Video games

Undead Labs has completed its separation from Xbox.

State of Decay 3 developer Undead Labs is now an independent employee-owned studio. It’s the third studio to successfully separate from Xbox, after Double Fine and Compulsion Games did the same recently. “Development of State of Decay 3 remains actively underway at Undead Labs,” says the team. The game is still planned to release in 2027 on Xbox (and Game Pass), PC, and PlayStation. Sadly, it looks like Ninja Theory won’t be the fourth Xbox studio avoiding closure, though. [Link: Undead Labs becomes Independent Studio | https://www.stateofdecay.com/undead-labs-becomes-independent-studio/ | State of Decay 3]

Xbox is barely Xbox anymore

More changes and layoffs at Xbox signal a further retreat from Microsoft’s gaming brand.

Microsoft is laying off 268 Xbox staffers and Ninja Theory may close

Deals to sell off Ninja Theory fell through over the summer.

'Risky and Gutsy': Resident Evil Movie Star Austin Abrams Reveals His First Reaction to The Film's 'Shocking' Finale

Resident Evil movie star Austin Abrams has recalled his initial reaction to the film's finale, which he believes is "crazy and shocking."

The Best Office Chairs for Working (And, of Course, Gaming)

New office chairs can last you years and save you from a lifetime of back pain. Why not consider an upgrade for 2026?

MANHATTAN UNDER SIEGE

Minecraft Beat Itself After Nearly Two Billion Simulated Years

Minecraft is no stranger to simulations, but it turns out that under the right conditions, the game can beat itself if given billions of years.

The 4K-Ready MSI Codex Z2 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC Drops to $1,699 After a $600 Discount

The GPU alone currently sells for $1,000 or more in today's market.

How Best Buy Became a Hidden Haven for Authentic Pokémon TCG Drops at MSRP Prices With Anti-Scalper Queues

Looking for authentic Pokémon TCG cards? Best Buy offers a wide selection, MSRP pricing, and strong bot protection to beat the scalpers.

'You're Going to Take a Hit': Rainbow Six Siege Director Bracing for GTA 6 Launch Impact, Promises Players Who Stick Around Will Be Served 'Like Kings and Queens'

Ubisoft has discussed how it is bracing for the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, and plans to reward Rainbow Six Siege players who stick around "like kings and queens."

Rayman Legends Retold Does a Good Job of Scratching That Platforming Itch | IGN Preview

Rayman Legends Retold isn't breaking any new ground – not visually and not gameplay-wise, not that it should be expected to since it's a remake, after all – but it is a clean remake chock-full of content both new and old at a pretty nice value. It might be of particular interest to the Switch 2 crowd that isn’t getting the GTA 6 meteor landing in their lives this Fall (particularly in light of a new 3D Mario platformer’s continued absence and Super Mario Bros. Wonder being a couple years old now), and/or to the younger crowd that hasn’t played the series before. Here’s hoping it leads to a brand-new Rayman adventure sooner rather than later.

Jsaux’s E Ink and Pixel Matrix Steam Machine faceplates are now available.

After first teasing their designs last November, the $99.99 E Ink and $89.99 Pixel Matrix magnetic faceplates are now available for preorder from Jsaux’s online store. The Verge’s Sean Hollister got some hands-on time with both displays and while the colorful pixelated faceplate needs a constant USB-C connection to the console, the E Ink is wireless with Bluetooth and a battery. [Media: https://www.youtube.com/embed/qJRPeAw7kHo]

Nodusfall Hands-On Preview: It’s Hoyoverse’s New One About Squadding Up and Killing Really, Really Big Monsters

I didn’t know anything about Nodusfall coming into it, but I came out very, very impressed by it. It’s no secret that the action game is in something of a bad way at the moment. Most things are kind of sauceless, a well-done steak. Nodusfall isn’t Devil Mary Cry or Ninja Gaiden or Bayonetta, but it feels great and has an impressive amount of things to manage for a co-op game.

Call of Duty's Activision to make next Halo game as Xbox cuts more jobs

The news comes as part of a "reset" announced by Xbox in July, with 3,600 planned job losses overall.

Blizzard Reveals the World of Warcraft Forever Feature 'We Simply Must Hold the Line On'

Ever since Blizzard revealed World of Warcraft: Forever at Blizzcon 2026, the company has been laser-focused on maintaining its Classic+ identity, even if that means not implementing some quality-of-life features the game's retail version has had for years.

Sega Planned to Kill Sonic the Hedgehog Before Movie Success

Sega bosses were ready to ditch Sonic the Hedgehog before the franchise's hugely-successful live-action movie helped change their minds.

Adidas Officially Launches Limited-Edition Pokémon Collection

Microsoft Signals Intention to Close Down Ninja Theory After Deals to Save the Hellblade Developer Fall Through

Microsoft has signalled its intention to close down Hellblade developer Ninja Theory after two deals to save the Xbox studio fell through.