Latest Multi-platform Game News &amp; Updates

GameNewsabout 2 months ago

Massive Marvel Rivals Update Reworks Black Widow And Overhauls The Team-Up System

!Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/07/07/a067e851/Black%20Widow%20Super-Spy%20Sniper%20%20Character%20Reveal%20%20Marvel%20Rivals%200-4%20screenshot.jpg.webp) Marvel Rivals introduced its newest season, The Mystery of Thebes, in a livestream earlier today, which will add the new characters Jubilee and The Hood into the game. The cinematic trailer was followed by the routine dev vision video where creative director Guangguang and lead combat designer Zhiyong go over balance changes and new team-up abilities, but this update was anything but routine. In addition to overhauling the Team-Up system (more on that later), they've almost completely reworked Black Widow's mechanics. In a game where most heroes have generally similar power levels, Black Widow has consistently been the least powerful character on the roster. As a sniper, she's in a delicate position where the developers know that boosting her damage too high can quickly make her frustratingly overpowered. But since the rest of her ability kit is underwhelming, she's never been a meta pick, and some players even get mad when you select her in a competitive game. Now, she's completely different. Her damage has been reduced, but her fire rate has been greatly increased, giving her gun a more of a mid-range, semi-automatic feel. Her old ultimate ability has become a standard ability on her toolbar, and her stamina costs for sprinting and super jumping have been eliminated. She has a new ability that launches her towards enemies and slams her gauntlets into the ground. She also has a new Ultimate, which allows her to aim down the scope of her rifle and temporarily transform it back into the sniper it used to be. The new sniper has increased damage, a larger hitbox, and can pierce enemies. While it won't one-shot any foes, it requires much less skill to land a hit and lasts for 20 seconds or until you use all six of her shots. !Black Widow's new ult in Marvel Rivals season 9.(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/07/07/c2c40d3d/season9themysteryofthebesdevvisionvol.19marvelrivals2-34screenshot.jpg.webp "Black Widow's new ult in Marvel Rivals season 9.")(https://gameinformer.com/href) Black Widow's new ult in Marvel Rivals season 9. While this is a major shift for Black Widow players, the next change is huge for everyone else: Team-Ups are changing entirely. It's the mechanic that makes Marvel Rivals really stand out amongst its peers, adding new mechanics or buffs if two players on the same team play compatible characters. After a while, however, the developers admit it's been "uninspired," for a while, saying they were adding and subtracting team-ups just for the sake of checking boxes in a new update. Season 9 takes it much further, overhauling the system altogether. "Now, every single hero will possess two completely independent Team-Up Ability loadouts," Zhiyong says. "The abilities granted by these loadouts vary; some are entirely new abilities, some are entirely new standalone abilities, while others replace an existing base ability." These new Team-Ups can be swapped out whenever you swap your character out before matches, between rounds, or when you die and return to the spawn room. In an example clip, Black Panther chooses between Team-Ups with Magik and Storm. Each Team-Up also now has a base effect and an enhanced effect. The base effect gives each player the Team-Up's core mechanic, but it is active regardless of whether the Team-Up partner is actually on your team. Going back to the above example, Black Panther can use his Team-Up ability with Magik regardless of whether she's on the team. But if Magik is present, his ability gets its enhanced effect, granting it a significant boost in power, sometimes producing alternate effects entirely. To exemplify further, the video shows off the Hulk's new Team-Up effects. His new Team-Up ability with Captain America, Incredible Leap, allows him to jump up and slam into the ground to damage nearby enemies. It also reduces his cooldowns based on how depleted his health is. But if Cap is on the same team, the enhanced effect means Incredible Leap does more damage and adds a debuff that makes foes take more damage. "We have been holding our tongue on this version update for so long, and we couldn't be happier to finally talk about it," Guangguang says. "We actually started planning our Team-Up overhaul just under a year ago. Over the last few seasons, we've been closely following the community's discussions regarding Team-Ups, and honestly, the pressure has been immense." Zhiyong also says the development team will constantly be monitoring the interactions between all of the game's new Team-Up abilities and be on standby to roll out rapid balance patches if needed – something the team doesn't do often. It's a pretty significant shake-up – here's hoping the update doesn't break the game. These changes will be implemented when Season 9 starts on Friday, July 10. You can read the full Season 9 patch notes here(https://www.marvelrivals.com/balancepost/20260706/416671306647.html). For more Marvel Rivals, check out the newest playable character: Jubilee.(https://www.gameinformer.com/2026/07/07/jubilee-and-the-hood-join-marvel-rivals-in-season-9-the-mystery-of-thebes) !(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/entitybrowserthumbnail/public/2026/07/07/b2bec650/season9themysteryofthebesdevvisionvol.19marvelrivals7-20screenshot.jpg.webp)!(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/entitybrowserthumbnail/public/2026/07/07/0957f125/season9themysteryofthebesdevvisionvol.19marvelrivals7-30screenshot.jpg.webp)!(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/entitybrowserthumbnail/public/2026/07/07/3eb6431d/season9themysteryofthebesdevvisionvol.19marvelrivals9-32screenshot.jpg.webp)

🎮 Massive Marvel Rivals

Arc Raiders’ Matchmaking Update Gives Players What They’ve Always Wanted

The latest Arc Raiders(https://www.gamespot.com/games/arc-raiders/) update is out now, and alongside the opening of the Expedition 4 window and an upcoming crossover event with Embark's first-person shooter The Finals, the extraction game is getting a matchmaking overhaul that fulfills one of players' biggest wishlist items. Starting today, Arc Raiders offers separate matchmaking buckets for solo, duo, and trio queues. This means that players who may prefer to express different playstyles depending on their team size can now find lobbies that suit their needs. Arc Raiders' "aggression-based matchmaking" has been a story surrounding the game since it debuted last October, with players debating how it should work and, initially, whether it truly existed at all. We've since learned that your affinity for PvP does, in fact, influence which other players you're matched with when you hop into a round, but today's changes let players wear different proverbial hats for different occasions. It's a particularly welcome addition for someone like me. I love to play Arc Raiders as a PvE-only medic, running around the map, chasing down flares of other raiders in a tough spot, and ensuring they escape safely. It took me 120 gameplay hours before I even killed another player(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/after-120-hours-in-arc-raiders-i-finally-killed-another-player/1100-6536635/), and only because that ne'er-do-well left me with no other choice. My preference to consider only the ARC robots as enemies has made it hard for me to play with my much more bloodthirsty brother. He's gotten me into trouble before, where his itchy trigger finger would ultimately kick me out of my utopian solo queues. But this change means I can return fire in duos with him without sacrificing my beloved solo rounds where we defib each other and essentially end rounds with a chorus of Kumbaya. Now, "us versus them" lives alongside "we're all in this together." Along with this much-requested change, Embark's two live-service games are hosting another crossover event. Starting on July 9 and running until the 30th, players can hop into The Finals and complete specific challenges to unlock Azimuth outfit and Archeologist backpack bundle for use in Arc Raiders for free. You can see that new skin below and decide whether it's worth your time. !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-2.jpeg?w=1024) Arc Raiders Azimuth outfit For what it's worth, The Finals is a slick, destruction-based shooter that feels a bit like Battlefield reimagined in an arcadey context. Like Arc Raiders, it would be better if it didn't rely on generative AI, though.(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/arc-raiders-is-my-game-of-the-year-but-its-use-of-generative-ai-really-sucks/1100-6537140/) 9 Best Games Like Arc Raiders !4638708-arc.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638708-arc.jpg?w=1024) !4638709-grayzone.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638709-grayzone.jpg?w=1024) !4638710-helldivers.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638710-helldivers.jpg?w=1024) !4638711-division.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638711-division.jpg?w=1024) !4638712-generation.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638712-generation.jpg?w=1024) !4638713-huntshowdown.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638713-huntshowdown.jpg?w=1024) !4638714-tarkov.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1814/18142392/4638714-tarkov.jpg?w=1024) View Images(https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-games-like-arc-raiders/2900-7418/)

🎮 Matchmaking

Marvel Rivals adds X-Men's Jubilee in season 9: first look at gameplay

The explosive mutant Jubilee is having a moment between Marvel Rivals and X-Men '97 season 2

🎮 Overwatch

GameNewsabout 2 months ago

Jubilee And The Hood Join Marvel Rivals In Season 9: The Mystery Of Thebes

!Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/07/07/b6426d4b/themysteryofthebesmarvelrivalsseason9trailermarvelrivals0-20screenshot.jpg.webp) Marvel Rivals, the comic book-themed hero shooter from Netease, aired a livestream today to reveal what's coming to the game in its ninth season, which is set to start this Friday, July 10. The stream kicked off with a cinematic trailer briefly showing the two newest heroes – Jubilee and The Hood – but primarily focusing on X-Men antagonist Apocalypse. As he finishes a monologue about his quest for power, he's suddenly impaled through the back with a sword from an unseen attacker. You can watch for yourself below. Jubilee joins the game as a Strategist (the game's healer-adjacent class) and can use her pyrotechnic energy blasts to heal foes as well as harm allies. She can also jump into the air and briefly hover to avoid damage and create healing bubbles for her teammates. Her Ultimate allows her to knock back many enemies at once, and her character reveal trailer shows her using it to push several opponents to their doom. In the game's lore, Jubilee is serving as one of Apocalypse's horsemen – the Horseman of Famine – because her son Shogo has been trapped in his dragon form and she hoped Apocalypse would help. "Ready to fight the world and be a shining beacon for her son, Jubilee generates bursts of pyrotechnic plasma as she shapes radiant energy into vibrant projectiles that shimmer with gleaming light," the gameplay reveal trailer's description reads. "Combined with her vampiric powers, every firework she releases is an invigorating celebration on the battlefield!" Season 9 also adds a new convoy map, Thebes, on July 23 and will likely add The Hood to the roster in early August. For more Marvel Rivals, read our review of the game to see how it holds its own amongst a crowded genre(https://www.gameinformer.com/review/marvel-rivals/a-super-shooter).

GameNewsabout 2 months ago

Doom Developer id Software Reportedly Loses Roughly Half Its Staff To Layoffs

!Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2025/05/14/69706085/doomthedarkages1.jpg.webp) In the wake of Xbox’s planned layoffs across its gaming division(https://gameinformer.com/2026/07/06/xbox-parts-ways-with-five-studios-over-3000-layoffs-announced), which will impact 3,200 employees, with 1,600 of those workers immediately let go yesterday, Doom developer id Software has been hit particularly hard. A new report suggests the legendary studio has lost roughly half of its staff. Game Developer(https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-around-half-of-the-id-software-team-have-been-laid-off) reports that, per its sources, id’s headcount has been reduced by around 50 percent. An affected senior employee corroborated this figure in a LinkedIn post(https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7480085627364114432/). The studio’s QA department was hit particularly hard, according to one of Game Developer’s sources. Most of id Software’s employees unionized last December(https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/id-software-workers-form-wall-to-wall-union-in-response-to-mass-xbox-layoffs), but it’s unclear how many of those employees were affected by the layoffs. id's most recent release is 2025's Doom: The Dark Ages(https://gameinformer.com/review/doom-the-dark-ages/believe-in-the-shield), which was released to positive reviews. It received a narrative expansion today called Revelations(https://gameinformer.com/xbox-games-showcase/2026/06/07/doom-the-dark-ages-is-getting-an-expansion-called-revelations-in). The Texas-based studio, founded in 1991, is one of the most prolific in video games for innovating and popularizing the first-person shooter genre, dating back to Wolfenstein 3D and series such as Doom and Quake. id was acquired by ZeniMax in 2009; ZeniMax was then purchased by Xbox in 2021. id co-founder John Romero shared his condolences(https://bsky.app/profile/johnromero.bsky.social/post/3mq2gpttmek2i) on social media, writing, "I know what it feels like to leave id while id goes on. It’s a strange and painful thing to step away from a place that holds so much of your work, friendships and history. The people at id have done a great job moving that legacy forward. DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein are not easy names to carry on, especially in today’s industry. The last few games showed real care, skill and respect for what those worlds mean to people." > I’m so sorry for everyone at id Software affected by these layoffs. > I know what it feels like to leave id while id goes on. It’s a strange and painful thing to step away from a place that holds so much of your work, friendships and history. 1/5 > > image or embed(https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wdcs33d6dsvzvo4oytnlxcxs/post/3mq2gpttmek2i?refsrc=embed) > > — John Romero (@johnromero.bsky.social(https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wdcs33d6dsvzvo4oytnlxcxs?refsrc=embed)) July 7, 2026 at 6:51 AM(https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wdcs33d6dsvzvo4oytnlxcxs/post/3mq2gpttmek2i?refsrc=embed) The layoffs from Xbox's massive restructuring have impacted Bethesda/ZeniMax as a whole, from Bethesda proper to its subsidiary Arkane Studios being spun off from the company entirely. Xbox has also divested from Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Undead Labs, and Ninja Theory. Some have gone independent (Compulsion, Double Fine) while others have been sold to new owners (Ninja Theory, Undead Labs). Game Informer has contacted Bethesda/ZeniMax for comment and will update this story should we receive one. Source: Game Developer(https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-around-half-of-the-id-software-team-have-been-laid-off)

🎮 Control🎮 College Football 27

College Football 27 Is Pissing Everyone Off

Ask players what their favorite mode is in EA's revitalized College Football series, and most will tell you it's Dynasty or Road To Glory, which give players control of an entire school football program or a created player, respectively. Unlike Ultimate Team, EA's long-standing pay-to-win mode seen in all of its sports games, these modes have largely been untouched by microtransactions. But College Football 27 has crossed a line, according to many players who have voiced their frustrations online. Dynasty and Road To Glory now each allow you to pay to instantly improve your coach or athlete, rather than improve them over time through play. To hit the coach level cap of 100, players would need to spend 12,000 points, which equates to $100 if bought in bulk(https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/ea-sports-college-football-26-12000-college-football-points/9NSKQHHSGH54). The early-access Ultimate Edition of the game includes 4,600 points, meaning even the most expensive version of CFB 27 seems designed to ask players to fork over more money or else trudge through a remarkable grind, as one player on Twitter explained. You can see that breakdown below. https://twitter.com/SatStudiosGG/status/2074290001978769615 Infusing modes like these with optional microtransactions isn't unheard of. It's an annual pain point in my NBA 2K reviews(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nba-2k25-is-an-incredible-game-hurt-by-pay-to-win-tactics/1100-6526407/) and regularly annoys that community, too. Even Madden has begun letting players pay to upgrade their "Superstar," but CFB 27 takes this a step further by significantly changing the series' customizable XP settings. In the last two College Football games, players could adjust XP sliders for their coach or player to level up faster. This was a welcome touch, since some players don't want to play the mode for many seasons. Some players get their fill after just one or a few seasons, but still want to experience the full coach progression arc in that span. But tied to these new pay-to-level options in Dynasty and Road To Glory is the glaring absence of these options. Players can no longer tweak settings to level up "faster" or "fastest"; the speediest option is now the default in both modes, while slower options still exist in Dynasty. You'd have to be pretty naive to think these changes happening together are a coincidence. It seems in order to drive more in-game purchases, EA has slowed progression in CFB's most beloved modes, and players are responding as you'd expect. On Twitter, a popular CFB streamer is mobilizing players to boycott the in-game pay-to-level options using the hashtag(https://x.com/bordeauxyoutube/status/2074539816356565446?s=46&t=hTJu4Nj5n5bITjyAt004Hg) CFBPlayDontPay. At the time of writing this article, the hashtag is trending at 8 on the website. Meanwhile, on Reddit, some players are promising to skip the game(https://www.reddit.com/r/NCAAFBseries/comments/1uq2uir/notbuyingthenewgame/) because this new in-game-purchase scheme has rubbed them the wrong way. GameSpot has reached out to EA for comment, and I'll update this article if or when the company responds. With the game not even officially out yet--the basic version launches on Thursday--it seems likely the team will address the noise soon.

Microsoft Spent $80 Billion On Its Bet For Xbox Game Pass. It Did Not Work.

A new report sheds more light on the situation at Xbox that led to the big news this week that Microsoft was cutting 3,200 jobs(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/) at the gaming company, divesting from studios, and making other cutbacks to "reset" the business. Bloomberg reported(https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-07/behind-xbox-s-big-layoffs-a-streaming-strategy-that-failed?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4MzQ0MTQ5NiwiZXhwIjoxNzg0MDQ2Mjk2LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSFJPNVNUOTZPU0wwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRUIzODlCNUI2ODI0RTY0QjY5MENEODE1RTBDREZGRCJ9.pMbt4znt88aoSYKf-Vt1xxM2iZlpT-ehYpDmvBB-kJk&leadSource=uverify%20wall) that Microsoft spent "nearly $80 billion" in the past 10 years on deals to help revitalize Xbox and realize its dream for Xbox Game Pass, but those plans did not pan out the way Microsoft envisioned. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said this week that the big bets made under previous leadership--including Game Pass, acquiring studios, and putting its games on rival platforms--"did not grow at the pace we expected."(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-xbox-ceo-admits-game-pass-bet-has-not-worked-out/) Sharma said these efforts drove "meaningful value," but that wasn't enough with the growth piece. To that end, Microsoft said in a filing from the Microsoft-Activision acquisition proceedings that it was aiming to have 77 million Game Pass subscribers by the end of fiscal year 2026. That was on June 30. What was the number of subscribers? 30 million, a source told Bloomberg, following reporting by The Wall Street Journal(https://www.wsj.com/tech/microsoft-layoffs-xbox-59e7f6df) of the same number. That's 4 million fewer subscribers than Microsoft itself reported in 2024. "Growing concerned" According to Bloomberg's sources, Xbox employees "had been growing concerned" that Game Pass subscriber numbers had peaked. Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball revealed in June this year that "millions"(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-game-pass-lost-millions-of-subscribers-after-massive-price-hike-in-2025/) of people canceled their Game Pass subscriptions after the 50% price hike was announced in October 2025. Sharma brought the price down to $23/month, but that was still higher than it was a year ago ($20/month), and it's not actually the discount you think it is(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-pass-price-cut-isnt-the-discount-you-think-it-is/1100-6539531/). So what happened with Game Pass? One theory is that the Netflix model of paying one price to access a huge library of content didn't work in the context of gaming due to documented player behavior. Data from Circana shows that the majority of US gamers buy a maximum of two games per year(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/majority-of-us-gamers-buy-a-max-of-two-games-annually-analysts-say/1100-6535300/). The suggestion here is that consumption patterns are very different between Netflix and Game Pass. To be sure, Microsoft never billed Game Pass as the "Netflix of games." Strauss Zelnick, the head of Take-Two, pointed out the difference between linear and interactive consumption in comments he made in 2021(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/take-two-ceo-doesnt-want-new-games-on-game-pass/1100-6494686/). “Consumers who are involved with interactive entertainment have different consumption patterns than those involved with linear entertainment. Linear entertainment consumers consume something like 150 hours of programming a month. That’s probably well over 100 different titles. In the case of interactive entertainment, consumers are consuming something like 45 hours a month, and that may be one, two, three, four titles. But it’s certainly not 100 titles. So from a consumer point of view, it’s not clear that a subscription model really makes sense, for the bulk of consumers,” he said. Zelnick said it makes no sense(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/take-two-ceo-says-launching-new-games-into-a-subscription-service-like-game-pass-makes-no-sense/1100-6509015/) to release new games directly into a subscription service like Game Pass. "Outside of the enthusiast core, few cared" Circana analyst Mat Piscatella weighed in(https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3mq3b62c4ck2f) on the Game Pass situation, writing that Game Pass "failed" because Fortnite and other so-called "black hole games" taking up so much time, money, and attention. Beyond that, Piscatella observed that Game Pass was not appealing enough to the mass market audience. "The problem with Game Pass wasn't the service itself but rather the goal of selling subs and services, as Microsoft was aiming for across its business at the time," he said. Call of Duty launched on Game Pass and did not significantly boost subs, and had little impact on hardware. And that was that." $1 billion annually on third-party game deals Also in the Bloomberg piece, it was reported that former Xbox president Sarah Bond was the leader of Xbox's Game Pass strategy. The report said Microsoft was spending $1 billion annually for third-party game deals to help convince people to sign up for Game Pass. Other efforts to expand Game Pass, like offering it to the massive PC player userbase and streaming markets, failed to catch on as well(https://x.com/ZhugeEX/status/2074183838662578319). Regarding the $80 billion in spending in the past decade, this came from Microsoft's blockbuster acquisitions of Activision Blizzard ($75.4 billion) and ZeniMax ($7.5 billion), as well as the purchases of developers like Ninja Theory, Obsidian, and Double Fine. The idea, spearheaded by former Xbox executive Phil Spencer, was to ramp up the studio base to create more games that Game Pass members could play as part of their membership fee. !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GamePass-2.webp) What's next for Game Pass? But people inside and outside of Xbox questioned the economic realities of this approach(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-game-pass-is-a-new-paradigm/1100-6498307/). Sources speaking to Bloomberg said some Xbox staffers feared that putting popular, expensive-to-make games into Game Pass at launch "could devalue them and cannibalize individual, higher-priced copies." While there were some success stories of developers seeing a lift in full-game sales after coming to Game Pass, that wasn't always true. Black Ops 6, the first new Call of Duty game to launch into Game Pass, reportedly missed out on $300 million in sales(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-lost-300-million-in-sales-due-to-game-pass-report/1100-6535256/) due to its inclusion on Game Pass. Piscatella pushed back(https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3mq3bf4kqis2f) against this number, saying it is "piracy math." "That anyone that played via Game Pass was a lost sale--which isn't true--just as every pirated copy is not a lost sale and does not take into account sub revs. But whatever, minor quibble," he said. Black Ops 7 launched into Game Pass in 2025, but this year's game, Modern Warfare 4, will be "windowed" for about a year. If people want to play it at launch, they have to buy it outright before it comes to Game Pass during the next holiday season. Divesting studios In terms of Microsoft saying goodbye to five development studios, Sharma said it is "neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio." She added that Microsoft has come to realize that, "We are not the best home for every type of studio." To make her point, she said that in a typical year, Microsoft lost 64 cents for every dollar it invested. Going forward, Microsoft has pledged that its spending on games will not decrease, but the company will instead re-focus and shift its spending to higher-priority areas(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bethesda-tells-workers-the-company-needs-to-change-course-and-focus-on-games-with-greatest-potential/) with the highest likelihood of capturing a positive return on investment. Double Fine and Compulsion Games are regaining their independence, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have been sold to unnamed buyers. Arkane Lyon, meanwhile, has entered into "consultation," pursuant to local labor laws in France, and this process will decide the fate of the studio and its new game, Marvel's Blade(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-whats-going-on-with-marvels-blade-and-its-developer-amid-xbox-reset/). Microsoft laid off 1,600 Xbox employees this week, with another 1,600 people set to lose their jobs in the next year. The cuts were part of a wider pullback at Microsoft, which includes 4,800 total layoffs, amounting to about 2.1% of Microsoft's total global workforce.

Fallout season 3 starts filming, The Ghoul actor confirms

Fallout star Walton Goggins says that season 3 is underway in a new behind-the-scenes filming post on Instagram.

🎮 Fallout

After Xbox Pulls Funding, Hitman Dev Is Closing A Studio And Laying People Off

Hitman and 007: First Light developer IO Interactive has confirmed(https://x.com/iointeractive/status/2074475151471571062?s=46&t=KA0eXy1Spm71dnMQdFC23A) that it is closing its Istanbul office, laying off staff in the process as part of cuts that the studio said were "necessary" to help the company stay afloat in the future. IO said it made these cuts after Xbox dropped out of funding Project Fantasy(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hitman-007-first-light-studio-begins-layoffs-as-its-fantasy-rpg-project-suffers-setbacks/), the company's mysterious upcoming RPG. IO has now "regained full ownership of the project and our IP" related to Project Fantasy, and IO will now fund it independently. However, this meant that IO had to pull back in other areas, including efforts for "external projects and potential mobile game derivatives." "We had to find a new balance for the long-term future of the studio, focused on the success of our main internal core titles," IO said. "This has meant making changes as well as proposed changes across our studios: the closure of our Istanbul studio and starting a process to part ways with colleagues who have been a meaningful part of what makes IOI what it is." Closing the Istanbul office and laying off staff were "hard, but necessary decisions" made to "retain the long-term future of IO..." The developer said its structure as a fully independent AAA developer and publisher is a rarity in the modern gaming landscape. Making the cuts also gives Project Fantasy "the best possible foundation to succeed under our own passion and direction." In June, IO signaled that layoffs were coming due to Xbox pulling out of Project Fantasy(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hitman-007-first-light-studio-begins-layoffs-as-its-fantasy-rpg-project-suffers-setbacks/), but this was the first confirmation of the details and the specifics regarding the closure of the Istanbul office. In addition to Project Fantasy, many want to see IO make a sequel to 007: First Light after the game's critical and commercial success, but it remains to be seen if that will happen.(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/007-first-light-sequel-sounds-like-a-matter-of-when-not-if/) Microsoft stopped funding Project Fantasy as part of its renewed focus on the games and franchises it believes will make the most money(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-focusing-on-highest-priorities-claims-its-not-cutting-back-overall-spending-on-games/). Microsoft said it is not reducing its overall investment in games, but what's changing is where the company is investing. Clearly, games like Project Fantasy, along with the next game from the creator of Assassin's Creed are not part of that vision(https://x.com/stephentotilo/status/2071619030390022284). Xbox was also going to fund the next game from Naughty Dog veteran Bruce Straley before backing out(https://x.com/kiwitalkz/status/2063395518135337147). For more, check out the story below: - Xbox Layoffs, Studio Changes, And Spin-Offs: Everything Announced In Big Shakeup(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/)

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