Xbox

iRacing Studios confirmed NASCAR 26 will release on September 18, with the Gold Edition launching September 15. The game will feature a new Chase format, a standalone Chase mode, and a Dynamic Track system that evolves over race weekends.

EA has begun teasing EA FC 27's new open-world mode, The Grounds, via the Standard Edition cover art featuring Kylian Mbappé, with the tagline 'Built from The Grounds up.' The mode is expected to allow players to freely explore, take part in mini-games, customize avatars, and interact in a shared football-themed world divided into districts inspired by famous footballing nations, while other teased features include The Gallery collection book and the return of Alex Hunter.

Three Xbox games have been permanently delisted and removed from all player libraries. This action affects all players who previously owned the titles.

Publisher Crunching Koalas and developer John Pywell will release the Soulslike action RPG FOUNTAINS for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch in 2026 alongside new DLC. The game originally launched for PC via Steam on December 20, 2024.

Palworld 1.0 has sold 1.8 million copies across all platforms, with nearly 1.5 million of those sales coming from Steam. The Steam version generated approximately $25 million in revenue, while PlayStation and Xbox contributed around 300,000 and 70,000 copies respectively.

US video game industry spending dropped 21% in June compared to last year, with hardware spending falling 62% year-on-year. Xbox Series X/S sales more than doubled year-on-year, but this follows a May where sales were the lowest ever recorded for the platform.

Metal Gear Solid 4 will be released on Xbox for the first time as part of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 in August. The collection marks the game's debut on the Xbox platform after a long wait.

Xbox VP of engineering Jared Palmer has left Microsoft after a brief tenure to join AI company Cognition. His departure comes during a period of major restructuring under new Xbox leader Asha Sharma, who has implemented significant layoffs and studio divestments.

Palworld may crossover with Fortnite after Epic Games added it to an in-game survey and a Pocketpair executive hinted at the possibility, while a Pokémon collaboration remains unlikely.

The article announces a guide to Xbox Game Pass games coming in July 2026. It lists all confirmed reveals so far for that month.

Alpha Dog Games, originally acquired by Bethesda in 2019 and later part of Microsoft Xbox, was shut down in 2024 but has been revived as an independent studio as of May 2025. The founding team reacquired the studio, though no details on their next project have been announced.

The article provides hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle on July 22, 2024, with categories including skin irritations, golf terms, social media posts, and zebra features. It also explains the game's rules and color-coded difficulty levels.

Nintendo created Splatoon Raiders as a spin-off instead of Splatoon 4 to offer a new entry point into the series with a single-player, roguelite adventure, moving away from the franchise's standard competitive formula. The developers wanted to release non-competitive elements as a standalone game, while continuing to develop competitive gameplay in future titles.

Compulsion Games' South of Midnight was named Game and Experience of the Year at the 2026 Games for Change Awards, while Hexecutable's Consume Me won Best Narrative, Best Gameplay, and the Indie Breakout Award. The ceremony also honored Paintbucket Games' The Darkest Files with Best in Learning, Thatgamecompany with the Industry Leader Award, and Jenn Panattoni with the Vanguard Award.

Microsoft's Game Pass Starter Edition is now available at no extra cost to Meta Quest VR players who have an active Meta Horizon+ subscription. The service offers access to 50 games via Xbox Cloud Gaming with a 10-hour monthly limit, though titles cannot be directly installed on the Quest headset.

Hasbro recorded a $56 million impairment tied to the cancellation of several games scheduled for release in 2028 and beyond. However, the company confirmed that upcoming titles Exodus and Warlock, both targeting a 2027 release, remain unaffected.

Mighty Doom developer Alpha Dog Games has returned to independent ownership two years after being closed by Microsoft. Studio founder Shawn Woods confirmed the mobile specialist is now independently owned by its founding team and is in discussions with partners and publishers about future projects.

Two Point Hospital: Full Health Collection, including the base game and all DLC, will launch digitally for PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2 on September 16, with a physical edition following on November 6. The collection features the hospital simulation where players cure strange illnesses, manage staff, and build medical facilities across various themed regions.

Alpha Dog Games, the developer of Mighty Doom, has regained independent ownership after being shut down by Microsoft in 2024, with co-founder Shawn Woods thanking Microsoft for facilitating the transition. The studio is now exploring partnerships but has not announced specific future projects.

Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition is now included with Meta Horizon+ subscriptions for eligible members in supported regions. The starter edition offers over 50 games and 10 hours of cloud gaming, with upcoming support for emulating Xbox gamepad controls using Meta Quest Touch controllers.