The games industry reacts to Xbox layoffs: ‘We are clearly at a turning point’

The latest mass layoff at Xbox will see roughly 3,200 people lose their jobs—1,600 today, and 1,600 more over the next fiscal year—and four game studios turned loose into the forest: Compulsion and Double Fine as independents, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs under new ownership. It’s bad no matter how you look at it, a…

Microsoft needs to “reset Xbox,” says Asha Sharma, as the company lays off 3,200 employees

Xbox is set to lay off a total of approximately 3,200 employees throughout 2027’s fiscal year – which ends on June 30, 2027. An estimated 1,600 roles will be made redundant today as the company looks to “reset Xbox.” In an email sent to the Xbox team that has since been shared on X, CEO…

Fun 2021 PS5, PS4 Game That Never Left Beta Is Shutting Down

A 2021 PS4 multiplayer action game (playable on PS5) is shutting down after a lengthy beta period that lasted almost the entire current console generation. Mega Zombie is a free-to-play shooter featuring a voxel art style. The game, which was also expanded to mobile devices, will no longer be playable after fall 2026. PS5, PS4…

Xbox Game Pass subscriber numbers have fallen massively short

Xbox is not doing well, and following the announcement that the company will cut 3,200 jobs in the coming months, many are wondering what went wrong. In her memo detailing the scope of the layoffs, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma revealed at least one factor: Game Pass “did not grow at the pace we expected,” she…

The State Of Xbox’s 25+ Game Studios And What They’re Up To In 2026

Back in 2020, we took a look at all of the various game studios Xbox owned and operated at the time. Since then, a lot has happened. In 2021, Xbox finalized its purchase of Bethesda and its subsidiary studios. It launched the Xbox Series X and S consoles. And then in 2023, it completed its…

Ride Storm codes (July 2026)

Unless you’re the type to pull a wheelie down a residential street – or anywhere, for that matter – we think you deserve these new Ride Storm codes. Typically good for a few thousand free cash to spend on just about anything from new wheels to entirely fresh rides, missing out on a code means…

Bethesda Will Reportedly Shift Focus Over To Its Biggest Franchises

Image: Bethesda Softworks Xbox has just confirmed some pretty dire news: it’s drastically restructuring its business which has sadly resulted in the loss of 1,600 employees, with a further 1,600 set to depart within the next 12 months. One particular area of the business that has been affected is Zenimax Media, which is responsible for…

French left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon declares ‘Players have rights too!’ over the death of physical discs

The latest double whammy that both Grand Theft Auto 6 and PlayStation will soon be ditching disks and going digital has angered fans and roused old discussions of what ownership of videogames and players rights will look like in a digital future. Spoiler alert: it’s not great, that’s if Hideo Kojima’s preminitions are anything to…

Check Out This Interesting Free PS5 Adventure Game on PS Store

The PS Store has dropped yet another fun, free PS5 adventure game that’s worth checking out. Developer Five-BN Studios seems to be bringing its entire catalog of games to PlayStation, and New York Mysteries 1: Secrets of the Mafia is its latest free drop. PS5 adventure game New York Mysteries 1: Secrets of the Mafia…

Xbox Parts Ways With Five Studios, Over 3,000 Layoffs Announced

Xbox has announced it is splitting from five of its development studios – Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Arkane Studios – while announcing plans to reduce headcount by over 3,000 employees over the next several months.  CEO Asha Sharma sent a lengthy message to the entire Xbox team detailing her…