Less than a week ago, leadership shakeup at Xbox saw Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer retire and Xbox President Sarah Bond step down. In Spencer's place, Asha Sharma--the former boss of Microsoft's CoreAI division--will now lead Microsoft Gaming. However, Sharma and the newly promoted Xbox CCO Matt Booty want to assure fans that the former's background doesn't mean that Microsoft is pushing for more AI in games.

"We've got no pressure from Microsoft, there are no directives on AI coming down," Booty told Windows Central. "Our teams are free to use any technologies that might be beneficial, whether it's helping write code or check for bugs--things more in the production pipeline. At the end of the day, as Asha said, we're committed to art made by people. Technology is only in support of that"

Booty added that Xbox's goal is for AI to be additive and supportive and compared its impact to the way Photoshop became a widely used tool.

Rumors are swirling about a new Witcher 3 DLC that is anticipated to release this year, bridging the gap between Witcher 3 and 4. While initial reports speculated that the DLC might take players to the far eastern destination of Zerrikania, new reports claim the DLC will mostly be reusing locations and assets, staying closer to the familiar territories of Temeria and Redania.

While nothing about the potential expansion has been officially confirmed by CD Projekt Red, insider reports are now suggesting the DLC is largely intended to bridge the gap between Witcher 3 and the upcoming Witcher 4. With Witcher 3 being set around Temeria, Redania, and Skellige, and Witcher 4 taking place at least partially in the far northern kingdom of Kovir and Poviss, it makes sense for the DLC to remain somewhere in the northern states.

A post from CharlieIntel reports that the DLC will be "expanding on already existing areas and reusing assets," while Polish insider UV o grach made some similar comments on a livestream, referring to reusing assets and filling in blanks on a map.

Game Pass has reportedly given Star Wars Outlaws' player numbers a major boost since it was added on January 13, introducing nearly 600,000 new players to the game. While Ubisoft's Star Wars game has suffered from slow sales since it launched in 2024, it has proved the most popular of January's major Game Pass additions.

According to statistics cited by Alinea Analytics, Star Wars Outlaws was checked out by around 100,000 Game Pass subscribers on the day it was added to the service. Around 595,000 total new players have accessed the game through Game Pass since it launched there, narrowly beating out Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II to be the most popular of January's new games.

While Outlaws was mostly well-received by critics, the game suffered from some technical and mechanical issues at launch, and has not sold as well as Ubisoft expected--something that the studio has blamed on a general decline in sentiment towards the Star Wars brand.

As if Arc Raiders players didn't have enough to worry about in the game, there are apparent UFOs in the game now. A handful of Arc Raiders players have reported seeing the silhouette of a large ship in the clouds, but so far, only a Reddit user called Bewarden captured the incident in a video.

The ship appears to be massive, but there's no indication yet it's confirmation of aliens in this world. It's not nothing, but we can't say for certain what it is until developer Embark Studios lets players have a closer look.

This glimpse of the unknown occurred after the newly released Shrouded Sky update. That brought new enemies hurricanes into the game. There's also a limited-time event called the Weather Monitoring System project, which is currently running through March 31. GameSpot has already run through the steps and rewards in that event, and it didn't say anything about our new friends in the sky.

In a new statement, Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy clarifies that 90% of global users will be able to continue to use Discord as they always have. The Discord users who will need to authenticate their age are those who both access age-restricted content and whom Discord's internal system cannot verify as adults. The statement also announces that the global age verification on the platform has been delayed from March to sometime in the second half of 2026.

This is not the first time Discord has attempted to change the narrative. Discord posted a statement on X earlier in February clarifying that most Discord users will not have to verify their age.

Users have raised concerns about third-party contractors which Discord might use to verify age. A hack attacking service provider 5CA in October 2025 leaked thousands of UK IDs. Additionally, Discord's partnership with verification service Persona drew criticism, due to Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel's backing. The statement attempts to assuage some of these concerns, saying that every third-party vendor must undergo a security and privacy review before Discord will partner with them.

Fanatical is back at it again with a new week-long Bundlefest event, where each day brings a new bundle of discounted PC games to check out. The event runs Monday, February 23, through Friday, February 27, and so far, two new bundles have dropped. The event kicked off with a new version of Fanatical's Killer Bundle--which offers up to 21 items for just $0.96 per key--and today's deal is the February 2026 edition of the Play On The Go Elite Collection, which lets you pick from up to 18 games for as low as $7 each. You'll find full details for both bundles below. The next Bundlefest bundle drops tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25, so be sure to return here to see the next promotion.

• Monday, February 23: Build Your Own Killer Bundle (Bundlefest February 2026)
• Tuesday, February 24: Build Your Own Play on the Go Elite Collection (Bundlefest February 2026)
• Wednesday, February 25: TBA
• Thursday, February 26: TBA
• Friday, February 27: TBA

Like Fanatical's previous Bundlefests, each of the new bundles dropping this week will be available for much longer than the event. We've noted how long each deal is available for in the sections below. As always, all games purchased at Fanatical are delivered as official keys--usually for Steam, but occasionally for other storefronts like the Epic Game Store. Note that these keys will expire, so make sure you redeem them before they're no longer valid. Most last around a year, but some may expire sooner. You can check a key's expiration date after purchasing it via your Fanatical account.

The Sims 4 has been out for almost 12 years, but there's always room for improvement. EA has shared a new update roadmap for The Sims 4 that doesn't focus on big game-breaking fixes. Instead, most of these 2026 updates will revolve around some quality of life changes in The Sims 4.

Between March and August, EA will be looking to improve infant and caregiver autonomy while making sure that the babies get the correct milestones, buffs, and interactions. A separate fix will center on preventing crashes or data loss. But the most significant area of focus in this timeframe is being given to Sim autonomy. This will allow Sims to have more disruptive behaviors, including "choosing inappropriate locations for certain actions" and interrupting other Sims' conversations.

From September to December, EA is expecting to work on Sims' behavior during meals while also improving "the overall dining experience." It's also placing an emphasis on family trees and relationships, "to protect the important stories built across generations."

This week, Resident Evil Requiem will introduce the franchise's new heroine, Grace Ashcroft. And if a new report is accurate, Grace will be making her Fortnite debut this week as well.

Fortnite leaker HYPEX is reporting that Grace Ashcroft's skin will drop in Fortnite on February 28, and it will be available until March 7. However, the report notes that Fortnite's previously released RE skins may not be back alongside Grace because they haven't been updated yet.

GRACE ASHCROFT DROPS @ FEB 28 UNTIL MARCH 7
Old Resident Evil skins might not return with her first release as they're currently still not updated, and the next major update (C7S2) was previously delayed to March 19, so they might not return until she returns again later pic.twitter.com/ronnBNVC7E

Players who pre-ordered Resident Evil Requiem on Epic Games Store between October 29, 2025 and February 26, 2026 will get the Grace Ashcroft skin for free as long as players' Fortnite accounts are linked with their EGS accounts. Everyone else will have to make a separate purchase for the Grace Ashcroft skin during its window of availability. The price is expected to be in line with other licensed character's skins.

Over the years, numerous people have suggested Xbox might be better suited as a standalone company rather than being a division of Microsoft, and now another person has shared that view.

Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics wrote that the "most logical long-term move" for Microsoft would be to spin off Xbox. He said Xbox has "some of the most valuable IP in the business" under its belt, including Xbox franchises and titles from subsidiaries like Activision and Bethesda.

Elliott--an industry analyst known for his insightful and opinionated takes--pointed out that gaming, as a business, has lower profit margins than some of Microsoft's other business areas, and a standalone version of Xbox could be "free from the burden of matching the ROI of Azure or the ubiquity of Windows."

The God of War TV show at Prime Video continues to add to its cast, with Ed Skrein coming aboard to play Baldur.

Skrein, 42, has a number of high-profile credits to his name, including the role of Ajax in 2016's Deadpool. He also starred in Alita: Battle Angel, Midway, the Rebel Moon movies, and Jurassic World: Rebirth. He also appeared on Game of Thrones.

Baldur, who is Odin's youngest son, was played by Saving Private Ryan actor Jeremy Davies in 2018's God of War. He won a BAFTA for his performance.

The Lord of the Rings franchise has a new board game, Foes of Middle-earth, on the way from D20 Culture, and the title's funding target on Kickstarter was reached in only 10 minutes. Foes of Middle-earth is also tearing through the project's stretch goals while giving fans a chance to revisit the vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings as seen in the movies.

Foes of Middle-earth is fully licensed by Warner Bros. Discovery to utilize the Lord of the Rings characters like Frodo, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they embark on a dungeon-crawler adventure that unfolds in three phases: exploration, mini-boss challenges, and a final boss battle.

The game features a "handcrafted dual-layered" board, as well as miniature figures featuring the game's heroes, creatures, and a Balrog. There are also 200 cards included with the game that unleash additional dangers, skills, and quests.

Arc Raiders' Shrouded Sky update brings plenty for raiders to check out, ranging from new ARC to fight to fresh quests to take on. And if you're keen on seeing and doing everything this new content has to offer, you won't want to miss the limited-time Weather Monitoring System project, which is only available from February 24 to March 31.

As with previous projects in Arc Raiders, the Weather Monitoring System project is available by visiting the Projects section of the Raider tab. Here, you'll find that there are items you'll need to contribute to earn rewards and work toward fully completing the project. It'll take some time and effort, but you should find it worth the trouble in the long run.

Below, we'll detail each step of the Weather Monitoring System project and the rewards you'll earn for completing them.

The Legend of Zelda just recently turned 40 years old, and the NES game is still cited as one of the best games of all time. But for Resident Evil Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi, it's all about arguably the black sheep in the mainline series, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The developer shared his love of the sequel--including its inspiration for a past Resident Evil enemy--in a new Creator's Voice video posted by Nintendo on YouTube

"Of course, I played the original Legend of Zelda game, but I really loved Zelda II: The Adventure of Link game. It's more challenging, and I love it," Nakanishi said while promoting Resident Evil Requiem. The director is by no means new to the survival-horror series, previously serving in the same role for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Revelations. In fact, speaking of the latter, he shared a new anecdote about the game, which initially launched exclusively on Nintendo 3DS.

"Actually, when I was making Resident Evil Revelations, there was an enemy called a Scarmiglione who carried a shield, and if you aimed at them, they would move the shield up and down. The truth is, this enemy was inspired by the armored soldier from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link," said Nakanishi.

Arc Raiders sends you to Buried City and Dam Battlegrounds for the A Rising Tide quest, with multiple steps required to reach its conclusion. There's nothing overtly difficult about this journey, but there are some easier ways to get things done that you may want to know about. And hey, that's why we're here. Let's take a look at how to complete A Rising Tide.

• On Buried City, find the foreman's barricaded apartment south of Piazza Roma

The first step to the A Rising Tide quest is to visit the foreman's barricaded apartment. This is located in one of the dual buildings just south of Piazza Roma on the left side of the map.

The easiest way inside this building is to first head to a rooftop across from the building to find a zipline. Check the map below for the exact location of this zipline.

Marvel's Wolverine game from Insomniac now has a release date: September 15, 2026. It's releasing that day on PS5.

Insomniac previously developed the popular and commercially successful Spider-Man games for PlayStation and PC more recently. The new Wolverine game is an extension of the partnership between Sony, Marvel, and Insomniac.

The September date for Wolverine is a couple months before GTA 6 lands on November 19, 2026. The next Call of Duty game is expected to release in October or November as well.

If you've received the A Dead End quest in Arc Raiders, you're probably already aware that you need to head to Blue Gate for some underground exploration. It can be confusing down there, but you're heading to the relatively confined Security Wing, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. However, once you're down there, you'll quickly find that you need to open a door and find some stuff inside a room, too, so let's take a look at how to knock it all out.

Keep in mind that you'll need to extract with an item you find in the Security Wing, so it's a good idea to bring an augment with a safe pocket. This will ensure that you can still turn the quest in back in Speranza even if you die before making it to an extraction point.

When you're ready to wrap up A Dead End, follow the steps below.

Starting on March 3, a new season of Pokemon Go begins with the Memories in Motion update. This season celebrates Pokemon Go's tenth anniversary with a new Special Research story, more opportunities to catch shiny Pokemon, a new camera feature, and scheduling changes to Pokemon Go events.

A major highlight for Pokemon Go's Memories in Motion update is the increased chance of encountering shiny Pokemon. Any evolved Pokemon in the wild can now be shiny if it has already had its shiny debut in Pokemon Go.

Players will have an increased chance of encountering shiny Pokemon from Raid Battles and hatching them from eggs compared to wild encounters. Additionally, any Pokemon rescued from Team Go Rocket that has made its shiny debut can also now be shiny, if the player is lucky enough to encounter it.

Arc Raiders sends you to Blue Gate for the Keeping an Eye Out quest, once again tasking you with finding one of Bilguun's hideouts. This time, you're seeking his shelter at the collapsed highway, which may be a bit of a trek for you, depending on where you spawn on the map. The real challenge, though, will be actually finding a way inside.

For this quest, you won't need to extract with anything to take back to Speranza, meaning you should feel free to come with a free loadout if you prefer. That being said, you may take some fall damage while trying to get inside the shelter, so having some extra healing items can't hurt--so it's not a bad idea to bring your own kit in if you're up for it.

When you're ready to complete Keeping an Eye Out, read on for how to get inside Bilguun's shelter.

Ahead of its release next month, Bungie is looking to do some server stress-testing for Marathon, and anyone who joins in will get some digital goodies for their efforts. The studio--which is owned by Sony--has also revealed rewards for Xbox gamers, which are unique for testers on the Microsoft platform. For the open beta test, Xbox Series X|S owners will receive two stylish weapon charms that can be equipped in the full game, if they decide to purchase it.

While these charms don't offer any gameplay bonuses, they do look quite fashionable. The Emerald Clutch Weapon Charm and Emerald Catch Weapon Charm add some emerald flair to your weapons, and while it hasn't been confirmed, they look very Minecraft-inspired in their design. Bungie hasn't revealed the rewards for Marathon players on PC yet, but they'll likely also be a set of weapon charms. Here's a closer look at them:

In comparison, PS Plus subscribers who play the Marathon beta will receive weapon charms based on Sony games like Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, and Helldivers 2. If you're interested in taking part, the Marathon Open Beta kicks off on February 26 and runs through March 2, ending just days before the full game launches on March 5. With its release date drawing closer, Bungie and Sony have begun to reveal more details on Marathon, including the soul music composed for the game and Bungie's plans to combat cheaters.

The first public test for Horizon Hunters Gathering, the upcoming Horizon multiplayer game, is taking place this weekend--but you'll have to get lucky to get in.

As announced previously, this is a closed test, so you will need to first join the PlayStation Beta Program and then cross your fingers and hope you get an invite. The test runs February 27-March 1 on PS5 and PC via Steam.

The test features the playable characters Sun, Rem, and Axle, along with two modes: Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent. Machine Incursion is a wave-based mode, while Cauldron Descent is described as a "multi-stage dungeon featuring ever-changing challenges."