Audio Production
Ongoing coverage on Audio Production.
Latest coverage
Control loreheads shouldn't put too much stock into what The Board says in Control Resonant - the devs say it's "basically gibberish"
Remedy Entertainment's Lucas Pierrot revealed that the mysterious dialogue from The Board in Control and Control Resonant is intentionally designed to be gibberish, allowing players to interpret it as they wish. This audio design choice aims to evoke various emotions and fulfill player fantasies, rather than convey a definitive meaning. Control Resonant has achieved 1 million sales faster than any other Remedy game.
Your Mind Is Playing Tricks On You: Why You Hear What You Want To Hear In Control Resonant
Lucas Pierrot, audio lead for Control Resonant, discusses the intricate audio design of 'The Board,' a key entity in the game. The team aimed for a 'ritualized anger' inspired by the Māori Haka, using voice resonances and a partial language to create a sense of perceived intelligence and emotional impact for the player.
Half-Life 3 Speculation Rises Again as Valve Developer Accidentally Mentions its Codename – Rumor
Speculation surrounding Half-Life 3 has resurfaced after Valve developer Mike Morasky inadvertently mentioned the codename 'HLX' during a GameSoundCon panel. While the mention could be a slip-up for 'HLVR' (Half-Life: Alyx), the datamining community is investigating potential links to other Valve titles. Previous reports from late 2025 suggested the game was in final development stages.
Half-Life 3 re-re-re-confirmed: A Valve dev just said 'HLX' out loud
Valve composer Mike Morasky inadvertently mentioned "HLX," a rumored codename for a new Half-Life game, during a GameSoundCon panel, sparking renewed speculation about Half-Life 3. His co-panelist David Feise reacted with surprise, suggesting the comment was not intended for public disclosure, and Morasky later appeared to reference the slip-up.
Why People Think Valve Just Accidentally Confirmed Half-Life 3
Valve sound designer Mike Morasky may have accidentally revealed a new Half-Life project, referred to as "HLX," during a Game Sound Con presentation. This mention, quickly followed by a colleague's remark, has fueled speculation among fans that HLX could be Half-Life 3, a game long rumored and highly anticipated.
Arc Raiders Frozen Trail patch notes are full of sentences that players have dreamed of for years: "You can now…
The latest Arc Raiders Frozen Trail update introduces significant changes and additions, including increased stash size, rebalanced loot distribution for bosses, and adjustments to weapon rarity. The patch also adds new animations for player interactions, improved audio occlusion, and new movement mechanics like scrambling up slopes.
Inside the Ubisoft Philippines: Studio Tour and Its Work on Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
A studio tour of Ubisoft Philippines revealed the significant contributions of the studio to games like Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The tour highlighted the local team's ownership of complete features, from dynamic harpooning mechanics and distinct fort designs to detailed animations and immersive audio.
'The entire audio system has been rebuilt' — Metro 2039 executive producer says sound has been 'reimagined in a way to really support thick, dense atmosphere'
Executive producer Jon Bloch revealed that 4A Games has completely rebuilt and reimagined the audio system for Metro 2039. This overhaul is designed to significantly enhance the game's dense atmosphere and immersion, with a focus on granular details like footsteps and environmental sounds. Metro 2039 is set to launch in February 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.
Okami Sequel Studio Fills Audio Team With Veterans Who Worked on the Original, Bayonetta, and More
Clovers, the studio developing the Okami sequel, has expanded its audio team with veterans who worked on the original Okami, Bayonetta, and NieR: Automata. Industry veterans Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Hitomi Kurokawa, and Aoba Nakanishi have joined the team, alongside Misaki Shindo and Hiroki Niwa. Director Hideki Kamiya confirmed the sequel will feature Amaterasu in a new adventure, though details remain scarce and a release is still some time away.
This week in PC games: a Mass Effect-style RTS, a gamebook RPG for back-stabbing nobles, and a civilisation builder that offers to teach you kanji
This week's PC game releases include a variety of genres such as a Mass Effect-inspired RTS called ZeroSpace, a political RPG gamebook titled The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian, and a civilization builder with Japanese language learning elements called Worlds Upon The Wind. Other notable titles include the medieval fencing simulator Ritter & Rotwein and the horror demo Moldrise.
Coloratura: Designing a world where sound is the only guide
Coloratura is a narrative adventure game designed to be played without sight, focusing on spatial orientation and sensory perception. Developed by Nakama Studios, the game utilizes innovative audio mechanics like a radar system and sound-based puzzles to guide players through its 3D environments. The title aims to provide an inclusive experience for all players, leveraging the PlayStation 5's 3D audio capabilities.
As Black Flag Resynced's audio evolves, one dev admits some things stay the same: "Edward drowning is…
Ubisoft's Erik-Jon Evangelista, audio director for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, discusses the remake's audio design, focusing on recreating, elevating, and innovating upon the original's soundscape. He highlights the use of the Anvil engine for realistic spatial audio and dynamic music systems, while also revealing he personally recorded the iconic drowning sound effect for the protagonist, Edward.
'Consume Me' Wins Grand Prize, Nuovo Award at the 2025 IGF Awards
The indie game 'Consume Me' by Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, and Ken "coda" Snyder won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and the Nuovo Award at the 2025 Independent Games Festival. The festival, held at the Game Developers Conference, also awarded prizes for Excellence in Visual Art, Audio, Design, Narrative, Best Student Game, Audience Award, and the alt.ctrl.gdc Award to various other independent titles.
Sony Inzone H6 Air Wired Open-back Gaming Headset review
The Sony Inzone H6 Air wired gaming headset offers a natural, rich sound thanks to its open-back design and 40mm MDR-MV1 drivers, similar to Sony's studio headphones. While comfortable and lightweight, its microphone picks up significant white noise, and its full potential is best realized on PC with the Inzone Hub software for EQ adjustments. It is recommended for single-player RPG and FPS gamers who prioritize audio quality over wireless features.
"You don't want to say 'I played it safe'": How 007 First Light's developers made the best…
IO Interactive developers Dominic Vega and Andras Krogh discuss the creation of 007 First Light, highlighting how the game expands on the studio's Hitman formula with more cinematic action and a faster pace. They detail the focus on improvisational combat and creative gadget use, as well as the importance of capturing the sound of a young James Bond and the iconic musical themes.
All The Winners From The 2026 Canadian Game Awards
The 2026 Canadian Game Awards celebrated excellence in the Canadian video game industry, with South of Midnight taking home Game of the Year and Best Art Direction. Digital Extremes was awarded Studio of the Year, while Victor Lucas received the Game Changer Award and Femme Gaming won the Community Award.
Streaming or recording on Linux? Check out the audio management tool Pipeweaver
Pipeweaver is a new free and open-source audio management tool for Linux, built on PipeWire and designed for streamers. It allows users to create virtual audio sources, manage volumes, and route audio through a web-based interface accessible from any device. While still under heavy development, it offers features like virtual channel creation, physical device mapping, and application routing, with plans for future additions like latency tuning and LV2 plugin support.
BAFTA Games Awards 2026 Winners: Full Results and Biggest Moments | Invision Game Community
The BAFTA Games Awards 2026 celebrated a diverse range of titles, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning Best Game and Debut Game. Dispatch also received multiple awards for Animation and Audio Achievement. The ceremony recognized excellence across various categories, including music, technical and artistic achievements, and performance, with Ilkka Paananen receiving the Fellowship Award.
LONDON GAMES FESTIVAL UNVEILS ITS 2026 ENSEMBLE COHORT
The London Games Festival has announced its 2026 Ensemble cohort, highlighting Black, Asian, and underrepresented ethnic creatives in the UK games industry. The program, curated by Sharna Jackson, features eight individuals in roles ranging from game directors to audio designers, with an installation at Trafalgar Square and features at New Game Plus.
Battlefield 6 audio team says they 'constantly polish what we think needs polishing'
The audio team for Battlefield 2042 discussed their continuous work on polishing the game's soundscape, even after its launch. They described the live-service model as a marathon rather than a sprint, emphasizing ongoing improvements based on player feedback. The team also celebrated winning the best audio design award at The Game Awards 2025.
