Microsoft goes big into investing in Wemade, the Korean blockchain-focused studio behind the Mir series of MMOs. Wemade recently announced that its most recent investment round raised $46 million from a number of companies, including Microsoft. They have invested $14.8 million in Wemade by purchasing convertible bonds.

Wemade was founded in 2000 to develop PC and mobile titles, including the MMO Legend of Mir. They recently launched their latest title Mir 4 with blockchain support, including in-game NFTs and its own token called DRACO. The company calls its latest title as “the world’s first well-made blockbuster blockchain game since the company entered the blockchain industry in 2018”, but their ambitions definitely extend beyond the world of Mir and into the games industry at large.

Vampire Survivors will make its console debut on November 10th, when it will hit Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass. While it only costs $5, this will lower the barrier to entry even further.

This is a big move by Microsoft to bring one of this year’s biggest breakout hits to Xbox Game Pass. It has been the most-played game on Steam Deck: it’s an outright fun ride. Vampire Survivors was already available to PC Game Pass members.

Video game consoles are very expensive pieces of computer hardware put into relatively small boxes and packaged with pricey controllers, so it’s not a shocking revelation by Microsoft head of gaming Phil Spencer that they are losing up to $200 for every console sold.

In a recent interview he spoke about how video games and the Xbox brand in specific are doing during the ongoing economic downturn. Microsoft loses around $100 every time it sells the $500 Xbox Series X and loses even more, up to $200, whenever it sells the smaller, $300 Xbox Series S. But the company recoups the losses by selling accessories and subscriptions.