That said, there are terms and conditions. “What I’ve heard is Resident Evil Code Veronica in general is just a bit expanded, nothing is cut, some stuff heavily remixed (I hear it’s the Remake with the most things changed or happening differently than you may remember, but every enemy, location, major event, is there and much even expanded).”

That change also encompasses Chris Redfield. If you’ll recall, he kind of just…appeared in the original game out of nowhere. Since this will mark his younger self’s first appearance in the RE Engine remakes, his role has been expanded. However, he won’t be as prominent in the finale with the remake.

“Chris’s stuff is going to end earlier than it did in the original game, him having his own final boss fight with Wesker (now as a boss fight rather than a cutscene) much earlier in the story, get severely injured, leaving Claire to take over for the last part and final Alexia boss stuff.” This is in line with earlier reports about the latter having a larger role and being treated as the main character.

If there was any trepidation about the remake, despite the insane run that the series has been on for the past several years, fans can apparently rest assured. Kazunori Kadoi and Yasuhiro Anpo, who directed the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, are reportedly at the helm of Code: Veronica Remake.

In the meantime, we’ll likely see Resident Evil Requiem’s story DLC launching first, maybe even this year. It’s supposedly focused on Leon S. Kennedy, with Ada Wong potentially playing a role.

However, it does have more content for The Outer Worlds 2 (including two story DLC), further updates for Grounded 2 (which is in early access and already a hit) and new games “big and small” in the works. Despite Avowed also failing to meet sales expectations, Obsidian is planning more titles in the same universe.

Which is interesting because it takes place in Eora from Pillars of Eternity. I doubt that Pillars of Eternity 3 is on the cards – even if director Josh Sawyer would really like to make it – but that doesn’t mean it can’t deliver other experiences. Perhaps we’ll see a return to the isometric CRPG goodness of the first two games, except with a much larger budget.

With four projects allegedly in the works, it’s tough to guess, but Obsidian is going to keep busy regardless. For those who haven’t experienced Avowed, it’s coming to PS5 on February 17th and even received a permanent price drop to $50. Check out our review for more details and whether it’s worth playing.

“They’re not disasters. I’m not going to say this was a kick in the teeth. It was more like: ‘That sucks. What are we learning?’” said Urquhart. Meanwhile, Grounded 2 emerged as a fairly sizable hit (and based on its latest big update, The Toxic Tangle, it’s only gotten better).

As a result, Obsidian is re-evaluating how it develops games, or as Urquhart says, “Think a lot about how much we put into the games, how much we spend on them, how long they take.” One such step is to reduce development time, targeting three to four per game, as opposed to the six-plus that Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 necessitated.

“I don’t think anybody really likes five-, six-, seven-year dev cycles. We’ve kind of grown into that,” says Brandon Adler, who directed the latter. Comparatively, Grounded 2 was developed in just two, and it wasn’t even on the cards until Eidos Montreal pitched the same back in 2023.

While Obsidian could look at outsourcing more work in the future, you likely shouldn’t expect it to release three titles in the same year again. “Spacing those releases helps the company manage its resources and not burn everybody out. It’s not good to release three games in the same year. It’s the result of things going wrong,” says Pentiment director Josh Sawyer.

As for what’s next, Obsidian Entertainment is reportedly working on four different unannounced projects. With rumors of a Fallout: New Vegas remaster circulating, there’s hope that it could return to the iconic RPG. In the meantime, it still has more updates for Grounded 2 and will bring Avowed to PS5 on February 17th.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Wildlight Entertainment CEO Dusty Welch admitted that, “We didn’t do a great job with our trailer. We own that.” But was revealing it at The Game Awards the right decision?

“That’s an incredibly fair question, and it’s one I ask myself quite a bit. It’s one that I’m going to continue to ask myself for a period of time. If we are wildly successful, I will still ask myself that because I’m interested in the business side and how we communicate to players and press. And was that the right way? Was there a different way? Was there a better way? And I don’t know the answer to that yet today,” said Welch.

“The toxicity is challenging, and it’s debatable whether we would’ve had more or less or the same by doing the Game Awards. I don’t know, and we’ll never know the answer to that. But I think that that’s an angle that has to be considered going forward for anyone in game development.”

Following its launch last week, Highguard debuted to a not-at-all-bad 97,249 concurrent players on Steam. That number has since dropped significantly – the latest 24-hour peak hasn’t even broken 13,200 players. It also didn’t help that it received a “Mostly Negative” rating at launch for performance problems, server queues, bugs, and more.

Things have slightly improved, as Highguard now sits at a “Mixed” rating, but just barely, with 42 percent of the current reviews recommending it. The core gameplay has been heavily criticized (check out our review), with many complaining that the maps feel too large for 3v3 play and that gathering Vesper would be more enjoyable if there were PvE rather than mining.

While Wildlight has outlined a roadmap of content for the year, including new Wardens, bases, maps, and weapons, it suddenly dropped an experimental 5v5 playlist for the weekend. Perhaps it’ll become a staple if it proves popular enough.

After pre-orders went live on the PlayStation Store, many were quick to observe that Avowed costs $49.99 for the Standard Edition and $59.99 for the Premium Edition. Even Indiana Jones didn’t receive a price drop on PS5, so what gives? Should anyone who bought it on Xbox Series X/S or PC feel insulted?

As it turns out, this isn’t simply a PS5-exclusive offer – Avowed has permanently dropped in price on the Xbox Store and Steam. Granted, this may prove little comfort for those who bought it at launch, but alas. On the bright side, now is a good time for new players to jump in, especially with the Anniversary Patch out on February 17th to coincide with the PS5 version.

The patch adds New Game+, a new weapon type, Photo Mode, more race choices when creating your Envoy, and much more. New Game+ also doesn’t just carry over your progress while presenting higher-level foes – it also adds nifty little modifiers to them to change up your tactics.

For more details on the base game, check out our review.

During an interview, gameplay director Gabriel Paramo and lead character artist Dimitri Berman also provided new details on the upcoming Anniversary update. Releasing alongside the PS5 version, it adds New Game+, with the character’s progress carrying over into a new playthrough. There are some caveats, like weapons resetting to level 1, for example.

However, you will encounter new challenges, including modifiers on enemies that confer resistances, among other unique twists. Other features in the update include Photo Mode, additional character presets, a new weapon type, new races for the Envoy, and more. It follows several other improvements added post-launch, including Arachnophobia Safe Mode, new abilities (especially for some of the lacking classes), and more.

For more information on Avowed, check out our review here. We gave it an eight out of ten, praising the lore, storytelling, characters, combat, level design and side content. The downside is that it may feel a little too safe, and those seeking a Baldur’s Gate 3-like experience – or something as intricate as The Outer Worlds 2 – may be disappointed.

That means no new vehicles, tracks or features are planned according to Turn 10. In fact, it won’t even release regular bug fixes for Forza Motorsport. So what can players expect? On top of keeping servers active, the studio will continue “hosting special events and competitions, and reintroducing previously released Featured Tours and reward cars on a monthly basis, until all content is available for you to enjoy anytime.”

Aside from the underwhelming reception to Forza Motorsport, it’s pretty obvious why the team is shifting gears (no pun intended). It’s working with Playground Games on Forza Horizon 6, arriving next year for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Turn 10 is specifically responsible for the PS5 port arriving sometime after the other versions, so it makes sense to focus on the more important project.

Nevertheless, it’s a bittersweet end for Forza Motorsport, even if Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer insists that the series isn’t dead by any means.

According to the Deluxe Edition listing on the retailer’s site, it includes an Expansion Pass called “The Sanctuary,” which adds “two new story scenarios” and a “major Mercenaries mode update.” What’s odd is that it also lists Rosemary Winters, daughter of Resident Evil 7’s Ethan Winters, as playable.

Alongside a cosmetic filter for her “visor,” she gets three exclusive outfits as part of the “Shadow Walker” Costume Pack. Some have noted that Rose may be playable in the Mercenaries mode, but it’s equally possible that she’s part of the campaign.

Given that it starts with Grace Ashcroft, 30 years after the Raccoon City Incident (roughly 2028), and Rose became playable in the Resident Evil Village DLC set in 2037, there may very well be a timeskip. Where Leon figures into all this, especially after numerous rumors, remains to be seen, but hey, at least Mercenaries mode is somewhat confirmed.

Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27th, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. It’s set to receive a deeper dive in early 2026.

Circana senior director Mat Piscatella revealed that 47 percent of hardware unit sales during the week were for the PS5, followed by Nintendo Switch 2 (24 percent) and, surprisingly, the NEX Playground 3rd (14 percent). In the UK, Sony’s console constituted 62 percent of total console hardware sales with the PS5 Pro recording its “best week since launch,” according to Chris Dring of The Game Business.

In fact, it performed even better than last year’s Black Friday, with a 16 percent increase in unit sales. The Nintendo Switch 2 made up 23 percent of console sales, while Xbox contributed 10 percent, with overall console sales up by seven percent in the UK. Revenue was up an impressive 14 percent, according to the GSD.

With Sony pushing for 90 million PS5 consoles before the year is out, this and the Holiday sales period could very well make that a reality. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

Resident Evil Requiem did receive a bit of new gameplay as part of NHK’s documentary on the franchise. It showcased Grace Ashcroft, roaming through a dark mansion and carefully shooting zombies that resembled the classic undead. With only a few rounds and seemingly retaining her injuries from the start, it doesn’t appear to be much farther ahead in the story.

However, there’s a lot that remains unknown about the title. Capcom even admitted that the new stalker foe chasing Grace is only a “small part” of the game and that characters from previous entries will return (without confirming which ones).

Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27th, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.