Microsoft is hosting a Windows and Surface event on October 7, 2026, in San Francisco, featuring CEO Satya Nadella and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. The event will showcase local AI capabilities, new Surface devices powered by NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip, and improvements to Windows 11 through the Windows K2 initiative.
Xbox denied rumors that Game Pass will drop day-one games starting in 2027, stating there are no finalized changes to announce. However, the company acknowledged it regularly tests different Game Pass offerings and is exploring changes, with sources suggesting future franchise removals from day-one access are possible.
CD Projekt Red and Blizzard announced that Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to Battle.net later this year, alongside an Overwatch collaboration featuring Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The partnership also includes The Witcher 3 on Battle.net and a Diablo crossover with Geralt of Rivia as an exclusive Barbarian skin for preorders of the Songs of the Past expansion.
Blizzard announced STARCRAFT, a sci-fi shooter launching in 2030, revealed at BlizzCon 2026. The new game marks the franchise's return after over a decade and represents a shift from StarCraft's traditional real-time strategy roots, aiming to introduce the IP to a mainstream audience.
Blizzard revealed 'World of Warcraft Forever' at BlizzCon 2026, their take on the community-requested 'Classic+' concept. The expansion revamps classic zones, adds new raids, quests, and a Skyborne elf race while maintaining a level 60 experience that expands horizontally rather than vertically. The game launches in six weeks.
Blizzard announced a new hero, Xal'atath, for Heroes of the Storm at BlizzCon 2026, marking the game's revival after maintenance mode since December 2020. Xal'atath, the primary antagonist in World of Warcraft with powerful void abilities, will launch in late September after a public test realm debut. Future updates depend on the hero's reception.
Microsoft acquired Xbox exclusivity for Hideo Kojima's Physint after Sony cancelled the PlayStation-exclusive project due to missed deadlines, budget overruns, and poor performance of Kojima's previous titles. The cancellation triggered Kojima's departure from Sony and a partnership with Microsoft for Physint and the horror game OD.
Microsoft has acquired publishing rights to Physint, Hideo Kojima's action-espionage game, in a shift from the originally announced PlayStation partnership. Sony decided to cancel the project, leading Kojima Productions to partner with Xbox, which is also collaborating with Kojima on film and television ventures.
Microsoft's disc-to-digital program for Xbox, which allows players to obtain digital rights for disc-based games, has expanded to over 1,000 titles in testing. Ubisoft has now joined the program after initial delays, with other major publishers like Square Enix and Bandai Namco expected to follow as they finalize contracts.