Even a product lead for Xbox Family and child safety MERAHTOTO has been laid off. Approximately 9,000 employees have been laid off today at Microsoft, including within the gaming division. Everwild, which was expected to launch with Game Pass for Xbox Series X/S and PC, was a new, original title from Rare. Few details about the game were available, though development had been troubled; in 2021, the project was “restarted from scratch.” The game was officially announced in 2019 with a brief trailer. In February, during an interview with XboxEra, Spencer cited Everwild as a game release he was looking forward to. “It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making,” Spencer said at the time.
Yes, Donkey Kong Bananza is developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team. Nintendo’s Switch 2 controversies continue to grow, with users now suggesting that the handheld has overheating issues, especially when docked. Two of the best-looking Xbox Wireless Controllers are among the cheapest they’ve ever been ahead of next week’s Prime Day deals.
Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a casual player, we have something for everyone. Last week, it was rumored that Microsoft was getting ready for a major round of layoffs within the Xbox team. Bloomberg is now reporting that employees in the company’s gaming division were informed of job cuts Wednesday morning. The PC giant has been on a cost-cutting mission lately, announcing it would let go of 3 percent of its global workforce earlier this summer, and announcing a further 9,000 job cuts on Wednesday. “I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before,” Spencer wrote.
You don’t have to wait for a sales window to grab a gaming bargain – the best free Steam games are all available to download and play without charge. Valve is launching the first version of a new tool for Steam to measure performance in games. The first, as the company plans further improvements to the feature. One of my favorite action games of all time, which is heavily inspired by the John Wick movies, is on sale now for less than $10 on Nintendo Switch. Having Druckmann focused on making killer video games is probably the right move for Sony. According to developers who worked on the project, via VGC, Everwild has been in development in some form for over 10 years, but struggled to nail down a clear direction, even after a recent reboot.
Microsoft Continues Xbox Layoffs, With Jobs Cut At King, Turn 10, Zenimax Media, And More — Read Phil Spencer’s Note To Staff
Sony is set to release a major update for the PlayStation 5 Pro in 2026, which is expected to significantly improve performance. EA’s leadership has reportedly set a target of 100 million players or more over a set period for the next mainline Battlefield. In its statement, while Techland didn’t confirm its cancelled projects, it did mention that none of its developers had been laid off.
Windows Central reports that Perfect Dark developer The Initiative will close as part of the reductions sweeping the company, and its revival of the 2000 first-person shooter game has been canceled. “We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” Microsoft spokesperson Jeff Jones told WIRED. The company says that although gaming is impacted, it does not make up the majority of layoffs, and these cuts will affect people in different regions, tenure, and teams. Following rumors of reductions that first began last week, Microsoft is set to lay off more than 9,000 employees worldwide Wednesday, including some in the Microsoft Gaming/Xbox division.
Steelseries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless Review – “a Budget-friendly, Cozy Gamer Dream”
Arrowhead Game Studios has announced that the Sony-published Helldivers 2 is officially coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S next month. I had a great time slashing my way through the mystery of the Soulless Army, but a few gameplay flaws prevent Raidou Remastered from cementing itself as an Atlus classic. Ridgeline Studios, the original team on the campaign, allegedly shut down with “nothing left” for other studios to build upon. Before The Edge of Fate arrives on July 15th, Bungie is letting all players run through previous content and reap the rewards. Developers from veteran support studio Virtuos have spoken about the successful, record-breaking launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Something has changed in terms of Red Dead Online – or at least that’s what players are hoping for after the first trailer for a new update in years.
According to Bloomberg, The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios is canceling a new MMORPG project due to the cuts. The outlet also reports layoffs of roughly 200 people at Candy Crush maker King and that layoffs are also taking place at Call of Duty developer Raven Software. Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. This is the fourth major round of layoffs at Microsoft Gaming in the last two years.
I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we’re seeing currently is based on tough decisions we’ve made previously.
We bring you up-to-date coverage on game releases, industry developments, and everything happening in the gaming world. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a hardcore enthusiast, our news section keeps you informed with breaking stories, insightful analysis, and expert commentary. Don’t miss out on what’s trending—get all the essential updates right here. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today’s notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days. An IGN report says Microsoft has begun a new round of mass layoffs across its gaming division, beginning with a 10% reduction—approximately 200 people—at social game developer King. Layoffs are also being announced at other European studios, according to the report, while US-based studios will be informed about job losses later today.
Fans of The Legend of Zelda are asking Nintendo to take inspiration from one particular aspect of Twilight Princess for a future game. A Pokemon GO player finally brings an end to a streak of bad luck that has lasted over seven years and 105,000 in-game captures. Discover the best agent lineup for Sunset in Valorant 2025 featuring Sova, Neon, Viper, Omen, and Cypher.
PlayStation’s tweet has given us the reminder that HDR exists on the PS5. Let’s talk about the firestorm that just exploded in the Marvel Rivals space. Going against every odd, team Sentinels has been given the title of number one team… It looks like Epic Games basically thrilled FNs players with the abysmally blurry thumbnail shot for a Festival “Deep End” emote in the item shop. The whole VALORANT community is abuzz with talks regarding the new map, Corrode, and the agents that dominate on these chaotic grounds.