prize Archives

AppWizard

May 31, 2026

A Minecraft Movie Squared reveals Matt Berry and Kirsten Dunst

The sequel to the Minecraft movie, titled "A Minecraft Movie Squared," is set to be released in theaters on July 23, 2027. Kirsten Dunst will portray Alex, the female counterpart to Steve, and Matt Berry is rumored to play the character Herobrine. The film will feature a build challenge for fans, with the winner's creation potentially appearing in the movie. The sequel will introduce new biomes, characters, and mobs to the Minecraft universe.

AppWizard

May 28, 2026

Playing 007 First Light? Send us gameplay videos galore and you could win a $500 Amazon gift card

The launch of 007 First Light allows players to experience the role of James Bond through various missions involving gadgets and vehicles. Players can record and share their gameplay clips for a chance to win a 0 Amazon gift card, with submissions featured on social media. The competition is open only to residents of the US and UK. Clips should be under 10GB and can showcase creative or humorous moments from the game. A dedicated Clips page has been established by PC Gamer to curate and reward the best gaming videos monthly.

AppWizard

May 19, 2026

I’m not sure who the PUBG x Payday collab is for, or why it exists

Developers of PUBG are introducing a map selection feature despite concerns that it could lead to longer wait times and more bot players. They believe this will enhance the game experience. PUBG has also collaborated with the game Payday, introducing a new game mode with monetary incentives for players. The gameplay in this mode has been described as unremarkable and feels more like a marketing strategy than a genuine enhancement. The developers expressed concerns about dividing the matchmaking pool and affecting overall quality in a letter regarding the new feature. The Payday heist mode incentivizes participation through in-game rewards but lacks the tension that has contributed to PUBG's longevity. Additionally, a 0,000 prize pool for streamers based on viewer numbers aims to draw attention to the new mode but feels inorganic. There seems to be a conflict within the development team between preserving player experience and diversifying the game, which could risk alienating the player base.

AppWizard

May 16, 2026

All-girls Kingsbridge Heights team shines in NYC Minecraft sustainability competition

A group of six fifth-grade girls from P.S. 86 Kingsbridge Heights School won the Bronx championship in the Minecraft Education “Battle of the Boroughs,” competing against 3,395 students from 679 teams. They reached the Mayor’s Cup Final, where they presented a design for a cleaner, safer version of the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. The team utilized Microsoft’s MakeCode for coding and emphasized teamwork and communication during their project. Key roles included Leeah Gonzalez as the speaker, Yafatou Bayo as the primary coder, and Zurisadai Quiroga-Vazquez as the presenter. The girls created a virtual version of their school with sustainable features and prioritized accessibility. Their teacher noted significant personal growth among the girls throughout the competition.

Winsage

May 16, 2026

Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge Hacked at Pwn2Own Berlin 2026

On May 14, Pwn2Own Berlin 2026 began, where researchers earned ,000 for 24 unique zero-day vulnerabilities. Cheng-Da Tsai, also known as Orange Tsai, achieved a significant Edge sandbox escape, earning ,000, and later exploited Microsoft Exchange for remote code execution, earning an additional ,000. Tsai accumulated 17.5 Master of Pwn points, contributing to DEVCORE's lead with ,000 in total earnings. Other researchers, including Angelboy and TwinkleStar03, earned ,000 for an Improper Access Control vulnerability, while Marcin Wiązowski and Kentaro Kawane also contributed successful exploits. By the end of Day One, DEVCORE led with ,000, and the event featured a prize pool exceeding ,000,000 across 31 targets. As of Day Two, a total of ,750 had been awarded for 39 unique vulnerabilities, with DEVCORE leading at 40.5 points and ,000 in earnings.

AppWizard

May 14, 2026

Party Animals’ $75,000 AI video contest is a slap in the face to its creative team, and I’m not surprised it’s getting blasted on Steam

Recreate Games announced an AI video contest called the 'Golden Paw Awards' for players to create short films using generative AI tools, which has led to significant backlash from the community. The contest offers a cash prize of ,000 but has faced criticism for its reliance on AI-generated content, resulting in over 800 unfavorable reviews and a 'Mostly Negative' classification for recent reviews of Party Animals. In response to the negative feedback, Recreate Games issued an apology and proposed three options: canceling the contest, changing it to a non-AI competition, or keeping both AI and non-AI categories. The studio emphasized that they view AI as a tool for creative expression, but this explanation has not alleviated community disappointment.

AppWizard

May 13, 2026

Elon Musk, Sam Altman and the world’s billionaires are terrified of the Google AI genius behind a 25-year-old computer game, because they think he might actually end up controlling god

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are involved in a legal dispute that has revealed documents about OpenAI's shift to a for-profit model. Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, is a significant figure in this context, having recently shared a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on AI protein structure prediction. Musk has expressed skepticism about OpenAI's ability to compete with DeepMind, stating that he believes there is a 0% chance of OpenAI remaining relevant without major changes. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has acknowledged Google's dominance in machine learning and the importance of DeepMind in the field. Musk's recruitment of Ilya Sutskever from DeepMind has strained his relationship with Google co-founder Larry Page. Altman aims to position OpenAI as a leader in AI, but he is concerned about the competitive dynamics with DeepMind. There are broader ethical concerns regarding AI development, with Sutskever warning against the potential for an "AGI dictatorship."

AppWizard

May 12, 2026

City Life Org – Thousands Gather at NYC Video Game Festival to Crown 2026 Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs and NYC Collegiate Esports Champions

The 2nd Annual NYC Video Game Festival took place on May 9, attracting 2,000 attendees. The festival included esports competitions, indie game demonstrations, drone soccer, and arcade classics. The Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Finals honored student achievements, with team Hyper Pigmentation from PS 889 winning in the Elementary division, NEST+ from Manhattan winning in the Middle School division, and Tottenville from Staten Island winning in the High School division. The NYC Collegiate Esports Circuit Finals crowned The City College of NY as the League of Legends champion and Pace University as the Valorant champion, with a shared prize pool of ,000. The BOTB competition has engaged over 15,000 NYC Public School students since its inception, with a record 3,395 participants in 2026, including a 44% increase in high school submissions. The festival also featured a screening of a documentary about the Battle of the Boroughs.

AppWizard

May 11, 2026

Elder Scrolls 6 is a ways off, but who needs it? The world’s most specific game jam is back with 40 playable entries all based off Oblivion’s wonderful/awful persuade-o-wheel

Nostalgia significantly influences player experiences in video games, exemplified by the wheel system for NPC disposition in Oblivion, which allowed players to engage in a minigame to affect relationships with NPCs. This system differed from Skyrim's approach, which focused on quest completions and faction memberships. The fondness for Oblivion's mechanics has led to the creation of Wheeljam 2, a game jam where participants submitted 40 playable experiences incorporating the lockpicking minigame or persuasion wheel. Many of these entries embrace the original mechanics' charm, with 27 games available to play in web browsers. The voting for Wheeljam 2 will conclude in about five days, but the games will remain accessible for players.

AppWizard

May 7, 2026

Grab a free 360Hz Alienware OLED gaming monitor, keyboard, and mouse, thanks to Fanatical

Gamers can enter a giveaway for Alienware products valued at nearly ,000 by purchasing a mystery egg for , which includes a Steam game code. The prize package features the Alienware AW2725DF 27-inch, 1440p, 360Hz monitor, the Alienware Pro Wireless mouse, and the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard. The monitor is priced at ,000, the mouse at over 0, and the keyboard at . Participants can buy multiple eggs for discounts, with ten eggs costing .49 and 30 eggs costing .79. Each egg guarantees a mystery game, and no duplicate games will be included in a single bundle.