Shadow News Weekly: BioWare Shuts Down, and Tesla and SpaceX Talk Merger

Welcome to the Shadow News weekly roundup for October 19–25, 2026. EA closed one of gaming's most famous studios, Elon Musk's two biggest companies started talking about becoming one, Netflix kept shaking up its leadership, and the GTA VI launch trailer finally landed. Here are the stories that mattered most.

💻 TECH

Tesla and SpaceX are officially talking about a merger.
On SpaceX's earnings call, Elon Musk said both boards have formed special committees of independent directors to discuss combining, and called it "a good idea." He's sitting out the talks as a conflicted party, no terms are agreed yet, and Tesla would need a yes from 50% of all its shares.
Source · bbc.com ↗

OpenAI could soon be worth $1.25 trillion.
OpenAI is reportedly close to raising up to $30 billion at a $1.25 trillion pre-money valuation, down from an earlier $1.4 trillion ask. Coatue and UAE investors are reportedly leading the round ahead of a possible 2027 IPO.
Source · techcrunch.com ↗

Turning off tracking on your smart TV might not actually stop it.
Northeastern University researchers tested 12 smart TVs and found Samsung Tizen and Vizio sets kept sending traffic to content-recognition servers after users opted out. The traffic is encrypted, so the researchers can't see exactly what's being sent.
Source · arstechnica.com ↗

🎮 GAMES

EA is shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
After more than 30 years, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect has ended, part of a restructuring that cuts about 400 jobs at EA. The same memo says Respawn and DICE will team up on a new project, which multiple sources told Variety is Star Wars Battlefront 3.
Source · variety.com ↗

Shigeru Miyamoto is the first video game creator to receive Japan's Order of Culture.
The 73-year-old Nintendo legend behind Mario and Zelda is one of eight honorees this year. The Emperor will present the award at the Imperial Palace on November 3, Culture Day.
Source · japantimes.co.jp ↗

The Grand Theft Auto VI launch trailer is here.
It debuts "Flower in a Hurricane" from Justice with Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. GTA VI arrives November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Source · x.com ↗

🎬 MOVIES

Netflix fired its film chief, Dan Lin.
Lin is out as head of Netflix Film, days after Netflix cut about 1,000 jobs and replaced content chief Bela Bajaria with former Fox and Disney executive Peter Rice. Netflix says Rice will oversee film until a new chief is named.
Source · deadline.com ↗

Marvel dropped a surprise Avengers: Doomsday preview during World Series Game 1.
The spot starred MLB players Harper, Freeman and three more stars, and also brought back Chris Evans' Steve Rogers alongside Paul Rudd's Ant-Man. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 18.
Source · x.com ↗

The James Bond search is down to the final screen tests.
Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O'Connor are reportedly three of at least four actors screen-testing for 007 in London for Denis Villeneuve's Bond film. The tests cover stunts, camera presence and dialogue, and there's still no timeline for a decision.
Source · deadline.com ↗

⛩️ ANIME

Hideo Kojima cameos in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2.
The Metal Gear creator plays Hideyoshi Oshima, the braindance director players could find at Konpeki Plaza in Cyberpunk 2077. All 10 episodes of the TRIGGER and CD Projekt Red sequel are streaming on Netflix.
Source · ign.com ↗

The Yona of the Dawn sequel finally has a studio.
Pierrot Films, the team behind Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, will animate the follow-up to the 2014 anime. The news landed the same day Mizuho Kusanagi's manga shipped its 48th and final volume in Japan.
Source · animenewsnetwork.com ↗

Made in Abyss is back on the big screen.
Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery opened in Japan, the first film in a new movie series picking up after The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. Masayuki Kojima directs at Kinema Citrus, and a second film is already greenlit.
Source · animenewsnetwork.com ↗

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That's the week. Follow @ShadowNewsHQ to catch the biggest tech, anime, games and movie stories as they break. Every story, the weekly calendars and the daily recaps are at shadownewshq.com.