Meta announces that its neural handwriting is now rolling out in its EAP (Early Access Program) for the Ray-Ban Display.
Users are recommended to write with their index finger on a stable surface, and allow the AI to correct any typos or mistakes.
Meta confirmed this was on the way for the Ray-Ban Display in December.
Meta's neural band is an important part of its smart glasses experience. It brings convenience, and Meta says it's offering a new feature in Early Access for silent AI interactions.
If you've got a pair of Meta smart glasses, the company has announced a silent handwriting feature in Early Access using the Neural Band. In a press release, Meta says users can write "AI queries with their index finger when their display is on." It states users can get answers to questions, play a song, pull up directions, and more without much effort—just a finger. Meta went into more detail about this EAP (Early Access Program) feature.
If you're interested, Meta says users must ensure their Neural Band is paired with their glasses and that everything is updated, as well as enroll in the EAP. To enable neural handwriting, head to Meta AI app > Settings > select your glasses > Early Access > toggle Meta AI with neural handwriting. For the "best results," Meta recommends users write with their index finger. It states you should "anchor your wrist on a hard surface and use your index finger to write." What's more, you should write in print, not cursive.
To ensure the Neural Band and neural handwriting feature captures what you're writing properly, you should write smoothly and at a consistent pace. Meta says users shouldn't worry about typos, nor should they wait for their HUD to catch up to what they've written. Continue regardless, and Meta AI will automatically fix any errors.
Neural handwriting is headed to the Meta Ray-Ban Display in the EAP.
Writing in the air
(Image credit: Android Central)
It was teased in December 2025, and now it's finally here. Meta confirmed late last year that it planned to empower its Ray-Ban Display further with "virtual" handwriting. We've now seen this arrive as neural handwriting. This EMG handwriting feature was confirmed to leverage the Neural Band with the user's drawing and gesture inputs. The company also teased Instagram Reel support for its glasses, too.
The neural band was an object of interest for Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich last year, too. To him, it felt like a true device straight out of a Sci-fi movie. To Meta, the sEMG band (neural band) is a requirement for "true AR smart glasses products." Users wouldn't need to rely on a screen to type their commands. The band captures your muscle movements to act out what you're writing or capture your gestures. It's silent and completely hands-free (technically).
Android Central's Take
The neural band is pretty cool, I have to admit. But bringing this "virtual" or neural handwriting just seems like the next logical step for Meta. It can already capture gesture for scrolling through song lists, why not do more? Why not make it so writing a quick message or asking its AI is effortless with single movements?
It seems like every time I turn around, there's another round of layoffs affecting video game studios.
In July, Xbox announced its biggest downsizing ever, cutting 3,200 jobs throughout 2026 and 2027. At the same time, Xbox made deals with four major studios to go independent or take on new management.
It's all starting to feel like white noise with the same language. Streamlining. Restructuring. Focusing resources. Adapting to changing markets.
After reading an excellent report from Rest of World about the plight of small game developers in Turkey, I realized that the entire video game industry is likely in more trouble than most people realize.
While Microsoft and other big companies at the apex of the industry have been cutting thousands of jobs at the top, there's something just as disruptive going on at the bottom.
Solo developers are shipping full games with a tiny team, empowered by tools like Claude Code and Cowork, OpenAI Codex, and Copilot. This shift in how games are developed is eating up the entry-level jobs that used to serve as a way to break into the game dev industry. The candle is burning at both ends, as they say.
Turkey's AI game development example doesn't bode well
The game development scene in Turkey should be a warning for the rest of the world. (Image credit: Getty | Sergio Amiti)
Over the last decade, Turkey has become a mobile gaming hotspot with more than 800 studios at its peak. It served as a pipeline for young developers who finished school, applied, got hired, worked in junior roles, and eventually made their way up the ladder.
This pipeline is no longer functioning as it should, and it's largely due to AI. One developer interviewed by Rest of World went from a huge studio pumping out a game per week to founding his own studio.
With Claude Code in his back pocket, the developer realized he needed just two employees to achieve similar productivity.
I’m the only developer in my team. When we started, I had to write all the code myself. I also have to manage game design, social media, investment meetings, and the like. With Claude Code, I can do all that easily. It really sped things up and helped me a lot.
Emirhan Gül, speaking to Rest of World
This shift in Turkey's game development scene is having dire effects. Entry-level jobs are understandably disappearing at smaller studios, and the larger studios are reticent to hire inexperienced developers.
The AI stack designed to make us more productive is killing key jobs
AI tools are making us more productive, but at what cost? (Image credit: Getty Images, Robert Way)
The AI stack negatively affecting one of the largest game development booms in European history is the same AI stack that Microsoft is racing to put in front of every developer, on every platform, including the ones building for Xbox and Windows.
Microsoft has famously spent years telling Windows users that Copilot will make us all more productive. But Turkey's example is likely a preview of what that means when followed to its logical end.
Not a team of developers shipping games faster (OK, maybe a bit faster). One developer doing the job that used to require a team. Set this dilemma on top of a video game industry that just saw Xbox cut thousands of jobs, and the math really starts to hurt.
It's worth noting that Microsoft stated that AI is not being used to replace the most recent batch of laid-off employees at Xbox, but the company's overall massive spending on AI infrastructure and data centers has undoubtedly played a role in cuts to underperforming sectors like Xbox.
With layoffs at the top and an ever-shrinking front door at the bottom, the entire industry is being squeezed for all its juice.
Windows Central's take
Junior video game developers are being hit hard by the rise of AI. (Image credit: Getty Images | Microsoft)
The part that stuck with me the most is the plight of junior developers. A university director in Turkey is warning students not to follow the traditional path of getting hired on in an introductory position and working their way up. Instead, they should be building their own games while in school in order to land a job.
Right now is the worst time to enter the game industry to find a stable job, but it’s the best time to start your own venture, to realize your own idea.
Güven Çatak, Founder and Director of Game Lab, Bahçeşehir University (speaking with Rest of World)
So, yes, AI tools definitely lower the barrier to creating a game. At the same time, however, AI tools do nothing to ensure that a game actually finds an audience.
Key steps in the nurturing and maturing of a video game developer are being skipped, and artists, writers, and programmers aren't necessarily getting the experience needed to compete at the upper levels of the industry.
Turkey's degrading video game development scene seems like a preview of what's to come for the rest of the industry, and I'm not sure I like it.
Are you a developer who uses Copilot, Claude, or any other AI tools in your workflow? Has it made you more ambitious? More productive? Are you more nervous now about who you're competing with? Let me know in the comments section below!
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
I've long been a fan of XCOM, which is why when I heard two of my favorite franchises were about to collide on Xbox and PC, my interest was immediately piqued.
This is Star Wars: Zero Company, an upcoming turn-based tactics game set in the legendary sci-fi universe that needs little introduction.
Developed by Bit Reactor, who themselves are comprised heavily of XCOM and Firaxis vets, I recently was lucky enough to talk to the team behind the game, as well as go hands-on for the first time.
Bit Reactor's Greg Foertsch, art director of XCOM fame, was candid on the game's origin story. It was actually the late great Vince Zampella of Titanfall and Call of Duty fame who offered it up first, and the rest is history: "Star Wars was not on my bingo card, to be quite honest, till Vince brought it up, and frankly, I was a little terrified at first, but I had to say yes."
Terrified they might've been. But from what I've seen, I think they've absolutely nailed it and have nothing to fear whatsoever. Star Wars Zero Company is now a personal game-of-the-year contender, if indeed the full game continues to be as infectious and intriguing as the demo slice I played.
Bit Reactor noted that they felt the turn-based tactics genre still had a big story to tell, even as Take Two essentially wound down the XCOM franchise in favor of focusing on Civilization. What better way to introduce the genre to a new audience than via one of the biggest franchises in the world?
But Bit Reactor has also been keen to modernize every aspect of it for modern sensibilities: photorealistic art, a third-person camera, high-quality story writing and cinematic treatment, and a Mass Effect-like character bonding system that has enormous potential.
Star Wars: Zero Company launches on Xbox and PC on August 27, 2026.
A heaping of XCOM, a dash of Mass Effect?
Lead a rag tag group of survivors on a quest for fame and fortune, and unravel a potentially darker plot along the way. (Image credit: EA | Bit Reactor)
In Star Wars Zero Company, you take command of a "dirty dozen" style mercenary outfit, which immediately gave me Mass Effect 2 vibes.
This ragtag group of rejects, bounty hunters, and warriors of fortune come together under a variety of difficult circumstances. The Clone Wars are in full swing, and the Republic needs mercs willing to undertake missions that are perhaps beyond their remit (and missions that skirt the law ... and perhaps even basic morality.)
As such, you play as Captain Hawks, a fully customizable humanoid and former Republic officer who has gone into business for himself. You can fully tailor Hawks' identity and pick from a variety of iconic Star Wars species to lead your crew.
As you get further in, you'll meet other heroes who join your squad for a variety of their own reasons. There's Tel-Rea, who is a former Jedi Padawan, Trick, a "forcibly retired" clone trooper, and Cly, a Mandalorian driven by vengeance.
The eclectic cast led Bit Reactor to create its "Bond system," which gave me a ton of Mass Effect 2 vibes. As your crew collaborates both in missions and during trips to The Den (your base of operations), they build relationships and synergies that benefit your tactical options and also develop their characters.
Kabbney "Kabb" Uppercut is a Felshi, a completely new species created for Zero Company. (Image credit: EA | Bit Reactor)
"I wanted that to have a long arc of play over the course of the whole campaign… you’re not just learning to power your characters up, but you’re also having them develop relationships that’s evolving in your head," game directorJames Brawley explained to us. "Characters grow stronger as a result… that’s why they’re able to beat these overwhelming threats, because they know how to work together."
"This is your Star Wars game… how you get there, what you experience, the characters you build, the relationships and bonds you make — they’re all unique to your playthrough."
The team explained that the events of Zero Company take place adjacent to The Clone Wars, in the shadows, using an entire cast of new characters. And indeed, like any good XCOM-like, permadeath is a feature here. If you have two characters that synergize well and unlock powerful abilities as a result, having one of them die not only severs that bond but also deprives you of access to those powerful abilities. The stakes remain incredibly high as a result, in true XCOM-fashion. You'll also lose the resolution of their stories and experiences too, making every playthrough potentially unique (unless you save scum, that is ... but there are auto-saves-only Ironman modes for those who don't want to be enticed into such heretical gameplay styles.)
Set up powerful killzones with overwatch commands, and leverage unique Star Wars-inspired abilities to decimate your enemies. (Image credit: EA | Bit Reactor)
I didn't get to experience too much of the combat gameplay, but from what I played, it felt every bit as satisfying and fun as previous official XCOM-style games I've played from the team here. Bit Reactor is comprised of XCOM and Firaxis vets, as noted, and you can feel that pedigree in every aspect of play. The team said Disney was on hand too to verify the Star Wars authenticity but was also incredibly open to Bit Reactor's own agency therein. The team said they "couldn't praise Disney enough," in what sounds like a very productive working relationship.
Disney hasn't always handled the Star Wars IP as well as I would've liked ... but it's hard to deny that they've had some absolute bangers on their hands. Rogue One has been a particular highlight for me, but also the games. Cinematic delivery I'd argue is more important in a Star Wars-adjacent title, which obviously comes with certain expectations. You can expect great characters, a grand adventure across the galaxy, and big cinematic moments sprinkled throughout Zero Company, the developers tell me. But crucially, also dark villains.
The Clone Wars are in full swing in corners of the galaxy, but while bounty hunting, Hawks and his crew get caught up in a uniquely dangerous situation. The separatist-aligned cult known as the Infinite Coil rears its head early on. Its members seem infected with a mysterious space plague that, if I were a betting man, potentially has dark side origins.
"The Clone Wars offered us a place to tell a Star Wars story that touched on canon, but didn’t interfere… it allows people to attach to new characters in a way that hasn’t been done before."
The Jedi Fallen Order franchise has been well-received, and before Vince Zampella's passing, it seemed like EA was on an upward swing with its Star Wars license stewardship. Zero Company looks set to continue that legacy and also maintain the quality bar Jedi Fallen Order established.
In Zero Company, you'll fight separatist forces of all stripes, but the central antagonistic force is a shadowy cult known as the Infinite Coil. (Image credit: EA | Bit Reactor)
Indeed, I was surprised to discover how far Zero Company diverges from the typical XCOM formula from a story perspective, where most of the characters are throwaway soldiers designed to ultimately be expendable. The detailed characterization of the heroes in Zero Company are every bit as cinematic and interesting as any story-heavy action game or big-screen Star Wars experience you might expect.
Zero Company makes heavy use of a traditional third-person over-the-shoulder camera for some of these sequences too, making the game feel almost more like a CRPG in the vein of Baldur's Gate 3 or Wasteland 3, as opposed to a pure tactics game. Tactics games with fixed isometric cameras often come with stylized art given that the camera is zoomed out a lot of the time. Zero Company went deeper on visuals to accommodate its more cinematic delivery, and the results speak for themselves. Zero Company feels painstakingly authentic.
"We should be better looking, not worse. We should be better frame rates, not worse. We should have more stories, more immersion," Bit Reactor explained. "We’re just making a great game — it just happens to be turn‑based.”
If you've never played an XCOM-like before, its RPG systems might be what entices you most
More XCOM-style games please. (Image credit: EA | Bit Reactor)
I was incredibly encouraged by Star Wars: Zero Company's preview cycle. I was immediately drawn to the characters and intrigued by the potential of the game's Bond system. What events and storytelling opportunities would I be able to unlock? What consequences would befall me for mismanaging those bonds and potentially getting some of my heroes killed? What exactly is the Infinite Coil, and what do they want?
Star Wars: Zero Company is a bit of a rarity in 2026, as big publishers chase service games, infinite experience, and microtransaction hellscapes. Take Two itself no longer seems to want to service the XCOM franchise sadly, and other companies that have attempted it have often struggled to broaden their appeal. Truly "AAA"-grade tactics games have become vanishingly rare.
Star Wars is the perfect universe to offer a take on this genre in my view, particularly in the Clone Wars era. But Bit Reactor's clear efforts on the cinematic and story-delivery side give Zero Company broad potential that similar attempts at the turn-based tactics genre have missed in recent years. Baldur's Gate 3-style cinematics and character delivery, atop modern high-quality visuals and focused XCOM-style tactical play? Zero Company has everything I didn't know I needed from this quarter's very busy slate of games.
Star Wars: Zero Company is something every Star Wars and turn-based afficionado should put on their wishlist.
If you have any questions about the game, drop them in the comments and I'll get them answered!
Star Wars Zero Company is a turn-based tactics experience with heavy cinematic leanings. Set in the Clone Wars Star Wars era, lead a merc group across the galaxy seeking fame and fortune, but perhaps finding something darker along the way.
The TMR thumbsticks in the ES Max don't feature a complete reimagining of the technology but measure stick movement in a slightly different way that improves performa …
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick defends Grand Theft Auto 6's $80 base price
He says, "Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them"
The CEO says GTA 6 will be "an incredible bargain"
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended Grand Theft Auto 6's $80 base price, saying Rockstar Games will "overdeliver" on the experience.
Speaking during a Q&A session after the publisher's Q1 FY27 financial report, Zelnick explained that the game's cost has everything to do with maximizing price by delivering on an experience that will last for consumers.
"Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them," Zelnick said when asked why it decided to leave NBA 2K27's base pricing at $70 compared to GTA 6, which is priced at $80, and how Take-Two will go forward with pricing other "premium" AAA titles. "And the truth is that the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago.
"Pricing has not kept pace with inflation. And our goal is to continue to overdeliver for our consumers because how you feel about any experience is the intersection of the experience itself and what you paid for it."
He continued, "So, to say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement, because Rockstar Games is known for overdelivering."
Zelnick also pointed to GTA Online, which is now 13 years old but continues to draw in millions of players every year, suggesting that a premium experience will keep players engaged, no matter the cost.
"Remember, we're 13 years after GTA Online was launched and people are still highly engaged," he said. "We have record-setting engagement at times. So, that's our goal.
"Our goal is not to maximize price. So, in this case, I think what we've decided to do makes a whole lot of sense in the context of what we're delivering. And that's the lens through which we're going forward as well."
A modder has taken the innards of a Steam Deck and put them into a Game Boy-style case
The end result is the 'SteamBoy', although it's not quite finished (the screen doesn't yet work)
There's a lot of excitement about this DIY project, and some gamers have even said they'd be keen to buy a retro handheld like this
Ever wished the Steam Deck looked a bit more retro — or indeed a lot more retro? Meet the 'SteamBoy', which takes the innards of Valve's handheld and transplants them into a case styled on the Game Boy.
The SteamBoy uses the motherboard, controller, buttons, speakers, and battery from the Steam Deck, fitting the components into a case which the maker says is the same dimensions as an original Game Boy, with a thickness of 32mm (yes, it's thick).
PhyFawkes explains: "The battery is the original battery, and it basically takes up the whole width of the device on the inside. It's sandwiched between the motherboard and the display. The motherboard and controller boards are completely intact as well."
The only element that isn't functional yet is the screen, so this device is still a work in progress. The Redditor has demonstrated it working on an external monitor, though.
Analysis: next stop Kickstarter?
(Image credit: PhyFawkes on Reddit)
The snag with getting the screen going is that the motherboard firmware reports the display properties directly to SteamOS, and so the firmware details must be updated with the info for the new screen. The Redditor says it hopefully it won't take too long to sort this out.
Another part of the recipe that's missing is the triggers, but PhyFawkes says that they might be able to add them eventually, but that space constraints with the case could make this too tricky a proposition.
Apparently the handheld runs cool enough with some slight under-volting. All in all, this a very smart-looking project, and I'm seriously impressed. The case itself is 3D-printed, with the Redditor noting that they're going to provide the details on how to make one for those who might want to try their hand at this enterprising piece of handheld DIY.
Of course, constructing something like this is well beyond the scope of your average gamer, and there are fans of this concept out there who'd be willing to pay money for a SteamBoy of their own. Plenty of them, in fact, as the reception for this project has been nothing short of glowing.
As someone on Reddit put it: "This is legitimately so cool. I would totally back something like this on Kickstarter."
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the 'Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look', which premieres on Netflix
He said it's a "first-of-its-kind partnership with Netflix" and it's a "great marketing partner for us"
Zelnick suggested the timed exclusivity isn't an issue, as it will arrive on YouTube hours later
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 extended look video being available exclusively on Netflix for a time.
"This is a first-of-its-kind partnership with Netflix," Zelnick said. "They're a great marketing partner for us and distribution partner, as you know.
"We also work with virtually every social media outlet on Earth. This is part of Rockstar Games' marketing strategy. We're excited for everyone to see an extended look of Grand Theft Auto 6."
As for what fans can expect, Zelnick couldn't offer any hints, although it's speculated that the extended look could finally feature the long-awaited gameplay trailer.
"I'm not prepared to tell you how it's going to go," he said, "but I feel really good about it. And of course, some six hours after the initial launch on Netflix will be available on [the] Rockstar Games channel on YouTube, and I think ultimately many other outlets."
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick says more fans are pre-ordering the Grand Theft Auto 6 Ultimate Edition over the Standard Edition
He says the sales are "skewing more" to the $100 Ultimate Edition
Zelnick also can't guarantee whether the game will get a discount for Black Friday or Christmas
According to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, the Grand Theft Auto 6 Ultimate Edition is selling more than the Standard Edition.
In a recent interview with CNBC (via IGN), when asked whether the pre-order numbers could be equal across both versions, the CEO said the game's $99.99 / £89.99 Ultimate Edition, which features the base game and additional bonus content, is being pre-ordered by more fans than the $79.99 / £69.99 Standard Edition.
"Actually, it is skewing more to the premium edition," Zelnick said, and suggested that it may be a result of die-hard fans pre-ordering it. "That might be a reflection of the fact that the most avid consumers are the ones who are pre-ordering now."
We don't have the actual sales numbers at this time, but if what Zelnick said is accurate, it suggests the Ultimate Edition is performing extremely well despite the initial backlash from fans.
Unlike the Standard Edition, which comes with the base game, the more expensive Ultimate Edition features a ton of extra goodies, including premium and exclusive content such as missions, Vice City shops, locations, and outfits.
GTA 6 launches on November 19, before Black Friday and Christmas, and in the same interview with CNBC, Zelnick was asked whether we could see a discount on the upcoming game.
The CEO couldn't say, but explained that GTA 5's price was "preserved" for years, saying, "We obviously establish our pricing, and storefronts can do what they wish."
"We don't have any capability to control that," Zelnick continued. "So if they reduce their price, they reduce their margin on the sale. There are situations where certain retailers will price down to drive demand for other things they will sell. I can't tell you what will happen. I will tell you we preserved our pricing on Grand Theft Auto 5 for a very long time, much longer than a standard release of an entertainment property."
Example of web development using Meta Muse Code. (Source: Meta)
Meta has launched its paid artificial intelligence (AI) coding service, Muse Code, marking the company’s entry into the developer market.
On Aug. 5, Meta unveiled its latest Muse Spark 1.2 model alongside Muse Code, an AI coding agent. Muse Spark 1.2 is an updated version of the previous model optimized for software development tasks. According to Meta, the model was trained with significantly increased compute resources and a broader range of training environments, improving its capabilities in code generation, complex debugging and codebase comprehension.
While Muse Spark is a general-purpose model, Muse Code is a standalone terminal-based AI coding agent tool. Meta said it trained Muse Spark 1.2 and Muse Code together. Muse Code, the company’s first AI coding agent, is powered by the latest Muse Spark 1.2 model and has been released in beta for macOS and Linux.
One notable aspect of the announcement was the complete absence of references to open source. The shift is unusual for Meta, which has positioned itself as a leading advocate of open AI ecosystems in recent years.
Whereas the company previously pursued indirect monetization through the expansion of the open ecosystem around its open-weight Llama models, Muse Code represents an attempt to generate revenue directly from an in-house business.
Meta highlighted several technical features of Muse Code, including autonomous development workflows, persistent asynchronous background agents and local event logs.
Example of web development using Meta Muse Code. (Source: Meta)
Example of web development using Meta Muse Code. (Source: Meta)
An autonomous workflow feature allows the system to handle planning, coding, testing and result verification in a single process after receiving a user request—a standard capability among advanced AI coding tools. However, persistent asynchronous background agents represent Meta's key strategic move as a late entrant to the AI coding market.
Persistent background agents distribute workloads across multiple AI agents operating simultaneously in the background during a development session. While most competing AI coding tools also support background agents, those systems typically create new helper agents for each task.
In contrast, Muse Code keeps specialized background agents continuously active (warm) throughout an entire session. According to Meta, maintaining agents in a warm state rather than creating them for individual tasks helps avoid redundant information gathering.
This feature could significantly address practical inefficiencies in code development, as creating a new sub-agent for every task forces the system to repeatedly reread the same files.
Example of multimodal visual coding using Meta Muse Code. (Source: Meta)
Under this feature, large-scale tasks are distributed and processed in parallel by sub-agents operating within isolated Git worktrees. This architecture preserves the advantages of parallel execution while preventing state contamination, such as file deletion or modification by other agents on the same files.
Generally, a Git repository has only one working directory, but a Git worktree is a Git feature that enables multiple separate directories—each checking out different branches—to share a single repository (.git history) simultaneously. Each sub-agent operates within its own worktree (an independent directory with an independent branch), ensuring physical isolation from file changes made by other agents. Once work is complete, branches can be merged sequentially, confining conflict management strictly to the integration phase.
Although the technology itself is not new, many products still process subtasks sequentially within a single worktree or rely on file locking and execution ordering for parallel processing. Adopting worktree isolation as a core architecture increases implementation complexity and cost, requiring branch creation and management, merge strategies, conflict handling and cleanup logic.
For that reason, technology media outlet VentureBeat praised Meta’s decision to offer the architecture as a built-in capability at the harness level, despite its relatively limited adoption across the industry.
Terminal Bench 2.1 benchmark results for Muse Spark 1.2 and Muse Code. Terminal Bench 2.1 evaluates how effectively AI coding agents perform real-world tasks in terminal (command-line) environments. (Source: Meta)
Meta also highlighted its local event log system, which records model calls, tool usage, approvals and code edit histories to enable task resumption even after crashes. The append-only event log allows developers to replay their entire work history from start to finish to resume work following a failure. This substantially resolves operational issues and serves as a foundation for audit trails.
Overwrite-style event logs make it impossible to determine prior actions, the process taken to reach the current state, or pending tasks. In contrast, foreign media outlets have praised Muse Code's append-only event log system for preserving the entire history sequentially for reconstruction at any time. This forms the foundation for developer efficiency, operational problem-solving, failure recovery and root-cause analysis (RCA) audit trails.
However, Muse Code does have weaknesses. First, its initial release is restricted to a terminal interface. Competing products such as Anthropic’s Claude Code offer terminal, IDE, desktop and web interfaces, while OpenAI’s Codex is supported across CLI tools, IDE extensions and cloud services.
Deep SWE benchmark results for Muse Spark 1.2 and Muse Code. Deep SWE evaluates how effectively AI agents perform real-world software engineering tasks such as bug fixes, feature implementation and codebase comprehension. (Source: Meta)
Meta also released benchmark results comparing Muse Spark 1.2 and Muse Code against competing AI models, including Grok 4.5, Claude Opus 5, GPT-5.6 Terra and Gemini 3.6 Flash. The choice of comparison models sparked controversy, as Meta avoided top-tier models from competitors in favor of second-tier options.
According to Meta, Muse Spark 1.2 and Muse Code (harness) achieved a score of 82.9% on Terminal Bench 2.1, narrowly outperforming OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Terra and Codex at 81.8% and SpaceX (xAI)’s Grok 4.5 and Grok Build at 81.6%. However, it trailed Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5 and Claude Code, which scored 86.7%.
On the Deep SWE 1.1 benchmark, Muse Spark 1.2 ranked behind Claude Opus and OpenAI GPT-5.6 Terra. This drew criticism from the developer community, with some arguing that the system would show lower performance when compared against GPT-5.6 Sol.
AI tech news site Kingy AI further claimed that Meta’s reported benchmark scores were slightly higher than actual verified figures, publishing a side-by-side comparison between Meta’s claims and verified evaluation scores.
AI tech news site Kingy AI claims Meta’s published Muse Code benchmark results are slightly higher than actual figures. Red bars represent Meta’s announcement, while blue bars indicate verified scores. (Source: Kingy AI)
The timing of the announcement has also raised suspicion. Muse Code was unveiled less than a month after the release of Muse Spark 1.1. Observers interpret this as an attempt by Meta to regain momentum after Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 stole the spotlight with overwhelming performance immediately following the ambitious Muse Spark 1.1 launch.
Despite these concerns, Muse Code’s pricing structure is viewed as a major advantage that offsets doubts about its market positioning. Meta is attempting to compensate for its late entry into the coding tool market with an aggressive pricing policy.
Critics note that the pricing strategy is more disruptive than the technology itself. Under the Standard Tier, Muse Spark 1.2 API access for Muse Code costs $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens, with cached inputs priced at $0.15 per million tokens. Meta also pledged not to use prompts or generated outputs for model training.
A second pricing option, the Contributor Tier, is available at just $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.20 per million output tokens. In exchange, developers must allow Meta to use their code for future model training.
Pricing comparison across AI models. (Source: VentureBeat)
Financial pressure appears to be driving this aggressive pricing strategy. While Meta reported second-quarter revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year, operating income fell 8% to $18.8 billion, and operating margin declined from 43% a year earlier to 31%. Capital expenditures (CAPEX) reached $31.08 billion for the quarter alone, with full-year guidance reaching up to $145 billion.
Meanwhile, entering the developer market effectively means entering the enterprise market. Alexander Wang, chief AI officer (CAIO) of Meta Superintelligence Labs and head of Muse Code development, emphasized the product's enterprise capabilities, noting that requests for Zero Data Retention (ZDR) features have already begun arriving. Remarks from CAIO Alexander Wang suggest that ZDR is currently implemented in Muse Code as an optional capability available to enterprises upon request.
ZDR is an agreement where the AI service provider immediately deletes user inputs (prompts) and outputs (responses) from servers upon completion of API call processing, storing them in no form whatsoever. While the Standard Tier already includes a commitment not to use prompts and data for training, ZDR goes one step further.
Under standard tiers, logs are temporarily stored on servers for a set period before deletion, whereas ZDR prevents storage entirely from the outset, eliminating risks associated with data leaks, hacking or future legal disputes. This is essential for regulatory compliance and intellectual property (IP) protection, both of which are major hurdles for enterprise adoption of AI coding tools.
Organizations handling sensitive source code representing trade secrets or operating under strict legal requirements regarding data retention on third-party servers demand ZDR capabilities. Without ZDR, deployment in highly regulated industries remains difficult regardless of model performance, making the feature an essential requirement for AI models and coding tools targeting the enterprise market.
Summary of Kakao’s second-quarter 2026 financial results. (Image: Kakao)
Summary of Kakao’s second-quarter 2026 financial results. (Image: Kakao)
Kakao plans to introduce an agentic artificial intelligence (AI) service that can identify food-ordering intent within KakaoTalk conversations and connect users from menu recommendations to payment through a partnership with Coupang Eats.
The company disclosed during its second-quarter 2026 earnings conference call on Aug. 6 that it has signed an agent-to-agent (A2A) partnership agreement with Coupang Eats. Under the envisioned model, KakaoTalk’s on-device AI will analyze conversational context and user preferences to recommend menu items, while the Coupang Eats agent will handle ordering and payment functions.
The two companies are currently discussing implementation details. Beginning with food delivery, Kakao plans to expand its agentic AI ecosystem into other frequently used consumer services, including commerce, reservations, travel and payments.
KakaoTalk will incorporate the company’s on-device AI model, Kanana 2 1.3B, along with long-term memory technology. The system is designed to understand schedules and interests scattered across multiple conversations as a unified context and provide increasingly personalized services based on accumulated user behavior and preferences. Kakao plans to introduce related experiences gradually in the second half of the year and is targeting more than 10 million monthly active users (MAUs) for its AI services by year-end.
Kakao said it will focus its resources on AI services that directly interact with consumers rather than infrastructure businesses such as AI data centers, graphics processing units (GPUs) and cloud computing. The company believes large upfront investments and ongoing capital expenditures are required for AI infrastructure, while rapid technology refresh cycles for GPUs and AI servers make the long-term sustainability of current profitability uncertain.
As a result, Kakao intends to prioritize AI services at the user interface level rather than capital-intensive infrastructure investments. The company plans to strengthen its in-house capabilities across the AI value chain, from models to services, leveraging its strengths in business-to-consumer (B2C) platforms.
Kakao reported second-quarter revenue of 2.0985 trillion won and operating profit of 277.0 billion won, both record highs for a single quarter. The figures increased 9% and 36%, respectively, from a year earlier.
Revenue from the platform segment rose 17% year over year to 1.2303 trillion won. Talk Biz revenue reached 643.2 billion won, while advertising and subscription revenue hit a quarterly record of 399.9 billion won. Business messaging revenue and display advertising within KakaoTalk grew 20% and 28%, respectively.
Revenue from the content segment totaled 868.2 billion won, remaining broadly in line with the previous year. Music and media revenue increased, while story revenue declined 16%.
“Considering the direction of Kakao’s AI strategy and the speed of execution, we expect the foundation for AI mass adoption to be established by the end of this year and full-scale monetization to begin next year,” Chief Executive Officer Chung Shin-a said.
Kakao aims to increase the share of AI-related revenue within its Talk Biz segment to double-digit percentages by 2028 through transaction fees, subscriptions and AI-powered advertising, positioning AI as a key driver to reignite Talk Biz growth and serve as a major revenue source.
Summary of Kakao’s second-quarter 2026 financial results. (Image: Kakao)
Summary of Kakao’s second-quarter 2026 financial results. (Image: Kakao)
Kakao reported record quarterly revenue and operating profit for the second quarter, driven by continued growth across its platform businesses. Strong performance from Talk Biz, mobility and payments operations also strengthened the company’s financial capacity to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives.
The company said on Aug. 6 that second-quarter revenue reached 2.10 trillion won, while operating profit rose to 277.0 billion won on a consolidated basis under Korean International Financial Reporting Standards (K-IFRS). The figures were up 9% and 36%, respectively, from a year earlier.
Revenue from the platform segment totaled 1.23 trillion won, an increase of 17% year over year. Within the segment, Talk Biz generated 643.2 billion won, accounting for 52% of platform revenue. Advertising and subscription revenue rose 14% from a year earlier to 399.9 billion won.
Business messaging revenue increased 20% as demand from advertisers in the financial sector expanded. Display advertising on KakaoTalk also grew 28%, supported by higher user engagement and the performance of new advertising products.
Talk Biz commerce revenue reached 243.2 billion won, up 10% from the same period last year. Combined gross merchandise value from services including Gift and Talk Deal increased 9% to 2.7 trillion won during the quarter. Self-purchase transactions through the Gift platform rose 39%.
Revenue from other platform businesses, including mobility and payments, climbed 22% year over year to 587.0 billion won. The mobility business benefited from growth in its core operations and last-mile logistics services. Kakao Pay posted record quarterly revenue and operating profit, supported by higher financial-service revenue and growth in payment and platform services.
Revenue from the content segment increased 1% from a year earlier to 868.2 billion won. Music revenue rose 8% to 558.4 billion won, while media revenue increased 5% to 99.1 billion won. Story revenue totaled 210.7 billion won.
Operating expenses rose 6% year over year to 1.82 trillion won.
Kakao said it plans to gradually introduce agentic AI services within KakaoTalk that connect everyday activities such as ordering, reservations and payments. The company will work with partners in commerce, reservations, travel and payments while expanding its ecosystem through its open platform, PlayMCP.
As an initial example, Kakao plans to establish an environment in which users can complete food ordering and payment directly within a KakaoTalk chat room through an agent-to-agent (A2A) partnership with Coupang Eats. The company said an on-device AI model will understand conversational context and seamlessly connect users to ordering and payment functions.
Frank O'Dowd, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer of Cohere, presents the company's Asia-Pacific business strategy.
Frank O'Dowd, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer of Cohere, presents the company's Asia-Pacific business strategy.
Canadian enterprise AI company Cohere held its first media briefing in South Korea on Aug. 5 at The Westin Josun Seoul, unveiling plans to make the country a key hub for its Asia-Pacific expansion. Frank O'Dowd, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, and Hugh Jang, President for Asia-Pacific, outlined the company's regional strategy.
O'Dowd said South Korea is the most dynamic and competitive AI market in the Asia-Pacific region, adding that success in Korea would provide a strong foundation for expansion into other regional markets. Based on that assessment, Cohere plans to establish a Korean subsidiary by the fourth quarter of this year and hire a double-digit number of technical and sales personnel. The company also plans to establish a separate legal entity in Japan and deepen cooperation with Fujitsu, while expanding support for public-sector customers in Singapore.
Cohere's business in South Korea has expanded through its partnership with LG CNS. The company described LG CNS as its first key partner in the market, helping localize Cohere's AI models and agentic AI platform for Korean language and industry requirements. Cohere said it plans to broaden its domestic ecosystem beyond LG CNS to include additional IT service providers and AI model companies.
Two themes stood out in Cohere's presentation. First, the company spent considerably more time discussing its AI agent platform, North, than its proprietary generative AI model family, Command. Second, it positioned sovereign AI as a core competitive advantage.
Cohere was originally known for developing the enterprise large language model (LLM) Command. Founded in 2019 with the goal of building generative AI for businesses, the company counts Aidan Gomez among its three co-founders. Gomez, formerly of Google Brain, was a co-author of the landmark 2017 paper "Attention Is All You Need," which introduced the Transformer architecture that underpins modern AI and LLMs.
From the outset, Cohere targeted enterprise customers. It launched API services for enterprise text generation and vector embeddings in 2021 and later developed Command in 2022. Until the launch of North in January last year, the company's primary focus was AI models. At its first Korean press event, however, the majority of the discussion centered on North, its AI workspace platform.
North is an enterprise AI agent platform that connects internal corporate data and business systems so AI agents can perform real-world work tasks. Combined with Cohere's Embed and Rerank engines, it enables retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-based search across large volumes of enterprise data, including documents, emails, databases and wikis, allowing users to find relevant information and generate answers and reports. The platform also supports enterprise AI agents capable of autonomously planning and executing multi-step tasks and workflow automation.
When Cohere launched North early last year, it positioned the product as an enterprise alternative to Microsoft and Google. North competes directly with Microsoft Copilot Studio and Google Vertex AI Agent Builder.
All three platforms connect enterprise data such as documents, emails and presentation files with AI systems to create customized internal AI agents.
Microsoft Copilot Studio is tightly integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it highly accessible for enterprises running Windows-based environments. Google Vertex AI Agent Builder allows organizations to build agents integrated with Google Workspace on Google Cloud Platform infrastructure.
Hugh Jang, President of Asia-Pacific at Cohere
In contrast, Cohere said North is not tied to any specific hyperscale cloud ecosystem and can be deployed across any cloud platform or internal infrastructure chosen by the customer. The company argues that this flexibility makes North particularly suitable for organizations that seek independence from large technology vendors and require stronger security controls and customization, especially in financial services and other highly regulated industries.
According to Cohere, the company has adhered to four principles since its founding: enterprise control of data, multi-cloud support, on-premises deployment capability, and strong security and privacy protection. Command and North can be deployed in public clouds, private cloud environments, customer-owned data centers, or air-gapped environments disconnected from the internet. The company cited this deployment flexibility as its primary differentiator and the foundation of its sovereign AI strategy.
Cohere argued that enterprises and government agencies should be able to maintain direct control over both their data and AI operating environments. The company said its ability to support AI deployment in private cloud and on-premises environments, in addition to public cloud infrastructure, enables customers to meet data sovereignty and security requirements.
According to international media reports including TechCrunch, overseas customers using North have adopted the platform's agent capabilities in on-premises environments to balance strict security requirements with business productivity gains. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), for example, worked with Cohere to develop and deploy North for Banking, a dedicated platform tailored to financial services. All financial data remains within RBC's own data centers and is not transmitted to external cloud environments.
LG CNS is also cited as one of North's key early customers. Cohere and LG CNS signed a partnership agreement in March 2025, and Cohere later stated on its corporate blog that LG CNS had deployed North to validate the effectiveness of AI agents in large-scale enterprise environments. According to the company, the platform is being used as a foundation for secure, customized AI agent initiatives at Korean enterprises that are highly sensitive to data leakage risks and seek alternatives to dependence on major technology vendors.
Cohere also said North provides transparent citations to source documents and visibility into how responses are generated, allowing enterprises to trace AI-generated outputs. The company said these capabilities have made the platform particularly attractive to financial institutions and large enterprises where controlling hallucinations is critical.
O'Dowd said many organizations have adopted generative AI but have not achieved the return on investment they initially expected. Rather than relying on the largest available AI models, he said, companies should select models suited to specific business objectives and optimize both performance and cost.
As part of that strategy, Cohere said North supports not only the company's own Command models but also a range of third-party AI models. The company also emphasized that it charges customers based on the number of annual users rather than token consumption, making AI operating costs more predictable for enterprises.
Cohere's decision to place North ahead of Command appears to reflect a recognition that competing solely on model performance is no longer sufficient. When Command was first introduced, model-to-model performance competition was still a meaningful differentiator. Today, however, the company lacks a model that directly rivals the performance of OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude.
Instead, Cohere argues that enterprises should have broad freedom to choose the most appropriate models for their environments, including open-weight models, and describes that model choice as another component of sovereign AI. The message closely mirrors comments recently made by Palantir Chief Executive Officer Alex Karp.
In terms of market positioning, strategic direction and enterprise deployment scope, Cohere North sits between Palantir AIP and OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise and ChatGPT Work offerings. The distinctions among the three platforms, however, are becoming increasingly blurred.
OpenAI is expanding beyond AI assistants toward AI agent platforms and enterprise workflow automation, while Palantir is broadening AIP beyond operational automation into knowledge-worker functions such as document processing and natural-language interfaces. Cohere occupies a position that gives it opportunities to expand in both directions, but also leaves it exposed to competitive pressure from both sides.
Bigwave Robotics Chief Executive Officer Kim Min-kyo (left) and Omron Electronics Korea President Kim Young-ho pose after signing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the robotics business.
Bigwave Robotics Chief Executive Officer Kim Min-kyo (left) and Omron Electronics Korea President Kim Young-ho pose after signing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the robotics business.
Bigwave Robotics and Omron Electronics Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the robotics business, aiming to establish a framework for deploying safe humanoid robots in industrial environments.
Bigwave said that while humanoid robot pilot projects are expanding, existing robot safety standards do not adequately account for characteristics such as bipedal locomotion and AI-based autonomous decision-making. As a result, the company said there is a growing need to integrate risk assessment and safety design from the earliest stages of humanoid robot deployment.
Under the agreement, Bigwave's humanoid robot supply and system integration capabilities will be combined with Omron Electronics Korea's industrial safety consulting and safety control technologies to establish new safety standards for humanoid robots.
The two companies plan to jointly manage the entire process, from identifying customer demand and proposing robot specifications to risk assessment, safety hardware design and installation, validation, and documentation. Bigwave will propose humanoid robots and systems tailored to customer manufacturing processes and oversee on-site integration.
Omron Electronics Korea will support risk assessments and Performance Level required (PLr) analysis based on ISO 12100 and ISO 13849-1 standards, as well as the deployment of safety solutions including safety programmable logic controllers (PLCs), emergency-stop switches, and laser scanners. When necessary, the company will also integrate safety hardware such as light curtains, which stop equipment operation when a worker enters a monitored area, and door switches to improve applicability in industrial settings.
Bigwave said customers will be able to receive robot supply, safety consulting, safety hardware deployment, validation documentation, and on-site implementation as part of a single project. To accelerate humanoid robot adoption in manufacturing and logistics facilities, the company will establish a demonstration environment for safety solutions at its data center, where the partners will conduct joint proof-of-concept (PoC) projects and field trials.
The companies also plan to standardize processes from initial consultation through on-site deployment and secure real-world implementation references through joint seminars and facility assessments.
AI platform company INFINIQ has begun developing an intelligent data processing technology that converts handwritten military logistics documents into AI-based digital data.
The company announced that it has completed the project kickoff for the development of an OCR-based intelligent data processing and structuring system for unstructured handwritten documents in the military logistics sector under the second round of the 2026 SME Technology Development Support Program. Delivery is scheduled for December.
The project's core objective is to automatically recognize unstructured logistics documents—including supply requisition forms, maintenance records and inventory status reports—using AI-powered optical character recognition (OCR) and convert them into structured data that can be directly linked to the Defense Logistics Integrated Information System (DELIIS).
INFINIQ said most military logistics forms are currently handwritten and later re-entered manually by personnel, resulting in significant labor consumption and data-entry errors. The company added that conventional OCR solutions relying on external cloud APIs have limitations in accurately recognizing military-specific codes such as National Stock Numbers (NSNs) and unit abbreviations.
To address these challenges, INFINIQ plans to deploy a three-layer hybrid recognition engine combining precision OCR, visual language model (VLM)-based contextual understanding and ontology-based logical validation. OCR will recognize handwritten text and special codes, the VLM will correct misidentified content based on context, and the ontology layer will verify data consistency according to military logistics domain rules.
The company said the system is designed to achieve character recognition accuracy exceeding 95%, a character error rate (CER) below 5%, and processing times of less than five minutes per document. INFINIQ emphasized that the platform will operate independently within a fully isolated on-premises network without external internet connectivity, and will also incorporate a five-layer security framework that includes data encryption, role-based access control and automatic masking of personal information.
According to the company, the system will enable personnel currently assigned to manual data entry to focus on analytical and decision-making tasks while reducing data entry and verification time by more than 50%. The company added that the accumulated maintenance data could later be analyzed using time-series techniques to predict optimal maintenance schedules, which could reduce maintenance costs, prevent equipment failures and improve overall logistics operations.
To ensure technical completeness and domain relevance, the Korea Military Academy will participate as an advisory institution. The academy will provide development facilities and collaborate throughout the project on ontology design and validation.
INFINIQ also plans to integrate the structured logistics data generated by the project with its ontology-based decision support platform, AURON. Combined with AURON, the data can be searched and analyzed through semantic relationships linking maintenance histories and inventory status, and the platform can assess impact ranges and maintenance priorities based on relationships among equipment, units and supplies. The company said it ultimately plans to visualize the data through dashboards and expand the system into a military-specific AI platform that can be utilized across units, facilities and operational functions.
CJ ONE, the lifestyle membership platform operated by CJ OliveNetworks, is launching its August Wonder Series promotion in partnership with Mega MGC Coffee.
The company previously held the promotion with Tous Les Jours in July and will offer benefits through Mega MGC Coffee in August.
The August Wonder Series consists of Wonder Week with Mega MGC Coffee, Wonder Raffle on Aug. 11 and Wonder Quiz on Aug. 21.
Wonder Raffle will offer prize drawings, while Wonder Quiz will provide opportunities to earn CJ ONE points and benefits from major CJ brands.
From Aug. 1 to Aug. 5, CJ ONE is running a teaser event for Wonder Week. Members who sign up for event notifications through the CJ ONE app during the period will receive CJ ONE points.
The main Wonder Week event will run from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10.
During the event, all CJ ONE members can receive a 50% discount coupon for a Mega MGC Coffee iced Americano through the CJ ONE app at 10 a.m. each day.
Members who did not earn or redeem CJ ONE points at Mega MGC Coffee between Jan. 1 and July 31, 2026, will receive an additional 50% discount coupon if they make their first point transaction during the Wonder Week promotion.
The "Persona" system in Com2uS' upcoming game Zeus: The God of Arrogance. (Photo: THE ELEC)
The "Persona" system in Com2uS' upcoming game Zeus: The God of Arrogance. (Photo: THE ELEC)
Com2uS' upcoming MMORPG Zeus: The God of Arrogance (Zeus) and Smilegate's Eclipse: The Awakening (Eclipse) are set to face off in the market with launches just two weeks apart. While both games aim to reduce the fatigue associated with long play sessions in traditional MMORPGs, they differ significantly in their settings, competitive structures and character progression systems.
Published by Com2uS and developed by AButton, Zeus is scheduled for release on Aug. 26. Eclipse, published by Smilegate and developed by NPIXEL, is slated to launch on Sept. 10.
Zeus is built around a world inspired by Greek mythology. Rather than directly adapting familiar myths, the game reimagines the stories of Pandora, the Titans and the Olympian gods in a world fractured by the arrogance of Zeus, the king of the gods. Unreal Engine 5-powered graphics and a multilayered competitive structure are among its key features.
"Greek mythology is a story that virtually everyone knows, yet it has surprisingly rarely been explored properly in games," said Jung Sung-hoon, director at AButton. "We used that familiarity as a starting point while adding our own fresh elements. Many well-known gods will guide players into the world of the God of Arrogance, each with their own role."
In contrast, Eclipse adopts an original setting centered on the prosperous world of Ederion, blessed by the gods, and its hidden counterpart, Orthea. The game builds its own narrative around uncovering the truth concealed behind a seemingly perfect world.
"Stories based on well-known mythological elements often have predefined events, narratives and character frameworks," said Kim Dong-hyuk, chief art director at NPIXEL. "Rather than incorporating existing mythology, we felt it was important to create our own mythological details, which is why we chose an original story."
At the core of both games is the effort to reduce the burden of extended MMORPG play. However, Zeus focuses on improving convenience so that more players can participate in competition and progression, rather than reducing competitive elements themselves. Even while using AI-driven auto-play mode, players can access shops, trade items and manage equipment. A scheduling function also allows players to assign different hunting areas based on time periods.
The game also introduces an AI-powered "Persona" system designed to lower playtime requirements while preserving the appeal of competitive MMORPG gameplay. Personas are AI-controlled replicas generated in real time using a player's character specifications and appearance. Players can compete against these personas in one-on-one content such as the Colosseum and in large-scale guild-versus-guild RvR content known as the Arcadia Festival.
"Eclipse Time" in Eclipse: The Awakening. (Photo: THE ELEC)
Eclipse, meanwhile, defines its approach as "MMO Lite." The concept aims to preserve the enjoyment of progression, cooperation and combat while reducing both time and spending requirements. Its flagship "Sanctuary" feature allows players to accumulate experience points and growth resources even while offline. The game also includes an AI mode that enables automated hunting during offline periods and a support feature called "Eclipse Time," which lets players choose their preferred play schedule.
The two titles also differ in their player-versus-player (PvP) philosophies. While Zeus emphasizes a multilayered competitive structure, Eclipse adopts optional PvP, giving players greater control over whether they participate in competitive content. Most areas are designated as safe zones, and large-scale battles are designed to be completed in shorter sessions. Combat strategies based on weapon selection and skill combinations further distinguish the game.
Both titles are strategically important to their publishers' MMORPG businesses. Zeus is Com2uS' flagship MMORPG release for the second half of the year and the first title from AButton. With The Starlight, released in 2025, falling short of expectations, industry observers are watching to see whether Zeus can become a new growth driver for the company's RPG business.
Eclipse is a new MMORPG jointly introduced by Smilegate and NPIXEL. As revenue from Lost Ark continues to stabilize at lower levels, the title is expected to play a key role in securing new revenue streams. Industry attention is also focused on how players will respond to the game's "MMO Lite" strategy, which seeks to maintain traditional MMORPG progression and competitive systems while reducing player burden.
By taking different approaches to easing MMORPG fatigue—Zeus through Greek mythology and competitive gameplay, and Eclipse through an original world and optional PvP—the two titles are poised to compete for different segments of the market. Their launches, separated by roughly two weeks, will be closely watched in the second half of the year.
Officials from Woowa Brothers and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety pose for a commemorative photograph after signing an agreement to promote the use of Good Price Stores. (Photo: Woowa Brothers)
Officials from Woowa Brothers and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety pose for a commemorative photograph after signing an agreement to promote the use of Good Price Stores. (Photo: Woowa Brothers)
Woowa Brothers, the operator of food delivery platform Baemin, said on Aug. 10 that it signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety to promote the use of certified low-price businesses, known as Good Price Stores.
Good Price Stores are businesses recognized by the ministry and local governments for offering affordable prices, hygienic environments and friendly service, making them establishments that consumers are likely to revisit.
The agreement is intended to help ease the burden of inflation on consumers. Under the program, restaurant owners who have maintained affordable prices will gain additional opportunities to increase sales, while consumers will receive benefits through the Baemin platform.
From Aug. 17 through Sept. 13, customers will be able to receive delivery-only discount coupons worth 3,000 won for orders placed at participating Good Price Stores on a first-come, first-served basis.
Baemin will also support participating businesses by featuring them through banner promotions on the "Together Store" page within its mutual-growth program section on the platform.
ElevenLabs' AI dubbing technology is now available through an API.
ElevenLabs' AI dubbing technology is now available through an API.
Global AI audio research startup ElevenLabs has made its new dubbing model, Dubbing v2, available through its ElevenAPI platform, allowing developers to integrate the technology directly into their products and workflows. The model was first introduced through a user interface version in May and is now being offered via API access.
Unlike conventional dubbing systems that follow a speech recognition → translation → speech synthesis pipeline using cloned voices, Dubbing v2 employs a direct speech-to-speech (audio-to-audio) architecture. ElevenLabs said the model generates speech output directly from the source speech, enabling it to replicate the speaker's voice and more faithfully reflect the original's emotional expression and performance while producing natural multilingual dubbing.
The company also said the model is designed to align spoken dialogue naturally with video timing, improving synchronization accuracy. However, Dubbing v2 does not provide AI lip-sync processing for video content or real-time multilingual dubbing for live-streamed broadcasts. The model supports 92 languages, including Korean.
ElevenLabs said the primary target users for Dubbing v2 include content creators, media companies and global enterprises seeking to deliver high-quality content to international audiences.
The company added that professional film- and television-grade dubbing has traditionally cost hundreds of dollars per minute, whereas Dubbing v2 aims to provide high-quality dubbing at a more affordable price point.
MICUBE Solution, a provider of smart factory and autonomous manufacturing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, will build an AI autonomous manufacturing platform for cosmetics original development manufacturer (ODM) Cosmecca Korea.
The project is being carried out under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "AI Applied Product Rapid Commercialization Support Program," operated by the AI Innovation Promotion Team of the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA). MICUBE is one of the selected solution providers for the initiative.
MICUBE will develop five core AI solutions to be deployed at Cosmecca Korea's manufacturing facilities. The goal is to create an intelligent autonomous manufacturing environment spanning the entire cosmetics production process, from research and development to formulation, production and quality inspection.
The solutions include: an AI Multi-Vision Quality Inspection system that uses deep-learning-based image analysis to respond immediately to product diversification and process changes; a Recipe Generation AI system that analyzes body and skin information alongside raw material and ingredient data to recommend optimal cosmetic formulations and validate them in a virtual environment; a Similar Complaint Prevention AI system that leverages large language models (LLMs) to analyze historical quality and customer complaint data, predict potential defects and provide natural-language question-and-answer capabilities; a Generative AI Data Integration platform that connects data across R&D, production and quality processes to support real-time decision-making; and a Digital Twin-Based Autonomous Control system that combines virtual manufacturing environments with LLMs to optimize processes in real time while providing AI-generated control recommendations and decision rationales.
Regarding the Recipe Generation AI solution, MICUBE said it has already validated a mathematical structure-based optimization algorithm in the secondary battery industry, where it analyzes large numbers of raw material combinations to identify optimal formulations. The company plans to apply that technology to cosmetics recipe development. It added that it has carried out numerous AI projects in industries such as food and chemicals, where ingredient blending and recipe optimization are critical.
The project will be implemented over two years. During the first year, the companies will establish AI core models and data infrastructure. In the second year, they plan to enhance the AI models, conduct field validation and commercialize a customized autonomous manufacturing system. The companies also intend to expand deployment of the solutions to Cosmecca Korea's global production sites.
MICUBE said it aims to successfully demonstrate a cosmetics-focused AI integration framework that combines generative AI and digital twins through the project. The company plans to expand the framework as a standard AI transformation (AX) model for small and mid-sized manufacturers and broaden the application of its autonomous manufacturing solutions to industries including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
Webzen on Aug. 10 revealed the first gameplay visuals and details for its self-developed upcoming title, Project D1.
Project D1 is a command strategy role-playing game (RPG) being developed by Webzen Crevix, a subsidiary of Webzen, based on the intellectual property (IP) of the popular webtoon I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game. The title is currently in development with a target launch in 2027.
The game recreates the world into which the protagonist of the original webtoon is summoned, using a dot-graphics-based "diorama pixel art" style. The technique combines 2D pixel art with three-dimensional spatial presentation.
The original webtoon's narrative has been adapted into a party-based combat system. The episodes and storylines involving the protagonist have been reinterpreted through party composition, tactical operations, character progression and command-based battles.
Webzen said it plans to disclose more detailed information about the game in the second half of this year.
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