Welcome to our weekly ICYMI for Xbox news! We'll still be posting major Xbox announcements in the main feed, but I'll be collecting some of the more nuanced news, rumours and talking points into one handy thread every weekend! So without further a-do... Metal Gear Solid producer Hideo Kojima and Konami to part ways? Earlier this week, keen internet users noticed that Konami were scrubbing all mention of Hideo Kojima from the Metal Gear history books. Kojima Productions no longer appears in any of the games marketing, leading fans to speculate that there'd been some sort of catastrophic fall out at the Metal Gear publisher. There has been reports that several MGSV staff have been reduced to contractors, and that their continued involvement in the Metal Gear franchise seemed in doubt. Both Konami and Hideo Kojima issued statements which seem to contradict the idea that Kojima is leaving, although it still seems likely that MGSV could be Hideo's last with the company. "Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. will continue to develop and distribute top-quality content in the Metal Gear series following "MGSV: The Phantom Pain." We greatly anticipate and deeply appreciate your ongoing support for Metal Gear. As the next step in the series, Konami has already resolved to develop a new "Metal Gear" title. We will be conducting interviews for main staff to lead the development." As part of the same press release, Kojima stated: "I want to reassure fans that I am 100% involved and will continue working on METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN; I'm determined to make it the greatest game I've directed to date. Don't miss it!" I doubt any potential fracas between Hideo Kojima and Konami will be to the detriment of MGSV, which is most likely nearing completion. Watching Konami's m̶u̶t̶i̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ attempts to monetize the Silent Hill franchise over the years doesn't exactly inspire confidence for the future of Metal Gear... Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more Cortana will play a part in Halo 5, #HuntTheTruth tumblr teases Master Chief's downfall The actor playing Agent Locke in the upcoming 5th instalment to Xbox's flagship IP, Halo 5: Guardians, let slip that Cortana will indeed play a part in the game. Speaking with IGN, Mike Colt had this to say: "When [Locke] goes into Halo 5, you'll see him transition into a Spartan, a super soldier. It's a prominent role within the game. Obviously Master Chief will be involved, Cortana, but Locke will be one of the playable characters in Halo 5." Whether that means Cortana survived the events of Halo 4 or something else remains to be seen, but the hype train for Halo 5: Guardians has well and truly begun. Speaking of which:

A Halo 5 Tumblr complete with a Square Enix style countdown timer has gone live, and expires at 00:00 GMT / 4PM PST. Embedded is the above video, which shows a bullet engraved with the word 'traitor' destroying Master Chief's iconic helmet. It would seem Master Chief is being targeted by someone, most likely Agent Locke - but why? Maybe Monday will have some answers. April Xbox dashboard preview is now available Although the latest version is thin on features, the April dashboard update is now available for members of the preview program. This fresh round of additions include improvements to the party chat system, delivering troubleshooting information for people unable to connect, as well as additional descriptions in achievement pop-ups and streamlined access to game hubs. Major Nelson detailed the update on his blog, stating that more features would arrive in a second wave of updates in the coming weeks. Here's hoping for background audio for Xbox Music! Alan Wake to be re-mastered for Xbox One? A reddit user posted screens from a limited customer survey which referred explicitly to an "Alan Wake Xbox One Remastered Edition", as part of a question on pre-order incentives for Quantum Break.

As a fan of Alan Wake, and Remedy in general this is pretty exciting news. Alan Wake was one of the prettier games from the previous gen - and to see it make use of new gen tech would certainly be interesting (particularly if it arrived for free via a Quantum Break pre-order). What do you guys think? Oddworld: New n' Tasty dated for March 27th on Xbox One Oddworld: New n' Tasty has been given a formal release date, following successful launches on PS4 and PC. The game is a remake of the legendary PS1 puzzle-platformer Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, and tasks players with guiding the clumsy Abe in his escape from Rupture Farms (a meat factory that intends to put him and his race on the menu). Oddworld: New n' Tasty will appear on the Xbox store on March 27th carrying the reasonable price tag of $19.99, €19.99 and £14.99 respectively. If you're a fan of both action and puzzle platformers, believe me, this is a must buy title.