Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Game Development.
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Almost 20 years later, Arkane's founder says he understands why Valve cancelled the Ravenholm game that never was:…
Arkane Studios founder Raphaël Colantonio discussed the cancellation of the standalone Half-Life 2: Ravenholm game, which was in development in the late 2000s. He explained that the decision was primarily economic, stemming from the sales performance of Half-Life 2's DLCs. Colantonio expressed initial pain and confusion over the cancellation but has since come to understand the business realities, noting the project's influence on Arkane's later work, such as Dishonored.
Football Manager 27 will restore ideas players loved from older games when it launches this November
Sports Interactive has confirmed that Football Manager 27 is in the final stages of development and is scheduled for a November 2026 release. The studio plans to restore popular features from previous iterations of the game, addressing player feedback following the controversial overhaul in Football Manager 26. More details on gameplay and features will be revealed starting in September.
Fable Was Previously Aiming for an October Launch, Director Reveals, Insisting That The Game's Delay Wasn't Due to Being 'Scared of Other Big Games'
Playground Games has revealed that Fable was initially targeting an October launch but is now slated for release on February 23, 2027. The studio insists the delay is not due to competition from other major game releases.
Saudi media conglomerate MBC expands into video game industry with new studio
Middle Eastern entertainment company MBC Group has launched MBC Game Studio, a new subsidiary focused on video game development. The studio's first project is "1001 Threads of Mizan," an action-adventure game set in the world of One Thousand and One Nights. MBC Game Studio aims to build a successful game franchise and elevate the local industry, while also confirming a policy against using generative AI technology.
Persona 6 producer doesn't want "to make games for the global market," only something "we ourselves…
Kazuhisa Wada, general producer for the Persona franchise, stated that Atlus' philosophy for creating games like Persona 6 and Persona 4 Revival has always been to make titles they themselves find exciting, rather than targeting a global market. While the series' international success is appreciated, the focus remains on internal passion and careful storytelling, with localization and QA efforts supporting worldwide accessibility.
Gamescom 2026, dag 2 – Från Gears till Alien
This article details the second day of Gamescom 2026, focusing on press and business visitor experiences. Highlights include hands-on sessions with Gears of War: E-Day and Alien: Isolation 2, as well as previews of Tides of Annihilation and Ace Combat 8. The author also mentions meetings with Nvidia, Nintendo, and participation in the Dataspelsbranschen's Nordic Party.
"I think some of the team were a little shocked by the tabloid response," says original GTA dev: "We'd made a game that gamers, critics, and the people actually playing all thought was pretty bloody good"
Original Grand Theft Auto developer DMA Design discusses the game's chaotic development, which began as 'Race'N'Chase' and evolved into a crime sandbox. Despite initial visual and technical challenges, the team focused on creating an interactive and immersive experience. The game's release sparked significant controversy and tabloid attention, which surprised the developers who believed they had created a well-received game.
Tides of Annihilation devs are "continuously monitoring new developments" in AI technology, but will be using the techniques they "are the best at" in development instead
Eclipse Glow Games, the developer of Tides of Annihilation, is closely monitoring AI technology but plans to use traditional development methods based on their team's expertise. While acknowledging the rapid evolution of AI, particularly in image generation, the studio emphasizes leveraging their creators' refined techniques for their first project. This approach contrasts with some other companies, like NetEase, which have shown a greater willingness to adopt AI in game development.
Kingdom Hearts 4 script "almost twice as big" as KH3's, Tetsuya Nomura says: "There were more parts that I wanted to include, but I was already pushing it"
Tetsuya Nomura, director of the Kingdom Hearts series, stated that the script for Kingdom Hearts 4 is nearly twice as long as that of Kingdom Hearts 3, despite still having parts he wished to include. Voice recording for the Japanese cast is complete, with the English cast around 60-70% finished. Nomura also mentioned that the game will feature a selective number of Disney worlds to maintain a manageable scope.
"The things that we based our assumptions on have changed fundamentally": Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani on the games industry's rapid transformation
Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Shams Jorjani believes the games industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, rendering old business playbooks obsolete. Factors like the rise of Asian developers, long development cycles, and the impact of AI are creating unpredictability. Jorjani suggests that early validation and open development, similar to indie practices, are crucial for future success, especially for games targeting specific player niches.
Konami is aiming for a new Silent Hill game every year with producer Motoi Okamoto trying to quell fears by promising fans that they 'will be able to provide positive kinds of surprises'
Konami producer Motoi Okamoto stated the company aims for an annual release of new Silent Hill games, promising positive surprises for fans. While acknowledging the success of Silent Hill f, Okamoto addressed concerns about potential fatigue from frequent releases, emphasizing the need for fresh ideas and diverse settings beyond the traditional American town.
Another PlayStation 5 Multiplayer Game Loses Support Within a Year
1047 Games announced that Splitgate 2 will cease active development and shut down its dedicated servers in September 2026, less than a year after its relaunch. While the game will remain playable via peer-to-peer connections, this change may prevent players from unlocking certain trophies. The studio also stated a shift away from live service titles for future projects.
"We view AI as a sliding scale. There will always be a human in the loop; that's our ethos": Why Side has signed an MOU with Modl.ai to use AI for QA
Services provider Side has signed a memorandum of understanding with Danish AI firm Modl.ai to develop an AI-enabled quality assurance system. This new system aims to reduce friction by not requiring access to source code, instead playing the game like a consumer and identifying bugs. Both companies emphasize that human experts will remain integral to the process, with AI augmenting rather than replacing QA testers and potentially creating new career paths.
Kingdom Hearts 4 "will be ready well before the release date," Tetsuya Nomura says, as the JRPG's development is going smoother than it has "in the history" of the series
Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue, key figures for Kingdom Hearts 4, have expressed strong confidence in the game's development, stating it is proceeding smoother than any previous entry in the series and is expected to be ready well before its late 2027 release window. They assure fans that the game will not be delayed and development is on track.
New GTA 6 cut scene spoilers leaked as Cyberleek says game is ‘not ready at all'
New leaks for Grand Theft Auto 6 have emerged, including details of the game's opening cut scene and prologue, featuring protagonist Lucia. Rockstar Games has acknowledged the leaks as 'heartbreaking' but confirmed the game remains on track for its November 19 release date. The leaker, 'Cyberleek,' claims the game is not ready and alleges issues with digital ownership and potential crunch.
Rockstar set up a special GTA 6 team in Miami to meet with "ex-criminals, law enforcement, club promoters, gun dealers and anyone notorious or influential"
Rockstar Games conducted extensive research for Grand Theft Auto 6, embedding teams in Miami and meeting with individuals from various backgrounds, including ex-criminals and law enforcement, to authentically capture Florida culture. Developers aimed for deep immersion with reactive NPCs and detailed environments, drawing inspiration from local music scenes and fashion.
GTA 6 Built Rockstar Into a 4,000-Person Studio — With Stylists, Racecar Drivers and 50 Muralists on Staff
Rockstar Games has doubled its workforce to approximately 4,000 employees, primarily to support the development of Grand Theft Auto 6. The studio has expanded its operations with new offices and specialized teams, including a dedicated building for NPC development, stylists for character fashion, racecar drivers for vehicle handling, and 50 muralists for in-game art.
An animator from Pixar praised Kingdom Hearts 4 saying “There’s no other game that’s this close to a movie”
An animator from Pixar has praised Kingdom Hearts 4, stating that no other game comes as close to a movie as this upcoming title. Tetsuya Nomura and Yasushi Yasue discussed the game with Famitsu following a panel at Disney D23.
European Games Developer Federation announces 2026-28 board, Hendrik Lesser re-elected as president
The European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) has announced its board for 2026-2028, with Hendrik Lesser re-elected as president. The organization will focus on improving developer access to funding, talent, and skills, and aims to become the first AI-based European trade association. The EGDF also highlighted the European games industry's €24 billion turnover in 2024, with over 95,000 employees across 6,600 studios.
Rockstar developed new tools to build GTA 6’s diverse NPC population
Rockstar Games developed new tools and pipelines to create the most diverse non-player character (NPC) population ever seen in Grand Theft Auto 6. This involved extensive on-the-ground research in Miami and collaboration across multiple teams to ensure diversity in character appearance, interaction, and expression.
