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Fan timeline traces PHYSINT's development, from Sony cancellation to Xbox publishing

Reddit user /u/Sascha2022 compiled a timeline of Kojima Productions' PHYSINT from 2019 to 2026, along with the studio's growth. According to the post, Sony notified the studio in mid-June 2026 that it was cancelling the project, and on September 10 the studio confirmed Xbox as its new partner and publisher. On September 17, Hideo Kojima revealed Bill Skarsgard as the lead at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show stream, saying the project remains at a conceptual and experimental stage with a small team.

Microsoft forms new XBOX division XP, led by President Kayleen Walters

Microsoft announced XP, a new XBOX division led by newly appointed President Kayleen Walters, covering film and television, consumer products, strategic partnerships and live experiences. The division consolidates capabilities previously spread across XBOX teams and formalizes four investment areas: XBOX PICTURES, XBOX PRODUCTS, XBOX PLACES and XBOX PARTNERSHIPS. Walters spent 13 years at Lucasfilm, and at Mojang Minecraft grew from 350 million units sold to over 425 million.

Xbox Game Pass October wave one adds Battlefield 6, Valor Mortis and more

Xbox announced the first October wave of Game Pass additions, with Battlefield 6 joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 13. Echo Weaver, Forever Ago, Deep Dish Dungeon, Valor Mortis, Bluey's Happy Snaps, Chained Beasts and Beyond These Stars arrive on day one. Nine titles including A Plague Tale: Requiem, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Pacific Drive leave the library on October 15.

Gears of War: E-Day official launch trailer released

Xbox Wire released the official launch trailer for Gears of War: E-Day. No further details were provided.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches today on Xbox Series X|S, with Fuse Games detailing crash penalties and the runs-based loop

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is available today on Xbox Series X|S and on the Xbox Store. Fuse Games creative director Kieran Crimmins and co-founder Steve Uphill explain that the game uses a runs-based loop where players pick a vehicle and Racer Style, then add parts and upgrades between races, and running out of crashes means wrecking out and restarting the tour. Multiplayer uses a shorter runs-based system decided by a final knockout event, with wins unlocking new characters and customization.

Hellblade studio Ninja Theory has started laying off staff after Xbox said it faces closure

After Xbox announced that Ninja Theory faces closure, multiple developers at the studio said on LinkedIn that they have been laid off or face redundancy. Xbox carried out a second wave of cuts last month, adding 268 layoffs to the 1,600 in the first wave, and COO Matt Booty said two separate agreements for Ninja Theory fell through. The fate of Senua, the third Hellblade game announced at the June 2026 Xbox Games Showcase for a 2027 release, has not been officially confirmed.

Gears of War: E-Day Enters Early Access Today, Full Launch on October 6

Gears of War: E-Day begins Early Access on October 1 at 8:00 a.m. PT for Premium Edition players and Game Pass subscribers with the Premium Upgrade, with the full launch set for October 6 at 8:00 a.m. PT. The game is available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam, with cloud gaming through Game Pass Ultimate and GeForce NOW. Built by The Coalition in Unreal Engine 5, it includes an origin-story campaign, the 4-player Horde Siege PvE mode, and 4v4 Versus PvP, with two-player split-screen on console only.

Gears of War: E-Day Review Roundup: 88 Average on OpenCritic, 91% Recommended

The Gears of War: E-Day review roundup shows an 88 average and 91% recommended across 56 reviews on OpenCritic. Critics praise the return to the series' roots, improved movement and shooting, and visuals, while some note pacing drops in the later campaign, enemy AI and repetition issues, and limited focus on Marcus. Set fourteen years before the original Gears of War on Emergence Day, the game follows Marcus and Dom against the first Locust wave, with the PC version dated October 6, 2026.

Gears of War: E-Day Review: The Prequel Campaign and Horde Siege Multiplayer

IGN reviewed Gears of War: E-Day, with the author finishing the campaign in 15 to 18 hours and finding that the prequel still carries emotional weight even though players already know Marcus and Dom survive. The campaign adds a Weapon Mod and Tactical Gear system with four mod slots per weapon, unlocked through yellow Hard Cases and secondary objectives. The author notes ally AI sometimes fails to revive downed players, occasional framerate hitches on Xbox Series X Performance Mode, and that Horde Siege stands out in multiplayer while private matches are absent.

Gears of War: E-Day | Reviews

Section 9's sci-fi action adventure End of Abyss launches October 1 on Xbox Series X|S

Section 9 Interactive, a small studio founded by three former Tarsier Studios members, announced that its sci-fi action adventure End of Abyss launches October 1 on Xbox Series X|S. Players take the role of young combat technician Cel, descending into an abandoned underground facility to upgrade gear, use a Scanner to explore branching paths, and fight monsters. The team said the game began as a top-down shooter prototype and shifted toward a slower action horror metroidvania focused on exploration and tension, with enemies prototyped in Unreal before their designs were finalized.

Microsoft CEO says Xbox is simply 'streamlining' after cutting over 5,750 jobs in three years

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on the Sources Podcast that the layoffs at Xbox are simply a natural streamlining process and that he feels fantastic about the current IP. Since acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in October 2023, Xbox has carried out five rounds of mass layoffs totaling at least 5,750 workers, with the latest round confirmed in July 2026 set to cut 3,200 people from Xbox Game Studios by the end of the current fiscal year, including the divestment of Compulsion Games, Double Fine and Undead Labs. Nadella said new Xbox boss Asha Sharma told him Xbox will achieve growth and produce some great games in the next fiscal year.

Minecraft Dungeons II Launches September 29 With Jumping and the New Sift Dimension

Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Cloud and other platforms. Mojang design director Laura De Llorens said on the Official XBOX Podcast that the sequel adds jumping, an interconnected world you can walk across, the new Sift dimension, armor split into four pieces, talismans and a reworked enchantment system. Multiplayer adapts when players join or leave and now mixes couch co-op with online play.

Minecraft Dungeons II Launches September 29, New Dimension The Sift Coming to Minecraft in 2027

Mojang Studios announced at Minecraft LIVE that Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and will be included with Game Pass. The game introduces The Sift, Minecraft's first new dimension in over 14 years, with new biomes including Meadows and Carapace plus new mobs and block rules. Mojang also confirmed The Sift will come to Minecraft in 2027.

Xbox restructuring sparks confusion and frustration as communities react to Ninja Theory closure

Xbox carried out a second wave of layoffs this week and shifted studio management away from Xbox directly to Bethesda or Activision, with Obsidian moving to Bethesda and Rare, World's Edge and Halo moving to Activision. Ninja Theory faces closure, Halo Studios was nearly dismantled by layoffs and World's Edge was halved. Communities around Hellblade, Outer Worlds, Forza, Age of Empires and Sea of Thieves reacted with sadness and concern, while Ninja Theory, Obsidian and Rare have not commented publicly.

Xbox Layoffs and Restructuring: First-Party Studios Cut From 14 to 4, Halo Moves to Activision

In September 2026, Microsoft chief content officer Matt Booty announced in an internal letter the cutting of 268 positions, moving Rare and World's Edge to Activision, placing Obsidian under Bethesda, merging Turn 10 into Playground, and handing the next Halo to Activision. Over five years Microsoft's Xbox first-party studios shrank from a peak of 14 to 4, leaving The Coalition, inXile, Playground and XGS Publishing, while Ninja Theory faces consultation over a proposed closure after two deals fell through. A top community comment said it feels more like Activision acquired Xbox than the reverse.

Former Halo leaders respond to effective closure of Halo Studios as Xbox cuts 268 jobs

Microsoft's Xbox division cut 268 jobs across Halo Studios, other unnamed first-party studios and Xbox Game Studios management, leaving Halo Studios as a small support team while major Halo development moves to a purpose-built team at Activision. Former Halo heads Bonnie Ross and Kiki Wolfkill said on LinkedIn that Halo Studios is essentially being shut down, and one former employee said he was promoted and laid off in the same week. The changes also include the apparent closure of Ninja Theory, Obsidian moving under Bethesda, Playground and Turn 10 merging, Undead Labs going independent, and Rare, World's Edge and Halo moving under Activision.

Undead Labs lays off staff after splitting from Xbox, will find a new publisher for State of Decay 3

Undead Labs has become an independent, employee-owned studio after divesting from Xbox, and announced it is laying off a significant number of employees, some of whom worked on State of Decay 3. The studio will now work with a new publisher to release State of Decay 3, which is still slated for a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft said the studio regained independence on terms similar to Double Fine and Compulsion, which split from Xbox earlier this year with their IP, back catalogs and runway funding.

Xbox lays off Gears of War: E-Day story director two weeks before launch

Gears of War: E-Day story director Juan Vaca announced on LinkedIn that he was part of Microsoft's latest round of layoffs, roughly two weeks before the game's 6th October release. He joined developer The Coalition in 2022 and had posted five days earlier celebrating the game going gold. Kotaku, citing an anonymous source, reported fewer than a handful of developers were cut at The Coalition for reasons apparently unrelated to Xbox restructuring, while 268 developers were laid off across Xbox overall.

Undead Labs confirms it is now an employee-owned studio, with a significant number of layoffs

Undead Labs announced it has completed its separation from Xbox and is now operating as an employee-owned game development studio, with a significant number of employees made redundant. The studio said development of State of Decay 3 remains actively underway, with a 2027 launch planned for Xbox, Game Pass, PC and PlayStation and a closed beta before the end of the year. The move came as Microsoft eliminated 268 positions across its first-party studios and shifted Rare and the Halo franchise to Activision.