Telltale Games is best known for its narrative-driven spins on existing franchises, and next up for the revived studio is an adaptation of Amazon Prime sci-fi series The Expanse. Telltale says the game, which it's working on with Deck Nine Games, will delve into the story of Camina Drummer. 

In The Expanse: A Telltale Series, a mutiny has broken out on the Artemis. As is the case in other Telltale titles, you'll have to make decisions that impact the story and, more specifically, determine the fate of the spaceship. Telltale hasn't announced a release window or which platforms the game is coming to.

Much like Telltale, The Expanse got a second chance. Syfy canceled the show after three seasons, but Amazon picked it up. The sixth and final season premieres on December 10th.

Women's hockey teams are coming to EA Sports' NHL games for the first time. The publisher will bring 10 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) women's teams to the Play Now mode in NHL 22 in January. You'll be able to play as Team USA and Team Canada, among others. The update will also add the tournament structure and visuals of the Women's World Championships.

"The introduction of women's national teams to NHL 22 as part of the upcoming IIHF content will be an important moment for the franchise in its continued effort to reflect the diversity of the hockey community," EA Sports vice president Sean Ramjagsingh told ESPN.

The move is long overdue. Other major sports games franchises have added women's teams over the last several years. Women players were introduced to EA's FIFA series in 2015, while NBA 2K20 was the first game in the 2K Games franchise to feature the WNBA.

Meanwhile, starting today, NHL 22 includes IIHF men's and junior teams. You can play through the IIHF World Junior Championship now and the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship next month. The branding and jerseys for men's national teams will be updated in January too.

You probably won't see Rocket League's flying cars in the real world any time soon, but BMW and esports brand LVL might offer the next best thing. They're teaming on Das Race Goal, a Rocket League-style esports platform that has remote-controlled cars play soccer for charity. Players worldwide will steer the vehicles in a real arena while grabbing virtual powerups and activating "special effects."

The initial event takes place December 12th at 1PM Eastern and will be streamed live on LVL's Twitch channel. This inaugural competition will have six three-player teams compete in Munich's BMW Welt stadium to raise awareness and funds for the United Nations Population Fund's Skills for Life programs, which aim to improve education and healthcare for youth in the Caribbean and Latin America. Each team will have an esports player (including members from Cloud9, Fnatic, G2 Esports and OG), a social media influencer and a young gamer involved in the UN's efforts.

Thomas Fellger, chief of Das Race Goal partner Icon Group, stressed this wasn't just a one-off tourney — it was part of a "long-term partnership" that could help the UN's long-term rights initiatives. At the least, this could add the thrill of real-world elements to a video game format that already has a loyal following.

Golf has been booming during the pandemic as folks look for socially distanced outdoor activities, and that has extended to interest in televised golf. There's going to be a lot more to watch in 2022, as ESPN+ has announced that it will offer 4,300 hours of golf coverage across 35 tournaments as part of its PGA Tour Live streaming deal. US viewers will also pay less to access the service.

In the past, we've seen "Featured Groups" and "Featured Holes" on PGA Tour Live. Next year, however, ESPN+ will offer four concurrent feeds, adding a "Marquee Group" with the most interesting players. It's also introducing a "Main Feed" that will resemble a traditional broadcast with the best content from all its cameras around the course. 

ESPN+ said the PGA Tour Live production crew will increase from 85 to 210 people as part of its new commitment to the tour. Each feed will have hosts and on-course analysts including Stuart Appleby, Christina Kim, Chantel McCabe and Mark Immelman. 

PGA Tour Live first launched as a free service on pgatour.com, and has recently been available for free on Twitter during select broadcasts. Now, you'll need to pay $6.99 per month for ESPN+, or pick it up in the Disney Bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $13.99 per month (ESPN+ is only available in the US). That's a significant sum, but PGA Tour Live currently costs $9.99 per month on NBC Sports Gold, and ESPN+ offers other live sports coverage (soccer, MLB baseball, NHL hockey, MMA, etc.) on top of golf.

The next game in the Grid series, and the first since Electronic Arts bought developer Codemasters earlier this year, has a release date. Grid Legends will hit PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on February 25th.

Codemasters announced the game at EA Play Live in July. Grid Legends has a story mode inspired by Netflix docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive. It features live-action performances that were filmed using the same virtual set tech as The Mandalorian.

You'll be able to drive in more than 100 vehicles at the outset, and compete in more than 250 events in Career mode. The Drift and Elimination modes return, and players can check out a race creator and a new mode called Electric Boost. There's cross-platform multiplayer support, and Codemasters says you'll be able to race online after "three quick button presses" with the action starting almost immediately after you choose a race.

Grid Legends joins a bunch of major games that are coming out in February. It arrives on the same day as Elden Ring and soon after the likes of Dying Light 2, Horizon: Forbidden West, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen and Sifu. Although Grid Legends won't have to compete with any big racing games in February, another heavy hitter will be available just one week later: Gran Turismo 7.

Meanwhile, Codemasters has offered the first in-depth look at Grid Legends gameplay. Along with an Elimination race and a big rig in action, the 17-minute video shows some street racing in heavy rain.

Tinder's founders just won a partial victory in their lawsuit against Match Group over alleged financial trickery. Match has agreed to settle the case by paying $441 million from its cash reserves. In return, the Tinder co-creators will dismiss the claims from both the lawsuit and linked arbitration.

The court battle began in 2018, when the plaintiffs accused Tinder's parent organizations Match and IAC of manipulating financial data (including a secret merger with Match) to artificially lower Tinder's valuation and illegally deny stock options to workers. The plaintiffs also alleged that interim Tinder chief Greg Blatt sexually harassed marketing VP and co-founder Rosette Pambakian in 2016. Tinder fired the employees in response to their lawsuit, and Pambakian separately sued Tinder over the assault claims. 

We've asked Match for comment. Tinder said it couldn't comment beyond a joint statement in an SEC filing where both companies said they were "pleased" to have settled the case.

This isn't quite the decisive blow Tinder wanted. The company originally demanded "billions of dollars" in damages (around $2 billion, to be more exact) for the claimed Match and IAC manipulation — it's getting a fraction of that payout after three years. While Match is still on the hook, it's not taking long-lasting damage as a result.

The electrification of the bicycle has historically meant just that: A bike, but with an electric motor. You might find some other smart conveniences on higher-end models, but "less is more" has usually been the way. Urtopia, the latest e-bike brand from China, has other ideas. Its debut ride is, on paper, one of the most tech-heavy bikes we’ve seen. The spec sheet reads more like a phone’s than a next-gen fixie.

For example, beyond the 250W hub motor with three levels of riding assist (and an estimated 30-80 mile range), there’s an integrated dot-matrix display, a fingerprint reader, GPS, 4G (via eSIM), mmWave sensors for vehicle detection, an integrated alarm and, well… the list goes on.

The bike itself has a striking aesthetic that doesn’t bother to hide the fact that this is possibly the most technologically advanced model you’ll see this year. The frame was designed by Mathis Heller who has experience with BMW and IKEA among others, and it’s pure curves and racing lines. The stealth bomber look is further enhanced with all the cables hidden from view inside the frame. The Urtopia is pitched as a city bike and while the (removable) battery isn’t overly obvious, there’s no doubt to even the most casual of glances that you’re not wielding a regular analog pedaller.

When this thing arrived, I was dreading putting it together. Previous experience has taught me that while not complex, you’ll want to set aside some time (and space) to get things set up. Turns out, the prototype model I tested only really needed the front wheel inserted and the tires pumped and I was good to go.

James Trew / Engadget

The obvious draw here for gadget fans will be the “smartbar” — an onboard computer built right into the handlebars. The dot matrix display is the centerpiece of the bike and only dials up that “bike from the future” vibe. On the right-hand side where the bell would usually be is the fingerprint reader which interacts with the computer in a few ways (it’s also a digital bell). The left-hand side houses the four-way D-pad which is where you change modes and settings along with powering the bike on (but not off, more on that later).

Despite that long list of smart features, not all of them were available to test on the prototype I was sent. The hardware for the mmWave sensors is there, but there’s no way to activate it. The GPS and eSIM require the companion app to work and that’s not ready yet also. Sadly, those are some very interesting features we’ll have to wait and see on, but most everything else was present and correct.

Before the fun stuff, the basic e-bike functionality (power/speeds/range etc.) appears to be on par with other hub-motor bikes I’ve tried. For example, I recently tested the Tenways city bike, which has a 250W battery and motor compared to the Urtopia’s 360Wh cell. But both have 250W torque-based brushless hub motors and the same Gates carbon belt.

Things get more exciting once you turn the bike on. You’ll be greeted with a wooshing sound from the speaker in the smartbar and the company logo appearing on the display before defaulting back to the speedometer. I am informed that some of the sounds will be user-configurable and I hope that includes the option to turn them off. Before you ride, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the controls. Up and down on the D-pad will cycle through the assistance levels: Pedal mode, Eco, Comfort and Sport (there’s also a “Turbo” mode which is akin to a “throttle” mode).

James Trew / Engadget

Tap left or right, and you’ll be presented with turn signals projected on the ground (these also remain on when the lights are on but flash when you initiate a turn). To switch the actual lights on, however, involves speaking to the bike — there’s no manual control, only voice.

This is where things get a little goofy. Urtopia warns in its press materials that the voice recognition system hasn’t been fully “trained.” Yet, for me, it worked perfectly. Perhaps they only trained it on dull-voiced Britons? Anyway, to turn the lights on you’ll need to place a digit on the fingerprint reader and wait for the face icon to appear on the screen letting you know you can issue your command like some sort of Belgian Michael Knight. It’s cool but I’d still like a physical switch so that I don’t have to talk to my bike in public, not least because when you’re riding, it’s harder for the smartbar to hear your voice thanks to the rustling wind, etc. The result is you either have to stop for a second or lean into the handlebars as you go, neither is very elegant.

The list of things you can currently control with your voice includes: Change speed mode, lock the bike, indicate a turn and change the smartbar’s volume. All of those, bar the volume (and lights) have physical controls too. It’s a cute idea and presents a hands-free option, but in practice, I do wonder how useful it is over a nice button you can mash.

Another feature that feels like technology doesn’t necessarily improve is the bell. On this bike it’s built into the fingerprint reader. A long press activates voice recognition, a short press will emit a digital “ring ring.” It works fine, but it’s not as responsive as a physical bell would be. I had times where I was approaching someone from behind and wanted to alert them to my presence, only for the bell to sound half a second after I passed them. Other times it took two or three tries for it to even trigger.

James Trew / Engadget

The experience with the alarm also needs a little smoothing out. I love the idea that I can leave the bike “locked” and if anyone moves it, it’ll issue an audible alarm. The problem is, the Urtopia will do this any time it’s locked. This might seem fine until you learn that “locked” is basically “standby” and the bike will be in this mode as soon as you connect the battery. So if you put the battery in and then start wheeling the bike out the front door, the alarm will sound.

There’s an easy fix for this, but also not entirely helpful. Simply turn the bike on and that will disable the alarm. In fairness, this is a quirk of it being a prototype. Production models will allow you to disable the alarm with the fingerprint sensor or the companion app, but this isn’t something I could test. It’s worth mentioning that, right now, there’s no actual way to turn the bike off other than by removing the battery, so fingers crossed these are some kinks that can be ironed out by launch. I asked a company representative if this was the plan and he confirmed that it was.

So, tech aside, what does this thing ride like? The sitting position puts you leaning forward in more of a racer pose than a typical town bike where you might be more upright. It’s comfortable though, even after mid to long rides (the longest I managed was 11 miles but I was up for more) although the Velo saddle could be a little easier on the butt — it’s fairly hard and doesn’t appear to be gel-lined.

In pedal mode, there’s no noticeable resistance from the motor as expected with a hub of this type. At 13Kg/30 pounds, it’s pretty light for an e-bike — mostly thanks to the carbon fiber body. This means if you don’t want to use the battery it’s still a functional regular bike. Tap up on the D-pad though and things get fun real quick. Like most e-bikes, the Urtopia is limited on its power assistance based on territories. The US version tops out at 20 MPH before you’re on your own and the EU version will cap out at 16 MPH of electric assistance.

James Trew / Engadget

The three power modes all feel pretty fast. That’s to say, even “eco” mode will help you along nicely. Step up to Comfort mode and you probably have nearly all the power you need to get where you’re going and have a good balance of exercise and assistance. In Sport mode, this thing feels really quite fast despite the standard limitations. I often found myself dropping back down to Comfort mode when other humans were near as it can feel quite lively — in a good way.

If you really are feeling like chilling out and letting the bike do all the work, there’s also that Turbo mode. Long press Up on the D-pad and even the lightest of pedaling will soon get you to 20mph. Given the racey aesthetic and the forward seating position, this is a lot of fun for not a lot of effort.

With that in mind, I should mention the range. Urtopia claims you should be good for anything between 30 and 80 assisted miles. This will obviously depend on the terrain and which power mode you’re in, and it’s quite a wide estimate. I haven’t run the battery down yet, but the indicator on the smartbar did seem to get quite low even on a 10-mile ride. It’s hard to know if this is a prototype quirk or just that the battery is draining fast (which, again, could be something that changes in final hardware with final firmware? Hard to know).

This is why I saved the section on GPS and the 4G connectivity until now. One of the more interesting selling points here for me is that you will be able to track and locate the bike on a map at almost any time. The company tells me it plans to offer data bundles for the 4G connectivity for about $30 a year — which seems pretty reasonable for the peace of mind of being able to locate your bike anywhere if it were to go missing. My question is… what impact might this have on the battery if it’s pinging GPS and running 4G while idle? Alas, a question I can’t answer until we get to try the final model.

The same question goes for the mmWave sensors. Another thing I am currently unable to test.

James Trew / Engadget

What I do know is that as the bike is right now, it’s incredibly fun to ride and thanks to the weight, fairly easy to handle (I live in a fifth-floor apartment, so wrangling it into the small elevator is thankfully more manageable). The techno styling might not be to everyone’s taste, but I’m quite fond of it. And most importantly, it’s nice to see something so tech-forward, even if some of the headline features weren’t ready. I am eager to try them once they are and after speaking with the company I got the sense there is more to come. I jokingly suggested they should allow music through the smartbar speaker (the bike has Bluetooth) and they suggested that was possible as are the required OTA updates to deliver such new features.

Right now, the Urtopia is available for pre-order via Indiegogo. As such, the standard caveats apply, but given how close to final the prototype I have is, it doesn’t seem like there’s any more development to be done, just some fine-tuning on those remaining features. If you do pre-order you’ll be able to pick one up for $2,000 which is a really competitive price even for the bike without those extra features enabled. According to the campaign, that price will almost double once it goes to retail, so if you’re taken by what you see, there’s a decent incentive to get on board sooner rather than later.

Formula E has announced what it claims is the planet's most efficient race car. Teams will use the third-generation (Gen3) electric car in the 2022-23 season and can start testing it in the spring.

Not only is the Gen3 lighter and smaller than the Gen2, Formula E and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) say that at least 40 percent of energy used in a race will be produced through regenerative braking. As such, Gen3 will be the first formula car without rear hydraulic brakes.

The Gen3 is also the first formula car with powertrains at both the front and the rear. The rear 350kW powertrain will be complemented by a 250kW one at the front. With a total of 600kW, they'll more than double the regenerative capability of the Gen2.

In addition, the motor can provide up to 350kW of power (470 brake horsepower) and a top speed of 200mph. Formula E and the FIA say the power-to-weight ratio is twice as efficient as an equivalent combustion engine.

Formula E

The Gen3 was designed for sustainability. It is net-zero carbon and broken carbon fiber parts will be recycled. Tires, meanwhile, will use 26 percent sustainable materials.

“In designing the Gen3 car, we set out to demonstrate that high performance, efficiency and sustainability can co-exist without compromise," Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle said in a statement. "Together with the FIA, we have built the world’s most efficient and sustainable high performance race car. The Gen3 is our fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient racing car yet."

Formula E hasn't fully shown off the design of the Gen3 yet. It only released some teaser images. However, since teams will be testing the car in a few months, it shouldn't be too long before we get a proper look at the vehicle.

You now have a way to flaunt your NBA Top Shot NFT to house guests, provided you're willing to pay a premium for it. As The Vergenotes, Dapper Labs (the company behind Top Shot) and hardware startup Infinite Objects are now offering video "prints" of NBA NFTs in physical display frames. Link your Dapper Wallet and you can showcase a classic basketball moment wherever it's convenient, not just from a device like your computer. A QR code and a holographic sticker will help prove it's yours.

These are expensive pieces, to put it mildly. Attaching your NFT to a 7-inch display costs $199, while a 10-inch display will cost $399. Initial purchases should ship sometime in January. You're effectively buying a digital photo frame that can only display one picture, albeit one with intrinsic value.

There are multiple catches beyond this. You can't yet 'print' Moment Sets, Showcases or any moment that includes either a retired NBA player or anyone in the WNBA. Dapper and Infinite are working on support for all of these, but it's still an odd restriction if you were expecting these frames to serve like artwork — imagine not being allowed to buy Van Gogh prints that show the artist. Still, this does give you something to do with an NFT besides the occasional glance on your private devices.

After launching into pre-season earlier this month, the mobile game Rocket League Sideswipe is rolling out to iOS and Android users around the world, 9to5Mac has reported. The side-scrolling car soccer game was unveiled earlier this year as a mobile, 2D version of Rocket League that lets you play solo or team with friends for two vs. two matches.  

Like the original, Sideswipe is all about that car soccer life, but with a 2D side-on instead of a 3D view. It uses touch controls designed to be easy to master, with advanced control mechanics available for better players. Like the original, there's a ranking system and numerous car customization options. The game is free on mobile, with in-app purchases for Rocket Pass and cosmetics. 

As with the pre-season trailer, the official gameplay video brings a similar look and feels as the original but adapted for simpler mobile play. Logging in with an Epic Games account for online matches will let you earn extra XP across both the regular Rocket League game and Sideswipe. The game launched in pre-season in Oceania to shake out any bugs, but it's now available to everyone on the iOS App Store and Google Play.