Xbox Prices Surge, EA Goes Private, GTA VI Nears Launch
Microsoft’s Xbox price increases and Electronic Arts’ $55 billion take-private deal give the week a distinctly corporate edge, while Grand Theft Auto VI turns its November launch into a marketing event before release . Nintendo Switch 2 also reaches a major sales milestone as layoffs and contractor cuts hit studios across the industry
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Xbox Series X and Series S Price Hikes Reshape Console Competition
Microsoft implements steep Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S price increases across the UK and Europe, with some models rising by as much as 50 percent from August 1 . The 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive now costs £669.99 in the UK and €799.99 in Europe, while the 512GB Xbox Series S reaches £429.99 and €499.99
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The increases follow Microsoft’s global price hikes announced in June, and the Xbox Series S now costs more than Nintendo Switch 2 in European markets . Analysts say the new pricing could give Sony’s PlayStation 5 a competitive advantage before Grand Theft Auto VI launches, particularly as Sony indicates that PlayStation pricing should remain stable through early 2027
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Xbox 360 Games Reportedly Move to PC With Project Helix
While Xbox hardware becomes more expensive, a leaked Microsoft developer document points to a broader backward-compatibility strategy for Xbox 360 games on PC . Developers reportedly can opt individual Xbox 360 titles into support for Xbox PCs, handheld devices, and Microsoft’s next-generation Project Helix console
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The reported Project Helix program could cover games from the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series generations alongside new Helix releases . Microsoft also appears to be preparing a public beta for its long-rumored disc-to-digital feature, potentially expanding access to older games without requiring physical media
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Electronic Arts Goes Private as Devolver Digital Reconsiders Public Markets
Electronic Arts is now a private company after an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners completes a $55 billion acquisition . The transaction includes $20 billion in debt financing, and the Public Investment Fund reportedly owns 93.4 percent of the new company, making the deal the largest leveraged buyout ever reported
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The same week, Devolver Digital seeks to return to private ownership five years after listing on the London Stock Exchange . Devolver says the short-term growth pressure associated with public markets conflicts with the way an independent publisher operates, putting ownership structure at the center of two major games-business stories
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Grand Theft Auto VI Keeps November Release Date as Netflix Reveal Nears
Take-Two Interactive maintains Grand Theft Auto VI’s November 19 release date while Rockstar Games prepares Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look for Netflix on August 27 . Netflix subscribers get the first viewing window, with the same footage arriving on YouTube six hours later
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Take-Two describes Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders as “unprecedented,” “astonishing,” and “exceptional,” while raising its fiscal 2027 net bookings forecast to $8.2 billion . The game is planned as an $80 digital-only launch, although Take-Two has not ruled out a physical release later, and CEO Strauss Zelnick argues that game prices have not kept pace with inflation
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Nintendo Switch 2 Sales Pass 23 Million as 2026 Lineup Takes Shape
Nintendo reports that Nintendo Switch 2 sells more than 23 million units during its first 13 months, making it the company’s fastest-selling system . Nintendo also reports 142.5 billion yen in operating profit, up 150.5 percent year over year, with strong software sales and a US tariff refund contributing to the result
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Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 lineup gains more definition as Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave receives a 20-minute Direct presentation covering its characters, classes, Heroic Games, and combat systems ahead of its worldwide September 17 launch . Minecraft also arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on October 27 with the Vibrant Visuals upgrade and a digital upgrade path for existing Switch owners
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Square Enix meanwhile schedules Final Fantasy XIV Online for Nintendo Switch 2 on August 4 and showcases more than two hours of gameplay from the MMORPG running on the console . Pocketpair and Garena also announce Palworld Online, a licensed open-world MMORPG adaptation for iOS and Android scheduled to launch later this year
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Builds Momentum Toward Gamescom Showcase
Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the final chapter in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, receives a new look at Gamescom Opening Night Live, with game director Naoki Hamaguchi set to present more of the project . The showcase follows a major commercial boost for the previous games, as Square Enix says Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are selling several times better than internal expectations after Revelation’s Summer Game Fest reveal
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The response gives Square Enix an unusually strong sales runway for the remake trilogy’s conclusion before its next major public presentation .
Free Quake and Ghost Recon Wildlands Updates Reward Existing Players
Quake’s 30th-anniversary celebration delivers Dawn of the Machine, a free 19-level campaign co-developed by id Software and MachineGames . The episode adds new enemies, weapons, maps, environments, and a soundtrack, and is available on the PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch versions of Quake, excluding the Epic Games Store and GOG editions
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Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Wildlands: Last Rites also launches as a substantial free update on PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S . The update adds a linear story mission centered on La Llorona and the Los Penitentes cult, while PS5 and PS5 Pro receive 4K at 60 frames per second, hundreds of previously paid items become free, and Ubisoft gives away Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on PC for one week
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Big Walk, Beast of Reincarnation, and Marvel Tokon Face Uneven Launches
House House’s Big Walk earns widespread critical praise for its cooperative communication mechanics and open-world puzzle design, with reviewers calling it one of the best co-op games available . The launch is less polished on Nintendo Switch 2, where technical performance issues temper an otherwise strong debut on PlayStation Plus and PC
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Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass to mixed reviews, with critics praising its combat and characters while criticizing its pacing and uneven adventure . Arc System Works’ Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is also available on PS5 and PC, but the PC version receives a Mixed Steam rating amid complaints about stuttering, netcode, PlayStation account requirements, anti-cheat issues, and other performance problems
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Konami is investigating new Performance Mode problems affecting Silent Hill 2 on PS5 and PS5 Pro after Patch 1.07 introduces a series of issues . Across these releases, strong creative ideas are repeatedly arriving alongside technical problems that shape the early reception
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Layoffs Hit Refractor Games, That’s No Moon, Halo Studios, and Restart
Refractor Games reportedly loses roughly 85 percent of its staff less than two months after Netflix’s FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition launches, with employees saying co-owner Delphi Interactive pulls the plug on the studio . That’s No Moon also seemingly lays off 14 staff members two months after revealing Crossfire, its unreleased cinematic military shooter
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Halo Studios appears to cut contractors after Halo: Campaign Evolved launches, although follow-up reporting specifically distinguishes the departures from full-time layoffs . Gaming media outlet Restart meanwhile lays off its entire editorial team, including editor-in-chief Brandy Berthelson, in a move tied to the Walmart-sponsored site’s operation by Moonrock
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The week also brings a high-profile cancellation, as Marvelous ends its six-year partnership with Tencent and scraps the Story of Seasons mobile game after years of development . Secret Mode offers a rare counterpoint by opening a Sheffield development studio for Escape the Backrooms and Chained Together, beginning with three employees and planning to grow to around 20 over the next year
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