#Publishing

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.

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

Goodbye Apple Tax!

Goodwill Hunting: Consoles' Brand Value and Loyalty Is Being Tested | Opinion

Xbox Game Studios has picked up publishing rights to Hideo Kojima's Physint after Sony dropped the project, which was originally announced at a Sony State of Play event in early 2024. Sony's exit likely reflects Death Stranding 2: On The Beach's roughly 2 million copies sold and Physint's long development timeline, while Xbox is betting on Kojima's return to stealth-action. The move chips away at the goodwill Sony and Microsoft will need as they prepare to sell what will likely be their most expensive consoles ever.

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.

Saber Interactive's Tim Willits on generative AI, moving development out of North America, and embracing recognisable IP

Saber Interactive chief creative officer Tim Willits says the company has never replaced anyone with AI and does not use generative AI in games like Space Marine, Hellraiser and Stuntman, only experimenting with it in Rideshare Stimulator's AI mode. Saber now has 3,500 employees across 15 studios but no real development in North America, keeping its Florida headquarters and a US publishing team. It is balancing tentpole titles such as Stuntman: Hollywood, John Wick, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival with remasters including the original Hitman trilogy.

Saudi Arabia's PIF reportedly weighs combining EA with Savvy Games Group

Bloomberg reports that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is considering merging Electronic Arts with its subsidiary Savvy Games Group to "ensure better coordination between its assets." Sources said merging EA into Savvy is unlikely until Savvy completes its $6 billion acquisition of Chinese mobile games company Moonton. The PIF-led $55 billion leveraged buyout of EA closed last month, making it the developer's majority owner; the PIF and EA declined to comment to Bloomberg, and a Savvy spokesperson did not respond.

No More Robots' Nine-Year Journey to Its First Self-Developed IP, Cruise Control

Indie publisher No More Robots is set to release its first self-developed game, the cruise liner title Cruise Control, nine years after the company was founded. It had spent three years building a team-based online shooter that drew interest from a major company, but the partner pulled out and the project was put on ice. Rose says that if Cruise Control performs well, No More Robots might revisit the shooter, possibly repurposing it into a PvE game.

GTA 6 Netflix preview drove over 100,000 sign-ups in six-hour exclusivity window

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 preview, shown exclusively on Netflix for six hours on August 27, generated over 100,000 US sign-ups, according to Ampere Analysis, making it Netflix's third-largest subscriber spike of 2026 behind Stranger Things' final season and the Rousey vs. Carano MMA fight. The preview reached 31.1 million views on Netflix within four days, with over 5% of viewers who had not used Netflix in 30 days returning to watch it. Nielsen IQ data showed the preview raised PlayStation and Xbox hardware sales in the UK by 33% and 34% respectively.

Xbox to publish Kojima Productions' Physint after PlayStation cancelled the project

Kojima Productions unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios in mid-June that it would cancel the Physint project, and the studio has now partnered with Xbox to publish the game. Hideo Kojima said the team was determined to keep the project alive and found in Xbox a partner sharing a common vision, with the two also set to collaborate on storytelling across games, film, and television. PlayStation called it a difficult decision and said its relationship with Kojima Productions remains strong after three decades of cooperation.

🎮 Our Japan Game Market Insights 2026 report is now live!

#SteamTopSellers for week of 1 Sep — 8 September 2026 (No F2P):

The ecosystem is coming together fast: games, engine, store, mobile app. The industry is underestimating how quickly gaming will evolve.

We partnered with @MediacityQa to examine growing demand for Japanese games in the GCC.

Both parties plan to explore "Joint development and operation of smartphone games, console games, and PC games distributed by GungHo Onli...

Oh, no shit? Now show the fluctuations from the last month.

Saber Interactive Unveils Schrödinger's Narrative Designer | 12/08/26

UK and China's Shifting AI Mandates | 31/07/26

"A true world model must be a structured, interactive simulator"

"IP is the next great asset class: AI gives us the superpower to codify it"

Monopoly Go x The Simpsons Crossover Is Almost Here

Monopoly Go's The Simpsons crossover runs June 3 through July 29, letting players build and explore iconic show locations while meeting Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Mr. Burns. Developer Scopely worked with the show's creative team on Easter Eggs, over 50 Simpsons-themed chance cards, and a Bribe Wiggum twist on Go to Jail. It marks The Simpsons' first appearance in a mobile-exclusive game in 13 years.

"Opportunities around net-new experiences are what I find most exciting"

"Players appreciate fast answers. The key is that AI must know its limits"

Battlefield Movie – Everything We Know, Including Who Could Star and Direct, and the Bidding War for the Rights

Following Paramount's announcement of a Call of Duty movie, a Battlefield movie is reportedly in the works with a bidding war underway. Apple, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon MGM Studios, Universal, and Netflix are among the 6+ studios reportedly in the mix, with Sony Pictures currently the frontrunner, though no deal is done. No story details, director, writer, or cast have been announced.

"Developers can spend less time on production effort and more on the game"

"AI should be an enhancement tool, not a replacement tool"

"We still have game artists but they’re using our AI generation funnel"

"Our AI agent can turn a natural prompt into a fully playable game"

2026 Upcoming Games Release Schedule

GameSpot has broken down the 2026 video game release calendar by month, listing games with final dates as well as those with only a vague 2026 window, and will keep updating it as more games are announced. 2026 marks the first full year for the Switch 2 and is set to bring Grand Theft Auto 6, assuming it isn't delayed again. January's dated entries include Arknights: Endfield, Pathologic 3, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon.