In today’s Daily Fix:
According to a Bloomberg report, Xbox’s recent layoffs and game cancellations were due to the higher profit margin targets set by Microsoft. Currently, the gaming industry standard is around 17%-22% profit margin, but Microsoft has reportedly pushed Xbox to reach profit margins as high as 30%. The goal was apparently set around the time Xbox was completing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023. In other news, Borderlands 4 is off to a great start for Gearbox and publisher 2K Games. The game is reportedly overtaking Borderlands 3 in terms of dollar sales in its first month of release (it’s worth noting that the various versions of Borderlands 4 are more expensive than Borderlands 3). Borderlands 4 also debuted as the number one premium title for September. And finally, the Switch 2 port of Alden Ring has been delayed. The Tarnished Edition, which includes the Shadow of Erdtree expansion, has been pushed back to sometime in 2026.