Microsoft News Roundup: GoldenEye 007 coming to Xbox Game Pass, EVGA cutting ties with NVIDIA, and more

(Image credit: Future)

As we ramp up to Techtober, we expect to see a wave of announcements from Microsoft, its partners, and big players within the PC and gaming industries. But that surge isn't expected for a couple of weeks. For now, we've had to settle for juicy news rather than a massive list of stories. But even on a relatively slow news week, we saw some major news break.

GoldenEye 007 coming to Xbox Game Pass

GoldenEye 007 is an iconic title that revolutionized the first-person shooter. It's also one of the most disputed games of all time in terms of licensing. The rights to the game were split between multiple parties, including Microsoft and Nintendo, causing conflict. After decades of back and forth, the James Bond classic is finally on the way to modern consoles... with some limits.

A remaster of GoldenEye 007 is on the way to Xbox Game Pass as part of Rare Replay. It will feature an improved framerate, native 16:9 4K resolution, and split-screen multiplayer.

Halo lead Bonnie Ross to leave 343 Industries

Sticking with gaming news, Bonnie Ross will leave 343 Industries and Microsoft after 15 years of leading the Halo franchise. Microsoft shared a statement on the departure:

“After more than 28 years in gaming at Microsoft, including 15 years leading 343 Industries and Halo through its most ambitious steps forward, Bonnie Ross will be leaving Microsoft and spending more time with her family. We are thankful for her leadership of 343 during which the team launched Halo 4, Halo 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the Halo television series, and Halo Infinite. We wish her all the best. Head of Production Pierre Hintze will become Studio Head effective immediately. The 343 team is hard at work shipping the Winter Update, the biggest Halo Infinite update since launch.”

Ross created Halo: Master Chief Collection, which has evolved into a well-received title after a rocky start.

Pierre Hintze will take over as studio head of 343 Industries effective immediately.

Adobe will purchase Figma for $20 billion

Adobe is a titan in the creative industry, and it's about to get bigger. The company announced an agreement to purchase Figma for $20 billion this week. Figma is a web-based graphic design tool that's centered around collaboration. It's competed with Adobe XD for years, but it will now become part of Adobe's brand.

The move has drawn quite a bit of criticism from artists. Many viewed Figma as a bastion of Adobe-free creative software. While Adobe's purchase of Figma is expected to go through in 2023 (pending regulatory approval), the tech giant's CPU said that Figma will run autonomously:

"Adobe is deeply committed to keeping Figma operating autonomously and I will continue to serve as CEO, reporting to David Wadhwani. David is someone I’ve known for a few years now and we have a strong relationship of mutual respect; I’m very excited for us to collaborate with him on how to continue growing Figma’s business. The entire Figma team will report to me. We plan to continue to run Figma the way we have always run Figma — continuing to do what we believe is best for our community, our culture and our business."

EVGA announces plans to leave graphics card game

EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti — (Image credit: Future)

EVGA has been a stalwart of the graphics card industry for years, but that will soon come to an end. The component maker shocked the industry by announcing plans to completely cut ties with NVIDIA and stop making graphics cards altogether. EVGA cited disrespectful treatment from NVIDIA and a plethora of other reasons for the split.

EVGA has earned a solid reputation due in large part to its support and warranties. The company confirmed that it will honor all warranties of existing cards.

"EVGA is committed to our customers and will continue to offer sales and support on the current lineup. Also, EVGA would like to say thank you to our great community for the many years of support and enthusiasm for EVGA graphics cards", said EVGA management.

With the NVIDIA RTX 40-series on the way, people will have to look elsewhere to pick up the best graphics cards.

Review roundup

xScreen for Xbox Series S — (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Our experts take a look at the latest gadgets and games each week. From a batch of new laptops to a portable monitor for the Xbox Series S, here's everything we reviewed over the past seven days:

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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.