Court News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

On April 15, Discord’s new Terms of Service changes went into effect, and there’s one major addition: an arbitration clause. What does it mean for users? It’s an important change easily lost in the fine print for anyone on Discord — and those in the know have a chance to opt out of the new agreement before May 15.

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Yuji Naka has resurfaced on Twitter, with a spicy message to start off our week.

Yuji Naka, formally of Sonic Team and Square Enix, has accused a Dragon Quest lead of lying about him in court. Breaking his social media silence for the first time since his arrest, Naka says that Dragon Quest producer Yu Miyake lied about him during the criminal proceedings, and implies that he is not a "good" person.

With Noblegarden going live, the Venthyr Ember Court covenant feature once again has an egg hunt event for 300% increased friendship with your guests! The event starts at 10am pacific time for NA players.

Sony has won a court battle instigated by Genuine Enabling Technology (GET) that accused the PlayStation maker of infringing on one of its controller technology patents. At the time of filing, the most recent Sony console would have been the PlayStation 4.

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OpenAI lambasted Elon Musk's allegations against it, saying in a court filing that the billionaire entrepreneur's claims “rest on convoluted — often incoherent — factual premises.” 

Prolific Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu is the latest to receive a lawsuit from Nintendo, and it's a big one. The house of Mario alleges that the program fueled a rush that saw The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom illegally downloaded over 1 million times before the game was properly released, and that's just one item on Nintendo's laundry list of alleged damages, which collectively take aim at a major emulator in a way that's rarely seen, even from such a famously litigious company, drawing many comparisons to Sony's lawsuit against Bleem. 

A federal court in California is enforcing a subpoena for Elon Musk to testify before the US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding potential violations of federal securities laws in connection with his purchase of Twitter. 

Microsoft Corp.'s plans to cut 1,900 jobs from its video game division contradict statements the company made to a US  court that it would operate the newly acquired Activision Blizzard Inc. independently, the US Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday.

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney has vowed more legal action against Apple, just days after the US Supreme Court dismissed both parties' further attempts to appeal a 2021 California court ruling on the Epic vs. Apple antitrust lawsuit.

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The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a challenge by Apple to a lower court's decision requiring changes to certain rules in its lucrative App Store, as the justices shunned the lengthy legal battle between the iPhone maker and Epic Games, maker of the popular video game Fortnite.

The CEO of Fortnite-maker Epic Games said Tuesday the company's court battle to open up Apple's iPhone to alternative app stores was lost after theteThe high court announced it would not hear appeals by either Apple or Epic in the long-running case, effectively putting an end to the legal saga.

Billy Mitchell, the arcade gamer known for achievements in titles like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, has had several records reinstated by the Twin Galaxies database after reaching a settlement in a defamation lawsuit that's been ongoing since 2019.

The United States Supreme Court has denied a request to hear Epic Games v. Apple, the antitrust lawsuit regarding Apple's practices in its app store.

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear appeals by both Epic Games and Apple in their enormously costly and long-running legal battle over Apple’s App Store fees — a move that’s likely to frustrate both companies, but that does leave Epic with a partial victory.

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen unwittingly included phony cases generated by artificial intelligence in a brief last month arguing for his release from post-prison supervision, according to court papers made public Friday.

Apple Inc. won a ruling temporarily pausing a US International Trade Commission order banning sales of some of its smartwatches in the US while the company seeks a longer stay pending its appeal of the restriction.

A US federal court ruled on Friday that social media company Twitter, now branded X, violated contracts by failing to pay annual performance bonuses it orally promised its workers.

Activision Blizzard will pay $54 million to settle a gender discrimination and harassment lawsuit brought against the company in 2021. 

Epic have won a victory in their attempt to argue that Google violates antitrust laws, as a jury has agreed that the Google Play app store and Google Play Billing service constitute an illegal monopoly. The decision comes three years after Epic first attempted to bypass Apple and Google when selling in-app purchases within Fortnite, leading to the game being yoinked from both the Apple and Google app stores and Epic filing lawsuits against both tech giants.

I have spent 15 days reporting live from the Epic v. Google trial: an antitrust dispute over whether Google's Android app store is an unfair monopoly. I’ve watched a parade of witnesses go by, including Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. We’re now in a weeklong break before both parties return on December 11th to make their closing arguments, after which a jury will decide who’s right. I’ve chronicled every major thrust, parry, and riposte leading up to that in our Verge StoryStream, writing nearly 600 dispatches from the courtroom so far.

The CEO of PC games giant Valve, Gabe Newell, is set to appear in court in the near future.

Valve's founder Gabe Newell was recentlyordered to ensure his in-court presence to testify in person for the ongoing lawsuit between Wolfire Games and Valve.

Valve boss Gabe Newell is headed to court. A court order filed on November 16 (via Gamesindustry.biz) says Newell is required to testify in person in the ongoing antitrust lawsuit between Wolfire Games and Valve so the plaintiffs in the case can «adequately assess» his credibility.

AviaGames’ mascot smiles no more as this beaver is being sued early next year following claims of using bots within their real-money skill-based games. The titles released by this gaming company are intended to be player-on-player games with the chance to win real cash.

Court documents from the ongoing Epic Games vs Google antitrust case reveal the internet giant wanted to take over the Fortnite and Unreal Engine developer, and was willing to work with shareholder Tencent to complete a buyout.

 Apple Inc. risks having to pay a €13 billion ($14 billion) tax bill to Ireland after an adviser to the European Union's top court said the iPhone maker's victory in an earlier challenge should be thrown out.

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There are several major social media cases facing the US Supreme Court this term, all having to do with the First Amendment. The decisions the court issues will effectively create a new legal regime where none existed before. The first major issue, on the constitutionality of public officials blocking other users, shows how hard this is going to be for justices who have not yet fully understood how the architecture of social media platforms can change society.

Red Barrels has dropped a terrifying new update for The Outlast Trials just in time for Halloween.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has dismissed an attempt by Valve to convince it that the geo-blocking of Steam game activation keys did not infringe on EU law, reaffirming its finding from 2021 that «Valve and five PC videogames publishers unlawfully restricted cross-border sales of certain PC videogames that are compatible with that platform».

Amazon.com Inc. won the first round of a court spat with European Union regulators who included it on a list of Big Tech firms facing extra scrutiny under the bloc's tough new content-moderation rules.

Apple Inc. said it has asked the US Supreme Court to review a judge's ruling from two years ago that could diminish the billions of dollars in revenue its App Store generates by letting app developers direct users to alternative payment methods.

In the latest escalation of the ongoing legal battle between and tech giant Apple, the Fortnite developer has asked the Supreme Court to review an earlier ruling from a lower court. The lower court ruling, which cleared Apple of violating antitrust laws with the terms of its iOS App Store, is now being disputed by Epic’s legal team.

Along with laying off hundreds of employees, Epic Games remains embroiled in a years-long legal battle with Apple. Recently, the Unreal Engine creator filed a writ of certiorari asking the US Supreme Court to review its lower court ruling made during the antitrust case between the two developers. 

Valve has failed to convince the European Union's Court of Justice that it did not infringe EU law by geo-blocking activation keys on Steam.

Epic Games has asked the Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling clearing Apple of violating antitrust laws on its App Store.

Epic Games Inc. asked the US Supreme Court to review a judge's 2021 ruling that Apple Inc.'s App Store policies don't violate federal antitrust laws.

We haven’t heard the last of Epic’s crusade against Apple over the iPhone maker’s App Store fees.

Epic has filed a Writ of Certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court’s ruling on its antitrust case against Apple.

By Richard Lawler, a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget.

It seems that Blizzard will be changing the Ember Court event to be available every day starting with Patch 10.2, instead of its current weekly format. This will allow players looking to progress through its rankings and obtain rewards much faster progression. Ember Court GuideEmber Court Strategy GuideEmber Court Events Guide

The video game industry revolves around secrets — it often feels like everything about a game in development is closely guarded. It’s a far cry from the literary world, where books are announced and detailed in trade publications well ahead of publication, or in entertainment, where casting news trickles out over a course of years. Video game creation, design, production, and distribution comprise a volatile, ever-shifting process, and for the companies behind the biggest games, too much transparency would dissolve carefully crafted exterior narratives. That’s why it was such a huge deal when Microsoft accidentally uploaded non-public documents to a California court’s file repository last week.

Microsoft could reportedly release a revamped Xbox Series X console and an upgraded controller in 2024, followed by a fully next-gen Xbox console in 2028, if a leak from the FTC v. Microsoft court documents is to be believed.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer considered buying Nintendo at one point, a leaked 2020 email revealed. Multiple documents from Microsoft's trial with the US FTC were leaked Tuesday, with one showing a casual discussion about buying the Mario maker, where Spencer called it a “career moment” and implied that a collaboration would be a ‘good move' for either company. It's worth highlighting that this conversation happened in August 2020, before Microsoft acquired Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion (about Rs. 62,431 crore). The leaks also disclosed Bethesda's release schedule, alongside details for Microsoft's planned mid-generation console refresh.

The court documents from Microsoft’s FTC case are the gift that just keeps giving, although in this instance it seems someone released a document they should have not, as it’s been removed the US courts website.

A new filing confirms the source of the leak.

By Jay Peters, a news editor who writes about technology, video games, and virtual worlds. He’s submitted several accepted emoji proposals to the Unicode Consortium.

The court documents from Microsoft’s FTC case are the gift that just keeps giving, although in this instance it seems someone released a document they should have not, as it’s been removed the US courts website.

As the FTC furiously attempts to stop the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard, documents presented in its case are pulling back the veil of some of the tech giant's upcoming plans, including a mid-cycle refresh version of its Xbox Series consoles.

Microsoft’s leak that spread Tuesday morning revealed a ton of explosive Xbox secrets, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California says it was Microsoft’s own fault.

One of the most amusing takeaways from Microsoft’s leaked court documents is their hopes for further acquisitions. They’re a bit pie in the sky, to say the least.

This week, several unredacted, highly confidential documents from Microsoft began appearing online. These documents were part of Microsoft's legal case against the U.S. regulator, the Federal Trade Commission. The case was argued back in June, with a verdict reached in July, ruling in favor of Microsoft.

Microsoft and Xbox representatives appeared in court various times earlier this year to get its colossal $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard legally approved. As usual, specific documents, emails, and more were sealed away from the public and press during court proceedings. However, various unseen documents have leaked, which is how we learned Xbox head Phil Spencer considered acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros. Games at one point. Other documents point to Microsoft's plans for an Xbox Series X/S refresh next year alongside a new controller that features gyro, haptic feedback, and more, as reported by The Verge.

New Microsoft court documents from the FTC v. Microsoft case show plans to release the next Xbox console in 2028.

Significant new details on Microsoft’s hardware plans for the next several years have leaked courtesy of unredacted FTC documents that were accidentally published. As per these details, Microsoft intends to continue further integration of cloud technology for its next-generation Xbox successor, which is likely targeting a launch sometime in 2028 or beyond.

Xbox has confirmed its plans for the E3 2024 season in a series of leaked court documents. 

A brand new Xbox Series X console refresh is coming next year, according to court documents accidentally shown during the FTC v Microsoft case.

Microsoft court documents show plans to remaster The Elder Scrolls4: Oblivion and Fallout 3, as well as other unannounced games like a new Doom game, Dishonored3, and more.

Documents released as part of the FTC v. Microsoft case reveal an upcoming Xbox Series X mid-gen refresh codenamed Brooklin.

NBA 2K24 is the brand new basketball simulation from 2K Sports, developed by Visual Concepts. Inspired by the 2023-24 NBA season, the game features all of the official teams and players from the National Basketball Association, as well as the WNBA. In addition to the usual MyPlayer and MyTeam modes, this year's game also features a full campaign inspired by LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Starfield is Bethesda's big new release, but now that it’s finally out in the wild, some have already turned their attention toward any incoming news on The Elder Scrolls VI. While some always assumed the game was a good way off, we now know not to expect it for another two to three years at the earliest. 

Xbox wanted to stay «gamer-obsessed.»

In news that isn't likely to be much of a surprise to anyone at this point, a newly unearthed Microsoft court document has confirmed The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be making its way to PlayStation when it eventually shows up in 2026 or beyond.

According to a new court document revealed from the FTC v. Microsoft case, The Elder Scrolls 6 is expected to be released sometime during or after 2026, and is seemingly planned to be released solely on PC and Xbox (via The Verge). 

Phanteks has responded to a lawsuit filed by rival peripheral maker Lian Li over alleged copyright infringement. Lian Li holds that Phanteks infringed on its patent for daisy-chaining multiple PC fans together with its D30 fans, which Phanteks has since denied. Phanteks says it expects «this legal matter will confirm there is no infringement.»

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Biden administration likely violated the First Amendment with some of its communications with social media companies.

Faruk Fatih Özer, the founder and CEO of the now-defunct crypto exchange Thodex, has been sentenced to 11,196 years in prison by a court in Istanbul for crimes including aggravated fraud, money laundering, and organised crime. His sister Serap and brother Guven were also found guilty and received the same jail term.

To all sports and VR enthusiasts, here’s why you’ll enjoy playing Tennis On-Court – coming October 20 to PS VR2 whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned player.

WNBA team the New York Liberty is collaborating with Xbox to play on a Starfield-themed court.

In May this year we reported on the case of 52-year-old Shinobu Yoshida, from Nagoya, Japan, who in what may be a world first was arrested and charged for violating copyright laws, after uploading gameplay clips and other content. The prosecution was led by the Content Overseas Distribution Agency (CODA), which focuses on copyright protection, and Yoshida has now been found guilty.

An 18-year-old from Oxford, England, has been found to be part of a Lapsus$ group hacking spree by a court. The series of attacks affected a number of major companies, including Rockstar Games, which led to an enormous amount of leaked information about GTA 6appearing online in September 2022.

A court has found two teenagers were part of several extensive hacking sprees conducted by the Lapsus$ group.

Electronic Arts will not be contesting the $11.7k USD (€10.8k, £9.2k) fine it got hit with after an Austrian court ruled that FIFA's loot boxes violate the nation's gambling laws. In 2023, after covering all operating expenses, EA reported a net income of $802 million and total assets amounting to $13.4 billion.