Technologies

You Can Play the New Gears of War Game on Xbox Game Pass Now

Subscribers can play Dragon Age: The Veilguard soon, too.

Gears of War is one of the most iconic Xbox series, spawning sequels, spin-offs and books. I fell in love with the series almost 20 years ago when the original landed on the Xbox 360. Microsoft brought the remastered edition of the game, called Gears of War: Reloaded, to Xbox Game Pass, and I can’t wait to play it.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription gives you access to a large library of games, with new ones, like Doom: The Dark Ages, added monthly, plus other benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Here are the games Microsoft is adding to Game Pass soon. You can also check out other games the company added to the service recently, like Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Gears of War: Reloaded

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

The iconic Gears series is back with a new, remastered edition of the original game. This game maintains the original story of Marcus Fenix and his squad as they take on the alien locust hordes and it includes a bonus campaign act, every multiplayer map and mode, plus characters and cosmetics unlocked through progression.

This game is also on PlayStation 5 and PC, and thanks to cross-play functionality, you can play with and against your friends on those platforms.

Herdling

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

Get ready for a grand alpine adventure as you shepherd some giant Calicorns — which look like Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender — up into a mountain pass. You’ll encounter eerie dangers, puzzles and more on your adventure. And before you ask, yes, you can pet these wonderful creatures.

Blacksmith Master (game preview)

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

Adventuring in a medieval world can be fun and challenging but it can also be difficult work. If you’d rather run and manage a shop in a medieval setting, give Blacksmith Master a try. You run your own forge and have to manage resource acquisition, production and sale of goods. You’ll build your own forge, craft everything from utensils to weapons and become one of the most skilled craftsmen in the kingdom — all without fighting dragons or other dangerous creatures.

Void/Breaker (PC)

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

You’re trapped by a ruthless AI in an endless loop where you’re forced to fight hostile enemies, die and then repeat. In this roguelite game, each time you die, you’ll face new challenges. Fast gunplay, quick movements and all-out destruction are your friends in this adrenaline-filled adventure. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get out one day.

Goat Simulator Remastered

New for Game Pass Standard subscribers.

Chaos. That’s the best way to describe this game. You play as a goat and your mission is the total destruction of everything in sight. Can’t stand the look of that car? Run it off the road. Don’t like the town hall’s placement? Demolish it. Want that kid’s ice cream? Eat it. Do what you want in this sandbox-style game where anything is possible.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers got access to this game in November and Game Pass Standard subscribers can get in on the fun soon, too.

Persona 4 Golden

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

A string of serial murders set this game in motion, where you’ll travel between the real world and the world within TVs as you try and find out who — or what — is behind the murders. You’ll explore your town and carry on daily activities, as well as travel to the TV World to explore different dungeons and battle monsters in this RPG.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Aug. 28.

Step into the enchanted world of Thedas, a land full of untamed wilderness, glittering cities and strife. A pair of corrupt ancient gods has broken out of their hold and is wreaking havoc across the globe. It’s up to you to gather a team and stop them, but that’s just the main quest. You can also embark on side quests and companion quests that shed light on who they are and how the world is changing around you. Veilguard changes the Dragon Age formula with a more action-oriented approach, though it retains familiar aspects like branching dialog choices and skill trees. So get ready to dive into a wild adventure, make new friends and become a legend.

Games leaving Game Pass on Aug. 31

While Microsoft is adding those games to Game Pass soon, the company is also removing five others from the service on Aug. 31. So you still have some time to finish up your campaign or any side quests before you have to buy these games separately.

Ben 10: Power Trip
Borderlands 3
Paw Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay
Sea of Stars
This War of Mine: Final Cut

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. You can also check out what to know about upcoming Xbox game price hikes.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Aug. 28, #339

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Aug. 28, No. 339

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

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is just always tough for me these days. You too? If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Hoops errors.

Green group hint: Get the mic.

Blue group hint: Tennis triumphs.

Purple group hint: A note to follow so.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Basketball violations.

Green group: Roles on a broadcast team.

Blue group: Last four US Open women’s singles winners.

Purple group: Preceded by «LA.»

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball violations. The four answers are backcourt, double-dribble, goaltend and travel.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is roles on a broadcast team. The four answers are color, play-by-play, sideline and studio.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is last four US Open women’s singles winners. The four answers are Gauff, Raducanu, Sabalenka and Swiatek.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is preceded by «LA.» The four answers are Clippers, Coliseum, Galaxy and Liga.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Aug. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 28.

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.

Today’s Mini Crossword wasn’t too tough, especially for SpongeBob fans. But if you’d like some help with the answers, read on.. 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: SpongeBob’s boss, for one
Answer: CRAB

5A clue: I.R.S. agent’s investigation
Answer: AUDIT

7A clue: Something you haven’t been able to do on U.S. flights since 2000
Answer: SMOKE

8A clue: Peninsula east of the Yellow Sea
Answer: KOREA

9A clue: One «R» in R&R
Answer: REST

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Barrel-shaped wine container
Answer: CASK

2D clue: Something heard through the grapevine
Answer: RUMOR

3D clue: Profoundly love
Answer: ADORE

4D clue: Vehicles in a peloton
Answer: BIKES

6D clue: What a calf drinks from
Answer: TEAT

Technologies

Delivery Companies Around the World Stop Shipments to the US: Here’s Who’s Affected

Major shipping companies including DHL and the Australian Post have paused shipments to the US.

Primary shipping services, including the European branch of DHL, multiple European state postal services, Australia Post, Japan Post and Taiwan’s state postal service, have stopped shipping consumer goods of varying amounts (over $100 in some cases) to the US. The pause is currently expected to be temporary as countries respond to the latest US tariff measures, but could have a significant impact on US businesses selling anything from Taiwanese GPUs and Japanese card packs to European electronics.

The response stems from tariff actions related to the «de minimis» trade option, which allows the US to select certain business-friendly goods to be duty-free when shipped into the United States.

In July, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that appeared to ban the use of this de minimis option. Postal companies have paused services for the time being, reporting that they aren’t sure how the specifics of the order affect them and did not have time to respond. As the additional tariffs go into effect, shipping companies say to expect downtime as they seek to understand the rules and retool their shipping processes.

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Major shipping companies from other countries, including India, have said they will follow suit soon.

While the details and timeframe are currently unknown, it’s likely that if shipping from these countries resumes, it will be at significantly higher duties and related taxes, which US businesses may pass down to consumers as higher retail prices. Until then, several overseas sellers are expected to stop taking orders from US buyers altogether.

Read more: Tech Tariff Anxiety Is Still High. CNET Survey Finds 64% of Shoppers Are Rushing to Buy Tech to Dodge Price Spikes and Shortages

Can people still send packages to the US?

Small consumer-oriented packages can still be sent through most services, depending on the specific value and related rules that shipping companies currently have. For example, if someone is trying to send a personal gift during this time, it shouldn’t be affected.

However, businesses that trade in international goods — including online shops on eBay and Etsy — currently have little recourse except to rely on current stock, find other suppliers or wait for the situation to be resolved. That’s an unfortunate situation ahead of big Labor Day sales.