WoW: Forever adds new ban type to tackle real money trading
WoW: Forever has a new kind of ban to deal with real money trading
#Policy
@pcgamerAI score4040 PC GamerAI score4949 WoW: Forever Adds Temporary Economy Hold to Combat Real Money Trading
World of Warcraft: Forever has introduced a new "Temporary Economy Hold" penalty for accounts suspected of real money trading, restricting their use of trade, mail, guild banks, and the Auction House. Blizzard says the system is new and may produce false positives, but a hold alone won't leave permanent strikes unless RMT is later proven. It's one of several measures Blizzard is experimenting with to tamp down inflation in the persistent game.
Rock Paper ShotgunAI score6262 Rockstar union-busting tribunal extended to November 18th, closing days before GTA 6's release
The employment tribunal between the IWGB and Rockstar has been extended into November, with closing arguments now set for November 17th and 18th, just days before GTA 6's release. Both sides will use the extra time to continue cross-examining current and former staff, while the judge's ruling is still pending. The dispute centers on why staff were fired, with Rockstar citing gross misconduct and the laid-off employees alleging the company sought to block unionization.
PC GamerAI score6262 Epic plans to bring Fortnite to Linux after improving Easy Anti-Cheat
Epic says it intends to bring Fortnite to Linux, but first it is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat, and will launch the game via the Epic Games Launcher once EAC Linux v2 works with a critical mass of distro maintainers. Epic says the Steam Deck does not currently support the new EAC Linux v2 solution and that it is talking with Valve, while game security engineering director Rick Deist said Epic is investigating compatibility with Steam Deck and SteamOS devices. Epic has also released a new Epic Games Store client that includes a Linux version for the first time.
@pcgamerAI score4242 Fortnite Coming to Linux Once Epic Improves Easy Anti-Cheat
Fortnite is coming to Linux once Epic improves Easy Anti-Cheat
EurogamerAI score6262 Rockstar and IWGB employment tribunal delayed into November, with closing submissions just before GTA 6's release
The employment tribunal between Rockstar Games and laid-off IWGB union members has been extended into November because witness cross-examination ran long. The case was originally set to end this Friday, and two additional dates, 17 and 18 November, have been added for closing submissions, with 18 November falling one day before GTA 6's release. The tribunal stems from Rockstar's firing of over 30 employees in late 2025 for alleged gross misconduct; the IWGB calls it union-busting while Rockstar cites unauthorised sharing of information.
GamesIndustry.bizAI score6060 ESA recommends adding retro handheld maker Anbernic to US Notorious Markets List
The Entertainment Software Association has asked the US Trade Representative to add Chinese retro handheld maker Anbernic to its annual Notorious Markets List, saying the devices are routinely shipped with hundreds or thousands of unauthorised games. The ESA also proposed listing cracked game sources, torrent sites, unauthorised digital goods marketplaces and commercial cheat markets, naming G2A under the digital goods category. It asked the USTR to adopt seven measures, including treating preloaded unauthorised libraries as core evidence of commercial-scale piracy and improving customs targeting of preloading-related devices.
GIBizAI score5858 ESA recommends adding retro console maker Anbernic to US notorious markets list
The Entertainment Software Association has recommended that retro console maker Anbernic be added to the US government's Notorious Market List. GamesIndustry reported the recommendation without further details on the grounds or next steps.
游戏LOOKAI score7474 China's publishing regulator issues the 15th Five-Year Plan for Publishing, bringing online games into a national five-year plan for the first time
China's National Press and Publication Administration recently issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Publishing Industry, marking the first time online games are systematically included in a national five-year publishing plan. The plan calls for stronger supply of publication numbers for high-quality content, a selection program for outstanding online literature and games, and support for games expanding in international markets. From January to July 2026, 1,147 game publication numbers were issued, including 197 in July alone; in the first half of 2026, domestic game market revenue reached 188.45 billion yuan, up 12.17 percent year on year, while overseas revenue from self-developed games reached 12.372 billion US dollars, up 30.22 percent.
游戏LOOKAI score6666 South Korean lawmaker pushes Game Industry Promotion Act amendment over SOL: Enchant streamer spending dispute
South Korean lawmaker 김재원 raised the case of SOL: Enchant topping the charts alongside roughly 300 million won in streamer spending during an Oct. 12 parliamentary audit, and is seeking to amend the Game Industry Promotion Act to bar publishers from improperly buying in-game items or paying third parties to do so in order to lift sales rankings. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Game Rating and Administration Committee acknowledged no investigation was conducted, and current rules do not require separate disclosure of promotion spending. Netmarble said streamer promotion is one marketing method and that its contracts pay for marketing services, not for top-ups.
游戏LOOKAI score3636 Apple Releases China App Store Ecosystem Report, Citing miHoYo and NetEase as Web Payment Cases
Apple published a China-only report on October 8 titled "China App Store Ecosystem — 2025 Developer and User Value Study," authored by antitrust experts Ju Heng and Markus von Wartburg. The report says the China App Store ecosystem generates about 4 trillion yuan annually with over 95% exempt from commission, and names miHoYo and NetEase as examples of developers using web stores and DTC channels to bypass Apple Pay. It also states Chinese apps accounted for 98% of domestic App Store revenue in 2025, with 52% of Chinese developers' App Store revenue coming from overseas.
KotakuAI score6060 VRChat community protests influx of generative AI content as platform opens AI policy consultation
VRChat community volunteer Patroll said they would stop wiki maintenance, translation and community testing in protest at the influx of AI-generated worlds and images, urging other developers to label their work as AI-free. VRChat then banned deceptive AI thumbnails, endorsed AI for translation, code help and engine tools like Blender and Unity, but called user-facing uses such as generating worlds or game logic uncertain and asked users whether to label or ban them. The platform also promised better search to surface higher-quality content, with the consultation running for a week before findings and policies are shared.
KotakuAI score6060 Nintendo exec says Switch 2 maker has no plans to abandon physical games
Nintendo of Latin America VP and GM Bill van Zyll said in an interview with YouTube channel Coelho at Brazil Game Show that Switch 2 offers both digital and physical games and the company has no plans to abandon physical media. He said Nintendo has historically had no preference for a specific format and takes consumer preferences into account. For comparison, Sony's digital share of full game unit sales is 82 percent, while Nintendo's most recent financial report put its digital sales ratio at 61.5 percent.
EurogamerAI score4444 Nintendo executive confirms company has "no plans to ditch physical games"
Nintendo of Latin America VP and general manager Bill van Zyll said in an interview with YouTuber Coelho no Japão that the company has no plans to ditch physical games and will keep investing in physical media for the foreseeable future. He said Nintendo has historically been "agnostic" and goes off what the consumer prefers, noting the Switch 2 is barely over a year into its life and supports both digital and physical. The comments come after Sony's controversial decision to announce PlayStation will be discless by 2028.
Reddit · r/GamesAI score5858 Game industry asks U.S. to flag Denuvo cracker voices38 as a notorious piracy threat
According to the title of an r/Games post, the game industry has asked U.S. authorities to flag the Denuvo cracker voices38 as a notorious piracy threat. The post has no body text, so the parties involved and the channel used are not specified.
KotakuAI score6262 EU takes action against Activision, Riot, Ubisoft and seven others over in-game monetization
The EU announced action against ten companies including Activision Blizzard, Mojang, Ubisoft, Riot Games, Crytek, Supercell, InnoGames, King, Plarium and Playrix, led by the Italian Competition Authority, over platform-specific virtual currencies that rarely match the price players want to pay. The press release also cites virtual currency bundles, dark patterns, inadequate parental controls and a lack of assistance when accounts are blocked. Epic has said that starting this month players can spend exact amounts of V-Bucks on specific purchases, except on PlayStation.
PolygonAI score2222 GTA 6 Gets a Nudity Pass That Indies Don't, for One Weird Reason
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been confirmed to include sex scenes and rendered nudity, while a swath of indie games with adult themes were delisted by Steam and itch.io last summer under pressure from payment processors. Commentator George Osborn argues the difference is that online stores like Steam and itch aren't subject to age rating regulation the way physically released games like GTA 6 are, leaving them more vulnerable to external pressure.
@EurogamerAI score5252 GTA 6's 18+ rating shows Lucia and Jason can use drugs from their inventory at any time
GTA 6's 18+ age rating indicates that Lucia and Jason can use drugs "directly from their inventory" and "at any time." Eurogamer reported on the rating details and included a link to the source.
KotakuAI score6666 Rockstar HR questioned over Discord mole and timing of GTA 6 dev firings at labor tribunal
At an employment tribunal in Glasgow, Scotland, Rockstar Lincoln co-studio manager and HR director Charlie Kinloch was questioned over why the company fired over 30 employees in October 2025 despite having information from a Discord server for years. Rockstar says the firings were for gross misconduct including leaking GTA 6 development details, while the fired developers argue the company wanted to stop the UK union IWGB from gaining a foothold. The fired developers say an informant known as AB sent screenshots of union activity to Kinloch for over two years, and Rockstar announced GTA 6's delay from May 2026 to November 2026 days after the firings; the hearing continues next week and AB is not among the witnesses allowed to be questioned.
PolygonAI score5858 FBI arrests suspect from hacker group that targeted Rockstar and the FBI
The FBI has arrested a suspect linked to the hacking group ShinyHunters. In April the group targeted GTA 6 developer Rockstar and, after failing to get a ransom, posted financial information online that revealed how much Rockstar earns from games like GTA Online. Last month it breached the FBI, stealing personal data of current and former employees and job applicants.
EurogamerAI score6262 Rockstar HR manager says he had little interest in staff union membership at layoff tribunal
At the Rockstar Games vs Garland & Others tribunal at Glasgow Tribunals Centre, Rockstar Lincoln HR manager and co-studio operations director Charlie Kinloch was cross-examined and said he had little interest in union organising conversations among employees, focusing instead on disparagement and misinformation about Rockstar. Thirty-one former employees, represented by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, claim they were targeted and unlawfully dismissed for union activity, while Rockstar says they were fired for gross misconduct and leaking confidential information. Kinloch denied deliberately misleading the court over a January interim relief hearing statement, and said disparaging comments could cause financial harm in the run-up to GTA 6.
@TimSweeneyEpicAI score3030 Big serious news about Epic v Apple appeal at Supreme Court
Big serious news about the Epic v Apple apeel at the Supreme Court, from a big serious news publication on the internet!
GameSpotAI score7171 EU consumer authorities launch coordinated action against 10 game companies over virtual currency practices
European consumer protection authorities announced a series of coordinated actions against 10 video game companies, accusing them of dark patterns that put minors and players at risk of gaming addiction. The action, coordinated by the European Commission, focuses on practices such as premium in-game currencies that obscure real-world spending, selling virtual currency in set quantities that force overspending, and insufficient parental controls. The article cites Destiny 2's Silver bundles of 500, 1,000 and 1,500 units against item prices of 600 to 1,500 Silver, and notes Fortnite will let players buy the exact amount of V-Bucks they need starting October 14, a change also coming to Rocket League and Fall Guys but not PlayStation for now.
KotakuAI score7171 Inside Double Fine's Failed Union Bid: All 8 Organizers Laid Off Two Weeks After Petition Withdrawn
Kotaku spoke with 15 current and former Double Fine employees to reconstruct this year's failed union drive, in which 32 workers filed a petition with the NLRB on May 7 and withdrew it two weeks later. A month after the withdrawal, Microsoft spun Double Fine out as an independent studio and 23 people were laid off, including all eight organizing committee members who signed the withdrawal letter. Organizers say eligibility rules left out much of the studio, while Tim Schafer denied the layoffs were retaliation and said the studio's runway after the Xbox split is a matter of months.
KotakuAI score4040 YouTuber Banned Over Censored Hellraiser: Revival Gameplay Video That Still Violated 'Sex and Nudity Policy'
French content creator J0nathan was banned from YouTube after uploading gameplay from Hellraiser: Revival, with the platform citing its sex and nudity policy. He said the explicit parts of the video were covered with black bars and that it carried a "not for kids" label but was not age-gated. Publisher Saber Interactive urged creators to follow platform community guidelines, and J0nathan said he has not heard back from YouTube or Saber.
IGNAI score5151 French streamer permanently banned by YouTube over censored Hellraiser: Revival gameplay video
French creator J0nathan said his channel was permanently deleted after he posted a Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival gameplay video in which he covered the opening nudity with black boxes, citing YouTube's sex and nudity policy. He told IGN his appeal was rejected within minutes and that uncensored footage of the same scene remains live on other channels. Saber Interactive had advised creators before launch to apply age restrictions and sexual theme labels, noting the game has no streamer mode.
GIBizAI score6262 Sony agrees to transfer 419 global VR patents to Meta
Sony has agreed to transfer 419 global VR patents to Meta, including 180 filed in the US. The agreement was signed in December 2025.
@PushSquareAI score1717 Another PS Portal Firmware Update Now Available
Another PS Portal Firmware Update Is Now Available, Just Two Weeks After the Last
游戏LOOKAI score4444 Former Softon CEO Sued for Embezzling 450 Million Won Over No-Show Jobs for 4 Nightclub Women
Yoo Tae-ho, former CEO of Dark Eden developer Softon, has been indicted for embezzlement and breach of trust totaling 450 million won after arranging four women he met at nightclubs into no-show positions at Softon and affiliate One Tang Tang Games. One woman, Kang, held the title of "head of business planning" without ever working, receiving nearly 186 million won in salary plus a chauffeured Audi A6, while over 96% of the 429 million won in embezzlement flowed to the four women. Publisher Wemade, which had invested 2.5 billion won in Softon, filed a civil suit for return of funds and a criminal complaint for fraud; Yoo resigned as CEO in July 2025 and the case remains in court.
游戏LOOKAI score7474 EU opens enforcement over in-game currency against nine companies including King, Supercell, Riot and Ubisoft, as two European game associations push back
On September 30 the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network announced coordinated enforcement against nine companies including King, Supercell, Mojang, Riot Games and Ubisoft over how in-game virtual currency is sold and managed, with Crytek, InnoGames, Plarium Europe and PLR Worldwide Sales also named. The same day, Video Games Europe and EGDF jointly objected, questioning the legal basis and arguing in-game currency is not a crypto-like digital representation of value, saying they had asked for that basis since spring 2025 without reply. The dispute centers on whether in-game currency counts as a digital representation of value, which would make each in-game exchange a new consumer contract with its own 14-day withdrawal notice; the associations offered six commitments including clear real-money pricing and refunds for unused currency within 48 hours, conditional on resolving the legal uncertainty.
Game DeveloperAI score6262 Denuvo seeks subpoenas to force Discord, Valve, and Reddit to identify hacker
Denuvo has asked a California federal court for permission to subpoena Discord, Valve, and Reddit for information on the username voices38, the person it believes is behind multiple cracks. In September, Denuvo filed a DMCA anti-circumvention lawsuit accusing voices38 of bypassing its technology on 26 games in a way that undermines how Denuvo works. Denuvo's lawyers admit they do not know whether voices38 is an individual or a group, and a judge must now decide whether the subpoenas can proceed.
GamesIndustry.bizAI score2222 Safe In Our World launches Four Billion Players campaign to make mental health support more accessible for gamers
Mental health charity Safe In Our World has launched the Four Billion Players campaign, asking developers, publishers, and platforms to make mental health support more accessible and put it in front of players. Suggested examples include a splash screen at game launch, links to the charity's free mental health resources in menus, in-game events or items, and signposts in community spaces. The organisation, founded in 2019, has raised over $450,000 for mental health training.
VGCAI score3838 Australian government advises citizens on how to request unpaid leave to play GTA 6
Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman posted an official Instagram guide explaining how citizens can request unpaid leave if they have no paid leave left to play GTA 6 on launch day. The guide notes that wanting to play the game does not give workers an automatic right to unpaid leave, though they can still negotiate with their employer. Grand Theft Auto 6 launches globally, including in Australia, on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
IGNAI score2222 Australian Government Helps Workers Know Their Rights for Taking Time Off for GTA 6
Australia's workplace regulator, the Fair Work Ombudsman, released a graphic helping workers understand their rights for taking time off when GTA 6 launches this November. It notes that under the National Employment Standards, Australians can take unpaid leave only "under specific circumstances" such as caring duties or emergencies, not for playing a game, though workers can ask their boss. The game is predicted to make $5.2 billion in launch week alone and reportedly cost around $1.5 billion to make.
Esports InsiderAI score6262 Brazil's Betting Ban Hits Counter-Strike Sponsorships and Leaves a Funding Gap
Brazil's licensed betting sites went dark on Oct. 6 after President Lula signed Provisional Measure 1,394 on Sept. 25, whose Article 16 bans betting-related advertising and sponsorship aimed at the Brazilian public and required sponsor branding removed within 10 days. Vivo Keyd Stars paused its Counter-Strike 2 project indefinitely on Sept. 30 and released its players, LOUD dismissed a CS2 roster, and MIBR, Fluxo W7M and FURIA removed betting sponsors from some or all communications while Legacy and Imperial still displayed Rainbet and Gamdom. BetBoom had held Brazilian broadcast rights or sponsorship across much of top-tier Counter-Strike, including BLAST Latin American Portuguese- and Spanish-language broadcasts, PGL Brazilian rights and ESL FACEIT Group Brazil broadcasts through 2026, and the status of those deals remains unclear. The measure lapses unless Congress approves it, with a deadline in January or February 2027, an amendment deadline extended to Oct. 13 and an Oct. 25 presidential runoff shaping what comes next.
GIBizAI score5050 Wizards of the Coast Union Expands, Demands Company Stop Pushing Generative AI
Wizards of the Coast union expands, demands company stop pushing generative AI
游戏LOOKAI score6060 September game licences: 206 domestic and 3 imported titles approved, including miHoYo's Yuanchu Zhi Jie and Zulong's Lord of the Mysteries: The Fool
China's National Press and Publication Administration published September approvals covering 206 domestic games and 3 imported games, plus 15 licence changes. Among the domestic approvals were 185 mobile titles, 2 client titles, 16 mobile and client titles, 2 mobile, client and web titles, and 1 game-machine title. miHoYo's Yuanchu Zhi Jie was approved for mobile and client, after an official QA said it would support PC at launch, while Zulong's Lord of the Mysteries: The Fool is a cross-platform RPG card game.
IGNAI score4040 FBI Arrests 29-Year-Old Alabama Man After Epic Reports Fortnite Voice Chat Threats
The FBI arrested a 29-year-old Alabama Fortnite player after Epic reported threats he made over voice chat. According to the affidavit, Edward Frith, who used the username "WagesOfNinja," said he wanted to "literally murder somebody" and thought about killing "every day." He was indicted for violating Interstate Threatening Communications on September 23 and pleaded not guilty on September 24.
GamesIndustry.bizAI score6262 Wizards of the Coast union expands to D&D and Magic teams, demands halt to generative AI push
The Dungeons & Dragons team and Team X, which works on Magic: The Gathering and Duel Masters, are joining the Wizards of the Coast-CWA union, expanding it beyond the Arena team. The union is calling on Hasbro and Wizards leadership to stop pushing LLMs and generative AI and to adopt an enforceable AI policy, and it also demands ownership of what employees create outside work. Wizards has until October 13 to voluntarily recognize the expanded unit; the Arena team's union was not voluntarily recognized and later won its election.
IGNAI score2222 Pokémon Center Rolls Out Invite-Only Access for Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box
The US Pokémon Center website has marked the Mega Evolution—Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box listing as "Invite-Only," suggesting a new wave of restocks may be coming. The program lets selected newsletter subscribers in the US, Canada, and the UK get a unique, single-use invitation link, with limited supplies on a first-come, first-served basis. According to TCGplayer data, sealed Ascended Heroes ETB cases were selling for as high as $1,762.61, putting individual ETBs just over $176.