Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting gendut188 as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer.
Both Sony’s lawyers and Microsoft’s planners once suggested next-gen consoles would arrive 2028. Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. News Developer Fred Russell left the studio in 2016, but presumably still has connections at Turn 10. News
“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. News of Microsoft’s major layoffs today keep rolling in, as the company informs around 9,000 employees of the cuts. I’ve heard from sources that the Xbox user research team has been hit hard, with nearly half the team affected. It’s a key team that focuses on ensuring quality across Xbox games, the platform, and developer tools.
The company first laid off around 1,900 employees in January 2024, mostly from Activision Blizzard King. Following that, three ZeniMax Media studios were closed in May 2024, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, although the latter was purchased by PUBG owner Krafton and revived in a last-minute deal. Finally, another 650 employees were cut in September 2024, again mostly from Activision Blizzard King. Additional details regarding the Microsoft layoffs and which divisions have been impacted (sources tell Variety that the cuts in gaming do not make up the majority) are expected to be shared later Wednesday. “We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said Wednesday.
Microsoft has today made significant layoffs to its gaming division, per a memo sent to staff by Xbox boss Phil Spencer and reviewed by IGN. Paste Media has launched a new website, Endless Mode, that’s dedicated to “games, anime, theme parks, and interactive entertainment,” according to a press release. A former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer has released a video discussing the future of Xbox. This is where you’ll find all of TheGamer’s – get this, right – game news. We cover big, breaking stories and smaller, viral ones, on everything from triple-As to indies to streaming.
Bungie confirms that Tower vendors in Destiny 2 are seeing major changes within The Edge of Fate, including the weekend exotic merchant Xur. Recent developments at Microsoft deal significant damage to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service that will be felt for years.
The tough hack n’ slash with anime stylings was quite impressive in its own way, but the sequel looks like its trying to take things to the next level in a big way. Top down visuals and survival horror elements make this look like one to watch. The PlayStation exclusive looks absolutely incredible, but hopefully, like the first game, it will eventually makes its way to Xbox and PC. Summer Game Fest is kicking off in earnest, showcasing the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. Drop a notification bell on the PC Gaming Show, set to go live this Sunday after the Xbox Showcase. Color me intrigued, but Xbox studio Undead Labs posted this on their Facebook page recently.
Variety has confirmed the number of staff impacted is under 4% of Microsoft’s global workforce, which totals approximately 228,000 employees. A source told IGN that Candy Crush developer King was hit hard, but the layoffs affect other parts of the gaming business. IGN understands parts of Microsoft-owned Bethesda, including its London office, were also affected by the cuts. Rare’s long-in-development Xbox game Everwild was canceled as part of the round of layoffs. A CNBC report says today’s layoffs are part of yet another round of cuts at the company that will put roughly 9,000 people out of work.
Interestingly, it’s a year to the day that the game launched on PlayStation. Increasingly, it looks as though Microsoft is shifting its PC gaming branding around that moniker. We’ve asked Microsoft to comment, but don’t be surprised if you see a lot of this new branding in the coming days across SGF and the Xbox Showcase. Silkson’g app packages on Steam recently got a flurry of updates, with one grabbing its first update in over a year. On Sunday is the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, which will give us a glimpse at another variety of interesting upcoming titles for Xbox and PC.
A new installment in the Ghost Recon series is set to launch in the fall of 2026. Acclaimed insider Tom Henderson provided the first information, led by the game’s working title. Indie gem Suit for Hire just got its 1.0 update and is the real John Wick game all fans have been waiting for. Sins of the Horadrim has brought quite a few improvements to Diablo 4, including one inconspicuous but clearly appreciated by players. New information has appeared about massive layoffs at Microsoft. Among other things, we learned how many employees will leave the Xbox division, as well as the sad fate of the Turn 10 studio.
The Futuristic Ninja Game Cyber Shadow Gets A Physical Release
This is definitely a clear example of exploiting the algorithm. The console wars are long over, but it’s still surreal for fans to see how much has changed. According to a former Rockstar employee, GTA VI will be the most expensive game ever and nothing in the future will top it, not even GTA VII. The reason is the growing importance of artificial intelligence. Starfield has been out for nearly two years now, and its biggest problem, which has plagued it from the very start, has only gotten worse. One Zelda game flew under the radar compared to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but it has an important narrative device for the series.
Gaming Debugged Gaming Site Covering Xbox, Indies, News, Features And Gaming Tech
To celebrate The First Descendant’s anniversary, Nexon reveals a special event where players can unlock some big rewards including a free character. EA has shut down Cliffhanger Games and canceled the studio’s Black Panther game. Riot is shifting VALORANT to Unreal Engine 5 in July 2025, but will it affect FPS and performance? In a press release, the Esports World Cup Foundation confirmed this and stated that the Battlegrounds Mobile Pro Series (BMPS 2025) winners will have … The Spook Shack stirs up a spooky splash in Zenless Zone Zero’s hot summer update, Version 2.1. And now the topic of discussion is Tyler1-astoundingly loud and hyped League of Legends streamer-and trying his hand at fighting games and Modern-only Street Fighter.
Video Games Europe voices opposition to Stop Killing Games movement as it clears threshold to become an EU Citizens’ Initiative. News Latest update also adds a party system and “improved erosion”. PlayStation fans are worried Helldivers 2’s Xbox port is going to “devalue” the platform’s brand.
Call Of Duty’s Anticheat Team Is Coming After Your Cronus
Actor Samantha Béart says that they are aware of game devs having diverse and inclusive elements cut from their games. The fans who have stuck with Anthem over the past six years aren’t giving up on it just yet. Lies of P’s first DLC “Overture” is available now, per a shadow drop of sorts.
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.