Game Development
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Summary: what's happening at Xbox?
Xbox announced a major restructuring involving 3,200 job cuts, with 1,600 immediate layoffs, primarily affecting ZeniMax studios like Bethesda and id Software. Several studios, including Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs, are being sold off or spun out as independent entities. This move aims to refocus on high-earning franchises and improve profit margins, impacting the development of upcoming titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 and potentially State of Decay 3.
Xbox After The Layoffs: Studios Left And What They’re Making
Xbox has undergone significant restructuring, including layoffs and the divestment of five studios, as it aims to increase profitability and focus on major intellectual properties. This shake-up impacts numerous development teams and projects across Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda, with a renewed focus on core franchises and a shift in business strategies like the exclusion of Call of Duty from Xbox Game Pass day-one launches.
"Compliance-in-advance is never enough to appease a zealous censor": Robert Yang on the current challenge of bringing experimental gay games to Steam
Developer Robert Yang discusses the difficulties of releasing experimental gay games like his collection Radiator Forever on platforms like Steam. He highlights issues with content moderation, age verification, and censorship campaigns that lead to games being hidden or geoblocked, even when developers attempt to comply with platform guidelines.
QuakeCon 2026 will be a place for celebration, mourning, and outrage
Recent layoffs at Xbox and id Software cast a somber shadow over the upcoming QuakeCon 2026, turning what should be a celebration into a potential funeral. The article discusses the uncertainty surrounding id Software's future, the potential abandonment of their proprietary id Tech engine in favor of Unreal Engine, and the likely fan outrage at the event.
"We mean business" - Bethesda union members to march in protest of sweeping Xbox job cuts
Bethesda Game Studios union members are planning protests against recent layoffs impacting Microsoft's Xbox division. The union criticizes Microsoft's framing of the cuts and asserts their legal right to bargain over the impact of these layoffs, demanding preferential transfers, stronger severance, and recall rights for affected workers. The layoffs have reportedly caused plummeting morale and may significantly affect the development of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Can a top-down, focused software strategy save Xbox? | Opinion
Xbox has undergone significant layoffs and studio closures, impacting 20% of its workforce and five internal studios, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine. This strategic shift, led by Asha Sharma, aims to address financial issues and improve first-party development, though the article questions the effectiveness of these measures and criticizes the company's past spending and treatment of developers.
Xbox confirms there isn't just "1 person left in Texas" working on id Software's engine following mass layoffs, but "dozens" across "multiple locations"
Xbox has refuted claims that only one person remains in Texas working on id Software's id Tech engine following extensive layoffs. A spokesperson stated that dozens of employees are still working on the engine across multiple locations, though the exact number is unconfirmed. Former id Software artist Derek Best criticized Microsoft's actions, stating that significant institutional knowledge and technological advancements, particularly for Doom: The Dark Ages, have been lost due to the layoffs.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond gets lots of details – flight mechanics, development, more
Toys for Bob developers Paul Yan and Lou Studdert shared details about the upcoming game Spyro: A Realm Beyond, which is planned for a Spring 2027 release on Nintendo Switch. The game will feature both ground and active flight mechanics, building upon the fluid movement of Spyro Reignited Trilogy. The studio also discussed their transition to independence and their decision to pursue Spyro as a business case, while clarifying that the game is a continuation of the original trilogy's tone and not a reboot.
Star Citizen talks up the flight HUD, clothes, and repeatable tasks coming with next week’s alpha 4.9
Star Citizen's upcoming alpha 4.9 update will introduce several granular features, including flight HUD improvements, new engine sounds, updated kiosks, and new clothing and weapons. The patch also adds repeatable reputation tasks for prospecting, mining, and salvaging, alongside fixes for mission oddities. While major content has been shifted to alpha 4.10, this update focuses on refining existing gameplay loops and addressing bugs.
Former BioWare Writer Says EA Always Favored Mass Effect Over Dragon Age
Former BioWare lead writer David Gaider believes Electronic Arts consistently favored the Mass Effect series over Dragon Age, contributing to Dragon Age: The Veilguard's potential cancellation. Gaider suggested that EA perceived Mass Effect as a more marketable 'modern RPG' while viewing Dragon Age as an 'old-fashioned' IP whose successes were considered flukes.
"This is not how I imagined it would end": Ubisoft to lay off Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced devs at its Barcelona studio, with one calling the remake's release "bittersweet"
Ubisoft Barcelona is laying off 51 employees, including the entire team that worked on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. Despite the remake's successful launch and positive reception, the studio was informed of the collective redundancy plan two weeks before release. Vantage Studios, a Ubisoft-Tencent conglomerate, stated there would be no further mandates for the Barcelona studio, even though the team proposed new Assassin's Creed projects.
'I find myself in the novel position of looking for a job' — 27-year Bethesda veteran who designed Skyrim's humanoid races and a Microsoft dev behind Xbox backwards compatibility have been laid off
Xbox has undergone a significant restructuring, leading to the layoff of thousands of employees, including industry veterans Christiane Meister from Bethesda Game Studios and Kevin LaChapelle from Xbox. Meister, who designed races for The Elder Scrolls series, and LaChapelle, a lead developer for Xbox's backward compatibility, are now seeking new employment. This wave of layoffs also affected studios like Compulsion Games and Ninja Theory.
Indie developer says Steam did them a solid by fixing their unbootable game to beat the Next Fest deadline
An indie developer shared how Steam Support went above and beyond by fixing a broken build of their game, Red Flag, allowing it to meet the deadline for Steam Next Fest. Instead of rejecting the submission due to a C++ redistributable issue, a Steam reviewer corrected the configuration themselves. This act of support enabled the game to participate in the festival, leading to a significant increase in wishlists and player engagement.
"My 'Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand' statement isn't aging well" - id Software co-founder John Carmack speaks out after devastating Xbox layoffs
id Software co-founder John Carmack commented on the recent significant layoffs at his former studio following Xbox's restructuring. Carmack expressed sadness but not anger, suggesting id Software may have been a marginal business for Microsoft, with Minecraft revenues potentially subsidizing other studios. He reflected on the challenges of making games financially successful in a competitive market and questioned potential strategies for increasing revenue and reducing costs without alienating the existing player base.
Id Software co-founder John Carmack "can’t muster anger or outrage" over Xbox gutting the Doom studio, but does say it'll "dampen the mood of the founder reunion"
Id Software co-founder John Carmack expressed sadness but not anger over the recent layoffs at the studio, suggesting that the company may have been a marginal business for Microsoft. He believes games need to succeed financially to continue being produced and that executives aren't always the problem, though he acknowledges the possibility. Carmack hopes the studio can recover despite the uncertain future.
Update: Microsoft Says id Tech Expertise Survived id Software’s Brutal Layoffs
id Software is reportedly in disarray following significant layoffs, with only a small number of employees remaining who are familiar with the id Tech engine. Despite the staff reductions, Microsoft still intends to leverage the id Tech expertise.
Bethesda union staff to march outside studios over Xbox layoffs: 'The company wants us to accept this as a done…
Bethesda developers, organized as the OneBGS union, are planning a protest march across studios on July 15th to oppose recent layoffs by Xbox. The union criticizes these layoffs as a recurring issue and aims to show management the adverse impact on remaining staff and studio talent, citing significant staff reductions at Zenimax Online Studios and id Software, and the closure of studios responsible for games like Hi-Fi Rush and Prey.
Filipino Developers Help Bring Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced to Life
Ubisoft Philippines played a significant role in the development of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, contributing to various aspects including game design, programming, and art. This remake of the 2013 pirate adventure marks the studio's largest project to date and is set to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The team focused on enhancing gameplay systems like Forts and Harpooning, rebuilding Caribbean locations with modern visual technologies, and ensuring the remake stayed faithful to the original's legacy.
id Software co-founder says "my 'Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand' statement isn't aging well" after the Doom maker lost 136 of its 185 staff to layoffs
id Software co-founder John Carmack commented on the significant layoffs at the studio under Microsoft, stating his previous belief that Microsoft would be a good steward of the brand is not aging well. He suspects id Software was a marginal business for Microsoft, with Minecraft's profits potentially subsidizing other studios. Carmack also reflected on game development needing to succeed financially, not just be beloved, and speculated on alternative strategies that could have improved id's financial performance.
Own goal specialist Xbox rifles another into the roof of the net - Patch Notes #60
Xbox announced significant layoffs, impacting approximately 3,200 employees across various studios including id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. Xbox boss Asha Sharma cited a need to eliminate management layers and create a flatter organization, though many of the affected employees are senior staff integral to game production. This marks the fifth major round of layoffs at Xbox in three years, with unions like CWA Canada criticizing Microsoft's handling of the situation.
