Although Nightfall is coming to an end, paving the way for the Hunter/Prey update, the developers have decided to retain the VL-7 Smoke and Night Mode (with a rotation of limited-time options being considered for future updates). There are also further refinements to progression systems that are set to expand into other areas, including vehicles, weapons, your career, and REDSEC. The general idea is to speed things up and give you more ways to enjoy a game that we felt was a solid return to form when it was first released.

Aside from that, Hunter/Prey marks the final phase of Season 2, bringing the VL-7 as a permanent modifier to the Gauntlet alongside a host of balancing and QoL changes that you can check in their entirety here. It drops on April 14, 2026, and is sure to help those lamenting the closure of Battlefield Hardline on consoles cope with their loss. Here’s to hoping that the game continues to improve from strength to strength as more updates and refinements arrive to keep things fresh.

“I’d left Firaxis after about 22 years of working there and making strategy games my whole career,” said Foertsch. “I knew I wanted to stay in the strategy, the tactics space⁠. I’m sitting in my office with the lights out and my computer on, my wife’s asleep, my kids are asleep, and the phone rings,” he continued. “It’s this number that I don’t recognize. For some reason, I answered it, and the voice on the other end said, ‘Hey, Greg, this is Vince Zampella. I heard you have a game you want to make. Can you tell me about it?'”

The phone call would lead to Foertsch describing a brand new tactical strategy game. Zampella asked him if it could be based in the Star Wars universe. “And I said, ‘Sure, different game, but yeah, absolutely.’ Meanwhile, I’m thinking, ‘This is insane, right? Like, this is crazy. It’s Star Wars.’ And so I said, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’ And Vince was just like, ‘Pitch me.'”

Star Wars Zero Company was officially unveiled in April 2025, shortly after a series of leaks revealed images and its official title. The turn-based tactics game is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2026, and is set between the events of Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, and will likely involve small-scale skirmishes happening amidst the war between the Republic Army and the Trade Federation.

Shortly after the unveiling, Foertsch had spoken about how Star Wars Zero Company will feature a grittier atmosphere, bringing up Rogue One and Clone Wars as the key points of comparison.

“The Clone Wars offers us a lot of the tools we need mechanically for the game, which is great,” explained Foertsch. “But it’s also interesting, we haven’t seen that kind of zoom level in the Clone Wars, and so it’s a pretty unique spot to land that also offered a lot of great options for us from a game design perspective, to tell a really great story with some great mechanics added to it. That really opened the door for us to do a lot of things.”

He was joined by creative executive Kelsey Sharpe, discussing the nature of the Clone Wars story, which allowed for optimistic themes while still maintaining the grounded atmosphere of the war.

The news was dropped in a tweet on the official Battlefield handle, and came with a glimmer of good news: the PC version of the game has managed to escape the fate of its console counterparts.

If you didn’t get the chance to try it out back in the day, now might be a good time to boot up your old consoles and give it a shot. We found it reasonably entertaining back in the day, and its take on good cops taking a stand against drug cartels was interesting enough to warrant spending some time with its rather unorthodox gameplay loop.

In the meantime, Battlefield 6 is still going strong, despite a significant drop in players following numerous issues. Season 2 is currently underway with a new map and weapons in multiplayer, while RedSec received a new point of interest. Head here for all the details.

https://x.com/battlefieldcomm/status/2036110796921463224

Justin Wiebe, Ripple Effect’s studio design director, has high hopes for the title, highlighting how it is adopting a collaborative approach to its content that loops in a key component of any game: its players. “We’re listening, and we’re reacting, and it’s going to continue that way for a very long time…We’re getting amazing feedback from the community, and we’re constantly trying to strive to make the best game possible.”

Wiebe also emphasises Battlefield Studios’ willingness to pivot from established content or update roadmaps to better address pressing issues that may arise from feedback from its community about the game.

“It’s not like, ‘Hey, we crafted this massive plan, and we’re going to hold to it.’ It’s like, no. Anything can change based on what is going on with the community, what is going on with the feedback, and what we’re seeing from the game.”

While it’s heartening to see a studio place value in what its players have to say, it’s equally good to see developers being objective enough to take feedback in the spirit it was intended, and try to accommodate what the people playing its titles want as much as they can. We won’t have to wait too long to see if the approach is going to yield dividends, with Season 2 being one that carries a lot of weight owing to the game’s recent woes, and the recent “realignments” that have affected jobs across the board for Motive Studio, DICE, Criterion, and Ripple Effect.

While news about more layoffs is definitely unwelcome, Full Circle is sparing no effort to give credit to the outgoing members of its team, acknowledging their contributions to the game, while also tipping its hat to its community of dedicated players.

“The teammates affected are talented colleagues and friends who helped build the foundation of Skate. Their creativity and dedication are deeply ingrained in what players experience today. This decision is not a reflection of their impact, and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition…To our departing teammates: thank you. Skate exists because of your hard work and dedication to the craft.”

Development on Skate will continue, and the new team structure is focusing on improved responsiveness to feedback, a facet of Skate’s early access period that has been crucial to building its community of players.

“Our work on Skate continues. We look forward to working with you as we move faster, listen more closely, and deliver consistently for all of you. Our commitment to Skate, and to the millions of players who believe in it, remains strong.”

Time will tell if Skate manages to be the game its community of developers and players want it to be, but until then, it has a lot of interesting new stuff coming to it in the next few months. Let’s hope that the new team can continue making it the community-based experience it was always meant to be.

Skate is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It’s been in free-to-play early access since September 2025.

“We are writing to express serious concerns regarding the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA) by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, and private equity firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners,” wrote the lawmakers in the letter. “We are committed to preserving fair, competitive labor markets and safeguarding American jobs, and given the impact of this acquisition on workers, labor market concentration, and the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. video game industry, we urge you to thoroughly review this transaction.”

They state that the video game industry has already been marked by instability, with opportunities for workers shrinking regularly thanks to lay-offs. Along with this, they have also noted that EA itself has “eliminated more than 1,700 US jobs since 2023,” which contributed to over 35,000 industry-wide lay-offs since 2022. This, combined with the fact that the acquisition is a leveraged buyout that will result in EA taking on at least $20 billion in debt will also give the company strong incentives for further cost-cutting.

“Additionally, we are concerned that the proposed buyout is expected to be financed with at least $20 billion in debt, which creates strong incentives for the acquiring firms to pursue further cost-cutting measures, including lay-offs, offshoring, restructuring, or studio closures,” continued the lawmakers. “These actions would not only jeopardize thousands of high-skilled American jobs, but also further concentrate already fragile labor markets for software engineers, artists, writers, testers, and other professionals whose skills are essential to the industry.”

The letter is capped by the lawmakers noting that “workers deserve a fair, competitive marketplace where their skills are valued,” and that EA will likely end up being dominant in the labor market thanks to “new avenues for vertical integration and cross-industry leverage.”

“We respectfully urge the Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the labor market consequences of this proposed acquisition, including EA’s existing wage-setting power, the likelihood of post-transaction layoffs, the degree of labor-market concentration in relevant geographic and occupational markets, and the role of cross-ownership in shaping labor outcomes. Workers deserve a fair, competitive marketplace where their skills are valued,” they concluded.

The acquisition deal for EA is valued at about $55 billion. Having gotten the go-ahead by its shareholders, the company is now seeking further approvals from various government regulatory bodies. This letter by the US Congress would encourage the FTC to potentially throw a wrench in the company’s plans.

All in all, the acquisition is expected to be completed by Q1 FY2027, which will see EA shares no longer listed on any stock exchange. Current CEO Andrew Wilson is also expected to retain his position, and the company will retain its headquarters in Redwood City, California.

“There are a lot of great people at EA. They know how we work. They respect it and they leave us be,” Fares said. “Let’s be honest, there’s not a publisher in the world that hasn’t f***ed up now and then. Sometimes I feel that EA is getting more s*** than they deserve. I mean, come on, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, everybody’s done something that’s not good. But for some reason, EA has become this bad guy.”

As for Hazelight Studio’s relationship with EA, Fares said that working together has been beneficial for both companies. While he acknowledged that EA has made its share of mistakes, the relationship between publisher and studio is still great.

“For us, it’s a super good collaboration. I’m very open about. If it was bad, I would’ve said that in this interview as well. But we have a great relationship. I’m not saying that they haven’t done any mistakes like every other publisher,” he said. “All the people I am surrounded with at EA are gamers. They love games. It’s not like I’m sitting with corporate people with suits. It’s not like that. And people should not worry, because Hazelight will do always what it wants.”

In the same interview, Fares had also spoken about the rise of high-quality AA games in the industry, and how he hopes it doesn’t become yet another trend that publishers try to chase. While these smaller-scale games are great, he noted that you can’t really make something as ambitious as a new Grand Theft Auto on a budget of $10 million. Rather, he hopes the industry finds a balance for all kinds of games to exist.

“You do hear, after the success of things like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, that the AA games are taking over,” he said. “But I would not be able to live without a AAA title. I really want to play the blockbuster games. You can’t do GTA for $10 million. We need both. It’s important not to get stuck in ideas, like AA is a new thing, or indie is a new thing, or ‘blah, blah, blah’ is a new thing. We need the diversity. I hope that publishers don’t just look at a game like Expedition, which has been super successful, and think, ‘oh, AA is a new thing. Let’s only do that.’ I don’t believe in that. You had a huge amount of AA games that came this year, which nobody cared about. Let’s remember that.”

Fares also spoke about the next game being developed at Hazelight Studios, which he went on to note that will be even better than last year’s Split Fiction. Going into more detail, he also discussed how the studio’s philosophy “to keep f***ing s*** up,” also has to be pulled off responsibility.

Split Fiction is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. For more details, check out our review.

“As of 2:03pm PT, EA’s shareholders have officially approved EA’s $55 billion sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund,” confirmed Totilo on social media. “The deal will next need to receive approval from government regulators.”

The deal was originally announced all the way back in September, and involves a complete buyout of EA that will make the company a privately-owned one. As part of the deal, the current shareholders of EA will be paid $210 per share in cash, which is noted as being a premium of 25 percent over EA’s share price as of the market closing on September 25, 2025, when each share was priced at $168.32.

“Our creative and passionate teams at EA have delivered extraordinary experiences for hundreds of millions of fans, built some of the world’s most iconic IP, and created significant value for our business. This moment is a powerful recognition of their remarkable work,” said EA CEO and chairman Andrew Wilson in a statement announcing the deal.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to push the boundaries of entertainment, sports, and technology, unlocking new opportunities. Together with our partners, we will create transformative experiences to inspire generations to come. I am more energized than ever about the future we are building.”

According to a more recent report, the deal will end up with Saudi Arabia’s PIF owning 93.4 percent of EA. Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners will end up with ownership of 5.5 percent and 1.1 percent of the company respectively. Before this acquisition, the PIF already had a 9.9 percent stake on EA.

“This investment embodies Silver Lake’s mission to partner with exceptional management teams at the highest quality companies. EA is a special company: a global leader in interactive entertainment, anchored by its premier sports franchise, with accelerating revenue growth and strong and scaling free cash flow. We are honored to invest and partner with Andrew – an extraordinary CEO who has doubled revenue, nearly tripled EBITDA, and driven a fivefold increase in market cap during his tenure,” said Silver Lake co-CEO and managing partner Egon Durban..

“The future for EA is bright, we are going to invest heavily to grow the business and we are excited to support Andrew and the EA team as the company accelerates innovation, expands its reach worldwide, and continues to deliver incredible experiences to players and fans across generations.”

Proceedings surrounding the acquisition are expected to get completed in Q1 FY2027, and will result in the company’s shares no longer being listed on any stock exchange. Wilson will also continue in his role as EA’s CEO, with the company’s headquarters continuing to be based out of Redwood City, California.

As of 2:03pm PT, EA's shareholders have officially approved EA's $55 billion sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The deal will next need to receive approval from government regulators

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo.bsky.social) 2025-12-22T22:06:15.743Z

On the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast, sources told Mike Straw that the series is “on ice.” Some developers who worked on the series internally hoped that EA would sell the IP rights, especially since the publisher would venture into cost-cutting measures. While that’s still up in the air, there are currently “zero plans” to bring it back.

So while former creator Glen Schofield had hopes of a new title, it’s looking extremely unlikely. Of course, he pitched the idea of Dead Space 4 before EA’s acquisition, but the publisher wasn’t interested.

The last major entry in the franchise was Motive Studio’s Dead Space remake, which was released in 2023 to extensive praise. Rumors later emerged that a sequel was shelved due to the original’s lackluster sales, though the publisher denied its existence.

To clarify, it has nothing to do with Star Wars: Zero Company, the turn-based tactics game from Bit Reactor and EA or Quantic Dream’s long-in-development Star Wars: Eclipse. That leaves only two potential choices – Respawn Entertainment’s sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Saber Interactive’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake.

Electronic Arts has never officially revealed Star Wars Jedi 3, though it confirmed back in 2024 that the “final chapter” in the series is in the works. Jedi: Survivor and Fallen Order amassed more than 40 million players at the time and have doubtless only increased since.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake is an even bigger enigma. Originally in development at Aspyr under the Embracer Group, it faced delays due to internal struggles. Saber took over and retained ownership of the title after splitting from the holding company. It’s set to receive new details “when the time is right,” but concept art of Kashyyyk and early level assets have leaked since.