This Week in Gaming: CoD Black Ops 7, PS Plus, Switch 2 & Steam

Welcome back to XP Drop, your weekly roundup of everything happening across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC.

From the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 to fresh PS Plus Game Catalogue additions, a big Switch 2 system update, and major PC/Steam hardware news, the last seven days have been packed. Let’s dive in.

New Releases & Big News

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Wallpaper 4K, 8K, Key Art, 2025 Games

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)

The headline release of the week is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which launched on 14 November 2025 across console and PC, including day-one on Xbox Game Pass.

Set in 2035, the campaign brings back David Mason and pits players against a new global threat tied to weapons mega-corp The Guild. Gameplay builds on Black Ops 6 with:

The omni-movement system and more tactical, fluid gunplay
A co-op campaign developed with Raven Software
18 multiplayer maps at launch plus a new “Endgame” mode designed for replayability
The return of round-based Zombies in the Dark Aether universe

Early impressions highlight a “best-in-years” multiplayer sandbox and a strong Game Pass debut, though some note franchise fatigue on last-gen consoles.

Where Winds Meet (PC, PS5)

Open-world wuxia RPG Where Winds Meet also went live on 14 November, bringing Everstone Studio’s long-trailed sword-fighting epic to PC and PS5.

Set in 10th-century China, you play a wandering sword master exploring a vast world of martial-arts combat, stealth, parkour and branching narrative choices. On Steam, the game launched to “Very Positive” user reviews (around 80% positive at time of writing), with praise for:

Stylish swordplay and wuxia-style movement
Dense side-quests and hidden secrets
Strong photo-mode-ready vistas and character customisation

If you’re into Ghost of Tsushima, Wukong, or open-world RPGs with heavy exploration, this is one to watch.

Anno 117: Pax Romana (PC)

City-builder fans got a big drop with Anno 117: Pax Romana, which finally launched on 13 November 2025 on PC.

Players manage a Roman province at the height of the empire, balancing trade, infrastructure, politics and cultural unrest. Early coverage notes:

A deeper economic simulation than past Anno games
Expanded campaign storytelling alongside classic sandbox modes
Gorgeous city visuals and improved logistics tools

Cloud versions (GeForce NOW, Luna, Blacknut) have been delayed due to technical issues, but Ubisoft has confirmed they’re still planned.

Horizon Expands into MMO Territory

Outside of pure releases, one of the week’s biggest industry stories came from Guerrilla Games: the Horizon franchise is officially heading into MMO territory with a new project called Horizon: Steel Frontiers, developed primarily by NCSoft for PC and mobile.

Studio leadership said multiplayer “was always part of the vision” for Horizon, and Steel Frontiers will bring large-scale raids, advanced combat and cross-platform tech. It joins LEGO Horizon Adventures and an unannounced internal multiplayer project as part of a broader Horizon universe push.

PlayStation Update

PS Plus Game Catalogue – November 2025 Drop Locked In

Sony confirmed the PlayStation Plus Extra / Premium Game Catalogue line-up for November, going live 18 November. Headliners include:

Grand Theft Auto V (PS5, PS4)
Red Dead Redemption (PS4 via PS5 backwards compatibility)
Pacific Drive (PS5)
Still Wakes the Deep (PS5)
Insurgency: Sandstorm, Monster Jam Showdown, MotoGP 25, and others

For Premium members, Tomb Raider: Anniversary joins the Classics Catalogue, bringing Lara’s original adventure back for modern hardware.

This is the third time GTA V has rotated into PS Plus in recent years and lands perfectly as a “consolation prize” for the GTA 6 delay – giving PlayStation players a low-friction way to revisit Los Santos while hype continues to build.

State of Play Japan – Future Games Showcase

Sony also hosted a State of Play Japan broadcast on 11 November, focused on Japanese and indie titles:

Highlights included:

A fresh trailer for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (PS5, Feb 5 2026)
New look at BlazBlue Entropy Effect X (PS5, Feb 12 2026)
DLC reveals for Dynasty Warriors: Origins – Visions of Four Heroes (Jan 22 2026) and Digimon Story Time Stranger – Alternate Dimension
Updates on Monster Hunter Wilds’ next content update and an early-access window for anime shooter Fate Trigger

Most of these land in early 2026, but the show keeps PS5 firmly in the conversation ahead of holiday hardware and PS Plus pushes.

Xbox Update

Introducing Fortnite's Crew Subscription: The Ultimate Offer for Can't-Miss Fortnite Content - Xbox Wire

Fortnite Crew Joins Game Pass Ultimate

One of the biggest ecosystem moves this week: Fortnite Crew is being bundled into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no extra cost from 18 November 2025.

Ultimate subscribers will now get:

The current Fortnite Battle Pass
1,000 V-Bucks each month
Exclusive Crew cosmetics and outfits

Crew alone typically costs around £9.99 per month, so this significantly boosts the value of the already-pricey Ultimate tier and strengthens Xbox’s “live service + subscription” strategy.

The same announcement confirmed Fortnite is getting Xbox Play Anywhere support, letting players buy once and play across Xbox consoles and Xbox on PC, including handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally.

Game Pass Cloud & “Stream Your Own Game” Expansion

Microsoft quietly dropped another big update for its cloud platform: over 80 additional titles were added to the Game Pass “Stream Your Own Game” catalogue this week.

That means if you own these games digitally on Xbox, you can now stream them through the cloud – even if they’re not part of the standard Game Pass library. It’s another step toward Xbox as a multi-device platform, not just a console service.

Game Pass Departures – Wave 2, November 2025

On the flip side, Microsoft confirmed the second batch of titles leaving Xbox Game Pass in November. The list includes Octopath Traveler, Octopath Traveler II, and several indie favourites, all due to leave by 30 November.

As usual, subscribers get a small discount if they decide to keep any of these permanently before they drop out.

Nintendo Update

Switch 2 System Update 21.0.0

Nintendo rolled out System Update 21.0.0 for Switch 2 on 10 November, bringing a handful of quality-of-life features:

New symbols above game icons on the Home Menu showing whether a title is physical or digital
An option to cancel all downloads when multiple games are queued
A new “Receive Software” icon for console bundles that include digital games, taking users straight to Nintendo eShop to redeem

Standard “stability improvements” also made the patch notes. Small changes, but very user-friendly ones – especially for players juggling large libraries across Switch and Switch 2.

November eShop Activity & Charts

Nintendo’s official “See What Games Are Arriving This November” feature and this week’s Nintendo Download highlight how busy the month is on Switch and Switch 2. Recent and imminent arrivals include:

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key DX (Switch / Switch 2) – definitive edition of the fan-favourite JRPG
Goodnight Universe (Switch 2) – narrative sci-fi adventure
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road – Switch 2 Edition – football RPG finally landing on Nintendo’s new hardware
Yakuza Kiwami 1+2 Bundle (Switch 2) – bringing Kiryu’s early saga to a Nintendo system

On the Switch eShop charts for the week of 15 November, Pokémon Legends: Z-A continues to hold #1, while cosy survival title Winter Burrow and football-RPG Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road enter the rankings as new arrivals.

The message is clear: Switch 2 has momentum, but the original Switch is still very much alive thanks to cross-gen releases and back-compatibility.

PC / Steam & Cloud Gaming Update

Steam Machine: Valve rivals Xbox and PlayStation with new console - BBC News

Valve’s New Steam Machine Takes the Living Room

The hardware world got a major shake-up this week as Valve Corporation officially unveiled the next-generation Steam Machine, joining the newly announced Steam Frame and updated Steam Controller as a full line of SteamOS-based devices.

Valve says the new Steam Machine will be “over six-times more powerful than the Steam Deck”, thanks to a six-core Zen 4 CPU, a semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU and dual storage options (512 GB / 2 TB).
Form-factor: compact cube (approx 6 inches per side, ~5.7 lbs) designed for the living room. It features HDMI 2.0, Display Port 1.4, USB-C Gen 2, WiFi 6E and micro-SD slot.
Launch window: early 2026, with shipping models expected in Spring 2026; pricing still unannounced and likely to sit at PC-rig levels rather than traditional console rates. Leaked range suggests it may cost significantly more than a PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Ecosystem fit: The Machine is built to work seamlessly with Steam Deck, Steam Frame and Steam Controller. Valve emphasised a “family of devices” approach, all part of a unified Steam hardware ecosystem.
For PC gamers, it signals Valve is doubling-down on living-room hardware, not just handhelds. The Steam Machine positions SteamOS as a real console competitor to PS5/Xbox in the TV space.
For software publishers and merch/licensing partners, it opens another platform window beyond the existing PC or console markets, one where Steam branding, hardware ecosystem and cross-titles matter.

Escape From Tarkov Leaves Early Access

Hardcore extraction shooter Escape From Tarkov officially left Early Access on 15 November, marking its full 1.0 release on PC.

The launch brings:

New and reworked maps
Overhauled progression and trader systems
Anti-cheat and performance improvements

Given how much Tarkov-likes (ARC Raiders, Escape From Duckov, Wildgate) have dominated PC chatter in 2025, this full release is a big milestone for the genre that kicked it off.

Steam – New Releases, Events & Updates

Steam’s “Notable Releases” list for mid-November shows how stacked PC is this week:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 lands alongside console versions, with full cross-play
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO hits PC and Switch platforms with arena fighter action

Horror co-op favourite Phasmophobia dropped its Nell’s Diner update (v0.15.0.0) on 11 November, adding a new haunted diner map plus a long list of bug fixes and tweaks – a nice excuse to revisit ghost-hunting with friends.

Early-access survival sandbox Ruins ran a free weekend on Steam, showcasing its open-world exploration, vehicles and co-op options ahead of future price increases.

GeForce NOW & Cloud Streaming

On the cloud side, GeForce NOW’s 13 November update confirmed new arrivals including Surviving Mars: Relaunched, Possessor(s) and several other PC titles, all streamable via NVIDIA’s service.

Meanwhile, sci-fi extraction shooter Wildgate detailed its upcoming Emergence patch, adding new modes, a new character, new areas, plus a free weekend on Steam at the end of November followed by a free trial across all platforms.

TL;DR

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on 14 November across PS5, PS4, Xbox and PC (including Game Pass), bringing co-op campaign, 18 maps and classic Zombies back into the spotlight.
Wuxia open-world RPG Where Winds Meet and city-builder Anno 117: Pax Romana both released this week, giving RPG and strategy fans big new sandboxes to lose time in.
PS Plus Extra/Premium adds heavyweights like GTA V, Red Dead Redemption, Pacific Drive and Still Wakes the Deep to the Game Catalogue on 18 November, while a Japan-focused State of Play showcased Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X and more for 2026.
On Xbox, Fortnite Crew is being folded into Game Pass Ultimate and Fortnite gains Play Anywhere support, while 80+ titles join the “Stream Your Own Game” cloud library and a new wave of Game Pass departures is confirmed.
Nintendo rolled out Switch 2 system update 21.0.0, continued its busy November release slate (Atelier Ryza 3 DX, Inazuma Eleven, Goodnight Universe and more), and saw Pokémon Legends: Z-A hold the top eShop spot with Winter Burrow and Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road entering the charts.
Valve officially unveiled its new Steam Machine hardware, a powerful living-room PC running SteamOS and designed to complement the Steam Deck and Steam Controller. Launching in early 2026, it delivers a major step forward in TV-focused PC gaming and signals Valve’s push toward a full hardware ecosystem.
On PC, Escape From Tarkov hit full 1.0, Phasmophobia added the Nell’s Diner map, Steam’s mid-November slate filled up with Black Ops 7 and Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, and GeForce NOW plus Wildgate’s upcoming free weekend kept cloud and extraction-shooter fans busy.