Xbox Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Netflix will launch a mobile game version of the indie hit “Hades” in March. Per Netflix’s description, “Hades” is “a rogue-like dungeon crawler in which you defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash your way out of the Underworld of Greek myth.” Pre-registration to play the streamer’s exclusive version of the game, which launches on iOS devices March 19, opens Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Microsoft‘s latest sale is making it a little easier for anyone who’s looking to make the transition from an Apple MacBook to say, a Microsoft Surface Laptop (or anyone in the market for some new tech). Right now, the company has discounted select Surface computers, tablets and Xbox games, sitewide, along with hundreds of other deals.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. With the release of the “Fallout” TV series on Prime Video, Amazon has partnered with Bethesda Softworks and Microsoft to give away copies of the “Fallout 76″ video game (about a $40 value) for Xbox Series X/S (or the previous generation Xbox One) and PC.

Microsoft has announced it has set up a special team dedicated to Xbox game preservation as work continues on the successor to the Series X/S.According to an internal memo shared by Windows Central, the team was created by Xbox president Sarah Bond and is out to “ensure the future-proofing of the current Xbox game library against future hardware paradigm shifts”.“It’s been nearly six months since we came together as an organisation,” she explained. “Our collective achievements in that timeframe are tremendous.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Back in October 2023, Microsoft acquired the game studio Activision-Blizzard with an eye towards growing Xbox‘s exclusive game library. And now, “Diablo IV” is the first major Activision-Blizzard game to hit Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s premium cloud gaming subscription service.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has explained that the company’s focus is on attracting “younger audiences”.Over the past few months, Spencer has spoken at length about making Xbox-exclusive games available on “rival” platforms. Last weekend, while at the Game Developers Conference he spoke to Polygon about the possibility of an Xbox handheld console as well as having digital storefronts like Itch.io and the Epic Games Store available on Xbox, alongside their own store.“This notion that Xbox can only be this one device that plugs into a television isn’t something we see in the Gen Z research because nothing else is like that for them,” he explained.“Some of them will have an iPhone, some will have an Android, but all the games and everything is the same [for both of them].

Darts has experienced a surprising boost in the last year, with players becoming household names. It's a phenomenon that seems to be down to Luke Littler.

Persona 3 Reload is receiving several pieces of DLC this year, it was announced yesterday (March 6), and will be available through an expansion pass.As was announced during a Xbox Partner Preview, three separate pieces of DLC will be available through an expansion pass this year. The expansion pass is included at no extra cost to subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, though will cost £28 ($35) on other platforms.The expansion pass will include background music from Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden, releasing on March 12, new costumes and music from The Velvet Room in May, and a full epilogue in September titled Episode Aigis: The Answer.

A dad has spoken of the tragic death of his son as he raises money to get a memorial for the youngster. David Stewart's son Aiden passed away when he was just 13.

Hi-Fi Rush has been officially announced for release on PlayStation 5 next month, alongside several other formerly Xbox console exclusive titles.The title will launch on March 19 on PlayStation 5, with physical versions for the platform available exclusively through Limited Run Games. While a Switch release for Hi-Fi Rush has been rumoured, there is currently no official notice on if those rumours were actually true.Alongside Hi-Fi Rush, Xbox is also bringing three other previously exclusive games to new systems.

Call Of Duty titles will launch day and date on Xbox Game Pass, according to an interview with Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer.Spencer spoke about how Xbox Game Pass will work with new studios that have been purchased by Xbox in an interview with Gamefile‘s Stephen Totillo.“Our intent is the full portfolio from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard and XGS- Xbox Game Studios – will be on Game Pass, day one,” Spencer said in the interview. It’s important to note however, that there’s still work to be done before they’re ready to launch day and date on the system.“We’re doing the back end work to make them come to PC and console simultaneously,” Spencer confirmed.In the same interview, Spencer also spoke about what he believes the future of physical media is in regards to the Xbox platform, stating that while Xbox themselves are fans of physical media, they “don’t have a need to drive that disproportionate to customer demand”.“Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive.

Nintendo Direct has been announced for later today (February 21), with the presentation set to showcase a number of third-party titles coming to the Nintendo Switch.The Partner Showcase is set to premiere at 2pm GMT/6am PT/9am ET and will last for roughly 25 minutes.The first Nintendo Direct of the year will be available to watch live on Nintendo’s website or on their official Youtube channel.

Microsoft has begun to tease the successor to the Xbox Series X/S, promising the “largest technical leap” in Xbox console history.Following rumours Xbox was set to make a number of exclusive titles available to both PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch gamers, many fans assumed Microsoft could be about to follow the lead of Sega and pivot away from hardware to become a software-only studio.However during a podcast presentation about the “vision for the future” of the brand last night (February 15), Microsoft confirmed it was set to continue to manufacture consoles.“There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday and we’re also invested in the next generation roadmap,” said Xbox president Sarah Bond. “What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation”“That makes it better for players, and better for creators and the visions that they’re building,” she added.

Microsoft has confirmed that Diablo 4 will be the first Activision Blizzard title to come to Xbox Game Pass.Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was finally approved in October 2023 after being announced in January 2022 via a deal thought to be worth £50billion.Now the first of Microsoft’s new franchises is coming to its subscription-based Game Pass service. Head of Xbox Sarah Bond confirmed the news during an official Xbox podcast last night (February 15).Diablo 4 will be available to play via Game Pass from March 28 and is said to be the first of multiple Activision and Blizzard-developed titles coming to the service.Elsewhere in the podcast, Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced that Game Pass now had 34million “fully paid” subscribers compared to 25million in 2022.

Xbox has confirmed that four exclusive games will be released on rival consoles, after weeks of speculation.Earlier this month, several reports emerged that Microsoft was planning on releasing several big exclusives like Starfield, Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, Halo and Gears Of Wars on the PlayStation 5. Microsoft then confirmed a press conference to discuss the “vision for the future” of Xbox, which finally took place last night (February 15).Those rumours were swiftly debunked, but Microsoft did announce their intention “to take four games to the other consoles [PS5 and Nintendo Switch]”.

Katcy Stephan Get ready to enter the world of Arrakis with Xbox. The gaming giant has partnered with Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment to bring players a suite of immersive content tied to the Mar.

Luke Littler has revealed that he enjoyed a brief chat with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

note sent to customers and displayed on their website, GAME wrote:“The Trade-In programme operated by GAME which offers customers the ability to trade-in unwanted consoles, games or gaming accessories in-store for credit will cease. GAME will also stop selling pre-owned games and consoles in-store and online at game.co.uk once stocks have run out.”“We haven’t taken this decision lightly and we are extremely grateful for your loyal custom throughout the years and remain committed to continue to give our passionate gaming fans the best customer experience,” they added.According to GAME, customers should still be able to sell or exchange games, consoles and accessories up until February 16 but stores “do have a right to refuse trade ins”.GAME was taken over by The Fraser Group in 2019, who have since shut down a number of standalone high-street shops and opened up concessions in larger department stores like House Of Fraser and Sports Direct.The news comes as Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, has spoken about stopping the sale of physical games at some point this year.

Atlus has announced that Persona 3 Reload is the fastest-selling game in the history of the company.Atlus West posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Persona 3 Reload has sold over a million copies in the first week of release, making it the fastest-selling game that the company has ever published.The game was launched on February 2 across all platforms. The game was originally revealed by Xbox in June of last year, along with the reveal that the game would be launching on Xbox Game Pass at no additional price to existing subscribers.As reported by Persona Central back in 2021, the Persona series had hit fifteen million sales by the end of Fiscal Year 2021, meaning that Persona 3 Reload has already sold roughly a fifteenth of what the entire series had sold in by the end of its 25th anniversary year.NME reviewed Persona 3 Reload, with our reviewer calling the game a “must-play marvel”.“As the sums of its parts, Reload is phenomenal as both a remake and a standalone game.

Just months remain until many broadband and TV providers will increase their prices in April. Mid-contract price hikes are hated by consumers but sadly written into many deals out there.

Palworld could be coming to PlayStation soon, per a post on X (formerly Twitter) from PlayStation head of indies Shuhei Yoshida.Yoshida replied to a post which asked for the team to “support SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment] so that the PS5 version can be released as soon as possible”.Yoshida tagged the development partner at PlayStation in the reply, writing “Yes”.Previously, the community manager of Palworld posted that the title “won’t be on PlayStation” and will only be available on “Xbox and Steam“. However, on January 21 the community manager posted on X to state that Palworld may still come to PlayStation.“The above post said Palworld may release on PS4, PS5, Xbox or PC.

Palworld has sold five million copies in three days, despite increasing concern over potential AI use in the game.The title launched in early access on January 19, and since then, it has shot up in Steam charts to the point it had more concurrent players than games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Call Of Duty.Those users don’t include the number of players who are playing the game through the Xbox Game Pass release, and neither do the five million copies sold, meaning that the actual total number of people who have downloaded the game and played it could be much higher.The conversation around Palworld, however, isn’t focused on sales. It’s instead focused on similarities that beasts in the game have to popular Pokemon characters, and the fact that the company openly released a title in early access last year named AI: Art Imposter which uses artificial intelligence in gameplay to generate images.Several posts have circulated on X (formerly Twitter) showing similarities between Pokemon creatures and Palworld creatures, with previous comments from the CEO of Pocketpair discussing AI art, and specifically how to use AI art in order to create new Pokemon, leading people to wonder if the game used the technique at all.There’s currently no confirmation as to whether or not there’s any credibility behind these claims, however.

Xbox Developer Direct is fast approaching, bringing with it a lot of early-year looks at upcoming games. But how can you watch the show and what should you expect?The Xbox Developer Direct takes place today (January 18) at 8 PM GMT / 3 PM EST / 12 PM PST.

Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl has received a new release date.After previously being announced for a Q1 2024 release window, the game has been delayed to September 5 and will be released on Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game will be released on Xbox Game Pass at launch.The trailer announcing the new date is weirdly calm and features a very nice campfire song being played as the point-of-view character reaches for a cup of what looks like coffee.Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl was originally revealed back in 2010, with a release date set for 2012.

Luke Littler vowed to storm the sporting world at just the age of three.

Christmas Day is over for another year which can mean only one things - the Boxing Day sales have kicked off.

, binge-watched countless , picked out your , so all that’s to do is shop for yourself. You might think the sales dried up , but heavy hitters like Nordstrom, Macy's, Amazon, Walmart, and Net-a-Porter are coming through with a final round of markdowns—great news if you didn’t receive the one wish-list item you wanted most.We're here to help put your gift cards to good use with the best year-end deals.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has been delayed again, but only for Epic Game Store users.Taking to the game’s official Discord (via Eurogamer), Rocksteady Studios shared an update that confirmed Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League would be delayed in coming to the Epic Game Store.No reason was given for the delay, with the title now releasing on the platform on March 5, 2024.“If you pre-ordered the game on this storefront, Epic will be cancelling your pre-order and refunding customers directly,” wrote Rocksteady. “A confirmation email of this cancellation will be sent directly from the Epic Games Store Support Team.”The studio confirmed that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League would still be coming on February 2, 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam users.Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was first announced in 2020 with plans to release late 2022.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has been delayed again, but only for Epic Game Store users.Taking to the game’s official Discord (via Eurogamer), Rocksteady Studios shared an update that confirmed Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League would be delayed in coming to the Epic Game Store.No reason was given for the delay, with the title now releasing on the platform on March 5, 2024.“If you pre-ordered the game on this storefront, Epic will be cancelling your pre-order and refunding customers directly,” wrote Rocksteady. “A confirmation email of this cancellation will be sent directly from the Epic Games Store Support Team.”The studio confirmed that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League would still be coming on February 2, 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam users.Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was first announced in 2020 with plans to release late 2022.

Xbox Series X console is down to the cheapest price we’ve ever seen. Amazon has the carbon black 1TB version of the console available for $349, $151 less than its retail price — which is a 30% savings and the cheapest price on the web right now. This is just the console itself, but it does come with a matching carbon black Xbox Wireless Controller.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Game designer Hideo Kojima, creator of the hugely popular “Death Stranding,” had two pieces of news coming out of the Game Awards 2023. On Thursday evening at the Game Awards show in L.A., Kojima appeared on stage with filmmaker Jordan Peele to announce his next game project: “OD,” which Kojima describes as an “immersive and totally new style of game” that will explore “what it means to OD on fear.” It’s being produced in partnership with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been released on Xbox Series X|S. The hit fantasy game was surprise dropped last night (December 7) during The Game Awards 2023.Baldur’s Gate 3, which is based on the long-running tabletop role-playing game (RPG) Dungeons & Dragons, was released on PC back in August, with a PlayStation version following in September.

Katcy Stephan What would you do to bring a loved one back to life? That’s the central question of EA Originals’ upcoming game, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, announced at The Game Awards on Thursday evening. The title will be the first project produced by Abubakar Salim’s Surgent Studios.

Destiny 2 developer Bungie is facing a full takeover by Sony, according to a new report, leaving employees worried about the studio’s future.Sony already owns Bungie, but the developer retains some autonomy. In a statement issued when the acquisition process started in January 2022, Bungie said “we remain in charge of our destiny.

Grand Theft Auto VI arrived a little early after a copy was leaked online.Rockstar Games released its first look for the sixth game of the cult-classic video game series Monday evening — roughly 15 hours before the planned Tuesday morning unveiling — while citing the leak.“Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing on YouTube,” Rockstar Games wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, just after 6 p.m. ET Monday.Rockstar Games and its New York parent company, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., did not provide further details on the leak.