Ex-Bungie executive Christopher Barrett — a longtime developer at the studio that majorly contributed to Halo, Destiny, and Marathon before he was fired last year due to a dispute over complaints of inappropriate workplace behavior — has revealed that the original idea behind Marathon actually stemmed from an MMO my parents played 20 years ago: Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC).

I have fond memories of watching my family enjoy the acclaimed 2001 title when I was a kid, and even dabbled in it myself a bit when I grew older, but I haven't heard it mentioned by anyone for years. Thus, to learn that it was primary inspiration for Marathon came as quite a surprise. After reading why, though, I immediately understood.

"The original inspiration was not Tarkov or extraction shooters. It was Dark Age of Camelot. A tense living world experience filled with co-op player stories and the potential danger of other players," wrote Barrett in a post on social media. "Extraction was just a convenient mechanic leveraged to create a ~15 minute game loop where players in the same session have multiple opportunities to succeed or fail."

That description sounds exactly like DAoC's realm vs. realm (RvR) zones in which players from the MMO's three distinct realms — Albion, Midgard, and Hibernia — could encounter each other and engage in PvP while fighting through dungeons and other points of interest filled with PvE mobs.

It also sounds a whole lot like the foundation of extraction shooter gameplay in general, which made me realize the core concept of the genre can be traced back to RvR MMO experiences as much as it can be to early-2010s ARMA and DayZ modding.

Barrett went on to list some of his "original design goals" for Marathon, some of which include persistent servers players can always spawn onto or extract from — think ARC Raiders sessions, but without a timer — a player-driven "living world" with "emergent dynamic events," a focus on facilitating unique player stories and experiences, and survival elements like broken limbs or leaking gas tanks to keep players on their toes and push them to creatively adapt.

He also imagines a game that draws on the lore and story of the original Marathon titles to present "a compelling, deep, interesting world that feels worthy of your time," an experience with completely unique and customizable player characters ("no heroes"), "live service robustness" and consistent updates, and win conditions that ensure playstyles beyond "PvP twitch dominance" have a "path to success."

Barrett concluded by noting that "I obviously can’t speak to the current game direction," and indeed, Marathon has deviated from this original vision in some ways. For one, the game has distinct Runner characters ("personality matrixes," if you will) with hero shooter-esque abilities, and it also features timed raids instead of persistent servers.

With that said, it also seems to be leaning in the direction of this original concept a bit compared to the game we saw earlier this spring. As revealed in a recent ViDoc showcase, proximity chat is coming to promote more social interactions between players, and PvE encounters are being made more dynamic and dangerous too; I expect these will encourage on-the-fly decisions to team up and help ensure each match feels unique.

We'll know for sure how the finished version of Marathon plays when it launches at some point in March 2026. It was originally scheduled to release on September 23, 2025 this year, but was delayed in June.

What do you think of Christopher Barrett's original vision for Marathon, and how it compares to the version of the game that Bungie is making now? Let me know in the comments.

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However, it can be an expensive hobby to get into, as laptops can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Fortunately, Walmart is hosting a special Christmas sale on a couple of PC gaming laptops and compatible accessories to help you get started with PC gaming while saving a significant amount of money, and we've rounded up the best discounts on offer.

FAQs

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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According to Team RICOCHET, more than 800,000 accounts have been permanently banned from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Call of Duty: Warzone due to the team's cheat mitigation and detection efforts.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's season one integration with Call of Duty: Warzone saw a flood of new hackers released into the popular first-person shooter franchise's lobbies after the game's proprietary anti-cheat system suffered from data outages and other issues.

That led Activision and the Call of Duty team to reprioritize plans for Black Ops 6's post-launch content to put more work into cheat mitigation efforts. Changes to cheat mitigation weren't just at the software level, as Activision's legal teams buckled down by sending cease and desists to disrupt the cheat business by targeting developers and resellers.

It has only been a month since Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched, but cheat disruption efforts are off to a strong start for this entry, as well. Activision has reported that 39 resellers have been disrupted so far, with 5 resellers and 3 primary vendors also shutting down operations to distribute Call of Duty cheats.

With the launch of Black Ops 7, Team RICOCHET would require Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to launch the game. That cheat detection would expand to Call of Duty: Warzone with Season One integration into BO7.

Call of Duty's cheat disruptions have been widely successful due to the renewed vigor in detection, mitigation, and cessation. In the year following Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch, 295 resellers were disrupted in total, with 53 resellers shutting down cheat operations for good. The team also reports that 11 primary cheat vendors were also taken down.

Team RICOCHET has shared several updates on cheat disruption tactics since the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. According to reports, the new mitigation and detection tools led to a nearly cheat-free beta for BO7. The team has also been active on social media by replying to players who share videos of suspicious interactions to report when offending accounts are banned.

While the Shutdowns Wrapped is a celebration of Team RICOCHET's recent successes with anti-cheat efforts, it is not the end of the work that must be done to keep Call of Duty cheaters at bay. In the Season 1 progress report, Team RICOCHET shared additional plans to expand TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements and the introduction of the Secure Attestation Wizard so that players can verify if their PCs meet the game's security and anti-cheat requirements.

"The goal is simple," wrote Team RICOCHET in a Call of Duty Blog post, "cleaner matches, faster detections, and a more secure foundation for every player."

Did the numbers surprise you, or does it feel like cheaters are still slipping through? Drop your thoughts below — especially if you’ve noticed improvements (or new problems) in Black Ops 7 this year. The anti‑cheat team says they’re making progress, but the real test is what players are experiencing in the wild.

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Call of Duty HQ currently ranks as the second most played title in the US across Xbox and PlayStation, but that figure combines engagement from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Warzone, and the newly released Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. This aggregation makes it difficult to directly compare Black Ops 7 with Battlefield 6 on a like-for-like basis.

What we do know is that Black Ops 7 has reportedly underperformed relative to expectations. European launch data shows opening week sales down 63% compared to Battlefield 6, and more than 50% compared to Black Ops 6, suggesting that Call of Duty’s overall strength may be masking a weaker individual release.

Battlefield 6’s numbers might tell a more complicated story

While Battlefield 6 engagement includes both the paid core multiplayer and REDSEC, the game’s free-to-play battle royale mode, it still has not been enough to challenge Call of Duty’s dominance in the most-played charts in the U.S.

Thanks for reporting from Circana, we can see that for the week ending December 13, 2025, Battlefield 6 sits at seventh place, slipping slightly from sixth the week prior. That drop suggests that even with a flagship free-to-play battle royale offering, Battlefield 6 is struggling to keep pace with the broader Call of Duty HQ ecosystem.

Circana Player Engagement Tracker - Top 15 Titles by Total Weekly Active Users (Not Concurrent) - W/E Dec 13, 2025- Mortal Kombat 1 returns to XBX top 15 with Game Pass add.- The Last of the Druids content and a free weekend promotion lifted Path of Exile 2 on Steam US/CAN.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-23T11:21:32.697Z

That said, landing in sixth or seventh place remains a strong result and reflects a healthy player base. However, it also highlights a potential mismatch between Battlefield’s approach and current player trends.

With extraction shooters like ARC Raiders maintaining momentum, it appears many players are looking for something more distinctive. In that context, a traditional battle royale mode may not be the draw it once was, especially in an increasingly crowded live service space.

This may not be the only point of concern for Battlefield 6, as eagle-eyed fans have raised questions about whether some paid cosmetic items make use of generative AI. You can read more about that here.

What else does Circana report?  

As expected, Fortnite continues to hold the number one spot across both platforms, with Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) sitting comfortably at number three, again on both platforms.

On PlayStation, Roblox lands at number four, while on Xbox it ranks even higher, at number 3. The remainder of the top ten is largely made up of long-running live service titles, reinforcing just how difficult it is for newer releases to break through and maintain momentum week to week.

Do these rankings match what you are actually playing right now, or do they miss the mark? Take part in the poll below or comment and let us know where your time is going.

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With numerous accolades secured, Sandfall has now shifted its focus to future projects like its next game. But notably, those who expect the developer to grow in size following Expedition 33's massive success will be surprised to learn that the studio has no plans to do so whatsoever.

That news comes from comments from director Guillaume Broche (thanks, GamesRadar) in which he details why Sandfall isn't aiming to make a "larger-scale production" moving forward. "No, I think it's good to have limitations when you are creative," he said. "It's the best way to be the best version of yourself."

While the developer could "scale up" with all the funding and acclaim it now has, Broche explains that Sandfall would rather focus on "making games" instead of contending with all the management that running a larger, wider team would entail.

"We could scale up now that we have a lot more money, but I would say it's not tempting for us because even the management team and myself, we'd have to be hands-on and doing things for ourselves," he said. "We love making games more than we love managing, so we want to keep doing that. These past five years were some of the best of my life, and I want to be happy like that again."

I'm sure the thought of expanding Sandfall significantly and ambitiously trying to tackle a bigger and bolder project than Expedition 33 is, at the very least, a little tempting, but I fully understand why Broche and others at the studio hold the position they do, and I admire them for it.

While Expedition 33 wasn't made by a team of just 30 developers as is so often rumored — external contractors contributed majorly to the award-winning RPG — Sandfall does have a tight core team, and undoubtedly, that small size helps the studio stick to a unified vision and focus on development rather than management.

The decision to steer clear of some very strong opportunities for growth in order to retain the same development process that led to the creation of Expedition 33 speaks to Sandfall's prioritization of passion and enjoyment over maximizing profit and success. That stands out at a time when it seems like big-name studios publishers are continually pushing for larger and larger games, and at a time when more than a handful of those ambitious projects don't work out.

It's worth noting that despite ending 2025 on a somewhat sour note — it was disqualified from The Indie Game Awards for briefly using AI-generated placeholder textures — Expedition 33 was the year's biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass game, and is available to play on Microsoft's buffet-style gaming service now.

If you'd rather not play Expedition 33 through Xbox Game Pass, you can alternatively pick up a full copy of the game. It's usually $49.99, but thanks to a nice deal, you can pick up the PC version for $29.49 at Loaded.

Do you think Sandfall Interactive is making the right call in choosing to remain the size that it was when it developed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Or do you believe the developer should grow and "scale up?" Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Zampella was an extremely influential figure in the video game industry. He was best known for his work on Call of Duty during his time as CEO of Infinity Ward, where he helped shape one of the most successful franchises in gaming history.

He later went on to serve as the head of Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Titanfall and Apex Legends, further cementing his impact on modern game development.

It is tragic news, and our thoughts are with his friends, family, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

A lasting legacy across generations of games

Whether you knew Vince Zampella by name or not, you have almost certainly felt his influence. He played a defining role in shaping Call of Duty during the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era while serving as CEO of Infinity Ward.

That influence is still felt today across modern shooters. Many of the design principles established during that period continue to inform how multiplayer games are built and supported to this day.

After leaving Infinity Ward, Zampella went on to co found Respawn Entertainment in 2010. The studio became known for titles such as Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, each pushing the genre in different ways.

Zampella later served as an executive at Electronic Arts, where he oversaw multiple teams and franchises, including Battlefield, further extending his impact across the industry.

What has been reported so far

Unfortunately, Vince was involved in a single-car crash at around 12:45 p.m. on December 21, 2025, in Los Angeles and passed away at the scene.

It is a loss that will be felt across the entire industry. Vince Zampella’s influence extended far beyond individual studios or franchises, shaping how games were made, played, and supported across multiple generations. As tributes continue to pour in, his work and legacy will live on through the countless developers he inspired and the millions of players who grew up with the games he helped create.

He will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his loved ones, family, and friends.

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Arkane Austin's shutdown was a tragic end for the studio's employees and for fans of its creative, systems-driven games, and it's also one we haven't gotten much of a behind-the-scenes perspective off. At least, not until now.

Recently, former director Harvey Smith — known for contributing to System Shock and Deus Ex, in addition to Arkane Austin's projects — went on the My Perfect Console podcast to discuss his time in the gaming industry, and recounted what it was like for him and for other Arkane devs to get the bad news.

"I got a call the night before and spent a very stressful night thinking about that, every company makes the decisions they make for the reasons they make them," Smith said. "I don't agree with them often."

"It was a shock, because we had done really good work, and this is a group of people, in some cases, who had worked together for one project [and] in other cases, like me and Ricardo Bare [Prey and Prey: Mooncrash writer] for instance, had worked together since the late nineties," he continued.

But while the closure of Arkane Austin led to many painful breakups of longtime developer partnerships, Smith noted that he was worried most about the effects of the shutdown on younger devs.

"Who I really felt for were the people that were new, like, this was their first project, or they'd only been in the industry for a little while," he explained. "Mostly it was shock and it was trying to help, especially the people that, for whom, this was just a mind-blowing experience."

Smith then told host Simon Parkin that for a time, he hadn't processed the shutdown on a personal level much, as he was "head down" on improving Redfall before Arkane Austin's impending dissolution. Redfall infamously had disastrous stability issues in addition to its controversial gameplay design; Smith and others worked intensely to resolve these, and "only really a couple of months into it did I stop and breathe."

Ultimately, he believes Redfall may have been more positively received if the game launched in its improved 1.4 state, and is thankful that Microsoft and Xbox allowed the devs to patch the title up after launch. However, he argues that closing the studio was the wrong call.

"It was not a decision I agreed with. I did believe very much in the future of the studio. We were working on something very cool," Smith said.

It ultimately wasn't confirmed what that "very cool" project was, though he did go on to note that Arkane Austin was, at one point, creating a new Thief game, though development stopped after Eidos Interactive retained control of the property.

Interestingly, he also made mention of a Blade Runner game that the studio was working on for a time. "We were working for a while on a Blade Runner game, which was super exciting to me," he said. "What we could have done with Blade Runner…"

As a huge fan of Dishonored and Prey myself, losing Arkane Austin was crushing, and has me worried for the future of immersive sims like those titles. One excellent one you can play right now is the Early Access game Gloomwood from DUSK developer David Szymanski and publisher New Blood Interactive, and there's a chance Marvel's Blade — in development at Austin's sister studio Arkane Lyon, responsible for Deathloop and Dishonored 2 — could be one as well.

Was Microsoft and Xbox wrong to close Arkane Austin after Redfall flopped with critics and consumers? Do you think it made the right call? Let me know what you think in the comments.

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It was later revealed that the studio behind Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive, had used “AI, but not much,” according to the game’s producer.

Further clarification showed that AI-generated placeholder assets had been used early on, before being removed once the issue was flagged. That detail first surfaced publicly on X more than seven months ago.

Sandfall Interactive has also been clear about its stance on creative AI, drawing a firm line between limited tooling and authorship. The studio previously stated:

Despite that position, the Indie Game Awards still chose to strip Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its awards (via Insider Gaming), reallocating its Debut Indie Game of the Year award to "Sorry We're Closed" and instead giving Blue Prince Indie Game of the Year.

Clair Obscur’s disqualification highlights an impossible line to draw

In a statement released by the Indie Game Awards, they say:

Despite the developers only using generative AI for placeholder assets, it will likely become increasingly difficult to define what actually counts as AI usage in games. As tools evolve, the line between assistance, automation, and authorship becomes harder to draw in any meaningful way.

There is also a risk that strict rules like this encourage silence rather than transparency. If studios fear outright disqualification and online discourse, some may choose not to disclose limited or non-creative AI use at all.

The Indie Game Awards’ straightforward rule could leave very few games eligible in the coming years, particularly as more studios adapt to AI-assisted tools as part of everyday development workflows.

Generative AI or AI in general did not suddenly arrive

The issue with AI as a tool, regardless of the ethics behind it (which is equally as important), is where the line is actually drawn. AI is not a new concept, and it has been used in game development for years, only gaining its current negative reputation due to illegal training practices on copyrighted content, which most people rightly see as unacceptable, and I do agree here.

As game development has advanced, so have the tools used in the process. Features like Photoshop’s content-aware fill, smart selection, and upscaling all rely on AI-driven systems in some form, yet they have been widely accepted for years.

That raises an uncomfortable question about consistency. If those tools are acceptable, where does that leave procedural generation, automated texture work, or AI-driven NPC logic? The point is not to equate them directly, but to highlight how quickly the line between acceptable automation and unacceptable AI becomes blurred.

As these tools continue to converge, drawing a clear and enforceable boundary is likely to become increasingly impractical.

Legitimate concerns do exist

There is a real concern that widespread adoption of AI will lead to job losses, particularly for artists. Generative tools are becoming increasingly capable of mimicking the work of concept artists, writers, designers, and other creative roles.

We are already seeing an industry-wide shift, with studios becoming more open about how they are using AI. Most recently, Larian Studios came under heavy criticism after admitting to limited AI use during development.

Backing Larian publicly were the developers behind Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, who stated, “Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy shitstorm.”

Even Todd Howard has weighed in on the topic, suggesting that AI can be useful for speeding up iteration and certain processes, but not for generating creative work outright.

Concerns around AI go beyond job replacement. Rising component costs, particularly RAM and storage, are already being felt as demand increases to support AI datacenters, and that alone is enough to leave a sour taste for consumers, regardless of whether these tools are genuinely useful in the development process.

Whether we like it or not, though, it does appear that most studios are using AI in some form, which makes a zero-tolerance policy risky. Rather than encouraging openness, it may discourage transparency and push developers to quietly use these tools instead of being clear about where and how they are applied.

Economic pressure is shaping how studios build games

Game development has evolved significantly over the past decade, and it has become more demanding as a result. Modern games require far more assets than before, often at much higher resolutions, alongside more complex animations and larger, more detailed worlds.

This is not a cheap process. Games built during the early Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era were developed under very different constraints, and that model is no longer realistic for most studios today.

Development cycles have also stretched considerably in some cases, sometimes tripling in length, with no guarantee that a finished game will find commercial success.

While indie games often punch above their weight and can make some AAA releases look unfocused by comparison, studios like Sandfall Interactive have still acknowledged using AI in limited, practical ways. That mirrors the restrained approach discussed publicly by Larian, rather than any shift toward replacing creative work outright.

That does not mean all uses should go unchallenged. Calling out egregious or exploitative applications of AI still matters, as that scrutiny is essential to finding a sensible balance that protects creative work.

For many studios, limited AI use is less about replacing staff and more about saving time. It can help speed up iteration, improve prototyping, or handle repetitive, non-creative tasks that would otherwise slow development down.

This is also where rigid award criteria begin to feel out of step with reality. If eligibility rules fail to account for the economic pressures studios are operating under, they risk excluding a growing number of games built using tools that are fast becoming standard across the industry.

What do you make of the Indie Game Awards’ decision, and do you actually care if limited AI tools are used during game development at all? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

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In the lead-up to launch, Battlefield’s European General Manager Rebecka Coutaz stated that players would not see generative AI used within Battlefield 6 itself. She did acknowledge that generative AI was explored during preparatory stages, describing it as a way “to allow more time and more space to be creative.”

That approach mirrors a growing trend across the industry, where AI tools are framed as early-stage support rather than something intended to appear in final, player-facing content.

What have players found?

That promise of no generative AI appears to have been short-lived, following the introduction of questionable cosmetics within a paid bundle. Several of these items stand out visually because they do not fully make sense, which is what initially drew player attention.

One example shows an M4A1 depicted with two barrels at the end of the weapon, a detail that has raised eyebrows. Alongside this, some cosmetic descriptions are also being flagged by players as potentially AI-generated.

Because this content is part of a paid bundle, it is difficult to frame it as a leftover or unused asset, and it instead appears to be a deliberate inclusion. While this is on a far smaller scale than the more egregious uses of generative AI seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it still places Battlefield 6 at odds with earlier messaging.

Perhaps this is a sign of things to come for Battlefield 6 and future EA titles, as the company does have a partnership with Stability AI, an image generation model. If you want to see the full list of potential AI additions to Battlefield 6, u/heshtegded on Reddit has compiled a list.

Do you actually care if generative AI is used for cosmetics in Battlefield 6, or is this a non issue as long as it does not affect gameplay? Let us know what you think in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

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It is no secret that Halo Infinite was originally positioned as a 10-year live service platform, intended to grow and evolve over time. What ultimately shipped fell well short of that ambition.

While it took roughly four years for Halo Infinite to reach feature and content parity with Halo: Reach, it is now generally accepted as a solid entry in the series. Some even regard it as 343 Industries’ strongest contribution to the franchise to date, and that contribution just got its sequel, but it isn’t what you think.

How Halo continues its story outside of games

I will avoid spoilers here for anything post Halo Infinite, but the Halo games since 343 Industries took over, and now under Halo Studios, have unfortunately felt increasingly disjointed. While the studio got off to a strong start, despite my own issues with the gameplay, Halo 4 delivered a largely cohesive story that directly continued from the events of Halo 3.

Sadly, this was the last time the mainline Halo games felt meaningfully connected. The jump from Halo 4 to Halo 5 proved confusing for anyone who had not kept up with the expanded universe through books, with the introduction of Blue Team for the first time in the games, leaving some players confused.

That confusion was only compounded by the fact that Halo 5’s story is widely regarded as the weakest in the franchise. As a result, large portions of its narrative were quietly abandoned in favour of the direction taken with Halo Infinite. While that was likely the right decision, very little was done to bring game-only players up to speed, especially when Halo 5’s ending is picked up directly in a book rather than a game.

This is not a new phenomenon either. Halo 3: ODST also received its narrative follow-up outside the games, with Halo: New Blood focusing on Buck, a fan favourite character, whose story is continued in Halo: New Blood following on from the events of ODST and detailing his eventual recruitment into the Spartan IV programme.

The Halo Infinite sequel

If you have not pieced things together yet, the sequel to Halo Infinite is, in fact, a book. Halo: Edge of Dawn was released within the past week and is written by Kelly Gay.

She is a well-established name within the Halo universe, having authored several well-regarded entries, alongside her own Gods and Monsters and Charlie Madigan series.

The book picks up immediately after the ending of Halo Infinite, acting as a direct continuation of the campaign rather than a standalone side story. It expands on the Endless, reveals the chosen name of the Weapon, Master Chief’s new AI companion following Cortana’s departure, and provides deeper insight into Zeta Halo itself.

Without spoiling any details, the story raises an important question about the future. When Halo 7 eventually releases, will players be expected to already understand these developments, or will the game retread ground that has already been covered in the books, something the series has rarely, if ever, done before?

As a lifelong fan who also enjoys the novels, because they are all genuinely great books, it is still disappointing to see major story developments reach only a small portion of the audience. At times, it genuinely feels as though Halo has become a book series first, with the occasional game used to move things forward.

Halo’s story has increasingly continued outside the games, with major plot developments now unfolding in books rather than playable campaigns. Does that approach work for you, or does it make the series harder to follow if you only play the games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

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We live in the social media generation, don't we? Clips of the campaign on TikTok without context, screaming how Black Ops 7 is the worst Call of Duty in history. Those people must have skipped Vanguard. But sure, the user ratings could back up this sentiment.

I've already written about how I feel like Call of Duty fatigue is setting in and that, in an ideal world, taking a break for a year might be a smart idea. Surprisingly, Activision has responded to some of the criticism, promising that the days of back-to-back releases of the Modern Warfare and Black Ops franchises will never happen again.

Coming straight after Black Ops 6 was, in hindsight, not the smartest move, especially when right before, we had two Modern Warfare titles in a row.

Black Ops 7 has been with us for a month, and I've been playing it a lot since November 14, to the tune of about 150 hours. Here's how it's been.

Let's talk about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign

I don't want to dwell on it too much, but obviously the campaign is one of the more contentious parts of the game. My colleague, Cole Martin, wrote our full review of Black Ops 7, and I'm not going to go over old ground.

Was the campaign good? I don't think it's as bad as the social media clips would have you believe. The story is wild. Personally, I think the mistake was trying to link Black Ops 7 to Black Ops 2. Aside from characters and the timeline, there's not much else linking the two.

The campaign follows the story started in Black Ops 6. It's set in Avalon, mostly, from Black Ops 6. The Guild, the protagonist organization, is from Black Ops 6. Optics matter. I'm not sure why, beyond hype, Black Ops 2 was ever brought into it. It's not a sequel.

The best part of the campaign is the Endgame mode, which you can now play without touching the story missions. Sure, it follows the same sort of weirdness the campaign delivers, but it's great fun to play.

It's an extraction sandbox, but a far more forgiving one than almost every other game out there of this type. If you die, you lose your Combat Rating and your gear, but it's also not amazingly difficult to stay alive.

It's set on the Avalon map, to be used in the upcoming Blackout revival, and if you played Black Ops 6 you'll recognize plenty of the POIs.

But compared to every other mode in Call of Duty, it's so chilled. I've played a ton of Endgame in pursuit of the Genesis Mastery Camo, and now the 100% completion. At times, it almost doesn't feel like Call of Duty.

There's so much camaraderie in the lobby, with players using game chat to organize and team up for a big push against the final boss or the World Event bosses.

That it's a pure PvE experience is its strength. Instead of competing against each other, everyone can work together. Share success. My only concern is how long it'll get new content. I want more. It's been my favorite Black Ops 7 experience overall.

Multiplayer is multiplayer

I refuse to get drawn into the debate on whether the "open" playlists really are as open as they were supposed to be. Or whether the "standard" SBMM playlist is being pushed. It's Call of Duty multiplayer, expect sweatiness. That's just how it is.

If you want a casual multiplayer shooter, you're in the wrong place. That's as true now as it's been going way back, SBMM or no SBMM.

However, ignoring this topic, the multiplayer is a big improvement over Black Ops 6. The addition of the wall jump has added just enough extra spice to Omnimovement without being overbearing, and the maps are significantly more fun to play on.

The first couple of weeks were hard work, I won't lie, as the more committed players were all racing to unlock the Singularity Camo (I still haven't decided if I'm bothering at all.)

There are some old maps brought back to life, too, such as Raid and now Standoff. I think they play pretty well with the Black Ops 7 movement and weapons, and as someone who never an affection for Raid, I've found it enjoyable this time around.

If I had to pick fault, though, it would be with the seemingly never-to-end meta of running an overclocked UAV, Looper, and constantly getting Scorestreaks. With the Overclock, you can't even down them with a single shot from a rocket launcher.

This is the type of play that makes players back out of lobbies. I'm not afraid to say I do, too. I'm too old for that crud. It's exhausting.

The overall feel of the multiplayer mode is good, though. It's fast and fluid, exciting, and on the occasions you get into a properly competitive match not marred by endless Scorestreak spam, it's rewarding. I've had some of my most fun Call of Duty matches in years on Black Ops 7, both as a winner and a loser.

I'm looking forward to ranked play this year for sure. The anti-cheat seems to be holding up, which deserves a shoutout because lord knows we've been crying for it.

With a much-reduced weapon list and no streak spam, I'm hopeful of a strong competitive experience. The map pool is solid, too, based on what I've seen in the early Call of Duty League matches.

I need to spend more time on Zombies

As someone who traditionally steers more towards PvE over PvP, I never spend enough time on Call of Duty: Zombies. What I have seen firsthand and through consuming a ton of Zombies content, though, is generally positive.

It plays a lot like Black Ops 6 Zombies, which I think is fine, though I appreciate that old hands may not be a fan of the mechanics. Armor plating is still awful, though. It feels like you spend too much time applying plates. A Warzone mechanic we could do without.

The two maps so far are good, Ashes of the Damned especially. Zombies launched much stronger this year, I feel, purely down to the quality of the maps. Liberty Falls in Black Ops 6 was pretty average, but both Ashes and the newest arrival, Astra Malorum, are far better.

While I haven't any time to speak of playing Cursed, its addition this year is a definite win. Even now, the ninth relic still hasn't been found on Ashes of the Damned. Given the tradition of Zombies puzzle-solving, it adds some welcome depth. And difficulty.

A ridiculous amount of things to do in Black Ops 7

Four sets of Mastery Camos, Dark Ops, and Calling Card challenges to 100%, as well as 35 weapons and counting to level up to Prestige Master 250. The regular Prestige grind, the Prestige Master grind, weekly challenges, and limited-time events.

All things that you can do right now in Black Ops 7. Will every player want to try to unlock everything? Absolutely not. For those who enjoy doing that? You can't deny the amount of content.

A lot of it is also fairly easy to accomplish, even as a more casual player. The Mastery Camos this year are more straightforward, and you have one tier less to complete on every weapon to use it.

There's a decent mix of straightforward challenges and the ludicrous, though. If you want every Zombies Dark Ops, for example, you have to go to Round 999. A 100+ hour time investment.

How have I progressed over the past month? I've done the Genesis Camo, progressing with two of the others, hit Prestige with a bunch of weapons, close to the Campaign/Endgame 100 percenter, and got up to Prestige 9.

But I'm not getting bored yet, and that's the most important thing. And there's still so much more to chase.

There are still some frustrations

Content-wise, I'm personally really happy with Black Ops 7. But I'm less happy with annoying bugs that were around in Black Ops 6 and still haven't been fixed. I'm not talking about game breakers, though there have been a few crashes.

Little things like player levels not showing correctly, Calling Card challenges not tracking properly, and likewise issues with Camo challenges tracking.

While working towards Genesis, I counted at least eight weapons where the challenge would not track unless I went back to the loadout screen and either removed the camo or deleted the weapon build and started again.

Calling Card challenges also still seem to experience bugs in tracking properly. There has been swearing.

I also really, REALLY, am tired of my profile just resetting to something I had it set to previously. Yes, I do want to use the Christmas calling cards and emblems while it's the right season for them. Black Ops 7 loves to say "nah, you're just going to have something else."

When little bugs like these are still a thing in Black Ops 7, having existed throughout Black Ops 6, it doesn't fill you with confidence.

Don't buy into the negativity if you haven't tried it, Black Ops 7 isn't a bad game

As much as I've enjoyed Black Ops 7 so far, it's clear it hasn't been the sort of success that Activision and Microsoft had hoped for. It's still sold well, and there's still a huge number of players, but when you're at the level this franchise usually is, every percentage drop is exaggerated.

But the truth is that it's not a bad game. You don't have to like all of it, but if you haven't played it, don't just blindly follow the social media trend.

It's better than Black Ops 6, and it's definitely better than the last two Modern Warfare titles and Vanguard. There's a lot going on around the franchise, a heck of a lot of noise, but try it. You might find you're surprised. I'm having a blast, and long may it continue.

Are you already playing Black Ops 7, or are you waiting for a bigger discount? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

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Over time, Steam evolved into an all-in-one ecosystem, combining a storefront, social features, a mod hub, and a central launcher for digital libraries. That broader focus helped it cement its position at the centre of PC gaming.

Today, Steam is the dominant PC game distribution platform, leaving little room for competitors like Epic Games and Xbox to make meaningful headway. More than 90 percent of Steam users are on Windows, and the platform regularly sees over 100 million monthly active users across all operating systems.

Steam’s December update pushes it into the 64-bit era

Perhaps long overdue, the Steam client is now fully 64-bit on Windows 10 and Windows 11, applying to 64-bit versions of the operating system. Systems still running 32-bit Windows will continue to receive updates until January 1, 2026.

For those unfamiliar with what this will achieve, moving Steam to a 64-bit client brings some benefits, including improved memory access, better stability, and a stronger foundation for future updates with better performance.

This is not the only change included in Steam’s latest update. Friends and Chat have received long-awaited improvements, including the ability to report suspicious or harassing messages directly from within a chat window.

Elsewhere, Valve has addressed issues affecting Big Picture Mode and Remote Play, alongside a broader set of fixes and quality of life improvements.

Steam Input also sees meaningful additions, with Nintendo Switch 2 controllers now supported over USB on Windows, as well as GameCube adapters in Wii U mode with rumble support, which is a surprising addition to see in the patch notes.

Alongside new hardware support, the update introduces refinements to gyro controls. It resolves issues where DualSense Edge, Xbox Elite, and Nintendo Joy-Con controllers were failing to pair correctly or load the appropriate configuration.

Steam’s shift to a 64-bit client is a big step forward for Windows users, but it also marks the beginning of a wider transition away from older systems. Have your say below and let us know how this update affects you.

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Recently, the Bazzite X (Formerly Twitter) account has been sharing updated usage statistics, and the timing is notable. Since Windows 10 reached end of life, the project has seen an apparent increase in new users.

This is not enough to seriously threaten Microsoft, but it is significant for an independent Linux distro with no corporate backing. Valve does not own Bazzite and is not an official SteamOS release; instead, it builds on the same foundations to deliver a focused gaming experience.

In a recent post on X, Bazzite revealed weekly user growth of around 1.25x over the last 30 days. That may sound modest, but for a niche operating system, it represents a meaningful rise. So, what does 1.25x actually mean? Let’s take a closer look.

Linux gaming is finally viable, but there are still hard limits

It is no surprise to see this surge. Around 90% of Windows games can now run on Linux thanks to Proton. However, kernel-level anti-cheat systems still block major titles like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant from running on Linux.

Gaming is not the only limitation. Linux still lacks native support for Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, and most professional-grade modelling software, although alternatives do exist.

Despite these drawbacks, Bazzite is still pulling in around 50,000 weekly users, a figure that continues to rise alongside that 1.25x growth. The project has also served a total of 2 petabytes of installs. For those unaware, one petabyte equals 1,000 terabytes, and each terabyte contains 1,000 gigabytes.

For context, Linux currently accounts for 3.20% of Steam users, compared to 94.79% on Windows as of November 2025.

It is still a massive gap, but there was a time when climbing above 3% felt impossible. The difference in user experience between Bazzite or SteamOS and Windows, especially for a console-like setup, is now night and day in my opinion.

Not only that, but Linux has also been shown to improve gaming performance on the Xbox Ally and other Windows handheld gaming PCs, while making the device feel far more like a traditional console.

If anything, this progress highlights how far Linux has come. Ideally, that momentum will push Microsoft to move faster, rather than getting slowed down by the realities of being such a large company, where decisions and meaningful feature updates can take far longer to land.

Have you considered switching away from Windows for gaming, or is Linux still a step too far? Let us know in the poll below.

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This raises an obvious question. Is this a new trend, or something that has been building for years?

Steam is currently running its Winter Sale, with heavy discounts across thousands of older titles, and that behavior is reflected in Steam’s most-played charts. While some 2025 releases are maintaining healthy player counts, the biggest games on the platform are still typically older, well-established titles.

A closer look at how Steam players are spending their time

Steam Replay 2025 offers valuable insight into personal play habits, while also showing how the wider Steam audience is spending its time. The data shows that only 14% of total playtime came from games released in 2025.

It does not stop there. Steam also breaks down how players engage with slightly older titles, revealing that 44% of total playtime was spent on games released between one and seven years ago. That alone outweighs new releases by a significant margin.

Classic games continue to perform strongly as well. Titles released eight or more years ago accounted for 40% of all playtime, once again surpassing engagement with new releases.

With this in mind, it raises a natural question about how these figures compare to previous years. Fortunately, Steam Replay makes it easy to look back at earlier data.

In 2024, 15% of playtime was spent on new releases. Recent releases accounted for 47%, while games eight or more years old made up 37% of total playtime.

Going back even further to 2023, the contrast becomes even clearer. Just 9% of playtime was spent on new games, while 52% went to recent releases and 38% to classic titles.

So how do your own stats stack up against the wider Steam audience? Are you spending most of your time jumping into newer releases, or do you find yourself sticking with recent favorites or even returning to classic games you have played for years?

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However, I've realized something recently. Newer games are becoming more and more expensive these days, and oftentimes, they launch in sub-optimal conditions that require months, or even an entire year's worth of patches to fix (I'm looking at you Monster Hunter Wilds).

So, as part of my New Year's Resolution for 2026, I'm dedicating my time to completing Xbox and PC titles from my giant games backlog that I never got around to playing for various reasons, like waiting for their post-launch development to be finished, waiting for them to be cheaper, or not having the time to play them.

Here are my top-priority backlog games I plan to play and finish in 2026, finally.

The Divinity Original Sin series

When I was younger, I was never really interested in CRPGs due to how complicated they were. But that all changed after playing and immensely enjoying Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, so I'm planning on playing more of them in the future.

The first CRPGs in my backlog I wish to tackle are the Divinity Original Sin games after seeing Larian Studio's grand and gruesomely dark reveal of its next Divinity game at The Game Awards 2025.

Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 are turn-based CRPGs set in the fantasy world of Rivellon and have the players embark on epic and insane adventures where they must save the land from evil mages, demons, and potential cosmic horrors.

The first game, released in 2014, was critically acclaimed at the time for its complex combat system, where you had to manipulate the environment in creative ways (like covering areas in water then using thunder spells to electrocute entire hordes, for example) to achieve victory, and limitless character class customization.

It also featured complex moral choices that can take the story in wild directions, and a two-player co-op mode where players can fight each other in Rock-Paper-Scissors style mini-games to settle who gets to make their morality choice.

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Divinity: Original Sin 2, released in 2017, improved upon the foundations of the first Divinity: Original Sin while adding tons more features that would set the gameplay groundwork for Larian Studios' award-winning hit, Baldur's Gate 3.

You can play one of six pre-made Origin characters with unique backstories and questlines, or create your own hero that's either a Human, Lizard, Elf, Dwarf, or Undead.

In addition, you have greater degrees of player freedom when it comes to player choice (like killing any NPCs without fear of soft-locking your progress), more skills and spells to dominate the battlefield with, and the ability to play in 4-player online or offline split-screen co-op.

There's even a Game Master Mode where a player can create their very own campaign and have players download and challenge them.

On top of that, Divinity: Original Sin 2 recently received an Xbox Series X|S 60FPS Upgrade Update, which allows owners of the Xbox One version to upgrade it to the Xbox Series X|S version for free.

Divinity Original Sin 2 is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Baldur's Gate 3

This is going to come as a major shock, but I haven't played Baldur's Gate 3 yet.

This is because it was stuck in early access for what felt like ages. When it finally did come out, it was constantly receiving performance and content patches that radically changed the game, so I decided to wait until it was completely finished.

Now that Larian Studios has moved on from Baldur's Gate 3 and has a ton of mods available for it, I'd say it's now the time to play it.

For those unaware, Baldur's Gate 3 is the long-awaited continuation of the Baldur's Gate CRPG series, originally headed by BioWare of Mass Effect fame.

You play as one of several Origin characters or a custom-made character on a quest to save the titular town of Baldur's Gate from being invaded by horrifying creatures known as Illithid while racing to find a cure to remove parasites the Illithid have planted into your brain before they consume you.

This game earned a perfect 5/5 review score from our Diablo 4-lover, Jennifer Young, won the Best Game award at the BAFTAs, and won several awards (including GOTY) at The Game Awards 2023 for its deep, rich storylines, well-written characters, and gameplay systems that perfectly adapted the ruleset of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition in videogame form.

Not to mention, Baldur's Gate features an insane level of character creation, sublime quality voice acting, and an intricate turn-based combat system that rewards tactical play, and endless replay value thanks to its gargantuan myriad of dialogue choices and character build potential.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

After loving Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, I'm curious to see what Owlcat Games' previous games are like while I wait for the release of their next big WH40K project, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, by checking out Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

For over a hundred years, the mortal realms have invaded by demons pouring out of a gaping rift in reality known as the Worldwound, and the demons are slowly winning.

Will you help lead the crusade to fight back against these demons or turn to darker paths for your own benefits?

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is an immensely dense game backed with mountains upon mountains of character class customization, a combat system that can be freely switched between turn-based or real-time-with-pause depending on the player's preference, and a novel's worth of intriguing dialogue choices that take the story in insane directions.

There's also a tactical-army management system, over ten companions with compelling personalities and questlines to explore, and several Mythic Paths to travel upon that will ascend your character into godhood.

As someone who played the actual Pathfinder tabletop RPG in their youth, I can't wait to see how Owlcat Games has adapted it in video game form.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

The Hollow Knight series

Time to confess another gaming mishap I've made; I've never played the Hollow Knight games, which is shocking because it combines two of my favorite genres, Metroidvanias and Soulslikes.

However, around the time the original Hollow Knight came out, Monster Hunter: World had consumed my life to the point where I wouldn't play any other game for several years.

With the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong and the announcement of a free DLC expansion for it, I'd figured it was about time I finally gave the Hollow Knight series its due and see how they have earned so much love and praise over the years.

If you're like me and never played it, the Hollow Knight games are sidescrollers that combine the complex exploration gameplay of Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night with the dark atmosphere, gothic aesthetic, and brutal difficulty of Soulslikes like Elden Ring or Dark Souls.

These games are universally praised for their gorgeous hand-drawn 2D artstyle, compelling settings packed with intriguing lore, and addictive gameplay that's perfectly paced and packed with enough content to keep you hooked for months.

As someone who grew up playing Super Metroid and is a rookie Soulslike player, I can't wait to finally dive into the world of Hollow Knight in 2026.

Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong are available for purchase at Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, and GOG.

Ninja Gaiden series

When I was a kid, I actively stayed away from the Ninja Gaiden games because of how notoriously hard they were, which would've sent my impatient, childish, past-self into uncontrollable fits of rage.

Now that I'm a more patient and skilled adult, craving for thrilling challenges, it's time I went back to conquer my childhood fears, especially after playing and loving Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Ninja Gaiden 4.

The Ninja Gaiden franchise has been around since the 1980's, pitting players against insurmountable odds as the master ninja, Ryu Hayabusa.

Whether it's old-school 2D platformers on the NES or the modern 3D hack-and-slash titles by Team Ninja, the Ninja Gaiden series kept players coming back for their insane combat systems, over-the-top boss fights, and teeth-grinding difficulty that did not hold players' hands and rewarded those who stared death in the face.

The older NES games are more challenging to acquire these days, but the older 3D games like the Ninja Gaiden Sigma series are available on PlayStation and PC via Steam, and the Ninja Gaiden Black games, like Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, are available onWindows PC and Xbox.

Control

One of the intriguing announcements that caught my eye was the reveal of Control: Resonant, a sequel to Remedy's critically acclaimed Control.

As someone who hasn't played a single one of Remedy's games, I had no clue about the plot Control: Resonant was following up on, but I was hooked on the bizarre visuals and superhero-esque combat system shown in the trailer.

As a result, I'm going to give the original Control a go in 2026 to see what on Earth is going on (and potentially Alan Wake 2 as I've heard that its DLC expansion is relevant to the story).

The original Control from 2019 is an action-adventure game where you play as a woman named Jesse Faden.

While searching for her missing brother, Jesse's travels take her to the heart of a secret organization called the Federal Bureau of Control, which is being ripped apart by a supernatural phenomenon that you have to stop from destroying humanity.

Control was praised for its strange yet compelling story, haunting visuals, and fun combat system that mixed gunplay with superpowered mayhem, so I'm looking forward to seeing if it lives up to hype in 2026.

Control is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows and Steam.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine series

Here comes another "I can't believe this guy hasn't played this" moment from me, as I haven't played the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine series despite my love for the Warhammer 40,000 franchise.

This is mainly because they focus on the Ultramarines Chapter of the Space Marine faction as protagonists, which I'm not too interested in compared to other factions like the battle-hungry Orks, techno-zealot Adeptus Mechanicus, demonic Chaos Marines, or the psychotic Dark Eldar.

Plus, by the time Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 came out, I was more invested in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and the retro-inspired boomer-shooter, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.

However, after seeing how awesome Ultramarines can truly be through their Secret Level shortfilm on Amazon Prime, I'm going to redeem myself by going through both Space Marine games in 2026, especially now that the original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine has been remastered.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 1 and 2 are third-person shooters that follow the trials and tribulations of Titus, a hardened veteran of the Ultramarines Space Marine Chapter.

While the first game was considered a cult classic, its sequel became a mega-hit that improved upon its gunplay and gameplay content in every way while raising the bar for Warhammer 40,000 games in general.

My fellow WH40K fanatic, Samuel Tolbert, even gave Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 a 4/5 Star Review for its highly detailed graphics, visceral combat system, challenging battles where you faced hundreds of enemies at once, stellar audio design, and robust co-op mode that's still receiving free updates as we speak.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Re-Crafted and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 are available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows and Steam.

Age of Mythology: Retold

When I was a little kid, I would sometimes have a go at real-time strategy games my family would play, despite my being absolutely terrible at them, like StarCraft, Warcraft 3, Age of Empires, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Age of Mythology.

I have fond memories of playing the single-player campaign where the Atlantean hero, Arkantos, would travel the world with an army to defeat evil villains and monsters based on Greek, Viking, and Egyptian myths.

So imagine my rush of nostalgia when Age of Mythology was finally getting remastered as Age of Mythology: Retold, with newly improved graphics, console controller compatibility, quality-of-life improvements, and DLC expansions.

After playing turn-based tactical games for so long, I think it's time I returned to my roots and learned how to play RTS properly this time, as I'm craving to relive my childhood in 2026 with Age of Mythology: Retold.

Age of Mythology: Retold is available for purchase on Xbox and PC via Windows and Steam.

Are there any games in your backlog you haven't played yet but plan to finally visit in 2026? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

FAQ

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One of the Xbox Wireless Controller's more expensive yet artistically rich variants, the Heart Breaker, has just gotten a rare 39% discount so that players can appreciate its beauty for $49.00 at Amazon instead of its usual MSRP of $79.99.

Why buy the Heart Breaker Edition of the Xbox Wireless Controller?

The Heart Breaker Edition of the Xbox Wireless Controller functions identically to the regular version, right down to its responsive controls, comfortable ergonomics, and stable wireless connectivity to Xbox consoles, and Bluetooth connectivity to Windows PCs, tablets, and phones.

In addition, the controller can even play Xbox games via Xbox Cloud Gaming with just a TV linked up with an Amazon Fire TV Stick and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account.

The only major difference is that the Heart Breaker sports a custom-made clamshell by Xbox Design Lab with a bold pink, purple, and blue collage color scheme that's pleasing to the eye.

So, if you don't like the standard Carbon Black or Robot White Xbox controllers and fancy treating yourself or your loved ones to a prettier rendition of one of the best Xbox controllers for less this Christmas, then the Heart Breaker Edition is not a bad choice now that it's on sale for $49.00 at Amazon.

Alternative offerings

If Amazon's stock of the Xbox Wireless Controller (Heart Breaker) runs dry or it's discount expire, here are some alternative back-up discount options.

• $49.00 at Walmart (was $79.99)
• $49.49 at Target (was $69.99)

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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Likely helped by weaker Xbox performance overall due to its lack of sales, Nex Playground edged past Xbox Series X|S to claim third place in units sold for the month, I’m sure in part thanks to its $250 price tag.

Devices like this serve as a stark reminder, at least to me, of how short-sighted Microsoft can sometimes be. The shutdown of Windows Phone, which could have strengthened Microsoft’s broader ecosystem efforts, and the eventual closure of Cortana, an early AI voice assistant, both stand out as missed opportunities that feel especially relevant in hindsight.

Nex CEO says Wii lessons and subscriptions are key

In an interview with The Game Business, the CEO of Nex, David Lee, said the company set out to learn from the rise of Nintendo’s Wii, but also from the challenges that followed. While Wii succeeded in bringing new audiences into gaming, Lee explained that many of those players only ever bought a handful of games, creating long-term Sustainability issues for the platform. Lee goes on to say:

Building on this, Lee added:

The Nex Playground has since found success with younger audiences, offering games based on popular IP such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Fruit Ninja, and more.

Access to that library is handled through Play Pass, a subscription service that unlocks a growing catalogue of games for a recurring fee. The parallels with Xbox Game Pass are clear, although the focus here is firmly on families and younger players rather than a broader gaming audience.

Oh, how this could have been Kinect

As mentioned at the start, Microsoft’s ability to be short-sighted can be impressive at times. Here, it is easy to imagine an alternative reality where Microsoft repurposed Kinect toward a more family-oriented audience, expanding what an Xbox could be years before the phrase “this is an Xbox” was ever coined.

Instead, Kinect was discontinued in 2017, and we do not live in a world where Microsoft can see the future. With the benefit of hindsight, Nex Playground makes it hard not to wonder whether that decision was too hasty, and to add insult to injury, their vision aligns with just what Microsoft wants to do, with Lee adding:

As Nex’s CEO makes clear, the console’s success wasn’t an accident In an industry that often chases power over play, its Kinect‑like approach proved there’s still room for hardware that prioritizes inclusivity over specs.

Whether this strategy can be replicated in today’s market is another question entirely, but its unexpected victory over Xbox stands as a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins come from thinking outside the traditional console race.

Do you think Microsoft should have repurposed Kinect rather than discontinuing it, or did it make the right call at the time? Share your thoughts below, and let us know how you feel about Microsoft’s ongoing tendency to end support for hardware and software that later feels more relevant than ever.

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Blizzard already has two big launches set for the first half of 2026

Looking ahead, Blizzard already seems set with two big launches coming fairly early next year. World of Warcraft: Midnight is set to arrive on March 2, 2026.

Meanwhile, Diablo 4 is getting its second expansion with the launch of Lord of Hatred on April 28, 2026, bringing new story and two new classes, including the Paladin, which is available now for anyone that preorders the expansion.

I'm curious what the teams have further down the line, as it seems unlikely that new expansions will be ready for Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft in 2027. Might we see Blizzard launch some entirely new games?

Do you think Blizzard can actually hit that pace without sacrificing quality, or is this just corporate optimism talking? Drop your thoughts below and hit our poll — what do you want Blizzard’s new release era to look like?

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The collaboration between these studios is bringing a new, wild-west-themed roguelike titled Erosion to Xbox and PC in 2026.

The premise of Erosion is fairly simple: the protagonist’s daughter is kidnapped by an evil warlord, who drags her into a living Pillar capable of warping time itself. She needs to be saved, and you’re going to do it. It's a tale as old as time, but there are some unique twists involved in Erosion.

Each death comes at the cost of actual time, pushing the world forward a decade and changing the open world around you. Your daughter, too, ages with the world, effectively putting a limit on the number of times you can die during your time with Erosion if you want to actually save her. Take too long, and you might not have a daughter left to save.

The trailer for Erosion highlights this gameplay element. We first see the hero being greeted by an excited little girl, happy to be saved by her daddy, only for her to morph into an agitated young adult who asks, “What took you so long?” The final transition shows an elderly woman collapsing into her father’s arms before transforming into flower petals and blowing away.

The passage of time is not only reflected in the age of the protagonist’s daughter. Erosion offers players a massive wasteland as a sandbox in which they can explore, but this voxel art world can be impacted by player actions and choices.

Destroy a building during a shootout, and it might not be there when you return a decade later, for example. In fact, the entire village may be nothing more than just a ghost of its former glory.

It's not all death and destruction, though. You can opt to help out the locals you encounter in Erosion, often with humorous unintended consequences. Helping out a store owner early on might lead to that shop becoming an empire later down the road. You could also cause a small farm to become the home of a new cultist compound that worships the Great Ol’ Rooster.

It's all a gamble in Erosion, really, especially when you visit Al Cashino, the local casino, where you can gamble until your little heart’s content.

The overworld of Erosion is vibrant and lively, with plenty of opportunities for trying your luck. The sands of the world are ripe with fishing opportunities, letting you uncover strange buried creatures from beneath the dunes. Steal a fresh new ride and take it to the salt flats for a high-risk, high-reward race.

Become an accomplished bounty hunter, taking down criminals for your own gain. Or challenge your foes to a duel — remember that death pushes time forward a decade, though, so be sure to aim true.

Speaking of aim, Erosion features dozens of weapons to choose from, with the opportunity to build out your protagonist with more than a hundred skills and modifiers that come together for some really crazy synergies.

The voxel art world of Erosion is yours to toy with as you please. Rain down orbital ferrets and watch the wiggly little fellows tear the town down to nothing more than little cubes of rubble. Equip the Ebony Rooster and take on the warlord with its arsenal of bouncy voxel eggs. Or simply settle for flipping a few poker tables.

Erosion challenges players to master the world’s unique timeline, putting the control to rewrite the game’s future to experience every single possibility. Exploring the world and completing quests can help you unlock permanent upgrades so that you can experience and shape the story based on your experiences and choices.

Plot Twist and Lyrical Games are taking the 11 bit studios approach to launching Erosion, opting to release the game into Early Access on PC via Xbox PC and Steam in early 2026. A console port of Erosion is expected for Xbox Series X|S later in the year. A price has not yet been confirmed, but Erosion is heading to PC Game Pass on day one as part of the subscription plan.

What do you think of Erosion? Are you interested in playing? Fill out our poll and tell us more in the comments.

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It would ultimately go on to become the best-selling game of 2025, with Season 1 updates and the launch of the free-to-play battle royale Battlefield REDSEC helping to maintain the game's popularity. Its numbers have tapered off and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 outsold it in November, but it still maintains a very strong player base and all signs point to it remaining the year's overall best seller.

It's within this context that Battlefield Studios has revealed what's coming to the game in future seasons and 2026, including Season 2 and beyond, in a new Community Update post (Season 1 is expected to end mid-January). Alongside some interesting multiplayer statistics and spotlights of fan-made Portal creations, we got an idea of what to expect from upcoming content updates.

The devs say they're "refining core gameplay, balance, and quality-of-life improvements across Multiplayer, REDSEC, and Portal," while also building new maps and weapons "that introduce fresh tactical opportunities and keep the experience evolving in meaningful ways." There will also be "fresh experiences for future seasons," implying more experimental, limited-time modes like Winter Offensive's Ice Lock are on the way.

Beyond that, Battlefield Studios is also looking to integrate Battlefield Labs testing into the live version of Battlefield 6 in some way (currently, its playtests run on separate builds), and hopes to introduce solo REDSEC battle royale play "at a quality level that feels right for Battlefield."

Oh, and the nimble minigun-equipped Little Bird helicopter is still on the way, too: "And for those keeping an eye on the skies…yes, a certain little bird is eager to say hi again."

"Whether you’re reading this between matches, on the way to see family, or taking a well-deserved break from the battlefield, thank you for being here. Your support throughout launch, your energy during Season 1, and all of your Only in Battlefield moments have made this year unforgettable," the studio wrote in its post.

"Your reports and thoughtful discussions have helped us iterate quickly and focus on the things that matter most. We will continue to build on this collaboration as we move into the new year."

The developers also noted that from now until New Years and the arrival of 2026, "the team will be taking a short breather to recharge," and that "communication may be quieter during this time." They assure players that support services and anti-cheat operations will continue as normal, though.

"From all of us on the Battlefield team, thank you for an amazing year. Happy holidays, stay safe, and we will see you on the Battlefield again soon," they added.

This is a nice letter to fans from the devs, and also a good overview of what we can expect to see from Battlefield 6 in 2026 and beyond. As for the new types of content mentioned? Fresh maps, weapons, and the eventual return of the Little Bird are all exciting, as are new modes to enjoy. I don't care about battle royale solos (or REDSEC in general), but for those that do, it's good to see that's in the oven as well.

Some additional things I really want to see from Battlefield 6 is an official server browser with official persistent Battlefield Studios-maintained servers, as well as better spotlights for creative community Portal maps and modes. Hopefully we'll get both in the new year.

Have you been enjoying Battlefield 6 since its launch in October? Do you still play often, or have you moved on to other games? Let me know in the comments.

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Impacted games included Rare's new IP Everwild as well as The Elder Scrolls Online-maker ZeniMax Online's new MMO, and tragically, the Perfect Dark reboot as well. Microsoft also shut down the studio it formed in 2018 to make Perfect Dark, The Initiative, at the same time.

The revival of Rare's dormant stealthy sci-fi FPS series was announced in 2020, and had just gotten a gameplay reveal trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 months before the axe came down. Thus, while it was understood the game went through development struggles, its cancelation nevertheless came as a complete shock to most — and not just to players, either.

In a new interview with TheGamer, Alix Wilton-Regan — the actress that would have starred as protagonist Joanna Dark, also known for roles in Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Cyberpunk 2077 — revealed that the news of the layoffs, cancelation, and closure of The Initiative came out of nowhere, and that she found out "at the same time as everybody else."

"I was as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else was when the funding was pulled, and the studio was closed," she said. "I did not see it coming. I was absolutely blindsided when the project was defunded."

"It was devastating. So many people lost their jobs. An entire workforce was disbanded. There was an ecosystem of creativity and collaboration that was in place that we lost overnight," she continued. "It was really difficult, really difficult for everybody."

Wilton-Regan explained she'd recorded "bits and bobs throughout '23," and that The Initiative was also "doing lots of performance capture for it in '24," giving her the impression that the project had progressed a lot.

She'd "done entire chapters of this universe" and noted that the team "had delivered several milestones that the client was really happy with," but she ultimately didn't know how far Perfect Dark had come. Evidently, Microsoft didn't consider further development to be viable after seeing where it was at.

There was hope when Take-Two tried to save Perfect Dark from Microsoft's cancelation, but after that rescue attempt fell through due to disagreements about ownership of the IP, Wilton-Regan felt crushed.

"That was the day I was really sad because that was the day I lost hope," she said. "I couldn't say too much about it ... But certainly, everyone was working really hard behind the scenes to bring Perfect Dark back. And then one day, I heard from the creative director that the deal hadn't gone through, and that really everything had fallen apart, and production was fully stopping."

"I've never experienced in my career before what I experienced with Perfect Dark. And I guess now that I know that it can happen, you become really frightened that the same thing could happen again," she added.

Notably, Wilton-Regan is playing Lara Croft in the newly announced Tomb Raider: Catalyst. But while that role has helped keep her spirits afloat, she has a fear of that opportunity collapsing as well (Tomb Raider dev Crystal Dynamics has experienced three layoff waves this year).

"The saving grace for me when Perfect Dark fell apart was that I'd already been shooting Lara for about a year as well," she told TheGamer. "I was playing Joanna over here, and I was playing Lara over here, which was wonderful and genuinely one of the most creatively exciting times of my life. And I just felt so relieved that I still had Lara, but I also felt really frightened about losing Lara. I'm still frightened of losing Lara."

I wish nothing but the best for Alix Wilton-Regan and everyone else who worked on the canceled Perfect Dark reboot, and was affected by The Initiative's closure. Note that recently, two of its lead devs joined Take-Two to make a new 2K studio.

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Indeed, excitement for the series seems just as sky high as it was when Season 1 came out, though this time around, the new season is releasing episodically every week on Wednesdays — and one surprise Season 2's later episodes may have in store could be a performance from one of the most legendary actors in Fallout history.

That actor is Ron Perlman, best known by film and TV audiences for his performances as Hellboy in movies from that franchise and Clay Morrow in Sons of Anarchy. To Fallout fans, though, he's the iconic narrator of the opening cutscenes in nearly every game, including 1, 2, Tactics, 3, New Vegas, and 76. He also voiced Butch Harris in The Hub in the original RPG, the newscaster at the start of Fallout 4, and most endings in the titles he did intros for.

Outside of Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Perlman's distinctive deep and resonant voice has been audible in every Fallout game ever made, with his most notable delivery being the series' "war never changes" tagline. Naturally, that's had fans wondering if he'll appear in the TV show at some point — and when Dexerto recently asked Bethesda's Todd Howard about that, his response suggests that it's a very real possibility.

"Look, love Ron, we've worked with him a lot," Howard said (after reiterating the showrunners' intention to avoid canonizing any one New Vegas ending). And so, I think when you think about him and you think about that voice, you know, you think about like, 'Hey ... is there a place and what's the right one?'"

That's hardly an indication that Perlman will appear in Season 2, though it does, at the very least, signal that the producers at Bethesda and Amazon are thinking about ways he could be brought onto the show in a way that feels fitting.

It's important to note, though, that Perlman was present at the Los Angeles premiere of Fallout Season 2 earlier this month, and was in a photo taken with all the show's cast members. This implies he may actually have a role in Season 2 — one that Howard didn't want to spoil in his interview.

Earlier this year at Corpus Christi Comic Con, Perlman also noted he "can't talk about number two" when asked about Fallout, suggesting the possibility of a Season 2 appearance. "But just in 'not talking' about it I think I just talked about it," he added.

If Perlman is in Fallout Season 2, what role might he be playing? It's impossible to say for sure, though many fans believe he's behind the extremely deep, gravelly voice heard in Season 2's official trailer (read our full breakdown). This voice is extremely similar to those we've heard from Super Mutants in the games, so if that is Perlman, he could be playing the beloved Super Mutant Marcus from Fallout 2 and New Vegas, or perhaps an entirely new character.

Of course, this is all just speculation. But even if Perlman isn't in Fallout Season 2, I do hope he appears in the show in one way or another in the future.

Note that if you've never played the Fallout games he lent his voice to, all of them are playable on both Xbox and/or PC through Xbox Game Pass.

Would you like to see Ron Perlman play a role in the Fallout TV show? Do you want him to reprise his role as a narrator in some way, or play a character in the show itself? Sound off in the comments.

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The game in question is Halo: Recruit, a short virtual reality experience that launched in 2017 for Windows Mixed Reality. At the time, it was designed to showcase Microsoft’s push into virtual and augmented reality rather than act as a full Halo release.

However, in what now feels like a familiar Satya… I mean, Microsoft pattern; Windows Mixed Reality itself was discontinued in 2023. With the platform gone, Halo: Recruit appears to have quietly vanished alongside it a coupleof years later.

What exactly was Halo: Recruit?

Whilst only a short, standalone release designed to showcase the capabilities of Windows Mixed Reality, Halo: Recruit was not received particularly poorly. It functioned far more as a technical demo than a complete game, offering a brief glimpse of the Halo universe in VR rather than a substantial experience.

Its removal from the Microsoft Store appears to have gone largely unnoticed, and it is currently unclear how long the title has been delisted. Microsoft has not provided any explanation, leaving its disappearance easy to miss unless you were actively searching for it.

Interestingly, GeneralKidd also highlighted another obscure Halo project, though this was one never officially released. This was a Pokémon Go-style concept tied to Halo 4, with ties to 7-Eleven, Doritos, and Mountain Dew?

The project, titled Halo 4 King of the Hill, reportedly revolved around scanning Mountain Dew and Doritos codes to level up your character, with 7-Eleven stores acting as real-world locations similar to gyms. The idea never progressed beyond the concept stage, but it remains one of the more unusual Halo experiments that surfaced during that era.

A frustrating trend for some games

Despite being a relatively unknown entry in the Halo franchise, it is still a shame to see it delisted without any word from Microsoft. It feels unnecessary, especially when leaving these titles listed would seemingly cause no harm.

It is a small frustration I have with situations like this. We have seen similar cases with Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo: Spartan Assault no longer being accessible on specific platforms, and it leaves a sour taste.

As a lifelong Halo fan, seeing parts of the franchise quietly disappear like this is always disappointing.

Do you think Microsoft should be more transparent about removals like this, or is it just part of the digital era we live in? Share your thoughts below — how do you feel about losing access to games you thought were safe in your library?

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First released in 2002 on PlayStation 2, and later arriving on Xbox and PC in 2003, Vice City quickly stood out for its setting, soundtrack, and tone.

It was also critically acclaimed, and for many players, it was their first real introduction to an adult-rated game.

What feels like an ancient past at this point makes this latest development even more surprising and impressive. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is now playable directly in your web browser, according to a post on Reddit.

Playing GTA Vice City in a browser

From the Dos Zone team, who have a hefty background in browser-based game preservation, titles like Doom, Half-Life: Deathmatch, and the original GTA are all playable in a browser thanks to the team's efforts.

Because it runs entirely in a web browser, the demo works on Windows and Android, and should also function on macOS, iOS, and Linux as long as a modern browser is supported.

In terms of input and display, the demo supports a wide range of screen resolutions, standard keyboard controls, and controller support. I tested it on my Xbox Ally X without any issues, making the game accessible across devices, including tablets and phones, albeit somewhat awkward with touchscreen controls.

Progress can be saved locally, with optional cloud saves available through the js-dos platform, allowing sessions to carry over between devices.

There is a demo limitation, however. Progression is blocked at the first story checkpoint at the Ocean View Hotel, unless you provide proof of ownership.

To continue beyond that point, users must upload an original Vice City game file, which is verified using checksums to confirm it matches retail assets.

The legality and how to play

The legal situation remains unclear. DOS Zone says it does not distribute original game assets and relies on user-supplied files, but that does not guarantee rights holders will accept a publicly playable browser version of the game.

Whilst the legality of this is unknown, it still is an impressive feat that the team has managed to accomplish, and it begs the question, what else could run in a browser, Crysis perhaps?

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can check out the demo by clicking here.

Do you think browser‑based versions of classics are the future of retro gaming, or do you prefer the original console experience? Drop your thoughts below and tell us how you’ll be revisiting Vice City!

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It kicked the year off with Avowed, a game I am literally downloading as I write this. That was followed by Grounded 2, an Early Access sequel that builds confidently on everything that made the original special.

Obsidian also closed out the year with The Outer Worlds 2, a sequel that is bigger, more ambitious, and more refined in just about every way compared to the first game.

Whether you are invested in one of these games or all three, Obsidian clearly has something planned for you in 2026. With updates already outlined across its entire lineup, it is worth digging into what fans can expect next year.

Avowed in 2026

Avowed launched in February 2025 and landed respectable reviews across the board, including a 4/5 here on Windows Central. It marked a strong start to the year for Obsidian and set expectations high for post-launch support.

Originally, Avowed was expected to receive an update at the end of this year. That update has since been pushed into 2026, where it will now arrive as a larger Anniversary update.

When it lands, fans can expect features like New Game Plus, a Photo Mode, a new Quarterstaff weapon, and more. It is a meaningful upgrade, especially for players looking for reasons to revisit the game.

I am genuinely torn on whether to finish my download now or hold off until that update arrives next year. Either way, there is some genuinely exciting stuff on the horizon here, with New Game Plus standing out in particular.

Grounded 2 in 2026

While still in Early Access, Grounded 2 is off to a stellar start and already feels bigger and better than its predecessor. The foundation is strong, and player reception so far has been largely positive.

Community feedback is central to how Obsidian is shaping Grounded 2, with the studio actively readjusting its plans based on player response. In particular, builders have been less impressed with the current offering, prompting Obsidian to accelerate its plans to improve building systems in the game.

Looking ahead, players can expect a community garden to be added to the park early next year as part of the Winter Update. A mid-sized update will follow that in Spring, and if all goes to plan, a major update is currently targeted for Summer, with more content planned beyond that.

Obsidian has also confirmed there is plenty more on the way, including new environments to explore, more buggies, additional armor and equipment, and even more mysteries to uncover as development continues.

The Outer Worlds 2 in 2026

The Outer Worlds 2 is Obsidian’s biggest release this year, expanding on everything the original game set out to do in a much bigger and more spectacular way. It is the studio’s most ambitious project of 2025, and the reception so far reflects that step up.

Compared to Avowed and Grounded 2, Obsidian is being more reserved about what is coming next for The Outer Worlds 2. What it has confirmed is that a couple of DLCs are currently in development for 2026, alongside ongoing improvements to the core experience.

While details remain limited, Obsidian has teased that it has no shortage of ideas. Those plans include new features and long-requested quality-of-life improvements, suggesting there is plenty more to come even if specifics are being kept under wraps for now.

Exciting times ahead for Obsidian

It is great to see that, despite having three games on the go, Obsidian is as committed as ever to providing updates and ensuring that fans have the best experience possible.

Now, I think that my Avowed download is done, so I’ll treat myself and see just what I’ve been missing out on.

Which of these games are you most excited to dive back into — fantasy RPG, backyard survival, or sci‑fi adventure? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know where your hype is strongest.

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Today, however, Owlcat Games has decided to release a new gameplay trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, showcasing its systems in action to celebrate the launch of the game's Alpha Test (it was originally supposed to go live on December 16, 2025, but Owlcat Games delayed it to December 18, 2025, for some quick fixes).

The gameplay shows a montage of the various dark adventures the player will embark on in the game, narrated by Anton Zerbe, an Inquisitor Lord the player will serve under as an Acolyte of the Inquisition.

Scenes include the player Acolyte meeting recruitable companions they'll meet, like Laarthyr Cairnareth, the Aeldari Corsair, and snippets of the game's Investigation system, where the player must collect and piece together evidence to solve mysteries and deal punishments to suspects.

There are also quick scenes showing off the game's combat system, which aims to be an evolution of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader's as there are now mechanics where you can target enemy limbs to deal extra damage or debuffs.

These combat scenes also give the player a glimpse at some of the enemies they'll face, like malfunctioning members of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the savage Kroot race, and mutated Daemons who worship the Chaos Gods.

Players who pre-ordered Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's Digital Founder's Pack or Collector's Edition will be able to experience these gruesome scenes firsthand, as the Alpha Test has gone live for the Steam version of the game.

If you haven't pre-ordered and wish to join the Alpha Test for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, details for how to do so can be found on the game's Steam Page.

For people who haven't joined, they will have to wait until the game releases sometime in the future on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store.

Are you looking forward to playing Owlcat Games' next CRPG adaptation of Warhammer 40,000? Then let us know in the comments below!

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What makes this interesting is that Avalanche Studios, the same studio that was working on the now-cancelled Contraband for Xbox, appears to have quietly updated Just Cause 3 almost ten years after release.

On PC, Just Cause 3 was always held back by one persistent frustration. Its use of Denuvo, an anti-piracy and anti-tamper system, was a long-standing sore point for players and modders alike. However, Denuvo has now seemingly been removed from Just Cause 3 entirely.

Denuvo no more

Denuvo is an anti-piracy system used by developers to prevent games from being cracked and redistributed illegally. It is deeply integrated into a game’s executable, which makes it difficult to bypass and is tightly linked to how the game runs on PC.

While preventing piracy is generally seen as a positive, Denuvo has long come with trade-offs. Across multiple PC titles, it has been associated with performance issues and complications for modders, making it a frequent point of criticism.

Nearly ten years after Just Cause 3 first launched, the game has quietly received an update on Steam. Following that update, all mentions of Denuvo have seemingly been removed from the store page, strongly suggesting the anti-piracy system is no longer in use. As well as this, users on Reddit have mentioned that the game's executable has seen a significant reduction in size.

In the short term, this change has likely broken several mods and tools that rely on the game’s executable. Those issues are expected to be resolved over time, and for many players, the removal of Denuvo may prove to be a worthwhile trade for a cleaner and potentially more stable PC experience.

Do you think surprise updates like this breathe new life into older games, or would you rather see studios focus on new titles? Drop your thoughts below — are you diving back into Rico’s chaos, or leaving it in the past?

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Now, I thought this would be fairly straightforward — load up each game in both Steam and the Xbox App, tweak settings, and see what kind of performance I can get on the lowest TDP possible to maximize battery life while maintaining a relatively comfortable 60FPS — but it really wasn't that easy.

But fear not, I took the time to find some workarounds for each of the Fallout games on both Steam and the Xbox App, and have detailed step-by-step instructions for them on this page.

Without further ado, here's how to get Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 to run on handheld gaming PCs like Xbox Ally X.

Prerequisites: Handheld system settings

Before you attempt to play any of these Fallout games on handhelds, you're going to want to change your handheld's system settings. I highly recommend you manually adjust VRAM allocation and enable the HYPR-RX graphics suite to get the best game performance.

I've included instructions on how to change VRAM on ASUS ROG handhelds below. If you have one of Lenovo's handhelds, follow our Legion Go VRAM guide instead.

How to change VRAM allocation on Xbox Ally X (and other ASUS ROG handhelds)

1. Start by pressing the Armoury Crate button to open the Armory Crate Command Center. Select Open Armory Crate SE.
2. Once Armoury Crate opens, head to Settings using the cogwheel icon.
3. From there, select Performance.
4. Next, tap the GPU Settings tab.

5. Tap the dropdown box to the right of where it says "Memory Assigned to GPU."
6. Change VRAM to 6G.
7. Wait while the handheld automatically restarts.

For Fallout games, allocating 6GB to VRAM is generally okay. Some titles may struggle at the default 4GB, while 8GB is rarely necessary and can reduce available system memory.

If the VRAM option does not appear, make sure your device is fully updated and then reboot your handheld before trying again.

How to enable HYPR-RX on Xbox Ally X

Most handhelds with an AMD Z1 or Z2 series processor can enable HYPR-RX, a graphics suite that enhances game performance.

More specifically, AMD Software lets you apply a single graphics preset that affects all games system-wide, which is useful if you want consistent performance without tweaking each title individually.

1. To enable HYPR-RX, open the AMD Software app, by searching for it (this is easier in Windows Desktop mode).
2. Go to the Gaming tab.
3. Select Graphics.
4. From here, turn on HYPR-RX.

On the Xbox Ally X, ROG Ally, and Legion Go handhelds, HYPR-RX is the recommended option as it applies a balanced set of performance-focused features automatically. The base Xbox Ally does not support HYPR-RX, but it does offer a Performance preset instead.

This menu also gives you access to other features like Radeon Super Resolution, Anti-Lag, Fluid Motion Frames, and Radeon Boost. These apply across all games, so it is best to treat them as options you set and forget about, as opposed to changing them per game.

Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 handheld optimization

If you want to play Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 via the Xbox App or Steam, you'll either need to use the workaround I've detailed below or be willing to map the controls yourself, using this keyboard layout for Fallout 1 and this layout for Fallout 2.

Be warned, the fix for getting both Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 to work on handhelds is on the tedious side.

Whenever you try to launch these games on either the Xbox App or Steam, you're prompted with a terrible-looking launcher, and when you select Play, you're prompted with "Error initializing video mode: 1024x768."

To fix this, we have to do either of the following (I did both just in case):

1. Open the Xbox App and navigate to the Fallout game page.
2. Select the More Actions button that has the three dots on it.
3. Select Manage.
4. Once here, go to Files and select Browse.
5. When the File Explorer comes up, select Fallout (PC) or Fallout 2 (PC), depending on which you're fixing (also choose your language of choice).
6. Go to Content.
7. Select f1_res_Config or f2_res_config.
8. A new Window will open. In here, select "Manually Edit Config," or choose your target resolution and select Enable if available.
9. This should open in Notepad, but if prompted, select Notepad.
10. Next, you want to change SCR_WIDTH to 1920.
11. After that, change SCR_HEIGHT to 1080.
12. If you encounter other issues, try setting the options WINDOWED=1 and WINDOWED_FULLSCREEN=0 to match here.
13. Now, save and close the file.

If you're playing through Steam, you should be done and able to correctly launch the game. If you're playing via the Xbox App, however, like I was then, you may need to do one extra step.

This step is where things got tricky for me, as the earlier step didn't work for me via the Xbox App. Instead, I had to take it one step further and edit the files within the WindowsApps folder, which can be done like so:

Additional steps for Fallout 1 & 2 on the Xbox App

1. Within File Explorer, select View, then Show, and make sure Hidden items is enabled.
2. Next, open File Explorer and go to your C drive.
3. Open Program Files, and locate WindowsApps.
4. Right-click WindowsApps.
5. Select Properties.
6. Go to the Security tab, then select Advanced.
7. At the top, next to Owner, select Change.
8. Select Advanced.
9. Choose the option Find Now.
10. You'll want to select your user account and click OK.
11. Click on the box next to Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.
12. Select Apply, then select OK.
13. Return to the Security tab and select Edit.
14. Select your user account, then enable Full control.
15. Select Apply, then select OK.
16. Now open WindowsApps, and you should be able to browse it normally.

Now follow the first steps again and apply it to your language of choice, and that should mean you can launch the game through the Xbox App now.

This fix will also work on Steam; however, the location of the folder is different. You should simply be able to install the "Fallout1_High_Resolution_Patch_4.1.8." However, I will cover what to do if this does not work in the next section.

Additional steps for Fallout 1 & 2 on Steam

Here's how you get to the same folder but if you installed the game via Steam:

1. Within Steam, right-click Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 in your library and select Properties.
2. Select Installed Files from the menu on the left.
3. Click Browse to open the game’s install directory in File Explorer.
4. Now try to install the Fallout1_High_Resolution_Patch_4.1.8 or Fallout2_High_Resolution_Patch_4.1.8 patch.
5. You will be prompted to extract files. Select Yes and then select Yes to all.
6. If this doesn't work, follow the same guide as above and open up f1_res_Config or f2_res_config.
7. A new window will open. In here, Select "Manually Edit Config".
8. This should open in Notepad, but if prompted, select Notepad.
9. Next, you want to change SCR_WIDTH to 1920.
10. After that, change SCR_HEIGHT to 1080.
11. Make sure WINDOWED=1 and WINDOWED_FULLSCREEN=0 are like this.
12. Finally, save and close the file.

With all that done, you should be able to play Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 on your handheld gaming PC regardless of if you're playing through the Xbox App or Steam.

Fallout 3 handheld optimization

In my experience, Fallout 3 actually performs fairly well at 1080p using a mix of high and medium settings, maintaining a stable 60FPS at 17W TDP.

The performance issues I previously ran into turned out to be caused by the FPS overlay being enabled in Armory Crate, which had a significant negative impact on frame pacing and overall performance.

1. Launch Fallout 3. Note that the game opens its external launcher rather than booting straight into gameplay.
2. From here, select Config to access the video settings.
3. Change settings to your preferred options (we've included recommended settings below).
   1. Note that you must either use Desktop Mode or tap the screen to interact with the launcher. You can change to Desktop Mode by pressing the Armoury Crate button and then tapping the Control Mode button until it changes from Gamepad to Desktop.
4. Once your settings are configured, select Okay.
5. Double-press Play to launch the game.

RECOMMENDED FALLOUT 3 SETTINGS FOR HANDHELDS:

At 1080p, the launcher’s auto-detected settings were mostly usable, but I still recommend double-checking them manually. I settled on the medium preset as it still looks great to me. I also usually disable vertical sync here, although this is optional.

I initially attempted to cap the frame rate to 60FPS using Armory Crate, but this did not reliably limit FPS.

More importantly, enabling the Armory Crate FPS overlay introduced heavy performance issues, so I recommend leaving it disabled entirely when playing Fallout 3.

NOTE: Fallout 3 does not allow graphical changes once in-game, so all adjustments must be made through the launcher beforehand.

If you do run into performance drops in heavier areas, increasing TDP from a lower wattage to a higher wattage can help significantly, but it will drain the battery much faster. I found that 35W was ideal on my Xbox Ally X.

Fallout: New Vegas handheld optimization

Fallout: New Vegas behaves very similarly to Fallout 3, and once again, my initial performance issues were not entirely down to the game itself.

With the Armory Crate FPS overlay disabled, Fallout: New Vegas runs comfortably at 1080p using medium settings. With this, I am able to hold a steady 60FPS at 17W TDP and even higher than 60FPS in some instances.

Here's how to change Fallout: New Vegas settings for handhelds:

1. Launch Fallout: New Vegas, to bring up the game's external launcher.
2. Select Config to access the video settings.
3. Now it's time to change settings to your preferred options (we've included setting recommendations below).
   1. Note that you must either use Desktop Mode or tap the screen to interact with the launcher. You can change to Desktop Mode by pressing the Armoury Crate button and then tapping the Control Mode button until it changes from Gamepad to Desktop.
4. When you're done making changes, select OK.
5. Select Play to start the game.

RECOMMENDED FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS SETTINGS FOR HANDHELDS:

At 1080p, the launcher’s auto-detected settings are mostly okay, same as Fallout 3. However, they are still worth checking manually. I avoided Ultra settings and stuck to Medium. Disabling vertical sync here is optional, but like Fallout 3, I leave it off.

More importantly, enabling the FPS overlay caused noticeable performance and frame pacing issues, so it is best left disabled entirely.

NOTE: Like Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas does not allow graphical changes once in-game, so all adjustments must be done through the launcher before launching.

If performance still isn't the best here, increase your handheld's TDP. Just remember that your battery drains faster when TDP is set at a higher level.

Fallout 4 handheld optimization

Fallout 4 behaves very differently from Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. The traditional launcher is disabled, and in-game Graphics menus can sometimes be missing entirely on handhelds.

If you booted up Fallout 4 and you can see the graphics settings options, then check out our guide on the best Fallout 4 settings for Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go gaming handhelds.

However, if you do not see the graphic settings, then continue reading. As a heads up, to fix this, you'll need to manually configure things via a config file. Here's what to do:

1. Before making any changes, make sure you have launched the game at least once so the necessary config files are generated on your handheld.
2. Locate the Fallout4Prefs.ini and Fallout4.ini graphics settings files for Fallout 4.
   1. Graphics settings for the Xbox App version of Fallout 4 are stored in Documents\My Games\Fallout4 MS.
   2. Graphic Settings for the Steam Version of Fallout 4 are stored in: Documents\My Games\Fallout4 MS.
3. Before editing anything, create a backup of these files and store them somewhere safe.
4. Once the backup is created, download the files from NexusMods.
5. Once downloaded, extract the contents of these new files.
6. Choose the Low options.
7. Once extracted, replace the Fallout4Prefs.ini and Fallout4.ini files that were in either Documents\My Games\Fallout4 MS or Documents\My Games\Fallout4 MS with the files from whichever preset you choose.

Note that I still experienced some hitches here and there with these low settings, likely as assets were loading in, but it was still an improvement over the base settings.

It is also important to note that the above is strictly for if you're having issues at all, and should help devices that aren't as powerful as an Xbox Ally X or other similar spec hardware.

RECOMMENDED FALLOUT 4 SETTINGS FOR HANDHELDS:

I ran into significant performance issues again whilst testing Fallout 4 that are similar to what I experienced with Fallout 3 and New Vegas. These issues were caused by the FPS indicator being enabled in Armoury Crate, so I recommend turning it off when playing Fallout 4.

Otherwise, Fallout 4 will autodetect your settings and should run fine for most users. If that doesn't seem to happen, then dive into the graphics settings and change everything to low.

Fallout 76 handheld optimization

When launching Fallout 76 for the first time, you will be prompted to log into your Bethesda account. In my case, the on-screen keyboard did not appear automatically. To fix this, do the following:

1. Press the Armory Crate button
2. Select the Keyboard option.

The on-screen keyboard does block what you are typing, so it is worth taking your time. The backspace option during this step also doesn't work, meaning any mistake requires closing the game and starting again.

Alternatively, you can connect a physical keyboard and enter your details normally, which is the smoother and less frustrating option overall.

By the way, we highly recommend the Artciety Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard for handheld users.

How to adjust Fallout 76 settings on handhelds

Fortunately, unlike Fallout 3, New Vegas and Fallout 4, you can change graphical settings in-game with Fallout 76.

1. Run Fallout 76.
2. Press the Start button whilst in-game.
3. Tap LB to move across the menu and select Settings.
4. Then go to Display.

Note that you can also access these options from the main menu before loading into the game by going to Settings and selecting Display.

By default, Fallout 76 sets most options to Ultra for me. The Xbox Ally X handles this better than expected, but I prefer to prioritise performance over visual fidelity to maximise frame rate and overall smoothness. I suggest putting the graphics down lower, but you can experiment and see what you prefer.

You should be ready to play Fallout on your handheld now

That is how you get every major Fallout title running on a Windows-based handheld, and hopefully this guide has been useful.

It is worth mentioning that while these settings worked best for me, your mileage may vary depending on the device you are using. You may be able to push higher settings or lower your TDP further, but my goal here was to prioritise battery life while still maintaining a smooth experience above 60FPS.

Each setup should give you a solid baseline, with room to tweak further if you want more performance or longer battery life.

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2026 will be a big year for Xbox Game Studios

Gears of War: E-Day is far from the only big Xbox title slated to launch next year. Alongside the new Gears of War game, teams across Xbox Game Studios are working on an array of games pencilled in for 2026.

That includes Halo Studios' Halo: Campaign Evolved, an expanded remake of the original game that is also bringing the franchise to PlayStation for the first time.

Playground Games has a double-feature on deck, with the collection of three U.K. studios working on the Japan-bound open world racer Forza Horizon 6, as well as the long-anticipated reboot of Fable, a role-playing game series that's been dormant for years.

That's in addition to updates and DLC planned for multiple games that launched in 2025, including Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds 2.

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The Known Issues section of the patch notes mention "an issue with the Coerthas Western Highlands wherein certain enemies erroneously spawn," which drove many players to head to the Heavensward zone and investigate. Not long after, those "certain enemies" were determined to be strange level 1 versions of the area's Steinbock mobs — themselves a variant of the base game's antelope/deer creatures — that don't have names.

Sometimes only one spawns, and other times there's a whole cluster of them, but regardless, the community has taken to affectionately calling these mobs the "nothing doe" or something similar. And, y'know, worshipping them in cult-like groups. Because why not, right?

Across many of FFXIV's servers, players are heading to the spawn locations of these "nothing" mobs in the Coerthan Western Highlands (this thread shows exactly where they appear) and petting them, kneeling or sitting in their presence in reverence, and taking screenshots and group photos with the does. And comically, because they don't have names, emoting at them results in text like " gently pats the ." in the chat log.

Some are also being evil bastards and slaying the majestic creatures — they have 40 HP — with one player noting that "If you kill this thing people get really mad at you btw." Thankfully, they respawn like any other mob. Evidence of their divine powers, of course.

Of all the wonderful photos, memes, and fanart I've seen of the antelopes on social media, my absolute favorite is this clip where a group makes one hostile and ritualistically sacrifices a naked player to it in an attempt to "level it up." I've embedded it, and some other posts, below:

Even the developers at Square Enix are in on the meme, with the official English FFXIV account on X (Twitter) posting "Level 1 ." on Thursday morning. The French one, meanwhile, wrote "Little Lv 1 . got lost near the Falcon's Nest, have you seen it?" with a pleading face emoji.

As for the why regarding these things spawning, some speculate that some testing done for the development of Beastmaster — a new limited job coming to FFXIV with Patch 7.5 in 2026 that will be able to capture and call on monsters in battle — somehow slipped into Patch 7.4. This is just a rumor, though.

Funnily enough, this isn't the first time the Coerthas Western Highlands have been home to some bizarre mob spawning. Back in the Heavensward days, polar bears could also mysteriously spawn up high in the air and then stay stuck there, which players referred to as the "Skybear" phenomenon.

The way the community fell in love with Skybear is a lot like the way is revering the level 1 . right now, and it's always fun to see players come together in cute or comedic ways when silly things like this happen in MMOs.

Sadly, though, the "nothing" deer's time may soon be at an end, as there's emergency maintenance for FFXIV happening on December 18 (today) from 10:00 p.m. PT to December 19, 2:00 a.m. PT. I hope Square Enix lets the glitched antelope stay in the game a while, but it's possible they'll be patched out with this maintenance; go see them and revel in their grandeur while you can.

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The fiasco began when a Bloomberg interview with Larian CEO Swen Vincke suggested "Larian has been pushing hard on generative AI," though both Vincke himself and publishing director Michael Douse clarified the studio isn't "pushing hard" for AI and is offering it as an optional tool for devs that want to generate a reference image for Larian's concept artists to use. It was also stressed that there will be no AI content whatsoever in Divinity itself.

Many still argue that Larian's use of AI is problematic, however, and maintain that the way it crawls the entire internet to generate a mock-up image is unethical compared to the way a concept artist might organically search Google or art books for inspiration. Thus, the controversy hasn't died down much, and many fans and devs alike — such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director Daniel Vávra — have weighed in varied opinions about the ordeal and AI use in game development at large.

Now, for the first time since his original reaction to the debacle, Vincke has responded once again in an attempt to explain Larian's position in detail, while also noting that the studio plans to hold an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session. You can read the full post below.

During this AMA, fans will have an opportunity to ask different departments at Larian questions about "Divinity and our dev process directly." A date for it hasn't been given yet, but it's coming "after the holiday break" and we'll get an announcement about a date "in the New Year."

"It’s been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation," wrote Vincke. "Larian’s DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make."

He then went on to explain that, with this in mind, he believes it would be wrong of Larian not to explore "new technologies" — though he also noted that the studio isn't above "making changes" when those technologies aren't a good fit, suggesting it's open to moving away from the use of AI.

"In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies," he asserted. "However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes."

"To give you more insight, we’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments after the holiday break, in which you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly," Vincke added. "We’ll announce the date in the new year. In the meantime, I wish you all happy holidays!"

Ultimately, it's good that Vincke and Larian as a studio is remaining open to conversation with the gaming community about this issue, though I'm not surprised given its glowing reputation up to this point. Personally, as someone who detests AI art of any kind, I hope the developer abandons its adoption of the technology, but only time will tell if that happens.

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Season 1 was so popular that it attracted over 100 million viewers and led to a resurgence for the Fallout video games, and Season 2 is poised to not only continue that success, but elevate it even higher, also. In fact, now that its first episode has released, the second season's critic scores have gone live on Rotten Tomatoes — revealing that it's now broken two of the platforms records.

Firstly, the Fallout show now has the highest-rated Season 2 of any live-action video game adaptation, with its sky-high 96% critic score beating out The Last of Us Season 2's 92% rating. Notably, that score is also higher than Fallout Season 1's 93%, meaning critics have, on average, rated it a bit more favorably than its debut set of episodes.

The series as a whole is also now the highest-scored live-action video game adaptation ever produced, with an average 95% critic rating for both seasons that narrowly beats The Last of Us' 94% score. The next closest project is the Halo show at 80%, followed by Twisted Metal at 79% and The Witcher at 75%.

Something unique about Fallout, though, is that it also has a 95% audience score to match its critic rating — something most of these other adaptations can't boast. The Last of Us comes in at 62%, Halo's is at 61%, and The Witcher's ranks the lowest at 46%. The exception is Twisted Metal, which has an audience rating 10% higher than its critic score at 89%.

This signals that the Fallout show is resonating with regular viewers — many of which include longtime fans of the games it's adapting — as much as it is with critics, which brings us to the fact it's now tied with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as the highest-rated video game adaptation by audiences (live action or animated) with its 95% score.

The first episode of Season 2 has a 96% audience rating, and if its seven other episodes rank this highly, too, we could see the second season give the Fallout show's overall score a boost past the Cyberpunk 2077-inspired show. That would be a third Rotten Tomatoes record broken by Amazon's acclaimed series.

It remains to be seen if that will actually happen, but based on how strongly the premiere of Season 2 was received, I have a feeling we're in for another highly rated season of post-apocalyptic TV. Note that unlike Season 1, which dropped all at once, Season 2's new episodes are releasing weekly on Wednesdays.

Also note that the news of Fallout's record-setting performance comes soon after Bethesda's Todd Howard confirmed that the events of the show will have an impact on Fallout 5. "Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening," he said.

Speaking of the Fallout video games, they're all available to play through Xbox Game Pass on Xbox and/or PC if you've never checked them out before. Fallout 1 and 2 are PC-only, but Fallout Tactics, 3, New Vegas, 4, and 76 are all on Xbox consoles, too.

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A couple of weeks ago, I opened my banking app to see how much damage Christmas had done to my finances thus far, only to find that my bank now does a "Wrapped" style "celebratory" overview of the past year of poor financial decisions. I was mortified, but it was also a reminder of how popular Spotify's "Wrapped" has become.

If you live under a rock, you may be unaware that every year, music service Spotify analyzes your musical habits over the past year and presents them in a shareable video format, showcasing your favorite artists and songs of the past year. Spotify Wrapped proved so popular that every company begun doing its own "Wrapped," from PlayStation, to YouTube, and occasionally Xbox too — but not for 2026.

Some of you have been asking me if Xbox would be doing its own "Year in Review" style recap of your gaming habits for 2025. My sources suggest that (as you might expect given that it's now the 18th), that Xbox is not doing a "Wrapped" this year. And there's potentially a good reason.

Next year will kick off a confluence of major anniversaries not just for Xbox, but some of its subsidiary properties too. Xbox is having its 25th anniversary, alongside Halo itself. Blizzard is also having its 35th anniversary, and Bethesda is having its 40th anniversary too. Xbox was launched as a brand on November 15, 2001. Blizzard launched in February, 1991, and Bethesda launched in June, 1986 (ironically sharing a 40th anniversary with me!)

As such, a lot of the "marketing budget" that would've typically been allocated to something like an "Xbox Wrapped" is being poured into efforts to celebrate these major milestones for Xbox, its brands, and some of its games.

For sure, I'm told Microsoft has some big plans to celebrate Xbox's 25th anniversary in 2026, which is why you've seen some decreased activity for Xbox community events in 2025. Some of that budget was moved through to next year to accommodate.

Blizzard is having its first public Blizzcon event next year for a while, which is tipped to its its biggest ever (and most expensive ever), as it reveals new content for Diablo, World of Warcraft, and quite possibly StarCraft too. The promo materials I received for Blizzcon included logos for Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and StarCraft as well — signifying that Blizzard still regards the sci-fi game series as a pillar franchise.

Bethesda is also planning to launch new Starfield content in 2026, including a PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 version I'm told. Bethesda recently teased that Fallout is being worked on in a big way, and perhaps we'll catch a small glimpse at Elder Scrolls 6 next year as well. We also have a new Halo remake dropping in 2026, alongside other new potential entries in classic Xbox franchises like Fable, Gears of War, and Forza as well.

I imagine that Xbox will do a bigger and more impressive "Xbox Wrapped" style moment for 2026, similar to what it did for Xbox's 20th anniversary back in 2021 with the Xbox Museum. Xbox seems to do these types of things for bigger anniversary beats, rather than an annualized program.

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If you're sad about missing out on an official Xbox Wrapped this year, consider this alternative from True Achievements. True Achievements has access to the Xbox API, and its systems catalog and collect your official play data and achievements via Xbox log in. It uses Microsoft's authentication systems, so it's completely secure and accountable.

RELATED: #MyYearOnXbox via True Achievements

I played a ton of games this year, with highlights being Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, The Alters, Atomfall, and Ball x Pit. My favorite games of 2025 were, ironically, older games launched prior, though. I'd been hitting Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader pretty hard, running through all of its released DLC and prepping for the Dark Heresy sequel. I've also been loving Valheim this year, and I suspect that will probably replace Rogue Trader as my most played game of the year as well soon.

What have you been playing this year? What are you looking forward to seeing most in 2026? Let us know in the comments!

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Apple has been fighting Epic Games and other developers for years over access to its iOS platform. Apple has famously been operating iPhone and iPad development in a closed format since its inception, gouging developers with exorbitant fees and restrictions designed to give it complete control over how money flows through its borderline monopoly.

Companies like Epic games took the fight to Apple over this, and actually won repeatedly. Apple isn't backing down, though, making a mockery of legislation designed to lower costs for consumers and creators alike.

Fortnite is the biggest game in the world right now, and Apple has been fighting tooth and nail to prevent Epic from reaching customers on mobile without paying huge fees to the iPhone maker. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney took to X to describe what's going on.

"Sadly, Fortnite will not return to iOS in Japan in 2025 as promised," Sweeney lamented. "Apple was required to open up iOS to competing stores today, and instead of doing so honestly, they have launched another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people of Japan."

"They're charging a competition-crushing 21% junk fee on third-party in-app payments, and 15% for purchases made on the web (a practice the US District Court already found to be illegal in the contempt of court proceeding that Apple lost and the 9th Circuit Court upheld)," Sweeney explained on X. "They're introducing new anticompetitive warning screens meant to mislead customers into believing their privacy and financial security are at risk when dealing with Apple competitors."

Tim Sweeny rightfully examines what would happen if Microsoft attempted to pull shenanigans like this with Windows. Microsoft was famously slapped down by regulators in the late 90s and early 00s for bundling Internet Explorer on Windows, "supressing" competing browsers like Google Chrome from reaching customers. Microsoft was forced by regulators to offer a browser choice when Windows launched, as some of you older readers might recall. Ironically, it led to Google ending up with a monopoly over practically the entire internet — but that's a discussion for another article.

Microsoft does levy a fee for developers accessing Xbox Series X|S consoles, but it would be insane to call Xbox a monopoly controlling access. The business model for consoles revolves entirely around that fee, as Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 devices are effectively sold at cost. iPhones are definitively not sold at cost, providing Apple and its shareholders large margins on both the hardware, and the software via huge developer fees — fees which customers like you end up having to pay usually.

On Windows PC, Microsoft takes a 0% cut for apps and services going through the platform. Windows is fully open, as it should be, and developers and creatives are free to build businesses without restrictions. Even on the Microsoft Store itself, app fees are only levied if you actually use Microsoft's payment systems. For traditional core games, Microsoft takes only a 12% cut on transactions for games sold specifically through the Xbox PC app, vs. Apple's ~30% standard fees and 27% external payment link fees. The EU forced Apple to lower its fees to 13%, matching Epic Games' and Microsoft's, while opening up the platform to alternative store fronts on top.

Microsoft and Xbox customers have benefitted from Apple vs. Epic

Thanks to court rulings targeting Apple and Google Play alike, Microsoft has now been able to begin selling Xbox games directly on its Xbox mobile app once again, thanks to these court rulings. That means Microsoft and its creator partners have a new vector to access customers, without having to pay arbitrary fees to Google in the process.

Mobile gaming remains the fastest growing industry segment, so for Google and Apple to have complete control over this limits creativity and has encouraged developers to opt for predatory business models (pay to win, etc.) in order to remain viable.

Microsoft and its Xbox Cloud Gaming platform has been effectively blocked on these platforms as well for native play, as Apple and Google's rules work against competing stores. Imagine if Microsoft attempted to block Steam from running on Windows all up? Customers and regulators would be (rightly) in total uproar — yet for some reason, we accept Apple and Google doing the same thing across their mobile phone duopolies. Microsoft has also cited Apple and Google's draconian rules for preventing its own mobile game store launch.

Microsoft is hardly innocent of doing things like this in the past (and even the present), but these "junk fees" and arbitrary costs end up being passed onto consumers. Microsoft obviously benefits from iOS and Android becoming fully open platforms in a universe where it has no mobile platform of its own, but customers and developers alike should also benefit from removing unnecessary added costs. Decreasing the barrier to business viability will boost creativity and innovation on top, and will serve to (hopefully) only hurt Wall Street in the process.

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Right now, the Legion Go S (SteamOS) with AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD is discounted to $749.99, saving $150 off its usual price. That drop matters more than it might seem, as memory and storage prices have been rising rather than falling throughout 2025.

We love Windows 11 for its flexibility, but on an 8-inch screen, it can be a chore. The Legion Go S running SteamOS is an excellent option — and one of the best gaming handhelds — especially if you already have an expansive Steam library.

SteamOS is optimized for gaming handhelds like the Legion Go S. Its user interface feels more natural on these types of devices, even when compared to the full screen Xbox experience on Windows 11.

Battery life and performance are also generally better on SteamOS than Windows 11.

SteamOS has its limits, however. Some popular games cannot work on SteamOS because of anti-cheat limitations. Call of Duty, Battlefield 6, and many multiplayer games don't work on SteamOS. Windows 11 also provides more flexibility when it comes to game launchers and compatibility.

If competitive multiplayer games with anti-cheat are your priority, a Windows-based handheld is a safer choice.

Our Managing Editor and gaming handheld expert Rebecca Spear weighed the pros and cons of putting SteamOS onto a Windows handheld. If you're buying a Legion Go S with SteamOS, it will already have that operating system, but Spear's comparison of the operating systems helps determine which is best for you.

Is this a good deal on the Lenovo Legion Go S?

The Legion Go S has been cheaper before, particularly around Black Friday, but those deals were brief and inconsistent. For Black Friday, the same gaming handheld was on sale for $649.99.

The more affordable Z2 Go version of the Legion Go S was once discounted to $449.99.

The current deal on the more powerful Legion Go S still saves you $150 compared to retail pricing.

Lenovo Legion Go S accessories

If you want to protect your Legion Go S and get the best experience, a few accessories go a long way. Like the Legion Go S, some of these items are no longer discounted as much as they were a few weeks ago, but they're still a worthwhile investment in your gaming handheld.

Alternative discounts on the Legion Go S

If the highlighted deal on the Legion Go S runs out of stock or you just want another configuration of the device, you have another option:

Best Buy

• $529.99 at Best Buy (was $649.99) for the Ryzen Z2 Go version with 512GB of storage.

FAQs

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"In short, yes," says Todd Howard, executive producer and director at Bethesda Game Studios, speaking with BBC on all things Fallout in the wake of the season's debut.

"Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening," Howard says. "We are taking that into account."

This makes sense, as it's worth noting for those who haven't yet watched it that the Fallout TV series isn't a direct adaptation of the events of one of the games. Instead, it's treated as another entry in the universe altogether, and is in fact the latest sequence of events in the Fallout timeline.

With that in mind, of course, the team at Bethesda Game Studios would take care to note and possibly reference the events of the series in Fallout 5.

Of course, the elephant in the room here is that Fallout 5 isn't close. Bethesda Game Studios has grown since its parent company, ZeniMax Media, was acquired by Microsoft, but the developer is divided into multiple teams, with some continuing to work on updates and a new expansion for the 2023 science-fiction RPG Starfield, while others continue to work on Fallout 76.

By far the largest team at Bethesda Game Studios is the one working on The Elder Scrolls 6, which is the studio's next mainline game. It's still a ways away, but production is underway.

In the meantime, the second season of the Fallout TV series has premiered, and is currently exclusively available through Prime Video.

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Starfield was the first new IP from the legendary team behind Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3 and 4. Led by Bethesda's Todd Howard, Starfield promised to bring the company's signature sandbox RPG gameplay to the vastness of the entire galaxy. It was also the first core Bethesda game published by Xbox since Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax.

Bethesda games have been notorious for their breadth, but for many, Starfield might've bitten off a little more than it could chew. The game's engine didn't really gel well with the space travel systems Bethesda envisioned for the game. The abundance of loading screens between planetary hops marred the experience. Many felt that the vastness of the play space made finding high-quality hand-crafted content a little sparse to find.

The game's first DLC, Shattered Space, also didn't live up to expectations for many either, who were hoping for an overhaul of some of the game's key systems and features to coincide with extra story content. As such, Bethesda fans have been waiting with baited breath to hear from Bethesda on what the future might hold for Starfield.

Last March, Bethesda began teasing the future of Starfield, before essentially going radio silent. The team behind Starfield did ship some updates to the game throughout the year, but it was hardly inline with the previous teases on X. Last September, Tim Lamb of Bethesda continued the Starfield teases saying "I can't go into all the details just yet, but I will say, part of the team has been focused on space gameplay to make the travels there more rewarding. We're also adding some new game systems and a few other smaller delights."

It seems we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out more. I saw a post from @LukeStephens on X that crystalized rumors I'd been hearing that Bethesda recently held an event behind closed doors to showcase some of its plans for Starfield. I've spoken to a few people with first and second hand knowledge to try and catch a glimpse at what we can expect.

As rumored, it seems that Starfield will break free of its loading-screen heavy space flight systems. Space flight will now feel more free-form and continuous if the rumors are accurate, and various other systems pertaining to space travel and exploration will be improved as well. Creation Engine has reportedly undergone some large technical improvements to facilitate some of these types of systems, that will also carry forward to future games.

For those wondering if Bethesda was going to join Oblivion Remake and make the switch to Unreal Engine, it seems that Creation Engine upgrades will remain the focus, at least for Starfield.

Also, Starfield will not only be getting its PlayStation 5 version in 2026, but also a Nintendo Switch 2 version on top. The game has already undergone some optimizations for "low power" devices like handhelds, so hopefully it'll be a good experience on the Nintendo Switch 2 as well.

Some of my sources have suggested that the expansion for Starfield was previously planned for 2025, but Microsoft's busy holiday period coupled with the delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 made them feel more comfortable to drop it in the first half of 2026 instead. Although, others such as @DetectiveSeeds on X have reported that the updates will come later in 2026.

Indeed, I've heard some conflicting opinions on some of these Starfield rumors, so it's worth taking them with a pinch of salt. One conflict pertains to the scale of the upgrade, too. Some of my sources have sought to downplay how much of an overhaul it could be, shying away from claims that it will be a "Cyberpunk 2.0 moment" for the game. Others who attended the event, reportedly led by Todd Howard himself, were far more upbeat about the content being offered.

It seems that the Starfield expansion, possibly teased as "Terran Armada," might continue to divide opinions.

Starfield doesn't really need a "Cyberpunk 2.0" moment

I really enjoyed Starfield, and while it didn't have the staying power of Skyrim or Fallout 3 or 4 for me, it was a more than capable sandbox RPG that had plenty of grand moments to discover among its vast stars. It never needed a "Cyberpunk 2.0 moment," but there are a lot of things that could elevate Starfield with more time and investment.

In a lot of ways, Starfield feels like it has vast amounts of untapped potential. Its lore and world building has solid foundations, and the scale of the game's ambition is undeniable — on a scale more typical of MMORPGs or multiplayer games. I think the lack of density is what primarily hurt the game, and the sense that its points of interest (POIs) were too few in number and variation.

Fighting through large mercenary camps only to find nothing useful gets tiring after a while. I can appreciate human facilities being pre-fabricated 3D-printing sci-fi style, but it's a little jarring when entire natural cave systems feel identical despite being at opposite ends of the galaxy.

I'm still investigating the finer details of what the future holds for Starfield, and will be sure to share once I find out more. Tim Lamb teased a variety of new "gameplay systems and smaller delights" to go along with Starfield's next big update, which unfortunately missed its 2025 window. Hopefully that means improvements to the variety on offer in general exploration, and maybe enhancements to itemization and things like that. As soon as I learn more, I will let you know.

I'm told that Bethesda is quite stretched attempting to capitalize on the massive success of the Fallout TV show across multiple existing and future projects, while also building Elder Scrolls 6 — leaving less room for Starfield. If true, when DLC 2 emerges for Starfield, hopefully it'll be a good send off for what ended up being one of this generation's most polarizing games.

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Specifically, content inspired by Season 2 of the Fallout TV show is headed to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone, with the official Call of Duty account on X (Twitter) posting a short teaser video for the crossover.

"Okie dokie — stay focused, stay alive," reads the post's caption. The content coming in the collaboration hasn't been specified, though the video does show clear silhouettes of the TV series' protagonist Lucy MacLean, as well as main characters The Ghoul and Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus in a suit of Fallout's iconic power armor.

This all-but-confirms that, at the very least, there will be Operator skins that allow you to play as these three characters in Black Ops 7 and Warzone, though there may be other types of cosmetics like weapon charms, decals, emblems, and more on offer, too.

As for when the crossover is coming, Call of Duty says it will be included as part of the Season 1 Reloaded update that's expected to come to Black Ops 7 and Warzone in early-to-mid January. We don't have a specific date for that patch yet, but we'll likely get one from developers Treyarch and Raven Software soon.

The contents of the Fallout crossover will likely be delivered in a premium event pass (these are usually 1,100 COD Points, or $10) or an Operator skin pack (typically 2,800 COD Points, or $25 worth). We won't know for sure until more official details are given, though.

Notably, this IP collision is coming at an opportune time, as Season 2 of the Fallout show just premiered on Amazon Prime Video and is now set to air new episodes weekly on Wednesdays. If the Reloaded update comes out when it's expected to, we'll be about halfway through the eight-episode season.

The debut season of the Fallout show passed a whopping 100 million viewers last year, and kicked off a massive resurgence for the RPG games it's an adaptation of. It's safe to say that Fallout as a series has never been more popular than it has been in recent months, in fact (take our Fallout quiz and test your knowledge).

Thus, a crossover with Call of Duty — one of the biggest and most profitable franchises in gaming history — makes plenty of sense, with Microsoft and Xbox no doubt hoping that its huge user base eagerly spends money on these cosmetics.

Note that Call of Duty vowed to avoid wacky skins in Black Ops 7, though later admitted they wouldn't be entirely "grounded"; I do think a Fallout crossover is less anachronistic than one with American Dad or Beavis and Butt-Head, but if I had a say, I'd fully return the series to its grounded, military-themed roots. But, y'know, that kind of game would probably make less money. Then again, Battlefield 6 is the best-selling game of 2025...

Anyway, Black Ops 7 was the best-selling game in November in the US, though it's performed worse than last year's Black Ops 6 and previous Call of Duty entries.

Part of the reason why is because Black Ops 7 — and all of the Fallout games too, by the way — is on Xbox Game Pass (you'll need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass specifically). Alternatively, you can pick it up for just $45 at GameStop right now.

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This year, these stats include how many games you've played, your most played games, most played genres, the number of achievements you've unlocked, and how you compare with other Steam users.

Here's how to see your Steam Replay 2025.

How to check your Steam Replay 2025

All you have to do to see your Steam Replay 2025 year in review is go to Steam, but here are some more thorough instructions.

How to check Steam Replay on PC or mobile

1. Using a web browser, go to Steam's homepage.
2. Click the button in the banner that says, "Review your Year on Steam."
3. Wait for it to load and then scroll down to see your results.

After a few moments your personal Steam Replay should show up and you'll be able to view your various stats.

How to check Steam Replay 2025 on Steam Deck (and handhelds that run SteamOS)

1. With your handheld on, press the Steam button.
2. Select Store.
3. Use the D-Pad to select the More tab at the top of the page (or tap it with your finger).
4. Select Steam Replay on the right side of the screen.

From there, it's just a matter of scrolling down to view your Steam Replay information. Enjoy looking over the last 12 months of Steam gaming!

I've spent a lot more time on my other handhelds this year

When I first saw my own Steam Replay 2025 results, I was surprised to see that I've only played a total of five games on my Steam Deck this year.

But then I realized that I've spent most of the year playing my Steam games on the various devices I've reviewed, including the new Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2. I wish there were a way for it to tell me how many games I've played on handhelds rather than just Steam Deck, but I also get why Valve doesn't do that.

Of course, the number of overall titles I played on Steam this year was also down since I spent a lot of time playing games on Xbox Game Pass, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Blue Prince.

Now over to you. After you've looked at your own Steam Replay, tell us what you think about your stats this year.

Are your stats where you thought they'd be? Drop a post in the comments.

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November 2025 Circana sales charts: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
2. Battlefield 6
3. NBA 2K26
4. Madden NFL 26
5. EA Sports FC 26
6. Pokémon Legends: Z-A*
7. Ghost of Yotei
8. EA Sports College Football 26
9. Minecraft****
10. Kirby Air Riders*
11. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment*
12. The Outer Worlds 2
13. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
14. Donkey Kong: Banaza*
15. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
16. Red Dead Redemption 2
17. Grand Theft Auto 5
18. Borderlands 4
19. Forza Horizon 5
20. Digimon Story: Time Stranger

November 2025 Circana sales charts: Here are the best-selling games of the year in the U.S.

1. Battlefield 6
2. NBA 2K26
3. Monster Hunter Wilds
4. Borderlands 4
5. EA Sports College Football 26
6. Madden NFL 26
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
9. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
10. Ghost of Yotei
11. EA Sports FC 26
12. MLB The Show 25**
13. Elden Ring Nightreign
14. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
15. WWE 2K25
16. Minecraft****
17. Forza Horizon 5
18. Split Fiction
19. Helldivers 2
20. EA Sports MVP Bundle (2025)

*Denotes no digital sales data
**Denotes no digital sales data on Xbox or Nintendo Switch
****Denotes no digital sales data on Nintendo Switch

Where will Call of Duty be as the year closes?

I'll be absolutely fascinated to get the next round of numbers from Piscatella, as well as any other details on how Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 performed as 2025 draws to a close.

Earlier in the month, Activision published an update, confirming that the Call of Duty franchise will no longer see back-to-back entries in the Black Ops and Modern Warfare sub-series.

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Larian’s stance on the matter — as explained by both publishing director Michael Douse and studio founder and CEO Swen Vincke — is that AI is an optional tool its developers can use if they want to, and that “they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier.” It’s also promised that there will be no AI-generated content in Divinity itself, and compares its use to the way artists might search Google or art books for a reference to look at.

These assurances have done little to assuage outrage, however, with many arguing that using AI to make references drawn from art across the web is unethical, and not the same as someone taking inspiration from specific works they see.

Notably, though, the situation has inspired a lot of debate about what kinds of AI use are — if any — and aren’t okay in game development, with many in the industry weighing in.

One particularly lengthy take comes from Daniel Vávra, lead on the acclaimed 2025 RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and co-founder of its developer Warhorse Studios. In a post made on Wednesday morning, Vávra argues that while he doesn’t like AI-generated content, AI itself is here to stay, and that he looks forward to the ways it can make developing games more efficient even if it “may mean the demise of humanity.” You can read the whole thing below:

“Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy shitstorm,” Vávra noted. ”I'm no fan of AI generated art, but anyway, it's time to face reality. AI is here to stay with us. As frightening as it may be, that's the way it is.”

He went on to voice his frustration with how long making games makes in the modern industry, and said he’s “all for it” whenever AI can handle “the tiresome and boring tasks,” leaving creatives “to focus on the essentials.”

“On the other hand, you know what I hate most about making games? The fact that it takes 7 years and 300 people and tens of millions of dollars to make. And the fact that [Tom McKay, actor of protagonist Henry] had to spend 500 hours in the studio recording completely generic heckling and generic bars,” he continued. “If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it.”

Personally, I believe there's valuable character and artful performance even in simple dialogue lines like "ordering a sausage in a pub or when asking how to get to the castle," but I digress. Vávra then expressed excitement for the potential of AI to allow you to "ask ANYONE ANYTHING in an RPG," suggested it threatens the work of programmers the most, and asserted his belief that it could lead to a boom of game development enabled by the low cost of using AI (though he didn't mention factors like its substantial environmental impact).

"The whole AI revolution may mean the demise of humanity, nobody knows now, but it may also mean that ANYONE, at a fraction of the current cost, will be able to implement virtually any grand idea," he wrote. "What we saw with boom of indie scene thanks to Steam, we will see with AAA games thanks to AI. Or Skynet will destroy us before all that. Either way, there's no stopping it."

"I used AI to translate this text from my native language," he added. "Let the sh*tstorm begin!"

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The new season of the Fallout TV show hit 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after a couple of dozen reviews, showing that the first season wasn't just a one-off. The Fallout TV show is arguably the best ever video game adaptation for TV. Instead of replacing the original Fallout video game lore, the TV show intersects with it, delivering new canonical stories for fans of the games, while offering something completely new for non-gamers.

It's a rare event in history that a TV show can appeal to both gamers and non-gamers alike, and games like Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Fallout Shelter on mobile have all seen huge boosts in users as a result of the show.

To celebrate, we decided to put together a quick quiz to test your general Fallout lore knowledge. This is focused primarily on the games, but if this one is too easy... let us know, and we'll loop back around with a truly hard mode version next time.

Every single Fallout game is available now on Xbox Game Pass.

Even more Fallout is yet to come

Fallout as a franchise is going from strength to strength, although it could be argued Xbox hasn't done enough with it since the acquisition. Bethesda has been very preoccupied with Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6, but studio lead Todd Howard recently suggested that most of its future resources are heading straight to the wasteland.

Fallout 4 just got an Xbox Play Anywhere edition for Xbox PC, Xbox Ally, and Xbox Series X|S. Fallout 76 just got a new season, complete with recent updates that lets you play as a ghoul.

And Fallout Shelter is also getting regular new content for the first time in years as well. There are strong and compelling rumors that Fallout 3 could also be getting an Oblivion-style remake as well, and perhaps even Fallout New Vegas if we're lucky too.

How well did you do in the quiz? Should we have made it harder? Hit the comments, let us know!

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Circana, which regularly tracks and reports on industry sales, recently published figures showing total U.S. game spending fell 4% year over year to $5.9 billion. That decline spans hardware, software, and accessories, rather than being isolated to one segment.

While this data only reflects the U.S. market, the historical context is striking. November 2025 marked the worst November for U.S. hardware unit sales since 1995, an era dominated by systems like the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and SNES, long before the modern console landscape took shape.

The data behind the downturn

According to Circana, hardware spending dropped 27% year over year to $695 million, with unit sales falling to 1.6 million. That makes November 2025 the weakest November for U.S. hardware unit sales since 1995.

Xbox Series hardware sales declined by 70% year over year, while PlayStation 5 sales fell by more than 40%. Combined Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 unit sales were down by around 10%, which stands out as relatively resilient by comparison.

Pricing appears to be a major factor. The average price of video game hardware reached $439 per unit in November, up 11% year over year, making consoles more expensive than ever during what is usually a peak buying period.

Xbox saw average price increases of over 30%, highlighting how higher entry costs can quickly suppress demand. The Switch 2, despite being the fastest-selling console in U.S. history, still saw its November unit sales trail the original Switch’s first November, likely due to its higher price point and fewer meaningful discounts.

US video game hardware total units sold and average price paid, Nov 1995 through Nov 2025.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T17:15:43.009Z

Software trends offer little comfort. Physical game sales fell 14% year over year, making November 2025 the worst November for physical software sales since 1995, even as subscription spending rose by 16%.

Call of Duty provides a clear example of the wider slowdown. Black Ops 7 topped the monthly charts, but full game dollar sales declined by a double-digit percentage compared to the prior year, showing that even the industry’s biggest franchises are not immune.

Accessories followed the same downward trend. Spending in that category fell 13% year over year, reinforcing that consumers are pulling back across the entire ecosystem, not just on consoles themselves.

2025 Year-to-Date Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games - U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content)

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T17:15:42.943Z

What’s next for the gaming industry?

November may not be a one-off either. Circana notes that December and full-year data will be critical, but current trends already point to warning signs rather than a short-term blip.

It is no secret that hardware prices continue to rise, and the era of consoles becoming cheaper as a generation matures appears to be over. These pressures show little sign of easing, and rising RAM and storage costs could create further strain across the console industry. Alumni from PlayStation, Xbox, and others have cited everything from TikTok to evolving user habits for the decline in console sales, but PC gaming continues to dominate the conversation as well. The versatility of PC is why Microsoft is increasingly investing in its Xbox PC platform with devices like the Xbox Ally. But even PC isn't safe from these issues.

DRAM prices and NVME storage ballooning in price will hit PC builders too. Valve's own gaming PC could be holding out on revealing the price of the Steam Machine due to rising costs for memory. Recent reports suggest DDR5 RAM prices are set to increase further, with Samsung already reportedly doubling the price of their DDR5 RAM for suppliers. There are new rumors that NVIDIA is going to scale back its gaming products too.

If price continue to spike for these components, it’s very likely that Xbox won’t be the only high-end "premium" priced console next generation as Sony’s stock of supplies can only last so long and as for how this will impact the Nintendo Switch 2, only time will tell.

It's hard to imagine the prices of these components not continue to increase, and therefore console prices paying the price. Especially as AI continues to consume every sector it even slightly touches as billion dollar companies, Microsoft included continue to throw money at what appears to be an infinitely deep hole with no end in sight.

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However, we do have ways to install these games all at once without being forced to delete most of our library to make room for them, and one such example is the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S.

What's even better is that all storage size versions of this Xbox accessory are now on sale. For a limited time, you can grab the 1TB cards for $139.99 at Amazon, the 2TB cards for $229.99 at Amazon, and the 4TB cards for $429.99 at Amazon.

No more will I have to worry about running out of space when downloading all my Xbox games

2026 is stacked with all kinds of big-time upcoming AAA Xbox games like Grand Theft Auto VI, Resident Evil Requiem, 007: First Light, and more.

No doubt these games will require dozens, or more likely, hundreds of gigabytes to install, so you're going to need the Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S, as their default internal 1TB SSD isn't going to cut it.

Now granted, these expansion cards are expensive, but, as someone who owns one myself, I can guarantee they're 100% worth the price of admission.

They will save you hours of hassle from deleting old Xbox games to make room for new ones. Plus, these cards will allow you to launch and play games directly from them, as opposed to normal external SSD units where you have to spend time moving games from the SSD into the Xbox console to play them.

So, if you need the best Xbox accessories to upgrade your Xbox Series X|S's storage unit, then the Seagate Storage Expansion Cards are your best bet.

The 1TB cards are available for $139.99 at Amazon, the 2TB cards are available for $229.99 at Amazon, and the 4TB cards are available for $429.99 at Amazon.

Alternative discounts on the Seagate Expansion Card

If Amazon's discounts for the Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S run out of stock or their discounts expire, there are similar discount options available elsewhere that you can use as backup options:

Best Buy

• $139.99 at Best Buy(was $159.99) for the 1TB card.
• $229.99 at Best Buy(was $259.99) for the 2TB card.
• $429.99 at Best Buy(was $499.99) for the 4TB card.

FAQs

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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Fortunately, retailers have been finding discounts to help Xbox Game Pass Ultimate more affordable this winter season, such as this early Christmas 15% discount code of HAPPY6288, which has reduced Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's MSRP of $19.99 to $16.99 at Newegg.

To access this discount, you must sign up for a Newegg account and type in the promo code HAPPY6288, during checkout on Newegg's website.

Is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate still worth it in 2025?

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was once the ultimate value-for-money service in gaming, but it has lost its distinguished title thanks to Microsoft's controversial 50% price hike.

It's a real shame that this tier of Xbox Game Pass has become less financially viable for consumers tight on budgets, as it's packed with plenty of awesome features that enhance the Xbox gaming experience.

It can grant you free access to hundreds of Xbox games to play on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming through not only its Xbox Game Pass library, but also those found on Ubisoft+ Classics and EA Play.

Other benefits include:

• Online multiplayer access
• The ability to stream games on compatible devices with priority access and 1440p resolution.
• Access to first-party Xbox games on the day they launch.
• Access to exclusive DLC and discount deals on the Xbox store.
• Monthly V-Bucks and Battle Passes with Fortnite Crew.
• Xbox Rewards will allow you to earn gift vouchers and other items by playing and buying Xbox games.

Being able to play games you weren't sure about for free before buying them was the coolest feature of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and it played a major role in helping humble indie titles get mainstream attention like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has become its biggest third-party title and won GOTY at The Game Awards 2025.

With this discounted price tag of $16.99 at Newegg for one month of Xbox Game Pass, Xbox fans will be able to enjoy this wonderful service at a somewhat more affordable cost.

What's more is that the HAPPY6288 promo code can be used five times at Newegg checkout, meaning you can buy five One-Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate codes and enjoy five months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $84.95.

That's over $15 cheaper than if you were to pay five months of the service through its now default MSRP of $19.99. Now that's what I call a Christmas day bargain.

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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Admittedly, $38 is probably a bit much for a stocking stuffer if you plan to include other items. But on its own, the Xbox Wireless Controller is a great accessory. Whether you play games on a PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or even on your phone or tablet, it's an excellent way to enjoy your favorite games.

Despite its relatively low price, the Xbox Wireless Controller remains one of the best Xbox controllers. Unsurprisingly, it's also one of the best Xbox accessories.

Ergonomic, responsive, and surprisingly affordable, the Xbox Wireless Controller provides a great way to play. Whether you need a gamepad for player two, a replacement for the controller that came with your console, or want a controller in a different color, the Xbox Wireless Controller is the first device you should look at.

The most affordable Xbox Wireless Controller is the black model, which is on sale for $38. But the Electric Volt version is discounted to $39.99 and the Shock Blue variant is $42. You don't have to spend much more to add some color to your gaming setup.

The Xbox Wireless Controller supports wireless connectivity to Xbox consoles and can also use Bluetooth to connect to a PC, tablet, or phone. If you have an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a TV with Xbox Cloud Gaming built-in, you can just connect your Xbox Wireless Controller and start playing.

Many of the best Cyber Monday deals on Xbox accessories remain live. We also have a collection of all the best Xbox controllers that are on sale. But if you just want an affordable Xbox controller that works well and feels good in your hand, the Xbox Wireless Controller at $38 is the deal for you.

If you have a gamer in your life (or you're one, and you'd like to treat yourself to a gift), a great option to consider is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Newly released last month by Xbox Game Studios, Treyarch, and Raven Software, the action-packed shooter has already become one of the biggest games of the year, especially on Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

That makes physical copies of the FPS an excellent stocking stuffer for folks that play on those systems, and wouldn't you know it, GameStop is selling the $69.99 title for $25 off. That means you can score it for just $45 at GameStop on Xbox, with the PS5 and PlayStation Cross-Gen Bundle versions going for the same price (more on those below).

Get one of 2025's biggest new games for less

If the gamer you're looking to buy a gift for is big on shooter games, they'll be very happy to unwrap Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on Christmas morning or to pull it out of their stocking. After all, Call of Duty is one of the biggest gaming franchises in the entire world, and Black Ops 7 is one of the most ambitious new entries in it in years.

A direct sequel to 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the latest title from Treyarch and Raven Software features a co-op multiplayer-focused story campaign, a new iteration of Call of Duty's beloved PvE horde mode Zombies, traditional PvP multiplayer fans of the series know and love, experimental modes such as the Battlefield-like Skirmish game type and the large-scale extraction shooter-inspired Endgame experience, and more.

Notably, Black Ops 7 also has deep integration with the free-to-play battle royale shooter Call of Duty: Warzone, as its operators and weapons are usable in the experience.

While the game isn't as grounded as I'd personally like it to be — indeed, Call of Duty is a far cry from the gritty military-focused series it once was, with plenty of fantastical elements now — I won't deny that this is one of the most varied releases from the franchise in a long time. Whether someone prefers PvE co-op, competitive PvP, or a mix of both, there's something for everyone in Black Ops 7.

Perhaps that's why Black Ops 7 is the biggest Xbox Game Pass game of 2025, and why it has a strong base of fans even with stiff competition from other big name titles like Battlefield 6 and ARC Raiders that also came out in autumn. And with plenty of post-launch updates planned by the game's developers, it's only going to get better with time.

Before you buy it, though, something important to note is that there's a key difference between the PS5 and PlayStation Cross-Gen Bundle versions of the game. The former has better visuals and performance and only works on PS5, while the Cross-Gen Bundle is playable on both the last-gen PS4 and PS5.

Essentially, you'll want to buy the PS5 version if the game's recipient (or you) uses that system, and the Cross-Gen Bundle one if they play on PS4 now but plan to get a PS5 at some point. Thanks to Xbox Smart Delivery, the best version of Black Ops 7 is used on current-gen Xbox Series X|S consoles by default even though it remains playable on Xbox One, so there's no need for two separate versions.

FAQ

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Square Enix and Xbox have had something of a tumultuous relationship over the years. Final Fantasy has sporadically appeared on Xbox systems here and there, but never in a consistent way as it has with PlayStation or Nintendo platforms in years past.

As a result, Xbox never build up the same audience for JRPG and other popular Japanese genres and games that its competitors enjoy, and never achieved the same traction in the region with its ecosystem and hardware. It's a chicken and an egg scenario essentially for both companies — as Microsoft seeks to build up a bigger user base for gamers who enjoy these types of titles, and Square Enix seeks to find new users on new platforms.

As part of that, the team at Square Enix has been quite receptive to Xbox-oriented press beats recently. We interviewed We interviewed Final Fantasy director Naoki Hamaguchi a short while ago, and Hamaguchi shared some of his favorite recent Xbox titles with us while explaining why Final Fantasy has returned to the Xbox platform. Today, Square Enix shared a video with us from Final Fantasy 7 producer Yoshinori Kitase, also giving some shoutouts to Xbox.

"As a developer, I've always been drawn to platforms that allow us to push into new frontiers, and Xbox is truly putting that into practice. That is why being able to release Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrate on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Ally, is something that makes us extremely happy."

"Please allow me to introduce three titles that are especially memorable to me, I believe these titles that really showcase the appeal of Xbox hardware."

First up, Kitase talked up Flight Simulator 2024, "It's incredibly realistic, it reproduces the entire world at scale. It really is more of a flight simulator than a game. You know how in movies, sometimes the pilot dies in an accident or becomes unable to fly the plane, and then a passenger suddenly has to take the controls. I'm sure you've seen scenes like that. I often travel overseas on business trips by plane, and I'm always imagining what I would do if something like that happened. I always play while imagining that scenario."

Kitase also had positive things to say about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, noting how the original movie had left a huge impression on him back in the 1980s. Like many of us, Kitase found the nostalgic recreation of Indiana himself and the opening sequences from Raiders of the Lost Ark to be "incredibly moving," and hailed the franchise for originating many modern video game mechanics. "Even if you haven't seen it, the treasure-hunting mechanics, dungeon gimmicks, or puzzle-solving mechanics ... in a way, the origin of those ideas, the original inspiration, can be found in Indiana Jones."

Finally, Kitase gave a shoutout to the recently-released Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. "This is a strategy game set within the Final Fantasy series, with the original creator, Yasumi Matsuno, supervising the game design. It unfolds with an extremely deep and weighty story."

Can Xbox build a bigger fanbase for Japanese games?

It's no secret that Xbox is virtually non existent in Japan, and is hardly doing that well in the West either. Xbox hardware sales have been flagging for some time, and Xbox has become something of a pariah with a string of unpopular decisions this year.

Despite that, Japanese developers have been lending stronger support to the Xbox platform as of late. Franchises like Yakuza, Persona, and indeed, Final Fantasy are arriving on Xbox a lot more consistently in-line with other platforms, even if service games like Fortnite and Call of Duty continue to dominate the way the console is used.

Xbox has been expanding its horizons to PC to grow its userbase and find some of those "variety" gamers again, who have increasingly flocked to Steam in recent years. Xbox Game Pass has been a vehicle for delivering some of that variety too, although the big Xbox Game Pass price hike from a few months ago has eaten into its value proposition.

Whether it's Xbox PC, OEM devices like the Xbox Ally, or Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft and its Japanese partners could have a strong position on some of these new frontiers. Xbox Cloud Gaming is a great way to experience turn-based JRPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics, Persona, and the recent Dragon Quest remakes. They're also strong on battery-limited devices like the Xbox Ally, since they can be experienced in lower power modes.

I think it's around these types of experiences that Xbox could find new audiences for these types of games more and more over time, but it's hard to know for sure if they will be able to move beyond being a simple niche. Time will tell.

You can preorder Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Xbox Series X|S today with some nifty bonuses (available until January 31, 2026), as well as try out this new demo. FFVII Remake launches on January 26, 2026 for Xbox Play Anywhere.

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Larian Studios head responds to generative AI backlash

Vincke also notes that the studio is working with generative AI, but with caveats. The team is using it for ideation and exploring early concepts, but he says there will be no AI-generated content in the final game.

Per Vincke, there has been some pushback internally at Larian Studios, but “I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we’re using it.”

Since this interview, there's been an outpouring on social media, with players and writers expressing frustration with Larian's stance. Vincke followed up on X (formerly Twitter) to add that "We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison."

In that same tweet, Vincke also stated:

"I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn’t say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists."

The use of generative AI in games remains a hot topic, with some companies taking a hard stance against any form of the technology. Developers at another RPG studio, Obsidian Entertainment, recently noted that the team isn't using AI at all.

If you are against game developers using generative AI, we're curious to learn what your biggest concern is. Use the poll below or tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Like Fallout Season 2, New Vegas takes place in and around post-nuclear Las Vegas, and is notable for arguably being the most popular of all the Fallout games in terms of player reception. Many applaud its deep RPG systems, complex faction narratives, branching questlines, and emphasis on total player freedom, and consider it a cut above titles like Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 that were made by Fallout's primary studio, Bethesda.

Because there weren't many references to New Vegas, its events, or what it added to the series' lore in the developer's games, some in the Fallout community believe that Bethesda hates or resents Obsidian's RPG for being generally more well-liked by fans. There's never been any proof of this, mind, but the idea still took root as fans debated which Fallout games are better, and it's persisted over time.

Speaking with PC Gamer, though, Bethesda director and executive producer Todd Howard has now addressed this infamous misconception that the studio keeps New Vegas "at arm's length," making it clear that the two developers are on good terms and that there's no truth to the whispers.

"Huge respect to the folks at Obsidian. Had them out to the set to see [Fallout Season 2]. And they've had an incredible year, if you look at the year they've had," Howard said, referencing Xbox and Obsidian's release of Avowed, Grounded 2, and The Outer Worlds 2 throughout 2025.

"But again, this is something we asked them to do, right? And so, they just did an incredible, incredible job on the game," he added.

A few moments earlier in the interview, Howard discussed how New Vegas ultimately came to be, and seemed to speculate that the source of this misconception were "factions" of fans engaging in discourse about which Fallout games are better.

"Well, look, when we went to do that game [New Vegas], we were coming off of Fallout 3. We knew we were going to do Skyrim. We know the folks at Obsidian well, love their work. And so, you know, reached out to them and said 'Hey, would you like to do this? We see something else coming off of Fallout 3,'" he explained.

"So I just find it — I think fans debate what their favorite one is, which is understandable. I think it's great that you can have, we'll call it factions in the fans," Howard continued. "'Oh, I like 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or Vegas or 76 now.' And so, I think that's really healthy for a franchise where people can say which one is their favorite."

Frankly, I've always found this idea that Bethesda shuns New Vegas to be ridiculous, and it's unfortunate that negative disinformation like that tends to spread like wildfire — resulting in misconceptions like this one that ultimately have no actual proof behind them.

It's good, then, that Howard has addressed it directly, and hopefully this will be the end of it (though there will inevitably be some that vehemently believe he lied for the camera, because of course there will). I mean, Bethesda is heavily involved with the TV show that just made New Vegas Season 2's main location. I think it's safe to say this assumption is unfounded.

Note that every Fallout game — including New Vegas — is available to play through Xbox Game Pass, either on Xbox consoles or on PC.

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