#Live service

Gears of War: E-Day is missing chainsaw duels and meat shields, but The Coalition says they're "not gone from the franchise"

Gears of War: E-Day opened to early access players yesterday for those who bought the Premium Edition, Premium Upgrade Edition, or Collector's Edition, and some players noted missing legacy features such as chainsaw duels, meat shields, select past weapons, private lobbies, and leaderboards. In a statement timed with the launch, The Coalition said those features may arrive post-launch or in its next title, explaining that it rebuilt the gameplay sandbox from scratch for a more unified experience across campaign, PvE, and PvP. The first season runs eight weeks from the early access release to 1st December, ranked PvP arrives on 13th October, and the game's general release is 6th October.

Krafton cancels PUBG spin-off extraction shooter Black Budget less than a year after reveal

Krafton has ended development of PUBG: Black Budget, less than a year after the extraction shooter spin-off was revealed and following roughly a year of closed alpha testing. In a Steam development update, the publisher said the project's current direction would not deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term. The game had no full release date, and the top-down spin-off PUBG: Blindspot was taken offline about two months after entering early access in March for similar reasons.

Riot exec says 2XKO needed hundreds of thousands to millions of MAU to sustain itself

Riot Games CPO Marc Merrill said 2XKO would have needed a monthly active user base "in the high hundreds of thousands, if not millions" to support its live-service model, and its actual audience was "not nearly enough." 2XKO ended active development in August because it cost substantially more to operate than it brought in and engagement stayed flat despite larger updates; it remains free to play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with servers online "beyond 2026." Merrill also cited Street Fighter 6's release as a factor and said leadership changes led to a lack of alignment on strategy and managerial fracturing.

Old 4chan Leak Adds Credence to Hopoo Making a Risk of Rain-Type PvE Mode for Deadlock

An old 4chan leak has been found to accurately predict parts of Deadlock's new major update, including 3 of 6 heroes and specific map changes, along with a screenshot of an earlier version of the new map. The same leak claims Hopoo is making a 1-to-1 Risk of Rain 2-style PvE mode in Deadlock. Combined with datamined "lootboxes" and corroboration from other leakers, the mode appears set to arrive in the future unless scrapped.

Krafton cancels extraction shooter PUBG: Black Budget

Krafton announced in a Steam update that it is ending development of PUBG: Black Budget, saying that after reviewing the project's development status and future direction it concluded the current direction would not deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term. The first-person PvPvE extraction shooter was first mentioned in a November 2023 investor presentation and later got a Steam page and teaser trailer but never released. Krafton also canceled PUBG: Blindspot after two months in Early Access and said PUBG Studios will carry what it learned into future projects.

Riot Games Co-Founder Says 2XKO Needed Hundreds of Thousands, if Not Millions, of Monthly Active Players to Survive

Riot Games co-founder, co-chairman and chief product officer Marc Merrill said on The Lemonade Stand podcast that 2XKO would have needed monthly active player numbers in the high hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to justify its cost structure. He said Street Fighter 6's 2023 release disrupted their plans and that a lack of internal alignment caused managerial fracturing, so Riot issued full refunds and canceled further content updates after player numbers fell short of supporting the live-service design. Riot had already announced it would end active development after December 2026 while keeping online play supported.

Survival Game Rust's Big Update Adds Raw Milk and Rotten-Meat Fuel

Rust's highly anticipated livestock update is now live, letting players start setting up their farms. Sheep and cows are the center of the update, and besides dung, they produce milk and wool that will come in handy each wipe.

Gears of War: E-Day Devs Explain Missing Launch Features and Reveal Season Roadmap

Gears of War: E-Day launched on October 1 for players who bought early access to the new Xbox console exclusive. The developers said in a blog post that they built the entire gameplay sandbox from scratch on an empty hard drive, so legacy features like Meat Shields, Chainsaw Duels, select past weapons, Private Lobbies and leaderboards could not all be included at launch, though they are not gone from the franchise. Versus Ranked arrives October 13, Season 1 runs themed events through December 1, and later seasons are named Legacy and Beyond, Infiltration, Pendulum and Devotion.

Blizzard Won't Fix Diablo 4 Season 15's Biggest Bug This Season

Blizzard announced that Diablo 4 Season 15's biggest bug, involving the Hellfire Torch Unique charm, won't be fixed this season. The Hellfire Torch normally lets players equip one extra Unique charm, but a bugged interaction with the Seal of the Golden Epiphany and the Mythic Seal of the Diamond Mind lets players equip two additional Unique charms. Design director Dan Tanguay said the behavior goes beyond what was originally intended, but Blizzard will leave it in place this season to avoid disrupting players who invested time in the item.

Aion 2's worldwide release nears as early access founders' packs outsell major games

Aion 2 is days away from its worldwide release, roughly a year after launching in Korea and Taiwan. Its founders' packs, which start at £18.49 and are currently required for early access, have earned more revenue this week than EA FC 27, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve and Gears of War: E-Day, topping Steam's Top Sellers list while the game sits at number nine on Steam's Most Played chart. The author has tried the character creator and main story, describing flight, pet collection and character building as fun, with combat between tab-target and Black Desert Online-style action.

How to get Jimothy for free in Fortnite

Jimothy, the beloved internet raccoon, is now a sidekick in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 and can be obtained for free through a Fortnitemares quest. Players must find and extract a Dumpster Dive sprite, which is difficult due to random spawns, though a guaranteed spawn exists if they take on a scary foe.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Puts Coveted Shield Behind a $6 Twitch Sub Paywall, and Fans Are Upset

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's 15.0 update launched with a new set of Twitch drops, but claiming the Victrix Guard Shield requires buying one $6 recurring or gift subscription. Players have asked developer Saber to add the shield since the game launched two years ago, and it previously appeared only briefly in the campaign. Representatives confirmed the shield will come to the Accolades shop in a future update but gave no date, and complaints have filled the game's Discord and subreddit.

Blizzard Cracks Down on Gold Selling in World of Warcraft Forever — Streamers Are in the Firing Line

Blizzard is cracking down on real-money trading in the World of Warcraft Forever beta, with several WoW streamers facing penalties. Streamer Ziqo had a large sum of gold reclaimed, leaving him with just 9 silver, while another streamer, Payo, had one account banned for promoting gold buying. The game's final release is set for November 4.

Krafton Cancels Extraction Shooter Spin-Off PUBG: Black Budget

Krafton has ended development of its extraction shooter spin-off PUBG: Black Budget, less than a year after it was announced and following several closed alpha tests. In a Steam update, the publisher said the project's current direction would not deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term. It is the second PUBG spin-off to be cancelled, after tactical shooter PUBG: Blindspot was shut down in March, while another spin-off, Ded.Net, remains in development.

All sprites in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4

Sprites return in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 with a pixel gamer look tied to the "Override" season. As in the previous season, they can be found around the map and equipped for bonus effects to help earn a Victory Royale. Sprites can be found through cheat codes, which are arrow key codes scattered across the map.

Arc Raiders tightens anti-cheat with instant permabans ahead of October 8 Frozen Trail update

Arc Raiders developer Embark announced that any account caught using cheats will now be permanently banned with no warnings and no second chances, extending to hardware bans. The studio said it recently lowered the threshold for hardware bans and has begun separating known queue-teaming groups, reporting 85 percent fewer players engaging in that behavior and spoiled raids dropping from about 1 in 50 to 1 in 300 with no meaningful impact on queue times. The October 8 update, Frozen Trail, adds the Pendola Pass map, the Frigate ship, new enemies Bully, Skulker and Hydra, plus new weapons and a grappling hook.

Arc Raiders anti-cheat policy: permanent bans for all known cheat programs, no warnings

Ahead of Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update next week, Embark said accounts caught using any known cheat program are now permanently banned with no warnings and no second chances. Accounts linked to cheating bans will also be permanently banned, and the studio said it will use hardware bans more freely when there is enough evidence a machine is being used for cheating. Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal added that Embark is expanding its machine-learning-based in-house cheat detection and preparing to add Elytra, an anti-cheat already used at small scale in The Finals.

Krafton halts development of extraction shooter PUBG: Black Budget

Krafton has ended development of PUBG: Black Budget about a year after the extraction shooter was announced. Developer PUBG Studios said in a Steam post that after reviewing the project's development status and future direction, it concluded the current direction would not deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term. The game held Closed Alpha tests in December and the following June and can still be wishlisted on Steam.

Krafton ends development of PUBG: Black Budget less than a year after reveal

Krafton announced on PUBG: Black Budget's Steam page that it is ending development of the extraction shooter spin-off, saying an internal review concluded its current direction would not deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term. First revealed in November 2025, the PvEvP first-person shooter held its most recent and largest closed test in June. It is the second PUBG spin-off to be publicly cancelled, after PUBG: Blindspot was cancelled in March following two months in early access.

Final Fantasy 11 Gets a Free Trial, Letting Players Reach Level 99

Final Fantasy 11 now offers a free trial, and previously created trial characters can log back in, according to the FF11 site. Trial players can also do "Limit Break" quests to raise the level cap from 50 to 99. In March, the game paused character creation on its busiest server due to a surge of new players, and it still has around 88,000 active players.

Halloween Has Officially Started in Fortnite as Hollow Knight and More Join the Game

Fortnitemares has begun in Fortnite, bringing spooky skins to the shop, themed quests, fun items, and many collaborations. Hollow Knight and more are joining the game as part of the Halloween celebration.

Nintendo Has Officially Shut Down Mario Kart Tour

Nintendo has officially shut down its free-to-play mobile game Mario Kart Tour, with players greeted by a notice confirming the service has ended and a thank-you message, plus a final report summarizing player data. The game launched on 25th September 2019 and, per AppMagic estimates, was downloaded over 276 million times and earned around $268.5 million, with US players accounting for 39% of lifetime revenue. Nintendo said in an official FAQ that there are no plans for an offline version.

Mario Kart Tour shuts down with an estimated $268.5 million in lifetime revenue

Nintendo officially shut down its free-to-play mobile game Mario Kart Tour this week. According to market intelligence platform AppMagic, the title launched on 25th September 2019 and is estimated to have been downloaded over 276 million times and earned around $268.5 million, with US players accounting for 39% of lifetime in-app purchase revenue. Nintendo said in an official FAQ that there are no plans for an offline version.

Marathon Game Director Reassures Fans Extraction Mode Isn't Going Anywhere

Marathon game director Del Chafe said on the Marathon Development Team Twitter account that Extraction remains a major part of the game and will continue to receive updates. The reassurance followed Bungie's roadmap reveal for PvE and experimental PvP modes coming in the December Symbiosis update, which raised fears the hardcore extraction mode would be neglected. Chafe also asked players for feedback on Extraction, with streamers citing spawn rushes and harsh death spirals as key issues.

Ace Combat 8's Stellar Multiplayer Reveals the Terrors of Live-Service Games

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve features a 25-hour single-player campaign with 30 missions. Its multiplayer component, Ace Combat Online, is a live-service offering that the article argues reveals the terrors of live-service games.

Pokemon Go October 2026 Events: Raids, Spotlight Hours, Halloween, And More

Pokemon Go enters the second month of its Twilight Trails season in October with Zorua Community Day and a two-part Halloween celebration. Legendary and Mega Pokemon return to Raid Battles, while Bramblin, Gigantamax Cinderace, and Astronaut Pikachu make their debuts.

Valve says Deadlock is still too unfinished for a public release, with hero cosmetics and new modes in the works

In Deadlock's first proper development update, Valve said the invite-only game is still too unfinished to release publicly and that the team shifted to working on many things in parallel this year. The City Never Sleeps update added a redesigned map and items, while progression and hero and hideout customizations are still in development so Valve can adjust them based on feedback before full release. Valve also mentioned more speculative work such as large item redesigns and alternative game modes that expand the game's scope, possibly including the rumored PvE mode from former Risk of Rain developers.

AION 2 has reached 171,530 concurrent players on Steam for the first time (52.02% rating) https://steamdb.info/app/3393110/charts/?peak=1...

The Elder Scrolls Online: Seek Sunken Treasures During the High Seas of Tamriel Event

The Elder Scrolls Online is holding the High Seas of Tamriel event, where players can seek sunken treasures. The news was posted on Xbox Wire.

Xbox's Cloud Gaming Experiments Appear to Be Collapsing

Kotaku's John Walker argues that Xbox's cloud gaming push is shrinking. Owners of 2020 Samsung Smart TVs were told the XBOX app will lose support on November 3, while Game Pass's most expensive tier is cutting cloud streaming from unlimited to 15 hours a week with per-hour surcharges. Separately, New York Times sources say the rumored Xbox cloud controller was a real project seemingly shelved after the Activision acquisition, though an Xbox spokesperson says it is still in development.

The Final Fantasy XI free trial update is live and lets us get to level 75 with no time limits. https://www.siliconera.com/final-fantasy-...

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for October: F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for October are F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, all available to PS Plus members from Tuesday, October 6 until Monday, November 2. F1 25 is the official game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship and adds a new multiplayer mode in F1 World, while Hunt: Showdown 1896 is an extraction shooter playable solo or with up to two teammates. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 comes to PS5 and PS4 with four-player online co-op and two-player local split screen.

World of Warcraft: Forever Isn't Out Yet, but Its Beta Is Already Dealing With a Gold-Buying Scandal

Players in the World of Warcraft: Forever beta are paying real money for in-game gold, and Blizzard says it is taking action now and will continue to do so after launch, increasingly targeting buyers' accounts. Streamer Ziqoftw admitted receiving around 520 gold from viewers, and the gold on the character that received it was almost entirely wiped down to a few silver while his other characters were left intact. Community members are calling for harsher punishment of gold sellers, buyers, and streamers who benefit from such transactions.

Valve's Deadlock gets the City Never Sleeps update, hitting a record 228,086 concurrent players on Steam

Valve released a large City Never Sleeps update for Deadlock, its still-unreleased MOBA, overhauling the map, adding six new heroes and greatly expanding voice lines. According to SteamDB, the game reached 228,086 concurrent players on Steam yesterday, its highest figure ever. The update also gives themed identities to lanes and districts on the New York-inspired map The Cursed Apple, each with its own PvE Haunts.

Arc Raiders executive producer says he 'wasn't completely prepared for how hard' live service would be, warns against burnout

Arc Raiders executive producer Aleksander Grøndal admitted Embark overestimated its capacity for work after transitioning to live service, saying he "wasn't completely prepared for how hard it was." He said the team was exhausted from constantly overshooting its capacity, leading to player drop-off, and that it has since re-evaluated its long-term plan to prioritize quality and work-life balance.

Dune Awakening's Creative Director on Copying Hollywood, In-Game Advertising, and Why Style Beats Photorealism

Funcom chief creative officer Joel Bylos said Dune Awakening's development required submitting content for approval to Legendary, which holds the adaptation rights, through Jira, and that director Denis Villeneuve once noted the game's title was a little too close to Star Wars. He also discussed the possibility of game companies adopting Hollywood's per-project financing model, noting that model works because of strong unions. Bylos is currently focused on the console launch of Dune Awakening alongside a major update that adds a single player mode and difficulty options.

Arc Raiders producer admits the team underestimated how hard live service is

Arc Raiders executive producer Aleksander Grøndal told Game Developer that Embark heavily underestimated the challenges of running a live service game. The team planned monthly post-launch updates but was constantly overshooting its capacity, and in May switched to larger biannual additions. Grøndal, a 15-year EA veteran who worked on Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront, also recalled taking five months of sick leave after overworking on a Battlefield game.

How Many Kinds of "Fun" Can One Delta Force Hold?

Delta Force held its second anniversary celebration in Chongqing on September 25, where TES won the summer split finals of the Firestorm Pro League to complete a spring-summer title sweep and White took finals FMVP again. At the September 26 annual showcase, the game announced that Firestorm's "Siege" is planned for Spring Festival 2027, that All-Out Warfare will get a UE5 upgrade next season with the new map "Skyline" arriving in November, and that the Black Tide Blast beta season opened on September 27. The studio also teased new Firestorm experiments for 2027 and asked players to submit ideas.

Embark should've added a PvE mode to Arc Raiders a long time ago

Embark is finally testing a PvE mode for Arc Raiders, a change the author believes should have come much sooner. He recalls the fun of early co-op fights against high-value arcs, but says PvP lobbies later filled with liars, assholes, and cheaters. Embark has admitted a large chunk of the playerbase is PvE orientated, though there's no guarantee the test leads to a permanent addition.

Call of Duty: Warzone will add a skin toggle with Modern Warfare 4's first season

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will bring a long-requested feature to Warzone later this year, letting players turn off character skins from other Call of Duty games when the game's first season launches. The filter only affects the player who enables it, showing just Modern Warfare 4 skins in lobbies and matches, and it is exclusive to Warzone. Modern Warfare 4 arrives 23rd October on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2.