Skydance Productions
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As Skydance merges with Warner Bros. and Paramount, the company offers voluntary redundancy and mandates return to the office
Skydance, the newly formed entity combining Warner Bros. and Paramount, has implemented a mandatory five-day return-to-office policy for all employees, citing the importance of in-person collaboration. The company has also offered voluntary buyouts as part of its integration process. This move follows similar return-to-office mandates from EA and voluntary buyout offers from Microsoft.
Backrooms Director Wears A Valve Hoodie To Interview And People Think He’s Teasing A Portal Movie
Director Kane Parsons, known for his acclaimed film Backrooms, has fueled speculation about a potential Portal movie by wearing a Valve hoodie during an interview. Parsons also made comments that fans interpret as references to Portal's gameplay mechanics. While a Portal movie has been in development hell for years, Parsons's strong connection to Valve and the Portal series has reignited interest.
Evening Reading - October 26, 2026
This edition of Shacknews Evening Reading covers a variety of industry news, including a review of Phantom Blade Zero, a delay for Emberville's Early Access release, and Skydance launching a voluntary buyout program. It also touches on OpenAI facing a lawsuit from Texas and the bankruptcy of Finnish esports organization ENCE. Microsoft is offering voluntary exit buyouts to employees, while Arrowhead Game Studios is focusing on Helldivers 2 over a potential Helldivers 3.
Skydance launches employee Voluntary Buyout Program following merger
Skydance has launched a voluntary buyout program for employees following its merger with Paramount and Warner Bros. The program offers financial and career support to staff who choose to leave, with rumors suggesting it precedes potential forced layoffs as the two companies integrate.
Call Of Duty Movie Will Not Be About, “Hey, Let’s Shoot Them All Up,” Director Says
Director Peter Berg stated that the upcoming Call of Duty movie, set in the Modern Warfare universe, will focus on the 'cost of war' rather than just action. He highlighted the complex characters and nuanced storylines within the game's universe, emphasizing a focus on the burden carried by warriors. Writer Taylor Sheridan, known for his work on films like Sicario, is also involved in capturing this serious tone.
Evening Reading - October 16, 2026
This week's gaming news roundup includes updates on Mina the Hollower, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and The Wolf Among Us Remastered. Legislation for player ownership was introduced, and new game maps are available. The article also touches on upcoming releases like Stranger Than Heaven and Hillthorn, and mentions the latest Jackbox Party Pack and Neva.
What will happen to video games under Skydance?
The merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will significantly impact the video game industry, potentially leading to layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations. While studios like NetherRealm and Avalanche may be relatively safe due to successful IPs, Rocksteady faces uncertainty after the poor reception of Suicide Squad. The consolidation of major IPs under Skydance presents both creative opportunities and business challenges.
CD Projekt Red hints that the live-action Cyberpunk movie will be an original story: "We definitely don't want…
CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski has stated that the upcoming Cyberpunk movie will tell an original story within the game's universe, rather than adapting the game's plot directly. This approach is seen as beneficial, drawing parallels to the success of the original story in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. A release date is not expected for several years.
Paramount Pictures adapting live-action movie set in Cyberpunk 2077 universe, co-produced by CD Projekt Red
Paramount Pictures is developing a live-action film set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, with CD Projekt Red co-producing. This follows the success of other video game adaptations like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Fallout. CD Projekt Red is also working on The Witcher 4 and a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.
All hail brand synergy, Cyberpunk 2077 is getting a live action adaptation from Paramount and the producer behind the horrendous Doom movie
Paramount and Skydance are developing a live-action adaptation of Cyberpunk 2077, with CD Projekt Red producing. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, known for the Transformers films and the 2005 Doom movie, is attached as a producer, drawing skepticism from the author. The article also touches on Skydance's broader involvement with game adaptations and the potential for these projects to fuel streaming subscriptions.
MMO Business Roundup: Xbox is ‘back to growth,’ Kotick is on the Skydance board, and Aion 2 misses projections
Xbox is reportedly returning to growth, according to Xbox boss Asha Sharma. Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has joined the board of Skydance, the company formed from the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger. NCsoft's earnings forecast was lowered due to Aion 2's performance, while Necesse developer Fair Games was acquired by Fireshine Games. Additionally, Gardens Interactive, a studio founded by former Journey and Sky: Children of the Light developers, secured $35 million in Series B funding.
Bobby Kotick returns: former Activision boss becomes board member of Skydance, the new company formed by Paramount and Warner Bros
Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has joined the board of Skydance, a new entertainment company formed by the merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount. This move comes despite ongoing controversies surrounding Kotick's leadership at Activision, including allegations of a toxic company culture and knowledge of sexual misconduct. Skydance's CEO David Ellison praised Kotick's experience in building franchises, while the merger also combines the gaming divisions of Warner Bros. and Paramount.
Evening Reading - October 7, 2026
This edition of Evening Reading from Shacknews covers a variety of gaming news and community highlights. It includes a review of Order of the Sinking Star, news on Skydance merging WB Games and Paramount Games Studio, Google's AI game generation platform Playground, and a gameplay reveal for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. The article also touches on Discord's Halloween ringtone, Fortnite fan art, and mentions classic games like Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Pokemon Emerald, Halo 2, and Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Bobby's back
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has joined the board of Skydance as an independent director, marking his return to the gaming industry after leaving Activision Blizzard following its acquisition by Microsoft. Skydance praised Kotick's leadership in building Activision Blizzard into a successful company, despite his controversial tenure marked by allegations of harassment and discrimination lawsuits.
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick named to the board of post-merger Skydance
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has been appointed to the board of directors for the newly formed Skydance company, which resulted from the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Skydance's media conglomerate includes a video game division that will merge Paramount Games Studio with WB's internal developers. Despite past controversies surrounding Activision Blizzard, Skydance chairman David Ellison praised Kotick's leadership and ability to build enduring franchises.
Wizards of the Coast union expands, demands company stop pushing generative AI
The union representing employees at Wizards of the Coast, which publishes Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, has expanded to include more teams and is demanding the company cease its push for generative AI adoption. Separately, Paramount Games Studio and Warner Bros. Games are merging under Skydance, with Tony Driscoll set to lead the combined gaming unit.
Skydance merges WB Games and Paramount Games Studio
Skydance has merged its gaming divisions, WB Games and Paramount Games Studio, under the leadership of Tony Driscoll. This consolidation brings together studios responsible for franchises like Batman: Arkham, Mortal Kombat, and Hogwarts Legacy. The article notes that it is unclear if this merger will result in layoffs or project cancellations.
Paramount Games Studio and WB Games merge under Skydance following completion of $111bn acquisition
Skydance has completed its $111 billion acquisition of Paramount, leading to the merger of Paramount Games Studio and Warner Bros. Games under the Skydance umbrella, with Tony Driscoll appointed to lead the combined gaming division. This strategic move aims to leverage intellectual property from both companies to build engagement across various media platforms, though the integration may involve difficult decisions.
Skydance Is Merging Paramount And Warner Bros.’ Game Studios Into One Unit
Skydance is merging Paramount's newly acquired Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment with its own Paramount Games Studio. This new division will oversee projects based on Skydance's intellectual property, including franchises like Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC Comics. Tony Driscoll will lead the division, which will also incorporate developers like Avalanche Software and NetherRealm Studios.
After the Warner Bros. purchase, Skydance confirms the DCU still has a "long-term" vision across film, TV, and…
Skydance has confirmed a long-term vision for the DC Universe across film, television, animation, and gaming, reassuring concerns about the future of DC Studios under James Gunn and Peter Safran. The company's website highlights a commitment to building a unified creative architecture for DC properties, with upcoming projects like Clayface and Man of Tomorrow mentioned.
