Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is crowned Game of the Year for its storytelling and graphics, amidst a diverse lineup of acclaimed titles. Inverse Gaming highlights top games like Frostpunk 2 and Batman: Arkham Shadow, showcasing industry creativity.

Nvidia's new App update, version 11.0.1, disables 'Game Filters' by default to address up to 15% gaming performance drops. Nvidia is investigating the issue and plans a hotfix for a permanent solution.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, launched in October 2024, initially broke records but now faces a steep decline in player engagement. Issues like rampant cheating and AI content dissatisfaction have led to a 37% drop in player count on Steam, though it remains popular on consoles.

The Autumn 2024 Xsolla Report highlights a booming mobile gaming market, set to hit $98.7 billion, with China leading at $34.6 billion. The report notes Asia's dominance and explores growth in Africa and South America.

The cozy gaming genre is gaining momentum with bright visuals and relaxed gameplay, attracting diverse audiences. Exciting releases like Sugardew Island and Sunkissed City are scheduled for 2025, promising engaging, casual experiences.

Lenovo's Legion Go, priced at $699.99, emerges as a compelling gaming handheld, featuring a superior display and competitive specs compared to the pricier Asus ROG Ally X at $799.99. Despite slight performance lag, the Legion Go's 8.8-inch QHD+ screen and user-friendly interface offer an overall better value for gamers.

Steam shattered its record in 2024 by releasing 18,825 games, with a notable rise in limited games amid quality concerns. The platform ended support for Windows 7 and 8 and saw a surge in competition for its Steam Deck.

Sony's PlayStation 5 celebrates its fourth anniversary, achieving 65.5 million units in sales, despite a year of mixed successes and setbacks. The launch of the PS5 Pro and promising future titles suggest continued vitality, though challenges like studio layoffs and the failure of Concord remain hurdles.

2024 has emerged as the year of OLED gaming monitors, with models like the LG 32GS95UE-B and Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 setting new standards in gaming visuals. These monitors excel in delivering perfect blacks and rapid response times, although their high prices may pose accessibility challenges for budget-conscious gamers.

Justin Taylor, ex-Activision exec, warns Call of Duty faces a cheating crisis, particularly in Warzone and Black Ops 6, despite the RICOCHET anti-cheat system. Player and streamer departures rise as annual release cycles hinder timely solutions.

Marvel Rivals has launched as a formidable competitor to Overwatch 2, quickly garnering a large player base despite balancing challenges. While Overwatch 2 boasts refined character balance and a Role Queue system, Marvel Rivals' upcoming Season 1 update aims to address current gameplay issues.

Season 14 of Overwatch 2 brings a 6v6 role queue, the new Tank hero Hazard, and the Mythic Thor Reinhardt skin. Hazard's Jagged Wall ability has stirred debate due to its potent knockback, sparking speculation of a bug.

AMD is preparing to unveil its RDNA 4 flagship GPU, the Radeon RX 9070 XT, under a new 9000 series branding, aiming to capture more of the midrange market. The launch at CES 2025 will test AMD's ability to challenge Nvidia's dominance while addressing past performance critiques.

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard has fueled anticipation over Call of Duty classics joining Xbox Game Pass next year, starting with World at War in May 2024. This move aims to attract nostalgia-driven gamers, with more titles potentially joining the lineup, enhancing the Game Pass offering.

LEGO Fortnite expands with new modes, LEGO Fortnite Odyssey and Brick Life, fostering creativity and social interaction. Madison Beer partners with LEGO and Epic Games to promote these updates across platforms.

Call of Duty is cracking down on spam reporting in Black Ops 6 and Warzone, banning over 8,000 accounts to combat cheating and toxic behavior. Activision's new measures aim to preserve fair play by preventing misuse of the reporting system.

The Fallout: London mod for Fallout 4 has surpassed one million players since its 2024 release, showcasing its popularity with added lands, storylines, and characters. Team Folon plans three DLCs for 2025, expanding on this success, and is venturing into indie game development, working on their first original game.

As Christmas nears, gamers can enjoy massive discounts with up to 90% off on popular titles across platforms like Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. Highlights include 'Hitman', 'Mass Effect', and 'Cyberpunk 2077' along with notable anniversaries for games like 'Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams' and 'Castlevania.'

Microsoft is shifting its Xbox strategy to allow first-party titles on rival platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, moving away from exclusivity. This approach aims to adapt to industry changes and address challenges from competitors, with further details expected at a major Xbox event in January 2025.