Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia's PIF, which bought EA, approach Unity at about $25 billion, Reuters reports, and Unity's shares jump

The stories

46 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.

1. 01

   Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia's PIF, which bought EA, approach Unity at about $25 billion, Reuters reports, and Unity's shares jump

   $25bn

   price the buyers discussed for Unity

   before results lifted Unity's own value to about $21.5 billion [1]

   8%

   of Unity already held by Silver Lake

   bought with about $400 million [2]

   $55bn

   paid for EA by the same investors

   a deal finished in August [1]

   $18bn

   of debt carried by EA after that purchase

   EA then chose between Mass Effect 5 and Star Wars Battlefront [3]

   What happened

   • Silver Lake, an investment firm, and PIF, Saudi Arabia's state fund, have held talks to buy Unity, Reuters reports. [1]
   • They discussed a price of about $25 billion, unnamed people told Reuters. [1]
   • Unity makes a game engine, the software tools studios build games with. [1] Thousands of games use it. [1]
   • The talks are early, and no deal is assured. [1]
   • Unity's shares rose nearly 15% after the news. [1]
   • The $25 billion was discussed before Unity's latest results. [1] Those results lifted its market value to about $21.5 billion. [1]
   • By standard accounting, that quarter was Unity's first profit since joining the stock market in 2020. [2]
   • Vector, its AI system for placing adverts, drove the growth behind that profit. [2]
   • So buyers would be paying for an advertising business as well as a game tool. [1][2]

   Who is involved

   Genshin Impact, Hollow Knight, Among Us and Subnautica were all made with Unity. [1]

   Silver Lake already owns about 8% of Unity, after investing about $400 million. [2]

   Silver Lake's Egon Durban sits on Unity's board. [2] Reuters says that would typically keep him out of the board's talks on a sale. [2]

   • Silver Lake a US investment firm; it owns about 8% of Unity and helped buy EA
   • PIF Saudi Arabia's state investment fund; it helped buy EA and is in the Unity talks
   • Egon Durban a Silver Lake executive on Unity's board; he would typically step back from sale talks
   • Unity the company whose engine studios use to build games; it may be sold
   • EA the game publisher those investors bought; it closed BioWare in October

   How it unfolded

   With Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, the two bought the game publisher EA for $55 billion, a deal finished in August. [1]

   EA took on $18 billion of debt in that purchase. [3]

   EA closed BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, on 21 October. [4]

   Bloomberg reported that EA could not afford both Mass Effect 5 and a new Star Wars Battlefront. [3]

   1. August EA deal done
   2. 21 October EA closes BioWare [4]
   3. This week Unity talks
   4. 2020 Unity joins the stock market [2]
   5. Now first quarterly profit
   6. August The $55 billion purchase of EA is finished [1]
   7. This week Unity reports a profit, and the talks become public [2]

   Why it matters

   Scopely, maker of Monopoly Go!, and Niantic, maker of Pokemon Go, both use Unity's tools. [1] A group including Silver Lake and PIF owns both. [1]

   So the buyers already own some of Unity's customers, and would become the supplier of those firms' rivals. [1]

   PC Gamer's writer expects Unity's staff to dread it, after EA's mass layoffs followed its sale. [2]

   Unity's tools also reach beyond games, into car design, film-making and architecture. [1]

   How it works

   Economists call this vertical integration: one owner holds a supplier and some of the firms that buy from it. [1]

   If this deal happens, a studio competing with Monopoly Go! would be paying Monopoly Go!'s owners for its tools. [1]

   Seen it before

   In a town with one flour mill, a baker has a problem if the mill's owner opens a bakery too.

   The truth

   • What is really going on The purchase by Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia's PIF left EA with $18 billion of debt, and EA then closed BioWare. [3]They are now in talks over Unity, the tool thousands of other studios build on. [1]
   • Why it works on people A closed studio gives fans something to fight for, with a petition and a documentary. [46] The $18 billion of debt behind that choice is a number nobody can picture. [3]
   • All this comes from unnamed people speaking to Reuters. [1] We read it through IGN and PC Gamer, not Reuters itself. [2]
   • Who gains Unity's shareholders — Talk of a buyer lifted the shares nearly 15%, with no deal signed. [1]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Unity will sell, and what the buyers would pay.

     The talks are early, and the $25 billion was discussed before Unity's results and before its shares rose nearly 15%. [1]

   What comes next

   Unity has reportedly been taking advice from an investment bank on its options. [1]

1. 02

   Disney's next job cuts look set for January

   What happened

   • Disney's next round of job cuts looks set for early 2027, likely January, Deadline reports. [12]
   • Managers have been given targets, and some must find as much as 20% in yearly savings. [12]
   • Its TV networks look likely to be hit, as Disney moves away from shrinking channel TV. [12]

   Who is involved

   Debra OConnell, chairman of Disney's TV arm, is also redrawing how that arm is run. [12]

   • Debra OConnell runs Disney's TV arm

   How it unfolded

   Disney recently sold its 50% share of A+E, a cable TV group, to Hearst for $1.2 billion. [12]

   1. Now managers get targets
   2. January likely cuts

   Why it matters

   Staff at National Geographic and the 20th Television studio may also be cut, Deadline suggests. [12]

   How it works

   Employers call this a voluntary exit offer: some staff are paid to leave before anyone is pushed. [12]

   More Disney executives took it than expected, Deadline hears, which softens the cuts. [12] Shari Rosenblum, its TV studio publicity head, left that way after more than 25 years. [19]

   Seen it before

   A crowded bus asks who will wait for the next one, before the driver has to choose.

   The truth

   • Much of this is chatter from unnamed insiders, Deadline says, and OConnell has kept her plans to herself. [12]
   • Who pays Disney's TV staff — Whoever is in the areas with the targets waits until about January to learn if they stay. [12]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How many Disney jobs go, and which ones.

     Deadline reports targets and expected areas, and says its new chief has kept her plans to herself. [12]

2. 03

   Nintendo says no more Switch 2 price rises

   What happened

   • Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, says it is "not considering additional changes" to the Switch 2's price, Reuters reports. [10]
   • He also says Nintendo can "secure sufficient quantities" of memory, the chips in short supply. [10]
   • AI data centres are buying up memory, which is what has pushed these machines up. [10]
   • In Japan last week, Famitsu estimated 68,733 Switch 2s, 16,226 PS5s and 892 Xboxes sold. [20]

   How it unfolded

   The Switch 2 went up $50 in the US this year, to $499. [10]

   Microsoft took the Xbox Series S from $299 to $499 over several rises. [10] The PS5 now starts at $649. [10]

   Why it matters

   So Nintendo goes into Christmas with its price held and Zelda out, and January's report will show how that went. [21]

   How it works

   Economists call it cost pass-through: how much of a rise in a firm's costs reaches its buyers. [10]

   A firm passes on less when buyers may walk away. [10] Switch 2 sales are already down 37.4% on last year, and Nintendo is holding at $499. [10]

   Seen it before

   A snack seller whose costs rise may keep the price if the queue has started to shrink.

   The truth

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Nintendo can keep the Switch 2 at $499 next year.

     Furukawa ruled out a rise only for now, and in May he said component prices could affect next year as well. [83]

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Macronix's exit from game chips touches Switch 2 cartridges.

     The Verge calls Macronix a Switch 2 supplier. [10] GamesRadar says it makes parts for Switch 1 cartridges, not Switch 2. [83] Nintendo has not commented, Eurogamer says. [84]

3. 04

   Nintendo sells more games and fewer consoles

   What happened

   • Nintendo sold 18.8% more Switch 2 games in the 6 months to September, while Switch 2 consoles fell 37.4%. [22]
   • Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream was its biggest seller of those 6 months, at 8.81 million copies. [23]
   • Downloads made up 60.7% of Nintendo's game sales, by money rather than copies. [24]
   • Over the 6 months, operating profit, what its business earned, rose 49.1%, helped by a refund of US tariffs. [22]
   • In the last 3 of those months alone, operating profit fell 16% to 73.9 billion yen. [25]

   How it unfolded

   Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, first released on an older console in 2014, has now reached 72 million. [21]

   Tariffs are taxes on imports, and Nintendo says it mostly paid them itself rather than raising prices. [22]

   Why it matters

   With fewer consoles selling, Nintendo says it will lean on people who already own a Switch to sell more games. [22]

   How it works

   Accountants call a refund like this a one-off: it counts once and will not come again. [22]

   The refund came in the first quarter. [22] So the 6 months rose 49.1% while the latest 3 months fell 16%. [25]

   Seen it before

   A birthday gift makes one month's pocket money look huge, and next month is back to normal.

   The truth

   • Nobody knows yet

     How much of Nintendo's 49.1% profit rise came from the tariff refund.

     GamesIndustry.biz names the refund beside game sales and gives no split. [22]

   What comes next

   Nintendo still expects 16.5 million Switch 2 sales in the year to March, down 16.9%. [26]

4. 05

   Old films lift Lionsgate's quarter

   What happened

   • Lionsgate, the US studio behind John Wick and The Hunger Games, says sales rose 41% to about $667 million. [6]
   • That beat analysts' forecast, and its loss shrank to $15.5 million from $113.5 million. [6]
   • Its library of about 20,000 old films and TV shows brought in $1.04 billion in 12 months. [7]

   Who is involved

   Boss Jon Feltheimer named Heartland, a Canadian show running nearly 20 years, among the drivers. [7] He also named Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. [7]

   • Jon Feltheimer Lionsgate's boss

   How it unfolded

   Lionsgate also licensed the first 4 Power series to Netflix, 10 years after the show began. [7]

   1. 10 years ago Power begins
   2. Now Netflix licenses 4 series

   Why it matters

   Legendary Entertainment has reportedly offered to buy Lionsgate, and Feltheimer will not discuss it. [6]

   How it works

   Studios call old titles the library, and they keep selling them in new forms. [7]

   Dirty Dancing is touring as a musical, and La La Land follows on stage in 2028. [6]

   By the end of its 2028 financial year it expects at least 8 stage plays and 9 video games. [6]

   Seen it before

   A band's old hit keeps paying when a film or an advert uses it.

   The truth

   • What is really going on The same week Lionsgate reported $1.04 billion in 12 months from old films and shows. [7]

   What comes next

   The next Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, opens this month. [6]

5. 06

   The New York Times bids about $330 million for Letterboxd

   What happened

   • The New York Times Company is in exclusive talks to buy Letterboxd for about $330 million. [5]
   • The Times reported the talks itself, and said the deal is not final. [5] Its spokesman would not comment. [27]

   Who is involved

   Letterboxd is a website and app where about 30 million film fans log and rate what they watch. [5]

   Its 2 founders are expected to stay in charge, reporting to a Times executive. [5]

   • Matthew Buchanan co-founder
   • Karl von Randow co-founder
   • A24 dropped out
   • Netflix showed interest
   • Sony Pictures showed interest

   How it unfolded

   A24, a film company, dropped out when the price rose. [5] Netflix and Sony Pictures also showed interest. [5]

   Canada's Tiny bought 60% in 2023, when the whole company was valued at $50 million to $60 million. [5]

   Why it matters

   The Times Company already owns Wordle, and The Athletic, which cost it $550 million. [27]

   How it works

   Investors call this a multiple: the price divided by a year's earnings. [5]

   About $330 million against about $15 million of earnings expected for 2026 is more than 20 times. [5]

   Seen it before

   Paying many years' takings for a lemonade stand means you expect it to grow.

   The truth

   • Who gains Tiny, Letterboxd's Canadian owner — It holds 60% of a company it bought into at a far lower value in 2023. [5]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether The New York Times deal for Letterboxd closes.

     It is the buyer's own report of talks, and it says the deal is not final. [5]

6. 07

   GTA 6's boss is asked why he has so few hits

   What happened

   • Strauss Zelnick, boss of Take-Two, which owns GTA 6's maker Rockstar, was asked if he has too few hits. [28]
   • The question came at a Wall Street Journal conference, with Take-Two's shares nearly 20% below last year's peak. [28]
   • Zelnick answered that 15 of his series have each sold at least 5 million copies in one release. [28]
   • Kotaku says Borderlands 4 and Civilization 7 were not runaway hits. [28]
   • Kotaku adds that a new BioShock has been stuck for a decade. [28]

   Who is involved

   • Strauss Zelnick Take-Two's boss

   How it unfolded

   Zelnick called GTA 6 "expensive" and its delay "expensive and inconvenient", and named no figure. [29]

   He says a fixed schedule can be the wrong call, pointing to an unnamed game pulled after launch. [30] GameSpot thinks he means Cyberpunk 2077. [29]

   Why it matters

   The worry the question raised is that Take-Two leans on one big hit. [28]

   How it works

   Investors call this concentration risk: too much of a company's money rides on one thing. [28]

   Take-Two has 15 big series, yet the question was about one game, because GTA 6 is so much bigger. [28]

   Seen it before

   A shop that makes most of its money at Christmas worries all year about one month.

   The truth

   • Nobody knows yet

     What GTA 6 cost to make.

     Zelnick says only that it was expensive and took a long time. [29]

   What comes next

   GTA 6 comes out on 19 November. [29]

7. 08

   Take-Two calls piracy "a fact of life"

   What happened

   • "Piracy is a fact of life," Take-Two's boss, Strauss Zelnick, said, two weeks before GTA 6. [31]
   • He said that when he worked in film, people figured on 10% to 20% being copied. [31]
   • He said music reached about 80% pirated by the mid 2000s, then came "way back down". [31]
   • Zelnick says huge file sizes make games harder to copy, but "it's not been a non-issue". [32]

   How it unfolded

   A court has already told Discord, the chat app, to hand over details about a person leaking GTA 6. [32]

   Why it matters

   GamesRadar calls GTA 6 the top target for illegal copying, because its sales should be huge. [31]

   How it works

   Economists call this excludability: how easily a seller can keep out people who have not paid. [32]

   Take-Two's games need its servers for a good experience, he says. [32] So a pirate copy has no servers of its own and plays worse. [32]

   Seen it before

   A club with a door can keep out non-members, and a park with no fence cannot.

   What comes next

   He says Take-Two would answer with lawyers first, then with technical work. [32]

8. 09

   Zelda remake runs on a PC within hours

   What happened

   • A video of the new Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake running on a PC appeared within hours of its launch. [33]
   • The player used an "experimental" emulator, software that makes one machine act like another. [33]
   • It hit 60 frames a second in film scenes, and 20 to 30 in play, a commenter said. [33]
   • The player says no piracy was involved, because the game was copied from their real copy. [33]

   How it unfolded

   1. Launch day Switch 2 only
   2. Hours later video on a PC

   Why it matters

   Nintendo made this game for the Switch 2 alone. [33] In August it destroyed 400 Switch emulator projects on GitHub, a code site. [33]

   The truth

   • We have only one player's video and account, and GamesRadar says only that it "appears to be" the remake. [33]
9. 10

   Zelda's producer says keeping staff pays

   What happened

   • Eiji Aonuma, who has 38 years at Nintendo and produces Zelda, says keeping staff for years brings "a real benefit". [34]
   • He told GameSpot that a core team stays from one game to the next, and new people learn from it. [34]

   How it unfolded

   This year Microsoft planned to cut 3,200 jobs at Xbox, GamesRadar notes. [34]

   Why it matters

   So a studio that keeps its team can start the next game ahead, instead of hiring and teaching from nothing. [34]

   How it works

   Labour economists call this firm-specific skill: what a worker knows that is worth most inside one company. [34]

   Aonuma says long-serving staff explain how and why things are done. [34] He calls that a base "we can build from". [34]

   Seen it before

   The cook who has worked at one cafe for years knows every regular's order.

   The truth

   • GamesRadar's headline says Nintendo does not do layoffs. [34] The words it quotes from Aonuma are about the benefit of keeping staff. [34]
10. 11

    Nintendo says remakes rank with new games

    What happened

    • Nate Bihldorff, a senior Nintendo executive, told Polygon that new games and remakes are "of equal importance". [35]
    • The Ocarina of Time remake is Nintendo's second big remake this year, after Star Fox in June. [35]
    • People queued at midnight at Nintendo's New York shop, Best Buy and GameStop, Kotaku reports. [37]
    • Some lines began in the late afternoon, for a game they could have downloaded. [37]

    Who is involved

    Monolith Soft, the maker of Xenoblade, confirmed it worked on the game's design, code and graphics. [36]

    • Monolith Soft helped build it

    How it unfolded

    1. June Star Fox
    2. November Ocarina of Time

    Why it matters

    A remake sells to two groups, Bihldorff says: those who loved it, and the many who never played it. [35]

    The truth

    • Polygon reads remakes as the "safer bets" in Nintendo's plan, and that reading is Polygon's, not Nintendo's. [35]
11. 12

    A disc boycott does not show in Sony's numbers

    What happened

    • Sony says 127 million accounts used PlayStation in September, a record for that month. [38]
    • Total playtime rose 4% in the quarter, its finance chief Lin Tao says. [38]
    • Sony has also raised its games sales forecast for the year by 6%, to 4.8 trillion yen. [39]
    • Those numbers came during a protest by players angry that Sony is ending game discs. [38]

    Who is involved

    • "No disc, no buy" players
    • Sony ending discs

    How it unfolded

    All new PlayStation games will be download-only from January 2028. [40]

    A boycott called PlayStation Blackout began after that news. [38]

    1. Now discs still sold
    2. January 2028 downloads only

    Why it matters

    A boycott aims for a fall big enough to force a rethink, and these figures show none. [38]

    How it works

    Economists call this revealed preference: trust what people do with their time and money over what they say. [38]

    Here the chants are loud, and the count of hours played went up, so Sony reads the count. [38]

    Seen it before

    Friends who moan about a cafe's prices and still meet there every week have told the owner something.

    The truth

    • Hours played cannot show who stopped buying, GamesRadar notes, and the count ended on 30 September. [38]
12. 13

    Wolverine's 2.4 million, against Sony's other games

    What happened

    • Sony says Marvel's Wolverine has sold 2.4 million copies in about 50 days. [41]
    • Sony names it as a reason its games business did better. [41]
    • Spider-Man 2, from the same studio, Insomniac, sold 2.5 million on its first day. [42]

    How it unfolded

    The 2018 Spider-Man sold 3.3 million in 3 days, GamesRadar notes. [43]

    Wolverine came out on 15 September. [39] Many big games launched around it, ahead of GTA 6 on 19 November. [42]

    1. 15 September Wolverine
    2. 19 November GTA 6

    Why it matters

    So Sony credits the game while GameSpot calls it a black mark on a solid quarter. [41][42]

    How it works

    Forecasters call this a reference class: you judge a result by which past cases you compare it with. [42]

    Against a quarter's results, 2.4 million helps. [41] Against Insomniac's own Spider-Man launches, it falls well short. [42]

    Seen it before

    A runner's time can be great for the school and poor for the national team.

    The truth

    • Nobody knows yet

      What Marvel's Wolverine cost to make.

      Sony has not said, so nobody outside can tell what 2.4 million copies means for it. [42]

1. 14

   A 2022 God of War outsells new 2026 games

   What happened

   • God of War Ragnarok, from 2022, has sold 1.1 million copies this year, Alinea Analytics estimates. [8]
   • That is nearly $60 million, says analyst Rhys Elliott. [8] He says it beat new 2026 games like Gears of War E-Day and Saros. [8]
   • Alinea puts its lifetime sales at 21.6 million copies and $1.4 billion. [8] That makes it Sony's own top-earning game of this console generation. [8]

   How it unfolded

   It sold that way this year although 6.7 million people have played it through PlayStation Plus, the subscription. [8]

   Why it matters

   So a game with no new team behind it can beat this year's new releases. [8]

   How it works

   Elliott calls it an evergreen seller: one that keeps selling long after launch. [8]

   He credits the pull of the God of War name, with an Amazon series on the way. [8]

   Seen it before

   A favourite book keeps selling in shops long after its author stopped writing.

   Why a film or game that has paid off its cost keeps earning for its owner

   Accountants call it amortisation: a work's cost is counted over its first years, and after that almost all it brings in is profit.

   The twist

   A new film has to earn back its cost before it makes a profit. An old film whose cost has all been counted has nothing left to earn back, so almost every new dollar is profit.

   The picture

   $0m

   $56m

   $112m

   Year 1Year 5

   Step by step

   1. 1 A studio pays most of a film's or game's cost before anyone buys it
   2. 2 Accountants spread that cost over the years it earns: this is amortisation
   3. 3 After some years the cost has all been counted, and none is left
   4. 4 Money the work still brings in then has almost no cost set against it
   5. 5 So owners keep finding new ways to sell old work
   6. 6 And buyers pay for a studio's library, not only for its next film

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • A 2022 God of War outsells new 2026 games

     Sony paid to make Ragnarok years ago, so the 1.1 million copies sold this year arrive with little left to pay off.

   • EA finds old tapes and puts 25 games on Steam

     The games were paid for decades ago, so EA's new costs are only the restoring and the selling.

   • Netflix sends a small show to the top

     From's first 3 seasons were already made, and selling them on to Netflix needed no new filming.

   • Dragon Ball Super: Beerus gets dubs only on Crunchyroll

     Toei is re-telling a story it already owns, and the new work is an edit and a dub rather than a new series.

   Where you've seen this

   Music

   an old song keeps paying its owner each time it is streamed, long after the recording was paid for

   Book publishing

   a publisher's older titles, known as the backlist, keep selling with no new writing to pay for

   Medicines

   a drug's research is paid for early, and each later pill costs little to make

   The catch

   A library earns only while people still want it, and reviving old work has real costs: EA's team spent years sorting and copying its tapes.

   And the whole of it

   Mass Effect gear was on sale this week while the people who worked at BioWare looked for jobs. A buyer sees a helmet or an old game, and nobody in this chain can see all of it.

   The truth

   • These are one firm's estimates, not Sony's own figures. [8]

1. 15

   EA finds old tapes and puts 25 games on Steam

   What happened

   • EA has put 25 classic PC games on Steam, the big PC game shop. [9]
   • 7 are updated Anniversary Editions, led by Road Rash and Wing Commander, at $9.99. [9] The rest cost $4.99. [9]
   • They grew from a storage room holding nearly 20,000 old media items, producer Jim Vessella says. [44]
   • EA's team copied 6000 items, saving an estimated 2500 hours of old footage. [44]
   • Fans helped: Matt Wells, who had already made his own fix for Wing Commander 3, worked with EA. [44]

   Who is involved

   • Jim Vessella EA producer
   • Matt Wells fan who helped

   How it unfolded

   Vessella found it in 2022 while looking for a place to put his own old tapes. [44]

   1. 2022 room found
   2. Now games on sale

   Why it matters

   EA closed BioWare two weeks ago. [4] Now it is selling games from 30 years back, with Road Rash at its 30th anniversary. [9]

   How it works

   Archivists call this migration: copying old media onto new formats before the old machines are gone. [44]

   EA's team bought 4 Betacam players and a VCR. [44] They fed in tapes about 17 hours a day for 8 weeks. [44]

   Seen it before

   Copying a family's old video tapes onto a phone works the same way, while a player still runs.

   The games were paid for decades ago, so EA's new costs are only the restoring and the selling.

   The idea, in story 14: Why a film or game that has paid off its cost keeps earning for its owner →

   Good news

   • EA staff found nearly 20,000 old tapes and other media in a storage room, and have copied 6000 of them, saving about 2500 hours of old game footage.
2. 16

   Saving Mass Effect would cost over $200 million, says co-founder

   What happened

   • Trent Oster, a BioWare co-founder, says a new Mass Effect would cost "$200M+", in a rough ballpark. [45]
   • He adds that it could be done for less with "a disciplined approach and an experienced team". [45]

   How it unfolded

   EA closed BioWare, the Canadian studio behind Mass Effect, on 21 October. [4][46]

   A petition to Canada's parliament that opened on 4 November had about 1,700 signatures a day later. [46]

   1. 21 October BioWare closed
   2. 4 November petition opens

   Why it matters

   It asks Canada's government to fund BioWare so it can buy its games from EA. [46] Eurogamer notes Canada cannot force EA to sell. [46]

   How it works

   Game funders look first at up-front cost: all of it is spent before one copy sells. [45]

   "There has to be a bigger plan" for the series to make the sums work, Oster says. [45]

   Seen it before

   A restaurant pays for its kitchen long before anyone orders dinner.

   The truth

   • EA has given little sign it would sell, GamesRadar says. [45] It has kept the rights of its other closed studios, Eurogamer notes. [46]
3. 17

   Warren Spector names EA bosses' pay

   What happened

   • Warren Spector, who led the making of the game Deus Ex, has attacked EA over BioWare's closure again. [13]
   • "Is there ANY accountability left in this world?" he wrote on LinkedIn. [13]
   • He listed EA chief executive Andrew Wilson's pay at $38.65 million for the 2026 financial year, up from $30.5 million. [13]
   • President Laura Miele was listed at $13.7 million and finance chief Stuart Canfield at $11.3 million. [13]

   Who is involved

   • Warren Spector veteran game maker

   How it unfolded

   Spector himself worked at Origin, a studio EA bought and later shut. [14]

   Why it matters

   400 people at BioWare lost their jobs, he said in his first post. [14]

   How it works

   Business schools call this the principal-agent problem: bosses may not bear the cost of their own mistakes. [13]

   Spector says developers suffer when executives misread the market. [13] He asks whether those executives ever lose their jobs. [13]

   Seen it before

   A coach who picks the wrong players keeps the job while the players get dropped.

4. 18

   A BioWare documentary caught the studio's last years

   What happened

   • Massive Effect: The BioWare Story, a documentary on the studio, will come out in 2027. [47]
   • Canada's Super Channel will show it, and Shane Fennessey and Adam Scorgie are making it. [47]

   Who is involved

   Founders Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip all take part. [4]

   • Shane Fennessey director
   • Adam Scorgie director
   • Ray Muzyka
   • Greg Zeschuk
   • Augustine Yip

   How it unfolded

   Filming began 2 years ago, so it was probably planned as a celebration, Rock Paper Shotgun says. [47]

   1. 2 years ago filming begins
   2. October BioWare closed
   3. 2027 film out

   Why it matters

   It may show the final years of work on Mass Effect 5, which was cancelled, Kotaku says. [4]

   The truth

   • Nobody reporting this has seen the film, and Kotaku says only that it "sounds like" it covers those years. [4]

   What comes next

   It opens at film festivals first, with worldwide release handled by UpstreamFlix. [4]

5. 19

   Mass Effect gear goes on sale after BioWare's end

   What happened

   • The BioWare Gear Store began promoting Mass Effect goods ahead of N7 Day, the series' fan day, on 7 November. [48]
   • A wearable LED helmet from the game costs $175 to pre-order, GamesRadar reports. [49]
   • The store's social media had gone quiet for a month, then came 9 posts, GameSpot counted. [48]

   How it unfolded

   1. A month silence
   2. This week 9 posts

   Why it matters

   Replies to the posts call the timing cold, GameSpot reports. [48]

   How it works

   Lawyers call it a licence: one firm pays to sell goods under another's name, until the deal ends. [49]

   The studio has gone, but this store is run by DPI Merch under a deal that has not yet expired. [49]

   Seen it before

   A school's closed-down club can still have its T-shirts on sale at the local print shop.

   The truth

   • GameSpot says EA is behind the push, and GamesRadar says EA's part in it is unclear. [48][49]
   • Who pays BioWare's former staff — They are looking for work while the store sells their studio's name on a $175 helmet. [49]
6. 20

   Valve blames repeat checks; a critic blames Valve

   What happened

   • Valve says much of Steam's slowdown comes from checking the same games again after they fail. [50]
   • Checks that usually take 3 to 5 working days now take up to 12, it says. [50]
   • Jacob Navok, a former Square Enix executive, says Steam is "derelict of its duty". [51]
   • He says Roblox clears games in seconds through automated checks, while Steam takes weeks. [51]

   Why it matters

   He says Valve takes 30% of sales and "has spent nothing" on the checking systems. [51]

   Valve says it has spent recent weeks scaling up its process. [51]

   How it works

   Factory managers call this rework: fixing what failed a check takes time from new work. [50]

   So Valve now makes makers run a game through Steam first, to catch failures before they reach a checker. [50]

   Seen it before

   A teacher who must mark every redone essay has less time for the new pile.

   The truth

   • GamesRadar warns the comparison is loose: Roblox games are built inside Roblox, and it has its own moderation problems. [51]
   • Who pays Small makers on Steam — Checks that took 3 to 5 days can now take 12, so a planned launch date can slip. [50]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Valve's checks are slow because of more games or too little spending.

     Valve blames repeat checks. [50] Jacob Navok says Valve has not invested, and we found no numbers that settle it. [51]

7. 21

   Epic removes Blueprints from Unreal Engine 6

   What happened

   • Epic Games says Unreal Engine 6, due in 2027, will remove Blueprints, a long-used way to script games. [16]
   • Its boss, Tim Sweeney, told a Tokyo event that the change "will be painful at first". [16]
   • He claims productivity could reach up to 4 times that of work without AI. [16]
   • Hideo Kojima, the maker of Death Stranding, says prompting a computer for pictures does not interest him as creation. [52]

   Who is involved

   Unreal is the tool many studios build their games on, including Square Enix and Atlus. [16]

   • Square Enix
   • Atlus
   • Hideo Kojima worried about AI

   How it unfolded

   1. Now Blueprints
   2. 2027 AI tools instead

   Why it matters

   Many studios build on Unreal, so Epic's choice reaches them whether they want AI or not. [16]

   How it works

   Economists call this a switching cost: what you lose in time and skill when you change tools. [16]

   Studios using Blueprints must move, with Epic promising "AI-assisted migration" to help them. [16]

   Seen it before

   When a phone maker moves a button, everyone has to relearn the same small habit.

   The truth

   • The Tokyo quotes reached Kotaku through Japanese reports, and Sweeney says translation changed their tone. [16]
   • Who pays Studios that use Blueprints — They must relearn their tools on Epic's timetable, and pay for that in time. [16]
8. 22

   Anthropic eases its rule against copying games

   What happened

   • Anthropic has changed a rule that stopped its AI, Claude, from recreating existing games. [18]
   • Last week the rule also blocked game makers who only named a game to describe what they wanted. [18]
   • Now Claude should build an original game in that genre, says Anthropic's Addy Osmani. [18] Asked for a copy, it offers something similar. [18]

   Who is involved

   • Addy Osmani Anthropic staff

   Why it matters

   Some people have used AI to rebuild small makers' game demos, then demanded ransom, Tom's Hardware reports. [18]

   How it works

   Safety people call this dual use: one tool can help honest makers and copiers alike. [18]

   A rule blocks by the words in a request, so naming a game looks the same from either person. [18]

   Seen it before

   A shop that bans all penknives also turns away the person who only sharpens pencils.

   The truth

   • Who pays Small makers cloned with AI — Some have been told to pay or see an AI-finished copy of their demo released. [18]
9. 23

   Square Enix leans to new games after Final Fantasy 7

   What happened

   • Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the Final Fantasy 7 remakes, says Square Enix is "more likely to invest in new titles". [53]
   • Kitase says other remakes could still come, case by case, where staff feel strongly about an old game. [54]
   • He would also like TV series based on Final Fantasy. [53]

   How it unfolded

   Final Fantasy VII Revelation closes that 3-game remake next January, ending about a decade of work. [53]

   1. A decade 3-game remake
   2. January the last one

   Why it matters

   A long remake ties up a team for years, so its end decides what those people do next. [53]

   The truth

   • This is one producer saying "I think", in an interview with IGN. [53]
10. 24

    Xbox's PC app loads up to 60% faster

    What happened

    • Microsoft has rebuilt its Xbox app for PCs, and says it now launches up to 60% faster. [55]
    • Home, store and Game Pass pages load up to 50% faster, it says. [55]
    • Testers in its Xbox Insiders scheme get the app first. [55] The look is also coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming. [55]

    How it unfolded

    Epic has promised a faster launcher, and Steam just released an update for loading times, PC Gamer notes. [56]

    Why it matters

    Microsoft wants PC players to treat it more like an Xbox, especially on handhelds. [55]

    How it works

    Economists call using several rival shops multi-homing. [56]

    PC Gamer doubts speed alone moves anyone from Steam, because players need not leave it. [56]

    Seen it before

    Friends stay on the chat app the others use, even when a new one opens quicker.

11. 25

    Discord drops Electron to use less memory

    What happened

    • Discord, the chat app, is moving its desktop app fully to the Rust programming language. [11]
    • Electron goes away, says its technology chief, Stanislav Vishnevskiy. [11] Electron builds desktop apps with web technology. [11]
    • He showed its Windows app using 290MB of memory, against 1GB or more for the current one. [11]

    Who is involved

    • Stanislav Vishnevskiy Discord's technology chief

    How it unfolded

    1. Soon tests with users
    2. Later full switch

    Why it matters

    Memory chips cost far more now, so an app that needs less matters to anyone with a small PC. [10]

    How it works

    Programmers call this overhead: memory an app uses that does no work for the person using it. [11]

    The Verge calls Electron apps "notoriously heavy". [11] Rust is a language designed for speed. [11]

    Seen it before

    A backpack that holds your books but weighs a lot itself leaves less room for lunch.

    What comes next

    Discord gives no date, only that it hopes to test with users soon. [11]

12. 26

    Bond game gives away its first mission

    What happened

    • IO Interactive has made the first mission of 007 First Light free on Xbox and PC. [57]
    • The free Starter Pack reaches PS5 on 10 November, and progress carries into the full game. [57]
    • The full game is 40% off on PC and Xbox for now. [57] On PS5 it is 50% off until 30 November. [57]

    How it unfolded

    1. Now Xbox and PC
    2. 10 November PS5

    Why it matters

    Kotaku calls it one of 2026's best games, and the pack is aimed at players still unsure. [57]

    How it works

    Economists call a game an experience good: you cannot judge it until you have tried it. [57]

    So the mission is the sample, and because progress carries over, a buyer loses nothing by trying first. [57]

    Seen it before

    A bakery hands out a free slice because it knows the taste sells the loaf.

    What comes next

    It has a Switch 2 version due on 18 March. [57]

13. 27

    Dressmaker, made by 6, sells about 482,000

    What happened

    • Dressmaker, a game about designing and sewing dresses, has sold about 482,000 copies since 21 September, Video Game Insights estimates. [58]
    • It comes from Free Lives, a South African studio, with 3 full-time and 3 part-time makers. [58]
    • Its peak daily players went from about 8,000 on day 1 to about 43,000 on day 14. [58]
    • On day 7 the peak was 35,000, where most games fall away after launch. [58]
    • It paid for no marketing in the West, and 85% of its social media followers are women. [58]

    Why it matters

    Sabrina Becker, on the team, calls women a "massively underserved market". [58]

    How it works

    Marketers call this word of mouth: each buyer shows the game to the next buyer. [58]

    Players pass dress files along, each adding to the same dress. [58] The makers never built that into the game. [58]

    Seen it before

    A new playground game spreads because you need someone else to play it with.

    The truth

    • The sales figure is an outside estimate, and the makers say they collect no player data. [58]

    Good news

    • Dressmaker, a game made by 3 full-time and 3 part-time developers at a South African studio, has sold an estimated 482,000 copies with no paid marketing in the West.
14. 28

    Rust Premium becomes a monthly payment

    What happened

    • Facepunch says Rust Premium, a status in its survival game Rust, will become a paid monthly service. [59]
    • It gives access to official servers with fewer cheaters. [59] It will add new looks and extras that do not change play. [59]

    How it unfolded

    Until now, players got it by holding at least $15 of Rust items in their Steam accounts. [59]

    Facepunch dropped the battle pass, a paid ladder of rewards, it had planned for this year. [59]

    1. Now hold $15 of items
    2. Soon pay monthly
    3. Now roadmap for this quarter
    4. December likely start

    Why it matters

    Players who met the old $15 test do not yet know if they keep their access. [59]

    How it works

    Firms call this recurring revenue: money that comes every month rather than one sale at a time. [59]

    Under the old test a player paid Facepunch nothing each month. [59] Under the new one, money comes in as long as they stay. [59]

    Seen it before

    A gym takes a monthly fee whether you come or not, while a day pass pays once.

    What comes next

    Polygon expects it with the game's update on the first Thursday of December. [59]

15. 29

    Denmu's first game fund passes $50 million

    What happened

    • Denmu, an investment firm for games, has closed its first fund above its $50 million target. [60]

    Who is involved

    It has backed Star Wars: Galactic Racer from Fuse Games and Clutch from Maverick Games. [60]

    Boss Ryan You says it wants to be a link between money and the games industry. [60]

    • Star Wars: Galactic Racer
    • Clutch
    • Ryan You Denmu's boss

    Why it matters

    "A lot of VCs left," he said earlier, meaning venture investors who fund young firms. [60]

    How it works

    A fund pools many investors' money, then spreads it across many games. [60]

    Many investors like games but find it hard to invest from outside the industry, You says. [60]

    Seen it before

    Friends who pool pocket money and let one who knows the shop buy the cards are doing the same.

    The truth

    • Denmu's boss calls this fund "just a prototype", and GamesIndustry.biz gives no final total. [60]
16. 30

    Roblox used to reach children in a Texas case

    What happened

    • A Texas man faces US federal charges of child pornography, accused of using Roblox to coerce children. [61]
    • Court papers say the US Secret Service investigated, and that he targeted children as young as 6. [61]
    • He allegedly gained their trust on the platform, then threatened to expose what they sent him. [61]

    Who is involved

    Roblox is one of the world's most popular game platforms, and many of its players are children. [61]

    Why it matters

    Roblox is already facing lawsuits and scrutiny in the US Senate over how it protects children. [61]

    The truth

    • These are charges in a complaint, not a verdict. [61] Kotaku's report rests on one from AOL. [61]
17. 31

    G2 drops its coach over a long post

    What happened

    • G2 Esports, a professional video game team, ended its work with head coach Luka "Perkz" Perkovic. [62]
    • Perkovic, a retired League of Legends player, posted 2,676 words the day before about his beliefs. [62]
    • His view of abortion as murder drew most of the anger, IGN says. [62]
    • G2's chief executive said parts of it "do not align" with the team's values, and apologised to fans. [62]

    Who is involved

    • G2 Esports the team
    • Luka Perkovic the coach

    Why it matters

    G2's reason was its fans: it said the post "hurt many of our fans", and it acted within hours. [62]

    The truth

    • We have G2's reason only from its own statement. [62] Perkovic has replied with a Bible verse. [62]

    What comes next

    G2 now has to rebuild its staff and team before next season. [62]

18. 32

    Good Smile's shop partly reopens after a card breach

    What happened

    • Good Smile Company, a Japanese maker of anime figures, partly reopens its online shop on 6 November. [63]
    • New orders, carts, accounts and sign-ups stay off until its investigation ends. [63]
    • It restored the shop from a backup, and has repaired the weakness in its system. [63]
    • Addresses and phone numbers on 7,673 orders from one 40-minute spell may be exposed too. [63]

    How it unfolded

    A harmful program sat on its card payment page from 21 October to 23 October, it says. [63]

    1. 21 October program on the page
    2. 23 October shop taken down

    Why it matters

    Those buyers gave a name, address and phone number to buy a figure, and all may be exposed. [63]

    How it works

    Security people call this a skimmer: hidden code on a payment page that copies card details. [63]

    The program ran on the page itself, so buyers saw a normal shop and paid as usual. [63]

    Seen it before

    A fake card reader fitted over a real one takes your card and still lets you pay.

    The truth

    • Who pays Good Smile's customers — They cannot reach accounts or place new orders until its investigation ends. [63]
19. 33

    Webtoon's Remarried Empress arrives a day early

    What happened

    • The Remarried Empress, a Korean series from Webtoon Entertainment, reached Disney+ and Hulu a day early. [64] The first 4 episodes were due on 4 November. [64]
    • Webtoon, a digital comics company, says the comic has almost 3 billion page views. [64]
    • Its trailer passed 13 million views in 48 hours. [64]
    • An anime version is planned with Crunchyroll. [64]

    How it unfolded

    1. A day early first 4 episodes
    2. 4 November the planned date

    Why it matters

    Webtoon is also taking Lore Olympus to Amazon, and The Mafia Nanny to Hulu with Charlize Theron producing. [64]

    How it works

    Webtoon's president calls this a flywheel: each screen version brings new readers to its comics. [64]

    "What is this Webtoon?" viewers then ask, president Yongsoo Kim says. [64]

    Seen it before

    A film of a book sends viewers to the shop looking for the next book.

20. 34

    Netflix hires a Mattel veteran to sell its characters

    What happened

    • Netflix has hired Roberto Stanichi, nearly 20 years at the toy maker Mattel, to run its products and experiences. [65]
    • It runs Netflix House sites in the Philadelphia and Dallas areas, with Las Vegas next year. [65]
    • It has also opened a fan hub for KPop Demon Hunters, 67 weeks in its global top 10. [66]

    Who is involved

    He led Mattel's brands, including Barbie and Hot Wheels. [65]

    • Roberto Stanichi from Mattel to Netflix
    • Barbie
    • Hot Wheels

    How it unfolded

    Netflix says it has reached 15 million fans at 490 openings of its live events in over 300 cities. [65]

    Why it matters

    Deadline says Netflix's product business is at an early stage next to Disney's. [65]

    How it works

    Media firms call this licensing: a toy maker pays to use your characters, and you need no factory. [65]

    Stanichi helped set up the deal in which Mattel and Hasbro both make KPop Demon Hunters toys. [65]

    Seen it before

    A school that lets a shop print its badge on jumpers earns without sewing anything.

21. 35

    Netflix sends a small show to the top

    What happened

    • From, a horror series, topped US streaming for the week of 19 October after reaching Netflix, Nielsen found. [67]
    • It drew 1.65 billion minutes, the biggest week this year for a show bought in rather than made. [67] The Diplomat came second, with 1.19 billion. [67]
    • Netflix added the first 3 of its seasons on 19 October. [67]

    How it unfolded

    From has had four seasons on MGM+, another streaming service, where it built a cult following. [67]

    1. Four seasons MGM+
    2. 19 October Netflix too

    Why it matters

    So a show with years behind it found a far bigger crowd, without a new episode being filmed. [67]

    How it works

    Media economists call this windowing: a show is sold to one outlet first, then to others later. [67]

    From began on MGM+, and its first 3 seasons reached Netflix later. [67]

    Seen it before

    A film goes to cinemas first and reaches television long after.

    From's first 3 seasons were already made, and selling them on to Netflix needed no new filming.

    The idea, in story 14: Why a film or game that has paid off its cost keeps earning for its owner →

    The truth

    • Who gains Netflix — It filled a chart's top place with seasons someone else paid to make. [67]
22. 36

    John Wick cartoon gets its green light

    What happened

    • Lionsgate has approved an animated John Wick film, with Keanu Reeves returning to the role. [68]
    • It is set before the first film, as Wick completes the "Impossible Task". [68]
    • The studio has begun preproduction, the planning before work on the film itself. [7]

    Who is involved

    • Keanu Reeves John Wick
    • Shannon Tindle director

    How it unfolded

    Shannon Tindle, who made Ultraman: Rising, will direct. [68] It was first announced last year. [69]

    1. Last year announced
    2. Now approved

    Why it matters

    It is more John Wick for a studio whose library brought in $1.04 billion. [7]

    How it works

    Studios call this extending a franchise: a known story gets a new form with less risk than a new idea. [7]

    10 of Lionsgate's next 15 big films are "repeatable branded properties", its boss says. [6]

    Seen it before

    A favourite cartoon gets a toy, a game and a lunchbox because children already know it.

23. 37

    Warner settles a Blade Runner AI image case

    What happened

    • Warner Bros Discovery has settled a claim from Alcon Entertainment, a producer of Blade Runner 2049. [70]
    • Alcon says an AI-made image at Tesla's 2024 robotaxi show was made to look like a scene from the film. [70]
    • The show took place on a Warner studio lot. [70] Terms were not disclosed. [70]

    Who is involved

    • Alcon sued
    • Warner Bros Discovery settled

    How it unfolded

    1. 2024 Tesla's robotaxi show
    2. Now Warner settles

    Why it matters

    Alcon says it does not want the film tied to Musk's views. [70] It is talking to partners about a TV series. [70]

    How it works

    Copyright lawyers call this contributory infringement: knowingly helping someone else copy. [70]

    A judge threw out the claim that Warner itself copied, finding it was not responsible for overseeing Tesla's work. [70] The helping claim is what settled. [70]

    Seen it before

    Lending a friend your key for a break-in you know about gets you in trouble too.

    What comes next

    Alcon is still suing Tesla and its boss, Elon Musk. [70]

24. 38

    Baby Reindeer lawsuit against Netflix reopens

    What happened

    • Fiona Harvey, a former lawyer from Scotland, has filed an amended defamation case over Netflix's Baby Reindeer. [71]
    • She says the show falsely presents her as the real Martha, a stalker shown as convicted. [71]
    • She seeks more than $50 million each in actual damages, compensatory damages and the show's profits. [71]

    Who is involved

    Netflix did not immediately reply to TheWrap. [71]

    • Fiona Harvey suing
    • Netflix the streamer

    How it unfolded

    She first sued in June 2024, and a Netflix appeal halted a trial expected in May 2025. [71]

    1. June 2024 case filed
    2. May 2025 trial halted
    3. This week amended

    Why it matters

    She wants a jury trial over a series with 103 million views and six Emmy wins. [71]

    How it works

    In law, defamation needs a false statement of fact about a real person, not just an unkind story. [71]

    The show opens with "this is based on a true story". [71] A judge said that means Netflix cannot get the case dismissed. [71]

    Seen it before

    Saying a classmate stole, when you claim to be reporting what happened, is not a made-up story.

25. 39

    Dragon Ball Super: Beerus gets dubs only on Crunchyroll

    What happened

    • English, Spanish and Portuguese dubs of Dragon Ball Super: Beerus start on 12 November, only on Crunchyroll. [72]
    • The dubs cover the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America, with new episodes weekly. [72]

    Who is involved

    Toei Animation calls it an enhanced edition of an existing Dragon Ball Super story. [72]

    • Toei Animation the studio

    How it unfolded

    Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service, has shown it with subtitles since 11 October. [72]

    1. 11 October subtitles
    2. 12 November dubs

    Why it matters

    Anyone who wants it in those languages must subscribe there, at least at first. [72]

    How it works

    Media economists call this an exclusive: one service alone holds a show, to win subscribers. [72]

    Beerus re-tells a story fans already know, so Crunchyroll's exclusive starts with a ready crowd. [72]

    Seen it before

    A cafe that alone sells a popular cake gets the people who want that cake.

    Toei is re-telling a story it already owns, and the new work is an edit and a dub rather than a new series.

    The idea, in story 14: Why a film or game that has paid off its cost keeps earning for its owner →

    The truth

    • Who gains Crunchyroll — Fans who want those dubs of the show have one place to get them at first. [72]
26. 40

    Weta FX signs its Taiwan AI deal

    What happened

    • Weta FX, the New Zealand effects firm behind Avatar, signed an AI agreement with Taiwan's content agency on Friday. [73]
    • It will invest in Moonshine Studio, a Taiwanese animation and effects firm, and no figure was given. [73]
    • The deal also sets up a platform to fund Taiwanese film and TV. [74]
    • It also sends young Taiwanese filmmakers to Weta for exchanges and internships. [73]

    Who is involved

    • Weta FX effects firm
    • TAICCA Taiwan's agency

    Why it matters

    Weta's boss, Daniel Seah, says "nobody is really far, far ahead" on AI. [73]

    How it works

    Economists call this a cluster: one firm draws skilled people and suppliers until a whole place does that work. [73]

    Seah says Weta's staff are around 2% of Wellington's people, and Taiwan could build the same. [73]

    Seen it before

    One good skate park brings skaters, then a skate shop, then a repair stall.

    The truth

    • "Can you make money like this?" was her only worry about Moonshine, says the agency's chair, Sue Wang. [73]
27. 41

    Pout-Pout Fish studio plans 7 cartoon films

    What happened

    • Like a Photon Creative, the Australian maker of The Pout-Pout Fish, has lined up 7 new animated films. [75]
    • Sola Media will sell them around the world. [75] Elevate and Alceon are providing the production money. [75]

    Who is involved

    It is a co-production with Ireland's Elephant Goldfish. [75]

    • Sola Media sells worldwide
    • Elevate and Alceon production money

    Why it matters

    The companies say the slate could create up to 1,000 jobs in Australia and Ireland. [75]

    How it works

    Film financiers call this a slate: many films funded in one deal rather than one at a time. [75]

    One film can flop and sink a small studio. [75] Across 7, one hit can cover a miss. [75]

    Seen it before

    A farmer with one crop can lose everything in a bad year, and one with many rarely does.

    What comes next

    The first, Familiar, is about a school for sorcerers' animal companions, and starts in March 2027. [75]

28. 42

    Grimes joins an AI film bound for cinemas

    What happened

    • Gods Don't Give Gifts, a sci-fi film made with AI, is due in cinemas on 4 December. [17]
    • The singer Grimes will lend it her likeness and her voice. [17]

    Who is involved

    Fable, the AI studio producing it, bills it as "the first AI film to come to theatres". [17]

    It is directed by Jack London, known online as Gossip Goblin. [17]

    • Grimes likeness and voice
    • Jack London director

    Why it matters

    The film tests whether people will pay to see AI-made work in cinemas. [17]

    How it works

    Lawyers call it a likeness right: a person sells the use of their face and voice. [17]

    Fable says this will become more common, with athletes and musicians appearing in AI films the same way. [17]

    Seen it before

    A footballer gets paid when a game uses his name and his face.

    The truth

    • "First" is the makers' word, and The Verge sees no project yet showing AI is vital to telling a story. [17]
29. 43

    Warner's ousted film chief attacks who gets cut

    What happened

    • Pamela Abdy, Warner Bros' former film chief, spoke of "pure, unadulterated rage" at a Women in Film event. [76]
    • Paramount's streaming chief Cindy Holland and Netflix's content chief Bela Bajaria have also gone. [15]
    • Films directed by women fell to a 7-year low in 2025, The Hollywood Reporter says. [15]

    Who is involved

    • Cindy Holland Paramount
    • Bela Bajaria Netflix

    How it unfolded

    She was ousted a month ago, as Paramount Skydance completed its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. [15]

    Why it matters

    She says she has been told films by women earn less. [76] She points to the success of Barbie. [76]

    How it works

    A merger leaves two people for each top job, so one of them goes. [15]

    Who stays decides what gets made. [76] The head of Women in Film says Abdy "had a budget" for many kinds of film. [76]

    Seen it before

    When two school teams merge, one captain steps down and the new team plays differently.

30. 44

    Amazon orders a Terminal List spin-off

    What happened

    • Amazon has ordered Savage Son, a new series with Chris Pratt's Terminal List character. [77]
    • The Terminal List's second season drew 830 million minutes of viewing in its first week. [77]

    Who is involved

    Savage Son is based on Jack Carr's third novel in that series. [77]

    • Chris Pratt James Reece

    How it unfolded

    That came after a 4-year gap between seasons. [77]

    Why it matters

    Amazon is backing the character before it has a writer, and before renewing the main show. [77]

    How it works

    Studios call this a spin-off: a known character carries a new show, so it starts with an audience. [77]

    This one follows Dark Wolf, a 2023 prequel, so Amazon has now spun the book series off twice. [77]

    Seen it before

    A class favourite teacher's new club fills up before it has even started.

31. 45

    Three more manga reach anime

    What happened

    • Spirit Circle, a manga that ended in 2016, becomes an 18-episode TV anime in December, REMOW says. [78]
    • Viz Media, a US manga publisher, has approved an anime of Otaku Vampire's Love Bite. [79]
    • The Dangers in My Heart returns for a third season in April 2027. [80]

    Who is involved

    It is the final work of director Tatsuo Sato, who has died. [78]

    • Tatsuo Sato the late director

    How it unfolded

    Its compilation film sold more than 170,000 tickets around the world. [80]

    1. December Spirit Circle
    2. April 2027 The Dangers in My Heart

    Why it matters

    A manga is a story already tested on readers, so its anime starts with buyers. [80]

    How it works

    Anime makers call this adaptation, and it lowers the risk of a costly show. [78]

    Spirit Circle ended 10 years ago, and its anime can bring new readers to the old books. [78]

    Seen it before

    A song that did well at a school concert gets the next big stage.

32. 46

    An internet firm lifts speeds for GTA 6

    What happened

    • Spectrum, a US internet provider, is offering existing customers free faster speeds for GTA 6 from 9 to 30 November. [81]
    • GTA 6 is 212GB, and Spectrum says its "Gig Speed Lift" lets players download it within 30 minutes. [81]
    • Pre-loading begins on 10 November, 9 days before the 19 November launch. [81]
    • Rockstar also released a gallery of new screenshots, near the end of its long marketing. [82][81]

    How it unfolded

    1. 9 November faster speeds start
    2. 30 November they end

    Why it matters

    One game is now big enough to shape what an internet firm offers. [81]

    How it works

    Economists call these complementary goods: things used together, so more of one sells more of the other. [81]

    A 212GB download makes slow internet painful, so Spectrum uses the game to show off its gig speed. [81]

    Seen it before

    Cinemas sell popcorn because the film makes you want it.