News Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
The news we were dreading
- Xbox
- Industry
- Layoffs
- Xbox Game Studios
News Here's The New Lineup Of Xbox Game Studios For July 2026 Onwards
Let's get an idea of how things are shaping up
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Studios
- Layoffs
- Industry
News Three Aims Detailed By Asha Sharma For The 'Most Significant Restructure In Xbox History'
Following a massive wave of layoffs
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Layoffs
- Restructure
Rumour Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
It reportedly hasn't been "fully finalised" yet
- Xbox
- Project Helix
- Next-Gen
- Discs
- Physical
Report Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises
As part of the major Xbox reset
- Xbox
- Bethesda
- ZeniMax
- Reports
News Obsidian, id Software & Others Confirmed To Be Affected By Xbox Layoffs
As hinted by Asha Sharma earlier today
- Xbox
- Layoffs
- Industry
Latest News
TodayMon, 6th Jul 2026
News Obsidian, id Software & Others Confirmed To Be Affected By Xbox Layoffs
As hinted by Asha Sharma earlier today
As you've probably seen, Xbox has announced 3,200 job cuts as part of a major restructuring plan, with 1,600 of those cuts taking place today - including at popular Xbox studios and publishers such as Obsidian, Activision and Bethesda. Xbox boss Asha Sharma effectively confirmed this herself earlier today,...
- Xbox
- Layoffs
- Industry
News Here's The New Lineup Of Xbox Game Studios For July 2026 Onwards
Let's get an idea of how things are shaping up
So, you've probably seen the news today that Xbox is eliminating 3,200 job roles and getting rid of four studios in the process, with all of those development teams falling under the "Xbox Game Studios" banner at Microsoft. There are four studios that are definitely affected, while a fifth is in...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Studios
- Layoffs
- Industry
Report Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises
As part of the major Xbox reset
In her statement regarding the restructure at Xbox and the job layoffs / studio departures earlier today, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma mentioned that investment was shifting to "higher priority projects" in some cases at certain studios.
- Xbox
- Bethesda
- ZeniMax
- Reports
News Three Aims Detailed By Asha Sharma For The 'Most Significant Restructure In Xbox History'
Following a massive wave of layoffs
You've probably seen the news already today - Xbox is laying off 3,200 employees over the next 12 months (with half of them leaving immediately), and at least four studios will be departing the brand as part of it. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has issued an extremely long statement over on Xbox Wire to explain the...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Layoffs
- Restructure
News Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures
The news we were dreading
We've been waiting ages for Xbox to announce what's happening with the layoff situation, and it's now been confirmed that 3,200 roles are being eliminated throughout fiscal year 27, with 1,600 of those taking place today. In addition, Compulsion Games (We Happy Few, South of Midnight) and Double Fine Productions...
- Xbox
- Industry
- Layoffs
- Xbox Game Studios
News 'Winds Of Arcana: Ruination' Is Out Now On Xbox Game Pass, And Here's What The Reviews Say
The latest day one addition to XGP
Ready for some new additions to Xbox Game Pass? Well, July is already looking stacked, but we're expecting Microsoft to update the list imminently (probably on Tuesday), and before then we've got a new day one title for July 6th! This game is called Winds of Arcana: Ruination, and it's making its debut on Xbox...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Winds of Arcana: Ruination
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News 'I Want Them To Sponsor Me' - World Cup Star Erling Haaland Reveals His Love Of Xbox
The competition's joint top-scorer as things stand
The World Cup has been absolutely fantastic for anyone who loves the game of football / soccer over the past few weeks, and one of the standout talents has been Norway and Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland. As things stand, the superstar striker is joint top-scorer alongside Kylian Mbappe and...
- Xbox
- Erling Haaland
- Random
- World Cup
Rumour Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs
It reportedly hasn't been "fully finalised" yet
There's obviously been a lot of talk over the past few days about Sony's decision to cease physical discs for PlayStation consoles as of 2028, and some people have been urging Xbox to not make the same "mistake" in the process. It's been a belief for a while now that Xbox's next console (known as...
- Xbox
- Project Helix
- Next-Gen
- Discs
- Physical
YesterdaySun, 5th Jul 2026
Guide Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (July 2026)
The latest freebies for XGP subscribers
The Xbox Game Pass Perks program is continuing to add a bunch of freebies for Game Pass members throughout July 2026, including for the likes of EA Sports FC 26, Where Winds Meet, Rainbow Six Siege and others. As we've mentioned before, it seems most Xbox Game Pass Perks are now accessible to Essential,...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Perks
- Guides
- Xbox Series X
News 30+ Xbox Games Are Reduced By 90-95% To Kick Off The New Month
Including the likes of Funko Fusion, Zombie Army Trilogy & more!
Looking for some cheap Xbox games as we head into July 2026? The first couple of sales of the month have already gone live on the Xbox Store, and we highlighted over 20 of the best discounted games from them a few days ago. What we haven't highlighted yet, however, are the 90-95%...
- Xbox
- Deals
- Discounts
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Retro Recap All The Classic Gaming News From The Past Week (July 5th 2026)
Time Extension Truxton Extreme! Game Boy mods! 3DO!
Welcome to Retro Recap, a regular feature we run each and every weekend which rounds up all of the best retro gaming news and content of the past week in one place. Did You Spot This Insanely Deep Star Fox Reference In The New Switch 2 Game?: Nintendo has just revisited Star Fox 64 (again) on Switch 2 and...
- Retro Recap
- Features
News Two Xbox Games Are Potentially Getting Delisted In July 2026
Not confirmed, but we thought we'd give you the heads up
At the start of every month, we usually bring you a roundup of games that are getting delisted over the next few weeks, but there's nothing confirmed for July as things stand - although we've noticed two games that are likely candidates. Again, we should make it clear that there's no...
- Xbox
- Delisted Games
- Star Trek Legends
- Funko Fusion
Pick One What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In June 2026?
COD: Vanguard? RV There Yet? Persona 5 Royal?
We're still waiting for Xbox Game Pass to really take off in July, so before we get there, we thought we'd take a look back at what ended up being a pretty busy month in June, with multiple major titles added to the service along the way. Some of the big hitters last month included Call of Duty:...
- Xbox
- Features
- Polls
- Pick One
- Xbox Game Pass
Saturday4th Jul 2026
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (July 6-10)
Including at least two more Game Pass additions
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for July 6-10! We've got some very notable releases over the next few days including Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations and Wuthering Waves, while Xbox Game Pass is treating us to
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In August 2026
Some early predictions!
What's leaving Xbox Game Pass in August 2026? Well, Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything just yet, but based on some games that were added to the service this time last year, we can at least make a few predictions ahead of time. We know that a lot of Xbox users want more advance notice of games leaving Xbox Game Pass, but...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Leaving Soon
- August 2026
- Microsoft
Poll Which Xbox Console Have You Collected The Most Physical Games For?
It's the Xbox 360 for us
One of the big talking points this week has been Sony's decision to cease disc-based releases for PlayStation consoles as of January 2028, and we're still waiting to hear whether Xbox will do the same thing for Project Helix (although apparently a
- Xbox
- Polls
- Features
- Physical Releases
- Discs
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 4-5)
Anything specific in mind?
Welcome to the weekend! As usual, there's plenty to check out on Xbox over the next couple of days, including some Free Play Days additions along with a handful of Xbox Game Pass extras to start the month. Here's what we're playing on Xbox this weekend: Fraser Gilbert, Editor: I'm on a mission to get as many
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday3rd Jul 2026
News Five More Games Have Quietly Been Added To Xbox Game Pass Essential
The newest additions to the tier since May
We haven't had much to say about the lowest-priced Xbox Game Pass "Essential" tier since back in May when nine games were added to it in a surprise update, but now another five have also quietly joined in recent days. Four of the new additions started appearing as part of Xbox Game Pass Essential on July...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass Essential
News Halo Studios Makes A Point Of Highlighting 'Physical Discs' For Campaign Evolved
But the box suggests it requires a content download as well
The big topic this week has centred around PlayStation dropping support for physical discs as of 2028, and Halo Studios has made a point of highlighting that Halo: Campaign Evolved will get a disc when it releases this month. This was referenced as part of a new Q&A on the Halo Waypoint...
- Xbox
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Physical Releases
- Halo Studios
News Xbox Rolls Out New 'Change' To Help Avoid Data Loss In Forza Horizon 6
Another new system update is reportedly available as well
As you may be aware, some Forza Horizon 6 players have been struggling with corrupted or lost save data over the past month-and-a-bit, and to Xbox's credit, they've been working extremely hard to try and rectify the issue permanently. It was back on June 12th that Xbox announc
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Lost Saves
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Random Xbox Helps Release New Version Of Banjo-Kazooie With Unique Features
As part of the Evercade / Blaze Entertainment platforms
We've been waiting a very long time for Xbox to give us something new in regards to the Banjo-Kazooie IP, and while that wait unfortunately continues, Microsoft did quietly sign off on a special new version of the original game recently. The folks over at Evercade have just released a new...
- Xbox
- Random
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Evercade
- Blaze
News This New Xbox Controller Looks Absolutely Insane, And It's Releasing This Year
"Bringing professional grade flight controls to the Xbox for the very first time"
Have you been playing much Microsoft Flight Simulator lately? If you have, we've got the perfect new Xbox controller for you - it's called the Echo Aviation Controller XPC, and it's releasing later this year. This controller looks extremely unique as you can see up...
- Xbox
- Controllers
- Echo Aviation Controller XPC
- Honeycomb Aeronautical
Time Extension Extreme, close up
It's fair to say that Truxton Extreme has held my attention ever since it was first revealed. The latest instalment in a series which started life in arcades all the way back in 1989, the game – which is helmed by Masahiro Yuge, former Toaplan staffer and the driving force (and composer) behind the entire series – stays true...
- Hands On
- Features
- Truxton
- Nintendo Switch
- PS5
Talking Point Xbox Fans, How Are You Getting On With Microsoft Rewards In 2026?
How many points have you got right now?
It was around this time last year that we asked Pure Xbox readers how you were getting on with Microsoft Rewards in 2025, so it's time to bring out the annual Talking Point once again, with the service having changed considerably for some of us over the past 12 months! As you may have read elsewhere on Pure...
- Xbox
- Microsoft Rewards
- Talking Point
- Features
Feature 10 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In July 2026
Including plenty of Game Pass titles!
With July now in full swing, and with Xbox layoffs seemingly set to dominate the headlines next week, we thought we'd use this quiet opportunity to highlight 10 games that we think should be on your radar throughout the month! A lot of these are already confirmed for Xbox Game Pass, and we'll be sure to...
- Xbox
- Indie Games
- Features
- July 2026
- Xbox One
Thursday2nd Jul 2026
News Eight Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Early July 2026
Update: Microsoft removes three from the list
Microsoft has revealed the next eleven games leaving Xbox Game Pass in early July 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox mobile app. Co-op takes a hit on this occasion, with notable departures for PowerWash Simulator and Golf With Your Friends - putting an end...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- July 2026
- Leaving Soon
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, But Only In Limited Form (July 2)
One's crossed over to a new tier, the other is a free trial
Today marks the first day of Xbox Game Pass additions in July, although it's not your typical lineup - one's just crossing over from Ultimate to Premium, and the other is a free trial that only lasts for 10 hours. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is the title joining Xbox Game Pass Premium,
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Tony Hawk
- EA Sports
- EA Play
Feature 20+ Of The Best Discounted Games From Xbox's Two New Early July 2026 Sales
Handpicked for your discounted pleasure
There's a deal or two lurking within the new Xbox sales! We've seen two new promotions appearing on the Xbox Store today in the shape of an ID@Xbox Multiplayer Madness sale, and a Publisher Spotlight Series sale discounting titles from Atari, Crystal Dynamics, Deep Silver, and more. Of course, you're free to...
- Xbox
- Features
- Deals
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Journalist Claims Xbox Is 'Keeping' Obsidian Following Rumours Of Potential Closure
Update: Not as bad as first feared
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news again, but a new report from The Game Business says that Obsidian is amongst the studios that are in negotiations with Microsoft to avoid being closed at Xbox Game Studios. This seems to have come out of nowhere, with the Avowed and Outer Worlds developer having not been...
- Xbox
- Obsidian
- Layoffs
Rumour Halo Being 'Heavily Evaluated' At Xbox, But Remains Key Part Of Future Plans
Resources may be allocated towards the franchise
There's obviously a lot of talk about potential layoffs and studio closures at Xbox right now, but one franchise that definitely won't be going anywhere is Halo - or at least, that's what the belief appears to be at the moment. Windows Central's Jez Corden was asked about this on social media today,...
- Xbox
- Rumours
- Halo
Does it make sense business-wise though?
There's definitely some disgruntlement going on in the world of PlayStation right now. As mentioned by our friends at Push Square, "many" online petitions have been created in response to Sony's decision to ditch physical disc-based games as of 2028, and it's also spurred on an interesting reaction from Xbox...
- Xbox
- Physical Releases
- Discs
- Industry
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 2-5)
Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend
It's Thursday, so we're back to highlight the latest batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles! We've got a lot of games this time around - five of them are official FPD additions, and one of them has a free trial but isn't technically included as part of the program. That game is Battlefield 6, the free...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
News Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Release Date Pulled Forward By Three Weeks
Avoiding the late-September crowd
Capcom has announced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword, an upcoming action-adventure title set for Xbox Series X|S, will now launch September 4th, a whole three weeks earlier than its original September 25th release date. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the first game in over two decades, a revival for Capcom's 2001...
- Xbox
- Onimusha
- Capcom
- Release Dates
Wednesday1st Jul 2026
Feature 30 Xbox Series X|S Games To Look Forward To In July-December 2026
Six months of fantastic new games are ahead of us!
Update: As mentioned, we're updating this feature on a monthly basis, and it's now been adjusted for July. We've taken a few games away, added a few in, and changed a handful of dates around for games that are coming up. With 2026 now starting to kick into gear, it's time to look ahead at what...
- Xbox
- Features
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- 2026
News Another Call Of Duty Game Is Gearing Up For Xbox Game Pass
Grab your coat, it could get chilly
Two full weeks have come to pass since Vanguard joined the subscription service, and it looks like Microsoft has begun preparations for another Call of Duty title to make its way onto Xbox Game Pass some time in the future. Similar to our earlier report for Vanguard, it's once again been spotted that
- Xbox
- Call Of Duty
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Activision
Report Xbox Disc-To-Digital Feature Will Allow You To Digitise Your Physical Collection
But only for Xbox One and Xbox Series X titles
Back in May, we highlighted a rumour from Windows Central about a potential disc-to-digital feature being implemented by Xbox in which you'd be able to receive digital entitlements for your physical games. The outlet said at the time that it was very unsure on t
- Xbox
- Physical Releases
- Project Helix
- Reports
News As PlayStation Announces The End Of Disc-Based Releases, Will Xbox Follow Suit?
"This is a natural direction"
We've had some bombshell news over in the world of PlayStation today, as Sony has announced that as of January 2028, physical games on that platform will no longer release with a disc. The company says this is a "natural direction" for the way the industry is going, and that the "general preference for digital media...
- Xbox
- PlayStation
- Physical Releases
- Discs
- Talking Point
News Xbox Reminds Game Pass Members To Buy Modern Warfare 4 If They Want To Play It Day One
And they say we don't buy Xbox games anymore
Xbox has pinged notifications to Game Pass subscribers reminding them that in order to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 day one on Xbox, they're going to have to, well...purchase the game. Since Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard, each new Call of Duty release has been available day one with...
- Xbox
- Call of Duty
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
News Two OG Xbox Games With 'Handheld' Tag Could Hint At PC Backwards Compatibility
Native PC back compat on the way?
All eyes are on Xbox this week as we draw closer to what is being talked up as a potential 'bloodbath' for Xbox Game Studios. Not quite the sentiment we expected from Xbox's 25th anniversary, but amid all the noise surrounding layoffs and studio closures, we may have stumbled across a hint at Xbox's plans for...
- Xbox
- PC
- Handhelds
- Backwards Compatibility
News The Previews Are In For DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations DLC
Who doesn't love a spot of rip and/or tearing?
Last year in May, DOOM: The Dark Ages properly pumped up its players with its medieval setting, gnarly tunes and an equally badass skull-crushing shotgun. id Software's flagship shooter saw generally favourable review scores upon release - we even awarded it a cracking 9/10, whilst The Dark Ages is...
- Xbox
- Doom The Dark Ages
- Revelations
- Expansions
- DLC
Report Hideo Kojima's Xbox Exclusive 'OD' Is Safe From Cancellation At Microsoft
The project remains a mystery, but at least it's still in development
Hideo Kojima's Xbox exclusive horror game OD is reportedly safe from Microsoft's, arguably scarier, 'Xbox Reset' strategy. The sentiment comes from a recent IGN report claiming a source 'familiar' with Microsoft's dealings believes Kojima Productions aren't considered to be on...
- Xbox
- OD
- Xbox Game Studios
- Kojima Productions
Tuesday30th Jun 2026
News Xbox Issues Statement After Pulling Out Of Project Fantasy
"We're not reducing our overall investment in games"
A few years ago, we reported on a new project from 007 First Light and Hitman developer IO Interactive called Project Fantasy, and it was rumoured at the time that it might have been an Xbox exclusive. Flash forward to today, and Xbox has now pulled out of the project and issued an accompanying...
- Xbox
- Project Fantasy
- IO Interactive
News 'RV There Yet?' Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, And Here's What The Reviews Are Saying
Looks like VR
Strap in folks, Xbox Game Pass has a brand-new addition today and it's a doozy! Since you're already buckled in, RV There Yet? has finally made its way to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC and Cloud, following its viral success on Steam when it launched back in October last year. RV There Yet? is described modestly as a "co-op adventure about...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- RV There Yet
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Marvel's Blade Reportedly In Danger As Xbox Considers Shutting Arkane Studios
"Sources tell me Microsoft wants to cancel Blade"
We can't go a day without some kind of report about Xbox layoffs at the moment, with The Verge reporting this afternoon that Marvel's Blade developer Arkane Studios is in danger of being closed by Microsoft. This had already been rumoured prior to today, but The Verge goes one step further by...
- Xbox
- Marvel's Blade
- Arkane Studios
News GTA 6 Rumour Suggests 60FPS on Xbox Series X, But Digital Foundry Says It's 'Unlikely'
DF doesn't think so
With the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 coming into view, so does a whole host of debate, speculation and expectation. Admittedly, it's a welcome distraction from the more horrid Xbox rumours of late, as conversation turns to whether there's a "route forward" for GTA 6 at 60FPS on Xbox Series
- Xbox
- GTA
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Rockstar Games
Report Xbox Originally Planned To Publish New Game From Assassin's Creed Creator
It's still expected to release on Series X and S though
You may have come across a game called 1666: Amsterdam in recent weeks, which is a new story-led action adventure title by the folks at Panache Digital Games - known for developing the popular Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Patrice Desilets was the founder of that studio, and he happens to...
- Xbox
- Amsterdam 1666
- Assassins Creed
- Reports
News Here's A Look At New Gameplay For Turok: Origins, Releasing On Xbox This Fall
What do you thinkisauros?
Saber Interactive has dusted off a fresh look at gameplay for Turok: Origins, a fast-paced revival for the legendary dino-hunting shooter. The new trailer, although relatively short, gives us a bloody-good glimpse at some of the gnarly melee and sci-fi weapons at our disposal, alongside ancient ruins and jungles to do...
- Xbox
- Turok Origins
- Xbox Series X
- Saber Interactive
News Meccha Chameleon Dev Remains Tight-Lipped On Xbox Version Following PC Success
It's the top selling game on Steam right now
Believe it or not, if you look at the "Top Sellers" chart on Steam right now, the main game isn't a AAA title whatsoever - it's a new indie release called Meccha Chameleon that launched earlier this month. The idea behind Meccha Chameleon is that it's a hide-and-seek multiplayer game where you either...
- Xbox
- Meccha Chameleon
News Smash Hit 'RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike' Drops Onto Xbox This Fall
If Balatro and a 2p machine had a baby
Listen up serotonin seekers, RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike is on its way to Xbox Series X|S this fall. The news follows its massively popular run on PC, where the game currently rocks "Very Positive" reviews on Steam. RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike is described as having the "chaotic fun of classic arcade...
- Xbox
- Raccoin
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Monday29th Jun 2026
Feature All New Games Coming To Xbox In July 2026
Release dates for every July Xbox launch
Welcome to our roundup of all new Xbox games coming out in July 2026! Below, we've listed every Xbox game with a July 2026 release date, including all confirmed Xbox Game Pass titles for July 2026 so far. Without further ado, here are all the new games coming to Xbox in July 2026: The Biggest New Xbox...
- Xbox
- July 2026
- New Releases
- New Games
- Features
