#Xbox
18 article(s)
Halo 4 Nearly Got Microtransactions Back in 2012
Dan Callan, former developer at 343 Industries, just revealed that Halo 4 came close to integrating microtransactions at a time when the model was beginning to infect gaming. A confession that says a lot about the internal pressures development teams face from decisions handed down from above — and what Microsoft could have done to one of its flagship franchises.
Project Fantasy Reclaimed, Studio Shuttered: IO Interactive at a Crossroads
Xbox is pulling funding from Project Fantasy, returning full control to IO Interactive. On the surface, a win—except the studio must close one of its offices to absorb the blow. The maker of Hitman faces a precarious freedom: developing an ambitious fantasy RPG without a major publisher partner is a serious industrial gamble.
IO Interactive Loses Xbox Partnership on Project Fantasy, Announces Layoffs
IO Interactive is hitting serious turbulence. The Danish studio behind 007 First Light just lost its main backer for Project Fantasy — presumed to be Xbox — and is announcing layoffs in the same breath. A double blow for a studio that seemed to have found its footing post-Hitman. What this rupture reveals about the fragility of ambitious projects outside established franchises, and what it means for First Light's future.
Halo on PS5: No PS Plus needed, but Microsoft demands Xbox account
The correction is official: playing Halo Campaign Evolved co-op locally on PS5 doesn't require a PlayStation Plus subscription. Good news on the surface. But Microsoft slipped a condition into the fine print: an Xbox account and Gamertag will be required for each player. It's not a paid subscription, but it's an integration friction that Sony never imposes on its own games. The stakes go beyond the technical: it's PlayStation's sovereignty over its own experience that's in question.
Treyarch Loses Its Leader: Mark Gordon Exits Black Ops After 22 Years
Mark Gordon, Treyarch's head for over two decades, announces his departure from the studio behind the Black Ops franchise. His exit comes during a turbulent period for Xbox, which is slashing headcount and restructuring divisions. Behind the polished phrase "exploring other opportunities" lies a deeper question: can Treyarch remain Call of Duty's creative engine without the man who embodied it for so long?
Xbox Is Dismantling Its Studios: A Strategic Reckoning with Few Good Signs
Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Arkane Lyon: rumors of closures and massive restructuring at Xbox have accumulated major names for weeks now. This is no longer a series of isolated industrial accidents—it's a deliberate strategic choice taking shape. Microsoft appears to be concentrating resources on a handful of colossal franchises at the expense of creative diversity it purchased at premium prices. The human and artistic toll could prove lasting.
Xbox at a Crossroads: Halo French Dub, Fable, The Wolf Among Us 2, and Mara
This past gaming week sent mixed signals about Xbox's platform health: a controversial French dub for Halo Campaign Evolved, Fable still struggling to prove itself, The Wolf Among Us 2 resurfacing, and the mysterious Mara emerging. Behind these scattered updates lies a fundamental question: does Microsoft still know where it's headed?
Xbox Helix vs PS6: Is Microsoft Really Gearing Up for an Exclusivity War?
For months, Microsoft has thrown open the gates of its first-party portfolio to PS5—Halo, Forza Horizon, and more. Now the wind seems to be shifting. Asha Sharma recently acknowledged player demands for a return to Xbox exclusives, and the Xbox Helix is shaping up as a strategic pivot. A 180-degree turn that could reshape the competitive landscape against Sony's PS6.
Halo Campaign Evolved Preorders Live on PS5: Historic First
Halo Campaign Evolved marks a symbolic milestone: the remake of the franchise's first entry is now available for preorder on PS5, an unprecedented first for a license long confined to Xbox and PC ecosystems. With a new campaign gameplay segment revealed and new missions confirmed, Microsoft sends a strong signal to the PlayStation community. Here's what's launching on which platforms and what it means.
Halo Campaign Evolved: Hands-On with a Sequel Unlike Anything Else
Twenty-five years after Combat Evolved, Microsoft and Halo Studios are back with a title that carries the legendary name without being a simple remaster. Arriving July 28 on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC, Halo Campaign Evolved has been placed in the hands of the press. First impression verdict: the project is ambitious, occasionally surprising, and carries a genuine gameplay proposition—but also raises some questions worth asking before launch.
Halo: Campaign Evolved, Launchpad for the Future According to Halo Studios
Shown at Xbox Games Showcase 2026, Halo: Campaign Evolved is far more than a nostalgic callback. Halo Studios has revealed new details on this project that reconnects the franchise's past with ambitions clearly aimed at the future. Here's what we now know about the studio's intentions, the game's scope, and what it signals for the franchise ahead.
Fable Delayed to 2027: Xbox's Grand Slam Dream Dead on Arrival
Matt Booty confirmed it on the official Xbox podcast: Fable won't launch in 2026. Playground Games' RPG is now slated for February 2027, definitively ending the fantasy of a year where Microsoft would have shipped Halo, Gears, Forza, and Fable within twelve months. A scenario that would have been unprecedented in Xbox history. We'll have to settle for a partial lineup—and that's only if the other titles stick to their schedule.