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Written by Gemma JohnsonEpic Games Store Updates List of Free Games for May 2024
Written by Cameron WardlawXbox Reportedly Considering Bringing Senua's Saga: Hellblade II To PS5
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC later this month on May 21. However, its release arrives at a rocky period for Xbox, which just shuttered four Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. As a result, Xbox players have wondered how safe Hellblade II developer Ninja Theory might be after its sequel's release, given Hi-Fi Rush was a "break out hit" for the company but wasn't enough to keep Tango open.
Perhaps to help boost Hellblade II's sales, Xbox is reportedly considering bringing the game to PlayStation 5, according to The Verge. The publication's Tom Warren writes, "I understand Hellblade II is another game that Microsoft has been considering for the PS5. If that ever happens, at this point, it's not clear if even that would be considered a success."
Hellblade II coming to PS5 wouldn't be out of left field, considering Xbox has brought previously exclusive games like Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Hi-Fi Rush to PS5 this year. However, with the launch of Hellblade II happening in just a few weeks, it seems if it does come to PS5, it will be post-launch, which lines up with Xbox's strategy in this realm thus far.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 21, 2024.
For more about the game, check out the Senua's Saga: Hellblade II PC specs and system requirements, and then read about how Senua's Saga: Hellblade II will be locked to 30 FPS on Xbox Series X/S. After that, read about how the game will have a photo mode at launch.
[Source: The Verge]
Do you hope Xbox brings Senua's Saga: Hellblade II to PS5? Let us know in the comments below!
More Job Cuts At Xbox Are Reportedly On The Way
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
More cuts at Xbox are reportedly on the way, with some staff at ZeniMax getting offered voluntary severance agreements this week. This news comes from a Bloomberg report that says employees across the Xbox organization have been told to expect more cuts.
These potential layoffs would follow Xbox's decision to shutter four Bethesda studios earlier this week, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. As for the staff offered voluntary severance agreements, Bloomberg reports that producers, quality assurance testers, and other staff at ZeniMax are receiving them.
The publication also reports the reason Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin were shut down this week is that they were in the process of pitching new projects and hiring additional staff for said projects, something suggested by ZeniMax head Jill Braff and Xbox president Matt Booty during a town hall held this week. Xbox and ZeniMax chose to shut these studios down – both in the beginning processes of creating new games – instead of closing a studio deeper in development on projects.
Elsewhere in Bloomberg's report, which details an internal town hall held at Xbox following the studio closures this week, Booty reportedly described its studios as spread too thin, like "peanut butter on bread," and that leaders across the company felt understaffed. Xbox closed three studios and had ZeniMax Online Studios absorb Roundhouse Games to free up resources. Braff said during the meeting, "It's hard to support nine studios all across the world with a lean central team with an ever-growing plate of things to do. I think we were about to topple over."
These studio closures follow the January layoffs of 1,900 employees at Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax, which add to the total of more than 10,000 laid off in the games industry just this year.
[Source: Bloomberg]
How do you feel about Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!
Warner Bros. Discovery Boss Calls Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League's Release 'Disappointing'
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League's release was "disappointing" for the company. He said this during Warner Bros. Discovery's Q1 financial results call, noting its games revenue declined a lot compared to last year, as reported by IGN.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was likely never going to perform well for Warner Bros. Discovery's gaming division compared to the sector's revenue last year, which was anchored in the release of Hogwarts Legacy, the best-selling game of 2023 and the first non-Call of Duty game to take that spot in years. Still, as critics and players will tell you, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was a disappointing release from Rocksteady Studios, the team behind the Batman: Arkham series – you can read Game Informer's Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League review here to find out why we gave it a 6 out of 10.
After Zaslav called the game disappointing, Warner Bros. Discovery chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels added, "Starting with studios, the $400 million-plus year-over-year decline during Q1 was primarily due to the very tough [competition] we faced in games against the success of Hogwarts Legacy last year in the first quarter, in conjunction with the disappointing Suicide Squad release this past quarter, which we impaired, leading to a $200 million impact to EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] during the first quarter."
That's a lot of money lost, and given the state of the games industry this year, it's hard not to worry about the status of Rocksteady post-Suicide Squad. With studios closing left and right, and more than 10,000 employees laid off this year in the games industry, it wouldn't be surprising (however heartbreaking) to see Rocksteady go through job cuts. Here's hoping they don't.
For more about the game, listen to Game Informer's spoiler-filled breakdown of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and then read about the Joker's debut as a playable character.
[Source: IGN]
Are you still playing Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League? Let us know in the comments below!