>Was it the games? The hardware? The marketing? Tell us!

>We're fast approaching the 25th anniversary of Xbox (look out for it November 2026!), and over the past couple of decades, the brand has racked up millions of fans who have spent thousands on consoles, games and more.

>It might be a fairly short history all things considered, but so much has happened in that time. Each of the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S eras have come with their own ups and downs, from major successes like the release of Halo and the glory days of the Xbox 360 library, to the Red Ring of Death and the botched Xbox One launch.

>Black Myth: WuKong is a third-person action RPG developed by Game Science. Take a look at the latest trailer revealed at the WeGame Event showing off some new visuals, cutscenes, and gameplay from the upcoming Chinese mythology-rooted epic developed entirely in Unreal Engine 5. Black Myth: WuKong is launching on August 20 for PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series S|X, and PC.

>A Tango Gameworks developer has reacted to an Xbox executive reportedly asking for more "smaller games that give us prestige and awards" with a picture of Hi-Fi Rush's awards.

>In the wake of Microsoft shutting down four Bethesda-owned studios earlier this week, including the Tokyo-based Tango Gameworks, one Xbox executive reportedly asked for "smaller games that give us prestige and awards" in an internal meeting. Hi-Fi Rush's director reacted to the news with something akin to a massive eyeroll, and now another Tango Gameworks developer has responded.

>Posting on his personal Twitter account, former Tango Gameworks project manager Kazuaki Egashira tweeted out images of the awards Hi-Fi Rush had won over the past year from around the gaming industry, with the caption "not enough?" Egashira's message is a direct response to the Xbox executive requesting more award-winning games...

>Showcase season is upon us.

>Gaming event guru Geoff Keighley has revealed a bunch of 'partners' for the upcoming Summer Game Fest - a collection of livestreams that take place throughout June. Xbox has been confirmed as one of "more than 55 partners", with Microsoft's own Xbox Games Showcase also included in the Summer Game Fest Calendar.

>As we already know, Microsoft's show (likely featuring Call of Duty) takes place on June 9th, but SGF actually kicks off with its own livestream on June 7th. We're not sure if Xbox will show up during this particular stream, but each year it tends to bring together a bunch of different gaming companies (similar to The Game Awards), so there's every chance Microsoft appears with some sort of reveal during the show.

>With the reports circulating that Microsoft is set to put Call of Duty Black Ops 6 onto Xbox Game Pass at launch, the company appears to ready to make changes to the services tiers as well. According to multiple insiders, Xbox Game Pass is set to receive changes to its tiers due to the addition of Call of Duty.

>“We can assure you that changes are coming to the Xbox Game Pass Tiers mainly due to Call Of Duty,” Insider eXtas1stv posted on Twitter. “There are still things to confirm, but I hope to report back soon.”

>This was then followed up by Shinobi602 on Reset Era saying, “There will be changes, yes”.

>Whether that means price changes or simply adding another premium tier remains to be seen. But it seems clear that more changes are in store for Xbox Game Pass. Currently, the service has three total plans. There’s Xbox Game Pass Core for console that replaced Xbox Live Gold for $9.99/month, Game Pass PC for $9.99/month, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate that covers both console and PC for $16.99/month.

>Insider Gaming has reached out to Microsoft for comment on these reports. Should a response be received, this story will be updated accordingly.

>Worth keeping in mind for Xbox users!

>It's not unfair to say that Microsoft Rewards has suffered for Xbox users over the past year, but clearly the company is still committed to the program, with multiple new features rolling out for Xbox fans and beyond over the past few days.

>These new features aren't specific to Xbox, but they'll still come in handy. The most notable one is the ability to protect your daily streak on the Microsoft Rewards browser version/app - perfect for things like vacations, for example.

>It looks like it's good news for the Redfall achievements after all! Arkane Austin has confirmed that a final update for the Xbox first-person shooter will add an offline mode to Redfall and other improvements.

>Earlier this month, Microsoft announced it was closing multiple Bethesda studios, including Redfall developer Arkane Austin. In a letter to employees, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty said that "Redfall's previous update will be its last" as all development on the game had ended.

>It was rumored that Arkane Austin was working on a final update before the shock announcement, which would have added an offline mode to the first-person shooter, potentially future-proofing its achievements. Well, as it turns out, Redfall's previous update was not its last, as the developer has now confirmed on Twitter that a final update, which will add an offline mode, is coming soon.

>"Thank you for all your supportive messages, a post from the Redfall Twitter account reads. "We are working to release our final update, Game Update 4, that brings revamped Neighborhood and Nest systems, Single Player Pausing, Offline Mode, and more. We'll provide additional details soon. Thank you all."

>An offline mode is great news for Redfall and video game preservation as a whole, as the shooter will still be playable (and most of its achievements should still be unlockable) if Microsoft ever decides to pull the plug on the shooter and shut down its servers.

>Tango Gameworks, which Microsoft has also shut down, recently released a final update for Hi-Fi Rush, which included some minor fixes.

>Modern games get patched all the time, and there are few things more low-key annoying than sitting down to dig into a meaty RPG or hop into a quick deathmatch only to see you’ve got to download an 8GB update. You start scrolling TikTok or dropping memes in the group chat and by the time you realize the game’s finally ready, the night’s over and you’ve got to get to bed so you don’t feel like hell in the morning. It happens all the time with Baldur’s Gate 3.

>This should soon be a thing of the past on Xbox Series X/S, at least for some games. Microsoft recently confirmed an “Update Pre-Download” feature is being tested on the Insider program to install updates ahead of time so they don’t interfere with when you’re actually trying to play. “Games that enable support for update pre-download will allow updates to be downloaded days before they are scheduled to release, so you can jump in and start playing right when the update goes live!” the company wrote in the latest release notes.

>Multiplayer pirate sim Sea of Thieves will be the first game to support this feature, though it will presumably work on many other games as well by the time it’s rolled out for everyone. PlayStation 5 already has something like this so many third-party publishers already support a version of it. And since Microsoft has bought up many of the biggest games, I expect things like Call of Duty, Diablo 4, and Overwatch 2 to utilize it as well.

>Ubisoft has cancelled its upcoming free-to-play shooter The Division Heartland, as it moves to refocus its resources on "bigger opportunities".

>The Division Heartland was announced for PC and consoles back in May 2021, when it was original set to launch within a vague "2021-22" release window. Since then, it's resurfaced intermittently, and an open beta last summer - followed by a Taiwanese ratings board sighting - seemed to suggest a launch was finally drawing near.

>However, three years after Heartland's unveiling, Ubisoft has now officially called time on the still-unreleased project. "After careful consideration, we have made the tough call to halt development on Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, effective immediately," the publisher wrote in a statement announcing the news (thanks IGN).

>"We have made the tough call to halt development".

>As part of a big earnings call over at mega game maker Ubisoft, The Division: Heartland has officially been cancelled. In development for a number of years over at Red Storm Entertainment, Heartland was set to be a free-to-play, extraction-themed spinoff of Ubisoft's The Division series.

>Now though, the game has met the chopping block as the company decided to "redeploy resources to bigger opportunities". Here's a bit more about the team's decision to cancel The Division: Heartland:

>Activision has announced a new game development studio opened in Poland named Elsewhere Entertainment.

>Based in Warsaw with additional resources in the US, the studio is developing a "new narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise".

>It's the second Activision studio in the country after the Krakow-based Infinity Ward Poland and, while this is its public unveiling, it's already been working on its first project.

>A fresh report into the inner workings of Microsoft and the influence of its top boss Satya Nadella has shed new light on the pressure for Xbox to release more of its games on rival platforms in a bid to boost profits.

>Windows Central states that the plan to launch more Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, an operation dubbed "Latitude", has sparked "debate and unease" within the company at whether the move makes sense.

>Publicly, Xbox has suggested it is testing the waters with the four games launched so far - multiplatform titles that could benefit from more players, like Sea of Thieves and Grounded, as well as smaller titles that have already reached the majority of their likely audience on Xbox, like Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment.

For those still using an Xbox 360 console.

> Starting on July 29, 2024, Xbox will stop supporting the ability to purchase new games, DLC, and other entertainment content from the Xbox 360 Store on the console and the Xbox 360 Marketplace

> To celebrate the legacy of Xbox 360, we’re working with our amazing publishing partners to bring you as many price reductions from our online store or from the Xbox 360 Store on the console.

> It’s important to know that this change will not affect your ability to play Xbox 360 games or DLC you have already purchased — Xbox 360 game content previously purchased will still be available to play.

• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Available today)
• Chants of Sennaar (15 May)
• EA Sports NHL 24 (16 May)
• Immortals of Aveum (16 May)
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (21 May)
• Galacticare (23 May)
• Hauntii (23 May)
• Moving Out 2 (28 May)
• Humanity (30 May)
• Lords of the Fallen (30 May)
• Rolling Hills (4 June)

>Square Enix is "aggressively pursuing" a multiplatform strategy, including "Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs".

>The company's new medium-term business plan was shared today alongside its latest financial report, and follows news of both a review of its development system and the abandonment of £112m of in-development projects.

>The multiplatform strategy is part of a move to "diversify earnings opportunities" and aims to allow more customers to "enjoy our titles in regards to major franchises and AAA titles including catalogue titles".

>The wait for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has been extremely long for fans, but it sounds like the end of the line is finally in sight, and it might have been worth it.

>Just two months ago, Jeff Grubb said the developers were confident the game would be launched in 2024. Today, in a brief new episode of his Game Mess video series, Grubb reiterated that idea while also adding that everyone (presumably at BioWare) is really happy with how it turned out now that it's almost done.

>Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, this is one that I've mentioned before, is coming out this year. Will it be at the Summer Game Fest or around that time? Yeah, they've said that themselves over at EA. It still sounds like that game is coming out later this year, so where would they announce it other than Summer Game Fest? They could hold their own thing, but my expectation is they'll have - well, if they hold their own thing, I think it will be part of the Summer Game Fest orbit, so we should see that game at Summer Game Fest or around that time. And they should have all of the details for that thing because everyone seems really happy with that game; they're pretty pleased with how it turned out. The plan is to launch that this calendar year, so not EA's fiscal year, not before March 2025 or anything like that, this year. And I don't think you're going to have to wait too long after this thing gets announced to play it.

>The next iteration in the Dragon Age fantasy RPG franchise has had a complicated gestating phase, to say the least. Originally, creative director Mike Laidlaw spearheaded a project codenamed Joplin that was supposed to deliver a smaller, more narrative focused Dragon Age set in the region of Tevinter. However, the project was canceled as it lacked the live service elements that EA wanted; this was before the release of Anthem. Laidlaw left BioWare as a result.

>Another Dragon Age project got off the ground under Matthew Goldman with those live service elements, but in early 2021, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that EA had been convinced by the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order of the commercial viability of single player games. As such, those live service elements were scrapped, and Dragon Age went back to being single player only.

>In June 2022, BioWare finally confirmed Dragon Age: Dreadwolf as the game's final title, which made perfect sense from a narrative standpoint to anyone who played the previous game and its post-launch DLCs. In October 2022, the studio announced it had reached the Alpha milestone, with the game playable from beginning to end. BioWare previously only had a few months from Alpha to launch to polish its games, whereas, with a likely Fall release window (which might drop near the 10-year anniversary from the launch of Inquisition), it will have been two years dedicated to making it shine.

>We don't know much about the game except for a rumor that suggests direct control of party members (as usual for the franchise) might have been swapped for orders issued via a wheel, similar to Mass Effect. Regarding the available locales, BioWare revealed that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will allow players to explore much more of Thedas than in any previous entry, including Anderfels, Antiva, Rivain, and more.

>Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will once again be powered by the Frostbite engine. It will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X.

>Square Enix will be the latest publisher to undergo layoffs in the U.S. and Europe amid extensive restructuring, VGC reports.

>Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu reportedly confirmed that layoffs will take place in the U.S. and Europe during an internal town hall on Monday. IGN can confirm that the town hall took place and that workers within Square Enix are bracing for layoffs as a result. According to VGC, many of Square Enix's internal Slack channels were locked following the meeting.

>According to the report, Square Enix's publishing arm, IT, and indie division are among the areas that will be most affected by the layoffs. The scale of the layoffs has not been confirmed.

>IGN has reached out to Square Enix asking for confirmation of the layoffs and an official statement.

>The reports of layoffs follow Square Enix's announcement of a significant reboot in the wake of a financial year that saw its profits drop by 15.8 percent. Square Enix finances has been under increased scrutiny of late due to reports of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Final Fantasy XVI failing to meet internal expectations.

>Square Enix is plotting a three-year plan it hopes will spur long-term growth, including a shift to multiplatform development. Square Enix recently absorbed a $140 million "content abandonment" loss due to canceling multiple unannounced projects, and has reportedly elevated a new group of creators, according to a Bloomberg report.

>Elsewhere, the games industry has continued to be rocked by layoffs and other cutbacks. Last week, Xbox shuttered Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, and publishers including PlayStation, EA, and Take-Two Interactive have suffered layoffs of their own.

>Here's a fresh look at The Casting of Frank Stone in this gameplay trailer for the upcoming cinematic horror game from developer Supermassive Games. The Casting of Frank Stone is set in the world of Dead by Daylight.

>The shadow of Frank Stone looms over Cedar Hills, a town forever altered by his violent past. As a group of young friends are about to discover, Stone’s blood-soaked legacy cuts deep, leaving scars across families, generations, and the very fabric of reality itself.

>In the depths of an Oregon steel mill, the gruesome crimes of a sadistic killer spawn horrors beyond comprehension. Delve into the mystery of Cedar Hills alongside an original cast of characters bound together on a twisted journey where nothing is quite as it seems.

>The Casting of Frank Stone will be available on PS5 (PlayStation 5), Xbox Series X/S, and on Windows PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store in 2024.

>EA CEO Andrew Wilson has revealed plans to "harness the power" of its game communities and use advertising as a "meaningful driver of growth" for the company.

>In EA's latest financial report, Wilson fielded comments from investors, advising that whilst the megacorp needs to be "very thoughtful about advertising", given "many, many billions of hours" are spent on its games, "advertising has an opportunity to be a meaningful driver of growth for [EA]".

>"To answer your question on advertising broadly, again, I think it's still early on that front," Wilson said. "And we have looked over the course of our history to be very thoughtful about advertising in the context of our play experiences.

>Xbox president Sarah Bond has responded to the recent studio cuts at Bethesda, describing the decision as "our commitment to make sure that the business is healthy for the long term".

>Bond was interviewed at the Bloomberg Tech Summit yesterday, following the news earlier this week Microsoft has closed a number of Bethesda studios: Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games.

>However, the interview has since gone viral due to Bond's seemingly weak answers that provide little insight into the decision.

>Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is taking a lot of heat online for recent decisions to close beloved studios like Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. Last night the long-time gaming exec was apparently exploring the wasteland in Fallout 76 when another player nuked his entire campsite.

>"I’m sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda teams".

>We're all somewhat in shock by today's news surrounding the closure of four Bethesda development studios, including the teams behind the likes of Hi-Fi RUSH and Redfall. While it's hard to wrap your head around why Xbox would go out and buy these studios only to shut them down a few years later, Xbox's internal email on the matter does give us some insight as to why Microsoft has made this move.

>As per IGN, Xbox's Matt Booty addressed employees about the closures today. Booty said "the changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles" and that it wants to invest in "Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds" - hinting that basically; Microsoft wants to focus on bigger releases and stronger IP over at Bethesda. Here's a bit more of that statement:

>Having been a player in the video game industry for over two decades, Microsoft’s Xbox console has always been the underdog, leaving fans eagerly anticipating upgrades. Now, a local news source from Slovenia has revealed insider information suggesting that Xbox is gearing up for a significant expansion into the European and Balkan markets within the next three months.

>Hopsi, the Slovenian news outlet, suggests that Microsoft is anticipated to start formal Xbox Series X|S support in Slovenia, marking a historic moment for the region. Since the release of the original Xbox back in 2001, Microsoft has largely overlooked Slovenia and the wider Balkans region, but this new move promises a shift in that trend.

>According to Hopsi’s sources, the initial plan was to introduce Xbox to the European region at the beginning of 2024. However, due to a few unforeseen complications, the launch was pushed back to the second quarter of 2024. Now, it’s anticipated that the Xbox Series S|X will officially hit the European market within the next three months, possibly making their way to stores as early as September.

>Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Cloud Gaming for owned games, Xbox Cloud Gaming for all xbox games, Players Will Get Xbox Cloud Gaming For Owned Games In 2024 Confirms Spencer, xbox handheld Well, if the rumors turn out to be true, the most significant change would likely be the availability of Xbox consoles in larger retail outlets. This means that you could simply walk into a store like Mimovrste, find the console on the shelves, and make a purchase, just like in other markets where Xbox is officially supported. Additionally, when setting up an Xbox Live account, users would be able to select Slovenia as their country and easily subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer access with a simple click.

>Moreover, the formal release of Xbox in the Slovenia region would also indicate a more comprehensive Microsoft effort to finally aim at Europe, which has long been devoted to PlayStation.

>Talking about the credibility of the rumor, hopsi has previously been correct about Microsoft testing and releasing its Game Pass program in Slovenia. However, it is still better to take the rumors with a grain of salt. But, if there’s any truth to these reports, we might hear an official announcement during Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase on June 9.

>For constant updates, keep following Gamevro.

>As the season of summer showcases creeps ever closer, THQ Nordic has announced its annual digital event will be returning this August with a look at its upcoming games, including the Gothic 1 remake and Titan Quest 2.

>Specifically, the THQ Nordic Showcase 2024, as it's imaginatively being called, airs from 8pm BST on Friday, 2nd August - or 9pm CEST/12pm PDT/3pm EDT if you live elsewhere - and will be streamed via YouTube, Twitch, and Steam.

>As for what we can expect to see, THQ Nordic is being relatively coy, only confirming appearances from its Gothic 1 Remake (which was confirmed to be in development all the way back in February 2020), alongside Titan Quest 2, and "much more".

>Larian Studios has warned of a further - if hopefully short - delay for the Xbox Series X/S and North American PlayStation 5 versions of its fancy Baldur's Gate 3 physical Deluxe Edition, caused by unspecified "production issues".

>Baldur's Gate 3's Deluxe Edition was unveiled last December promising an assortment of appealing tat, including a double-sided map, cloth patches, a mind flayer poster, stickers, a soundtrack, a digital art book, and a variety of in-game items - all crammed into a big old box.

>The PC Deluxe Edition began its journey to purchasers in March, and Larian initially expressed hope it would be able to get the PS5 version out the door at the same time. However, after running into a number of "production issues", it announced shipping for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation would begin between April and May.

>"Make sure you sign up".

>It's been almost four years since the Skate reboot was first announced back at EA Play Live in 2020, and since then the game has been getting periodic development updates - alongside playtest sessions for lucky participants on PC.

>Speaking of playtests, it sounds like Skate 4 (or just "Skate" if you want to call it that!) will be heading to Xbox in playtest form in 2024. EA confirmed today that console playtesting is "coming later this year", and signups are now available:

>XDefiant is finally coming out!

>Well, we finally have a full launch date for Ubisoft's XDefiant! The Xbox Series X|S shooter, which has gone through multiple rounds of testing over the last year or so, is finally launching on May 21st, 2024.

>Originally expected to release in 2023, the free-to-play FPS just went through a huge server test on Xbox this past month - with the game re-appearing from something of a hiatus. Anyway, the full version is now right around the corner, with Ubisoft dropping a fresh teaser clip for the upcoming launch down below.

>Starfield’s next big patch, 1.11.33, is now out for PC players on Steam via the game’s beta branch. This new update, which will go live later for everyone, adds performance options to Xbox, improved maps while walking around planets, new difficulty options, and a huge list of bug fixes.

Coming May 30, 2024

Game was released on PS previously, and have gotten good reviews, from what I can see.

>Deliver Us Mars developer KeokeN Interactive has laid off its team due to a lack of publishing options for its forthcoming projects, but vows to rebuild in future to continue the legacy of its games.

>The news was revealed in a lengthy statement on social media site X from CEO Koen Deetman and managing director Paul Deetman.

>"Heartbroken, we've had to lay off our team at KeokeN because of nothing substantial materialising directly after our visit to GDC," the statement reads. "We've unfortunately exhausted all our possible options for publishing, work for hire, and co-development."

>Square Enix has abandoned a number of in-development projects, resulting in a ¥22.1 bn (£112m) loss for the financial year.

>The news was shared today in a Notification of Recognition of Extraordinary Losses to shareholders detailing a decision made back in March, as the company reviews its consolidated forecasts for the fiscal year ended March 2024.

>These "content abandonment losses" are part of Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu's streamlining of the company's output of games, "with the intention of being more selective and focused in the allocation of development resources".

• PT: June 9, 10am
• ET: June 9, 1pm
• BST: June 9, 6pm
• CET: June 9, 7pm
• JST: June 9, 2am
• AEST: June 9, 3am

> This will also be our first Showcase featuring games from our portfolio of studios across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios, in addition to titles from our third-party partners.

Turn based Cyberpunk game.

Releasing Summer 2024

>A large update is also coming soon.

>Starfield got off to a strong start on Xbox breaking all sorts of records for Bethesda and now the development team is looking ahead to the future with the upcoming Shattered Space Story Expansion.

>During an appearance on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Todd Howard has mentioned how the expansion DLC is expected to launch in Fall 2024. Before this, players can look forward to some big updates coming soon.

>You could call this week's DF Direct an assemblage of patch tests as they arrived thick and fast for a range of titles, in varying degrees of scale. The addition of a 40fps 'favour quality' mode in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora strikes an excellent balance between resolution and visual features for Xbox Series X and PS5, while Lords of the Fallen's 1.5 update finally addressed the long-standing '0fps' problem we reported on back in the day. However, by far the highest profile addition is the 'next-gen' update for Fallout 4 - and it's swiftly unfolding into a bit of a saga.

>A few weeks back in DF Direct, we outlined some of the existing issues in the PC version that really needed addressing - the ability to scale the game above 60fps and fixing the weapons debris option that crashes literally any RTX graphics card. Neither of those problems are tackled and plenty more issues are coming to light, calling into question what the point is for PC users. Even the much-vaunted ultra-wide support has problems.

>In the world of consoles, there has been significantly more effort put into modernising Fallout 4 for today's hardware. Prior to last Thursday, the best you could get was the Xbox One X version running under back-compat for Series X, along with an FPS Boost 60fps variant that did indeed run at a higher frame-rate, but busted visual quality down to Xbox One S level. Not good. Meanwhile, a '720p60' mod that allowed for 4K60 on Series X appeared to have vanished. So, how do things fare with the new patch?