GAMING NEWS ROUNDUP: MICROSOFT BOOTS CALL OF DUTY FROM GAME PASS
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Microsoft Cuts Game Pass Pricing After Ditching Call of Duty
Microsoft pulled Call of Duty from Game Pass and simultaneously dropped subscription pricing. The timing isn't subtle. After spending $69 billion to buy Activision Blizzard, they're already walking back the "everything on Game Pass day one" promise that sold the deal.
The take: This was inevitable. Call of Duty makes too much money to give away for $10 a month. Game Pass was always unsustainable at current pricing, and Microsoft just admitted it. Lower prices might soften the blow, but losing your biggest franchise hurts.
Meta Axes 8,000 Jobs in AI Push
Meta's slashing 8,000 employees and closing 6,000 open positions as they pivot harder into AI investments. The layoffs hit across multiple departments, with VR and metaverse teams taking heavy hits.
The take: The metaverse dream is officially dead. Meta's betting everything on AI now, which means Quest headsets and Horizon Worlds are about to get a lot less attention. Good for your wallet, bad for VR gaming's future.
Game Pass Starter Edition Leaked for Discord Nitro
A "Game Pass Starter Edition" is reportedly coming to Discord Nitro subscribers. The leaked info suggests games like Stardew Valley and Fallout 4 will be free with your chat subscription.
The take: Microsoft's fragmenting Game Pass into more tiers because the current model doesn't work. Expect "Starter," "Standard," and "Ultimate" versions soon. Discord gets a nice perk, but this feels like the beginning of Game Pass getting chopped up and repriced.
Housemarque's Saros Gets Mixed Reception
Reviews are landing for Housemarque's Saros, the spiritual successor to Returnal. Critics praise the fluid action but note the game doesn't always hit its ambitious targets. The roguelike shooter promises similar challenges to Returnal's punishing gameplay loop.
The take: Housemarque makes solid shooters, but following Returnal was always going to be tough. If you loved dying repeatedly in bullet-hell madness, Saros will scratch that itch. Just don't expect it to reinvent the wheel.
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