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In this guide
- Dune: Awakening developer Funcom is laying off staff
- Saros has a big new update for you to try
- The new Xbox could cost you almost $2,000
- More Game Pass games have been announced
- EA has shut down BioWare
- Mass Effect crossover items have been removed from Battlefield 6, it seems
- Huge layoffs have hit other EA studios as well
- Marvel’s Wolverine was the best-selling new game in the US in September
We’re entering yet another week, and as the year draws to a close, you might be feeling somewhat reflective. That’s a good mood to be in as we bring you another news recap.
Over the last seven days, the gaming industry has once again been abuzz with activity, and while not all of it would have seen the light of day if publishers had anything to say about it, industrious journalists will not be deterred.
Here’s everything that you need to know about what’s been going on across the last seven days or so in the world of gaming!
Dune: Awakening developer Funcom is laying off staff
Funcom, the studio behind titles like Dune: Awakening and Conan Exiles, was hit by layoffs this week, and the way the studio chose to announce its personnel changes is somewhat suspect, if you ask us.
The news comes as part of an announcement regarding the studio’s new CEO, and buried towards the end of that post is a brief message explaining that Funcom will “also enter a period of restructuring” following the new CEO’s appointment.
We’re not sure the staff members being let go from Funcom will appreciate essentially being reduced to a footnote, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, apparently.
Saros has a big new update for you to try
If you’ve completed bullet hell shooter Saros and are looking for new ways to engage with its campaign - or, indeed, if you’ve never tried it and want to give it a shot - then now might be the perfect time for you.
This week, Housemarque released a big new update for Saros that introduced “more ways to play for newcomers and veterans alike”, according to the studio.
That includes a boss rush mode, a New Game+ feature, and new gameplay modifiers, including slowing down game speed and auto-firing if your trigger finger is getting tired.
The new Xbox could cost you almost $2,000
A new Fortune profile of Xbox head Asha Sharma this week revealed that the company may be thinking of charging consumers anywhere up to $2,000 for the privilege of buying its new console.
Supposedly, a handheld that will kickstart Microsoft’s next-generation gaming experience will be released sometime next year, and the console itself is aiming for a 2028 launch.
It’s hard to imagine anybody getting excited about the prospect of paying such an eye-watering sum of money for a gaming console, but perhaps there are still enough diehard fans out there to make the dream a reality.
More Game Pass games have been announced
The second wave of Xbox Game Pass titles for October 2026 were announced this week, and subscribers have some pretty enjoyable fare to look forward to.
As if the massive action RPG Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade wasn’t enough, Game Pass members can also sink their teeth into ghostly puzzler The Seance of Blake Manor, puzzle platformer Dodo Duckie, and creepy walking sim Mouthwashing.
This is perhaps a more compelling haul than we’ve seen from the service in recent months, so hats off to whoever’s deciding which games make it onto Game Pass. Let’s hope things continue in this vein from now on!
EA has shut down BioWare
After over 30 years in the business, BioWare, the developer behind hits like Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect, has closed its doors for good. The studio had been in the early stages of working on a brand new Mass Effect title.
No reason is given in the social media post in which the studio announces its closure, but the decision comes hot on the heels of EA’s $55 billion Saudi Arabian buyout, so it’s not hard to join the dots.
It looks like the twin failures of Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard were a bridge too far for EA’s new paymasters. Here’s hoping staffers from BioWare find ways to start up their own studios in the aftermath.
Mass Effect crossover items have been removed from Battlefield 6, it seems
As spotted by IGN this week, an upcoming crossover between military shooter Battlefield 6 and beloved space RPG series Mass Effect appears to have been cancelled, likely thanks to BioWare’s closure.
The crossover was originally revealed earlier this month when Battlefield 6’s fifth season dropped, and many players speculated that the timing could indicate a new Mass Effect announcement was on the way.
Sadly, not only is that the case, but it’s unlikely that another Mass Effect announcement will ever be made at all. EA giveth and EA taketh away, apparently.
Huge layoffs have hit other EA studios as well
It’s not just BioWare suffering in the wake of the aforementioned EA buyout, apparently. Subsidiaries such as Skate developer Full Circle, Battlefield’s Motive, and Apex Legends’ Respawn have also reportedly been affected.
Layoffs have struck the above studios, as well as other EA outfits like The Sims and SimCity developer Maxis, according to an anonymous source who spoke to news platform Vertical Slice this week.
It’s looking like EA wants to cut as many costs as it can moving forward, but we do have to wonder whether this aggressive strategy is going to pay dividends in the long run; after all, if there are no games, how can there be profit?
Marvel’s Wolverine was the best-selling new game in the US in September
This past September was an absolutely packed month that boasted the launch of luminaries like Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, to name but a few.
Still, none of them could quite best Marvel’s Wolverine for sales in the US, according to Circana and Mat Piscatella (via Eurogamer); the game was Sony’s best-selling at launch since 2024’s Helldivers 2.
It looks like the controversy surrounding some of Wolverine’s design decisions have done nothing to dull the sharp edge of the fantasy it’s selling to gamers. That blue smoke trail hasn’t left its indelible mark on that many players, it would seem.
Written by
Jay AllsoppMeet Jay, the visionary Founder of GamerBolt, who launched this gaming haven in 2010. A dedicated PS5 enthusiast, Jay thrives on the adrenaline rush of Call of Duty and the competitive spirit of EA Sports FC. His passion for gaming goes beyond play; it's about creating a community for fellow gamers to celebrate the worlds and stories they love; Gamerbolt.
