Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott voted chair of UKIE
Jobs roundup: October | Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott voted chair of UKIE
#Industry
GIBizAI score1818 GamesIndustry.bizAI score2222 BAFTA awards over £270,000 to 112 recipients in UK and US to support career growth in games, film, and TV
BAFTA has awarded over £270,000 in grants to 112 recipients in the UK and North America through its 2026 Prince William BAFTA Bursary and scholarship programmes. The bursary supported 100 recipients, a 40% increase from last year, with grants of up to £2,000 each. UK scholarship recipients receive up to £12,000, while US recipients receive up to $60,000.
机核AI score4747 Nintendo Confirms It Will Continue to Release Physical Games
Nintendo Latin America VP and general manager Bill van Zyll said Nintendo has no plans to abandon physical game releases and will not follow a full shift to digital. The stance comes after PlayStation announced it would soon drop physical versions entirely, sparking industry discussion. Nintendo's Switch 2, launched last year, supports both digital and physical formats, with physical releases split between full cartridges and game download cards.
机核AI score7272 The Division 2 China server to shut down on December 14
Tencent announced that The Division 2's mainland China server will officially shut down at 11:00 on December 14, citing a change in business strategy after talks with Ubisoft. Recharges and new user registrations stop at 11:00 on October 12, and forums and dedicated customer support close at 11:00 on December 22. Users who recharged before 11:00 on October 12 and still hold tokens in their accounts can claim gift packs for PUBG Mobile, Battle of Golden Spatula, Valorant, CrossFire and Honor of Kings during the compensation period.
PC GamerAI score3838 Steam Week in Review: The Curious Case of Wonder Boy in Monster Land's Dubious PC Debut
Wonder Boy in Monster Land, a 1987 arcade game that never received an official PC port, appeared on Steam on September 28 under publisher Retro Maniac with the name misspelled as "Wonderboy." Original composer Shinichi Sakamoto called the port illegitimate and noted it is unavailable in Japan, while the listing is said to be a ROM running in the MAME emulator with the Sega logo removed. The page remained live as of the article.
游戏LOOKAI score3434 From Top-Grossing Genre to Halved Revenue: Why MMO Mobile Games Collapsed
MMO mobile game in-app purchase revenue fell from $5.3 billion in 2021 to $2.8 billion in 2025, a 47% drop that far outpaced the RPG genre's 38% decline and the broader mobile market's 1% dip, according to an analysis by Naavik. Downloads also dropped 40%, from 345 million to 206 million, and revenue fell another 27% year-over-year from January to September 2026. The report attributes the structural collapse to engagement fatigue, spending fatigue and gameplay homogenization, compounded by open-world adventure RPGs like Genshin Impact raising the bar.
游戏LOOKAI score6060 AI mini-game platform Astrocade hits 10 million MAU as Tencent, Google and Meta move in
GameLook reports that overseas AI game-creation platform Astrocade announced 10 million monthly active users, double the 5 million MAU four months earlier, with users generating playable content from natural language; it raised 56 million dollars in May from investors including Sequoia, Sea, Google's AI Future Fund and Nvidia. Tencent's Huya listed the AI game generator BinkBink on GooglePlay, Google partnered with Unity on the AI game platform Playground, and Meta unveiled Horizon Create and Horizon Studio at Meta Connect 2026. The article notes none of these platforms has settled on monetization, with Astrocade saying it is focused on user growth and will consider revenue growth sometime next year.
游戏LOOKAI score5858 Teach My Little Sister How To Drive demo goes viral, AI bill hits 7,000 yuan a day as four-person team takes out a loan
The demo of Teach My Little Sister How To Drive, a driving-teaching sim from four-person studio Easy Fox, went viral on Steam and social platforms, with playtest numbers growing more than 20-fold in a month. Because the sister's voice is generated in real time by a cloud large language model, daily AI costs exceed 160,000 yen, about 7,000 yuan, forcing the team to take out a bank loan to keep servers running and to say the demo may be taken down early. The studio says the full release will fold AI costs into its price so buyers pay no extra token fees.
IGNAI score2323 Doom 2016 Composer Mick Gordon Says He'd Return to the Doom Series 'In a Heartbeat'
Mick Gordon, who composed the soundtracks for 2016's Doom and 2020's Doom Eternal, told IGN at PAX Australia that he would return to id Software's Doom series "in a heartbeat" if the right conditions fell into place. He said he still has a whole list of ideas he'd love to explore for Doom one day. Gordon previously accused id Software in a 2022 Medium post of failing to pay him for half his work on the Doom Eternal soundtrack and singled out executive producer Marty Stratton.
IGNAI score4242 New NetEase FPS ECC: Redline Sparks Warzone 'Rip-Off' Claims, But Some Call of Duty Fans Are Happy to See It
NetEase has revealed ECC: Redline, a self-developed "extreme-sports tactical shooter" coming to PC via Steam and mobile, and players have called it a "1:1 rip" of Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone, citing similar gun feel, UI, sound effects, and camera blur. The free-to-play game has no release date, but some Call of Duty fans frustrated with Warzone say it could fill a specific void.
@geoffkeighleyAI score3030 Steam Hits New All-Time Concurrent User Record
Steam hit a new all-time record today with 43.5 million concurrent users.
KotakuAI score3232 Terraria Mod Calamity's Discord Server Hijacked for Crypto Pump and Dump
The Discord server for the Terraria mod Calamity was compromised and used to promote a cryptocoin named after the server, which was immediately pumped and dumped. The server owner was tricked into handing over access by two users posing as former moderators, one of whom revealed themselves to be a hacker known as "Kata." A former moderator has since wiped the server's contents, and tens of thousands of users have left in the past two days.
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.
GIBizAI score2222 Ex-Sledgehammer head says publishers shifted focus from creativity
Former Sledgehammer Games head Glen Schofield thinks the major publishers have shifted their focus away from creativity. "What I've seen is some of the big creative people marginalised. They need to flip the switch again and give the creatives a seat at the table." https://bit.ly/47HMj0U
@pcgamerAI score2020 Yoko Taro says he keeps making games to prevent dementia
Nier creator Yoko Taro says he still works in gamedev because it's 'good for preventing dementia' https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/nier-creator-yoko-taro-says-hes-achieved-his-career-dreams-but-he-continues-working-because-its-good-for-preventing-dementia/
@EurogamerAI score5050 Google and Unity unveil gen-AI game-making platforms
Google and Unity unveil gen-AI game-making platforms, and demonstrate one of them with depressingly rubbish "dream game" Space Corridor https://bit.ly/4hw0vQs
Reddit · r/GamesAI score2222 Dagon by H. P. Lovecraft Hits 2 Million Downloads — Bit Golem Postmortem
Bit Golem's Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft has passed 2 million players and more than 12,000 Steam reviews five years after release. The fixed-camera visual novel, adapted from Lovecraft's 1919 story, hit 100,000 downloads in two days with a review score above 95%. A free DLC previously exclusive to the console version is coming soon.
@PushSquareAI score2222 Gran Turismo 7 Continues to Sell Very Well on PS5
'We Didn't Expect This': Gran Turismo 7 Continuing to 'Sell Very Well' on PS5 https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/10/we-didnt-expect-this-gran-turismo-7-continuing-to-sell-very-well-on-ps5
Push SquareAI score4242 'We Didn't Expect This': Gran Turismo 7 Continuing to 'Sell Very Well' on PS5
Series creator Kazunori Yamauchi told Traxion that Gran Turismo 7 is still selling very well on PS5, a result the team had not expected from the beginning, and that the growing user base is why it keeps adding content and game modes. The first phase of the Spec 4 update arrives next week with six new cars and the Sportsland Sugo circuit, with more content following in December. The game, nearing its fifth anniversary, has never been part of PS Plus, so its growth comes entirely from premium sales.
PC GamerAI score3838 AI-powered driving instructor sim Teach My Little Sister How To Drive spends $1,000 per day to keep its demo running
Easy Fox's AI-powered driving instructor sim Teach My Little Sister How To Drive is spending over $1,000 per day on AI services for its demo after player numbers grew more than twentyfold. The studio has taken out a bank loan to keep the demo running and says it may have to close it earlier than expected before the full release, which is planned for January next year.
@EurogamerAI score2222 Gears of War boss says next game won't take seven years
Gears of War boss says the next game won't take seven years to make as he dances around the question of layoffs. https://bit.ly/4hKunr8
@EurogamerAI score5858 Phasmophobia confirms 30 million sales as Crimson Eye Halloween event returns
Phasmophobia has confirmed 30 million sales, and its Crimson Eye Halloween event has returned. Eurogamer reported the news.
GIBizAI score2222 Multiversus devs on leaving AAA for indie
"We can't control what the publisher scene looks like, but we can control what we're making, and how we ship it, and how we communicate with an audience" – Why two of the developers behind Multiversus ditched AAA for indie https://bit.ly/4rNOmtG
@EurogamerAI score5858 Star Wars: Zero Company studio says it will bring back as many people as possible after furloughing most developers
The studio behind Star Wars: Zero Company says it will bring back as many people as possible after furloughing most of its developers. Eurogamer reported the news.
@EurogamerAI score3838 Krafton Bets on Roguelite Twist to Make PUBG Ded.Net the Next Big Battle Royale
"We have to go a different path" - Krafton thinks PUBG https://Ded.Net's pulpy gameshow hyperviolence and roguelite twist can make it the next big battle royale
@EurogamerAI score6262 Undead Labs discusses split from Xbox, says it must make changes to State of Decay 3 after layoffs
Undead Labs has spoken about its split from Xbox. The studio said it has to make some changes to State of Decay 3 following layoffs.
Nintendo LifeAI score2222 Capcom Once Considered Making Pragmata "A Little Bit More Horror Focused"
Pragmata lead producer Masachika Kawata said Capcom at one point considered making the new sci-fi game "a little bit more horror focused." The idea was dropped because Pragmata is a new IP and horror would overlap too much with Resident Evil, though horror elements such as human-looking robots remain in the game.
@EurogamerAI score2222 CDPR outlines next Witcher 3 Remastered fixes
CD Projekt Red outlines which Witcher 3 Remastered fixes are coming next, but there's still division about the changes. https://bit.ly/4zbPA4k
@EurogamerAI score6464 Supermassive Games suffers layoffs as more than 70 developers appear to have left this week
Supermassive Games has suffered layoffs, with more than 70 developers said to have left the company this week. Eurogamer links to its full report.
@EurogamerAI score2222 Halo Studios Says It Still Intends to Release New Halo Book
Halo Studios says "it is absolutely our intent" to release new Halo book, despite layoffs and a rumored lore reboot from Activision. https://bit.ly/4hJL3PG
@EurogamerAI score4242 Arc Raiders and The Finals getting film and TV adaptations
Arc Raiders and The Finals are getting film and TV adaptations in collaboration with the Backrooms production company. https://bit.ly/4yn1F69
@PushSquareAI score4040 PS5 Price Blamed as PlayStation US Hardware Sales Hit Lowest Since 2013
PlayStation Hardware Sales Hit Lowest Point Since 2013 in US, and PS5's Price Is the Problem https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/10/playstation-hardware-sales-hit-lowest-point-since-2013-in-us-and-ps5s-price-is-the-problem
Push SquareAI score6262 US PlayStation Hardware Sales Fall to Lowest Point Since 2013 as PS5 Price Nears $600
Circana's August US games industry report shows PlayStation hardware sales at their lowest point since 2013, with Sony console sales down 25% year-over-year for 2026. Analyst Mat Piscatella says the average US PS5 selling price this year is $597, up 20% year-over-year, while Xbox Series X|S average pricing rose 26% amid the brand's worst US hardware sales ever. Piscatella says the US hardware market has not been in a more precarious position since the early 80s, and the author argues Sony needs ways to monetise players beyond hardware.
KotakuAI score3636 Jailbroken PS5s Can Now Emulate PS2 Games Using Physical Discs
A new version of the PCSX2 emulator called PS5SX2 can be installed on jailbroken PlayStation 5 consoles, and version 2.01 lets users dump physical PS2 discs directly to the SSD to emulate them. Because the PS5's disc drive cannot read CDs, blue-tinted PS2 discs and PS1 discs cannot be used. Lead coder Swordpdf has also announced that a PS5SX3 emulator for dumping PS3 games from disc is in the works.
@pcgamerAI score2222 Blizzard Says No to WoW: Forever Dungeons Being Fastest XP Grind
Blizzard says no to WoW: Forever dungeons being its fastest XP grind 😒
@EurogamerAI score2222 Dead by Daylight studio hiring for AAA sci-fi FPS
Dead by Daylight studio is hiring for a triple-A Sci-Fi first-person shooter with "a high realism bar". https://bit.ly/4yAydKG
KotakuAI score5858 AI-driven driving sim's Steam demo costs $1,000 a day, four-person team takes a bank loan
Easy Fox's DMV simulator Teach My Little Sister How To Drive uses an AI chatbot as the student sister players instruct to pass her exam. A Steam page update says demo players grew more than twentyfold over the past month, pushing operating costs above $1,000 a day and forcing the team to take out a bank loan, a cost it says will factor into the final price. The four-person team says it hopes to keep the demo running but may close it earlier than expected before release, a decision it has not yet made.
@EurogamerAI score3636 Millions return to The Witcher 3 as Remastered sets new Steam record
Millions return to The Witcher 3 as the Remastered game records another Steam personal best and sales skyrocket. https://bit.ly/3VMQ3LS
GIBizAI score3838 Glen Schofield says he was forced to ship The Callisto Protocol three months early
Glen Schofield says he had to ship The Callisto Protocol three months earlier than had been agreed. "I was forced to ship the game. I'm mad at myself, there's no doubt. I was so stunned by that decision, because we had f***ing COVID" https://bit.ly/47HMj0U
KotakuAI score3838 MatPat And Blumhouse Productions Collaborating On Amanda The Adventurer Movie
MatPat (Matthew Patrick) has struck a multi-project deal with Blumhouse Productions, announced at this week's New York Comic Con, starting with a film adaptation of DreadXP's 2022 puzzle horror game Amanda the Adventurer. Patrick said he is partnering with Blumhouse to bring his favorite indie games and horror channels to the big screen. Which other games will be adapted has yet to be confirmed.