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Over the weekend, Blizzard announced Diablo V for 2029 and a StarCraft shooter for 2030.

Publisher drops unannounced game, Heart Machine lays off "nearly everyone"

Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter, has laid off nearly all of its staff after a publisher decided not to move forward with an unannounced title. Founder Alx Preston confirmed the cuts on LinkedIn, saying the studio still exists but is in a precarious position and that affected staff will receive placement support. The cancelled game would have been Heart Machine's fifth, following Hyper Light Breaker's halted development and a smaller round of layoffs, with Possessor(s) released weeks later.

Hyper Light Drifter maker Heart Machine lays off nearly everyone

Heart Machine studio head Alx Preston said on LinkedIn that an unannounced game funded by an unnamed publisher was dropped by that publisher this week, and without that income nearly everyone at the studio had to be laid off. Preston did not say the studio would shut down, only that he is not sure what is next for Heart Machine to survive. The studio debuted in 2016 with the Kickstarter-funded Hyper Light Drifter, followed by Solar Ash and the early access Hyper Light Breaker, whose development ended after layoffs in October 2025 without a 1.0 release; its latest game, the Metroidvania Possessor(s), sits at 71 on Metacritic and was preceded by a second round of layoffs in October 2025.

Bill Skarsgård to Lead Kojima Productions' Physint, Now Published by Xbox

Kojima Productions announced that Bill Skarsgård will play the lead in Physint, with Hideo Kojima saying costume fittings, scans and camera tests were done earlier this year. The game, a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, was originally a PlayStation-published title, but PlayStation recently dropped out and Xbox was revealed as its new publisher the same day. Charlee Fraser, Ma Dong-seok and Minami Hamabe were previously confirmed for the cast.

Draft EU KIDS Act proposes sweeping restrictions on online games

The European Commission has published a draft of the proposed EU KIDS Act, which if approved would apply to all online games sold in the EU and restrict features such as login bonuses, contact between minors and other users, and transparency around virtual currencies and variable reward systems. Providers would generally have to implement parental controls and age assurance, though requirements are less strict than for social networks. The transparency provisions on virtual currencies and variable rewards appear only in the recitals, not the operative text, and the draft still needs approval from the European Parliament and EU member states.

Nex Playground heads to Germany as publishers pitch old Kinect and Wii catalogues

Nex Playground will officially launch in Germany later this year at €319, after its UK debut and a US launch that the company says beat forecasts. Nex Team president Thomas Kang said every major publisher has approached the company to review its old Kinect and Wii catalogues and consider their IPs. The US price rose from $249 to $299 earlier this year due to component and memory shortages, while the Play Pass subscription stays at $89 annually or $49 quarterly.

Nex Playground raises $150m as hardware sales pass one million

Nex has raised $150 million in funding as sales of its family-oriented active console Nex Playground passed one million units. Its subscriber base grew sevenfold over the past 18 months to nearly one million active subscribers, a figure Nex expects to surpass by the end of the year. The Series E round was co-led by Baillie Gifford and BAI Capital, with participation from NBA Investments, Logitech, Medici Capital Partners and the Raine Group, and will fund international expansion including Germany later this year and Japan and Korea in 2027. Nex also appointed former Niantic and Zynga executive Jeff Shouger as CFO, with Bing Gordon joining its board.

Nex Playground maker Nex raises over $150 million to expand globally

Nex, the company behind the controller-free Nex Playground console, has raised over $150 million in equity and debt financing to accelerate its international expansion, with Europe and Asia as key target regions. Nex Playground has sold over 1 million units worldwide and outsold the Xbox Series X|S in the United States during the 2025 holiday season. The financing includes a Series E led by Baillie Gifford and BAI Capital with participation from NBA Investments, Logitech, Medici Capital Partners and the Raine Group, plus a new credit facility with JPMorgan, and Nex has named former Niantic, Zynga and EA executive Jeff Shouger as chief financial officer.

Bill Skarsgard will star as the hero in Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.

Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine lays off the majority of staff

Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter, has laid off nearly everyone after a publisher pulled funding for an unannounced title. Founder Alx Preston announced the news on LinkedIn and said he is not sure how the studio will survive, adding that affected staff will receive support including placement assistance. The studio had already downsized in November 2024 and went through two more rounds of layoffs in October 2025, and it is unclear how many employees remain.

Heart Machine faces possible closure after publishing deal falls through, majority of staff laid off

Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine is at risk of shutting down after a publishing deal collapsed, with nearly everyone at the studio laid off. Studio head Alx Preston said on LinkedIn that without this key income and other immediate prospects or funds, almost all staff had to be let go, and that everyone will be offered support including help with placement. Heart Machine has gone through three rounds of layoffs in nearly three years, including cuts in November 2024 before Hyper Light Breaker's early access launch and two more rounds in October 2025.

Tokyo Game Show (TGS)

Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is listed as an event entry on Game Developer, filed under the Events section alongside GDC. The page provides no specific dates, exhibitors, or titles for the show.

Shinji Mikami to be Inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced that Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami will be inducted into its Hall of Fame. Over his 30-year career he created enduring IPs including Devil May Cry, The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush, and Ghostwire: Tokyo, and he currently leads Unbound Inc. as creative director and CEO. Goichi 'Suda51' Suda will present the award during the 30th anniversary of the D.I.C.E. Awards.

Report: MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy seemingly closing after more layoffs

Multiple staff at MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy have posted farewell messages on LinkedIn, and Kotaku reports that sources say the studio is permanently closing. The studio has not acknowledged the reported layoffs or closure. The team had already faced several rounds of job cuts, an open letter from nearly 100 developers alleging mismanagement, and IOI Partners stepping down as MindsEye publisher earlier this year.

Build a Rocket Boy reportedly hit by another round of layoffs

Multiple Build a Rocket Boy staff have said they were laid off, according to IGN, though the scale of the cuts is unclear. The studio's MindsEye launched in June 2025 to bugs, performance complaints and poor reviews, and the developer is thought to have cut around 300 developers shortly afterwards, with further redundancies confirmed earlier this year. HR operations lead Dan Hawkins confirmed his own departure on LinkedIn, and a source told IGN the studio may not be dissolved even if all remaining staff are let go.

This would be terrible for the next generation of humanity. The apps and games of today are the paintbrushes and tree forts of yesterday....

Shinji Mikami to Join AIAS Hall of Fame at 2026 DICE Awards

Shinji Mikami will receive the Hall of Fame Award at the 30th annual DICE Awards on February 18 of next year, AIAS announced. The current creative director and CEO of Unbound is being honored for a game industry career spanning over 30 years, with Goichi Suda (Suda 51) presenting the award. Mikami founded and led Tango Gameworks before establishing Unbound toward the end of 2022, which Shift Up acquired earlier this year for an undisclosed fee.

First Finalists Revealed for the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK

The 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK has revealed the finalists for its special awards, with Zynga-owned NaturalMotion Games leading at five nominations, followed by Rocksteady Studios with four and Jagex, Playground Games and Rare with three each. The HR Hero Award returns this year with finalists from Frontier Developments, IO Interactive, HundredStar Games, Jagex, Playground and Playstack. Winners of the special and overall awards will be announced at a ceremony at The Royal Institution in London on October 1, 2026.

The Steam Fest That Proves Why Everyone Hates on AI in Games | 16/09/26

1312 Interactive raises $1m in seed funding round

1312 Interactive, India's first dedicated PC and console game publishing house, has raised $1 million in a seed round led by T-Accelerate Capital and ChimeraVC, with participation from Ventana Ventures, Rahul Reddy G., Rohan Murukutla and Dasari Srinivas. The funds will support its publishing infrastructure, including expansion into emerging markets and ongoing support for developers in production, marketing, QA, localisation and distribution. The company is also launching 1312 Playground, a community-led initiative offering studios playtesting, feedback and audience insights before launch.

Activision Blizzard sued by former employee over sexual harassment

Activision Blizzard is being sued by a former employee who claims she was sexually harassed during her time at the company. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this month, alleges a pervasive "frat boy" workplace culture, with the claimant accusing 10 men of harassment, physical assault, and inappropriate comments, and saying her reports to supervisors and HR were ignored. A Blizzard spokesperson said the company takes the allegations seriously, while a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the lawsuit relates only to alleged misconduct within Blizzard, which was not yet owned by Microsoft at the time. Activision Blizzard previously settled a modified version of a 2021 California Civil Rights Department lawsuit in 2023 for $55 million.

Bohemia Interactive takes minority stake in Everwind developer Enjoy Studio

Bohemia Interactive has acquired an undisclosed minority stake in Polish developer Enjoy Studio, becoming a co-owner of the studio in its first investment in a Polish developer. Enjoy Studio will keep its identity and creative independence, and its co-op FPS survival RPG Everwind entered early access on Steam in March 2026 with over 300,000 copies sold. The studio joined Bohemia Interactive's Incubator program in 2024.

Why the publisher of Nintendo Life is launching a new PC gaming site, Steam Hype

Hookshot has launched Steam Hype, a PC-focused outlet dedicated to "what's hot and what's next" on Steam, marking its fifth site alongside Nintendo Life, Push Square, Pure Xbox, and Time Extension. The site emphasizes human-led curation and recommendation, with a monthly playlist of new titles and a weekly list of notable updates and releases, overseen by Damien McFerran and led editorially by Dominic Tarason. Hookshot CEO Dickens says the company's majority-independent ownership lets it expand while others contract, with a goal of breaking even within a year.

#SteamTopSellers for week of 8 Sep — 15 September 2026 (No F2P):

Team17 owner Everplay increases stake in Wardogs developer Bulkhead, touts strong FY26 outlook

Team17 owner Everplay has increased its shareholding in Wardogs developer Bulkhead after the game surpassed one million copies following its September 10 early access launch. Everplay expects strong full-year results, with Bulkhead's Wardogs and Expression Games' Hell Let Loose: Vietnam outperforming expectations. For the six months ended June 30, 2026, Everplay reported an 8% revenue decline to £66.9 million and a 29% profit drop to £23.9 million.

Curve Games Partners With Wayfinder Studios to Publish Online Co-op RPG Wyldheart

Curve Games has partnered with independent developer Wayfinder Studios to publish its online co-op RPG Wyldheart. Curve described the deal as the next phase of its roadmap after being acquired by Nazara Technologies last May for £21.7 million. Sweden-based Wayfinder Studios was founded in 2020 by EA DICE veterans, and Wyldheart has more than 375,000 Steam wishlists and raised €248,000 on Kickstarter.

Apple filed their Supreme Court briefing today. Now Apple’s PR team has begun sharing its muddled talking points on the topic with the pr...

Level-5 CEO admits generative AI was used in recent showcase and apologizes

Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino confirmed that generative AI was used in the studio's recent digital showcase and apologized for it. He said AI was used experimentally to make the presentation more spectacular, after viewers suspected some footage was AI-generated, and stressed the games themselves are not AI-made. Hino said AI at the studio is mostly for efficiency, such as converting artwork into polygons, partly to help cut development time on major releases from five years to two.

Survey: over 40% of US users cancelling Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus and Switch Online cite rising costs

Circana survey data shows that over 40% of US users cancelling Xbox Game Pass Essential, PS Plus Essential and Nintendo Switch Online cite cost as a primary driver. Analyst Mat Piscatella stressed the figure reflects why existing cancellers leave, not how many people are cancelling. Among recent Nintendo Switch Online cancellers, 50% said they liked the service but couldn't justify the cost within their budget, up from 40% earlier in the year, while the same figure for Xbox Game Pass Essential and PS Plus Essential rose from 37% in Q1 to 40% now.

China's video game market will reach nearly $60 billion by 2030.

Rockstar and IWGB set out their arguments as tribunal opens

Rockstar and the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain have set out their arguments at an ongoing employment tribunal expected to run until October 16. Rockstar dismissed 34 staff last year citing gross misconduct and a leak of confidential information, while the claimants say they were dismissed over union activities. Legal filings obtained by Game Developer say the claimants allege a mole inside the union's Discord server fed information to HR manager and co-studio operations director Charlie Kinloch from as early as February 2024, flagging a rise in union recruitment in October 2025 before membership crossed the 10% threshold for UK statutory recognition. Rockstar disputes this, saying past leaks of unfinished GTA 6 footage require stronger protection of confidential information, describing the union's Discord server as three rooms of increasing size and openness, the largest with roughly 350 members by October 2025, and saying the dismissals stemmed from an irretrievable breakdown in trust and confidence rather than union organizing.

Report: PlayStation ended Kojima Productions' Physint over budget, profitability and exclusivity concerns

Bloomberg reports that PlayStation ended its involvement with Kojima Productions' Physint over concerns about budget, potential profitability and exclusivity. Sources said the project had missed deadlines and was on track to be well over budget despite being years from release, and that Death Stranding and its sequel On the Beach did not meet PlayStation's revenue expectations. Hideo Kojima said last Thursday his studio unexpectedly received notice in mid-June that PlayStation would cancel Physint, and Kojima Productions has since found a new partner in Xbox.

Roblox announces Roblox Everywhere, letting creators publish games as standalone apps on multiple platforms

At this year's Roblox Developers Conference, Roblox announced the Roblox Everywhere initiative, which will let creators publish their games as standalone apps on mobile, PC, and console with Roblox powering the underlying technology and services. A Roblox representative told PC Gamer it will start with a select set of gaming developers and storefronts to test, and it is not yet confirmed whether the standalone apps will appear on third-party storefronts. By the end of 2026, players will be able to join games directly in-browser from the Experience Details page, starting with Chrome, while offline solo play will enter early access before its full release by mid-2027.

Moss developer Polyarc Games announces closure

Moss developer Polyarc Games has announced it is shutting down and winding down active development after nearly 12 years in operation. The Seattle-based studio shared the news on LinkedIn and posted a recruiting spreadsheet for affected staff. Founded in 2015 by former Bungie developers, Polyarc released the VR puzzle game Moss in 2018 and a sequel in 2022, and earlier this year laid off 30 employees after failing to secure funding following the cancellation of a major project.

Nintendo hasn't announced a new Nintendo-developed/published game for Switch 1 since March 2025

A Netflix animated series based on Diablo is now in development.

Moss developer Polyarc is shutting down

Polyarc, the developer behind the Moss series, has announced it is closing its doors after nearly 12 years. In a LinkedIn post, the studio said it is winding down active development and saying farewell to its team, ending with a reverse recruiting spreadsheet of employee contact information. Polyarc released Moss in 2018, Moss: Book II in 2022, and Moss: The Forgotten Relic this July.

Goodbye Apple Tax!

State of the Unions: the rise of unionisation in games workplaces

Unionisation in the games industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, with workers in more than 130 distinct groups and unions across over 15 countries organising together, according to IWGB Game Workers co-founder Austin Kelmore. Microsoft agreed a contract this week with 1,900 Blizzard workers covering hybrid work and AI protections, recall rights, minimum severance above industry standard and up to 34% wage increases. The Polish Gamedev Workers Union is officially established within ten Polish studios, though Poland's legal framework for unions still favours employers.

Report: European studio spending on external talent rises 63% in 2025

A report by Tanja Loktionova, 'Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry,' found that European studios increased spending on external roles by 63% in 2025, above the global growth rate of 55%, while the number of freelancers working with European studios grew 24%. Nearly 60% of studios reported difficulty sourcing qualified specialists and 54.1% of freelancers struggled to find suitable projects, even as average freelancer monthly income rose 19% globally and nearly 63% remained concerned about income stability. Loktionova said the data suggests studios are converging on a two-tier team model, with a small core receiving equity and benefits while others work as contractors and freelancers.