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Wardogs CEO says he won't hire devs who aren't down with mandatory crunch: 'If you care about what you're making, this is the place to work'
Joe Brammer, CEO of Bulkhead, has stated that the studio will not hire developers who are against mandatory crunch, framing it as a requirement for those who truly care about their work. This policy has drawn criticism from industry colleagues who argue that crunch is a result of poor planning and negatively impacts profits and employee well-being. Brammer also acknowledged that Wardogs experienced significant crunch during its launch, with staff working overnight to fix server issues.
Team17 owner Everplay increases shareholding in Wardogs dev Bulkhead, touts strong FY26 results
Everplay, the owner of Team17, has increased its shareholding in Wardogs developer Bulkhead following the game's success since its early access launch. Despite a reported decrease in revenue and profit for Everplay in the first half of FY26, the company anticipates strong full-year results, driven by the outperformance of Wardogs and Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. Everplay also noted significant growth in its subsidiary StoryToys.
Newzoo: Most established live-service and evergreen titles were flat or down year over year in H1 2026
Newzoo reports that most live-service and evergreen games saw flat or declining year-over-year performance in the first half of 2026, with growth limited to a few titles. Digital revenues declined in Western markets, attributed to free-to-play and annualised premium weakness. Console player growth is projected to increase to 3% in 2026, largely driven by the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Video Game Studio Don't Nod Entertainment Could Shut Down
Don't Nod Entertainment, the studio behind Life is Strange, is facing severe financial difficulties and may cease operations by January 31, 2027. The company is considering laying off up to 90 employees as part of a restructuring plan to address cash flow issues. Despite a minority investment from Tencent in 2020, the Chinese company does not plan further investment, leaving Don't Nod reliant on securing external financing to survive.
Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show announces exhibitor lineup for 2026
Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show has revealed its exhibitor lineup for 2026, featuring major companies like Capcom, Bandai Namco, and The Pokémon Company, alongside Nintendo and PlayStation represented by partners. The event will also host over 70 speakers, including John Romero, who will receive a lifetime achievement award. Separately, a Valve bug has led to the accidental leak of achievement data for numerous unreleased and unannounced Steam games, including Fable, Persona 6, and Kingdom Hearts 4.
Riot Games is considering making premium titles, says co-founder
Riot Games is exploring the development of premium, non-free-to-play titles, according to co-founder Marc Merrill. While the company has found success with free-to-play games like League of Legends and Valorant, Merrill indicated that not every game needs to be free-to-play and that the business model must fit the game's vision. This comes after the discontinuation of their fighting game 2XKO and the winding down of the Riot Forge publishing label.
Don't Nod considering laying off 90 workers in France
Life is Strange developer Don't Nod has warned it may lay off 90 employees in France due to financial difficulties and systemic pressures in the video game industry. The company's operating revenue declined by 56 percent year-on-year, resulting in a significant operating EBITDA loss. Don't Nod is proposing a restructure to adapt to new market conditions and ensure its survival.
Arm explains its mobile-first AI-reconstruction technology, which takes a different tack from the "black box" approach of DLSS 5
Arm has unveiled its new AI-native compute platform and Mali G2-Ultra NX GPU, focusing on mobile-first AI reconstruction technology. This approach aims to improve graphics performance and reduce power consumption, offering an open alternative to Nvidia's proprietary DLSS 5. The technology supports features like ray tracing and is designed to be adaptable by developers, with upcoming support for Unreal Engine and potentially Unity.
Don't Nod warns it may not have enough funding to operate beyond January 2027
Don't Nod, the studio behind Life is Strange, has warned it may not have enough funding to continue operating beyond January 2027 without securing external financing. The company is also considering cutting up to 90 jobs in France as part of a restructuring plan due to declining revenue and widening operating losses.
Capcom says it will focus on reviving dormant IPs after Onimusha: Way of the Sword's breakout launch
Capcom plans to revive dormant intellectual properties following the successful launch of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which sold over one million copies on its first day. The publisher aims to maximize corporate value by leveraging its back catalog. Meanwhile, Sega has canceled its ambitious "Super Game" live-service initiative due to high risks and operational challenges, though its president still sees business opportunities in the genre. Tencent, however, remains committed to live-service games, viewing them as a "holy grail."
Sega cancelled its "risky" Super Game project as it "would have to grow enormously to match the scale of the service"
Sega has cancelled its ambitious "Super Game" initiative, citing the project's excessive risk and the enormous scale of investment and operations required to match a live-service model. President and COO Shuji Utsumi stated that while the company still sees a business opportunity in live-service games, the current challenges made the Super Game project too risky to pursue. Sega continues to operate live-service titles and remains committed to the genre, unlike some other companies facing similar difficulties.
Inside Tencent's long-term strategy: live service, AI tools, and evergreen titles
Tencent's long-term strategy for its global games division centers on building sustainable communities through live service titles and evergreen IPs, alongside investing in high-quality talent and synergistic partnerships. The company is also embracing AI as a tool to enhance developer efficiency and iteration, rather than replace human roles, while navigating challenges in global integration and outsourcing.
Supercell's acquisition of Metacore expected to close this month
Supercell is set to acquire Metacore, the developer of Merge Mansion, with the deal expected to close by the end of September. This acquisition is part of a broader trend of restructuring in the mobile game industry. Metacore's CEO Mika Tammenkoski expressed excitement about the opportunities this partnership presents for the game's long-term success.
Planet Coaster studio Frontier Developments announces new title based on Disney IP
Industry leaders like Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and Playable Worlds CEO Raph Koster describe the current state of the video game industry as a "Crash 2.0," the worst since the 1980s. They cite escalating AAA development costs, component shortages exacerbated by AI infrastructure demand, and internal dysfunctions as key factors contributing to this downturn.
"This is the worst crash we've seen since the 1980s," says Tim Sweeney
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and other industry experts describe the current state of the gaming industry as "Crash 2.0," the worst since the 1980s. They cite escalating AAA development costs, component shortages driven by AI investment, and a lack of platform resets as major contributing factors to this severe disruption.
IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak to discuss development of 007 First Light at Game Republic New Horizons 2026
IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak will discuss the development of the James Bond title 007 First Light at Game Republic New Horizons 2026. The game has been IO Interactive's fastest-selling release, with over four million copies sold. Abrak expressed excitement about sharing insights into the creation of the game, which is slated for a late 2026 launch on Nintendo Switch 2.
The Big Picture: What you need to know about the ongoing games industry reset
Amir Satvat, formerly of Tencent and now with 1Up Ventures, delivered a keynote at Gamescom Dev outlining a significant reset in the games industry. He highlighted a projected 14,666 layoffs in 2026, a geographic shift of jobs away from North America, and revenue concentration among top titles, while noting the overall industry employment remains relatively stable. Satvat also discussed challenges like discoverability, AI uncertainty, a decline in entry-level roles, and the increasing importance of networking and community engagement.
Gamescom 2026: Multiplayer creature collectors Aniimo and Roco Kingdom announce release plans
During Gamescom 2026, Aniimo announced a September 16th release date for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC, with mobile versions following on September 23rd. Roco Kingdom, developed by Morefun Studios, will have a global release soon and a closed beta in October. Both games are multiplayer creature collectors, with Aniimo's developer admitting to the use of AI tools, a practice not disclosed on Roco Kingdom's Steam page.
Why China’s Carmakers Are Racing Into Humanoid Robots — Tesla’s Bet, Copied
Chinese automakers, facing declining car profit margins, are heavily investing in humanoid robots, mirroring Tesla's strategy. Xpeng's robotics arm recently secured significant funding, highlighting a broader trend across the sector with companies like BYD and Chery also developing humanoid robots. While hardware manufacturing is a strength for these companies, catching up to Tesla in AI development remains a key challenge.
Gamescom 2026, dag 4 - Sega och Capcom för hela slanten
The fourth day of Gamescom 2026 featured interviews with Sega and Capcom. Kenji Kanno, creator of Crazy Taxi, discussed his career and the upcoming Crazy Taxi: World Tour, while the directors and producers of Mega Man Dual Override shared insights into the game's development. The article also briefly mentions Tencent's Zoopunk and the prequel to F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch.