In a devastating blow to the industry, Bungie has laid off nearly 300 staff members at its Bellevue headquarters alone, marking its third major round of cuts in just three years. Driven by the financial underperformance of the Destiny 2 franchise and a struggling launch for its extraction shooter Marathon, this massive restructuring paints a grim picture for the historic studio under Sony’s ownership.
Grand Theft Auto 6 preorders are officially live at $80 for the Standard Edition, but Rockstar Games has ignited a massive controversy by confirming the physical release will only include a digital download code rather than a game disc. While industry analysts point out this is a calculated move to kill the second-hand market and strictly control game pricing, fans are furious—especially after the preorder launch arrived without the highly anticipated Trailer 3.
The gaming hardware market is currently in a state of absolute chaos, defined by skyrocketing component costs and a dramatic shift in console dominance. Microsoft is jacking up the Xbox Series X to an eye-watering $799.99 in August, which has contributed to catastrophic sales lows for both Xbox and PlayStation. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch 2 is completely obliterating the competition, capping off a historic first year with 5.9 million US units sold as gamers flock to more affordable hardware.