Chinese ride-hail company Didi Chuxing filed for an initial public offering on Thursday.
Why it matters: Didi is not only known as the Uber of China, but actually beat Uber in the country and bought out its business there.
Financials: The company reports a $1.7 billion loss on $21.6 billion in revenue for 2020.
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Two of gaming’s biggest companies are creating a game together for the third time in five years with a Switch sequel, “Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.”
Why it matters: Nintendo rarely lets other companies work with its characters, making its continued partnerships with Ubisoft a rare sign of trust.
Between the lines: Announcements of Nintendo games seldom leak, while Ubisoft’s do often.
Ubisoft’s event Saturday also showcased several other games.“Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora” (launching in 2022) was teased years ago but finally shown Saturday, offering a look at an upcoming action game set in the James Cameron Avatar franchise.
“Rainbow Six Extraction” (launching Sept. 16), a new 1-3 co-op humans-vs.-aliens game that follows from Ubisoft’s phenomenally successful competitive multiplayer game “Rainbow Six Siege.”
“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla,” the company’s big fall 2020 Viking adventure will get a paid summer expansion and a free fall update that turns the game into an educational tour of the Viking age.
“Rocksmith+” is a music learning subscription service that goes into closed PC beta today. It leaked earlier today.“
Riders Republic” (launching Sept. 2) is a massively multiplayer extreme sports game.
The event did not include direct mention of the company’s ongoing issues with workplace misconduct that started making headlines a year ago.
Axios What's Next, our new weekday newsletter will be your guide to the waves of change in how we work, play and get around. This Axios AM Deep Dive gives you a taste of what we have in store...
Vice President Kamala Harris dropped in at the Capitol Pride Walk And Rally in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
The state of play: Harris and second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, joined the crowd, who welcomed them with cheers, according to press reports.
The big picture: Pride celebrations are taking place across the country this weekend, a year after many similar events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What they're saying: “We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected. We need, still, protections around employment and housing,” Harris said. “There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed.”
In photos:
The endgame of the pandemic is giving both employers and workers a chance to create a more humane relationship — both in the office and out of it.
The big picture: Companies need workers, but many employees aren't ready to go back to the way things used to be. A hybrid setup could provide the best possible way forward, if both sides are willing to give.
A seat aboard Blue Origin’s first crewed flight to suborbital space fetched $28 million during a live auction on Saturday.
Why it matters: While the market for suborbital tourist flights to space may not be huge, experts say it's an important, public-facing part of the space industry that could popularize it as more people start flying.
U.S. President Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron were all smiles and handshakes during their first formal, in-person meeting on Saturday, with Macron telling pool reporters "it's great to have the U.S. president part of the club."
Why it matters: Biden has made rebuilding the United States' global leadership central to his foreign policy, frequently touting, "America is back."
A shooting in a busy part of downtown Austin, Texas, early Saturday injured at least 13 people, including two who are in critical condition.
The state of play: Gunfire erupted around 1:30 a.m. along 6th Street, a popular area with bars and restaurants. The suspected shooter remains at large, Austin police said. "It is unknown if there is one, or multiple suspects involved," they noted, adding the shooting appears to be an isolated incident.
President Biden on Saturday is expected to urge fellow G7 leaders to adopt a unified approach to countering China's rising global influence, AP reports.
Driving the news: The G7 leaders are set to unveil a multi-billion-dollar global infrastructure plan aimed at rivaling Beijing's efforts in the developing world.
