Latest Xbox Game News & Updates
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🖥 Xbox, PCXbox's new chief strategist is a metaverse true believer
Matthew Ball was hired to help fix Xbox. Will gamers like what he prescribes?
🖥 Xbox, PC'Surprised there was anyone left to post this': Fans react as The Elder Scrolls Online debuts seasonal content days after hundreds laid off from studio
Bad timing, or the worst timing?
🖥 Xbox, PCMicrosoft responds to racist Xbox layoff conspiracy theory, says CEO Asha Sharma is 'American born, raised, and educated'
There are a lot of good reasons to criticize the people responsible for Xbox layoffs, but racism isn't one of them.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformMicrosoft Refutes Notion That Foreign-Worker Visas Were Behind Mass Xbox Layoffs
Since news broke of Microsoft's recent round of mass layoffs(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/:~:text=Microsoft%20has%20officially%20announced%20that,a%20%E2%80%9Crestructuring%E2%80%9D%20process%20at%20Xbox.)--which affected 1,600 people immediately and will reach double that number over the next year--a number of reports have claimed that mass approvals of foreign-worker visas were behind the decision. Now, Microsoft communications lead Frank X. Shaw has refuted what he calls "bad information." In a Twitter post, Shaw said that while there are Microsoft workers using H-1B visas, they are "not specific to Xbox and represent a small percentage of Microsoft's overall workforce. And the majority of the roles impacted were not American roles." https://twitter.com/fxshaw/status/2075637298046374135 "Recent workforce changes were made to restructure the Xbox business because it is not healthy. They were not made to replace employees with foreign workers," Shaw said. Shaw's comments come after multiple conservative news outlets pointed out that Microsoft was approved for more than 2,200 H-1B visas this year. Fox News(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fury-erupts-us-brand-fires-1600-employees-after-securing-thousands-foreign-worker-visas) was told by Microsoft prior to publishing its story that H-1B employees were also among those affected by the layoffs. The recent Xbox layoffs are among the biggest we've ever seen in the gaming industry. Alongside losing roughly 20% of the Xbox workforce, Microsoft also made the decision to separate from five studios. Two of these--Double Fine and Compulsion Games--will return to operating as independent studios. Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, meanwhile, are being sold to a currently unknown buyer, and Microsoft is currently reviewing options with Arkane for its sale or separation. The studios that remain operational were still heavily impacted(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-after-the-layoffs-studios-left-and-what-theyre-making/) by the layoffs, however. Among the worst-hit, at least that we know of, was id Software, which lost roughly half its headcount(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-perfect-dark-co-op-doom-were-reportedly-in-the-works-at-id-software-before-mass-layoffs/) just as it launched the latest Doom: The Dark Ages expansion.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformDoom studio id Software responds to Xbox layoffs reports
"We're going to keep building great games," id Software says in response to mass Xbox layoffs at the Doom and Quake studio.
🖥 Xbox, PCid Software provides proof of life, says it 'still has the crew we need to build the games and tech we're known for' after massive layoffs
"The team today is about the same size we were when making DOOM (2016)."
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformDoom officially returns with an excellent brand-new release that's saddled with Xbox baggage
Doom's Revelations DLC is a great addition marred by the reality that its developer, Id Software, was decimated by layoffs the day before it came out.
🖥 PlayStation, Xbox, PCAssassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: Best ship upgrades
!(https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/ship-upgrades-black-flag-resynced.jpg?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp) Naval combat is at the forefront of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, and there are a great many upgrades for Edward Kenway's prize vessel, the Jackdaw. Some of these improve its durability, while others amplify its firepower. And if you're a devil-may-care sort of pirate who just wants to smash into rival ships, you can do that too! Choosing between all of the ship upgrades can be tricky, especially if this is your first time exploring the Caribbean and you never experienced Edward's journey back in 2013. In this guide, we'll outline the five best ship upgrades in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, giving you a sense of what to focus on first when it comes time to turn the Jackdaw from a ramshackle boat into a true terror of the sea. Read more(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-best-ship-upgrades)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox Is Teasing Something Big For Next Week Amid Disc-To-Digital Rumors
The future is looking increasingly digital(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-gen-xbox-may-not-have-disc-drive-disc-to-digital-feature-coming-reports-say/) for next-gen video game consoles, but one method that might ease the transition is a disc-to-digital service that allows users to bring their libraries with them. While there is speculation that this feature will launch around the time that Xbox debuts its next-gen console, Project Helix(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-xbox-release-date-specs-display-price/1100-6525379/), a first taste of the future might be arriving sooner than expected. Xbox Insiders received a message in lieu of an update this week, with Xbox's program lead Brad Rossetti teasing that something big was on the way. "Xbox Insiders on console, as you have seen we paused flighting this week as we prep for week next. Thanks for being patient! The wait is worth the wait, I promise," Rossetti wrote online(https://x.com/WorkWombatman/status/2075389392991174773). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY This is widely rumored to be the first look at Xbox's disc-to-digital program, something that Windows Central editor Jez Corden--who has filed several reports on the feature--teased its debut(https://x.com/JezCorden/status/2075406833645223997) with a "positron cometh" tweet. This is reportedly the codename for the rumored disc-to-digital feature, with other reports claiming that Xbox Play Anywhere will give users the option to switch from physical to digital. While Xbox has yet to confirm if Project Helix will be an all-digital games console, its rival Sony has confirmed that it will stop manufacturing PlayStation discs(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-confirms-playstation-disc-production-will-end-in-2028/) in 2028, something analysts believe will lead to a discless PS6(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-sony-is-killing-disc-based-playstation-games-and-the-implications-for-ps6-and-beyond/). The backlash was swift(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/profoundly-disappointed-is-this-companys-response-to-sonys-decision-to-end-disc-support/) and negative for Sony, with the company going radio silent(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-tries-to-change-the-subject-after-killing-playstation-discs/) on its social media channels for several days while people rallied against the company. Even with the negative publicity, Sony's reasons for ditching physical media make complete financial sense(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-is-sony-killing-discs-its-all-about-profitability-and-control-expert-says/?thumbnailid=1807886). Digital sales vastly overshadow physical sales, and Sony recorded its highest-ever quarterly digital game sales period(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-just-reported-a-new-record-breaking-high-figure-but-its-unsurprising/1100-6539856/) just before it made the announcement. Other companies like EA, Capcom, and Nintendo have also experienced a surge in digital sales(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstations-disc-based-game-sales-have-dropped-dramatically-in-recent-years/), which means those publishers and studios have less overhead to deal with, like covering the costs of pressing game discs or paying retailer fees. And as one analyst has said, player loyalty means nothing(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/your-loyalty-to-sony-or-xbox-means-nothing-analyst-says/) to these companies.
🖥 PlayStation, Xbox, Mobile, VR, PCGakuran codes
!(https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/gakuran-0.webp?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp) Gakuran is a Roblox(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/roblox) slice of life game set in a Japanese town in 2007. As you explore the town, you’ll hang out with friends, play minigames, and maybe even do some roleplaying (or maybe you’ll just beat everyone up, which is apparently every player’s favorite thing to do as noted in the game’s description). Read more(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/roblox-gakuran-codes)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformGame Pass Gets A Few Freebies For This Weekend Only, Including One Where You’re A Teddy Bear Fighting Nightmares Come To Life
The weekend is here, and if you're looking for something new to play on Xbox but don't want to spend any money, you're in luck. The Free Play Days promotion is back this weekend, with three games offered up for the low, low price of $0, or at least nothing beyond the price of a Game Pass membership. MLB The Show 26, which is the newest entry in the professional baseball series, is free this weekend. The survival game The Alters is free as well, along with the FPS Stuffed, in which you play as a teddy bear and fight off the nightmares of a young girl. All of these games are free now through July 12, and you need a membership to Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential. If you want to buy the games after the free weekend, MLB The Show 26 is marked down to $35(https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/mlb-the-show-26-standard-edition/9NRLSFM01XTP), while The Alters is discounted to $17.50(https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/the-alters/9n0p25wjhm8c). Stuffed, however, is not on sale and sells for its normal $12.50 price(https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/stuffed/9N2XC0ML2K47). !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Stuffeda289d1.jpg?w=1024) A spooky scene from Stuffed. Beyond these free games, Gears of War: Reloaded was just added to Game Pass Premium tier (joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) on July 9, while the arcade-style corridor shooter Tamashika came to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass on that day as well. For more, check out all of the new additions to Game Pass for July so far(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-game-pass-new-games-for-july-revealed/). Xbox is facing challenging times of late, as the company recently laid off 1,600 people, divested from five studios, and cancelled games(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-after-the-layoffs-studios-left-and-what-theyre-making/). Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the changes were necessary because Xbox is not a healthy business currently. Sharma was recently appointed to a Federal Reserve task force focused on productivity and jobs(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ceo-joins-feds-task-force-to-help-with-price-stability-and-employment-after-she-raised-xbox-prices-and-laid-of-staff/).
🖥 PlayStation, Xbox, Mobile, VR, PCRoll to Defend codes
!(https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/roll-to-defend-0.webp?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp) Roll to Defend is a Roblox(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/roblox) game that combines RNG games with the platform’s tower defense craze. As you automatically roll for new units in the background, you’ll build your team, watch as your strongest units defend your base, and save up to buy new upgrades alongside entirely new areas. Read more(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/roblox-roll-to-defend-codes)