The Xbox team is continuing its mission to win back fans by implementing some tiny but noteworthy additions and improvements to the Xbox Series X|S interface--and some in the Xbox Insider program can check them out starting today.

Last week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma shared the console's new bootup animation, which select Xbox Insiders can now witness for themselves at startup. The animation emphasizes the Xbox signature color of green a lot more, though the sound is similar to what users are accustomed to.

Enthusiastic achievement hunters might enjoy some new vanity badges that will show up on their profile and the Xbox Guide. These are tiered badges that "evolve" as your Gamerscore increases. These come after Xbox Achievements got a visual refresh through updated icons and animations.

Arc Raiders is moving to a new update cadence that will see Embark Studios making larger updates to the game "every six months or so," executive producer Aleksander Grondal told GameSpot in a recent interview. The game's first six months have been hugely successful, with Grondal admitting the team was "a bit caught off guard" by the attention the game received from players and, in turn, the demands the studio faced early on.

"It's a luxury problem, right?" Grondal said. "It's not something to complain about. In that sense, it was, of course, great, but also getting this amount of eyes on your game also puts a lot of attention on some of the problems that the game is having. [It] kind of got a little bit in our way, to be honest with you, because we were kind of focusing on what was next, and we had to spend quite a lot of time with some technical things that we had to deal with. And, I mean, that's the right call, obviously. That's not the point. I think we were a bit caught off guard.

"When we shipped the game, we had this idea that we wanted to do monthly content updates, which is a pretty ambitious plan, to be honest with you. We're not the largest team in the world, so we really work hard to get something out," Grondal continued. "Then we ran out of some of the [early] initiatives that we did, and now we had to work on a month-to-month cadence, which means, practically speaking, there's not that much production time on the features for the things we're doing. Putting out content updates every month, I think the ambition was great to keep people engaged and interested. I think, though--and the community and the players are telling us the same--that they feel like some of these updates aren't really hitting the mark in terms of what they want, in terms of impact. And we as a team feel that as well, but we're not really able to take our ideas all the way through what we want them to be and also [determine] how they can drive the most meaningful impact to the players. So this cadence has kind of worked a bit against us to some degree."

After the massive hit that was Stardew Valley, the game's creator, Eric "ConcerdApe" Barone, is hard at work on Haunted Chocolatier. A game about creating sweet treats, running a confectionery store, and pursuing romance, Barone says that the game won't just be larger in scope than Stardew Valley; it'll also be darker and more unsettling than his breakout hit.

"It's way bigger than Stardew Valley, at least in terms of the amount of maps, the amount of monsters, the depth to the whole item system, and all the equipment slots and all the stuff like this. Everything is cranked up," Barone said to Game Informer, while also detailing how the game allows him to craft an experience with a "darker" theme and atmosphere. He's not aiming to develop a full-blown horror game, but Haunted Chocolatier does have an unsettling vibe.

"The ghosts, the haunted nature, the castle, allow for a lot of interesting, creative things that I can do that are kind of creepy, like not totally horrifying, but maybe slightly, you know, creepy stuff," Barone said.

Sony has revealed the latest games coming to the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers in May. All of these games will be available starting May 19:

• Star Wars Outlaws (PS5)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
• Bramble: The Mountain King (PS5, PS4)
• The Thaumaturge (PS5)
• Flintlock: the Siege of Dawn (PS5)
• Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templar - Reforged (PS5, PS4)
• Enotria: The Last Song (PS5, PS4)
• Time Crisis (PS5) | PS Plus Premium required

The big draw this month is Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws. An open-world adventure in which players play as the quick-thinking--and quick-shooting--Kay Vess, Outlaws benefited from several free post-launch updates that transformed it into an exciting Star Wars adventure.

Red Dead Redemption 2 makes its way back to the Game Catalog this month, and in case you missed it the first time, it's still an immersive open-world experience set in the dying days of the Old West. Red Dead Redemption 2 also includes Red Dead Online, so once you're done playing the lengthy campaign, you can try out some multiplayer fun.

Microsoft and developer Playground have announced the launch times for Forza Horizon 6, confirming precisely when players will be able to start their engines. Microsoft also announced pre-loading details and confirmed the file sizes.

As announced previously, Forza Horizon 6 will launch first for people who pay more on May 15 before everyone can get in on May 19. The game releases at 12:01 AM local time, and that's for both the PC version on Steam and the console edition for Xbox Series X|S. The game, which takes place in Japan, is coming to PS5, but not until later in the year.

More specifically, countries with multiple timezones will provide access to Forza Horizon 6 when the country's Eastern-most time zone hits 12:01 AM. That means in the US, people in California, for example, can start playing at 9:01 PM their time. Those in Chicago, meanwhile, can start playing at 11:01 PM their time.

Pokemon Winds and Waves launches next year, and to ease the wait, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have released a new behind-the-scenes video highlighting a crucial part of the game's identity: its soundtrack.

As Pokemon games have grown in scope, so too have the production standards for them, and for Pokemon Winds and Waves, a full orchestra was brought in to record the main theme. This session with the Tokyo-based NHK Symphony Orchestra was recorded, with the video below showing off just how many musicians were involved with this single piece of the new Pokemon soundtrack. Incorporating strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, the end result was a classical--but stirring--take on the traditional Pokemon theme that was used to reveal the new mainline game earlier this year.

While it starts off with a new selection of music that sets the tone for the trailer, it isn't long before the iconic Pokemon theme takes over. First composed for the original Pokemon games in 1996 by Junichi Masuda, the theme has been remixed and reinterpreted over the years, but its core sound has remained intact--much like the Star Wars or Legend of Zelda themes.

The Last of Us writer and showrunner Craig Mazin has further discussed the upcoming third season of HBO's The Last of Us, saying in an interview that the series aims to force viewers to reconcile the fact that the characters they care about and cheer for are not completely good people.

"It is a question of perspective and narrative. It's a very powerful thing to be given a story that gives you a hero and that makes your side good," Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter. "That is fundamental to most religions--and it is fundamental to most politics now. It creates a tribalism. It's 'us versus them,' and it happens very, very quickly. What I loved about the story of the game, which is in line with what I am pursuing on the show, is that it is not that simple."

Mazin went on to say that he's trying to make viewers feel for the characters, despite some of their flaws. He said Kaitlyn Dever--who plays Abby--is an asset to The Last of Us thanks to her acting chops.

It turns out that Fortnite's long-rumored collaboration with Overwatch is real after all, and four characters from Blizzard's hero shooter will pop up in the Fortnite item shop on the morning of Thursday, May 14. Fortnite will go offline on Wednesday night for an update, and the Overwatch gang should be in the shop when the game comes back online.

The main thrust of the collab will be new gameplay items and the Sandy Strip on the Battle Royale map will apparently be getting a new themed area. We don't have a lot of specific details about the gameplay part of the collab just yet, though you can try to glean some info from the cinematic teaser above if you like.

What we do know is that the collab will include four player skins based on Overwatch characters--specifically Tracer, D.Va, Genji, and Mercy--as well as a set of accessories, which includes several emotes and a glider. The whole set will be sold as individual items and in a single large bundle. We don't know any prices yet, but judging by how much stuff it'll come with, it's possible this will be the most expensive Fortnite bundle ever. The current record-holder is the Solo Leveling bundle, which cost 4,500 for three skins and their accessories.

In March, Nintendo reportedly received letters about bombs being planted at its headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, with one message stating: “I’m going to blow you all up.” The man charged with committing these crimes has now been arrested, per KTV News and translated by Automaton.

Koto police reportedly apprehended the 27-year-old man yesterday, May 12, for obstruction of business. Apparently, at one point, he claimed to have "planted multiple bombs," though none were found when authorities searched Nintendo's headquarters in March. It's been reported that the man has admitted to the charges brought against him.

This isn't the first time that Nintendo has had to deal with threats for its business or employees. In December 2023, the company canceled a two-day Nintendo Live 2024 event in Tokyo as well as a Splatoon championship because of "persistent threats," according to the Associated Press.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has stressed how vital it is for the company to keep driving sales of Switch 1 games, even though the Switch 2 has come to market.

During the company's latest earnings briefing, Furukawa said, "I believe it is important that we consider how to expand the entire software business, including titles for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2." He said Nintendo should take this approach as opposed to "focusing only on sales of Nintendo Switch 2 software."

Furukawa said this in response to a question about the slowed sales of Switch 2-exclusive Mario Kart World after the company discontinued the hardware bundle that included the game. The executive said Mario Kart World remains an "important title" for Nintendo and that he expects it to continue to sell throughout the lifecycle of the Switch 2.

The Steam Controller has been on the mind of PC gamers recently, and for good reason: it's a very impressive device--though, like many viral tech products, it's currently very hard to get. Those who have been able to get a hold of the device have been quite pleased with the end product, however. They've been putting their new controllers through all the rigors of gaming--which, we assume, also means accidentally dropping them, because that would explain how a very goofy easter egg was discovered.

When you're using Steam in Big Picture mode, the Steam Controller will, when dropped from a height of roughly three feet, randomly play the famous Wilhelm Scream from its speakers. The Wilhelm Scream is one of the most recognizable sound effects in existence, and its inclusion (and randomized playback) on the device demonstrates that the Valve engineers aren't just clever designers: they are very, very silly.

But every good news story requires some research and verification, so GameSpot's own Erick Tay decided to confirm the rumor by giving the Steam Controller some good tosses (into soft pillows, of course). The result--the iconic SFX we know and love after a few tries. If you want to see this hidden feature for yourself, we recommend a similarly cushioned controlled environment, rather than spiking it off the floor in a fit of rage.

Earlier this month, Grand Theft Auto 6 hit another milestone: it’s now been a year since the last trailer. Fans are getting impatient and have started tagging Rockstar North on Google Maps to voice their frustration.

Several frustrated GTA fans have started leaving bad reviews for Rockstar North specifically over the lack of fresh details about its most anticipated title. Google Maps seemingly allows anyone to do this without having to travel all the way to Rockstar North in Scotland.

Those aren't the only fans who are a little antsy. On Reddit (via Kotaku), one player read the proverbial tea leaves by attempting to analyze the foot traffic of a cafe located near Rockstar to predict the date of the next trailer. This fan theory suggests that an uptick in the cafe's customers might coincide with a trailer drop. So far, it has not.

Things really aren't looking good for Gang of Dragon, the Yakuza spiritual successor from former Sega and RGG Studios bigwig Toshihiro Nagoshi's eponymous Nagoshi Studio. Between reports of publisher NetEase pulling financial backing and the studio's YouTube channel vanishing-then-reappearing quietly in a seeming "no worries, everything is fine here" moment, fans eager to see more of Gang of Dragon after its The Game Awards debut last year have been feeling an ever-creeping dread about the game's fate. Today the title had yet another very big, very visible setback ... or rather, not-so-visible, because as of the time of writing, Nagoshi Studio's website is completely offline.

Of course, there could be completely innocuous explanations for this--it's the internet, and websites go down all the time for a variety of reasons--but given the circumstances, it's difficult to assume everything is a-ok in Gang of Dragon-land. News about the game, aside from the reports of its funding woes, has completely dried up, and there's been no reports of anyone swooping in to fund or acquire Nagoshi Studio in a valiant rescue. That's not to say that it couldn't happen, but all the signs point to Gang of Dragon--and its developer--vanishing without a trace (besides what's left on the Internet Archive.)

At least with Stranger than Heaven's recent reveal, Yakuza series fans still have something concrete with similar vibes to look forward to. As for Gang of Dragon, though, the only thing concrete about its fate seems to be cement shoes.

Housemarque's Saros launched earlier this month to rave reviews, and it's a legitimate frontrunner for Game of the Year at this early point in 2026. However, it appears sales of the game have thus far been slower than its predecessor, Returnal, and the game may struggle to recoup its budget.

That's according to Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, who estimates Saros sold approximately 300,000 copies in its first two weeks on sale. This figure is a little behind Returnal, a very similar game that was released much earlier in the PS5's lifecycle. Saros is the first game developed by Housemarque since the studio was acquired by Sony, having operated independently and primarily developed games for PlayStation systems in the years prior.

Thus far, a huge percentage of Saros players have previously played Returnal--Alinea estimates it at 79%--and about one-third of the game's sales thus far were during the early-access period.

Veteran game developer Ken Levine stepped away from the BioShock series after 2013's BioShock Infinite, and while the series is going ahead with BioShock 4, it's doing so without him. Why did Levine step away to work on a different game, Judas, instead of sticking with the series he created?

Speaking to IGN, Levine said BioShock remains "very important" to him and that he feels "incredibly fortunate" to have worked on a franchise that means so much to so many people. However, he opted to step away in part because he "didn't have a lot else to say in that world." He also reflected on how working on established franchises can be something of a trap.

"A franchise is an interesting thing because it can come to own you if you're not careful. It can define you. It was scary and risky and crazy to walk away from a very successful franchise. I didn't [walk away] because I didn't love the franchise," he said. "I wanted to step away and challenge myself in a different way, and challenge a team in a different way. Things can own you if you hold them too tightly rather than the other way around. I will always love [BioShock] and I can't wait to see what they do with it."

Deadzone: Rogue 2 has officially been announced by developer Prophecy Games, with the studio promising a sharper follow-up to the 2025 roguelite first-person shooter. Prophecy Games says that the core gunplay and foundation of the original game have been kept intact, but it's aiming to deliver an experience that's deeper, more flexible, and feels more rewarding to master. A demo for Deadzone: Rogue 2 will also go live in June 2026 on PC, showcasing how the sequel has evolved the concepts of the first game.

As for those changes, Prophecy Games added that Deadzone: Rogue 2 will feature an expanded progression system that gives players greater control and build variety across various abilities, weapons, and run modifiers. New zones and environments will be introduced, and an expanded collection of enemies and bosses will keep players on their toes in the heat of battle.

The "core feel" of Deadzone's gunplay will remain intact, but Prophecy Games says that it has been "refined and sharpened" across the board.

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has revealed a new look at Season 8: Sins of Alchemax for the free-to-play game, showing off iconic X-Men leader Cyclops in action, as well as a tease for the fan-favorite characters Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Kicking off on May 15, Season 8 revolves around the sinister Alchemax corporation, which was responsible for the recent Time Plague in Lower Manhattan. The devastating outbreak was contained, but with Alchemax responsible for it and still standing defiant, players will have to team up to take down the company before it's too late.

The big surprise in the trailer is that Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur appear in a prominent role. One of the smartest characters in the Marvel Universe, Moon Girl AKA Lunella Lafayette shares a mental link with Devil Dinosaur, who is usually depicted as a crimson-skinned dinosaur that resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Devil Dinosaur will join the game this season, serving a Vanguard role built around raw, savage power. The hero can tear the opposition to shreds, is equipped with a shield, and attacks with primal bites to inflict a continuous bleeding effect on targets. Whenever he smashes through defenses, Devil Dinosaur's aggression will increase, and he can clamp down on enemies to instantly take them out. For his Ultimate Ability, Devil Dinosaur becomes unstoppable and can charge forward to mercilessly trample anyone caught in his path of destruction.

One of the best-known Call of Duty developers, David Vonderhaar, is making a new game that is "not a Call of Duty killer" but is instead something that sounds quite different.

It will be a shooter, but Vonderhaar told Bloomberg it's "definitely not" another military simulation-type game. Instead, people can think of it as "if David Lynch made shooters."

Players will work together to fight environmental challenges and also each other, the report said, suggesting it will be some type of PvPvE game.

Casey Hudson, the gaming industry veteran who is leading the team making Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, has commented on AI, saying he finds it to be "creatively soulless."

He said this in an interview with Bloomberg, adding, "It's hard to imagine where it's actually helpful in the process. I'm just really unimpressed with it."

Presumably Hudson is referring to generative AI, which has been the hot-button topic as of late, but whatever the case, he is clearly not enthusiastic about the technology for Fate of the Old Republic.

The ambiguous Super Game project from Sega--which planned to incorporate NFTs, social networking, and cloud streaming--has been canned. The company behind Sonic the Hedgehog bluntly stated that it "decided to cancel" the game in its fiscal 2026 results presentation. This comes almost five years exactly after the original announcement of the Super Game in 2021.

A handful of classic franchise reboots are still in the works, however. Sega is still listing Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, and Streets of Rage as upcoming games, though without a specific release date. These four projects were first unveiled at The Game Awards in 2023. A new Shinobi was also part of that reveal, and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance arrived last year.

Leave it to @sega to blow our minds with 5 NEW GAMES in one trailer! This is Sega Power Surge! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/O0an9RbWxm

In 2024, Sega teased an open world for Crazy Taxi, mixed with MMO elements. The setting is supposedly based on California. The series began in 1999 with Crazy Taxi for arcades, with a Dreamcast release in 2000. The last game in the franchise was a spin-off for mobile platforms released in 2017 called Crazy Taxi Tycoon.