Gears of War: E-Day has attracted 1.7 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers since its early access launch, with over 722,000 of those players purchasing the $30 Premium Edition upgrade. Total revenue across sales, microtransactions, and upgrades has surpassed $37 million, though traditional copy sales sit at just 230,000 units.
Xbox Free Play Days returns October 8–11 with Screamer, Family Man, and ARC Raiders available for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members. Timed trials for High On Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Little Nightmares III, and Rogue Waters are open to all Xbox players. Discounts up to 85% off let you keep progress after the weekend ends.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reportedly told staff in an internal memo that the Game Pass strategy sent the division's balance sheet into freefall, but claims the business is now returning to growth after cutting prices and removing Call of Duty as a day-one title. Microsoft laid off nearly 2,000 employees in 2026 amid the restructuring.
Playground Games has broken months of silence with a brief acknowledgment of community frustration surrounding Forza Horizon 6. The studio's statement arrives after content creators and players detailed missing features, recycled cars, and a complete lack of communication since the game's 2024 launch.
Nine games are departing Xbox Game Pass on October 15, 2026, headlined by the 2025 Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The turn-based RPG has been available since its April 2025 launch and will leave after nearly eighteen months on the service. Subscribers have until mid-October to finish these titles or purchase them at a discount.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a GOTY-winning turn-based RPG with novel dodge and parry mechanics, is leaving Xbox Game Pass on October 15 after over a year in the library. Subscribers have under two weeks to experience its twist ending and expanded content before it departs alongside eight other titles including Pacific Drive and A Plague Tale Requiem.
Xbox Game Pass will remove nine titles from its library on October 15, 2024, including the critically acclaimed puzzle platformer Cocoon and the co-op adventure We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip. Subscribers have until the removal date to finish these games or purchase them at a membership discount before they leave the service.
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Industry insiders report Microsoft secured Physint for significantly less than the rumored $400 million PlayStation budget, with the Xbox deal including movie and TV licenses plus enhanced terms for Kojima's horror project OD. The budget reduction raises questions about development conditions at Kojima Productions following the studio's split from Sony.
Microsoft has confirmed Activision will develop the next mainline Halo game as part of a sweeping Xbox Studios restructure that includes 268 layoffs. The move effectively guts Halo Studios, formerly 343 Industries, while folding Rare and World's Edge under the Call of Duty publisher's umbrella.
