Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Game Development.
Latest coverage
The Internet Seems To Have Found A Very Familiar Face In Baldur’s Gate 3
Players have discovered a character in Baldur's Gate 3's title screen that bears a striking resemblance to Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest. Keighley himself acknowledged the resemblance, while Larian Studios humorously referred to the NPC as 'John Larian'.
Gang of Dragon appears to have been cancelled and the studio closed
The game Gang of Dragon, announced in 2025 by Toshihiro Nagoshi's Nagoshi Studios, appears to have been cancelled. Evidence includes the studio's YouTube channel and website being shut down, a co-head's updated bio, and the Google Business listing being marked as permanently closed. Bloomberg previously reported that funder NetEase refused a $44 million payout to complete the game.
'[It] is going to change a lot about how games are made': Epic merges Unreal Engine 5 with Unreal Engine for Fortnite to give game devs around the world Unreal Engine 6
Epic Games is merging Unreal Engine 5 and Unreal Engine for Fortnite into a single package, Unreal Engine 6, set for an early access release in late 2027. This unification aims to simplify game development and cross-platform deployment, with Rocket League serving as the initial showcase. The new engine will also feature Verse as its primary scripting language and integrate AI tools for development tasks.
Epic Games details how it's embracing generative AI in Unreal Engine
Epic Games is integrating generative AI into future versions of Unreal Engine. This move signifies a significant embrace of AI technologies within the game development engine.
Own the Rights to Every Track You Make in Lassen’s Loop, Demo Out Now
TNB Games's upcoming title Lassen's Loop, a music creation game inspired by composer Justin Lassen, is set to launch on July 1st, 2026 for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac. A free demo featuring over 3,500 music cards is now available on Steam, allowing players to create and export their own songs with full ownership rights.
'It feels to many like a tidal wave is sweeping over the AAA game business,' says Epic CEO Tim Sweeney in his…
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney described the current AAA game business as facing a "tidal wave" due to escalating development costs and a high failure rate for major releases. He contrasted this with the success of platforms like Roblox and proposed Epic's vision of a connected metaverse ecosystem built on Unreal Engine as a more developer-friendly alternative.
"Gamers don't want it": Palworld lead says Pocketpair doesn't touch AI because players hate it and artists "like doing stuff themselves"
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that the company avoids generative AI because gamers dislike it and their in-house artists prefer creating assets themselves. He believes the backlash against AI in games, exemplified by recent concerns at Summer Game Fest and Steam's disclosure policies, will continue. Buckley also noted regional differences in AI adoption, with Western markets being more resistant.
Vampire Survivors Dev 'Reviewing' Fortnite Collaboration Due to Epic's Use of Generative AI
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is reviewing its collaboration with Epic Games for Fortnite content due to Epic's public embrace of generative AI in its development workflow. Poncle expressed concern over the use of AI for creating game assets, including potential Fortnite characters based on Vampire Survivors IP. The studio will provide updates on the partnership's future.
Unreal Engine 6 will merge UE5 and UEFN into 'a single, unified engine'
Epic Games announced significant changes for Unreal Engine 6, including the integration of Unreal Engine for Fortnite into a single, unified engine. The update will shift from C++ to the Verse programming language, incorporate AI tools for models like Claude and Gemini, and aims to make content and code more interoperable across games and ecosystems. Early Access for Unreal Engine 6 is slated for late 2027.
Vampire Survivors developer 'reviewing' Fortnite collaboration in wake of Epic's gen AI stance
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is reviewing its collaboration with Fortnite due to Epic Games' stance on generative AI. Following Epic's State of Unreal showcase, which highlighted the use of AI in Unreal Engine and Fortnite asset creation, Poncle announced on Discord that they are reconsidering the partnership. The studio has previously expressed disinterest in using generative AI for game development.
OtherSide Entertainment lays off 17 staff following game cancellation
OtherSide Entertainment has laid off 17 employees following the cancellation of a game codenamed Argos. Studio leaders Warren Spector and Paul Neurath stated that the current challenging gaming landscape made the project unviable. The studio is seeking new opportunities for the impacted staff.
'There Are Other Xbox Studios in Trouble': Ominous Reports as Microsoft 'Bloodbath' Looms
Journalist Jason Schreier reports that Xbox is facing significant layoffs and potential studio closures beyond Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion Games. These "bloodbath" events are expected within the next two weeks, with negotiations underway for studio spin-offs or sales. The situation is attributed to financial pressures, including the costly Activision Blizzard acquisition and a failure to grow Game Pass significantly.
Dispatch Has Found The Funniest Possible Way To Fix Its Switch Censorship
Developer AdHoc has released a "HR Violations Pack" patch for Dispatch on Nintendo Switch, addressing player complaints about censorship. The patch introduces options to reveal previously censored content, though some restrictions from Nintendo remain. The studio apologized for the initial censored release and stated the success of the game allowed them to rectify the situation.
Epic sees 'central role' for gen AI models like Claude & Codex in Unreal Engine 6
Epic Games has revealed that generative AI models like Claude and Codex will play a central role in Unreal Engine 6, aiming to reduce tedious tasks in game development. The engine will integrate these AI tools to speed up content creation, including level design, character rigging, and particle systems, while also improving the Epic Developer Assistant. Unreal Engine 6 is not expected to enter Early Access until 2027 at the earliest.
You’ll Be Able To Use Your Fortnite Skins In Other Games, Eventually
Epic Games announced that Unreal Engine 6 will enable Fortnite skins to be used in other UE6 games, and vice versa, as part of its metaverse initiative. This aims to create a shared economy for smart assets that function across different titles. An early access version of Unreal Engine 6 is planned for late 2027.
Canceled Project Blackbird May Have Been Perfect Replacement For Destiny, Insider Says
Insider reports suggest Microsoft's canceled action-RPG MMO, Project Blackbird, could have been a successful replacement for Destiny 2. Developed by the ZeniMax team, the game was reportedly canceled in mid-2025 due to financial reasons, despite positive internal feedback. Its cancellation is seen as a missed opportunity for Xbox to fill a void in the live-service market.
Unreal Engine 5.8 launches with improved terrain and vegetation tools, a Lumen Lite option for faster global illumination, and for the times we now live in, an open standard plugin for LLM systems
Unreal Engine 5.8 has been released, introducing experimental features like Mesh Terrain and Procedural Vegetation Editor, alongside a production-ready MegaLights system and a faster Lumen Lite option for global illumination. The update also includes an experimental plugin for Large Language Models (LLMs), allowing for AI integration in asset creation and development tasks. Epic Games highlights that Lumen Lite is optimized for platforms like the Nintendo Switch, potentially enabling 60fps performance.
Unreal Engine 6 has a novel idea: you using your Fortnite skins in other Unreal games and vice versa
Epic Games is exploring a shared economy for Unreal Engine 6, allowing players to use Fortnite skins in other Unreal Engine games and vice versa. Development team lead Marcus Wassmer detailed this initiative, aiming to create portable player value and foster ecosystem growth. While Unreal Engine 6 is still in early development with an estimated early access in late 2027, it will also feature enhanced multiplayer support and cross-platform capabilities.
Forget NPCs, now we have CPCs — Co-Playable Characters or AI teammates in PUBG courtesy of Nvidia ACE tech, but…
PUBG Battlegrounds is testing an Ally Duo Mode featuring AI teammates powered by Nvidia's ACE technology, allowing players to team up with an AI companion named Ella. While Nvidia promotes this as a revolutionary step in AI game characters, the article expresses skepticism, comparing it to advanced bots and questioning the 'human-like' interaction and potential impact on gameplay performance.
Check the 26 Spanish Indie Gems featured at the GameSpain Direct Summer Showcase!
The GameSpain Summer Showcase, organized by the Spanish Videogame Developers Association (DEV), featured 26 Spanish indie games. The event, streamed on the Best Indie Games YouTube channel, highlighted titles in development or recently released. DEV is also hosting a Steam event to promote many of these showcased games.
