Gaming - Page 58

New supposedly "leaked" footage of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 has emerged online, and it already has the GTA 6 community divided about whether it's real or not.

The footage was posted to Instagram by the account "vice.city.alligator," an account that only has twenty followers and was recently created. The poster claims to have discovered the footage when they were "clearing out an old phone," and explained it was sent to them by a former Rockstar employee about two months before the 2022 leaks happened.

Notably, the account writes it has been sitting on the footage for ages, but since the Rockstar employee no longer works at the developer, they figured they'd release the footage, which, admittedly, they say "shows nothing."

Bethesda's Starfield released on Xbox and PC in September 2023, and since then, we have been hearing rumors that Microsoft was going to bring the space-adventure title over to PlayStation. Those rumors have turned out to be true as the prominent leaker, billbil-kun, has stated the title will arrive on PlayStation in the form of two editions on April 7, 2025.

The report from Dealabs states the space epic will be arriving on PlayStation in two forms: a standard edition priced at $49.99, and a premium edition for $69.99. Moreover, it will be getting a physical and digital release, with pre-orders for both expected to begin at the end of this month.

If this information is true, and considering it is coming from billbil-kun, one of the most reliable sources for leaked gaming-related information within the entire industry, we can expect that Bethesda will be making the official announcement within the coming weeks, as the leaker points to pre-orders for the title opening on March 18 or March 17.

Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma seems to hint that more streaming-native games and experiences are in development for Microsoft's cloud gaming service.

After 25 years, the Xbox games division is making big changes that will lay out its service-oriented, digital-first future. Phil Spencer has retired, and Sarah Bond has resigned, with previous Microsoft AI exec Asha Sharma now taking the reins for Microsoft Gaming (aka Xbox). Thanks to an internal memo shared by Windows Central, gamers now have a better idea of what to expect from Sharma's leadership.

Sharma has some interesting things to say about Xbox's future. The CEO mentions immediate access to "instant and seamless" experiences, and that Xbox will build this content. Microsoft already has one cloud-native game in development in partnership with Kojima Productions--Hideo Kojima's new horror game OD is powered by cloud technology, however specifics about how exactly the gameplay will work remain unclear.

Games publisher and accessory-maker Nacon has acknowledged its dire financial straits while delaying its upcoming content show until the company gets its money situation under control.

Nacon, the publisher behind Robocop and Terminator games, isn't doing so well right now. The majority of the company is owned by French entertainment giant BigBen Group, and late last month, Nacon filed for insolvency because it couldn't pay back its debts on time. As of publication of this article, the French courts have yet to approve Nacon's insolvency proceedings and subsequent judicial reorganization.

Now that practically everyone in the gaming sphere already knows about Nacon's situation, the company admits its position while formally delaying its planned Nacon Connect show, which is essentially a kind of mini-E3 where new games are highlighted.

Microsoft is hiring two new marketing specialists to help lead Xbox into the future.

Xbox's marketing took a nosedive in 2013 with the highly unpopular always-online Xbox One announcements, and the games division hasn't really bounced back since. Over a decade later, the sentiment around Xbox is indeed better, but it's far from its heyday. Well, the sentiment was better, until Microsoft rolled out one of the most confusing advertising campaigns of all time.

Microsoft's "This is an Xbox" marketing strategy was focused on one thing: reminding consumers they don't need an Xbox console to play Xbox games. Predictably, this led to people simply buying less Xbox consoles (Xbox console sales are at their lowest, revenue-wise) while also creating a very real schism behind the scenes among the teams working on the brand. It's been revealed that the campaign was ultimately greenlit by former Xbox president Sarah Bond, who has now resigned from Microsoft.

Several pieces of information have hinted at a new God of War franchise being developed by Sony Santa Monica Studio, and it's based within the God of War universe.

A LinkedIn page screenshot of a Senior Writer at Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed there is a new franchise being developed within the God of War universe, with the employee writing, "Helped shape narrative vision and creative direction at Sony Santa Monica Studio for a new franchise within the God of War universe, developing characters, storylines, and original lore that expanded the acclaimed IP."

Initially, it was rumored that God of War creator and studio lead Cory Barlog was working on a new sci-fi as his next title, but according to Bloomberg's Jason Schrier, that is "nonsense," and now that we know there is a new God of War franchise underway, it seems that is what Barlog is actually working on. Additionally, in a ResetEra post, Schrier wrote, "it's not a new IP but it might feel like one."

Rumors have been circulating for quite some time about a new DLC for the critically acclaimed Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and now a well-known industry insider has backed up these claims by saying the DLC does, in fact, exist.

Previous rumors indicated the DLC would take players to a far-eastern region of Zerrikania, but only last week those rumors were squashed by UV o grach, a former Gry-Online journalist who reportedly has connections to the Polish gaming industry. According to the latest rumors, the new DLC won't include a new region for players to explore, but instead will be an expansion of a region players know very well, Velen. The report states the purpose of the DLC will be to fill in the missing spots on the map between The Witcher 4's story and The Witcher 3's, essentially, the DLC would act as a bridge between the two games.

Now, in a recent X post, renowned leaker and industry insider NateTheHate has revealed the DLC actually does exist, but didn't give any details on when it will be released or unveiled by CD Projekt Red. Unfortunately, that is all we have on the rumored Witcher 3 DLC, and until CD Projekt Red makes an official announcement it's wise to take all this information with a healthy amount of skepticism, especially if you are a Witcher 3 fan such as myself, as getting excited for another DLC for one of the best games ever made and then realizing it isn't true can be quite tough. Fingers are crossed, though.

Sony's Mark Cerny, the Lead Architect for the PS5, PS5 Pro, and the upcoming PS6, has confirmed that the upgraded version of its PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) will be rolling out to players in the coming weeks. PSSR is the company's take on DLSS and FSR 4, as it's an AI approach to upscaling that improves performance and image quality.

"We've been hard at work on a new version of PSSR, which takes a very different approach to not only the neural network but also the overall algorithm," Mark Cerny writes in the announcement. "We are happy to share that Resident Evil Requiem is the first title to use this more advanced PSSR, which is helping to keep both frame rate and image quality high."

Mark Cerny also confirms that this new version of PSSR is a major upgrade over the version that launched alongside the PlayStation 5 Pro console, as it's based on the same technology that powers AMD's impressive FSR 4 for the Radeon RX 9000 Series of desktop PC graphics cards - modified and optimized for the PS5 Pro.

Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar are firm on the release date for Grand Theft Auto 6, but what we don't know is how much the highly anticipated game will cost, or when the marketing for the title will begin.

However, a tidbit of information could suggest that marketing for the game, along with its price, may be right around the corner, as dataminers have discovered that Grand Theft Auto 6's title IDs have been added to the PlayStation database, which is typically the first step before pre-orders for the title are made public, and the price is revealed. The news comes from X account PlayStation Game Size, which wrote, "Grand Theft Auto VI title IDs have been added to the PlayStation database."

Unfortunately, there isn't a set amount of time between when title IDs are added to a database and when pre-orders for that title are made public. So, it's still very much a waiting game. As for what is rumored, a digital storefront recently listed GTA 6 at a price of $120, which sparked concerns from fans about Rockstar and Take-Two upping the price significantly for their highly anticipated title. However, that price is more than likely a placeholder, and perhaps even a sneaky way for that storefront to attract media attention with the hopes of readers purchasing other products on the website.

At the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Lenovo was on hand showcasing a wide range of new technologies, including a new Lenovo Legion Go Fold concept PC gaming handheld. As the name suggests, it's something of a hybrid device, blending a high-performance foldable tablet and PC gaming handheld into one versatile device.

The core of the device is the tablet component, which features an 11.6-inch OLED display that folds in half. From there, the two detachable controller halves can then connect to the folded display to present a traditional widescreen gaming handheld with a 7.7-inch display. However, that's only the beginning, as the controllers can also attach to the fully unfolded display in either horizontal or portrait orientation.

There's also a stand, so the display can sit on a surface while the controller is held in a traditional console-like fashion. And, with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard and the option to connect a dedicated mouse, it also doubles as a makeshift laptop. Or dock the right half of the controller into Lenovo's 'FPS Mode' accessory for proper mouse-and-keyboard input.

Sony is reportedly shifting its PC strategy, with industry insiders, reporters, and leakers writing that fewer single-player titles may arrive on PC.

Bloomberg's Jason Schrier said during an episode of the Triple Click Podcast that Sony may be backing away from releasing traditional single-player titles on PC, but would continue to release live-service games such as Helldivers 2 on the platform, as live-service games are entirely dependent on attracting as many players as possible. Since Schrier's comments, two leakers have backed up the claims, NatetheHate and SneakersSO, with Nate writing in a ResetEra post, "Sony is shifting their PC strategy, absolutely."

Notably, Schrier said if Sony does decide to pull back its PC releases for single-player games, it wouldn't be that big of a deal for the company, as the titles are already more popular on PS5 than they are on PC. Additionally, Schrier noted that Sony hasn't been launching AAA titles with a day and date for PC, indicating a separation and different thought process about the platform.

One of the first major gaming industry cautionary tales recently occurred, and that was none other than the collapse of Wildlight Entertainment following its surprise release of Highguard, the game that took the last showcase spot at The Game Awards 2025.

The studio was made up of experienced developers from Respawn Entertainment, the creators of Apex Legends, and received significant funding from Tencent. However, within weeks of Highguard being released, the studio was forced to let go of as many as 100 employees, resulting in less than 20 staff being left behind to salvage the remainder of Highguard. Wildlight Entertainment was formed in 2021 with an incentive pay structure designed to attract top talent, and initially, the studio was creating a multiplayer shooter that was survival-style, inspired by Rust.

In a recent article penned by Bloomberg's Jason Schrier, it states that after two years of development, the studio was forced to pivot in early 2024 to what Highguard is today, a "raid shooter" that is focused on team-based matches.

It's one of the biggest game releases of the year, with Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem launching on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. With the game running on Capcom's custom RE Engine, the good news is that the game not only runs well on all platforms, but it delivers a solid 60 FPS on a wide range of PC hardware while maintaining impressive (and often frightening) image quality.

As part of a new analysis into the visuals, fidelity, and performance of Resident Evil Requiem running on the Nintendo Switch 2, Digital Foundry's John Linneman calls it the "best looking" game on the console. Although concessions have been made to run it on the Switch 2's lower-spec portable NVIDIA hardware, DLSS support delivers crisper, sharper image quality than the Xbox Series S version of the game.

An impressive feat when you factor in that DLSS is upscaling from an internal resolution of 540p. And even though the Xbox Series S version is upscaling from a higher internal resolution of 720p, the resulting image is fuzzier, blurrier, and less stable than the Switch 2 version.

One of the biggest gaming stories of the year has been the unexpected and seismic shake-up over at Microsoft Gaming and Xbox, with Phil Spencer out as CEO, alongside Xbox President Sarah Bond. Although the announcement and communication were filled with all of the stuff you want to see, from recommitting to Xbox's core fans and confirming that Xbox consoles are still a key pillar of the brand, it hasn't stopped the flood of both negative and cautiously concerned reactions.

One of the most negative arrived from the original Xbox console co-creator Seamus Blackley, who called new CEO Asha Sharma "a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night." Much of the criticism and concern centers on the relatively unknown Asha Sharma, who has an AI background rather than one in the gaming or entertainment industries.

As part of her first communication, she promised that when it comes to AI, Microsoft will not "chase short-term efficiency" or flood the Xbox ecosystem with "soulless AI slop." As part of a new interview with Windows Central, Microsoft Gaming and Xbox's new Chief Content Officer Matt Booty has added more context on how the team views AI and responded to the idea that Microsoft only cares about AI and will push generative AI technology into every corner of the Xbox business.

Microsoft's big executive shake-up may have improved morale behind the scenes as former Xbox president Sarah Bond resigns from the company.

Xbox leadership has been swapped out, with Xbox CEO Phil Spencer retiring after 38 years with Microsoft. Another high-profile departure was that of Xbox president Sarah Bond, who resigned from her position. From the outside, Bond's resignation was a surprise, with many believing she would take over the reins after Phil Spencer retired.

New reports from behind the scenes say that Bond leaving the company has actually reassured Xbox employees. Sources tell The Verge's Tom Warren about the situation that led up to the change in ranks and how it has affected the people at Xbox. It's been revealed that Bond may have been in charge of the rather-disliked This is an Xbox marketing campaign, which led to push-back internally from developers and Xbox employees.

Microsoft Gaming's new CEO will focus on the long-term vision for the Xbox brand, complete with new hardware and continued multi-platform software releases.

Big changes are happening at Microsoft's games division. Phil Spencer has retired as CEO of Xbox, and Sarah Bond has also resigned. Microsoft has brought in Asha Sharma, a previous AI executive, to lead Xbox. Now the new games leader is on a kind of press junket in a bid to foster connection to the fanbase and relay what's next for the brand. As it turns out, Sharma is focused on the long game.

In a recent interview with Windows Central, Sharma mentioned lifetime value, a phrase that isn't often heard from executives unless they're in earnings calls with investors and analysts. Xbox's new CEO plans to focus on the overall long-term lifetime value of the games branch, which seems to indicate Microsoft has no plans to shut down Xbox.

Blizzard Entertainment has announced Overwatch Rush, a new top-down Hero shooter that is "designed specifically for the Overwatch universe."

The new mobile game has received a dedicated team at Blizzard, and all of its members have had experience with mobile games in the past. Additionally, Blizzard writes that this team is separate from Team 4, which remains entirely focused on Overwatch. The press release also states Rush is an entirely new game, and not a port, as it has been specifically built for mobile players.

Embedded in the press release is a 3-minute gameplay video showcasing the 4v4 match. Interestingly, the video is actually unlisted on the Blizzard YouTube channel. The gameplay shows two teams fighting over a point in classic Overwatch fashion. Blizzard writes in the description of the video that this footage is of a "development build" of Overwatch Rush, meaning what we get on release will likely be an improvement of what we see in-game in the footage.

Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth mainline installment in the survival horror series, is out this week on February 27 on PC and consoles. For those with GeForce RTX graphics cards, the game is set to be a visually stunning (and terrifying) showcase, featuring a path-tracing mode for realistic lighting, shadows, reflections, and other effects like light that accurately refracts through transparent objects like glass.

As lighting plays a major role in setting the tone and adding immersion to the horror genre, NVIDIA's path-tracing trailer for Resident Evil Requiem gives us a glimpse of how the DLSS 4-accelerated path-tracing gameplay will look. Resident Evil Requiem is also on offer as part of a new GeForce RTX 50 Series Bundle running until March 16, where picking up an eligible GeForce RTX GPU, PC, or gaming laptop gets you a copy of the game.

The game is also set to hit GeForce NOW on day one, giving subscribers the chance to play it with RTX-enhanced visuals in the cloud. If Resident Evil Requiem is the first major AAA game release of the year, then Pearly Abyss' Crimson Desert, which is out March 19, is possibly the second. This highly anticipated open-world game also features impressive visuals with ray tracing support. And on day one, it will also feature DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation support.

Although Linux has been a viable PC gaming platform for several years, with only a small market share compared to Windows, it's often treated as an afterthought. However, with the success of the Steam Deck and Valve's efforts with Proton, which have helped make Linux gaming with a SteamOS-like interface a popular and stable platform, more companies are beginning to take note.

And one of those companies is NVIDIA, which is stepping up its support for Linux as a gaming OS thanks to new 'Senior System Software Engineer' and 'Linux Graphics Senior Software Engineer' job listings. The first job is specifically tied to Vulkan performance, the API used for Linux gaming, with one of the key tasks for the new employee being to diagnose "GPU and CPU performance bottlenecks in Vulkan and Proton titles."

And it isn't merely about improving performance on the GeForce RTX side of the equation, as the role will also engage with third parties, namely the Proton teams, to make changes to the API to further improve performance. And it doesn't stop there, NVIDIA is also looking for an additional engineer to enable "native-speed x86-64 gaming on Linux/ARM64 platforms." What does this all mean? Well, it means NVIDIA's upcoming N1 and N1X chips will also be for PC gaming.

Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma has made a clear commitment to Xbox consoles as the company prepares its next-gen hybrid device.

Microsoft recently shook up its gaming division, with Phil Spencer retiring as CEO, and former Xbox president Sarah Bond resigning. The company has brought in former AI exec Asha Sharma to lead the Xbox games division, and in a formal address to fans, Sharma has made a "renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console."

This development makes sense as Microsoft is currently designing custom silicon for its next-gen games system, which is believed to be an Xbox PC that principally runs Windows 11 with native console game playback and an Xbox-esque user interface. While Microsoft preps its new system, its current Xbox Series console line has produced its lowest-ever holiday revenues throughout 2025, with Xbox hardware revenue dropping to a 12-year holiday low throughout the period.