monument Valley' and More Indie Mobile Games Leaving Netflix as Streamer Continues Strategy Shift

Yahoo25-06-2025
'Hades,' the 'Monument Valley' franchise and several other indie mobile gaming titles are leaving Netflix next month amid an ongoing shift in the streamer's overall plan for its video games division.
'Just like with series and film, games will come and go from the service,' Netflix said in a statement to Variety.
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As first reported by Engadget, 'Hades' will be leaving Netflix on July 1, while these titles will be departing July 14: 'Battleship,' 'Braid, Anniversary Edition,' 'Carmen Sandiego,' 'CoComelon: Play with JJ,' 'Death's Door,' 'Diner Out: Merge Cafe,' 'Dumb Ways to Survive,' 'Ghost Detective,' 'Katana ZERO,' 'LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed,' 'Ludo King,' 'Monument Valley,' 'Monument Valley 2,' 'Monument Valley 3,' 'Rainbow Six: Smol,' 'Raji: An Ancient Epic,' 'SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N.,' 'TED Tumblewords,' 'The Case of the Golden Idol,' 'The Rise of the Golden Idol' and 'Vineyard Valley.'
While some of these games are available via other platforms, a few were exclusive to Netflix.
The removal of these indie mobile games comes a few months after Netflix formally unveiled its forward-looking gaming strategy to journalists during a presentation at the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. From now on, its focus when developing titles will fall into four key categories: mainstream, narrative, kids, and party games.
More to come…
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The end of the UFC pay-per-view era is bittersweet
The end of the UFC pay-per-view era is bittersweet

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

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The end of the UFC pay-per-view era is bittersweet

Back in 2009, Dana White swore that if UFC 100 did a million pay-per-view buys he'd bungee jump off the Mandalay Bay. (It did, he didn't). When UFC 151 was canceled after Jon Jones refused an opponent switch, White called Jones' coach, Greg Jackson, a 'sport killer.' It left a crater in the UFC's schedule that only MMA fans could fully appreciate. A few years later, when Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz shattered the PPV record at UFC 196, it was a testament to how big the sport had become. We cared about those numbers as much as we did the outcome. Since UFC 1, when people paid out of morbid curiosity, pay-per-views have been a vital part of the identity of this sport. It's hard to get nostalgic over being gouged, and what follows here shouldn't be mistaken as such, but Monday's news of the UFC's coming $7.7 billion partnership with Paramount came with a small pang of sadness upon realizing the PPV model will soon belong to a bygone era. In our sport, people have long huddled around a UFC PPV as if it were a religious rite. When social media was gaining steam in the early-2010s, UFC PPVs were ladled out on Twitter (now X), 140 characters at a time from those on the ground level, as if they were transmissions from the war. Any MMA fan who didn't spring for the then-$59.99 price tag suffered instant FOMO. Why? Because getting the PPV meant attending the party. A sacrifice, it's true, but also a shared experience. The price of admission kept unserious fans out. What lurked behind the paywall was the sport's everything, and the feeling of camaraderie for any of us who willingly paid the door fees was priceless. A typical Monday conversation might go something like this: 'Did you get Saturday's pay-per-view?' 'Damn right I did. That GSP is a freaking monster.' 'I can't believe Dan Hardy didn't tap.' 'Dude is Gumby!' A UFC PPV stood for 'can't-miss event' for what was essentially a continuing saga — a long-running, fighting soap opera that early aficionados deemed sacred. Of course, it wasn't nearly as hipster as it sounds. If nothing else, the UFC has always been anti-hipster. It gladly poured Monster Energy drink over men in capris. It was more like a monthly concentration of our greatest focus, to see firsthand the best the sport could offer, which gave MMA its sense of community. It was a choice that could be regretted in the end — anybody who sprung for UFC 149 from Calgary never fully recovered from that groin kick — yet it was a choice we made because we didn't care for the alternative. All of this largely held true into the 2020s, even though pirating and illegal streams have long done away with the sacrifice. A few years ago, Dana proclaimed he was going to go after pirates himself, and it was fun to imagine him in a suburban tree with his binoculars searching through windows for glitchy Russian streams. But the writing has been on the wall for a long time that PPVs could be on the way out. The WWE, which is run by the same TKO ownership group as the UFC, came to that conclusion a couple of years back. The UFC has been tied to a dying animal, and it will be for five more PPVs in 2025. Still, you worry about the sport of MMA losing some of the vital distinction that made it. UFC Fight Night events, especially those held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, have become skippable affairs. PPVs have always meant title fights, which the UFC has done a masterful job over the years of holding to high standards. To see belts change hands, you paid for it. Even if that feels a little heisty in 2025, it served to force a value in its structure and interest, to keep a premium on things. To give title fights away, even at a subscription fee? Perhaps the value scale loses some of its natural escalation. The greatest fear is that things blend together, and the sport plays out on a gray plateau. Will the UFC even be as interested in developing stars without PPVs to sell them on? The savings on the pocketbook can't help but be a welcome thing for fans, ultimately. And who knows exactly how things are going to play out? Lester Bangs declared rock & roll dead in the 1970s, and some 50 years later there's still a pulse. Right after TKO COO and president Mark Shapiro said the 'PPV model was dead,' White wasn't so quick to pull the plug. 'A fight will pop up that I never saw coming,' White told the New York Post. 'A star will pop up out of somewhere. Anything is possible. And you could do a one-off pay-per-view. I am going to be on pay-per-view this Saturday. Pay-per-view is not dead.' But it'll be dead in the sense we knew it. 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Puffco Announces Full Lineup for 5th Annual Puffcon Block Party in LA, Expands to Two Days for 2025
Puffco Announces Full Lineup for 5th Annual Puffcon Block Party in LA, Expands to Two Days for 2025

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Puffco Announces Full Lineup for 5th Annual Puffcon Block Party in LA, Expands to Two Days for 2025

Eric André, Key Glock, Reggie Watts, LaRussell + The Yee Section, The Alchemist + Friends, Wynne, Blake Anderson, and DJ Douggpound to Perform; Smorgasburg LA to Curate Food Offerings Music and Comedy Lineup Vendor Lineup Glass Artist Lineup LOS ANGELES, Aug. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puffco, the leading innovator in cannabis concentrate technology, is thrilled to unveil the full lineup for the 5th annual Puffcon Block Party, returning to Los Angeles Center Studios on October 4–5, 2025 for a two-day celebration of cannabis culture, community, creativity, and connection. This year's event will feature an eclectic mix of music, comedy, food, art, and live glassblowing. Tickets are available now at Follow @puffcon_la for event updates, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive announcements. 2025 Artist Lineup Saturday, October 4: Hip-hop artist Key Glock, LaRussell + The Yee Section, legendary producer The Alchemist + Friends, Wynne Sunday, October 5 (Public Access Day): Comedian Eric André, genre-defying artist Reggie Watts, DJ Uncle Blazer (Blake Anderson), DJ Douggpound New for 2025: The Biggest Puffcon Yet In response to overwhelming demand, Puffcon will span two full days for the first time, adding a Public Access Day on Sunday and expanded footprint. Attendees can expect more performances, more immersive experiences, and faster entry than ever before. Two Days — More time to experience performances, activations, and vendor offerings. First-Ever Public Access Day — Sunday admission open to the general public, welcoming a wider audience to experience the magic of Puffcon. Official Smorgasburg Partnership — SoCal's influential food curation platform will curate a diverse lineup of food and beverage vendors, accommodating all dietary needs. Additional entry points and faster check-in will make arriving at Puffcon effortless. Once inside, guests can explore more than 75 top brands with limited-edition merchandise, exclusive Puffcon drops, and interactive experiences. Entertainment HighlightsIn a Puffcon exclusive, Eric André will bring his trademark chaos to the stage with Rapper Warrior Ninja Live — a parody-inspired competition in the spirit of American Ninja Warrior, reimagined for the Puffcon crowd and featuring music, madness, and surprise guests. 'I'm really excited to perform at Puffcon because my audience is usually super stoned — but finally, it's required,' said comedian Eric André. Alongside the main stage performances, attendees can explore immersive art installations, on-site glassblowing by some of the world's most renowned artists, exclusive product drops from Puffco, and limited releases from more than 75 vendors. This year also features a culinary highlight: a one-of-a-kind pop-up restaurant experience from Action Bronson, adding a unique flavor to the festival's cultural mix. 'Puffcon is our way of saying thank you, to give back, and to hold space for the future of this movement,' said Kevin Chapman, Director of Events at Puffco. 'In just five years, this community has grown from 2,000 attendees in our first year to an expected 15,000 over two days this year. It's a living expression of the values that built this movement: accessibility, creativity, and freedom of choice.' Entry & Ticketing Information Saturday GA, Two-Day Passes, and VIP tickets are available exclusively to owners of a Puffco Peak Pro, Peak, Proxy, or Pivot, along with their Plus One guest. Eligible ticket holders must enter their device serial number during checkout and present the fully assembled device at the gate for entry verification. Plus One guests must arrive with the device owner, and both will be granted entry once the serial number is verified. Key Details: Sunday GA is open to the general public; no device required. No on-site parking; ride share strongly recommended. ADA compliant. Must be 21+ by event date; valid state or federal photo ID required. Tickets are transferable once; refundable up to 24 hours after purchase. No cannabis sales on-site. Additional information is available at with more details and surprises to be announced in the coming weeks. ABOUT PUFFCO Puffco is the worldwide leader in cannabis concentrate consumption technology, pioneering award-winning devices that elevate every session. Founded in 2013, our 100+ person team has revolutionized the industry with iconic products like the Peak Pro smart rig, Proxy vaporizer pipe, Pivot portable pen, and Cupsy flower bubbler. Puffco fosters an authentic global community of over a million customers through in-person events like the annual Puffcon hash festival and a highly engaged digital ecosystem. Our compelling original content entertains, educates, and has become the go-to source on cannabis culture, technology, and innovation for millions of viewers. Puffco is working to build a future safe for the cannabis community to thrive - come be a part of it at Contact: Betsy Kabaker bkabaker@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: A video accompanying this announcement is available at: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Embrace the Unseen In New Self-Help Book That Offers Reflections on Love, Loss, and Life's Mysteries
Embrace the Unseen In New Self-Help Book That Offers Reflections on Love, Loss, and Life's Mysteries

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Embrace the Unseen In New Self-Help Book That Offers Reflections on Love, Loss, and Life's Mysteries

Palmetto Publishing Announces The Release of SOUL'S CHOICE Soul's Choice Charleston, SC, Aug. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In her newest release, Cindy A. Fox takes a deep dive into the spiritual world. Soul's Choice is a self-help book that doubles as healing nonfiction, covering poignant topics such as abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Examined through a spiritual lens, Cindy seeks to explore the emotional bond between mother and child and the purpose of each soul's path as a partner to the grief felt when a child is lost. 'This book is not just about loss, but also about the possibility of peace, understanding, and the continuation of the soul's journey beyond this life,' explained the author. 'I recommend it for those interested in spiritual growth, healing, and the mysteries of life and the afterlife.' Some of the most profound tenets of Soul's Choice include themes of love, forgiveness, and choice, suggesting that every soul, no matter how briefly present, holds significance and value. Soul's Choice is available for purchase online at and Barnes and For more information about the author, please visit any of her social media platforms Facebook: Instagram: About the Author: Cindy A. Fox is a survivor of numerous adversities and a beacon of strength. Overcoming physical, verbal, and sexual abuses, she's been in sobriety for 35 years. Her journey led her to establish her own business, She's Unlimited, and become a third-level Reiki Master. Cindy co-authored Is writing and publishing a book on your bucket list? and her latest work is Soul's Choice. She's appeared in podcasts, YouTube videos, and performed standup comedy. Her education comes from life experience, making her a true testament to resilience. Cindy's mission is to guide others to healing and forgiveness through her writings. Media Contact: Cindy A. Fox, shesunlimited@ Available for interviews: Author, Cindy A. Fox Attachment Soul's Choice CONTACT: Leah Joseph Palmetto Publishing publicity@ in to access your portfolio

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