Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon conducted a closed technical test from October 22-29 with around 80,000 players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam, focusing on gameplay feel and player retention. Sony confirmed the participation numbers and reiterated the game's planned launch within the fiscal year ending March 2026, with Bungie preparing a detailed update soon.
Tom Brady is involved in organizing flag football games in Saudi Arabia, but the NFL states it is not a league initiative and that team approval is required for current players' participation. It remains unclear whether teams have authorized players like Saquon Barkley and Tyreek Hill to participate, or if they have been restricted under their contracts. Brady's dual roles with Fox and the Raiders appear to be benefiting from this situation.
The Detroit Lions are beginning their limited OTA practices with key players' participation and injury updates, while also discussing NFL rule changes and team position battles, in a season preview episode of the PODcast.
The Detroit Lions had a relatively low number of offensive plays in their Week 13 win against the New Orleans Saints, running just 58 plays compared to the Saints' 67. The starting secondary played the entire game, with Tracy Walker joining them for 45 snaps. The linebackers varied due to Alex Anzalone's absence, with Derrick Barnes and Jack Campbell seeing the most snaps. Aidan Hutchinson played the majority of defensive snaps, while Amon-Ra St. Brown saw a decrease in playing time on offense. David Montgomery led the running backs in snaps, and Dan Skipper and James Mitchell had limited playing time as blockers.
The NBA is expected to pass stricter rules and punishments to limit the resting of star players for nationally televised and in-season tournament games, as well as instances of multiple All-Stars sitting out individual regular-season games. The league office will have greater oversight over discipline and the authority to fine teams over $1 million for violating resting rules. The new policy aims to increase player participation and strengthen existing resting policies. Teams must manage their roster to ensure no more than one star player is unavailable for the same game, maintain a balance between one-game absences in home and road games, and refrain from long-term shutdowns that affect the integrity of the game. Excused absences will be allowed for certain scenarios, such as back-to-back games for older players or those with significant career workloads.
