Rockstar delays Grand Theft Auto 6 to 2026
Rockstar Games has announced the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed to next year. In a blog post, the developer said the game will now launch on May 26, 2026 as it needs “extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.” “We are very sorry that this […]
READ MOREThe new Apple/Epic ruling will change the app landscape | Opinion
When last we checked in with the legal battle between Epic and Apple, things seemed to have mostly turned out in Apple’s favour. Almost all of the rulings in the case sided with Apple, with the judge only agreeing with Epic on one relatively narrow-seeming question regarding anti-steering provisions – the App Store rules that […]
READ MOREClair Obscur: Expedition 33 is selling more than twice as fast as other JRPGs on PC, analyst says – here’s why
Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has captivated fans of Japanese RPGs. While the French studio was clearly inspired by genre greats like Final Fantasy 10 and Lost Odyssey with its debut, it arguably gets closer to the feel of those games than publisher and genre specialist Square Enix itself has managed in recent years. […]
READ MOREPolygon sold to Valnet, editorial staff hit with layoffs
Video game and pop culture website Polygon has been acquired by The Gamer and Game Rant owner Valnet, with numerous long-time staff members revealing they’ve either been laid off or have chosen to leave as part of the sale. As reported by Kotaku, co-founder and editor-in-chief Chris Plante, senior writer Michael McWhertor, deputy editor Matthew […]
READ MORETakahisa Taura forms new studio after leaving PlatinumGames
Takahisa Taura has formed a new studio after leaving PlatinumGames. As reported by VGC, the Astral Chain director and Nier Automata designer is one of the founders of Eel Game Studio. Taura confirmed the news in the latest edition of Famitsu, translated by journalist Genki. Taura said he is one of the founding members of […]
READ MOREEA cuts another 200 jobs “in service of driving future growth”, bringing total job losses to around 300
Electronic Arts has cut another 200 jobs, these redundancies coming on top of the 100 Respawn layoffs announced earlier today, April 29. IGN reports these wider cuts chiefly affect EA’s Experiences team, which typical serves to support players in customer service, fan care, and marketing, although “other EA departments saw reductions as well.” “As part […]
READ MOREUnity announces winners for its 2025 Humanity Grant
Unity has announced the winners of its 2025 Unity for Humanity Grant, recognising the work of ten developers from nine countries. Winners will receive investment from the Unity Charitable Grant which has been increased to $600,000. Funding will support the development of projects, building working prototypes, as well as marketing and distribution. Submissions were chosen […]
READ MORENetEase executive Simon Zhu steps down from role
NetEase president for global investments and partnership Simon Zhu has stepped down from his role. Zhu announced the news on LinkedIn last Friday (April 25), after working at the Chinese publisher for 12 years. “After 12 incredible years at NetEase, I’m closing this chapter with the same passion that has driven me from day one,” […]
READ MOREMeta lays off unknown number of staff in Reality Labs division
Meta has cut an unspecified number of jobs in its Reality Labs division, affecting teams at Oculus Studios. As reported by The Verge, Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton said the decision was made to “help Oculus Studios work more efficiently”. Sources told Bloomberg that more than 100 people may have been affected by the layoffs. “Some […]
READ MOREToronto-based developer Mighty Yell lays off unconfirmed number of employees
The Big Con developer Mighty Yell has laid off an unconfirmed number of employees as it approaches the release of its next title, All Systems Dance. As shared on the Toronto-based company’s BlueSky account, the statement pointed to ‘financial challenges’ being the reason behind the studio laying off a ‘few’ of its developers. “This is […]
READ MORENGO files complaint against Ubisoft for data protection concerns and forcing “always online” connections
Privacy non-profit organization NOYB – European Center for Digital Rights has taken up a player’s case against Ubisoft, alleging its data collection practices have “no valid legal basis.” The complainant also takes issue with the fact Far Cry Primal could not be played offline or without setting up, and logging into, an Ubisoft account, stating […]
READ MORE2.2 million people applied to pre-order a Switch 2 in Japan alone, says Nintendo
Nintendo has warned that it may struggle to meet demand for Nintendo Switch 2 consoles in Japan. In a lengthy statement posted to X/Twitter, president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that 2.2 million people in Japan alone had applied to enter the lottery to be in with a chance of purchasing the highly anticipated new console system. […]
READ MOREDevolver Digital cuts 40% of staff at subsidiary studio Nerial
Publisher Devolver Digital has reduced its workforce at subsidiary studio, Nerial, by 40 percent. These cuts come on top of halving the teams at its Polish studio, Artificer, and Good Shepherd / Big Fan by “50%+ over the course of 2024.” Whilst reporting a “strong” fiscal performance and a “return to profit and growth” at […]
READ MOREUnity 6 pulled in China and replaced with localized version
Unity 6 has been pulled from sale in China. As spotted by 80 Level (thanks, PocketGamer), Unity has been removed from shelves across mainland China, as well as Kong Kong and Macau. Unity China has replaced it with a localized version entitled Tuanjie. According to machine translation, the company said in a statement “Unity 6 […]
READ MOREDwarf Fortress hits 1 million sales on Steam | News-in-brief
AppLovin cuts another 97 jobs, including CEO of subsidiary studio Machine Zone
AppLovin has laid off 97 people, including “most of” the staff employed at subsidiary studio Machine Zone and its CEO. As spotted by PocketGamer, these most recent 97 layoffs – which were effective as of March 21 according to WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) filings in California – come on top of a previous […]
READ MOREAssassin’s Creed Shadows’ success shows that the threat of negative campaigns is overblown | Opinion
It’s been a fairly grim few years for Ubisoft – buffeted by allegations of an abusive culture, plagued by dismal stock market performance, and seemingly unable to turn out the kind of hit titles that would silence its detractors, the company has seen its strategy and its future openly called into question. Late 2024 was […]
READ MOREHow Humble Bundle allocated $12.4 million of its funding in 2024 – including a substantial focus on games industry charities
Humble Bundle – which operates a digital storefront and gaming membership service – has unveiled its latest social impact report, revealing it raised $12.4 million for various causes in 2024. More generally, Humble’s causes are focused around health and well-being, crisis and disaster relief, equity and opportunity, quality education, and climate change and sustainability. The […]
READ MORERebellion CEO on Atomfall’s success and launching a new IP on Xbox Game Pass
In a post celebrating survival-action game Atomfall’s launch milestone of 1.5 million+ players, which has since grown to 2 million players, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley drew attention to the studio’s way of making games. “Our size and stability mean that we can take risks to create something as different as Atomfall. Happily, that risk is […]
READ MOREUbisoft releases open source tool to help devs tailor games for colourblind players
Ubisoft has released Chroma, an open source tool that adds colour blindness filters to in-game content in real time, helping developers tailor games for those players. Developed by Ubisoft’s Quality Control team in India and announced at this week’s Game Accessibility Conference, Chroma has been in the works since 2021 and was built to help […]
READ MOREJapanese modder handed suspended prison sentence for modding Nintendo Switch consoles
A Japanese modder has been sentenced to two years in prison. As reported by NTC (thanks, Automaton), a 58-year-old man has been found guilty of modifying and selling Nintendo Switch consoles. He was allegedly arrested for “soldering modified parts” within the Switch system, enabling modded consoles to run pirated games. In a hearing earlier today, […]
READ MORETequila Works auctions off game rights and IP following insolvency
Tequila Works has begun auctioning off the rights to its games and IP after filing for insolvency last November. As spotted by VGC, the Spanish developer has set up a page on auction site Escrapalia where it has listed its “intangible assets” including IPs, in-development titles, and the studio’s branding. Adventure platformer Rime, action-adventure puzzle […]
READ MORETariffs are an industry nightmare, but digital games seem safe – for now | Opinion
The timing of the global battle over trade and tariffs sparked off by President Trump over the past weeks is pretty dreadful for a lot of industries, and the video games sector is no exception. At the point when I’m writing this, most of the heavy tariffs have been paused for 90 days, though a […]
READ MOREInfluencer report highlights gender pay gap in sponsored content earnings
A new report on sponsored influencer activations suggests a pay gap between male and female-identifying creators across all video platforms, with women earning around 32% less than men. These stats come from Collabstr, which counts sponsored streams or a video of any length in their metrics, and is based on a sample size of 2,414 […]
READ MOREBloodborne producer establishes Sirius Studio
Bloodborne producer Teruyuki Toriyama has banded with former Thirdverse colleagues Tomohiro Suzuki and Hideki Irie to establish “world class development studio,” Sirius Studio. As reported by Famitsu (thanks, VGC), Sirius – a subsidiary of Gz Group – will “prioritize creator independence” after all three developer left prior employer, Thirdvers, after its focus shifted to more […]
READ MOREUK minister slams Steam for explicit game promoting “non-consensual sexual contact” and sexual violence
CW: This story contains references to extreme sexual violence – reader discretion advised. UK technology secretary Peter Kyle has slammed Valve’s PC storefront, Steam, for hosting a sexually explicit visual novel in which the protagonist engages in non-consensual sexual contact, sexual violence, rape, and incest. Zerat Games’ No Mercy is clearly marked as containing “graphic […]
READ MOREAstro Bot wins big at the BAFTA Game Awards 2025
Astro Bot was the big winner at the BAFTA Game Awards 2025, picking up five awards including Best Game. The acclaimed PS5 platformer by Team ASOBI also picked up Audio Achievement, Animation, Family and Game Design awards on the night. Still Wakes The Deep from British studio The Chinese Room also won three awards, with […]
READ MOREIDGA-F strengthens commitment to DEI with new chair appointment
The International Game Developers Association Foundation (IGDA-F) has welcomed Shannon Loftis as new chair of its board of directors. Loftis replaces Ed Fries, who steps down from his director position after two years but remains on the board. Loftis brings “over 30 years in game development and a commitment to inclusion” at Microsoft that will […]
READ MOREInzoi reaches 1m sales in first week of early access | News-in-brief
Inzoi reaches 1m sales in first week of early access | News-in-brief Source link : Gamesindustry
READ MOREUbisoft Leamington has now closed
Ubisoft Leamington has closed its doors, following January’s news that the UK-based studio was caught in the publisher’s latest round of layoffs. The news was shared on the developer’s LinkedIn page. “After many incredible years, we want to share the news that Ubisoft Leamington has officially closed its doors. “We are beyond grateful to our […]
READ MORENintendo Switch 2 pre-orders delayed in the US over Trump’s tariffs
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will not go ahead on April 9, 2025 in the US as originally planned due to the evolving situation of US President Donald Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on imported goods. The console’s launch date of June 5 has not changed. As confirmed by IGN, Nintendo has sent out a press statement to […]
READ MOREQA firm TestFly acquires Brazilian testing company Red Cerberus
TestFly, a self-described “leading provider of strategic and innovative quality assurance testing solutions” for the gaming industry has acquired Brazilian testing firm Red Cerberus from tinyBuild. TestFly stopped short of outlining the terms of the acquisition, but some outlets report it was a $1.5m cash deal. The firm said the acquisition will “significantly expand TestFly’s […]
READ MOREUnity 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 […]
READ MOREKrafton 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 […]
READ MOREIGN 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 […]
READ MORENintendo 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 […]
READ MORESquare 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 […]
READ MORENational 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 […]
READ MOREFormer 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 […]
READ MOREGame 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 […]
READ MOREGerman 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 […]
READ MOREOpus 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 […]
READ MOREReport: 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, […]
READ MOREUnited 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 […]
READ MOREESA 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 […]
READ MOREBalatro 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 […]
READ MOREID@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 […]
READ MOREUbisoft 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 […]
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