Articles by Thomas Wilde

Thomas Wilde has been working as a journalist and editor in the gaming press since 2002, most notoriously as the editor for DoubleJump Books. He has personally won World War II 47 separate times. Reach him at [email protected], or follow him on Bluesky at @stolisomancer.bsky.social.

Xbox Ally vs. Nintendo Switch 2: Microsoft enters a handheld console war that lacks actual competition

Washington’s tabletop game industry braces for impact from new tariffs
Seattle gaming startup Rec Room lays off 16% of staff — read CEO’s memo to employees
Microsoft rebrands 343 Industries to Halo Studios, reveals new direction for ‘Halo’ franchise

Latest from Thomas Wilde

Wizards of the Coast offers first look at ‘Warlock,’ the next video game based on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’

Wizards of the Coast and its subsidiary Invoke Studios released a first-look gameplay trailer for Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, a new open-world action game based upon the systems and setting of Wizards’ popular tabletop role-playing game. Read More

Xbox layoffs fallout: ‘South of Midnight’ creator Compulsion Games successfully goes independent

One of the video game studios impacted by Xbox’s layoffs in July has successfully reclaimed its independence, as well as control over its intellectual property. Read More

Game review: Investigate a haunted (?) ’90s PC in Seattle-made mystery adventure ‘Desktop Explorer’

“Desktop Explorer” sits at the center of an odd Venn diagram, between people who enjoy tinkering with old computers, mystery fans, and the adventure-gaming community. It’s initially a nostalgic experience, but that’s a thin veneer over what becomes a sort of low-key psychological thriller. Read More

Amazon’s Twitch is using livestreams to train its generative AI, and nobody’s happy with it

Amazon indicated for the first time this week that any video broadcast via its livestreaming platform Twitch could be used to train generative AI, unless users take steps to avoid it, which has caused a significant backlash from both audiences and content creators. Read More

‘World of Warcraft’ meets ‘Dungeons & Dragons,’ and more from Wizards of the Coast at Gen Con

Renton, Wash.-based Wizards of the Coast previewed its D&D plans ahead of Gen Con, including a “World of Warcraft” crossover sourcebook due Nov. 17, the return of the Dark Sun setting in 2027 and a new content program led by actor Joe Manganiello. Read More

This game studio wants kids to help NASA build the first lunar colony

Moonbase Y, in development at August Interactive, is a cooperative online game that puts players 13 and older in charge of building a lunar colony, using NASA imagery and data and asking them to solve the problems a real settlement would face. Read More

Amazon puts Luna gaming service inside its Prime Video app, hoping people finally notice

Amazon’s cloud gaming service will now be available in a tab inside the Prime Video app for Fire TV users in the U.S. and U.K. The company’s gaming chief says one of Luna’s biggest challenges is that Prime members don’t know it’s included with their membership. Read More

Game developer Harebrained Schemes kicks off its new indie era with survival-horror RPG ‘GRAFT’

The latest game from Seattle-based developer Harebrained Schemes, and its first since its return to independence in 2023, is a dark sci-fi/horror adventure where the player must constantly change and enhance their body in order to survive. Read More

Seattle indie hit ‘Stardew Valley’ is coming to ‘Magic: The Gathering’

Stardew Valley, the blockbuster farming sim from solo Seattle developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, is coming to Magic: The Gathering via a three-part Secret Lair drop from Renton-based Wizards of the Coast — with original pixel art from Barone himself. Read More

Why the video game industry may be sliding toward its next big crash

Commentary: The last couple of weeks have served as a capstone to what’s become a bad few years for the international video game industry. Now it appears the larger sector is headed directly into some significant crash, as several unsustainable practices all seem to be approaching a crisis point at once. Read More

No discs, more problems: What Sony’s all-digital PlayStation means for gamers and the industry

Sony will phase out physical discs for PlayStation games starting in January 2028, making all new titles download-only. The move ends trade-ins and lending, raises the cost of entry to the console market, and turns purchased games into licenses that can be revoked. Read More

magic: the gathering arena wizards of the coast

‘Magic: The Gathering – Arena’ development team announces it’s successfully unionized

The developers for a video game based on Magic: The Gathering announced on Tuesday that they’ve successfully unionized, following a petition filed with the US National Labor Relations Board. Read More

Surprise: Valve’s new Steam Machine is here, but the price is the real shocker

Valve Software abruptly opened reservations for its latest Steam Machine on Monday, but due to the ongoing PC component shortage, did so at a significantly higher price than expected. Read More

Remaster specialist Nightdive takes on classic stealth game ‘Thief: The Dark Project’

Vancouver, Wash.-based Nightdive Studios, known for remastering out-of-print PC classics, announced at the PC Gaming Show that its next project is “Thief: The Dark Project,” the influential 1998 stealth game. The remaster is set for release this winter on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and PC. Read More

Xbox Showcase 2026: New CEO’s first broadcast shows off ‘Gears of War,’ ‘Halo,’ ‘Spyro’ and more

New Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma’s first Xbox Games Showcase centered on upcoming releases and a return to console exclusives. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution were confirmed as Xbox console exclusives, alongside release dates for Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved and a new look at Seattle-based Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3. Read More

Amazon’s ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot gets a new trailer and release date at Sony’s State of Play

Thirty years after she first raided a tomb, Lara Croft is getting a do-over. Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics set Feb. 12, 2027 for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a ground-up remake of the 1996 original, T-rex fight included. Read More

What’s next for Bungie? Rumored layoffs and end of ‘Destiny 2’ updates raise questions about studio’s future

Bungie announced it will end development on Destiny 2 with a final update on June 9. Bloomberg reports the studio plans significant layoffs, raising questions about the future of the Bellevue, Wash.-based studio amid broader cost-cutting by Sony. Read More

Articles by Thomas Wilde

Top Stories from Thomas Wilde

Xbox Ally vs. Nintendo Switch 2: Microsoft enters a handheld console war that lacks actual competition

Latest from Thomas Wilde

Wizards of the Coast offers first look at ‘Warlock,’ the next video game based on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’

Xbox layoffs fallout: ‘South of Midnight’ creator Compulsion Games successfully goes independent

Game review: Investigate a haunted (?) ’90s PC in Seattle-made mystery adventure ‘Desktop Explorer’

Amazon’s Twitch is using livestreams to train its generative AI, and nobody’s happy with it

‘World of Warcraft’ meets ‘Dungeons & Dragons,’ and more from Wizards of the Coast at Gen Con

This game studio wants kids to help NASA build the first lunar colony

Game developer Harebrained Schemes kicks off its new indie era with survival-horror RPG ‘GRAFT’

Seattle indie hit ‘Stardew Valley’ is coming to ‘Magic: The Gathering’

Why the video game industry may be sliding toward its next big crash

No discs, more problems: What Sony’s all-digital PlayStation means for gamers and the industry

‘Magic: The Gathering – Arena’ development team announces it’s successfully unionized

Surprise: Valve’s new Steam Machine is here, but the price is the real shocker

Remaster specialist Nightdive takes on classic stealth game ‘Thief: The Dark Project’

Xbox Showcase 2026: New CEO’s first broadcast shows off ‘Gears of War,’ ‘Halo,’ ‘Spyro’ and more

Amazon’s ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot gets a new trailer and release date at Sony’s State of Play

What’s next for Bungie? Rumored layoffs and end of ‘Destiny 2’ updates raise questions about studio’s future

Game devs unionize to improve working conditions on ‘Magic: The Gathering – Arena’ team

An AI hater’s guide to keeping LLMs as far from your workflow as possible in 2026

Seattle VR gaming studio Polyarc announces ‘significant’ layoffs

Bungie scores an unexpected success with ‘Marathon’ revival

Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot: Another setback for the gaming press?

Xbox surprise: Microsoft reveals ‘Project Helix’ as the codename of its next console

Valve Software sued by New York AG, accused of promoting illegal gambling via video game loot boxes

Analysis: The best thing that the new Xbox CEO can do is … nothing

Zillow teams up with ‘World of Warcraft’ to exhibit virtual homes inside popular game

Seattle gaming startup Ironwood Studios raises $4 million for its next project

Meta layoffs hit Seattle-area VR studio Camouflaj, developer behind ‘Batman’ game

Analysis: Valve’s new Steam Hardware projects are a potential challenge to Microsoft and Meta

Valve surprises with 3 new hardware devices in a full-circle moment for gaming giant