It’s been a noticeably softer week for gaming news, with publishers, platform holders and retailers all locked into the Black Friday grind. While the big announcements have been dialled down, the deals certainly haven’t; hopefully you managed to grab yourself a gaming bargain (or three) as the industry pushed its biggest discount window of the year.
But even in a quieter release cycle, the gaming world never stands still. Fan projects launched, service updates continued to roll out, and a few surprise drops still managed to cut through the Black Friday noise.
Let’s get into what did happen this week.
New Releases & Big News
TimeSplitters Rewind — A fan-made classic returns, free and in early access
After 13 years of starts, stops and rebuilds, TimeSplitters Rewind launched into early access on 24–25 November as a free download. It bundles a re-imagined campaign from the original trilogy alongside 28 maps, 91 characters, 40+ weapons, 20 arcade game modes and full online or offline co-op/story play.
Fans and critics alike are calling it “the largest free content video-game ever made” - a huge spot of light for community passion, retro-shooter nostalgia, and the power of indie/fan-driven projects.
For PC and Steam Deck users especially, this is a big week. The release reminds us that gaming isn’t only about AAA - community, love and nostalgia still move people.
PlayStation Update
It’s a quieter week for PlayStation, with no major first-party drops or headline announcements, but sometimes the quieter weeks tell an important story too.
While releases slow down, attention shifts to existing titles, UX refinements and, of course, Black Friday hardware deals. The PS5 Digital Edition has now hit its lowest ever price, dropping below £300 in the UK, a milestone moment for Sony’s hardware strategy and a major push to get more players into the ecosystem before 2026’s next wave of blockbuster exclusives.
With no big launches fighting for the spotlight, these kinds of ecosystem moves keep the platform active and relevant, especially as players settle in for holiday gaming and developers prepare their 2026 line-ups.
Xbox Update
On the Xbox side, November’s Game Pass wave continues to wrap up - and this week’s final additions and departures give clarity for what to expect heading into December.
The push finishes soon, which may shift focus away from volume and toward engagement. For live-service and multiplayer shooters, this can be a stretch of consolidation. For smaller or subscription-adjacent content, this could be a strategic moment to push add-ons or secondary monetisation (DLC, skins, merch).
Nintendo Update
This week Nintendo focused on maintenance, service refreshes and value-driven content; maybe not flashy, but important for players and long-term fans alike:
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On 24 November, Switch 2 (and Switch) received a new firmware patch: version 21.0.1 fixed known system-transfer bugs and improved overall stability, making it easier for players migrating from older hardware.
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Alongside the firmware update, Nintendo pushed a batch of compatibility fixes - several older Switch titles have now been updated to better run on Switch 2, smoothing out the transition path for early adopters.
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For retro and classic-game fans: the Nintendo Switch Online service quietly expanded - four additional NES / Game Boy games have been added this week, giving long-time members fresh value without any extra cost - Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (NES), Battletoads (NES), Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (Game Boy) and Bionic Commando (Game Boy).
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On the “new release” front, Shuten Order launched its Switch 2 Edition this week - good news for fans and a reminder that even mid-tier titles still support Nintendo’s newest hardware.
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Finally: Black Friday is still having ripple effects - the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle has dropped to its lowest seasonal price in many retailers, making this a strong window for hardware and gift buyers.
PC / Steam & Cloud Gaming Update
Steam & Fan-Powered Revival: TimeSplitters Rewind is the story
As above, TimeSplitters Rewind is the biggest PC / community-driven story of the week. Free, fan-made, nostalgic and full of content: it’s proof that for many players, passion still beats prestige.
This release could also be a case study: fan-driven games resurrecting old IP, bypassing traditional publishing, an interesting angle for indie developers, modders, and alternative distribution strategies.
Market sentiment: quiet before the holiday rush
Beyond Rewind, the PC market is relatively calm: fewer big new releases, no major exclusives. Instead, the focus is shifting toward upcoming holiday discounts, indie showcase windows and cloud-gaming deals.
TL;DR
TimeSplitters Rewind finally launched in early access after 13 years of development;free, huge in scope, and instantly beloved by fans. A standout reminder that community-driven projects can still dominate the week.
On PlayStation, no major first-party drops, but the PS5 Digital Edition hit its lowest ever price under £300 in the UK, marking a major hardware milestone as Sony prepares for a big 2026 line-up.
Xbox wrapped up its November Game Pass cycle, with final additions and departures giving players a clearer picture of what’s landing and leaving, as December approaches.
Nintendo delivered meaningful ecosystem updates: Switch 2 firmware version 21.0.1 rolled out with transfer fixes and general stability improvements, several classic titles were updated for better Switch 2 performance, and four new retro games (Ninja Gaiden II, Battletoads, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Bionic Commando) joined Nintendo Switch Online.
On PC/Steam, the week belonged to TimeSplitters Rewind once again. Aside from that, the market stayed quiet as players and publishers brace for holiday sales, indie festivals and late-year cloud-gaming promos.
A lighter set of headlines, but still plenty to keep players busy as we head into the holiday rush.
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