Cancelled shooter Hyenas was reportedly Sega's most expensive game ever

Microsoft has announced that it will be holding an on Wednesday, October 25 to show off titles being developed by the gaming giant’s third-party partners. While the recently revealed showcase promises to give gamers a glimpse of some upcoming PC and Xbox titles, no Activision Blizzard games will be included at this year’s event.

Thanks to its incredible day-one sales, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has become the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever. 

[Update] Through an official press release, Sony commented on the impressive Spider-Man 2 sales numbers, which also include copies included with PS5 hardware bundles (thanks MauroNL):

Following Spider-Man 2‘s successful launch last week, PlayStation has revealed just how impactful the game was. In the first 24 hours alone, the game sold over 2.5 million copies. This makes it the fastest-selling title from PlayStation’s first-party studios.

Sony has shifted more than 2.5m copies of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 in just 24 hours.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC, and Yumeiro Yuram for PlayStation 4 and Switch are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.

The release date for the slimmer and lighter mid-gen refresh of the PS5 has seemingly leaked online, alongside details about its first bundle. As per reliable tipster Billbil-kun — notorious for accurately leaking monthly PS Plus games ahead of time — the new PlayStation consoles with smaller form factor will go on sale November 10 in the US before spreading out to other regions; both disc and digital versions. A bit before that, on November 8, Sony would be bundling it with the newly launched Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at $559.99, which is the same amount as the existing standard edition bundle. While not explicitly mentioned, the content should be the same, with a digital voucher for the game, alongside a themed controller.

Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games won't appear on Xbox Game Pass until next year. On the Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer claimed that players wouldn't be seeing a big drop of those titles immediately, due to the lengthy regulatory challenges the company faced in its buyout attempt. Since it was uncertain whether the acquisition would be approved by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) until recently, Xbox wasn't able to do the groundwork for adding the catalogue to their gaming subscription service. Ahead of the deal's closure, Activision Blizzard confirmed on Twitter that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and newly-launched Diablo IV won't be coming to Game Pass soon, but Spencer's statement covers older titles as well.

Publisher Nacon and developer Appeal Studios are set to transport gamers to the heart of medieval England with their latest offering, Gangs of Sherwood. In this cooperative action-adventure game, players will embark on a thrilling journey back to the days of the Crusades, where an extraordinary artifact, the Lionheart, serves as the epicenter of power and turmoil. Join us as we delve into the world of Gangs of Sherwood, where the legend of Robin Hood comes to life like never before.

If you’re looking forward to Lords of the Fallen, you should definitely give a shot at this new giveaway. CI Games, publishers of Lords of the Fallen, just announced an Alienware giveaway in partnership with Lords of the Fallen. This Souls-like dark fantasy action RPG releases on October 13, but before purchasing it yourself, you could earn it for free, alongside an Alienware laptop!

It’s been a long time coming, but Retro-Bit has announced that their Sega Saturn Pro Controllers are finally up for pre-order. These were teased quite a while back and then shown off at the Portland Retro Game Expo last year, but they’re ready to go now. Almost.

With the approval of Microsoft’s efforts to acquire Activision Blizzard looking almost certain to close by next week, Activision Blizzard is beginning to discuss what might happen next in terms of its games and Game Pass.