Gaming

Ubisoft announced on Wednesday that it was canceling several of its games in development and closing multiple studios in a sweeping move under the banner of company restructuring.

The next day, Ubisoft stock awoke to a price seemingly in freefall as the company's share price dropped by 34% by the end of Thursday. At the time of writing, Ubisoft's share price is continuing to fall, reaching a low not seen since 2011, and the last time before that was 2004, before the company released the first Far Cry game, which was the title that put the publisher on the map.

It has been known that Ubisoft has been struggling financially for quite some time, especially following the disappointing launch of several titles, prolonged development cycles, and overblown budgets demanded by some of its IPs. The financial strain was assisted by Tencent, which injected $1.2 billion into the company for a 25% stake in Ubisoft's new company that manages its most-valuable franchises, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six Siege.

The upcoming Fable was recently showcased at the Xbox Developer Direct, where fans of the franchise got to glimpse at the reboot of the classic title.

The showcase of Fable marks the first time a new Fable has unveiled since 2010, and to pair with the showcase, developer Playground Games has sat down with IGN to provide more details about the upcoming title. During the interview, founder and general manager of Playground Games, Ralph Fulton, revealed the reboot will axe the ability to make dogs companions.

Fulton said, "Yeah, I did know I was going to get this question. And do you know what? There are some folks on the team that were relishing me getting this question because I cut it a while back. You know what? For development reasons, right?" Fulton didn't provide any more details as to why he decided to cut the mechanic from the new Fable, but he did recognize that many people, including people within the development team, are upset with the decision.

There are two open-world games anticipated to push the envelope of what is possible in immersive worlds: Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 and CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 4.

Unsurprisingly, Grand Theft Auto 6 is so anticipated that it's estimated to earn a billion dollars in pre-orders once Rockstar makes it available to purchase, with the title also taking home the Most Anticipated award from The Game Awards 2025.

Followed closely behind is The Witcher 4, which, according to reports, could cost CD Projekt Red close to $400 million to develop, and then another $400 million on marketing. If that is true, it will put it at the table with Red Dead Redemption 2's $540 million budget, and GTA 6, which is expected to have cost anywhere between $1 and $2 billion by the time it releases in November 2026.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 (BG&E2) is pushing for the record for the longest development cycle of any gaming franchise, with it being 17 years since the sequel to the cult classic Beyond Good & Evil was teased by Ubisoft.

Ubisoft teased the sequel in 2008, and an early prototype reportedly existed during the PS3/Xbox 360 era, but Ubisoft ultimately shelved that version. However, in 2017, Ubisoft unveiled a new version at E3, and since then, there has been no word on an official release.

Reports suggest the current version of the game has been in development since 2017, and that the creator of the original title, Michel Ancel, left Ubisoft in 2020. Despite Ancel's departure, BG&E2 continued to survive, with Emile Morel taking the helm after Ancel, only to pass away in 2023.

Microsoft recently hosted an Xbox Direct where it gave long-awaited Fable fans a look at the upcoming reboot, which is headed to Xbox consoles, PC, and PlayStation. Neither the developer, Playground Games, nor Xbox mentioned a Nintendo Switch 2 release, but insiders say it's under consideration.

Windows Central editor Jez Corden, who has a good track record for Microsoft/Xbox insider knowledge, recently wrote in an X post that he was told that Fable for the Nintendo Switch 2 isn't "100% definite for now," and went on to say in a separate X post that he believes it will happen despite it not being in development right now. Corden wrote that a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the title is "under consideration for the future".

Judging from Corden's comments, it seems safe to say that Playground Games wants to complete the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation editions of Fable before it considers working on a Switch 2 version or decides to hand the task off to another studio. As for what is confirmed, the new Fable will put a lot of focus on influence, choice, and reputation, with the world consisting of a "living population" of more than 1,000 NPC characters that players will influence through conversations, actions, and events.

Although it was released six weeks earlier in the year, EA's Battlefield 6 is the first game in the long-running series to outsell a Call of Duty game in the United States in a calendar year. In fact, Battlefield 6 was the best-selling 'premium' game on all platforms in the U.S. last year, according to a new report from analyst Mat Piscatella.

Ranked based on dollar sales, that is, money earned, EA's shooter tops the list, followed by Take-Two Interactive's NBA2K26 and Borderlands 4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is number five on the list, which makes it one of the year's best-sellers but an underperformer when it comes to what is widely considered to be one of gaming's biggest franchises.

Call of Duty games usually top the list or drop into second place when a Rockstar game like GTA V or Red Dead Redemption 2 rolls around. Coming in fifth means that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the lowest a CoD game has placed in annual sales charts since Call of Duty: World at War, which released all the way back in 2008.

Xbox reveals smooth and graceful combat for the new Fable game, showing clear inspirations to the fast hack-and-slash action found in the Witcher series. As it turns out, there's a very good reason for that.

Years ago in 2021, Witcher 3's gameplay designer Paweł Kapała left CD Projekt RED and joined Playground Games to design combat systems for the studio's new Fable project. As per his LinkedIn, Kapala spent over a year at Playground's Leamington Spa-based studio "designing and implementing combat in Fable." Now in today's Developer Direct, we see how Kapala's influence shaped Fable's gameplay.

Fable's new gameplay footage shows off combat that is significantly faster than any of the previous games in the series. If you've played The Witcher 3, you might be reminded of Geralt's fluid swordplay while watching the new Fable in action. There's higher emphasis on smooth animations; gone are the days of arcade-style action from the former games. Fable has been fully modernized, complete with a style and execution reminiscent of today's open-world action adventure RPGs.

Playground Games reveals its take on next-gen NPCs with its so-called "living population," a webwork of over 1,000 characters with dialog, personalities, and multiple player interaction points.

Today's Developer Direct show revealed tons of details about the new Fable game, including an Autumn 2026 launch. The new Fable puts heavy emphasis on influence, choice, and reputation, using NPCs as a big part of how players find agency in the world. These social systems underpin the fairy tale experience that the devs are shooting for; how you are perceived and defined in the world itself is largely influenced by what townsfolk think about you.

Playground went all out for the new Fable in this regard. The studio has created what it calls the 'living population' for its game, describing a bustling world filled with over 1,000 NPCs that apparently do a little more than gamers are used to.

Forza Horizon 6 will be released on May 19 for the Xbox Series X and Series S, plus the PC, with the game coming to the PS5 later in 2026.

Microsoft just announced the release date for the racing game (although it had already been leaked), as VideoCardz noticed, with pre-orders now live - and those who put their money down for the Premium Edition beforehand will get early access four days before the launch (May 15).

Forza Horizon 6 was shown off at Developer_Direct, and Microsoft penned a blog post giving us a bunch of details on the game.

The new Fable game will release in Autumn 2026 on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5, Playground Games today revealed at Microsoft's latest Developer Direct showcase.

Today, Playground Games finally got to show off their vision for Xbox's classic fantasy RPG series, Fable. The game is described as a "new beginning" for the franchise, and the footage made that pretty clear, highlighting a bustling world full of interactivity, moral dilemmas, and some swiftly diabolical combat.

"Our game is about choices and consequences," Playground says in the video. The game is chock full of interaction points, and players are constantly making different decisions along the way, all of which affect your reputation in the world and how people see and interact with you.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 is safe from Ubisoft's spree of game cancellations, sources tell Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson.

Ubisoft just shook up its business, restructuring all of its divisions into a more cohesive org with 5 separate groups. Ubisoft calls these segments Creative Houses, and each unit will oversee key franchises and have a specific focus. The major adjustments have caused disruption to Ubisoft's product slate, and the publisher confirms 6 games have been cancelled as a result, with 7 more titles being delayed.

While Ubisoft didn't reveal all of the games that were cancelled, only revealing that the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake had been scrapped, new reports suggest titles that weren't. Sources tell Insider Gaming that Ubisoft is still keeping Beyond Good and Evil 2 alive, and that the project has not been cancelled.

When Borderlands 4 launched in September of last year, it was revealed that the Gearbox Software title was also coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, but at a later date. That "later date" eventually turned into an indefinite delay.

With no official word on when the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 will release, we can assume the developers are still polishing, but perhaps not much longer. A Portuguese retailer has listed the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 alongside a release date of February 27, 2026. Additionally, the retailer lists the game's price at €69.99 and has pre-orders open for the Switch 2 version.

Take-Two stated in November 2025 that Borderlands 4 sales were "softer" than anticipated, but it expects those numbers to fill out "in the fullness of time." Unfortunately, since we have heard no official word on the release or current status of the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4, we can't say for certain when it will be released, as it's often the case that retail websites list placeholder release dates for upcoming titles. However, retailers have accidentally listed accurate dates in the past.

Trading in games and consoles at GameStop may not be as popular as it once was, but if one YouTuber didn't blow the whistle on an infinite money glitch linked to a GameStop trade-in promotion, the slowly evaporating stores would be flooded with people like they were in the days before online game marketplaces.

YouTuber RJCmedia discovered what he calls an "infinite money glitch" that involves a Nintendo Switch 2 console, and trading it in alongside a pre-owned game. According to the YouTuber, individuals could buy a Nintendo Switch 2, and immediately trade it back in alongside a pre-owned game purchase and net $50 more per transaction. The YouTuber tested this process out in one store and after a success went and visited two more stores, netting $150 in profit.

However, GameStop caught wind of this scheme and quickly rectified the problem. The company put out a statement on its official X account, explaining, "our system briefly valued the pre-owned trade more than the new retail cost of the console itself, creating a narrow window where customers could repeat this transaction over and over again to amass infinite trade credit."

A new report claims Prime Video's upcoming God of War live-action TV show has secured the role of Heimdall.

According to Deadline, Max Parker, known for his roles in Boots, Vampire Academy, Emmerdale, and Blood, Sex & Royalty, will be taking up the role of Odin's son Heimdall, who is tasked with being the Watchman of Asgard, and gifted with the ability to anticipate all events.

Additionally, the character Heimdall believes himself to be the lesser of Odin's children, falling short of ever receiving the Allfather's praise or appreciation. Parker will be joining Ryan Hurst, who will be picking up the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos to play Kratos.

Ubisoft is open to divesting more of its assets to secure funds, intent that could pave the way for more bids similar to the $1.2 billion Tencent deal.

Today, Ubisoft pressed the reset button on its gaming business. The company outlined a new model that sees its operations split across five different groups, or Creative Houses. Ubisoft split up its business in this way so it could secure a $1.2 billion investment from Tencent. In exchange, Tencent would receive a 25% stake in Ubisoft's highest-valued Creative House, which will oversee its 3 biggest franchises--Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.

However, the Tencent deal may only be the first, as Ubisoft CFO Frederick Duguet confirms that the group is still open to the idea of divestitures. This means that Ubisoft could sell minority stakes in other Creative Houses in exchange for adjusted values.

Apps made billions more than mobile games in 2025 as consumers shift to non-gaming services like ChatGPT, new data from Sensor Tower indicates.

Consumers are making a shift in how they spend on mobile apps on Google Play and the App Store, culminating in a so-called "year of divergence" for the multi-billion dollar segment. Analyst firm Sensor Tower estimates that mobile owners spent $85.6 billion in non-gaming apps, a significant +21% year-over-year jump, but $81.8 billion on mobile games.

Mobile apps like CapCut, Tencent's streaming service WeTV, and AI chatbot ChatGPT are at the top of the earnings list. 18 apps total made over $1 billion revenue throughout 2025 and the list was "evenly split between games and non-games," the firm says.

The Xbox app is natively available for Windows 11 laptops running on Arm devices, opening up yet another platform to expand Microsoft's video games presence.

Xbox has just expanded its footprint to Arm-based laptops. Microsoft today announced that the Xbox app has been released on Arm laptops running Windows 11, allowing more users to play, stream, and--most importantly--buy Xbox games directly in Microsoft's first-party app.

"The Xbox app is now available on all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs. Players can now download and enjoy a wide range of titles from the Xbox PC app game catalog on Arm-based Windows 11 PCs," the Xbox Wire post reads.

Ubisoft has cancelled 6 games as part of a significant new restructuring plan, the company has announced.

Ubisoft today announced a "major portfolio reset" would occur as part of a new organizational plan. The company has effectively changed how it operates, delegating creative control and financial responsibility across five different so-called "Creative Houses." Each house handles its own games, content, and specialty focus--some houses focus on shooters, and others on casual games like Just Dance.

The restructuring plan unfortunately saw multiple studios closed and games cancelled across the full portfolio. In a rare bit of transparency, Ubisoft confirms that it has cancelled 6 games, including the anticipated Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. The cancelled games also include 4 unannounced titles: 3 games set in a new IP, and a single mobile game. Ubisoft stresses that the cancellation of these games will allow it to enhance quality by being more selective in which games it develops.

Ubisoft reveals a more coherent organizational structure following its $1.2 billion deal with Tencent.

Ubisoft has made big changes to its studios and how it operates. The company today announced its new Creative Houses, a management structure that sees Ubisoft's core development teams and franchises split into different "houses."

Now Ubisoft has detailed how this structure will work. There will be 5 Creative Houses total, with each group having a specific focus (shooters, live games, fantasy, etc) in creating new games in various series. For example, Creative House 1 is Vantage Studios, which handles Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. This is the Tencent-backed subsidiary; in exchange for a $1.2 billion investment into Ubisoft, Tencent acquired 25% stake in Vantage Studios, effectively meaning Tencent may receive a quarter of the profits earned from Ubisoft's top franchises.

Nintendo will raise the price of the Switch 2 throughout 2026, and possibly only offer a $499 bundle, analyst firm Niko Partners predicts.

The tech sector is once again facing disruption. Hungry AI datacenters are eating up the supply of key components required to make electronics like the Switch 2, with RAM becoming quite scarce. Reports indicate that Nintendo ispaying 41% more for RAM used in the Switch 2--a dramatic production cost jump typically telegraphs a price hike.

That's exactly what gaming experts are expecting. The Switch 2 will get a price hike sometime this year, analyst firm Niko Partners predicts, with Nintendo possibly offering some sort of $499 value bundle to replace the $449 console-only SKU. The Switch 2 launched smack-dab in the middle of worldwide tariff escalations, yet Nintendo still kept the price to $449 in the United States. That is expected to change, and the Switch 2 may become more expensive in the region.