Phil Spencer pays tribute to ‘fierce leader’ Jim Ryan following his retirement announcement

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finally complete, with the $68.7 billion deal gaining approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a new email to employees, CEO Bobby Kotick has confirmed that he will stay on until the end of 2023 to help with the transition.

Following the news that Microsoft has finally closed the Activision deal, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has revealed that he will not be leaving the company until next year - as per Xbox boss Phil Spencer's request. 

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has given players on rival consoles, most notably PS5, some reassuring words about future exclusivity, or lack thereof. 

PlayStation Plus' Premium subscribers will get access to cloud streaming by the end of October. 

Nearly three years after the initial launch of the PlayStation 5, Sony has revealed a slimmer redesign. Both the disc drive model and the digital model will be updated, but these two models aren't as different as they used to be: you will now be able to purchase a disc drive separately, allowing you to upgrade a digital model to a disc-compatible version. Both versions will be available this November, and will eventually replace the current model of PS5 altogether.

It would seem Microsoft’s long, uphill battle to acquire Activision Blizzard could be nearing its end. The Verge reports via an unnamed source that the deal could be closed by the end of next week, though they mentioned that is still tentative, as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority could still threaten the successful closure of Microsoft’s long-sought deal.

Sony has announced another Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 console bundle.

The surprising revelation that Jim Ryan will retire as Sony Interactive Entertainment’s President and CEO at the end of March 2024 has been, perhaps predictably, met with glee from most corners of the wider video game world. In addition to courting controversy on a number of occasions, the British executive’s tenure has largely been marred by a change in corporate goals: an emphasis on games as a service which has yet to really bear fruit, a lack of engagement with enthusiasts, and a blank slate of upcoming first-party releases.

This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we bid farewell to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, who has announced his departure from the company after almost three decades of service.

The latest episode of VGC’s new weekly show, VGC: A Video Game Podcast, is now available on all major audio platforms.

Jim Ryan, PlayStation head and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, is leaving the company after an almost 30-year stint. In a press release, Sony confirmed that he will be retiring in March 2024, with COO Hiroki Totoki being appointed as the interim CEO of the company from April 1, 2024. Ryan merely served four years as CEO, having replaced John Kodera in 2019, and most notably oversaw the launch of the PS5, which has sold over 40 million units worldwide, as of July. It's unclear who will eventually be taking over as the new CEO, but for the time being, Totoki will assume the role of SIE chairman in October.

Jim Ryan's retirement from PlayStation was not entirely unexpected.