GTA 6 Pre-Orders Open, Xbox Prices Rise, Bungie Layoffs Hit
The video game industry experienced a week of massive financial shifts, marked by highly anticipated pre-orders, sudden hardware price hikes, and devastating studio layoffs. As players rushed to secure their return to Vice City, major platform holders adjusted their strategies to cope with rising manufacturing costs and changing market realities. These corporate maneuvers have left the community navigating a rapidly evolving landscape of console gaming.
Grand Theft Auto VI Pre-Orders Launch Amid Physical Disc Controversy
Rockstar Games officially opened pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25, 2026, ahead of its scheduled November 19 release date on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S . The standard edition of the highly anticipated open-world game is priced at $79.99 USD, while the Ultimate Edition retails for $99.99 USD
. However, physical media enthusiasts are pushing back against Rockstar's confirmation that boxed retail copies will not contain a physical disc, instead shipping with a digital download code
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This decision has prompted some independent retailers to refuse to stock the game entirely, though rumors suggest a proper disc-based physical release may follow in December . To avoid competing with the massive launch, publisher CI Games has already delayed the dark fantasy action-RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 to early 2027
.
Xbox Series X Price Hikes and Valve Steam Machine Pre-Order Costs Revealed
Microsoft has announced a significant global price increase for its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, effective August 1, 2026, due to skyrocketing RAM and storage component costs . Retail prices will rise by $100 USD for 512GB models and $150 USD for 1TB models, while the 2TB Series X model is being completely sunsetted
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These same component market pressures forced Valve to set a premium price tag for its newly opened Steam Machine pre-orders, which start at $1,049 for the 512GB model and $1,349 for the 2TB configuration . Designed to bring Steam libraries to the living room, the compact system targets native 1440p resolution at 60 frames per second, though Valve had to compromise by shipping the device with a single 16GB stick of DDR5 RAM to manage soaring manufacturing costs
.
Sony Lays Off Bungie Developers as Xbox Restructuring Looms
Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie have executed a massive reduction in force, cutting 292 full-time jobs primarily affecting the Destiny 2 and Marathon development teams . The layoffs follow the final major content update for Destiny 2, which fell short of commercial expectations, and have resulted in studio head Justin Truman stepping down
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Meanwhile, reports of a broader "Xbox Reset" are materializing as over a dozen employees have departed South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games amid rumors of impending Microsoft studio closures . Electronic Arts has also initiated its third wave of staffing cuts this year across its IT and support teams, even as EA executives publicly praise the implementation of generative AI tools in game development
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Nintendo Switch 2 Library Expands With Star Fox and Sonic Frontiers
The Nintendo Switch 2 has successfully revitalized the physical games market, driving the first year-on-year increase in US physical game spending since 2009 . Software support for the hybrid console continues to ramp up with the launch of Velan Studios' Star Fox remake, which critics have praised as an audio-visual showcase for the platform
. Sega also shadow-dropped Sonic Frontiers: Definitive Edition on the console for $49.99, bundling the base game with all compiled DLC
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Looking ahead, Capcom detailed its upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, both scheduled to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 later this year . To support this long-term momentum, Nintendo has announced a ¥121 billion investment to construct a massive new Technology Development Center in Kyoto
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Sony Shifts PC Port Strategy and Halo PS5 Co-Op Sparks Backlash
Sony Interactive Entertainment is reportedly shifting its strategy away from porting first-party PlayStation 5 games to PC, choosing instead to prioritize its console ecosystem and core single-player titles like Marvel's Wolverine and God of War Laufey . This console-first focus coincides with community backlash over the upcoming PS5 release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, which will controversially require both players to have active PlayStation Plus subscriptions to play local split-screen co-op
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Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski admitted the studio has not yet completed its redemption arc following Cyberpunk 2077, promising to apply those hard-learned lessons to the development of The Witcher 4 . Finally, the industry is mourning the tragic loss of Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot, who passed away in a plane crash at the age of 69, and legendary Doom composer Bobby Prince, who died at 81
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