Aaron Paul, whom you might know from Breaking Bad and Westworld, is going to be the new face joining the show’s next season, although details about his character and role in the narrative are yet to be disclosed. Deadline has also reported on a couple of Annabel O’Hagan, whose take on Steph was an absolute treat, and Dave Register, who brought the childlike Chet to life, becoming regulars in the new season. They’ll definitely be welcome additions, especially considering everything thus far.

It remains to be seen if Paul’s presence in the third season is going to produce any interesting effects like the second potentially has. Regardless, we’re definitely eager to see where the writers take us after all the shenanigans we’ve already been privy to.

Of course, this is far from the end for the successful TV show, especially with actor Aaron Morten (Maximus) claiming it would last for five to six seasons.

Part of that turnaround has been solid relationships across the supply chain that the Japanese giant has built. However, a recent lecture at NYU from Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president of Nintendo America, has shed some light on how that may have been jeopardized in the early stages of exploring one with Amazon, which was looking to find its footing in the gaming space.

“Amazon’s mentality back then is they wanted to have the lowest price out in the marketplace, even lower than Walmart. And one of their executives called me… well, it was a conversation that got to me after it had progressed through all of the levels of my sales organization, and essentially, what Amazon wanted was an obscene amount of support, financial support, so they could have the lowest price and beat Walmart. I literally said to the executive, ‘You know that’s illegal, right? I can’t do that.’ You know you get silence on the other end, ‘but this is what I want.’”

“Literally, we stopped selling to Amazon, and it’s because I wasn’t going to do something illegal. I wasn’t going to do something that would put at risk the relationship we have with other retailers. But it also set the stage to say, look, you’re not going to push me around. This is the way we do business. And so that’s how, over time, you build respect,” he said

It’s always heartening to see an established presence in the industry stand on principle, and things have probably panned out fairly well for Nintendo, considering that Amazon recently shut the doors on Luna. Meanwhile, the list of Switch 2 titles continues to grow with every passing month, while the console itself proves even more successful than its predecessor. This whole incident would certainly explain why the Nintendo Switch 2 was missing from Amazon when it launched last year.

Overall, it’s an interesting insight into the rather tumultuous relationship they’ve shared over the years, and how Fils-Aimé ultimately handled a tense situation.

“So, I can’t talk about the specifics of what I’m writing (I’ve signed NDAs, etc) — but for whatever it’s worth, that article by the Ankler caught me off guard just as much as you,” Casey wrote. “I don’t know where that ‘non-gaming audiences’ quote came from or who said it, but at no point has that been said to me.”

The original report, according to The Ankler, alleged that the Mass Effect adaptation was “on the verge” of being greenlit. However, head of global TV at Amazon MGM Studios, Peter Friedlander, has seemingly asked the story to be rewritten in order to make it “more appealing to non-gamers.” However, no details about these alleged rewrite requests have been revealed.

Amazon has adapted a couple of video game adaptations into TV shows over the last few years. However, while the adaptation of Fallout has been widely praised thanks to its strong characters and worldbuilding, the live-action adaptation of Like a Dragon: Yakuza was critically panned thanks to several changes having been made to its story and various characters.

Mass Effect would otherwise make for a decent TV show thanks to the franchise’s emphasis on longer story arcs that still manage to fit in more episodic storylines in the middle that eventually build up to unravelling a larger story. The first three games in the series revolved around the adventures of Commander Shepard and their adventures throughout the galaxy aboard the space craft SR1 (and later SR2) Normandy.

Developed by BioWare, the original trilogy has been considered by many to be some of their favorite games, thanks in large part to how the story of the impending attack by the Reapers is slowly uncovered by Shepard and their crew exploring the galaxy’s history. While the finale in Mass Effect 3 drew quite a bit of criticism owing to its anti-climactic nature, the characters remained well-praised, with some, like the Turian Garrus Vakarian, the Asari Liara T’Soni, Krogans like Wrex and Grunt, the Salarian Mordin Solus, and the Quarian Tali’Zorah being fan-favorites.

Following the trilogy, BioWare would go on to release Mass Effect: Andromeda, which would focus on the story of an entirely new cast of characters, taking place in the Andromeda galaxy. The protagonist—Scott or Sara Ryder—teams up with fellow members of the Pathfinder team to figure out whether the planet they’ve landed on is a safe haven for the various species that had crewed up to escape the Milky Way galaxy due to the impending Reaper invasion. The story and characters were panned by many, though some did note at the time that the gameplay presented interesting new opportunities.

In the meantime, BioWare has confirmed that it is working on a brand new entry in the franchise—Mass Effect 5.

So, I can’t talk about the specifics of what I’m writing (I’ve signed NDAs, etc) — but for whatever it’s worth, that article by the Ankler caught me off guard just as much as you. I don’t know where that “non-gaming audiences” quote came from or who said it, but at no point has that been said to me.

— Daniel Casey (@danielcaseytypes.bsky.social) 2026-04-20T03:02:07.176Z

Those who purchased anything from the EA App, Ubisoft Connect or GOG will find these unplayable through Luna. The “Bring Your Own Library” feature is going away on June 3rd, and if you happened to purchase any third-party titles via Luna’s storefront, tough luck, because no refunds.

It also extends to Ubisoft Plus and Jackbox Games subscriptions. Granted, you can still access these and other third-party titles on other platforms – just not on Luna. Instead, only titles available through Luna Standard (available with Amazon Prime) and Premium ($9.99 monthly) are available.

The change probably wouldn’t sting as much if it wasn’t introduced last year. As it stands, Amazon probably saw an “unhealthy” (by its standards, at least) number of players opting for third-party titles and services over its own subscription services. Perhaps it would rather spend its bandwidth on supporting the latter.

Either way, this represents yet another troubling decision for the company’s gaming practices. Earlier this year, Amazon Game Studios head Christoph Hartmann departed, while Maverick Games (comprised of former Forza Horizon developers) would lose its publishing deal with the company. Amazon Games Montreal and its first game, March of Giants, would also be sold to Ubisoft last December.

This is according to The Ankler, which noted Mass Effect’s TV series is allegedly “on the verge” of being ordered. But what kind of rewrites is Friedlander looking at? Apparently, something to be “more appealing to non-gamers.”

What that exactly means is unknown, but you could interpret it in several ways. Perhaps he’s looking at something that emphasizes more characterization and plotlines that are easily adaptable for TV, as opposed to numerous references to the games. It could also mean a few tweaks to the story that could make it more accessible for “regular” sci-fi fans.

Of course, there’s always the danger that the show could omit the things that make Mass Effect so unique, alienating fans in the process while failing to hook new viewers. Time will tell, but maybe the goal is to replicate Amazon’s success with the Fallout TV series, which saw the New Vegas-centered second season reaching 83 million views about 91 days after its debut.

This has placed both seasons of Fallout in the top four for all-time viewership for shows on Prime Video. Its second season went on to become Prime Video’s most-watched show in more than 80 countries in its first 91 days. The report has noted that around 53 percent of the audience was from outside of the US, living in countries like Germany, Brazil, and the UK. Head of Global Television at Amazon MGM Studios, Peter Friedlander, celebrated the milestone in a statement.

“Fallout continues to resonate in a powerful way with our global Prime Video audience, and reaching 100 million viewers is a testament to the incredible creative vision of our collaborators at Kilter Films, Bethesda Game Studios, Geneva, Graham, and the entire cast and crew,” he said. “The show’s performance reaffirms this, with S2 now joining S1 as two of our top four biggest seasons we’ve ever launched. We’re thrilled to see the franchise continue to grow as we head into Season Three.”

Amazon’s has also seemingly done quite well with critics. According to reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the show has gotten an average critic rating of 94 percent, and an average audience rating of 96 percent.

This success bodes well for Amazon and the showrunners behind Fallout, since the third season had already been greenlit last year. Back in December, executive producer Jonathan Nolan, along with creator and showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet revealed that the third season will start filming in Summer 2026.

“Well I say with regards to production, we’re hoping to be shooting again next summer,” said Nolan in an interview. “We’ll see if that all comes together. Best laid plans and all, but I’m excited that the scope of the show feels undiminished season-on-season. Geneva and Graham, our incredibly talented cast and crew were able to work quickly enough to get back on the air in a reasonable amount of time.”

“I think what’s happened with television in terms of taking longer and longer from season to season is an unfortunate trend. You don’t want the show to lose any of its scope, but we know that we like to be back on the air as soon as we can.”

Nolan and Robertson Dworet had also revealed a few other details about Amazon’s Fallout, including how they had planned to depict the iconic Deathclaws in the show. Ultimately, they came to the decision to use a combination of puppets for practical effect alongside using CGI for added details.

The second season of Amazon’s Fallout took the story to New Vegas. When this was revealed, many questions were asked about whether the show would pick an official cannon ending, since Fallout: New Vegas featured several different endings based on players’ choices. For more details on that, check out what actor Aaron Moten had to say back in November.

According to Reuters, Amazon’s new round of lay-offs represents 10 percent of its corporate workforce, which doesn’t take into account employees at fulfillment centers and warehouses. It is part of the company’s efforts at “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.” Interestingly, these lay-offs won’t really hit Amazon Game Studios itself, with the focus being on retail, Amazon Web Services, Prime Video, and human resources.

Amazon Game Studios faced a major round of job cuts back in October as part of larger lay-offs affecting more than 14,000 employees at the company. Due to this development on MMORPG New World: Aeternum had been stopped, with the Season 10 update being its final one. While servers for the MMO will remain live until January 31, 2027, the game itself has been delisted from online storefronts, preventing others from checking it out during its final year.

“We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion,” wrote the studio on its official blog. ”We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you. Together, we built something special. While we are saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we were able to share so much with the community.”

With the servers going down next year, Amazon Game Studios has also confirmed that the in-game store in New World: Aeternum will be taken down on July 20, 2026, which in turn will prevent players from buying any more Marks of Fortune. Refunds also won’t be issued for any purchased Marks.

While no new content is in the works for New World: Aeternum, the studio has noted that it will continue to provide support for the game through patches, fixing any notable bugs or other issues that might pop up in the meantime.

“It has been our pleasure to work on New World: Aeternum and evolve this unforgettable adventure with you all. We look forward to one more year together, and giving this fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero. From the bottom of all our hearts, thank you for sharing this world with us,” said the development team in its announcement.

New World: Aeternum served as a major reset for the floundering MMORPG, having come out in October 2024. Thanks to Aeternum, New World was able to target consoles alongside its original PC release. It also introduced a new main story that would take players from level 1 to 65, with a larger focus on worldbuilding and storytelling. For more details, check out our review of New World: Aeternum.

BREAKING: Amazon Game Studios boss Christoph Hartmann (formerly head of 2K) is leaving the company, Bloomberg News has learned, as Amazon continues its retreat from the PC and console video-game space in favor of its cloud gaming service Luna.

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2026-01-28T17:41:15.844Z

While newer players interested in checking out New World: Aeternum can no longer get their hands on the title, players that had already purchased it will continue to have access for the next year. Since no new content is being made for it anymore, the developers have also confirmed that the entire year will have the Nighthaven season running until the servers are shut down.

“We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion,” wrote the studio on its official blog. “”We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you. Together we built something special. While we are saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we were able to share so much with the community.”

“It has been our pleasure to work on New World: Aeternum and evolve this unforgettable adventure with you all. We look forward to one more year together, and giving this fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero. From the bottom of all our hearts, thank you for sharing this world with us.”

In an FAQ section on the official website, the developers have also confirmed that the in-game store will be taken down on July 20, 2026, preventing players from buying Marks of Fortune, among other things. Refunds will also not be issued for Marks of Fortune that have been purchased.

Amazon Game Studios had announced that development on New World: Aeternum was coming to an end back in October 2025. At the time, the developers had noted that the game will be available to purchase and play “until further notice”. Coinciding with the ending of its development, the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion had also been made free for all PC players.

“As New World recognizes its fourth anniversary since launching on PC, we reflect on an incredible journey shaped by our dedicated player community,” Amazon Game Studios wrote at the time. “Your feedback and passion have been instrumental in evolving Aeternum into the world it is today, and our team is deeply grateful for this shared adventure. After four years of steady content updates and a major new console release, we’ve reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to continue supporting the game with new content updates.”

New World: Aeternum getting killed off as part of a longer series of lay-offs that had hit Amazon last year. Reports had indicated that more than 14,000 employees were affected across its various divisions, including video games. The company had noted at the time that it was shifting its focus from major AAA games to “casual and AI-focused games”, and is part of its shift to “leaning into things that Amazon does best.”

For more details on New World: Aeternum, check out our review.

Various industry figures have since expressed their condolences, including Larry Hryb, formerly Major Nelson and director of programming for Xbox Live. “Albert was a pillar of gaming at Microsoft and Amazon, a brilliant, trusted voice in our industry, a loyal friend, and most importantly, a husband and father who was profoundly loved by his wife, Dara and daughter, Lily.”

Former Xbox president Peter Moore also commented on Penello’s passing, calling him a “true legend” and the “ultimate optimist, always energetic and willing to take on whatever project he was presented with (remember HD DVD?). He will be sorely missed and leaves a big hole in the heart of the extended Xbox family.”

Mike Ybarra, former Blizzard Entertainment president, also commended Penello, calling him “a kind person, sharing, and having an incredible passion for the hobby we all love…. gaming. His energy and commitment were second-to-none. His impact on Xbox was noteworthy. Always debating for the right answer and striving to keep players first.”

Since leaving Microsoft in 2018, Penello had worked at Amazon Web Services. However, interestingly enough, sources speaking to Windows Central reveal that he acted as a consultant for Xbox’s next-generation hardware for the past several months, which showcases his commitment to the brand that he helped shape.

Penello had also kickstarted a project to create a Mighty Orbots deluxe figure based on the 1984 cartoon. He founded Machine Dream Toys and acquired the series’ trademark for Mighty Orbots Deluxe Combining 12″ Figure, which sees five Orbots combining to form the titular figure. The passion project owes its life to Penello’s penchant for collecting 80s robot figures.

There are currently eight days left for the Kickstarter, with $61,673 pledged out of the $95,000 goal. Despite Penello’s passing, the remaining team is “more committed than ever to making this happen.”

“For us on the game and TV show side, we’re writing Season 3 now,” Howard said in the interview, noting that the writing for the show is largely being handled by its own writers’ room along with Jonathan Nolan. “We’re having those conversations now of, what are we doing in Season 3 for the TV show and what elements can we bring into our games at that time when it comes out that don’t feel forced or fake.”

Bringing in more things from the Fallout show into the games wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea; earlier this month, multiplayer game Fallout 76 saw the release of its Burning Springs update which features a story that revolves around The Ghoul—the character portrayed by actor Walton Goggins in the show. The title also saw an update earlier this year that also allowed players to turn their own characters into Ghouls, complete with their own unique perks and traits that can be used throughout the game’s content.

Howard also spoke about some of the changes that the second season of the Fallout show has since its first season, including the fact that its episodes are being released on a weekly basis. This is a major change, since the first season made its debut with the release of all eight of its episodes on the same day. Howard noted that this weekly release schedule also means that there are a lot more surprises for viewers, especially since it can’t be binged through in a single sitting for now.

“There’s a lot of surprises,” said Howard. “So the main thing is, we’re dropping an episode every week, so I would just say, stick with it. There’s a lot of surprises, and I’m curious to see how it plays for everybody, because it’s gonna be a weekly show now, as opposed to a binge-watch all at once.”

The Burning Springs update for Fallout 76 was a major addition to the game thanks to its introduction of an entirely new zone for players to explore, complete with its own story and characters to interact with. Along with this, the update also brought with it the Bounty Hunting activity, as well as a host of new public events that pit players against more powerful enemies like Deathclaws and Radscorpions.

For more details about the various updates that Fallout 76 has gotten all year, check out how the game’s developers have celebrated the title in a recent community post. Fallout 76 is available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S being able to play the title through backwards compatibility until a native current-gen version is released in 2026.