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Cronos The New Dawn Gameplay Reveal Showcases Unique Mechanic That Lets Enemies Merge

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  • Cronos the New Dawn will have a frightening new mechanic that lets dead enemies merge with each other.
  • If downed enemies aren’t burned with fire, they can create unique new monsters in seconds.
  • Resource management is an essential tactic in the upcoming Bloober Team title.

The horror genre has been producing hit after hit for the past few years, with titles like the Silent Hill 2 remake, Alan Wake 2, and Sons of the Forest further pushing the genre’s creative boundaries while setting new standards.

With the hotly anticipated Cronos the New Dawn from Bloober Team set to launch this year, fans have much more to be excited for, especially if the wacky new mechanic displayed in the game’s gameplay showcase is any sign of its creative quality.

Why This Matters: Studios taking creative risks and introducing new mechanics are positive signs for the progression of horror video games.

The new gameplay trailer for Cronos the New Dawn revealed that dead enemies can merge to create an even more dangerous variant if players don’t burn the corpses. Hence, killing your opponents will not do the trick in the sci-fi horror game.

Emphasis is also placed on fire in the trailer, as you have to manage the resource while burning bodies if you don’t want to face grotesque and even more messed-up enemies. Hence, if the survival-horror title wasn’t hard enough already, you have limited resources at your disposal.

Cronos the New Dawn is crafted by the same team behind the Silent Hill 2 remake, but boasts an entirely different setting and premise from the 2024 game. Despite this, the sci-fi title still borrows some elements from the remake while also taking inspiration from space-horror titles like Dead Space.

Cronos the New Dawn will featCronos: The New Dawn will feature dark and gritty retrofuturistic themes.
Cronos the New Dawn will be more action-centric than Silent Hill 2.

Following the success of Silent Hill 2, it will be interesting to see how this new IP from Bloober Team bodes in the industry. Whatever the final result is, Cronos the New Dawn does show a lot of promise and isn’t afraid to take the creative risks required to progress the genre, which is a victory in itself.

Latest Updates

Do you think Cronos the New Dawn will be a success for Bloober Team? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.

PlayStation Reports Strong Growth While Steam and Xbox Face Industry Slowdown

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  • A new industry report reveals that PlayStation has grown remarkably, while PC and Xbox show playtime stability.
  • PlayStation also features higher play rates for more recent games over the years when compared with older titles.
  • The console gaming industry is predominantly leading market growth to 2027 compared to PC.

The PC gaming market has dominated the industry over the decades, reaching nearly a billion players and outpacing consoles in terms of games sold. However, a new report suggests that PlayStation has boasted remarkable growth in terms of play time over the years.

Newzoo’s PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 reveals that while PlayStation expanded, PC and Xbox platforms were only able to stabilize themselves from a decline. Not only that, but PlayStation boasts higher play rates for more recent titles than older ones.

Why it matters: The statistics highlighted in the new report confirm that console gaming is developing steadily, with PlayStation showing remarkable growth compared to Xbox and PCs in some sectors.

The Newzoo report shows that PlayStation features higher play rates in recent games.

Sony has performed so well that the report dubbed it the ‘lone bright spot’ in the gaming industry. PlayStation experienced growth in the number of titles played worldwide, with South Korea (+52%), France (+20%), and the UK (+18%) leading the increase.

Instead, the Xbox and Steam markets declined globally, with Japan and South Korea experiencing the biggest drops on both platforms.

Additionally, PlayStation remains the most consistent player engagement across all titles between 2021 and 2024. Steam and Xbox have experienced notable declines in the number of games played per player between the 6 and 13 range. 

The console market is also projected to drive gaming industry growth by 7% from 2024 to 2027, while the PC sector is expected to contribute 2.6% in the same period. 

Sony is the lone bright spot in the industry as Xbox and Steam get negatively impacted.

Similarly, the report revealed that 58% of PC gaming revenue came from microtransactions, and Steam users play more non-competitive and PvE games than console players.

Latest Updates

Do you think PlayStation will emerge as an industry leader in the gaming scene soon, or do these statistics not tell the entire story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

Microsoft Wants To Develop New IPs Despite Its Already Massive Library, Says Xbox Boss

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  • Xbox already has a plethora of gaming IPs, thanks to the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
  • However, the gaming giant aims to make even more franchises despite that.
  • In a recent interview, Phil Spencer doubled on making new games and IPs.

Xbox is behind some of the most fascinating and enjoyable IPs fans adore. While the company may not have earned the fandom’s favour with the new games it has launched recently, it is trying to maintain its position in the market as a gaming giant. 

This week, in an interview, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked many questions about Microsoft’s gaming division. When asked about the Minecraft movie and which other IP the gaming giant is willing to risk for similar purposes, Phil revealed the company’s intention to develop new IPs.

Why it matters: After acquiring Activision Blizzard, Microsoft now owns many IPs, so it is shocking to see the company still aims to develop even more. 

xbox aa games
Xbox Has Some of the Best IPs in the Gaming Industry.

Phil Spencer was asked in an interview with Variety about which IP they are willing to risk going transmedia with. The Xbox boss said they are in an entertainment business, and ‘whether you’re building games, movies, television, or doing an album, you have to accept that you’re going to have a hit rate, and it’s not going to be 100%’.

We can do new IP. We can do new games. Some things will vastly exceed our expectations, and some, we will be disappointed by the results, and let’s learn and go forward as an organization.

-Phil Spencer

Spencer made some interesting points in the interview and acknowledged what is pretty obvious but is forgotten these days: Some things exceed expectations, and some disappoint; that is how it works in the gaming industry. 

South of Midnight
South of Midnight is Xbox’s Latest New IP.

The gaming giant has recently released a completely new IP, South of Midnight, which didn’t boom in the industry but had a positive reception. Spencer also said the most important thing is “you’ve got to make sure that you have a culture of teams that are willing to take risks and bets on doing kind of cool, innovative, new things”.

Latest Updates

Given Phil’s mindset, it would be interesting to see what type of new IPs Xbox aims to develop despite sitting on many old ones. 

What do you think about Microsoft’s aim to develop more gaming IPs? Is this a smart move? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or join the official Tech4Gamers forums for discussion.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Could Be the Best Showcase of PSSR on PS5 Pro Yet

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  • PSSR brings much-needed image clarity for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows on the PS5 Pro.
  • The setting has minimal upsides with such trailing for particle effects and performance issues.
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows feels the best on Balanced mode with PSSR on.

Fans might have different verdicts on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, but there’s no denying that its port is easily one of the year’s most impressive. The title already showcased the PS5 Pro’s full capabilities with remarkable visuals for a fair performance tradeoff.

Ubisoft has finally added the option to enable PSSR for the game on the PS5 Pro console, and the result in image quality is substantial. Assassin’s Creed Shadows might also be the best use of Sony’s upscaling technology.

Why it matters: Fans severely criticised the PS5 Pro’s PSSR and console. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a testament that the mid-gen refresh console is impressive and capable of producing impressive visuals.

Digital Foundry deep-dived into Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s latest update, which introduced PSSR and RT Reflections to balanced mode, previously limited to quality mode only. 

The result is a much clearer image quality with more stability and less aliasing overall. The image now appears clearer and softer in terms of foliage, which is perfect for the art style Ubisoft aimed for with the Japanese setting.

Due to the game’s heavy foliage, panning the camera causes visual trailing, which is less noticeable when PSSR is turned on. Particle effects also cause trailing patterns, a problem otherwise absent from the TAAU mode.

Overall, the result is much better as shown in the images above. Compared to other games utilizing PSSR, Assassin’s Creed Shadows looks much better with minimal visual noise, a well-known issue caused by PSSR across different titles.

ac shadows ps5 pro pssr
A Comparison Of PSSR And TAAU Mode.

That said, the PSSR is taxing on the PS5 Pro’s GPU, resulting in performance dips. While in performance mode, the PS5 Pro reaches its lowest resolution of 864p, which is the lowest PSSR it can go.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows looks and performs the best on Balanced mode with PSSR enabled.

Latest Updates

What are your thoughts on PSSR? Do you think Assassin’s Creed Shadows looks much better with the setting enabled? Let us know in the comments below or at the official Tech4Gamers forums.

Video Games Don’t Need Hollywood Adaptations To Be Successful, Says Xbox Head

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  • Video games are successful on their own, says Xbox CEO on live-action adaptations.
  • Phil Spencer added that not every franchise should get the Hollywood treatment.
  • Despite it all, he said that fans can expect more live-action projects.

The age of superhero movies is long gone, as video game films are slowly replacing them as Hollywood’s preferred genre. 

Despite Xbox pursuing the live-action adaptation trend, its CEO has taken a reserved stance. According to the Xbox boss, video games are already a successful business without Hollywood treatment.

Why it matters: With such a focus on live-action adaptation, gaming content is neglected. In the long run, this could harm the gaming industry.

sony live action and tv shows
Sony Is Fully Locked In Making Movies & TV Shows

Talking to Variety, Phil Spencer said:

The videogame business is successful by itself. It doesn’t need this outlet.

-Phil Spencer

There is a lot of truth to this, as the gaming industry makes more revenue than the music or film business. If anything, the film sector needs video games, not vice versa.

The CEO also added:

let’s never turn this into something where it has to get done, every franchise has to have a game or a movie or a TV show, and it becomes more like licensing.

Many video game franchises have the potential to perform well in Hollywood. However, this doesn’t mean that every one of them needs a live-action adaptation, as licensing can alter the integrity of those IPs with added creative liberties from the other end.

The Last Of Us TV Show
The Last Of Us Was The Most Watched TV Series On Max Across Europe

That said, though, the CEO stated that they can expect more live-action adaptations of video games in the future. Xbox currently has the most IPs under its belt thanks to its acquisition in recent years, so the gaming giant would continue to push toward this trend.

Their recent movie, Minecraft, has already generated $250 million in less than a week of its release. With other successes like The Last of Us or the Uncharted film, it’s no wonder everyone wants to hop on this bandwagon.

Latest Updates

What do you think about live-action adaptations of video games? Let us know in the comments below or at the Tech4Gamers forums.

Days Gone Remastered: Bend Studio Promises A Next-Level Experience on PS5

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  • Days Gone Remastered is coming out later this month.
  • While a recent graphical comparison shows that the remastered game looks nearly similar to the original game, the developers think otherwise.
  • The studio has claimed that fans will notice the difference they have made, as they have taken the game to the next level with PS5.

While fans have waited for the Days Gone sequel for over half a decade, Sony ignored their requests and announced the remastered version earlier this year.

Although the recent graphic comparison shows that the Days Gone Remastered looks nearly identical to the original game, the studio has just claimed that fans will see the graphical improvement they have made, as they have taken the game to the next level.

Why it matters: The game is already facing much criticism, as fans believe nobody has asked for the remastered version, and Sony should have gone for the sequel.

Days Gone Remastered
Days Gone Remastered Offers Massive Graphical Improvement – Source: PS Blog

During a recent interview with PS Blog, the creative and product lead, Kevin McAllister, discussed multiple aspects of Days Gone Remastered, including the graphical improvements.

The graphical improvements we’ve made–you’ll see the difference,

-Kevin McAllister

He further stated that the team had significantly improved, increasing lightning, shadow quality, fog depth, and more. Nighttime would feel much darker, and the moon would look more natural.

The creative lead also discussed how Days Gone is a very realistic-looking game, and thanks to PS5, the developers have taken it to the next level.

Days Gone is a very realistic-looking game. And we’ve taken that to a new level with the PS5.

days gone remaster comparison
Days Gone Remastered looks identical to the original.

While the recent comparison looked nearly identical and didn’t show much difference, it remains to be seen if the remastered version actually offers a next-level experience than the base game.

The lead also discussed the title’s gameplay, stating that the game is getting a new Horde Assault mode. This mode features up to 800 hordes, covering the entire screen of the players.

Latest Updates

Days Gone Remastered is finally coming out later this month. Are you excited to play the next-gen version? Share your thoughts with us in the comments or join the Tech4Gamers forum.

Fans Disappointed By Oblivion Remake Leaks; Claim It Looks Worse Than Original

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  • Screenshots of The Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remake have leaked online.
  • Although the game has received a new look, fans are not too happy with the new art direction.
  • Many believe the remake looks worse than the original due to a more muted color scheme.

Following a slew of successful remasters and remakes of beloved IPs, The Elder Scrolls Oblivion is next in line to receive a major revamp. The game is expected to launch as early as next week, and leaks have already given fans their first look at its new visual makeup.

Virtuos’ work is clearly a major technical upgrade over the original, but fans have been left underwhelmed. In fact, many argue the new screenshots look worse, largely due to lacking the artistic direction of The Elder Scrolls Oblivion.

Why it matters: This is not the first time fans have criticized a remake for changing the visual style of an established classic. Such instances highlight why remakes and remasters can be so challenging for developers.

Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remake
The Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remake Criticism via X

Following the leaks, fans were quick to comment on various elements of the new screenshots.

One Twitter user noted that the original game has a greener look than the remake’s brown visual style. Others stated that this could be addressed by mods in the future or potential time-of-day settings implemented by Virtuos.

One user even compared the visual style to the PS3 and Xbox 360 era’s “piss filter.” This term was coined after games began to go for a darker look to portray serious stories and narratives.

Why did they add a piss filter?

-CapCorgi

Similar comments were made on platforms like Reddit, with users complaining about the remake going for an overly realistic look.

It looks like trash. Color graded into generic “realistic” look, I’d rather replay the original.

-u/nora_sellisa

Oblivion Remake Leaked
An Official Look At The Remake Is Coming Soon

As expected, some fans have also been pleased by the leaks. Many have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that Virtuos has offered more than minor visual tweaks. Ultimately, the reactions are split for the time being.

Latest Updates

What are your thoughts on the remake’s visuals? Do you think the original art style is still better? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow this link to the Tech4Gamers Forums for similar news.

Nintendo Switch 2 Fans Upset Over Comparisons With 10+ Year Old PS4

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  • The Nintendo Switch 2 is said to perform similarly to the PS4.
  • Nintendo fans believe the new hardware is superior in multiple ways.
  • They believe that the comparisons undersell the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has long been compared to the PS4. As far back as 2023, Activision was among the first to dub Nintendo’s latest hardware capable of matching the PS4’s output, and recent testing has proven this is indeed the case.

However, the Nintendo Switch 2 has a lot of small upgrades owing to its use of more modern hardware. As a result, many Nintendo fans believe these comparisons are disingenuous, stating that the new hardware should not be compared to the PS4.

Why it matters: The Nintendo Switch 2 will last for several years, so its hardware capabilities and longevity have been a major talking point.

The latest discussions regarding this subject picked up once analysts from Digital Foundry compared the PS4 to Nintendo’s latest hybrid console.

According to their judgment, the PS4 is a natural comparison point to the Nintendo Switch 2. However, fans in the YouTube comments and on Resetera have found this statement somewhat problematic.

Some have pointed out that next-generation PS5 games like Star Wars Outlaws have been announced for the Nintendo Switch 2. Others state that Cyberpunk 2077 looks and runs far better on the new Nintendo hardware than it ever did on the PS4.

How do we explain Cyberpunk? It runs far better than the base PS4 version.

-Magic-Man

Many have also pointed to modern features like ray tracing, mesh shader support, etc. They argue that the Nintendo Switch 2 also has a much more modern CPU than the Jaguar SoC in the nearly 13-year-old PS4.

Switch 2 is way better than the PS4 and PS4 Pro.

-Besiktas

PS4 Controller
The PS4 Hardware Is Very Dated By Today’s Standards

On the other hand, some fans believe this comparison works in favor of the Nintendo Switch 2 since the PS4 was home to visually striking games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us Part 2.

The fact that Nintendo’s upcoming handheld will potentially produce similar results in handheld gameplay is all the more impressive, and some fans are happy with this outcome.

Latest Updates

Nonetheless, the fandom wants to see the discussions around the Nintendo Switch 2 move away from the PS4 comparisons. They hope to see analysts and enthusiasts evaluate the new hardware based on its own merits moving forward.

What are your thoughts on this debate? Share your opinion in the comments, and make sure to visit the Tech4Gamers Forums for even more discussions.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Sees Major Player Count Resurgence on Steam Following “The Final Patch”

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  • Baldur’s Gate 3 is nearly two years old.
  • The title has finally received its final patch and won’t receive new content anymore.
  • Following the recent patch, the title is seeing a massive resurgence, with over 106k players already on it.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been one of Larian Studios’ biggest releases. While the title is nearly two years old, the developers released its final major updates earlier today.

Following the final patch, the title has seen a massive resurgence on Steam, as the Baldur’s Gate 3 concurrent player count has been increased by nearly 2x.

Why it matters: It’s great to see a nearly two-year-old performing massively on Steam and showing no sign of stopping.

Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 Reaches Over 100k Players Following Recent Patch – Sources Steamdb.

As seen above, Baldur’s Gate 3 has reached over 106K players in the last 24 hours. While the title’s all-time peak is massively high, it is still seeing a significant resurgence following the recent patch.

It should also be noted that the title reached around 50K players before the latest patch came out. Therefore, Baldur’s Gate 3 has already seen 2x players, and the numbers will likely increase in the coming time.

The recent and final patch is massive, with cross-play, photo mode, and 12 new subclasses. Although the game will still receive updates to fix any issues, it will not receive new content.

Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 Will Turn 2 In August.

The developers have also discounted the title, which is currently 20% off on Steam and is already among the top 10 best-selling titles on Steam, suggesting that it is very much alive.

Despite being released nearly two years ago, Baldur’s Gate 3 was among the best-selling paid games in 2024, showing that many new players still purchase the game.

Latest Updates

Nonetheless, have you tried the recent Baldur’s Gate 3 patch already? If yes, how has your experience been? Share your thoughts with us in the comments or join the Tech4Gamers forum.

AMD RX 9060 XT Reportedly Launches Next Month As RTX 5060 Ti Rival

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  • The RX 9060 XT is said to be launching in May.
  • Reports reveal the graphics card will feature 2048 cores based on the Navi 44 GPU.
  • The graphics card is also expected to ship in 8GB and 16 GB configurations, similar to those of the RTX 5060 Ti.

Nvidia recently unveiled the RTX 5060 series, which arrives tomorrow. With three graphics cards in the lineup, the series is expected to offer decent performance for its price, with the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB showing a lot of promise in particular.

However, AMD is also gearing up to release its own mid-range GPUs into the market. Following the largely successful RX 9070 series release, the RX 9060 XT is now expected to launch next month.

Why it matters: The RX 9060 XT could end up being a strong GPU that harkens back to AMD’s roots of offering solid mid-range options for decent pricing.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
AMD’s RDNA 4 Lineup Has Been Quite The Success So Far

The new report comes from Chiphell, a forum known to be quite reliable for graphics card leaks. According to the forum’s editor, this RDNA 4 GPU will most likely be released in May.

Because the RX 9060 XT is expected to compete directly with the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti, AMD’s decision to launch one month later could turn the tide in its favor. The gaming giant should be able to price the new graphics card appropriately based on the market’s reaction to Nvidia’s mid-range products.

It should be noted that the RX 9060 XT is expected to sport 8GB and 16GB configurations. It will also likely feature just 2048 cores and be based on the Navi 44 GPU, compared to the 3584 cores of the Navi 48 GPU of the RX 9070.

Latest Updates

AMD’s 60-series has traditionally proven quite popular, with graphics cards like the RX 6600 and 6600 XT still relevant today.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see how AMD introduces this option into the market next month, especially given Nvidia’s recent launch of the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, which will likely be a direct competitor to this GPU.

Xbox Boss Thinks Indiana Jones Is Brilliant And ‘There’s Great Life’ In The IP

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  • Phil Spencer states that Xbox is quite happy with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.
  • The Xbox boss has teased the future of this series in a recent interview.
  • He believes MachineGames has done a great job with the IP.

Following a successful run on Xbox and Game Pass, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is set to launch on PS5 tomorrow. The game is already showing signs of success on the platform, and audiences are now curious about what the future holds for this IP.

Between other IPs like Quake and Wolfenstein, MachineGames has no shortage of potential future projects, but fans hope to see another Indiana Jones title sooner rather than later. Fortunately, Xbox boss Phil Spencer seems to be teasing the future of Indy’s journey.

Why it matters: Indiana Jones has not been the most popular series in the gaming industry, so fans were glad to see a renowned team like MachineGames pick it up.

Indiana Jones Game Pass
The Title Was A Huge Deal For Game Pass

Speaking to Variety, the Xbox boss was asked to comment on whether MachineGames would make more Indiana Jones titles after its recent success.

Although Phil Spencer did not say much directly, he commented that the series has a lot of life left. He also dubbed the game brilliant and noted that Xbox is quite happy with it, which should tell fans everything they want to know.

We do think there’s life in the franchise, and I’m just gonna leave it at that.

In the same interview, Phil Spencer praised MachineGames’ ability to offer a unique spin on the Indiana Jones franchise. All in all, he seems more than willing to give the studio another shot at this series.

Indiana Jones MachineGames
MachineGames Can Still Do A Lot With Indy’s Stories

This would not be the first time Phil Spencer has offered teasers regarding Xbox’s future in a not-so-subtle manner. In fact, the Xbox boss has been known to reveal future plans, including those of the upcoming handheld, through such leaks in the past.

Anyhow, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle’s story continues on the PS5 later tomorrow. A successful PlayStation launch will only increase the chances of another game based on the series.

Latest Updates

What are your thoughts on the teaser? Let’s discuss this in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

Fallout 3 Remaster Not Expected Anytime Soon Despite Popularity of TV Show

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  • A prominent leaker has revealed that Fallout 3 Remaster isn’t expected to launch soon.
  • The FTC leaks first hinted at the title during Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition.
  • The other remaster/remake was Oblivion, which is expected to be released next week. 

Fallout is one of the most popular Xbox IPs, and last year’s brilliant TV Show cemented its place even more. The show helped the franchise soar in popularity, even reviving games like Fallout 76, which wasn’t received well at launch. 

However, before the show even released, the FTC Xbox leaks revealed that a Fallout 3 Remaster or Remake was in the works. For fans waiting for it, it might not be coming out anytime soon. 

Why it matters: Ever since the franchise’s resurgence, fans have been hoping to hear a release window on the Fallout 3 Remaster, but unfortunately, the wait will have to continue. 

Leaker reveals Fallout 3 Remaster won’t be releasing anytime soon.

On XCancel, prominent leaker NateTheHate was asked if the Fallout 3 Remaster is still happening, to which he replied that it will be a while before we see it. This implies that the wait for the title is still long. 

This would also make sense, considering Microsoft is getting ready to launch the Oblivion Remake this month. It would not want to release both titles in quick succession, especially when Bethesda is also busy with other titles. 

Fallout 76 Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout is one of Xbox’s most coveted franchises of all time.

Nonetheless, Fallout 3 is one of Bethesda’s most critically acclaimed titles. Being right up there with New Vegas, fans are looking forward to the remaster, but as things currently stand, the wait will be a bit longer. 

Latest Updates

What are your thoughts on Fallout 3 Remaster not coming out anytime soon? What are your expectations from it? Let us know your opinions in the comments, or join the discussion at the Tech4Gamers forum.

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