Activision prepares to "make the greatest Halo game ever" as it takes control of the franchise

gamesradar.com Sep 22, 2026

Activision prepares to “make the greatest Halo game ever” as it takes control of the franchise

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 22, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Xbox announced a reorganization of its first‑party studios, moving Rare and World's Edge under Activision Blizzard and assigning stewardship of the Halo franchise to the Call of Duty publisher. Halo, previously managed by 343 Industries (now Halo Studios) since Microsoft’s 2007 split from Bungie, will be developed by a formed team within Activision, while Halo Studios will shift to a support role and see staff reductions. Activision president Rob Kostich pledged to “make the greatest Halo game ever.” The restructure also places Bethesda in charge of Obsidian Entertainment and merges Playground Games with Turn 10 to shape the future of Forza, Fable and the ForzaTech engine. Matt Booty confirmed the new Halo team will operate separately from Call of Duty development.

💡 Why It Matters

· Placing Halo under Activision’s banner could fuse two of gaming’s biggest franchises, reshaping development pipelines and fan expectations for both series.

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Blizzard layoffs are reportedly imminent, days after an exciting BlizzCon and a…

Blizzard announced a slate of new titles at BlizzCon 2026, including Diablo 5, a StarCraft open‑world shooter, a new World of Warcraft game and a Warcraft III campaign, with some releases slated as far as 2030. A week later, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier confirmed that layoffs at Blizzard are “imminent,” despite the studio’s recent showcase. Microsoft’s Xbox division is undergoing a second wave of cuts, having already eliminated 2,680 jobs and merged or closed several studios such as Ninja Theory and Halo Studios. An internal Blizzard email, verified by an Xbox representative, indicated that the World of Warcraft department is not affected by the latest announcements. Reports suggest Blizzard escaped the first round of Xbox layoffs and was labeled the division’s “top‑performing” studio, but its future staffing remains uncertain.

💡 The looming cuts could undermine Blizzard’s ability to deliver the ambitious roadmap unveiled at BlizzCon, threatening the momentum of its flagship franchises.

playstationlifestyle.net · Sep 22

Destiny 2 & Marathon Players Get Major Update on Their PlayStation 5…

Bungie announced a comprehensive update for its PlayStation 5 titles Destiny 2 and Marathon. The company will re‑release Destiny 2’s vaulted expansions—The Red War, Curse of Osiris, Warmind, and Forsaken—while outlining a new content pipeline. Marathon will receive a deeper survival experience with core updates and balance changes, maintaining PvE, PvP, and PvPvE options. The announcement follows recent layoffs and the end of Destiny 2 live‑service support, signaling a shift in Bungie’s studio strategy.

💡 By reviving legacy content and redefining Marathon’s gameplay, Bungie aims to retain player engagement amid a shrinking live‑service roster, reshaping the future of its flagship IP on PlayStation.

eurogamer.net · Sep 22

Bungie is freeing vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns after Marathon “did not reach…

Bungie announced that it will un‑vault several older Destiny 2 campaigns, locations, and raids, making them available to all players in the coming months after a period of internal restructuring and layoffs. The move follows the studio’s new leadership’s pledge to rebuild trust with its community and to focus on improving both Destiny 2 and its extraction shooter, Marathon, which has struggled to attract a large player base. Bungie emphasized that Destiny remains foundational to its future plans and that further content will be refined to meet current gameplay standards.

💡 By unlocking legacy content, Bungie aims to re‑engage long‑time players and demonstrate a tangible commitment to the Destiny community, potentially restoring confidence after recent setbacks.

playstationlifestyle.net · Sep 22

Massive PS4, PS5 Dragon Ball Action RPG Is Just $7.99 on PlayStation…

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Deluxe Edition has been reduced to $7.99 on the PlayStation Store for both PS4 and PS5, representing an 80 % discount. The action‑RPG, which holds a 3.88‑star rating from more than 264,000 user reviews, now includes the Super Pass, granting access to four Super Packs and a bonus fifth pack. These packs add characters such as Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Super, additional fusions, transformations, missions and new locations. The base game lets players create and customize their own avatar, explore Conton City, train as a teacher, and battle to restore the timeline. The deal bundles the original title with seven years of DLC content, offering a comprehensive Dragon Ball experience at a budget price.

💡 The steep price cut makes a content‑rich title accessible to casual gamers, potentially expanding the franchise’s active player base.

eurogamer.net · Sep 22

Nintendo Switch ports of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire look even more likely…

An official Pokémon social‑media account posted a 30‑second clip showing crystal‑clear graphics of Wingull, the player avatar and Mr. Briney chasing each other in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The footage, which could only be captured by a Switch or Switch 2’s built‑in recording feature, does not match the original 2002 Game Boy Advance output, leading observers to conclude the games are being run on an emulator. Dataminers noted that the recent Switch ports of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen contain ROM support for all third‑generation titles, including Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, suggesting development work is already underway. The games’ previous Switch re‑releases sold over four million copies in six weeks, indicating strong market demand for a Hoenn remake among longtime fans worldwide.

💡 A Hoenn launch would revive Nintendo’s proven formula of remastering legacy titles, leveraging the Switch’s massive install base to boost sales and re‑engage a generation that grew up with the original games.

ign.com · Sep 21

Indie Game Developer Accuses Studio of Using AI to Rip Off His…

Indie developer Rado Klasa claims that Golden Horn Studios’ new title, Potato Please, copied his physics‑based potato‑peeling game, 1,000,000 Potatoes, after seeing a trailer on September 20. Klasa, who released his game in July, accuses the studio of using AI to replicate the concept, noting identical Soviet‑style settings and gameplay mechanics. Steam curators have flagged Potato Please as an “AI imagery rip‑off,” while Golden Horn denies the allegations, asserting independent development and offering to share project files. The dispute has sparked a heated online debate over originality and AI use in indie game creation.

💡 The clash spotlights how AI tools can blur lines between inspiration and theft in small‑studio development, raising questions about intellectual property protection in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.