EA Goes Private, Xbox Prices Surge, Nintendo Switch 2 Expands
Electronic Arts’ $55 billion buyout changes the shape of the publisher market just as Microsoft sharply raises Xbox hardware prices across Europe and the UK . Nintendo and Square Enix counter the corporate upheaval with a busy Nintendo Switch 2 pipeline, while Game Freak begins repairing Beast of Reincarnation after a divided launch
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Electronic Arts Goes Private in a Record $55 Billion Buyout
Electronic Arts is now privately held after an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners completes its $55 billion acquisition . PIF reportedly owns 93.4% of the new company, with Silver Lake holding 5.5% and Affinity Partners holding 1.1%
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The transaction includes $20 billion in debt financing and is described as the largest leveraged buyout ever reported . Reports also indicate that EA carries $18 billion in debt and could pursue mass layoffs as the new owners look to cut costs
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The deal places one of the industry’s largest publishers under private ownership at a time when live-service revenue dominates EA’s final public fiscal report, increasing scrutiny over how the company manages its major franchises .
Xbox Series X and Series S Price Hikes Reshape the European Market
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S price increases are now in effect across the UK and Europe, with some models rising by as much as 50% . The 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive reaches £669.99 in the UK and €799.99 in Europe, while the 512GB Xbox Series S rises to £429.99 and €499.99
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The new prices make Xbox Series S more expensive than Nintendo Switch 2 in European markets, while analysts suggest the increases could give Sony’s PlayStation 5 a competitive advantage ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI . Sony indicates that PS5 pricing should remain stable through early 2027
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Microsoft Reportedly Expands Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility to PC
A leaked Microsoft document reportedly outlines plans to bring selected Xbox 360 games to PC through the company’s expanding backward-compatibility program . Developers would reportedly opt individual titles into support across Xbox PCs, handheld devices, and the next-generation Project Helix console
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The reported Project Helix strategy reaches further across Xbox history, potentially supporting games from the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series generations alongside new Helix releases . The initiative is not an automatic conversion of the entire Xbox 360 library, since developer participation remains necessary
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Nintendo Switch 2 Builds Its Release Pipeline with Fire Emblem and Minecraft
Nintendo’s Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Direct provides a detailed look at the Switch 2 strategy RPG’s kingdom of Dagdan, characters, Heroic Games, classes, and combat systems . The game is scheduled for a worldwide launch on September 17, 2026, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2
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Square Enix also showcases more than two hours of Final Fantasy XIV Online gameplay running on Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of its scheduled August 4 launch . Mojang’s dedicated Minecraft Nintendo Switch 2 edition is scheduled for October 27, with existing Switch owners receiving a digital upgrade path and Vibrant Visuals enabled by default
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Nintendo’s broader calendar includes the addition of Super Mario Sunshine to the Nintendo Classics library on August 13, alongside the previously unreleased Virtual Boy games Zero Racers and D-Hopper . Fans are also speculating that a rumored The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake could target November 2026 on Switch 2, although that release remains unconfirmed
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Sets the Remake Trilogy’s Ending
Square Enix is preparing Final Fantasy VII Revelation for release next year, with director Naoki Hamaguchi confirming that it serves as the definitive conclusion to the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy . Hamaguchi says the team is focused on delivering a complete finale without leaving story threads designed to support future expansions
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The reveal also drives renewed interest in the earlier games. Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are selling several times better than Square Enix expected following the announcement .
Game Freak Promises Updates for Beast of Reincarnation
Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with access included through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass . Early reviews praise its combat and characters while criticizing its pacing, momentum, and uneven adventure structure
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Game Freak promises a first update within a week, including changes across five improvement areas such as story pacing, and describes the work as the start of ongoing post-launch support rather than a single corrective patch .
Big Walk and Palworld Online Expand Multiplayer Games
House House’s Big Walk earns strong reviews for its cooperative communication mechanics, open-world exploration, and puzzle design, with critics calling it one of the best co-op games available . Performance issues on Nintendo Switch 2 temper the reception, although the game becomes an early standout on PlayStation Plus and PC
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Pocketpair is taking its creature-collecting survival formula to mobile with Palworld Online, an open-world MMORPG developed and published by Garena under a licensing agreement . The iOS and Android game is scheduled to launch later this year and will adapt the original’s crafting, multiplayer survival, and creature-collecting systems
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Layoffs and Shutdowns Continue Across the Games Industry
The week’s restructuring also hits smaller studios and experimental projects. Refractor Games reportedly loses roughly 85% of its staff less than two months after FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition launches on Netflix, with staff saying co-owner Delphi Interactive pulls the plug following release .
Ubisoft schedules the servers for Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles to shut down in October after abandoning the game’s controversial blockchain and NFT integration . Marvelous also cancels its long-running Story of Seasons mobile project after ending a six-year partnership with Tencent
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The contraction is not universal. Secret Mode opens an internal Sheffield studio to support Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together, beginning with three employees and planning to grow to around 20 staff over the next year . Meanwhile, ZeniMax Online Studios delays several major The Elder Scrolls Online updates, including its next trial and combat refresh, into 2027 following Microsoft’s layoffs
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