Halo's future in doubt, Fortnite gets a Persona season, and GTA 4's scrapped NPC vision

Halo: Campaign Evolved is reportedly outsourcing the majority of its development, and sources suggest things may only get worse from there — a troubling signal for one of Microsoft's most storied franchises. The report lands at a moment when Xbox is already under scrutiny over its first-party pipeline, and the lack of in-house control over a flagship Halo title will do little to quiet those concerns.

Fortnite is having a busy news cycle. Persona 5 and several other iconic games are set to anchor the battle royale's next season, and separately, Sonic is joining the roster of characters who can carry a gun in the latest update. It is a crowded crossover calendar for Epic Games.

A former Rockstar lead has shed light on why GTA 4's most ambitious NPC system never made it to release. Producer Leslie Benzies wanted NPCs to live out their own lives, but the idea proved too problematic to execute and, in practice, didn't meaningfully affect the game — so it was cut. Saber Interactive, for its part, is dealing with a different kind of scrutiny, finally adding an AI disclaimer to Rideshare Stimulator's Steam page after backlash. Analysts are also weighing in on Sony's disc exit, calling it inevitable while warning that a PS6 priced at $1,000 would significantly limit its audience.