Xbox Preview | Hades II Dated | Epic Cuts 1,000+ Jobs

The March 2026 Xbox Partner Preview showcased news from global third-party partners, featuring 19 upcoming games including 7 world premieres. Fourteen of these games will be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

The broadcast opened with the world premiere of Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish and closed with Artificial Detective, a post-apocalyptic adventure. Other highlights included Alien Deathstorm and Stranger than Heaven, both coming to Game Pass. A special show focused on Stranger Than Heaven is scheduled for May 6.

Supergiant Games announced that Hades II will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Microsoft Store on April 14. The game will also be available through Xbox Game Pass.

Hades II originally launched in Early Access for PC in May 2024 and fully released on Switch 2, Switch, and PC in September 2025. The sequel builds on the original’s roguelike gameplay with new action and story elements rooted in Greek mythology.

GSC Game World announced the ‘Cost of Hope’ expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, launching this summer. The expansion offers a large nonlinear experience with dozens of hours of gameplay.

The story explores the conflict between factions Duty and Freedom in the Zone, with haunting narratives and a heavy atmosphere of decay contrasted by a flicker of hope.

Epic Games is cutting more than 1,000 jobs while also sunsetting multiple Fortnite modes, with Rocket Racing named directly in the report. The update shows how even major live-service platforms are trimming experiments that fail to hold a large enough audience.

The same report says Horizon Chase and Horizon Chase Turbo will stop being available to download starting in June. For the broader games business, the story is notable because it ties large-scale layoffs to a tighter focus on fewer modes and products.

Meta says Quest usage reached an all-time high in 2025, with more than 100 titles generating over one million dollars in gross revenue. In-app purchase sales also grew by more than 10%, a sign that the storefront still has meaningful commercial momentum.

Those gains arrive during a rough stretch for VR teams, with studio closures and layoffs continuing across the market. The contrast is the real story: audience activity is still growing, but the business side of VR remains under intense pressure.

Nintendo says digital versions of Switch 2 games in the United States will cost less than physical copies. The company described the change as a reflection of the different costs involved in producing and distributing each format.

The move gives US buyers a clearer price gap between downloads and boxed games on Nintendo's next platform. It also makes format choice part of the pitch, not just a matter of convenience or storage space.

Rebellion Developments has announced Alien Deathstorm, a first-person action horror game coming in 2027 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store. It will also launch through Game Pass, giving the new project immediate platform visibility.

The game takes place on a remote off-world colony being torn apart by a catastrophic storm and alien creatures. Based on the reveal, the pitch leans heavily on isolation, violence, and survival inside a location that is already collapsing.

Capcom has released a free update for Resident Evil Requiem that adds Photo Mode alongside bug and localization fixes. The patch is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

This is not a major content expansion, but it does add a player-facing feature while smoothing issues in the current build. For Capcom, it reads as steady post-launch support rather than a one-and-done release cycle.

Koei Tecmo and Team NINJA have released the previously announced Silent Hill f collaboration costume DLC for FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE. The add-on lets players use the outfit of Shimizu Hinako, the main character of Silent Hill f.

It is a relatively small release, but crossover cosmetics are a proven way to keep horror fans engaged between larger launches. Here, the collaboration links two Japanese horror brands with closely overlapping audiences and tone.

The Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee has rated the unannounced Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition for Switch 2. Ratings are not the same as a formal reveal, but they often appear shortly before a port or re-release becomes public.

Devil May Cry 5 first launched on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2019, with updated editions following on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 in 2020. For now, the rating is the strongest public sign that Capcom may be preparing a Switch 2 version.