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A New Mainline Spyro Game Reportedly in Development After 17 Years

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  • A LinkedIn profile suggests that a new Spyro game is in development at Toys for Bob.
  • Donald Yatomi, a former senior concept artist at the studio, listed Spyro among the IPs he worked on.
  • This also aligns with prior information indicating that Toys for Bob began work on a new game in 2023.

Despite selling over 20 million copies worldwide as of 2008, Spyro has been in a deep slumber ever since its acquisition by Activision. For sure, the publisher did release the Spyro Reignited trilogy in 2018, but for over 17 years now, there hasn’t been a single new mainline entry.

Reports in 2024 stated that a new Spyro game was finally in development at Toys for Bob. New information has come to light that could confirm prior rumors and put an end to this prolonged wait.

Why it matters: Spyro is one of the gaming world’s most beloved platformers, and its return is much-needed.

As theorized by YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh, a new Spyro game is in development at Toys for Bob and has been leaked through the LinkedIn profile of former concept artist Donald Yatomi.

Yatomi worked at the studio from August 2022 to March 2024, and one of the IPs he developed, besides Call of Duty, is Spyro, as listed on his profile. The YouTuber notes that this concept could work for Crash Team Rumble, as Spyro appears in the game. 

However, it doesn’t make much sense to add the character to his profile instead of Crash Team Rumble. In addition, the concept artist started work on another Toys for Bob’s project at the end of his tenure, which the YouTuber believes is the new Spyro game.

Canadian Guy also supports his theory by noting that Yatomi wasn’t fired in Toys for Bob’s January 2024 layoffs, as the studio needed his pre-visualisation techniques to pitch the Spyro game to Xbox.

Spyro Donald Yatomi
Source: LinkedIn

In addition, this aligns with the LinkedIn profile of a gameplay designer at Toys for Bob, Toby Schadt, who has been working on an unannounced game at the studio since December 2023. Based on the timelines on these profiles and the teasers from Toys for Bob, it appears a new Spyro title is in development.

Are you excited for the first new Spyro game in almost two decades? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Crowned Game of the Year By 191 Japanese Developers

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  • Popular Japanese publication Famitsu has hailed Expedition 33 as its “Super Popular Game Of The Year.”
  • 191 notable Japanese developers and voice actors were polled, and Sandfall’s RPG came out on top.
  • Ghost of Yotei took the second spot, and Urban Legend Demolition Center came in 3rd place.

Expedition 33 has shaken up the gaming industry, winning multiple awards since its launch. While there has been some controversy due to its AI use, many studios are now looking at the project as a source of inspiration for their AAA endeavors.

The game also appears to be a mega hit among Japanese audiences, as it was named Game of the Year by 191 polled big-name developers and actors in Japan. 

Why it matters: Expedition 33 being favored as the top choice among 191 popular Japanese developers confirms that the RPG has been quite well-received by industry figures there, instead of only being popular among gamers.

clair obscur 33
Expedition 33 has been rated highly by critics and gamers alike.

The popular Japanese publication Famitsu has declared Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as its ‘Super Popular Game Of The Year.’ This annual award is given only to projects that receive the most votes from all-time great Japanese industry developers.

The list of developers who participated in the voting includes the following:

  • Yuki Nishio (CD PROJEKT RED, Cyberpunk 2077)
  • Yoshinori Kitase (Square Enix, Final Fantasy)
  • Akifumi Nakanishi (Capcom, Resident Evil Requiem)
  • Naoki Yoshida (Square Enix, Final Fantasy 14)
  • Katsuhiro Harada (Bandai Namco Studios, Tekken)
  • Hideki Kamiya (Clovers, Bayonetta)

Despite being impressive in its own right, Ghost of Yotei fell behind Expedition 33 and came in second. On a side note, Ghost of Yotei failed to win any awards at The Game Awards 2025, but PlayStation named it GOTY at its own annual awards event. 

Urban Legend Demolition Center hogged the third place, followed by Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World.

Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 stands out for its beautiful visuals and unique gameplay.

Expedition 33 was also called the ‘representative title of 2025’ by Famitsu, as the project also proved its significance among Japanese gamers and developers.

Do you think Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning all this recognition from developers cements its place as one of the best RPGs in gaming’s history? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

Xbox Series X|S Sales Dropped to Nearly 1 Million Units in 2025, Says Reliable Insider

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  • A previous report claimed that Xbox Series consoles sold 1.8 million units in 2025.
  • A reliable insider has confirmed that the sales were even lower at just 1 million units.
  • Despite the falling sales, Microsoft is still working on new next-gen Xbox hardware.

Xbox hardware has seen a steep decline in sales in recent years. This kicked off with the previous generation, when the PS4 sold considerably more units than the Xbox One, but things got even worse this generation with the Series consoles. 

A previous report claimed that the Xbox Series X|S sold just about 1.8 million units in 2025, but a reliable insider suggests the sales were even worse, dropping to just about 1 million units this year. 

Why it matters: The situation has been so bad this generation that many analysts and former executives said that this would be the end of Xbox hardware; however, Microsoft confirmed its still committed towards it. 

Xbox Sales
Xbox sales are reportedly just about 1 million units in 2025.

KeplerL2, a reliable insider, revealed that actual Xbox Series sales are closer to 1 million, despite a previous report suggesting otherwise. This rings serious alarm bells for the company as the sales are falling rapidly

Microsoft itself realizes the situation quite well; therefore, it’s gone full publisher. To tackle declining console sales, the company is now omitting exclusives and opting for a strict multiplatform strategy going forward. 

Satya Nadella on Xbox
Despite poor sales, Xbox is continuing with its next-gen hardware 

Despite rumors that it would exit the hardware space, it will continue to work on it. But its next-gen hardware isn’t a PS6-competing console, and instead rumored to be more of a PC-console hybrid codename Magnus

Anyhow, the situation isn’t ideal for Xbox, but it has ramped up its console production in a last-ditch effort to pump out more sales as GTA 6 arrives. It would give the consoles a bit of a boost towards the end of their lifecycle. 

What are your thoughts on Xbox Series sales dropping to just 1 million? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum

Final Fantasy 9 Anime Is Reportedly Back In Production, Aiming For A 2028 Release

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  • Final Fantasy 9 anime is back in production at Euro Visual, a French animation studio.
  • A 2028 launch is possible for the show, which will consist of 13 episodes, each 22 minutes in runtime.
  • The plot also confirms that the series will have an original story set in the world of Gaia.

Final Fantasy fans have been well-fed over the past few years with a flurry of new games, such as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Final Fantasy 16, which have taken the franchise’s overall sales total to a staggering 207 million worldwide.

Despite all this content and a third game in the Final Fantasy 7 trilogy in production, fans have been demanding a remake of Final Fantasy 9 for some time. While there have been no new updates about a potential remake, an anime based on the game could finally come to fruition in a few years.

Why It Matters: Final Fantasy has barely expanded into film and TV shows despite its immense success in gaming, so it’s nice to see Square Enix trying to evolve the franchise.

Final Fantasy 9 anime
An excerpt from Ecran detailing the Final Fantasy 9 anime| Source: Bluesky

According to French magazine Ecran, the anime adaptation of Final Fantasy 9 is finally back in production and is targeting a release date of 2028. The outlet reported this in a new issue, revealing that French animation studio Euro Visual is developing the project now.

The Ecran listing also tells us that the series will consist of 13 episodes, with each one lasting around 22 minutes. In addition, the Final Fantasy 9 anime will have a 2D animation style and is being developed to target the 6-13 demographic. 

A premise for the anime also confirms that this adaptation will be an original story set in the world of Gaia, following the last four black mages whose peaceful life in Alexandria is about to take a drastic turn. This plot corroborates leaks from 2022 and earlier this year.

Final Fantasy 9 anime
A leak about the Final Fantasy 9 anime from 2022, when Cyber Group was handling production.

First announced in 2021, the Final Fantasy 9 anime was initially being developed by Cyber Group Studios, which closed down earlier this year, putting the fate of the project in jeopardy. But, Euro Visuals has now taken the reins, and from what the premise suggests, the studio is going to follow the concept laid down by Cyber Group.

Are you excited for an original story in the world of Final Fantasy 9? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.

Star Citizen’s Single-Player Campaign Is Now Fully Playable, Features Over 40 Hours Of Gameplay

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  • CIG CEO says Star Citizen’s single-player campaign is playable and boasts over 40 hours of gameplay.
  • The title is on track for a 2026 launch, with the studio currently polishing the experience.
  • The team won’t focus on a long marketing campaign and will instead launch it as soon as possible.

Star Citizen has been one of the most expensive gaming projects to date, hitting nearly $1 billion in funding since 2012, yet it’s still not ready for a final launch. However, the highly awaited single-player counterpart, Squadron 42, now appears to be in much better shape

Cloud Imperium Games founder and CEO Chris Roberts has announced that Squadron 42 is being thoroughly polished after reaching a content-complete state.

In fact, the game is fully playable and features over 40 hours of high-quality content as it moves towards a beta and eventual release. 

Why it matters: Despite being technically impressive, both Star Citizen and Squadron 42 have a negative reception among gamers. A successful launch of the single-player campaign may steer the narrative in a positive direction.

Star Citizen Squadron 42
Squadron 42 is basically Star Citizen’s single-player campaign experience.

In a blog, the executive clarifies that Squadron 42 is still aiming for a 2026 launch, with only bug fixing, optimization, and polishing remaining. The incredible technology used to simulate Star Citizen’s vast environment is being fully used for the single-player experience. 

All chapters are now fully playable from beginning to end, and we’ve been playing through the game ourselves regularly.

The blog explains that Squadron 42 will allow players to seamlessly travel across star systems to individual planets without any loading screens, achieving a level of immersion that’s hard to replicate.

Besides the visuals, the developers have also focused on the game’s characters and storyline, so players have a great cinematic experience.

Squadron 42 is a large game, over forty hours in length.

Star Citizen
Star Citizen is still being crowd-funded by fans of the franchise.

The CEO also sheds light on Star Citizen, calling 2025 a ‘year of playability’ for the project. The game saw more players than ever before and is reportedly headed towards a brighter future.

The ambitious space sim MMO will launch a year or two after Squadron 42 makes its debut on current-gen and likely next-gen consoles. So we can guesstimate a 2027 or 2028 launch window.

Do you think Squadron 42 will live up to the hype and years of anticipation among gamers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

$100 Games Inevitable As Studios Are Waiting For Someone To Jump On The Trend, Says Former CoD Director

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  • Former Call of Duty dev says that $100 games could soon become a reality.
  • Each studio is waiting for the other to raise prices, and others will follow.
  • GTA 6 could be the title to kick off the new AAA price tier, given its massive hype.

For the longest time, $60-$70 AAA games have been the norm in the gaming industry. Amid inflation, there are already concerns that we may see more $80 games like Mario Kart World; however, prices could rise even higher. 

A former Call of Duty director suggests that $100 games could soon become a reality, considering the rising development costs. He says the industry is waiting for someone to adopt it, and others will follow. 

Why it matters: Games like Borderlands 4 and Outer Worlds 2 were expected to be priced at $80 at launch, but the backlash was so massive, even at that price, that companies still launched them at $70. 

$100 games
$100 could soon become a reality, according to a former Call of Duty director

So, fans won’t really take well to $100 games. Former Call of Duty creative director Greg Reisdorf, in a recent interviewnoted that prices will eventually rise, but no one wants to be the first to raise them

A $100 game is going to happen eventually. You just don’t want to be the first person to do it. All the publishers are waiting. 

– Greg Reisdorf

borderlands 4 protagonists
Borderlands 4 received huge backlash when it was reported that it could cost $80.

Recently, an analyst stated that pricing GTA 6 at $100 would be a smart move based on the game’s hype. Reisdorf is of the same opinion and says that Rockstar’s behemoth could be the title to kick off the new prices. 

So, whether we like it or not, we are soon heading in the direction of high-priced titles. If GTA 6 indeed launches at $100, it will be the tipping point for other studios to jump on the bandwagon and similarly price their titles. 

What are your thoughts on $100 games becoming a new normal in the industry? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum.

Critical PlayStation Security Vulnerability Makes It Incredibly Easy To Hack Accounts Even With 2FA

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  • A journalist has shared how his account was hacked twice in a few hours through a simple conversation with PlayStation Support.
  • Since the agents only ask for a username and a past invoice transaction number, bypassing 2FA and passkeys is incredibly easy.
  • PlayStation must address this vulnerability as quickly as possible.

PlayStation’s infamous hack happened nearly two decades ago, and since then, the gaming giant has certainly stepped up its network security. Today, millions use the PS4 and PS5 consoles, spending thousands of dollars on digital game purchases, DLC, and more.

However, a new report highlights that users should remain vigilant against potential attacks on PSN accounts. Indeed, a new report has discovered that Sony’s security measures make it all too easy for hackers to hijack accounts, even when 2FA is enabled.

Why it matters: This discovery raises questions regarding the implications of Sony’s poor security measures.

psn gift card
PSN Is Home To Over 120 Million Monthly Active Users.

According to journalist Nicolas Lellouche, his PlayStation account was hacked twice in a span of mere hours despite having security measures like 2 Factor Authorization in place and a passkey.

When the account was initially hacked, around $10 was charged on the user’s PayPal account to change the PSN ID. Of course, the hacker had also altered the passkey that was already in place.

After contacting PlayStation support, Nicolas Lellouche regained his account, and the process was surprisingly easy. He only had to share his PSN username and a transaction number from a past invoice.

This is where the problem lay, however, and even though the account was temporarily restored, it was hacked again within an hour. The journalist was then able to contact the hacker by messaging him on his PlayStation account, who confirmed how the hack was executed.

As per the hacker, an old invoice transaction number was the key to the breach. Nicolas Lellouche had previously publicly posted his PlayStation transactions on Twitter, which allowed the hacker to share the account’s username and an old transaction number with PlayStation support to regain access to the account.

The big vulnerability, therefore, lies within the process of PlayStation’s verification itself. Customer support clearly does a poor job of verifying the individual accessing an account, so there is no real way of 100% securing an account in such an instance.

PSN Down Over 18 Hours
PSN Is No Stranger To Outages And Vulnerabilities.

The bad news is that Nicolas Lellouche still does not have access to his account yet. Being a physical games buyer, the journalist was fortunate that his account wasn’t valued as highly as some others.

Digital gaming is bigger than ever today, so the damage could have been a lot worse.

Needless to say, Sony must immediately look into the matter and implement stricter verification. What do you think about this entire incident? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

How to Reach Endgame Goals in World of Warcraft as a Casual Player

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  • Pick one or two specific goals, like Mythic+ or professions, instead of trying to finish everything.
  • Avoid idling in cities. Set one clear objective for the week and use short blocks of time to finish tasks.
  • Focus on one craft or market to build wealth gradually without spending hours in the auction house.

World of Warcraft has never been short on things to do. That’s part of its charm, and also its biggest problem if you don’t have endless free time. Endgame content looks exciting on paper, but for casual players, it can feel like something reserved for people who log in every night.

The good news is that’s not really true anymore. Hitting meaningful endgame goals is possible, even if you only play a few hours a week. You just have to play smarter, not longer.

This isn’t about rushing or trying to “keep up” with hardcore players. The goal is to figure out what actually matters to you and make your limited time count.

Decide What Endgame Actually Means to You

World of Warcraft Mythic Plus
World of Warcraft Mythic Plus.

One of the easiest ways to burn out in WoW is by trying to do everything. Raids, Mythic+, PvP, professions, mounts, reps, alts, it adds up fast. Casual players usually struggle not because the content is too hard, but because they’re spread too thin.

The first step is to pick one or two goals and ignore the rest for now. That might be pushing Mythic+ keys at a comfortable level, clearing normal or heroic raids, climbing a PvP bracket, or even focusing on gold and professions.

None of these are better than the others. What matters is choosing something that fits your playstyle and your schedule.

Some players also struggle to figure out which endgame path actually fits them best. When everything looks interesting on paper, committing can be harder than expected. In those cases, some players use WoW boosting as a way to experience higher-level content firsthand. Seeing how endgame dungeons, raids, or PvP actually feel can help clarify what’s enjoyable and worth focusing on,

If you enjoy short, focused sessions, PvP or Mythic+ makes sense. If you like structured group play, raiding with a relaxed guild might be your thing. If you prefer solo progress, professions and gold-making can be surprisingly satisfying. Once you pick a direction, everything else becomes background noise.

Treat Your Time Like a Limited Resource

When you don’t have much time to play, logging in without a plan is the fastest way to waste it. Flying around cities, checking the auction house with no goal, or swapping characters usually feels productive, but it rarely is.

Try setting one clear weekly target. Something realistic, not ambitious. Clear one raid wing, finish a couple of Mythic+ runs, get a certain number of PvP wins, or craft one useful item. Then build your sessions around that goal.

Short play sessions work best when they’re focused. Thirty minutes is enough for world content, professions, or prep work. Longer sessions can be saved for dungeons or raids. Breaking your time into simple blocks helps you stay on track and log out feeling like you actually accomplished something.

Making PvE Progress Without Living in the Game

Onyxia in World of Warcraft
Onyxia in World of Warcraft.

PvE is still the most popular endgame path for casual players, mostly because it’s predictable. You know what you’re getting into and what the rewards look like.

For Mythic+, less is more. Running one or two keys a week at a level you’re comfortable with is better than spamming runs and getting frustrated. Stick to dungeons you know well, play a spec you’re confident with, and prepare before you queue. A little prep goes a long way when time is tight.

Raiding can be tougher to fit into a casual schedule, but it’s far from impossible. The key is finding the right group. Casual-friendly guilds with fixed schedules are much more time-efficient than random groups. Even if progress is slower, consistency beats chaos every time.

PvP Works Well for Short Sessions

Casual players often overlook PvP, but it actually fits limited playtime pretty well. Matches are short, progress is clear, and you don’t need hours to feel improvement.

The biggest mistake here is jumping between modes. Pick one bracket and stick with it. Focus on learning your class, improving positioning, and using cooldowns better. Even small improvements add up over time.

Finding consistent teammates can be hard, but communities and in-game tools help a lot more than they used to. Playing with the same people, even casually, saves time and makes matches more enjoyable.

Gold, Professions, and Quiet Progress

Gold in World of Warcraft
Gold in World of Warcraft.

Not every endgame goal involves combat. For many casual players, gold and professions are the long game. These systems reward patience and consistency, not long sessions.

The trick is specialization. Pick a small niche and learn it well instead of trying to do everything. Watch the market, craft items that people always need, and avoid impulse decisions. A few focused sessions each week can slowly build a solid income, especially if you stick with it.

This side of the game is slow, but that’s part of the appeal. It’s progress you can make even on days when group content just isn’t an option.

Don’t Turn the Game Into a Chore

Burnout hits casual players harder than anyone else. When your time is limited, wasted sessions feel worse. That’s why it’s important to keep expectations realistic.

You don’t need to finish everything every week. Missing a lockout or skipping content isn’t failure, it’s just life. Rotate your goals now and then to keep things fresh, and take breaks when the game stops being fun.

Small wins matter. A single upgrade, a cleaner dungeon run, or better performance in PvP all count as progress.

World of Warcraft is built for the long term. You’re not meant to finish everything quickly, especially as a casual player. Clear goals, simple planning, and realistic expectations make endgame content far more accessible than it first appears.

You may move slower than others, but that doesn’t make your progress any less valid. As long as you’re enjoying the time you spend in Azeroth, you’re already playing the game the right way.

PS Plus Delivered Over 160 Games Worth $5500 in 2025 Across Its Essential, Extra And Premium Tiers

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  • PS Plus offered a total of 163 games across its three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium.
  • The total value comes in at about $5,575 retail, which is better compared to last year.
  • It offered fewer games than Game Pass, but it also cost a lot less.

Fans often debate which offers better value between the two major subscription services: Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus. Both offer great value to their respective platforms, but while PS Plus is exclusive, Game Pass is available on PC and Xbox. 

Game Pass offered a staggering 300 games in 2025, but while PS Plus had fewer games, it too provided a decent value at a much lower price. It delivered over 160 games in 2025, with a retail value of around $ 5,500. 

Why it matters: It is easy to overlook the value of PS Plus Premium, given that it has had fewer games this year. Still, the Premium tier of PlayStation’s subscription service costs almost half as much as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. 

PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus offered about 163 games in 2025.

Sony has three tiers of subscriptions: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Across all three tiers, it added 163 games, with a retail value of $5,575, and an average match value of about $34; the base tier provided the best value. 

In 2024, PS Plus added more games, but this year it provided better value, as many of the Essential tier games were PS5 titles that cost much more than the games added in previous years. 

PlayStation PS Plus
PlayStation’s subscription service features three tiers.

This year’s prominent Essential games included Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Dead Island 2, Lies of P, Alan Wake 2, The Outlast Trials, and more. Whereas the Catalog games also saw some big names, but they keep rotating through the year. 

God of War: Ragnarok, Hogwarts Legacy, Cyberpunk 2077, AC Mirage, and Jedi Survivor were some of the Catalog games. However, PS Plus misses out on the big day 1 titles that Game Pass boasts, but both have their drawbacks and advantages. 

What are your thoughts on PS Plus games released in 2025? Did you like the list? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the Tech4Gamers Forum.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Added Nearly 300 Games in 2025, Worth Over $8,000 in Retail Value

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  • Game Pass Ultimate added around 295 games in 2025, with a retail value of more than $8000.
  • It added some big day 1 titles, including Expedition 33, Black Ops 7, Doom, and more.
  • However, the service was also hit with a price hike, bringing annual prices to $360.

Xbox Game Pass is often considered one of the best values in the gaming scene. Despite the price increase a couple of months ago, it continues to add popular titles and big day 1 releases, still making it an excellent deal for PC and Xbox users.

In 2025 alone, Game Pass added nearly 300 games, worth over $8000 in retail value. This is a significant increase from last year, when it added about 140 games, worth about $5000, albeit at a slightly lower price. 

Why it matters: The subscription service is often cited as the reason for low Xbox game sales; however, it remains a good deal for the gamers, especially since every first-party Xbox game gets a day 1 release on the Ultimate tier. 

Xbox Game Pass Featured
Xbox Game Pass added around 300 titles worth over $8000 in 2025.

We have compiled a list that shows Game Pass Ultimate added around 295 games this year, including Ubisoft+ and EA Play titles. Based on previous years, the average cost of a game pass title was around $34. Using this calculation, the total worth of this year’s games comes out to about $8700.

Notably, there were over 60 day 1 releases, including some very heavy-hitters like the GOTY winner, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Black Ops 7, Doom: The Dark Ages, and The Outer Worlds 2, among many others

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Increase
The service also saw a massive price increase this year.

Most of the above-mentioned games are fully priced at $70, which already gives a great idea of the value players are getting for about $30 a month. It previously cost $20, but the price was increased back in October. 

Nonetheless, Game Pass users have had a decent 2025, but the price increase somewhat tarnished it, as the cancellation rate reached an all-time high. But, for most Xbox users, it is still quite a no-brainer. 

What are your thoughts on Game Pass adding 300 games in 2025? Have you subscribed to it? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum.

There’s An Opportunity To Compete With GTA Because Everyone Has Given Up, Ex-Rockstar Dev Says

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  • A former Rockstar developer says there’s a good opportunity to compete with GTA right now.
  • Everyone is terrified of the series, making it easier for any daredevil to step up.
  • A rival may perform well if it launches in the middle of GTA 6 and Rockstar’s next game.

Challenging GTA has never gone well with studios, causing almost all developers to give up on the subgenre altogether. Once popular contenders, the Watch Dogs and Saints Row franchises have almost entirely fizzled out as Rockstar’s magnum opus continued rising.  

However, a former Rockstar North developer believes that this hesitance to rival GTA has opened new doors for any risk-taker to give it a good shot. A well-executed AAA project in a similar niche might perform way better than anyone expects.

Why it matters: If anyone is willing to take the risk, a GTA-like game may compete well with Rockstar’s IP now. While franchises like Cyberpunk and Mafia are already popular, they either focus on different genres or lack scope. 

GTA 6
GTA 6 Is Expected To Shake The Entire Gaming Industry.

In an interview with GamesHub, former Rockstar North Technical Director Obbe Vermeij claims that a ‘city game’ that launches in the expected eight-year gap between GTA 6 and the rumored Red Dead Redemption 3 can compete well with the franchise.

I would actually say there’s an opportunity because it really is just GTA and everybody else has given up.

-Obbe Vermeij, Ex-Rockstar Developer.

However, it would have to stand out with a unique setting, such as a futuristic one. The location may also impact its reception, since fans have been wanting a GTA-like experience set in Japan or Europe. 

I would have thought if you have a city game release in the middle of it [GTA 6 and Next Game] then maybe you could set it in the future or maybe it could be set in Moscow or whatever. 

Saints Row
The latest Saints Row game could have been a nice GTA rival, but it flopped instead.

Since GTA is a parody of the US, Rockstar only wants to stick with its popular cities, despite almost choosing a Tokyo setting in the past. This serves as an effective handicap that any future rivals can exploit.

Do you think it is worth it for any gaming studio to challenge GTA’s presence with a similar game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

A GTA Set In Tokyo Almost Happened But Idea Was Later Scrapped, Former Dev Admits

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  • A former Rockstar North developer says that a GTA set in Tokyo was almost approved.
  • A studio in Japan would have helped develop the game, but the plan was later scrapped.
  • Due to risks, it’s improbable for a GTA game to take place outside of America now.

Before credible GTA 6 rumors appeared in the gaming scene, a lot of the hearsay suggested that Rockstar may set GTA 6 outside of America. Such a prospect excited many but ultimately turned out to be a nothing burger, as GTA 6 is revisiting the popular Vice City.

Now, a former Rockstar North developer reveals that Rockstar was once exploring several popular locations for one of its GTA entries, including Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul. A GTA set in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo was also almost greenlit. 

Why it matters: Many GTA franchise fans have long been wanting a game set in London or Tokyo. While Rockstar considered such plans once, the stakes involved now have made it pretty much impossible.

GTA 6 Tokyo art
Many fans still want a GTA that explores the criminal underworld of Tokyo.

In an interview with GamesHub, ex-Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij mentions that a studio in Japan would have helped develop a GTA Tokyo, but plans were later scrapped by the executives.

We had ideas about GTA games in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Istanbul. Tokyo almost actually happened. Another studio in Japan were going to do it, take our code and do GTA: Tokyo.

-Obbe Vermeij, ex- Rockstar Developer. 

Similarly, a game set in London or Europe was also brought up, but the former developer insists that ‘it’s just not realistic.’ Since GTA games take about a decade to develop nowadays, the executives only plan to stick with popular American locations.

They’ll revisit New York again. They’ll go back to LA or maybe Las Vegas. I’m afraid we’re stuck in this loop of about five American cities. Let’s just get used to it.

GTA 6
GTA 6 is one of the industry’s most anticipated games ever.

The essence of the GTA franchise also lies in parodying the Western world, especially the United States. Therefore, many critics of this idea have argued that a game set outside of America would also feel incomplete.

Do you think a GTA game being set outside of America is something we’ll ever see in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.