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Free Play Days – Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Diablo IV, Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, and More
Xbox is offering several games for free play this weekend, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Diablo IV, and Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure. Diablo IV and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are available to all Xbox players, while Ikonei Island requires an Xbox Game Pass membership. Demonschool and The Stone of Madness also feature limited-time trials.
WoW's bug-filled April patch was actually from trying to fix too much too fast, says director Ion Hazzikostas—like an elevator from 13 years ago that blew up housing
World of Warcraft director Ion Hazzikostas explained that the numerous bugs in Patch 12.0.5 were not due to a rushed development cycle, but rather an aggressive attempt to fix issues close to the release date. One significant bug that disabled player housing was traced back to a last-minute fix for a 2013 Siege of Orgrimmar elevator issue, highlighting the complex interdependencies within the game's code.
TUNED IN, A SHIFTING ANTHOLOGY OF NIGHTMARES
Vercors Games, a new studio founded by former Tequila Works staff and talent from Airship Syndicate and Blizzard, has announced its debut title, Tuned In. This horror game traps players in a cursed television broadcast, featuring puzzles, branching narratives, and a graphic novel aesthetic. A free prologue will be available to those who sign up for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, with the full game set to launch on Steam and Steam Deck in 2027.
As PlayStation kills discs, former Blizzard boss says "we can't live in a world of fear if our games will work…
Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has expressed concerns regarding Sony Interactive Entertainment's move towards an all-digital, disc-less future for PlayStation consoles, starting in January 2028. He urges platform holders to establish clear digital promises for consumers, ensure game accessibility in the long term, and innovate game sharing features to match the ease of physical disc lending.
Diablo 4’s Worst Grind Just Got A Lot Easier In Season 14
Blizzard Entertainment has significantly eased the endgame grind in Diablo 4's Season 14 by implementing changes to gem acquisition and conversion recipes. Players will now find more gem fragments and benefit from streamlined conversion processes, making the pursuit of powerful Horadric and Flawless Horadric Gems less time-consuming. These adjustments aim to improve the overall player experience despite other grind-heavy changes introduced in the season.
World of Warcraft patch 12.1 tackles bug fixes and housing decor costs, as Blizzard focuses on delivering a "polished experience"
Blizzard Entertainment is addressing numerous bugs and quality-of-life issues in World of Warcraft with upcoming patch 12.1, following a rocky launch for its latest expansion. Game Director Ion Hazzikostas discussed the challenges of maintaining a 20-year-old game and detailed improvements to player housing decor costs and profession resets. The patch aims to provide a more polished experience for players.
Perfect Ten: The 10 worst problems in the MMORPG community that we could probably fix
This opinion piece identifies ten fixable problems within the MMORPG community, ranging from nostalgic revisionism about past game experiences to issues with player entitlement and antisocial behavior. It argues for greater honesty, acceptance of change, and a focus on constructive community engagement to improve the overall player experience.
'I cannot do my job when Microsoft refuses to do theirs', say Xbox union workers as destructive reset looms from a company that spent over $80 billion on AI last year
Unionized workers at Microsoft and its subsidiaries are speaking out against the company's pattern of layoffs and studio closures, despite significant investments in AI and high executive pay. Employees express frustration over job insecurity, feeling expendable despite hard work and successful projects. They argue that Microsoft has the financial resources to protect its workforce, citing billions invested in AI and recent console price increases, and are demanding better treatment and transparency.
Heroes of the Storm esports is back, but it's just for one day
Blizzard Entertainment is bringing back Heroes of the Storm esports for a special one-day event as part of the Blizzard Classic Cup at BlizzCon 2026. The event will feature a rerun of the 2018 HGC finale and include legacy matches for StarCraft, StarCraft 2, and Warcraft 3, alongside Overwatch World Cup and other Blizzard esports tournaments.
Marvel’s Blade Could Be Cancelled as Xbox Considers Shutting Down Arkane Studios – Rumor
Reports suggest that Xbox is considering cancelling Marvel's Blade and potentially closing Arkane Studios in Lyon due to budget concerns and impending layoffs. Other studios like Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs are also reportedly on the chopping block, with potential layoffs extending to id Software and Blizzard Entertainment.
Hunt the Death Cult in Season of Death Awakening
Diablo IV's Season of Death Awakening launches on June 30, introducing new mechanics like Pandemonium Ruptures, Mythic Uniques 3.0, and the Tower & Leaderboards. The update also brings quality-of-life improvements, a free Warlock class trial, and an Overwatch collaboration. Players can also try the new Solo Self Found mode and earn various seasonal rewards.
MMO Week in Review: Guild Wars goes mobile, Bungie gets layoffs
This week's MMO news includes Guild Wars launching on mobile, Star Trek Online's new update, and Throne & Liberty's summer expansion. However, the industry also saw significant layoffs at Sony and Bungie, impacting hundreds of developers working on Destiny 2 and Marathon. Other news includes Valve's Steam Machine pricing, the ongoing Ashes of Creation lawsuit, and updates on Grand Theft Auto VI's online multiplayer.
Blizzard moves ahead with its Project Ascension rogue server lawsuit by sending motion summons requests
Blizzard Entertainment has initiated legal proceedings against World of Warcraft rogue server Project Ascension by filing official summons requests. This action follows their previous shutdown of Turtle WoW and indicates a continued effort to protect the World of Warcraft intellectual property. Failure to respond within 21 days could result in a default judgment for Blizzard.
Rumor: Microsoft’s next layoffs are poised to hit Blizzard, Bethsoft, and Undead Labs
Rumors suggest Microsoft is planning significant layoffs across several of its gaming studios, including Undead Labs, Blizzard Entertainment, and Bethesda Softworks. These cuts are reportedly the largest for Xbox and come as the company evaluates its recent Activision Blizzard acquisition. Unionized workers at Xbox are reportedly organizing to negotiate over potential job losses.
Blizzard’s Overwatch pumps out another collab, this one with J-pop group YOASOBI
Blizzard Entertainment has announced a collaboration event for Overwatch with the J-pop duo YOASOBI, running from June 30th to July 20th. The event features six special hero skins with unique designs and VFX, along with a short story, music video, and map adjustments.
Bad news, Blizzard won't be running a fresh Season of Discovery server in WoW Classic
Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed there are no plans to launch a new official "fresh start" server for the Season of Discovery in World of Warcraft Classic. Senior Game Designer Josh Greenfield stated that opening and managing new servers requires significant resources and is not feasible given other ongoing development priorities. This news comes despite a recent community-driven "Fake Fresh" event that saw a surge in player numbers for the existing Season of Discovery servers.
ESA bafflingly declares private Minecraft servers 'illegal' in Stop Killing Games hearing: 'We consider…
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) declared private servers for games like Minecraft and Call of Duty to be illegal and considered piracy during a California State Senate hearing. ESA vice president Jennifer Gibbons stated that these servers infringe on publisher intellectual property rights and do not meet safety standards, despite community pushback and the failure of the Protect Our Games Act to pass in its current form.
State of Decay studio Undead Labs potentially up for closure, sources claim, with Bethesda and Blizzard also facing layoffs
Microsoft is reportedly planning significant layoffs across its gaming division, potentially including the closure of Undead Labs, the studio behind State of Decay. Bethesda and Blizzard Entertainment are also expected to face substantial job cuts as part of a company-wide "reset." Union workers are negotiating with management to protect jobs or secure severance packages amid these widespread reductions.
Rumor Mill
A previously dismissed leak regarding the Warcraft franchise may have revealed significant upcoming plans for the series from Blizzard Entertainment. The article suggests that information previously considered unreliable might now be accurate, hinting at major developments.
Someone is playing World of Warcraft Classic on their mobile. Yes, they're a heathen.
A Reddit user has successfully streamed World of Warcraft Classic to a mobile device using Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming service. While the setup is described as 'cursed' and features a non-customizable interface with some latency, the user found it surprisingly enjoyable. This development raises questions about the future of MMORPGs on mobile platforms, especially with other titles like Final Fantasy XIV Mobile in development.
