Latest Multi-platform Game News & Updates
☁ Multi-platform News
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🎮 PlayStation, Xbox, Multi-platformWhat an all-digital PlayStation means for the games industry
Sony's decision to stop producing physical video games is fueled by a desire to increase profits from a shrinking consumer base
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox’s bold plan for the future sounds nearly impossible
It's another bad week for the video game industry. Microsoft outlined a series of layoffs on Monday that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described as "the most significant restructure in Xbox history." But buried in Sharma's memo was a curiously optimistic statement: "I want Xbox to be one of the few companies that entertains more than &8230;
🎮 Multi-platformTransporter 3 is one of Jason Statham's most underrated action movies, and it's finally free to stream
Transporter 3 is now free on Tubi, making now the perfect time to revisit one of Jason Statham's most underrated action movies.
🎮 Multi-platformMagic's new Secret Lair is a print-to-demand charity drop with Global Fund for Women
Magic's latest Secret Lair drop is a charity collaboration with Global Fund for Women, and it will be printed to demand.
🍄 Nintendo Switch, Multi-platformOriginal Nintendo Switch Will Be Discontinued In Europe
Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the original Nintendo Switch, which remains in active production despite the debut of Switch 2 in 2025. However, the Switch's time will be coming to a close in Europe just shy of a decade after its initial release. According to a notice on Nintendo's official site(https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Nintendo-Switch-2/Information-about-upcoming-battery-related-revisions-to-some-Nintendo-products-3132901.html), the Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED will no longer be available to European retailers after mid-February 2027. Nintendo Store will also stop carrying the original Switch models for European markets in that same month. Nintendo hasn't signaled when the Switch will be retired in North America, but the company had a greater incentive to shut it down in Europe first. The European Union passed a new regulation that requires Nintendo and other console makers to ship products that allow users to change their own batteries(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/switch-2-systems-with-swappable-batteries-coming-this-year-but-not-in-the-us/). Changing the design of the first Switch to allow owners to change its batteries wouldn't be very cost-effective, given it was already near the end of its lifetime. So Nintendo discontinued it instead. However, Nintendo will comply with Europe's Right to Repair directive and begin releasing Switch 2 consoles with replaceable batteries(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/switch-2-systems-with-swappable-batteries-coming-this-year-but-not-in-the-us/) as soon as this summer. Nintendo has indicated that these new models are virtually identical to the Switch 2 console that's already on the market. While those plans are in motion, Nintendo added that "Due to a variety of factors, revised products may not become available in all European countries simultaneously." Presumably that means the ongoing memory and component shortages may slow down the pace of that rollout. Given Sony's recent decision to stop releasing games on disc(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-confirms-playstation-disc-production-will-end-in-2028/), Switch 2 is one of the few remaining consoles that still uses physical media. Regardless, Nintendo has leaned more heavily on Game-Key Cards for its current generation of third-party titles on Switch 2, much to the annoyance of games preservation activists.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformGame Pass could see major change under new Xbox restructure
Xbox announced sweeping changes in early July, which could have downstream effects on every part of the business, including its Game Pass service.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox layoffs hit Bethesda: Elder Scrolls Online developer 'gutted'
On Monday, Xbox announced significant layoffs. Bethesda has been reportedly hit hard by job losses, especially the Elder Scrolls Online team.
🍄 Nintendo Switch, Multi-platformKirby Air Riders' Summer Games Done Quick debut proves why it's the Switch 2's best game
Kirby Air Riders made its debut at this year's Summer Games Done Quick with a record-breaking performance.
🎮 Multi-platformPokémon Pitch Black fan pulls world's first ever gold god pack
A Canadian is the first to find a fully golden 'God Pack,' a pull so improbable, some TCG fans refuse to believe it's real
🎮 Multi-platformDiablo 4’s Massive Mythic Item Changes Aren’t Finding Many Fans
Diablo 4 Season 14 dramatically reworked Mythic items in Blizzard's ARPG going forward, and judging from early feedback, it's a change that isn't going over well. Season of Death Awakening launched on June 30 and introduced what Blizzard coined Mythic Uniques 3.0, a new system where any of the game's hundreds of Unique items could be found (or turned into) even stronger Mythic versions. In theory, it would open up the game's endgame build options and give players more choices when it comes to outfitting their characters. Far from just a temporary seasonal change, Blizzard stated it intended for Mythic Uniques 3.0 to be a permanent part of the game going forward. The downside of the new system is that it also added more randomness to Mythics, making it so even formerly best-in-slot Mythic Uniques (now called Iconic Mythics) like The Grandfather or Heir of Perdition are now, more often than not, significantly worse than before and usually not worth using. Equally annoying, crafting a Unique into a Mythic Unique using the Horadric Cube is largely random, rewarding a different item than the one originally put in the cube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nuu7aOAw0is Mythics additionally seem to be more rare than before, with lower drop rates and the removal of the ability to craft specific Mythics. Taken all together, acquiring usable Mythics now feels almost entirely out of players' control. Blizzard knew the Mythic item changes would be controversial. In an interview with GameSpot(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-knows-diablo-4-season-14s-mythic-changes-are-controversial-but-its-for-the-games-long-term-health/) ahead of Season 14's launch, Blizzard said it was trying to "split the difference" between its goals for the game's "long-term health" and feedback from the community it received on the Season 14 public-test-realm. It seems that approach isn't going particularly well, because one look at places like the Diablo 4 Reddit(https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/) or at videos from various Diablo content creators paints a picture of a largely unhappy playerbase frustrated by the season's unpopular Mythic changes. In a widely upvoted post, Reddit user Oct(https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/s/eJo84pQSxw) showed a screenshot of having achieved rank 1 on the Hardcore, Solo-Self Found Diablo 4 leaderboard. However, they lamented the fact that they'd played for nearly 50 hours and had not found or been able to craft a single usable Mythic yet. "The mechanic makes it impossible for normal people to get that chase item," Oct wrote. Another Reddit user, Thirteenera(https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/1uov4ls/somemorealotmoredatafromlairsandmythics/), provided some data on Mythic Unique drop rates and revealed that after "days" of farming 1,400 lair boss runs, they received a total of 50 Mythic items. Of those 50 drops, none were useful for their build. While many Iconic Mythics were once universally useful across most builds, most Mythic Uniques are now niche in their purpose, meaning finding one that is useful for a given build is now far less likely. https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/1unouef/upgradingtomythicseemspointlessifitsnot/ Others have called out(https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo4/comments/1unouef/upgradingtomythicseemspointlessifitsnot/) how bad and misleading it feels to put a Unique item into the cube, use the "upgrade" feature (which implies the item is being improved), and then receive a completely different, and likely useless item in exchange. Many players state the phrasing needs to be rewritten to let players know they aren't really crafting an upgrade but gambling. It's not just on places like Reddit that players are complaining. Diablo content creators like Rhykker(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEtj56ctcMI) also don't seem happy with the changes. Rhykker said they are having fun with the new seasonal events, but that "everything I loved about Mythics is gone." "Mythics are harder to get and weaker than they were," Rhykker said in a recent video. "I'm okay with harder to get, but it doesn't feel exciting to work harder to get something crappier than we used to have." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEtj56ctcMI Another content creator, Rob2628, stated in their most recent video(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBT14PhShoQ) that Season 14 is a "big step backwards," lamenting the fact players can only wear one crafted Mythic item, how difficult it is to find Iconic Mythics, and the sheer amount of RNG involved along the way. "I think the general consensus is that the new changes to the Mythics, especially with the crafted tag, have been very negatively received in the community, and I agree, rightfully so," Rob2628 said. "It is very, very hard to get Mythics, even for players that play a ton." That's not to say everyone dislikes Mythics 3.0. Another popular Diablo content creator, Raxxanterax, said in their recent "The State of Diablo 4 Season 14"(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy6aBO7eCdU) video that they are a fan of Uniques being able to drop as Mythic quality, even if he is largely unimpressed with the season overall and thinks Blizzard needs to change its approach to seasons. "I think it adds dopamine," Raxxanterax said. Season 14 is still in its early stages, so it's possible Blizzard could adjust drop rates or make changes to Mythic crafting to elminate some of the pain points players have complained about before the end of the season. Even if the new season isn't being received well overall, there have been some universally good changes, like fixes to make Diablo 4's worst grind a lot easier(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/diablo-4s-worst-grind-just-got-a-lot-easier-in-season-14/).
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platform“Catastrophic Mismanagement” And AI Gambits Led To Mass Xbox Layoffs, Expert Says
Microsoft has announced sweeping layoffs and other dramatic changes resulting in 4,800 layoffs across the company(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/), including 3,200 at Xbox specifically. What's led to this? According to one expert, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his "catastrophic mismanagement" of the company is to blame. Ed Zitron, an author who specializes in covering the technology space and is the CEO of EZ Primary Research, offered a blistering take(https://x.com/edzitron/status/2074201562843418672) on Microsoft's management in response to the mass layoffs. "Catastrophic mismanagement by a company run by a sub-McKinsean imbecile that hires other losers to move money around to hide how bad his AI plays are. Microsoft is a disgrace to the software industry," he said. Zitron has been an outspoken critic of elements of AI in particular, recently appearing on CNBC(https://x.com/edzitron/status/2072703921768837195) to offer the bear case against generative AI. "One of the biggest lies of the AI bubble is that Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta are 'growing because of AI,'" he said recently. "In reality, they're using the continued growth of their other business units to cover the meager returns from AI, and the massive waste of their trillion+ in capex." Microsoft, of course, is massively invested in AI, and Zitron appears to be suggesting here that some of the issues that led to these dramatic cuts at Xbox are in some ways tied to Microsoft's AI plays. In its statement today addressing the cuts(https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/07/06/the-latest-in-our-company-transformation/), Microsoft said it is laying off thousands of people because the world is changing and Microsoft is attempting to adapt. Microsoft also pushed back against the theory that the roles eliminated today are being replaced by AI, though the company did admit that, "AI is changing how work gets done." Investors tend to reward companies that cut costs, but that doesn't appear to be the case this time with Microsoft, as the company's stock price is down today. That continues a trend for Microsoft, as shares are down 18% year-to-date and 22% in the past year. The cuts to Xbox include not just staff layoffs, but also Microsoft divesting of five development studios. Double Fine and Compulsion are regaining their independence(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/), while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are being sold(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/state-of-decay-and-hellblade-devs-are-being-sold-but-buyers-remain-mysterious-for-now/). Arkane Lyon, meanwhile, is in the "consultation" process to determine its fate and the fate of Marvel's Blade.(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-whats-going-on-with-marvels-blade-and-its-developer-amid-xbox-reset/)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox Game Pass subscriber numbers have fallen massively short
Xbox Game Pass is reportedly at around 30 million subscribers, which shows a steep decline and way below targets.