Microsoft Flight Simulator's World Update 23 has gone live a day ahead of its Oct 27 target, covering Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As announced in September, it plans 12 new areas of interest, 5 handcrafted airports, 77 points of interest and updated photogrammetry for Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas, Vilnius, Gdansk and Warsaw. Both sims get three discovery flights. MSFS 2024 also gets precision landings, a rally race and a guided tour, and MSFS 2020 gets landing challenges.
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The Golden Joystick Awards revealed 12 Ultimate Game of the Year nominees, including 007 First Light, Big Walk, Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert and Forza Horizon 6. Fan voting runs until 11:59 PM GMT on Friday, Oct. 30, with winners announced at the Nov. 11 ceremony at Troxy in London, hosted by Alix Wilton Regan. GTA 6 is absent because it launches Nov. 19, after voting and the show.
Auroch Digital, the Bristol studio behind Boltgun 2, said it has begun a redundancy consultation affecting around a quarter of roles as it restructures. It is owned by Roundtable Interactive. Support for Boltgun 2 and Warhammer Survivors (launching Nov 10) will continue. It gave no headcount.
Phantom Blade Zero's PC pre-load opens October 26 at 7:00 PM PDT (10 PM AST), per the game's official X account, which says the game is about 145 GB and asks players to reserve at least 300 GB of free SSD space for the pre-load. The game unlocks October 28 at 7:00 PM PDT (October 29, 10 AM Beijing) for everyone at once, on PS5 and PC.
Microsoft on Monday announced a new Voluntary Exit Offer for eligible employees in participating teams in the US, Canada, India and the UK at level 70 and below. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman's memo says it "builds on what we learned" from April's Voluntary Retirement Program. About 60,000 people, roughly a quarter of its 223,000 staff, are eligible, the company told GeekWire. A person familiar told CNBC that employees decide in December and leave Dec. 31. Some groups, including sales, aren't participating, and Microsoft says the offer doesn't replace layoffs.
Apple unveiled the new iPad mini on Oct 26. It has an 8.5-inch OLED display (nano-texture optional), the A20 Pro chip, a 5.4 mm IP67 body, a landscape-edge Center Stage camera and N1 with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. It starts at $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi + Cellular, runs iPadOS 27, and the $79 TechWoven Smart Folio launches with it. Pre-orders open Wednesday Oct 28 (MacRumors: 10:10 a.m. PT, 1:10 p.m. AST), with availability Nov 6. It arrived days before Apple's "Pro and tell" media event, per The Verge.
