Throughout 2024, companies like Sony Interactive Entertainment, EA, Riot Games, Embracer Group, and more laid off developers, shut down studios, and canceled video games in development. “Survive until 2025” currently seems to be the mentality of many in the video game industry; hopefully, things get better next year rather than getting worse. 2023 was historic when it came to the number of video game industry layoffs that took place during it. Companies like Embracer continued their downsizing initiatives, but it wasn’t the only major culprit this year. That dubious honor goes to Microsoft, which has laid off nearly 3,000 Xbox developers this year following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Some handhelds hitting the market have already impressed featuring the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 chip, like the AyaNeo Pocket S2, which is said to elevate Android gaming without the usual trappings of getting warm (via PCMag). Similarly, it has weaker Adreno A12 graphics, and only support for Full HD (1080p) at 120Hz with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1. It’s safe to say this could be the chip found in cloud gaming devices that do not require the same level of horsepower. These visual updates and navigation improvements make Game Bar easier to use, improving the overall gaming experience. This marks the beginning of several visual enhancements that will be rolling out this week. The update includes a refreshed design for Game Bar and various utility widgets, including Home Bar, Capture widget, Performance widget, Resource widget, and Widget Store.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. A lead producer for Battlefield 6 clarifies recent rumors around the potential inclusion of a controversial skill-based matchmaking mechanic. Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel adds a wide selection of new packs for its April 2025 update, with multiple new cards introduced to the game.

It also acquired Bluepoint Games, a studio known almost entirely for its remakes and ports of existing games, as well as Housemarque–which developed Game of the Year contender Returnal earlier this year. Sony did also close one developer–its Japan Studio–though it retained the Team Asobi group responsible for Astro’s Playroom. Google Stadia didn’t get off on the right foot, missing several of its promised features at launch and not sporting a particularly deep library. Since then, we’ve seen the games come sporadically and many of those features have been added, but it has struggled to gain relevance. It looked like Google was going to have to rely on its own development teams to create incredible experiences that made Stadia worth using.

To show off one of the new features of the Switch 2, Nintendo has created a new IP in the form of Drag x Drive. This is a 3V3 wheelchair basketball title that’s been designed around the Joy Con 2 mouse controllers. Nintendo and Koei Tecmo are once again teaming up to bring a new entry into the Hyrule Warriors franchise. Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive that’s due for release in ‘Winter 2025’.

The console will launch with exclusive titles like Mario Kart World and will be backward-compatible with most Switch games. Mobile gaming is a behemoth in terms of annual revenue, and our gaming news coverage includes iOS, Android, mobile web and more, including companies like Netflix trying to get a foot in the door. We also report on the AAA gaming studios, which are increasingly a target for acquisitive giants like Microsoft and Sony. On April 2, Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 would cost $450 standalone, or $500 with a bundled digital copy of the new Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World.

Perhaps we will find out during the next Nintendo Direct, which will be all about the Switch 2, on April 2. Microsoft also replaced Game Pass for Console with Game Pass Standard, a $15-a-month subscription tier that neither supports Xbox Cloud Gaming nor includes day-one titles on the service. Those who wanted to play games like Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on day one through Game Pass had to pay for the most expensive version of the gaming subscription. To that end, Game Informer is now operating under a new entity called Game Informer Inc. and the over 30-year history of the website has returned after being shut off in August of last year.

Ps5-zubehör Bekommt Update: Spieler Sollten Jetzt Nicht Zu Lange Pausen Machen

Release date, so get ready to objectify your crushes on a whole new level. Kinetic Games has announced the Phasmophobia Cursed Hollow event, which is set to bring new rewards and more when it starts next week. Bungie made the announcement in light of several Sony-owned studios releasing games on PC that need PlayStation Network accounts. HoYoverse has announced an Xbox release date for its action RPG, which is currently available for PS5, PC, and mobile. Last year, Epic Games began offering a third-party payment system without the iOS and Google Play versions of Fortnite, provoking Apple and Google to remove the game from their stores for violating their terms of service. Epic Games had a lawsuit already drafted and ready to go, and the trial was scheduled for 2021.

In the meantime, the company revealed a handful of new stats for the Playdate ecosystem in the graphic below. Recent developments in gaming technology have seen major advancements in virtual reality (VR), cloud gaming services, and artificial intelligence integration. The rise of indie game development has also brought fresh creativity and unique experiences to players worldwide. Krafton saved Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush and Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob bought itself out from Microsoft and Activision, but most other game developers weren’t so lucky.

It’s about what we expected, though I could have seen more Resident Evil 4. Capcom will provide more updates on these games in the near future, so keep an eye out. For example, a large chunk of them come from billbil-kun, who, for example, revealed that Death Stranding 2 would be announced during the PlayStation State of Play event in 2024.

Microsoft And Xbox Have Made Billions On Halo, But A Huge $18b Chunk Of That Hasn’t Even Come From The Games

Shadow of Rose takes place 16 years after the story of Village wrapped up. If you are interested, you can create a new Game Informer account to stay up-to-date with everything happening at the website. It will also earn you early benefits like access to the Game Informer Magazine Archive, an exclusive weekly newsletter, Dark Mode, and Early-Bird Founder Access. We may not see a similar level of compatibility and performance with Windows or SteamOS machines, but for what they are, the Snapdragon G Series could still be a viable alternative.

Streets Of Rage Finally Hits Nintendo Switch Online, Plus Two More Genesis Games

The developers behind La Quimera want to focus on the game offering a tight, narrative experience by sticking to a more linear structure. Photo Mode, cross-play, cross-progression, and split-screen co-op on Xbox Series S finally arrive alongside 12 new subclasses. These are the latest offerings from PlayStation itself on the PlayStation Portal Cloud Game Streaming Beta. PlayStation has introduced cool game filtering and gameplay capturing, among other minor…