It’s out with the old at Microsoft as veteran staff get offered buyouts. PC classic Freelancer might be coming back over two decades later. And we finally know how much Vox sold Polygon for. It’s your Morning Checkpoint for April 23, 2026, where we are learning new things every day, like the fact that the Switch Pro controller used the same internal battery as the 3DS.
Retirement buyouts are a first for Microsoft
The tech giant is doing some spring cleaning of its loyal staff and offering anyone at the company whose age and years of service total more than 70 the chance to take an early retirement buyout package. That’s according to The Verge, which viewed the offer from HR and also reports that Microsoft is overhauling its stock incentive program.
It notes that this type of thing has never been offered before in the company’s 50-year history, and could be a way to limit any potential upcoming layoffs as Microsoft’s current fiscal year comes to a close. Microsoft told The Verge the program only applies to a small group of employees at the company.
Stray and other cool indie games are getting Switch 2 glow-ups
Sayonara Wild Hearts and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes are now on Switch 2 with better framerates and 4K resolutions, Annapurna revealed today. Stray will land on the next-gen Nintendo device on May 28, followed by to a T on June 11 and Wanderstop on June 23.
Valnet bought Polygon for $20 million
It’s been almost a year since the sale and mass layoffs at the site, but Adweek has only just reported the price tag attached to the whole ugly affair. That’s because previous owner Vox Media is currently looking to do similar deals for the rest of its digital media outlets, including The Verge and Eater.
Dead by Daylight company lays off developers
“A portion of Behaviour Interactive’s business has traditionally focused on external development partnerships,” Behaviour Interactive told Game Developer in a statement. “In recent months, demand for mobile and casual external development projects has declined.”
“As we conclude our remaining engagements and do not foresee comparable opportunities in the near term, we have made the decision to part ways with some colleagues. Those decisions are never easy, and we are grateful for the contributions of the affected employees, who have helped shape Behaviour and support our partners over the years.”
Sony gave up on Harmonix before its biggest hit
PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida said he hoped Amplitude would sell better than Frequency, but Sony gave up hope before Harmonix ended up creating its hit Guitar Hero franchise. “I was in love with that game,” he told GameSpot.
“The core gameplay was there already, but the game felt a bit artificial looking and didn’t sell well. I felt there was something in there, and I wanted to continue to work with Harmonix. Our business marketing side allowed us to do Amplitude after Frequency, even though Frequency didn’t sell, but after Amplitude didn’t sell again, I was not allowed to continue on that path. And, after a couple of projects, Harmonix hit a home run with Guitar Hero.”
One of the most esoteric SRPG franchises ever has a new release date
Brigandine: Abyss will arrive on console and PC on August 26. It’s a sequel to Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, a confounding but very neat strategy RPG that was in turn a sequel to the 1998 PlayStation 1 original Brigandine.Â
GOG might be teasing the return of Freelancer
It posted pictures of the game on Reddit, a potential prelude to adding it to its ongoing game preservation program for PC classics. The 2003 space-trading combat sim was revered by many despite being a commercial failure.
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