Fallout 4: FEVer Dreams Gets Official Surprise Release

So, what exactly is the Gauntlet Mode? Think of it as the ultimate proving ground for warriors who crave a real challenge. Originally designed on PC to accommodate the most demanding souls-like…

It sounds like Microsoft isn’t done making big changes to its big subscription service. Xbox Game Pass already lost day-one Call of Duty earlier this year in exchange for a price cut, but the Netflix-like program will reportedly be getting an even bigger overhaul in the near future. According to Fortune, CEO Asha Sharma wants to turn Game Pass from a one-price, all-you-can-eat buffet into more of an à la carte arrangement. The service would still be tiered but players could pick and choose which add-ons they pay for. Cloud gaming, multiplayer, and console-only games would be some of the options users can select from. It sounds like a way to keep costs in check and grow subscriber numbers while stripping out services most people don’t use or charging those who use them a lot extra do to so. That would be in line with Microsoft’s existing testing for an ad-supported tier of Game Pass that would lower the barrier to entry for people who aren’t already diehard gamers. But the other thing that sounds inevitable is that the rest of Xbox’s first-party games get pulled from the day-one offering.

A new report sheds more details on Microsoft's plans for new Xbox hardware, including a new handheld device and console, and one of the biggest takeaways is the alleged price. According to Fortune , the Project Helix console could cost between $1,200 and $1,800, unless Microsoft opts to subsidize the cost. The system could launch in 2028, the report said. It's not uncommon for platform-holders to eat some of the cost of a new console and make up the difference with software and services. When the Xbox Series X and S platforms launched in 2020, then-Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said Microsoft was losing as much as $200 on every console it sold. Project Helix might be very expensive. Part of what might be driving up the price for new consoles is the ongoing AI-fueled memory and component shortages. Microsoft itself is one of the biggest proponents of the build-out of all things AI, so its own efforts are contributing to an environment where the next Xbox could be incredibly expensive. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reacted to this irony, saying it's "wonderful" that GPUs have use beyong gaming. Richer households already made up the majority of console-buyers today , and that trend is expected to cont

You've heard of the drill that will pierce the heavens, so introducing: the drill that is attached to an entire city that will pierce the earth. That's the concept for CitaDrill, a roguelite city-builder where the city is encased in a big ole dome, a larger than life drill attached to its base that you dig through an infested planet. It's a lot, of course, but it's got some lush pixel art and a demo you can try out for yourself as part of this Steam Next Fest, too. When you start things off, all you have is your humble drill, and a need to dig downwards. As you do so, drilling up different kinds of blocks nets you a range of resources, all dependent on the colour of the blocks you've crushed up. In typical city building fashion you use these to build up your domed city, with different fixtures providing various bonuses. Perhaps you add in a pressure valve to reduce a pressure buildup status, or you put up some power lines to get certain buildings and modules working. You may even decide to, uh, print a worker to get some jobs done.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma wants to release a new handheld gaming device in 2027. That’s according to a new profile of the executive in Fortune. The plan suggests a successor to the existing Xbox Ally X manufactured by Asus, though fights over the OS apparently remain an ongoing issue. Fortune states that Sharma wants to release a “next-generation handheld device by the 2027 holiday season,” followed by the next Xbox home console in holiday 2028. Whether the Project Helix “family of devices” includes both is unclear, as is the pricing, though Fortune also reported that Project Helix Xbox consoles could cost as much as $1,800 without subsidies. Perhaps the more interesting tidbit from the article, however, is about an ongoing “turf battle” between the Xbox and Windows teams. Sharma’s team wants software optimized for gaming. The Windows team wants the handheld to use a version of Windows Home as the basis for its OS. Here’s the excerpt: Tensions ran high enough that a senior Xbox executive threatened to scrap the handheld project rather than adopt the Windows build, according to people briefed on the clash.

Austin Manchester is a writer and editor living in New York City. At Polygon, he covers gaming and entertainment news, reviews new video games, interviews behind-the-scenes talent, and more. He enjoys discovering hidden gems and sharing them with Polygon's audience. Previously, he was the gaming editor for AIPT Comics and has written for other outlets like XDA, How-To Geek, and The List. He enjoys soulslikes, character-driven RPGs, and third-person shooters plucked straight out of the Xbox 360 era. He also likes to flex his non-video game nerdy knowledge sometimes, whether that's explaining who's who in the new Wolverine game or recommending a comic book series about a sentient sword.