In the wake of Asha Sharma’s appointment as the new CEO of Xbox, we’ve seen the console manufacturer switch up its Game Pass subscription quite a bit. Following the announcement that Xbox Cloud Streaming would be seeing the introduction of a new ad-supported tier, Microsoft has made even more sweeping changes – limiting monthly streaming to just 15 hours for Ultimate members.

Taking to their blog, ‘Team XBOX’ unveiled a number of “upcoming changes to XBOX Cloud Gaming,” writing: “Beginning in November, we’re changing how cloud gaming is included with XBOX Game Pass.”

While subscribers were previously allowed to stream for an infinite amount of time, Microsoft is now putting some harsh monthly limitations:

• Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
• Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
• Game Pass Essential: 5 hours

According to Xbox, this change will only impact around 4% of subscribers. For those who do reach the monthly limit however, Microsoft will be offering the ability to “purchase additional cloud playtime through the XBOX Store”; though no prices have been provided yet.

Explaining their reasons behind this decision, the Trillion Dollar corporation claimed to be “introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer. Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance.”

As with many of Microsoft’s recent decisions, the company has stated that it will “listen closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect and share any adjustments we make.”

KitGuru says: What are your thoughts on this change? Do you make much use out of Xbox Cloud Streaming? Let us know down below.

8BitDo have amassed a strong reputation over the past many years, thanks in part to their retro-inspired accessories alongside an overall string of high-quality controllers. That said, their companion desktop software has been lacking, with Linux users in particular unable to update their controllers. In a welcome move, 8BitDo has now unveiled its web-based ‘Ultimate Software Online’ – making the process easier for everyone.

As reported by the publication GamingOnLinux, popular accessory maker 8BitDo took to their Discord server to announce a new online firmware updater, writing:

“We’re starting a beta test for a new web-based Ultimate Software, designed for users who have difficulties using the Ultimate Software desktop app, such as Linux desktop users.”

Available to access HERE, the site currently only works on Chromium-based browsers. Still, this represents a welcome step, particularly for Linux users, but also those who do not want to bother with another app on their PC.

As mentioned, the site is still in beta at the moment, and so expect changes / improvements over time. While the main ‘Ultimate Software’ app remains the primary way to interface with your controllers, this newly-announced alternative is much appreciated.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of 8BitDo’s hardware? Have you had issues with updating your controllers in the past? Let us know down below.

1047 Games has had an unfortunate string of back luck in recent years, with the team behind the highly-successful SplitGate abandoning the title in favour of a more comprehensive sequel – a sequel which would wind up with a plethora of controversies. The team would then try to bring back Titanfall with their movement-shooter Empulse earlier this year. Unfortunately, both projects appear to have failed to meet expectations, with both SplitGate: Arena Reloaded and Empulse officially ending active development.

Taking to Twitter to make the announcement, the team at 1047 Games released a lengthy statement, writing: “Today, we have some difficult news to share: we are ending active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. This is a hard update for us to write. We love these games, and we know this will be disappointing and frustrating for a lot of people.”

Explaining their reasons behind the decision, the team continued, “The reality is that neither game is generating enough revenue to support the ongoing cost of dedicated servers. We have continued covering those costs because we wanted to give both games every opportunity to grow, but we have reached the point where that is no longer sustainable.”

While an unfortunate announcement; especially given the fact that the team at 1047 Games have a clear love for the genre; both SplitGate and Empulse will live on to some degree, with the team adding that: “On Thursday, September 3, both games will move to peer-to-peer hosting with a server browser. Dedicated servers and matchmaking will shut down, but players will still be able to host matches, find games, and play with friends forever.”

Additionally, Empulse (which was a paid product unlike SplitGate) will be receiving one final update, bringing in a new map while permanently dropping the price.

In terms of what’s next for 1047 Games, the team have revealed that they are understandably moving away from live-services, writing: “After ten years of focusing on live service shooters, our focus is changing. What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games, but what has not changed is why we are here: we love making games. We have learned a lot over the years, and we will carry those lessons into what we build next.”

KitGuru says: What do you think of 1047 Games? Did their infamous “Make Games Great Again” stunt do more harm than good? What do you hope is next in store for the team? Let us know down below.

Dune: Awakening proved to be a hit when the survival-crafter MMO launched on PC last year. At the time it was confirmed that the title would eventually make its way to PS5 and Xbox – now set to officially launch next month on the 22nd of September. While the title will unfortunately not include support for cross-play from the get-go, the feature has been promised to arrive “post console launch.”

Taking to their blog to make the announcement in alignment with Gamescom, the Dune: Awakening team at Funcom offered a ton of new details pertaining to the upcoming PS5 and Xbox launches.

Being an Unreal Engine 5 game, there were some fears regarding how Dune: Awakening will perform on consoles, According to the studio, the PS5 release will offer two visual modes: Performance (running at a dynamic 4K and 60fps) and Quality (also operating at a dynamic 4K but limited to 30fps). PS5 Pro will offer similar options, albeit with “a higher native resolution in both modes, as well as enhanced visuals in Quality Mode.”

How the game will perform on Xbox remains to be seen, especially given the fact that Funcom previously expressed concerns with bringing Dune: Awakening to the Series S – calling it a “challenge.”

Perhaps more importantly however, the team confirmed that Dune: Awakening will be getting cross-play support some-time following the console launch, stating:

“We are excited to finally confirm that cross-play is coming to Dune: Awakening post console launch. Currently we are not ready to share a release date yet, but we will have more information to share as development progresses. Our goal is to help more players share their stories, alliances, rivalries, and battles for Arrakis – regardless of platform.“

The 22nd of September is a big day for Dune: Awakening, with the console release set to launch alongside the game’s biggest update yet. The full blogpost, including direct PS5 gameplay, can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you played Dune: Awakening yet? Does it accurately capture the vibes of the novels / films? What are you most looking forward to with the update? Let us know down below.

While the genre is certainly far from its peak, one of the more successful MMORPGs in today’s day and age is Final Fantasy XIV. That said, Square Enix’s first take on the formula – FFXI – remains just as popular in many regards. Following in the footsteps of its successor, the original Final Fantasy XI is now receiving a new Unlimited free trial.

Making the official announcement as part of their latest livestream (translated by Reddit user ‘hikiri’), Square Enix / the Final Fantasy team revealed that FFXI’s free trial is being vastly expanded.

Set to go live sometime next month, the update will come in two phases. First, free trial users will now have their level caps raised from 50 to 75. More excitingly however, Square will then follow this up with a backend server change which will allow for unlimited playtime – as opposed to the previous 14 day trial.

Of course, being a ‘free trial’ there are plenty of restrictions, including but not limited to:

• Fewer available jobs
• A maximum of 3 characters on your account
• 100,000 gil currency cap
• You cannot trade with other players
• Smaller max party size
• More limited communication
• Can only access zones from the Vanilla game

The full list of limitations is pretty exhaustive and can be found HERE. That said, Square’s Final Fantasy free trials remain some of the best in the MMO space. If you’ve not checked out FFXI before, next month is as good a time as any.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the Final Fantasy MMOs? Between FFXI and XIV, which do you prefer? Let us know down below.

Since the launch of their PlayStation 4 swan-song back in 2020, Naughty Dog have yet to release a new original game, with their only output coming in the form of a Last of Us 1 Remake and a TLOU Part II Remaster. While it is known that the team are currently hard at work on new IP Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, insiders have now explained why it’s taking so long.

As reported by known industry insider Jason Schreier, the cancelled The Last of Us Online project is the primary reason for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet taking so long to be released.

For the uninitiated, The Last of Us Online was first confirmed by Naughty Dog prior to the launch of TLOU Part II, stating at the time that they wanted to develop a bespoke multiplayer experience not tied to the single-player sequel.

Things seemed to be going well, until 2023 when it was confirmed that TLOU Online would no longer be happening – despite claims that the project was “nearly complete”. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet would then be officially announced one year later.

Explaining the timeline of events, Jason Schreier claimed: “I think there's a belief out there that The Last of Us Online was just kind of a side project while most people were working on Intergalactic. No, the opposite is true. Intergalactic did not have the majority of staff until after Last of Us Online was cancelled. And then most people on the studio came over to work on Intergalactic.”

The story of The Last of Us Online’s development is an interesting one, with reports claiming that Bungie had a hand in its cancellation due to the studio’s live-service knowledge – only for Bungie itself to begin struggling in this regard.

All that said, Naughty Dog has pretty much a flawless record when it comes to games which they have actually released, and so they have earned the right to take as much time as needed with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

KitGuru says: What do you think of what little we know about Intergalactic so far? Were you looking forward to TLOU Online?

It sounds like Guerrilla Games hasn’t even begun production on Horizon 3, with the sequel described as being “far, far away” according to a new update from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. The studio has spent the bulk of the PS5 generation tied up in multiplayer development, leaving Aloy’s next adventure on hold.

Schreier shared the update on Bluesky, confirming suspicions that Horizon 3 is not in full production and remains years out. This lines up with recent reporting that Guerrilla’s resources have been heavily committed to Horizon Hunters Gathering, the multiplayer spin‑off that has now been rebooted following poor reception during private testing. Despite earlier assumptions that only a small team was handling the project, it appears the majority of the studio has been involved, raising questions about Sony’s priorities and project management throughout the PS5 era.

This issue isn’t isolated to Guerrilla. Naughty Dog also spent years with most of its staff tied up on The Last of Us Online, when many of us thought that the multiplayer spin-off was only being handled by a smaller team as a side project. As a result, the studio’s next single‑player game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, didn’t enter full production until after TLOU Online was cancelled. Across the board, Sony pushed its cinematic single‑player specialists into multiplayer development, despite these teams having little experience in that space. From the outside looking in, it appears that Sony's studio leadership massively underestimated how long such projects would take.

The consequences are now becoming clear. Years of diverted resources have delayed flagship single‑player franchises, and some studios may have lost key talent during the shift toward live‑service. When these teams eventually return to the types of games they are best known for, they may not be operating with the same creative momentum they had during the PS4 era.

Sony’s pursuit of a live‑service hit has defined much of the PS5 generation, even though the company already owned Bungie and Destiny 2, one of the most successful live‑service games on the market. Yet even Bungie suffered from severe mismanagement, leading to mass layoffs, a full reevaluation of the studio, and the winding down of Destiny 2. With multiple multiplayer projects cancelled and years of development time lost, the ripple effects are now landing squarely on PlayStation’s biggest single‑player franchises.

For Horizon fans, the takeaway is simple – Horizon 3 is nowhere close. With production yet to begin and Guerrilla still working through the fallout of the Horizon Hunters Gathering reboot, the wait for Aloy’s next chapter will be a long one.

KitGuru Says: Sony’s live‑service detour has pushed Horizon 3 further and further out of reach. Forbidden West ended on a huge cliffhanger, but fans shouldn’t expect a resolution anytime soon.

Launched exclusively as a PvP experience, the extraction shooter Marathon has been experimenting with different forms of PvE opportunities as a way to garner more interest for the somewhat struggling extraction shooter. Following their first take on PvE with ‘Vault Breaker’ Bungie have now announced Ordnance Heist – “a new PvPvE experience built around a multi-run chase across different Zones.”

Taking to their blog to make the announcement, the Marathon dev team announced and detailed the next limited-time mode coming to the game. Dubbed, the ‘Ordnance Heist” this PvPvE mode will have players “Hunt through different zones, earn UESC Manifests, and spend them on fresh MIDA and Traxus rewards while you work your way toward the hottest prize in the system, the Firestorm.”

Full details on the mode can be found HERE, including specifics on the gameplay loop itself, potential rewards and their new ‘Firestorm’ Power Weapon which comes equipped with 3 unique mods.

As mentioned, the Ordnance Heist is a limited time event, going live from today until the 1st of September. That said, Bungie has promised to bring more permanent PvE modes to the game in the future starting with Season 3 in late September.

What form it will take exactly, we will have to wait and see. Between Vault Breaker and now Ordnance Heist however, we are starting to get some idea of what’s in store.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new mode? Do you prefer PvE or PvPvE experiences? What are your expectations for Marathon Season 3? Let us know down below.

ARC Raiders has had a bit of a tumultuous journey so far. Launching last year to waves of praise and millions of copies sold, Embark Studios have struggled somewhat to keep fans engaged across its seasons. After promising to overhaul its live-service strategy, the team have now unveiled the next major update for ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail.

Taking to their blog to make the announcement, the team at Embark Studios officially detailed the next major update coming to ARC Raiders. Launching on the 8th of October, the Frozen Trail is described as “our biggest update since launch” and has supposedly “been designed to address some of the broader questions that the community has been asking.”

While we did not get a full breakdown of everything coming with the update, some of the most notable include:

• New Map (Shani)
  • Greater focus on verticality, exploration, and “opportunities for discovery”
• “Enourmous” new ARC Operation
  • Described as “one of the most intense experiences ARC Raiders has offered to date”
• 2 new ARC enemies
• New Raider Outpost base
• Reworked skill tree for deeper progression
• New weapons (plus weapon personalisation)

As of now, Embark are holding back on further specifics, promising to share “more details with you in September.”

That said, what has been revealed so far does appear to be quite promising. Hopefully this slower, more deliberate rollout of bigger updates proves to be fruitful in the long term.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the Frozen Trail update? Is it a step up compared to previous patches? What do you hope to see from the new ‘outpost’? Let us know down below.

Each month, Sony updates its PlayStation Plus Extra / Premium line-ups with new and (sometimes) returning games. For the month of August, the console maker is offering a strong selection of notable titles, including the first-party hit Helldivers 2 and the award-winning Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Taking to the PlayStation Blog to make their announcement, Sony officially detailed the full line-up of titles set to join PlayStation Plus Extra / Premium over the coming weeks. Beginning a couple months ago, the console maker announced that it would start releasing its PS Plus line-up in the UK and US via a staggered manner.

So, while most of the world will get the full suite of games on the 18th (with one exception), UK subscribers can look forward to the following:

Available now (globally):

• Helldivers 2

18th August:

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Vampire Survivors
• Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire (PS Plus Premium)
• Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS Plus Premium)

25th August:

• Hell is Us
• Umamusume Pretty Derby – Party Dash
• Two Point Museum
• Metro Exodus
• Dying Light 2

While there is plenty of variety with August’s offerings, some titles in particular do stand out. Helldivers 2 is of course the highly-successful co-op shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. Released back in 2024, the game has gone on to sell over 20 million copies.

Though sentiment has ebbed and flowed over the years (especially when it comes to hardcore fans), Helldivers 2 remains a fun and unique multiplayer experience. Given that it is published by PlayStation, hopefully the game will remain on the service in perpetuity.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II meanwhile is a highly-regarded CRPG from Warhorse Studios. Released just last year, the game has been lauded for its RPG mechanics; its grounded sense of reality and deliberate gameplay.

All-in-all, August appears to be one of the strongest months for PlayStation Plus Extra in quite some time. Hopefully Sony can keep it up.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this month’s line-up? What game are you most looking forward to checking out? Will Helldivers be a permanent addition? Let us know your thoughts down below.

[UPDATE - August 13, 2026] CD Projekt has shared the following brief statement: We adjusted the size of the Sirius team to reflect the project’s needs at this stage of development. The team size prior to the layoffs was 83, so it's now down to 65. [ORIGINAL STORY] The dream of a The Witcher multiplayer game may have been kept alive by the unofficial The Witcher 3 Online mod, but most fans are still waiting for CD Projekt RED to finish its long-awaited Project Sirius. That's CD Projekt RED's codename for an experimental multiplayer game set in The Witcher universe, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/project-sirius-loses-18-developers-the-witcher-multiplayer-game/

It would seem that there is a surprise new Palworld game coming out soon. Shortly after the main game's 1.0 launch, a new mobile spin-off called Palworld Online has been announced.

Palworld Online isn't made by PocketPair directly, but was instead handled by a Singapore-based studio and mobile game publisher, Garena. The game intends to bring the core parts of the Palworld experience to mobile platforms, including iOS and Android. It features an interconnected open world, creature-collecting, team-wide progression and more.

Palworld Online will also expand the narrative with new side stories created exclusively for this version. As this version is also an MMO, you'll be able to see other players and form groups out in the open world to take on tougher challenges. Crafting elements have also transferred over to Palworld Online.

Palworld Online is currently due to release sometime before the end of the year, according to an announcement post on Garena's website.

KitGuru Says: Palworld has had a lot of success on PC and consoles since its 1.0 launch. Now we'll have to see if that success can be replicated on mobile.

Ever since Nintendo announced their Switch Online subscription service almost a decade ago, fans had been yearning for the console maker to bring forward its library of Nintendo GameCube offerings. Finally, with the Switch 2, Nintendo has been slowly but surely adding GameCube classics to its library. Marking one of the most requested offerings, Super Mario Sunshine is finally coming to NSO next week.

Making the official announcement, the console maker confirmed that Mario Sunshine will finally join NSO, taking to its socials to write: “Dark days loom over Isle Delfino! Clean up a polluted island with FLUDD at your side in Super Mario Sunshine, coming to Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics on Nintendo Switch 2 for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members on Aug 13!”

As of now, only 9 GameCube classics are available through Nintendo Switch Online, with the most notable being The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Luigi’s Mansion and F-Zero GX. Given this, the addition of Mario Sunshine is a big deal.

That said, it will be interesting to see how this ‘port’ is handled, especially as Mario Sunshine is technically already playable on Switch thanks to the limited-release Mario 3D All-Stars from back in 2020.

Alongside Sunshine, Nintendo is also set to include two more Virtual Boy games: ZERO RACERS and D-HOPPER – arriving tomorrow on the 4th of August alongside ‘screen-colour customisation’ for Virtual Boy games.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Nintendo Switch Online in 2026? Would you prefer they bring back the Virtual Console program? Let us know down below.

The devastating layoffs mandated as part of Xbox's big reset hit Maryland-based developer ZeniMax Online Studios very hard, cutting 213 of its employees. Former Senior Encounter Designer Morgan Goin publicly stated that the studio couldn't possibly keep up the pace of The Elder Scrolls Online update it had strived for. Indeed, ZeniMax Online Studios swiftly told fans that the roadmap would have to change, and today Game Director Nick Giacomini has posted a letter outlining exactly how. As you'd expect, it's a bit of a good-news-bad-news situation. Let's start with the good news: The Elder Scrolls Online is here to […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/elder-scrolls-online-survives-xbox-reset-trial-combat-overhaul-2027/

The Elder Scrolls Online team has published a major update on its future roadmap following recent layoffs at ZeniMax Online Studios. With ESO entering a new era of seasonal content earlier this year, fans were concerned that the studio’s downsizing might impact development. Now, ZOS has outlined its new roadmap for ESO moving forward, which does include some content delays, but overall, not much has changed. 

In a new blog post from ZeniMax Online Studios, the team directly addressed the organisational changes and reaffirmed that ESO is here to stay, with development continuing under new leadership. While Zenimax will also be collaborating more with Bethesda on The Elder Scrolls moving forward, plans for long-term support for The Elder Scrolls Online remain unchanged for now. However, several major features initially planned for release this year are now being pushed to 2027 instead.

The studio has confirmed that several major features are now shifting into 2027. Crimson Veldt, the new trial that introduces mounted combat, needs additional development time. Update 52 has also moved into early 2027 and will bring the Jerall Pass PvP zone and Skyrim’s Dynamic Encounters. The Class and Combat refresh is being pushed into the same window, although ZOS is exploring smaller updates for classes that are still waiting for their full overhaul. The team says these changes are necessary to maintain quality following the recent restructuring.

Even with those delays, the 2026 schedule remains busy. Update 51 will now arrive in late September. This update will bring The Nowhere Vault to the game, as well as a new Rumors system for picking up quests more dynamically, alongside other player experience improvements.

As for ESO's new seasonal content updates – they will be continuing. Season One has already added a new story questline and new in-game events. Season Two will arrive in late October, bringing more quests, including new solo-play dungeons. Around this same time, some previously released ESO DLCs will be made free for all players, including The Greymoor Chapter and the Markarth DLC.

KitGuru Says: Development on new ESO features has slowed down a touch following the downsizing, but all future content plans remain in place for the foreseeable future, which is good news to anyone still jumping into ESO.

Rockstar appears to be gearing up for new Grand Theft Auto 6 reveals. The official GTA 6 website has remained dormant since pre‑orders went live last month, but over the past day, the site has been updated repeatedly, suggesting that Rockstar’s marketing push may be about to ramp up through August.

In a new post from iGrandTheftAuto, a fan site that monitors Rockstar’s backend changes, multiple updates were detected across the GTA 6 webpage. While none of the changes introduced new text or visual elements, the site received fresh CSS and JavaScript bundles and new font preloading behaviour. Three separate updates were recorded in a single day, which is unusual for a page that has otherwise been static since June.

Take‑Two has previously confirmed that its marketing plans for GTA 6 are set for a summer rollout. With the game currently scheduled to launch in November after several delays, Rockstar still has plenty left to show. The existing trailers have focused on cinematic footage and quick cuts, leaving fans waiting for a deeper look at gameplay and for details on the next iteration of GTA Online.

If Rockstar is preparing the website for new content, it could indicate that fresh reveals are imminent as the publisher moves into the final stretch before launch.

KitGuru Says: The GTA 6 site has been quiet for weeks, so this sudden burst of backend activity should indicate that more reveals are on the way. 

Back in 2023, SEGA made waves when they announced that they would be reviving many of their older, dormant IPs. In amongst the line-up was a brand new Crazy Taxi – the first new mainline console entry since 2002’s Crazy Taxi 3. While the upcoming World Tour has been mired by some GenAI controversies, those interested in the game will have the opportunity to check it out ahead of release, with SEGA now announcing a closed network test.

Making the announcement on their blog (alongside the release of a brand new trailer), SEGA confirmed that they will be hosting a closed network test for Crazy Taxi: World Tour in September, writing:

“We will be inviting a small number of players to test the stability of the online multiplayer functionality ahead of the full release of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Players will be able to participate in two multiplayer modes: Pickup Race and Cops ‘N’ Cabbies.”

The closed network test will officially go live on the 11th of September, and will remain accessible until the 14th. Curiously, while World Tour will be launching on all current-gen consoles, the network test will not be coming to the Switch 2, with PS5, Xbox and PC users being the only ones who can register.

Full details on the closed network test (including all the content which will be playable) can be found HERE.

After decades away from the franchise, it is exciting to see SEGA bringing back Crazy Taxi. It’s just a shame to see that they are making use of GenAI for its development.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Crazy Taxi: World Tour? What do you think of the GenAI controversy? Let us know down below.

Prior to the launch of Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Treyarch made headlines when they announced that they would be tweaking their matchmaking system for the first time in years, reducing its focus on player skill in favour of connection quality. While further steps were said to have been made in this regard with the recent launch of BO7 Season 5, many fans have been left confused. Thus, Call of Duty has now come out to try and offer some clarity on the matter.

In the days leading up to the launch of Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Season 5, Treyarch revealed that the new content drop would arrive alongside a refreshed matchmaking system, stating at the time: “we're updating Black Ops Classic, Quick Play, and Party Games in Black Ops 7 with a new matchmaking system inspired by those classic games.”

At the time, little else was offered in the way of additional details, and so some players were left confused, especially as BO7 already included what Treyarch claimed to be ‘Open Matchmaking.’

Taking to Twitter to try to explain the new system, the team wrote: “We've seen your questions about the difference between Open and the new system. The new system builds on what we've learned, with smarter team balancing, wide match variety, improvements that help keep matches full, and a better experience for mixed-level parties. We believe these changes will deliver a better overall experience for all players, with the variety players love from classic Call of Duty.”

While it would be beneficial if Treyarch / Activision were to release a full document detailing the exact specifics which go into each matchmaking session, knowing at the very least what aspects this new system is targeting does allow for a greater degree of understanding. It will be interesting to see how they end up approaching matchmaking in MW4.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new system? Was open matchmaking a jump up in quality compared to the previous Skill-based matchmaking? Let us know down below.

For quite a while now, we had been hearing various leaks and rumours pertaining to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, with insiders claiming that the console maker is planning to offer some form of ad-supported game streaming tier. Though yet to be officially announced, Microsoft has now unveiled that it is testing “an ad-supported way to stream select games from your library for a limited time.”

Taking to the Xbox Wire blog to make the announcement, ‘Team XBOX’ officially unveiled their first test for this long-rumoured ad-supported game streaming tier, writing:

“Today, we’re starting to test an ad-supported way to stream select games from your library for a limited time, available to XBOX Insiders. During this test period, XBOX Insiders with an XBOX account will be able to stream games they own for free with ads. Players will have one hour session limits across supported devices and regions.”

Speaking on their mentality behind this decision, Microsoft continued, “Advertising has existed in gaming for decades, from in-game placements to free-to-play models. But it hasn’t always been built with the player in mind. When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access. It creates another way for players to get into games without an upfront streaming purchase and expands audiences through new ways to play. For brands, this only works if showing up here adds to the experience, not takes away from it.”

Seemingly built as an alternative to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft promises that ads will only appear ‘before’ the session itself begins, meaning players shouldn’t encounter any distractions mid-game. That said, with the 1 hour time limit currently in place, sessions will wind up being interrupted regardless.

Of course, cloud streaming isn’t free for Microsoft, and so it seems they believe having an ad-supported version could bring in additional revenue in its own right, while also hopefully drawing players into the full fat Game Pass experience.

As with other insider programs, Microsoft will be monitoring feedback, and so it will be interesting to see what the final form of this ‘Ad-supported Game Streaming Test’ winds up looking like.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest announcement? Does it entice you in any way? Would you rather stream your games using remote play without ads, or cloud streaming with ads? Let us know down below.