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Oct 14Wed
  2. PC Gamer49

    WoW: Forever Adds Temporary Economy Hold to Combat Real Money Trading

    World of Warcraft: Forever has introduced a new "Temporary Economy Hold" penalty for accounts suspected of real money trading, restricting their use of trade, mail, guild banks, and the Auction House. Blizzard says the system is new and may produce false positives, but a hold alone won't leave permanent strikes unless RMT is later proven. It's one of several measures Blizzard is experimenting with to tamp down inflation in the persistent game.

  3. Eurogamer34

    "You don't listen to the loudest people in the room" — World of Warcraft: Forever boss discusses how to approach a deluge of feedback

    World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale spoke at PAX Australia about the World of Warcraft: Forever beta, calling it the biggest beta in Blizzard's history. She said the team has to be selective about feedback, noting "you don't listen to the loudest people in the room." The game fully releases on the 4th November.

Oct 13Tue
  1. PC Gamer28

    Does Blizzard's Revival of Its Classic Games Signal a Return of the 'Old Blizzard'?

    At BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard announced that Heroes of the Storm is resuming active development with its first new hero in six years, Xal'atath, alongside World of Warcraft: Forever, Diablo 5, and an open world StarCraft shooter. Warcraft 3: Reforged also received a new full-length DLC campaign, Forsaken Kingdom, priced at $30. The article argues these moves show Blizzard still wants to honor its legacy communities, but Diablo 3 remains without new content, so the "old Blizzard" may never truly return.

Oct 11Sun
Oct 10Sat
  1. Pure Xbox22

    Xbox Has Two More First-Party Releases in 2026: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and World of Warcraft: Forever

    Xbox still has two first-party releases coming before the end of 2026: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives October 23rd on Xbox Series X and Series S among other platforms, and won't be on Game Pass at launch. World of Warcraft: Forever isn't scheduled for full release until November 4th and isn't coming to Xbox consoles at launch, though Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cited it as getting off to a "strong start" and noted a 30% increase in positive brand sentiment over the past year.

Oct 9Fri
  1. GameSpot71

    EU consumer authorities launch coordinated action against 10 game companies over virtual currency practices

    European consumer protection authorities announced a series of coordinated actions against 10 video game companies, accusing them of dark patterns that put minors and players at risk of gaming addiction. The action, coordinated by the European Commission, focuses on practices such as premium in-game currencies that obscure real-world spending, selling virtual currency in set quantities that force overspending, and insufficient parental controls. The article cites Destiny 2's Silver bundles of 500, 1,000 and 1,500 units against item prices of 600 to 1,500 Silver, and notes Fortnite will let players buy the exact amount of V-Bucks they need starting October 14, a change also coming to Rocket League and Fall Guys but not PlayStation for now.

  2. PC Gamer42

    Blizzard dev says WoW: Forever's scope snowballed: 'Our original pitch internally was: We'll do 4 new dungeons'

    World of Warcraft: Forever's content scope grew during development, with associate production director Clay Stone saying the team's original internal pitch was four new dungeons before it became six and then nine. He said the response to Season of Discovery, shipped in November 2023, led to discussions about a non-season version, and that appetite within the team and Blizzard built the launch scope beyond what players expected.

  4. 游戏LOOK74

    EU opens enforcement over in-game currency against nine companies including King, Supercell, Riot and Ubisoft, as two European game associations push back

    On September 30 the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network announced coordinated enforcement against nine companies including King, Supercell, Mojang, Riot Games and Ubisoft over how in-game virtual currency is sold and managed, with Crytek, InnoGames, Plarium Europe and PLR Worldwide Sales also named. The same day, Video Games Europe and EGDF jointly objected, questioning the legal basis and arguing in-game currency is not a crypto-like digital representation of value, saying they had asked for that basis since spring 2025 without reply. The dispute centers on whether in-game currency counts as a digital representation of value, which would make each in-game exchange a new consumer contract with its own 14-day withdrawal notice; the associations offered six commitments including clear real-money pricing and refunds for unused currency within 48 hours, conditional on resolving the legal uncertainty.

Oct 8Thu
  2. PC Gamer42

    Blizzard promises to make the blue elves in World of Warcraft: Forever look worse (positive)

    Blizzard has promised in a blog post to give the Skyborne, the new blue elves in World of Warcraft: Forever, a retro visual makeover before the game launches in November. Players using the "HD" model setting will see harsher lines and shapes on their druid forms, while those using "SD" models will get updated Skyborne early next year. The race costs $30 to unlock.

  3. GameSpot36

    WoW: Forever Players Love It When Things Look Old

    World of Warcraft: Forever beta players have repeatedly pushed back against updated high-definition character models and character portraits, preferring the game's original look. Developer Blizzard originally planned to use only HD models but added an option for original character models after testers stressed its importance, and a quilboar boss mistakenly using its modern WoW model was quickly reverted to its WoW Classic appearance. Earlier this week the character-creation screen also switched back to WoW's original portraits.

Oct 7Wed
  1. Kotaku57

    Xbox CEO says the reset is working and teases a family of Gen 10 devices

    According to Windows Central, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told staff at a townhall that the platform has returned to growth after an all-time low, at more than 2 to 3 times its previous level, and claimed a 30 percent boost in brand sentiment year over year. She cited strong starts for Minecraft Dungeons 2, Gears of War: E-Day and World of Warcraft Forever, and listed goals including Play Anywhere, Disc-to-Digital, making Xbox easier to develop for and making Game Pass more flexible. On Gen 10 hardware, Project Helix, she said Xbox is moving to a family of devices with a console first and some products made in-house and others with partners.

  3. Eurogamer39

    Overwatch Fans Unhappy as Five New China-Exclusive Skins Stay Out of the Rest of the World

    Blizzard this week revealed "Defiled Anthem," a new Overwatch event with skins and cosmetics for Shion, D.Mon, Kiriko, Reaper, and Emre, headlined by a transforming "Evolution" skin that changes sound and visual effects as a match goes on. The content is China-specific and has not been announced for other regions, drawing negative reactions from international players. Blizzard previously told IGN that China-only skins stem largely from its relationship with Chinese publisher NetEase.

Oct 6Tue
  1. Kotaku36

    Overwatch's Latest China-Exclusive Skins Spark Fan Backlash: 'I Still Don't Know How People Defend Blizzard For This'

    Overwatch has released China-exclusive Defiled Anthem skins for Shion, Kiriko, D.Mon, Reaper, and Emre, with Shion's Evolution-rarity skin changing appearance during matches and adding kill effects. Fans are upset that the best cosmetics are region-locked to China while criticizing the quality of skins elsewhere, with one Reddit user asking how people still defend Blizzard. Blizzard's Walter Kong has said these exclusive events are part of the company's agreement with NetEase and will continue.

Oct 2Fri
  1. 机核22

    Second RED LAND Opens Today: 160+ IPs Gather on Fuxing Island with World's First Game/Anime Float Parade

    RED LAND, Xiaohongshu's open-world adventure island event, opened on October 2 on Fuxing Island in Shanghai's Yangpu district and runs through October 6. The site doubled from 80,000 to 150,000 square meters, with over 160 game and anime IPs and the world's first large-scale game and anime float parade featuring about 150 community-registered users. Official figures say all five ticket rounds sold out in an average of 20.6 seconds each, and 80% of ticket buyers came from outside Shanghai.

  2. GameSpot62

    Blizzard bans a World of Warcraft: Forever streamer over gold buying

    A World of Warcraft: Forever streamer was banned after encouraging viewers on stream to buy gold on his behalf. The game is currently in beta ahead of a November launch and is caught up in a gold-buying and real-money transaction controversy. Blizzard has said it will punish gold buyers more aggressively and admitted it was too lenient in the past, with accounts accepting large amounts of questionable gold facing gold removal, suspension, or permanent bans.

Oct 1Thu
  1. GamesIndustry.biz74

    EU CPC Network launches coordinated actions against nine companies over in-game currency

    On 30 September 2026, the EU's Consumer Protection Cooperation Network launched coordinated actions against nine games companies to enforce the EU's Key Principles on in-game virtual currencies, covering titles such as Hunt: Showdown 1896, Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft, Valorant, Clash of Clans and For Honor, alongside a parallel action with Activision Blizzard UK over Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. The CPC Network argues that purchases made with in-game currency should also show real-world prices, while the author notes that bundle pricing and earnable currency make real value hard to assign and could create duplicate notices and a double right of withdrawal. The author also points to inconsistency with the EU Commission's EU KIDS Act draft and a Digital Fairness Act draft expected in November.

  4. IGN74

    European Commission Calls Out Riot, Activision, Mojang and More Over In-Game Currency and Transactions

    The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network named nine game companies, including Activision Blizzard UK, Mojang AB, Riot Games Limited, Supercell Oy and Ubisoft EMEA SAS, in a joint statement on September 30, 2026, asking them to align their in-game currency and transaction systems with the Key Principles released in March 2025. The principles require games to show the real-world price of items bought with virtual currency, avoid obscuring costs through multiple currencies or exchanges, and let players withdraw from contracts within two weeks, including for unused virtual currency. Commissioner Michael McGrath said roughly half of Europeans play video games and the industry must ensure its games do not expose players, especially children, to harmful or unfair practices.

  5. 机核62

    Gcores Weekly 9.30: Xbox cuts 268 more jobs, Halo handed to Activision

    Gcores' weekly roundup covers the week's news: Bungie announced that all vaulted Destiny 2 content will return, and Microsoft's Xbox cut another 268 jobs, with Halo handed to Activision while Rare and World's Edge move under Activision and Obsidian under Bethesda, leaving Xbox Game Studios with only three direct studios. Gears of War: E-Day narrative director Juan Vaca was laid off two weeks before release, with the game's future tied to its commercial performance; Build A Rocket Boy, developer of MindsEye, entered bankruptcy proceedings; TGS 2026 cancelled its final public day due to a typhoon; and Pokemon Pokopia won the Japan Game Awards 2026 Grand Award, with Masahiro Sakurai announcing this year's Game Designers Award will be the last.

Sep 22Tue
  1. Rock Paper Shotgun84

    Xbox lays off 268 people as Activision takes over Halo and Rare, Obsidian joins Bethesda

    Xbox is cutting 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios and the XGS management and central functions layer. Activision takes custody of the Halo series along with Age of Empires developer World's Edge and Sea of Thieves maker Rare, while Obsidian moves into Bethesda and Playground Games merges with Turn 10 Studios. Ninja Theory is consulting on a likely closure and Arkane's future is expected to be discussed through the end of the year.

  2. Game Informer87

    Xbox Lays Off 268 More People, Hands Halo Series to Activision

    Xbox announced it is cutting 268 roles across its first-party studios, XGS management, and central functions, with Halo Studios significantly affected. In an Xbox Wire post titled Continuing Our Reset, Xbox content chief Matt Booty said Activision will expand its remit to World's Edge and Rare and form a new internal team to develop the next Halo title, while a small team at Halo Studios continues supporting the community and in-market games. The post also details studio reshuffles including Bethesda absorbing Obsidian, King taking on Microsoft Casual Games, and Playground and Turn 10 merging, plus divestitures in which Compulsion and Double Fine spun off, Undead Labs signed with a new publisher, and Ninja Theory and Arkane face proposed closures.

  3. GamesIndustry.biz89

    Xbox transfers Rare and Halo to Activision, proposes closing Ninja Theory and cuts another 268 roles

    Xbox is transferring Rare and ownership of the Halo franchise to Activision, proposing the closure of Ninja Theory with a staff consultation, and cutting 268 roles in the restructure. Activision will also take on World's Edge and build a new team for the next Halo, Bethesda will absorb Obsidian, Playground and Turn 10 will merge into one studio for Forza and Fable, and Undead Labs has left the business and will release State of Decay 3 day one on Game Pass with a new publisher. Xbox said it is roughly three-quarters of the way through a planned 3,200 job cuts this year.

  4. Eurogamer62

    Blizzard layoffs reported as imminent, while new Xbox cuts appear to spare Blizzard for now

    Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier said on the 8-4 podcast that Blizzard layoffs are coming and imminent. The latest wave of Xbox cuts involves 268 job losses, with Ninja Theory closed, Halo Studios downsized and Halo development handed to Activision, Obsidian folded into Bethesda, Playground and Turn 10 merged, and Rare moved under Activision, though Blizzard does not appear to be included for now. Microsoft said earlier this year it intended to cut 3,200 roles from the Xbox division, cutting 1,600 immediately and earmarking 1,600 more.

  5. GamesIndustry.biz80

    Xbox reportedly set to announce second round of layoffs this week

    Xbox is reportedly preparing a second round of layoffs this week, with a source saying the company will consolidate several of its game studios, according to The Information. VGC reports this could involve mergers or internal changes at Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, Activision and Blizzard. Xbox had announced plans to cut 3,200 employees in July, with the first round resulting in 1,600 redundancies and the divestment of five internal studios.

Sep 18Fri
Sep 16Wed
  1. Game Developer59

    Activision Blizzard sued by former employee over sexual harassment

    Activision Blizzard is being sued by a former employee who claims she was sexually harassed during her time at the company. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this month, alleges a pervasive "frat boy" workplace culture, with the claimant accusing 10 men of harassment, physical assault, and inappropriate comments, and saying her reports to supervisors and HR were ignored. A Blizzard spokesperson said the company takes the allegations seriously, while a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the lawsuit relates only to alleged misconduct within Blizzard, which was not yet owned by Microsoft at the time. Activision Blizzard previously settled a modified version of a 2021 California Civil Rights Department lawsuit in 2023 for $55 million.

Sep 13Sun
Sep 11Fri
  1. GamesIndustry.biz48

    State of the Unions: the rise of unionisation in games workplaces

    Unionisation in the games industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, with workers in more than 130 distinct groups and unions across over 15 countries organising together, according to IWGB Game Workers co-founder Austin Kelmore. Microsoft agreed a contract this week with 1,900 Blizzard workers covering hybrid work and AI protections, recall rights, minimum severance above industry standard and up to 34% wage increases. The Polish Gamedev Workers Union is officially established within ten Polish studios, though Poland's legal framework for unions still favours employers.

Sep 10Thu
  1. GamesIndustry.biz74

    Nearly 1,900 Blizzard workers ratify first union contract with Microsoft

    Blizzard Entertainment's first union contract with parent company Microsoft was ratified by a workforce vote covering just under 1,900 staff after more than two years of negotiations. The deal includes protections on generative AI use, crediting, remote work, and layoffs, requires AI-assisted workflows to remain under human review, and mandates bargaining before implementing AI tech that would materially impact union employees' work. Blizzard president Johanna Faries called the ratification a significant milestone, while Activision's King rejected a collective bargaining agreement with Swedish unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer.