Garena Free Fire is set to mark its 8th anniversary with a collaboration featuring Netflix’s series, Squid Game. This announcement precedes the global premiere of Squid Game’s third and final season on June 27, aiming to provide an immersive experience for players and fans.

“We are thrilled to partner with Netflix once again — this time to bring the globally beloved Squid Game into Free Fire in a way that resonates with our battle royale-loving community,” said Harold Teo, Free Fire Global Producer at Garena. “By reimagining Squid Game’s mysterious games and unique elements, we hope to create unforgettable moments as we celebrate eight amazing years with our players.”

Beginning July 18, players worldwide can participate in Squid Game-inspired survival challenges across Free Fire’s Battle Royale and Clash Squad modes on all seven maps, including the new Solara map. Featured challenges include:

Red Light, Green Light: Players must defend themselves and gather loot while avoiding detection by Young-hee. Those caught moving will be frozen, and survivors will earn rewards:

1. Glass Bridge: This game tests players’ instincts as they navigate fragile glass panels, where incorrect steps lead to an instant HP dip.
2. Dalgona Challenge: In-match dalgona stands offer surprises for players who successfully interact with the cookies.
3. Secret Symbols: Players can search for hidden Squid Game symbols on maps to claim bonus loot.

Players can also unlock exclusive Squid Game-inspired collectibles through the special Squid Game Cash Bank Event. By depositing in-game tokens from missions, players can unlock unique rewards such as:

1. The Doll Outfit: An iconic bright orange dress for battles.
2. Classic Voicelines: Memorable lines like “The Mugungha Flower has bloomed.”
3. Ribbon Loot Box: Defeated players respawn as black-and-pink boxes.
4. Squid Game Banner: A themed profile accessory.

Additional Squid Game-inspired gear, including Pink Guards’ Costumes, the contestants’ signature Green Tracksuit, the Cash Bank Backpack, and a Red Light, Green Light Gloo Wall skin, will also be available in the Free Fire Item Shop.

Microsoft has rolled out an update for Notepad on Windows 11, introducing support for Markdown formatting. This update, identified as version 11.2504.50.0 (or later), is currently available to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, with a broader rollout to stable channels anticipated.

The new features allow users to apply lightweight text formatting directly within Notepad. This includes support for bold and italic text, strikethrough, hyperlinks, and various heading levels (e.g., H1, H2). Users can apply formatting via a new toolbar located above the text area or by typing standard Markdown syntax, which is then rendered instantly. The functionality extends to both .txt and .md files.

Microsoft states that the integration of these features is designed to provide “additional flexibility in how you structure content across your files” and supports users who prefer working with the lightweight markup language. For files under 1 MB, formatting is expected to render immediately, while larger files will load formatting progressively to prevent lag.

While some users have expressed a preference for Notepad to remain a simple, plain-text editor, Microsoft has included options to manage the new formatting. Users can clear all formatting from a document with a single click via the toolbar or edit menu. Additionally, the feature can be entirely disabled in the app’s settings, restoring the classic plain-text editing experience. Users can also toggle between formatted Markdown and raw Markdown syntax views through the view menu or the status bar.

Microsoft has affirmed that the new features are not expected to consume excessive resources or slow down the application. The updated version of Notepad is available for free download from the Microsoft Store. This update is part of a larger effort by Microsoft to modernize the Notepad application, which has seen additions like multiple tabs, a character counter, spell check, and autocorrect in recent years.

Google today announced the launch of Veo 3, a video generation model, in the Middle East and North Africa region. The model is now available to Google AI Pro subscribers in the region.

Veo 3, which was initially released at Google I/O in May, is integrated into the Gemini app. Users can create custom eight-second videos with sound, dialogue, and music at 720p resolution by providing a text description, known as a “prompt”. The system generates all audio natively. Google states that Veo 3 provides quality in terms of physics, realism, and adherence to prompts.

To aid in identifying AI-generated content, a SynthID watermark is embedded in all content produced by Google’s generative AI models, including Veo 3. Google recently launched the SynthID Detector to early testers and plans to expand its access. Additionally, a visible watermark will be added to all videos generated by Veo 3, with the exception of videos created by Ultra members in Flow, Google’s tool for AI filmmakers.

Google AI Pro subscribers can access Veo 3 starting today.