Live Service Games
Ongoing coverage on Live Service Games.
Latest coverage
Dave Bautista is confirmed as the new Kratos for Amazon's God of War series
Dave Bautista has been confirmed as the new Kratos in Amazon's upcoming God of War television series, replacing Ryan Hurst who stepped down due to injury. The production will reshoot Kratos' scenes with Bautista. The series will adapt the story from the first God of War game and potentially God of War: Ragnarök for its second season.
The opportunity cost of Sony's live service pivot is enormous | Opinion
The article argues that Sony's pivot to live service games has incurred enormous opportunity costs, particularly for its first-party studios like Guerrilla Games. This strategic misstep has led to significant delays in major exclusive titles for the PlayStation 5, potentially impacting the console's lifecycle and Sony's relationship with consumers. The author suggests that the long-term damage to the brand and product pipeline may outweigh the direct financial investments in live service projects.
EA staff worries over Saudi buyout, Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, and Peak's last major update - Patch Notes #66
This article covers several gaming industry developments, including employee concerns at Electronic Arts following a Saudi buyout, ongoing leaks of Grand Theft Auto 6, and the final update for the game Peak. It also touches on FromSoftware's new game The Duskbloods, Compulsion Games' management buyout from Xbox, PlayStation's struggles with live-service games, and the use of AI in game development.
2XKO to End Active Development in December 2026 — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Riot Games announced that active development for its fighting game 2XKO will cease in December 2026, though the game will remain playable. The decision stems from the game's inability to achieve sustainability, with Riot citing a lack of meaningful, sustained player engagement. Upcoming characters and content will still be released, and all purchases made before August 20 will be refunded.
Bungie Had “Five or Six” Projects in the Works Before Sony’s Acquisition – Rumor
A report indicates that Bungie had five or six projects in development before its acquisition by Sony, including Destiny 2 and Marathon. Most of these projects were canceled due to various reasons, leading to significant layoffs at the studio. Bungie is currently focusing on Marathon and has ended support for Destiny 2.
Games Inbox: Who are the GTA 6 leakers?
This article discusses the implications of leaks for Grand Theft Auto 6, with readers expressing sympathy for the leakers while acknowledging the severe legal consequences. Other topics include criticism of Electronic Arts executives, praise for the game 007 Legends, and concerns about the impact of live service games and layoffs within the industry.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta dates: How to sign up for both MW4 beta weekends
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will feature two beta weekends, an early access beta for pre-orders starting August 21 and an open beta for all players beginning August 28. The betas will allow players to test campaign missions and multiplayer maps on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with various rewards available for participation.
Riot is ending development of its 2XKO fighting game
Riot Games has announced the end of active development for its fighting game 2XKO, citing a lack of sustained player engagement for long-term sustainability. While servers will remain online until the end of 2026 and all fighters will be unlocked, no new content will be developed after this year. Players who spent money on the game before August 20 will receive refunds.
I'm a decade-plus FromSoftware sicko, and these are my 5 takeaways from the first Duskbloods gameplay
A long-time FromSoftware fan shares their takeaways from early gameplay footage of The Duskbloods, a new PvPvE game. The game features instanced, run-based gameplay with increasing difficulty and structured objectives, drawing comparisons to Nightreign and Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree. While emphasizing PvP, it offers PvE options and a potential co-op boss finale, with many visual motifs reminiscent of Bloodborne.
Naughty Dog Never Treated The Last of Us Online as Filler — and Intergalactic’s Team Mostly Formed After the Cancellation
Naughty Dog's canceled multiplayer game, The Last of Us Online, was treated as a tentpole release rather than a filler project, according to Jason Schreier. Most of the team now working on the unannounced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet only joined after The Last of Us Online was scrapped, having spent seven years in development before its cancellation at approximately 80% completion due to the challenges of live service support.
Today in GTA 5 mods: Turning Franklin into a walking car-cannon
A new mod for Grand Theft Auto V, called Vehicle Cannon, transforms the player's equipped firearm into a launcher that shoots vehicles at high speeds. This mod allows players to cause immense destruction in Los Santos by launching cars and other automobiles as projectiles, adding a chaotic element to gameplay.
The latest GTA 6 leak confirms the leaker likely has or had access to a playable build
A new Grand Theft Auto 6 leak features a video of a playable build, showing a plane flying over Vice City with detailed environments and in-game radio. The leaker, identified as 'Leek,' also shot the word 'LEEK' into a wall, suggesting direct access to the game. This leak poses significant concerns for Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive with the game's console release approaching.
Palworld and No Man's Sky are intensifying their months-long flirtation, and if those two don't just kiss…
Developers from Palworld and No Man's Sky, Pocketpair and Hello Games respectively, have engaged in a public flirtation regarding a potential collaboration. This exchange, involving key figures like Sean Murray and John Buckley, has intensified over social media, with both studios expressing interest and referencing past interactions and song lyrics.
What Goes Into A Game Price Tag?
The article explores the factors influencing video game pricing, from the standard $70 AAA price point to lower-cost indie titles. Experts and developers discuss how production costs, market demand, and pricing strategies impact a game's success, with examples like Grand Theft Auto 6 and Mina the Hollower illustrating different approaches. The piece highlights that while some games command premium prices, others thrive by offering lower entry points to reach a wider audience.
The live-service elements of Horizon Hunters Gathering are reportedly being stripped out following 'poor feedback' as new details emerge about several canceled PlayStation titles
Guerrilla Games is reportedly overhauling its upcoming live-service title Horizon Hunters Gathering, removing its multiplayer-focused features and shifting to a traditional cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode and smaller scope due to negative playtest feedback. This change comes as part of Sony's broader, and reportedly troubled, initiative to push its single-player focused studios into the live-service market, with several other PlayStation live-service projects, including a God of War game from Bluepoint and an online Spider-Man title from Insomniac, having been canceled.
Bungie reportedly had "5 or 6 games" in development, including Marathon and Destiny 2 – but most fell apart after Sony's $3.6 billion acquisition
Bungie reportedly had five or six games in development, including Marathon and Destiny 2, but most were canceled following Sony's $3.6 billion acquisition. These projects were a key part of Sony's interest in acquiring the studio, but ultimately, most were scrapped due to various reasons, with only a few, like Project Gummy Bears, remaining in some form of development.
PlayStation Exclusive Horizon 3 Gets Disappointing Update
A Bloomberg report indicates that Horizon 3 is still in early development with a small team at Guerrilla Games, suggesting a potential release on PlayStation 6. Meanwhile, the live service game Horizon Hunters Gathering is undergoing a significant overhaul, dropping some live service elements in favor of a co-op multiplayer and story mode.
Redfall developers begged Microsoft to come back and finish its last patch: 'I know we don't work here anymore, but can we please release this?'
Former Arkane Austin employees, including director Harvey Smith, revealed that they begged Microsoft to allow them to release the final 1.4 patch for the poorly received game Redfall after the studio was shut down. This patch, which fixed numerous bugs, was developed after the team was laid off but was ultimately released by Microsoft, who allowed a small group to return to the office to complete it. While the patch significantly improved the game, it is unlikely to have saved it from its initial critical and commercial failure.
Horizon Hunters Gathering reportedly scrapping live service elements following closed beta
Guerilla Games is reportedly overhauling its upcoming game Horizon Hunters Gathering, removing live service elements like microtransactions following negative feedback from its closed beta. The game will shift to a more standard co-op multiplayer experience with a smaller scope. Its fate remains uncertain as it must impress PlayStation executives by December.
Will the next Mass Effect actually release under EA's new owners? 'I'll believe it when I see it,' says former EA manager turned Newzoo analyst
Following Electronic Arts' acquisition by a consortium including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, industry analyst Emmanuel Rosier expressed uncertainty about the future of the company's less prominent intellectual properties and studios like BioWare. Rosier suggests that EA might sell off dormant IPs such as Ultima and Wing Commander or focus heavily on sports titles and esports due to regional interests.
