Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Game Development.
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Pragmata Director Regrets Announcing it Too Early
Pragmata director Yonghee Cho expressed regret over announcing the game too early, citing the pressure from high player expectations following its initial 2020 reveal. Despite multiple delays from its original 2022 release, player interest has served as a significant motivator for the development team. The game is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Summer Game Fest 2026 and State of Play - every PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo rumour
This article compiles numerous rumors and predictions for upcoming announcements at Summer Game Fest, State of Play, and other gaming showcases. It covers potential reveals for games across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch platforms, including new titles, sequels, remakes, and DLC from major publishers like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, and Capcom.
PlayStation First-Party Game Sales Fell to 32 Million Copies in FY 2025
Sony's first-party PlayStation game sales have declined significantly, reaching 32.1 million copies in FY 2025, down from 58.4 million in FY 2020. This trend, despite critically acclaimed releases like Astro Bot, may be influenced by the end of pandemic-driven sales boosts and a shift away from PC releases for single-player titles. Sony is also facing increased development costs and has scaled back live-service ambitions, potentially needing to focus on releasing more games to reverse the sales downturn.
The Witcher 3 – Songs of the Past Has Around 190 Developers, Mostly From Fool’s Theory
CD Projekt RED has announced that the upcoming expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled Songs of the Past, is in advanced production with approximately 190 developers, primarily from Fool's Theory. This expansion is expected to be comparable in scale to Blood and Wine and is slated for release in 2027 on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. CD Projekt RED is providing creative oversight to ensure the quality of the Witcher experience.
Warframe & Soulframe Dev Digital Extremes Heads to Summer Game Fest With New Reveals and Events
Digital Extremes is bringing multiple reveals and events to Summer Game Fest 2026 for its titles Warframe and Soulframe. The developer will showcase a new trailer for Soulframe and discuss Warframe's 13th anniversary content, including the upcoming narrative chapter Jade Shadows: Constellations. Additionally, there will be a physical pop-up shop and a themed cafe in Los Angeles.
Capcom did not expect people to like the first Pragmata trailer so much, and like Todd Howard wincing at The Elder Scrolls 6, kind of regretted announcing it so early
Capcom director Yonghee Cho and producer Naoto Oyama discussed the development of Pragmata, admitting they did not expect the initial trailer to generate such high player interest. This early reveal, despite leading to delays and internal reboots, ultimately served as a significant motivator for the development team. Cho also drew a parallel to Todd Howard's experience with The Elder Scrolls 6's early announcement, acknowledging a degree of regret but also the positive impact of sustained player anticipation.
Dear Villagers to Publish Puzzle Narrative Game Shape Sender Deluxe from Dead Teapot Games
French publisher Dear Villagers and New Zealand studio Dead Teapot Games have announced a partnership to release the narrative puzzle game Shape Sender Deluxe in 2026. The game features physics-based puzzles, a level editor, and a competitive post-game mode, with a full presentation planned for the Frosty Games Fest. A demo is currently available on Steam.
Destiny 2 Had To Die For The Series To Ever Live Again
The author argues that Destiny 2's prolonged lifespan and evolving issues, including microtransactions and the Destiny Content Vault, necessitated its eventual end for the series to have a chance at future success. Despite the sadness of its conclusion and reported layoffs at Bungie, the article suggests that the game's over-scope and mismanagement led to a decline that made a fresh start for the Destiny franchise necessary. The piece also touches on the impact of Sony's ownership and the challenges of sustaining live-service games.
Focus Grove - Out Now!
Focus Grove, a cozy work companion game designed to help players manage tasks and stay motivated, has been released on Steam. Developed by a Polish studio founded by former CD Projekt RED and Techland developers, the game features a woodland farm that grows as players make real-life progress. The developers aim to combat crunch and burnout by promoting balanced productivity over toxic work habits.
Uncharted 4 Investigation Reveals Just How Different Amy Hennig’s Original Vision Was
An investigation by Michael Kemp reveals significant differences in Amy Hennig's original vision for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End compared to the final release. Kemp's research, based on game files and leaked assets, suggests a greater emphasis on mystery, detective work, and playable historical pirate flashbacks, which were ultimately cut due to development challenges and ambition.
007 First Light Budget Reportedly More Than $200 Million
IO Interactive's upcoming game, 007 First Light, reportedly had a development budget exceeding $200 million and took seven years to create. The article focuses on the significant financial investment and development time for the title.
Tomo Endless Blue hits its initial $100K funding goal, so now it wants to give its critters little hats
The Kickstarter campaign for the voxelbox creature collecting game Tomo: Endless Blue has surpassed its initial $100,000 funding goal. The next stretch goal, unlocking at $120,000, will add the ability for players to equip their critters with hats, with all Kickstarter backers receiving an exclusive hat.
Was Fable really delayed because of GTA 6, or is the RPG just not finished yet?
The upcoming RPG Fable has reportedly been delayed to 2027, with Xbox citing a desire to better plan game launches and give the RPG its dedicated moment. The article questions this reasoning, suggesting the delay might be due to the game needing more development time or to avoid launching in the shadow of Grand Theft Auto 6. This move is seen as potentially strange from a player's perspective, especially given Fable's status as a major Xbox exclusive.
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen’s initial foray into underwater combat included feeding the lead programmer to sharks
Visionary Realms provided an update on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, detailing progress on refining the first 20 levels and plans to raise the PTR cap. The development team has begun initial testing of underwater combat, including feeding a character to sharks to test fixes. Other ongoing work includes NPC population, mastery system refinement, armor creation, and animation for new enemy types.
Former BioWare producer says we could be saved from a world where there's 'no AAA games that aren't live…
Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah suggests the AAA gaming industry could learn from Hollywood's business models to avoid a future dominated solely by live service games. He argues that the current reliance on microtransactions and live services discourages innovation and the exploration of diverse game genres. Darrah proposes that adopting strategies like tiered release windows and more varied subscription models could lead to a healthier and more sustainable industry.
Destiny 2 outlines upcoming gear changes while details about internal plans to right the ship come to light
Destiny 2 is set to receive significant gear updates before entering maintenance mode, including new exotic catalysts, weapon tier upgrades, and archetype tweaks. Bungie is also streamlining the artifact system and making more gear available from vendors. Meanwhile, internal discussions at Bungie reportedly explored rebranding to Destiny Infinity or a third game, but these were deemed too costly. Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek expressed concern over Sony's apparent lack of interest in long-term multiplayer game support.
"These sports games that were loved and revered... just went away" – How a group of ex-EA devs are launching a new NBA game
Play By Play, a studio founded by former Electronic Arts veterans, has announced its debut title, NBA: The Run, a three-vs-three street basketball game inspired by NBA Street. The game secured an official NBA license and aims to fill a market gap for arcade-style sports titles, differentiating itself from the simulation-focused NBA 2K series. The developers are prioritizing a focused, multiplayer experience without microtransactions at launch, with plans for community-driven evolution rather than annual releases.
Tekken's game director follows in Harada's footsteps by saying sayonara to Bandai Namco, causing fans to worry…
Kohei "Nakatsu" Ikeda, game director for Tekken 7 and Tekken 8, has announced his departure from Bandai Namco Entertainment after 20 years. This follows the earlier exit of long-time Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada, raising concerns among fans about the future of the fighting game series. Ikeda expressed his intention to continue as a game developer and hopes to cross paths with the community again.
Product Placement Can Help Save The AAA Games Business, Former BioWare Dev Says
Former BioWare veteran Mark Darrah suggests that product placement could be a viable solution for the financial sustainability of AAA game development, arguing that an over-reliance on live-service models and microtransactions is limiting. He points to existing examples in games and other media, and questions why it isn't a larger part of the gaming industry's revenue streams. Darrah also expressed concerns about the impact of subscription services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass on game design.
The Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past is being made by as many people as made The Witcher 3 - potentially even more
CD Projekt Red's expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled Songs of the Past, is being developed by a surprisingly large team of approximately 190 individuals, primarily from co-developer Fool's Theory. While CD Projekt Red provides creative oversight, their direct involvement appears minimal, with only around 19 developers assigned to the project. The expansion is expected to feature a new region and will align in scope with the Blood and Wine expansion.
