Starfield Update Adds 60fps, 40fps, Uncapped Modes for Xbox Series X, Improved Maps, More

One of the focuses of the recent RPG-shooter Remnant II is build crafting, with the game’s Archetypes (the game’s name for classes) being at the core of that experience. The new Remnant II: The Forgotten Kingdom DLC adds a additional Archetype, the Invoker, and like many of the game’s classes, it needs to be unlocked in a very specific way, but don’t worry, we’ve taken the mystery out of it.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced a number of their studios were being shuttered, including Arkane Austin (Prey, Redfall), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush), and Alpha Dog Games, while Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed into ZeniMax Online Studios to work on The Elder Scrolls Online. This follows nearly 1,900 layoffs earlier in the year, largely from Microsoft’s newly-acquired Activision Blizzard teams. Unfortunately, it seems this isn’t the end of the pain.

For a while in the late 2010/early 2020s, it seemed liked gaming subscriptions may be the future of the hobby. Microsoft certainly wanted us to think it was the future, pushing Xbox Game Pass every chance they got, and Sony eventually joined the party with their own expanded PlayStation Plus service.

Xbox fans and some employees were blindsided earlier this morning when Microsoft announced a number of their studios were being shuttered, including Arkane Austin (Prey, Redfall), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush), Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios. In the hours since then, additional rumors and details about what’s going on behind the scenes with some Xbox teams have emerged.

No Rest for the Wicked, the new action-rpg/roguelike from Ori developer Moon Studios is out now in early access and eliciting a mix of responses. Most have been struck by the game’s obvious potential, but some have also complained the game is a bit overly demanding when it comes to PC performance, particularly considering it’s an isometric Diablo-like (albeit a very nice-looking one).

Ubisoft’s crossover Call-of-Duty-esque multiplayer shooter XDefiant has been in various forms of testing for over a year and delayed multiple times, but it seems the game is finally launching for real this month. XDefiant will be a free-to-play live-service game with regular updates, but it will launch with a variety of “preseason” content, including five factions, 14 maps, and multiple modes. Here’s a rundown of the launch content.

Endless Ocean Luminous, the latest in Nintendo and developer Arika’s cult aquatic exploration games, is out now, and it might not be quite what some folks are expecting. The game features a number of mechanics that may be somewhat confusing at first, but don’t worry, we’re here to clarify things.

Sand Land, the new open-world action-adventure based on one of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s lesser-known works is out now, and its surprisingly complex for an anime adaptation. One of things you’re going to want to do early on to make your life easier is upgrade your home base of Spino Town. One of first and most important updates for Spino is the Workshop, which will allow you to forge special materials right in town, which makes crafting new vehicles and parts less of a hassle. You’ll have to complete a series of sidequests in order to get the Workshop, but don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it…

The former NPD Group (now named “Circana”) has released its full North American sales data for March, and it seems like it was an up-and-down month for the industry. Players spent $4.9 billion on games, additional content, and hardware in March, up 4 percent year-on-year. This increase came from mobile and software spending, as hardware sales were down 31 percent year-on-year with PS5 #1 in terms of unit and dollar sales, Switch #2 in terms of unit sales, and Xbox Series X/S #2 in terms of dollar sales.

Keeping track of all the latest video games coming out is an increasingly complex task, what with multiple PC storefronts, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, mobile, and more to keep track of, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every month I'll be running down the games you need to be keeping an eye on, from the big triple-A headliners, to the intriguing indies you might overlook.

The big “E3” announcement season (E3 is dead, but you know what I mean) is almost here, and Microsoft has officially staked out their spot. Taking place in early June, the Xbox Games Showcase will feature games from Microsoft’s full portfolio of developers, including “Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda, Xbox Game Studios” and even some third-party publishers. Interestingly, like last year with Starfield, this will be a “double feature” with a main showcase, and a “Direct” which will dive deeper on a specific game.

Palworld has been on one a hell of a run since launching earlier this year, breaking records and generating plenty of conversation, and developer Pocket Pair has been busy teasing new content. The most recent of these teases came during today’s ID@Xbox indie showcase, which gave us a peek at what we can expect from the game’s big summer update. The teaser showed off four new Pokemon-esque Pals, as well as a flamethrower weapon. There’s sure to be a lot more included in the update, but this gave us a nice taste of what kind of things are being focused on. Check out the teaser for yourself, below.