When IO Interactive first unveiled 007 First Light’s gameplay, its experience with the Hitman titles was immediately apparent. Observing your environment for opportunities, using tools to distract or take down guards, employing stealth, the list goes on.

However, it quickly became apparent that James Bond would venture into other areas, including action-filled set-pieces, fast-paced driving and extensive CQC. “Forward momentum” is a mantra from the development team. In a new cover story interview with Game Informer, gameplay director Andreas Krogh discusses how it combines with all the systems to make you feel like Bond.

“Forward momentum is one of these things where we just wanted to…Bond is really a character that thinks on his feet a lot, and we want to bring that into all our mechanics, both stealth and combat.

“In combat, you see this in the way of us having a range of features that kind of closes the gap to enemies. So part of our close combat system is rushing an enemy, but also the ranged combat is like, okay, you might not have a million ammo for your guns, and that means you run low on ammo.

“You have to pick up new ammo. How do you get new ammo? You get it from the enemies that are in front of you. So move forward to them. Use some of your closing the gap abilities. Disarm enemies. You get a new gun. Shoot that dry, throw your gun to the next one. Then he’s staggered. It’s easier to run up and take his gun again, or take his ammo and carry on from there and shoot more.”

That same “velocity” is something that the team is also trying to implement into the stealth – a significant departure from Hitman, where you would usually observe and then mull over your choices. It’s less about “letting you be in a cover to think for a long time” and more letting you “cover to observe your options once you have that, then use one of them, basically and probably one of them will create a situation that you can use for something else and carry on from there.”

Even the environment itself plays a role in all this, especially with the enhanced destruction. “Basically, it’s also in the environment interactions, where if you explode something, maybe something crumbles that creates a new path for you. Like showing you new options all the time because doing something will kind of drive you towards that option, which we then try to always make you go forward, basically in any given encounter.”

Thus far, we’ve seen Bond rush towards an enemy, knocking them over the edge and using their body to break his fall, and destroy a walkway which can be used to venture forth. However, you can leverage the environment in more subtle ways, like luring enemies into a room and then locking them in by lasering the doorknob.

With 007 First Light out on May 27th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, it feels like we’re only scratching the surface of what players can accomplish as Bond. Stay tuned for more updates and check out the latest story trailer here.

Having spent decades at the company, working his way up the ranks to become CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer’s time has officially ended. Having announced his retirement, handing the reins over to Asha Sharma as Sarah Bond resigns from her role as Xbox president, one can’t help but wonder at the timing.

After all, this year is the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and it has four major titles coming up, so why now? According to Kinda Funny Games’ Greg Miller, who was recently “passed something,” Spencer’s retirement was allegedly not planned. “If you trust us, what I’m saying is this was not planned,” he added.

If true, what would motivate Spencer and Bond to bow out? It probably isn’t a coincidence that Sharma, former President of CoreAI at Microsoft, is his replacement, given the company’s growing investment in AI over the years. However, as noted by Tim Gettys, the farewell to Spencer could have been at something major like Summer Game Fest or even Halo’s anniversary.

It would have also made more sense if he announced that this would be his final year and then left before 2027 began. Instead, it’s this abrupt announcement that no one really saw coming.

If there’s any silver lining, it’s that the recent organizational changes at Microsoft won’t affect its game studios, according to Matt Booty, recently promoted to Chief Content Officer. And with games like Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day, Xbox could be looking at its best year to date. Ironic then, that it’s going to be without the man who brought them to the dance.

Ever wondered what happened earlier this month when the Helldivers mounted an offensive against Cyberstan? The massive Helldivers 2 event saw players assaulting massive Automaton cities and even going up against Cyborgs for the first time. However, it carried a unique condition – if players hadn’t secured victory before depleting a set number of reserves, the mission would be a failure.

Well, the results are in and surprisingly, the Helldivers failed, even with new toys like an explosive hammer and the Bastion Tank. “The underhanded, subhuman treachery of the Cyborgs returned to once again steal peace from Super Earth’s citizens. The threat of a socialist planet-killer remains active. This is a grotesque travesty of Justice,” reads the official, in-universe tweet about what went down. While exposing the Cyborgs is deemed beneficial, Super Earth is currently in a “strategic contraction phase.”

“We must retract and regroup to prepare for the inevitable, unjust counter-offensive from the surviving socialist menace,” it reads. Which is probably a nice way of saying that the Automatons could attack Super Earth or any supporting location when players least expect it.

Regardless, this is an interesting twist in the ongoing Galactic War. Far be it from the Helldivers to suffer massive defeats under near-impossible odds, but this still felt imminently achievable. Whatever happens next, we’re keen to see how the story develops further, especially since the Battle for Cyberstan marked Arrowhead delivering new meta gameplay on a far more ambitious scale than anything before.

Available for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Helldivers 2 reportedly passed 20 million lifetime sales last month, which is pretty good news for PlayStation’s live-service initiative (numerous failures notwithstanding). Stay tuned for more updates on what’s next in the coming weeks.

OPERATION VALID PRETEXT CONCLUDED
The peacekeeping Operation on Cyberstan has concluded.

The liberation of Cyberstan has failed. The underhanded, subhuman treachery of the Cyborgs returned to once again steal peace from Super Earth's citizens. The threat of a socialist… pic.twitter.com/4qrqAsC8Nw

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) February 21, 2026

As shocking as it is sudden, Phil Spencer has announced his retirement from Microsoft. Serving as Microsoft Gaming CEO, he worked at the company for 38 years – a journey that began with an internship.

In a new tweet, Spencer said, “It’s rare in life to know when a chapter is closing, but after 38 years at Microsoft, that moment has arrived for me. I’ve made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. It’s a milestone that’s given me a chance to reflect on the incredible journey I’ve been fortunate enough to share with so many of you.”

Spencer expressed excitement at Asha Sharma, former President of CoreAI at Microsoft, taking over his role. “She’s joining an incredible group of people; teams full of talent, heart, and a deep commitment to the players they serve. Watching her lean in with curiosity and a real desire to strengthen the foundation we’ve built gives me confidence that our Xbox communities will be well supported in the years ahead.

“Thinking back to my start as an intern in 1988, I never could have imagined the path ahead. I’ve been lucky to work with so many passionate creators, partners, colleagues, and players across the industry; people who challenged me, taught me, and made this work full of joy and wonder.

“Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this chapter. This community has meant more to me than I can say. From here, I’ll keep doing what’s always mattered so much to me: cheering on the teams pushing this industry forward and playing alongside this incredible community. I’ll see you online.”

While Spencer has been at the company for decades, he rose to prominence as head of Xbox Game Studios in 2014. He would lead Xbox’s strategy, which involved regaining much of the goodwill lost after the botched reveal of the Xbox One by Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick.

He would also be known for spearheading studio acquisitions, including Obsidian Entertainment, inXile, Playground Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, and more, eventually moving on to publishers such as Bethesda and Activision. There’s also Game Pass and the release of first-party titles on other platforms, with Avowed on PS5 being the most recent. He also pushed for backwards compatibility of OG Xbox and Xbox 360 titles, to say nothing of Xbox Cloud Gaming as we know it.

Of course, Spencer has earned his fair share of criticism, especially following studio closures, numerous layoffs, horrible game releases (like Redfall), rising prices for Game Pass, declining hardware revenue, and more. Nevertheless, it’s been an impressive legacy, and we’re keen to see where Xbox goes from here.

It’s rare in life to know when a chapter is closing, but after 38 years at Microsoft, that moment has arrived for me. I’ve made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. It’s a milestone that’s given me a chance to reflect on the incredible journey I’ve been…

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 20, 2026

Among other big releases like Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon, Pokémon Pokopia, and Slay the Spire 2, it’s easy for some games to get lost in the crowd. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is keeping its head above water, though, and Capcom has released not only a new trailer but a developer walkthrough to hype players up.

The former showcases even more new monsters, including Ibushi and Narwa (Monster Hunter Rise), Malzeno (Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak), and Ajaraka (Monster Hunter Wilds). However, arguably the most interesting tease is Lao-Shan Lung, who’s alive but crystalized. Surely the massive first-generation Elder Dragon wouldn’t suddenly come back to life and wreak havoc, right?

As for the walkthrough, it sees lead game designer Daisuke Wakahara outlining everything you need to know about the role-playing game, from the story and setting to the combat mechanics. While the traditional rock-paper-scissors approach returns, you also have the Wyvernsoul Gauge. Depleting it will stagger a monster, and once all stocks are gone, players can unleash a Syncho Rush for massive damage.

There’s plenty more to learn about, including Habitat Restoration, so it’s well worth the watch. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection launches on March 13th, with a free trial available for Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series X/S now.

The closure of Bluepoint Games by Sony came as a shock to many in the industry, and understandably so. However, aside from the publisher reportedly seeking to accommodate the roughly 70 former employees into new roles in PlayStation Studios, other developers have begun reaching out. That includes CI Games, the publisher for Lords of the Fallen.

On Twitter, founder and CEO Marek Tyminski said, “The Demon’s Souls remake was an incredible achievement, and we’d be honoured to speak with the talented people behind it about opportunities on Lords of the Fallen 2 and beyond. We have multiple roles available, including some not yet listed on our website.

“If this speaks to you or someone you know, please reach out today – we’d love to hear from you and explore how your skills could help shape our next chapter.”

Besides serving as an incredible gesture for those affected, Tyminski’s statement is notable for the “and beyond” part. Granted, this could mean several things, from DLC to post-launch support. Following its release, Lords of the Fallen (2023) received dozens of updates that added new modes, features, difficulty options, and extensive revamps of the combat.

Bluepoint developers may also lend their expertise for optimization. All of its games have been a masterclass in the same, especially the Demon’s Souls remake, while delivering some of the best graphical fidelity out there. Given the performance problems that Lords of the Fallen launched with, it might help to get that talent on board to prevent the same issues with the sequel.

Lords of the Fallen 2 launches later this year for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. You can check out the latest details here, including improvements to the animations, world design and dual-wielding.

We'd like to invite any developers impacted at Bluepoint Games to contact us – careers@cigames.com.

The Demon’s Souls remake was an incredible achievement, and we’d be honoured to speak with the talented people behind it about opportunities on Lords of the Fallen II and beyond.… https://t.co/zJnf5spcfx

— Marek Tyminski (@tyminski_marek) February 20, 2026

We’ve seen all kinds of gameplay in Bungie’s Marathon, from a duo squad working together with a pair of Rooks in PvE to a montage of executions and class abilities. But what does a successful run on Tau Ceti IV look like? Bungie has enlightened us with a new 18-minute gameplay video, featuring the Destroyer, Thief and Assassin on the Perimeter map.

Some highlights include the Thief grappling onto a roof and taking down an enemy player with a shotgun, before executing another. We even get to see a 2v3 situation, which really showcases the stopping power of the BR33 Volley Rifle. After starting the extraction process, players essentially set up a post that they must stay close to, fighting off all comers.

Which is where the Thief’s drone comes in handy. It can survey the area and mark any targets while also stealing loot from enemies. When exfil is complete, you can spectate other players or proceed to the stats screen to see your Eliminations (with enemy Runners tracked separately), revives, and even inventory value.

The Progress screen also highlights your Runner Level and reputation gained among the six factions – standard extraction shooter fare. Interestingly, there are filter options available for auto-vaulting, transmuting and auto-selling gear after every run. There’s something that ARC Raiders should think about stealing.

Marathon is out next week, but you can go hands-on early with the upcoming Server Slam, which runs from February 26th to March 2nd on all platforms. Head here for more details on what to expect.

The future has come early for Microsoft with some major changes to Xbox leadership. Phil Spencer is retiring, to be replaced by Asha Sharma as Microsoft Gaming CEO. Meanwhile, Matt Booty is now Chief Content Officer. However, the most surprising development is that Sarah Bond resigned from the company.

Given her role as Xbox President, she was earmarked to succeed Spencer when the time was right. So what made her suddenly leave? In a new post on LinkedIn, Bond said she believed it was “the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally.”

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the past eight-plus years. PC and cloud gaming are growing faster than ever, our next console is well underway, and together we’ve helped lay the foundation for a more open gaming platform that spans devices and reaches players around the world.

“When we announced our intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2022, I committed to helping lead Xbox through what would be a critical period of change. Over the past four years, we’ve navigated that moment together and positioned the business for what comes next. We took on some of the biggest challenges this organization has ever faced and did it as one team.

“With that, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally. We’re living through a transformative technological era that will shape the next generation of our industry, and I’m energized by what’s ahead.”

Aside from talking about “fresh eyes and new leadership” for the company’s “next chapter,” Bond also regarded Sharma highly. “I’ve had the privilege of spending time with Asha over the last few weeks as we’ve planned for this transition, and I’ve seen firsthand her deep commitment to our players, developers, and brand. She brings deep technology and commerce experience, along with a strong track record of building and scaling platforms that the world uses. Xbox deserves this. I’m excited to see her lead this next chapter for our team.” It’s worth noting that she presently remains as a Special Advisor to ensure a “smooth transition and set the organization up for continued success.”

Bond went on to thank Spencer “for his mentorship and friendship over the years. He’s been a consistent champion of this business and the people who make it what it is, and I’ve learned a great deal from the way he leads through both opportunity and challenge. I’m grateful for his trust and support throughout my time on the team.” Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, also received a nod for “his sponsorship and support throughout my time.”

She reflected on her legacy, boiling it down to “three simple questions I’ve tried to use to guide my days: Did I bring my best? Did I help someone else succeed? Did I do my best work? I hope the answer has been yes for many of you. It’s been a privilege to work alongside this team.”

Joining Microsoft in 2017, Bond began as a corporate VP at Xbox, in charge of gaming business development and partnerships. She would then work on the game creator experience and ecosystem before being promoted in 2023 to president of Xbox. Previous experience includes McKinsey and Company and T-Mobile, and she’s also currently part of the Entertainment Software Association’s board.

Despite the massive shift in leadership, Booty assured that there wouldn’t be changes to the organizational structure of Xbox’s studios. As for what’s next for Bond, time will tell, so stay tuned.

How many years have we heard about the so-called future of Far Cry? Ubisoft has never revealed what’s to come, but following its massive internal reset, CEO Yves Guillemot finally confirmed that two new projects are in the works.

“On ‘Far Cry,’ anticipation is high, and we currently have two very promising projects in development,” he told Variety. So not much to go on, but with rumors about the extraction shooter project, reportedly codenamed Project Maverick, being in trouble, it seems to have survived the recent cancellation spree.

Of course, Far Cry is only one of the franchises that fall under Vantage Studios. Assassin’s Creed is another, with Guillemot assuring that “several titles are in development, spanning both single-player and multiplayer experiences, with the ambition to further grow a community that exceeded 30 million players last year.”

Thus far, we know that Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe is in development for an alleged 2027 release. The long-rumored remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag could be revealed sometime in April despite allegedly being delayed to next year. Then there’s the ever-mysterious Invictus, which has yet to receive any details since its announcement (and apparently isn’t inspiring much enthusiasm among some of the development team).

Otherwise, it seems that the brand, which was overperforming per Ubisoft’s fiscal report, hasn’t escaped the cancellation curse. A co-op project called League, allegedly meant for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, was reportedly cancelled. After that, reports emerged of a mobile title known as Assassin’s Creed Singularity that had been cancelled after a “couple of years” of work.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues to receive updates, the latest adding a manual jump feature and detailed stats sheets. But while Claws of Awaji is coming to Switch 2 on March 10th, you shouldn’t expect another expansion this year on the same scale.

Following the shocking retirement of Phil Spencer and Asha Sharma becoming the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Chief Content Officer Matt Booty revealed his own thoughts on all the changes. Alongside excitement at working with Sharma and “good reasons to believe in what’s ahead,” he would focus on “supporting the teams and leaders we have in place and creating the conditions for them to do their best work.”

Of course, major changes tend to precede lay-offs (just ask Ubisoft). However, Booty clarified that, “there are no organizational changes underway for our studios.” Then again, as always, things could change down the line.

Last Summer, Xbox Game Studios canceled three major projects – Perfect Dark, Everwild and Blackbird (a new IP from ZeniMax). It also closed The Initiative and laid off employees across almost all studios. Turn 10 Studios, for example, was essentially reduced to a support studio, wrapping up development on Forza Motorsport. It’s currently working on the PS5 port of Forza Horizon 6.

There’s no denying that the 2026 line-up is looking very strong, though. Beyond Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, launching in May and Fall respectively, there’s Gears of War: E-Day (allegedly set for the second half of the year) and Halo: Campaign Evolved (reportedly launching before September). Grounded 2 has also proven a strong success in early access, though Obsidian’s Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 failed to meet sales expectations.

Still, there’s a lot to come, and that’s not even getting into the next Xbox, which is reportedly targeting 2027 (assuming the RAM shortages don’t prove too disruptive). Stay tuned for more details, and check out the rumors about Microsoft’s vision for the next generation of consoles.

New year, new me, but the same controversies around AI-generated content, be it in advertising or video game development, continue. The latest, surprisingly, is Nintendo, which introduced the My Mario product range, described as “a collection of products, games, and experiences inspired by Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends, designed for young children and their parents.”

A cute enough sentiment to introduce younger folk to the Mario franchise before their dexterity allows them to experience the games. There’s just one problem: Many called out the tweet’s images for reportedly being AI-generated. These include one where a model’s fingers were seemingly too long, as noted by Yelowin on Twitter.

The plot further thickens with model Brittoni O’myah Sinclair denying that GenAI was used in the images. “As one of the models, I can promise you this is not AI, guys,” she said in the comments of a post (shared by Insider-Gaming’s Robert DeFelice on Twitter).

If that wasn’t enough, Nintendo straight up told DeFelice that it didn’t use any generative AI. And while this could be a case of mistaken observations, the debate over GenAI tools remains as relevant as ever. Last year, companies like Electronic Arts and Square Enix announced commitments to AI.

Even beloved developers like Larian announced the use of AI for developing concept art in Divinity (before eventually backtracking). That doesn’t mean it won’t explore possibilities for future development, though. Whether you believe Nintendo or not, at least it’s steering away from the same (for now).

Introducing My Mario, a collection of products, games, and experiences inspired by Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends, designed for young children and their parents. Select My Mario products will be available at Nintendo NEW YORK and Nintendo SAN FRANCISCO on Feb 19. pic.twitter.com/Dazl6sHLM9

— Nintendo NY | SAN FRANCISCO (@NintendoStoreUS) January 8, 2026

Everyone’s talking about the one thumb but this one’s also abnormally long and weird (fingers too) pic.twitter.com/HZtBKm1HJK

— Yelowin (@Yelowin1) January 10, 2026

Brittoni O'myah Sinclair, one of the models in Nintendo's My Mario campaign, denies using Gen AI in the promo material. pic.twitter.com/awyNxXwJLa

— Robert DeFelice (@dudefelice) January 10, 2026

Seeing Battlefield 6 go from over 700,000 peak concurrent players on Steam to barely scraping past 100,000 is certainly something, especially as ARC Raiders’ popularity increases. But it’s still far better than Call of Duty, which hit nearly 53,000 concurrent players in the past 24 hours on the platform.

Why is that a problem? The Call of Duty App doesn’t just include Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which launched last year to underwhelming reviews due to its campaign. It also tracks Black Ops 6, Warzone, the Modern Warfare series, and much more. Keep in mind that these player counts follow Holiday discounts and even a free week. The sad part is that this isn’t even the lowest in the past week, as it reached 39,015 peak concurrent players on January 8th.

Of course, none of this changes the fact that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 topped last November’s US sales charts (even if Battlefield 6 emerged as the top-selling premium game of 2026). Engagement with the app on consoles in the region was also as strong as ever, only lagging behind Fortnite and eking out ahead of Grand Theft Auto 5.

Nevertheless, Activision has pivoted significantly by announcing that it would no longer release back-to-back Modern Warfare and Black Ops titles. “We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.” Its developers have apparently been building the “next era of Call of Duty,” and judging by the current release cycle, it may be Modern Warfare 4.

In the meantime, check out our review for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 here. We gave it a five out of ten for the multiplayer (despite netcode and hit registration issues), and Zombies (despite the overtly safe gameplay loop). The campaign is an utter disaster, but at least Treyarch released an update to let you skip it and go straight to Endgame.

Following its silence last year, Kunos Simulazioni has announced that Assetto Corsa EVO’s Eifel Free Roam mode will arrive in 2026. To further showcase the progress made, it released a new teaser video, which is as curious as it is lovingly detailed. Check it out below.

The teaser sees the player finishing up on a track and hanging around to wait for more data before suddenly zooming out to reveal the massive complex. Cut to other notable areas in Nürburgring, including a castle on a hill, wind turbines amid a dense forest, and the gorgeously lit nighttime streets in the city. There are even NPCs roaming around, going about their business, and even some wildlife out in the fields.

Given the size of the studio and its resources, the scale is quite impressive. It ends with the player driving through the world at high speed, and suddenly, we’re worried about everyone else unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Whether you fancy a quick drive or something more relaxing, Kunos Simulazioni promises the “most accurate representation” of the region, where “every road is designed to make every kind of car feel perfectly at home.” Of course, there’s currently no concrete release window for the mode, so stay tuned for further announcements in the coming months.

Assetto Corsa EVO is available for PC via Steam Early Access. Despite a problematic launch, it picked up within the first month – check out our review for more details. Subsequent updates would add Open Mode, Career Mode and modding tools alongside new cars, tracks, and improvements to audio, drivetrain physics, and more.

If you forget about the New Game+ Showcase, then the Xbox Developer_Direct looks to be the first major “Direct” style presentation for the year, as is tradition. Microsoft has already confirmed the presence of Fable, Forza Horizon 6 and Beast of Reincarnation, but there are rumors of a “secret” fourth title. Which is par for the course, honestly – remember when Hi-Fi Rush exploded into the world?

Insider Shinobi602 initially reported this, noting that he was “not very excited” based on his personal tastes, without mentioning any further details. VGC’s Andy Robinson followed up by alleging that it would be a third-party title. However, the site has since posted a correction. “This is a smaller original game from a first-party studio, and not a third-party game.”

Let the speculation run wild, especially considering rumors of Obsidian Entertainment working on four new games. Perhaps a sequel to Pentiment is on the cards? Of course, there’s also Double Fine Productions, which released Keeper last year but could have another project, this one directed by Tim Schafer, to showcase.

Could we perhaps see something from Ninja Theory? Hellblade 3 doesn’t seem all that likely, especially given how long ago the studio’s next project was allegedly greenlit. However, there is Project: Mara, which the studio has been quietly working on in the background since 2020.

With the Developer_Direct set for January 22nd, the wait is excruciating. Interestingly, we may get some other bombshell announcements, including Fable allegedly launching day and date on PS5 alongside Xbox Series X/S and PC.

CORRECTION: VGC has since been told this is a smaller original game from a first-party studio, and not a third-party game, as first reported. Apologies for the mix-up. https://t.co/VO3Zt03ipE

— Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) January 9, 2026

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Gears of War: Reloaded – last year saw several once-exclusive Xbox titles making the jump to PS5. However, the undisputed most popular port is Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5. Initially launched in 2021, the open-world racer reportedly passed five million sales on Sony’s console last week, according to Alinea Analytics’ Rhys Elliott.

“That’s over $300 million in revenue from a port of a four-year-old game,” he said. “Xbox’s move to third-party is no mystery, especially given Microsoft’s lofty profitability mandates.”

Forza Horizon 6 is the first title in the franchise to be available on a rival console. There’s also the fact that Forza Horizon 5 has been consistently popular since its release (which had more than ten million players in the first week). Combined with the fact that Playground Games continues to offer new content and features, the PS5 version’s success makes sense.

It’s thus more than a little odd that Microsoft wouldn’t prioritize launching Forza Horizon 6 on the PS5 alongside other platforms. Instead, it’s arriving sometime after the Xbox Series X/S and PC versions, which allegedly launch in the first half of this year. Lest you think this is a tactic to push more players to pick up the Xbox version or even purchase Game Pass, the staggered release is apparently due to the PS5 version not being ready.

A source revealed this to VGC’s Andy Robinson, which he found to be a little far-fetched. Nevertheless, you can expect Forza Horizon 6 to be an even bigger success than its predecessor, especially since it finally sees the series venturing to Japan. You can learn more on January 22nd during the Xbox Developer_Direct ’26, which will also feature Fable, Beast of Reincarnation and an alleged fourth game that’s currently a “secret.”

Forza Horizon 5 crossed 5 million copies sold on PS5 this week (@alineaanalytics estimates)

That's over $300M in revenue from a port of a four-year old game.

Xbox's move to third-party is no mystery, especially given Microsoft's lofty profitability mandates.

— Rhys Elliott (@superhys) January 9, 2026

Between Automatons, Terminids, and the returning Illuminate – not to mention volcanic worlds and bug-infested catacombs – Helldivers 2 players have surmounted all kinds of challenges since launch. That could change very soon, as players on Reddit briefly spotted a new Illuminate structure in the latest Major Order’s news reel.

Why is this significant? Well, as Arrowhead Games Studio CEO Shams Jorjani noted in an impromptu Discord Q&A, the next major update will apparently see a “lot of Helldivers” dying. Death isn’t anything new for Super Earth’s elite forces, but this structure is all the more foreboding given how powerful the Illuminate have historically proven.

Of course, as has traditionally been the case, you can probably expect some new weapons to help even the odds. The last Premium Warbond added an assault rifle/grenade launcher combo and the Maxigun, fulfilling many a player’s long-standing Rambo fantasies. There’s also the Killzone Legendary Warbond, which has permanently returned and offers some fantastic weapons based on Guerrilla Games’ first-person shooter franchise.

You can likely expect an announcement in the coming weeks for the next update, so stay tuned. Maybe it will include the rogue-lite mode that Arrowhead had been prototyping, which “fundamentally” alters the game.

Helldivers 2 is available for PS5, PC, and most recently, Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review for the latter here.

MAJOR ORDER: The Star of Peace continues its march toward readiness, with its primary optical array now under construction.

This historic upgrade will convert the Democracy Space Station (DSS) into a macro-scale laser, capable of generating a high-yield beam optimized for mass… pic.twitter.com/uwgxmebhnl

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) January 8, 2026

This year’s Xbox Developer_Direct is on January 22nd, and Playground Games is bringing both of its big titles – Forza Horizon 6 and Fable. The former will receive its first-ever gameplay reveal while the latter gets a deep dive into its lovely fantasy world. Interestingly, while Forza Horizon 6 is PS5-bound at a later date, it seems that Fable could be a day-and-date multiplatform release.

This is according to VGC’s Andy Robinson, who shared on the site’s latest podcast, “Fable’s day and date. That’s what I’ve been told. Those are the sort of details where insiders misstep, right? Those are the sorts of details that can be changed a week before or a day before. The other stuff is kind of like a bit more set in stone. Yes, it’s coming to PlayStation 5.” Perhaps more intriguing is that the studio has reportedly been “targeting PS5 for a while.”

Why isn’t Forza Horizon 6 getting the same treatment, especially with how successful Forza Horizon 5 was on PS5? It’s also arguably the bigger brand, appealing to a larger spectrum of consumers. Robinson doesn’t know the “full story,” but heard that, allegedly, “It just wasn’t ready. I don’t know how true that is, because I mean, it’s going to be absolutely massive, but that game would be absolutely massive if it’s launching on everything day one, right? You’d kind of think that’s a bit of a hindrance for them.

“I mean, even Xbox stalwarts are starting to drift away from playing on the console now. It’ll have a humongous PC launch, but PS5, I mean, look at Indiana Jones: The Great Circle. It did so well when it came out on PS5 afterwards.” And yet here we are with Forza Horizon 6 arriving who-knows-when. That said, Robinson imagines that the team (which includes Turn 10 Studios) will “do their best to get that out as soon as they can.”

Fable is confirmed for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and hasn’t really had an extensive showing since its announcement in July 2020. Plenty of stories have circulated about development troubles, and though its delay from 2025 to 2026 didn’t inspire much confidence, Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan promised it would be “worth the wait.”

As for Forza Horizon 6, it’s finally taking the series to Japan while delivering Playground Games’ biggest map to date. You can expect seasons to play a major part in the gameplay, and there will be a “broad range” of cars, but the team is also looking at capturing the nation’s atmosphere in every possible way. The open-world racer is rumored to launch in the first half of 2026, which means a potential release date announcement during the Developer_Direct.

While the specter of GenAI in Divinity has been mitigated thanks to Larian’s recent Reddit AMA, there’s bad news for Nintendo Switch 2 players. Despite rumors in the past about a potential release, Baldur’s Gate 3 will not be coming to the platform.

According to Larian CEO Swen Vincke, “We would have loved to, but it wasn’t our decision to make.” No further explanation as to why, sadly.

However, insider NateTheHate shed further light on this on Twitter. “This is the unfortunate truth. While Larian would love to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to the Switch 2… their relationship with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast is not healthy.” While he heard that a port wasn’t happening “late last year,” he needed more sources to verify the same (and you can’t get a much more reliable source than the studio’s CEO).

Exactly why the relationship between the two companies isn’t healthy remains unknown, especially since Baldur’s Gate 3 ended up a huge success for Hasbro. It earned $90 million for the latter just a few months after leaving early access and eventually selling over 20 million units. Perhaps it has to do with Larian initially working on another Dungeons and Dragons project, but ultimately abandoning it because the team’s heart wasn’t in it.

As for Divinity, it doesn’t have a release date, but it could opt for the early access route like the studio’s previous titles. At this point, the role-playing game is confirmed to be Larian’s biggest game ever, with turn-based combat and co-op support. For those who never played the previous games, Vincke previously confirmed that you can still enjoy the story, though long-time fans will obviously gain more from it.

This is the unfortunate truth.

While Larian would love to bring Baldur's Gate 3 to the Switch 2… their relationship with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast is not healthy.

Late last year, I heard BG3 for SW2 was not happening; but needed more sources to verify. pic.twitter.com/MM5iDqjfrG

— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) January 9, 2026

Amid all the waiting for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 – which has two final names and internal announcement date – it is funny to stop and think how the development team handled a project of this magnitude. After all, it doesn’t just factor in the original Final Fantasy 7 story, but also those of its spin-offs, thus creating a “fresh feel,” according to director Naoki Hamaguchi.

Speaking to GamerBraves in a new interview, he said. “Even from members such as creative director (Tetsuya) Nomura and producer (Yoshinori) Kitase, they didn’t just want to make a remake. They wanted to make a story that could include the compilation of the spin-offs and the soul that they have birthed across the years into this new project, and bring a fresh feel to Final Fantasy 7.”

Obviously, it’s not a simple matter of simply shoving in their stories – context matters, especially when it comes to characters who didn’t exist in the original. After all, where would that leave fans who never played the spin-offs (and given the quality of offerings like Dirge of Cerberus, you can’t really blame them)?

Hamaguchi said, “As a compilation of all these new stories that came post the original Final Fantasy 7, one of the things we sort of grappled with is how much do we show, how much do we include [for] players who wouldn’t know these new characters from the spin-offs.

“When discussing the limits of what we could express within a single game, we had to take timelines into account. At the same time, with many Final Fantasy spin-offs and additions including popular characters not in the original, we considered how much we could include to give players of the remake a fresh sense of life and excitement.”

Of course, other elements bring a degree of freshness to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which have garnered mixed reactions (if you know, you know). But one thing is for sure: It’s been one hell of a ride, and fans are eager to see where it goes next.

So, when does Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, or whatever it ends up called, actually release? Your guess is as good as ours, but last October, Hamaguchi said the project was in a “really good state,” and that’s turning into something “really satisfying.” Last month, he commented that the “core game experience” is complete, and how it’s “finally starting to match the vision.” That includes “a new experience and a new scale,” with the Highwind airship forming a “key” part of the same.

Seasonal wipes are always a dicey proposition in an extraction shooter. On the one hand, it offers a level playing field for everyone; on the other, seeing all that hard-earned progress effectively whittled away can be demoralizing. For ARC Raiders, Embark Studios put the power in players’ hands, allowing them to voluntarily wipe their progress and begin from zero…with a few bonuses and rewards.

Known as Expeditions, the first began last month when Cold Snap dropped, and it saw a “little over a million players,” according to design director Virgil Watkins. However, the team doesn’t consider the current iteration perfect by any means.

“One of the bigger topics [of feedback] was the requirements for the final stage to get the skill points, and probably going out a bit too late with that information, because we wanted to hold off until we could calibrate it around the actual economy of the player base, rather than trying to guess really early on,” he told PCGamesN. “So then, when we chose the number, which was the five million credits for the full thing, [we set] that as an aspirational goal that some players might achieve. But then I think a lot of players took that as like, ‘Well, now I have to do that to get it.'”

Aside from the above-noted figure, Watkins says that “something close to about 35% or 40% of those players did get the full skill points,” which is also impressive. However, Embark wants to incentivize players to use their hard-earned weapons instead of simply scrounging for spare change when the Expedition deadline approaches.

“We completely acknowledge that it isn’t the most engaging thing to just go for money, [and it has] the potential outcome of disincentivizing using your gear, which is kind of what people look forward to towards the end of a reset cycle. So yeah, we’re looking at revisions on that.”

It also wants to offer “a little more variety” and “incentivize” players, especially for those who haven’t quite reached the requirements (either due to time or other reasons). That’s on top of looking at how those who undertook an Expedition are “reacting to the rewards they got.”

There’s still plenty of time until the next Expedition, so we may see some changes in the coming weeks. While Embark hasn’t outlined the next major update for ARC Raiders, it has discussed plans to better detect and combat cheaters, especially following an uptick in the same over the past few weeks. You can also expect balance adjustments for the Trigger Nade, Stitcher, Kettle, and more, so stay tuned for updates.