The Lane · Essay

CDPR: Ditching REDengine Wasn't Cyberpunk's Fault

Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski says The Witcher 4 moved to Unreal Engine 5 because of Epic's Matrix demo, not the Cyberpunk 2077 launch. 'The issue with Cyberpunk was not really REDengine itself.' Meanwhile 2077 heads to Battle.net and Edgerunners 2 is 29 days out.

By PHRHX · Published September 21, 2026

Photo: CD Projekt Red via VGC

For four years the accepted story was simple: Cyberpunk 2077 launched broken in 2020, CD Projekt blamed the tech, and in March 2022 it announced the next Witcher on Unreal Engine 5. Cause, effect. The company's co-CEO says that's the wrong story.

## What Nowakowski said On the Deconstructor of Fun podcast, Michał Nowakowski was asked directly whether Cyberpunk's launch problems drove the engine switch. "Yes and no," he said, then: "The issue with Cyberpunk was not really REDengine itself." The line that traveled, via VGC: "It was not the Cyberpunk launch that convinced us to abandon the REDengine... It was more the moment we got an early scoop of the Matrix demo that Epic made."

## The Matrix demo The Matrix Awakens, Epic's December 2021 UE5 showcase, was a city that looked like a film. CDPR saw it early and asked one question: can this ship a game the size we make? The answer was no, not out of the box. So they went to Epic with a deal: partner, build the missing pieces together, and it could work. That became the strategic collaboration announced in 2022. Nowakowski says CDPR is now "the only team in the world outside of Epic" working inside the engine's black box.

## 'The dream was never to make technology' That's the real reason, in his telling. REDengine carried The Witcher 2, The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk. Maintaining it meant being a tech company as well as a game company. "The dream of the company was actually never to make technology. It was to... tell the stories in the most convincing and immersive way." Renting the engine and customizing the parts they need lets them ship more games. Every producer who ever tried to build their own DAW instead of making beats knows that trade.

## Where Cyberpunk is right now 2077 crossed 40 million sold this month, with Phantom Liberty past 15 million (OpenCritic). It's coming to Battle.net later this year, base game and expansion sold separately or as the Ultimate Edition (CD Projekt Red). Edgerunners 2 hits Netflix October 20. The sequel, Orion, is being built on Unreal Engine 5 at CDPR's Boston studio, so this engine story is the Cyberpunk 2 story too.

## The take Blaming the engine was the easy read. The honest one is that Night City's launch was a scope-and-schedule problem, and the engine change was a business decision made on the strength of a tech demo. That's less dramatic and more useful. The next Cyberpunk lives or dies on the same two things every project does: scope and schedule.

## Sources - CD Projekt Red's move from REDengine to UE5 for The Witcher 4 wasn't because of Cyberpunk's launch, co-CEO says — VGC, Sept. 18, 2026 - The Witcher 4 abandons CD Projekt Red's in-house tech for Unreal Engine 5 — GamesRadar+, Sept. 18, 2026 - Michał Nowakowski on Deconstructor of Fun — YouTube, Sept. 2026 - Cyberpunk 2077 comes to Battle.net — CD Projekt Red Press Center, Sept. 2026 - New Cyberpunk 2077 releases officially confirmed for 2026 and 2027 — OpenCritic, Sept. 2026

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Vallejo Just Gave Mac Dre His Own Street — The Vallejo City Council voted unanimously on September 8 to rename Taper Avenue, the half-mile where Andre Hicks formed his first groups, as Mac Dre Way. Twenty-two years after Kansas City, the block gets his name.
Kaepernick Finally Answered Jay-Z's Yankee Freestyle — Seven years after the NFL deal, Jay-Z rapped about Colin Kaepernick's settlement at Yankee Stadium in July. On Dateline and then with Jemele Hill, Kaepernick called the bars 'a guilty conscience.' Both sides, quoted.
Air Jordan 11 'Space Jam' Returns Dec. 12 at $255 — Thirty years after the film and ten after the last retro, the Air Jordan 11 'Space Jam' (CT8012-900) drops December 12 at $255 with the '23' heel, Varsity Royal Jumpman, translucent blue outsole, and 'Jumpman Jam' on the box.
Travis Scott Reportedly Has a Red Jordan 1 Low Coming — Sneaker News reports Travis Scott and Jordan Brand have a reverse-Swoosh Air Jordan 1 Low in an OG 'Chicago' red colorway lined up for 2027. No style code, no images, no confirmation from either camp, and a 'Blue Ferrari' 14 rumored for the same fall.
Mike McFarland, Voice of Master Roshi and Buggy, Dies at 56 — The English voice of Master Roshi in Dragon Ball, Buggy the Clown in One Piece, Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, and Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist died September 10 of glioblastoma. He also directed a generation of Funimation dubs.
One Piece Pauses After Episode 1180. Weekly Is Over. — Episode 1180 on September 27 closes the first cour of the Elbaf arc, then the anime goes on break with no return date until 2027. Toei's roughly-26-episodes-a-year model is now the structure, not the exception.
My Hero Academia Announces a New Project on September 20 — Toho Animation confirmed a live 'All Might Nippon' 10th-anniversary special for September 20 at 6pm JST, hosted by Deku and Bakugo's voice actors, with a new My Hero Academia project announced on air. The anime ended with season 8; this is what's next.
Edgerunners 2 Is 35 Days Out. The Cure Is on the Opening. — Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 hits Netflix October 20 with ten episodes, a new crew, and an opening set to The Cure's '10:15 Saturday Night,' a detail Trigger confirmed at Anime Expo that most people missed. Countdown and what's confirmed.
JAŸ-Z In 8 premieres at the Met; HBO drops it Friday — JAŸ-Z and Rick Rubin premiered the eight-part HBO series at Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House Sunday night with Beyoncé, DiCaprio, SZA, Kaluuya, Khaled and Fat Joe in the room. Two episodes land September 18, then two a week through October 9.
Kodak Black beats two Florida cases in one week — Orlando prosecutors filed a no-information notice on the MDMA trafficking count Friday, September 11, three days after a Broward judge tossed his fleeing case. Bradford Cohen: neither should have been charged.
Meek Mill Wants Akademiks' Address. Ak Answered With a Wall of Guns. — What started as a post-verdict 'mute Akademiks' campaign turned into Meek asking for a New Jersey address, Ak panning a wall of rifles captioned 'A collector,' and a screenshot of missed calls captioned 'Obsession.'
Tone Capone, the Producer Behind 'I Got 5 On It,' Dies at 59 — The Oakland producer who built the Luniz's biggest record, most of Scarface's The Untouchable and a run of Mac Dre classics died Saturday, Sept. 12. No cause has been given.
Lil Wayne Quit the NFL for the Season After One Packers Game — Green Bay out-gained Minnesota by 180 yards, got flagged 12 times and lost 39-22 on Sunday. The Packers' most famous fan posted through it and then posted out of it.
AZ Chike's Tracklist Has Tyler Twice and Kendrick Nowhere — 'NO REST FOR THE WICKED' lands Friday, Sept. 18 on Warner. Pharrell, Hit-Boy and Terrace Martin are on the boards. The GNX collaborator who posted studio pics with Kendrick two weeks ago isn't on the list.
A Hot Mic on N3on's Stream Might Have Announced French Montana's Baby — Sitting between streamer N3on and a friend at a Fashion Week event Monday night, French Montana got congratulated 'because of the baby' on a live lapel mic. He shushed her. Too late.
'Rabbit' Is Out, and the Godbody LP Tracklist Has an Eminem and Jay-Z Interlude — Rakim, Kurupt and Masta Killa dropped the third single and its video with Mac Shawn 100 ahead of Friday's 'DPG Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang DPG: The Godbody LP.' The 15-track list includes a Snoop remix closer and a spoken interlude credited to Eminem and Jay-Z.
The Air Jordan 14 'Blue Ferrari' Is Reported for Fall 2027 — Sneaker Files and @zSneakerHeadz report a third general-release lap for the Ferrari 14: blue suede, yellow shield, $215, fall 2027. No style code yet. Leak, not an announcement.
JAIDE's Air Jordan 11 Low Drops Friday. Whitaker Group Stores Only, No SNKRS. — Fiberglass green pebbled leather, women's sizing, $205, IW1882-300. Raffles are live at JAIDE, A Ma Maniére, Social Status and APB. It's the second Whitaker Group 11 Low landing the same day.
The Air Jordan 9 'Charcoal' Is Reported to Return in Fall 2027 — An OG 1994 colorway that's been retroed exactly once, in 2010, is reported for a general release next fall at $215 with a shape closer to the original. Leak via Sneaker Files and @zSneakerHeadz.
Nigel Sylvester's Air Jordan 6 'Paperboy' Has a Date: June 25, 2027 — The BMX rider's first Air Jordan 6 now has a reported release date, a style code (IZ9536-400) and a color: Lyon Blue/White-Wolf Grey-Black, $230, SNKRS and neighborhood accounts. Still a leak.
The Air Jordan 5 'Halloween' Glows. Here's the Detailed Look Before Oct. 17. — Retailer and in-hand photos surfaced this week: black nubuck, orange shark teeth, a two-tone Nike Air heel and glow-in-the-dark drop shadows under the 23. HQ7978-001, $220, full family, Oct. 17.
Netflix Is Making a Live-Action Movie of the Snoop Dogg Yakuza Game — A three-IP deal announced Sept. 14: a live-action Stranger Than Heaven film from the Like a Dragon studio's Snoop-and-Tupac prequel, a Crazy Taxi movie from the Naked Gun writers, and a new Sonic animated series for kids.
The Next Gundam Is 'XARX-ZERO,' April 2027, From the Ghost in the Shell: SAC Director — A brand-new post-apocalypse continuity directed and written by Kenji Kamiyama, with Demon Slayer's Go Shiina on music and Eiichi Shimizu on mecha design. Confirmed for Japan and North America.
Steel Ball Run's New Trailer Puts Funny Valentine on Screen — Netflix's 2nd STAGE trailer, out Sept. 14, shows Funny Valentine, Hot Pants and Mountain Tim ahead of the Sept. 25 weekly return. Eleven episodes this run.
Black Ops 7 Season 06 'The Haunting' Lands Thursday With a DOOM Crossover — Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. PT: DOOM Event Pass, Haunted Hollow in Warzone, a 64-player Giant Infected mode, new map Quantum, Zombies map Tenshu, and Call of Duty Next set for Sept. 30.
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Opens Friday Tracking Up to $60 Million — The franchise's best domestic opening ever is $26.6 million. The Weapons director's take, opening Sept. 18 in 3,500-plus theaters, is tracking to double it. Reviews are still under embargo.
PS Plus Extra Adds WWE 2K26 and RuneScape: Dragonwilds Today. The Rest Trickles In All Month. — The September Game Catalog starts rolling out Tuesday, Sept. 15, but Sony staggered it: eight Extra titles across four dates, with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Dungeons of Hinterberg not landing until Sept. 29. Premium gets Mega Man X Command Mission and Metro Redux.
Yaya Mayweather Owes $50 Million for the Stabbing at NBA YoungBoy's House — A Harris County judge put $50,105,000 on the April 2020 knife attack on Lapattra Jacobs, the mother of another of YoungBoy's kids. The judgment was signed in May; TMZ surfaced it Monday. YoungBoy was never charged, and the claims against him never reached trial.
Capcom Spotlight Opens TGS Wednesday at 7am PT. Here's the Board. — Tokyo Game Show doesn't open its doors until Thursday, but Capcom's 40-minute Spotlight streams Wednesday morning with Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, Onimusha: Way of the Sword and PRAGMATA on the board.
Sony Built GTA 6 a 300-Inch Theater at Tokyo Game Show. The Footage Isn't New. — Inside the PlayStation booth at TGS, Sony is running a Grand Theft Auto VI theater: the Extended Look on a 300-inch display, floor haptics, and a free co-branded shirt if you sit through it. There is no Rockstar booth, and no new footage.
GTA 6 Wants an Arthur Morgan Bond With Jason and Lucia — Rockstar North co-head Rob Nelson says GTA 6's two leads were built for the kind of attachment Red Dead 2 players had with Arthur — and the protagonist switch is now an emotional tool, not just a fast-travel button.
Cyberpunk 2077 Hits Battle.net; Geralt Joins Diablo 4 — CD Projekt Red announced at BlizzCon that Cyberpunk 2077, Phantom Liberty and the Ultimate Edition hit Battle.net later this year — and a Geralt skin for Diablo 4 Barbarians comes with one catch: Battle.net only.
Diablo 5 Has No Towns. Your Party Travels With You. — Day-two BlizzCon details: Diablo 5 is in full production, supports solo or full co-op, and replaces safe-zone towns with a caravan of followers designed by a Dragon Age writer. Spring 2029.
Chief Keef's Chicago Show Pushed 30 Minutes Before Doors — Keef's first headlining show inside Chicago city limits since 2012 was postponed at 7pm for a 7:30 start. Live Nation says travel and curfew. Keef says a pilot got racist and cancelled his plane. New date: September 23.
Ye's Next Stop Is Jakarta: 77,000 at GBK on October 24 — With Chicago in the books and no fresh headline this weekend, the next date on Ye's calendar is his first-ever Indonesia show — the only Southeast Asia stop on the Bully run, in the round, before Houston on Halloween.
Iota II: The $60 Sampler for Producers Who Miss Iris — Dillon Bastan's Iota II is a visual spectral multi-sampler: drop a sample, see the spectrogram, draw the path the playhead takes. Spectral, granular and scrub engines, MPE, six slots, twelve paths, $60 with a free trial.
Lil Wayne and Boosie Led LSU Down Victory Hill — Two Baton Rouge–New Orleans legends walked the Tigers into Death Valley on Saturday alongside the new head coach and Tyrann Mathieu. Second straight week Kiffin has put a celebrity at the front of the walk.
Air Jordan 6 'Sport Blue' Returns Fall 2027 With Nike Air — First retro since 2014, and this time the heel reportedly gets the Nike Air the 2014 pair skipped, on a mold reshaped toward the 1991 original. Leaker-sourced; Jordan Brand hasn't confirmed.
Jordan Brand Put Bouclé on an Air Jordan 1 Low. It's $125. — Official images of the women's Air Jordan 1 Low 'Bouclé': the nubby textile from high-end furniture wraps the heel and collar, with metallic silver Wings badges, a light blue toe and a maroon Swoosh. Fall/Winter 2026.
Edgerunners Comes to Overwatch: David and Talia in 2027 — Announced at BlizzCon's Battle.net panel: an Overwatch x Cyberpunk: Edgerunners collaboration in 2027 with cosmetics based on Season 1's David Martinez and Season 2's lead, Talia. Heroes, dates and prices are still unannounced.
Madoka: Walpurgisnacht Rising Gets a New Trailer, New Cast — Two weeks after opening in Japan, the first new Madoka film in thirteen years got a fresh trailer, a new Ume Aoki visual and a surprise: Maaya Sakamoto as a mystery upperclassman named Wasu. No U.S. date yet.
Overgeared Locks October 2 With a Third Trailer — The Solo Leveling-lane manhwa about a bottom-tier player who becomes a legendary blacksmith premieres October 2 from J.C.Staff, streaming on Crunchyroll. Third trailer, third visual, two new cast members.
Papoose Dropped 'Jezebel' the Same Day as the Divorce Hearing — Papoose answered two Remy Ma diss songs with one of his own, released September 11 while the two were in a virtual divorce hearing. Claressa Shields is defending it. Remy is teasing the next one. Nobody has signed anything.
The Teen Accused of Killing Project Pat's Son Is Indicted. Trial Starts Next Monday. — Jermiesia Franklin, 16 at the time of the January 2025 shooting, now faces two first-degree murder counts in the death of Patrick Houston Jr. She and Talia Jones go to trial together in Memphis on September 21. Pat has said nothing publicly.
Charleston White Got Booked in Broward the Same Weekend He Blamed Akademiks for Durk Walking — The comedian was arrested Saturday in Hollywood, Florida on a misdemeanor touch-or-strike battery count, hours after telling DJ Akademiks on a live call that he was 'the reason' Lil Durk was acquitted. A Miami woman has posted abuse allegations; police haven't released a narrative.
Boosie: The Podcast Is More Dangerous Than the Lyrics — Prosecutors closed Lil Durk's trial with a clip from his 2023 Akademiks interview and convicted Keffe D with his own Vlad tapes. Boosie's September 10 warning to rappers is the rare take from him that the last two verdicts back up.
Fat Joe Named the Shoe. The Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Last Dance at the Garden' Drops Sept. 26 — Jordan Brand's tribute to Mike's final Bulls game at Madison Square Garden, a 42-point night in Chicago 1s with the black alternates, lands September 26 in full-family sizing at $140, with woven red overlays, gold hardware and special packaging. The nickname came from a Knicks superfan who got an early pair.
The Air Jordan 5 'Sunset' Is Back After 20 Years, Women's Only, Sept. 25 — The 2006 women's exclusive returns September 25 at $205 in women's sizing, white leather with the orange-to-Fire Red gradient on the shark teeth. Official photos landed this weekend and Sneaker News posted the release listing Monday morning.
GTA 6's First Confirmed Actor Is Stephen Root. He's Brian Heder. — Three years into the rollout, Rockstar still hasn't named a single cast member. Stephen Root just did it for them: he's Brian Heder, the older drug-runner who mentors Jason. Jason and Lucia's actors are still a secret.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Hits Netflix in the U.S. on September 28 — The $793 million movie did theaters, then Crunchyroll. Two weeks from now it lands on the app everybody already pays for. Netflix says more regions are coming; the list isn't out yet.
Macklemore Is Off Ed Sheeran's Tour. He Says Robert Kraft Made the Call. — The promoter says venues refused to host a show with Macklemore on the bill. Macklemore says the Patriots owner rallied other stadium owners into an ultimatum. Update: Kraft has since confirmed he barred him from Gillette.
Boosie Took the $600K Pardon Story to 60 Minutes — CBS put Boosie, the texts, and a hidden-camera sting on Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl on air Sunday night. The brokers say they owe him nothing. Boosie says the show cut the half that mattered.
Air Jordan 2 'Knicks' Is Reported for Summer 2027 — Sneaker Files and zSneakerHeadz say a Phantom, orange and blue Air Jordan 2 (JJ7339-030) lands June 9, 2027, the third New York pair on next year's slate. Mockups only; Jordan Brand hasn't confirmed.
Yella Beezy's Trial Didn't Start Monday. No New Date. — Judge Chika Anyiam pushed Yella Beezy's capital murder trial Monday morning after both sides said they need Kewon White's trial transcript. FOX 4 says a month or two, minimum.
Keffe D's Jail File Dropped Four Weeks Before Sentencing — TMZ obtained Clark County Detention Center records on the man convicted of killing Tupac: a December brawl, pepper spray, and a promise to punch a corrections officer. Sentencing is October 13.
Robert Kraft Confirms It: He Kept Macklemore Off Gillette — The Patriots owner told TMZ, GBH and the Globe he barred Macklemore from the Sept. 25-26 Gillette shows over 'hate speech,' citing MetLife and a 2014 costume. He didn't dispute the ultimatum. Sheeran still silent.
Anderson .Paak and Cordae Drop 'A Good Day' Wednesday — "A Good Day" lands Sept. 16 as the first single from HEAVY IS THE CROWN, the .Paak x Cordae album due Oct. 23 on APESHIT, Mass Appeal and EMPIRE. It flips "Lovely Day." J. Cole's role is still a rumor.
Yella Beezy's Trial Starts Monday. The Shooter Already Got Life. — Kewon White was convicted of capital murder on Sept. 4. Now the state has to prove the rapper it says hired him actually did. The rapper says he didn't.
N.O.R.E. Is Being Sued Over a 1999 Club Night. He Calls It 'Entirely False.' — The Drink Champs host is accused of assaulting the mother of Nas's daughter in a packed New York club in 1999. His lawyer says the story is a fabrication that never appeared in either of her books.
D'Angelo's Son Is Playing Biggie in the Snoop Dogg Movie — SwayvoTwain, 29, lands his first film role in Craig Brewer's Snoop biopic, alongside G Perico as Big Reecie Cup and Bentley Green as RBX. Universal has it dated for August 6, 2027.
Quavo Sets QRÖMELIFE for October 2, With Pharrell Running the Boards — Quavo's first solo album since Rocket Power got a date, a cover, and a T.I. video shot in front of the Atlanta flag on Friday. The Migos album he keeps promising comes after.
Lil Yachty Lasted Five Minutes With Baron Corbin, and Quavo Walked Him Out — At WWE's Sunday Night's Main Event in Atlanta, Yachty survived a Beat the Clock challenge against Baron Corbin to earn his client Trick Williams a title shot. Williams won the belt the same night.
T-Pain Is Suing Akon's Label Again, This Time for $489,047.76 — Eighteen years after 'Bartender,' the Konvict relationship is back in a Fulton County courtroom. The math in the filing is specific down to the cent.
Isaiah Rashad Is Touring The Sun's Tirade Into 2027, and Texas Is This Week — Lil Sunny's Awful Road Trip now runs through March 2027, with a Chattanooga homecoming on Thanksgiving week, Camp Flog Gnaw in November, and Dallas, Houston and Austin this Thursday through Saturday.
DaBaby Opened a Restaurant. The $45 Waffle Is the Whole Conversation. — The rapper's Instagram cooking series is now a brick-and-mortar in his hometown, and the price of the Soul Food Cornbread Waffle turned opening week into a debate.
Jordan Brand Showed Its Whole Holiday Hand at Fashion Week — Sneaker News got inside the NYFW preview on Sept. 10. The lineup runs from the 'Halloween' 5 on Oct. 17 to the 'Sacramento' 10 on Dec. 5, with the OG-shape 'Bred' 4 on Black Friday as the centerpiece.
The Air Jordan 10 'Sacramento' Is Getting Its First Retro, Ever — The 1995 City Pack shoe built for Mitch Richmond's Kings, unveiled in person at Jordan's NYFW preview, drops December 5. Black tumbled leather, Dark Concord underneath, and no MJ on the box because he was playing baseball.
The 'Eggnog' 12 Grew Up. Meet the Air Jordan 12 'Fireside.' — Early mock-ups called it Eggnog and got the blocking wrong. The real shoe, shown at Jordan's NYFW preview, runs Flu Game lines in brown and orewood, full family sizing, $215.
APB's Air Jordan 11 Low Drops Friday. It's the Whitaker Group's Next Move. — James Whitner's Charlotte shop gets its own 11 Low after A Ma Maniére, Social Status and JAIDE. Premium leather where the mesh goes, $200, SNKRS and APB Friday morning.
The Air Jordan 4 'London' Lands Thursday, and It's Not Coming to America — Jordan's city series gives London a hairy-suede 4 with a transparent heel plate that keeps both AIR and LDN in play. SNKRS UK and select EU shops only. The rest of us pay resale.
A New Naruto Movie Is Expected to Be Announced at NYCC on October 10 — Pierrot's executive producer, Bandai, and the Japanese voices of Naruto and Sasuke are all booked for the Oct. 10 Javits panel. Variety reports the film announcement and a worldwide premiere are on the agenda.
Bleach Just Pushed Episodes 49 and 50 to October. Here's What Airs Instead. — The production committee delayed The Calamity's final two episodes to Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 'to improve quality,' filling the gap with four rerun weeks. The Aizen return you just watched was the last new episode for a month.
Ninja Scroll Is Coming Back to 600 Theaters in 4K. Tickets Are Live. — Yoshiaki Kawajiri supervised the 4K restoration of his 1993 film from the original 35mm negative. HIDIVE and Iconic Events put it in roughly 600 US and Canadian theaters, subbed one night, dubbed the next.
Wolverine Unlocks Monday Night on the West Coast. Here's the Launch Sheet. — Insomniac's PS5 exclusive goes live at midnight Eastern on Sept. 15. The install, the patch, the Photo Mode, the 100-plus accessibility options, and what a 77 means for week one.
Tokyo Game Show Turns 30 This Week: Five Days, 759 Exhibitors, Xbox Goes First — The biggest Tokyo Game Show ever runs Sept. 17-21 at Makuhari Messe. Xbox's broadcast leads with Modern Warfare 4 and Minecraft Dungeons II; Sony, Capcom, Sega, Square and Konami fill the floor. Nintendo, as always, stays home.
While GTA 6 Sells the Dream, Rockstar Is in Court Over 31 Fired Workers — The final tribunal hearing over the October 2025 firings opened Sept. 10 and runs to Oct. 16, a month before GTA 6 ships. The union says blacklisting. Rockstar says leaked confidential messages. A judge already refused to throw the blacklisting claim out.
Lauryn Hill Sat Front Row. Duke Dennis Walked. VIVET Is Real. — Kai Cenat's VIVET Collection 1 walked NYFW Saturday night with AMP on the catwalk and the industry in the seats. Twenty pieces went on sale the moment it ended, $140 to $1,195.
BloodHound Q50 Killed in a Six-Gunman Ambush at a Chicago Gas Station — Chicago police say two carloads of shooters ambushed the drill rapper in his Tesla at a Fuller Park BP just before 4 a.m. Sunday. No arrests. The Cook County medical examiner has now officially identified him as Mikquale Cooper, 22.
Lil Durk's First Words After the Verdict: 'Let Me Be Free' — Durk's first statement since the acquittal went up Saturday night under a photo of his lawyers, not himself. It reads like a bond motion, because the October 5 racketeering trial is still on the calendar.
BlizzCon 2026: Diablo 5 Is Real, StarCraft Is Back, and Netflix Gets Diablo — BlizzCon's first opening ceremony in two years announced Diablo 5, an open-world StarCraft shooter for 2030, a Netflix Diablo series, and World of Warcraft: Forever for November 4.
Lil Durk Speaks: 'Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.' Then the Fallout Started. — Two days after a Los Angeles jury cleared him on all five counts, Lil Durk posted his first words. Meanwhile Meek Mill went at DJ Akademiks, Young Thug went at the witnesses, and 6ix9ine did what 6ix9ine does.
Ye Called It From the Courthouse Steps. Then Durk Walked. — Ye sat with Durk's family during a cooperator's testimony in August, posed with Doodie Lo in a 'Free Durk' tee, and was one of the first names on the timeline when the not-guilty verdict dropped. Chicago loyalty, on the record.
oZoe Drum Box: A Sample Drum Machine With No Menus and a 600 BPM Ceiling — A one-man French company just showed a portable 16-step sample drum machine with every function on the panel, WAV import off microSD, DIN MIDI, USB-C audio and a sequencer that runs from 30 to 600 BPM. Price and date are still TBA.
Edgerunners 2 Was Pitched to Trigger as Pulp Fiction and Léon. That's the Whole Vibe. — Showrunner Bartosz Sztybor sold the sequel to Studio Trigger as a '90s crime movie; director Kai Ikarashi built the character designs off '90s comics. Thirty-seven days out from the October 20 premiere, here's what 'completely different' actually means.
FF7 Revelation Rebuilt Knights of the Round From Scratch Because It Wasn't Hard Enough — Director Naoki Hamaguchi says the combat lead looked at the first version of the Knights of the Round boss fight and said 'we need to make them stronger.' So every director started over. April 8, 2027 is the date.
Ye's Chicago Shows Just Set the Soldier Field Record — Pollstar's numbers are in: 129,562 tickets, a $15.76M Friday that edged Beyoncé's Renaissance night, and what looks like the biggest single rap concert ever reported.
Arturia's AudioFuse Studio Rev2 Is a Producer's Front End — Rev2 landed September 11 at $999: four DiscretePRO preamps, phono ins for your records, two headphone outs with their own mixes, and a MIDI hub for the hardware on your desk.
Air Jordan 1 'Royal' Returns Oct. 10 With MJ on the Box — Official photos landed September 10: OG High cut, Nike Air on the tongue, a rebuilt shade of blue, and a shoe box with a young Michael Jordan in the Royal 1s and a matching Flight suit.
J Balvin's Air Jordan 4 'Lemonade' Lands September 25 — The clearest in-hand images yet hit September 11: a flooded Lemonade upper, glossy collar, 'SOLO HAZLO' dubrae and the smiley on the heel. $225, expected via raffle before SNKRS.
The Witcher 3 Remastered Is 17 Days Out, and It's Free — CD Projekt showed it again on the Nintendo Direct: 4K textures, 60fps on current consoles, reworked combat and signs, a skill-tree overhaul, transmog, and a third expansion, Songs of the Past, in 2027.
GTA 6 Controllers Are Already Being Flipped for $140 — Sony's two limited-edition GTA 6 DualSense designs ship November 19. The white one is already out of stock at PlayStation Direct, and resellers are moving preorders at nearly double retail.
The Switch 2 Just Became a Real RPG Machine — The September 9 Nintendo Direct was light on Mario and heavy on role-playing: Persona 4 Revival and Persona 6 confirmed for Switch 2, a Romancing SaGa 3 remake, Xenoblade 3's upgrade, FF7 Revelation preorders and Monster Hunter Wilds on December 4.
Aizen Is Back: Bleach TYBW Episode 48 Airs Today — 'The Calamity' hits its eighth episode September 12 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ abroad. The preview puts Sosuke Aizen back on screen as Yhwach heads for the Seireitei.
Edgerunners 2's English Cast: Clancy Brown Runs Night City — The English dub for Netflix's October 20 sequel is locked: Valeria Rodriguez as Roman, Kimoy Lee as Talia, Nazeeh Tarsha as D, and Clancy Brown as the veteran Weak Kingsley. Kai Ikarashi directs for Trigger.
One Piece Is Making the God Valley Movie — Oda's fifteenth film covers the God Valley Incident, the fight the whole series has been hinting at since Marineford, for summer 2027 in Japan. A sixteenth film, One Piece Film: BAAD, is set for 2029.
Kai Cenat Puts VIVET on the Runway Tonight — Kai Cenat's clothing brand holds its first fashion show in New York at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, September 12, livestreamed during NYFW. The venue is still a secret. The billboards are not.
South Park Creators Apologize for Stalling Kendrick's Movie — Two years after it was announced, the Kendrick Lamar comedy is still sitting at Paramount. Wednesday, the South Park guys took the blame in writing.
Megan Thee Stallion Finally Explains the Klay Thompson Split — In a Sept. 9 cover conversation, Megan calls the breakup "very rough," says she was fitting herself into someone else's life, and draws the line for whoever comes next.
Kid Cudi Is Directing a Horror Movie. It's Already Shooting. — Deadline reported Sept. 11 that Cudi's second feature as a director is filming in Los Angeles with Barbie Ferreira, before his first one has even come out.
Lil Yachty and Mitch Brought A Safe Place Back — The podcast that blew up over a Key Glock episode in 2024 is back with Mitch in the chair, Yachty owning the way he talked to his friend, and Karrahbooo at the table too.
Antonio Brown Has a Problem With Druski's CTE Sketch — A Sidetalk street interview turned into a threat, a wedgie promise, and a self-declared 'CTE gang.' Druski's sketch never named him.
Air Jordan 4 "Spotlight" Gets a Date: January 15, 2027 — The Michael Jackson-inspired women's Jordan 4 now sits on January 15, 2027 at $220, per @zSneakerHeadz. Official images haven't dropped yet.
Air Jordan 1 Low "Halloween" Official Images Are Here — Official images dropped Sept. 11 for the Air Jordan 1 Low "Halloween" (IQ5494-001). Mid-October, $125, general release.
Women's Air Jordan 6 Low "Black/Desert Berry" Drops Wednesday — A women's-exclusive 6 Low for the model's 35th year: black nubuck, metallic pink panels, steel-toned sole. $205 on Nike, Foot Locker and Champs.
Crunchyroll's NYCC 2026 Slate Is Built Around Black Clover — The Apothecary Diaries cast, a Black Clover Season 2 screening with both Astas, and a Thursday showcase promising 'huge announcements.'
EA's New Owners Reportedly Want to Merge It With Savvy Games — Rumor, not deal: a month after closing the $55 billion EA buyout, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is reportedly considering folding EA into Savvy Games. Nothing is final.
Sony Made $1.2 Billion on Spider-Man 2 Discs. It's Still Killing Discs. — A new Alinea Analytics report puts numbers on PlayStation's physical business ahead of the January 2028 cutoff, and argues the real motive is control of the secondhand market.
Air Jordan 12 'Bucks' Drops Tomorrow, $215 — The 2004 Milwaukee PE gets a general release Saturday, Sept. 12 on SNKRS: white leather, Gorge Green reptile mudguard, iridescent purple hardware, full family sizing.
Air Jordan 4 'London' Is a UK-Only Drop This Saturday — Hairy grey suede, 'Nike LDN' branding, and a Sept. 12 release that stays inside the United Kingdom. The 4 gets its first city-exclusive since Chicago's 'Red Cement' 3.
GTA 6 Is Locked at 30fps for Launch — Rockstar says GTA 6 runs at 30fps on console right now, with no promise of a 60fps mode at launch. Ten weeks out, here's what that means.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Is the Witcher Team's Next Chapter — Rebel Wolves, built by former Witcher and Cyberpunk devs, shipped its debut dark-fantasy RPG on September 3. The clock mechanic is the hook.
Cyberpunk Goes Cardboard: TCG Beta Starts Now — The Cyberpunk 2077 Trading Card Game runs in-store beta events September 10-17 ahead of a November 6 release, the same week the game leaves Game Pass.
Ye Adds Houston, Dallas and Phoenix After Chicago — Fresh off two Soldier Field nights that drew 142,000 and reunited Kid Cudi and Big Sean, Ye locks three more US stadiums for Halloween and November.
EST Gee Drops 'Bigger Than The Devil' Tonight — EST Gee's new album 'Bigger Than The Devil' lands September 11, headlining a slower hip-hop month that's heavier on veterans than superstars.
Rakim, Kurupt and Masta Killa Form Voltron — Three eras of rap royalty, one record: The Godbody LP lands September 18, led by the single 'DPG-Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang-DPG.'
The MPC One G2 Is the Standalone Most Producers Should Buy — Akai's Generation 2 MPC One and MPC Key 37 quadruple the processing of the originals. Here's why the mid-priced box is the smart money for beatmakers.
Edgerunners 2 Has a Date: October 20 — Netflix locked Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 for October 20, 2026 and dropped a full trailer. Ten standalone episodes, a brand-new crew, Studio Trigger at the wheel.
Dragon Ball Super: Beerus Premieres October 11 — A new trailer locked Dragon Ball Super: Beerus for October 11 in Japan, previewed both theme songs, and confirmed an early screening at New York Comic Con.
Sekiro: No Defeat Brings FromSoftware to Crunchyroll — FromSoftware's shinobi epic is now a fully hand-drawn anime, streaming on Crunchyroll since September 4. The game-to-anime pipeline just got its best test yet.
Westside Whimsy Is Out, and Kendrick Is on It — Jhené Aiko's first album since Chilombo landed at midnight Friday on Def Jam and ArtClub. Track 14, "So Good," is her first record with Kendrick Lamar in 13 years.
Quavo Confirms One Last Migos Album and a Tour — Quavo told V-103 that he and Offset are bringing Migos back for a final album and a tour. Takeoff's role is the open question.
50 Cent and Shyne End a 23-Year Beef Over Dinner — A chance meeting at Serafina in New York turned a 2003 Flex freestyle jab into 50 calling Shyne a 'world leader.' Shyne told the story on TODAY.
Jay-Z Runs Paris With Pharrell and Timberlake — Thursday's JAŸ-Z 30 stop at Stade de France brought a Pharrell mini-set and a surprise 'Holy Grail' with Justin Timberlake. SoFi is next.
Vallejo Gives Mac Dre a Street — Vallejo City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rename a half-mile of Taper Avenue for Andre 'Mac Dre' Hicks, 22 years after his death.
Buc Wild, Half of Hot 97's 'Star & Buc Wild,' Dies at 47 — Timothy 'Buc Wild' Joseph, the on-air foil on Hot 97's most notorious morning show, died Sunday. Star confirmed it on his livestream Wednesday.
IShowSpeed Got the First iPhone Duo From Apple's CEO — Apple CEO John Ternus handed Speed the foldable iPhone Duo at Wednesday's Cupertino event. Speed barked, backflipped, and pulled the biggest independent audience of the day.
Mowalola's Air Jordan 14 and Mule Land September 18 — The British-Nigerian designer's Air Jordan 14 SP 'Burnt Red' ($255) and a sliced-down AJ14 Mule ($180) release next Friday via SNKRS and Mowalola.
PlayStation Dropped Kojima's Physint. Xbox Picked It Up in Minutes. — Sony 'stepped away' from Hideo Kojima's Physint Wednesday night. Xbox published its own deal before the replies loaded. Kojima says the cancellation came in June.
Wolverine Reviews Are In: 77, and Sony's Lowest of the PS5 Era — Marvel's Wolverine launches Tuesday, Sept. 15. The embargo lifted Thursday with a 77 Metascore, sixes from IGN and GameSpot, and praise for the story over the combat.
Black Clover Season 2 Hits Theaters Sept. 21 Before Its Oct. 3 Premiere — Crunchyroll's Anime Nights Sneak Peek puts Black Clover Season 2's premiere in US and Canadian theaters on Sept. 21, alongside The Vermilion Mask, Overgeared, Firefly Wedding and PSYREN.
Ye's Houston Halloween Show Is On Sale Now — General on-sale for Ye's October 31 stadium show in Houston opened Thursday at 10 a.m. It's his first real Houston concert since 2013.
The Ferrari That Became the Air Jordan 14 Is Going to Auction — Michael Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello, the one Tinker Hatfield studied for the Air Jordan 14, surfaces after 25 years and hits Pharrell's Joopiter Sept. 15-30.
Cyberpunk 2077 Leaves Xbox Game Pass Tuesday — Cyberpunk 2077 exits Game Pass on console and cloud September 15 after a six-month run. Finish Phantom Liberty, or buy it before the discount disappears.
Snoop Dogg Is Hosting the VMAs, and They're Back in L.A. — CBS and MTV confirmed Thursday that Snoop Dogg hosts and executive-produces the 2026 Video Music Awards from the Peacock Theater, the show's first West Coast broadcast since 2017.
The Fire Red 4s Are Coming Back in OG Shape, Fall 2027 — Sneaker Files and zSneakerHeadz report the last original Air Jordan 4 colorway still owed a proper retro lands next fall at $230, with Nike Air on the heel and the 1989 shape the 2020 pair never got.
The Jordan 10 "Knicks" Gets Its First Retro Ever, Right After the Title — The 1995 City Series colorway that never came back is reportedly returning next fall at $215, months after New York's first championship in over half a century. Sneaker Files and zSneakerHeadz broke it; Sneaker News and HNHH confirmed the details.
FBI Arrests NBA Ben10 and OG 3Three Over the Confessions Shooting — Six people, including the paralyzed Baton Rouge rapper and YoungBoy's brother, were picked up Thursday in Louisiana and Texas over the April chain-snatch at Confessions in Houston. Charges are still sealed.
Lil Durk Found Not Guilty on All Counts — A Los Angeles jury cleared Lil Durk of murder-for-hire, stalking and conspiracy Friday evening after three days of deliberation. Two OTF co-defendants were convicted on the stalking counts. Durk stays in custody for the racketeering trial.
Brian Steel Is the Culture's MVP Again — Fans mobbed Brian Steel outside the courthouse Friday night after Lil Durk walked on all five counts. Ye, Young Thug, G Herbo, 21 Savage, Meek and 50 all reacted within the hour. Durk is still locked up, and the RICO trial starts October 5.
Layzie Bone Is Back Onstage With Bone Thugs — After a week of Instagram videos between Layzie and Krayzie over who got left off the Wu-Tang farewell tour, Layzie walked out at Blossom Music Center on September 9 and ran the set with his brothers. The tour wraps October 4.
Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal Returns Oct. 10 | Sneakz & Beatz — Jordan Brand walks back the 2023 suede detour and puts the 1985 black-and-blue on a full family-size general release October 10 at $185.
Air Jordan 12 Idols Become Rivals Drops Sept. 12 — The Air Jordan 12 "Idols Become Rivals" turns a Milwaukee-era player exclusive into a $215 general release on September 12.
Rod Wave's Fourth No. 1 Ran on Streams Alone — Don't Look Down opened at 99,000 units, almost all of it streaming. That's the Rod Wave floor, and nobody else has one like it.
Lil Durk's Jury Is Replaying a Podcast — Deliberations in the murder-for-hire case stalled on a digital-evidence request while Durk's lawyers fight to get more of a 2023 interview in front of jurors.
Attack on Titan Returns With Zero New Episodes — Kodansha turned September 9 into a registered holiday and hung two re-released films, a game and 99 drops off it. Isayama owns the story; the committee owns the day.
Fall 2026 Anime: The Four Shows That Matter — Edgerunners, Steel Ball Run, Black Clover and a remastered Dragon Ball Super carry the quarter. Netflix and Sony carry the checks.
Sony Dropped PHYSINT. Kojima Kept the Keys. — Xbox bought publishing rights, not the IP. The only company holding real leverage is the smallest one in the room.
GTA 6's Controller Costs More Than the Game — Sony's $84.99 Vice City DualSense sold out in hours. The pricing and the exclusive channel tell you how launch is being run.
Air Jordan 4 "Bred" OG Shape Confirmed In Hand for Black Friday — Jordan Brand put the 2026 Air Jordan 4 "Bred" in front of media at New York Fashion Week: 1989 shape, exposed white edges, Nike Air heel, November 27 in full-family sizing.
Lil Wayne Lands in Fortnite Saturday: Two Skins, Three Jam Tracks, One Tie That Says Millionaire — Epic made it official Thursday: Lil Wayne joins the Icon Series September 12 at 5 PM PT with a shirtless skin, a gold-graffiti tux, a Young Money stage glider and "A Milli," "6 Foot 7 Foot" and "Lollipop" as Jam Tracks.
The Lane — positioning essay — Why Sneakz & Beatz exists and where it sits.

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