Technologies

Borderlands 4: Getting the Perfect Roll On Your Favorite Gun Might Be a Lot Harder

Between the new weapon parts generation system and decreased legendary drop chances, you better strap in for a grind.

The Borderlands State of Play stream made one thing abundantly clear: The next entry in the looter shooter series is redoubling its commitment to having more guns than ever before.

While Borderlands 3 had more than one billion guns for players to tote around the galaxy, Gearbox Software is making a fundamental change to the weapon parts system to allow the generation of even more weapons in Borderlands 4.

In previous games, weapons were only able to be generated with parts from a single fictional weapons manufacturer. This meant players could learn what weapons they enjoyed using based on certain trademark traits from different manufacturers.

For example, Vladof weapons were fully-automatic bullet hoses, Hyperion weapons became more accurate with continued fire and Torgue weapons fired explosive rounds. Each manufacturer had quirks and players knew more-or-less what weapon they were farming for, even if a particular drop didn’t have the perfect parts for the most desirable stats.

The State of Play revealed new weapon manufacturers, including Order weapons that charge up railgun-like shotgun blasts, fully automatic Ripper weapons that fire speedy flak rounds and reliable Daedalus weapons that allow you to swap ammo types on the go.

Now, randomly generated weapons can have parts from multiple different manufacturers. You might loot a weapon that has a Hyperion grip, a Tediore magazine and a Vladof barrel, allowing you to rip through enemies with increasing accuracy until you throw the gun away with an explosive flourish. It sounds very cool on paper, but in practice, it could make Borderlands 4’s endgame much harder.

Taking on Borderlands’ biggest challenges — especially raid bosses — has always been a challenge for the most dedicated players who spent time getting the best possible rolls on their loot. This meant farming the same enemies until they dropped the right weapon with the right weapon parts and perks to get the job done.

In Borderlands 4, a massive pool of weapon parts from other manufacturers is going to make it way harder to generate the drop you’re looking for. Legendary gun drop rates are already getting nerfed from the previous game — which means farming the right parts on a specific legendary weapon necessary for your build will be harder than ever before.

Borderlands 4 could potentially have the most interesting buildcrafting in the series, what with how many moving parts there are in the player arsenal. But it remains to be seen if strong builds will be easily accessible to everyone, or if the new loot mechanics will ensure that the strongest weapons only land in the laps of the most insanely dedicated (or luckiest) Borderlands 4 players.

Looting might be the biggest draw for Borderlands fans, but other big changes are coming in the next game, too.

Borderlands 4 is moving the series toward movement shooter territory, as every playable vault hunter will be able to dash, double jump, glide and grapple across the terrain. Certain areas also have ziplines that will let you shoot into the air to get a better view of the world, before you spawn the new Digirunner vehicle (which looks like a hybrid between Destiny’s Sparrow hoverbikes and Halo’s Ghost) to speed toward your destination.

The game will be fully crossplay-enabled at launch, which pairs well with the new co-op quality of life features. Your campaign difficulty and generated loot will be completely instanced from your friends, which means no one will have to fight over the world settings.

Perhaps most importantly, you’ll no longer have to reload an area to fight a boss again. Borderlands 4 boss arenas will contain a lever that respawns the encounter, so you can leap right back into the action without a mandatory trip to the main menu.

This is the perfect time to implement the feature, because between the weapon parts changes and the legendary loot drop nerfs, it’s safe to assume you’ll be fighting bosses over and over if you’re chasing a specific weapon roll in Gearbox’s next big looter shooter.

Technologies

We May Know What the Next Nintendo Switch 2 Pokemon Game Will Be Called

A massive leak reveals potential details about the 10th generation of Pokemon games coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, including big changes.

A new Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, will be released for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on Thursday, but a recent leak might have revealed info about what’s coming next from the creators of the franchise. The names of the next games headed to the Switch 2, as well as some of the big changes to the Pokemon formula, may have been part of the leak.

The leak showed up on X Monday from the account Centro Leaks, as first spotted by Insider Gaming. Data about the upcoming games reportedly stems from a hack of the servers of the franchise developer Game Freak that happened in August 2024, referred to online as the Teraleak, that included the source code for the upcoming Pokemon Legenda: Z-A.

Among the information shared by the account was the possible name for what would be the 10th generation of Pokemon games that would come to the Switch 2 next year: Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Wave.

The Pokemon Company didn’t immediately respond to a request for confirmation about this leak.

Pokémon Gen 10:
Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Waves
Theme: Infinity
Directed by Shigeru Ohmori

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025

According to the leak, Pokemon Wind/Wave is inspired by the Southeast Asia region and will feature a jungle-themed environment. It could also feature a new mechanic referred to as a Seed Pokemon, which is reportedly a special Pokemon that is heavily involved in the story and must be raised by the player. As it evolves, it will have a unique look that is procedurally generated, and once it’s fully evolved, it will allow the player to gain access to an island where they can find the main legendary Pokemon of the game.

The main theme of Pokemon Wind/Wave is the concept of infinity, according to the leak. This would match with the reported focus of procedurally generated content, not only with the special Seed Pokemon, but also with the islands of the game being procedurally generated, so each game is unique and could continue to grow with no end.

Also included in the leak were other details, including Pokemon on the overworld being interactable, weather affecting gameplay in some way, 18 new challenges for players instead of traditional gyms, and a few screenshots of the game in development that are still available to see at the PokeLeaks subreddit. There was also info that the 11th-generation Pokemon game could be released in 2030.

It is unlikely that Nintendo, The Pokemon Company or Game Freak will confirm the details of the leak. Expect to see the official announcement early next year, with the fall being the most likely release window for Pokemon Wind/Wave.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It includes both the first and last name of one of my favorite chefs of all time — maybe yours, too. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
Answer: PCS

4A clue: «Yippee!»
Answer: WAHOO

6A clue: Reveal, as juicy gossip
Answer: SPILL

7A clue: With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Answer: JULIA

8A clue: Toss in
Answer: ADD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Toss in
Answer: PAPUA

2D clue: See 7-Across
Answer: CHILD

3D clue: State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Answer: SOLID

4D clue: Business-focused newspaper, for short
Answer: WSJ

5D clue: Hello, in Portuguese
Answer: OLA

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.

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The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.