TLDR · · BY BOSS ROOM
WK43: BioWare Closes as Call of Duty Launches Without Game Pass
Night City gains new ways to play, Final Fantasy rebuilds a mobile story, and Nintendo returns to Wuhu Island. Plus, next week’s Game Pass highlights.
1. BioWare closes, taking the next Mass Effect with it.
BioWare confirmed on 21 October that the studio is closing and development of the next Mass Effect is ending. The announcement brings more than three decades of RPG development to a close for the studio behind Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
EA says it is concentrating resources on fewer simultaneous large projects, while continuing with Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game. The immediate consequence is the cancellation of the Mass Effect currently in development, not a confirmed permanent end to the franchise. For players, however, the distinction offers little comfort while its next chapter disappears.
Wisky’s Tasting NotesLosing talent means losing ideas. Every major redundancy or studio closure is a loss for the people involved, and for gamers who may never see what they would have created.
2. Call of Duty changes the battlefield, and the buying decision.
Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October across PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. One of its more interesting additions is Kill Block, a modular multiplayer environment whose layouts reconfigure between matches. Routes, sightlines and combat spaces change, asking players to adapt rather than rely entirely on memorising a familiar map.
There is also a significant change outside the game. Modern Warfare 4 requires a separate purchase at launch, with its Game Pass arrival scheduled for “Holiday 2027”. For subscribers, this year’s campaign, multiplayer and DMZ offering must justify another purchase, not simply another download.
Wisky’s Tasting NotesIt’s good to see Call of Duty trying to change the formula, rather than simply giving us more of the same.
3. Cyberpunk’s latest update brings more than anime outfits.
Cyberpunk 2077’s free Edgerunners 2 update arrived on 22 October with a new story mission, dual wielding and integrated support for selected community mods. Carrying two pistols or revolvers introduces another combat approach, while the mod browser makes supported player creations accessible directly through the game. These are changes to how Night City can be played, not just how V looks.
Xbox Play Anywhere support also allows an eligible digital purchase to be played across Xbox and Windows PC with shared progress. Switch 2 owners, and those using the Mac App Store version, will receive the update later.
4. Final Fantasy Resonance gives a mobile story a new home.
Final Fantasy Resonance rebuilds the opening story arc of Brave Exvius as a single player console and PC RPG. Square Enix describes it as a substantial reconstruction rather than a direct port, presented as the first Final Fantasy in its HD-2D line.
The battle system centres on exploiting weaknesses, staggering enemies and creating opportunities for extra turns and powerful Resonance attacks. Visions, echoes of familiar Final Fantasy characters, contribute additional abilities and party customisation. The appeal is a new way into a story that many console players may have missed, with more to investigate than the nostalgia of familiar faces.
5. Nintendo returns to Wuhu Island.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launched in Australia on 22 October, bringing 12 sports to Switch 2. Familiar activities such as Bowling, Tennis and Golf sit alongside Thumb Wrestling and Skateboarding, with the latter using the Joy-Con 2’s mouse controls to navigate courses and perform tricks.
That gives the return to Wuhu Island a practical point of difference beyond a new setting. It is another opportunity for shared living room play, with a mix of familiar motion controls and new interactions. One important buying detail: TV and tabletop modes are supported, but handheld mode is not. Additional controllers may also be required for multiplayer.
6. Final Fantasy VII Remake joins Game Pass next week.
Microsoft’s 20 October announcement confirms Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will join Game Pass on 29 October across cloud, Xbox Series and PC, through Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass. This is the opening Midgar chapter, rather than Rebirth, combining action combat with commands and party management.
The Séance of Blake Manor arrives on 27 October through the same subscription tiers, offering a supernatural detective mystery set in an Irish hotel. Neither announcement represents a new release of those games. Instead, they give subscribers another opportunity to try something they may have passed over when a separate purchase was required.
RELEASED THIS WEEK
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch 2 | A$109.95 for PS5 digital Standard | 23 October
Final Fantasy Resonance | PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch and Switch 2 | A$84.95 for PS5 digital Standard | 22 October; Steam regional listing 23 October
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort | Switch 2 | Listed Australian physical RRP A$99.95 | 22 October
What did you think?