In another post, KeplerL2 has mentioned that the chip powering the PS6 will be capable of 40 TFLOPS, while the one in Project Helix comes in at 56 TFLOPS. Both chips are also noted as already having been taped out, which indicates that Sony and Microsoft are staying on schedule for the rumored late 2027 launch for their respective consoles.

A chip being taped out essentially means that its design has been finalized, with layout files having been sent to the fabrication plant where they will be manufactured. The term itself is an old one, coming from computing discussions from the 1970s, when chip designs used to be written on magnetic data tapes before they could be shipped to the fabrication plants. Like many other examples of computer parlance – like a floppy disk indicating “saving” a file – the term has stuck around due to it serving as a useful shorthand for describing an otherwise complex subject.

It is worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft has officially confirmed any details about the launch windows for their next-generation consoles. Just last month, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki mentioned that launch plans for the PS6 were undecided due to global memory shortages. “Considering that importance, we need to take some action. Otherwise, we cannot survive in this landscape,” he said.

However, rumors have been pointing to a 2027 launch for quite some time, with KeplerL2 having previously claimed that hardware maker AMD has already begun validating hardware. “You think AMD is gonna waste resources doing validation on something they think will get delayed?”

Discussions at the time also argued against the idea that Sony would push back its console due to an unfavorable hardware market, since the company has experience in dealing with complicated market conditions.

“The PS4 was selling extremely well in 2019, and component costs and shortages were hitting the industry hard due to COVID in 2020. The first interview regarding potential PS5 hardware was in April 2019, while we already had that Amethyst announcement regarding next-gen last year,” noted one forum user.

As for Microsoft, the company seems to have more hardware plans than simply one new console SKU. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said back in August that “We’ve been hard at work on a great next generation and a great family of devices for Project Helix.” He also confirmed that the console will “push the boundaries of performance” and will be capable of playing console and PC games. The affordability of Project Helix, however, remains a complicated subject.

Divesting itself of some of its studios also seems to be part of its continuing strategies. The company had announced back in July that it was releasing Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Compulsion Games. While State of Decay 3 developer Undead Labs is being sold to another company, Compulsion Games and Double Fine have both gone independent instead. According to Corden, the company is similarly discussing the fate of Arkane.

The report comes in the wake of Xbox announcing that it has eliminated 268 roles across its various divisions, including Halo Studios and other development teams. Along with this, the company has also announced quite a bit of consolidation amongst its teams. The Halo franchise, for instance, is being handed to a new team at Activision, while Halo Studios itself will keep a “small team” that will support existing games.

Similarly, Age of Empires developer World’s Edge and Sea of Thieves studio Rare will also come under Activision. Obsidian – known for RPGs like The Outer Worlds 2 and Fallout: New Vegas, as well as survival crafting title Grounded 2 – will come under Bethesda as it continues to work on its new Fallout project. The studio behind Forza Motorsport, Turn 10 Studios, is being merged with Forza Horizon and Fable developer Playground Games.

In the same announcement, Xbox’s chief content officer Matt Booty has revealed that deals for another company to acquire Hellblade developer Ninja Theory have fallen through. As a result, Microsoft has begun consultation with the studio’s employees about potentially shutting Ninja Theory down.

“Today, our focus should be on supporting those affected and treating one another with care and respect. I will spend time with our studios over the next week. At our October 6 town hall, we will come together as an ALL-Xbox team to reflect on our progress and look ahead to one of the strongest game lineups in our history.”

Back in July, Sharma had spoken about the unhealthy state of Xbox as a business, which led to approximately 1,600 cuts. “Since 2018, we have aggressively expanded our studio portfolio while the number of games created each month across the industry now outpaces the last ten years combined. We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios. It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio.

“We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio; in a typical year, we lost 64 cents for every dollar we invested. As we reset Xbox, we will help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences to realize their vision.”

It would make sense, since they’re working on a new Fallout together, but given the studio’s layoffs last July, there are always fears it could face further cuts. In an email to employees obtained by Aftermath, Bethesda president Jill Braff called it “primarily a change in reporting structure.”

“The creative identity and strengths that make Obsidian distinct will remain at the core of their studio and work.” Obsidian’s CEO Feargus Urquhart and other leadership will allegedly remain in charge, but now report to Braff.

“Bethesda Game Studios will continue to lead the Fallout franchise. Together, the teams will build on their longstanding relationship and the early work already underway on a new Fallout project, with more to share in the months ahead. This structure supports the franchise-led model we’ve been strengthening while keeping accountability for both the studio and the franchise clear,” she reportedly wrote.

Which may sound reassuring for those remaining, but keep in mind that Xbox is about “three-quarters” through its restructuring. Though it started with 1,600 layoffs, an additional 1,600 will follow throughout the fiscal year. Even if it’s a remote possibility, Obsidian may end up caught in the crossfire, especially after Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 failed to meet expectations.

Besides the new Fallout, the studio is also working on Grounded 2 alongside Eidos Montreal. It’s currently in early access for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. As for Bethesda, it’s still developing The Elder Scrolls 6, with remasters of Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 3 recently announced. Fallout 5 has also been cited as a “long-range destination,” so you can only imagine how far off it may be.

Steam reportedly made up the lion’s share at 69.9 percent, followed by PlayStation at 19.9 percent and Xbox at 10.2 percent. It’s estimated to have earned $50 million in revenue, with console users accounting for 40.1 percent due to the higher price. A staggering majority of players are apparently from North America and Europe (90 percent), with Asia representing less than five percent.

Which is understandable given how much more well-known (and popular) Star Wars is in the West, though lackluster localization options probably didn’t help. And while 28 percent of Steam players had played XCOM 2, a healthy number also apparently played other Star Wars titles, including Jedi: Fallen Order (24 percent) and Star Wars: The Old Republic (32 percent).

Console players who played Firaxis’s turn-based strategy game are 32 percent, but the crossover with other Star Wars titles is apparently night and day. About 63 percent allegedly also played Fallen Order on PlayStation, while 85 percent checked it out on Xbox.

EA hasn’t officially confirmed sales numbers, but Bit Reactor’s future is up in the air after it was revealed that several employees were furloughed ahead of launch. Head here for more details.

The resume has also indicated that the motion capture work involves coordination handled by Jake Huang, who has also worked on similar duties during the development of Mortal Kombat 1.

While Supergirl being a part of a potential Injustice 3 shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially since she played such an important role in the story of Injustice 2, Batwoman would be a complete newcomer to the fighting game series. While she was present in the tie-in comic series published by DC when the Injustice games were last coming out, the character never made her way to the fighting games themselves. The comics featured Kate Kane as Batwoman. However, since it has almost been 10 years since the release of Injustice 2, there is a chance that the Injustice 3 version of the character might be entirely new.

One of the rumors surrounding NetherRealm Studios and its next project has revolved around a mysterious playtest that has been going on. While no official announcement has been made, various hints surrounding this playtest, including the fact that it involves a fighting game with 2D gameplay and a AAA production budget, make it likely to be a new Injustice game.

NetherRealm Studios is known for its work on fighting games with 2D gameplay since the 2011 release of Mortal Kombat – essentially a whole-cloth reboot of the classic franchise. Since then, the studio has stayed away from 3D gameplay like we used to see in the mid-2000s with titles like Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Recent games like Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1 have all featured 2D gameplay.

Interestingly, another report from earlier this year indicates that, while NetherRealm Studios is likely working on a superhero fighting game, the developer might be moving away from the Injustice branding. If this turns out to be true, there are plenty of newer options from across DC’s comics that the studio could go for, including the more contemporary Absolute Universe setting, which features grittier and more violent reimaginings of several iconic DC superheroes, including Batman and Superman.

However, if the title does end up featuring Supergirl and Batwoman, the Absolute Universe would turn out to be a poor choice, since the comic line hasn’t yet introduced these characters.

In the meantime, the studio’s chief creative officer, Ed Boon, confirmed last month that Injustice 2 has sold more than 9 million copies since its 2017 release. The title is still available to play on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S owners being able to access it through their respective consoles’ backwards compatibility features. For more details, take a look at our review from when Injustice 2 first came out.

During a “drunk” AMA session on Twitter, Corden was asked by many fans about whether there are any details about the future of the Halo franchise. To many of these questions, he responded “stay tuned”, “soon”, and “yes, you’ll find out more within a day”. At the time of publishing, however, no announcement has come from Halo Studios or Xbox.

As for whether this announcement is going to be good news or bad, noted industry insider and leaker NateTheHate said in a post on ResetEra that it all comes down to perspective. While he acknowledged that layoffs will be bad, details about the future of Halo will likely attract different reactions from different people.

“The Halo news will vary individual to individual. Layoffs are bad, of course; but as for the series’ future… people will react in a variety of ways.”

Halo Studios has kept relatively quiet since the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved just a couple of months ago, and reports have indicated that the title hasn’t quite done as well as the developer or Xbox would have wanted. According to Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, the title sold 1.2 million copies as of last month, with Xbox having the largest player base at 42 percent.

The report also indicated that being available through Game Pass may have hurt the shooter, with 2.1 million players allegedly using the subscription service to spend time with Halo: Campaign Evolved. Less than 600,000 players ended up spending money on the Premium Edition upgrade as well, which had provided five days of advanced access prior to the game’s release. Steam seems to have been the poorest performer for the title.

Another report has indicated that Halo Studios is continuing its work on the franchise, albeit with the help of external studios. Along with the fact that15 different studios were credited for work on Halo: Campaign Evolved, according to noted Halo leaker Rebs Gaming, Halo Studios is believed to be in talks with Activision to work on a brand-new project for the franchise.

While an Activision studio had reportedly developed a prototype to demonstrate what this project might look like, it got canceled back in July. However, a prototype’s cancelation doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire project has been put on ice.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. In our review, we gave the shooter a score of 9 out of 10, praising how the remake improved the core combat flow of the original with the inclusion of sprinting. We also noted that it provided a considerable upgrade when it came to visuals. However, the lack of any PvP mode might be a dealbreaker for some, since the franchise is known for its excellent PvP, while Halo: Campaign Evolved, as its name implies, focuses largely on the campaign and even offers a co-op mode.

The publication has noted that Xbox hasn’t yet responded to any requests for comment regarding its reported layoffs. The proceedings will also result in some of the studios being joined together.

Which studios are going to be affected by the company’s new round of layoffs remains unknown, but reports have indicated that Blizzard is set to be hit, with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier noting in a recent episode of the 8-4 Play podcast that cuts at the World of Warcraft developer are “imminent”.

The company had gone through 1,600 job cuts in July, affecting studios like id Software, Bethesda, and many others in the process. However, at the time, CEO Asha Sharma had said that Xbox would be going through roughly 1,600 more job cuts before the end of the fiscal year.

“I know this is painful. These changes will directly affect people who have poured their creativity into building Xbox,” said Sharma in a statement at the time. “Many joined us through acquisitions, while others were recruited here, or sought us out because they loved this industry and loved Xbox. Today’s decisions do not reflect their talent or dedication.”

The layoffs were the result of Xbox’s business not being healthy, with margins that were noted as being 3-10 times lower than “comparable platform and publishing businesses.”

“As that happened, our core business weakened, and we added more teams, more investment, and more time, hoping for a better outcome. And now the industry is facing the most severe hardware crisis in its history. We must reset Xbox.”

Along with the job cuts, Microsoft also divested itself of four of its studios – Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, and Undead Labs.

When discussing the idea of “resetting Xbox”, Sharma also announced that the division was getting a brand-new COO – Helen Chiang – who took over the position from Dave McCarthy, who has since retired after having worked at the company for 17 years.

“She will bring our businesses together under one operating model, making sure we make clear investment decisions, learn from our successes and failures, and hold ourselves accountable for results,” said Sharma.

Reports indicating Blizzard might be one of the companies under Xbox to be hit with a round of layoffs are quite interesting, since the studio announced some ambitious plans for many of its IPs a couple of weeks ago. During its BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony, the studio announced that it is working on Diablo 5 – slated for a 2029 release – as well as a shooter set in the sci-fi setting of StarCraft that is set for a 2030 release.

Currently, Blizzard is gearing up to release its next major content update for World of Warcraft: Midnight, as well as its new take on World of Warcraft Classic, dubbed World of Warcraft Forever. The latter is set to go live on November 4th.

Allegedly hearing it “three times from three different people,” they noted there’s a “high chance” Veronica has slipped to Fall 2027. Previous reports claimed it would launch in the first half of 2027 – a typical period for past titles. Though they haven’t heard it directly, the insider is “coming to believe it’s true.”

It may also explain the remake’s absence at Tokyo Game Show, which hasn’t happened with any other “mainline” Resident Evil in the past. As for why, Capcom was allegedly making “some late changes to the game; the scope and time to do such were a bit in the air.” Thus, this may have taken longer than the team expected.

Such is the case with game development, but as Dusk Golem notes, “This definitely was not their plan from the start.” One can only speculate on how ambitious the changes were, but as always, since the publisher never announced a release date, this isn’t officially a delay.

Officially, Resident Evil Veronica launches next year for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Perhaps we’ll hear more about it at The Game Awards, complete with a release window. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

That’s Versatility Mode, which prioritises a 60 FPS frame rate while outputting at 4K. It utilised PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution in the previous game, though there were criticisms regarding LOD pop-ins. There’s no word yet on how Revelation is optimised on PS5 Pro or whether it uses the Upgraded PSSR, so stay tuned for further details.

Other modes on the base PS5 include Graphics, which prioritises 4K resolution, and Performance, which prioritises 60 frames per second. The latter has Sharp and Smooth options for image quality. Of course, you should take the overall performance from the demo with a grain of salt since the development team is still optimising the game.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation launches on April 8th, 2027, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. It’s confirmed to take over 100 hours to finish, but if you want to focus on the story, an option to automatically level up will become available after a certain point, resulting in a more linear experience.

“I saw the statement from Kojima Productions today — it doesn’t dispute any of our reporting, so I don’t have much to add there. But I will add that (as I said a couple of weeks ago), the Physint cancellation came after several months of negotiations between KoPro and Sony. Wasn’t exactly out of nowhere.”

In a follow-up post, Schreier also said that his original report was based on conversations he had with “multiple people across Sony, Xbox, and Kojima Productions.”

In his original report, Schreier had said that the deal between Sony and Kojima Productions to publish Physint was canceled due to the studio having missed important deadlines, as well as the fact that the project would require additional investments of potentially “hundreds of millions” more.

For its part, Kojima Productions has said that the report didn’t arise from any “official or on-the-record source,” and that fans of the studio’s work should take the report with “a dose of scepticism”.

“You may have seen a recent article that mentions Kojima Productions, speculating on the reasons for the change in publishing partners for Physint. Normally, we would not comment on unsubstantiated speculation on the internet, but these aspersions around our relationship with PlayStation, the commercial performance of the Death Stranding franchise, and the broader production planning and investment for Physint have reached beyond the studio and have touched our fans, our creative partners, and colleagues we have worked alongside for three decades.”

Further in its statement, Kojima Productions went on to note that it is in “a healthy, profitable state”, and that development on Physint would be continuing as part of a new deal the studio had signed with Xbox. Along with this, the developer also said that “our relationship with PlayStation remains strong.”

Sony’s announcement that it is dropping its deal with Kojima Productions came about earlier this month, with the company calling it a “difficult decision”. While studio head Hideo Kojima had said that he was looking for a new publishing partner for Physint, the company eventually signed a deal with Xbox.

“This expands our relationship with Xbox beyond OD. As we move forward with the development of PHYSINT, we remain committed to redefining the action-espionage genre for players around the world,” said Kojima.

More recently, Kojima also revealed through a new video update that the main protagonist in Physint will be played by Bill Skarsgård. Other confirmed cast members for the espionage game include Charlee Fraser, Don Lee, and Minami Hamabe, and more cast members are slated to be revealed as development continues. The same video also provided an update on horror project OD, which Kojima said was progressing at a steady pace.