Games

Jun 25, 2026, 9:10 AM

Filing: Sony cuts 292 jobs at Bungie in Bellevue following end of ‘Destiny 2’ development

Bungie, the Bellevue, Wash.-based creator of the Halo and Destiny video game franchises, was hit by new round of layoffs Wednesday as the Sony-owned studio undergoes a reorganization following the end of development on its long-running online shooter Destiny 2. Read More

magic: the gathering arena wizards of the coast

Jun 24, 2026, 3:46 PM

‘Magic: The Gathering – Arena’ development team announces it’s successfully unionized

The developers for a video game based on Magic: The Gathering announced on Tuesday that they’ve successfully unionized, following a petition filed with the US National Labor Relations Board. Read More

Jun 22, 2026, 12:19 PM

Surprise: Valve’s new Steam Machine is here, but the price is the real shocker

Valve Software abruptly opened reservations for its latest Steam Machine on Monday, but due to the ongoing PC component shortage, did so at a significantly higher price than expected. Read More

Jun 12, 2026, 2:15 PM

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Xbox: ‘We have to turn this into a sustainable business’

Microsoft has spent years subsidizing Xbox rather than profiting from it, CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged this week, as he addressed… Read More

Jun 10, 2026, 6:51 PM

‘This cannot continue’: Microsoft Xbox CEO calls for reset amid reports of looming job cuts

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft’s gaming business will end the fiscal year at about a 3% profit margin, saying years of heavy spending without revenue growth “cannot continue” — as Bloomberg and The Verge reported major job cuts coming next month.
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Jun 7, 2026, 3:45 PM

Remaster specialist Nightdive takes on classic stealth game ‘Thief: The Dark Project’

Vancouver, Wash.-based Nightdive Studios, known for remastering out-of-print PC classics, announced at the PC Gaming Show that its next project is “Thief: The Dark Project,” the influential 1998 stealth game. The remaster is set for release this winter on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and PC. Read More

Jun 7, 2026, 3:12 PM

Xbox Showcase 2026: New CEO’s first broadcast shows off ‘Gears of War,’ ‘Halo,’ ‘Spyro’ and more

New Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma’s first Xbox Games Showcase centered on upcoming releases and a return to console exclusives. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution were confirmed as Xbox console exclusives, alongside release dates for Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved and a new look at Seattle-based Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3. Read More

Jun 2, 2026, 5:00 PM

Amazon’s ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot gets a new trailer and release date at Sony’s State of Play

Thirty years after she first raided a tomb, Lara Croft is getting a do-over. Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics set Feb. 12, 2027 for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a ground-up remake of the 1996 original, T-rex fight included. Read More

Jun 1, 2026, 7:37 AM

Rec Room’s final day: Fans say goodbye as social gaming platform comes to an end

The Seattle social gaming platform, once valued at $3.5 billion, shuts down at noon Pacific today after a decade and 150 million players. Fans are marking the end with tribute videos, yearbook-style goodbyes, and final virtual gatherings. Read More

May 22, 2026, 2:21 PM

What’s next for Bungie? Rumored layoffs and end of ‘Destiny 2’ updates raise questions about studio’s future

Bungie announced it will end development on Destiny 2 with a final update on June 9. Bloomberg reports the studio plans significant layoffs, raising questions about the future of the Bellevue, Wash.-based studio amid broader cost-cutting by Sony. Read More

May 5, 2026, 2:40 PM

Microsoft’s new Xbox chief nixes Gaming Copilot for mobile and console, shakes up leadership

New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is winding down Gaming Copilot on mobile and canceling its console launch, barely a year after Microsoft debuted the AI feature. She’s also overhauling the gaming unit’s leadership, including new execs from her previous group, CoreAI. Read More

Apr 28, 2026, 12:49 PM

Game devs unionize to improve working conditions on ‘Magic: The Gathering – Arena’ team

Developers working on Magic: The Gathering – Arena at Renton, Wash.-based Wizards of the Coast have formed a union with the Communications Workers of America, seeking protections on remote work, layoffs, AI use, and overtime. Read More

Apr 23, 2026, 10:05 AM

Brute-force attack linked Rec Room user phone numbers to online identities

Someone misused Rec Room’s friend-finder feature to match phone numbers to the user names of hundreds of thousands of players on the social gaming platform — assembling a database that connects their online identities directly to their real-world contact information. Read More

Mar 31, 2026, 12:49 PM

Seattle VR gaming studio Polyarc announces ‘significant’ layoffs

The announcement, via LinkedIn, notes that the layoffs come after “an unsuccessful team-wide effort to secure funding following the cancellation of a major project.” Read More

Mar 31, 2026, 10:14 AM

‘I don’t think anything will ever replace Rec Room’: Fans shocked by gaming platform shutdown

In the Rec Room community Discord server, thousands of posts illustrated the impact that the loss of the gaming app will have on players. Many questioned whether the news was a joke, what went wrong, and where they will go now for such entertainment and community. Read More

Mar 30, 2026, 4:39 PM

Rec Room shutting down: Once valued at $3.5B, social gaming platform finds profits elusive

Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down on June 1, ending a decade-long run for one of the city’s most prominent startup unicorns. Read More

Mar 26, 2026, 9:34 AM

Bungie scores an unexpected success with ‘Marathon’ revival

After a CEO’s departure, layoffs, an indefinite delay, and the failure of a similar Sony title, Bungie’s online shooter looked like it was headed for disaster. Instead, it’s become one of this year’s unexpected gaming successes. Read More

Mar 24, 2026, 2:29 PM

Epic Games layoffs impact 82 workers at Seattle-area office as part of broader cuts

Epic is laying off 1,000 employees across the company, or about 20% of its workforce, citing reduced engagement with “Fortnite.” Read More

Mar 16, 2026, 6:39 AM

Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot: Another setback for the gaming press?

Microsoft says it’s exploring ways to license guide content from creators, but the details are vague, and the GDC demo told a different story. Read More

Mar 5, 2026, 1:10 PM

Xbox surprise: Microsoft reveals ‘Project Helix’ as the codename of its next console

In the days leading up to one of the games industry’s bigger trade conferences, Microsoft has quietly unveiled the code name for its next-generation Xbox console: Project Helix. Read More

Feb 25, 2026, 6:49 PM

Valve Software sued by New York AG, accused of promoting illegal gambling via video game loot boxes

The suit alleges that Valve’s first-party games are essentially an illegal gambling operation aimed at younger players. Read More

Feb 23, 2026, 8:23 AM

Who is Asha Sharma? A closer look at Microsoft’s surprise pick to lead the Xbox business

Microsoft’s new top gaming exec has the trust of Satya Nadella, a track record running platforms at Facebook, Instacart, and Microsoft’s AI division, and a goal to restore Xbox’s “renegade spirit.” What she doesn’t have is gaming industry experience — and the community is watching closely. Read More

Feb 20, 2026, 5:15 PM

Analysis: The best thing that the new Xbox CEO can do is … nothing

New Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma is in a unique position where she really can succeed in the video game business, despite her inexperience in the field, without really trying. Read More

Feb 20, 2026, 12:45 PM

Xbox chief Phil Spencer retiring after 38 years at Microsoft; Asha Sharma named new gaming CEO

Phil Spencer, who reshaped Xbox through landmark acquisitions and a bet on cloud gaming, is stepping down. His successor, Asha Sharma, has roots in the Seattle startup community, with deep experience in consumer platforms. Xbox President Sarah Bond is leaving. Read More

Feb 11, 2026, 1:42 PM