Industry

Latest news

• Latest news GamesIndustry.biz: Tens of thousands of games jobs lost, HR left to manage morale

  GamesIndustry.biz reports tens of thousands of jobs have been lost across the games industry, leaving HR teams to handle redundancies and the morale of remaining staff. The publisher says the scale of those losses is difficult to quantify and that the situation has been demoralising for people still working in games. GamesIndustry.biz says HR experts were interviewed for a feature and that the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit on October 1, 2026 will address how to care for staff and for HR professionals themselves. The article frames much of the burden for dealing with both redundancies and morale as falling to HR departments.

• Latest news MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy reportedly faces new layoffs, possible shutdown

  Build a Rocket Boy — the studio behind MindsEye — reportedly conducted another round of layoffs that Polygon and Insider Gaming say could indicate the studio is shutting down. Multiple developers shared on social media that they were let go, with some posts described by Insider Gaming as having a tone of finality. Insider Gaming reports MindsEye launched just over a year ago and faced heavy online negativity, legal accusations, and poor commercial performance that previously prompted layoffs. Neither Polygon nor Insider Gaming cite an official statement from Build a Rocket Boy confirming a closure.

• Latest news GSC says Stalker 2 shipped early to get 'fresh' feedback amid war, fire and cost limits

  GSC Game World released Stalker 2 before additional polish to capture player feedback the studio said would be less useful later. The CEO argued the studio could not economically justify funding two more years of development, so early player input was prioritized. Development had been disrupted by Russia’s invasion (prompting relocation from Kyiv), a destructive office fire, and multiple leaks, and the launch was delayed and buggy. Broad market weakness—industry layoffs and studio closures—added pressure on the project’s timeline and choices.

• Latest news Bungie seeks subletters for 210,984 sq ft Bellevue HQ after 2021 expansion

  Bungie is offering subleases for its 210,984 square foot Bellevue, Washington headquarters and lists the campus as a turnkey production facility with a motion-capture studio, gym (including a rock-climbing wall), cafe, catering space and private patio. The studio more than doubled its office space in 2021, expanding from about 84,000 to 210,984 sq ft, but adopted a digital-first remote-work policy for most roles in 2022 and is now exploring sublease options while maintaining some physical presence. The move follows several years of layoffs, cancelled projects and troubled launches, leaving a large, costly expansion underutilized. This could free up significant commercial office space in Bellevue and reduce Bungie’s real estate costs.

• Latest news Epic CEO Tim Sweeney: Current downturn is biggest crash since 1980s

  Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, called the current video game industry downturn the biggest crash since the 1980s recession. The industry has experienced continuous rounds of layoffs and a hardware crisis that has flatlined console sales. This comparison matters because the 1980s crash saw console revenue plunge 97% between 1983 and 1985, illustrating the potential scale of financial impact.

• Latest news Don't Nod announces 'transformation initiative', signaling possible new layoffs

  French developer-publisher Don't Nod said it is launching a 'transformation initiative' that signals a likely new round of staff reductions. Don't Nod is the studio behind Life is Strange and recent release Aphelion, as well as Remember Me, Vampyr, Banishers and Jusant. Potential layoffs matter because they could disrupt support and development on Aphelion and other projects at a studio central to narrative-driven games.

• Latest news YMTC aims top NAND spot by end of 2027, plans major production buildout

  YMTC told investors it wants to become the largest NAND flash memory supplier ahead of Samsung and SK hynix by the end of 2027. The company currently holds about 13% of the NAND market while Samsung holds about 29%, and YMTC plans to more than double wafer production by finishing one foundry and building two additional ones. NAND revenue reached $46 billion in Q1 2026 — over 3.5 times year-on-year — driven by data-center AI and storage demand, making market share gains highly lucrative. YMTC has also begun supplying SSDs for Lenovo laptops and is planning moves into the DRAM market, where Chinese rival CXMT holds about 7%.

• Latest news Felicia Day’s The Guild Kickstarter raises $6.8M, becomes top-funded Kickstarter film

  The Guild: Ren Faire'd raised over $6.8 million on Kickstarter, surpassing its $1.5 million target and becoming the highest-funded film campaign on Kickstarter. Creator Felicia Day closed the campaign and thanked backers as the project moves into production. The Guild began as a 2007–2013 web series about a group of dysfunctional MMO players, and this campaign ranks among the most successful crowdfunded film efforts. The film is not the highest-crowdfunded movie ever by total funds—2025’s David raised about $52 million through investor-backed fundraising rather than a backer-driven Kickstarter.

• Latest news Class action seeks customer refunds after Logitech received $61M tariff refund

  A proposed class action filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California seeks to force Logitech to return part of a $61 million tariff refund to customers. Plaintiffs are SJK Development, a construction company, and a California resident who say they paid higher prices when Logitech allegedly raised prices to offset Trump-era IEEPA tariffs. The complaint cites Logitech executives saying pricing actions in April 2025 and favorable currency moves expanded gross margins, and that the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs in February. The case aims to recover money the plaintiffs say was improperly retained instead of being passed back to consumers.

• Latest news California class-action sues Amazon and Twitch over use of Twitch streams to train AI

  Streamer Warren Pandiscia filed a class-action complaint in California claiming Amazon and Twitch used Twitch live streams and videos to train commercial generative AI without negotiating licenses or obtaining consent. The complaint says Twitch provided no email, pop-up, or announcement about the data collection and that Twitch’s system cannot obtain consent from all parties. The suit argues Amazon had a commercial incentive to harvest massive amounts of creator content and that creators received no compensation, raising privacy and legal risks for streamers.

• Latest news Streamer sues Twitch and Amazon in class action over AI training of streams

  A Twitch streamer filed a proposed class-action lawsuit naming Twitch and parent company Amazon, alleging his broadcasts and those of numerous other creators were used to train Amazon’s generative AI without consent or payment. The complaint seeks class status to represent other Twitch creators. The case challenges the platforms’ use of live-streamed content for commercial AI training and centers on creator consent and compensation.

• Latest news Games Done Quick restores hope, raises millions across two annual weeklong events

  Games Done Quick runs twice a year as a seven-day charity marathon that raises millions of dollars. The event brings together members of the gaming community to organize, participate and donate while supporting one another. Those gatherings have provided a visible morale boost amid a difficult 2025–2026 period for the games industry marked by layoffs, studio closures and renewed console rivalry.

• Latest news Insomniac warns platform algorithms fuel backlash against Marvel's Wolverine

  Marvel's Wolverine is drawing early online criticism for being a linear single-player action game rather than an open-world title. Insomniac community and marketing director James Stevenson said X flooded his feed with negative posts and that the platform's algorithm amplifies and enforces negativity. A University of Toronto study found X's recommendation systems favor high-engagement, inflammatory and polarizing content, and X pays creators through an Original Content Rewards Program that rewards engagement. That amplification is influencing public perception of the game ahead of its planned September spotlight.

• Latest news Senators open congressional probe into Roblox over child-safety failures

  Senators Josh Hawley and Dick Durbin launched a congressional investigation into Roblox, saying evidence shows the platform has been used to groom and harm children. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism ordered Roblox to preserve records and deliver documents by August 31, and asked CEO David Baszucki to explain how the company will improve policing. The senators highlighted that Roblox reported 65,381 instances of suspected child sexual exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2025—more than double 2024, underscoring risks on a platform used by young children.

• Latest news Netflix shutters Night School Studios and plans to close Moonloot after Unhinged launch

  Netflix is closing Night School Studios and is planning to shut its Helsinki-based Moonloot studio. Night School released Unhinged on June 30, a game Netflix highlighted as one of its two most successful cloud-game debuts during its second-quarter earnings a month later. Netflix says it is refocusing its games business around specific areas — Kids, Party, Narrative and Mainstream — and is making organizational changes to concentrate execution.

• Latest news EA goes private after Saudi-backed buyout; debt raises questions for games and staff

  Last week Electronic Arts completed a private acquisition and is no longer a publicly listed company. Ownership is now shared between several private equity firms and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund following months of governmental approvals and public debate. The large debt taken on for the buyout increases financial pressure and raises questions about EA's future priorities, including single-player projects, studio locations, and staffing.

• Latest news Amazon ends publishing for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty; NC and Smilegate to take over

  Amazon is ending its Western publishing agreements for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty. NC will assume Western publishing for Throne and Liberty near the end of 2026, and Smilegate will take back Lost Ark in early 2027. Both games will remain live and receive regular content updates during the handovers, but some Lost Ark user data will not transfer and Firespark warned major Throne and Liberty updates may be delayed until after the transition. The moves complete Amazon's retreat from big-budget MMO publishing following the 2025 pause of New World and related layoffs.

• Latest news CD Projekt Red removes 18 from Project Sirius; nine laid off, nine reassigned

  CD Projekt Red has removed 18 people from Project Sirius: nine employees were laid off and nine others were reassigned to different internal teams. Project Sirius is a multiplayer-linked Witcher spin-off. CD Projekt Red frames the personnel changes as part of a broader shift in its development strategy, and the moves reduce the project's dedicated headcount.

• Latest news Nvidia secures over $500B in third-party capital to finance AI infrastructure

  Nvidia announced it will receive more than $500 billion in third‑party capital from banks and investment firms to create an investable market for ‘AI factory’ compute. Nvidia says investors will independently underwrite individual projects while Nvidia supplies the hardware platform, addressing concerns that AI funding has been circular. Demand for financed infrastructure comes from frontier AI labs, AI‑native startups, enterprises, cloud providers and national AI programs; BlackRock CEO Larry Fink urged rapid fundraising and predicted substantial job creation.

• Latest news Crimson Desert sold 2.11M copies; DLC in development with release planned this year

  Crimson Desert sold about 2.11 million copies in 2Q26, producing part of Pearl Abyss' operating revenue of ₩406.2 billion (~$284.5 million) across the first half of 2026. Digital sales made up 1.72 million copies (82%) and physical sales 0.39 million (18%), with North America and Europe driving over 75% of profit. Pearl Abyss is developing a DLC for release this year, and will announce pricing, content composition, and launch timing in 3Q26. The revenue total reported includes income from the studio's MMO, Black Desert Online.

• Latest news Supermassive Games to cut up to 75 roles in third round of layoffs since 2024

  Supermassive Games has started a redundancy process that will remove up to 75 jobs. The cuts come three months after the studio released Directive 8020 and are the company’s third round of layoffs in under three years. The move reduces staff at a studio owned by Nordisk Film while parent company Egmont Group posted €2.2 billion revenue and €140 million operating profit in 2025, underscoring wider industry instability.

• Latest news Supermassive Games lays off about 75 employees after Directive 8020 reception

  Supermassive Games announced layoffs affecting around 75 employees in an early-morning social media post. This is the studio's third round of layoffs in as many years. The cuts follow weak critical and player response to its latest title, Directive 8020, and reduce the workforce at the studio behind Until Dawn and The Quarry.

• Latest news Supermassive Games (UK) to lay off up to 75 staff; studio behind Until Dawn affected

  Supermassive Games, the UK developer behind cinematic horror titles Until Dawn, The Quarry and the Dark Pictures Anthology, has announced another round of layoffs. As many as 75 employees are expected to lose their jobs. The reductions further shrink the workforce at a prominent British studio and will affect the team behind its horror game portfolio.

• Latest news GameStop weighs ditching $56B eBay takeover, shifts toward partnership on collectibles

  eBay rejected GameStop's $56 billion takeover offer and called it "neither credible nor attractive," prompting GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen to consider abandoning the bid and pursuing a partnership to jointly sell collectibles and digital in-game items. GameStop holds a 9.8% stake in eBay and originally offered $125 per share payable 50% in cash and 50% in GameStop stock. Cohen outlined financing that included $20 billion of potential debt from TD Bank, $9 billion in company cash, and outside investors such as Middle East sovereign wealth funds. The change matters because GameStop’s market value is about $12 billion versus eBay’s roughly $54 billion, making a full acquisition complex and a partnership a materially different path to expand collectibles and digital-item commerce.

• Latest news Corsair’s gaming hardware sales fall ~9% despite pricier DDR5 RAM and higher profit

  Q2 2026 gaming component and system revenue fell about 9% year‑over‑year while gross profit rose 17%. Memory sales have increased, but revenue from other component products dropped sharply. Corsair buys memory modules from Samsung, SK hynix, Micron and CXMT rather than manufacturing them, and higher component prices are boosting memory margins while raising input costs across its systems and peripherals. Elevated component costs are suppressing upgrades and new builds among cost‑sensitive consumers, reducing demand for the Gaming Components and Systems segment even as enthusiast builders remain relatively less price‑sensitive.

• Latest news Roblox shares tumble 70% after Q2 shows falling players, weak monetisation

  Roblox stock fell about 70% after the company’s second-quarter earnings revealed declining player counts and weaker-than-expected monetisation. Daily active users fell to 123 million from a recent peak of 152 million, and monthly unique players are down to 27 million. Roblox forecasts third-quarter revenue will be 14–18% below last year, has withheld a full-year estimate citing fourth-quarter variability, and attributes the downturn to fewer viral hits, a recommendation algorithm shift that favors long-term retention over near-term monetisation, and heavy AI investment. This matters because sustained declines in users and spending threaten Roblox’s revenue growth and validate investor concerns about the company’s strategy and near-term profitability.

• Latest news Devolver Digital moves to delist from LSE, citing valuation mismatch and industry volatility

  Devolver Digital's board announced plans to withdraw the company from the London Stock Exchange five years after its November 2021 IPO. The board says the company is undervalued because videogame revenue depends on the timing and scale of releases and long-tail sales, which clash with public markets' demand for predictable sequential growth. The company pointed to industry disruption—widespread layoffs, platform rationalisation and substantial impairments—as a factor making it difficult to meet market growth expectations and harming valuation. Delisting is presented as a way to remove public-market pressure and better align corporate strategy with the realities of the videogame business.

• Latest news Itch.io Bundle Organized by Necrosoft and CWA Has Raised $163,000 for Laid-Off Devs

  An Itch.io Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle has raised more than $163,000 with seven days remaining and aims to near $200,000. The 127-game bundle, priced at a minimum $10, was created by Necrosoft Games director Brandon Sheffield and United Videogame Workers (CWA) to support laid-off developers. Funds are distributed by the union to U.S. and Canadian developers to cover essentials like food, healthcare, rent, and moving expenses, and the campaign has already helped pay a member’s moving costs. More than 11,000 people have contributed, including a single $5,000 donation, and the drive closes on August 13.

• Latest news EA names Cam Weber president and chief studios officer amid Saudi takeover

  EA CEO Andrew Wilson promoted former EA Sports president Cam Weber to president and chief studios officer and elevated David Tinson to president and chief operating officer. The moves follow Electronic Arts' acquisition by Saudi owners and come as new ownership plans heavy investment in AI for game development. The company also faces billions in acquisition-related debt and is expected to carry out significant layoffs to manage that debt, putting Weber and Tinson in charge during a major strategic shift.

• Latest news CXMT grabs 7% of global memory revenue while big three still hold 97%

  Chinese memory maker CXMT has reached about 7% of global memory revenue while Samsung, SK hynix and Micron account for roughly 39%, 26% and 25% respectively, leaving four firms with 97% of the market. CXMT completed an $8.6 billion public offering with shares jumping 466% and a market capitalisation just under $500 billion, and its modules are being validated by component makers and appearing in HP, Asus and Acer notebooks outside the US. The shift matters because AI-driven demand is straining memory supply, the top suppliers lack capacity, and Samsung has warned of a severe supply crisis next year. Increased competition from CXMT could affect pricing, supply diversification and regulatory scrutiny of the industry.