Morning Save Point: Unity Buyout Talks, NieR 366GB Install, and More

Friday morning opens with a possible $25 billion Unity buyout, a NieR patch that turned a small download into a 366GB problem, and an Xbox app refresh built to stop feeling like homework. The headline is business-heavy, but the rest of the morning has plenty of color: a free heist weekend, a cartoon crossover playground and one very determined pilot.

The big one

Unity is reportedly in acquisition talks with Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund at a valuation of about $25 billion. GamesIndustry.biz’s report on Reuters says Unity is working with an investment bank to evaluate its options after the approach. Unity declined to comment, Silver Lake and PIF did not immediately respond, and Reuters’ sources stressed that no deal is certain and the terms may still change.

We compared the $25 billion valuation discussed in GamesIndustry.biz’s Reuters report with the roughly $21.5 billion market cap in the same report. That puts the discussed premium at about $3.5 billion, but a buyer would still be paying it before there is a signed deal, financing plan or public promise about Unity’s roadmap. For developers, the things to watch are engine pricing and product support. Neither Unity nor the prospective buyers said either plan will change. Our earlier report has the Q3 numbers and what Silver Lake already owns.

Also happening

• NieR: Automata’s language patch turned into a 366GB install. The update added Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean, but Steam began demanding far more space than intended, Eurogamer reports. Square Enix’s official account confirmed the storage issue and recommends unchecking DLC under Steam’s Properties menu to install the base game while the cause is investigated.
• Xbox’s PC app is getting a speed pass. Xbox Wire says Insiders can try the update. The app launches up to 60% faster, and Home, Store and Game Pass pages load up to 50% faster. The refreshed design is also rolling out to Xbox’s web and cloud apps over the next few weeks.
• WB All-Star Mayhem is a mobile RPG built from nine cartoon universes. Kabam says the game launches with more than 100 characters from shows including Justice League Unlimited, Adventure Time, Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo. Limited regional testing starts on iOS and Android this month; a wider release has no date yet.
• PAYDAY 3 is free on Xbox this weekend. Xbox’s Free Play Days run from November 5 through November 8, 2026. PAYDAY 3, Nowhere Prophet, BALL x PIT, Deceive Inc and Age of Wonders 4 are available to Game Pass members, while Anno 117 and Crime Boss: Rockay City are free for any Xbox member.

Out today

Three confirmed launches and updates land today:

DMZ is Call of Duty’s extraction mode: you loot a closed zone, fight other squads and try to escape with your gear. Our Season 1 guide has the full rundown.

Deal of the day

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV is 80% off at $3.99 on Steam, down from $19.99, through November 19, 2026. A four-dollar price for a classic is hard to argue with, especially if your Civilization shelf is getting crowded.

One more thing

Benjamin McDaniel, who calls himself the Pilot Picasso, flew a Cessna Skylane RG for eight hours and eight minutes to draw a GTA 6 mural in the sky. The drawing includes the logo, an alligator and a sports car, and his route is on FlightRadar24. That is a better Friday morning rabbit hole than another official screenshot.

Edited by Kerwin Stewart, Editor-in-Chief · How we report