While the notion of Microsoft cancelling an Xbox game in 2026 could be just another day that ends in Y, similar news a decade ago was seen by many as industry-breaking. Such was the case with Scalebound – an ambitious action-RPG developed by PlatinumGames and headed by Hideki Kamiya of DMC and Bayonetta fame. Almost a decade on from its cancellation by publisher Microsoft, Kamiya still hopes to one day bring Scalebound to light.

In the 9 years since Microsoft officially cancelled Scalebound, Hideki Kamiya has on many occasions expressed interest in bringing the IP back, claiming in 2020, 2022 and 2025 that he would be willing to return to what was clearly a passion project. Up till now, Microsoft themselves appear to have no interest in such a revival.

Taking part in an interview with the publication VGC, Kamiya (who now serves as a core member of new studio Clovers) expressed once again desires to try and bring back the ill-fated Scalebound.

In response to the question “Have you asked [new Xbox CEO] Asha Sharma yet if they're up for reviving Scalebound?” Kamiya claimed: “Well, no, but now's my opportunity to once again say that if they want to do it, let's make it happen! Koyama [Clovers founder and CEO] is on board too. If you could include some footage [of Scalebound] in your article for Asha, that would be useful.”

Speaking on its cancellation from almost a decade ago, Kamiya added “Of course, it's very unfortunate that the project was unable to see the light of day ultimately, and that is something that even now I still very strongly desire to be able to see through if it's all possible, and I'm being one hundred percent serious when I say that.”

Kamiya concluded with: “I mean, obviously we might not be in a position to do that right this second, but I strongly believe that if you want something strongly enough, you eventually find a way to make it happen. That's the case with Okami right now, where even after all these years, the opportunity once again presented itself, and I hope that will be the case with Scalebound in the future as well.”

In many ways, it feels as though Scalebound is the one project that got away, with Kamiya clearly continuing to hold onto hope that the project could one day come to fruition. Given that Microsoft themselves own the defunct IP however, it is seemingly out of Kamiya’s hands.

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KitGuru says: What did you think of Scalebound back in the day? Would you like to see it revived? Let us know down below.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has revealed that Project Helix will actually be more than one device. Like the Xbox Series generation, Microsoft intends to have multiple hardware offerings for its next-gen push. 

In an interview with the BBC, Asha Sharma stated that the company is working on a “great family of devices for Helix”, confirming the next generation of Xbox consoles will feature multiple devices.

Asha was also asked whether Project Helix would launch as a diskless console, but she declined to provide specific hardware details, noting that full specifications haven't been shared yet. However, she emphasised that player preference remains an important point for the company, adding that she wants to ensure gamers have a choice between physical and digital formats.

Discussion throughout the interview also highlighted Microsoft's ongoing focus on hardware efficiency and affordability for the upcoming generation. While Sharma didn't outline individual model specifications or form factors, confirming a family of devices indicates a multi-tiered release strategy for the next Xbox lineup, similar to the split between Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

KitGuru says: Unfortunately due to rising SSD and RAM costs, next-gen consoles are likely going to be much more expensive than previous generations either way. Even targeting two price points, I expect the ‘cheap' next-gen Xbox to still cost a surprisingly high amount. 

A couple months ago back during Summer Game Fest, Microsoft found themselves in a mini-controversy when they revealed that they would be including all available platforms on trailers for Xbox published titles; a practice not seen with the likes of Nintendo or PlayStation. Responding to the ‘backlash’ Xbox CEO Asha Sharma called the move “a miss” at the time – a move which they have now seemingly ‘rectified’.

As noted by the publication PushSquare, the latest trailer for Minecraft Dungeons 2 on the official Xbox YouTube channel now only includes PC; Series X/S; Cloud and Game Pass as available platforms.

In contrast, the same trailer posted elsewhere features the full suite of platforms, including Nintendo Switch; PlayStation and Steam.

As mentioned, both Sony and Nintendo only include their family of systems on trailers published to their official channels. That said, operating in the way Xbox used to was objectively more consumer-friendly and allowed for greater clarity – especially for those less in the know.

Either way, this latest move lines up with many of Xbox’s other short term changes; such as the capitalisation of XBOX as well as the introduction of a new logo. We’ll have to wait and see whether any of these lead to material results.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest change? Is it simply trying to placate the vocal minority? How would you bring Xbox back from the brink? Let us know down below.

Yesterday, Xbox game developers held coordinated "Save Our Devs" rallies across nine cities in the United States and Canada on August 18, organized by the OneBGS union (representing Bethesda Game Studios) alongside the Communications Workers of America (CWA), in protest of the wave of layoffs that recently swept through Microsoft's gaming division like a whirlwind. The Scale of the Cuts The rallies respond to Microsoft's announcement of roughly 3,200 planned Xbox job cuts, with the first phase already having eliminated 1,600 positions and the remaining cuts expected to hit before the middle of 2027. CWA-represented Xbox workers now total nearly […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/bethesda-artist-microsoft-xbox-no-layoff-era-yearly-cuts/

Out of the blue, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma tweeted that she'd just seen live gameplay of The Elder Scrolls VI (TES VI) at the Bethesda head office in Rockville, Maryland, and she (predictably) lavished praise upon it: Live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI: ******** this morning. The scale and grandeur are incredible. The story is even greater. The Bethesda Game Studios X account replied in kind: It was great being able to show you ********. Thank you for the kind words and a wonderful visit. It's no secret that Phil Spencer's successor wishes to accelerate the development of two of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-ceo-praises-elder-scrolls-6-gameplay-bethesda-layoff-protest/

Ever since Phil Spencer stepped down as Xbox CEO, being replaced by Asha Sharma, we’ve seen somewhat of a shift in the console maker’s marketing strategy in an effort to win back jaded customers. That said, it seems as though one of Xbox’s legacy tactics (discussing games far ahead of time) remains under this new leadership, with Sharma having now teased ‘The Elder Scrolls: ******** – claiming its “scale and grandeur” is “incredible” and its narrative “even greater.”

With the appointment of Asha Sharma as the CEO of Xbox, we’ve seen Bethesda in particular vastly shift their marketing strategies, opening up somewhat about what the studio has in store for the future.

While a welcome change on paper, it does appear as though Xbox might find itself in a sticky situation come The Elder Scrolls VI’s eventual release, with Sharma taking to Twitter to claim: “Live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI: ******** this morning. The scale and grandeur are incredible. The story is even greater,” with the official Bethesda Game Studios responding: “It was great being able to show you ********. Thank you for the kind words and a wonderful visit.”

Of course, the most immediately noticeable detail is the fact that Sharma and co. are teasing the subtitle for TES VI – seemingly consisting of 8 letters. That said, a name is just a name, and so what is of more importance is everything around it.

In this regard, Sharma seems to be falling somewhat into the same trap as Phil Spencer back in the day: offering high-yet-vague-praise towards in-development games far ahead of their actual releases. In the case of Spencer, many of his commendations went towards games which were ultimately cancelled.

All that being said, it is entirely possible that The Elder Scrolls VI will include a dense, and rich open world which is only surpassed by the game’s deep and evocative narrative. Given the stories of the past 3 Bethesda Game Studios titles however, we will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sharma’s comments? 8 years on from its first teaser trailer, are words enough to satiate you? Let us know down below.

One of Microsoft’s big contributions to the video games space back in the day was its achievement system, giving fans new reasons to replay and complete their favourite games. With the advent of the PlayStation Network however, Sony appeared to improve on the formula with its Trophies system – awarding a Platinum Trophy to those who achieve 100% completion. Finally following in its footsteps, CEO Asha Sharma has confirmed a similar system will be coming to Xbox “later this year.”

Part of the strategy engaged by Xbox’s new CEO Asha Sharma has been to try and bring back a sense of magic to the waning brand. From the refreshed logo, to putting a poll on Twitter asking fans whether the company should be called Xbox or XBOX, Sharma has been quick to make surface-level changes across the board.

In another similar move, the CEO recently confirmed that Xbox will be getting its own Platinum Trophy or sorts. Responding to one Twitter user who asked “When you gonna solve the Platinum trophy equivalent with Achievements?” Sharma claimed that the Xbox “Team is working on something for later this year!”

As of now, no further details have been shared, and so it is unknown just how much of an overhaul can be expected. Will they keep their 1000 Gamerscore system, simply awarding those who obtain all achievements a bonus icon? Will the system be entirely revamped with Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond medals? Will this new system work retroactively with older titles? We will have to wait and see.

Kitguru says: What do you think of the current Xbox Achievements system? Does it need improving? Between PlayStation, Xbox and Steam, which reward method do you prefer? Let us know down below.

Shortly after Sony announced its controversial decision to stop manufacturing PlayStation discs starting in January 2028, Windows Central's Jez Corden reported that Microsoft is leaning toward the same choice for the next 'Project Helix' Xbox console. However, in the latest episode of the DF Direct Q+A podcast, Digital Foundry's John Linneman shared a rumor that Xbox, at least before the big Xbox reset enacted by new CEO Asha Sharma, was possibly planning to continue supporting discs with its next-generation console for backward compatibility reasons. What's interesting, Rich, one thing I'd heard from a couple sort of sources, and this is […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-disc-support-next-gen-sony-digital-foundry-rumor/

Following Microsoft's Q1 2026 financials, which reported yet another quarterly decline for the Xbox division and most importantly registered CEO Satya Nadella's mandate that Xbox return to growth in the next fiscal year, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has once again posted a memo. This time, she didn't make it public, but it leaked anyway via The Verge. It features four main tenets: We largely already knew about items one, two, and four; the biggest surprise is arguably the third one. It sounds like Xbox wants to try and take on Roblox with Minecraft, though that'll be far from easy; today's […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-vows-half-a-billion-daily-players-by-2030/

Following the appointment of Asha Sharma as the new CEO of Xbox, we’ve gotten a litany of pretty candid statements from the executive, with Sharma putting emphasis on the fact that Xbox is suffering from high manufacturing costs – partially as a result of the ongoing RAM crisis. While no concrete figures have been shared officially, according to insiders, Microsoft is losing around $150 for every Xbox Series X/S console being sold.

In a report by known Microsoft leaker Jez Corden, discussing the future prospects of Microsoft’s Xbox Helix and why having 3rd-party storefronts on the console “no longer makes sense”, the insider offered an interesting detail on the console maker’s current situation, claiming:

“I’ve been told Xbox is losing around $150~ per Xbox Series X|S sold right now even after the planned August 2026 price hike”. For the uninitiated, Microsoft announced last month that they would be increasing the RRP of their Xbox consoles in August, with the new prices landing at around $500 for the Series S and $800 for the Series X.

Assuming Corden’s report is true, then a 1TB Series X costs Microsoft as much as $950 to manufacture – an unsustainable amount of loss per-console.

What this means for the next-gen Xbox Helix, we will have to wait and see, but it’s safe to say that the industry is currently in a pretty bad state.

KitGuru says: What do you think of these reported costs? Can Microsoft recover? Does Xbox moving back towards exclusives make more or less sense with these costs in mind? Let us know down below.

In the first half of June, Windows Central's Jez Corden reported that, according to his sources, Xbox was losing "hundreds of dollars" on each Series S and X console sold due to massive +700% increases in component costs for memory and storage. Roughly two weeks later, Microsoft announced a $100 price increase for the Xbox Series S and $150 for the Xbox Series X, again due to rising RAM and storage prices. However, according to Corden, even after the announced price hike (which takes effect on Saturday, August 1), Xbox will continue to lose money per console sold to consumers. The […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/microsoft-still-loses-money-on-xbox-after-price-hikes-ram-spike-fall-2027/

2026 has been a year of great change at Xbox, with the console maker engaging in a major restructure leading to the parting of ways with 5 different studios and thousands of employees. One notable move made by Xbox was the appointment of Jared Palmer as the new vice-president of engineering. Joining the brand this past May, Palmer has already announced that he is leaving Xbox.

Taking to Twitter, the recently-appointed VP of Engineering at Xbox – Jared Palmer – announced his departure from the company, writing:

“Personal update: I’ve joined @Cognition to lead engineering. I’m grateful to [Asha Sharma] and everyone at Xbox for an amazing year. Excited for this next chapter with [Scott Wu] and team.”

As mentioned, Palmer was a relatively recent addition to the Xbox team, with the announcement happening just a couple months ago in early May. At the time, Palmer was said to be joining “as a member of technical staff to work on product, engineering, developer tools and infrastructure” while also serving as a”taste” maker of sorts.

As with Sharma herself, Palmer came from an AI background, previously serving as the ‘CoreAI vice president of product’ and a ‘senior vice president of Microsoft's GitHub subsidiary.’

Whether his short stint at Xbox was always part of the plan or not, we will have to wait and find out. Either way, this latest change does not lend a great deal of confidence to the new Xbox regime.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest move? Is it an indicator of deeper issues? Or did Palmer simply receive an offer he couldn’t refuse? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Following the mass Xbox layoffs (3,200 employees to be cut by July 2027, not to mention all the codev partners and vendors), developers and analysts started looking into what happened for the division to reach such a low point, and the failure of Game Pass came up in most conversations, especially when a new report revealed that the subscriber base actually decreased from 34 to 30 million. Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler, for instance, opined that they never delivered the big hits a subscription service would need. Anyway, the big question mark now is pertaining to the future of Game […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-studio-leaders-detest-game-pass-schreier/

Xbox's planned 3,200 layoffs by July 2027 are already easily the biggest round of layoffs the industry has ever seen if taken at mere face value, but Bloomberg's Jason Schreier argues that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. In a new YouTube video, the journalist highlights the "hidden cuts" of the many contractors that were linked to a canceled project. Nowadays, triple-A game development involves several studios working together, some of which are external. For example, he reveals that the Perfect Dark reboot wasn't developed solely by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics: sister studio Eidos Montréal was also involved, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-3200-layoffs-hidden-cuts-contractors-schreier/

ZeniMax Online Studios was among the first-party studios most affected by the Xbox layoffs in both July 2025 and 2026. Last year, the team saw its sci-fi online game Project Blackbird (with related layoffs of a few hundred employees who had been working on it for years) canceled despite then-Xbox CEO Phil Spencer reportedly loving it. The end of Project Blackbird also directly led to the resignation of ZeniMax Online Studios founder Matt Firor, who would later label it as a missed opportunity for Xbox. Following the cancellation of Blackbird, ZOS refocused on its prize jewel, the popular MMORPG The […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/zenimax-eso-xbox-layoffs-content-pace/

Amid all the problems that besiege Microsoft's Xbox division, the studio divestitures, the layoffs, the declining business, and even the loss of a few million Game Pass subscribers, lies one lingering question: what actually is Xbox? A platform or the biggest third-party publisher? Microsoft certainly tried its damnedest to confuse consumers with its constantly shifting strategy regarding first-party content, as well as the delirious "This Is an Xbox" campaign. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma quickly tossed it in the trash after taking over from Phil Spencer, seeking a return to the brand's core values. But even she admitted that there's a fundamental […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-cant-be-both-platform-and-worlds-biggest-publisher/

A storm passed through many internal Xbox studios between studio divestitures and mass layoffs, but Activision Blizzard largely emerged unscathed this time around, likely because it's the main money-maker at present. We know that Call of Duty prints money even in off years, for example. But even the Blizzard side has been doing well lately, thanks to a resurgence of its core IPs: Overwatch, Warcraft, and Diablo. That's what Bloomberg's Jason Schreier confirmed in his latest video, while teasing that the company has "a ton" of projects underway, including the rumored StarCraft shooter game. So right now, Blizzard is kind […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/blizzard-overwatch-warcraft-diablo-momentum-xbox-layoffs-uncertainty/

Following weeks of leaks and rumours, Microsoft finally made it official that they would be parting ways with 5 of their previously-acquired studios while also letting go of more than 3000 employees – half now, and the other half throughout the year. While details were somewhat light at the time, we have now gotten a clearer picture on how this is impacting Xbox Studios.

In the immediacy following the Xbox announcement, reports started popping up uncovering some of the less pleasant aspects of this recent shake-up. While we previously spoke on the fact that id Software have reportedly lost around half of its entire workforce, new details have emerged regarding Xbox’s other studios.

As discovered by the publication GameFile, new WARN notices released by multiple US states show just how wide-sweeping these recent lay-offs have been. According to these notices, Obsidian Entertainment is losing 52 workers (around 25% of its developers), with Zenimax Online Studios and Zenimax HQ seeing 213 and 166 lay-offs respectively.

Additionally, known insider Jason Schreier recently claimed that this marks a “big pivot” for Obsidian, with The Outer Worlds studio having its sequel to Avowed cancelled in favour of working on a new Fallout game.

As mentioned previously, we will likely continue to learn more about how exactly each studio is being impacted as the days progress. Either way, this is a dark time for the games industry.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of these new details? Will Xbox recover from all of this? Let us know down below.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is reportedly betting heavily on major Bethesda Game Studios franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, yet it is exactly the studios behind The Elder Scrolls that are among the most affected by the recent layoffs. ZeniMax Online Studios, maker of The Elder Scrolls Online, was forced to cut 213 employees, forcing the team to revise its announced roadmap for the game. But even BGS itself was gutted. The Union already mentioned via social media that dozens were removed, making the road to the launch of The Elder Scrolls VI even harder. Today, IGN published a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/bethesda-veteran-cut-xbox-layoffs-the-elder-scrolls-vi-delay/