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Evening Legal Briefs
Microsoft has finalized its acquisition of Activision Blizzard after a four-year regulatory process. Separately, law enforcement announced a successful hack of a VPN service used by criminals, highlighting vulnerabilities in perceived online safety.
Microsoft to pay $250 million settlement over ‘rushed’ Activision purchase
Microsoft has agreed to pay a $250 million settlement related to its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The settlement addresses concerns that the purchase was rushed. This news follows Microsoft's completion of the acquisition.
Four years later, Microsoft finally finishes fighting over the Activision acquisition
Microsoft has settled a lawsuit filed by Swedish pension fund Sjunde AP-Fonden for $250 million, resolving allegations that Activision Blizzard was sold too cheaply during Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition. The settlement also dismisses countersuits filed by former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and Microsoft. This resolution concludes a legal dispute that arose after the acquisition was finalized.
Trots hyllningarna – Forza Horizon måste våga mer
Despite critical acclaim and commercial success, Forza Horizon 6 is criticized for relying too heavily on its established formula, drawing parallels to repetitive franchises like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed. The article urges developer Playground Games to take more risks and innovate to avoid player fatigue, even as the game achieves record-breaking player numbers for Xbox.
Bungie Is Ending Development For Destiny 2, and Shifting the Focus to Marathon
Bungie has announced the end of active development for Destiny 2, with the final live-service content update scheduled for June 9, 2026. The studio will shift its focus to incubating new games, including Marathon, and plans to make significant layoffs. Destiny 2 will remain playable after its final update, and all content will be bundled into a collection with permanent markdowns.
Destiny 2 is dead, long live Destiny 3? 'Until I see the words Destiny 3 will never happen, I'm going to…
Bungie has announced that its final live service update for Destiny 2 will arrive in June, after which the studio will shift focus to other projects, including the recently launched Marathon. This news has led to speculation among fans and content creators about the potential for a Destiny 3, with some expressing optimism about the series' future despite recent layoffs and a perceived downturn in the studio's fortunes.
Japanese Charts: Switch 2 Sales Continue To Spike Ahead Of Price Increase
Nintendo Switch hardware sales in Japan have seen a significant spike ahead of an upcoming price increase. The Nintendo Switch 2 model sold 217,922 units in one week, surpassing the previous week's total. The original Nintendo Switch models also continue to perform well, outselling the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles in the region.
I've played 1000s of hours of Overwatch but it wasn't until its new Anniversary game mode that I discovered I…
The author shares their experience with Overwatch's new Anniversary game mode, Mystery Showdown, which features random hero swaps upon eliminations or assists. Despite initial unfamiliarity with many heroes, the chaotic and fun nature of the mode made it a highlight of the anniversary celebrations.
Xbox announces hire of veteran analyst Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer, and AI and Amazon veteran as CTO
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has appointed industry analyst Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer and Amazon veteran Scott Van Vliet as chief technology officer as part of an ongoing management restructure. Ball, a recognized metaverse expert and longtime gamer, will report directly to Sharma, while Van Vliet will focus on improving the product development pipeline. Chris Schnakenberg was also promoted to corporate vice president of partnerships and business development.
This indie dev's dungeon crawling 'descent into madness' was inspired by motherly love
Indie developer Christopher Yabsley is creating Heathen, a dark fantasy dungeon crawler inspired by a cherished childhood memory of playing Diablo with his mother. The game will feature first-person combat, randomized loot, and online co-op, with an early access release planned for Steam.
'Our ambitions are as big as the Wii:' How the Nex Playground is targeting the global market
Nex Playground, a motion-controlled console targeting families, is expanding globally after outselling Xbox in the US during the 2025 holiday season. The company aims to achieve the popularity of the Nintendo Wii, with plans to launch in the UK and Ireland before entering other key markets. Nex Playground has sold approximately 1 million units in the US, with a strong attach rate for its subscription service, indicating a focus on curated, high-quality games over hardware updates.
Best Buy's Memorial Day Sale - Save Up to 75% On Handhelds, Controllers, Games, And More
Best Buy is holding a Memorial Day sale with significant discounts on a wide range of gaming products, including handhelds, controllers, and over 1,300 games. Notable deals include the ASUS ROG Ally for $500 and discounts on titles for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. The sale runs until May 25.
Best Buy's Memorial Day Sale - Save Up to 75% On Handhelds, Controllers, Games, And More
Best Buy is holding a Memorial Day sale with significant discounts on a wide range of gaming products, including handhelds, controllers, and over 1,300 games. Notable deals include the ASUS ROG Ally for $500 and discounts on titles for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. The sale runs until May 25.
Xbox Fans Flock to Online Suggestions Box to Tell Microsoft to Keep Games Off PS5
Xbox fans are urging Microsoft to bring back game exclusives, with the top suggestion on a new community feedback portal being a demand to keep titles like Halo and Fable off PlayStation 5. While Microsoft has stated it is re-evaluating its approach to exclusivity, the article notes the company's significant investment in multi-platform publishers and its subscription service, placing it in a difficult position regarding fan desires versus business strategy.
Forza Horizon 6 Proves Xbox Still Has One Franchise No One Can Touch
Forza Horizon 6 continues the franchise's streak of critical acclaim, earning high Metascores and praise for its visuals, gameplay, and open-world design in Japan. This consistent excellence stands in contrast to the struggles of other Xbox franchises like Halo and Gears of War. Playground Games' ability to deliver on fan expectations and maintain quality is highlighted as the key to Forza Horizon's enduring success.
Sony Reportedly Confirms Shift Back to PS5 Single Player Exclusive Games
PlayStation Studios lead Hermen Hulst has confirmed in an internal meeting that Sony's first-party single-player games will now remain exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and will not be ported to PC. This decision follows reports and a shift in strategy that contrasts with previous multi-platform releases for certain titles. Multiplayer games will still receive multi-platform releases, and existing third-party deals for PC ports will be honored.
Voidling Bound Hatches in Less Than a Month! A Sci-Fi Monster-Taming Action RPG Built on Evolution & DNA Splicing
Hatchery Games, an indie studio founded by ex-Skylanders developers, has announced that Voidling Bound will be released on Steam for PC on June 9, 2026, with console versions for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch to follow. This sci-fi action RPG features direct control of creatures called Voidlings, which can be evolved through branching paths using DNA splicing and gene combinations. The game also includes third-person shooter combat, breeding, and training mechanics.
UK software sales chart for the week ending May 16, 2026 – Tomodachi Life at #1, Indiana Jones gets Nintendo Switch 2 bump
The UK software sales chart for the week ending May 16, 2026, sees Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream return to the number one spot. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle re-entered the top 40 at second place following the release of its Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Diablo 4 players become unkillable gods as a minor bug fix in Lord of Hatred turns into a major problem for Blizzard
A bug fix in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred has inadvertently granted players near-immortality by allowing resolve stacks to increase far beyond intended limits. This exploit, particularly effective with certain classes and the Glynn's Anvil mechanic, provides massive damage reduction. Blizzard has not yet commented on a fix for this unintended defensive advantage.
Politicians accuse Rockstar of obstructing legal process, eBay rebuffs GameStop, and video game hardware screams now - Patch Notes #52
This week's Patch Notes covers several key industry events, including politicians accusing Rockstar Games of obstructing legal processes related to union-busting allegations for Grand Theft Auto 6. eBay rejected a takeover bid from GameStop, while Nintendo cited geopolitical and technological factors for its Switch 2 price increases. Additionally, Subnautica 2 achieved over a million sales in its first hour, and Valve's new Steam Controller features an audible alert when dropped.
