BioWare Closes, Xbox Cuts, Call of Duty Removes Itaewon Footage
BioWare’s closure and the cancellation of its next Mass Effect project dominate the week, as reports link the decision to EA’s preference for a new Star Wars: Battlefront game +1. Layoffs and restructuring also affect Microsoft, Sucker Punch and other studios, while Activision agrees to remove Itaewon crowd-crush footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
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BioWare Closes as EA Reportedly Picks Battlefront Over Mass Effect
The petition urging EA to save Mass Effect grew from 187,000 signatures to more than 223,000 as the series’ future came into focus . BioWare closed amid 400 layoffs across EA, with most of the studio’s roughly 50 remaining staff laid off; a leaked internal trailer identified a canceled project as Mass Effect: Universe
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Reports say EA chose to prioritize a new Star Wars: Battlefront game over Mass Effect 5, describing that decision as a main factor in BioWare’s closure while noting that other factors also contributed +1. The petition calls on EA to restart development or license the franchise to another studio
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Microsoft Xbox Cuts Continue as Studios Face Restructuring
Microsoft offered voluntary exit packages to 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce, as reductions continue across the company, including Xbox . Microsoft’s latest results show Xbox hardware revenue down 14% year over year, while Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says console sales remain constrained by supply
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Sucker Punch reportedly laid off 24 employees, about 10% of its staff, while Auroch Digital plans to cut around a quarter of its workforce . Don’t Nod is restructuring to guard against insolvency as employees warn of possible layoffs, and Arkane Lyon has received more time to find a buyer
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Funding and job security remain concerns at other studios: Raw Power Games says it risks closing after losing funding for Chronicles: Medieval, while Rockstar Games employees in the UK prepare to vote on union recognition from November 12 to 26 . Warhorse Studios also confirms that attackers accessed its systems and data, with the full impact still under investigation
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Activision Removes Itaewon Footage From Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
Activision apologizes to the families of victims of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush and says it will remove real footage of the disaster from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 . The footage appeared in the game’s opening sequence, prompting objections from victims’ families
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Phantom Blade Zero Launches as 2027 Game Dates Shift
S-Game’s Phantom Blade Zero launches on PC and PlayStation 5, drawing more than 430,000 concurrent players on Steam in its first hours . A day-one update brings performance improvements, while reviews highlight its combat and boss encounters alongside criticism of its story
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FromSoftware delays its Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods from 2026 to 2027 for further adjustments to its rules and balance . Shenmue 3 Enhanced also moves to early 2027, while Square Enix sets Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold for February 23, 2027, after shifting it from January
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Chucklefish’s Witchbrook now has a January 28, 2027 release date for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 . Bethesda is reportedly preparing a The Elder Scrolls VI title reveal as soon as November, with reports naming the game The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel
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Pokémon Unite Sets March 2027 Shutdown
The Pokémon Company and TiMi Studio Group will end service for Pokémon Unite on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices on March 23, 2027 . In-game sales have already ended, and the game’s final Aeos Crown competition is scheduled for two days before shutdown
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