Technology

Jollibee and FINAL FANTASY XIV Launch Delicious, Limited-Time Collaboration on April 21, Featuring an Entertaining “Eat Chicken” In-Game Emote, Themed Meals and Exclusive Merch

Published

2 months ago

April 17, 2026

The gaming crossover brings Jollibee’s iconic Chickenjoy fried chicken into the immersive online world of FINAL FANTASY XIV, uniting two passionate communities in an epic journey of flavor, fandom and fun.

WEST COVINA, Calif., April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jollibee, the global restaurant brand twice-crowned “the best fast food fried chicken” in America by USA TODAY, announces a new collaboration with SQUARE ENIX’s FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, the critically acclaimed multiplayer online role-playing game with a passionate global community of over 30 million registered players. Launching on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in both the U.S. and Canada, the limited-time partnership brings together real-world and in-game experiences, including themed meals, exclusive merchandise, in-game “Eat Chicken” animation feature (“emote”), a Jollibee store takeover and a loyalty sweepstakes. The “Eat Chicken” emote is being released for the first time in North America through this collaboration, which will run through May 31, 2026.

For those new to the game, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is an epic and ever-changing experience where players create their very own customizable character, known as the Warrior of Light, and play together or solo through an unforgettable story, exhilarating battles, and a myriad of diverse and captivating environments to explore. The “Eat Chicken” emote lets players express their love for Jollibee’s world-famous, delicious fried chicken in-game through a charming animation, as they happily enjoy a bite straight from a bucket of goodness.

Fans can get the “Eat Chicken” emote through the purchase of a delicious FINAL FANTASY XIV-themed Box Meal or Bucket Bundle at any North America Jollibee location, or through the purchase of limited-edition Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV merch, exclusively available on Complex, the leading platform for culture, style, and fandom. Additionally, Jollibee will introduce the Blue Raspberry Aether with Crystal Boba, a refreshing FINAL FANTASY XIV-inspired drink specially created for players of the hugely popular online game.

How to Unlock the “Eat Chicken” Emote
Fans can purchase the FINAL FANTASY XIV Box Meal, FINAL FANTASY XIV 6pc Bucket Bundle, or any of the limited-edition merch to unlock the “Eat Chicken” emote. The emote will be available through May 31, 2026, while collaboration meals, merch, and other collectible items will only be available while supplies last. The offerings include:

Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV Meals

FINAL FANTASY XIV Box Meal: A Chicken Sandwich (Original or Spicy); Regular Side; Peach Mango Pie; one-piece Chickenjoy fried chicken; and Blue Raspberry Aether with Crystal Boba drinkFINAL FANTASY XIV 6PC Bucket Bundle: A six-piece Chickenjoy Bucket and three Blue Raspberry Aether with Crystal Boba drinks

Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV Merch

Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV Moogle Hoodie: A limited-edition “Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV” hoodie, featuring whimsical moogles — small, fluffy, winged creatures who spread cheer, offer help, and punctuate their lives with an enthusiastic “kupo”— enjoying iconic Jollibee favorites. A true collector’s item that belongs in the treasure trove of any Warrior of Light who loves a good Chickenjoy!Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV Moogle T-Shirt: Stay comfy in this cute and cozy tee that brings together playful moogles and Jollibee joy. The perfect piece to level up your everyday glamours with a bit of fun, kupo!Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV Chocobo Crewneck Sweater: An adventure-ready glamour piece inspired by FINAL FANTASY XIV! The front features Jollibee riding a chocobo — a large, friendly, and famously fast bird, beloved as loyal mounts — with a glowing aetheryte on the back. Whether you’re hunting S Ranks or a Peach Mango Pie, you’ll have fellow Warriors of Light eyeing your adventurer “plate” with envy!Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV Chocobo T-Shirt: Hear. Feel. Think. Jollibee. This streetwear crossover tee features the triumphant Jollibee and his trusty chocobo, on a quest to discover the tastiest tastes in the realm. The perfect attire for everyday side questing and food runs!

For more information and details on how to get the “Eat Chicken” emote, please visit https://jollibeefoods.com/final-fantasy-xiv

A Limited-Time Drink with a Fantasy-Inspired Twist
The Blue Raspberry Aether with Crystal Boba is bursting with a bright blue hue and finished with chewy sweet pearls of crystal boba. The limited-time quencher will be served in a commemorative cup featuring iconic FINAL FANTASY XIV characters; it will be available at participating Jollibee U.S. locations through May 31, 2026, while supplies last.

“Jollibee and FINAL FANTASY XIV are both powered by passionate fan communities and a strong sense of shared experience, which makes this partnership especially meaningful,” said Luis Velasco, Senior Vice President and Marketing Head at Jollibee North America. “FINAL FANTASY XIV has built a world that brings people together, and that spirit closely reflects Jollibee’s joyful, fun-loving way of creating memorable moments around great-tasting food.”

Jollibee’s Anaheim Store Gets FINAL FANTASY XIV-Themed Takeover
In celebration of the sold-out event FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim, Calif. (April 24 – 25), Jollibee’s Anaheim store will be decked out in FINAL FANTASY XIV-themed decor from April 21 to May 31. Additionally, Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV stickers specially made for Fan Fest will be available to customers while supplies last.

A Sweepstakes Tailormade for FINAL FANTASY XIV and Jollibee Fans
The adventure doesn’t end there! A sweepstakes will be launching soon, offering fans another way to join in the celebration with exciting giveaways and prizes. Fans are encouraged to follow official social channels for upcoming details.

Fans can stay up to date on the latest Jollibee x FINAL FANTASY XIV news, including the Anaheim store takeover and the sweepstakes, by visiting https://jollibeefoods.com/final-fantasy-xiv and following @jollibeeus and @FinalFantasyXIV on Facebook, @jollibeeus and @ffxiv on Instagram, @jollibeeusa on TikTok, @FF_XIV_EN on X and @en.finalfantasyxiv.com on BlueSky.

Jollibee, the flagship brand of the Jollibee Group, is a global restaurant company committed to spreading the “joy of eating” by offering great-tasting food paired with its always warm and friendly service. Aspiring to be one of the top-five restaurant companies in the world, Jollibee continues to multiply its devoted fanbase throughout North America.

About Jollibee Group
Jollibee Foods Corporation (PSE: JFC) (the “Company”) is one of the world’s fastest-growing restaurant companies, driven by its purpose of spreading joy through superior taste. It manages and operates a portfolio which includes 19 brands with over 10,000 stores and cafés across 33 countries.

The Jollibee Group’s portfolio includes nine wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger, and Tim Ho Wan), five franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, Yoshinoya, Common Man Coffee Roasters, and Tiong Bahru Bakery in the Philippines), and ownership stakes in other key brands like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (80%), Compose Coffee (70%), SuperFoods Group that operates Highlands Coffee (60%), and bubble tea brand Milksha (51%). The Company also has membership interests in Tortazo, LLC, along with Chef Rick Bayless, for Tortazo in the U.S. and has recently invested in Botrista, a leader in beverage technology.

The Jollibee Group’s global sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow, underscores its commitment to sustainable business practices across food safety, employee welfare, community support, good governance, and environmental responsibility, among others. These focus areas are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The Company has been recognized as the Philippines’ Most Admired Company by the Asian Wall Street Journal, named one of Asia’s Fab 50 Companies, and listed among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers and Top Female-Friendly Companies. The Company is also a four-time Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award recipient and featured in TIME’s World’s Best Companies and Fortune’s Southeast Asia 500 List.

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

About FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
With over 30 million total registered players, FINAL FANTASY XIV is one of the most popular MMORPG games today. Since its relaunch in 2013 with A Realm Reborn, the game has enjoyed a stunning resurgence from the first expansion pack to 2021’s Endwalker. Each expansion continues the epic tale that has spanned the past decade — a gripping saga of light against dark that has kept players coming back for more. The latest release has players embarking on new adventures with the launch of Dawntrail on July 2, 2024 and an ongoing cadence of new updates and story content to experience.

Enjoy hundreds of hours of award-winning gameplay and story experiences equivalent to three full FINAL FANTASY titles, without limit on playtime, with the FINAL FANTASY XIV Free Trial. More information can be found at: https://sqex.to/FFXIVFreeTrial

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX and TAITO branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 209 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com

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SOURCE Jollibee

Technology

Bloomberg Introduces Spread-to-Benchmark Quoting for EUR and GBP Portfolio Trading Baskets

Published

14 hours ago

June 2, 2026

LONDON, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bloomberg today announced the launch of Spread-to-Benchmark quoting and trading for Euro (EUR) and Sterling (GBP) denominated portfolio trades through its Portfolio Trading Basket Builder (PTBB). The new functionality expands the range of quoting protocols available for European credit portfolio trading and reflects growing client demand for spread-based execution workflows, alongside increased dealer support for the convention across EUR and GBP markets.

Spread-to-Benchmark quoting is a well-established protocol for USD credit portfolio trades and is used by market participants to evaluate and execute portfolio trades. By extending this workflow to EUR and GBP portfolio trades, Bloomberg enables clients and dealers to transact using a familiar spread-based methodology across additional credit markets.

The introduction of Spread-to-Benchmark quoting for EUR and GBP baskets reflects increased client interest in evaluating portfolio trades through a spread-based lens and the growing adoption of spread-based execution workflows in European credit markets. The workflow provides market participants with an additional framework for assessing the relationship between credit spread risk and underlying government bond yields when pricing and executing portfolio trades.

Additional Workflow Flexibility 
The workflow complements Bloomberg’s existing portfolio trading capabilities, which support the full range of market-standard quoting conventions, including Price, Yield, Spread-to-Benchmark and Spread based workflows that reference Bloomberg’s evaluated pricing service (BVAL). This gives clients flexibility to compare and execute portfolio trades using the quoting methodology that best aligns with their investment objectives, execution preferences and internal risk management processes.

“European credit clients continue to look for execution workflows that reflect how they evaluate risk and monitor portfolio trading outcomes,” said Harry Street, Global Head of Credit and Equities Trading Product at Bloomberg. “By expanding dealer support for Spread-to-Benchmark quoting for EUR and GBP baskets, Bloomberg is broadening the range of workflow options available to clients trading European credit portfolios.”

“Portfolio trading workflows in fixed income continue to become more sophisticated as institutional investors look for ways to evaluate execution quality in changing market conditions,” said Kevin McPartland, Head of Market Structure & Technology Research at Crisil Coalition Greenwich. “Spread-based quoting helps market participants more clearly distinguish between the impacts of credit spread and underlying rates movements when determining how best to execute a portfolio trade.”

Bloomberg’s Electronic Markets solutions are used by leading financial institutions to trade efficiently in over 175 markets around the world. More than 9,000 client firms use Bloomberg Electronic Markets to access industry-leading depth and breadth of liquidity across asset classes from over 800 dealers globally. Bloomberg Electronic Markets provides market participants with comprehensive solutions across the trading lifecycle, including robust price transparency, analytics, automation and execution, powered by Bloomberg’s high-quality, multi-asset class data and tools.

About Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

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SOURCE Bloomberg L.P.

Technology

Dr. Sunho Kang, a senior battery-technology executive with leadership experience at major global battery and EV manufacturers, joins TeraWatt Technology as Head of Product and Technology

Published

14 hours ago

June 2, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TeraWatt Technology Inc. (Headquartered in California, USA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Sunho Kang has joined the company as Head of Product and Technology.

Dr. Kang is a globally recognized battery-technology executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning the United States, Asia, and Europe, and a distinguished track record of advancing innovations from laboratory research through gigafactory-scale production. He has held senior executive positions at world-leading organizations including Samsung SDI, Apple, and Volkswagen Group of America, and brings deep expertise in lithium-ion battery materials, cell engineering, and product industrialization across a broad range of applications, including electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

At TeraWatt, Dr. Kang will lead global product development and the commercialization of TeraWatt’s battery technology platform, aiming to accelerate the delivery of TeraWatt’s competitive products as well as the technology and commercialization roadmap including manufacturing scale-up.

Dr. Kang commented:

“I am thrilled to join TeraWatt Technology as Head of Product and Technology. TeraWatt’s innovative battery platform presents a tremendous opportunity to push the boundaries of lithium-ion technology, and I look forward to working with the team to accelerate product development and commercialization to deliver meaningful impact.”

TeraWatt Technology founder CEO Ken Ogata, Ph.D. commented:

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kang as our Head of Product and Technology. His deep expertise in battery materials, cell engineering, and productization will be instrumental in accelerating TeraWatt’s product roadmap and technology leadership. Together with Dr. Kang, we will continue to drive our mission forward.”

About TeraWatt Technology Inc.
TeraWatt Technology Inc. is a California-based company that produces lightweight, high-power, and safe next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Company Overview
Name: TeraWatt Technology Inc.
Representative: Co-founder and CEO Ken Ogata
Headquarters: 28 Geary St, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94108, United States
Founded: January 2020
Established: December 2019
URL: https://www.terawatt-technology.com/

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SOURCE TeraWatt Technology Inc.

Technology

Tencent Cloud and Soniox Announce Strategic Partnership: Combining Advanced Speech-to-Text (STT) Technology with Global Real-Time Infrastructure

Published

14 hours ago

June 2, 2026

HONG KONG, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology company Tencent, today announced a strategic partnership with Soniox, a San Francisco-based speech AI company that specializes in developing high-accuracy, low-latency speech AI solutions. The collaboration integrates Soniox’s speech-to-text (STT) technology with Tencent Cloud’s Real-Time Communication (TRTC) enterprise-grade global infrastructure, enabling enterprises to build and deploy multilingual voice AI applications across 200+ countries and regions.

Elevating Enterprise Voice AI at a Global Scale

In enterprise voice AI deployments, latency directly affects user experience and application reliability. The integration of Soniox’s high-accuracy, low-latency STT with TRTC’s global transmission infrastructure reduces latency across the entire pipeline, creating a comprehensive end-to-end solution for enterprises deploying conversational AI applications worldwide.

Soniox is the voice platform for every language. Unlike legacy speech AI, which was built primarily for English-speakers, Soniox delivers native-speaker accuracy across 60+ languages. Its technology can handle mid-sentence language switching — a user can switch between English and Chinese in a single utterance, and Soniox will capture every word with complete accuracy. All of this works through a single API that works for both speech-to-text and text-to-speech.

By integrating TRTC, the partnership leverages an enterprise-grade real-time communication backbone featuring more than 3,200 global nodes, sub-300 ms worldwide latency, and advanced capabilities such as AI noise suppression and weak-network resilience. These capabilities enable conversational AI applications to operate reliably across diverse network environments, including regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa.

With the roll out of this partnership, developers can integrate the Soniox STT API directly within the Tencent Cloud console. Whether targeting English-speaking markets or supporting languages such as Arabic, Hindi, and Malay, enterprises can build global voice applications — including intelligent customer service, voice assistants, real-time translation, and meeting transcription — to address the demands of expansion into emerging markets and multilingual scenarios.

Wison Xie, Head of Product at Tencent RTC, stated: “Tencent RTC has always been committed to providing reliable real-time communication infrastructure for global enterprises. Our partnership with Soniox brings together our strengths in enterprise-grade audio transmission and Soniox’s advanced speech recognition technology. Together, we are making it easier for businesses to deploy accurate, low-latency voice AI applications across any language and any market.”

Klemen Simonic, CEO at Soniox Inc., stated “At Soniox, our mission is to help businesses understand every word, in any language, with native speaker accuracy and exceptional speed. Partnering with Tencent Cloud combines our speech AI with world-class real-time infrastructure, enabling enterprises to build voice AI experiences that scale globally with low latency and reliability.”

About Tencent Cloud:

Tencent Cloud, one of the world’s leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel, and transportation.

About Tencent RTC:

Tencent RTC provides real-time communication solutions, including audio/video calling, live streaming, and in-game voice. With enterprise-grade security, AI-powered enhancements, and a global network of over 3,200 nodes, Tencent RTC powers mission-critical communication for customers worldwide.

About Soniox:

Soniox is a next-generation voice AI company bringing about the end of English-first speech AI. Most people on the planet did not grow up speaking English and often mix languages mid-sentence; and yet legacy speech AI was built for just English. Soniox is different: native-speaker accuracy across 60+ languages, true mid-sentence language switching, and flawless alphanumeric recognition that legacy providers still can’t match. For developers building global apps, Soniox is the only option. Try it for yourself at soniox.com.

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SOURCE Tencent Cloud