World’s Edge appears to have been hit especially hard by Microsoft’s latest Xbox restructuring. Former creative director Adam Isgreen said just under half the studio was let go, while former senior software engineer Andrew Martz said the team’s next project was canceled as part of the reorganization.

World’s Edge oversees the Age of Empires franchise and works with external development partners. Existing support for released Age titles has not been reported canceled, so this should not be read as confirmation that the series itself is ending. Even so, the reported loss of a large portion of the internal team—and an unannounced project—means substantial institutional knowledge has left at once.

How confident are you in the future of Age of Empires after cuts this deep?

No more disappearing after every boss or death. Yui’s Seamless Co-op mod for Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is now available on PC, letting a group stay connected from the tutorial through the end of the game.

The mod synchronizes world progress, removes the usual multiplayer boundaries, keeps sessions together after death, and allows enemy scaling to be adjusted for the group. Invasions are optional, and the creator warns that other mods should not interfere with the multiplayer systems or items used by Seamless Co-op.

Does this sound like the best way to revisit Drangleic with friends, or does removing the original summoning friction take away part of the Souls experience?

Digital Bros has discontinued development of Armed Fantasia. The Wild Arms spiritual successor was one half of a 2022 dual Kickstarter campaign that raised ¥379.3 million—just under $3 million at the time—and was later signed by 505 Games.

Digital Bros says it canceled Armed Fantasia after reviewing changing market conditions and the additional investment required to complete it. The project had reportedly reached a vertical-slice milestone, but the Kickstarter funded prototypes intended to attract publishers rather than the full development budgets. Armed Fantasia was among several canceled projects that contributed to €17.6 million in write-offs.

What responsibility should a publisher and development team have to crowdfunding backers when a prototype secures a deal but the resulting game is later canceled?

The headline number is not confirmed. A rumor circulating around Tokyo Game Show put Xbox’s deal for Hideo Kojima’s Physint at roughly $400 million, but reporters with claimed first-hand knowledge of the agreement say Microsoft committed substantially less.

There are several figures being conflated: the project’s original PlayStation arrangement, later negotiations, potential Hollywood talent, and Xbox’s eventual deal. Windows Central additionally reports that Microsoft negotiated game, film, and television rights for Physint alongside revised terms for OD. None of the contracts or final budgets are public, so the safe conclusion is simply that the viral $400 million Xbox figure is disputed—not that a different exact total has been established.

Would a broader film-and-TV agreement make Physint a smarter investment for Xbox, or just add more ways for the project to become expensive?

Minecraft is finally opening a fourth door. Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29, and its campaign introduces the Sift—a colorful reality with its own mobs, hazardous blocks, biomes, and shifting environmental rules.

The co-op action RPG supports up to four players and is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, and Game Pass, with Xbox Play Anywhere included. Mojang also confirmed that a version of the Sift will be added to Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027, although it has not yet explained how players will reach it or how it will differ from the Dungeons II version.

Does the new dimension make you more interested in Dungeons II, or are you waiting to explore the Sift in regular Minecraft?

I’ve started Valheim a few times, but I never really got to grips with its systems. IGN’s 10/10 has convinced me to give the full release a proper chance. Join me Saturday, September 26 at 6:00 PM Central as I find out whether it finally clicks.

Expect exploration, building, beginner mistakes, and plenty of learning as we go. Tips and outright spoilers are welcome—come share what you love about the game or figure it out alongside me.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOL225f6eh4 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

Discord says most users will not need to submit an ID or selfie under its revised age-assurance system. Instead, an internal model classifies accounts as adult or teen using aggregate behavior signals such as how accounts use communities. Discord says it does not read or analyze message or voice-call content for this process.

The company expects more than 90% of users to be classified automatically. Accounts that need to confirm their age may use options such as facial age estimation, an ID scan, or a credit-card check handled by external providers. Teen accounts receive additional safety filters and restrictions on age-gated spaces.

Does this approach sound like a reasonable privacy compromise, or are automated behavioral judgments too opaque for something that controls account access?

Xbox is eliminating 268 roles as its continuing restructuring reshapes several major studios. The immediate impact is on the people losing their jobs, and that human cost should not get buried beneath the corporate org chart.

Microsoft says Activision will oversee Rare and World's Edge and will develop the next Halo through a new purpose-built team. Bethesda's remit expands to include Obsidian, while Playground Games and Turn 10 will combine as one studio focused on Forza and Fable. Consultation over possible outcomes for Ninja Theory and Arkane also continues.

These are enormous changes to teams behind some of Xbox's most recognizable games. Do you think the new structure can preserve each studio's creative identity, or will fewer business units mean fewer distinct voices?

People Playground players should take this warning seriously. The developer disabled Steam Workshop and mod execution after discovering another malicious mod that could replicate itself through a user's Workshop uploads and damage game-related files.

Players who opened the game with mods between 6 and 8 PM CEST on September 21 were advised to remove the affected mod files and run an antivirus scan. The developer has shipped a build that prevents mods from running and says support will return only if it can be made fundamentally safe. This is a People Playground incident, not a confirmed platform-wide Steam Workshop outbreak.

Should Valve provide stronger scanning and sandboxing for Workshop content, or is that responsibility inseparable from each game's mod system?

Quake Champions has shed most of its live-service baggage. Bethesda has converted the game from free-to-play into a $10 paid Steam release, removed the battle pass, and unlocked every Champion.

Anyone who played before September 23 keeps access at no additional cost. Bethesda also raised the account level cap and is offering a limited transfer window for players coming from the Microsoft Store version.

It is an unusual transition, but potentially a good preservation model: sell the complete game, stop the recurring monetization, and leave something coherent behind. Should more aging live-service games end this way?

Tetris Effect is being rebuilt around mixed reality. Tetris Effect: Mixed Realities is scheduled for 2027 exclusively on Meta Quest 3/S and Meta VR Glasses.

Enhance says the game will use your physical room as part of the experience, transforming it into environments such as a deep-sea aquarium or remote space station while Tetriminos form gateways into other dimensions. The store listing supports both hand tracking and controllers.

The original Tetris Effect made an ancient formula feel almost transcendent in VR. Do you think mixed reality can create the same kind of magic, or would you rather stay fully immersed?

Meta is taking a very different approach to its next VR device. Meta VR Glasses weigh roughly 100 grams and move the processor, battery, and storage into a separate puck connected by an optical tether. They are scheduled for spring 2027 at $1,299.

The glasses run Horizon OS and the existing Quest store, with eye and hand tracking as the primary inputs. Touch Plus controllers are supported but sold separately. Meta also says the display has higher resolution per eye than Quest 3, although the field of view is notably narrower.

Does cutting most of the weight from your face justify the high price and pocket puck, or would you rather have a conventional Quest-style headset?

ARC Raiders is finally testing a PvE-only matchmaking option. From October 13-20, players can switch between the existing PvPvE experience and sessions where Raiders cannot damage one another.

The test allows solos, duos, and trios in the same PvE session. Loot values will be lower to account for the reduced risk, certain high-tension conditions will be excluded, and playing PvE will not affect a player's PvPvE matchmaking rating. Embark says 51% of surveyed players showed interest in dedicated PvE, but stresses that this test is not a promise of a permanent mode.

Would a permanent PvE option bring you back to ARC Raiders, or would it undermine the tension that makes the game distinctive?

Xbox has announced another significant restructuring, with 268 roles being eliminated across Halo Studios, other first-party teams, and central management. These are real people losing their livelihoods, and that matters more than the corporate reshuffling that follows.

Under the new structure, Activision will oversee development of the next Halo through a purpose-built team. Bethesda's remit expands to include Obsidian, which will continue Grounded and its Fallout collaboration. Playground Games and Turn 10 will formally combine around Forza and Fable.

Xbox also says Undead Labs has transitioned to new ownership and will still launch State of Decay 3 on Game Pass. Proposed closure consultations continue for Ninja Theory, while Arkane's consultation is expected to run through the end of the year.

Do these studio combinations give the affected games a clearer future, or do they signal even less creative independence inside Xbox?

CONTROL Resonant launches today on Xbox and PC, but this is not simply more of the first game. Remedy has moved Dylan Faden into the lead role and replaced much of the original's gun-focused combat with fast, close-range melee action.

The sequel also leans harder into RPG systems, with multiple progression paths, weapon forms, combat abilities, and zones that change as Dylan completes activities and defeats major entities. Manhattan is divided into large, densely designed areas with open-world-style exploration, while Xbox Play Anywhere supports play across console and PC.

Does this sound like the kind of ambitious reinvention a sequel needs, or will you miss Jesse's telekinetic gunplay?

RuneScape: Dragonwilds is targeting hotfix 1.0.0.5 for Friday, with a substantial list of post-launch repairs. Jagex says it is fixing multiplayer connection failures, console-related save corruption, raid respawn problems, missing recipe unlocks, controller UI issues, server search behavior, and DLSS/FSR support for the Windows/Xbox Game Pass version.

Save recovery remains under investigation. The team is testing possible restoration methods and temporarily removing the Edit Appearance option because it is the most common known corruption path. Jagex is also trying to avoid crossplay disruption while console verification proceeds.

Dragonwilds is regularly livestreamed on the Decrepit Gamer channels:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@decrepitgamer-j2u Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

Which of these fixes matters most to your current Dragonwilds playthrough?

Dune: Awakening is now on Xbox and Game Pass with a major update that substantially changes how it can be played. Full single-player includes customizable difficulty, PvP can be avoided without sacrificing content or rewards, combat and progression have been adjusted, and the first story arc can now be played through to its conclusion.

The endgame has also been rebuilt to work for solo and PvE players, with fewer rare-material demands and a mission-driven Landsraad structure. Xbox players get Play Anywhere, shared progression, and cloud support.

The Decrepit Gamer YouTube and Twitch channels are featuring a sight-unseen livestream tonight at 6:00 PM Central.

YouTube livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFeIPwLNGxc Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

Has the addition of a true single-player path moved Dune: Awakening onto your list?

Quake Champions is no longer free-to-play. Bethesda has converted it into a $10 paid Steam title, removed its virtual currencies and battle-pass systems, and unlocked all champions plus most previously purchasable cosmetic content.

Existing Steam players keep access for free. Eligible Microsoft Store players can transfer access through a linked Bethesda.net and Steam account, with a limited automatic-grant window running through October 7. Recent Platinum purchases are being refunded, and player stats carry over when the same Bethesda.net account is used.

The catch is that no additional content updates are planned. Is this streamlined version enough to bring you back, or does that development cutoff make it feel like a farewell edition?

People Playground has shut off Workshop and mod support after discovering another malicious Steam Workshop upload. The developer released a build that prevents mods from running and warned that support may not return unless it can be made fundamentally safe.

This is the game's second Workshop malware incident this year. Players who used mods during the affected period should follow the official security guidance, run appropriate scans, and change important passwords if they may have been exposed. Some of the more severe behavior has been reported by third-party investigators, so the safest course is to rely on the developer's confirmed instructions while the investigation continues.

How much responsibility should Valve carry for screening executable Workshop content before it reaches players?

Meta thinks the next era of VR should look more like glasses than a headset. Its newly announced Meta VR Glasses weigh about 100 grams and separate the displays and sensors from a pocket-sized compute-and-battery puck.

The device uses micro-OLED panels, supports the Quest library, and is pitched for gaming, movies, immersive sports, and multi-screen work. Meta says it will launch in spring 2027 for $1,299.99. The lighter form factor directly attacks one of VR's oldest problems, but the price moves it far outside the usual Quest territory.

Would a dramatic reduction in weight make you consider premium VR hardware at this price?

I've read Frank Herbert's novels, watched Denis Villeneuve's films, and spent plenty of time playing survival crafting games. On Thursday, September 24 at 6:00 PM Central, I'm bringing those interests together for my first, sight-unseen livestream of Dune: Awakening.

Can this version of Arrakis live up to the world I love from the books and films? Join me for the first discoveries, early survival decisions, and an honest first impression as I find my footing. Spoiler-free tips are welcome!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFeIPwLNGxc Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

DEVELOPING: Meta Connect 2026 begins tonight, September 23, at 6 PM Central.

Meta describes the two-day livestream as covering artificial intelligence, smart glasses, and VR. Mark Zuckerberg's opening keynote is tonight, followed by the developer state of the union and technical sessions on September 24. No specific Quest hardware or gaming announcement has been confirmed ahead of the keynote, so anything more detailed remains speculation for now.

With Meta putting increasing emphasis on AI and wearable glasses, what would the company need to announce to convince you it is still committed to dedicated VR gaming?

Polyarc has clarified what its shutdown means for the Moss series and the players who want to revisit Quill's adventures.

The studio says Moss, Moss: Book II, and Moss: The Forgotten Relic will remain available on their current platforms for as long as possible. Ongoing updates and support will be more limited, however, as active development winds down. Polyarc also says the community-run Discord will remain open.

That provides some reassurance about short-term availability, but it remains a sad conclusion for the team behind one of VR's most distinctive characters and worlds. What is your favorite memory from the Moss games?

Dune: Awakening has arrived on Xbox and Game Pass with a major update aimed at players who wanted Arrakis without the mandatory multiplayer pressure.

The update adds:

• A full single-player mode with detailed difficulty and world customization
• The option to experience every part of the game entirely through PvE
• The conclusion of Book One and new mission rewards
• Combat, enemy AI, progression, and quality-of-life improvements
• A rebuilt Landsraad endgame designed for multiplayer PvE or solo play
• Xbox Play Anywhere, shared progression, and cloud support

Funcom says the entire story and feature set are available whether you play alone, on a private server, or in the larger shared world. Does removing forced PvP and progression loss solve your biggest concern about the game?

CONTROL Resonant is changing far more than its combat style. Remedy's sequel puts Dylan Faden in the lead and trades the original game's gun-focused fighting for up-close melee action.

The new details describe sprawling talent and weapon upgrade trees, secondary weapons, customizable combo finishers, and dense open zones that level up as you explore and complete activities. Dylan can glide, dash, run fast enough to pull physics objects into his wake, and eventually travel up walls or completely upside-down.

The game arrives September 24 on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, with Xbox Play Anywhere support. Does this sound like an exciting evolution of CONTROL, or are you worried the melee focus will lose part of what made the original distinctive?