Epic Games is rebuilding its launcher from the ground up to deliver cold starts five times faster on average. The overhaul, detailed at Unreal Fest, addresses longstanding performance complaints and forms the core of a 12-month roadmap for the Epic Games Store.
The company stated that every developer in the room and every player has experienced challenges with the current launcher.
In February he told Eurogamer the launcher sucks, describing it as slow and reliant on backend calls that cause delays depending on connection quality.
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Xbox confirmed it is eliminating 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management layer, and is reorganizing studios so Activision develops the next Halo while Obsidian moves under Bethesda. Official Xbox Wire says the company is roughly three-quarters through its previously announced 3,200-role restructuring.
Sony is testing immediate wallet credits for buyers of select PlayStation Store games including The Blood of Dawnwalker and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, with credits as high as $10 appearing after purchase. The test, linked to a Wallet Credits app first spotted in February 2026, could point to a larger loyalty programme while mirroring long-standing Xbox Store tactics.
Hideo Kojima revealed he learned of Sony's decision to cancel funding for Physint during a June Zoom call, leaving him in shock and immediately concerned for his studio's 200 employees and its 10th anniversary. The news comes after PlayStation publicly stepped away earlier this month and Xbox took over the project, highlighting the tough conditions across the game industry.
Hideo Kojima confirmed Bill Skarsgård as the lead actor in Physint and said development on OD is on schedule during an Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 presentation on September 17. The update is the first since Xbox took over publishing both games following Sony's departure from Physint last week.
Valve has opened sign-ups for its new Steam Frame VR headset, which starts at $1,059 for the 256GB model and includes a native copy of Half-Life: Alyx. The randomized reservation system determines early purchase access, with first offers expected September 18.
