#Studio

Former Halo Franchise Director Says Activision Should Hire Former Halo Devs for Next Mainline Game

Former Halo franchise creative director Frank O'Connor has advised Activision Blizzard to hire laid-off developers from Bungie, Halo Studios, and elsewhere for the next mainline Halo game. In a September 25 LinkedIn post, he outlined three possible directions: a classic sandbox shooter, a modern reinvention, or an Activision-style sandbox game with player progression and business models. He also warned against tying the game to hardware or services launch cycles and against abandoning its sandbox.

Grasshopper Manufacture Parts Ways With NetEase and Goes Independent

Grasshopper Manufacture has announced it has parted ways with parent company NetEase and is once again an independent developer. NetEase acquired the studio in 2021 but has since pulled back from investments, closing studios and withdrawing funding from major projects. CEO Goichi Suda said the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase Games and with their cooperation, and that the studio continues to value the relationship.

Gcores Weekly 9.30: Xbox cuts 268 more jobs, Halo handed to Activision

Gcores' weekly roundup covers the week's news: Bungie announced that all vaulted Destiny 2 content will return, and Microsoft's Xbox cut another 268 jobs, with Halo handed to Activision while Rare and World's Edge move under Activision and Obsidian under Bethesda, leaving Xbox Game Studios with only three direct studios. Gears of War: E-Day narrative director Juan Vaca was laid off two weeks before release, with the game's future tied to its commercial performance; Build A Rocket Boy, developer of MindsEye, entered bankruptcy proceedings; TGS 2026 cancelled its final public day due to a typhoon; and Pokemon Pokopia won the Japan Game Awards 2026 Grand Award, with Masahiro Sakurai announcing this year's Game Designers Award will be the last.

Grasshopper Manufacture leaves NetEase to go indie again, Suda51 says it will deliver titles in a wider variety of styles

Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio behind No More Heroes and Killer7, has split from parent company NetEase and gone indie again, founder Goichi "Suda51" Suda announced. NetEase, which acquired the studio in 2021, has yet to comment on the deal. Suda said the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase Games and reflects a desire to deliver titles in an even wider variety of styles.

How to run an indie game studio: Part 1, What is a studio?

Business coach Martijn van Zwieten begins a five-part series on successfully managing an indie studio. He introduces a management framework called FIRM, standing for Future, Issues, Rocks, and Meetings, the four pillars that drive focus, alignment, and accountability. This first part asks what a studio is, describing it as made up of a team, games or IP, and distribution and marketing.

Grasshopper Manufacture becomes independent as it splits from NetEase Games

Grasshopper Manufacture announced it is separating from NetEase Games to become an independent studio again. CEO Goichi 'Suda51' Suda said the release of Romeo is a Dead Man earlier this year led the studio to consider its future direction and to want to deliver titles in a wider variety of styles, with the decision reached after discussions and cooperation with NetEase. NetEase acquired the studio from GungHo Online Entertainment in 2021 for an undisclosed sum; Grasshopper had been part of the GungHo Group since 2013 and was founded by Suda in 1998.

Suda51's Grasshopper Manufacture splits from NetEase to become independent again

Grasshopper Manufacture announced it is splitting from NetEase and returning to independent status. CEO Goichi Suda, known as Suda51, said in a press release that the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase and came with the company's generous cooperation. The studio was acquired by NetEase in 2021 and released only Romeo is a Dead Man under the publisher, after reports that NetEase planned to divest most of its overseas teams.

Grasshopper Manufacture splits from NetEase Games

Grasshopper Manufacture has split from NetEase Games.

19-Year Xbox Veteran Weighs In On Halo's Future: 'Hire Bungie, Halo Studios And Other Laid Off Folk Who Are Bursting With Talent'

Frank O'Connor, who spent nearly 20 years at Xbox and left in 2023 as creative director of the Halo franchise, shared his view on Halo's future in a LinkedIn comment, laying out three possible directions for Activision: a "classic" Halo experience for the core audience, a modern reinvention of the game and universe, or translating the Halo IP into Activision's proven player, progression and business models. He also advised Microsoft not to tie the next Halo to the Xbox hardware or services cycle, and urged Activision to hire recently laid-off talent from Bungie and Halo Studios.

Grasshopper Manufacture goes indie again after splitting with NetEase

Grasshopper Manufacture, acquired by NetEase in 2021, is splitting from the Chinese company and returning to independent development. CEO Goichi Suda said on September 30 that the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase Games and that the two companies still value their relationship. The split comes after the studio released Romeo Is a Dead Man this year, and as NetEase systematically pulls back from the games industry, including halting funding for Nagoshi Studio's Gang of Dragon.

One of The Witcher 3's Most Celebrated Writers Returns to CD Projekt Red

Karolina Stachyra, the writer behind The Witcher 3's Bloody Baron questline, has returned to CD Projekt Red as a full-time writer after joining as a consultant in February. She previously spent nearly a decade as a narrative lead at Techland and GSC Gameworld. Her return is assumed to be tied to The Witcher 4, which is set to release in 2028.

Grasshopper Manufacture splits from NetEase Games

Grasshopper Manufacture announced it has split from former parent company NetEase Games and is once again an independent developer. NetEase Games had acquired the studio from GungHo Online Entertainment in 2021. Representative director and CEO Goichi Suda said the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase Games and their cooperation, after the studio released ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN this past February.

No More Heroes Dev Grasshopper Splits from NetEase, Returns to Independence

Grasshopper Manufacture, the Japanese developer behind No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned and Lollipop Chainsaw, confirmed it is no longer owned by NetEase Games and has returned to being an indie studio. The two sides held talks and decided to part ways, with Grasshopper saying it has improved its self-publishing know-how and wants to deliver titles in a wider variety of styles. NetEase acquired the studio in 2021 and let it go five years later, ahead of Grasshopper's 30th anniversary.

Suda 51's Grasshopper officially regains independence from NetEase

Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio led by Goichi Suda, has announced it is officially independent of former parent company NetEase Games. The studio was acquired by NetEase in 2021 and released its latest title, Romeo Is A Dead Man, this February, marking its 28th anniversary in March. The statement said the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase and their cooperation, and that the two companies will keep collaborating. NetEase has sharply scaled back its overseas investments, closing studios including T-Minus, FPC, Bad Brain and Ouka Studio, and splitting from Worlds Untold and Jar of Sparks.

Grasshopper Manufacture (Suda51) has split from now-former parent company NetEase Games

The writer of The Witcher 3's best quest has returned to CD Projekt after a decade away

Karolina Stachyra, the writer behind The Witcher 3's "Family Matters" quest, has returned to CD Projekt after a decade away. Her LinkedIn shows she worked as a freelance consultant since February and came back full-time in August, which CD Projekt confirmed while declining to say what she's working on. She previously served as narrative director at Techland and GSC Game World.

Halo's former creative director urges Activision to hire laid off Bungie and Halo Studios devs

Halo's former creative director Frank O'Connor has urged Activision to hire laid off Bungie and Halo Studios developers to build the next game in the series, saying it should keep the shooter's sandbox DNA. The Halo franchise is moving under Activision's control, with a new purpose-built Halo team separate from Call of Duty, while Halo Studios will be downsized to a small team supporting existing games. Earlier this year Sony Interactive Entertainment confirmed significant cuts at Bungie affecting most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members.

Former Dying Light franchise lead joins Bloober Team horror imprint Broken Mirror Games

Tymon Smektala, previously franchise director at Techland for over 13 years, is joining Polish studio Bloober Team as executive director of its horror imprint Broken Mirror Games. He will start by working with the teams behind the already in-production Saw: Genesis and Onyx: The Dark Grip, while seeking new horror projects and creative partnerships. Broken Mirror is a co-development label under Bloober Team that has released Star Trek: Infection and I Hate This Place since being announced in 2024.

《心之眼》工作室濒临破产，已解雇全部员工

Naughty Dog Update

Microsoft CEO says Xbox is simply 'streamlining' after cutting over 5,750 jobs in three years

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on the Sources Podcast that the layoffs at Xbox are simply a natural streamlining process and that he feels fantastic about the current IP. Since acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in October 2023, Xbox has carried out five rounds of mass layoffs totaling at least 5,750 workers, with the latest round confirmed in July 2026 set to cut 3,200 people from Xbox Game Studios by the end of the current fiscal year, including the divestment of Compulsion Games, Double Fine and Undead Labs. Nadella said new Xbox boss Asha Sharma told him Xbox will achieve growth and produce some great games in the next fiscal year.

Wardogs studio chief Brammer insists he isn't "pro crunch, I am pro hard work"

Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer has clarified his remarks on crunch, saying he is not "pro crunch" but "pro hard work." This follows his earlier statement that the studio would not hire people who "constantly tweet anti-crunch messaging," after which he told Eurogamer that staff worked an extra two hours per week Monday-to-Thursday for four weeks while the studio operates a four-day week. Bulkhead was spun out of Tencent in December 2025, and its military shooter Wardogs has sold over three million copies in its first 18 days.

Microsoft CEO Nadella says Xbox has to invent a sustainable business model

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on the Sources Podcast that Xbox needs to invent the right sustainable business model to deliver games to more people, and called the streamlining under new Xbox chief Asha Sharma great to see. He expects Xbox to return to growth in the next fiscal year, 2027/28. In July Xbox announced 3,200 layoffs and the divestment of five studios, with another 268 roles cut last week as Halo, Rare and Age of Empires moved under Activision; Matt Booty said two agreements for Ninja Theory fell through and consultation on a proposed closure will begin, while Arkane consultation continues through the end of the year.

Microsoft CEO calls Xbox's "streamlining" "great to see" despite cuts and layoffs

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on the Sources podcast that he feels "fantastic" about Xbox's IP and studios, and called the ongoing streamlining by the team and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma "great to see." His comments came days after another 268 layoffs at Xbox, the apparent impending closure of Ninja Theory, and organizational changes including Obsidian moving under Bethesda, Playground and Turn 10 merging, Undead Labs going independent, and Rare, World's Edge and Halo moving under Activision. In July, Asha Sharma announced 3,200 job cuts, 1,600 of them effective immediately, with Double Fine and Compulsion Games allowed to go independent again.

Microsoft's failure to find a buyer for Ninja Theory voids the one upside to Senua's SGF reveal

Rock Paper Shotgun's James Archer argues that Microsoft's failure to find a buyer for Ninja Theory leaves the studio facing closure and strips Senua's Summer Game Fest reveal of its only possible upside. The piece notes that the studio was put up for sale about four weeks after the reveal, and roughly eleven weeks later Microsoft executive Matt Booty devoted two sentences to two failed deals and a proposed closure. The author says the show-then-sell approach looks callous whether or not staff were told in advance, and that the reveal ultimately produced nothing.

Build a Rocket Boy has entered administration

Build a Rocket Boy entered administration on Wednesday and formally appointed administrators the same day, which is effectively similar to bankruptcy proceedings for non-UK readers. The existing management has been dismissed while a new team comes in to see whether the company can be sold as a whole, liquidated, or found to have nothing left to salvage. Previous reports had said the studio was shutting down.

GTA veteran's MindsEye studio Build a Rocket Boy enters administration

Build a Rocket Boy has filed for administration with the UK's Companies House and hired Opus Advisory Group as administrator. The move follows reports last week of further layoffs at the studio behind last June's poorly received MindsEye. For the 12 months ending 30th September, the company reported a £47.5m operating loss and a £36.2m net loss, owing creditors £61.8m.

MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy has appointed administrators

MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy has appointed administrators following its latest wave of layoffs, with Opus Advisory Group confirmed as the administrator. A Companies House filing indicates the studio is insolvent, though the filing itself was not available at the time of writing. For the year ending September 30, 2025, the company posted a £47.5 million operating loss and a £36.2 million net loss, and owed creditors a total of £61.8 million.

King signs collective agreement with Swedish trade unions after call to industrial action

King has signed a collective agreement with the Swedish trade unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer, following last week's call to industrial action. Unionen said the agreement, reached after over a year of negotiations, covers job security and greater influence over workplace terms and conditions. Unionen head of negotiations Martin Wästfelt called it a major victory for King's members and credited the union's long partnership with Engineers of Sweden.

Two snapshots of some of the 277 jobs Microsoft cut in Washington State this week, as disclosed in a state filing

Rumor: Halo Studios reportedly worked on H2/3 remakes, Halo 7 and a spinoff campaign at once

According to a RebsGaming report, Pierre had the entire Halo Studios start early development on H2/3 remakes, Halo 7 and a spinoff campaign based on a Halo novel at the same time. The First Strike spinoff was said to be a small project with about 5 campaign missions and a Firefight mode planned for release next year, a claim confirmed by 3 sources. The report also says Halo Studios presented a Halo 7 concept to Matt Booty and Xbox executives the week before layoffs, featuring campaign, PvP, PvE and Forge on day one, while Halo 7 was years away from release. 30 employees left Halo Studios, including Pierre and members of his inner circle, and Pierre reportedly wants to use AI for smaller Halo projects and outsource the remakes.

Former Avalanche Studios chief Natalie Francis joins Massive Entertainment as managing director

Natalie Francis, former head of studio operations and development at DICE and chief development officer at Avalanche Studios, is joining Massive Entertainment as managing director on October 1st. The Ubisoft subsidiary has worked on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws, and is currently leading development on Tom Clancy's The Division 2 and the forthcoming Tom Clancy's The Division 3. Earlier this year, Ubisoft confirmed plans to make 55 people redundant at Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm.

Xbox restructuring sparks confusion and frustration as communities react to Ninja Theory closure

Xbox carried out a second wave of layoffs this week and shifted studio management away from Xbox directly to Bethesda or Activision, with Obsidian moving to Bethesda and Rare, World's Edge and Halo moving to Activision. Ninja Theory faces closure, Halo Studios was nearly dismantled by layoffs and World's Edge was halved. Communities around Hellblade, Outer Worlds, Forza, Age of Empires and Sea of Thieves reacted with sadness and concern, while Ninja Theory, Obsidian and Rare have not commented publicly.

Tim Schafer on Double Fine's Xbox split: "I assume someone is being greedy somewhere"

Double Fine founder Tim Schafer told the BBC that the studio split with Xbox because Microsoft is moving toward "fewer, larger IPs," while Double Fine wanted to keep making many small ones. He said he remains pro Game Pass and has no regrets about the Xbox partnership, but called the industry's four-year downturn baffling and said "I assume someone is being greedy somewhere."

Bethesda says Obsidian will keep its distinct creative identity despite no longer operating independently

Jill Braff, president of Bethesda and Microsoft's casual games division, said in a staff memo that Obsidian will no longer operate independently of fellow Xbox-owned studio Bethesda but will retain its distinct creative identity and strengths. She described the change as primarily a shift in reporting structure, with Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart and his leadership team continuing to run the studio and reporting to her. Bethesda Game Studios will continue to lead the Fallout franchise, and the teams will build on early work already underway on a new Fallout project.

Xbox Layoffs and Restructuring: First-Party Studios Cut From 14 to 4, Halo Moves to Activision

In September 2026, Microsoft chief content officer Matt Booty announced in an internal letter the cutting of 268 positions, moving Rare and World's Edge to Activision, placing Obsidian under Bethesda, merging Turn 10 into Playground, and handing the next Halo to Activision. Over five years Microsoft's Xbox first-party studios shrank from a peak of 14 to 4, leaving The Coalition, inXile, Playground and XGS Publishing, while Ninja Theory faces consultation over a proposed closure after two deals fell through. A top community comment said it feels more like Activision acquired Xbox than the reverse.

Bethesda boss confirms Obsidian will remain a distinct team

Bethesda boss Jill Braff told staff that Grounded developer Obsidian Entertainment will remain a distinct team and keep its existing leadership structure. The note follows Xbox's September 22 reorganisation, which moved Obsidian under Bethesda, transferred Rare and ownership of the Halo franchise to Activision, proposed closing Ninja Theory, and confirmed 268 further job cuts. Braff described the move as primarily a change in reporting structure, with Feargus Urquhart and his leadership team continuing to lead Obsidian and reporting to her, while Bethesda Game Studios continues to lead the Fallout franchise.

As Halo moves to Activision, fans worry about a lore reboot, but Halo Fest goes on

Microsoft said this week it is cutting 268 roles across Halo Studios and other first-party teams, and confirmed Activision will develop the next Halo with a new team separate from Call of Duty. Fans are split over whether Activision should reboot the series' 25 years of lore. Halo Studios' esports lead confirmed December's Halo Fest keeps its dates and locations, with more details promised in the coming weeks.

Report: Bethesda president tells Obsidian staff it won't lose 'creative identity' after merge

Bethesda president Jill Braff reportedly told Obsidian Entertainment staff in an email that the studio's merger into Bethesda is "primarily a change in reporting structure," according to Aftermath. The email says CEO Feargus Urquhart and Obsidian leadership will keep running the studio and report to her, while Bethesda Game Studios continues to lead the Fallout franchise and both teams work on a new Fallout project. The merger follows this week's Xbox announcement, which also included divestments and another couple hundred layoffs; Obsidian laid off at least 52 workers in July.

Bethesda takes control of Obsidian Entertainment, promises studio's creative identity stays intact

As part of Xbox's ongoing restructuring, Obsidian Entertainment has been moved under Bethesda's umbrella. Bethesda president Jill Braff told staff that Obsidian's creative identity and strengths will remain at the core of the studio, with CEO Feargus Urquhart continuing to lead it and reporting to her. Braff said Bethesda Game Studios will keep leading the Fallout franchise, and the two teams will build on early work already underway on a new Fallout project.