sound – Gaming Master

Epic’s plans for their big store revamp over the next year sound like they’ll at long last meet the bare minimum

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 01:03:58 +0000

The Epic Games Store is not very good. This is not a controversial thing to say, I’m fairly certain, as the lack of features available within it feels a bit odd also eight years into the thing existing. Sure, there’s some free games every now and then (like Citizen Sleeper, right now), but there’s a lot of basic things missing. But it seems much of that, including simple things like patch notes, will be coming within the next 12 months.

Over on the EpicGamesPC subreddit, a series of photos from a talk Epic held regarding the storefront’s future shows off the kinds of things you can expect from it over the next year. A roadmap of sorts outlines what you can expect when, with smaller things like pre-registration for free-to-play games, patch notes, a private beta for the next version of the launcher, improved storefront navigation, and whatever the hell “Fortnite Chunked Installation” is (I’m assuming that it lets you download only certain parts of the battle royale) coming up first.

Epic Games Store roadmap for 2026 and more screenshots of launcher rebuild
by
u/ImAnthlon in
EpicGamesPC

Speaking of that revamped storefront, a couple images of that were shown off, with some captions explaining that home pages will be personalised per user, highlighting games that match an individual’s “interests and playstyle.” Sounds pretty basic! Game pages will apparently be more detailed too, with again some tailoring done for each user to “show what’s relevant to them based on where they are in the game.”

In the up next section of the roadmap, there’s also a mention of user written reviews, the absence of which is a commonly levied criticism against the storefront, alongside supposed discovery improvements, and the launch of the next version of the storefront. A look at user profiles was also shown off, which shows things like games a person owns, what they’ve been playing recently, achievements. Once again, literally nothing unique to be found here.

It is quite odd that Epic have been taking so long to add such basic elements of a digital storefront. But then, they did lay off over 1000 employees earlier this year, so, it doesn’t really seem like they know how to run a team very well. At least Unreal Engine 6 will incorporate generative AI! I definitely feel good about that! Please, oh god please, read the sarcasm here.

Source link

Instagram’s new voice message effects let you sound like a pirate, a grandma, or a World Cup fan

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:09:41 +0000

[ad_1]

Instagram is expanding its AI-powered voice effects for DMs to more users, adding new filters to the feature as part of Meta’s FIFA World Cup 2026 push. The update is live on Android and iOS, though Instagram says availability is limited to select countries.

The feature first started rolling out in India in March with eight effects: Chipmunk, Demon, Alien, Robot, Underwater, Stadium, Wobble, and Fishbowl. The wider rollout now brings the total to 15, adding Goal!, Pirate, Autotune, Whisper, Grandpa, Grandma, and Princess to the mix. The Goal! effect is a new addition timed to the FIFA World Cup, and Meta says it triggers a surprise animation when sent.

How it works

To use the feature, tap the voice message button in a DM thread, then tap the new effect button that appears between the delete and send buttons in the bottom bar. First-time users will see a pop-up that reads: “Now you can transform how you sound in voice messages. Choose the perfect voice to make your conversations more memorable.”

The pop-up includes a Meta AI terms disclaimer noting that interactions will be used to improve AI at Meta. When a voice message with an effect is sent, recipients can see which effect was applied and tap on it to use the same one in their reply.

World Cup features across Meta’s apps

The voice effects expansion is part of a broader set of FIFA World Cup features Meta announced across its apps. On Facebook, the company is adding a Football Mode, tournament-themed stickers, and a Live Updates feature for Messenger group chats that surfaces real-time match highlights.

Instagram is also getting an enhanced search experience that surfaces curated tournament content, including Reels, Stories, and posts from official broadcasters and national teams.

[ad_2]

Source link

VALORANT broadcast interupted by hilarious Discord sound, and you probably just learned CVAL was happening

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 21:58:22 +0000

Over the weekend, I couldn’t stop laughing at one specific moment of the 2026 College VALORANT (CVAL) Championship, organized by the Riot Scholastic Association of America (RSAA). And it’s because it brought back that chaos we’ve been missing from esports broadcasts the past few years.

While discussing the MVP of the highly organized tournament, you could hear a diabolical Discord sound go off: “I’m over here stroking my d***…” At this point, American caster Scott “Infernosis” Hurley could be seen squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to keep a straight face. Sierra “Zhobii” Frisbee didn’t appear to be affected.

VALORANT esports commended the two for holding it together across X (formerly Twitter), although a few pointed out that casters should have their Discord sound notifications muted or off before an online broadcast.

Keep Reading

Fnatic roster changes, meL’s competitive break, and still no Neon nerf: VALORANT’s hectic week
Are AAA companies to blame for esports’ continued demise?
As the esports industry crumbles, the FGC has become a refreshingly real escape to what esports used to be

I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this in my entire collegiate esports career. Props to Zhobii and Infernosis for keeping it together.

This is insane pic.twitter.com/aozwJWmP1P

— Owen | Hybrid (@HybriddVAL) May 31, 2026

The VALORANT Broadcast Mistake Was a Magic Moment

Let’s be real: You were not watching the CVAL Championships. We’re all guilty of not really supporting the Tier 2 and collegiate scenes enough. But you probably saw this clip.

Every time I’m on X, I see someone else quoting it with their own reaction, good or bad. It’s honestly the only reason I even knew this event was happening. And honestly, there is something to be said about that.

These funny, unplanned moments always grab the attention of the esports community. What can I say? We love the chaos, and we yearn for the days when broadcasts were unprofessional, confused, silly, and it felt like we were all part of some underground club that just did whatever it wanted, that only cared about the talent of the top players and nothing else.

When we see these mistakes happen, it feels real. It breaks away from the overmanufactured and sterile broadcasts that have taken over the esports scene and gives us something to latch onto. I bet you a lot of people decided to watch the Grand Finals after they saw this clip. It probably has more views than it would have if the mistake had never happened.

These moments shouldn’t be seen as shameful, but as magical. They are things you can’t fake. They can’t be planned. They only happen because of the gaming culture and memes that you find in esports. It’s a celebration of who we are.

The post VALORANT broadcast interupted by hilarious Discord sound, and you probably just learned CVAL was happening appeared first on Esports Insider.

Source link