Patch Notes #12: Xbox treats workers to more layoffs, Kotaku escapes G/O Media, and a former Unity employee is sentenced to jail
Just another week in paradise.
Headlines
- All
- Africa
- Asia
- Business
- Culture
- Environment
- Europe
- Gaming
- Markets
- Middle East
- Movies & TV
- Music
- Politics
- Science
- South America
- Tech
- World News
Steam's Hardware Survey continues to prove gamers don't have much free storage, and I am unfortunately among them
Make some room.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – All the key details on the next Call of Duty
Activision is double-dipping on Black Ops in 2025.
Surprise! The Anthem servers are still running—but they won't be after January 12
Now it's really over.
I played 10 free Steam demos this week: here are the 5 games that made it onto my wishlist
Load up your wishlist—a lot of great games are headed your way.
Best gifts to give characters in Persona 5 The Phantom X
Preferred gifts in Persona 5: The Phantom X are just like regular gifts, but they’ll give your synergies an extra boost. As you meet and hang out with confidants in Persona 5: The Phantom X, your synergy will increase, but you can give them a gift to increase your synergy even
Stop Killing Games surges past its goals, but a possible signature spoofing campaign could cause trouble: 'This is not a Change.org petition. This is a government process'
Initiative founder Ross Scott says he's "in a complete fog" about how many signatures the Stop Killing Games petitions really have.
Before cancelling ZeniMax's Destiny-style MMO shooter, Xbox executives reportedly enjoyed early demos so much that the controller had to be pulled from Phil Spencer's hands
At Xbox, success doesn't mean security.
Kotaku’s Weekend Guide: 4 Cool Games We’re Declaring Independence With
It’s real tough to be proud of one’s American heritage at this moment. But that’s not what we’re here for. Independence is ours to define and right now, as you may have heard, this very site is celebrating a kind of independence day of its own. More on that later, I’m sure.
All Synergy Bonds and romance candidates in Persona 5 The Phantom X
Social Links and Confidants return in Persona 5: The Phantom X, but they go by a new name: Synergy Bonds. Synergy Bonds are The Phantom X’s take on social stats tied to NPCs that you can unlock once specific criteria are met. While the name is different than elsewhere in the
'There has to be a better way than this': Game developers call Microsoft's latest layoffs 'a colossal waste of talent' from a publisher that seems like it's in 'a death spiral'
In response to "heartbreaking" turmoil, devs share grim humor, frustration, and fears for the industry's future.
12 Years After Launch, GTA V Is Finally Arriving In Two More Countries
Grand Theft Auto V was released worldwide in 2013. However, Rockstar’s massively popular open-world crime sim never officially launched in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. That is finally changing later this month, and could be good news for gamers in those countries
MindsEye boss reportedly blames its failure on 'saboteurs' and says a re-launch is in the works, even as the entire development studio is at risk of layoff
The weirdness continues.
Xbox Execs Reportedly Raved About ‘Blade Runner Meets Destiny 2’ Loot Shooter Before Canceling It
There was a lot of carnage this week at Xbox after Microsoft laid off over 9000 employees across its many divisions. People lost their jobs and some of Xbox Game Studios’ upcoming projects have been canned. This included high-profile games like the Perfect Dark reboot and
Best Strikers mechs tier list in Mecha Break
The multiplayer experience in Mecha Break revolves around finding the best Strikers for the role you want to play in the party and locking it in. That’s where a tier list of best mechas comes in handy. For this tier list, we compared the mechas based on the role they play in a
All Palworld Pals, types, and skills in the Paldeck
Palworld features more than 100 creatures, titularly dubbed “Pals.” You can treat your Pals with love, or you can put them to work in a factory — and even butcher them. With this many Pals in one game, it can be hard to tell which ones are worth keeping or employing your base.
Brace yourself: Hades 2 just got what 'will likely be our final patch' before full release
Brace yourself: Hades 2 just got what 'will likely be our final patch' before full release
How to fish in Palworld
Palworld’s fishing mini-game allows you to catch Pals without any Pal Spheres. Introduced in the Tides of Terraria update, you can fish them straight from the ocean. All you need is a fishing rod, some bait, and a bit of practice with the surprisingly tricky mini-game. Learning
Your Kart's Stats Are As Important As Ever In Mario Kart World
Choosing who to race with isn’t just an aesthetic choice in Mario Kart World . Every character belongs to a particular weight class and their set stats change when paired with the various vehicles. Read more...
EA is shutting down Anthem’s servers, which were still up
Electronic Arts announced Thursday it will be shutting down the servers for Anthem, the BioWare-developed, always-online, cooperative multiplayer action game, effective next year. “After careful consideration,” EA’s statement begins, “we will be sunsetting Anthem on January 12,
Ex-GTA Producer Reportedly Blames MindsEye Flopping On 'Saboteurs' And Promises A Relaunch
The launch of semi-open-world action game MindsEye has been a bit of a disaster , attracting a low player count and bad reviews as studio Build A Rocket Boy has implemented layoffs while some buyers demand refunds. Now former Grand Theft Auto producer and Build A Rocket Boy
BioWare's Maligned Loot Shooter Anthem Will Go Offline Forever Next Year
BioWare’s doomed looter shooter may have had some neat aesthetics and was a competent-enough action RPG when it wanted to be, but as we all know well by now, it was a complete disaster for the devs and publisher EA. While a planned reboot of the game was canned and everyone
OK, Phoenix’s gameplay in Marvel Rivals looks terrifying
Canonically, Jean Grey is supposed to be one of the most powerful mutants not just in the world of X-Men, but within the larger Marvel universe — which makes her arrival to hero shooter Marvel Rivals a hugely anticipated event. How exactly do you translate an immortal being
Xbox Invites Developers To AI Roundtable The Same Day It Does Mass Layoffs
Yesterday was awful for people who work at Microsoft and the gaming industry in general. Thousands at the company either saw colleagues laid off or were laid off themselves, while outside observers watched as more game developers and projects were put on the chopping block.
Mecha Break has the best character creator I’ve seen in ages
Mecha Break, the recently released free-to-play mecha shooter from Amazing Seasun Games, is a hell of a lot of fun. The minute I learned of its existence, I knew I’d be devoting a great deal of time to beating up giant robots with my own giant robot. I did not, however, expect
All active Anime Vanguards codes in July 2025 and how to redeem them
You’re gonna need them to collect the 200+ anime characters on the roster.
Mario Kart World Has A Whole Bunch Of Extra Characters For You To Unlock
One of the biggest additions to Mario Kart World is the addition of loads of enemies and NPCs as kart drivers to help expand the game’s already massive roster. From Sunshine’s Piantas to the football gear-clad Chargin’ Chuck, there’s loads of new drivers to unlock that have
NZXT N7 Z890 review
A good-looking motherboard that's a bit expensive compared to the competition.
NZXT N9 X870E review
A stylish departure from the usual names and faces, but leaves a little to be desired.
How To Hide Your Play Activity From Friends And Strangers On Switch 2
Privacy is a big thing these days, and it’s perfectly reasonable to be choosy with who you share information with online. That includes even simple things like which games you play, which is why you can hide your play activity on Nintendo Switch 2. But whether you hide your
Spider-Gwen’s New Comic Already Has Fans Reeling, And It’s Not Even Out Yet
Marvel’s multiverse shenanigans can be hard to keep track of, especially across its many, many different media franchises. The MCU has been following a multiverse arc since Endgame premiered in 2019, and there’s reason to believe Insomniac’s Spider-Man games might be dabbling
Oh God, No, Pokémon, What Have You Done?
My eyes! What is this monstrosity?! Fetch me wooden stakes, holy water, silver bullets, shotguns, anything! Or has the Pokémon Company (TPCi) hired David Cronenberg to design its latest batch of plushies? Read more...
20 foolproof ways to get laid off in the videogame industry
Tired of making games? Just use one of these simple tricks!
Battlefield 6 Reportedly Has A Massive Budget Of Over $400 Million
The next Battlefield game, often referred to online as Battlefield 6, looks to be a return to the franchise’s modern warfare roots, and that has many fans, myself included, excited to play it. However, behind the scenes, EA reportedly has wild expectations for the game, which
Founder of world's biggest mod site hits back at fans angry about upcoming age verification for NSFW mods: 'The law is the law and Nexus Mods will, and must, follow the law'
"Nexus Mods is not an underground website operating on the dark web—it's a legitimate business."
Elden Ring Nightreign's New Superpowered Moth Boss Keeps Breaking
Elden Ring Nightreign ’s third enhanced boss dropped last night and it comes with a secret ability: going limp and becoming immune to damage. The Everdark Sovereign version of Sentient Pest was not so sentient for lots of players who faced an issue late in the battle where its
Report: 2K mobile studio Cat Daddy Games is making layoffs
The company is best known for working on mobile titles such as NBA 2K Mobile and NFL 2K Playmakers.
Hades 2 gets final early access update before the full release
Last month, Hades 2 blessed the world with a hefty update that included new weapons, more story beats, expanded romantic options, and the major reveal of Narcissus’ true face. A couple of weeks later, the godly roguelike is receiving yet another update with a host of gameplay
I've just noticed Zalman is spinning up a new line of circular tower coolers that look a lot like itty-bitty jet engines
I reckon these will take off.
Marvel Rivals' updated hero hot list reveals the most-played and highest win-rate characters, and it's good news for Support players
Ah yes, the two greatest heroes: AI and the shark.
The European Commission wants Europe to become the world leader in quantum computing within the next five years
The AI ship has already sailed and the fusion boat is still stuck in the docks, so is this the next best thing?
Marvel Rivals Phoenix: All the key details about the upcoming hero
Jean Grey brings the heat.
Switch 2 set to make Summer Games Done Quick debut
Summer Games Done Quick is back for its annual speedrunning event, and this year, the Nintendo Switch 2 will make its GDQ debut with Mario Kart World. Summer Games Done Quick 2025 will kick off the pre-show at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 6, before officially opening up with
Here's Every Mario Hero Outfit You Can Collect In Mario Kart World
In Mario Kart 8, the only racer that ever had a wardrobe change was Princess Peach. She wears her pink dress when driving a regular cart; but give her a motorcycle and she changes into a white jumpsuit with pink boots and a scarf, making her one of the most badass racers in the
Budget or bust? My editor forced me to use this $19 gaming headset for a whole week and it's goppingly awful in ways I never dreamed of
Thanks Dave, I hate it.
Marvel Rivals Season 3 patch notes: All buffs and nerfs
All the balance changes shaking things up in Season 3.
An easy Elden Ring Nightreign boss just became one of the game’s best after new update
Some FromSoft boss battles make you tear your hair out, but every so often, you’ll get a big enemy who goes down on your first try, no sweat. In Elden Ring Nightreign, Sentient Pest is a cool idea for a boss fight — it’s a parasitic moth that controls a bulky scorpion — but