Skyblivion’s been on track to come out in 2025 for a little while now, and now we know at least one of the places you’ll be able to grab it when it arrives – GOG.com.
The massive modding project that’s remaking The Elder Scrolls 4 in Skyrim’s engine has been in the works for over a decade. Having not had their hard work torpedoed by Bethesda and Virtuos’ own Oblivion remaster, its team are currently grafting hard to ensure they’re ready when the time comes to pull the release trigger.
With the mod now confirmed by GOG to be arriving on the PC storefront in 2025, assuming it makes its current release goal, I reached out to Skyblivion project lead Kyle ‘Rebelzize’ Rebel and GOG themselves. We chatted about what went into the decision for the same PC storefront that hosted Fallout: London’s release last year to handle this Oblivion-remaking Skyrim mod, and where progress is at on the road to release.
We’ve finally gotten our first look at IO Interactive’s new James Bond game: 007: First Light. It’s an origin story of the infamous spy, showing how he “earned the number” of 007.
So far, everything we’ve seen has been cinematic and story-focused, so there are still plenty of questions lingering about how First Light will play, and who exactly this new Bond will be. Fortunately, I was able to sit down with IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak at an IO Interactive event this weekend and grill him on everything Bond. While he wouldn’t tell me who they had cast as the new Bond (the internet thinks it’s Patrick Gibson, but Abrak says they’re “waiting a bit” to reveal the cast), he did confirm that 007: First Light isn’t part of the film canon; it’s a “standalone, reimagined interpretation.”
“I think from the get-go that was extremely important for us that we will be able to put our fingerprints on this,” Abrak said. “This is the first game we are making that is not our IP. IO is a creative house that’s created five original IPs and we are doing the sixth IP on the Fantasy Project [literally codenamed Project Fantasy] we’re working on as well. So we have to pour something of ourselves into what we do.
“…It was such a huge opportunity to take such a beloved franchise and then a privilege to be able to pour our originality into that. And our take was, well, we wanted to reimagine his becoming story. We wanted to reimagine a coming-of-age, this young man with all his quirkiness and optimism, his wits and his personality. Getting introduced to these intrigues and espionage, this harsh world of dog-eats-dog and how he fares and how he manages that with his inner values.”
But even if the story itself is creating its own canon independent from the movies, that doesn’t mean IO Interactive isn’t taking cues from the film Bond. For one, Abrak said he got “some insight” into how film Bonds are typically cast and what the film directors usually look for. But ultimately, IO Interactive was left to its own devices as to how it wanted to proceed on selecting a new Bond. And it did end up picking a real actor.
“It was a blank slate, which is a huge privilege, that we can cast these people or try to 3D-model something,” he said. “Is it going to be an actor, or not, and what do we do? So that was really, really daunting. I tell you this, it took a long time, and we’ve been through a few models to figure out what we wanted. But I think the process was chaotic, to be honest. I mean the process was feeling it, trying some things out, feeling the emotional… And it’s not necessarily huge A/B tests out there with a lot of agencies and whatnot. It was very important for us to feel his warmth or charm, his quirkiness and all these things. But then we found someone and we’re really, really happy about it today.”
We’ll be publishing our full interview with Abrak later this week, including discussion of not just 007: First Light, but also the future of the Hitman franchise and upcoming IO Interactive-published game MindsEye. We’ll keep waiting to hear more about 007: First Light, including gameplay, sometime soon. It launches in 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Gears of War: Reloaded Multiplayer Beta Begins This Weekend – Preorder Now for Access
Mike Crump, Studio Head, The Coalition
Summary
Gears of War: Reloadedlaunches August 26, 2025, for $39.99 SRP on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, Steam, and arrives day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere support. Preorder now for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5 for access to the two-weekend Multiplayer Beta that begins June 13, 2025. Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass members, and existing owners of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (digital) also get access to the Multiplayer Beta.
For many of us, the original Gears of War in 2006 was a game changer. It pushed the limits of technology, visual fidelity, and ushered in the HD-era on the Xbox 360, led by amazing players all over the world. And we all remember how the beautifully crafted and iconic “Mad World” trailer hit us on an emotional level.
As we look ahead to the 20th anniversary of the Gears of War franchise next year, we wanted to celebrate this milestone with you by welcoming a new generation of players across devices to the Gears family — and what better way than to revisit the iconic original that started it all.
Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the blockbuster first Gears of War, now fully optimized for the latest generation of gaming platforms, arriving August 26, 2025 – and you can get your first chance to play it during the Multiplayer Beta.
Join the Multiplayer Beta Starting June 13
You can experience all the curb-stomping mayhem of the versus multiplayer via a two-weekend, cross-platform and cross-play Multiplayer Beta that runs June 13-15 and June 20-22.
There are three ways to gain access:
Preorder Gears of War: Reloaded digitally for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Steam or PlayStation 5
Have an active Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass membership
Own a digital copy of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition*
Multiplayer Beta Weekend 1 runs June 13-15 and features a social multiplayer experience in the classic Team Deathmatch mode across three maps including the fan-favorite Gridlock, as well as Raven Down and Gold Rush.
Friday, June 13 from 7pm UTC (12pm PST) to Sunday, June 15 at 7pm UTC (12pm PST)
Multiplayer Beta Weekend 2 runs June 20-22 and adds the competitive King of the Hill mode on the map Canals being added to the mix, along with the maps Courtyard and War Machine for use in Team Deathmatch.
Friday, June 20 from 7pm UTC (12pm PST) to Sunday, June 22 at 7pm UTC (12pm PST)
Official Xbox Podcast: Learn More About Gears of War Reloaded
As detailed on the Official Xbox Podcast, Studio Head Mike Crump and Studio Technical Director Kate Rayner let us know that Gears of War: Reloaded is the definitive release of the iconic original that started it all. Not only does this remaster include all post-launch content from the original and Ultimate Edition, it also delivers a litany of technical achievements that weren’t possible 20 or even 10 years ago.
We’re talking 4K assets, remastered textures, HDR support, but also platform scaling capabilities that make it possible to play Gears of War Reloaded across a multitude of devices that you own, from the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, to PC, to console, and more. Where the original Gears of War was a technical achievement for Xbox 360 — Gears of War Reloaded is shaping up to be a triumph across all devices. Check out the full episode above.
Preorder and Game Pass Bonuses: Adam Fenix and Anya Stroud Character Skins
Those that preorder Gears of War: Reloaded, digitally or physically, and Game Pass Ultimate or Game Pass PC members will receive two character skins for use in multiplayer, including:
Adam Fenix:Father of Marcus Fenix and legendary military scientist who invented the Hammer of Dawn. Now he’s geared up and ready to help defend humanity from the Locust Horde.
Anya Stroud:The guiding voice of Delta Squad, from the desk at COG CIC to the warzones of Ephyra, Anya is trained and ready to curb stomp some grubs.
*Multiplayer Beta Access for Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Owners: Must have purchased Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (digital-only) prior to May 5, 2025 at 16:00 UTC.
The Original, Remastered: Powered by Unreal Engine, Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the blockbuster first Gears of War, now fully optimized for the latest generation of gaming platforms.
All Included: Gears of War: Reloaded delivers all post-launch content for the original title, including a bonus campaign act, multiplayer maps, plus characters and cosmetics, at no additional cost.
Refined Controls: Newcomers can choose a modern, streamlined control layout, while veterans can relive the classic feel they love.
BUILT FOR BROTHERHOOD
Campaign Co-Op: Crush the Locust threat together through campaign split-screen or online co-op. Fight on with your squad in Versus multiplayer running at up to 120fps with unmatched clarity and visual fidelity.*
Cross Play: Gears of War: Reloaded supports cross-play across all platforms, allowing you and your friends to squad-up, regardless of where you play.*
Cross Progression: Jump from one platform to another and your campaign saves as well as multiplayer progression will come with you. Signing in with your Microsoft Account required is for cross progression.*
OPTIMIZED FOR XBOX & PC:
Natively Optimized for Xbox Series X|S: The iconic original now looks and plays better than ever with lightning-fast load times, 4K assets plus remastered textures, lighting, shadows and reflections, HDR and Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, as well as up to 120 FPS in multiplayer.*
Optimized for PC & Handhelds: In addition to stunning remastered visuals, Gears of War: Reloaded also delivers PC-first features such as ultrawide support, a benchmark mode, variable refresh rate, mouse and keyboard support, FSR3.1 and DLSS3.5 Super Resolution support as well as controller remapping.
Microsoft has confirmed The Outer Worlds 2 costs $79.99 in the U.S. — it’s the first Xbox Game Studios game to make the jump.
The Steam page for Obsidian’s role-playing sequel revealed the $80 figure for the standard edition. Microsoft had confirmed it would follow Nintendo’s lead and make the jump with its games in time for the holiday season. It seems The Outer Worlds 2 will kick off this new Xbox video game pricing structure when it comes out on October 29, 2025.
Explaining the price-hike decision in May, Microsoft told IGN: “We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.”
Last month, Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford sparked a backlash in responding to a fan who had expressed concern about the prospect of paying $80 for Borderlands 4, saying: “if you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”
During a recent PAX East panel, Pitchford offered his thoughts on video game pricing. “On one level, we’ve got a competitive marketplace where the people that make those choices want to sell as many units as possible and they want to be careful about people that are price-sensitive,” he said. “There are some folks who don’t want to see prices go up, even the ones deciding what the prices are.
“There’s other folks accepting the reality that game budgets are increasing, and there’s tariffs for the retail packaging. It’s getting gnarly out there, you guys. Borderlands 4 has more than twice the development budget than Borderlands 3. More than twice. So the truth is, I don’t know what the price is going to be.”
Given The Outer Worlds 2 costs $80, we can assume the just-announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will too, although it doesn’t have a release date yet. 2026’s Gears of War: E-Day, the new Fable, and the next Forza will surely also cost $80.
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.
Ubisoft are nowhere to be found during this year’s not-E3 season, meaning there’s no opportunity for the French publisher to announce six new games they’ll never release. I still crave a Splinter Cell fix, however, and Mudang: Two Hearts delivered, kinda. It’s Korean, it’s got fast-moving rage zombies, but it’s also got men shimmying up pipes, cinematic brawls, and a rapid-cut montage of knife crimes. You should watch the trailer.
After a two-year wait, the sixteenth main Final Fantasy finally drops on Xbox Series X/S right now, having first launched for PlayStation 5 in June 2023, and on PC in September 2024.
Final Fantasy 7 first launched in 2020 for PlayStation 4, before its Intergrade upgrade arrived a year later on PC and PS5.
All of which is to say that Xbox fans have been waiting a long time for these games, but their arrival this year suggests Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will follow in the somewhat not-too-distant future.
“Its excellent story, characters, and world building are right up there with the best the series has to offer, and the innovative Active Time Lore feature should set a new standard for how lengthy, story-heavy games keep players invested in its world,” IGN wrote in our Final Fantasy 16 review.
“[It]s dull filler and convoluted additions can cause it to stumble, but it still breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own,” IGN wrote in our Final Fantasy 7 Remake review.
Atlus have announced a remake of Persona 4, called Persona 4 Revival, possibly because they have run out of ideas, just like everyone else. I snark, I snark, it’s the summer of video games, we’re allowed to do a bit of that. Here’s the short trailer showing the flashified protag-kun running through the city streets in his school uniform.
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle’s first expansion, The Order of the Giants, now has a release date — and it’s only a few months’ away.
The Order of the Giants will arrive on September 4, 2025, a brief teaser shown during today’s Xbox Games Showcase 2025 revealed. That’s for all platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, and yes, the newer PlayStation 5 version of the game too.
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle was one of the best games of 2024, and more of it is a very good thing. It looks like we’ll be seeing more of the game’s mysterious race of forerunner giants in this expansion — though whether that means more of the late Tony Todd remains to be seen.
The Outer Worlds 2 has a release date. It was shown in a new trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase, and featured something several unnamed scientists are calling “humour”.
