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This Week in Videogames

@thisweekinvideogames.com

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

According to @gamediscoverco.bsky.social, there's a lot less desire among publishers and developers to understand how people find new games on consoles compared to PC.

Is it because there are more people playing on PC? Or are there other factors too?

Why Has PC Become the Dominant New Game Discovery Platform? - Game Discovery Talk

Why are developers so interested in how people find new games on PC, but not on consoles? Simon Carless of GameDiscoveryCo lists the reasons.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 7h

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has indicated that it will push back previously planned content updates for the game in order to address technical performance issues.

Director Mikael Eriksson said the feedback from the game's community was "very justified"

Helldivers 2 Pushing Back Content To Address Technical Performance

Helldivers 2 director Mikael Eriksson said community feedback regarding technical performance issues was "very justified."

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10h

Remedy has issued a warning to its investors, adjusting its financial outlook for the year due to the continued underperformance of its co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak.

Revenue is still expected to increase, but operating profits are expected to be negative.

Remedy Lowers Financial Outlook After Poor FBC: Firebreak Sales

Remedy issued a profit warning to investors, announcing a major non-cash impairment and a negative operating profit forecast.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

According to @gamediscoverco.bsky.social, there's a lot less desire among publishers and developers to understand how people find new games on consoles compared to PC.

Is it because there are more people playing on PC? Or are there other factors too?

Why Has PC Become the Dominant New Game Discovery Platform? - Game Discovery Talk

Why are developers so interested in how people find new games on PC, but not on consoles? Simon Carless of GameDiscoveryCo lists the reasons.

thisweekinvideogames.com

This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 15h

Rare creative director Gregg Mayles has confirmed his departure from the studio after 30+ years.

Designer of games like Banjo-Kazooie and Sea of Thieves, VGC reported in July that Mayles would be leaving following Microsoft's cancellation of Everwild.

Gregg Mayles, Sea of Thieves Director and Rare Veteran, Confirms Departure

Following reports of his departure, Gregg Mayles has confirmed his final day at Rare following over thirty years with the developer

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

According to @gamediscoverco.bsky.social, there's a lot less desire among publishers and developers to understand how people find new games on consoles compared to PC.

Is it because there are more people playing on PC? Or are there other factors too?

Why Has PC Become the Dominant New Game Discovery Platform? - Game Discovery Talk

Why are developers so interested in how people find new games on PC, but not on consoles? Simon Carless of GameDiscoveryCo lists the reasons.

thisweekinvideogames.com

This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

New market research from US firm Circana (via @matpiscatella.bsky.social) suggests that a combined 63% of players in the country purchase just two games (or fewer) within the space of a year.

Only 36% of US Players Buy More Than Four Games a Year, Says Study

According to new research from Circana, 4% of videogame players in the US buy a game more than once a month, while 33% purchase less than once a year.

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Daniel Ahmad @zhugeex.com · 3d

Chinese video game companies have been taking a more selective and strategic approach to overseas investments.

There is a greater focus on prioritizing projects with clear market potential, while divesting from projects that have underperformed, peaked, or are struggling in the short term.

This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 4d

NetEase has pulled its backing from Fantastic Pixel Castle, the MMO developer founded by World of Warcraft systems designer Greg Street.

It's the latest in an increasingly long line of NetEase-backed studios that have been dropped over the past two years.

NetEase Pulls Backing From MMO Developer Fantastic Pixel Castle

Fantastic Pixel Castle is now looking for a new publisher for its MMO, but may have to close the studio if one isn’t found

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

The active player base for Destiny 2 has dipped to its lowest point in the game’s eight-year history, according to estimates compiled from Bungie API data.

The latest expansion, The Edge of Fate, has proved to be extremely divisive among its playerbase.

Active Destiny 2 Players Reach Historical Low, New Data Suggests

Player numbers for Destiny 2 following new expansion The Edge of Fate have sunk below the previous series low point, The Curse of Osiris.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

Xbox has refuted reports that US retailers have stopped stocking their products, following growing speculation on social media.

The company told Windows Central that "Target and Walmart, among other retailers, remain committed partners for Xbox consoles, accessories, and games."

Microsoft Denies Target and Walmart Are Stopping Sale of Xbox Products

Xbox has refuted reports that Target and Walmart have stopped stocking their products, following growing speculation on social media.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 2d

Battlefield 6 has seemingly had a strong debut, with high player numbers and mostly positive sentiment giving it a more promising start than recent predecessors.

It wasn't all smooth sailing though – an outage for EA's first-party PC distribution platform resulted in frustration for the publisher.

Battlefield 6 Sees Strong Opening Weekend, but Not Without Hitches

Battlefield 6 has marked its debut weekend with strong player interest, though issues with EA's first-party store saw players locked out.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 3d

"I did not expect the garish walking simulator from the brain behind QWOP and Getting Over It to place a mirror in front of me that would help examine my isolationist tendencies, but thank god it did."

@superdonk.bsky.social on Baby Steps:

Baby Steps Review

At the heart of Baby Steps is an invisible, but unrelenting plea for us to breathe, slow down, and take in every moment, step by step.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 4d

NetEase has pulled its backing from Fantastic Pixel Castle, the MMO developer founded by World of Warcraft systems designer Greg Street.

It's the latest in an increasingly long line of NetEase-backed studios that have been dropped over the past two years.

NetEase Pulls Backing From MMO Developer Fantastic Pixel Castle

Fantastic Pixel Castle is now looking for a new publisher for its MMO, but may have to close the studio if one isn’t found

thisweekinvideogames.com

This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 4d

Art Director Glenn Israel, who worked on the Halo franchise for 17 years, has abruptly left Halo Studios.

A cryptic post on LinkedIn, where he speaks about holding onto dignity and ethics, as well as taking evidence, suggests more behind the decision.

Halo Art Director Abruptly Leaves Franchise After 17 Years

After joining Bungie in 2008 and serving as an art director at Halo Studios, Glenn Israel has announced his departure from the series

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 4d

Current and former employees at MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy have accused leadership of poor communication, egregious overtime, and badly-handled layoffs.

In an open letter, they demand a public apology and additional compensation, among other things.

MindsEye Devs Call Out Build A Rocket Boy For Mismanagement

Current and former employees have demanded apologies and compensation for mistreatment and mismangement during the development of MindsEye.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 5d

Hyper Light Breaker developer Heart Machine has announced that it is ending development on the title and conducting an unknown number of layoffs.

The studio will still ship a final version of the game in January 2026.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/hyper-l...

Hyper Light Breaker Developer Ends Development, Makes Layoffs

The studio said that a version of Hyper Light Breaker will still ship, and did not confirm the number of affected employees.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 5d

A group of former ZeniMax Online developers who worked on 'Project Blackbird', which was cancelled by Microsoft in July, have formed a worker-owned studio.

Former ZeniMax Developers Form Sackbird Studios

After Project Blackbird was cancelled, a small team of ZeniMax Online employees have formed a new indie studio.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 5d

Microsoft Game Studios co-founder Laura Fryer, who helped ship the original Xbox console, has commented on the company's Game Pass Ultimate price increases.

"Xbox threw away one of their last advantages. They were the best deal in gaming… With these price hikes, it feels like a betrayal."

Xbox Co-Founder Says Microsoft “Threw Away One of Their Last Advantages”

Laura Fryer, former Executive Producer at Microsoft Games Studios, called out the company after its Game Pass Ultimate price hikes.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 6d

"Hades II isn’t as experimental as some of Supergiant's other works, and its weak ending is perhaps a casualty of playing things a touch too safe. But in its scope, its cohesion, and its visual flair, never has Supergiant pushed itself further."

Hades II Review

Hades II is a worthy successor to one of the best roguelites ever made.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 6d

Microsoft will seemingly not pass on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hikes in select regions for users already on auto-renewing plans, in order to adhere to local laws.

Regions include Germany, Italy, Poland, Ireland, and South Korea.

Microsoft Pauses Xbox Game Pass Price Hikes for Select Regions and Users

Some Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have received emails stating the price increase “will only affect new purchases” for the time being.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 6d

Reporting from Game File has revealed that in 2024, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set in the post-Civil War US, starring a former slave.

Reasons for the cancellation included the current US political climate, as well as the controversy surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Ubisoft Cancelled Assassin’s Creed Game Due to US Political Climate – Report

Sources told Game File that the new Assassin's Creed project would have featured a former slave who takes on the KKK, among other things.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 7d

The pulpy point and click adventure thriller The Drifter has been awarded Game of the Year at the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards.

It also took out awards for Excellence in Art, Narrative, and Sound Design.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/austral...

The Drifter Wins Game of the Year at Australian Game Developer Awards 2025

The pulpy point-and-click thriller from Powerhoof took out four awards total, with Tempopo and Mars First Logistics also notable winners.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 7d

Bloomberg reports that Microsoft gave up more than US $300 million in sales by putting the Call of Duty series on Xbox Game Pass.

The report coincides with a price hike for the Ultimate tier of the service, and the removal of a DLC discount perk.

Xbox Reportedly Lost US $300 Million Putting Black Ops 6 on Game Pass

Microsoft employees reportedly told Bloomberg of huge losses for the company, due to Call of Duty becoming a feature of Xbox Game Pass.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 8d

Funcom has closed The Outsiders, the studio behind the heavy metal FPS, Metal: Hellsinger. It comes as part of previously announced layoffs.

Funcom acquired the developer, led by Payday 2 director and Bad Company 2 lead designer David Goldfarb, in 2021.

Funcom Closes 'Metal: Hellsinger' Developer, The Outsiders

Funcom acquired the developer in 2021, following the announcement of its award-winning heavy metal first-person shooter.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 11d

Worried about the private acquisition of EA? Nathan Brown of @hitpoints.bsky.social is struggling to get too upset, given what the company has become.

With enough awful things happening in games and the world, maybe we can have a little apathy, as a treat.

Spare Some Apathy For EA - Bonus Hit Points

Nathan Brown has been thinking a lot about the EA acquisition deal. His advice? Forget about it. Give yourself a little apathy, as a treat.

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Reposted by This Week in Videogames

This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10d

With E3 no longer in the picture, Tokyo Game Show has defaulted to being one of the world's biggest global game expos. But is it ready for that status?

@nomoredaniels.bsky.social returns from TGS 2025 with some thoughts.

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/para...

Is Tokyo Game Show Ready For The Big Time? - Parallax: Japan

The death of E3 means that Tokyo Game Show has defaulted to being one of the world's biggest global game expos. But is it ready for that status?

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