Layoffs continue to affect the gaming industry this week, a controversial live-service title is ceasing its post-launch content development, and an iconic actor may no longer take on one of his most seminal roles. Today, The Best War Games’s weekly recap takes a look at some of the most notable headlines in the past week regarding the gaming industry.
Starfield’s release date is supposedly being announced soon, despite the recent layoffs that have affected Bethesda. Moreover, The Last of Us continues to make the rounds in video game adaptation discourse, and fans have a lot of catching up to do if they are just now beginning their journey through Monster Hunter Rise. All that and more in this week's roundup of games industry news.
Microsoft Layoffs Hit 343 Industries, Xbox, and Bethesda
Microsoft has effectively cut 10,000 jobs, and among those jobs are developers laid off from Halo developer 343 Industries and Starfield developer Bethesda as part of Microsoft’s Xbox divisions. It is currently unclear what effect this will have on games currently in development, but large-scale expansion with multiple acquisitions seems to have been the cause. The layoffs at these studios will apparently affect less than five percent of the total workforce, but it is still unfortunate for everyone involved and will surely have an impact to watch going forward.
Marvel’s Avengers Officially Ending Post-Launch Support
After a controversial two-and-a-half year run, Marvel’s Avengers announced its post-launch support is coming to an end. This sunsetting will take place on September 30, though Marvel’s Avengers’ final update launches on March 31. This update will gift players with all purchasable Marketplace cosmetics for free, allowing them to enjoy their wishlisted character skins. However, Marvel’s Avengers as a whole will no longer be purchasable after September 30.
Mark Hamill May Be Finished with Joker Role Following Kevin Conroy’s Passing
Following the death of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill seems to be evaluating whether he could ever return to the role of the Joker in a DC Comics adaptation. Hamill’s reluctance to reprise the Joker role is reportedly due to him enjoying the relationship he had established with Conroy throughout their rich history working together in their respective roles. If Conroy is unable to reprise Batman, then Hamill seems to feel like there would be a missing piece to his Joker.
Monster Hunter Rise Comes to Xbox Game Pass
Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise is making huge leaps across platforms, and Monster Hunter Rise has been added to Xbox Game Pass. Monster Hunter Rise is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, though there are no physical versions available for Sony or Microsoft's consoles.
That said, it should also be noted that the Sunbreak expansion has not yet been released for PlayStation and Xbox. This means fans will need to wait awhile before the entire experience is available, and it may not collectively fall under the Xbox Game Pass deal when Sunbreak does drop.
Starfield Release Date Expected Soon, According to Bethesda
Starfield reportedly boasts an enormous RPG experience with 1,000 explorable planets, and this supposed scale has stirred rumors of a potential delay that would likely surprise nobody. However, Bethesda is reportedly preparing a special release date announcement. If so, it seems fans will know the scheduled release date for Starfield sooner than anticipated.
This does make sense, since Starfield was already assumed to launch sometime this summer. The 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase said each title involved in the showcase would be releasing within the year, and an upcoming special event announcement may demonstrate that Starfield is still on track to release this year.
Features
There are a lot of expectations that fans may have about this year’s highly anticipated games. For example, the realm of horror only continues to become more popular with modern remakes such as Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill 2, and fans are excited to hear more about Hades’ unexpected sequel.
Movies
HBO’s The Last of Us has unearthed many of the same tired conversations about video game adaptations, and the fact that adaptations are always discussed in the same manner can be perceived as an irritating repetition.
Guides
Monster Hunter Rise is seeing a second wind on PlayStation and Xbox platforms, bridging the gap from its original exclusivity on Nintendo Switch. With all the content it has to offer, including through the forthcoming Sunbreak DLC expansion, there is a lot to catch up on if fans are new to this entry.
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