Gaming

Xbox is Turning its Back on Xbox Game Studios

• Xbox Game Studios is being dramatically reduced.
• Halo is moving under Activision after major layoffs.
• Microsoft is consolidating publishing and management operations.

Microsoft is restructuring Xbox’s internal studios, moving several developers away from Xbox Game Studios and placing them under Activision, Bethesda or King. The most significant change affects Halo, which is being rebooted under Activision as Halo Studios is effectively dismantled, signalling a major retreat for Xbox’s flagship publishing…

PS Plus Discount for One of PS5’s Best New Indie Games

• Well Dweller launches on PS5 with 90+ critical scores
• PS Plus users get 15% discount for two weeks
• Acclaimed Metroidvania from solo developer Kyle Thompson

Well Dweller, a new Metroidvania game by solo developer Kyle Thompson, has launched on PS5 to exceptional critical acclaim, scoring 91 on Metacritic and 90 on OpenCritic. The game is receiving widespread praise and ranks as one of 2026's highest-rated titles, with 100% of reviewers recommending it, making…

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil refreshes the struggling horror franchise

• Cregger gives Resident Evil a fresh, entertaining reboot.
• The film balances scares, humour and grotesque gore.
• Austin Abrams anchors its tense survival story.

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot is praised as a confident revival of the struggling horror franchise, combining horror, humour and extreme gore in a fresh but accessible way. The film reportedly works even for viewers unfamiliar with the games or previous adaptations, giving the series a distinctive new…

PS5 Pro update sets enhanced PSSR as default for compatible games

• Enhanced PSSR is now enabled by default on compatible PS5 Pro games.
• Games without existing PSSR support are unaffected.
• The update also adds voice-chat indicators and Welcome Hub widgets.

Sony’s latest PS5 system update makes its enhanced PSSR image-quality setting the default on PS5 Pro consoles. This means compatible games built around the original PSSR upscaler can automatically use the newer version, potentially improving image clarity and stability without requiring owners to find and enable an obscure…

Gathering dates is key to recruiting Halvin in Fortune’s Weave

• Ten dates are required to recruit Halvin.
• Tarvos offers dates but contains dangerous sandworms.
• Cai must grow dates from vegetable crates.

Players need 10 dates to recruit Halvin in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, making them an important resource despite the danger involved in obtaining them. Halvin is a valuable high-accuracy attacker: her Adaptability ability grants her +2 hit after every combat, while Halt Advance lowers the speed of enemies…

Microsoft Overhauls Xbox Gaming Division Amid 3,200+ Layoffs and Studio Reorganisation

• Xbox is cutting more than 3,200 jobs amid a major restructuring.
• Halo development is moving to a new Activision-led team.
• Multiple studios are being consolidated, merged or spun off.

Microsoft is reorganising its Xbox gaming division alongside a planned reduction of more than 3,200 jobs, consolidating studios and shifting major franchises between subsidiaries. Halo development is moving to a new Activision-led team, while Halo Studios will remain primarily a support studio; the changes further reshape Xbox’s identity…

Prebuilt Steam Machine faceplate screens are here, delivering decent, surprisingly cheaper alternatives to Valve-approved DIY builds

• JSAUX launched ready-made Steam Machine display faceplates.
• E-Ink offers detail; PixelMatrix offers colour and retro style.
• Both undercut the estimated DIY component cost.

JSAUX has launched prebuilt E-Ink and PixelMatrix faceplates for Steam Machines, offering ready-made alternatives to Valve’s DIY Inkterface project. Both provide customisable displays with modes including performance monitoring, clocks, weather, calendars and photo frames, while software support is expected through Steam from early October. The E-Ink model costs…

Borrowing surge piles pressure on Chancellor as Arctic bases agreed

Government borrowing hit £18.3bn in August, well above forecast, adding pressure on Chancellor Healey. The US, Denmark and Greenland are establishing new military bases in the Arctic.

Artist who hand-paints some of gaming’s best fantasy world maps brings them together in oversized and extremely lavish art book

• Francesca Baerald is releasing a lavish book of hand-painted fantasy maps.
• It features over 250 maps from games and other fictional worlds.
• Kickstarter funding has surpassed four times its £20,000 target.

Artist and cartographer Francesca Baerald is crowdfunding Unbound – The Cartography Art Book, an oversized A3 collection of her hand-painted fantasy maps. Featuring work from Dragon Age, Warcraft, Diablo, Dungeons & Dragons and other worlds, the book highlights maps as immersive artwork rather than merely navigational tools. The…

Arc Raiders Is Finally Getting More Endgame Content

• Player base collapsed from 480k to 25k due to sparse endgame content
• Frozen Trail update (8 October) adds activities and improves PvP rewards
• Future updates will gradually address endgame issues for different player types

Arc Raiders has experienced a dramatic decline in player numbers, dropping from over 480,000 concurrent players to approximately 25,000 daily users, primarily because the game lacks sufficient endgame content to retain players after they have mastered the available challenges. This sharp drop highlights how critical engaging endgame activities…