Unity outlines support for approved Nintendo Switch 2 developers
Unity has pledged to support game developers with “official support for Nintendo Switch 2.” In a statement, the engine maker said support will soon be available via a Unity 6 add-on for approved Nintendo developers, “further expanding Unity’s commitment to enabling creators to bring their visions to life on the widest range of platforms.” Developers […]
Krafton acquires $14m controlling stake in Indian studio Nautilus Mobile
Krafton has acquired a controlling stake in Indian gaming studio Nautilus Mobile for $14 million. The all-cash deal was confirmed at the close of last week, with TechCrunch reporting Krafton’s “north of 75% stake” in the studio best known for its Real Cricket IP. It follows an earlier $5.4m investment Krafton made in Nautilius in […]
IGN Entertainment opens ticket sales for IGN Live
IGN Entertainment has confirmed the official dates for its fan-facing event IGN Live, June 7-8, and ticket sales are now open. Last year the event played host to more than 100 studio partners from the world of games and entertainment, and shows from its stages were shared worldwide through streaming. “We’re thrilled for the return […]
Nintendo announces new lending feature for digital games
Nintendo has announced a new feature for the Switch and Switch 2 changing digital games to Virtual Game Cards. Set to launch in late April, users will be able to digitally eject and load games between two systems, and lend titles to Nintendo Account family group members as they would with physical game cards. Virtual […]
Square Enix to shut down War of Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in May 2025
Square Enix has announced that its mobile title War of Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius will shut down on May 30, 2025. In a notice posted to the game’s website, the developer said it had come to the conclusion “that it would be difficult to maintain a satisfactory app experience.” The game launched in March […]
National Videogame Museum appoints new trustees
The National Videogame Museum has unveiled a new roster of trustees that will join the board of its governing charity, The BGI. The nine trustees will join the board in two phases. The first occurred in March 2025 while the second will join in November 2025. These additions will help “bolster the governance” of the […]
Former Space Ape devs band to form Offroad Games
Former Space Ape developers have banded together to form Offroad Games. Two former Space Ape projects, Chrome Valley Customs and Fastlane: Road to Revenge, follow the team, although the 10-person start-up is also working on Space Ape’s cancelled racer, Go Race: Super Karts, as well as another unannounced car-focused IP. Talking to PocketGamer.biz, CEO Geoffrey […]
Game Informer returns after being shut down by GameStop
Game Informer has returned after being shut down by GameStop in August 2024. In a letter from editor-in-chief Matt Miller, he revealed that the publication had been purchased by Gunzilla Games. The firm secured the rights to the brand, with Game Informer operating independently from the studio under the entity Game Informer Inc. The whole […]
German games market drops 6% to €9.4bn in 2024
The German games market decreased by 6% year-on-year to €9.4 billion in 2024, with sales of premium games dropping 17% to €921 million compared to revenues of €1.1 billion the previous year. This is according to market figures from the German Games Industry Association (Game), based on data compiled by YouGov Shopper, Nielsen IQ, and […]
Opus Major raises $10m in seed funding round
Paris-based developer Opus Major has raised $10 million in a seed funding round, led by Griffin Gaming Partners and early investor Alven. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Opus Major will use the investment to support the ongoing development of its debut, cross-platform multiplayer codenamed Opus #1. The studio also plans to produce a limited-access […]
Report: Half of all mobile players have received real-world rewards from games
50% of mobile players have now received a reward with real monetary value from a smartphone game. Meanwhile, 72% of that group say real-world rewards are now “important” when it comes to them selecting a new mobile game to download. That’s according to the second part of Almedia’s Rewarded Returns report conducted by Atomik Research, […]
United Videogame Workers union launches at GDC 2025 in partnership with CWA
During the 2025 Games Development Conference this week, industry workers launched the United Videogame Workers union in partnership with the Communication Workers of America. The UVW-CWA is the first direct-join union for developers in the US and Canada, meaning it does not represent a single workplace. Both full-time and freelance workers across various disciplines can […]
ESA launches Accessible Games Initiative to improve visibility of accessibility features
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced the formation of the Accessible Games Initiative. Developed by Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Ubisoft, the Accessible Games Initiative aims to provide clear information about accessibility features in games. Firms including Amazon Games, Riot Games, Square Enix, and Warner Bros. Games have […]
Balatro leads Game Developers Choice Awards 2025, wins Game of the Year
Balatro dominated the Game Developers Choice Awards last night, taking home Game of the Year and Best Debut alongside Best Design and the Innovation award. Astro Bot won two awards in the Audio and Technology categories, while Black Myth: Wukong received the accolade for Best Visual Art. Studio Zero’s Metaphor: ReFantazio won Best Narrative with […]
ID@Xbox has paid indie devs more than $5bn since 2013
Microsoft has revealed it has paid developers in its ID@Xbox program more than $5 billion since it launched in 2013. In a blog post, ID@Xbox director Guy Richards shared that ID@Xbox saw more than 1,000 games launch in 2024 including Balatro, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, and Phasmophobia. Richards also spoke with GameRant, revealing that […]
Ubisoft reportedly implements “anti-harassment plan” for Assassin’s Creed Shadows devs
Ubisoft has reportedly implemented an “anti-harassment plan” for developers that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As reported by PCGamesN, an anonymous Ubisoft employee told French news network BFMTV that the plan was allegedly being implemented to discourage employees from sharing their involvement with the game on social media. The employee also claimed that Ubisoft has […]
Split Fiction reaches 2m sales in one week | News-in-brief
Moon Studios' Ori series tops 15m sales | News-in-brief
Zenless Zone Zero voice actors quietly recast following SAG-AFTRA action
Two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors claim they have been replaced for participating in the SAG-AFTRA strikes. As spotted by Eurogamer, Emeri Chase and Nicholas Thurkettle – playing Soldier 11 and Lycaon, respectively – claim they found out their voices had been replaced by reading the patch notes at the same time players did. As […]
Spectre Divide developer Mountaintop to shutter just six months post-launch
Spectre Divide developer Mountaintop Studios is shuttering just six months after launch. In a blog post, CEO Nate Mitchell told players the free-to-play shooter “hasn’t achieved the level of success [it] needed to sustain the game and keep Mountaintop afloat.” It’s unclear how many people have been impacted by the closure, but LinkedIn states the […]
SAG-AFTRA remains “frustratingly far apart” from major game companies
SAG-AFTRA – the union that represents 160,000 actors, voiceover artists, and other media professionals – has issued an update about the video game strike, saying it remains “frustratingly far apart” from video game studios and publishers. In a statement, the union said it was working to address “alarming loopholes” in a proposal prepared by the […]
Netflix Games confirms departure of former president and VP of GenAI Mike Verdu
Netflix Games’ VP of generative AI, Mike Verdu, has left the streaming giant. Although Netflix confirmed Verdu’s departure in a statement to Game File, the company did not comment on why the VP left after just five months in the role, nor revealed who has replaced him. Verdu joined Netflix in 2021 to launch its […]
Leaked video appears to show Sony director conversing with an AI Aloy prototype
PlayStation is reportedly using characters from its biggest franchises in an AI prototype. A leaked video appeared to show PlayStation’s director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, conversing with an early AI Aloy prototype. The video – sent to The Verge but since taken offline following a copyright claim from Sony – showed Raghoebardajal give a […]
Indie developer Welevel raises $5.7m in funding
Munich-based indie developer Welevel has raised $5.7 million in a funding round led by Bitkraft Ventures. The studio said it will use the investment to support the development of its in-house AI platform, and to expand its core team “twofold” in preparation for its upcoming AAA sandbox survival game. The untitled project has been in […]
French Supreme Court rules in favour of Nintendo against site hosting pirated copies of its games
Nintendo has won a long-running legal battle against French sharehosting operator Dstorage. Following a decision dated February 26, 2025, the French Supreme Court found Dstorage “liable for failing to remove access to unauthorised copies of Nintendo games stored on its platform” – referring to the filehosting site 1fichier.com. This decision means other European-based filesharing sites […]
Shocking success: Understanding a new era of horror with Blumhouse Games | Playable Futures
This series of Playable Futures articles considers how the design, technology, people, and theory of video games are informing and influencing the wider world. Horror as a theme has a storied history in video games. From early releases like 1986’s unexpectedly eerie point-and-click Uninvited: Entering the Mansion to the disturbing setting of The Last of […]
Sony announces PlayStation 5 rental scheme in UK
Sony has partnered with tech leasing service Raylo to offer a rental scheme for PlayStation 5 hardware in the UK via its Flex program. Customers will have the ability to lease PS5 consoles and other accessories for no upfront cost with either a flexible monthly rolling plan that can be cancelled at any time, or […]
Hidden Variable sues Skullgirls publisher Autumn Games for $1.2m in unpaid payments
Hidden Variable has announced that as of January 21, 2025, it was “no longer involved in the development on Skullgirls Mobile, 2nd Encore” due to a “dispute with Autumn Games.” In a statement, Hidden Variable said the dispute had now been formally lodged with the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Court papers intimated Hidden Variables […]
20-year-old browser game to shut down as result of UK’s new online safety law
Free-to-play text MMO browser game, Urban Dead, will close just shy of its 20th anniversary because of the introduction of the UK’s Online Safety Act. In a statement spotted by GameDeveloper, developer Kevan Davis said that as the law applies to “all social and gaming websites where users interact” and “heavy corporate-sized fines [apply] even […]
Match-3 devs blasted for “incredibly harmful” stereotypes and gender-based violence in advertisements
Mobile game developers Microfun, Nanobit, and Magic Tavern have been accused of reinforcing harmful stereotypes and gender-based violence in a new report about mobile game advertising. In a Sky News report, Project Makeover (Magic Tavern), Gossip Harbor (Microfun), and Hollywood Story (Nanobit) were singled out for perpetuating “incredibly harmful” misogynistic tropes to sell their match-3 […]
Capcom promotes Monster Hunter producer to chief product officer in charge of all development
Capcom’s current executive corporate officer and chief product officer, Yoichi Egawa, will step down on April 1, with Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto assuming the latter role from that same date. President and COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto will take over Egawa’s role of overseeing Capcom’s Pachinko and Pachislo business divisions. Ryozo Tsujimoto – who currently serves […]
Warner Bros games revenue dropped 29% during Q4 2024
Warner Bros. has released its financials for Q4 and FY2024, reporting that revenue for its games segment dropped 29% year-on-year for the three months ended December 31, 2024. Detailed figures are not provided for games revenue (which falls under the Studios segment). However, the firm said that while games revenue decreased in Q4, it experienced […]
4A Games Ukraine rebrands to Reburn, announces new IP
4A Games Ukraine has rebranded to Reburn, and has announced its new IP La Quimera. As reported by Polygon, La Quimera was co-created by Reburn alongside filmmaker Nicolas Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives) and writer E.J.A. Warren. Currently in development, La Quimera is a first-person shooter set in a fictional Latin American metropolis. It is […]
Pokémon TCG Pocket reaches 100m downloads | News-in-brief
StreamElements brings “performance-based sponsorships” directly to Twitch dashboards
StreamElements has partnered with Twitch to bring StreamElements’ “performance-based sponsorships from marquee brands” directly to streamer dashboards. The firm states this will expand the monetization opportunities for creators of all sizes and “expand the broader creator community’s awareness of StreamElements’ best-in-class tools and sponsorship opportunities while illustrating Twitch’s ongoing commitment to providing its users with […]
Konami partners with Bloober Team for another “joint project” based on unspecified Konami IP
Konami has partnered with Silent Hill 2 Remake developer Bloober Team for “a joint project.” In a statement, neither party clarified the details of the project, but confirmed it was a game based on Konami’s intellectual property, and Konami will retain its publisher rights. Bloober’s “horror and atmospheric storytelling” expertise made it a fitting collaborator […]
The Pokémon Company settles lawsuit against copyright-infringing mobile game for “a huge sum”
The Pokémon Company has settled its lawsuit against Pocket Monster: Remake. As spotted by Automaton, the settlement – which followed a court case in September that upheld The Pokémon Company’s copyright claim – comes after the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court ordered the defendants to pay The Pokémon Company $15 million. Whilst the two companies – […]
Dovetail Games appoints Gemma Brown and Rob O’Farrell as Co-CEOs
Dovetail Games has appointed Gemma Brown and Rob O’Farrell as Co-CEOs. Dovetail said Brown – formerly the company’s COO with 12 years of experience at the company – and O’Farrell – CDO with 11 years – have “demonstrated strong leadership and a deep understanding of the organization.” “It is a true honor for us to […]
Unity Q4 revenue drops 25% to $457m
Unity has released its financial results for Q4 and the full fiscal year, experiencing a decrease in revenue during the fourth quarter which exceeded previous guidance of between $422 million to $427 million. The engine maker also exceeded its guidance for the full year, which was estimated to be between $1.7 billion and $1.71 billion. […]
Marvel Rivals maintains top spot on PC engagement charts for January 2025 | Newzoo Charts
Marvel Rivals made it into the Top Five of Newzoo’s overall revenue chart for January 2025, moving up one spot following its release on December 6, 2024. NetEase’s hero shooter maintained the top spot for player engagement on PC and rose from No.6 to No.2 on the platform’s revenue chart. The game also made it […]
How Kepler Interactive balances artistic vision with gaming innovation
Kepler Interactive already boasts one of the more eclectic portfolio of games, from the New Caledonia inspired blue seas of Tchia to the survival horror adventure game lauded for its nightmare fuel visuals, and maintains a creative studio that allows the company to collaborate with different mediums in art and culture. As we interview CEO […]
Sony dismisses claims it destroyed former director’s reputation, alleging he engaged in “consistent misconduct”
Sony has hit back at claims it maligned the reputation of former Marathon reboot director Chris Barrett, purporting its investigations had uncovered “consistent” misconduct wherein he would target a “lower-level, female employee he wasn’t working with directly, initially engaged in friendly conversation, and progressively pushed boundaries”, “often referenc[ing] his wealth and his ability to advance […]
Niantic reportedly in talks to sell video game business in $3.5bn deal with Scopely
Pokémon Go developer Niantic is reportedly considering selling its video game portfolio to Savvy Games Group subsidiary, Scopely. Whilst the deal has yet to be confirmed and neither Niantic nor Scopely have talked publicly about the deals, Bloomberg claims the sale may include Niantic’s tentpole augmented reality game, Pokémon Go. If completed, it’s thought the […]
Aptoide fully launches to iOS consumers across EU
Alternative app store Aptoide has fully launched its service on iOS in the European Union. As part of its launch, an App Versions feature has been introduced which enables users to install older versions of apps. This was previously only avaliable on Android. Aptoide first opened with a beta in June 2024, which saw a […]
Kingdom Come Deliverance tops 2m copies sold in less than two weeks | News-in-brief
GamesIndustry.biz is owned by Gamer Network Limited, an IGN Entertainment company and subsidiary of Ziff Davis. © 2025 Gamer Network Limited, 18 Mansell Street Level 3, London, E1 8AA, United Kingdom. Company number 03882481. All rights reserved. No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s permission. Source link […]
Thunderful Gothenberg rebrands as Stormteller Games
Thunderful Gothenberg has now rebranded as Stormteller Games. Thunderful Gothenburg was formed when Image & Form and Zoink! Games merged in 2017, but has now been renamed to “make sure it represents everyone in the studio.” The first on the new brand’s slate is Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, which is due to release […]
Ubisoft revenues decline 31.4% to €990m
Ubisoft has released its financial results for the nine months ending December 31, 2024, reporting significant declines in revenues and net bookings. The firm remains optimistic, however, with the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Pre-sales of the title are reported to be “tracking solidly” and on par with the franchise’s second-highest earner, Odyssey. Here’s […]
Embracer sales drop 22% to $1.5bn, $298m debt remains
Embracer Group has published its financial results for the nine months ending December 31, 2024, reporting declines across its PC/console and mobile segments. However, it experienced a net profit during its third quarter following the completed spin-off of tabletop publisher Asmodee. Here’s what you need to know: The numbers: For the three months ending December […]
Unions slam Bobby Kotick’s claims that Activision Blizzard harassment reports were “fake”
The Communication Workers Of America (CWA) has slammed former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s claims that the numerous reports of harassment that allegedly took place when he was led the firm were “fake.” “Bobby Kotick’s comments on a podcast uplifting billionaires are both insulting to the Activision workers who spoke out about the harassment they […]
Microsoft Gaming VP Kayleen Walters appointed head of Mojang
Microsoft Gaming VP Kayleen Walters has been appointed head of Mojang Studios. Walters – who will assume the position on top of her role as vice president and head of franchise development Microsoft Gaming – will being work immediately as current Mojang boss, Åsa Bredin, steps down to “focus on personal goals outside of work.” […]
