Epic Games
Epic Games business and news from across the web.
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Netflix's Gears of War movie sounds like it will be set just before the events of the first game
Netflix's upcoming Gears of War movie will serve as a prequel, focusing on the origin story of Delta Squad and their fight against the Locust creatures. Xbox executive Matt Booty highlighted the 'Never Fight Alone' theme as a strong narrative starting point. The film's setting appears to precede the events of the original Gears of War game, potentially aligning with the timeline of the recently announced Gears of War: E-Day.
Tencent is reportedly looking to back out of several studio investments like Story of Seasons developer Marvelous, but…
Tencent is reportedly looking to divest from several minority investments in video game studios, including a 20% stake in Marvelous, the developer of Story of Seasons. This reassessment of its portfolio may involve selling stakes back to original management, even at a loss. Investments in studios like PlatinumGames and FromSoftware are reportedly unaffected.
Can you play Meccha Chameleon on Mac, consoles, or mobile?
Meccha Chameleon is currently only available on PC, with no official plans announced for release on Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or mobile platforms. The developers, a small indie team, are considering future ports but face technical challenges, though the use of Epic Online Services could facilitate cross-platform play if releases occur. Players are warned to be cautious of fake versions appearing on other storefronts.
Senior EA exec Laura Miele thinks AI has led to "a real rise of creativity" among the publisher's studios
Electronic Arts' president of enterprise development, Laura Miele, believes generative AI has fostered a significant increase in creativity within the company's studios by removing tedious tasks and streamlining workflows. Despite some employee concerns and ethical debates surrounding AI, major publishers like Sony Interactive Entertainment, Capcom, and Epic Games are also embracing AI tools to improve development efficiency.
TIGA Games Education Conference – Full agenda announced!
TIGA has announced the full agenda for its upcoming Games Education Conference 2026, hosted at Birmingham City University and sponsored by Epic Games. The event will feature over 30 speakers from educational institutions and studios discussing key topics such as skills requirements, graduate employment, games research, and diversity in games education.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says new multiplayer games flop because everyone's "already formed solid human networks in Fortnite, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and Apex Legends"
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney believes new multiplayer games are failing because players are too entrenched in established titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and Apex Legends. He states that it's nearly impossible to migrate entire friend groups to new games, making only massive hits capable of community migration successful. Sweeney also cited other factors like exorbitant budgets and long development cycles contributing to game failures.
Supergirl’s Milly Alcock Reacts To Seeing Her Fortnite Skin
Epic Games is bringing Milly Alcock's Supergirl character, along with her dog Krypto, to Fortnite as part of a collaboration with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Alcock shared her excitement and humorous requests for players using her in-game skin. The Supergirl outfit arrives in Fortnite shortly before her movie's release, and the article also mentions the return of The Simpsons content to the game later this year.
MMO Business Roundup: Pocketpair rejects AI tools, Valorant opens a pub, and Epic Games Store unveils updates
This MMO business roundup covers several industry updates, including Pocketpair's rejection of AI development tools, Riot Games opening a temporary Valorant-themed pub in London for an esports event, and Epic Games Store announcing "Launcher V2" with personalized store pages and other improvements planned over the next year.
Comings and Goings
Sjoerd De Jong, formerly the lead evangelist for Unreal Engine at Epic Games, has departed the company. He stated that the industry is at a pivotal moment that requires his attention.
Unreal Engine senior director Sjoerd De Jong leaves Epic Games after almost 12 years
Sjoerd De Jong, Senior Director of Product for Unreal Engine at Epic Games, has departed after 12 years with the company and 27 years of involvement with the Unreal Engine. De Jong cited the industry being at a 'pivotal point' and the previous 'era has come to a close' as reasons for his resignation. His departure follows recent reveals of generative AI models being adapted into Unreal Engine.
Fortnite is getting five new Sprites this week after Gummy Zero Point madness
Epic Games is adding five new Sprites to Fortnite on June 25 as part of the Fortnite's Gone Wild event. These new Sprites include variants based on Fishstick, a Boss, Football, a "Reaper" Sprite, and a John Wick-themed critter. This update follows a special event where 1.2 million players participated in "Gummy Power Hour" to obtain special Gummy variants of existing Sprites.
CD Projekt boss "knows for a fact" a surge of games made purely with generative AI are coming, but doubts "whether this is really the path to follow"
CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski believes games made purely with generative AI are inevitable but expresses doubts about this being the optimal development path. He suggests studios should focus on being 'lean and cheap' to navigate the increasingly competitive market, while acknowledging the potential of AI integration in tools like Unreal Engine 6.
MMO Week in Review: ArcheAge’s revival, Guild Wars’ CCG
This week's MMO news roundup covers a variety of topics including Guild Wars receiving a CCG in China, ArcheAge's revival, and Richard Garriott's efforts to regain Ultima copyright. It also features updates on Tomo Endless Blue's Kickstarter success, Embers of the Uncrowned, and Diablo Immortal's new Warlock patch.
Former Unreal Engine 'evangelist' and level design legend Sjoerd De Jong leaves Epic Games
Sjoerd De Jong, a prominent Unreal Engine expert and former lead evangelist at Epic Games, has departed the company after 12 years. De Jong, who has a history with Unreal Engine dating back to his teenage years modding the original game, cited a desire to move forward in the ever-changing games industry as his reason for leaving.
Gears of War: E-Day brings back a feature the series hasn't supported in over 10 years, and The Coalition says…
Gears of War: E-Day, launching October 6, 2026, for PC and Xbox Series X, will feature four-player campaign co-op, a feature not seen in the series for over 10 years. The Coalition is bringing back this mode to reflect the series' core DNA of squad-based storytelling, allowing players to experience the origin of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago's bromance from multiple perspectives. This ambitious entry will also support two-player split-screen co-op.
Data analyst finds 'AI stigma' on Steam can reduce the number of reviews a game gets by around 53%—and…
A data analysis by Ross Burton for Game Oracle suggests that games disclosing the use of artificial intelligence face an 'AI stigma' on Steam, leading to approximately a 53% reduction in reviews compared to games that do not disclose AI use. This penalty is more pronounced for high-potential games and developers with established track records, indicating that player perception significantly impacts reception despite the tool's utility in game development.
Epic is working on a 'ground-up rebuild' of its launcher that will be 5x faster
Epic Games is developing a complete rebuild of its launcher, codenamed Launcher V2, which is expected to be five times faster than the current version. The new launcher will undergo a private beta phase before its public release.
Fortnite OG Season 9: Start Time, OG Pass, Live Events, And Map Changes
Fortnite OG Season 9 is set to launch on June 25, bringing back the sci-fi makeover from the original Season 9. The update will include a new OG Pass with remixed skins, a live event called The Final Showdown featuring Mecha Team Leader and The Devourer, and map changes like New Tilted and Mega Mall. The season will also reintroduce various weapons and items from that era, including the Combat Shotgun and Storm Flip.
The new Epic Games Launcher might not suck so much thanks to 'ground-up' rebuild with 5–6.5x improved performance—still a long way to catch up with Steam
Epic Games is rebuilding its PC launcher from the ground up, promising significant performance improvements including a 5-6.5x faster startup time. The redesign aims to enhance user experience with features like personalized recommendations, improved browsing, and detailed product pages, drawing comparisons to Valve's Steam platform.
Palworld studio says 'gamers don't want' AI in their games: 'It feels like everyone who is super gung-ho about it isn't from the industry'
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that gamers do not want AI in their games, comparing the current enthusiasm for AI to early cryptocurrency trends. He believes that those heavily promoting AI in game development are outsiders looking for quick profit, though he acknowledges AI's utility as a search tool or coding assistant. Buckley emphasized that the company prioritizes its human artists and sees no reason to replace them with AI-generated assets, especially given the potential backlash.
