Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble devs have voted to organize under the Communication Workers of America (CWA) labor union, joining five other sister groups in Microsoft's growing unionized workforce.

Two years after the $68 billion merger with Microsoft, and subsequent layoffs of thousands of workers, nearly 2,000 Blizzard employees have voted to unionize for better worker protections and bargaining rights.

Today, the CWA announced that more of Blizzard's dev teams are joining, this time with the Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble groups voting for representation. Both of these games are on the back burner for Blizzard, and Warcraft Rumble's development is currently on hiatus, prompting layoff anxieties.

Helldivers developer Arrowhead Game Studios is hiring for their next game, and it might not be Helldivers 3.

Arrowhead could be moving on from the Helldivers universe. A new job listing for a Senior System Designer says that Arrowhead is working on a new project, which is par for the course for game dev. What's interesting is that this new game is apparently set in a new IP and may not be related to Helldivers at all. Luckily, it'll still be a co-op game.

"Join our quest in making the world's best co-op action games! We're looking for a talented Senior Systems Designer to join our growing design department and help shape the foundation of a brand-new, unannounced project. This is your chance to be part of a co-op action game from the start. You'll be at the heart of building and tuning the core systems, progression loops, and combat feel like an Arrowhead Game," the listing reads.

The new DualSense V3 revision doesn't make any real major changes to the controller, and it doesn't have removable batteries like previous reports said that it might.

Sony has released yet another PS5 revision, this time an updated PS5 Pro model that also comes with a slightly tweaked DualSense controller. According to a new teardown from YouTuber Austin Evans, the adjustments are minor and oriented towards weight reduction and profit control--two very important parameters for Sony's games console business--and don't make dramatic changes.

The DualSense V3 CFI-ZCT2W, the new controller shipping with the refreshed PS5 Pro model, hasn't been upgraded when it comes to what's under the hood. The battery is the same capacity, but a different part, and features various tweaks like a different connector and extra fasteners to hold the battery in place. The biggest change is actually an omission and not an addition--Sony removed the second microphone that used to be on the back of the DualSense controllers.

Right as a new console generation looms, Microsoft will reportedly start to pull production of Xbox consoles out of China.

Microsoft has plans to pull most of its product manufacturing out of China throughout 2026, sources tell Nikkei Asia. This new strategy is said to include Xbox console hardware, although some parts of console production may remain in the region.

The news comes after Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles two separate times throughout the year, increasing MSRP once in May and then again this month in October. The price hike was a move to counter international tariffs that hit Microsoft particularly hard, seeing as the company does not sell its systems at a profit and takes a calculated loss of each sale. As a result, Microsoft's flagship Xbox Series X console now retails for $650, more than a +30% increase in price since release.

Arc Raiders, the new extraction shooter that recently blew up over the weekend when developer Embark Studios dropped a free-to-play "server slam," is heading to launch on October 30, and now the design director for the title has revealed that the response to Bungie's Marathon gave the studio some guidance.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Arc Raiders design director Virgil Watkins said the Bungie's playtest of Marathon, which is also an extraction shooter, gave the studio information regarding how gamers felt about extraction shooters at the time, with the director saying it was a "very great A/B test for us, because obviously they made decisions that we didn't, and vice versa. So we could kind of compare and contrast how some of those things shook out."

Watkins said that it was "very coincidental that they had their test around the time we did," and to his knowledge, "I don't think any of us knew that was going to happen." For those who don't know what Watkins is referring to, Bungie held a closed alpha test in late April that generated a not-so-good response from participants, which led into stolen art allegations, and then finally, an indefinite delay from its September 23 release date.

In celebration of the launch of Ninja Gaiden 4, Xbox, Koei Tecmo, and Team Ninja have teamed up for a record-breaking stunt that involves two helicopters, one 200+ square-foot screen, and one player.

The stunt has been posted to the official Xbox YouTube channel and showcases two helicopters carrying a 26-foot wide screen above the city of Miami while Ninja Gaiden 4 plays. The stunt has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest video game display flown by a helicopter. What can be seen is Yakumo of the Raven ninja clan battling enemies on a screen suspended in the night sky, while the record "Flammable" by Swae Lee plays.

Xbox explains in its press release that the stunt was inspired by Ninja Gaiden 4's in-game lore, "The denizens of Tokyo have escaped the toxic floodwaters by building skyward. The skyscraper district towers above the ruined city below, a breathtaking vertical landscape that mirrors the high-flying action we brought to life."

Grand Theft Auto fans are getting desperate for news on Grand Theft Auto 6, and are now looking toward when Rockstar will release Trailer 3 for the title.

However, the spot they are looking seems to be in the same lane as a conspiracy theory, as the clue is the numbers located on Jason's watch as seen in the second trailer for the game. Yes, that is correct. The watch Jason is wearing is what this theory hinges on. Fans are saying the time on the watch, "11:08" is referencing November 8, which they have also combined with Rockstar's announcement about the studio releasing the first trailer for the game on November 8, 2023.

Trailer 2 for GTA 6 is now 5 months away, and while fans got quite a lot of information from that trailer along with a bunch of screenshots revealing environments, characters, and some story hints, it appears that well of information has dried up among the community, and now they are turning toward more desperate clues and hints for what Rockstar is planning on revealing.

Legendary game director Hideo Kojima has recently shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence and how it will play a role in the future of game development.

In a short Instagram reel posted by Wired Japan following the publication getting a tour of Kojima Productions in Tokyo, Hideo Kojima shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence and whether it will be used as a tool throughout the development of future projects at the studio. According to Kojima, AI is a "friend" that he will be using to maintain ahead of the pack of game development through efficiency.

Halo fans have been up in arms since the report surfaced about the developers behind the two new Halo games scheduled to release next year, "heavily" using generative AI throughout to create the games. However, that seems not to be the case, or at least for now.

The latest development in the story comes from Windows Central executive editor Jez Corden, who previously revealed the now-released Xbox Ally and Ally X ahead of launch, and is a known Microsoft insider. According to Corden, Halo development doesn't involve generative AI in its game development, which includes art assets. Moreover, Corden writes that Microsoft doesn't have a mandate in place that forces studios under its expansive umbrella to use generative AI throughout their game development.

However, Corden says that he is "sure" it's being used for emails and other menial stuff like that, but "they're not making a gen AI game here." Rebs Gaming, the original source that initially claimed gen AI was being used in the next Halo game responded to these comments by Corden with screenshots of a job listing for a Halo Studios senior AI engineer, which states in its description, "Design and implement scalable and efficient solutions that leverage generative AI and ML (Machine Learning) to augment in-game experiences and to improve how we make games."

Recent reports set the Halo fanbase ablaze when it was passed around that Microsoft will be using generative AI technology to make the two new games being developed.

The two new Halo games are a remake of the original Halo Combat Evolved, with an overhaul of mechanics that should bring it up to the expectations of games released in 2025, and a new multiplayer-focused title that is reportedly "like Fortnite" in terms of its approach to live-service. Both of these games are set to release sometime in 2026.

While that is exciting news for Halo fans, things took a turn when new reports sourced from YouTuber RebsGaming claimed the leaker heard from sources that Microsoft's generative AI was being used to develop both of the games. Automatically, that came with a negative connotation, given the general sentiment on AI-generated artwork. The source told RebsGaming that "Generative AI is apparently woven into every aspect of development, such as enemy AI and terrain generation."

Capcom is reportedly currently in development of a new Resident Evil remake, with a credible leaker saying no original actors will be reprising their roles.

The information comes from mp1st, which reports the new remake is under the codename Chamber, and that claims from leaker DuskGolem, a known Resident Evil leaker who claimed Resident Evil Code Veronica was getting a remake, are true. However, there is another remake in the works, and that is Resident Evil Zero, which is expected to be released in 2028. As for Code Veronica, that is expected to release in Q1 2027.

Mp1st shares some details on the casting for Zero, writing that Billy Coen, the game's second protagonist, will be played by Jon McLaren, who played Star Lord in the 2021 Guardians of the Galaxy game. McLaren currently has a title called Project Chamber in his resume, which is presumably the Resident Evil Zero remake.

Foxconn has already started preparing for NVIDIA's next-gen Vera Rubin AI platform, just as NVIDIA is pumping out its new Blackwell Ultra GB300 AI servers.

NVIDIA's next-gen Vera Rubin AI family of chips will be a huge release, as the entire tech stack is being upgraded, including next-gen HBM4 memory. NVIDIA will continue using the same rack configuration, but there will be huge increases in power, performance, and everything in between.

In a new report from Taiwan Economic Daily, we're hearing that one of NVIDIA's largest partners -- Foxconn -- has already started development on the next-generation Vera Rubin NVL144 MGX servers, with mass production aiming for the second half of 2026.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has headed to the Middle East to sit down with Saudi officials to reportedly ink a new partnership deal.

Reports from Arab News indicate that Lip-Bu Tan has met with the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Swaha, to discuss new areas of which Intel and Saudi Arabia can benefit from developing Intel's semiconductor business, along with advanced computing technology. Additionally, the discussion involved developing Intel's artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Lip-Bu Tan has been on a tear when it comes to deals as the new Intel CEO recently inked a partnership with NVIDIA, SoftBank, and the Trump Administration, and now it seems a new deal is in the works with Saudi Arabia.

The next-gen PS6 handheld is going to be a beast, with leaks suggesting it'll be close to 3x faster in docked mode than the new Nintendo Switch 2, and it'll blow the newly-released Xbox Ally X handheld out of the water.

In a new video from leaker Moore's Law is Dead, who does some quick "scratch math" on how the PS6 handheld will perform versus the Nintendo Switch 2 in both handheld and docked modes, as well as the new Xbox Ally X. MLID notes it's obviously very early on as the PS6 handheld is still a couple of years away, but by the time it releases, we'll see it (and the full PS6) using superior FSR 4 or even FSR 5 upscaling, versus the NVIDIA DLSS 3.1 (which is nerfed) on the Switch 2.

MLID says that the PS6 handheld doesn't downclock its APU anywhere near as much as the NVIDIA chip inside of the Nintendo Switch 2, with the new "Canis" APU fabbed on TSMC's new 3nm process node working out to an estimated 3x or more performance between handheld modes (PS6 handheld vs Switch 2).

NVIDIA CEO and founder Jensen Huang visited TSMC's semiconductor manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona to celebrate something huge: the first NVIDIA Blackwell wafer produced on American soil.

To celebrate the milestone, Huang was joined by Y.L. Wang, the vice president of operations at TSMC, to personally sign the NVIDIA Blackwell wafer, commemorating a milestone that as NVIDIA writes "showcases how the engines of the world's AI infrastructure are now being constructed domestically".

This move strengthens the US supply chain as well as onshores the AI technology stack that will turn data into intelligence, and secure America's leadership for the AI era.

MSI has just quietly released its new compact enthusiast motherboard, the new MPG X870I EDGE TI EVO WIFI, which packs support for DDR5 memory speeds of over 10,000+ MT/s out of the box. Check it out:

The new MSI MPG X870I EDGE TI EVO WIFI motherboard features the AM5 socket and is ready for AMD's next-gen Zen 6-based Ryzen CPUs, with a high-end VRM setup that uses an 8+2+1 SPS 110A power phases, so you're ready to rock and roll when it comes to overclocking your CPU and RAM.

We have dual DIMM slots that MSI says support 10,000+ MT/s speeds, meaning we should expect some new DDR5 memory overclocking records on the new MPG X870I EDGE TI EVO WIFI motherboard, with MSI promising the 10,000+ MT/s speeds on RAM using a 1DPC 1R configuration. With a 1DPC 2R configuration, MSI says you'll be good for DDR5 speeds of around 8000 MT/s, but with some tweaks we could expect overclockers to breach that, too.

A PC chassis with a fully open and frame-like design is often built for the DIY scene and even media and creators who want direct access to components they can readily inspect, monitor, and swap out when conducting benchmarks. The new InWin SHIFT open-frame case, which is a part of its iBuildiShare initiative, lives up to this promise.

Crafted from premium CNC-machined aluminum that includes a "sandblasted finish and intricate laser engravings," it carries that open-frame look where the case on its own looks like a drone or UFO ready to take off from whatever desk or surface it's placed on. And it's a case built for hardware enthusiasts and testers, as it even sports reinforced screw holes to support the regular swapping out and installation of new components.

The InWin SHIFT open-frame chassis is also versatile, with support for up to E-ATX motherboards and GPUs up to 350mm in length. On the GPU front, there are also tool-less GPU holders that can support vertical, horizontal, and multi-GPU configurations. The case's "wings" are also adjustable to accommodate a wide range of AIO liquid cooler radiators, PSUs, and SSDs.

Battlefield 6's launch, from a sales, reception, and player sentiment perspective, has been one of the most positive and most significant in the franchise's long history. Although the whole game is available to play across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles, the game and series have always been synonymous with PC gaming. And on that note, Battlefield 6 has debuted in a polished and optimized state that runs smoothly on the most popular PC gaming hardware of 2025.

This includes GPUs like the GeForce RTX 3060 and RTX 4060, where it's possible to get a smooth 60+ FPS experience even during the game's most chaotic moments. Turns out, Battlefield 6 is also playable on old 4GB GPUs that you can pick up for less than the cost of the game, including the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER and Radeon RX 570.

These GPUs, from 2019 and 2017, respectively, were mainstream or sub-$200 budget offerings when they debuted, so they're not exactly cutting-edge. And with 4GB of VRAM, you'd think that there would be no way to run one of the biggest and most visually impressive shooters of the year and get a playable experience. Well, it's possible thanks to a pair of new videos by YouTube creator and fan of old-school GPUs, RandomGaminginHD.

Intel's 18A process or node, created in-house at its US-based Fab 52 semiconductor facility or Intel Foundry in Arizona, is set to be used in the company's upcoming Panther Lake and Clearwater Forest chips. The production-ready technology and Foundry are open for business, and Intel is looking to partner with big tech to manufacture new chips and technologies using the 18A or 18A-P process.

One of these new customers, according to a report over at SemiAccurate (via TechPowerUp), is Microsoft. The company is apparently planning to use Intel's 18A process for its next-gen Maia 3 accelerator for AI, codenamed "Griffin." And with that, depending on the yields and success of its latest AI hardware, Microsoft could also tap future Intel process technology like 18A-PT and 14A for future Maia accelerators.

Microsoft expressing interest in leveraging Intel technology for its AI accelerators isn't new. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella released a statement about Microsoft's plans to use 18A for an undisclosed chip when Intel announced its Foundry roadmap in early 2024.

Windows 11 25H2 update, which is the big October 2025 update for the operating system, is rolling out now to all users. Although it's light on bringing new features to the OS, the update is introducing a number of new bugs, including one that breaks the ability to recover Windows 11. Yes, as part of a newOctober 14, 2025 - KB5066835 update for Windows 11 25H2 that "addresses security issues for your Windows operating system," Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) has become unusable.

WinRE is the environment that you use for troubleshooting startup issues, restoring your system, resetting your PC, and accessing other tools when there are OS issues or you want to roll back updates, go into your BIOS, or repair your PC. It's an integral part of Windows, and with the latest Windows 11 25H2 update, USB keyboards and mice no longer work in the Windows Recovery Environment, rendering it unusable.

Microsoft has confirmed that the bug exists, with it being listed on the Windows 11 25H2 'Known Issues' page. Microsoft notes "this issue affects USB devices only within WinRE after installing Windows updates released on October 14, 2025," while confirming that a fix is on the way "in the coming days."