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GTA 6 Developer Is Fighting Drones And Hackers To Keep The Game’s Secrets Safe
Rockstar Games is implementing stringent security measures, including privacy film on windows and a dedicated investigation team, to protect Grand Theft Auto 6's secrets from drones and hackers. This comes amidst a tribunal hearing where the studio is accused of unlawfully firing developers for leaking game information, with Rockstar comparing the need for secrecy to that of Apple or Coca-Cola.
Rykten, skvaller & önskedrömmar - Blizzcon 2026
This article speculates on potential announcements and reveals for Blizzcon 2026, Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming fan convention. Topics include new expansions for World of Warcraft and Diablo IV, potential StarCraft game developments, and updates for Overwatch and Hearthstone, alongside rumors of a combined Xbox Game Pass and Blizzard subscription service.
The Game Archaeologist: World of Warcraft is unfairly portrayed as the villain of MMO history
This article challenges the common narrative that World of Warcraft is the villain responsible for homogenizing the MMORPG genre. Instead, it argues that bad game design and a lack of approachability in pre-WoW MMOs were the primary factors that led to their decline, with World of Warcraft simply offering a more polished and user-friendly experience.
State of the Unions: the rise of unionisation in games workplaces
The video games industry is experiencing a significant rise in unionization as workers seek better labor rights and protections against harsh working conditions. Unions like SAG-AFTRA, ZeniMax workers, and various groups at major studios have successfully advocated for improved pay, AI protections, and remote work policies. Representatives from IWGB, Solidaires Informatique, and the Polish Gamedev Workers Union highlight global progress and ongoing challenges, emphasizing the growing power of collective bargaining.
Ex-Blizzard employee has 'vibe' coded a new game engine with backing from AMD: 'We're developing 93x…
Former Blizzard employee Mark Kern has developed a new game engine called Kun-Zhi, which he claims was built using AI and is 93x faster than Unreal Engine. The engine, backed by AMD and Razer, is intended to be AI-first and will be released to the public. Kern, who previously worked on World of Warcraft and founded Red 5 Studios, believes this approach significantly speeds up development.
Slangbella, vampyrer och Blizzcon: Vi tar spelhelg
Several individuals share their gaming plans for the weekend, which include playing a variety of titles such as Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Other mentioned games include HumanitZ, Goemon, and Japanese Drift Master, alongside attending events like Blizzcon and a local video game festival.
Ubisoft is 'testing' making its games far less annoying to launch on Steam
Ubisoft is testing a new method to launch its games on Steam without requiring the separate Ubisoft Connect desktop application. This change, starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, aims to streamline the player experience, though a Ubisoft Connect account will likely still be necessary for features like cross-progression. The publisher plans to roll out this improved integration to other titles in the future, addressing long-standing player frustrations with multi-launcher requirements.
Quiz: Hur bra är du på att överleva?
This article celebrates the release of Valheim 1.0 with a quiz testing players' knowledge of survival and crafting games. It asks how well users can gather resources, build bases, and stay alive, highlighting common pitfalls in the genre. The quiz requires users to log in to participate.
WoW Factor: The well intentioned errors of World of Warcraft’s Ula’tek storyline
This analysis critiques the storytelling in World of Warcraft's patch 12.1: Curse of Ula'tek, focusing on the narrative surrounding the Amani Trolls. The author argues that the patch mishandles the Amani's history and attempts to create sympathy for unsympathetic characters, ultimately detracting from the nuance of Troll culture and the game's established lore. While praising the exploration of ancient history and the character Nek'zali, the piece finds the present-day melodrama and the downplaying of historical conflicts disappointing.
Blizzard must now 'discuss, evaluate, and bargain' its AI usage with its developers
Blizzard Entertainment's union, in partnership with the Communications Workers of America, has secured a new contract that requires the company to discuss and bargain over the implementation of generative AI in the workplace. This landmark agreement, impacting around 1900 workers, also includes wage increases, job protections, and enhanced severance for layoffs, offering a significant victory for labor rights in the gaming industry.
Almost 1,900 Blizzard workers ratify first union contract with Microsoft
Blizzard Entertainment employees, represented by newly formed unions, have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with parent company Microsoft. The contract, lasting four to five years, includes protections for generative AI use, crediting, remote work, and layoffs, establishing a 60-day notice period for job cuts and 14 months of recall rights. Meanwhile, Activision's subsidiary King has rejected a collective bargaining agreement with Swedish trade unions.
Blizzard Workers Win Historic Union Contract That Could Set A New Standard For Game Developers
Blizzard Entertainment employees, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), have secured a historic union contract with Microsoft. The agreement includes workplace flexibility, guaranteed wage increases, AI job automation guardrails, and job-recall rights for laid-off employees. This contract is seen as a potential blueprint for other video game industry unions.
Almost 1,900 Blizzard workers vote through a "historic" union contract securing protections against layoffs and gen-AI
Approximately 1,900 unionized workers at Blizzard Entertainment have ratified their first contract, securing protections against layoffs and mandating bargaining over the use of generative AI. This historic agreement provides enhanced severance and recall rights for employees across multiple game teams, including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo.
Casually Classic: Tempering personal expectations for the WoW Classic BlizzCon announcement
The author discusses tempering expectations for the upcoming World of Warcraft Classic announcement at BlizzCon 2026. While acknowledging the community's intense speculation and anticipation, the piece advises a more grounded approach to receiving the news, suggesting that the reality may differ from fan-driven rumors.
Unionised Blizzard workers vote through contract giving them a say on genAI adoption and protection against layoffs
Unionized Blizzard Entertainment workers have ratified a new contract that requires the company to negotiate with them over the use of generative AI tools and provides protections against layoffs. The contract covers approximately 1900 staff and includes provisions for recall rights for laid-off employees and additional severance pay. This development occurs amidst ongoing workforce reductions at Microsoft's gaming division.
20 years later, veteran WoW director says players outsmarted him completely in Ahn'Qiraj: 'All that work, and…
Former Blizzard game director Wyatt Cheng reflects on the Ahn'Qiraj raid in World of Warcraft, specifically the Prophet Skeram boss encounter, admitting players outsmarted his intended mechanics. He details how players used various in-game exploits and UI mods to easily identify the real boss, despite his efforts to create a challenging illusion mechanic.
"It's a new day at Blizzard": Union wins historic contract protecting 1,900 World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and more workers as Microsoft plans another 1,600 layoffs
Blizzard Entertainment union members, represented by the CWA, have secured a new contract covering 1,900 workers across titles like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. The agreement includes strong protections against layoffs and mandates negotiation over the use of AI in game development. This comes as parent company Microsoft plans further layoffs across Xbox.
Nearly two thousand Blizzard developers secure a union contract that includes AI safeguards and layoff protection
Nearly two thousand unionized Blizzard Entertainment developers, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), have secured a new contract. This agreement includes wage increases, a hybrid work week, and significant protections regarding layoffs and the use of artificial intelligence in development. CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. lauded the contract as a new industry standard.
Blizzard union workers ratify historic contract covering 1,900 employees
Employees at Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of Microsoft, have ratified a new union contract covering 1,900 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The historic agreement includes protections for AI usage, layoff recall rights, improved severance, wage increases, and a three-day hybrid work week, setting a new industry standard.
Nintendo Direct live report - the big news and announcements as Switch 2's winter line-up revealed
Nintendo's September Direct showcase focused on games coming to the Nintendo Switch this winter, including a release date announcement for FromSoftware's The Duskbloods and potential reveals for Diablo 4 and The Witcher 3 Remastered. The presentation also touched upon Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
