Game Developer (@gamedeveloper.bsky.social)

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Serving the video game industry through breaking news, insight on game industry trends, expert advice & resources, and more. Press requests: news@gamedeveloper.com Tips: tips@gamedeveloper.com

94.3K followers 52 following4.8K posts

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Changing acquired studios' core identity consistently leads to doom, says Nightdive Studios CEO

gamedeveloper.comChanging acquired studios' core identity consistently leads to doom, says Nightdive Studios CEOWhy don't large publishers acquire companies and let them do what they do best?

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Sucker Punch lays off 24 to align with current market, next project needs

gamedeveloper.comSucker Punch lays off 24 to align with current market, next project needsAn email sent to staff stated that the layoff, which impact 24 people, are a reaction to both ongoing market challenges and the studio's hope to better align the team to the needs of its next project.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

22h

Xbox reportedly turned down a $500 million deal from Netflix to adapt its video game properties

gamedeveloper.comXbox reportedly turned down a $500 million deal from Netflix to adapt its video game propertiesA new report states that Netflix was looking to adapt a host of Xbox properties for a $500 million deal, but Xbox turned the streaming company down in hopes of upping the number.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

23h

Obituary: Voice actor Eric Bauza has passed away at 46

gamedeveloper.comObituary: Voice actor Eric Bauza has passed away at 46The voice behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a host of other well-loved characters has passed away suddenly at age 46.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Xbox's first-ever COO is out after just three months

gamedeveloper.comXbox's first-ever COO is out after just three monthsThree months after the role was created, cited by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma as necessary to make Xbox less fragmented, the inaugural Xbox COO is leaving her position with little fanfare.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

GameMaker's GMRT runtime will soon be free for all developers

gamedeveloper.comGameMaker's GMRT runtime will soon be free for all developersGameMaker's GMRT runtime will be free to use for all developers starting in 2027.

Game Developer reposted

Bryant Francis

@bryantfrancis.me

Want to tip my hat to the hat-wearing champ @lewispackwood.bsky.social for being down to share extra thoughts on the words "core teams." Helped me put to words why so many developers are jumpy at the phrase, even if Fuse Games did right by Star Wars: Galactic Racer devs.

Game Developer@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Opinion: Why words matter when we prioritize 'core teams' in game development

gamedeveloper.comOpinion: Why words matter when we prioritize 'core teams' in game developmentHow we describe game development will inevitably shape our processes.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Opinion: Why words matter when we prioritize 'core teams' in game development

gamedeveloper.comOpinion: Why words matter when we prioritize 'core teams' in game developmentHow we describe game development will inevitably shape our processes.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

VR pioneer Owlchemy Labs jumps to XR for its next release

gamedeveloper.comVR pioneer Owlchemy Labs jumps to XR for its next releaseOwlchemy Labs' new game Hyper Visor will be a launch title for HTC's XREAL Aura headset.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

EA closes Mass Effect, Dragon Age creator BioWare after 30 years of game development

gamedeveloper.comEA closes Mass Effect, Dragon Age creator BioWare after 30 years of game developmentEA is reportedly laying off 400 employees, 50 of whom were the remaining staffers at BioWare.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Fuse Games CEO breaks down codev framework for Star Wars: Galactic Racer

gamedeveloper.comFuse Games CEO breaks down codev framework for Star Wars: Galactic RacerA model for making the most of distributed development.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Innersloth co-founder warns devs: 'there are some very bad deals out there' www.gamedeveloper.com/business/out...

gamedeveloper.comInnersloth co-founder warns devs to avoid toxic funding dealsInnersloth co-founder Forest Willard says that through his work at Outersloth, he's learned of 'abysmal' indie game funding deals that devs should avoid.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Moonlighter developer delays public playtest of next game over concerns of AI cloning

gamedeveloper.comMoonlighter developer delays public playtest of next game over concerns of AI cloningDigital Sun Games is narrowing its early testing of ReVamp to its Discord community following fears of generative AI-enabled cloning.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Busting myths in game writing ft. Bruno Dias, Aysha Farah, & Andrea Saravia Perez

gamedeveloper.comBusting myths in game writing ft. Bruno Dias, Aysha Farah, & Andrea Saravia PerezTelling truths about how to tell great stories in video games.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Caves of Qud: Diaspora breaks new ground by being the first early access DLC release on Steam

gamedeveloper.comCaves of Qud: Diaspora breaks new ground by being the first early access DLC release on SteamThe roguelike RPG is no longer in Steam Early Access, but its upcoming DLC Diaspora will be, marking untrodden ground for the in-development program.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Ubisoft to close Trials studio RedLynx, downsize Ubisoft Singapore

gamedeveloper.comUbisoft to close Trials studio RedLynx, downsize Ubisoft SingaporeThe decisions will ultimately impact over 120 jobs between the two studios as part of Ubisoft's ongoing restructuring efforts.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

No more hand-written code? Epic's Disney project reportedly shifts to 'AI-First' development

gamedeveloper.comNo more hand-written code? Epic's Disney project reportedly shifts to 'AI-First' developmentDevelopers working on the upcoming Star Wars and Marvel shooter have been reportedly instructed to lean heavily on AI, especially during the creation of code and art.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Owlchemy CEO: VR is still an emerging market because it hasn't passed the 'cafe test' www.gamedeveloper.com/extended-rea...

gamedeveloper.comOwlchemy CEO: VR hardware still hasn't passed the 'cafe test'Andrew Eiche also claims layoffs are becoming commonplace within the VR industry because some companies refuse to meet audiences with what they want.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Ubisoft to sunset Rainbow Six Mobile just seven months after launch

gamedeveloper.comUbisoft to sunset Rainbow Six Mobile just seven months after launchThe tactical mobile shooter was only globally released earlier this year.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Report: Double Fine's union drive collapsed due to miscommunication and culture clash

gamedeveloper.comReport: Double Fine's union drive collapsed due to miscommunication and culture clashIt appears the question of union eligibility crashed headlong into Double Fine Productions' decades-old company culture.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Trump administration suspends Microsoft's ability to apply for green cards, alleging fraud

gamedeveloper.comTrump administration suspends Microsoft's ability to apply for green cards, alleging fraudThe tech giant is no longer able to apply for H1-B visas for employees who come to live and work in the United States, potentially stymieing Xbox hiring.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Xbox CEO unveils 'new Xbox division' for game-adjacent ventures named 'XP'

gamedeveloper.comXbox CEO unveils 'new Xbox division' for game-adjacent ventures named 'XP'Xbox is doubling down on its more IP-centric strategy with a division dedicated to expanding those properties outside of games.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Denuvo attempts to subpoena Discord, Valve, and Reddit in effort to identify hacker

gamedeveloper.comDenuvo attempts to subpoena Discord, Valve, and Reddit in effort to identify hackerAfter numerous and consistent cracks over the last year, Denuvo wants to find the hacker that has compromised its security through other online platforms.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor brings back 'over half' of furloughed staff

gamedeveloper.comStar Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor brings back 'over half' of furloughed staffThe studio suspended the majority of its staff ahead of the tactical Star Wars title's launch. Now it's bringing back many suspended employees.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick named to the board of post-merger Skydance

gamedeveloper.comFormer Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick named to the board of post-merger SkydanceFrom the convergence of Paramount and WB comes a newly-formed company that has tapped Kotick to sit on its board.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Electronic Arts' leveraged buyout faces a bondholder battle

gamedeveloper.comElectronic Arts' leveraged buyout faces a bondholder battleThe acquisition of Electronic Arts required taking on a lot of debt, and some bondholders are reportedly demanding more cash.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Google debuts new 'experimental' AI game platform named Google Playground

gamedeveloper.comGoogle debuts new 'experimental' AI game platform named Google PlaygroundA platform for people who want to play games made by AI.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Unity unveils Unity Spark, an prompt-based tool for Google's AI games platform

gamedeveloper.comUnity unveils Unity Spark, an prompt-based tool for Google's AI games platformUnity's new tool allows prompt-based game development, working in collaboration with Google AI.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

GameStop, other retailers to sell used PlayStation 5 Pro units for 66 percent over MSRP

gamedeveloper.comGameStop, other retailers to sell used PlayStation 5 Pro units for 66 percent over MSRPThe advanced PlayStation 5 console is already both highly sought-after and hard to find. Now retailers are pricing it well above MSRP.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Unlead Labs studio head says they were 'irresponsibly transparent' in preparing staff for layoffs

gamedeveloper.comUnlead Labs studio head says they were 'irresponsibly transparent' in preparing staff for layoffsStudio head Philip Holt says he was being incredibly candid with employees as layoffs loomed.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Co-dev case study: How Blackbird Interactive and Secret Mode helped Escape the Backrooms ride the Backrooms hype wave

gamedeveloper.comCo-dev case study: How Blackbird Interactive and Secret Mode helped Escape the Backrooms ride the Backrooms hype waveA co-dev partnership helped Fancy's hit game Escape The Backrooms reach over 4 million players.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Arc Raiders and The Finals set for TV and film adaptations from Backrooms co-producer

gamedeveloper.comArc Raiders and The Finals set for TV and film adaptations from Backrooms co-producerThe Sweden-based Embark Studios has secured adaptations for both of its multiplayer shooters, The Finals and ARC Raiders.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Report: Ninja Theory lays off workers after failing to spin off from Xbox

gamedeveloper.comReport: Ninja Theory lays off workers after failing to spin off from XboxThe developer of the Hellblade titles and the recently-announced Senua is reportedly cutting jobs after attempts to divest the studio from the parent company were unsuccessful.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Why it's still worth making immersive sims ft. Harvey Smith & Ben Horne

gamedeveloper.comWhy it's still worth making immersive sims ft. Harvey Smith & Ben HorneCelebrated game designer Harvey Smith and former Arkane Austin executive producer Ben Horne lay out their vision for Black Pony Immersive.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Reigns developer Nerial enters 'hibernation mode, lays off staff

gamedeveloper.comReigns developer Nerial enters 'hibernation mode, lays off staffThe studio that gave birth to Reigns is ending operations—for now.

Game Developer

@gamedeveloper.bsky.social

Heads up podcast listeners--today's episode is delayed while @bryantfrancis.me wraps up travel. You can look forward to our episode with @blackpony.com on Monday October 5!