Microsoft’s beloved RTS franchise is gearing up for a major comeback. According to insider Jez Corden, the next Age of Empires title is switching to Unreal Engine after development struggles with Age of Empires IV, signaling a fresh start for the series.

Hannah and Joseph Games’ two-person studio drops hour-long Banquet for Fools showcase running pausable real-time combat, pack-boro portaging, criminal justice dilemmas across cursed Invimona island. Early Access sequel to Serpent in the Staglands hits full release February 26, 2026.

Digital Combat Simulator’s Vulkan engine upgrade breaks Razbam’s fully simulated F-15E, Mirage 2000, Harrier, MiG-19 modules. IP dispute leaves $200+ DLCs unmaintained 2+ years – new engine renders them unplayable as Eagle Dynamics prioritizes modernization.

Embark Studios’ extraction shooter Arc Raiders saw over 1 million players complete first Expedition wipe, fueling 12 million copies sold and 3.2M peak daily users. Holiday discount + Cold Snap update reversed sales plateau into 2026 juggernaut.

Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse bans generative AI art completely – even placeholder use – calling it ‘cancerous’ that ‘infests everything.’ CEO Tim Bender leads industry pushback as Larian, Ubisoft face backlash for AI experimentation.

Ice-Pick Lodge’s nightmare RPG Pathologic 3 launches January 9, 2026 on PC with Akira Yamaoka soundtrack. Play as The Bachelor fighting sentient plague across time-rewinding 12 days of medical triage, moral horror, and town intrigue.

Veteran indie developer shares hard-earned lessons from 15 years surviving Steam saturation, funding droughts, and AAA flops. These 4 principles explain why solo devs like Elin (350K sales) crush bloated studios.

Warner Bros Games eliminates roles at Player First Games’ San Diego studio amid ongoing cost-cutting. Mortal Kombat 1 and Multiversus teams face restructuring as WB consolidates after Suicide Squad losses.

As New World shutters and Greg Street’s Ghost loses funding, veterans World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 stand tall. 2025’s MMO bloodbath reveals harsh truths about live-service economics and player expectations.

BioWare’s ambitious 2019 live-service shooter Anthem shuts down permanently on January 12, 2026. As servers prepare to go offline, players rush for platinum trophies while private server dreams fight for survival.