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On August 13, 2027, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans will finally get another trip back into the sewers for the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , the critically-acclaimed 2023 animated film produced by Seth Rogen. But until then, IDW is keeping that iteration of the Turtles busy with various comic books. First there was the six-issue series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . And coming this fall they’ll be releasing Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coastal Chaos, and Polygon has an exclusive look, including new images of the deep-cut villain from 1990s comic books.

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Every year, Call of Duty either tries to reinvent the wheel, or undo the reinvention it tried last time. With the upcoming Modern Warfare 4 , it's attempting the latter— Morgan has played MW4 multiplayer at Infinity Ward recently, and he's not convinced it's a leap forward, despite being confident it'll be the best-playing Call of Duty in years.

MW4 has the monumental task of living up to MW 2019's reinvention of the series, while trying to fix Modern Warfare 2's controversial changes . One of the biggest criticisms was its absurdly strong visual recoil, which made its guns feel, frankly, quite messy and unresponsive. This was somewhat fixed in MW3, but that half-sequel is a whole other can of worms that the devs are steering clear of.

In the latest "From the Ward" developer doc, Infinity Ward has laid out its philosophy with MW4. "We talk a lot about making the game more immersive," explains weapon designer Cody Pierson. "The goal for Modern Warfare 4 is to really put the player in the boots of their operator, make it feel like they're really behind their gun."

What this means in practice is some admittedly cool features, like more realistic depth of field that's actually a helpful improvement over past games. Most players will likely still turn it off, though. Muzzle effects have been toned down by a creative masking solution, specifically cutting out the cloud of smoke that would typically block your view. Or how about the dynamic weapon position, like lowering your weapon as you approach a wall or angling it against a corner as you poke around. Very cool. Very immersive.

While I think Infinity Ward's changes are pretty spot on, this deep dive has proven to be divisive. For some, the (seemingly) strong visual recoil and hefty weapon sway are bringing back bad memories of MW2. So much so that the developer has made a statement on the topic in direct response to a fan raising their concerns:

We’ve seen the early conversations around visual recoil. The Beta will give players a chance to get hands-on, and we'll be monitoring feedback closely throughout both weekends. July 15, 2026

"We’ve seen the early conversations around visual recoil. The Beta will give players a chance to get hands-on, and we'll be monitoring feedback closely throughout both weekends."

It's a sentiment I've seen shared among the community in the wake of the video. There's been some surprisingly nuanced discussion on the game's Reddit page. It's rightly pointed out that, while smoke and weapon bounce could still be toned down, it's not helped by the lower FOV on display.

Content creator TheGamingDefinition posted on social media, saying, "Did you muppets not learn your lesson from MW2022? Fix your game, this visibility is shocking." And to be fair, it's a pretty muddy screengrab. Likewise, Frizzeyes called MW4 "MWII 2.0".

Metaphor , a very good Warzone player, highlighted the fact that these changes specifically kneecap PC players more: "Insane visual recoil + gun smoke. Mouse and keyboard is OFFICIALLY DEAD."

Ultimately, I'd say it's too early to know how the guns in MW4 will feel without actually having them in your hands—every weapon is different, and your settings can influence things too. But so far, it's clear that Infinity Ward is aware of the shortcomings of MW2, while still being dedicated to the idea of immersion and realism. It's certainly more passionate about those tenets than its players are, though.

2026 games : All the upcoming games

Best PC games : Our all-time favorites

Free PC games : Freebie fest

Best FPS games : Finest gunplay

Best RPGs : Grand adventures

Best co-op games : Better together

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Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Well, sort of. The skies in these parts are decidedly hazy thanks to smoky conditions to the north. Nonetheless, we are doing our best to take a deep breath and focus on the matters at hand. To that end, we are firing up the trusty kettle to make another cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is English breakfast, an old standby. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a meaningful and productive day and, of course, do stay in touch. …

Prediction markets have permeated the worlds of sports, politics, and reality television shows. Now, the biopharma industry could be next as Kalshi, one of the world’s largest prediction market exchanges, plans to take bets on clinical trials and regulatory approvals , STAT reports. The company is starting with a small number of markets chosen in collaboration with its partner, AppliedXL, a tech firm that monitors and predicts study outcomes. Initially, Kalshi will take a conservative approach, allowing people to bet only on Phase 3 trial outcomes run by established drug companies and with full approval decisions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its kind pill from Merck that is designed to help lower cholesterol levels beyond what statins alone can achieve , The Wall Street Journal says. The agency cleared Lipfendra to treat high cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. The approval was based on studies showing that Merck’s once-daily pill reduced bad, or LDL, cholesterol levels by up to 60% over six months in adults with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Analysts expect the new Merck pill to be a big seller, generating peak annual sales of more than $5 billion.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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Carnie Wilson — best known as one-third of Wilson Phillips and daughter of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson — revisits some of the most defining moments of her public and private life. From a childhood spent in the chaos of rock-and-roll royalty, to her rise as one of the best-selling artists of the early 90s, to her very public weight-loss journey and the road to sobriety and motherhood that followed, Carnie shares what she sees when she looks back, and what it’s taken to finally feel like she belongs.

We created this video for The Me I Used to Be, a Big Think interview series created in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators . As a creative non-profit organization, they’re on a mission to help people challenge their perceptions and expand their thinking. Often, that growth can start with just a single unlikely question that makes you rethink your convictions and adjust your vantage point. Visit Perception Box to see more in this series.

This video The harmony Carnie Wilson spent her whole life trying to find is featured on Big Think .