Have you showered yet today? No? Then maybe treat yourself to a bath if you can. It might help prepare for Resident Evil Requiem. Capcom formally confirmed last night that, as leaked, it contains Leon Kennedy. Some of their devs have now offered a bit more detail as to how it’ll feel to play as both him and co-lead Grace Ashcroft.
Get those wishlists ready.
We’ve already rounded up all of the Switch announcements from The Game Awards 2025, but that wasn’t the only showcase that Mr Keighley served up this holiday season.
As ever, Day of the Devs was on hand to highlight a bunch of upcoming indies that we can look forward to in the next year or two. It was a slightly slimmer showing on the Switch front than we have seen in previous years (at least, as far as confirmed Switch releases go), but there were still two titles that have already announced a Switch (2) launch.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
NiuGamer
God bless, or Goddess – December 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Handheld Optimized / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
They say the path to immortality is paved with hardship. But in your case, this hardship happened to take the form of seven dangerously beautiful women. You are Lin Fan, the chosen one of the Crane Illusion Sect. Born with a Pure Yang Lineage, you are destined to ascend to the heavens. However, no matter how hard you train, fate sends yet another challenge in your way… temptations in the shape of an unreliable master, a strict senior sister, or a saintess who seems far more interested in testing your heart rather than your skills.
Steel Wool Games
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic – December 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Enter the abandoned workshop of Murray’s Costume Manor and unravel the mystery left behind by the reclusive inventor, Edwin Murray. In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic, you’ll step into a world where every dark corner holds a secret and every flicker of light hints at an ever-present threat. The Mimic, a prototype endoskeleton, can adapt to any costume and become any character, including what you fear most. Armed with only your wits, a few gadgets, and a heavily redacted corporate briefing, you’ll attempt to retrieve Fazbear’s prized prototype technology while grappling with cryptic clues and a relentless shadow determined to dispatch all unwanted company.
Zakym s. r. o.
Frogo Deluxe – December 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Handheld Optimized / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Frogo Deluxe is the latest installment in the popular Frogo series. In this cross road game, players must navigate through various obstacles, collecting coins and special items along the way. The coins collected can be used to purchase new animals, each with more lives, enhancing the gameplay experience. The game is infinite, becoming more challenging as players achieve higher scores. How far can you go?
Headup
Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch – December 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Step into the role of a Dungeon Monarch, a chosen guardian of your master’s dungeon. Equipped with formidable magic and an inexhaustible army of summonable troops that synergize with one another, your mission is to repel adventurers, envious rivals, and other deities seeking to invade and raze the dungeon.
Desert Water Games
Balloball – Ribbit & Rescue – December 17
Balloball – Ribbit & Rescue is a bright cartoon arcade game. You have to save all the frogs that the evil fairies have trapped in soap bubbles. Use your hero’s agility and speed to avoid all the traps and the power of physics to calculate the flight paths.
Silesia Games Sp. z o.o.
Hidden Cats in Istanbul – December 17
Let the ever-wandering Hidden Cats crew be your guide through colorful Istanbul! Explore the city’s iconic landmarks like the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Gülhane Park while relaxing to soothing Turkish-inspired music. Discover over 900 hidden objects, unlock special cats, and as always – enjoy cozy, no-stress gameplay in a city full of color, history, and charm!
Porting.guru
The Legend of Princess Lyria – December 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Journey into the Forbidden Realms to reclaim a lost kingdom. Step into the role of Princess Lyria, a young royal whose once-prosperous realm has fallen to ruin. Its treasures have been stolen, its magic has faded, and dark forces now rule the land. To restore her throne, Lyria must venture into the Forbidden Realms — mysterious, dangerous lands filled with ancient power and hidden secrets. Armed with courage and emerging magical abilities, you’ll explore lush landscapes, forge powerful alliances, and uncover long-buried truths about your heritage. Each decision you make shapes Lyria’s destiny: become a wise and just ruler… or embrace the darker paths of ambition and power.
Triple Boris
Where is Billy – December 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
It’s mischief night at Billy’s haunted manor, and the host has quite the challenge in mind for all monsters invited! Partake in a competition of hide-and-seek with an original twist: the only place to hide is the crowd of monstrous guests of which you are part. Find who you are in the crowd and rise to the challenge to be crowned the sneakiest and most perceptive of all monsters! Figure out who you are discreetly, then fulfil your objectives and seek out other players without breaking character to avoid being caught.
Dark Product
The Axis Unseen – December 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The Axis Unseen is a heavy metal horror game created by one of the developers of Skyrim and Fallout. Track down nightmarish creatures from folklore in a mysterious open world, steal their enhanced senses, and discover arrows with immense powers. But beware — the hunter often becomes the hunted.
Synnergy Circle Games
Explodera – December 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In a future ruled by steel and circuitry, humanity’s reign has ended. The machines we built to serve us have turned against us, deeming their creators unworthy to inhabit Earth. Cities lie in ruins, and the last remnants of humankind hide beneath the ashes of a fallen world. But hope isn’t dead — it’s armed to the teeth. Meet Explodera, a ragtag crew of reckless freedom fighters with one simple philosophy: if it sparks, it explodes. Fueled by chaos and defiance, they fight their way through mechanical armies to reach the ultimate target — the Mother Computer, the cold heart of the machine uprising. If they can blow it to pieces, humanity might just get another shot at survival.
Koffeecup
Hoomanz! – December 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Hoomanz! is a stealth-adventure game packed with coziness and humour, featuring non-combat gameplay & family-friendly content. Play as Shoo, the mythical guardian of Planet Erf with a hidden dual nature, to scare away all the ignorant invading Hoomanz. Darkness is nature’s friend, light is its enemy.
4D Creativity
Humble Haunted House – December 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Humble Haunted House is an action tower defense video game. You act as Succubus, who disguised as a haunted attraction manager for a theme park. By setting up scary props, or popping out as a live actor, it’s a matter of time before the long line of visitors get scared. Little do they know, they have faced some real monsters.
Fancy Factory – an Axel Friedrich company
Scott Whiskers: The Search for the Golden Cat – December 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Join Scott Whiskers on his new adventure and plunge into a colorful and family-friendly experience in a class of its own! Sun, beach and sea – sunken pirate treasures, mystical Mayan rites, a bubbling volcano – and lots of puzzles and lovable characters make for the vacation of a lifetime!
EpiXR Games
Zumba – The Dragon’s Marble Trial – December 18
Optimized by Xbox Series X|S
Zumba – The Dragon’s Marble Trial invites you into an enchanting world where a charming dragon wields colorful marbles in mouth and tail! Pick a stage, aim your dragon-launched marbles at winding paths, and match three or more identical colors to trigger explosive combos before they invade your lair. Rack up high scores and up to three stars per level by clearing waves quickly and precisely.
Ratalaika Games S.L.
Big Trouble in Little Chimney – December 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Krampus is Coming! Grab your shotgun, finish your hot punch and don’t forget your mission: Save Christmas! Big Trouble in Little Chimney is a fast paced arena bullet-hell shooter. Survive endless hordes of creatures lurk from the dark chimney and save Christmas! Try to beat your high score!
QubicGames S.A.
Cup Heroes – December 19
Optimized for Handheld / Xbox Play Anywhere
Step into the whimsical world of Cup Heroes, where everyday cups turn into mighty heroes on an epic quest to save their beloved Queen! Collect coins and gems to unlock a diverse cast of characters, each with unique abilities. Upgrade their skills to make them even more powerful and adaptable to different challenges.
RAFAEL V.F
Escape From Crypt – December 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In Escape From Crypt, you take on the role of a warrior determined to prove your worth by facing a deadly crypt filled with treacherous traps and relentless enemies. Can you make it out alive? Use your Wall Jump with precision, unleash powerful sword strikes, and overcome every challenge as you venture through the dark depths. Conquer your fears, defy the impossible, and reach the end of Escape From Crypt!
Feardemic
Fort Solis – December 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Responding to an unusual emergency call from a remote mining base, Jack arrives at the dark and desolate Fort Solis. With storm warnings imminent, he heads inside to make desperate contact. As the night grows longer, events spiral out of control, and the mystery of what happened to the crew begins to reveal itself. The storm is approaching, limiting Jack’s escape as he looks to hold out until morning arrives.
Avgam
Frog Hero DX – December 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Leap, dodge, and conquer deadly gauntlets in Frog Hero DX a precision platformer where every jump could be your last. Take command of our determined, brave hero: a fearless frog on a perilous trek through lush swamps, blazing caverns, and clockwork fortresses. Bounce off enemies to defeat them, thread the gap between spinning blades and bursts of fire, and stick perfect landings across collapsing bridges and molten pits.
Upscale Studio
Nom Nom Apocalypse – December 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Welcome to the co-op shooter where the end of the world has never looked so… tasty! The end of days is near, with the city infested by ravenous, greasy food creatures, bringing total chaos and destruction. Our last hope lies with a band of skillful, trigger-happy cooks who are determined not to end up as the main course.
Dead Drop Studios LLC
Outbreak: Shades of Horror – December 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Outbreak: Shades of Horror is inspired by retro survival horror from the ’90s and ’00s! The title blends bleeding edge tech and modern gameplay mechanics with archaic concepts from the roots of survival horror, like a restricted inventory, heavy resource management, and crushing difficulty. If you’re an old hat, or a lover of the past, you’ll find a lot to love in the janky but crushing experience. If that’s not your jam, proceed with caution as this nightmare is unforgiving!
The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for December 15 to 19 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Doom and Quake studio id Software are now home to a “wall-to-wall” union according to the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The organisation have announced that a group of 165 id workers have just voted to unionise, adding to the ranks of the 300 ZeniMax quality assurance staff who unionised back in 2023.
165 workers at id Software, the studio behind the Doom and Quake franchises, have elected to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in yet another wall-to-wall developer union within Microsoft.
The new union encompasses developers, artists, programmers, and other disciplines, and has been formally recognized by Microsoft in accordance with its pledge to remain “neutral” with regard to unions within its ranks and voluntarily recognize any that emerge. Union members suggest issues of concern for the group include the instability of the games industry writ large, as well as the necessity of remote work.
“I’m very proud to be a part of this effort to organize our studio, to have a voice in decisions that directly affect myself and my coworkers,” said senior VFX artist and organizing committee member Caroline Pierrot. “In an industry that has proven to be very unstable over the last few years, more unions means more power to the workers and a real shot at shaping the future of the industry for the better.”
Microsoft has seen a cascade of new unions formed at its game studios in recent years, a large number of which have been under its most recent acquisition, Activision Blizzard. Diablo developers unionized this past August, as did Blizzard’s story and franchise development team, the entire World of Warcraft team unionized last year, and the Overwatch developers followed in May of this year. Meanwhile, Raven Software workers won their first contract earlier this year, Zenimax QA workers won a contract in May, and Bethesda’s union is still in active negotiations.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
I have to say, it does tickle me that pretty much anyone involved with Left 4 Dead just seem to still want to make Left 4 Dead. The Anacrusis and Back 4 Blood both were made by folks who worked on the original co-op shooter, and now the original lead designer of it Mike Booth is back with yet another incarnation, 4:Loop, revealed at Geoff’s Ads and Statues Evening. As part of that reveal, Booth took part in a little interview over on the PlayStation Blog where he touched on the game’s roguelike mechanics, and how excited he is for people to break them.
Clearly, all is not well in the world of Call of Duty. Black Ops 7 appears to have struggled for players and sales relatively speaking amid tough competition from the likes of EA’s Battlefield 6 and Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders, and coming out just a year after Black Ops 6. Microsoft is yet to announce a player count or a sales figure for Black Ops 7, nor has it detailed any boost to Game Pass subscriber numbers as a result of its launch. Clearly, it hasn’t met its expectations.
Last month, sales data suggested Black Ops 7 was struggling not just against rival shooter Battlefield 6, but also last year’s Black Ops 6. The Game Business reported that Black Ops 7’s European launch saw opening week sales down 63% versus Battlefield 6 during the equivalent launch periods for each shooter, and Black Ops 7 also down by more than 50% versus Black Ops 6. All in all, Black Ops 7 had a “terrible” launch, The Game Business’ chief Chris Dring said in a post on social media.
Then, in a shock development, Activision promised never to release Black Ops or Modern Warfare games back to back again. In a statement attributed to “the Call of Duty team” (Treyarch, Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, Raven Software and co.), Activision admitted “that for some of you, the franchise has not met your expectations fully. To be very clear, we know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver, and overdeliver, on those expectations as we move forward.”
Activision continued: “We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year. We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.”
Fast forward to this week, and Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty has painted a slightly rosier picture. When asked about Black Ops 7’s performance by Variety, Booty responded to confirm that it’s one of the most-played games on Xbox right now, and that he was proud of what the development team was able to achieve. He then said Call of Duty is “its own unique category” because of Activision’s ability to release content via a seasonal model, so the launch isn’t the end of Black Ops 7’s story.
Here’s the quote in full:
“Right now, it is one of the most-played games on Xbox. And I’m really proud of what the team did, in terms of feature innovation, moving the franchise forward. Shipping a major franchise like clockwork every year is a really difficult task, and I’m really proud of what the team did to move the franchise forward in that way.
“And the interesting thing about Call of Duty is, I think that as an IP, it is really well positioned to continue to deliver content for players going forward; the system of seasons. And it’s not just about the launch, but it’s kind of in its own unique category and ability in terms of how the team keeps delivering content throughout the year. So we’re real happy with where we’ve landed with that.”
Amid the doom and gloom, Microsoft has said Call of Duty (overall) ended 2025 as the number one franchise on Game Pass for total players and hours all year, which perhaps doesn’t come as much of a surprise given this is Call of Duty we’re talking about. But it does show that even when Call of Duty has a bad year relative to previous games in the series, it’s still massively popular relative to other games.
Call of Duty is now at something of a crossroads. 2026’s Call of Duty game is almost certainly a continuation of Modern Warfare from Infinity Ward, but what will 2027 bring? Black Ops 8? Activision’s failure to establish a third Call of Duty sub-brand means that it has become overly reliant on Modern Warfare and Black Ops to keep the franchise going at the player numbers executives demand. Could Microsoft take the drastic step of giving Call of Duty a year off to recover from its recent struggles? Given Microsoft paid $69 billion for Activision Blizzard, it seems unlikely.
As for Black Ops 7 in the here and now, Activision has promised “unprecedented season support,” saying it “won’t rest until Black Ops 7 earns its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Deltarune‘s third and fourth chapters dropping simultaneously this year was my Silksong. Granted, I haven’t been waiting quite as long as the Hollow Knight sickos. Toby Fox only kept me hanging four years for the latest slice of his episodic Undertale successor.
Still, that’s before I’d started freelancing for IGN, let alone descended into the guide mines in service of my new all-knowing deity, Horace. Life has passed since I hung out with Deltarune’s adorably awkward protagonist, Kris, their chalk-devouring bestie, Susie, and the duo’s goat mage guide, Ralsie. They’re like old friends at this point, and I’ve been frantically waiting to rejoin their excursions to the shadowy alternate universe of the Dark World. After all, I had to see what manner of quirky little weirdos its ability to distort everyday objects into sentient beings would create next. But the wait was worth every agonising minute
Shipping Spring 2026.
We’ve had mixed opinions on the CRKD Nitro Deck for the Switch, but now the company has come out swinging with a brand new iteration – and it’s compatible with both Switch and Switch 2.
The Nitro Deck 2 starts shipping in Spring 2026 and looks to be a significant upgrade over the previous model. It seems the company has the Switch 2 in mind with this new product, but those still on the original Switch can still get in on the action. You’ll just need to utilise the additional centrepiece to make up for the height difference, while turning the dial on the back to decrease the length of the chassis.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
When Deus Ex Remastered was revealed back in September, it quickly became apparent how Simply Not Great this thing looked. There was way too strong of a “we have to make this thing look new and modern and well lit” vibe to it that did not go down very well with pretty much anyway. It even tried to convince us that you’d need an RTX 2080 to run it at the recommended settings! The gall! And here we are, almost three months later, with word that the game has been delayed.
