Microsoft shipped some Xbox controllers without batteries since December and now offers free rechargeable battery kits to affected customers. The compensation upgrades users from disposable AA batteries to a $25 rechargeable option with USB-C cable.
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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.
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.
Nearly 1,900 Blizzard workers have ratified their first union contract with Microsoft, requiring bargaining over AI use and adding recall rights plus extra severance after layoffs. The deal sets potential new standards for video game industry labor agreements at a time of widespread job cuts.
Microsoft Office Outlook has an integer overflow flaw, CVE-2026-100208, that could let an unauthorized attacker run code over a network. Microsoft scores it 7.5 (High), and an attack needs user interaction.
