Records

Earlier this week, Xbox leadership made the decision to close multiple high-profile studios including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, the studio behind Prey and Redfall. Though the unfortunate truth is that layoffs and studio closures are becoming increasingly common in the gaming industry, the internet was quick to point out that these two in particular felt a bit... confusing. Largely because they seem to go against many of Xbox's previous statements and goals. Back in 2023, Xbox reportedly claimed that Hi-Fi Rush had been a success for the company and it planned on reinvesting in the team in the future. The studio also admitted they had neglected to give Arkane Austin proper support, and expressed a desire to work alongside the team to improve Redfall. So what happened? All this confusion has resulted in discussions around what the platform holder's intent for the future of Xbox is, and speculation on what part Game Pass plays in it. On this episode of Spot On, Lucy and Tamoor discuss the closures, the aftermath of them—including some confusing statements from an exec—and what the future of Xbox may look like. Spot On is GameSpot's weekly news show in which managing editor Tamoor Hussain and senior producer Lucy James talk about the latest game news. Given the massive video game industry's highly dynamic and never-ending news cycle, there's always something to talk about. Unlike most news shows, Spot On will dive deep into a single topic instead of recapping all the news. Spot On airs each Friday. View the full article

Marvel Rivals, NetEase Games' upcoming 6v6 hero shooter, will feature limited destruction on its maps, along with special features depending on where the map is located. The destruction is limited to help show the power of the super heroes, while not completely destroying map layout. Detailed in a blog post, the Marvel Rivals development team explained that while it felt necessary to have destruction in the hero shooter, being able to completely level a map presented too many issues with the objective-based game. If everything could be destroyed, every match would likely end up a chaotic mess, as any small arenas or pathways designed for conflicts would just end up leveled. So instead, some parts of the map can be destroyed, with the ensuing rubble and new pathways offering a new strategic way to attack, while some of the more important aspects of the environment will be indestructible. In addition to those systems, the developers of Marvel Rivals have also paid close attention to the aftermath of the destruction. The blog said that they focused on making sure the rubble wouldn't hinder the movement of high-flying heroes, like Spider-Man or Iron Man, while also ensuring that even if an opening in a wall has jagged edges, that players won't get caught on the rough corners when trying to move. The developers also touched on how the map will respond to the destruction. One example provided was how the Yggsgard map, a blend of Asgard and Yggdrasill the World Tree, would naturally rebuild itself during a match, since Loki would want to keep his realm in top shape. The other example was the Tokyo 2099 map, which was teased as having anti-Spider-Man security measures that would kick in after a certain amount of destruction. Marvel Rivals doesn't have a release date yet but you can sign up for the PC Alpha Test. View the full article