Neowin

Microsoft has released version 2308.230323-2000 to the Xbox Alpha Skip-Ahead channel. The known issues seem to be getting shorter and there are several fixes in this update related to audio and more.

Mark Darrah, who worked at BioWare on all three previous Dragon Age games. will work with the current Dragon Age: Dreadwolf team as a consultant. The game still does not have a release date.

E3 2023 has lost another major publisher, with Ubisoft also pulling out of the event. The company had previously confirmed it will be attending the trade show, but is now pursuing a solo showcase.

The side-scrolling brawler game that features lots of Warner Bros-based characters launched its open beta in July 2022 to great acclaim but the game's player base has gotten much smaller since then.

The 30-day trial offer Microsoft has been offering to new and returning Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers has been discontinued, meaning no more $1 promotions from now on.

An official Microsoft statement says the company has actually "expanded footprint" of games that it has shipped on PlayStation consoles following its acquisition of ZeniMax in 2021.

The tactical shooter from Valve reached a new peak of 1,519,457 players online at once this weekend, a few days after Valve officially announced plans to update the game with Counter-Strike 2.

This weekend's PC game deals include a bundle filled with scary games, a freebie for chess fans from the Epic Games Store, plenty of discounts for digital tabletop games, and much more.

The just-launched Resident Evil 4 Remake survival horror game will include the free Mercenaries mode in a DLC, but details about the mode have yet to be revealed by publisher Capcom.

The UK Competition & Markets Authority's provisional conclusion says Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard "will not result in a substantial lessening of competition" for UK console gaming.

Xbox console games can also play Bassmaster Fishing: 2022 Bassmaster Classic for free this weekend, and get discounts for all three games that are part of Xbox Free Play Days this week.

The latest freebie drop from the Epic Games Store brings a copy of the high-fidelity chess entry Chess Ultra by Ripstone, as well as a handy starter pack for the free-to-play game World of Warships.

The new NVIDIA 531.41 WHQL driver also adds DLSS 2 or 3 support for many other new PC games, and includes support for the preview of Cyberpunk 2077's new Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode.

FromSoftware has finally delivered the ray tracing features it promised for Elden Ring even before the game's launch. The performance intensive feature is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.

Shipments of gaming PCs and gaming monitors could be slow this year according to IDC. It comes following 2022 when shipments of these products contracted for the first time since 2016.

AMD's driver team has delivered the Adrenalin Edition 23.3.2 release with support for the soon-releasing titles Resident Evil 4 remake, The Last of Us Part I, as well as a number of bug fixes.

Samsung is launching the Odyssey Universe map in Fortnite on Thursday. It will give gamers a chance to win one of Samsung's premium Odyssey gaming monitors. There's also a 15% off discount code.

Arkane's Harvey Smith confirmed that Microsoft canceled its plans for a PS5 version of the upcoming vampire-themed shooter Redfall after it acquired the developer's parent company ZeniMax.

Following feedback, Arkane has confirmed that work is underway to remove the always-online requirement from its upcoming cooperative title Redfall, letting solo players jump in without restrictions.

Microsoft has unveiled a new Xbox Sustainability Toolkit—a new set of utilities that allow developers better understand and reduce the carbon footprint while developing games for consoles.

The new version of Valve's hugely popular tactical multiplayer shooter is currently in a limited test for select CS:GO players. It will have a ton of upgrades and new features for gamers.

Nreal will launch the Nebula app for Windows PCs, which will allow the glasses to connect to a PC and let people view games and other content as if they were looking at a huge screen.

Microsoft's indie games program for its Xbox consoles is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023 and the company plans to continue to improve and expand its services in the months ahead.

Jon Spaihts will write the script for the Gears of War movie, adapting Microsoft's Xbox and PC sci-fi third-person shooter franchise as a live-action film for Netflix, with help from The Coalition.

The ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program will assist game creators that have diverse perspectives with information, porting services and even with creating prototypes for their games.

EA is shutting down the servers of four classic DICE games and removing them from sale this year. The titles impacted are Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company 1 and 2, as well as Mirror's Edge.

Microsoft is putting the newest entry of Sony's MLB The Show on Xbox Game Pass on day one. Joining it in this second wave of titles are Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom and Infinite Guitars.

This week, Microsoft and select publishers have discounted a number of titles including 67% off the critically acclaimed DEATHLOOP and up to 85% off titles from Far Cry. Be sure to check them out.

Xbox owners can play a host of demo games as part of the ID@Xbox GDC Online Demo Event. The titles will be playable until March 27 so hurry if you want to join in. Read on for more details.

The game will let players create new humans and also create their homes, towns, and stories, with full mod support thanks to a host of tools. Life by You will launch in Early Access on Sept. 12.

Netflix will continue to expand its mobile game publishing efforts in 2023, including exclusive titles from Ubisoft. Super Evil Megacorp is also working on a Netflix-exclusive game.

Microsoft Xbox head Phil Spencer is talking more about the company's plans to launch a mobile app store for its games when Apple and Google are expected to open up their platforms to more app stores.

After pushing out some "backend server hotfixes" Blizzard says beta testers for Diablo IV should see much shorter waiting times to play the game. The early access open beta ends on Monday

This weekend's PC game deals are packed with the latest specials from the 2023 Steam Spring Sale, but there's also a freebie from Epic, a kart racing bundle, high-profile free events, and more.

The Godot Engine is now available to download through the Epic Games Store. This makes it easier for people to download the game engine and keep it up to date in the future as new versions come out.

The move to delay the decision is likely to give Microsoft more time to offer concessions to the European Commission so it will finally approve the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The start of the Diablo IV early access open beta today has been hit with lots of issues as the game's servers have been slammed with tons of people trying to play the action-RPG sequel.

The R18+ rating for Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield means the game cannot legally be sold to minors in Australia and may impact how the game is marketed and advertised in the country.

Three games are a part of Microsoft's Free Play Days promotion this weekend, and it includes the newly released Anno 1800 Console Edition, the skateboarding sim Session, and more to try out.

Valve has reduced the price of its Steam Deck by 10% during its Spring Sale which ends on March 23. The cheapest model can now be had for $359.10. It also created 20 startup movies for you to pick.