Courtney Love and Jennifer Finch were instant friends from the moment they met in the early Eighties, and remained close until Finch’s untimely death at age 59 in July. Before Finch joined the influential punk-metal band L7 and long before Love formed Hole, the women made music together in a band called Sugar Babydoll (or Sugar Babylon, depending on the year) alongside future Babes in Toyland frontwoman Kat Bjelland. They remained close as their careers took off, which is a difficult prospect for touring musicians.
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The friends supported each other throughout the years. When Love’s husband, Kurt Cobain, died in 1994, Finch was her rock. And in June, when Love learned that Finch had been diagnosed with brain cancer, she traveled to be by her side and support her until the end.
Finch chronicled her friendship with Love in a memoir, “Shooting Up and Making Out: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7,”which she co-wrote with Jeff Alulis andcompleted shortly before her death. It will be released via Da Capo on Jan. 19.
Here, Love pays tribute to her friend who shaped her life in her own words.
I hitchhiked to Hollywood from San Francisco in 1983. I wanted to go to Hollywood more than anything.
I met Jennifer at her father’s home. I’m a feral person. Growing up in foster care didn’t give me much likability or infrastructure for knowing how to relate to people. She had all that, and she covered for me. I’d only met three other people who liked me at that point in life. Jennifer was the most important.
Jennifer took to me immediately, and she never stopped protecting me from the summer of 1983 onwards. When you come to Hollywood and have no means, Jennifer’s house always had a couch. Her dad always had cheese and Cap’n Crunch. A safe couch. And she always had records. We spent thousands of hours listening to them and learning them.
That house is the closest thing to a home I’ll ever have.
I’d come from Dublin, England, Portland, and New Zealand. My musical taste ran from [the Birthday Party’s] Drunk on the Pope’s Blood to U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen. This new SST hardcore scared me, but she made me see the wit in it. The George Clinton in the Chili Peppers, which I still find funny, and the depth.
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She dragged me to shows. There wasn’t a day she didn’t stand by the strange girl from up north. We had guitars and taught each other to play. The Runaways were our Sex Pistols.
She introduced me to Pat Smear. Without a doubt, Pat is who I told Kurt he should ask to be in Nirvana when he was depressed that his bandmates made him sad. He wanted a happy bandmate. I called Pat.
In 1988, when nobody in L.A. would have wagered on me, Jennifer cosigned me to Flea. Flea said yes, and we had the Chili Peppers’ rehearsal space, which is why there is Hole.
Courtesy of Jennifer Precious Finch’s archive
Courtesy of Jennifer Finch’s Archive
In my 62 years, I can think of nobody more loyal or honourable. A true friend, who also gave me the security of having one house where I was safe.
It’s worth noting that she was clean and sober for 37 years [at the time of her death]. She joined L7 in 1986 and helped make it the force it became, doing all that grunge without once getting high.
Jennifer was a teenage terror. She ran the tables on all the Dogtown Betties and all the Hollywood street girls. She was queen boss. She ruled the roost of the teenage gangs. Back then, the LAPD more than once tossed us into dumpsters or shoved us around. She was fearless with them.
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When Kurt died, Jennifer was the general in Seattle. She guarded my door like an armed soldier. She confronted and stopped Kurt’s managers and a suit from trying to leave our house with a Flipper album and a Bunnymen album. The joke was on that guy. Clearly not a Kurt lover.
Kurt adored Jennifer, and she was one of the few people he spoke to a few times a week. She got me through that horrible month and didn’t leave my side.
On June 10, when I entered that house, I saw terror and entrapment drowning in her eyes. For five weeks, my only job was to help make sure she had the best possible end-of-life care, until July 18.
There are people here who stood up and showed real heroism.
There were no means, no money, and no access to the men I know with power, but my manager said, “Who cares if there’s no money? She was in one of the most important bands ever.” That gave my heart the dignity Jennifer deserved.
When it was finally undeniable that she was dying, my job was to make sure she was surrounded by love in a safe place, while her medical team kept her comfortable.
Jennifer Precious Finch was 10,000 levels of funny. She could not have written her chaotic ending better herself.
More than 100 people were fighting to get in, arguing that they were on the list as if it were a club, because she had more than 100 passionate friends who would hock their houses for her. There were bouncers rotating at the door, people arguing about playlists and almost fist-fighting, duvets from the Chateau Marmont, a Sikh saint with his crystal xylophone, robes and slippers, Apple Pan and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. The tired, the sick, the hungry, the famous and tons of ex-boyfriends, all regretting their wrongs. She loved it. Everyone remembering her with love and sobbing.
At 4 in the morning, when her body shut down and the medical staff said it was time, I heard someone say, “But we ordered breakfast for 8, and Flea’s coming at 9.”
I laughed.
It was an Andy Kaufman, Carrie Fisher exit. It was Steve Jobs saying, “Oh wow,” as he saw whatever was on the other side and left all of us guessing until it’s our turn.
It was funny as hell. Chaotic, like her. Going out in the world’s most glamorous hospital wing — the Billy Wilder wing where Elizabeth Taylor died — named after the director of Marilyn’s best movie [Some Like It Hot] and, consequently, the best movie about an all-girl band ever, with the greatest last line in cinema history: “Nobody’s perfect.”
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Waiting for craft services, our favourite trumpet player and her medical team keeping her comfortable is the most Jennifer Finch thing ever.
Amazon announced Wednesday a major expansion of Amazon Prime Air, its drone delivery service, with plans to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026. This marks a significant milestone as it expands the service’s footprint by roughly 6x its current reach.
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Prime Air will soon launch in 11 locations: Tolleson, Arizona; Ruskin, Florida; Kansas City, Kansas; Papillion, Nebraska; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Hazel Park and Pontiac, Michigan; and Richmond, San Antonio, Richardson, and Waco, Texas.
The return to Tolleson is particularly notable given a drone accident that occurred there last year. In October 2025, two drones collided with the boom of a crane. Amazon’s drones have also previously drawn scrutiny following incidents, including clipping an internet cable and crashing into a garden and an apartment building.
This is likely why Amazon reiterated its focus on safety as part of the announcement. The company highlighted Prime Air’s “industry-leading Detect-and-Avoid system,” which is designed to continuously monitor the airspace and surroundings of each drone. The drones also rely on onboard cameras and sensors for navigation, obstacle detection, and delivery. Plus, Amazon said the drones are designed to operate in real-world conditions, including light rain and a range of temperatures.
Additionally, Prime Air operates under Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 certification, the same regulatory framework used by commercial air carriers.
“Customers already turn to Amazon for fast Same- and Next-Day Delivery, and Prime Air provides them an even speedier option when they need it, with deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes,” David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air, said in a statement, adding that the service has “already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to customers by drone this year.”
The service currently operates across seven states, including Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. Amazon says launches in Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, and New York are also coming soon.
Prime members receive free ultrafast drone delivery on eligible orders of $50 or more. For Prime members placing eligible orders under $50, the delivery fee is $2.99. Non-Prime customers pay a $4.99 delivery fee. Nearly all items 5 pounds or less can be delivered by drone.
Amazon’s push comes as other major companies continue building their own drone delivery networks. Walmart and Google parent Alphabet’s Wing have been expanding a competing drone delivery operation, which the companies have described as the largest drone delivery network in the U.S. In June, the companies added seven new markets, including Phoenix, Philadelphia, and the Bay Area.
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Lauren covers media, streaming, apps and platforms at TechCrunch.
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The Israeli army has confirmed that soldiers marked Palestinian detainees with numbers on their foreheads during a raid on the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.
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Palestinian news outlets reported the incident, which took place on Monday.
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According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, Israeli forces had deployed in several neighbourhoods of Qabatiya, with local sources telling the news agency that soldiers had searched a number of houses and arrested several young men.
The army also said in a statement that troops had arrested two people during the raid who were suspected of “planning and promoting terrorist plots”.
However, footage published on Monday from the raid showed a Palestinian man with the number “44” written on his forehead, sparking outrage.
Here’s what we know.
What happened?
One of the detainees, Ahmad al-Hathnawi, who was marked with the number, told Palestinian media that this was the first time that the army had written numbers on his forehead.
Al-Hathnawi explained that he had been released from Israeli detention 10 days ago for the fourth time, but said that he had never experienced something like this before.
“It was just interrogation and terrorism, intimidation of the families and the freed detainees,” he said.
“They are basically trying to send a message that if settlers come into the area, there will be no problems, and that the settlers are going to remain here for a long time,” he added.
Israeli settlers, often tacitly or overtly facilitated by Israeli troops, have in recent weeks significantly ramped up attacks on Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.
Al-Hathnawi explained that there were about “50 detainees, including blindfolded women, in the house” where he was interrogated.
But the practice of marking Palestinian detainees with numbers is not new, and was previously reported in April after soldiers had written numbers on the hands of Palestinian women in Jenin. At the time, the Israeli army acknowledged that it was “poor judgement”.
What has the army said?
In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli army told the Times of Israel that soldiers had marked detainees in the occupied West Bank.
“Commanders made clear to the troops the seriousness of the act, and lessons have been learned,” the military said.
Knesset lawmaker Ahmad Tibi condemned the marking and called it “shocking and repulsive” in a post on X.
“This is what dehumanisation looks like: erasing the person and turning them into a number. An image that recalls dark periods and should shock every person,” he wrote.
What is going on in the West Bank?
Israeli forces have ramped up their campaign of raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank.
On Monday, illegal settlers put up tents on Palestinian land to create a new settlement outpost near Ramallah, while another group of settlers continues to besiege the village of Qusra, now for the 11th day.
The mayor of Qusra told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that he fears the siege of families in the town could represent a “new approach” aimed at forcing Palestinians from their homes.
He added that the families’ food supplies would run out within two days and that they urgently needed supplies and medicines.
At the same time, the Palestinian prime minister’s office said on Wednesday that Israeli forces and settlers had carried out “more than 467 attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in just one week”.
“At least 75 Palestinian homes and structures were demolished. A relentless escalation of violence, dispossession, and destruction,” the office wrote on X.
On Sunday, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, told Al Jazeera that settler violence and the ongoing siege in Qusra had reached a “climax”.
“Israel has outsourced coercion to the settlers and is using them to advance ethnic cleansing,” Albanese said. “This is a crime… This is utter terrorism; these settlers should be investigated and prosecuted.” %!s()
With the World Cup done and dusted, football’s attention returns to the club game – and nowhere captures the eye more than the richest and most competitive league in the world: The English Premier League.
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Champions Arsenal overcame three successive runner-up finishes, and the Gunners are now the team to be shot down.
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Manchester City appear the main threat, but the post-Pep Guardiola era got off to the worst start with a 3-0 thumping by Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Manchester United are resurgent, and Liverpool start the season under a new coach after a disappointing title defence last term, while Chelsea have spent heavily under new coach Xabi Alonso.
Here is Al Jazeera’s guide to the five clubs who could shape the title race.
Can Declan Rice help Arsenal win back-to-back Premier League trophies in the 2026-27 season? [File: Matthew Childs/Reuters]
⚽ ARSENAL
2025-26 Premier League: Champions – 85 points
Premier League titles: 4
Opening match: Coventry City (H), August 21
Key signings: Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis
Key departures: Leandro Trossard
Overview
For years, the question was whether Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could finally get over the line, and the answer was loud and clear last season. The Gunners conceded only 27 league goals, lost five matches and finished seven points clear of Manchester City to claim their first league trophy since 2003-04.
Rather than stand still and be content with what’s been achieved, Arsenal have strengthened from a position of power, and they appear to be following a familiar blueprint: Keep the core of a winning team intact and add quality reinforcements – the same formula that helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and Guardiola’s Manchester City build eras of sustained dominance.
The arrival of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle adds another proven midfielder to a group containing Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi, while Christos Tzolis gives Arteta another attacking option from the left.
Strengths
Arsenal’s greatest weapon is their balance. They can dominate possession, defend deep, win ugly at times and remain exceptionally dangerous from set pieces and counterattacks.
David Raya, William Saliba and Gabriel provide an impregnable backline rivalled by none; Rice gives them athleticism and authority in midfield; Odegaard offers invention; and Bukayo Saka remains one of the league’s most decisive attacking players. Guimaraes’s arrival could turn an already formidable midfield into an exceptional one.
Weaknesses
As with all newly crowned teams, being champions brings a different kind of pressure. Opponents will approach the Gunners differently, and every draw or defeat will inevitably lead to doubts about whether they can retain the title.
Their dependence on Saka for attacking inspiration almost cost them dearly last season. They need goals and creativity consistently from across the front line.
Players to watch
Saka remains the attacking reference point, and Rice has become equally fundamental to Arsenal’s identity, but it’s fair to say all eyes will be on new signings Guimaraes and winger Tzolis, who was the standout player in preseason games.
Key takeaway
Now that the psychological barrier has been removed, Arsenal have all the tools not only to retain the title but to do it in style. Can they repeat? It all depends on whether they can handle the pressure of expectations and become an even more ruthless side.
Prediction
Champions.
Manchester City forwards Omar Marmoush, left, and Erling Haaland helped their club to a season-high 77 goals in 38 Premier League fixtures last season [Andrew Boyers/Reuters]
⚽ MANCHESTER CITY
2025-26 Premier League: 2nd – 78 points
Premier League titles: 8
2026-27 opening match: Bournemouth (Home) August 23
Key signing: Elliot Anderson
Key departures: Pep Guardiola, Rodri, Bernardo Silva
Overview
For Manchester City, the new season serves as an era-defining moment – it is the beginning of life after Guardiola.
This transition is made even more complicated by Rodri’s departure to Barcelona, presenting an enormous player gap for incoming manager Enzo Maresca. The Spanish international and Ballon d’Or winner was the heartbeat of Guardiola’s midfield, and replacing his control, intelligence and leadership will be Maresca’s biggest challenge.
Also, City are closing in on gifted Moroccan teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi and chasing Chelsea’s midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The Argentinian international is familiar with Maresca’s style and could add proven quality to a midfield undergoing major reconstruction.
Strengths
City’s greatest strength remains Erling Haaland.
With 27 goals and a third Golden Boot last season, the Norwegian striker scores goals at a rate no other player in the Premier League can match. With consistent service, City possess a proven match-winner who, in tight games, can make the difference in the title race.
Around Haaland there is considerable attacking variety. Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku offer power and direct running, Omar Marmoush provides pace and movement across the front line while Rayan Cherki can unlock packed defences through invention. City’s league-high 77 goals last season is evidence that scoring is not the club’s fundamental problem.
Furthermore, the offseason signing of England international Elliot Anderson and impending addition of Bouaddi would inject much-needed youth, athleticism and technical quality.
Weaknesses
City start the season with the weakest midfield lineup in years due to Rodri and Bernardo Silva’s exit.
The loss of Rodri leaves an unimaginably huge hole at the heart of City’s midfield. Anderson can fill some of what Rodri does, but cannot be seen as a like-for-like replace him.
Players to watch
Haaland starts the new season as a hot favourite to win a fourth Golden Boot and is entering the prime of his career.
If signed, Bouaddi would be an exciting new addition to the club. The Atlas Lions star has been the talking point of European football since his first senior appearance with Lille three years ago, before stealing the show at the 2026 World Cup.
Should his move from Lille be completed, the 18-year-old will arrive with enormous expectations given his technical composure, intelligence and maturity.
New signing Anderson will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, while up front it could be worth watching the chemistry between Marmoush and Semenyo.
Key takeaway
City’s biggest signing may be their new manager, Maresca. The players are talented enough to win the league, and the question is how well City will manage the departure of the team’s two leaders, Guardiola and Rodri.
Prediction
Second
Genuine title contenders.
Midfield star Cole Palmer is hoping for a bounce-back season as part of a revamped Chelsea lineup [File: Peter Cziborra/Reuters]
⚽ CHELSEA
2025-26 Premier League: 10th – 52 points
Premier League titles: 5
2026-27 opening match: Fulham (Away), August 24
Manager: Xabi Alonso
Key signings: Morgan Rogers
Key departures: Marc Cucurella
Overview
Chelsea emerge as one of the most intriguing and exciting sides before the new Premier League campaign.
After a series of turbulent seasons muddled with struggle and failure, the London club are set to put that behind them, essentially pressing the reset button.
With heavy investment, the appointment of a new manager and no European football, there is quiet optimism that Chelsea can mount a title challenge. However, the Blues are still undergoing a transitional period and incoming manager Alonso’s biggest obstacle will be to create an identity out of a young and bloated Chelsea squad.
Strengths
Perhaps the biggest advantage for Chelsea this season will be their lack of European football.
The Blues are expected to go all out in the Premier League and capitalise on their rivals’ congested European schedules and injury concerns by fielding a rested, deep and fresh team for every domestic fixture. Match fatigue will not be a problem for Chelsea this season.
With Alonso’s appointment, Chelsea finally have a plan. The Spaniard’s tactically sophisticated approach and positional discipline will give Chelsea stability and structure, while his ability to adjust systems to opponents and flexibility in both possession and pressing would finally turn the Blues into a coherent team, rather than just a group of individual talent.
Weaknesses
The goalkeeper position remains a potential concern, and it’s surprising that for all the expensive recruitment, the club didn’t address it in the offseason. Robert Sanchez is a talented keeper, but his inconsistency has cost the team dearly. He conceded the most errors leading to goals in the entire league last season, according to Opta data tracking.
Another vulnerability might be Chelsea’s depth. While seemingly a major strength, a squad comprising more than 40 first-team players could give any manager major headaches when trying to create a consistent starting XI.
Players to watch
After a disappointing season and failing to make England’s World Cup squad, all eyes will be on Cole Palmer to see if he can regain his exploits of 2024/25 when he had 23 league goal contributions. If the creative midfielder can produce another season of that quality, Chelsea will have a legitimate game changer in their squad.
Morgan Rogers is another player who could be influential. After breaking the all-time Premier League transfer record at 117 million pounds ($158m), the English international is a highly talented and progressive goal threat from central and wide positions who some commentators believe could become a superstar at Chelsea.
Key takeaway
Chelsea have strengthened nearly every department on the pitch, and with Alonso taking the helm, the Blues seem to finally have an identity.
Prediction
Third.
The stupendous form of Dominik Szoboszlai was one of the few high points of an otherwise challenging season for Liverpool last season [File: Phil Noble/Reuters]
⚽ LIVERPOOL
2025-26 Premier League: 5th – 60 points
Premier League titles: 2
Opening match: Newcastle United (Away), August 23
Manager: Andoni Iraola
Key signings: Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz, Ronald Araujo
Key departures: Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate
Overview
Another title contender, another new manager.
Liverpool begin the season as perhaps the hardest contender to predict. The 2024-25 champions fell dramatically to fifth last season, losing 12 league matches, conceding 53 goals and ultimately leading to a managerial change with Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot.
Iraola’s previous job at Bournemouth was defined by aggression, pressing and direct attacking football. On paper, applying those principles to Liverpool’s superior individual talent is a recipe for success – but this is also a squad in transition.
Mohamed Salah’s departure leaves a big void that will not only be measured by goals but also by the loss of the team’s attacking reference point and most reliable match winner. The signing of left winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna is an attempt to reshape Liverpool’s attack after the popular Egyptian’s exit.
The preseason was far from ideal given the departures, defensive injuries and unconvincing performances. The club quickly acted with moves for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo on loan and Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennais in an attempt to strengthen a depleted back line.
Strengths
Despite all the issues, Liverpool still possess top-class players and an attacking culture capable of overwhelming opponents with pace, technical quality and attacking depth. Iraola’s high-energy football should suit Anfield, where momentum usually turns matches remarkably quickly.
Dominik Szoboszlai, who was one of the few bright spots last season, will be the primary source of energy, creativity and goals from midfield, while the new-look forward line is capable of providing variety and unpredictability.
Weaknesses
Salah’s departure will surely affect Liverpool’s productivity in front of goal, but it is defence that remains the biggest concern. The Reds were 12th in goals conceded last season, and they can’t seriously challenge Arsenal and Manchester City with this kind of generosity at the back.
At the front, Iraola’s aggressive style can also expose space behind the midfield when pressing is executed poorly.
Players to watch
Szoboszlai could become the defining player of the Iraola era. The Hungarian’s intensity and technical quality fit the new manager’s football almost perfectly. Munoz is expected to impress with his technical ability and blistering pace.
At the back, new addition Jacquet could surprise many and form a strong duo with Virgil van Dijk.
Key takeaway
Liverpool have the manager and the players to beat any team but need to fix their defence if they want to challenge.
Prediction
Fourth.
Inspirational Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes wants to lead his club to a first Premier League title since 2013 [File: David Klein/Reuters]
⚽ MANCHESTER UNITED
2025-26 Premier League: 3rd – 71 points
Premier League titles: 13
Opening match: Hull City (Away), August 22
Manager: Michael Carrick
Key signings: Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos
Overview
For the first time in years, Manchester United begin a Premier League season with evidence rather than nostalgia supporting talk of a potential title challenge. After a troubled start to last season, United are in a completely different position.
Their form towards the back end of last season earned Michael Carrick a permanent contract and provided a newfound solidarity that has reignited hope amongst supporters. Third place last season represented significant progress and earned United a return to the Champions League.
More importantly, Carrick restored a degree of identity and stability to a club that had spent too many seasons in the wilderness.
The arrival of Youri Tielemans should improve United’s ability to control possession through midfield, and the Belgian signing reflects Carrick’s intent on constructing a side capable of dictating matches. The question remains whether United are ready to make the enormous jump from good to great.
Strengths
United possess considerable attacking variety. Bruno Fernandes remains their creative heartbeat; Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo can attack opponents in different ways; while the signings of Andrey Santos and Tielemans bolster the midfield.
Managerial stability will also turn out to be beneficial to the Red Devils. With Carrick at the helm, the atmosphere has shifted – the gloom has lifted, and Old Trafford is brimming with hope.
Weaknesses
United conceded 50 league goals last season, significantly more than Arsenal’s 27 and City’s 35. This statistic alone illustrates the gap between United and the top two from last season.
The club’s questionable squad depth will be hugely tested by Champions League football this season, and a promising starting lineup is one thing; surviving four competitions is another.
Players to watch
Fernandes remains indispensable. His creativity and leadership continue to drive United, and the acquisition of Tielemans could allow the Portuguese star to roam higher up the pitch and build on last season’s exploits.
Tielemans’s arrival also provides the composure and control the midfield lacked last season. Another new arrival who could excel playing alongside Fernandes in the midfield is Andrey Santos, 22, who can provide line-breaking passes, energy and composure rarely seen in a player so young.
Key takeaway
United are still far from the finished product and are not yet ready to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. Unless United can add depth with a key defensive signing, they will be up against it to finish in the top three again on the ladder.
Harvey Smith, the former Arkane developer behind some of gaming’s most influential immersive sims, is starting over with a new studio. Smith has spent more than three decades working in games, serving as lead designer on the original Deus Ex before joining Arkane Studios, where he co-directed Dishonored and later served as creative director on Dishonored 2. More recently, Smith and Horne worked together at Arkane Austin, the studio behind Prey and Redfall that Microsoft shut down in 2024.
On Wednesday, Smith and longtime collaborator Ben Horne announced Black Pony Immersive, an Austin-based developer focused on creating single-player, first-person action RPGs built around player choice, exploration, and emergent systems.
“During a time of industry volatility, I'm proud to announce the next step in my video game journey with the reveal of our new studio,” Smith said in a press release. “At our new studio, we're building exactly the kind of single-player games we're most passionate about.”
Black Pony isn’t just Smith and Horne, either. The studio says its team includes developers who previously worked at Arkane, Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition, including Smith’s longtime collaborator Ricardo Bare. Collectively, members of the team have credits on games including Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey, and Just Cause.
The announcement also puts another prominent developer back to work on the immersive sim at an interesting moment for the genre. Deus Ex creator Warren Spector announced his retirement from game development this week after nearly 44 years in the industry, closing one chapter in the history of a genre built around giving players unusual freedom to solve problems.
Smith, meanwhile, appears interested in carrying that philosophy forward. Black Pony describes its games as narrative-rich experiences set in detailed worlds where players can experiment with interconnected systems rather than simply follow one prescribed path. That approach has defined much of Smith’s career. Even Dishonored grew out of Arkane’s unsuccessful attempts to develop new Thief and Blade Runner games before those ideas evolved into the original property that eventually launched in 2012.
Black Pony hasn’t revealed its first game yet, so there are still plenty of unknowns, including its title, setting, platforms, or release window. But Horne is making the studio’s ambitions pretty clear.
“This group has worked together for years, decades in some cases, and is purpose-built to make the ambitious games we love — immersive sims,” Horne said. “We can’t wait to reveal more soon.” %!s()
