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Pragmata combines thrilling sci-fi action with endearing uncle energy

For far too long, video games have been besieged by the scourge of Dad Games. Things like the recent God of War entries and The Last of Us have popularized the idea of giving players some kind of paternal duty over a young, mostly helpless companion. It’s played out and boring, among other things.

That’s one of the reasons why I’m so into what I’ve seen of Capcom’s upcoming Pragmata so far. This sci-fi third-person shooter, originally announced six years ago, has a similar enough premise to those other games I mentioned. You play as a guy named Hugh who finds himself needing to protect and work with a strange little girl named Diana as they try to escape a space station full of angry robots.

The difference, though, is that I would categorize Pragmata as more of an Uncle Game than a Dad Game. I got to play about 90 minutes of Pragmata at a press event recently, and it seems like a totally kick-ass action game with a really neat hacking-based hook, but the lighthearted interplay between Hugh and Diana was also significantly more endearing than the heavy-handed self-seriousness of something like The Last of Us.

Pragmata is basically Resident Evil 4 with an air dash

Hugh and Diana doing the hacking minigame in Pragmata

The hacking aspect of ‘Pragmata’ is extremely sick.
Credit: Capcom

In case you haven’t been following along with Pragmata’s marketing (there’s also a free demo available on every platform), the main thing to know is that it’s a space-based third-person shooter with similar gameplay guts to that of the more action-oriented entries in Capcom’s Resident Evil series.

Of course, Pragmata is not a horror game, so the vibe is pretty different. But at its core, this is still a game about carefully positioning yourself in the middle of overwhelming fights and trying to precisely line up shots on the weak points of enemies who (mostly) creepily move towards you in a slow manner. An obvious difference is that Hugh can also sprint, jump, and dash around the environment, giving it a much more fast-paced feel than you’d get as Leon S. Kennedy of the Resident Evil series.

Hugh running away from giant weird baby robots in Pragmata

These guys suck to fight.
Credit: Capcom

The real meat of Pragmata‘s combat comes from Diana’s hacking abilities. She sits on Hugh’s shoulder at all times, and aiming at an enemy will bring up a square-based hacking grid that you navigate using the face buttons. In essence, you’re doing a hacking mini-game while also running and shooting, and successfully hacking an enemy can open up weak spots or stun/slow them down. It is absolutely key to success, and the first time you do it, you’ll immediately understand why it’s a cool idea.

All of that had been known about Pragmata prior to this recent hands-on opportunity, though. One major new thing I got to see this time around was the game’s hub area, which you can travel to from any checkpoint in the world. It’s got a training range, upgrade stations, and even a friendly robot named Cabin who exists to help you do whatever you need to do in that space. Just from the demo I played, Pragmata seems like it’s got a pretty satisfying upgrade loop to it. You collect different kinds of currency from exploring levels and defeating enemies, which you then use to upgrade Hugh’s core functions like health, as well as all the different guns he uses along the way.

It’s straightforward enough, but Capcom is one of the best purveyors of this type of single-player action game. I think they know a thing or two about player progression, and it showed in the demo I played.

Pragmata also has a ton of personality

Hugh and Diana trying on goofy outfits in Pragmata

Of course, there are fun costumes to unlock.
Credit: Capcom

While the actual gameplay side of the demo didn’t show me a ton I didn’t already know about Pragmata, it was set in a substantially more interesting environment than we had seen previously. Specifically, I got to run around a weird, 3D-printed simulacra of Times Square in New York City, but inside a space station. Billboards and ads were full of fun references to other Capcom games like Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, while the buildings and storefronts sometimes faded halfway out of existence because they clearly weren’t fully completed before…whatever happened in this space station.

Going back to the whole “Uncle Game” thing, what impressed me most about Pragmata is the amount of heart there is in all of Hugh and Diana’s interactions. She’s never been to Earth, so Hugh spends most of the NYC level explaining various Earth concepts to her to sate her infinite curiosity on the subject. I especially dug a bit where Hugh mentioned that the fake NYC wasn’t nearly as dirty as the real one.

Diana talking to Cabin in Pragmata

Cabin’s a cool dude.
Credit: Capcom

Most importantly, I didn’t get a ton of paternal energy from what I saw between Hugh and Diana. There was one scene where he had to save her from her own curiosity, but other than that, what I played was bereft of Hugh scolding, lecturing, or otherwise acting like much of a parent towards Diana. Rather, he feels a bit more like an uncle who’s been tasked with watching a kid for a weekend. Just like any good uncle, you can even find gifts in the world and give them to Diana in the hub area, at which point she will adorably go and play with them.

At this point I’ve only played about two combined hours of Pragmata at various press events, but every time I see it, I want to play the final game more and more. I really think Capcom has stumbled onto something very cool here, between the sweaty, stressful sci-fi combat and the cute interplay between its two leads. We’ll find out pretty soon whether or not it holds up over the course of a full game.

Pragmata launches on April 17 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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Entertainment

Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license

Pennsylvania has taken the unusual step of suing an AI company for practicing medicine without a license.

In a lawsuit filed May 1, the state is targeting Character.AI after an investigator found a chatbot on the platform posing as a licensed psychiatrist and providing what the state characterizes as medical advice.

According to the complaint, filed by the Pennsylvania Department of State and State Board of Medicine, a Professional Conduct Investigator for the state created a free account on Character.AI and searched for psychiatric characters. He selected one called “Emilie,” described on the platform as a “Doctor of psychiatry.”

The investigator told Emilie he had been feeling sad, empty, tired, and unmotivated. The chatbot mentioned depression and offered to conduct an assessment to determine whether medication might help.

When pressed on whether she was licensed in Pennsylvania, Emilie said she was and even provided a specific license number. The state checked and found that the number doesn’t exist.

The complaint also states Emilie claimed she attended medical school at Imperial College London, has practiced for seven years, and holds a full specialty registration in psychiatry with the General Medical Council in the UK.

In a similar case, 404 Media reported last year that Instagram AI chatbots were pretending to be licensed therapists, even inventing license numbers when prompted for credentials by the user.

Pennsylvania is seeking an injunction ordering Character.AI to stop allowing its platform to engage in the unlawful practice of medicine. The company has more than 20 million monthly active users worldwide and hosts more than 18 million user-created chatbot characters, according to the complaint.

In an email to Mashable, a Character.AI spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. Further, they added that “our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our users. The user-created Characters on our site are fictional and intended for entertainment and roleplaying.”

The spokesperson added that the company “prioritizes responsible product development and has robust internal reviews and red-teaming processes in place to assess relevant features.”

A much bigger legal battle looms over AI health

The Pennsylvania lawsuit lands in the middle of an already messy legal debate over what AI is actually allowed to tell you — and whether any of it is even admissible in court.

As Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto reported, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly advocated for “AI privilege,” arguing that chatbot conversations should be afforded the same legal protections as conversations with a therapist or an attorney. Courts have so far been split, with two federal judges reaching opposite conclusions on the question within weeks of each other earlier this year.

The stakes are high on both sides. Legal experts warn that sweeping AI privilege protections could effectively shield companies from accountability, making it harder to subpoena chat logs and internal records when something goes wrong. Meanwhile, health AI is booming — $1.4 billion flowed into healthcare-specific generative AI in 2025 alone, according to Menlo Ventures — and much of it operates outside of HIPAA protections.

Pennsylvania is one of several states to have introduced an AI Health bill this year, following a trend of states that aren’t waiting for Washington to act.

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How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free

TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Bayern Munich vs. PSG would have made an amazing Champions League final, but we should be happy that we’re getting two matchups between these electric teams. The first leg finished 5-4 to PSG. We’re not expecting the same again, because that was probably one of the best games of all time. If we get half that level of entertainment in the second leg, we’ll be delighted.

Expect more of the same from the likes of Michael Olise and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as these teams battle it out for a spot in the showpiece event. The winner will meet Arsenal at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. PSG?

Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on May 6. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free

Bayern Munich vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

  4. Visit RTÉ Player

  5. Watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to 10 simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

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AI stocks are cooling — this ChatGPT trading tool keeps delivering

TL;DR: A ChatGPT-powered investing platform that helps you find and manage stocks with clearer signals—lifetime access for a one-time $54.97.


Credit: Sterling Stock Picker

The AI trade has seemingly had its moment — big runs, big headlines, big expectations. The AI fun is not over by any means. But now that things are settling, the real question is what comes next?

Instead of chasing whatever’s trending, Sterling Stock Picker leans into a more grounded approach: using a ChatGPT-powered assistant (Finley) to help you understand what’s actually happening inside a stock. You can ask questions about companies, sectors, or your own portfolio and get explanations that are tied to real data — not just surface-level summaries.

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It also handles the heavy lifting most people avoid. The platform analyzes financials, growth metrics, and risk, then surfaces signals like whether a stock is worth buying, holding, or avoiding. There’s even a “North Star” system that simplifies that call into something actionable.

If you’re building from scratch, there’s a done-for-you portfolio builder that aligns with your risk tolerance. If you already have positions, it can suggest adjustments based on your portfolio’s performance.

One thing that stands out is how it balances guidance with transparency. You’re not just handed picks — you can see the reasoning behind them, which matters if you’re trying to build a repeatable process.

Have a lifetime way to pressure-test your judgment — especially in a market that’s moving past hype and into something more selective.

Get lifetime access to the ChatGPT-driven Sterling Stock Picker while it’s on sale for a one-time $54.97 payment (reg. $486) through May 10.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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