Video Game News 6/16/2026

#Reset
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Xbox Game Studios leadership Craig Duncan and Louise O’Connor resign

Xbox Game Studios Head Craig Duncan & Chief of Staff Louise O'Connor leave Microsoft

Xbox Game Studios Loses Two Executives, Including The Former Head of Rare

Xbox Loses Two More Senior Leaders As Craig Duncan Departs

Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios boss steps down after less than two years, amid major changes for the platform

Xbox Game Studios Boss Is Out Ahead Of Reported Layoffs And Other Major Changes To “Reset” Xbox

Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan and Chief of Staff Louise O'Connor step down

Report: Two former Rare execs are leaving Xbox

Xbox Game Studios head and chief of staff step down as 'Xbox reset' looms

The Head Of Xbox Game Studios Resigns Ahead Of Mass Layoffs

#NinjaTheory
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Xbox studios Compulsion, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory facing closure, it’s claimed

Xbox is reportedly shutting down South of Midnight studio Compulsion Games

Xbox reportedly shutting down South of Midnight dev Compulsion Games

Xbox is reportedly considering closing South of Midnight studio, Compulsion Games, with Double Fine and Ninja Theory also allegedly at risk

Double Fine, Ninja Theory & Compulsion are reportedly negotiating with Microsoft to avoid closures

Xbox Is Closing Ninja Theory, Double Fine Negotiating Fate

Bloomberg Report Claims Ninja Theory, Double Fine And Compulsion Are Fighting To Avoid Closure

Double Fine, Ninja Theory, And More Reportedly Trying To Spin Off From Xbox Game Studios

Xbox is reportedly considering closing South of Midnight studio, Compulsion Games, with Double Fine and Ninja Theory also allegedly at risk

Xbox ponders closing Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and more in 'reset'

Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and other Xbox studios could close

Xbox is reportedly closing South of Midnight studio Compulsion Games after bragging about its award-winning developers earlier this year

Ninja Theory and Double Fine Also Reportedly Under Threat of Closure as Xbox Studios Fight for Survival

Xbox In Talks To Close Double Fine And Ninja Theory, Which Just Revealed Its New Game

Xbox Is Planning To Shutter Peabody-Award-Winning South Of Midnight Studio Compulsion Games

#DeluxeEdition
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Capcom is removing Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Deluxe Edition and microtransactions from sale

Dragon's Dogma 2 discontinues deluxe edition - and withdraws many of its controversial time-saving microtransaction

Dragon's Dogma 2 Stripped of All PS5 Microtransactions as DLC Nears

Capcom is removing several Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLCs before Dark Arisen arrives

Two years later, Dragon's Dogma 2's pointless MTXs are finally going away, and it's getting a "permanent discount"

Dragon's Dogma 2's controversial microtransactions are going away

2 entire years after being raked over the coals for it, Dragon's Dogma 2 is removing a bunch of those silly little microtransactions that weren't even P2W anyway

Capcom Pulls Dragon's Dogma 2 Microtransactions Ahead of Dark Arisen Expansion Release

#BlackTides
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows 1.1.11 update announced, patch notes – new story quest, Nintendo Switch 2 handheld GPU improvements, more

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Final Update Concludes Naoe and Yasuke’s Story, Adds New End-Game Domains

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ final update features Animus-bending endgame content Domains

Assassin's Creed Shadows' Final Update Is Way Bigger Than Expected, Adds Story, Endgame, More

Assassin’s Creed Shadows final update launches this month

Assassin's Creed Shadows Title Update 1.1.11 Out This Week, Includes Switch 2 Handheld Improvements

Assassin's Creed Shadows Will Get Its Last Expansion Tomorrow

Ubisoft Bids Farewell to Assassin's Creed Shadows With Final Story Update

#FaithfulRemakeNintendoRem
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Nintendo says Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake will have ‘timeless gameplay’, implying no massive overhaul

Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Description May Suggest A Faithful 1:1 Remake

Nintendo has removed and replaced Zelda Ocarina of Time remake description

Nintendo Removes Hidden The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Description That Suggested It's a Faithful Remake

Fans Find Hidden Info On Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake, Nintendo Promptly Deletes It

#The
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The UK's dramatic under-16 social media ban will also apply to "gaming services", but at least they're not coming for multiplayer

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer targets online gaming in under-16 social media ban

UKIE welcomes video games being classed separately from social media as UK government announces ban

Under-16s to Be Banned From Social Media, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Says

#Ff7RemakeAndRebirthAllOfF
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth Sales Seemingly Spike After Revelation Reveal

As hype builds for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, fans are flocking back to play (the heavily discounted) Remake and Rebirth on Steam

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Is Bringing Back the Airship Dream

All Of Final Fantasy Is On Sale On Steam, Including FF7 Remake And Rebirth

#Treyarch
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Treyarch boss Mark Gordon resigns after 22 years

Treyarch announces retirement of Studio Head Mark Gordon

Treyarch Head Mark Gordon Steps Down from Call of Duty Studio

Call Of Duty Studio Treyarch Is Losing Its Studio Head Of Nearly A Decade

#CompulsionGamesXbox
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Xbox is reportedly planning to shut down Compulsion Games

Xbox is Reportedly Planning to Shut Down Multi-2026 Canadian Game Awards Winner Compulsion Games, Leadership Said to be in Negotiations with Microsoft

Xbox Closing We Happy Few, South Of Midnight Developer Compulsion Games – Report

Microsoft Has Reportedly Shut Down South of Midnight Developer Compulsion Games

#ClassicPlus
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Blizzard issues complaint against Project Ascension WoW private server as Classic Plus rumors build ahead of BlizzCon

Blizzard Sues World of Warcraft Private Server Project Ascension

Blizzard Sues WoW Private Server It Alleges Raked In Millions

Blizzard sues private World of Warcraft server for "large-scale, egregious, and ongoing infringement of Blizzard's intellectual property"

#DefinitiveEdition
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Sonic Frontiers: Definitive Edition apparently spotted at retail for Nintendo Switch 2

Sonic Frontiers: Definitive Edition Switch 2 Box Art Surfaces Online

Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition finds its way online and contains all the free DLC

#Dead
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Dead by Daylight Gets an Insane PS5 Graphics Upgrade for Its 10th Anniversary

Dead by Daylight unveils modding support, a visual overhaul, and a Scooby-Doo collaboration during 10th anniversary celebrations

Dead by Daylight celebrates its 10 year anniversary by adding the most sought after horror icon and teasing 'a sweeping visual overhaul'

#HotWheelsInfiniteRushPrev
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Hot Wheels Infinite Rush Preview – Where the Plastic Meets the Road

Hot Wheels Infinite Rush Summer Game Fest Preview – Race Beyond the Track!

Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush Is All About Exploring an Open-World Toy Box | IGN Preview

#Sonic
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Sonic producer says AAA studios need to learn from indie developers

Sonic Team boss says AAA studios can learn a lot from indies

Sonic lead says AAA developers have much to learn from indie studios

#Advertising
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EA launches new advertising platform enabling brands to "integrate directly into gameplay"

EA rolls out Advertising platform to let companies market "directly into gameplay"

EA announces advertising platform to launch ads 'directly into gameplay'

#Madden
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EA Advertising Could Bring In-Game Ads to Future EA FC and Madden NFL Titles

EA Sports FC, Madden NFL Publisher Announces EA Advertising

#Destiny
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Is Destiny: Rising worth a play to get your Destiny fix?

Where to find the Imbaru Chest in the Throne World in Destiny 2

#The2026WorldCup
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Here's what's on in mobile for the 2026 World Cup!

FC 26 World Cup Day 5 Simulation: Major Upsets on the Cards?

#Microsoft
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Microsoft CEO says ‘YouTube monetizes Xbox better than we do’, ahead of expected layoffs

As Xbox eyes layoffs, Microsoft's CEO says its videogames aren't monetised enough—so it's not the cancelled games or $68.7 billion deals or AI overspending, then

#ElectronicArts
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Electronic Arts launches EA Advertising, which it says will add brands into games in a ‘non-disruptive’ way

Electronic Arts Announces Plans To Cram Far More Advertising Into Its Games

#Pikachu
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Pikachu promo cards and plush revealed ahead of the Pokémon World Championships and PokémonXP event

Is one of the world's best Pokémon speedrunners cheating?

#NintendoSwitch
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Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch update 22.5.0 out now, patch notes

Nintendo Switch 2 System Update 22.5.0 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes

#WhyGothic
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Why Gothic 1 Remake Sold So Well Despite Its Flaws

Gothic 1 Remake Review

#ScheduledToReleaseOnSepte
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BrokenLore: DON’T LIE Scheduled To Release On September 10, 2026

BrokenLore: DON’T LIE Launches This September

#SeveralXboxStudios
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Several Xbox Studios at Risk of Closure, in Talks to Become Independent

Two Xbox Studios Named As Being At Risk Of Closure