It feels like Xbox has been in a permanent state of turmoil for at least two years now, and this week is no different. Microsoft cut 268 jobs across its gaming division this week, shuffled major studios and franchises around, and continued its Xbox "reset."

Layoffs have become a way of life for Xbox employees, after Microsoft started cutting thousands in early 2024 and hasn't slowed down. The turmoil was particularly apparent when Microsoft started shutting down game studios, and the painful layoffs have had a lasting impact on morale, according to current and former Xbox employees I've been speaking to this week.

At the same time, Xbox h …

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Xbox appears to be ready to launch its own version of PlayStation's platinum trophies. A new update to the Xbox PC app has revealed Mythic Achievements, which according to data in the app will appear once a player completes all the Achievements in a game.

Mythic Achievements appear on screen with a unique unlock sound, and players will reportedly be able to track them through the Xbox dashboard. Xbox players will also be able to display their Mythic count on their profiles. Some Xbox Insider testers have already started spotting references to Mythic Achievements in early versions of the Xbox dashboard.

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Xbox has become a shell of its former self - and things are only getting worse. As part of its planned cuts impacting around 3,200 workers, the company announced today more changes that will further dilute the brand. Studios are being consolidated, others are on the brink of being closed altogether, and Xbox's most iconic franchise, Halo, is being moved to a new developer. The future of Xbox looks more uncertain than ever.

Today's news includes "eliminating 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the [Xbox Game Studios] management and central functions layer." But there is also plenty of reorganization happening, parti …

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Microsoft is uniting its two Forza developers into a single studio today, as part of a massive restructuring of Xbox. Playground Games, which develops Forza Horizon, and Turn 10 Studios, creators of Forza Motorsport, are merging together to focus on Forza Horizon and Fable.

"Playground and Turn 10 will come together as one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises," explains Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty in a memo. "These two studios have been technological, creative, and franchise partners for over a decade, and today's changes will formally move their work into one team."

The closure of Turn 10 Studios leaves big unanswere …

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Microsoft is laying off around 260 Xbox employees today, as part of an ongoing "reset" of its gaming business. 1,600 Xbox employees were impacted by layoffs in July, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma describing the cuts as "the most significant restructure in Xbox history." Today's layoffs are part of the 3,200 roles that were previously confirmed to be impacted over the course of Microsoft's 2027 financial year (which ends in June 2027).

"We are eliminating 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management and central functions layer," says Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty in a memo. "The actions completed since …

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Microsoft is announcing a massive restructuring of its Xbox studios today, months after laying off 1,600 Xbox employees and selling off studios. The latest changes will see Activision take on the Halo and Sea of Thieves franchises, as well as Age of Empires. Microsoft is also laying off around 268 Xbox employees as part of this restructuring, and likely closing Ninja Theory.

Halo Studios will be significantly impacted by today's changes and layoffs. The studio will continue to support existing titles like Halo Infinite and Halo: Campaign Evolved, but the next flagship installment in the Halo franchise will come from Activision instead.

"Ac …

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When Xbox announced a new feature last month that lets you digitize existing physical game collections, I immediately thought of the Xbox One. Disc-to-digital seems like a clever new feature for Xbox, perfectly timed as a response to Sony killing PlayStation discs. But the reality is that it has been 15 years in the making and is now a big part of Xbox's ongoing game preservation efforts.

Ahead of the launch of the Xbox One in 2013, Microsoft made a key decision to uniquely identify discs. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell me the company was exploring the idea of true Xbox digital ownership in 2011, including digital gifting, rec …

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Microsoft is starting to test some new Xbox console features with Insiders. Testers will be able to try out custom Xbox boot animations from the past, more personalization options for badges, a new local search feature, improved Remote Play quality, the ability to download while you play on cloud, and clearer voice chat.

Xbox testers will be able to pick between the original Xbox One boot screen, the Xbox One X startup animation, the original Xbox Series X / S boot, and the new "we are Xbox" boot animation. Unfortunately you won't be able to select the original Xbox or Xbox 360 boot animations, it's only Xbox One onwards.

The new local sea …

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SteelSeries is a household name for many gamers, but not when it comes to controllers. Instead of easing into the conversation with reasonably-priced console and PC controllers to build trust, it's kicking down the door with the $259.99 Aeon Pro wireless controller for Xbox and PC, which is now available.

What does one of the most expensive controllers out there do that others don't? A few things. The one you'll likely notice first is its tiny OLED screen that can guide you through swapping between Xbox, PC, or Bluetooth. It lets you adjust most settings on the controller, including genre-based presets. You can remap the controls and adjust …

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