CD Projekt Red has finished divulging the full details of Cyberpunk 2077's 2.5 update coming to home consoles and PC on October 22, 2026.

The update will feature a new questline that acts as a prologue to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, dual-wielding pistols, new Cyberware and cosmetic customization options, FOV sliders on consoles, mod support on consoles, and more.

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Additionally, Cyberpunk 2077 has just received Xbox Play Anywhere support, so it can be played on all platforms within the Xbox ecosystem, like Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and compatible handhelds like the Xbox Ally via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Here are all the full details and patch notes for Cyberpunk 2077's 2.5 update.

Cyberpunk 2077 2.5 update — patch notes

• Edgerunners Content
  • Added a new side quest, Clampdown, set before the events of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. To unlock it, complete The Heist and two gigs for Wakako, then wait for a message from her.
  • Added a new 5-piece gear set based on the character King, which can be obtained during the Clampdown side quest.
  • Added a new radio station, HKGN 102.0 FM, featuring a selection of tracks from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners series.
    
• Show Off
  • A brand-new clothing collection has arrived in Night City! 5 new outfit sets can now be purchased from certain clothing vendors:
  • Maxiwear: available in Heywood, Arroyo, Little China
  • Jinguji: available in City Center
  • NetWatch: available in Kabuki, Japantown
  • IconAmerica: available in Pacifica, Badlands, Northside
  • And one more set that will hit Night City shelves just a little later...
  • The NUS Infiltrator clothing set can be now purchased from clothing vendors in Kabuki and Japantown.
  • 4 new TWINTONE skins for Quadra Turbo-R V-Tech are now available via Twitch Drops.
  • Some of the hairstyles that were previously exclusive to NPCs are now available for V. Please note that some hairstyles are available only to feminine or masculine body types.
  • Show off your chrome! You can now customize your hand cyberware. Equip your Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, Monowire or Projectile Launch System, and visit one of 5 Glamdocs (marked with a spray paint icon on the map) to give your implants a fresh, new look. Each Glamdoc is located in a unique shop, along with their own intro scene with voiceover and animations, and offers a unique catalog of cyberware skins with customizable colors.
  • Sometimes one gun just isn't enough. The new Double Trouble perk in the Cool tree (along with four auxiliary perks) introduces an entirely new playstyle, allowing you to dual-wield Pistols and Revolvers from the Power category.
  • Added frames from the Cyberpunk Trading Card Game to Photo Mode, allowing you to make your preem shots look like custom cards.
  • Added new poses in Photo Mode to show off your dual-wielding prowess.
    
• Mod the World
  • Added Cross-Platform Mod Support, powered by mod.io, a first step into cross-platform modding that allows you to easily browse and install a selection of player-created mods directly from the in-game menu. More mods will become available over time. The feature is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X|S.
    
• Upgrading the World
  • Welcome to Paradise! Added a new side quest that takes you on a journey to uncover a mystery and explore Night City on a guided tour narrated by Richard Night. It unlocks after completing The Heist and reaching level 15 Street Cred.
  • Added 12 new Minor Arcana Tarot Cards to discover across Night City. The Tarot menu now has separate sections for Major and Minor Arcana. The new tarot cards are part of a new side quest, an extension of Fool on the Hill, which activates after scanning any of the new cards. Collect them all to get a special reward.
    
• Quality of Life
  • Saves in the “Load Game” menu are now grouped by separate playthroughs.
  • Added item filters to apartment and vehicle stashes.
  • Modded saves in the "Load Game" menu are now marked with a dedicated icon. Please note that achievements and trophies cannot be earned while playing on console from a modded save file.
  • Added an FOV (Field Of View) slider on consoles.
  • Updated the selection of AMD FSR options. FSR 3 upscaling is no longer included, while FSR 2.1, FSR 4, and FSR 3.1 Frame Generation remain available.
  • Updated the CD PROJEKT RED Account connection, My Rewards and telemetry consent menus.
    
• Technology
  • Added support for DLSS 4.5, including up to 6X Multi Frame Generation or Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, and the 2nd Generation Transformer Model.
  • Added support for glasses-free 3D effects on compatible Samsung Odyssey 3D monitors, along with a Motion Comfort setting that lets you balance 3D depth and viewing comfort.
  • Added support for MetalFX Frame Interpolation and Denoising on Mac.
  • Added a toggle in settings for FSR Anti-Lag 2.
  • Introduced various performance optimizations, including improvements specifically for Ray Tracing and for PlayStation 5 Pro.
  • Improved HDR rendering to provide more accurate colors, brightness, and contrast on compatible displays.
    
• Fixes
  • Fixed an issue on Nintendo Switch 2 where saving the game could result in a "Save failed - insufficient space" error.
  • Fixed an issue where adjusting HDR settings on PlayStation 5 had no effect.
  • Things Done Changed - Fixed an issue where the Delamain cab could get stuck after crashing into another vehicle, blocking quest progression.
  • Fixed an issue where enabling Film Grain had no effect.
  • Fixed an issue where tagging enemies while scanning could also cause V to crouch or stand up when using certain control schemes.
  • Fixed an issue where controller settings for the Third-Person Camera were missing.
  • Fixed several typos in various languages.
  • Added various other fixes for features and content introduced since Patch 2.1.

Dual-wielding pistols and FOV sliders on consoles? Sign me up!

Overall, all these new features sound cool. My favorite aspects of this update are mowing down enemies while dual-wielding guns and the FOV slider that will allow me to adjust the game's first-person view so it won't feel so cramped and claustrophobic on Xbox anymore.

Of course, mod support so we can customize Cyberpunk 2077 however we like, and customizing my cybernetic upgrades' looks is pretty awesome too.

But what do you think? Is this update worth another playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077? Will it motivate you to play it for the first time if you haven't already, or have you decided to move on and wait for Cyberpunk 2077's sequel?

If you have any thoughts on the subject, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll.

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A few weeks ago, Microsoft unveiled pretty huge limits on Xbox Cloud Gaming, which up until now has been unlimited for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users.

Starting in November, Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be limited to 15 hours, with Premium users getting 10, and basic users getting 5. The breakdown of the limitations can be seen below.

However, Microsoft just revealed that users will be able to move beyond these limits with new cloud playtime passes — which don't require Xbox Game Pass at all.

Xbox Cloud Gaming access via playtime passes

In a blog post, Microsoft says, "Cloud playtime packs provide an ad-free cloud gaming experience, including shorter wait times, high-quality streaming, and playtime that remains available until it's used."

Unlike some other providers, these playtime passes don't expire until they're actually fully used. You could buy the 50-hour pass and just keep it rolling throughout the year, for example, using it when needed. Some other services put a limit on when the passes can be used, i.e., they expire within the month.

For those on Xbox Game Pass, these are the current limits you get with Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Microsoft says that these new passes will go live for Xbox Insider Program members today, as well as a new free ad-supported tier. I'm told it comes with a 30-minute session limit for the Xbox Insider Program test run.

After 30 minutes, an ad will play, and then users will have to re-queue to resume their session. The ad-based option is, indeed, an option, and probably designed to on-ramp players to a more premium offering.

Is this all in preparation for Grand Theft Auto 6?

Recently, Tom Warren at The Verge reported that Microsoft has landed Xbox Cloud Gaming rights for Grand Theft Auto 6, although it led to a very curiously worded denial from Xbox. Microsoft said specifically that they won't be streaming GTA 6 on PC, nor exclusively ... but left the door open for console streaming. Perhaps Microsoft has landed some form of access for streaming GTA 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming, specifically to Xbox consoles.

The Xbox One console range can stream Xbox Cloud titles, and there are still hundreds of thousands of users on the previous-gen console platform, given that games like Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, and others are still fully updated on PS4 and Xbox One.

RELATED: Best Xbox Cloud Gaming controllers

It's entirely possible that Microsoft has landed some form of cloud streaming deal specifically for Xbox consoles, offering Xbox One players a chance to join in on the GTA 6 fun without having to upgrade to one of the more expensive modern systems. Microsoft also has a few PC games on Xbox Cloud Gaming too ... perhaps World of Warcraft: Forever could jump on this bandwagon as well, given that WoW:F won't be native on consoles for now.

This is speculation for the time being, though. I'm also curious how well received the pricing tiers will be for users who are active on Xbox Cloud Gaming. As an Ultimate subscriber, 15 hours is already way more than I use cloud these days (since getting an Xbox Ally ... which will get even better with FSR 4.1 soon).

But Xbox consoles have become prohibitively expensive in some regions. Xbox Cloud Gaming has been a useful bridge for some, but perhaps not at these new prices. I'm curious what you think?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

What you need to know

• RayNeo announced its collaboration with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which brings a unique black-and-gold GT Max.
• The glasses feature a black-and-gold camo that mirrors the game's aesthetic, and users can find that same design across its UI.
• Consumers will find exclusive goodies for the GT Max (unique USB-C cord, cleaning cloth, etc.) once the collaboration drops on November 19 on RayNeo and Amazon.

If you didn't catch the beta earlier this year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is launching this week on October 23. To prepare, RayNeo announced a pair of limited-edition AR glasses in collaboration with COD.

RayNeo announced a collaboration with Call of Duty (COD) to launch a limited-edition pair of its GT Max AR glasses for MW4 (Modern Warfare 4). The company states it designed these glasses to mirror the gear you'd find in MW4. RayNeo states, "...the glasses feature an iconic compass heading bar across the top of the lenses and a matte black frame with gold-yellow camo on the temples, echoing the game's theme."

While exciting enough to feel like a must-have collectible, the RayNeo GT Max x COD: MW4 collaboration does its job of immersing you in the experience.

Aside from the MW4 camo design, RayNeo says it designed a custom MW4 on-screen display (OSD). This appears as a black-and-gold UI for the device's "display mode switching," picture settings menu, and Spatial Surround Sound. Other exclusives include a braided USB-C cable that matches the MW4 aesthetic and a MW4 logo cleaning cloth.

Prepare for exfil

The RayNeo GT Max hardware matches what the company revealed in August. The glasses retain their 59-degree FOV, 267-inch virtual display, Bang & Olufsen audio, and a light 78g frame. Consumers will find a 120Hz refresh rate, 1,200 nits of peak brightness, and "vivid color accuracy." What's more, the GT Max's spatial tracking "adapts to any tactical scenario with three display modes" (Steady, Pinned, Follow).

However, this particular version of the GT Max is only available in Size M. RayNeo reminds consumers that the GT Max is naturally available for purchase in Sizes S, M, and L.

Since the RayNeo-COD collaboration is here, the company says users can enjoy the MW4 campaign in a new way. Keep in mind that you will need to connect the Limited Edition GT Max to your PC or your console in order to enjoy the MW4 campaign. What's more, RayNeo suggests using the Pinned display mode for the story mode. Once multiplayer drops with the game's full release on October 23, RayNeo suggests opting for the Follow display mode.

The RayNeo X Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Limited Edition GT Max glasses launch on November 19. Consumers can enter their email to be notified once the device is available. MW4 launches this week on October 23 (Friday) with multiplayer and will become available. Currently, if you've pre-ordered the game, you can enjoy the campaign and its new game mode, DMZ.

Electronic Arts (EA) is officially closing the doors of BioWare, creators of Dragon Age and Mass Effect, as reported by Jason Schreier at Bloomberg. This comes as part of a corporate restructuring that will cut 400 jobs. The lay offs representing about 3% of EAs total workforce and include roughly 50 jobs at BioWare.

Rest in peace Bioware :(

BioWare, founded in 1995 and acquired by EA in 2007 leaves behind a profound legacy in the role-playing genre. Its future has been on shaky ground given the reception and well-reported behind-the-scenes issues surrounding its most recent title, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which missed sales expectations. This followed the failure of the overhyped Anthem. However, I was one of many hoping for redemption with the promise of an upcoming Mass Effect 5 that was in early development. Unfortunately, that has now been cancelled.

According to an internal letter from EA Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber, the publisher is taking a "hard look" at its operations. The cancellation of Mass Effect 5 is included in a bunch of cancelled projects, as well as a planned The Sims game code-named Project Lotus, shifting focus instead to a venture called Project Evergreen.

These sweeping cuts follow EA's transition to a private company in August, prompted by a $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia’s investment fund. The acquisition placed nearly $18 billion in debt on the publisher's books, triggering a directive to slash up to $700 million in research and development costs.

Despite the closures, EA reaffirmed its commitment to its sports portfolio, Apex Legends, and upcoming action-adventure titles, including the next Star Wars Jedi game and Marvel’s Iron Man. EA will also continue developing Skate, though the team behind it will be downsized.

Additionally, the Battlefield franchise will continue, with Respawn and DICE collaborating on a new project rumored to be another entry in the Star Wars: Battlefront series.

"These games became so much more because you played them."

BioWare have put out a heartfelt statement on social media reminding us of all the great games they've worked on, from Baldur's Gate to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. BioWare were truly legendary and this loss will be felt acutely across the community.

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• Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe says the game's narrative is very unique
• Abe hopes that Makoto Daito, the main character, and his background resonate with players of mixed heritage and that players will engage with the narrative
• Abe says, "We put a lot of focus on telling this narrative about a man's life who starts by facing a lot of racism"

Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe hopes the game's multi-era narrative and its mixed-heritage protagonist will resonate with players and those who have experienced discrimination.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Abe explained how Stranger Than Heaven's story, which spans 50 years across five distinct eras and cities in Japan, is not a concept he's ever experienced in a video game before, and believes it's "not just entertainment."

"I would say experiencing one man's life as a narrative and as a gameplay experience is something that I have personally never played before as a video game medium. I think that aspect of the game could be something that’s not just entertainment," Abe said.

The director continued to discuss the main character, Makoto Daito, who is of Japanese-American descent, and how his mixed heritage background and the racism he experiences when he first arrives in Japan are aspects of the story that he hopes players engage with.

Abe also said that while RGG Studios was developing the narrative for Makoto, it "felt it was really natural that music would be a big part of this character," and was one of the things that would help break the barriers of the racism he experiences.

"Once he comes to Japan, he faces a lot of discrimination, and people won't even talk to him just because of his race and language," he said. "So, music was the only thing for him that would break those barriers and help him communicate with people. That was really natural for us to put into the narrative.

"Of course, Captain Orpheus is the one who's going to teach him how to make money off of music. And for Daito, because he has that experience, it was really natural for him to start making money, and you know, start showbiz as his life's work. So that's why we always wanted the concept of music in this game to tell the narrative of Makoto’s life. That was the starting point of why we wanted music."

Abe continues, saying that he and Daito's actor, Yu Shirota, have both experienced discrimination and wants players to immerse themselves in the story, even if they're only playing Stranger Than Heaven for entertainment.

"Because of the way Makoto Daito’s story is written, where he starts from a mixed-heritage background, comes to Japan, and gets discriminated against, I hope that Makoto’s life journey really speaks to people around the globe who have had similar experiences," Abe said.

"I myself have had one before, and our lead actor also had a similar experience before, so we put a lot of focus on telling this narrative about a man's life who starts by facing a lot of racism. I hope it really encourages people, as well as the player who just wants to entertain themselves while playing the game can also get immersed in this narrative."

The director concluded, "So the concept of a man's life is, I think, one of the biggest things that I would love the player to experience, and I can’t wait for them to experience."

Stranger Than Heaven launches on January 15, 2027, for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

One of the first things you may notice dropping into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 DMZ is that you don't have a parachute automatically equipped. I definitely didn't forget and die to fall damage early on and learn the hard way.

In fact, a parachute is one of the items that players must acquire, and even when you do, you may not be able to use it for long, and of course, if you fail to exfil, you'll lose it along with any of your other gear (I've definitely done this already).

There are a couple of methods to get a parachute in Modern Warfare 4 DMZ, but neither is particularly easy, at least in the early days of the game. But here's how you can go about finding yourself one.

How to find a parachute in-game in Modern Warfare 4 DMZ

The good news is that like pretty much everything else in DMZ, you can loot parachutes during a game. The bad news is that they're pretty hard to find. I've only found one so far as I write this, and I've played about 7 hours.

But you can find one as ground loot, and you can find one without having to go to any of the higher difficulty locations. While the more difficult the location, the better the quality of loot you'll find, it is still possible to find them just by searching.

For example, I found one in the first building I looted at the Russian Border Crossing part of the map in the far top left corner. A disposable parachute was just there inside one of the lockers. The rare tier parachute only has three uses, though, so use it sparingly.

Given the military nature of the item, it stands to reason that your best chance of finding one will be from locations like these. I was in a military outpost looking inside a locker, so it's likely you'll have a better chance here. I wouldn't expect to find a parachute inside a bag in a random residential building, for example. So hit the military locations often.

Loot in Modern Warfare 4 DMZ has a theme and locations that have a better chance of dropping it. You can see this if you track ingredients for 3D Printer recipes in the FOB. Not always specific locations, but a type of location.

You can possibly find the legendary tier parachute around the map, too, though I haven't seen one. Higher-tier loot is rarer and usually requires being in higher-threat zones, but if you see something you can check for loot; don't run past it. Loot everything.

Also make sure you check the supply drops at the end of a Dynamic Ops mission. These drop various types of gear, and there's always a chance a parachute is inside one of them.

How to craft a parachute in DMZ at the 3D Printer in the FOB

You can also craft parachutes to take into the DMZ with you at the 3D Printer Station in the FOB rather than relying on finding one.

That's the good news. The bad news is that you can't do it right away.

To craft a rare-tier disposable parachute, you first need to increase your DMZ Level up to 55. This unlocks the recipe at the 3D Printer. Once unlocked, you can craft one for 30 Chemicals and 3 Rigid Synthetics. To get your level up as fast as possible, make sure you're actually doing missions inside DMZ. The more you do, the more XP you'll get. And don't forget to stick on a 2XP token if you have one available.

To craft a legendary tier reusable parachute, things are a little harder. To do that, you first have to find the recipe during one of your runs in DMZ. Then you have to exfil with that recipe in order to unlock it. So if you find it, get out of there as quickly as possible before someone else has a chance to steal it from you.

Once you have the recipe unlocked, you can craft one for 2 Turned Components, 5 Nylon Cloth, and 10 Rigid Synthetics. Again, though, it's not permanently applied to your Operator. If you don't manage to exfil, it's gone.

For crafting, finding the ingredients isn't too difficult. By the time you unlock either of these, you've probably found a good stash just through naturally playing. But all 3D Printer recipes will tell you where you can find the ingredients you need. So check it out before you deploy and make sure you target the right areas.

Don't forget to check the Vendor Station

The last thing to do is always keep checking the Vendor Station in the FOB. This offers a rotating cycle of weapons and gear, so you might well see a parachute pop up in there.

You'll need to keep a good stash of DMZ Cash, but I've already been able to buy a legendary backpack and a durable gas mask from there inside the first full day of early access. So don't ignore it.

The pace of DMZ feels like it was designed without using a parachute, and that's OK with me. You shouldn't just be able to glide across the map for free. DMZ makes you earn your gear.

It means you just have to be a little more careful, because you could lose it at any time. But there's no denying having one will make some areas easier to navigate.

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• A permanent, physical Pokémon store is set to open in the UK
• The Pokémon Company says the London store will open its doors “by 2029”
• It's set to be the first permanent physical retail space for the brand outside of Asia

The Pokémon Company has announced that a permanent, physical Pokémon store will open in London, United Kingdom, by 2029.

This space will be the first permanent physical retail space for the brand outside of Asia. The Pokémon Company has described the upcoming retail space as “the ultimate destination for Pokémon fans,” with a bunch of exclusive merchandise and “one-of-a-kind experiences” to be offered.

In a statement, The Pokémon Company International’s chief product and experience officer, Gaku Susai, said: “We are always exploring new opportunities that help us create unique and memorable experiences for our fans. This new London store will give visitors the chance to step into the world of Pokémon, whether they’re discovering the brand for the first time or have been Trainers for years”.

In addition, The Pokémon Company said that the London store will be “the first of several permanent Pokémon stores” it’s planning to launch outside of Asia, so it’s safe to assume that we can expect more locations to be revealed in the near future.

We’ve seen a number of pop-up stores appear in the UK recently, and these have proven to be very popular. For example, at the beginning of 2026, a pop-up opened in The Natural History Museum, London, with apparel, stationery, and even a brand-new exclusive plush put on sale that saw fans arrive in droves.

I have no doubt that a permanent residence for the highest-grossing media franchise in history will see its fair share of success too.

As a huge Pokémon fan, I’m very excited about this news, and I’m looking forward to tracking down merch of my favorite pocket monsters… I’m especially hoping there’ll be a Maractus plush.

Are you excited to explore the new Pokémon store when it opens? What are you hoping to see in stock? Let us know in the comments!

Not long ago, Xbox unveiled Xbox Labs, an initiative created by CEO Asha Sharma to research and explore new and emerging technologies across gaming. It is, of course, a direct response to the wave of AI modding and game mashups we’ve been seeing online, whether it’s Minecraft in Elden Ring, Halo in Fallout, or Skate in Call of Duty. Xbox has clearly seen these projects and is wondering how they could benefit the platform.

While nothing major has happened on that front yet, Xbox Labs is still in its infancy. Scott Van Vliet, who has been tasked with leading the initiative, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to show off what he’s been cooking, and boy, does it tickle my nostalgia bone.

Van Vliet has shared footage of the original Xbox 360 Blades dashboard running in a web browser on his PC, alongside the NXE dashboard from 2008 and the Metro dashboard from 2011.

On X, Van Vliet stated: “I've been cooking up retro vibes in XBOX LABS. Tell @asha_shar and I your favorite era!”

This actually prompted a response from Sharma, who quote replied: “Blades on web. Do we like this experiment?”

Could the Xbox 360 Blades dashboard actually return?

This isn’t the first time Sharma has mentioned the Blades dashboard, either. When she was first appointed as CEO, one of her earliest tweets asked fans if they “should bring the blade dashboard?” back, and yes, her wording was rather weird.

At the time, it seemed like just good PR, a way of letting fans know she was aware of the older days of Xbox. Now, however, this new Xbox Labs experiment is giving me, and many others, hope that maybe, next generation, we could get a more customizable dashboard experience.

Personally, I think dropping a retro Blades dashboard in honor of Xbox turning 25 years old would be pretty amazing. It’s probably a big ask, though, and I’m not sure how Xbox would fit the seemingly required ad spot onto a Blades dashboard.

That said, let me know: would you like to see the return of Blades, or do you have fond memories of a different dashboard? Let me know in the comments!

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• Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe says the game was always going to be different from the Yakuza or Like A Dragon games
• Abe says, "There was no conversation whatsoever about what Yakuza or Like A Dragon was like"
• He adds that RGG Studios "never compared" Stranger Than Heaven to its past titles, so it became "something new"

Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe has explained why the upcoming role-playing action game was developed as a completely new experience from RGG Studio's Yakuza franchise.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Abe said approaching Stranger Than Heaven was "a big task" and a "huge challenge for us," but knew "from the very beginning that we wanted to make this experience different from the previous games."

Unlike the Like a Dragon games, which typically take place in one location and timeframe, Stranger Than Heaven shifts to a historical timeline by telling a story across five distinct eras and cities spanning 50 years.

It's an ambitious decision for RGG, but Abe said the team intentionally forgot everything it knew from making the Yakuza series to create something new.

"While we were developing Stranger Than Heaven, there was no conversation whatsoever about what Yakuza or Like A Dragon was like," Abe said. "We intentionally forgot what it was like in our previous games and started from scratch. We were doubting every single pixel of what we had in Yakuza."

This included everything from the game's map, the UI, and how RGG wanted to approach the world; Abe said it even applied to the narrative and cutscenes, and the team "never compared" Stranger Than Heaven to its past titles.

"Every single aspect of it, we started thinking about it from scratch, just to suit the style of Stranger Than Heaven," he added. "We were never trying to make this different because we never compared it with our previous games, so in the end, it became something new."

Stranger Than Heaven launches on January 15, 2027, for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

Rumors that Microsoft was willing to sell off its entire Xbox division have been swirling for a while. While those reports never came to fruition, a new report from The Information reveals that there was indeed interest from private equity firms.

According to the outlet, Xbox was valued between $100 billion and $150 billion. The report does say that the discussions were short-lived and strictly exploratory, with no formal negotiations ever taking place. It remains unclear which specific firms were involved in the talks.

Fortunately for fans, this never happened. It’s hard to imagine private equity firms managing Xbox any better than the disastrous past few years have been. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Xbox seems to be back on track under CEO Asha Sharma, who recently dispelled concerns about the business shuttering during an interview with Fortune.

That comment feels like a direct jab at online folk who have long claimed Microsoft is exiting the gaming space. But I digress.

A $100 Billion Xbox Buyout Would Have Changed Everything

A future where Xbox was purchased for over $100 billion would have been a wild timeline. It’s also interesting to compare that valuation to what Microsoft paid for Activision Blizzard King in 2022, which was nearly $70 billion. If you subtract that acquisition cost from the current valuation, it suggests Xbox without Activision is worth somewhere between $30 billion and $80 billion. That is a massive figure, regardless of where on that spectrum you land.

It’s no secret that Xbox has been struggling these past few years. I’m glad Microsoft stuck it out and has seemingly started making positive changes. It really boggles my mind what was going on within the division during the Phil Spencer era. As much as I believe he did amazing work for the brand, the direction Xbox was heading felt like a recipe for disaster.

Let me know your thoughts. Would you have been happier seeing Xbox purchased by a private equity firm, or are you glad Microsoft stuck to its guns and appointed Asha Sharma?

Leave a comment down below and be sure to take part in our poll too!

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's full launch is imminent, but it's suddenly hit a technical roadblock that may hurt its chances of success with console gamers.

The developers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 have announced on X that its Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions must run on monitors with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) enabled for Performance Mode support while players engage with its campaign and DMZ modes.

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This requirement for VRR monitors will also be in effect for Call of Duty: Warzone with Season 1. If you do not have a monitor with VRR enabled and with least 120Hz refresh rates, the game's framerates in Performance Mode will be locked at 60Hz.

Asking players to get a different monitor days before launching your AAA game is certainly a "choice", and a very wrong one at that

This last-minute change won't affect you as much if you don't mind playing the single-player campaign at 60fps in Performance Mode or Resolution Mode for 4K resolutions to achieve greater cinematic immersion.

However, hardcore competitive Call of Duty fans who need as many frames as possible to reduce input lag during intense multiplayer matches or just smoother gameplay in general are beyond angry in the replies to this announcement on X.

I can hardly blame them for getting angry. Asking console players to get a different and expensive monitor if their current one (even if it has a 240Hz refresh rate) doesn't have VRR to achieve optimal performance just days before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, is just ridiculous, and they should've warned people months in advance.

What makes this worse is that gaming monitors have become more costly and rarer to find for gamers on a tight budget these days thanks to the worsening RAM Crisis.

Nonetheless, we're not going to leave our fellow console players hanging. So we've scoured the internet for some of the best gaming monitors with VRR to help you circumvent this last-minute requirement and enjoy this AAA blockbuster at its best on Xbox.

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AMD and Microsoft this week took the lid off plans for expanding FSR 4.1 tech to Xbox Series X|S, AMD Ryzen gaming handhelds (like the Xbox Ally X), Ryzen APUs, and older Radeon RX 6000 GPUs.

The official announcement comes after teasing the move earlier this month.

I can't help but see this as one of the most important things that Microsoft could possibly do for current-gen Xbox owners who likely just found out that their consoles will need to last longer than expected.

A longer life for your gaming devices? No better time than now.

To say I'm relieved about FSR 4.1 coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox gaming handhelds is an understatement, and I don't think the news could have come at a better time.

Xbox's next-gen Helix device has reportedly been pushed to 2028. That puts the current generation, which launched in 2020, at roughly eight years of required service before it "retires."

That's a long time to ask the flagship Xbox Series X to remain relevant, and the situation only worsens for the weaker (but more affordable) Xbox Series S.

In our new world of inflated hardware prices, caused by AI-fueled memory and storage shortages, landing a free performance upgrade of this caliber is an outright life preserver for the entire Xbox lineup, including consoles and gaming handhelds.

With so many gamers already feeling the burn of high prices within (and outside) their favorite hobby, improved upscaling is basically the cheapest hardware upgrade I can think of.

The Xbox Series S has the most to gain

Where I live, the Xbox Series S is essentially the only console I can buy for less than $1,000.

It's great for plenty of people, but it has undoubtedly always been living in the shadow of compromise compared to its Series X sibling. Less performance, lower resolutions ... you get the idea.

This is where an improved upscaler like FSR 4.1 that can work better with fewer pixels should make the most difference. But it's not going to be a magic bullet that solves every issue.

The reality of what to expect from the FSR 4.1 upgrade

I'm not looking to oversell FSR 4.1. It's not just going to suddenly arrive for every game. Developers need to patch the update into their games, and the timeline for that is still muddy.

My colleague Jez Corden believes it will be "sooner than you think," with FSR 4.1 becoming available for Xbox game developers "in the next couple of weeks."

The first wave of Xbox games with FSR 4.1 is expected to be small, with a "handful" of titles ready for the 2026 holiday season. More will then trickle out through 2027 (and beyond).

There's also the performance factor. Yes, FSR 4.1 is going to boost framerates on Xbox, but the Series S likely won't see the same boost as the Series X due to its weaker hardware that uses INT8 shaders.

We won't know just how well this change affects the Xbox devices until it arrives, but don't expect your Series S to suddenly feel like a Series X.

Xbox's future is becoming clearer

There's an overarching ecosystem theme here that I think many are overlooking.

With this update, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Ally handhelds, and PCs will all sit at the same upscaling table, making it easier for developers to implement.

Add this to the news that FSR Diamond will arrive as an upgraded upscaling technique for Xbox Helix, and it certainly feels to me like Microsoft is laying a strong foundation for developers who want to create across the entire Xbox ecosystem, now and in the future.

If that actually pans out as I imagine, Xbox Series S owners will continue to benefit from upgrades and updates intended for other devices, which is a great place to be.

What I'm keeping an eye on

The biggest hurdle now? Developers going back and adding FSR 4.1 support to their Xbox games. Once a steady stream begins, this will all start to feel a lot more real. Especially if they're games that already require performance mode to run at an acceptable framerate.

I'm not rushing out to buy an Xbox Series S with this news, but it is certainly heartening. If you're already a Series S owner, you should be feeling pretty good about your device.

Do you plan to stick with your Xbox Series S until Helix arrives? Are you no longer on the fence about buying a Series S in 2026? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Stranger Than Heaven is exactly the sort of game I want to champion. It’s rare to see a team of young developers given a significant budget and seemingly generous freedom to create a half-century-spanning epic that tackles heavy themes while taking bold risks with both the combat and music-influenced management game at its core.

My four-hour whistlestop tour across several of the game’s time periods between 1915 and 1965 in this latest fantastical tale from the Japanese criminal underworld did make it hard to see just how well all of this ambition from RGG Studio will come together in the end. But I haven’t really stopped thinking about it since.

And when you’ve played and previewed dozens (maybe hundreds) of games, it’s harder to find ones that leave a mark like that — ones that genuinely leave you wanting to play and see more.

What I admire most about Stranger Than Heaven is that it knows what it wants to be and fully commits to that idea to create its own unique vibe.

Music is the throughline. On one side, it's the way the protagonist, Makoto Daito, finds his place in a hostile world, as a way for him to break down barriers and overcome prejudice he faces as a Japanese-American immigrant.

There is a level of detail and adoration in the musical performances I saw in-game that made it easy to get swept up in the atmosphere — whether it was a professional big band showstopper full of belting brass, or an impromptu sing-a-long that draws in a large crowd on the streets of Kokura.

Play it, Daito

Music is also a fundamental part of several other aspects of the game. Mainly, it’s a key part of the main management mini-game in Stranger Than Heaven. Instead of running a hostess club or a confectionery shop as we've seen in Yakuza and Like a Dragon, Daito works as a promoter in the showbiz business. That involves creating tunes, hiring talent, scoping out venues, drawing in punters, and making sure performances run smoothly.

I dabbled with putting on a show or two, and can see how it has the potential to be another all-consuming distraction that RGG is known for, diverting you away from the main story for many hours. There’s a satisfaction to tinkering with all aspects of the performance to rake in the most cash, ensuring you’ve got the best singers and musicians performing the right sort of music in the right venue to suit the audience’s mood.

What also keeps that music throughline in other areas of the game is the way you draw inspiration for your next tracks and shows from the world around you. Those sparks also come from the combat, with small flashes or cues as kicks and punches fly that you can focus in on to unlock new sounds, instruments, or playing styles.

It’s a nice way to tie the game together, although I’m very aware that combat was a point of contention for some in earlier previews. I definitely struggled to grasp it fully in the beginning, but I was starting to get into the flow of it by the time I was wrapping up my time with the game. It has its own rhythm, swapping out flashy attacks and arcade-style simplicity from prior Yakuza games for more grounded and messy fistfights.

Mastering the art

It does require a bit of controller contortion to execute fully, with actions for your left and right hands and legs split across the left and right bumpers and triggers. Throw in directional blocking, perfect parries with spot-on timing, and the need to dodge some attacks, and it’s a lot to hold in your head and execute with ease.

Weapons add another dynamic, ranging from swords, knives, and batons to more improvised weaponry such as crowbars and a giant wooden mallet. These can be found or bought and switched between mid-combat to give you a bit more fighting power against multiple foes or tougher enemies.

Oh, and there’s ‘willpower’ too: a resource that you and opponents have that can be whittled down with repeated attacks, eventually causing you or them to fall to the floor when it’s emptied. You can then punish them with more severe finishers or find yourself fending off an assault while prone so you can get back on your feet.

It is a lot. And with pretty much all of these elements introduced from the first fight, I was getting beat up fairly regularly for a while. As I say, though, I eventually grew to like it with more practice, and I found myself taking down a few of the tougher enemies that are hiding around the game’s different locations in some extended but rewarding duels.

Those fights are just one of the many distractions that are dotted around the game’s towns, which include all sorts of games to play, items to find, and arenas to fight in. Even just exploring the spaces was fascinating, especially wandering through the entertainment capital of Sotenbori. It hits you with an overwhelming cacophony and a barrage of lights that RGG fans will be eager to experience in this different time period.

I think that’s what I appreciated most about Stranger Than Heaven: it does exist within that same universe of the existing RGG games, but is its own adventure in a new and confident direction.

Yes, it’s building off the Yakuza and Like A Dragon elements that are clearly in its DNA — in terms of the mix of brawling and business management, as well as its approach to story and presentation. But it feels like its own evolution. Or, to speak in the game’s terms, it’s several familiar melodies and motifs that have been remixed into a surprising new composition.

Stranger Than Heaven launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC on January 25, 2027.

Anomalith might be one of the most interesting releases of 2026. A third-person survival shooter set in a twisted, retro vision of Japan, it’s a major departure from publisher FuRyu Corporation’s usual role-playing game (RPG) output.

It looks almost like the company’s take on Resident Evil, with 17-year-old protagonist Reona Minazuki venturing into deadly anomaly zones filled with grotesque creatures at the behest of a shadowy government organization.

Real-time gun combat, managing your small inventory, and keeping track of precious ammunition form a key part of every mission. Each run unfolds in an almost extraction-shooter-like format, and between missions you can use the resources you’ve scavenged to upgrade your gear.

There’s more to Minazuki than meets the eye, though, with the hero able to harness a mysterious set of mutant powers brought on by exposure to these supernatural environments. I spoke to producer Gai Kidokoro over email to learn a little more about how this project took shape and discover some of what’s in store for players.

Expanded arsenal

Anomalith is Kidokoro’s first original project, having joined FuRyu in the company’s anime division, which has helped produce hit titles like Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, before making the leap to its gaming business to direct some licensed titles. Working on games has “always been an area I was interested in,” he says, adding that his career has been “a little different from that of FuRyu’s other producers.”

It therefore seems only fitting that he is producing quite a unique project, with Anomalith standing apart as FuRyu’s first third-person shooter. Interestingly, Kidokoro says that the genre was chosen because both he and the director “love third-person shooters and guns” and set out to create something based on the things they enjoy.

“Rather than thinking, 'Let’s deliberately challenge ourselves with a completely different genre,' it was really more about wanting to make a game in a genre that we personally love,” he continues.

This fascination with firearms seems evident in the game’s weapon customization system, which lets players “swap out a fairly detailed range of parts,” including a variety of attachments such as “sights, grips, stocks, and more.” These help you personalize the appearance of each gun, but also provide statistical bonuses to help in the field.

The producer is also keen to highlight the player’s ability to scavenge “pieces of equipment called Artifacts that enhance your character’s stats” and change your overall build.

“These include loot-based, hack-and-slash-style elements,” he teases, “and if you manage to equip an Artifact with extremely high values, some skills have the potential to become incredibly powerful.”

The team is well aware that not everyone is going to be interested in tweaking their guns or experimenting with the nitty-gritty of their character’s stats, which is why the game offers a wealth of cosmetic options for players to outfit themselves with – some already available to try in the recent free Steam demo.

“We realized that there are quite a lot of people who don’t necessarily get the same enjoyment we do from firing their favorite, carefully customized gun,” Kidokoro begins. “We thought, 'Maybe adding character outfits and customization would make it more fun for those players,' and that’s why we ended up including such detailed character customization options. Judging from the response to the demo, I’m really glad we added the outfit customization.”

Uncanny valley

The world design is shaping up to be a treat, with plenty of intricate detail to pore over. In fact, Kidokoro highlights this as one part of the experience that he is most excited about. “The development team has put a tremendous amount of effort into designing the Otherworlds,” he explains. “There are many areas where something may initially look like nothing more than an ordinary ceiling, but if you stop and look up, you might find something that gives you a real sense of unease.”

He describes the fundamental concept behind it all as the “anxiety and fear lurking within familiar scenery” and reveals that it was inspired by popular ideas of “liminal spaces, including things like the Backrooms,” referring to the viral meme featuring endless wallpapered corridors that recently inspired a horror film adaptation.

“Within the development team, we often use phrases like ‘give it a liminal-space atmosphere’ when discussing the visual direction.”

This extends to the soundtrack. Aside from the game’s title theme, the music of Anomalith doesn’t feature any vocal tracks. Nevertheless, the producer argues fans “can definitely look forward to the soundtrack” and warns “many of the tracks are quite dark and unsettling.” He jokes: “I recommend listening to them during the daytime.”

Although Anomalith seems very different, long-time FuRyu fans will recognize some common elements shared with the publisher’s past games, such as the focus on a teenage protagonist. Kidokoro thinks the reasons behind this particular motif “would vary” depending on the title, but personally reckons “that it is easier for audiences to emotionally root for younger characters.”

“Watching boys and girls confront unreasonable circumstances and ultimately overcome them can also feel more hopeful and moving than a story centered on adults,” he continues. “Of course, we have been influenced by other games. However, we try to keep those influences as references rather than simply copying them. Our main criterion is always whether a particular element is necessary for players to enjoy the world and experience of Anomalith.”

We will be able to find out whether this formula pays off when Anomalith launches for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and PlayStation 5 on October 29, 2026.

It’s been a long time since I’ve poured so many hours into Warhammer 40,000, but playing a bunch of the Dawn of War 4 campaign has absolutely captivated me, and almost made it feel like I was playing from my living room floor 30 years ago all over again.

After seeing a glimpse of the game last summer, I knew it was on the right track, but after a couple of weeks with Dawn of War 4, it’s safe to say that the series’ rip-roaring, gritty action, and moreish strategic map play is back with a vengeance, and channels all that made the first game brilliant.

My time with the chunky preview build has shown that King Art Games are an incredibly safe set of hands for the next Dawn of War game.

Going back to Kronus

The planet of Kronus provides the setting for Dawn of War 4, and while a part of me wonders whether it might have been more exciting to go for a brand new setting and premise, the familiar planet is still superbly executed by the new developer.

Each map is extremely well detailed and feels alive with wind-blown sand and tumbleweeds across barren landscapes, blinking lights and crumbling epic architecture in urban maps, and wonderfully icy and snowy maps providing some of the best backdrops.

No matter where you are, though, you’re always cheered on by some mega, epic battle music, and the individual unit audio from ambient mechanical whirring, distinct machine clunking, and furious fighting are all absolute chef's kiss level.

Underneath the aesthetic excellence, there is a real meaty campaign here. My preview build dived in and out of a few armies’ storylines, and the branching narrative is interesting and genuinely compelling, with twists that you can make decisions to impact through mission selection and choices (from what I’ve seen), while the accompanying cutscenes are also fantastic.

Even the in-game story moments help to give me the feeling of those excellent battle write-ups in the old White Dwarf magazines that I remember poring over for hours at a time.

Unrivaled units and chaotic combat

Moving your forces around that campaign is the true highlight: this is a properly meaty and fabulous strategy experience, and a 40K experience.

Taking control of the Orks or Adeptus Mechanicus in my preview, it really does feel like the perfect real-time recreation of seeing your miniatures on a tabletop. The action can be slower and methodical; or you can embrace some chaos and have fights on multiple fronts as you aim to use speed to your advantage over the battlefield.

There were multiple times in both scenarios where managing large masses of a mix of units was a genuine thrill, with each resource point captured, the mowing down of enemy infantry, or the blowing up of tanks with grenade barrages more satisfying than the last.

If you remember the best thing about moving units across maps in the Dawn of War games of yesteryear, then you’re in for a treat. Orks feel as wild and chaotic as they should; and the Adeptus Mechanicus have wonderful machine-focused units as well as biomechanic infantry that can pack more of a punch than you think, especially from cover.

However, Dawn of War 4 simultaneously feels more modern, and there’s an effort to streamline some controls to make things more straightforward. You can drag over a whole heap of enemies, and your units will automatically attack the ones most vulnerable to their attack type; and you can right-click on any unit’s ability so it will automatically trigger during missions.

Engaging with the units — be you a more casual player, or a really experienced one — is superb, and starts with them being a treat for the eyes. Units really look the part, and every combat encounter does too. King Art Studio’s attention to detail, with bespoke combat animations for every combination (it seems) that look genuine, and plenty of blood splatter and rag doll physics on show. Even the armor and weaponry of all units look radiant and detailed, down to the lustre on metals.

The machine endures

There’s a good mix of missions that keep things interesting and elevate the branching campaign, too. That’s a really great thing in a particular way, as my one ‘gripe’, if you can really call it that, is that Dawn of War 4 continues the series’ trend of sometimes being purely a numbers game.

Especially in base-building missions; if you can pace your play a bit, secure your territory, and build an army that’s massive, you’ll rarely fail. This can offset the nuances and ‘other’ factors to think about too when managing Orks and the WAAGH! that fuels them in battle, and the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Nosphere links that strengthen buildings and open up more development options.

That’s why the mix of missions is welcome: while those base- and army-building ones are heavily present, there’s usually a gauntlet or defence mission around the corner to mix things up — and I’ve probably enjoyed the latter two more on the whole.

Not that dominating a map is unenjoyable, of course. The power fantasy is real in Dawn of War 4 and can feel fantastic, but the game is also wonderfully successful at creating those ‘If I can just make it to that resource point’ or ‘if I can just hold off this enemy encounter’ or ‘if I can just create a couple of units quickly ot turn the tide here’ kind of moments, which are a thrill.

I could talk about more of the individual features in the game that make it shine, but the most important thing about my time with the game for preview is that everything adds up to an authentic Dawn of War experience and really captures the feeling and the essence of the series — as well as translating the turn-based tabletop game into a real-time action setting once again.

Dawn of War 4 successfully takes me back to early 2000s LAN parties, devouring campaigns over and over again, and building massive armies to crush my foes as I did in the first game over two decades ago — and now I just want more.