This Week in Gaming: July 13, 2026

Happy Monday, and welcome to the first of what's going to be a weekly ritual — your no-bullshit breakdown of everything worth knowing in the game world. The summer drought is officially dead, and this week came out swinging with layoffs, studio pivots, legal wins, and a PS2 classic making a comeback. Buckle up.

Xbox and id Software Take a Beating. The industry got rocked this week as Xbox reportedly cut ties with five studios and handed out over 3,000 pink slips. Meanwhile, id Software — the house that Doom built — reportedly lost nearly half its staff. Look, layoffs are never something to celebrate for the regular guys just trying to make games, but if this clears out some of the agenda-pushing dead weight that's been dragging AAA development into the toilet for the last decade, then maybe something good comes out of the wreckage. Fresh blood and a refocus on actually making great games wouldn't be the worst outcome.

Obsidian Ditches Avowed 2 for Fallout. Rumors are flying that Obsidian has scrapped a planned Avowed sequel and is pivoting hard toward a brand-new Fallout project. Honestly? Good. Never touched Avowed myself — didn't look worth my time — but a new Fallout from the studio that gave us New Vegas? That's a conversation worth having. Drop your takes in the comments because I genuinely want to know what you all think about this one.

Pocketpair Scores a Legal Win and Eyes 1.0. The US patent office threw out 26 of Nintendo's patent claims against Pocketpair, which is a massive W for the industry. On top of that, the Palworld team announced that the full 1.0 release is dropping later this month, and they're recommending players start fresh to get the best experience. If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the full release, now's the time to get ready.

PS Plus Premium is Bringing Back a Cult Classic. Sony hasn't dropped the full July lineup yet — that's coming this Wednesday — but they've already confirmed that Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy hits PS Plus Premium on July 21. If you never played that PS2 gem, you're in for a treat. Telekinesis, mind control, and a game that absolutely did not get the recognition it deserved back in the day. This is the kind of deep-cut addition that actually justifies keeping the subscription.

That's your week. We're doing this every Monday, so come back, bring your opinions, and don't be shy about dropping some heat in the comments. See you next week.