Quick Hits

• Microsoft's Xbox "reset" went nuclear today. Alongside 268 new layoffs, Activision now oversees Halo and Rare, Obsidian is being folded into Bethesda, and the Forza and Fable studios have merged. Hellblade developer Ninja Theory faces closure after Microsoft failed to reach a deal with buyers, and Age of Empires studio World's Edge reportedly lost nearly half its staff — plus a new game project.
• The Pokémon TCG 30th Anniversary meltdown continues. Since the set launched 16th September: a scalper was reportedly arrested for punching a man, a 72-year-old faces jail for GPS-tracking a card delivery driver, and — tiny violins, please — scalpers are upset the expansion isn't profitable.
• The first-ever special edition Switch 2 is here, and it's Zelda-branded, celebrating the series' 40th anniversary a little under a year and a half after the console launched.
• Switch 2 owners are eating well: THQ Nordic is handing existing Epic Mickey: Rebrushed owners a free upgrade, and Aspyr's two Lord of the Rings ports land 30th September 2026.
• Valve shadow-dropped chicken pets into Counter-Strike 2. Sometimes this industry remembers joy.

Pokémon & Nintendo

The Pokémon Trading Card Game's 30th Anniversary expansion launched 16th September, and the aftermath is grim reading: Nintendo Life describes an "expectedly messy" launch day with lengthy early-morning queues, while Kotaku's coverage documents fights, arrests, and embarrassing displays from crowds camping overnight — with the brutal kicker that the cards reportedly aren't even holding value. Nintendo Life also reports a scalper was arrested for punching a man in the latest incident, and has zero sympathy for scalpers now complaining about the expansion's weak profitability. In the strangest story of the day, Kotaku reports a 72-year-old Ohio man could spend up to six months in jail after admitting he placed a tracking device on a delivery driver's car "to track her location/delivery of Pokémon cards."

On the genuinely fun side, VGC has an exclusive reveal: Sprigatito is getting a new illustration rare in the upcoming Pokémon TCG set Delta Reign. And if you've drifted to creature-catching rival Aniimo, GameSpot has a guide to earning and using Radiant Dreamshadow to transform your Aniimo's appearance.

In hardware news, Nintendo Life raises a Talking Point on series-branded consoles after Nintendo revealed its first special edition Switch 2 — a Zelda-themed model for the franchise's 40th anniversary. Reviews-wise, TT Games' LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight earns a solid verdict on Switch 2, with open-world Gotham still thrilling in a dependable port (and a Bane teaser to boot). Aspyr is bringing two Lord of the Rings ports to Switch 2 on 30th September 2026, THQ Nordic is treating existing Epic Mickey: Rebrushed owners to a free Switch 2 upgrade when it launches next month, and UK bargain hunters should note Argos' deep discounts on top-tier Switch 2 games already sold out like hot cakes.

Call of Duty

The day's biggest industry story runs straight through Activision. Per Rock Paper Shotgun, today's Xbox restructuring means Call of Duty's creators have taken charge of Halo — a stunning reversal after decades of Halo developers resisting CoD's influence ("Good luck today, Halo friends"). The same reorg puts Banjo-Kazooie studio Rare under direct Activision reporting, folds Obsidian into Bethesda, and merges the Forza and Fable studios. GameSpot reports the layoffs — 268 this round — are "not done yet," while the Communications Workers of America union provided RPS a statement on the cuts. The human cost is heavy: RPS reports Ninja Theory faces closure after Microsoft failed to reach a deal with buyers, and World's Edge reportedly lost nearly half its staff along with a new Age of Empires project. RPS's own analysis cautions that while consolidation might deliver a new Halo sooner, history shows production-line development "makes for boring games."

Indie Games

A lovely pickup from Rock Paper Shotgun: Mr. Records, a rhythm-action autorunner crossed with casual vinyl shop management from music-game specialists Glee-Cheese Studio — a bright spot of a "miserably grey" Summer Game Fest 2026 — now has a demo you can play. Teaching an old man new tunes has never sounded so wholesome.

Steam & PC

Steam Machine owners got a treat, with RPS highlighting new prebuilt faceplate screens that offer decent and surprisingly cheaper alternatives to Valve-approved DIY builds. PC Gamer investigates where Australians can buy R18+ PC games without a credit card — and the answer is essentially everywhere except Steam. On the release radar, Destructoid has a countdown for CONTROL Resonant, Remedy's next chapter set in an alternate Manhattan, launching soon on PC and consoles, plus a primer on Iceblade of Narin, Warframe's next major free story expansion. And Blizzard fans, note: GameSpot reports World of Warcraft: Forever won't let Shamans or Warlocks tank at launch — though developers say that could change.

Gaming Roundup

Resident Evil movie discourse is in full swing: director Zach Cregger (of Barbarian and Weapons fame, per GameSpot) tells PC Gamer his film is born of two inspirations — "like if those movies loved each other very much" — while PC Gamer also ranks RE villains on whether they could realistically be changed, and GameSpot mounts a spirited defense of the old Resident Evil movies. Elsewhere, Scopely is bringing KPop Demon Hunters and Ghostbusters crossovers to Monopoly Go for spooky season, and GameSpot has FC 27 tactics guides — the best formations and codes — if your Ultimate Team is underperforming in FUT Champs.