The long wait for Cronos: The New Dawn's DLC expansion, Cronos: Lazarus, is almost over, as Bloober Team has revealed its release date and price tag.The expansion will be released on December 3, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5, and will cost $9.99. Additionally, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of this DLC will be released sometime in the first quarter of 2027.Witness the origins of the Warden in Cronos: LazarusCronos: Lazarus will have players step i
The long wait for Cronos: The New Dawn's DLC expansion, Cronos: Lazarus, is almost over, as Bloober Team has revealed its release date and price tag.
The expansion will be released on December 3, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5, and will cost $9.99. Additionally, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of this DLC will be released sometime in the first quarter of 2027.
Witness the origins of the Warden in Cronos: Lazarus
Cronos: Lazarus will have players step into the role of the Warden, a mysterious character from the base of Cronos: The New Dawn. In this DLC expansion, you will witness the Warden's story from his beginnings as the Pathfinder to how he became who he is now.
Throughout this adventure, you will uncover dark secrets of the Collective, fight hordes of monsters using new weapons and abilities like teleportation and decoy holograms, and fend off the pursuit of a new enemy called the Tracker.
If you haven't played Cronos: The New Dawn yet, now's the best time to jump in, as Bloober Team is offering the game at a 50% discount on all digital storefronts for the Halloween season.
Step into a grim world where time and space have been twisted beyond repair, humanity has mostly turned into ravenous monsters, and the only way to survive is by travelling to the past to extract souls of the living.
I want to say I’m surprised, but every time something like this happens, I’m reminded of all the other wild developments in the space. I just shrug my shoulders because, yes, of course Halo: Combat Evolved has been ported to Roblox. Why wouldn’t it?Seriously, though, I have no idea what’s going on under the hood here. If I had to hazard a guess, it starts with Claude and ends with AI. It’s a lot like what’s happening with the Nintendo Switch 2 after a jailbreak w
I want to say I’m surprised, but every time something like this happens, I’m reminded of all the other wild developments in the space. I just shrug my shoulders because, yes, of course Halo: Combat Evolved has been ported to Roblox. Why wouldn’t it?
Seriously, though, I have no idea what’s going on under the hood here. If I had to hazard a guess, it starts with Claude and ends with AI. It’s a lot like what’s happening with the Nintendo Switch 2 after a jailbreak was found, allowing Mario Kart World to run on Mac. Or how the PS5 got jailbroken, enabling users to play almost every console game bar the Xbox Series on the device. There are valid concerns with both of those scenarios, but Roblox adds another layer to the mix.
Halo on Roblox is impressive, but it raises some concerns
As a platform, Roblox is often synonymous with predators, shady business practices, and user-generated content that mimics other games, sometimes before they even release. So, you can imagine that Halo: Combat Evolved not just being mimicked, but straight-up ported, sets a worrying precedent. And Halo isn’t the only thing making the jump.
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve seen Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike, and even a PlayStation 4 emulator running within Roblox. I’m sure all of these will eventually lead to copyright strikes from Xbox, Valve, and Sony, though.
Given the current cost of games, if people have the opportunity to play something for free in Roblox instead of buying it on Steam, there will definitely be those who take that route. But that’s just my take on things.
Let me know in the comments whether you’re worried or excited about what this opens up, and be sure to take part in our poll!
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Call of Duty has revealed Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4, slated to go live on November 6 at midnight ET. That breaks usual tradition for new seasons, and indeed, it's a 5am launch here in the UK. I won't be getting up that early, that's for sure. While the intel drop is full of information on what DMZ and multiplayer fans can expect, for those still waiting on knowing more about what's coming to Warzone, there's still a wait to be had. We know that there will be
Call of Duty has revealed Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4, slated to go live on November 6 at midnight ET. That breaks usual tradition for new seasons, and indeed, it's a 5am launch here in the UK. I won't be getting up that early, that's for sure.
While the intel drop is full of information on what DMZ and multiplayer fans can expect, for those still waiting on knowing more about what's coming to Warzone, there's still a wait to be had.
We know that there will be two new maps joining the rotation. Hajin, the DMZ map, will be joining the battle royale mode alongside the returning Verdansk. Whether it's an exact copy or will be tweaked in some way, we'll have to wait and see. Zodiac, the new Resurgence map we already saw during the beta, and it will join the (sigh) returning Rebirth Island.
Warzone fans will have to wait, though, to find out the full details on what the first integration with Modern Warfare 4 will look like, though.
"Play across two new maps in Call of Duty®: Warzone™ as the Season 1 update brings both Hajin and Zodiac, plus the return of Verdansk and Rebirth Island, additional game modes, gameplay features, and more as Modern Warfare 4 becomes fully integrated with the free-to-play game. Keep your eyes on the Call of Duty blog this Monday, November 2, for a separate post and Roadmapfully covering everything coming to Call of Duty: Warzone in Season 1."
We already got a first look at the new Resurgence map, Zodiac, during the Modern Warfare 4 beta. (Image credit: Activision)
It was already confirmed earlier this year that due to Modern Warfare 4 not being available on last-gen consoles, those platforms would not be able to play Warzone once the integration happened.
Players who want to continue can, of course, still use Xbox Cloud Gaming or alternatives such as NVIDIA GeForce Now, and all their previous purchases in Warzone will be permanently applied to their Activision ID.
It'll be interesting to see what the player reaction to Warzone under Modern Warfare 4 is. DMZ has been received pretty positively, though the PvP elements still feel a little unbalanced in my opinion. But the new movement that came with Modern Warfare 4 definitely rewards a slower, more tactical style of play (for better or worse) but then, we all know that Warzone players love to fly around the map. So who knows?
Nevertheless, we'll know a lot more on November 2.
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Call of Duty has announced Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4 will begin on November 6 at midnight ET, and DMZ is already getting a new map. Future locations have already been teased for DMZ before the launch of the game, but the first one is already arriving a mere two weeks post-launch. But it's not just a new map; it's quite different to Hajin and is more reminiscent of Building 21 from the original DMZ. "A previously undiscovered weapons facility — codenamed X01 —
Call of Duty has announced Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4 will begin on November 6 at midnight ET, and DMZ is already getting a new map.
Future locations have already been teased for DMZ before the launch of the game, but the first one is already arriving a mere two weeks post-launch.
But it's not just a new map; it's quite different to Hajin and is more reminiscent of Building 21 from the original DMZ.
"A previously undiscovered weapons facility — codenamed X01 — has recently been seized by enemy forces. Recent reconnaissance along the northern border of North Korea has determined an infiltration point, allowing for deployment through Hajin. Current data suggests this facility was a GRANIT Arms black site. It appears comprised of a dimly lit, labyrinthian network of passageways, tunnels, and linking chambers surrounding a clandestine weapons assembly line and other, more surprising locations. Appearing to be fully enclosed from the outside world, ground-penetrating radar has revealed multi-floored vertical traversals, where the only reliable edge you may have is the back-up of your squadmates."
I don't know about you but this doesn't look like a very inviting place. (Image credit: Activision)
Expect a fairly strong PvP experience, though apparently that's not the worst thing you'll encounter. We're told it "may be unwise to engage them in head-to-head combat" referring not to players, but to the 100 Spirits NK Faction that is active in the vicinity.
Ghost will act as our Watcher for infils into X01, and alongside the map will be new pages of DMZ Orders for players to complete.
X01 will also be home to a bunch of new enemy types, items, and equipment, though the first two are labelled as [CLASSIFIED]. So you'll need to take the plunge and go see for yourself. But it sounds like the best way to dominate X01 will be to plunder the loot within its walls.
Elsewhere, the FOB will be getting some upgrades, with something new and [CLASSIFIED] for the 3D Printer Station, new weapons and gear at the Vendor which apparently are linked to the BlackCell pass from Season 1 (which you also have if you bought the Vault Edition) and new Lieutenants and Commanders added to the Boss Board.
DMZ has got off to a roaring start in Modern Warfare 4. (Image credit: Cole Martin for Windows Central, Activision)
Season 1 for DMZ also promises two events: Threat Briefing and Resupply Run. The former will see you engaging with either The Captain or a Battle Tank, and in each case extracting parts of their respective armor. The more parts you get, the better the rewards.
Resupply Run is a bit like a trolley dash, but in Hajin, with enemies shooting at you. You'll be tasked with finding specific items to trade in for high-value gear such as Self Revive Kits and 3-Plate Armor Vests.
More events are promised throughout Season 1, but it's definitely a positive to see DMZ frontloaded with content so early on. It requires a decent investment of your time, but so far, it looks like it's well worth it.
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The PlayStation 2 was never something you could casually slip into a bag, unless you planned to bring a screen and controller along for the ride. The PlayStation 2 DUO brings those pieces together in an unofficial DIY handheld with an unusual trick. Its screen actually bends in the middle, letting you fold the console when it’s time to put the game away.
There’s plenty of familiar territory around that unfamiliar fold. A purple shell surrounds the display, with a D-pad and the four recognizable
The PlayStation 2 was never something you could casually slip into a bag, unless you planned to bring a screen and controller along for the ride. The PlayStation 2 DUO brings those pieces together in an unofficial DIY handheld with an unusual trick. Its screen actually bends in the middle, letting you fold the console when it’s time to put the game away.
There’s plenty of familiar territory around that unfamiliar fold. A purple shell surrounds the display, with a D-pad and the four recognizable PlayStation symbols sitting above two analog sticks. Start and Select occupy the upper corners, while speaker grilles sit below the controls. The arrangement looks reassuringly conventional, which is probably helpful when the screen between your hands is doing something rather unconventional.
That screen is a single flexible panel, rather than two separate displays interrupted by a hinge. The project’s earlier development notes describe a 7.8-inch screen salvaged from a foldable phone. It gives the DUO a generous central canvas when opened, without committing the handheld to that same width inside a bag. Of course, making a screen bend doesn’t make its limitations magically disappear.
The panel needs room to curve, and forcing it into a sharp fold would damage it. That requirement shaped the casing and its hinge, leaving a broad bend instead of squeezing the halves completely flat together. It’s a less tidy package than a closed clamshell might suggest, but the extra space has a practical purpose: keeping that delicate display in one piece.
There’s genuine PlayStation 2 hardware inside as well, rather than a newer computer pretending to be Sony’s console. Getting it to fit required cutting down the original motherboard and rearranging its supporting electronics. A 3D-printed enclosure brings everything together, turning equipment once tethered to a television into something you can hold between both hands. The nostalgia extends beyond the buttons, in other words.
The folding body makes the electronics more complicated, of course. Separate control boards occupy the two sides, with a ribbon cable linking them across the center. The trimmed motherboard also carries a small cooling fan and heatsink. There’s quite a bit happening underneath that playful exterior, particularly for a device whose moving parts include the surface you’re supposed to be staring at.
Folding it up reduces the footprint, but doesn’t automatically make this a pocket console. The published project information doesn’t establish its weight, closed dimensions, or battery runtime, so there’s little reason to start planning an entire flight around it. More importantly, this is a completed hobby build, not an upcoming Sony handheld with a price tag and a place on store shelves.
Enclosure printing files and a PCB archive are available on the project page, although they don’t amount to a complete assembly guide. Recreating the DUO still involves board modification and careful work around a flexible display. That might temper the urge to make one immediately, especially if your experience with PlayStation hardware mostly involves inserting discs rather than cutting up circuit boards.
Original Article:World of Warcraft: Forever, the stand-alone, Classic+ take on World of Warcraft, releases next week on November 4, 2026, on PC. To celebrate, Blizzard Entertainment is releasing a series of videos called ‘World of Warcraft: Planet Azeroth’. It's a Planet Earth-style documentary with a comedic tone that gives viewers a grand tour of Azeroth's many locales that have been reimagined in World of Warcraft: Forever's new lighting and graphical effects
World of Warcraft: Forever, the stand-alone, Classic+ take on World of Warcraft, releases next week on November 4, 2026, on PC. To celebrate, Blizzard Entertainment is releasing a series of videos called ‘World of Warcraft: Planet Azeroth’.
It's a Planet Earth-style documentary with a comedic tone that gives viewers a grand tour of Azeroth's many locales that have been reimagined in World of Warcraft: Forever's new lighting and graphical effects.
Along the way, viewers will encounter iconic monsters like Murlocs, Kobolds, and Boars, while taking in vast vistas like the Elwynn Forest, Durotar, and Tirisfal Glades, to name a few.
British comedian/musician Bill Bailey will host World of Warcraft: Planet Azeroth, which will run for three videos (with episodes 2 and 3 releasing on October 30, 2026, and November 1, 2026, respectively) as we get closer to World of Warcraft: Forever's release.
Will World of Warcraft: Forever provide more fun than the Retail version of WoW?
I'm personally intrigued by the existence of WoW: Forever and interested in playing it when it comes out, as I never got to experience the early days of World of Warcraft before all the expansions came out.
This week, the popular gaming chat platform Discord sailed back into the bad books of many users after it announced official plans to make what you say in discoverable servers searchable on Google.Discord was already in hot water with users earlier this year when it announced it was adding global age verification. "Discord alternatives" searches jumped 10,000% overnight, while the majority of our readers polled agreed that it was time to leave the platform.The ag
This week, the popular gaming chat platform Discord sailed back into the bad books of many users after it announced official plans to make what you say in discoverable servers searchable on Google.
The age verification situation was finally cemented in September when Discord made it official. There wasn't a ton of outcry, whether because users accepted their fate or already ditched Discord for an alternative.
Is it time to raise the pitchforks again? Not quite. Let me explain.
Is Discord's Google search move really that bad?
Discord will soon make content from discoverable servers indexable by Google. (Image credit: Future | Discord | Google | Edited with Gemini)
Discord's planned change begins rolling out on November 16, when every discoverable server will receive a server web page. This page is expected to be populated with AI summaries of what users are talking about.
Privacy?
Usernames and avatars will not be included with any text pulled by Google from Discord's discoverable servers.
Discord plans to drop the full change, where your publicly posted words will be discoverable by Google, in mid-December.
This isn't as bad as you think, but it's certainly still invasive. Discord's discoverable servers are not the same as private servers you and your friends use. They're not the DMs you send to other Discord users.
They are the Discord servers that don't require an invite to join and that must have at least 1,000 members. Discord says there are about 63,000 of these servers currently on the go.
Messages you've sent in these servers before the mid-December switch flip won't appear in Google. However, anything sent after the deadline will indeed be searchable.
If you frequent these types of servers and don't want your words appearing in the world's most popular search engine, you can opt out.
How to opt out of Discord's discoverable server Google search changes
Users can hit this one toggle to negate the changes. (Image credit: Future)
Don't want what you type in certain Discord servers to show up in Google? Here's how to opt out.
Click the User Settings button in the Discord app. It's a gear located in the bottom-left corner.
Click Data and Privacy.
Ensure the toggle next to "Show my message content from Discoverable channels on web pages" is turned off.
As far as I can tell, that should do the trick. Keep in mind that your messages from before the switch won't be indexed, so there's not much reason to go back and delete posts you've made in the past.
If you run a server and are not sure if it's discoverable, Discord has a full guide on how to enable, disable, and configure the setting.
Windows Central's take
Is Discord's upcoming change really that bad? No. (Image credit: Windows Central)
Discord's angle here is that it wants valuable content created in discoverable servers to be found by a much larger audience.
It imagines a richer collection of game guides, tips, and tricks in Google now that it's opening up its content, and for that I don't blame the company.
The fact that this change comes with so much heads-up time, as well as easy-to-find toggles to disable, makes it easy to negate. Just be sure to hit the right toggles before Discord makes the switch mid-December.
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Xbox's Year in Review feature, which lets players look back on their favorite games and greatest achievements, has been missing for over 2 years; the last one was in 2024, and in 2025, players had to turn to fan-made alternatives.However, it appears Microsoft is finally looking to bring back Xbox Year in Review, but it will be reborn as a new feature called "Xbox Playback" in honor of Xbox's 25th anniversary.Xbox's "Year in Review" page will be replaced with "Pla
Xbox's Year in Review feature, which lets players look back on their favorite games and greatest achievements, has been missing for over 2 years; the last one was in 2024, and in 2025, players had to turn to fan-made alternatives.
However, it appears Microsoft is finally looking to bring back Xbox Year in Review, but it will be reborn as a new feature called "Xbox Playback" in honor of Xbox's 25th anniversary.
This discovery comes from X user @redphx, who has uploaded images of this system in action (and we can confirm with our sources that it is real). It lists his most-played game of all time, total playtime across all platforms, total number of games played, rarest achievement, and much more.
However, @redphx notes Xbox Playback is bugged right now, as it listed the Xbox One as their first console despite never seeing or owning it, and mentions the Xbox Series X was their first console.
@redphx mentions Xbox's "Year in Review" tab page will be replaced with "Playback" at https://xbox.com/playback, but the link is currently not publicly available.
Not that I'm complaining, of course. It's cool to see Xbox Year-in-Review coming back, but this time detailing your entire Xbox career instead of just the past year. So I'm looking forward to seeing the final product in action when Xbox Playback gets officially announced.
Could these be part of a series of more updates coming to Xbox platforms when the brand's 25th anniversary lands on November 15, 2026? We'll have to wait to find out.
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It takes a lot for me to get excited at the prospect of playing Shipment in Call of Duty again, but here we are. The original brainrot map has now landed in Modern Warfare 4. And I am excited for it. But that's only because the first weekend of multiplayer has been hard. The launch maps are OK at best, the matchmaking makes every game feel like the Call of Duty League finals, and it just feels like hard work. Video games shouldn't feel like hard work. While Infin
It takes a lot for me to get excited at the prospect of playing Shipment in Call of Duty again, but here we are. The original brainrot map has now landed in Modern Warfare 4.
And I am excited for it. But that's only because the first weekend of multiplayer has been hard. The launch maps are OK at best, the matchmaking makes every game feel like the Call of Duty League finals, and it just feels like hard work. Video games shouldn't feel like hard work.
While Infinity Ward can certainly fix it, for now, we turn to Shipment for some good old-fashioned brainless run and gun. For those chasing the mastery camos, it's definitely a welcome sight to speed up the process a little.
Even so, it's not perfect. The TTK feels too long for Shipment (in my opinion), and there's clear weapon balancing that needs to be done that will presumably not have a chance to happen until Season 1 starts next week.
But whether it's nostalgia or just the fact that the launch weekend has been absolutely mollywhopping you, Shipment 24/7 is live, and most of the game modes are available on rotation on the now smallest map in Modern Warfare 4.
After an incredible campaign, the debut of DMZ which mostly has been a great time (exfil campers aside), multiplayer has been a very mixed bag. Compared to the beta earlier this year, it just doesn't feel as, well, fun.
The maps are definitely not some of Call of Duty's best, though I have been enjoying Mumbai especially, and Cachette is pretty fun, too. But I also think the movement needs to be updated, because while being slower is fine, it feels too clunky and like you have to work hard just to get into and out of a gunfight.
But the gunplay, as in the beta, is really good, even if I think the TTK is still too high. Or maybe it's the weapon balancing that's off, as some, even on Shipment, feel like you're slapping someone in the face with a napkin from a little kid's birthday party.
But if you're camo grinding, go forth and rot thy brain in the name of Orion Reforged. May the shipping containers make your journey take a more profitable path.
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The passionate community fighting to rescue the Mass Effect franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Following a massive digital billboard activation in Times Square, the @WeAreMassEffect organizing team launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund further advertising efforts, and completely shattered their target in under 20 minutes.The rapid success even took the organizers by surprise, and has made them temporarily pause donations as they plan their next move."We're
The passionate community fighting to rescue the Mass Effect franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Following a massive digital billboard activation in Times Square, the @WeAreMassEffect organizing team launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund further advertising efforts, and completely shattered their target in under 20 minutes.
The rapid success even took the organizers by surprise, and has made them temporarily pause donations as they plan their next move.
"We're raising funds for more billboards near EA HQ and The Game Awards!"
(Image credit: Provided by We Are Mass Effect )
The crowdfunding campaign was set up to purchase additional billboards located near Electronic Arts' headquarters and at the upcoming Game Awards.
The fundraiser has pulled in $5,715 from just 89 donations, easily clearing its initial $5,200 goal before organizers officially hit the pause button on contributions. Beyond funding the physical protests, We Are Mass Effect have promised that any excess money raised over the target will be directed to the UVW-CWA Game Worker Hardship Fund to directly support the developers laid off during BioWare's recent closure.
@kalaelizabeth We reached our goal in less than 20 minutes. We're incredibly proud of this community 😭October 27, 2026
The decision to halt donations so quickly was a sensible one, as the community plan their next move. The organizers over on the community Discord have stressed the need to take the campaign "one step at a time" to ensure transparency and guarantee that no one's money is put at risk. Apparently fraudulent accounts and copycat links are already appearing to pocket money from eager fans. Now that the goal has been met, the team is ensuring the funds are handled responsibly while they execute the promised billboards.
To keep the momentum going without soliciting more cash, the movement has established a dedicated home at SaveMassEffect.com. Organizers are also issuing a rallying cry to the community's creatives, urging YouTubers, podcasters, artists, and journalists to continue making content utilizing the #SaveMassEffect hashtag to maintain visibility. Fans have also been flooding EA social posts with #SaveMassEffect not unlike in the PlayStation physical disc debacle where anything PlayStation posted was met with fury.
With their petition still climbing and funding locked in for their next massive real-world stunts, the team promises they have "plenty more things in the works" as they continue to hold the line for Mass Effect and the BioWare studio.
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World of Warcraft's new housing system has provided a segment of the player base with things to do, collect, and create beyong the typical raiding gameplay loop, but already it is becoming egregious for its monetization layers. World of Warcraft's Housing gameplay feature has acquired some decor items for sale for real money, which isn't a first. The new bundles are called the Haunted Grimtide Estate for $25 on Battle.net and the Grimtide Decor Pack for $10 on Ba
World of Warcraft's new housing system has provided a segment of the player base with things to do, collect, and create beyong the typical raiding gameplay loop, but already it is becoming egregious for its monetization layers.
World of Warcraft's Housing gameplay feature has acquired some decor items for sale for real money, which isn't a first.
The items within these bundles are spooky furniture and decorations themed after the Kul Tiran player race, as these items have a pirate and Lovecraftian aesthetic. However, players are not happy about this arrangement, owing to Blizzard's previous promises about its microtransaction practices for housing.
@Wowhead Kul Tiran housing decor in the shop directly contradicts Blizzard's housing principles from less than a year ago.It was literally principle #2. https://t.co/UOkELnupW3October 27, 2026
X users and even famed content creators like @BellularGaming responded to this, pointing out that Blizzard Entertainment is contradicting itself, reminding us that the company swore never to sell housing decor tied to player races for real money.
The promise in question came from a developer blog post Blizzard made on November 6, 2025, where it said, and I quote, "Housing items tied to core fantasies of a player’s race or class, or that already exist in Azeroth, won’t be sold in the shop. Thematically important decor that players know and love will also not appear in the shop."
We've reached out to Blizzard for further comment regarding this situation.
We finally got player house after two decades, but at what cost?
Suddenly, our homes don't feel so homely anymore in Azeroth. (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Housing was one of the most requested gameplay features ever since the 2000s, as players wanted a place for their characters and guilds to call home.
Unfortunately, while the actual gameplay of Housing was good, it was marred by controversial housing cosmetic DLC items that cost just as much as an expansion. Add this betrayal of trust on Blizzard's part, and much of the hype and goodwill surrounding this long-awaited feature has been sucked away, much like the rest of this expansion.
So far, the vast majority of playable races in WoW don't have exterior decor options; some don't even have interior decor options in abundance. Getting items can be an absolutely monstrous grind, and unlike other similar games with housing systems like Fallout 76, you need to buy each individual piece, limiting creativity.
Here's hoping the prices drop on these cosmetics (or better yet, make them free and earnable in-game), and that the next expansion, World of Warcraft: The Last Titan, as well as World of Warcraft: Forever, turn out to be much better experiences.
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Reviewing a game on XBOX takes too many steps today. Press and creators should be able to redeem and play, and that's what the team is ultimately building toward. The first updates are coming soon.October 28, 2026Original article:Infinity Ward is celebrating some glowing reviews right now for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which has hit a comfortable 89 on PlayStation and 86 on PC. By extension, it should be a slam dunk for Microsoft, given that they, you know,
Reviewing a game on XBOX takes too many steps today. Press and creators should be able to redeem and play, and that's what the team is ultimately building toward. The first updates are coming soon.October 28, 2026
Original article:
Infinity Ward is celebrating some glowing reviews right now for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which has hit a comfortable 89 on PlayStation and 86 on PC. By extension, it should be a slam dunk for Microsoft, given that they, you know, own Activision.
Unfortunately, there is one glaring omission from that Metacritic infographic, and it's Xbox.
We're incredibly grateful for the reception to Modern Warfare 4 and everyone who's been part of the journey so far.With Metacritic scores 89 on PlayStation and 86 on PC, we're humbled by the recognition and thankful for all the support from the community.#MW4 is available now 👉 https://t.co/0N5m5B5qEyOctober 26, 2026
If you head over to Metacritic, the lack of mention of an Xbox score makes sense immediately. The Xbox Series X version of Modern Warfare 4 doesn't have an official Metascore at all. It sits at a bleak "tbd" based on a grand total of two critic reviews.
So Microsoft owns Activision. Microsoft owns Call of Duty. Yet when it comes time to aggregate critical acclaim for the biggest blockbuster under its banner, there aren't enough critic reviews on Xbox to even generate a baseline score. It's not a good look, is it?
I'm not going to lay blame with "Xbox tax" on this one, don't worry; the reality is far more banal. Platform preference isn't to blame here, but the review process itself on Xbox is unnecessarily painful, and Xbox needs to do something about it.
Game keys vs Whitelisting shenanigans
Modern Warfare 4 may have taken over Xbox dashboards, but where are the reviews? (Image credit: Windows Central)
Most gaming journalists and creators will be offered a choice of platforms on which to review a game, and they choose the path of least resistance. That path is generally PC/Steam, where you get a simple game code or access to a pre-release beta branch, or PlayStation, where you can redeem a code and you're good to go.
On Xbox, however, the process is more convoluted. You have to give your Xbox Live Device ID, which is buried within developer and system settings, to a PR company and wait for the publisher to manually whitelist your individual hardware before a code or build will even register.
Many of us are working against tight embargoes under an influx of game releases, especially in this absolute storm of releases that is Q4, and any extra steps to take can mount up in the inbox. Even if someone wants to cover the Xbox version of a game, convenience almost always dictates picking Steam or PS5 instead.
Here at Windows Central, we obviously try to play within the Xbox ecosystem, yet even we constantly run into this wall. Case in point: for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 specifically, our own review was conducted on PC simply because that was the platform offered for the official review event.
When covering major releases or updates, PC and Steam codes are almost always pushed first because beta branches make distribution painless for publishers. Meanwhile, getting early access on Xbox feels a bit like doing my tax self-assessment.
Some titles, like Gears of War: E-Day, have had a healthier ratio. It was accessible through an insider build on the dashboard and much easier, so yes of course while it wasn't on PlayStation, we've a healthier skew of 87 Xbox reviews to 83 PC reviews. This isn't the norm, though.
PC and Steam codes are almost always pushed first because beta branches make distribution painless for publishers.
When reviewing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, I had to start my playthrough on Steam and wait a few days for the Xbox whitelisting to be completed before I could switch platforms (thank heavens for cross-save). I could have waited, sure, but when you're on a tight schedule, time is a luxury you don't have. I've had this exact same problem when checking out DLC for Goat Simulator 3, too.
When an outlet specifically dedicated to covering Xbox has to resort to playing pre-release games on PC just to hit embargo, what chance does the average reviewer at a multiplatform outlet have? Why would a critic jump through extra technical hoops for Xbox when a PS5 or Steam key is sitting in their inbox ready to download with a single click?
Xbox needs to fix this early access issue
(Image credit: Activision)
Xbox already faces an uphill battle when it comes to hardware market share and media coverage. But allowing its own pre-release access to remain this cumbersome is self-harming to the brand.
When publishers don't distribute Xbox codes efficiently, fewer outlets review Xbox builds. When fewer outlets review Xbox builds, Metacritic scores sit at "TBD." This, in turn, creates a public perception that nobody is playing or caring about the platform, even when the game in question is published by Microsoft itself. Gamers looking for reviews may purchase on the platform where more coverage exists. It quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If Microsoft wants Xbox to remain a primary platform for game reviews and media coverage, it needs to make access to its platform for reviews much easier. Until redeeming an early-access Xbox code is as simple as punching in a key on PlayStation or Steam, we’re going to keep seeing Xbox-owned games celebrated everywhere except on Xbox.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is out, and honestly, it looks like the first truly good Call of Duty campaign in a decade. That’s impressive in itself, but the data tells a slightly more worrying story.According to figures obtained via TrueAchievements and SteamDB, Modern Warfare 4 is reportedly down 32% from last year’s Black Ops 7 on Xbox. The game has also fallen short in player counts when compared to titles like Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day, a
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is out, and honestly, it looks like the first truly good Call of Duty campaign in a decade. That’s impressive in itself, but the data tells a slightly more worrying story.
What makes this even more interesting is that the situation doesn't appear to be much better over on Steam.
Steam numbers show a significant dip
Call of Duty Steam Charts (Image credit: SteamDB | charlieINTEL)
According to SteamDB, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has peaked at around 215,000 concurrent players so far. That’s not terrible by any means, but it falls considerably short of previous releases.
For comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reached a peak of 306,460 concurrent players on Steam during its launch weekend in October 2024, despite also releasing on Game Pass. That means Modern Warfare 4 has seen roughly 30% fewer concurrent players so far on Steam.
I should mention that these figures are for Call of Duty HQ, which includes multiple Call of Duty games, as well as Warzone and DMZ.
Of course, there are several things to consider here. Modern Warfare 4 isn't available on Game Pass, meaning players who previously relied on the service for access now have to purchase the game outright. Naturally, that makes jumping into the latest Call of Duty considerably more expensive. Given the times we live in, you can’t blame people for not throwing down $70.
That said, lower player counts don't necessarily translate into poor sales; the game was the number one best seller on Steam when it released. But without official figures from Activision, it's difficult to determine just how successful Modern Warfare 4 has been.
We do have one figure to go by, though. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently took to X to reveal that the Call of Duty franchise as a whole has passed $40 billion in revenue. That means the franchise has achieved $10 billion in revenue since 2022, when it was last reported at $30 billion.
With all that said, let me know your thoughts. Are people feeling fatigued by the yearly Call of Duty release cycle, or is it just that other games are out and Call of Duty isn’t quite worth the $70 on release, especially with a Game Pass release expected a year later?
Leave a comment down below, and be sure to take part in our poll!
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Xbox Game Pass is, by far, the best deal in gaming, at least since the price cut earlier this year. While the future of the service remains a bit of a mystery with rumors swirling about potential transformations, I’ve always thought it was a shame that mobile users couldn’t play at least some Game Pass games natively on their phones. Heaven knows it would have been an amazing selling point for Windows Phone, but I digress.Those on Android, and even iPhone, have h
Now, whilst iOS users are out of luck, at least for now, Android can now natively play Xbox Game Pass PC games thanks to the latest DroidDeck update. For now, the feature is in testing, but I’m rather impressed. In fact, we’re seeing a lot of things like this crop up lately; not long ago, we also got Xbox’s PC Game Pass on Steam Deck, thanks to Xodus Nexus, or heck, we even got Xbox One games running on iPhone.
How well do Xbox Game Pass PC games run on Android?
Performance-wise, having looked into it, you can expect pretty decent results, depending on the game, of course. Hollow Knight: Silksong runs at over 100 FPS on a device like the Ayn Thor, and Minecraft Dungeons 2 is hitting 30 to 40 FPS.
It’s still early days, with DroidDeck (which you can check out yourself on GitHub) only on version 0.6.0, but the app itself is coming along nicely. Beyond Game Pass support, you get access to Steam, Epic Games, GOG, Amazon Games, and even itch.io, making it pretty feature-rich.
I find this all extremely cool. I think playing these games on a handheld that actually fits in your pocket, instead of something that requires a backpack, is the future of portable gaming. As much as I enjoy my Xbox Ally X, I’d rather have games on something that, to me, feels like a handheld the way a Nintendo DS or PSP used to.
Maybe that’s just me, though. Let me know your thoughts on DroidDeck and Game Pass PC games on Android in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below.
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Back in July 2026, Microsoft announced via Xbox Wire that games from the original Xbox would get achievements implemented on modern consoles and PC. However, it seems that this long-requested feature has already been sneaking onto Xbox Series X|S for certain games without any official fanfare.This has been confirmed by photographs taken by X users @xgramiliki and @PiquenoLoredo (via @CentralXBOX_) showing achievements for OG Xbox games like Destroy All Humans!, F
Back in July 2026, Microsoft announced via Xbox Wire that games from the original Xbox would get achievements implemented on modern consoles and PC. However, it seems that this long-requested feature has already been sneaking onto Xbox Series X|S for certain games without any official fanfare.
This has been confirmed by photographs taken by X users @xgramiliki and @PiquenoLoredo (via @CentralXBOX_) showing achievements for OG Xbox games like Destroy All Humans!, Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Republic Commando, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and KOF: Neowave.
🔥 BOMBA: ¡LOS LOGROS DE LOS JUEGOS DE XBOX ORIGINAL EMPIEZAN A APARECER EN LA LISTA DE JUEGOS!Los títulos de la XBOX original están dando un paso importante hacia una nueva etapa de retrocompatibilidad.Imágenes via @xgramiliki y @PiquenoLoredo https://t.co/6n1kmmPwzNOctober 26, 2026
However, it seems the update isn't finished, as each of the aforementioned games shows "0/0" achievements and zero Gamerscore earned. The possible explanation for this could be that these achievements have shown up on players' profiles by mistake due to a programming error before they were officially ready.
These achievements will probably be taken down shortly when Microsoft discovers this and brought back once they're fully ready so they can join the other OG Xbox titles that have achievements officially, like BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Fuzion Frenzy.
Either way, this will be great news for Xbox Achievement hunters looking to get the prestige Xbox Mythic Achievement from their favorite OG Xbox titles and serve as the perfect excuse to replay them.
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It was only yesterday I was writing about how the #SaveMassEffect petition had hit over 170k signatures ahead of plans for a billboard outside EA headquarters. Today I am elated to report that not only has the petition surpassed 216K signatures, but a billboard has officially reached the glowing screens of New York City. Coordinated by the @WeAreMassEffect team and content creator Kala Elizabeth, the massive #SaveMassEffect billboard is now live in Times Square a
It was only yesterday I was writing about how the #SaveMassEffect petition had hit over 170k signatures ahead of plans for a billboard outside EA headquarters. Today I am elated to report that not only has the petition surpassed 216K signatures, but a billboard has officially reached the glowing screens of New York City.
Coordinated by the @WeAreMassEffect team and content creator Kala Elizabeth, the massive #SaveMassEffect billboard is now live in Times Square all day today.
🚨 WE'RE IN TIMES SQUARE!Together with @kalaelizabeth, we've managed to get a #SaveMassEffect billboard up in Times Square, NYC, all day today!📍 1560 Broadway, above the Pelé store (Duffy Square)⏰ 15 seconds every hour at :35HOLD THE LINE! ❤️ https://t.co/wNP9Ak9Vh8October 26, 2026
The digital display is prominently located at 1560 Broadway, situated directly above the Pelé store in Duffy Square. Fans currently in the area can catch the advertisement running for 15 seconds at 35 minutes past every hour.
// This was the best footage & image I could get of the billboard from the city cam view in Times Square! #SaveMassEffect #HoldTheLine #MassEffect #EA #Bioware https://t.co/YhMIOEKbjjOctober 26, 2026
The words "Keelah Si'yah" is actually amusingly a typo. Kala has admitted on social media that this was supposed to be the iconic Quarian phrase "Keelah Se'lai" ("by the homeworld I hope to see one day")
Kala explained that their original billboard design was rejected over copyright issues, forcing a frantic redesign where she had to learn to animate in 10 minutes, leading to the accidental misspelling. Despite the rushed typo, it serves as a fitting tribute for a game and studio that fans are desperate to rescue.
Mer from the We Are Mass Effect team was out to get pictures live from NYC (Image credit: Provided by We Are Mass Effect)
With their message now broadcasting to one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the world, fans voices just got even louder. The WeAreMassEffect team have a Discord where they are discussing extending the billboard by way of crowdfunding, and perhaps expanding to other locations. Organisers have urged the community to "HOLD THE LINE!" as the grassroots campaign continues to gain remarkable momentum across social media.
If you want to pledge your support to the #SaveMassEffect campaign, don't forget to head to the Change.org petition here.
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Xbox has officially announced that Game Pass is heading to eligible T-Mobile customers in the U.S. starting this November. Through T-Mobile's new "T-Mix" plan perks, eligible subscribers will be able to pick Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Premium as an included benefit, granting access across Xbox consoles, PC, Smart TVs, and cloud devices.If you’re based in the UK, this announcement might seem like something of a nothing burger. EE has offered Game Pass Ultimate as
Xbox has officially announced that Game Pass is heading to eligible T-Mobile customers in the U.S. starting this November. Through T-Mobile's new "T-Mix" plan perks, eligible subscribers will be able to pick Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Premium as an included benefit, granting access across Xbox consoles, PC, Smart TVs, and cloud devices.
If you’re based in the UK, this announcement might seem like something of a nothing burger. EE has offered Game Pass Ultimate as an "Inclusive Extra" or an easy mobile bill add-on over here for absolutely years now. But across the Atlantic, this is actually the very first time a major U.S. wireless carrier has integrated Xbox Game Pass directly into its mobile plans.
Here's how T-Mix works
(Image credit: T Mobile)
T-Mobile's new setup moves away from rigid pre-selected bundles and introduces a modular "Picks" system across three main plan tiers: Standard, More, and Loaded.
Depending on your plan tier and the number of lines on your account, you receive a bucket of monthly Picks to spend across partner streaming, tech, and gaming perks.
Xbox Game Pass Premium: Requires 2 Picks.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Requires 3 Picks.
For single-line accounts, T-Mix More starts at $75/month and includes 2 Picks which is enough to cover Game Pass Premium. If you want full Game Pass Ultimate access, you'll need 3 Picks, which comes included with a single line on T-Mix Loaded starting at $95/month (or through multi-line account allotments).
T-Mobile is also letting subscribers "remix" and swap out their chosen partner perks four times a year, so you aren't permanently locked in if your gaming or streaming habits change.
Why is this a big deal? UK have had this for ages!
(Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)
For years, U.S. mobile networks have thrown free Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Apple Music subscriptions at customers to push plan upgrades. Yet despite Xbox pushing cloud gaming so heavily on mobile devices, game subscription services haven't made it into the mix.
When I wrote earlier this year that the Xbox Game Pass problem could be fixed without dropping the price, my main argument was that Microsoft needed to tackle subscription fatigue by letting us consolidate our monthly bills. Bundling in with mobile contracts is a fantastic way to do that, but Xbox shouldn't stop there. Bringing that same modular approach to the subscription itself, by letting players swap out unused extras like Fortnite Crew or EA Play for perks they’ll actually use, would instantly soften the blow of that monthly fee. Yes the price hike was ultimately reversed, but my point still stands.
Either way, T-Mobile’s November rollout of T-Mix is a long overdue one for the US audience. If Microsoft wants Game Pass to keep expanding beyond traditional hardware, partnering with major telecom providers to absorb that out-of-pocket cost is easily one of the smartest moves they can make right now.
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Voting for the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 candidates for 21 categories closed on October 23, 2026. However, the Golden Joystick Awards Show has more in store, as it has announced the nominees for its "Ultimate Game of the Year" award.DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈You can vote for the winner of this coveted award right now at GamesRadar, and the ballot will remain open until October 30, 2026, 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET/ midnight GMT.Here are
You can vote for the winner of this coveted award right now at GamesRadar, and the ballot will remain open until October 30, 2026, 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET/ midnight GMT.
Here are the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 nominees for its Ultimate Game of the Year award:
Golden Joystick Awards — Ultimate Game of the Year nominees
Golden Joystick Awards — Where can we watch the show?
The winner of the Ultimate Game of the Year category and the winners of the 21 other categories will be announced at the Golden Joystick Awards ceremony on November 11, 2026, at Troxy, London, United Kingdom.
Viewers can tune in to watch the awards show (which will be hosted by actress Alix Wilton Regan and several guest presenters) live on YouTube, Twitch, X, Future Games Show, GamesRadar and PC Gamer.
Who do you want to win Ultimate Game of the Year?
My money's on Pragmata. (Image credit: Capcom)
The Golden Joystick has a pretty stacked selection of Ultimate Game of the Year contenders, from AAA titles like 007: First Light to viral indie hits like Big Walk.
Personally, I'm placing my vote on Pragmata to win. Its strange melding of fast-paced third-person gunplay with hacking puzzles to weaken enemies without pausing works surprisingly well, and its story is a heartwarming adventure that I'd dare not spoil for anyone who hasn't played it yet.
But will Pragmata manage to beat out the competition? Who are you personally voting for to win? Tune in on November 11, 2026, to find out when the Golden Joystick Awards reveal its Ultimate Game of the Year.
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If you're still waiting for a reasonable price on next-gen consoles to upgrade for Grand Theft Auto 6, you'll be waiting a long time. That said, Argos have just made a surprise cut to the Xbox Series S 512GB model, taking it down to pre-RAMpocalypse prices of £299.99. I can't believe I'm calling this a deal but at this point in 2026 with the current climate, it actually is the cheapest way to upgrade to current gen right now and I can't see stocks lasting much lo
I can't believe I'm calling this a deal but at this point in 2026 with the current climate, it actually is the cheapest way to upgrade to current gen right now and I can't see stocks lasting much longer. In fact, I'd argue the even better deal is the 1TB model at £349.99, down from £519.99, as the extra storage is kind of essential nowadays.
Series S (512GB): was £429.99 now £299.99 If you are still gaming on older hardware and looking for the absolute most cost effective way to get ready for GTA6 and the next wave of current-gen exclusives, this is officially the lowest barrier to entry. The Xbox Series S is fully digital, so no disc drive, but does play all the same games as the Xbox Series X. There is also a 1TB model on sale, for those who will easily fill up a 512GB SSD.
The Xbox Series S has always been the easiest and cheapest way to get into Xbox's eco system, and launched in November 2020 for £249.99 as an alternative to the beefier Xbox Series X, but it plays all of the same current generation games. I wrote a full Xbox Series S review if you want to read further, but I still love and use mine daily (and at current prices it will be a family heirloom.)
Those prices are now a thing of the past, and £299.99 is a bargain by current standards, with the price being recently hiked to a whopping £519.99. Thanks to Argos, we are now at a reasonable price point again, but that will be entirely dependent on your postcode and whether there are any in stock, so go fast!
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Original Article:On October 23, 2026, the official X account of Stellar Blade revealed that the game is going to have a collaboration with Overwatch titled "Overwatch X Eve Protocol".Like past collaborations with other franchises, Overwatch will no doubt create new cosmetic rewards based on Stellar Blade's main characters and pass them on to Overwatch's Heroes.The date for this collaboration and its content have not been specified at this time.You have my attenti
On October 23, 2026, the official X account of Stellar Blade revealed that the game is going to have a collaboration with Overwatch titled "Overwatch X Eve Protocol".
Like past collaborations with other franchises, Overwatch will no doubt create new cosmetic rewards based on Stellar Blade's main characters and pass them on to Overwatch's Heroes.
The date for this collaboration and its content have not been specified at this time.
For those unaware, Stellar Blade is a character action game where you play as EVE, a soldier dispatched to Earth to liberate it from monstrous alien invaders called the Naytiba.
With this expected collaboration with Overwatch, a first-party Xbox franchise, there might be a chance we could get an Xbox version of Stellar Blade down the pipeline.
Would you like to play Stellar Blade on Xbox?
I wouldn't mind giving Stellar Blade a chance if it lands on Xbox Series X|S, especially with Xbox Play Anywhere so I can play it while travelling on holiday.
Its gameplay looks fun and gives off the same over-the-top feel as classic combat-heavy titles like Nier: Automata and Bayonetta (it's even getting a crossover Bayonetta skin for EVE when the game lands on Nintendo Switch 2).
But what do you think? Could this Overwatch collaboration be hinting at an Xbox Series X|S port of Stellar Blade? Would you play it if it landed on Xbox? Do you think Stellar Blade's sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, will come to Xbox as well?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, poll, or Reddit.
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Connexion
