It has been a whirlwind 24 hours for the gaming industry. Following the excitement of the Golden Joysticks, the news cycle has shifted into overdrive with major surprise releases, controversial tech reveals, and concrete leaks regarding one of Ubisoft’s most anticipated remakes.
Here is everything you need to know today.
Celebrating 20 Years of Xbox 360: A Nostalgic Look Back
Today commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Xbox 360 launch on November 22, 2005, a console that revolutionized gaming with its online features, HD graphics, and iconic titles. IGN has curated a list of the top 20 games that defined the era, including must-plays like Halo 3, Gears of War, and Mass Effect. Former Xbox executive Larry Hryb, known as “Major Nelson,” shared heartfelt memories on the Unlocked podcast, praising it as Microsoft’s finest hardware to date.
Kotaku delved into the console’s dramatic reveal at MTV’s event, featuring celebrity Elijah Wood, which captured the excitement of the mid-2000s gaming boom.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Faces Sales Slump in Europe
In a surprising turn, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has seen physical sales plummet by 63% compared to Battlefield 6 and 50% versus its predecessor Black Ops 6, according to GSD data. This marks a challenging launch for the franchise, amid discussions on shifting consumer preferences toward digital downloads and live-service models.
Silent Hill 2 Remake Shadow-Drops on Xbox Series X/S
The biggest surprise of the weekend is undoubtedly the sudden arrival of the Silent Hill 2 Remake on Xbox consoles. After a year of console exclusivity on PlayStation 5, Konami quietly released the acclaimed horror title on the Microsoft Store late Friday night.
- The Deal: To make up for the wait, the game has launched with a 50% discount (priced at $34.99) for a limited time.
- Performance: Early reports suggest the Series X version runs on par with the PS5 release, utilizing similar Unreal Engine 5 features like Lumen and Nanite.
- Why it matters: “Shadow drops” of this magnitude are rare for AAA titles. This move effectively ends the console war debates surrounding the title and opens it up to a massive Game Pass-adjacent audience (though it is not on Game Pass yet).
Krafton Unveils “PUBG: Black Budget”
After years of rumors under the codename “Project Black Budget,” Krafton has officially lifted the veil on its next major shooter, titled simply PUBG: Black Budget.
Designed to compete with Arc Raiders and Escape from Tarkov, this is a PvPvE extraction shooter set in the PUBG universe.
- The Premise: Squads drop onto a mysterious island trapped in a “Time Loop” caused by a supernatural Anomaly. The map shrinks over time-retaining the classic Battle Royale tension -while players fight to secure loot and extract.
- Playable Alpha: You won’t have to wait long to play. A Closed Alpha is scheduled on Steam for two sessions next month:
- Session 1: Dec 12 – 14
- Session 2: Dec 19 – 21
Ubisoft’s “Teammates”: A Controversial Step into AI
Ubisoft continues to double down on generative AI with the announcement of “Teammates,” a playable research experiment available to select PC players starting today.
Moving beyond the “Neo NPC” tech demos shown at GDC, Teammates is a fully playable slice of a tactical shooter.
- Meet the Squad: Players are joined by an AI assistant named Jaspar and two NPC squadmates, Pablo and Sofia.
- The Tech: Instead of selecting dialogue from a wheel, players issue voice commands in real-time. You can tell Sofia to “flank left” or ask Jaspar to “scan for hostiles,” and the AI interprets the intent and executes the action dynamically.
- Community Reaction: While technically impressive, the reveal has been met with skepticism regarding privacy and the “hallucination” of unscripted NPC dialogue.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Remake Targeting March 2026
The long-rumored remake of Edward Kenway’s pirate adventure seems to be nearing the finish line.
According to new reports corroborating data from Ubisoft’s latest financial earnings, an “unannounced title” is scheduled for release just before the end of the fiscal year. Insider Gaming sources claim this title is indeed the Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Remake, with a targeted release window of March 23, 2026.
- What to expect: Leaks suggest the remake will run on the Anvil engine (same as AC Shadows) but will remove the divisive “modern day” office segments to focus purely on the Golden Age of Piracy.
What’s Next?
With The Game Awards just a few weeks away in December, publishers are clearing the decks. We expect to hear more about the Black Flag remake and potentially a full reveal of the next Mass Effect before the year is out.
