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Obsidian, id Software & Others Confirmed To Be Affected By Xbox Layoffs

As hinted by Asha Sharma earlier today.As you've probably seen, Xbox has announced 3,200 job cuts as part of a major restructuring plan, with 1,600 of those cuts taking place today - including at popular Xbox studios and publishers such as Obsidian, Activision and Bethesda.Xbox boss Asha Sharma effectively confirmed this herself earlier today, mentioning that "we are also making reductions across other units" (in addition to the four studios that were revealed to be departing the brand) and naming "Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and XBOX Game Studios".Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Here's The New Lineup Of Xbox Game Studios For July 2026 Onwards

Let's get an idea of how things are shaping up.So, you've probably seen the news today that Xbox is eliminating 3,200 job roles and getting rid of four studios in the process, with all of those development teams falling under the "Xbox Game Studios" banner at Microsoft.<related ids="203447">Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Report: Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises

As part of the major Xbox reset.In her statement regarding the restructure at Xbox and the job layoffs / studio departures earlier today, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma mentioned that investment was shifting to "higher priority projects" in some cases at certain studios.Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who is well-known for being one of the most reliable "insiders" in the business, says that ZeniMax (the parent company of Bethesda) will face a "significant overhaul" as part of this restructuring.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Three Aims Detailed By Asha Sharma For The 'Most Significant Restructure In Xbox History'

Following a massive wave of layoffs.You've probably seen the news already today - Xbox is laying off 3,200 employees over the next 12 months (with half of them leaving immediately), and at least four studios will be departing the brand as part of it.<related ids="203447">Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Losses And Four Studio Departures

The news we were dreading.We've been waiting ages for Xbox to announce what's happening with the layoff situation, and it's now been confirmed today that 3,200 employees are being let go throughout fiscal year 27, with 1,600 of those leaving today.In addition, Compulsion Games (We Happy Few, South of Midnight) and Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts 2, Kiln) are transitioning to independent studios, while Ninja Theory (Hellblade) and Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) are being sold off. Arkane Studios (Marvel's Blade) is also reviewing strategic options.Read the full article on purexbox.com

PureXbox

Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures

The news we were dreading.We've been waiting ages for Xbox to announce what's happening with the layoff situation, and it's now been confirmed that 3,200 roles are being eliminated throughout fiscal year 27, with 1,600 of those taking place today.In addition, Compulsion Games (We Happy Few, South of Midnight) and Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts 2, Kiln) are transitioning to independent studios, while Ninja Theory (Hellblade) and Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) are being sold off. Arkane Studios (Marvel's Blade) is also reviewing strategic options.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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'Winds Of Arcana: Ruination' Is Out Now On Xbox Game Pass, And Here's What The Reviews Say

The latest day one addition to XGP.Ready for some new additions to Xbox Game Pass? Well, July is already looking stacked, but we're expecting Microsoft to update the list imminently (probably on Tuesday), and before then we've got a new day one title for July 6th!This game is called Winds of Arcana: Ruination, and it's making its debut on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S following a PC release in late 2025. It's a 2.5D action-platformer developed by the Indian indie studio known as Brewed Games (it's actually their first title ever), and has a "Mostly Positive" average rating on Steam.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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'I Want Them To Sponsor Me' - World Cup Star Erling Haaland Reveals His Love Of Xbox

The competition's joint top-scorer as things stand.The World Cup has been absolutely fantastic for anyone who loves the game of football / soccer over the past few weeks, and one of the standout talents has been Norway and Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland.As things stand, the superstar striker is joint top-scorer alongside Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, and scored both goals as Norway incredibly toppled Brazil in the Round of 16. In other words, he's the talk of the sporting world right now - and so it stands to reason that pretty much anything to do with him is going viral, including his love of Xbox!Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs

It reportedly hasn't been "fully finalised" yet.There's obviously been a lot of talk over the past few days about Sony's decision to cease physical discs for PlayStation consoles as of 2028, and some people have been urging Xbox to not make the same "mistake" in the process.It's been a belief for a while now that Xbox's next console (known as Project Helix) won't include a disc drive out of the box, but apparently that still hasn't been "fully finalised" yet - at least according to a report from The Verge last week.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Two Xbox Games Are Potentially Getting Delisted In July 2026

Not confirmed, but we thought we'd give you the heads up.At the start of every month, we usually bring you a roundup of games that are getting delisted over the next few weeks, but there's nothing confirmed for July as things stand - although we've noticed two games that are likely candidates.Again, we should make it clear that there's no guarantee either of these will leave the Xbox Store in July, but we reckon both Funko Fusion and Star Trek: Legends could be delisted (potentially without warning) very soon.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In June 2026?

COD: Vanguard? RV There Yet? Persona 5 Royal?We're still waiting for Xbox Game Pass to really take off in July, so before we get there, we thought we'd take a look back at what ended up being a pretty busy month in June, with multiple major titles added to the service along the way.Some of the big hitters last month included Call of Duty: Vanguard, EA Sports FC 26, Persona 5 Royal and Jurassic World Evolution 3, and we had some big indie hits in the form of RV There Yet? and Abyssus.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Guide: Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (July 2026)

The latest freebies for XGP subscribers.The Xbox Game Pass Perks program is continuing to add a bunch of freebies for Game Pass members throughout July 2026, including for the likes of EA Sports FC 26, Where Winds Meet, Rainbow Six Siege and others.As we've mentioned before, it seems most Xbox Game Pass Perks are now accessible to Essential, Premium and Ultimate members, but there are exceptions where only Ultimate members can get access. Fortnite Crew and the Rocket League Rocket Pass are notable ones that are only available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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30+ Xbox Games Are Reduced By 90-95% To Kick Off The New Month

Including the likes of Funko Fusion, Zombie Army Trilogy & more!Looking for some cheap Xbox games as we head into July 2026?The first couple of sales of the month have already gone live on the Xbox Store, and we highlighted over 20 of the best discounted games from them a few days ago. What we haven't highlighted yet, however, are the 90-95% reductions.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Poll: Which Xbox Console Have You Collected The Most Physical Games For?

It's the Xbox 360 for us.One of the big talking points this week has been Sony's decision to cease disc-based releases for PlayStation consoles as of January 2028, and we're still waiting to hear whether Xbox will do the same thing for Project Helix (although apparently a disc-to-digital program is in the works either way).<related ids="203265">Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In August 2026

Some early predictions!What's leaving Xbox Game Pass in August 2026? Well, Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything just yet, but based on some games that were added to the service this time last year, we can at least make a few predictions ahead of time.We know that a lot of Xbox users want more advance notice of games leaving Xbox Game Pass, but Microsoft usually gives us around two weeks right now - and don't forget, publishers sometimes secure late deals with Microsoft to keep their games on Game Pass, even after they've been announced to be leaving!Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Feature: These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (July 6-10)

Including at least two more Game Pass additions.Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for July 6-10! We've got some very notable releases over the next few days including Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations and Wuthering Waves, while Xbox Game Pass is treating us to Winds of Arcana: Ruination along with more titles set to be announced.Here's what's coming to Xbox next week:Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 4-5)

Anything specific in mind?Welcome to the weekend! As usual, there's plenty to check out on Xbox over the next couple of days, including some Free Play Days additions along with a handful of Xbox Game Pass extras to start the month.Here's what we're playing on Xbox this weekend:Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Talking Point: Xbox Fans, How Are You Getting On With Microsoft Rewards In 2026?

How many points have you got right now?It was around this time last year that we asked Pure Xbox readers how you were getting on with Microsoft Rewards in 2025, so it's time to bring out the annual Talking Point once again, with the service having changed considerably for some of us over the past 12 months!As you may have read elsewhere on Pure Xbox, Microsoft Rewards is in the process of being overhauled around the world on desktop and mobile, altering how you earn points from searches and activities. The overhaul has rolled out to some countries already (including here in the UK), but others are still left with the old system for now.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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This New Xbox Controller Looks Absolutely Insane, And It's Releasing This Year

"Bringing professional grade flight controls to the Xbox for the very first time".Have you been playing much Microsoft Flight Simulator lately? If you have, we've got the perfect new Xbox controller for you - it's called the Echo Aviation Controller XPC, and it's releasing later this year.This controller looks extremely unique as you can see up above, featuring "professional grade flight controls" that combine pitch, roll, yaw, throttle, trim and core aircraft systems.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Feature: 10 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In July 2026

Including plenty of Game Pass titles!With July now in full swing, and with Xbox layoffs seemingly set to dominate the headlines next week, we thought we'd use this quiet opportunity to highlight 10 games that we think should be on your radar throughout the month!A lot of these are already confirmed for Xbox Game Pass, and we'll be sure to highlight those in the list below. Others, such as The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, might seem like they're on the edge of being classified as an indie titles, but all of these games are seemingly developed by small teams in any case, even if they have big publishers.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Random: Xbox Helps Release New Version Of Banjo-Kazooie With Unique Features

As part of the Evercade / Blaze Entertainment platforms.We've been waiting a very long time for Xbox to give us something new in regards to the Banjo-Kazooie IP, and while that wait unfortunately continues, Microsoft did quietly sign off on a special new version of the original game recently.The folks over at Evercade have just released a new Super Pocket handheld focused around the Xbox-owned studio Rare, and Banjo-Kazooie is the highlight of the package. This is a small and very affordable device that features no analog sticks, so they've basically created a new version of the game (based on the N64 original) that not only runs brilliantly on the system, but actually feels very playable even without analog stick support.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Halo Studios Makes A Point Of Highlighting 'Physical Discs' For Campaign Evolved

But the box suggests it requires a content download as well.The big topic this week has centred around PlayStation dropping support for physical discs as of 2028, and Halo Studios has made a point of highlighting that Halo: Campaign Evolved will get a disc when it releases this month.This was referenced as part of a new Q&A on the Halo Waypoint website, with the accompanying tweet racking up almost 1 million views in the process. There are obviously many other topics in the Q&A itself, but it's the bit about physical discs that's getting all the attention.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Xbox Rolls Out New 'Change' To Help Avoid Data Loss In Forza Horizon 6

Another new system update is reportedly available as well.As you may be aware, some Forza Horizon 6 players have been struggling with corrupted or lost save data over the past month-and-a-bit, and to Xbox's credit, they've been working extremely hard to try and rectify the issue permanently.It was back on June 12th that Xbox announced a new system update to address the situation, and now we've got another new "change" that aims to ensure that even if you run into data loss, it won't be as catastrophic as before.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Five More Games Have Quietly Been Added To Xbox Game Pass Essential

The newest additions to the tier since May.We haven't had much to say about the lowest-priced Xbox Game Pass "Essential" tier since back in May when nine games were added to it in a surprise update, but now another five have also quietly joined in recent days.Four of the new additions started appearing as part of Xbox Game Pass Essential on July 1st, with those being Costume Quest 2 and all three games in the Shadowrun Trilogy - Returns, Dragonfall and Hong Kong.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Rumour: Halo Being 'Heavily Evaluated' At Xbox, But Remains Key Part Of Future Plans

Resources may be allocated towards the franchise.There's obviously a lot of talk about potential layoffs and studio closures at Xbox right now, but one franchise that definitely won't be going anywhere is Halo - or at least, that's what the belief appears to be at the moment.Windows Central's Jez Corden was asked about this on social media today, and revealed that according to what he's heard, "Xbox is very, very, very heavily evaluating how Halo is run", but the franchise remains key to future plans.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Feature: 20+ Of The Best Discounted Games From Xbox's Two New Early July 2026 Sales

Handpicked for your discounted pleasure.There's a deal or two lurking within the new Xbox sales! We've seen two new promotions appearing on the Xbox Store today in the shape of an ID@Xbox Multiplayer Madness sale, and a Publisher Spotlight Series sale discounting titles from Atari, Crystal Dynamics, Deep Silver, and more.Of course, you're free to scour through the deals yourself, but be warned, you could be scrolling for hours as there are hundreds of new offers on the table. It's a good thing then, that we did it for you - cherry-picking a bunch of games we're particularly interested in from the sale below. You'll find trailers, descriptions, and some extra titbits of information about the price and whether they're on Game Pass.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 2-5)

Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend.It's Thursday, so we're back to highlight the latest batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles!We've got a lot of games this time around - five of them are official FPD additions, and one of them has a free trial but isn't technically included as part of the program. That game is Battlefield 6, the free trial of which you can access via Battlefield REDSEC on the Xbox Store, offering five modes and four maps until the start of next week.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, But Only In Limited Form (July 2)

One's crossed over to a new tier, the other is a free trial.Today marks the first day of Xbox Game Pass additions in July, although it's not your typical lineup - one's just crossing over from Ultimate to Premium, and the other is a free trial that only lasts for 10 hours.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is the title joining Xbox Game Pass Premium, and this is obviously an Xbox first-party release from 2025. It's been a year since it made its debut, so that's why it's now arriving on the Premium tier as well.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Journalist Claims Xbox Is 'Keeping' Obsidian Following Rumours Of Potential Closure

Update: Not as bad as first feared.Sorry to be the bearer of bad news again, but a new report from The Game Business says that Obsidian is amongst the studios that are in negotiations with Microsoft to avoid being closed at Xbox Game Studios.This seems to have come out of nowhere, with the Avowed and Outer Worlds developer having not been mentioned in previous reports, but as you can see below, The Game Business clearly believes they're involved in the process.Read the full article on purexbox.com

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Obsidian Is The Latest Studio Reportedly Attempting To 'Avoid Closure' At Xbox

Not another one...Sorry to be the bearer of bad news again, but a new report from The Game Business says that Obsidian is amongst the studios that are in negotiations with Microsoft to avoid being closed at Xbox Game Studios.This seems to have come out of nowhere, with the Avowed and Outer Worlds developer having not been mentioned in previous reports, but as you can see below, The Game Business clearly believes they're involved in the process.Read the full article on purexbox.com

PureXbox News

Obsidian, id Software & Others Confirmed To Be Affected By Xbox Layoffs

Here's The New Lineup Of Xbox Game Studios For July 2026 Onwards

Report: Bethesda Faces 'Significant Overhaul' At Xbox, Will Focus On Key Franchises

Three Aims Detailed By Asha Sharma For The 'Most Significant Restructure In Xbox History'

Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Losses And Four Studio Departures

Xbox Announces 3,200 Job Cuts And Four Studio Departures

'Winds Of Arcana: Ruination' Is Out Now On Xbox Game Pass, And Here's What The Reviews Say

'I Want Them To Sponsor Me' - World Cup Star Erling Haaland Reveals His Love Of Xbox

Rumour: Xbox Still Evaluating Whether Project Helix Will Support Physical Discs

Two Xbox Games Are Potentially Getting Delisted In July 2026

Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In June 2026?

Guide: Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (July 2026)

30+ Xbox Games Are Reduced By 90-95% To Kick Off The New Month

Poll: Which Xbox Console Have You Collected The Most Physical Games For?

Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In August 2026

Feature: These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (July 6-10)

Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 4-5)

Talking Point: Xbox Fans, How Are You Getting On With Microsoft Rewards In 2026?

This New Xbox Controller Looks Absolutely Insane, And It's Releasing This Year

Feature: 10 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In July 2026

Random: Xbox Helps Release New Version Of Banjo-Kazooie With Unique Features

Halo Studios Makes A Point Of Highlighting 'Physical Discs' For Campaign Evolved

Xbox Rolls Out New 'Change' To Help Avoid Data Loss In Forza Horizon 6

Five More Games Have Quietly Been Added To Xbox Game Pass Essential

Rumour: Halo Being 'Heavily Evaluated' At Xbox, But Remains Key Part Of Future Plans

Feature: 20+ Of The Best Discounted Games From Xbox's Two New Early July 2026 Sales

Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 2-5)

Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, But Only In Limited Form (July 2)

Journalist Claims Xbox Is 'Keeping' Obsidian Following Rumours Of Potential Closure

Obsidian Is The Latest Studio Reportedly Attempting To 'Avoid Closure' At Xbox

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