Gaming · Saturday, 31 October 2026

Japan's anime business grows 15.8% to a record 4.45 trillion yen in 2025, and 57% of the money now comes from fans abroad

37 stories 53 sources

Signals on this beat

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing, and the arrow is where it is heading.

Owners cutting what they pay for High↑

EA, carrying $18 billion of debt, chose a Star Wars game over the next Mass Effect. [8]
The money behind Raw Power Games, a studio in Copenhagen, stopped before its game came out. [9]
Romero Games now makes its shooter with 16 people, down from 110. [10]

New money for anime and film Building↑

A manga company and a Japanese trust bank set up a fund to pay for anime. [6]
A Tokyo film fund raised about 5 billion yen to back around 50 films. [7]
European studios can get public money that Asian studios mostly cannot, producers said. [11]

AI copying, and who labels it Building↑

Anthropic told its AI, Claude, to stop rebuilding other people's games. [12]
VRChat, an app for meeting in 3D worlds, refused to label AI-made worlds. [13]
Book publishers are suing AI firms while urging their own staff to use AI. [14]

Workers asking for a say Building↑

A union vote at Rockstar's UK studios could cover more than 1,600 staff. [15]
Food workers at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park say they skip meals. [16]
The head of Japan's anime companies' association asked for better conditions for the people who draw. [1]

The stories

37 stories on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

01
Japan's anime business grows 15.8% to a record 4.45 trillion yen in 2025, and 57% of the money now comes from fans abroad

4.45 trillion yen

spent on Japanese anime worldwide in 2025, a record

about $28.2 billion, up 15.8% on 2024 [1]

57.1%

of that money spent by fans outside Japan

up from 56.5% a year earlier [1]

505.5 billion yen

earned by the studios that make anime, also a record

up 8.4%, and 27.9% of it earned abroad [1]

$800 million

taken worldwide by the film Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

the biggest film ever made in Japan, which lifted both markets [3]
What happened
- Spending on Japanese anime worldwide reached a record 4.45 trillion yen in 2025. [1]
- That is about $28.2 billion, up 15.8% on the year before. [1]
- The Association of Japanese Animations, which writes a yearly report on the industry, released the figures. [1]
- It shared them at TIFFCOM, the business market of the Tokyo International Film Festival. [1]
- Fans outside Japan spent 2.54 trillion yen, up 17.2%. [1]
- Fans inside Japan spent 1.91 trillion yen, up 14.1%. [1]
- So 57.1% of the money now comes from abroad, up from 56.5% a year earlier. [1]
- 2025 was the fourth year that abroad beat home, after 2020, 2023 and 2024. [2]
- The change was at home: growth in Japan was only 4.6% in 2024. [1]
- Growth abroad slowed, from 26% in 2024 to 17.2% in 2025. [1]
- For years only sales abroad grew fast; 2025 broke that pattern, the report's editor said. [1]
- One film lifted both markets: Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. [3]
- The anime film took about $800 million worldwide, some of it in 2026. [3]
- In Japan it took about 40 billion yen, the most of any Japanese film ever. [3]
- The report also counts a smaller thing: the money that reaches the studios themselves. [1]
- The big figure counts everything fans buy, from tickets and streaming to toys and concerts. [1]
- Studios earned a record 505.5 billion yen, up 8.4%. [1]
- Studios earned 27.9% of their money abroad, up from 25.5%. [1]
- Anime shows are paid for by production committees: groups of companies that share the rights. [4]
- More studios now put in money themselves, so they own part of their shows. [5]
- That lets them share in what a show earns abroad, the report's editor said. [5]
- Japan's government wants anime to earn 6 trillion yen a year abroad by 2033. [1]
- Anime News Network says that is roughly triple the overseas market in under ten years. [6]
- Studios named two needs abroad: translation fitted to each country, and fighting piracy. [1]
Fans in Japan1.91 trillion yen
Fans abroad2.54 trillion yen
What fans spent on Japanese anime in 2025, at home and abroad.
Who is involved
- Association of Japanese Animations writes the yearly anime industry report
- Masahiro Hasegawa editor of that report; he presented the figures in Tokyo
- Partner companies share the cost
- The studio draws the show
- Spreads the risk
- Caps budgets, slows decisions
- The Association of Japanese Animations a group of Japan's anime companies that writes the yearly industry report; it released the figures
- Kazuko Ishikawa head of the association and of the studio Nippon Animation; she opened the session
- Japan's government it has set a goal of 6 trillion yen a year in anime sales abroad by 2033
How it unfolded
1. 2020 abroad first beats home
2. 2023 and again
3. 2025 a fourth year
4. 2002 the association starts counting the anime market [3]
5. 2020 fans abroad first outspend fans in Japan [2]
6. 2024 a record 3.8 trillion yen [3]
7. 2025 a new record, 4.45 trillion yen [1]
8. Dec 2026 the full report is published [2]
Why it matters

Many Japanese companies are going abroad to find new money, the report's editor said. [5]
He said the next step is selling goods and services to fans abroad, not just shows. [1]

How it works

Film financiers call this a production committee: partners share the cost and the rights. [7]
It spreads the risk, but it can cap budgets and slow decisions, a Tokyo panel heard. [7]
The truth
- What is really going on Fans spent a record 4.45 trillion yen on Japanese anime in 2025, and the studios that draw it earned 505.5 billion yen of that. [1]
- Why it works on people A total in trillions is hard to picture, so the studios' own 505.5 billion yen is easy to miss.
- A weak yen makes these totals look smaller when they are counted in dollars. [3]
- It also makes money earned abroad worth more yen when it comes home. [3]
- The report's editor warned that exchange rates affect the comparison between home and abroad. [1]
- Who gains Japanese companies selling anime abroad — Fans outside Japan spent 2.54 trillion yen, up 17.2%, and a weak yen makes those earnings worth more at home. [1][3]
- Nobody knows yet
  How much of anime's record year was Demon Slayer alone.
  
  The report gives totals, and one film took about $800 million worldwide, some of it in 2026. Nobody has said what the year looks like without it. [3]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether the record holds when it is counted in dollars.
  
  The report's editor warned that exchange rates affect the comparison. The Hollywood Reporter puts the total at $28.5 billion and Variety at $28.2 billion for the same 4.45 trillion yen. [1][3]
Good news
- Fans in Japan and abroad both spent more on anime in 2025, and the studios that draw it earned a record 505.5 billion yen.
What comes next

These are early figures; the full report comes out in early December. [2]

02
EA chose Star Wars over Mass Effect
What happened
- Bloomberg reports EA closed BioWare after choosing a Star Wars game over Mass Effect. [17]
- BioWare was EA's studio for role-playing games, the maker of Mass Effect. [8]
- Private investors bought EA for $55 billion in August. [18]
- EA owes $18 billion after private investors bought it with borrowed money. [8]
- Each game would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make. [17]
- EA could not afford both, and picked Battlefront 3 as the less risky bet. [17]
- Battlefront 3 has not even started development yet. [19]
- Three of BioWare's recent games, including Anthem, missed their sales goals. [19]
- Laura Miele, an EA boss who backed BioWare, was moved to another job this summer. [20]
Who is involved
- BioWare EA's role-playing game studio
- Laura Miele EA boss who backed BioWare
- BioWare's staff lost their jobs
- Mass Effect players lost the next game
Why it matters

EA must pay that debt from its profits, which favours games it can predict. [8]
How it works

A leveraged buyout is a purchase paid for with borrowed money that the bought company repays. [8]
Why a publisher short of money cuts a game that could still earn

Finance teachers call it capital rationing: when a company has more good projects than money, it ranks them and pays only for the top ones.

The twist

A game is often cut because a safer game ranked above it, not because it would lose money. The money ran out before the list reached it.

The picture

Paid for by Xbox110 people
Paid for by the new publisher16 people
Romero Games' team when Xbox paid for its game, and now that a new publisher does.
Step by step
1. A company has a fixed pot of money for new projects
2. It guesses each project's earnings, and how sure that guess is
3. It ranks the projects and pays from the top down
4. When the pot is empty, the rest stop, even ones that would earn
5. Debt makes the pot smaller, because lenders are paid first
The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.
- EA chose Star Wars over Mass Effect
  
  EA, paying down $18 billion of debt, could fund one costly game and ranked Star Wars Battlefront 3 above Mass Effect as the less risky one.
- EA pauses a Sims game
  
  EA moved the staff of Project Rene to Project Evergreen, so one Sims game is funded and the other waits.
- Romero Games finds a publisher, with 16 staff
  
  The new publisher pays for a game sized for 16 people, so the plan was cut to fit the money.
- Chronicles: Medieval studio may close
  
  Its funder stopped paying before Early Access, and without that money the studio cannot finish the game.
Where you've seen this

Drug companies

a medicine that works can still be dropped when another one in the lab looks surer to sell

City road budgets

a council fixes the worst roads first, and the rest wait for next year's money

Film studios

a studio greenlights the films it rates surest, and good scripts stay on the shelf

The catch

The ranking rests on guesses about future sales, so a safe bet can still fail. A cut project is never made, so nobody can check whether it would have earned.

And the whole of it

EA's new owners see the debt. BioWare's staff saw their own game, and players saw the closure. The ranked list that decided between them stays inside EA.
The truth
- What is really going on In games, owners short of money are choosing which games to keep: EA kept Star Wars and closed BioWare. [17]
- EA's new owners get the bet they judged more predictable for repaying the debt. [8]
- BioWare's staff lost their jobs, and Mass Effect players lost the next game. [17]
- Who gains EA's new owners and lenders — Star Wars Battlefront 3 was picked as the more predictable way to pay down $18 billion of debt. [8]
- Who pays BioWare's staff and Mass Effect's players — The studio closed and the next Mass Effect was cancelled so EA could fund Star Wars instead. [17]
- Nobody knows yet
  What EA will do with Mass Effect now.
  
  Bloomberg's sources describe why it chose Star Wars. EA has not said whether the series goes to another studio or stops. [19]

03
Anthropic stops Claude copying games
What happened
- Anthropic told its AI coding tool, Claude Code, to stop rebuilding other people's games. [12]
- The new rule arrived around 27 October, and users cannot switch it off. [21]
- It says: do not build a recreation of a specific existing game, even if renamed. [12]
- Original games, games in a genre and games from users' own designs still work. [12]
- Anthropic said using Claude to copy someone's work breaks its rules. [12]
- Small studios had cancelled public demos, fearing AI copies would reach shops first. [12]
Who is involved
- Claude Code Anthropic's AI that writes software
Why it matters

Developers may take some relief, Game Developer says, though the rule may only stop lazy copiers. [12]

How it works

Safety limits are rules inside an AI that refuse some requests, and can be tricked. [12]
The truth
- Copiers can switch to open AI models that have no such rule, users pointed out. [12]
- Nobody has said how the tool tells whether a user owns the game they describe. [12]
- Who gains Small studios whose games were being copied — Claude Code now refuses to rebuild a specific existing game. [12]
- Nobody knows yet
  How Claude will tell a copy from an original game.
  
  The rule names no test, and Anthropic says it will keep adjusting it. [12]
04
Rockstar's union could reach 1,600 staff
What happened
- A union at Rockstar's UK studios could cover more than 1,600 workers, the IWGB union says. [15]
- Rockstar makes Grand Theft Auto, and GTA 6 reaches consoles on 19 November. [22]
- That is nearly every UK worker below the level of director, the union says. [15]
- Rockstar has more than 4,700 staff in 12 places around the world, Bloomberg reported. [15]
- Staff vote on recognising the union from 12 to 26 November. [22]
- A yes would make it the biggest recognised union in the UK games industry. [22]
How it unfolded
1. 12 Nov the vote opens
2. 19 Nov GTA 6 launches
3. 26 Nov the vote closes
Why it matters

A recognised union can bargain over pay, overtime, job cuts and AI rules. [22]

How it works

Labour law calls this recognition: the employer agrees to bargain with the union. [22]
The truth
- A worker on the union's committee said management choices are kept hidden from staff. [15]
- Nobody knows yet
  How many Rockstar staff will vote yes.
  
  The vote runs from 12 to 26 November, and the result is not known until it closes. [22]
What comes next

The tribunal over 31 sacked staff hears closing arguments on 17 and 18 November. [22]
05
Chronicles: Medieval studio may close
What happened
- Raw Power Games says it may close before its game Chronicles: Medieval comes out. [9]
- The studio, in Copenhagen, says its funding is no longer in place. [9]
- The game is a medieval open world that mixes strategy and sword fighting. [9]
- It was close to Early Access, an early version players can play before release. [9]
- Its first trailer drew more than 2 million views on IGN's channel. [9]
- The studio did not say who its funder was or why the money stopped. [9]
- It asked players to keep the game on their Steam wishlists. [9]
Why it matters

If the studio closes, the game its staff built for years may never come out. [9]

How it works

Its funder stopped paying before Early Access, and without that money the studio cannot finish the game.
The idea, in story 02: Why a publisher short of money cuts a game that could still earn →
The truth
- The studio says its staff are carrying the heaviest weight. [9]
- Who pays Raw Power Games' staff in Copenhagen — Their funding ended just before Early Access, and the studio may close. [9]
- Nobody knows yet
  Who stopped paying for Chronicles: Medieval, and why.
  
  Raw Power Games blamed circumstances outside its control and named nobody. [9]
06
Romero Games finds a publisher, with 16 staff
What happened
- Romero Games has a new publisher for the shooter that Xbox stopped paying for. [10]
- The studio is led by John Romero, a co-creator of Doom. [23]
- Microsoft pulled the game's funding in 2025, during cuts across Xbox. [23]
- The team fell from 110 people to just 5. [23]
- It now has 15 or 16 people making a smaller game. [10]
- Romero says the studio owns all the old game's art and code, so it reuses them. [10]
- He cannot name the publisher or a release date yet. [23]
Who is involved
- John Romero co-created Doom
Why it matters

Owning the work let the studio start again without starting from nothing. [10]

How it works

The new publisher pays for a game sized for 16 people, so the plan was cut to fit the money.
The idea, in story 02: Why a publisher short of money cuts a game that could still earn →
The truth
- Most of the 110 people who worked on the first game did not come back. [10]
- Who pays Romero Games' former staff — The team fell from 110 to five when Xbox's money stopped, and only 16 work there now. [23][10]
Good news
- Romero Games found a new publisher and is making its game again. [10]
07
Forza's founder retires after the merger
What happened
- Dan Greenawalt, who founded Turn 10 Studios and led Forza Motorsport, is retiring. [24]
- He spent 27 years at Microsoft and directed eight Forza Motorsport racing games. [24]
- Last month Microsoft merged Turn 10 into Playground Games, maker of Forza Horizon. [24]
- The merger was part of an Xbox reset with 3,200 job cuts and four studio closures. [25]
- Playground's boss announced the retirement in a memo, The Verge reported. [25]
- Forza Motorsport is getting no new content, and its team now supports Horizon. [24]
Who is involved
- Dan Greenawalt founded Turn 10, made Forza Motorsport
Why it matters

Merging two teams leaves one game series with no team of its own. [24]
The truth
- Forza Horizon, the more profitable series, keeps the people. [24]
- Forza Motorsport players get no new cars, tracks or regular fixes. [24]
08
EA pauses a Sims game
What happened
- EA paused Project Rene, a next Sims game that had been worked on for years. [26]
- The Sims is EA's game about building houses and running little lives. [26]
- Project Rene looked like an online Sims that would also run on phones. [26]
- EA moved its people to Project Evergreen, rumoured to be a fuller Sims 4. [26]
- The Sims 4 has more than 100 add-on packs, about $1,600 bought one by one. [26]
- EA said it is focusing on the long-term potential of The Sims. [26]
Who is involved
- The Sims EA's life-simulation series
Why it matters

Like BioWare's cut, it moves EA's people onto one project instead of two. [26]

How it works

EA moved the staff of Project Rene to Project Evergreen, so one Sims game is funded and the other waits.
The idea, in story 02: Why a publisher short of money cuts a game that could still earn →
The truth
- Nobody outside EA knows when Project Evergreen will come out, or what it will cost. [26]
09
Call of Duty to cut disaster footage
What happened
- Activision will cut real crowd-crush footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. [27]
- The game's opening used video of the 2022 Halloween crush in Itaewon, Seoul. [27]
- That disaster killed 160 people and injured nearly 200 more. [27]
- Victims' families called it highly inappropriate and senseless to use in a game. [27]
- Activision apologised and said an update will remove it on 12 November. [28]
- The game's story is a made-up North Korean invasion of South Korea. [28]
How it unfolded
1. Launch the footage is in the game
2. Apology Activision says sorry
3. 12 Nov an update removes it
Why it matters

Real film of real deaths had been used as the backdrop for a made-up war. [28]
The truth
- Nobody at Activision has said who approved using the footage. [28]
Good news
- Activision agreed to take the footage out after the families asked. [27]
- Activision agreed to remove footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from Call of Duty after the victims' families asked.
10
Universal Studios food workers say they go hungry
What happened
- Food workers at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park say they skip meals. [16]
- The park sells snacks themed on films and shows, like Simpsons cotton candy. [16]
- Their union, Unite Here Local 11, speaks for about 1,700 workers there. [16]
- In its own survey, over 60% said they chose between food, medicine and rent. [16]
- Nearly 53% said they sometimes did not eat when hungry. [16]
- One worker says his hours fell from about 40 a week to 32, at $24 hourly. [16]
- Contract talks have run for about a year. [16]
Why it matters

Theme parks built on famous stories earn from fans, and these workers serve them. [16]

How it works

This is collective bargaining: the union negotiates one contract for all its members at the park. [16]
The truth
- The union ran the survey itself and did not share its method. [16]
- Universal says it bargains in good faith and raised wages in a 2023 deal. [16]
- Who pays Food workers at Universal Studios Hollywood — One worker's hours fell from about 40 a week to 32, while talks on a new contract have run for a year. [16]
- Nobody knows yet
  How widely Universal's food workers go hungry.
  
  The figures come from the union's own survey of 828 members, and its method was not shared. [16]
11
A bank and a manga firm start an anime fund
What happened
- Comisma and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank are setting up a fund to pay for anime. [6]
- Comisma owns GANMA!, a manga app, and Qzil.la, an anime studio. [6]
- The bank will bring investors who have had little way into anime until now. [6]
- Comisma said many big studios are booked years ahead. [6]
- The fund names Japan's goal of 6 trillion yen in sales abroad by 2033. [6]
Who is involved
- Comisma owns a manga app and a studio
- Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank a Japanese bank
Why it matters

More money could pay for more shows, if there are studios free to make them. [6]

How it works

Pooling many backers' money spreads the risk, as Japan's film committees do. [7]
The truth
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether the anime fund can buy studio time.
  
  Comisma says big studios are booked years ahead, so money alone may not start new shows soon. [6]
12
Japan's film funds look past the old way
What happened
- Japanese financiers met in Tokyo to discuss new ways to pay for films. [7]
- Most Japanese films are paid for by a production committee of partner companies. [7]
- Panellists said that system can cap budgets and make it hard for foreign investors to join. [7]
- One new fund, K2P Film Fund I, raised about 5 billion yen. [7]
- It plans to back around 50 films over seven years. [7]
- Its investors commit money before any film is chosen, which is called a blind pool. [7]
- Japan's trade ministry asked MUFG, a big bank, to study guarantees for film loans. [7]
Who is involved
- Partner companies pay and share the rights
Why it matters

If banks can lend against a film, more can be made with less money from partners. [7]

How it works

A completion guarantee promises a film gets finished on budget and time, not that it sells. [7]

What comes next

The study runs to February 2027 and promises no loans. [7]
13
Producers compare Europe's and Asia's money
What happened
- Anime producers at TIFFCOM in Tokyo described working with partners in other countries. [11]
- Ervin Han, from a Singapore studio, said Asian films rely mostly on private money. [11]
- He said government money in Asia covers up to 20% at most, if you're lucky. [11]
- In Europe, a film's budget can mostly come from grants, tax breaks and sales in advance. [11]
- In France, a film from any country can get public money if a French partner joins. [11]
- His company sold streaming rights for its film to Crunchyroll, an anime streamer. [11]
Who is involved
- Ervin Han runs Robot Playground Media, Singapore
- Ilan Urroz head of Foliascope, France
- Singapore and Malaysia make most of it
- Ireland does the sound
Why it matters

So Asian producers look for European partners to reach public money. [11]

How it works

Producers call this co-production: partners in several countries share the cost and the work. [11]
The truth
- To reach that money, Asian producers give European partners a smaller share of the work. [11]
14
Japan plans an anime award for creators
What happened
- Japan plans a new anime award in 2027 to honour the people who make anime. [29]
- Its name and outline will be revealed on 2 November in Tokyo. [29]
- The Association of Japanese Animations and Tokyo's city government run the festival behind it. [29]
- Shimizu Akira, head of the studio A-1 Pictures, said creators should be put in the limelight. [29]
- Panellists said money for training should come with the award. [29]
- The 2027 start date is not yet confirmed. [29]
Who is involved
- Association of Japanese Animations
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government
How it unfolded
1. 2 Nov name and outline revealed
2. 2027 the first award
Why it matters

Panellists said the award could bring fans closer to the people behind anime. [29]
The truth
- The panellists stressed their views were not the award's official plans. [29]
15
Paramount+ adds CoComelon and Blippi
What happened
- Paramount+, a streaming service, will show children's series from Moonbug from 1 November. [30]
- Moonbug makes CoComelon and Blippi, two of the best-known shows for small children. [31]
- The deal brings more than 60 hours of shows to North America, Europe and beyond. [30]
- The rights are non-exclusive, so the same shows stay on Netflix and Disney+. [30]
Who is involved
- CoComelon
- Blippi
- Costs less
- Rivals have it too
Why it matters

Selling one show to many streamers earns Moonbug more than selling it to one. [30]

How it works

A non-exclusive deal costs a streamer less, but its rivals can show the same thing. [30]
The truth
- Moonbug gains a new paying home while its shows stay on Netflix and Disney+. [30]
- Who gains Moonbug — It sells the same children's shows to Paramount+ while keeping them on Netflix and Disney+. [30]
What comes next

More come on 15 December, including Blippi's second season. [30]
16
Criminal Minds ends with its 20th season
What happened
- Paramount+ will end Criminal Minds: Evolution after its 20th season, in 2027. [32]
- The crime series ran 15 seasons on CBS, then 5 on Paramount+. [33]
- It is the first show cancelled by Paramount+'s new bosses after the Skydance merger. [32]
- The show is still in the service's top 10, Deadline says. [32]
- Season 20 finished filming this autumn, so it will not get a proper ending. [32]
Why it matters

Fans lose a proper ending, because the last season was filmed before anyone knew. [32]
The truth
- Deadline says the decision may be tied to cost, a reason the company has not given. [32]
17
Kadokawa puts manga in English for free
What happened
- Kadokawa, a big Japanese publisher, started an English manga label on its KadoComi website. [34]
- Readers abroad can read each series' first and latest chapters for free. [34]
- The label also publishes work by creators outside Japan, such as an Indian duo. [34]
- Kadokawa says it will add more series over time. [34]
Who is involved
- masterlynx a manga duo from India
Why it matters

Free chapters let readers try a series before they buy it. [34]
18
Comics stock leaves a bankrupt warehouse
What happened
- A US bankruptcy court approved a second deal over stock held by Diamond Comic Distributors. [35]
- Diamond Comic Distributors is a bankrupt company that sold comics on to shops. [35]
- Publishers had left their books with Diamond to sell, and got stuck when it failed. [35]
- The deals settle nearly $50 million of stock, valued at what it cost the publishers. [35]
- The publishers include Fantagraphics, a comics house, and Paizo, a game company. [35]
Who is involved
- Diamond Comic Distributors bankrupt comics distributor
- Fantagraphics
- Paizo
Why it matters

Shops that need the books can now get them again. [35]

How it works

A bankruptcy court decides who gets what a failed company still holds. [35]
The truth
- The publishers lose money even so: some books have aged, and they pay heavy legal costs. [35]
Good news
- Nearly $50 million of books and games can now start moving to the publishers and shops. [35]
- Nearly $50 million of books and games stuck in a bankrupt comics warehouse can now go back to their publishers and to shops.
19
Book publishers fight AI and use it
What happened
- Five publishers' groups asked a US court to rule that OpenAI's training is not fair use. [14]
- The case is brought by authors and publishers against OpenAI and Microsoft. [14]
- Meanwhile, staff at all five biggest publishers say they are urged to use AI. [14]
- Those publishers own comics imprints too, like First Second and Inklore. [14]
Who is involved
- Authors and publishers
- OpenAI and Microsoft
Why it matters

Some staff resist, finding the tools unhelpful or opposing them, a Wired report says. [14]
The truth
- Publishers are drawn to AI by the chance to cut staff, ICv2 says. [14]
20
Disney's sounds come to Voicemod
What happened
- Voicemod, an app that changes how users' voices sound, signed a deal with Disney. [36]
- Its 5.7 million monthly users can now play Star Wars and Marvel sound clips. [36]
- Users play the clips while chatting on Twitch and Discord. [36]
- The first clips, from The Mandalorian & Grogu, came on Friday. [36]
- Users cannot yet make their own voice sound like the characters. [36]
- Last year Disney licensed its characters to OpenAI's Sora, a deal that ended when Sora shut. [36]
Who is involved
- Voicemod an AI voice-changing app
- Disney owns Star Wars and Marvel
How it unfolded
1. Last year Disney licenses Sora
2. This year Sora shuts
Why it matters

Film studios now license characters to AI firms they once kept away from. [36]

How it works

Licensing lets an owner rent out its characters without selling them. [36]
21
VRChat will not label AI-made worlds
What happened
- VRChat, an app where people build 3D worlds and meet in them, refused AI labels. [13]
- In its own survey, 95% of users wanted some kind of AI label. [13]
- But users gave 3,141 different combinations of labels they wanted. [13]
- No single combination was chosen by more than 10% of them. [13]
- VRChat said some creators would lie, and others would be wrongly accused and harassed. [13]
Why it matters

Users who want to know what people made by hand now cannot tell. [13]
The truth
- The 95% who asked for a label get none, and VRChat avoids judging what is AI-made. [13]
22
Doom and Wolfenstein studios work closer
What happened
- id Software, maker of Doom, says it works more closely than ever with MachineGames. [37]
- Both are Xbox studios, and MachineGames uses id's game engine, idTech. [37]
- About half of id's studio left in the Xbox layoffs, its co-director said. [37]
- He said the closer work started before the layoffs. [37]
- Xbox's boss, Asha Sharma, wants its studios to focus on their biggest series. [37]
Who is involved
- id Software makes Doom
- MachineGames makes Wolfenstein
- Asha Sharma head of Xbox
Why it matters

With half its staff gone, id leans on a partner studio to keep its technology moving. [37]
The truth
- About half of id's staff lost their jobs in the cuts. [37]
23
Netflix renews Haunted Hotel
What happened
- Netflix renewed Haunted Hotel, a cartoon comedy for adults, for a third season in 2027. [38]
- It comes from Matt Roller, who worked on Rick and Morty. [38]
- The first season has had more than 15 million views since September 2025. [38]
- Season two reached Netflix's global top 10. [38]
- Titmouse, an animation studio, draws it. [38]
Who is involved
- Matt Roller made the show
Why it matters

Netflix shared the show's viewing figures with the renewal, the measure it decides by. [38]
Good news
- Titmouse will make the third season too. [38]
- Netflix renewed Haunted Hotel for a third season after its first had more than 15 million views.
24
Eleceed's webtoon goes to print before its anime
What happened
- Inklore will print the Korean webtoon Eleceed as books from January 2027. [39]
- A webtoon is a comic read by scrolling down a phone screen. [39]
- Eleceed has 2.3 million subscribers and almost 500 million views on the Webtoon app. [39]
- Its anime arrives on Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service, in April. [39]
- The first book costs $23. [39]
How it unfolded
1. Jan 2027 the first book
2. April the anime
Why it matters

Books out just before an anime catch new fans when they look for more. [39]
25
Free Fire anime premieres in Brazil
What happened
- The anime of Free Fire, a phone shooting game, will premiere in Sao Paulo, Brazil. [40]
- Free Fire is made by Garena, a games company based in Singapore. [40]
- It was the world's most downloaded phone game from 2019 to 2021. [40]
- It had 100 million players a day in February 2024. [40]
- Kadokawa, the Japanese publisher, co-produces the anime with Garena. [40]
- The first episode shows at CCXP, Brazil's big fan convention, on 5 December. [40]
Who is involved
- Garena makes Free Fire, Singapore
How it unfolded
1. 5 Dec first episode at CCXP
2. After shown worldwide
Why it matters

The show is built on a game with 100 million daily players. [40]

What comes next

After the premiere it will be broadcast and streamed worldwide. [40]
26
The Smurfs gets 52 new episodes
What happened
- A fourth season of The Smurfs cartoon, with 52 new episodes, is being made. [41]
- Peyo Productions, owned by the company that holds the Smurfs rights, makes it. [41]
- Half arrive at the end of 2027, and the rest in 2028. [41]
- 2028 marks 100 years since Peyo, the Smurfs' creator, was born. [41]
- TV channels in France, Belgium, Germany and the US will show it first. [41]
Who is involved
- Peyo Productions part of the Smurfs' rights holder
How it unfolded
1. End of 2027 the first half
2. 2028 the second half
Why it matters

Children in at least four countries get new episodes from late 2027. [41]
27
Mina the Hollower keeps its studio going
What happened
- Yacht Club Games says its new game, Mina the Hollower, gave it stability, for now. [42]
- Yacht Club is the small independent studio behind Shovel Knight. [42]
- It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first two weeks. [42]
- The studio had called the game make-or-break. [42]
- Splitting the team across two games was probably a mistake, a co-founder said. [42]
- Most of the team now works on a new 3D game. [42]
Who is involved
- Yacht Club Games made Shovel Knight
Why it matters

One hit can carry a small studio to its next game. [42]
Good news
- Mina the Hollower sold more than half a million copies in two weeks. [42]
- Mina the Hollower sold more than 500,000 copies in two weeks, enough to keep its small studio, Yacht Club Games, working on its next game.
28
Final Fantasy XIV expansion slips four weeks
What happened
- Square Enix delayed Evercold, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, by four weeks. [43]
- Final Fantasy XIV is an online role-playing game, first released in 2010. [44]
- Evercold now arrives on 23 February 2027, with early access on 19 February. [44]
- Pre-orders open on 4 November. [43]
- It adds crossover raids with Neon Genesis Evangelion, an anime, and Final Fantasy VII. [43]
- Square Enix announced it at its fan festival in Japan. [43]
How it unfolded
1. Was January 2027
2. Now 23 February 2027
Why it matters

Players wait four more weeks for the next part of the game's story. [43]
29
Dark Souls 2 and 3 go offline
What happened
- FromSoftware took the online servers for Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 offline. [45]
- FromSoftware is the Japanese studio behind Dark Souls and Elden Ring. [45]
- It gave only a server issue as the reason, and no date for return. [45]
- Players lose online fights, help from others and messages left in the world. [45]
- In 2022 all three Dark Souls games went offline over a security flaw. [45]
Who is involved
- FromSoftware Japanese studio, Dark Souls
How it unfolded
1. 2022 offline over a security flaw
2. Now offline again
Why it matters

A game whose online parts run on the maker's servers stops working when they stop. [45]
The truth
- FromSoftware has not said what the server problem is. [45]
30
Nintendo cancels Kirby's Halloween event
What happened
- Nintendo cancelled the Halloween event in Kirby Air Riders, a Switch 2 racing game. [46]
- The event began on 28 October and was due to run until 4 November. [46]
- Players found the game froze for seconds at a time once it started. [46]
- Nintendo said the screen may temporarily freeze, so it cancelled the event. [46]
- It says it plans to hold the event again. [46]
How it unfolded
1. 28 Oct event starts
2. Days later cancelled
Why it matters

An update for a game already sold can break what worked before. [46]
The truth
- Nintendo gave no new date for the event. [46]
31
One Piece game loses its song pack
What happened
- Bandai Namco will remove a song pack from the game One Piece Pirate Warriors 4. [47]
- The pack holds seven songs from the anime film One Piece Film Red. [47]
- It goes on 25 November, with about a month's warning. [47]
- Players who buy it before then can still download it later. [47]
- It is not on sale ahead of its removal. [47]
How it unfolded
1. Now a month's warning
2. 25 Nov pack removed
Why it matters

Extras sold inside a game can leave its shop for good. [47]
32
Bungie: don't buy Marathon as a donation
What happened
- Bungie told Destiny players not to buy Marathon as a donation to the studio. [48]
- Bungie makes Destiny 2, and Marathon is its new shooting game. [48]
- A Bungie post had said Marathon must become sustainable to carry the studio forward. [48]
- Players read it as Destiny's future depending on Marathon's sales. [48]
- Josh Deane, Bungie's head of product, said the Destiny plan does not depend on Marathon. [48]
Who is involved
- Destiny 2 Bungie's older game
- Marathon its new one
- Josh Deane Bungie's head of product
How it unfolded
1. December a Marathon update
2. March another update
Why it matters

Some Destiny players had thought buying Marathon would keep the studio going. [48]

What comes next

Marathon's December and March updates will help decide Bungie's future, the post said. [48]
33
Soulframe opens to everyone
What happened
- Soulframe, a fantasy game from the makers of Warframe, opens to everyone on 6 November. [49]
- It has been in invite-only tests for 3 years. [49]
- Digital Extremes, the studio behind Warframe, makes it. [49]
- A big update later in November changes how new players start. [49]
- Testers struggled to reach the open world, so the start is now more direct. [49]
Who is involved
- Digital Extremes makes Warframe and Soulframe
Why it matters

Players' feedback from the tests changed how the game begins. [49]
34
Crimson Desert gives five free hours
What happened
- Pearl Abyss made the first 5 hours of Crimson Desert free on PlayStation and Xbox. [50]
- Crimson Desert, from the studio Pearl Abyss, sold over 6 million copies in three months. [50]
- The trial runs from 29 October to 6 January, and progress carries into the full game. [50]
- Each staff member got a $3,400 bonus after the game's success. [50]
- The trial came out with the game's first paid add-on. [50]
How it unfolded
1. 29 Oct trial opens
2. 6 Jan trial ends
Why it matters

A free trial reaches people who did not buy at launch, at no cost to them. [50]
The truth
- Pearl Abyss's revenue rose 419% after the game came out. [50]
35
Walmart restores Zelda Switch 2 orders
What happened
- Walmart told buyers their cancelled Zelda Switch 2 pre-orders were cancelled in error. [51]
- The Zelda edition of Nintendo's console costs $519. [51]
- Buyers have 48 hours to claim the console again from their cart. [51]
- Some buyers also got a $519 Walmart gift card for the trouble. [51]
- The Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake comes to Switch 2 on 5 November. [51]
How it unfolded
1. Before orders cancelled in error
2. 5 Nov Ocarina of Time remake
Why it matters

Walmart's mistake had left some buyers without the console before the new Zelda game. [51]
Good news
- Cancelled buyers get the console after all, some with its price back as a gift card. [51]
36
Capcom plans life-size Monster Hunter statues
What happened
- Capcom will build life-size statues of two Monster Hunter creatures in Fukuoka, Japan. [52]
- Monster Hunter is Capcom's game series about hunting giant monsters. [52]
- The statues will stand in a new park at Marinoa Resort, by the sea. [52]
- A life-size Gundam robot in Tokyo was taken down after nearly two decades. [52]
- Capcom also runs Monster Hunter events at Universal Studios Japan. [52]
Who is involved
- Monster Hunter Capcom's monster-hunting series
How it unfolded
1. Then Tokyo's Gundam taken down
2. Next Monster Hunter statues
Why it matters

The statues are part of a plan to bring new life to the area, Kotaku says. [52]
37
An AI engine that runs on players' machines
What happened
- Studio Atelico opened its AI engine to game makers in Early Access. [53]
- The AI runs on the player's own computer or phone, not in data centres. [53]
- It works with Unity, Unreal Engine and Godot, three common tools for making games. [53]
- Its boss, Piero Molino, wants Atelico to be the Epic Games of AI. [53]
- It says it pays its artists and drafted a contract to protect their work. [53]
Why it matters

Running AI on the player's machine removes the need for a cloud connection. [53]
The truth
- Its AI is trained on its own artists' work, which it says it pays for. [53]

Japan's anime business grows 15.8% to a record 4.45 trillion yen in 2025, and 57% of the money now comes from fans abroad

37 stories on this beat today.

Why a publisher short of money cuts a game that could still earn