#Publishing

Report: Epic adopts AI-first production model on new Disney shooter

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier reports that Epic Games told developers on a delayed Disney shooter to adopt an AI-first production model using tools such as Anthropic's Claude, with humans managing and guiding the work. An internal message reportedly said there would be no more hand-written code and that art would be generated with AI workflows, which reportedly left some Epic developers stunned. The game, described as a shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, was originally targeting a March release with no new date communicated; Disney invested $1.5 billion for an equity stake in Epic Games in 2024.

Epic Reportedly Pushing Devs to Use AI, Delays Secret Star Wars and Marvel Crossover Shooter

Rumor: Epic Games delays unannounced Marvel and Star Wars shooter, pivots to AI-first development

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reports that Epic Games has delayed its Disney collaboration shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, which had been targeting a March release; a new date was shared internally but not made public. Developers were told to adopt an AI-first production model using tools such as Anthropic's Claude, with one director saying there would be no more hand-written code and art expected to come from full AI workflows. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 under a multi-game partnership, with this shooter as the first project.

GTA 6 marketing budget reportedly $150 million+

Miami-Dade Commissioner Rene Garcia said Rockstar is spending "at least a minimum of $150 million" on marketing for GTA 6. That figure is for the entire game, while the article mentions much lower numbers for Miami ads.

NieR: Automata Steam Update Adds Korean and Chinese Localization

A SteamDB changelist shows NieR: Automata's Steam version has added Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese language support. The change appeared in an October 9 update, expanding the depot's language list from six to nine.

Fan timeline traces PHYSINT's development, from Sony cancellation to Xbox publishing

Reddit user /u/Sascha2022 compiled a timeline of Kojima Productions' PHYSINT from 2019 to 2026, along with the studio's growth. According to the post, Sony notified the studio in mid-June 2026 that it was cancelling the project, and on September 10 the studio confirmed Xbox as its new partner and publisher. On September 17, Hideo Kojima revealed Bill Skarsgard as the lead at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show stream, saying the project remains at a conceptual and experimental stage with a small team.

Report: Xbox lands exclusive GTA 6 launch streaming deal

The Verge reports that Xbox chief Asha Sharma told employees GTA 6 will stream exclusively on Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch in November, though the report says the deal's length is unknown. The exclusive streaming rights would let PC players play before a native PC release and let Xbox One owners stream the game. Xbox's previously announced Game Pass cloud limits start in November, capping XGP Ultimate members at 15 cloud hours per month, alongside a pay-as-you-go option.

Rumor: Xbox has secured exclusive GTA 6 streaming rights, arriving in November with Xbox Cloud Gaming access

Tom Warren claims Xbox has secured exclusive streaming rights to GTA 6. The rights reportedly arrive in November, when Microsoft is opening up access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. The claim has not been confirmed by the parties involved.

SIE Opens Doors to Licensing Agreements, Accepting Multiple Game Pitches

SIE has reportedly opened its doors to licensing agreements and is accepting multiple game pitches, according to a leak. Titles mentioned include Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Killzone, based on Sony-owned properties. These licensing titles will be funded and published by PlayStation Studios but developed by external studios, with some supported or supervised by their original studios.

TheGameBuisness' Christopher Dring: Xbox is possibly spending below $200 million on Physint

TheGameBuisness' Christopher Dring said Xbox is paying far less than the rumored $400 million for Hideo Kojima's Physint, possibly even below $200 million. He clarified that the $400 million figure was just a rumor floating around Tokyo Game Show and not something he would stake his reputation on. He added that regardless of what Xbox spent on the game, it is still investing in big projects rather than just cutting teams.

Rumor: Physint's Xbox deal was far below Xbox's usual spend on a premium game

A Reddit user relays a New York Times report saying Kojima's upcoming game Physint was signed with Xbox for substantially less than what Xbox would typically spend to develop a premium game, and that the agreement included film and TV rights. Asha Sharma said she was happy Kojima chose to work with Xbox and that work with Sony would continue, saying competition and collaboration can coexist. The poster notes this does not settle the discussion, though the previously floated $400 million figure may not have been on the table.

Xbox reportedly paying a fraction of the $400 million Kojima quoted Sony for Physint

Multiple outlets say Xbox is paying far less than the reported $400 million budget for Hideo Kojima's stealth game Physint. Christopher Dring of The Game Business, who first cited the figure, later clarified Xbox is likely paying quite a bit less than what Kojima originally quoted Sony, while Bloomberg's Jason Schreier said his sources described the figure as significantly less and Windows Central's Jez Corden said it was only a fraction, with no actual number reported. Physint was originally a PlayStation project before Sony pulled funding after it exceeded budget and missed deadlines, and Xbox later picked up funding and publishing, with the deal including film and TV rights for Physint and improved terms for Kojima's horror game OD.

Windows Central: Xbox Is Paying a Fraction of What Sony Was Paying for PHYSINT; Deal Included Enhanced Terms for OD

According to Jez Corden's article on Windows Central, Xbox's deal with Kojima Productions for PHYSINT is worth far less than the reported $400 million figure that Sony and PlayStation may have been on the hook for before cancelling. The deal also includes movie and TV licenses for PHYSINT and enhanced terms for OD, Kojima's atmospheric horror game for Xbox. Chris Dring had reported the $400 million budget on his podcast but walked the claim back after Bloomberg's Jason Schreier cast doubt on it.

Xbox's Physint Deal Potentially Significantly Less Than $400M, Jason Schreier Says

Jason Schreier said someone at Xbox with firsthand knowledge of the deal told him the company signed Physint for significantly less than the roughly $400M figure reported by The Game Business. He cautioned that he is hesitant to give exact numbers without documentation or corroboration from multiple firsthand sources, noting the many different figures involved, including what PlayStation originally signed Physint for and what Xbox agreed to.