Games news

• Halo’s Next Game Is Coming From An Unexpected Developer: Activision

  22-09-2026 16:04 via gamespot.com
  
  Microsoft has officially announced a major change to its Halo franchise, as Activision will develop the next game in the series with a new, purpose-built team. A small team at Halo Studios will continue to support the Halo community and existing games. The new studio will also exist separately from the group of developers that work on the annual Call of Duty series.Unfortunately, it's bad news for Halo Studios, as Microsoft has confirmed that it will be impacted by a new wave of layoffs that it
  
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• Blizzard confirms StarCraft "won't be exclusive" to Xbox and refuses to elaborate

  22-09-2026 23:09 via gamesradar.com
  
  By the time StarCraft launches in 2030, it will have been nearly 15 years since developer Blizzard released a new game in the long-running science fiction series – so it deserves a big welcome rather than a small splash as an Xbox exclusive. Thankfully, Blizzard just confirmed it won't be.Before Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in a historic 2023 deal, StarCraft was mostly a computer man's game, anyway. From the first StarCraft in 1998, to the franchise's most recent installment, Sta
  
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• Halo cinematic director "promoted and laid off in the same week" amid sweeping Xbox layoffs

  22-09-2026 23:04 via gamesradar.com
  
  Amid ongoing layoff chaos at Xbox, now-former Halo Studios cinematic director Josh Daniels says he was promoted and then immediately lost his job."Promoted and laid off in the same week is pretty wild," Daniels says in a LinkedIn post. "I’m one of the many hit by the Halo Studios layoffs. I’ll be taking some offline time today but very much would love to talk to anyone looking for Cinematic Direction or Production roles.Feel free to get in touch if anything looks like I might be a fi
  
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• Wardogs price will increase in early access: "If you don't agree with that, please don't buy it"

  22-09-2026 23:03 via gamesradar.com
  
  Wardogs has become a breakout hit on Steam even at a relatively steep $40 for early access. According to Joe Brammer, the outspoken CEO of developer Bulkhead and executive producer on the game, the developer is charging what the FPS is worth, and the price is going to continue to increase as the game improves during early access."We have scaling pricing," Brammer tells GamesRadar+ in a Gamescom interview. In 12 months, which is around the time they plan to reach "0.5," the price will increase to
  
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• First Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 teases a bloodbath ahead of another action-packed season

  22-09-2026 22:44 via gamesradar.com
  
  Netflix has revealed a sneak peek at Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 ahead of the season's October release.The brief clip, which can be viewed above, sees our new crop of heroes, including the much older Weak Kingsley (excitingly voiced in the English dub by none other than Clancy Brown), as they find themselves surrounded by foes in the middle of what appears to be a job gone wrong.Per the official tagline, the second season "presents a new standalone 10-episode story from the world of Cyberpun
  
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• Resident Evil director Zach Cregger says an Oscar-nominated war movie was an unlikely inspiration

  22-09-2026 22:14 via gamesradar.com
  
  Zach Cregger says the 2019 Oscar-nominated war movie 1917 was an unlikely inspiration for his take on Resident Evil."1917. But like it's completely different in tone. But that is structurally maybe the closest," Cregger told Rotten Tomatoes, when asked if any movies specifically inspired Resident Evil. "It's like if Evil Dead 2 and 1917 were its parents, but that doesn't feel right... like if those movies loved each other very much."Written and directed by Sam Mendes, 1917 follows two British so
  
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• KPop Demon Hunters And Ghostbusters Come To Monopoly Go For Spooky Season

  22-09-2026 21:57 via gamespot.com
  
  It is officially the fall season in the northern hemisphere, and that means that Halloween is approaching. Mobile game giant Scopely has announced how it's celebrating, and that includes crossovers with KPop Demon Hunters and Ghostbusters in the uber-popular mobile game Monopoly Go.The "Monster Mash" season, as it's called, runs September 23-November 25. During the event, players can take part in themed minigames and "immersive adventures" featuring Huntr/X and the Saja Boys from KPop Demon Hunt
  
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• StarCraft Doesn’t Sound Like An Xbox Exclusive

  22-09-2026 21:54 via gamespot.com
  
  StarCraft won't be an Xbox exclusive, though Blizzard isn't exactly making it clear what platforms the newly announced shooter will launch on.Announced during BlizzCon 2026 with a 2030 release date, Blizzard's StarCraft reboot won't "be exclusive," according to Kotaku, who received a comment from a Blizzard spokesperson. What exactly that means, however, is still up for debate. When asked for clarification on whether that means StarCraft would be coming to PlayStation as well as Xbox and PC
  
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• More than half of Steam's top 10 best-rated 2026 releases are early access graduates

  22-09-2026 21:23 via gamesradar.com
  
  Some players might be cynical about the whole early access process here in 2026, but it's still produced some of the best games in recent memory. Case in point? Just look at the top Steam releases for 2026, where six of the top 10 games are early access escapees that finally got their 1.0 update.That's according to Steam250, which shows Palworld and Valheim as the year's top-rated new releases following each game's respective 1.0 launches. Other 1.0 launches in the top 10 include shopkeeping gam
  
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• WoW: Forever Aspires To Have A “Mandela Effect” On Players

  22-09-2026 20:53 via gamespot.com
  
  World of Warcraft: Forever is reinventing the classic version of Azeroth with all kinds of new content, and if Blizzard does its job, players won't be able to tell the difference between what's old and what's new. Announced during BlizzCon 2026, Forever introduces four new zones to Azeroth: the Riverglades, Mount Hjyal, Shen'dralas, and Zephras Isle. In an interview with GameSpot, WoW: Forever senior art director Jeff Parrott and senior game designer Josh Greenfield elaborated on how Blizza
  
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• After Microsoft's latest bloodbath, former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra offers "props to Xbox"

  22-09-2026 20:08 via gamesradar.com
  
  Uncertainty circles Halo after a major shakeup at Microsoft that has seen hundreds more Xbox employees laid off, including many developers at Halo Studios, and the Halo IP moved to Activision. Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, at least, seems thrilled by this, calling the move "the best news in a decade plus" for fans of Xbox's most recognizable series. Ybarra shared a post highlighting key details from the latest chapter of the ongoing Xbox reset. That post, from game news hound Shinobi602
  
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• What Is Xbox Game Studios At This Point?

  22-09-2026 20:04 via gamespot.com
  
  The organizational structure of Xbox has long been complex and unwieldy, and that hasn't changed after the latest wave of changes and layoffs as part of Xbox's "reset." But Microsoft's latest reshuffling of its studios and workforce does prompt the question of what the "Xbox Game Studios" brand even is now, with apparently only four studios left under that banner.The Xbox division (formerly named Microsoft Gaming) consists of Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, and Activisi
  
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• Halo Studios didn't get to launch even one original title before Xbox decided to let Activision try

  22-09-2026 19:56 via gamesradar.com
  
  Halo Studios lived a short, utilitarian life – Microsoft used it to create the perfectly serviceable Halo: Campaign Evolved remake, and now the studio is effectively retired after 268 layoffs impacting it and other first-party Xbox developers. But it never had the opportunity to be anything more interesting. Thus is the plight of Western gaming. Big corporations keep being impatient for results, so they move straight to relentless "restructuring." That's what's happened here – Halo:
  
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• Xbox Layoffs Are Not Done Yet

  22-09-2026 19:47 via gamespot.com
  
  Microsoft's "reset" of the Xbox business entered its next chapter this week with the announcement of 268 more layoffs, along with other drastic organizational and operational changes for the gaming giant.
  As part of the announcement, Xbox boss Matt Booty said this latest wave of restructuring, combined with the changes completed in July, brings the company up to "roughly three-quarters of the way through" the planned changes.
  In essence, he’s saying that the Xbox “reset” effort
  
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• WoW: Forever Doesn’t Let Shamans Or Warlocks Tank, But That Could Change

  22-09-2026 19:34 via gamespot.com
  
  World of Warcraft: Forever is bringing big changes to the WoW Classic sandbox, but don't expect to see Shamans or Warlocks tanking, at least at launch.New roles for classes, like the above-mentioned tanks, as well as Rogue tank and Mage healer, were something Blizzard experimented with in WoW: Classic Season of Discovery. It certainly helped solve the game's tank shortage problem, with more classes than ever before able to taunt enemies and effectively hold aggro.In an interview with GameSpot, W
  
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• Pragmata Is A Dad Game Dead Space, And It’s A Must-Play That’s Now Cheaper Than Ever

  22-09-2026 19:00 via gamespot.com
  
  Pragmata has a bit of a storied development history. It was delayed indefinitely, went missing from multiple showcases, before coming to life once again and eventually being released this year. The reveal was bizarre, the idea looked strange, and yet Capcom continues on an unstoppable roll, making hit after hit, and Pragmata was—thankfully—one of them. With a unique twist on the third-person shooter genre and an interesting take on the ‘dad game’ subgenre, Pragmata is one
  
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• Control Story So Far

  22-09-2026 19:00 via gamespot.com
  
  If you’re planning to jump into Control Resonant and want a refresher of the first game’s story, we’ve got you covered. Here is the story so far in Control. Get ready for a lot of proper nouns.
  
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• Lego Dragon Ball set officially teased, and clues suggest it could feature Shenron

  22-09-2026 18:55 via gamesradar.com
  
  A Lego Dragon Ball kit is officially on the way, but this doesn't seem to be a playset for kids; judging by the teaser, it's a full-on collector display piece.Revealed in a teaser that shows a lone Lego Dragon Ball rolling toward the other six before glowing with blinding light, the caption reads "Ready to make a wish?" The video then ends with Lego's "Adults welcome" tagline, which would strongly suggest this is a for-adults display model like Lego Pikachu and Poke Ball or the playable Donkey K
  
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• Adidas just dropped an entire Pokémon collection hitting everyone from Pikachu to Charmander

  22-09-2026 18:42 via gamesradar.com
  
  Adidas's limited edition Pokémon collection has hit the wilds, and with low and mid Superstar IIs and Control 5s taking center stage. The full roster comprises six adult designs mainly concentrated around the low Superstar shape, with additional kids options throwing some good old fashioned Sambas into the mix as well. The best part? At the time of writing everything's still in stock at Adidas's own site. There's a good selection of sneakers and apparel up for grabs here, but the highligh
  
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• Stellar Blade devs only had enough money to survive "for about 3 months" at one point

  22-09-2026 18:36 via gamesradar.com
  
  As we get closer to the release of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, it's been revealed the series was almost a complete non-starter. Developer Shift Up struggled to gather enough investment to ship the first action game, with the company's boss saying the financial runway got perilously short at one point.Speaking to Inven, as translated by Automaton, Hyung-Tae Kim, CEO of Shift Up, talks about the timeline for the first installment. Essentially, investors and publishers believed the project was too b
  
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• New "Overwhelmingly Positive" Steam hit and dressmaking sim overtakes Diablo 4 on top sellers chart

  22-09-2026 18:29 via gamesradar.com
  
  Of all the surprise new games to top Steam's charts this year so far, Dressmaker might just be one of the most mind-boggling – but I'm so here for it.If you haven't spotted it on your storefront home just yet, Dressmaker is a cozy new indie sim that does exactly what it sounds like it does: places you in the shoes of a dressmaker running a busy little boutique.
  As developer Cozy Lives describes it on the wholesome game's official Steam page, you get to "choose fabric, cut out patterns, and
  
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• Activision lost a bidding war to acquire Rare over 20 years ago, and now it's overseeing the studio

  22-09-2026 18:25 via gamesradar.com
  
  Xbox's new reshuffle has seen Rare moved under Activision, 24 years after Xbox outbid the publisher for the studio.Rare has mostly been seen as one of the biggest drop offs in games. While the studio's Sea of Thieves is seemingly super successful, it was one of the powerhouse developers of the 1990s only to flounder throughout the 2000s and 2010s; the big shift being when Rare was purchased by Microsoft. While the studio did release some great games during this era like the Viva Pinata duology a
  
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• Hero x Hero codes (September 2026) and how to redeem them for free Chips, cosmetics, and more

  22-09-2026 18:02 via gamesradar.com
  
  Hero x Hero codes will provide you with a helping hand if you're trying out this VR experience in Early Access, as it can be tough stepping into the virtual shoes of a Super Hero. As you smash your way across the city fighting demon mobs and huge bosses, you'll unlock fresh abilities as you become more powerful and gather unique Hero Souls so you can transform into different characters. To get the lowdown on this, here are the current Hero x Hero VR gift codes and how to redeem them.All Hero x H
  
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• Rayman Legends Retold Feels Like A Remake That Didn’t Need To Happen

  22-09-2026 18:00 via gamespot.com
  
  I've felt off about Rayman Legends Retold since its announcement. It's a remake of Rayman Legends, the best game in the platforming series, but the original game still holds up surprisingly well 13 years later. I can't help but compare Retold to Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced--another remake of a 13-year-old Ubisoft title--in that neither feel necessary. And having now played Retold for just under three hours, that feeling isn't going away. Retold feels like an excellent framework for what
  
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• Rayman Legends Retold – 10 Minutes of New Gameplay

  22-09-2026 18:00 via gamespot.com
  
  Check out new gameplay from Ubisoft's Rayman Legends Retold remake featuring levels from The Land of the Livid Dead realm.
  
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• What is the pharmacy locker code in Silent Hill Townfall?

  22-09-2026 17:59 via gamesradar.com
  
  The Silent Hill pharmacy locker code is your first real puzzle, requiring you decode a strange video you can pick up inside the building to then work out the combination. While you'll previously have needed to find the house on your TV in Townfall thanks to some location images, this new footage shows some initially confusing things that don't make a huge amount of sense at a first glance. Don't worry though, because everything you need is right there once you know where to look. How to get the
  
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• Helldivers 2 disables the DSS buff that's been a team-killing monster for months

  22-09-2026 17:57 via gamesradar.com
  
  Sacrifices must be made in the name of democracy – but occasionally even Super Earth must admit to carelessness. A DSS buff in Helldivers 2 that was causing more friendly fire than it's worth has been turned off for the time-being, allowing developer Arrowhead Game Studios to give it a good old rework.The announcement was made on social media, in typical fashion. "Attention, Helldivers," starts the post. "High Command has made the decision to deactivate the DSS Eagle Storm due to an unquan
  
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• A Star Wars fan might have figured out a way the Emperor's return in The Rise of Skywalker makes total sense

  22-09-2026 17:53 via gamesradar.com
  
  One Star Wars fan might have figured out a way the Emperor's return in The Rise of Skywalker actually makes total sense with Return of the Jedi – though, not everyone seems convinced. "Do you think Palpatine was on the Death Star ready to 'die' since he was sure he could be brought back on Exegol? He wanted Luke to kill him and turn to the dark side?" they question on Reddit. Do you think Palaptine was on the Death Star ready to "die" since he was sure he could be brought back on Exegol? H
  
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• Acer's CEO says it's "impossible" for the memory shortage to last until 2030

  22-09-2026 17:49 via gamesradar.com
  
  Acer's CEO Jason Chen has shared his perspective on the ongoing memory crisis, and it'll probably fly in the face of everything you've heard about it so far. Despite all the projections and publicly known manufacturing contracts between the biggest RAM producers and AI companies, Acer's chairman believes things are looking up. "It's impossible for the shortage to last until 2030!" he told Economic Daily. Granted, this is translated from his native Chinese, so a less bombastic version of what he
  
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• Obsidian’s New Fallout Game Is Still Coming, As The Studio Moves Under Bethesda’s Umbrella

  22-09-2026 17:45 via gamespot.com
  
  As Xbox continues its reset and lays off nearly 300 staff, the company announced that some of its subsidiaries have been shaken up as well. This includes Obsidian Entertainment, which will now operate under Bethesda Softworks.On September 22, Xbox chief content officer and executive vice president Matt Booty posted on Xbox's website, outlining a new structure that sees the Bethesda business unit now include Obsidian."Bethesda will expand its remit to include Obsidian, which will continue its cur
  
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