News.
Release dates, announcements, and anything else worth noting. No PR fluff, no embargoed opinions. If it matters to people who actually play the games, it's here.
Kevin LaChapelle, the architect of Xbox backward compatibility, is among the layoffs at Microsoft's gaming division, which also cut roughly 25% of Obsidian staff.
Microsoft is cutting about 3,200 Xbox jobs, roughly a fifth of the division, and parting with five studios, in what its CEO calls the biggest restructure in Xbox history.
Microsoft is reportedly testing a system that would convert physical Xbox game discs into digital entitlements, potentially bridging ownership and the all-digital future, though details remain unconfirmed.
Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier, Signs of the Sojourner, and Boom Boom Rocket have all been pulled from the Xbox Store, with no physical editions to fall back on.
Microsoft is raising Xbox Series prices worldwide from August 1: $100 more for 512GB models, $150 for 1TB, and the 2TB model is discontinued entirely.
QUByte's first ReConnect showcase revives the Gaelco arcade library and teases a wave of PS1-era ports, including Biomechanical Toy and Tiger Shark.
Microsoft reportedly plans to close Compulsion Games, with Ninja Theory and Double Fine also at risk, in a sweeping Xbox restructuring.
Microsoft is reportedly considering spinning off Xbox into a separate company, according to a report from The Information. The move would raise major questions about Xbox's backward compatibility and digital preservation.
EA is shutting down Grid Legends online servers on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on September 11. Steam and Switch 2 versions are not affected.
Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 28 on Xbox, PC, and PS5. A full rebuild of Combat Evolved with new missions, weapons, and co-op. Included with Game Pass.