{"id":1993240,"date":"2026-06-16T13:29:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T10:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1993240"},"modified":"2026-06-16T13:29:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T10:29:16","slug":"xbox-game-pass-soldiers-on-with-june-2026-wave-2-lineup-announcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1993240","title":{"rendered":"Xbox Game Pass Soldiers on With June 2026 Wave 2 Lineup Announcement"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-862658659 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Amid reports of potential studio closures and mass layoffs, Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup of games. It has yet to comment, however, on this week\u2019s rumors that <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/ninja-theory-and-double-fine-also-reportedly-under-threat-of-closure-as-xbox-studios-fight-for-survival\">the likes of Hellblade developer Ninja Theory, Psychonauts developer Double Fine, and South of Midnight developer Compulsion may shut down<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As revealed on <a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2026\/06\/16\/xbox-game-pass-june-2026-wave-2\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Xbox Wire<\/a>, coming to Xbox Game Pass during the second half of June and the early part of July are EA Sports FC 26, which is of course timed to coincide with the ongoing World Cup, RV There Yet?, and Winds of Arcana: Ruination. Meanwhile, 2021 Call of Duty game Vanguard hits Game Pass this month. There are no day one releases for the rest of June, with Junkster releasing today, June 16.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Game Pass soldiers on amid new Xbox boss Asha Sharma\u2019s \u201creset\u201d of the gaming business, which looks like it will result in a number of high-profile casualties. Yesterday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamebusiness.com\/p\/xbox-game-studios-boss-craig-duncan\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>The Game Business<\/u><\/a> reported that Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan had stepped down, and news of various Microsoft studios potentially closing down emerged soon after. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment but it is yet to respond. Double Fine, however, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/psychonauts-developer-double-fine-responds-to-closure-reports-with-a-single-emoji\">did issue a single emoji social media post<\/a>, summing up how it feels right now.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The 100 Best Xbox Games of All Time<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"What is an Xbox? Microsoft has spent 25 years trying to answer the question, but for fans, the answer is easy: \u201cXbox\u201d evokes one-eared headsets wired into the memory card slots of massive controllers with breakaway cords. A dashboard with gleaming skeuomorphic blades and avatars adorned in earned accessories. That sound that plays when a hard-earned Achievement finally pops. \u201cXbox\u201d means heavy-duty hardware. Tactile sensations. Friends connecting for the first time. And that\u2019s before we even get to the games.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\nIt may be that the very idea of an Xbox game is coming to an end. Microsoft has undeniably shifted its tactics, with a new focus on multi-platform releases, handheld Xboxes that are actually miniature Windows computers, and the potential that future Xbox consoles may simply be gaming PCs. So now seems as good a time as any to look back at the entire history of Microsoft\u2019s console journey and rank the best Xbox games, with help from our friends at Outside Xbox, the multimillion-subscriber channel that serves up weekly videos about video games and video game-adjacent things&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\nWhen we say \u201cthe best Xbox games,\u201d we mean the ones that most evoke that weighty sense of \u201cXboxness.\u201d Some are first-party, most are exclusives, and all of them are indelibly tied to the legacy of and fondness for a platform that\u2019s left a massive mark on gaming. These are the 100 Best Xbox Games of All Time. We&apos;ll be updating this list daily with 25 games at 7am PST\/10am ET\/3pm GMT from Tuesday, 20th January to Friday, 23rd January, until number one is revealed.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;100. 1 vs. 100&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nA large-scale, online multiplayer game show, played in real-time by actual players who could win actual prizes? It was a bold idea, and Microsoft&apos;s 1 vs. 100 actually did it. Adapted from the TV show of the same name, players were randomly dropped into one of three pools whenever the show went live: the Crowd, the Mob, and the One, with the One competing against the Mob in trivia rounds where reaction times were just as important an ingredient to victory as the correct answer to the question being asked. Prizes ranged from 80 Microsoft Points ($1) to a free Xbox Live Arcade game, to 10,000 Microsoft Points ($125). 1 vs. 100 was a true social and technical experiment in the world of gaming, and here&apos;s the thing: it worked! Sadly, it was canceled after two &quot;seasons&quot; and can&apos;t be played now, but it lives on in the memory as one of the best and most innovative Xbox games ever made.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 101 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;99. Conker: Live and Reloaded&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nWhen Microsoft acquired Nintendo&apos;s second-party darling Rare for $375 million, the possibilities were endless. One of the first games Xbox got from the British studio was Conker: Live and Reloaded, a remake of N64&apos;s Conker&apos;s Bad Fur Day that added online multiplayer. And while that competitive play was quite fun, thanks in part to the juxtaposition of over-the-top violence and adorable characters on screen, it was the technological level-up from the N64 original that was truly stunning. The action-platformer was now &quot;fur-shaded,&quot; giving the manes of Conker and his buddies a unique &quot;next-gen&quot; new look. Ironically, Live and Reloaded was actually more heavily censored than Bad Fur Day, but both campaign and multiplayer were nevertheless a great way to introduce Rare to its new Xbox player base.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;98. Top Spin&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nBelieve it or not, there was a time when EA didn&apos;t support Xbox Live. And so Microsoft started building its own sports games that would take advantage of its online service, and of those titles, Top Spin was by far the best. It was a tennis sim featuring a career mode full of real-life pros, but what made Top Spin memorable \u2013 in addition to its core gameplay being so pitch-perfect, of course \u2013 was its online play. You&apos;d create your character, build them up, and take them online, pitting yourself against other players in ranked matches that, if you won, would move you further up the global rankings. It all worked perfectly (and even tied in XSN, if you remember that little experiment), and made Top Spin the best tennis game the Xbox has ever been served up.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;97. Binary Domain&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe Xbox 360 was a treasure chest full of those \u201c7 out of 10s\u201d that you just couldn\u2019t put down; those rough-around-the-edges cult classics that kept us more than entertained for a weekend before we moved on to the next. Binary Domain is a perfect example \u2013 a third-person shooter from Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, this sci-fi story didn\u2019t play too differently from established cover shooters such as Gears of War, but came with its own unique quirks. Direct control of your squadmates was chief among these, with the ability to command them in six different languages via a headset or the Kinect sensor, a fun little gimmick that took advantage of the Xbox\u2019s ultimately doomed experiment with its camera peripheral. Binary Domain may have never fully reached the heights of its lofty ambitions, but it still finds a place in our hearts.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;96. Steel Battalion&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe original Xbox was a maximalist, brutalist brick of post-Y2K design and Steel Battalion is the purest expression of its commitment to inconvenience. The Capcom-developed mech game is arguably nothing special by itself, but the humongous HOTAS horror with which it came bundled has earned it Xbox immortality. Weighing in at a whopping 17 pounds, boasting three panels, three foot pedals, and industrial-grade divorced dad energy, Steel Battalion is the video game equivalent of \u201crolling coal:\u201d an excessive, magnificent, indulgent peripheral that cost $200 in 2002 money. Xbox is a burly, hefty console that demands a burly, hefty experience, and Steel Battalion more than fits the bill.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-06-15\/studios-in-microsoft-s-xbox-division-brace-for-closures\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>Bloomberg<\/u><\/a>, Compulsion, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine aren\u2019t the only Microsoft studios currently negotiating with Xbox to try to avoid closure, either. There is the potential for some or all to buy their way to independence, although that would likely come alongside layoffs, too.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Following Sharma\u2019s &#8220;reset&#8221; warning, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/xbox-studio-shutdowns-and-ad-funded-subscriptions-likely-after-asha-sharmas-stark-reset-warning-analysts-say\"><u>one analyst told IGN<\/u><\/a> &#8220;the studios most exposed are brilliant for prestige and rotten for the spreadsheet.&#8221; Microsoft was then said to be <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/xbox-reportedly-speeding-up-new-elder-scrolls-fallout-and-halo-games-as-microsoft-leaves-spinning-off-the-business-on-the-table\"><u>speeding up development on new The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Halo games<\/u><\/a> as it considered restructuring or even spinning off its gaming branch.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Sharma&#8217;s ground-shaking memo revealed that Microsoft&#8217;s gaming business currently has a 3% accountability margin (assumed to mean profit margin), which is down year-on-year. &#8220;Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the past five years, we have spent over $20 billion on ongoing investments in our content, platform, and hardware subsidy, but our annual revenue has declined nearly half a billion during that time. Going forward, this cannot continue,&#8221; Sharma said.<\/p>\n<p><span data-cy=\"tierlist-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<section class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" id=\"xbox-games-series-tier-list\" data-cy=\"xbox-games-series-tier-list\">\n<div class=\"card jsx-1339469126 jsx-1355461925 box jsx-2627838217\">\n<div><dialog class=\"dialog tier-list-modal jsx-55470089\" aria-labelledby=\"contentLabel\"><\/dialog><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-3547261442 jsx-2986308351\"><span class=\"stack jsx-2959124702 jsx-4269505506 TierListHeader_header__xyy5a\"><span class=\"stack jsx-3647836811 jsx-4269505506 TierListHeader_title__UxzQx\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ign-icon icon-tier-list jsx-2750866048 jsx-1879929830\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-tier-list\" alt=\"Tier List\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/kraken.ignimgs.com\/_next\/static\/media\/TierList.c19f1c86.svg?cors=0\"><\/p>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-2321054750 TierListHeader_full__J6p2u\">Xbox Games Series Tier List<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-957202555 TierListHeader_compact__7JWp1 balanced\">Xbox Games Series Tier List<\/h3>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span class=\"stack jsx-3547261442\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-740175521 fade-in-out\"><span class=\"stack jsx-3547261442 jsx-2986308351\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-12151557 tier-list-skeleton\"><span class=\"stack jsx-659253495 tiers\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_s-tier__uaHwM\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row s-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_s-tier__Jrv1z\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_a-tier__z0Xky\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row a-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_a-tier__EGxbh\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_b-tier__nsZIP\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row b-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_b-tier__aI1S1\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_c-tier__UohGG\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row c-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_c-tier__ivXOD\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_d-tier__5Z_iU\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row d-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_d-tier__fycMA\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><span class=\"stack jsx-1061896584 content\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Following the release of the memo, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/microsoft-ceo-says-theres-more-monetization-of-xbox-games-happening-on-youtube-than-at-microsoft\"><u>Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said &#8220;there&#8217;s more monetization of Xbox games happening on YouTube&#8221; than at Xbox<\/u><\/a>, adding that the Xbox team needed to figure out how to &#8220;innovate both in hardware, as well as in the games, going forward in an economically viable way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;No one can accuse Microsoft of not having invested for the last 25 years,&#8221; Nadella added. &#8220;Now, we have to turn this into a sustainable business that delivers what is fundamentally one of the best sources of entertainment, still.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">New Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball recently said <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/xbox-game-pass-shed-millions-of-subscribers-following-october-2025-price-hike\">Game Pass lost &#8220;millions of subscribers&#8221;<\/a> after Microsoft increased prices by 50% in October 2025. One of the first strategy changes Sharma brought in was <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/microsoft-drops-price-xbox-game-pass-ultimate\">a price cut<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Every Video Game Franchise Xbox Owns After Acquiring Activision Blizzard<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;Call of Duty&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nLet&apos;s not mince words. Xbox now owns the best selling video game each year. Call of Duty was at the centre of conversations during the acquisition process and it&apos;s no surprise why, with the shooter topping sales charts each and every year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is next up, of course, appealing to player&apos;s nostalgia with multiplayer maps of yore when it launches November 10, 2023.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 70 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;Diablo&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nActivision now owns one of 2023&apos;s other hottest game franchises in Diablo. The fourth entry launched in June and, while this means there likely won&apos;t be another game for a while, Blizzard has promised annual expansions for the action role-playing game. Diablo 4 was a huge hit, with more than ten million players in the first month.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;Halo&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nLet&apos;s not forget Xbox&apos;s most iconic franchise Halo. Master Chief held a prominent spot in Microsoft&apos;s trailer welcoming Activision Blizzard under its wing and it&apos;s no surprise why. Though many consider it went through a lull in quality as 343 Industries took over from Bungie, Halo Infinite&apos;s single-player and multiplayer both earned an &quot;amazing&quot; rating from IGN. The developer is still releasing updates for the game, with no word on a sequel yet.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;World of Warcraft&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nWorld of Warcraft is the gift that keeps on giving, for both players and Blizzard, and now Microsoft. Released in 2004, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game defined the genre and became a cultural touchpoint beyond gaming. It&apos;s another that isn&apos;t due a sequel as Blizzard continues to support the game with updates and major expansions every few years. Dragonflight arrived in 2022, for example, and the tenth expansion, that will likely arrive for the game&apos;s 20th anniversary, is set to be a big one.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;The Elder Scrolls&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nLikely the biggest win from Xbox&apos;s last major acquisition, that of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls is now in the hands of Microsoft. While this franchise hasn&apos;t seen a release since 2011&apos;s Skyrim, its status as one of the most famous and beloved video games of all time means its long-awaited sequel, The Elder Scrolls 6, is as hotly anticipated as any game out there. The game entered early development in August 2023 but won&apos;t launch until at least 2028, and seemingly only on Xbox.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">This week\u2019s grim news marks a significant U-turn on Xbox brand sentiment, after Sharma had started to turn core fans around with a number of crowd-pleasing changes such as the decision to make The Coalition&#8217;s Gears of War: E-Day and inXile&#8217;s Clockworld Revolution console exclusives. The Xbox layoffs are expected to come into effect at the end of Microsoft&#8217;s financial year on June 30.<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup:<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/call-of-duty-vanguard\">Call of Duty: Vanguard<\/a> (Cloud, Console, and PC) \u2013 June 17, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/ea-sports-fc-26\">EA Sports FC 26<\/a> (Cloud, Console, and PC) \u2013 June 18, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/abyssus\">Abyssus<\/a> (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) \u2013 June 25, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/rv-there-yet\">RV There Yet?<\/a> (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) \u2013 June 30, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/tony-hawks-pro-skater-3-4\">Tony Hawk\u2019s Pro Skater 3 + 4<\/a> (Cloud, Console, and PC) \u2013 July 2, Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li>Winds of Arcana: Ruination (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) \u2013 July 6, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As usual, a number of games are set to leave Game Pass this month.<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on June 30:<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Mecha Break (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Payday 2 (Console)<\/li>\n<li>Rise of Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Slay the Spire (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Amid reports of potential studio closures and mass layoffs, Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup of games. It has yet to comment, however, on this week\u2019s rumors that <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/ninja-theory-and-double-fine-also-reportedly-under-threat-of-closure-as-xbox-studios-fight-for-survival\">the likes of Hellblade developer Ninja Theory, Psychonauts developer Double Fine, and South of Midnight developer Compulsion may shut down<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As revealed on <a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2026\/06\/16\/xbox-game-pass-june-2026-wave-2\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Xbox Wire<\/a>, coming to Xbox Game Pass during the second half of June and the early part of July are EA Sports FC 26, which is of course timed to coincide with the ongoing World Cup, RV There Yet?, and Winds of Arcana: Ruination. Meanwhile, 2021 Call of Duty game Vanguard hits Game Pass this month. There are no day one releases for the rest of June, with Junkster releasing today, June 16.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Game Pass soldiers on amid new Xbox boss Asha Sharma\u2019s \u201creset\u201d of the gaming business, which looks like it will result in a number of high-profile casualties. Yesterday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamebusiness.com\/p\/xbox-game-studios-boss-craig-duncan\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>The Game Business<\/u><\/a> reported that Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan had stepped down, and news of various Microsoft studios potentially closing down emerged soon after. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment but it is yet to respond. Double Fine, however, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/psychonauts-developer-double-fine-responds-to-closure-reports-with-a-single-emoji\">did issue a single emoji social media post<\/a>, summing up how it feels right now.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The 100 Best Xbox Games of All Time<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"What is an Xbox? Microsoft has spent 25 years trying to answer the question, but for fans, the answer is easy: \u201cXbox\u201d evokes one-eared headsets wired into the memory card slots of massive controllers with breakaway cords. A dashboard with gleaming skeuomorphic blades and avatars adorned in earned accessories. That sound that plays when a hard-earned Achievement finally pops. \u201cXbox\u201d means heavy-duty hardware. Tactile sensations. Friends connecting for the first time. And that\u2019s before we even get to the games.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\nIt may be that the very idea of an Xbox game is coming to an end. Microsoft has undeniably shifted its tactics, with a new focus on multi-platform releases, handheld Xboxes that are actually miniature Windows computers, and the potential that future Xbox consoles may simply be gaming PCs. So now seems as good a time as any to look back at the entire history of Microsoft\u2019s console journey and rank the best Xbox games, with help from our friends at Outside Xbox, the multimillion-subscriber channel that serves up weekly videos about video games and video game-adjacent things&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\nWhen we say \u201cthe best Xbox games,\u201d we mean the ones that most evoke that weighty sense of \u201cXboxness.\u201d Some are first-party, most are exclusives, and all of them are indelibly tied to the legacy of and fondness for a platform that\u2019s left a massive mark on gaming. These are the 100 Best Xbox Games of All Time. We&apos;ll be updating this list daily with 25 games at 7am PST\/10am ET\/3pm GMT from Tuesday, 20th January to Friday, 23rd January, until number one is revealed.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;100. 1 vs. 100&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nA large-scale, online multiplayer game show, played in real-time by actual players who could win actual prizes? It was a bold idea, and Microsoft&apos;s 1 vs. 100 actually did it. Adapted from the TV show of the same name, players were randomly dropped into one of three pools whenever the show went live: the Crowd, the Mob, and the One, with the One competing against the Mob in trivia rounds where reaction times were just as important an ingredient to victory as the correct answer to the question being asked. Prizes ranged from 80 Microsoft Points ($1) to a free Xbox Live Arcade game, to 10,000 Microsoft Points ($125). 1 vs. 100 was a true social and technical experiment in the world of gaming, and here&apos;s the thing: it worked! Sadly, it was canceled after two &quot;seasons&quot; and can&apos;t be played now, but it lives on in the memory as one of the best and most innovative Xbox games ever made.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 101 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;99. Conker: Live and Reloaded&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nWhen Microsoft acquired Nintendo&apos;s second-party darling Rare for $375 million, the possibilities were endless. One of the first games Xbox got from the British studio was Conker: Live and Reloaded, a remake of N64&apos;s Conker&apos;s Bad Fur Day that added online multiplayer. And while that competitive play was quite fun, thanks in part to the juxtaposition of over-the-top violence and adorable characters on screen, it was the technological level-up from the N64 original that was truly stunning. The action-platformer was now &quot;fur-shaded,&quot; giving the manes of Conker and his buddies a unique &quot;next-gen&quot; new look. Ironically, Live and Reloaded was actually more heavily censored than Bad Fur Day, but both campaign and multiplayer were nevertheless a great way to introduce Rare to its new Xbox player base.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;98. Top Spin&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nBelieve it or not, there was a time when EA didn&apos;t support Xbox Live. And so Microsoft started building its own sports games that would take advantage of its online service, and of those titles, Top Spin was by far the best. It was a tennis sim featuring a career mode full of real-life pros, but what made Top Spin memorable \u2013 in addition to its core gameplay being so pitch-perfect, of course \u2013 was its online play. You&apos;d create your character, build them up, and take them online, pitting yourself against other players in ranked matches that, if you won, would move you further up the global rankings. It all worked perfectly (and even tied in XSN, if you remember that little experiment), and made Top Spin the best tennis game the Xbox has ever been served up.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;97. Binary Domain&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe Xbox 360 was a treasure chest full of those \u201c7 out of 10s\u201d that you just couldn\u2019t put down; those rough-around-the-edges cult classics that kept us more than entertained for a weekend before we moved on to the next. Binary Domain is a perfect example \u2013 a third-person shooter from Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, this sci-fi story didn\u2019t play too differently from established cover shooters such as Gears of War, but came with its own unique quirks. Direct control of your squadmates was chief among these, with the ability to command them in six different languages via a headset or the Kinect sensor, a fun little gimmick that took advantage of the Xbox\u2019s ultimately doomed experiment with its camera peripheral. Binary Domain may have never fully reached the heights of its lofty ambitions, but it still finds a place in our hearts.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;96. Steel Battalion&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe original Xbox was a maximalist, brutalist brick of post-Y2K design and Steel Battalion is the purest expression of its commitment to inconvenience. The Capcom-developed mech game is arguably nothing special by itself, but the humongous HOTAS horror with which it came bundled has earned it Xbox immortality. Weighing in at a whopping 17 pounds, boasting three panels, three foot pedals, and industrial-grade divorced dad energy, Steel Battalion is the video game equivalent of \u201crolling coal:\u201d an excessive, magnificent, indulgent peripheral that cost $200 in 2002 money. Xbox is a burly, hefty console that demands a burly, hefty experience, and Steel Battalion more than fits the bill.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-06-15\/studios-in-microsoft-s-xbox-division-brace-for-closures\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>Bloomberg<\/u><\/a>, Compulsion, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine aren\u2019t the only Microsoft studios currently negotiating with Xbox to try to avoid closure, either. There is the potential for some or all to buy their way to independence, although that would likely come alongside layoffs, too.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Following Sharma\u2019s &#8220;reset&#8221; warning, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/xbox-studio-shutdowns-and-ad-funded-subscriptions-likely-after-asha-sharmas-stark-reset-warning-analysts-say\"><u>one analyst told IGN<\/u><\/a> &#8220;the studios most exposed are brilliant for prestige and rotten for the spreadsheet.&#8221; Microsoft was then said to be <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/xbox-reportedly-speeding-up-new-elder-scrolls-fallout-and-halo-games-as-microsoft-leaves-spinning-off-the-business-on-the-table\"><u>speeding up development on new The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Halo games<\/u><\/a> as it considered restructuring or even spinning off its gaming branch.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Sharma&#8217;s ground-shaking memo revealed that Microsoft&#8217;s gaming business currently has a 3% accountability margin (assumed to mean profit margin), which is down year-on-year. &#8220;Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the past five years, we have spent over $20 billion on ongoing investments in our content, platform, and hardware subsidy, but our annual revenue has declined nearly half a billion during that time. Going forward, this cannot continue,&#8221; Sharma said.<\/p>\n<p><span data-cy=\"tierlist-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<section class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" id=\"xbox-games-series-tier-list\" data-cy=\"xbox-games-series-tier-list\">\n<div class=\"card jsx-1339469126 jsx-1355461925 box jsx-2627838217\">\n<div><dialog class=\"dialog tier-list-modal jsx-55470089\" aria-labelledby=\"contentLabel\"><\/dialog><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-3547261442 jsx-2986308351\"><span class=\"stack jsx-2959124702 jsx-4269505506 TierListHeader_header__xyy5a\"><span class=\"stack jsx-3647836811 jsx-4269505506 TierListHeader_title__UxzQx\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ign-icon icon-tier-list jsx-2750866048 jsx-1879929830\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-tier-list\" alt=\"Tier List\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/kraken.ignimgs.com\/_next\/static\/media\/TierList.c19f1c86.svg?cors=0\"><\/p>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-2321054750 TierListHeader_full__J6p2u\">Xbox Games Series Tier List<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-957202555 TierListHeader_compact__7JWp1 balanced\">Xbox Games Series Tier List<\/h3>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span class=\"stack jsx-3547261442\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-740175521 fade-in-out\"><span class=\"stack jsx-3547261442 jsx-2986308351\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-12151557 tier-list-skeleton\"><span class=\"stack jsx-659253495 tiers\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_s-tier__uaHwM\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row s-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_s-tier__Jrv1z\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_a-tier__z0Xky\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row a-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_a-tier__EGxbh\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_b-tier__nsZIP\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row b-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_b-tier__aI1S1\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_c-tier__UohGG\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row c-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_c-tier__ivXOD\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier Tier_tier___6egS\">\n<div class=\"TierTitle_title__Q4E_6 TierTitle_d-tier__5Z_iU\">\n<div class=\"interface jsx-326752785 jsx-3004210145 TierTitle_text__xca95 bold break-word\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tier-items-row d-tier TierItems_tier-items-row__q2OSM TierItems_d-tier__fycMA\" style=\"max-height:66px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><span class=\"stack jsx-1061896584 content\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Following the release of the memo, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/microsoft-ceo-says-theres-more-monetization-of-xbox-games-happening-on-youtube-than-at-microsoft\"><u>Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said &#8220;there&#8217;s more monetization of Xbox games happening on YouTube&#8221; than at Xbox<\/u><\/a>, adding that the Xbox team needed to figure out how to &#8220;innovate both in hardware, as well as in the games, going forward in an economically viable way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;No one can accuse Microsoft of not having invested for the last 25 years,&#8221; Nadella added. &#8220;Now, we have to turn this into a sustainable business that delivers what is fundamentally one of the best sources of entertainment, still.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">New Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball recently said <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/xbox-game-pass-shed-millions-of-subscribers-following-october-2025-price-hike\">Game Pass lost &#8220;millions of subscribers&#8221;<\/a> after Microsoft increased prices by 50% in October 2025. One of the first strategy changes Sharma brought in was <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/microsoft-drops-price-xbox-game-pass-ultimate\">a price cut<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Every Video Game Franchise Xbox Owns After Acquiring Activision Blizzard<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;Call of Duty&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nLet&apos;s not mince words. Xbox now owns the best selling video game each year. Call of Duty was at the centre of conversations during the acquisition process and it&apos;s no surprise why, with the shooter topping sales charts each and every year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is next up, of course, appealing to player&apos;s nostalgia with multiplayer maps of yore when it launches November 10, 2023.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 70 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;Diablo&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nActivision now owns one of 2023&apos;s other hottest game franchises in Diablo. The fourth entry launched in June and, while this means there likely won&apos;t be another game for a while, Blizzard has promised annual expansions for the action role-playing game. Diablo 4 was a huge hit, with more than ten million players in the first month.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;Halo&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nLet&apos;s not forget Xbox&apos;s most iconic franchise Halo. Master Chief held a prominent spot in Microsoft&apos;s trailer welcoming Activision Blizzard under its wing and it&apos;s no surprise why. Though many consider it went through a lull in quality as 343 Industries took over from Bungie, Halo Infinite&apos;s single-player and multiplayer both earned an &quot;amazing&quot; rating from IGN. The developer is still releasing updates for the game, with no word on a sequel yet.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;World of Warcraft&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nWorld of Warcraft is the gift that keeps on giving, for both players and Blizzard, and now Microsoft. Released in 2004, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game defined the genre and became a cultural touchpoint beyond gaming. It&apos;s another that isn&apos;t due a sequel as Blizzard continues to support the game with updates and major expansions every few years. Dragonflight arrived in 2022, for example, and the tenth expansion, that will likely arrive for the game&apos;s 20th anniversary, is set to be a big one.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;The Elder Scrolls&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\nLikely the biggest win from Xbox&apos;s last major acquisition, that of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls is now in the hands of Microsoft. While this franchise hasn&apos;t seen a release since 2011&apos;s Skyrim, its status as one of the most famous and beloved video games of all time means its long-awaited sequel, The Elder Scrolls 6, is as hotly anticipated as any game out there. The game entered early development in August 2023 but won&apos;t launch until at least 2028, and seemingly only on Xbox.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">This week\u2019s grim news marks a significant U-turn on Xbox brand sentiment, after Sharma had started to turn core fans around with a number of crowd-pleasing changes such as the decision to make The Coalition&#8217;s Gears of War: E-Day and inXile&#8217;s Clockworld Revolution console exclusives. The Xbox layoffs are expected to come into effect at the end of Microsoft&#8217;s financial year on June 30.<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup:<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/call-of-duty-vanguard\">Call of Duty: Vanguard<\/a> (Cloud, Console, and PC) \u2013 June 17, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/ea-sports-fc-26\">EA Sports FC 26<\/a> (Cloud, Console, and PC) \u2013 June 18, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/abyssus\">Abyssus<\/a> (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) \u2013 June 25, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/rv-there-yet\">RV There Yet?<\/a> (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) \u2013 June 30, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/tony-hawks-pro-skater-3-4\">Tony Hawk\u2019s Pro Skater 3 + 4<\/a> (Cloud, Console, and PC) \u2013 July 2, Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<li>Winds of Arcana: Ruination (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) \u2013 July 6, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As usual, a number of games are set to leave Game Pass this month.<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on June 30:<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Mecha Break (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Payday 2 (Console)<\/li>\n<li>Rise of Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Slay the Spire (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<li>Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid reports of potential studio closures and mass layoffs, Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup of games. It has yet to comment, however, on this week\u2019s rumors that the likes of Hellblade developer Ninja Theory, Psychonauts developer Double Fine, and South of Midnight developer Compulsion may shut down. As [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1993240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1993240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1993240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1993240\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1993240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1993240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1993240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}