The shooter Gears of War: E-Day, released by Microsoft on October 6, sold over 400,000 copies on PC and Xbox. This was reported by The Verge journalist Tom Warren, citing his own source.

Microsoft has extended consultations about the future of Arkane Lyon, the French studio known for Dishonored and Deathloop, by a month. Initially, the process was expected to conclude by November 13, but the new tentative deadline is December 13. If a solution is not found, the studio faces closure and 217 employees risk losing their jobs.

Microsoft has launched a voluntary layoff program with compensation. The offer covers roughly 60,000 people, or 27% of the corporation’s employees. According to Reuters, the Xbox division is among the departments participating in the program.

The cumulative revenue from the Call of Duty series since its inception in 2003 has surpassed $40 billion. Asha Sharma, head of Xbox, announced this on October 26 while commenting on the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

Netflix attempted to acquire exclusive rights for film and TV adaptations of Xbox game franchises. According to Puck, the streaming service offered Microsoft $500 million for a seven-year license, but Microsoft requested $800 million. As a result, the negotiations did not culminate in a deal.

Most companies have traditionally considered the brands they’ve created or acquired in the past to be their most valuable assets. However, nowadays, what’s more important may be what they are capable of achieving in the future. The release of Gears of War: E-Day is an excellent opportunity to discuss how individual studios are transforming into independent and far more valuable IPs.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is positioned as the first fully-fledged remake of the legendary shooter. Today, we will analyze the game’s launch and the historical sales of previous installments, as well as discuss why Microsoft’s approach and the transformation of Halo Studios do not inspire optimism for the franchise’s future.

Games from Russian and generally Russian-speaking teams rarely make it to consoles. We discussed why this is the case with Fair Games, Sobaka Studio, Odd Meter, DANGEN Entertainment, and many others.

In the eyes of consumers, the Summer Game Fest has become a sort of replacement for E3’s now-defunct game announcements. To clearly demonstrate the marketing impact of this series of events, we’ve prepared a detailed report — complete with charts, tables, and a plethora of data about dozens of games of various scales and for different platforms.

Forza Horizon 6 predictably became one of the highest-grossing releases of 2026. Playground Games further cemented its status as arguably the only Microsoft studio consistently delivering hits. Today, we’ll delve not only into the launch of the new series installment but also examine the state of the genre as a whole.

After a hectic March, April looks much more lackluster. We will analyze the release and success of Olden Era separately. Today, we present our traditional section analyzing the performance of key titles from the past month — complete with charts and a wealth of data from various markets and platforms.

Last year, the industry discussed the transformation of Xbox into a multi-platform publisher. Today, Microsoft’s gaming business enters a new era. This is an excellent opportunity to look at Phil Spencer’s legacy—with numbers and charts—and understand what awaits the company next.

By gathering and analyzing data from various platforms, services, and analytical companies, we present a comprehensive final report featuring metrics on dozens of the most successful games of 2025. Inside — you’ll find numerous numbers and charts by specific platforms and countries.

This was reported by the analytics company Sensor Tower, citing information from its subsidiary service VG Insights.

Wrapping up the week with a comprehensive piece on the most successful game releases over the past six months. Today, we will discuss the best-selling new releases, sales leaders, and the top indie games on PC and consoles. If a particular title didn’t get its own section, you’ll likely find it on one of the many charts featured.

Microsoft Gaming has once again parted ways with hundreds, if not thousands, of employees, reaping the consequences of its irresponsible expansion. We delve into the scale of layoffs within the gaming division, as well as the underlying causes of these processes. At a crossroads, the company struggles to figure out how to turn its impressive catalog of IPs into growth.

Last week, Jade Raymond left Haven Studios, which she herself founded several years ago. This is a great opportunity to discuss top executives in gaming companies who often leave behind, if not a scorched earth, then at least a heap of problems.

Microsoft Corporation announced a new pricing policy. According to it, global prices for all latest-generation Xbox consoles increased starting May 1. Additionally, prices for some games developed by Microsoft gaming studios will rise as the Christmas season approaches.

After the presentation of the Nintendo Switch 2, the debate about rising game prices flared up again. Many latched onto the $80 price tag of Mario Kart World, forgetting to take a broader look at the situation. Major publishers are increasingly resorting to manipulations, disregarding the changing realities of the market. Possible solutions to the problem are explored in our material.