Video game developers are a cheeky bunch. Since the early days of Atari, they’ve hidden clever messages for curious players to discover. For every video game release, there’s almost always an Easter egg to hunt for, something the developers have hidden in the form of a message, an image or an in-game sequence that once found feels like a treasure.
Note: There are spoiler alerts in this story.
Most recently, a player has figured out an Easter egg in the Silent Hill 2 remake that confirms that the game isn’t just a remake but also a sequel. It revealed the main playable character James Sunderland has been stuck in Silent Hill for the past 20 years, which is when the original Silent Hill 2 was released.
While there are hints of this being the case throughout the game, what solidified it was a puzzle that was solved by a Reddit user through counting objects and aligning them with words, a real headscratcher for most who even attempted it.
Here are seven other Easter eggs that gamers enjoyed finding over the years.
Fallout: New Vegas
This post-apocalyptic game, released in 2010, pokes fun at one of the most famous scenes in the Indiana Jones film series. Specifically, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull when the protagonist hero decides to seek shelter from a nearby nuclear bomb test by hiding in a refrigerator. During the game, players can discover a refrigerator that shows a skeleton with what looks like Indy’s clothes, showing what would have happened if he hadn't escaped.
Grand Theft Auto 4
The Grand Theft Auto series has a plethora of Easter eggs to choose from but perhaps the most notable, and biggest, is the one hidden inside the game’s version of the Statue of Liberty. In the statue, which has the face of former US senator Hillary Clinton for some reason, players can find a giant beating heart that is strapped in place with wires. It's an eerie sight for sure.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
The Call of Duty games are about one thing: shoot lest ye be shot. In 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, players can take a break from the shooting and enjoy an Atari game that has been faithfully recreated inside one of the levels on an old-fashioned television. The Easter eggs require shooting a couple of mannequins to unlock, then the Atari game can be enjoyed.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars fans can’t agree on many things, but there’s one thing the vast majority can agree on: their hate for the character Jar Jar Binks. First introduced in Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, the character has become a punching bag for fans and haters alike. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, developers hid an Easter egg that shows just how much hate the fandom has for the character, freezing him in a carbonite slab. Carbonite was famously used in the film The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo was frozen in it by Jabba the Hutt.
Batman Arkham Asylum
There have been many great Batman games over the years but none are more beloved than Batman Arkham Asylum in which the Caped Crusader is locked inside the institution that houses Gotham’s most notorious villains. Fans had wondered what would come after the game, and developers teased the next would take place in Gotham, revealing a map hidden behind a wall that requires a particular set of explosions to reveal.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Returning to the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA 5 also has many great Easter eggs. However, one stands out specifically for its reference to a highly acclaimed Oscar-winning film. In an event that could only be stumbled upon in a specific location at a specific time of day in the game, it’s possible to find a recreation of a scene from the film No Country for Old Men.
The scene in question is when Josh Brolin’s character finds the aftermath of a gang shootout and a suitcase full of cash. If a player decides to take the take cash bag as Brolin did in the film, they'll find themselves chased by the gangs until they retrieve their ill-gotten gains.
NBA Jam Tournament Edition
Gamers choose two players to compete against each other, trying to achieve the most bombastic dunks and alley-oops to score more points. The normal roster of players to choose from is from the NBA, but with the help of a cheat code, an extended roster can be revealed which includes, bizarrely, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Prince Charles (now the UK's King Charles III), Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff as well as the mascots of some the teams.
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
