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Meet The Guy Who Just Nuked Xbox Boss Phil Spencer In Fallout 76
9.5.2024
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is taking a lot of heat online for recent decisions to close beloved studios like Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. Last night the long-time gaming exec was apparently exploring the wasteland in Fallout 76 when another player nuked his entire campsite. Read more
Report: Xbox Closing Studios Blamed On Too Many Games
8.5.2024
After shutting down multiple Bethesda studios, Xbox and Bethesda leadership held a town hall meeting with staff to discuss the closures, explaining that the company’s studios had been spread too thin and that it wanted to focus on fewer projects moving forward.Read more
Xbox’s Shift To ‘High-Impact’ Games Is Misguided At Best, Reckless At Worst
8.5.2024
Earlier this week, Xbox announced that it would be shuttering several studios it had attained as part of its $7.5 billion purchase of Bethesda, including Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios, the last of which is being absorbed into another team. Collectively,...
What’s Even The Point Of Xbox Game Pass Now?
8.5.2024
On May 7, Microsoft closed down four first-party development studios it had acquired from Zenimax Media in 2021 including Tango Gameworks, developer of The Evil Within series and 2023’s surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush. It’s the latest round of layoffs and closures that the gaming industry, and Xbox...
It's Time To Stop Giving Xbox Boss Phil Spencer A Pass
7.5.2024
On May 7, Xbox announced that it was closing four studios: Arkane Austin (Redfall), Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush), Alpha Dog Games (Mighty Doom), and support studio Roundhouse Games. The news is yet another example of Xbox—which has spent billions buying up studios—cutting costs, laying people...
Hi-Fi Rush Was The Hit Xbox Needed, And It Still Wasn't Enough For Them
7.5.2024
Today, May 7, Xbox announced it’s shutting down three studios and merging another. This includes Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Mobile Doom studio Alpha Dog Games, while Roundhouse Games is being absorbed into Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. But perhaps most shocking...
Microsoft Promises 'Make-Good Offers' As It Cancels Redfall DLC Players Already Paid For
7.5.2024
Just days after Redfall’s one-year anniversary, Microsoft has announced it’s shutting down the studio behind it, Arkane Austin, and ending all further development on the vampire shooter. That includes its promised Hero DLC which some fans already paid for in the $100 Bite Back edition of the Xbox...
One Of The Best Star Wars Games Is Free To Try On Xbox Right Now
3.5.2024
It’s almost Star Wars Day, and just ahead of May 4, Microsoft has announced a free trial for one of the best games based on George Lucas’ space opera franchise. I’m talking about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order, and if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you...
A Year Later, Redfall Players Who Spent $100 Are Still Waiting For Its Promised Heroes
2.5.2024
Players were excited at the prospect that Redfall might combine the fun co-op loot mechanics of a Borderlands with the bespoke environmental storytelling of a Dishonored. Ultimately, though, the day-one Game Pass blockbuster didn’t quite accomplish either of these things, and it was burdened...
You Really Should Play This Underrated And Unconventional RPG On Game Pass
1.5.2024
Just in time for its second anniversary, indie RPG Citizen Sleeper is getting a tabletop RPG (TTRPG) actual play set in the game’s universe. A collaboration between developer Jump Over The Age and games journalist Quintin Smith (of People Make Games), the actual play will air on May 7. It’s...
Everything Shown At Today's Indie Xbox Showcase
29.4.2024
Microsoft is still working hard to court indie games. The company showed off a bunch of them, old and new, during its 2024 ID@Xbox showcase, though once again Hollow Knight: Silksong wasn’t among them. In addition to a small tease for upcoming Palworld creatures, we also got our first look at some...
17 Options, Settings, And Tricks To Get More Out Of Your Xbox Series X/S
26.4.2024
Don’t shoot the messenger, but even if you’ve played your Xbox consistently for the past four years and you think you know it inside and out, you may still be surprised by what your console is capable of. Just like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have...
Fallout 4’s Big Next-Gen Update: The Good, The Bad, And The Busted
26.4.2024
Fallout 4’s free next-gen update is finally here, and it’s brought plenty of headaches with it. Patching in a 60fps mode for free on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S is a nice reason to dive back into one of Bethesda’s more controversial and arguably underappreciated post-apocalyptic RPGs,...
The Fallout 4 Upgrade Isn't Free For Owners On PS Plus And They're Furious
25.4.2024
Fallout 4's free next-gen upgrade for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC arrives nearly a decade after the post-apocalyptic sequel’s original release. Thanks to the massive popularity of the recent Amazon TV adaptation, fans are ready to clock back to the wasteland. Unfortunately, those...
Why This Claymation Indie Game Is Like An Aquarium
24.4.2024
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That Silly Crab Soulslike Hits Xbox Game Pass This Month
16.4.2024
We’re about halfway through April, which means another wave of titles is up for grabs for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. You’ve got a hockey sim, a JRPG, a tower defense action-strategy game, and more, as well as that hilariously silly crustacean Soulslike. It’s a pretty good month, to be honest,...
Harold Halibut: The Kotaku Review
15.4.2024
As I play through the sci-fi adventure that is Harold Halibut, I am often reminded of walking through an aquarium. It’s partially because the game’s gorgeous environments are submerged in, but it’s also because I feel a childlike frustration at the events unfolding in front of me. Like a...
CoD: Modern Warfare III's Multiplayer Is Free To Play On Xbox RN
5.4.2024
It’s the freakin’ weekend, which means it’s time to get stuck in some games. Maybe you’re playing Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, or Rise of the Ronin. Or, if you’re a Game Pass subscriber, you could be playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s Multiplayer and Zombies mode as part...
Open Roads: The Kotaku Review
2.4.2024
Playing Open Roads constantly drags up old memories from my mind. A road trip with my mother along the Pacific Coast Highway, packing boxes and trash bags while clearing out my grandfather’s house after his death–it’s a game that feels primed to make you reminisce. Like the disparate memories...
March’s Xbox Game Pass Offerings Are Looking Mighty Fine
19.3.2024
March 19 marks the first day of spring, and y’all, Microsoft has certainly sprung a variety of games on Xbox Game Pass subscribers. As the month slowly winds down, this new crop of games will absolutely keep you entertained. From horror games to mystery thrillers, there’s a little something...