Gaming News — 2026-06-30#
Top Story#
Microsoft’s gaming division is reportedly bracing for a “bloodbath” as it considers shutting down multiple studios—including Arkane and Undead Labs—which could lead to the cancelation of highly anticipated titles like Marvel’s Blade and State of Decay 3. While Hideo Kojima’s Xbox-published horror game OD is reportedly safe, this aggressive corporate “reset” has both fans and developers rightfully on edge.
News & Reviews#
Civilization 7 Review Update · IGN Firaxis dropped the 1.4 Test of Time update for Civilization 7, attempting to address player feedback by reverting some mechanics to feel more like older entries in the franchise. Unfortunately, replacing age-specific objectives with simplistic point races for victories feels like a step backward, leaving the late game feeling hollow despite some much-needed quality-of-life improvements to the UI.
Splatoon Raiders Preview: Turns Out It’s Kind of a Roguelite · IGN Nintendo is finally giving fans the robust single-player Splatoon experience they’ve been begging for with Splatoon Raiders, a roguelite that tasks you with clearing out Salmonids and gathering loot in a mech piloted by Big Man. With persistent progression, deep build customization, and chaotic four-player co-op, this looks like an absolute blast to play.
GTA 6 Developers Ask Rockstar for Union Recognition · IGN Ahead of the monolithic launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar developers in the UK have applied for voluntary recognition of the IWGB Game Workers Union to fight for pay transparency and fairer crunch practices. Rockstar claims it offers a world-class environment, but workers are prepared to go to the UK government’s Central Arbitration Committee if the studio refuses to voluntarily acknowledge their collective bargaining rights.
ESA Claims Private Minecraft Servers Are ‘Illegal’ and ‘Piracy’ · IGN In a bizarre defense against a “Stop Killing Games” bill in California, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) claimed that private Minecraft servers are “illegal” and a form of “piracy”. This is blatantly false, as Minecraft officially encourages and verifies community servers on its own website, exposing the ridiculous lengths lobbyists will go to avoid preserving dead video games.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Has Me Excited to Get into the Lab · IGN Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game looks stunning and plays exceptionally fast, utilizing a four-button combat system that centers around a risk-reward “Flow” state mechanic. With an intricate support character system and fighters zooming across the screen, this is shaping up to be a shockingly deep brawler that fighting game fans will absolutely want to master.
Free Games & Deals#
GameStop is running a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” sale on all pre-owned games across PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch, but you’ll need to be a GameStop Pro member to take advantage of the promotion. Over on Amazon, you can snag a preorder for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Nintendo Switch 2 for just $44.99, an incredibly rare discount for a highly anticipated first-party Nintendo title. Finally, Magic: The Gathering players can grab the new Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box for an all-time low of $125.95 on Amazon.
Also Worth Knowing#
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Nintendo Switch 2 Physical Edition Includes a Proper Cartridge (IGN): Bethesda confirmed the Switch 2 release arrives August 11, runs at 1080p 30fps docked with DLSS, and thankfully puts the full base game right on the physical cartridge.
- 007 First Light, Hitman Developer IO Interactive Announces Layoffs (IGN): IO Interactive is laying off staff after its Project Fantasy publishing deal—reportedly with Xbox—unexpectedly fell through.
- Quantic Dream Insists Its Star Wars Eclipse Team Has ‘All the Necessary Resources’ (IGN): Despite striking staff warning of an imminent cancelation following studio layoffs, Quantic Dream insists Star Wars Eclipse is proceeding as planned.
- Card Shop Suspends Yu-Gi-Oh Tournaments Over Smelly Players (IGN): An Oregon card shop suspended its tournaments for a week, citing terrible hygiene and restroom mistreatment that violated Konami’s official cleanliness rules.