Not even a full day into her tenure as the head of Microsoft Gaming, Asha Sharma has been posting up a storm on X, sharing her Xbox username and her favorite games. As her previous role at Microsoft was leading the company's AI platform, replies to her posts have accused her of using AI to generate her social media content, but Sharma countered with a cheeky response.

After stating that her top games included Halo, Valheim, and GoldenEye, an X user replied: "I don't believe you. In fact, I think your account is an AI." Minutes later, Sharma replied back: "Beep Boop Beep Boop," with the post receiving over 1,300 likes.

Beep Boop Beep Boop

— Asha (@asha_shar) February 21, 2026

Sharma, formerly the president of Microsoft's CoreAI Product group, promised in her first statement as Microsoft Gaming EVP and CEO that the company "will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop." She also reiterated in an interview that she has "no tolerance for bad AI."

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Landmark anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion recently wrapped up its 30th anniversary celebrations with the major announcement that a new series is in production, with Nier: Automata's Yoko Taro writing it. Additionally, Toru Yatabe (Chainsaw Man) and Kazuya Tsurumaki (Rebuild of Evangelion) will direct this new project, and it'll feature music by Nier: Automata composer Keiichi Okabe.

Further details on the project remain locked up tighter than Lilith's remains at NERV headquarters, as Evangelion's official website only announced the talent involved in this next chapter for the franchise. It's likely still in a very early stage of production, but fans are already reacting positively to the announcement. Taro himself has mentioned several times in interviews how Neon Genesis Evangelion inspired his own works, which combine high-concept ideas with multiple endings. A perfect fit for Evangelion, when you look back at the history of the franchise.

"I thank you for praising NieR: Automata's story, but actually it's pretty much just a retelling of Evangelion, so there’s not much originality to it," Taro said to IGN at the time. "I don't really watch recent movies, so I'm mostly inspired by memories of works I saw in the past."

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Lighting up your production lines in Satisfactory is easy at first--you're building outdoors, and the power of the sun takes care of any visibility problems you might have, at least during the day. But building outdoors isn't sustainable. You'll have immensely long, confusing, and inefficient factories that will make the game less fun to play. It's better to build buildings to house those machines, and that's where lighting comes in. Lighting for visibility, information, and style are all worthwhile pursuits, and will even require different applications of components in some cases. This is a starter guide for lighting up your factory, covering general ideas and concepts and some technical aspects of light.

Light Sources:

There are three different light sources in Satisfactory. The sun, factory lighting, and repurposed signs.

Lights

There are a few different standard lights in Satisfactory, including a standard ceiling light, two different kinds of flood lights, and street lights, all of which can be controlled through a lighting control panel.

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Star Shards are one of the more important currencies you can get in Abyss, the latest Roblox game to take the platform by storm. While the objective is to upgrade your equipment to explore further and get fish, there are also quests to complete and other activities that reward you with the game's most elusive resource.

Of course, the easiest way is to redeem one of the available Abyss codes and gain all the bonus Star Shards that way, but you can also earn them as daily login bonuses during events, and buy them from the in-game shop. However, there are several other ways you can get Star Shards without paying a thing.

Daily Rewards are a quick way to grab some Star Shards whenever you start up the game.How to earn free Abyss Star Shards

From what has been put in the game so far, there are five major ways to get Star Shards in Abyss:

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Need some extra star shards in Abyss? While there are plenty of ways to acquire these resources, bonus air tanks to keep you going for longer, and extra potions to boost your catch rate, the handful of Abyss codes out there are very handy for giving you a bit of extra oomph.

This up-and-coming Roblox game receives constant updates, each one introducing new quests for players to complete. Having all the latest on where to find Abyss star shards, one of the resources you get from entering codes, is handy, particularly if you're trying to roll for the best Abyss races and the bonuses they give your character.

Some codes give away potions that you can use to increase encounters with rarer fish, boost XP gain, or increase your tube's speed. Active Abyss codes

Below are all of the active Abyss codes available right now. Please note that all of the codes are case sensitive, so if it appears in all capital letters, that is what you need to type in. Occasionally, the codes you enter are for specific events, so if it has concluded, then the code shouldn't work in theory.

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Chances are that you have been playing Abyss for a while, but have not changed your race from human. While this Roblox game doesn't hide this mechanic at all, it's always available at any hub area, and you have the option to get a permanent buff to your character. However, some of the races are just a little bit better than others, and while the rarity does give a good indicator of what's good, there are some perks more desirable than others.

Of course, you'll need a bunch of Abyss Star Shards to get rolling on the table, and even then, the odds you'll actually roll the top-tier best races are slim at best. If you manage to get one in one of the three available slots, then make sure you keep it. However, if you want to know which races that are actually obtainable for most people are the best, then we'll break down for you just which ones to keep. Oh, and make sure you redeem any Abyss codes to get more Star Shards and rerolls.

By spending more Star Shards on a single roll, your odds of getting better rarity races do increase.Abyss Races Tier List

By clicking the Races button, found at the top of the screen while at any hub area, you'll encounter the Race Reroll screen. You have two different ways to roll for races, with Lucky Reroll changing the odds to eliminate common races and boost your chances of getting the highest-tier ones instead. However, it costs 4.5x the amount of Star Shards than a standard reroll, and because of the Pity system, it's better to reroll with standard odds as the number for guaranteed Epic or Legendary races goes down at the same rate.

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Abyss hasn't been out all that long, but we already have the first major in-game event. The Valentine's Event started on February 14 and will last two weeks, specifically until Saturday, February 28 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. With it comes a few exclusive mutations that you won't see again for at least another year, as well as a handful of quests and exclusive equipment.

To get these items in this popular Roblox game, though, you need VTickets. The simplest way to get them is to grind away, catching Valentine-themed fish and hoping you get the VTickets as a bonus for reeling them in. However, there are also a bunch of quests you can partake in to grab more of them at once. So if you want as many VTickets and a whole bunch of Abyss Star Shards to spend on rolling for the best Abyss races before the event is over, here are all the Valentines Event quests and how to complete them.

The Valentines Event has the Big Boss sitting on his chair and a vendor where you can exchange your VTickets.Big Boss's Quest

All of Big Boss's quests require you to catch Valentine's event-themed fish. You can find Cupid-mutated fish all around the starting area near the Valentine's Event hub. Look for the bright pink fish with hearts emitting from them. The Lonely-Mutated fish are similar in color, in that they have pink hearts and a pink aura, but their bodies are more black to signify their loneliness. We highly recommend the use of Radar to scan for these elusive variants.

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TiMi Montreal, the studio founded by former Assassin's Creed creative director Ashraf Ismail, has been shut down by its parent company Tencent. Ismail announced the studio's opening in 2021, under Tencent's TiMi Studio Group banner. Reportedly, Ismail's team was working on a new original AAA open-world game for consoles and PC. However, the shutdown means that TiMi Montreal's unannounced game will never see the light of day.

According to Game File, rumors about Timi Montreal's impending demise were circulating for weeks without confirmation. That changed when Timi Montreal developers began sharing the news online about the fate of their studio.

On his LinkedIn page, senior gameplay programmer Alvaro Fernandez Luzuriaga said, "I am genuinely heartbroken that the public will never get to experience what this team was capable of producing." Luzuriaga's message was subsequently removed from his page.

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Xbox players and industry observers were surprised last week when Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced his retirement, with Xbox president Sarah Bond also announcing plans to leave the company. Now, Bond has shared her reasons for stepping away from the company.

In a lengthy post on her LinkedIn page, Bond wrote that she committed to staying with Xbox and guiding it through "a critical period of change" following the Activision Blizzard buyout in 2022. She went on to share her belief that the moment has been "navigated" and Xbox's gaming division is ready for "what comes next."

"With that, I've decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally," wrote Bond. "We're living through a transformative technological era that will shape the next generation of our industry, and I'm energized by what's ahead. This moment also presents a unique opportunity for fresh eyes and new leadership to guide the team into its next chapter."

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Last year, Chris Stockman--the original design director for Saints Row--told fans that he was working on a pitch to return the franchise to its roots. Now, Stockman isn't holding out much hope for a revival and believes the franchise is "dead."

Stockman made his original remarks on Discord, which have since been posted on X (via Eurogamer). "I think the franchise is dead, unfortunately," wrote Stockman. "I get the sense that Embracer has zero ability to do anything with it. I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a path forward, but they've ghosted me."

Remember when we got excited about the prospect of a Saints Row prequel? Well according to Saints Row 1 Design Director Chris Stockman, Embracer is completely ignoring the idea.
Saints Row is once again dead. https://t.co/cpPVcRjxwD pic.twitter.com/FWpjC6kmkT

— rpg! (@papaRPG) February 20, 2026

The most recent game in the series was the 2022 Saints Row reboot, which under-performed compared to its predecessors. In 2023, Saints Row developer Volition was shut down by Embracer, and there's been no concrete news about the franchise since that time.

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A pair of skaters tested their might on the ice with an Mortal Kombat-inspired theme and became the first athletes in their country's history to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.

Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava brought their Mortal Kombat routine to the exhibition gala, with Metelkina dressed as Kitana and Berulava as Sub-Zero. Their performance was backed by The Immortals' "Techno Syndrome" from the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie. Metelkina and Berulava recreated some of MK's non-lethal moves, and included a Friendship and a Fatality. They ultimately won the silver medal in skating pairs.

The Gala performances are absolutely stunning! #MilanoCortina2026 #FigureSkating pic.twitter.com/Rg40gEiNd8

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 21, 2026

NBC hasn't posted the footage from Metelkina and Berulava's Olympic routine online, but the pair have shared their performance before, including at the ISU World Team Trophy event in Tokyo last year.

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Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta - Day One Edition (Switch)

$60 | Releases June 30

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First released for PS Vita in Japan over a decade ago, Ys: Revelations in Celceta quickly became a hit, garnering rave reviews from critics for its real-time combat and engaging narrative. It would eventually make its way stateside, and now a premium new version is coming to Nintendo Switch on June 30. Preorders are now open for Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta - Day One Edition, which comes bundled with a slew of collectibles. If you missed out on the original adventure--or want to relive it on a modern screen--be sure to give it a look.

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The Fractured Kingdom is holding an election in Cavalier Game Studios' new card-based roguelike Prime Monster. This nation has a three-party system that lets players choose between Viscount Sucksworth of the Vampiric Victory party, Orcs-4-U representative Chopper Badstone, and The Zombified People's Movement's prime shuffler, Rotilda De Cay. They're all monsters here, and there's no promise too outrageous for them to make in order to gain political power.

The demo for Prime Monster is out now on Steam, and the cards let players unleash every dirty trick in the book. Murder isn't out of the question, but why kill your political opponent when you can smear their good name and ruin their reputation? Some fates are worse than death for these mostly dead creatures.

Cavalier Game Studios is going for political satire with some of the available initiatives, including calls for same-hex marriage and demands to release the nosferatu files. And rather than discouraging players from making false promises to the electorate, Prime Monster rewards them for lying. The more outlandish the promise, the more likely it is to keep you in power. These voters are pretty gullible, and they don't seem to mind voting for the greater evil.

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Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is retiring from the company and Xbox president Sarah Bond is leaving in a massive shakeup for the gaming giant.

Spencer had been with Microsoft since 1988, starting as an intern and rising through the ranks to become the overall head of gaming within Microsoft. IGN was first to report the news.

Shortly after it was made public, Spencer himself announced it via a post on Twitter, saying, "It's rare in life to know when a chapter is closing, but after 38 years at Microsoft, that moment has arrived for me. I've made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. It's a milestone that's given me a chance to reflect on the incredible journey I've been fortunate enough to share with so many of you."

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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - Switch 2 Edition

$65 | Releases April 16, 2026

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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is making the jump to the Nintendo Switch 2. This new version upgrades the game's visuals and performance to take advantage of the Switch 2's more powerful hardware. You can expect higher resolution and framerates on Switch 2--along with all the extra story content and gameplay tweaks present in the Switch version of the game. While the Switch 2 digital version is available on the eShop for $65 (or as a $5 upgrade patch for those who already own the Switch version), physical copies of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - Switch 2 Edition are launching on April 16, 2026. Preorders for the physical release are available now for $65 at Amazon and Best Buy.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - Switch 2 Edition$65 | Releases April 16, 2026

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - Switch 2 Edition includes is the full Switch game and Switch 2 upgrade patch on the cartridge. There are no preorder bonuses announced, but the upshot is you get the full game data on the card, unlike many other Switch 2 titles that require hefty downloads as a Game-Key Card.

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The newest sales data for the US video game industry has arrived, and one of the takeaways is that hardware sales continue to slide for all major platforms--except the Switch 2, it seems.

Circana's report for January 2026 sales in the US showed that spending on hardware rose by 16% year-over-year, jumping to $248 million for the month. This growth was achieved despite the PS5 seeing a 17% decline in spending, the Xbox Series X|S posting a 27% decline, and the original Switch falling even more dramatically by 79% compared to last year.

The Switch 2, it seems, was the savior for hardware spending in January 2026, and it did well enough to offset all of those declines. Despite that, the Switch 2 was actually January 2026's No. 2 top platform for unit and dollar sales. The PS5 was the No. 1 overall console platform in January 2026 by those metrics, even with its 17% year-over-year decline in sales.

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EA is bringing back the Isle of Grom in Skate Season 3, but fans aren't happy about it because only players who have purchased a premium pass will be able to freely revisit the tutorial island. Essentially, it will be locked behind a paywall for everyone else, which goes against the promise EA made last year before Skate hit early access.

Thus far, the fan response to EA's announcement has been largely negative.

pic.twitter.com/HiUgJYqW9c

— Roland Udvarlaki (@Techusiast) February 19, 2026

now what happened to this pic.twitter.com/MTq8TDsx6V

— ִ ࣪ ˖ ࣪ rei lynn ! ᰔ ݁₊ (@nkocharm) February 19, 2026

EA subsequently issued a response that it launched Skate in early access "so we could build it with players, not behind closed doors ... Yes, sometimes plans have to change. That's part of the deal when you're building in public. We're here, we're listening, and we're going to keep shaping skate. Together."

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From now until Tuesday, February 24, Woot is having a big sale on various Funko Pop! figures, keychains, pins, and more. Some deals may be limited and run out by the time the sale ends, so if you've had your eye on one of these for a while, it may be a good time to finally pull the trigger. While each item is discounted individually, if you purchase five or more of the items listed, you'll get an additional 50% off your order, no coupon required. Woot is owned by Amazon, so all orders are processed and shipped by them--and if you're an Amazon Prime member, you'll get free standard shipping.

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The available figures span a wide range of properties, from Star Wars and DC to WWE and even classic B-horror films. For you superhero fans, a handful of Marvel Cinematic Deluxe figures are available for $6 (were $30), including Captain America, Vulture, and Mysterio. Regular Marvel figures you can pick from include many other MCU characters like She-Hulk, America Chavez, Kate Bishop, Gorr, and so much more. If you're more a DCU fan, fear not - there are plenty of figures from the movies for you. You can pick up a General Zodd figure for $8 (was $9), and even a caped Black Adam for $4.29 (was $13).

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Ubisoft recently announced a 30th anniversary edition of the 1995 original Rayman, but that might not be the only project the company has on tap for the iconic franchise.

Speaking to Variety, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the 30th Anniversary Edition of the game is "the first step in the brand's comeback."

Guillemot did not have any news to share in the interview about what's next for Rayman, but the executive said Rayman has "unique charm and enduring appeal," and more is in store.

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The early-access release date for Solasta 2 is quickly approaching, and the game features a number of big improvements over its predecessor. One particular addition could drastically change how you play the game, and it should make a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 players very happy.

In a new video, developer Tactical Adventures and actors Devora Wilde and Ben Starr run through the big improvements coming to Solasta 2. They include the high-profile new cast members, like the aforementioned Wilde and Starr alongside Ellen Thomas (EastEnders) and Amelia Tyler (Baldur's Gate 3).

The visuals have also been radically improved, with the game now using Unreal Engine 5. They put particular attention on character models for Solasta 2, with the level of detail rivaling Baldur's Gate 3. If you played the first Solasta, you may remember the characters looking a little bit stiff.

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