Latest Xbox Game News & Updates
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🎮 PlayStation, Xbox, Multi-platformNBA The Run Adds Campaign Mode In 2027
!NBA The Run(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/06/25/002ec044/ant.jpg.webp) Earlier this month, NBA The Run arrived on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC to mixed reviews. Game Informer contributor Danreb Victorio gave it a 7.25 out of 10, summarizing his review(https://www.gameinformer.com/review/nba-the-run/streetball-with-strats) by saying, "As it is, it’s too barebones to wholeheartedly recommend, but there’s a great game of basketball waiting for you if you don’t mind only playing online matches." Today, developer Play By Play Studios announced plans to rectify that when it revealed its roadmap, which includes more content, including an campaign mode. In a new blog post(https://nbatherun.com/whats-coming-next-in-nba-the-run-summer-heat-season-upcoming-roadmap/), Play By Play revealed what fans can expect in the coming weeks, months, and even next year. It all starts today, with a new patch that addresses some bugs and tweaks gameplay, but that's the least consequential of the updates the studio laid out. Next month, players can expect new content and three new players, with a hint towards content surrounding the recent NBA Draft. !Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/06/25/76d316c8/harden.jpg.webp) In August, the title's seasons will kick off, starting with Summer Heat, which will reward an in-game championship belt that evolves over the course of the season. This update will bring a new drive camera to provide a more modern gameplay feel, as well as a comms wheel, practice mode, two new rulesets, new shop items, leaderboards, and another NYC court playable in both daytime and tournament variations. This August update will include updates to the player AI, HUD, and balancing. You can also expect more players, with Play By Play potentially hinting at this update including legends from the past. Then, in the fall, new content will continue with new seasons arriving every two to three months, with the studio eyeing new features like Ranked and Ladders for its online play and voice chat. Then, finally, as the blog post says, the "big one:" campaign mode. The studio hesitates to provide full details, but the hope is that it can be played solo or with friends, and locally or online. The current timeline says "spring 2027," but as the studio indicates, "to do this right, it's going to take time." NBA The Run arrived on June 9. For more on the NBA Street spiritual successor, read our review(https://www.gameinformer.com/review/nba-the-run/streetball-with-strats).
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformMicrosoft reveals another Xbox price hike is coming, the third increase since 2025
Microsoft insists that Xbox Series X is one of the most affordable ways to play major franchises like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformMicrosoft Is Increasing The Cost Of Xbox Consoles, Again, Starting In August
After hiking the price of Xbox consoles in October 2025, Microsoft is once again increasing the cost of Xbox consoles worldwide starting August 1. In a June 25 Xbox Wire blog post(https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/06/25/xbox-console-price-update/), the company confirmed that the 512GB models will jump up by $100 while the 1TB models will go up by $150. This puts the Series S at $500 and the Series X at $800. As a result of the price increase, Microsoft is discontinuing the 2TB Xbox consoles. The company explained that although it spent "the last several months working with suppliers on options," it had to enact another price hike because "console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x." It also expects another doubling by fall 2027, which could mean we'll see another price hike not long after. "The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles," the company said in its Xbox Wire post. "Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make." To assuage the price hike, however, Microsoft is implementing several programs to make buying an Xbox "more accessible." This includes a Buy Now, Pay Later option; interest-free financing plans; a Certified Refurbished Consoles program(https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/configure/Xbox-Series-X-1TB-Digital-Edition-Certified-Refurbished/92cc6w0n36g0?crosssellid=&selectedColor=&exid=33751D) for up to $100 off; and a "previously played consoles" option, which sounds a lot like buying a used console at GameStop. This is the third price increase Microsoft has implemented following the two that came last year. In May 2025, the company jacked up the prices of Xbox consoles(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-consoles-games-and-accessories-see-price-increases-starting-today/1100-6531257/) between $80 and $100 (depending on the model), and then again in October 2025 between $20 and $70(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-is-raising-xbox-prices-in-the-us-again/1100-6534892/) (though this increase only affected those buying consoles in the US). Game consoles are really pricing themselves out of relevancy(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-consoles-are-pricing-themselves-out-of-relevance/1100-6539969/).
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox prices spike another $100 or more
Microsoft is increasing the prices of Xbox consoles again. Starting August 1st, 512GB models will be $100 more expensive, while 1TB models will be $150 more expensive. This means that the Xbox Series S will start at $499.99, the Xbox Series X without a disc drive will start at $749.99, and the Series X with &8230;
🎮 PlayStation, Xbox, Multi-platformGTA 6 Has “Near-Instant” Load Times On PS5, And That’s A Bummer For Some People
A PlayStation Blog post(https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/24/grand-theft-auto-vi-plays-best-on-ps5-november-19/) co-authored by PlayStation and Rockstar Games said GTA 6 leverages the PS5's SSD to allow people to experience's the game's fictional version of Miami and wider Florida with "near-instant load times." That sounds good and exciting, but it's also bumming people out. The original version of GTA 5 that came out in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360 was known for its lengthy load times when booting the game up that could be minutes long. Nice artwork from GTA 5 would cycle through as the game loaded, and in cases where the loading took longer than expected, people might see character or environment art they hadn't before. For the 2022 launch of GTA 5's PS5 and Xbox Series X|S edition, load times were improved. The loading screens have always been a distinct element of the GTA series.(https://gta.fandom.com/wiki/EntryScreen) !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/RealDimezlandscape.jpg?w=1024) GTA 6 artwork. People online are saying they will miss this if GTA 6 does indeed have "near-instant" load times. That being said, this is all based off one line in a blog post, so it's unclear what "near-instant" even means or if it even pertains to the main loading page when the game boots up each time or something else. A lot of the GTA 6 artwork hosted on the game's website(https://www.rockstargames.com/VI/media/artwork-wallpapers) bears a resemblance stylistically to the art from GTA 5's loading screens, so you can at least look at it there or download for yourself. But, again, that's not the same as sitting on your couch or in your chair looking at the artwork as the game loads. Preorder GTA 6 at Amazon(https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-1-PlayStation-5/dp/B0H6K928WL/ref=sr11?tag=gamespot-preorders-20) The PlayStation Blog post is titled "GTA 6 plays best on PS5," a claim that has not been independently verified and comes as part of Sony's marketing arrangement with Rockstar, which is seeking to associate the game with PlayStation first and foremost. The game is also coming to Xbox Series X, which has similar technical capabilities to the PS5, along with the relatively less powerful Xbox Series S. GTA 6 will also play on the PS5 Pro, but Rockstar has yet to confirm any specific enhancements. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6 preorders(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/prewrite-preorders-are-live-for-grand-theft-auto-vi/1100-6539953/) are finally, at long last, open on both consoles, and you can choose the $80 standard edition or $100 ultimate edition.
🖥 PlayStation, Xbox, PCGTA 6 pre-orders are now live, but will you buy on console or hold out for the (obviously superior) PC version?
Or will you double dip... as Rockstar wants?
🖥 PlayStation, Xbox, Mobile, VR, PCGrow A Garden 2: All Pets, Pet Abilities, and Eggs
!(https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/gag2-turtle-header.png?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp) Last updated: June 24th, 2026Added the new Turtle pet from the latest Grow A Garden 2 update, which increases your inventory capacity. While Grow A Garden 2 may tout itself as being all about the Seeds, recruiting new Pets to your cause is equally important. Why? Because the more little critters you have chilling out and kickin' back in your pad, the more of their useful Abilities and bonuses you'll be able to use, whether that's growing mutated crops or turning intruding gardeners into piles of ash. To make sure you know what you're searching for when buying Pets, we've put together a full list of all the Pets in Grow A Garden 2, including how to get them, the Abilities they offer, every Egg type and how to manage your Squad by increasing your Pet slots. Read more(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/grow-a-garden-2-pets)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox Layoffs Appear To Be Starting With South Of Midnight Dev Compulsion
It looks like layoffs at Xbox have started, with a number of developers at South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games now looking for new opportunities. The layoffs come as part of a massive shakeup at Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma, which will reportedly see multiple Xbox Game Studios either closed(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/double-fine-ninja-theory-and-more-reportedly-trying-to-spin-off-from-xbox-game-studios/) or going independent once more. The fate of Compulsion as a studio is still unclear. Reports from earlier in June(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-closing-we-happy-few-south-of-midnight-developer-compulsion-games-report/) suggested that Xbox was preparing to close the studio, though Compulsion leadership was said to be in discussions(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/double-fine-ninja-theory-and-more-reportedly-trying-to-spin-off-from-xbox-game-studios/) with Xbox over potentially spinning the studio off on its own. News of the Compulsion layoffs comes from individual developers' posts on LinkedIn announcing that they are no longer with the studio, as compiled by reporter Mr Rebs(https://x.com/mrrebs/status/2069959570877812839?s=46). https://twitter.com/mrrebs/status/2069959570877812839?s=46 Compulsion is based in Montreal and was founded in 2009. After developing Contrast and being at work on We Happy Few, it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018 as part of a flurry of studio purchases. The Compulsion layoffs may be only the start for Xbox, with CEO Asha Sharma lining up big changes in an attempt to get Xbox "healthy" again(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ceo-believes-consoles-are-too-expensive-and-radically-different-plans-are-needed/), promising a "reset" on the business(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-game-studios-boss-is-out-ahead-of-reported-layoffs-and-other-major-changes-to-reset-xbox/). Bloomberg reported that layoffs would likely occur after June 30(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-reportedly-planning-big-layoffs-for-next-month/), after the end of Microsoft's fiscal year. Alongside Compulsion, multiple other studios including Double Fine and Ninja Theory are also reportedly in negotiations with Xbox to get their studios out from under Microsoft's ownership to avoid complete closure. There's been no recent update on how those talks are going--other than a single, not-so-promising emoji(https://x.com/DoubleFine/status/2066719196944478636) posted to Double Fine's X account.
🎮 PlayStation, Xbox, Multi-platformAfter Over Two Years In Early Access, Enshrouded Launches Into 1.0 This October
!Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/06/23/b94aa471/enshrouded-kites.jpg.webp) After coming together in PC Early Access for two years, survival action RPG Enshrouded(https://gameinformer.com/preview/2023/07/13/surviving-made-easier) has a 1.0 launch date. Look for the game to arrive on PlayStation 5 and PC on October 15. An Xbox Series X/S version of Enshrouded will arrive in Spring 2027. The voxel-based survival action game sees players working alone or with others in 8-player co-op as the Flameborn, the only hope for stopping a corrupting fog wreaking havoc across a kingdom. While exploring the vast world to uncover forgotten remnants of the past, players can gather resources to construct buildings and settlements to house NPCs, craft gear, and cut down threats in combat and while dungeon crawling. "Our team worked tirelessly to launch Enshrouded 1.0 and its exciting new content simultaneously across PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S. Enshrouded combines large-scale voxel building, fully terraformable worlds, advanced multiplayer systems, and a vast open world in ways that are technically very demanding. As we approached launch, we decided that achieving the level of quality and performance we expect on Xbox would require additional time," said Jan Jöckel, CEO of Keen Games, in a press release. "We never want to rush a platform release or compromise on quality. Development of the Xbox version is progressing steadily, and we’re planning to bring Enshrouded to Xbox players in spring 2027. Players can look forward to learning much more about Enshrouded 1.0 this summer." During its two years in Early Access, Enshrouded received eight major content updates, three new biomes, along with new monsters, weapons, armor, materials, decor, and more. Developer Keen Games also added dynamic weather. Despite launching into 1.0, Keen Games promised to support Enshrouded with new content "for years to come."
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox May Have Just Solved A Major Annoyance About Huge Game Updates
Microsoft released an update for Xbox Insiders today to test several new features coming to Xbox Series X|S(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-series-x-review/1100-6484104/). The update brings changes to Gamertags and more, but the most useful of these features allows players to use cloud gaming to play updating titles, fixing one of user's biggest annoyances with the console. An Xbox Wire post(https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/06/24/xbox-insiders-august-2026-console-features/) broke down these new features in more detail. Typically, games that are updating on consoles become unplayable, and that wait can get quite long for large, high-fidelity AAA titles. However, this update makes it so that, if the game is part of the Game Pass catalog and you have a subscription, you'll now be able to boot it up via cloud gaming and play it while the update downloads. If you have the internet bandwidth to support it, this update is extremely alluring. It also shows Xbox is still putting some focus on cloud gaming, even as it recenters its strategy around consoles like the upcoming Project Helix(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-gen-xbox-project-helix-wont-get-much-new-info-in-todays-event-exec-says/1100-6539840/). !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4.-Cloud-playable-update-b9dd870a9661db314986.png?w=1024) There are plenty of other updates for those who don't like cloud gaming to look forward to as well. Game hubs for Xbox 360 games will now show achievements, and a wishlist option will be added to game cards for ones you don't own. Those are small UI tweaks, but they do add things I'm surprised weren't already supported. In 2019, Microsoft's last big overhaul(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-gamertag-update-lets-you-take-someone-elses-n/1100-6467648/) of Xbox Gamertags(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-gamertag-update-lets-you-take-someone-elses-n/1100-6467648/) limited them to 12 characters at most. Seven years later, it's finally upping the limit to 15 characters. Maybe it's finally time for me to change the Gamertag I've had since I was eight years old. Xbox Insiders who are part of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring are the first to have access to these updates. These updates will roll out to other Xbox Insider tiers in the future before eventually being released to all Xbox Series X|S owners.
🎮 PlayStation, Xbox, Multi-platformGTA 6 PS5-exclusive features detailed, PS5 Pro enhanced confirmed
Sony and Rockstar Games announce that Grand Theft Auto 6 "plays best" on PlayStation 5, but haven't revealed PS5 Pro enhancements yet
🖥 Xbox, PC, Multi-platformRiot now lets you enable its anti-cheat when you want to
If League of Legends and Valorant players have the right hardware and elect to opt into "pre-boot security mechanisms and Windows' own native protection features," then, starting today, they can switch the Vanguard anti-cheat software from always-on to one that's "on demand." With "Vanguard Pre-Check," the kernel-level driver won't launch when your system does, according &8230;