Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the big winner at The Game Awards 2025, taking home nine awards, including the coveted Game of the Year title.
Some leadership changes are coming to Xbox in the new year. Tim Stuart, currently the chief financial officer (CFO) of Microsoft Gaming, will become the chief operating officer (COO) of ZeniMax Media, the publisher of popular games like DOOM, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. Xavier Pokorzynsk, currently a corporate vice president at Microsoft Gaming, will take over as the new CFO of Microsoft Gaming. These changes are scheduled to take effect in January 2026.
This news follows a mixed year for Xbox and Microsoft Gaming. The company released several highly-rated and successful games, including a remastered version of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. However, they also faced layoffs, cancelled projects, and significant price increases.
Earlier this year, reports indicated that Microsoft is pushing Xbox to achieve a high 30% profit margin, which is above the typical standard for the gaming industry. In October, Xbox Game Pass saw some new features added, but also a 50% price increase for its highest subscription tier.
Microsoft has also raised the price of Xbox consoles in the U.S. twice this year, bringing the cost of an Xbox Series X from $500 in 2020 to $650 now. These increases are partially attributed to rising production costs and tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on components sourced from various countries.
At The Game Awards 2025, Blizzard announced the upcoming Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion. This major update will add the long-awaited Paladin class – absent since Diablo 2 – along with a brand new playable class. Players can also expect gameplay improvements, the return of the popular Horadric Cube, and the conclusion of the current storyline, known as the ‘Age of Hatred Saga’, plus other exciting content.
Rising RAM prices are now impacting more products. Framework recently announced that DDR5 memory costs have increased by 50% for some of its devices.
If you’re looking to buy RAM for your computer or as a holiday gift, you’ll quickly notice that prices are surprisingly high right now.
OpenAI released its much-anticipated GPT-5.2 model on December 11, 2025, after Google’s Gemini 3 significantly outperformed ChatGPT in testing. CEO Sam Altman responded quickly, initiating a high-priority effort to address the competitive challenge.
By 2026, the original idea will be revived, though not by Sony. AYANEO, a company famous for its portable gaming devices that use Android, is releasing the Pocket Play to bring it back to life.
If you’re interested in a portable gaming device like the Xbox Ally X or Legion Go 2, but find them too expensive, I recommend looking at older models. They can be a great way to save money.
Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, as part of a three-year deal. This partnership will let OpenAI’s Sora AI create short videos for social media using characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, starting in early 2026.
Okay, Diablo fans, get ready! Blizzard just revealed the next big thing for Diablo 4: ‘The Lord of Hatred’ expansion, and it’s looking massive. It’s set to launch on April 28, 2026, and it’s being billed as the epic conclusion to the ‘Age of Hatred’ saga. We’ll finally face off against Mephisto in a huge showdown, and we’ll be exploring a brand new region called Skovos – the ancient homeland of the first civilization, and the place where Lilith and Inarius originally lived.
But it’s not just story stuff! They’re overhauling a ton of gameplay features. Skill trees are getting reworked, crafting is getting a big boost with the return of the Horadric Cube, and – you’re not going to believe this – we’re finally getting loot filters! Seriously, the crowd went wild when they announced that. They’re also revamping endgame systems like War Plans and adding a brutally difficult challenge called the Echoing Hatred gauntlet. Oh, and they’re raising the level cap, of course.
And there’s more! Alongside the Paladin, a second new class is coming with the expansion, though details are still under wraps. I’m guessing it’ll be something totally fresh for the Diablo universe, like we saw with the Spiritborn.
Now, brace yourselves… they’re *adding fishing*. Yes, you read that right. Apparently, if you need a break from all the demon slaying, you can cast a line in Sanctuary. Honestly, I thought it was an April Fool’s joke when I first saw it, but it seems to be legit. I’m cautiously optimistic about this one!