GDC survey: one in three game workers was laid off in the last two years, and 54% of them still have no new job

The stories

34 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

   GDC survey: one in three game workers was laid off in the last two years, and 54% of them still have no new job

   54%

   of laid-off game workers have not found another job

   25% of them have applied for at least 100 jobs [6]

   34%

   of more than 2,600 game workers surveyed were laid off in two years

   up from 28% in GDC's report in January [3]

   21%

   of everyone who answered is out of work

   in the last report it was 13% [5]

   40%

   of game workers now use generative AI at work

   up from 36% in the last survey [7]

   What happened

   • A survey of more than 2,600 game workers found that 34% were laid off in the last 2 years. [1]
   • More than half of those laid off, 54%, have still not found another job. [1]
   • GDC, the group that runs a big yearly conference for game makers, published it on 12 November. [2]
   • For workers in the United States the figure is 39%. [4]
   • Of those laid off, 62% have applied for 20 or more jobs. [5]
   • 25% have applied for at least 100 jobs. [6]
   • 21% of everyone who answered is out of work, up from 13% in the last report. [5]
   • Of those who found work again, 9% have left the games industry. [1]
   • At AAA studios, the makers of the biggest-budget games, 68% say their studio cut jobs in the past year. [4]
   • At older independent studios it was 35%, and at young ones 14%. [4]
   • Quality testing, marketing and art were the jobs cut most often. [4]
   • 40% now use generative AI, tools that make text, code or pictures on request, up from 36%. [7]
   • 57% of those who use it do so every day. [8]
   • 73% of users turn to it for research and ideas, and only 8% for finished game art. [7]
   • 27% of workers at big studios feel pushed to use it, against 9% at independent studios. [6]
   • 55% think AI is making games worse. [6]
   • "Publishers are expecting more right out of the gate," said Beth Elderkin, who leads the survey. [6]
   • They want many wishlists, players asking to be told when it launches, plus a following and a polished game. [6]
   • Half of those who answered fund their own projects, often with contract work for other studios. [6]
   • Only 10% are making games for the next PlayStation, and 8% for Xbox's next console, Project Helix. [1]
   • Most, 81%, are making games for PC. [1]
   • 65% say their job has hurt their mental health. [6]
   • 15% of US respondents are in a union, up from 12% a year ago. [5]
   • GDC's own conference drew 20,000 people in 2026, after a 30% drop in attendance. [9]
   • Next year it shrinks from 5 days to 4 and adds a hall for business meetings. [10]

   Who is involved

   • GDC Festival of Gaming the group behind a big yearly conference for game makers, owned by Informa; it ran the survey
   • Beth Elderkin GDC's content marketing manager, who leads the survey; she says publishers now expect more before they pay
   • More than 2,600 game workers people who make games in 69 countries; they answered the survey, laid-off workers more often than others

   How it unfolded

   In GDC's previous report, in January, the share laid off was 28%. [3]

   GDC used to publish the survey each January, and now publishes it near the end of the year. [2]

   1. Before a report each January
   2. Now a report near year's end
   3. Now survey out
   4. March 2027 GDC meets
   5. Jan 2026 GDC's last report puts the share laid off at 28% [3]
   6. 2026 GDC's conference draws 20,000, after a 30% drop [9]
   7. 12 Nov 2026 the new report: 34% laid off, 54% of them still out of work [1]
   8. Mar 2027 GDC meets again, for 4 days instead of 5 [10]

   Why it matters

   "You can't simultaneously refuse to let people become experienced and then fire them when they are," one studio founder said. [3]

   Workers laid off and then hired again feel much less safe in their jobs, Elderkin said. [6]

   How it works

   Statisticians call this self-selection: when people choose whether to answer, those most affected often answer most.

   GDC says laid-off people took part more often this year, especially in the United States. [4]

   Seen it before

   If only students who hate homework vote in a class poll, the class looks angrier than it is.

   The truth

   • What is really going on GDC's survey of more than 2,600 game workers found a third laid off in two years, and 54% of those still without work. [1]
   • Why it works on people A survey's headline share feels like a fact about every game worker, though GDC says laid-off people answered it more often than others. [4]
   • GDC and Game Developer, which reported the survey, are owned by the same company, Informa. [4]
   • Who pays Laid-off game workers — A quarter of them have sent at least 100 applications, and most still have no job. [6]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How many of all game workers lost their jobs.

     GDC says laid-off people answered its survey more often, so its 34% describes those who replied, not the whole industry. [4]

   • Nobody knows yet

     How many laid-off workers have applied for 100 jobs or more.

     GamesIndustry.biz and Variety report 25%, while IGN and Inven Global report 27%. [6][5]

   Good news

   • More developers say they are making their own games or starting their own studios, Elderkin said. [6]

   What comes next

   The next GDC conference runs from 1 to 4 March 2027 in San Francisco. [5]

1. 02

   Xbox's boss hints at AI-made games

   What happened

   • Asha Sharma, the head of Xbox, marked its 25th birthday with a post about its past and next 25 years. [22]
   • "A small team will be able to build worlds that today demand hundreds of developers," she wrote. [13]
   • She never wrote the words artificial intelligence, but many readers took the letter to be about AI. [23]

   Who is involved

   • Asha Sharma head of Xbox

   How it unfolded

   Xbox has cut thousands of jobs this year in a wide restructuring, Eurogamer reports. [13]

   When she was hired earlier this year, Sharma said she had "no tolerance for bad AI". [13]

   Why it matters

   Kotaku reads the letter as offering AI as Xbox's answer to the soaring cost of big games. [22]

   How it works

   Economists call this substituting capital for labour: a firm pays for machines or software instead of more people.

   Sharma wrote that the cost and risk of making games have grown dramatically. [23] "We must change this," she said. [23]

   Seen it before

   A supermarket that adds self-checkout tills needs fewer people working at the tills.

   The truth

   • What is really going on On the same day, the head of Xbox, which cut thousands of jobs this year, wrote that small teams will soon build what now takes hundreds of developers. [13]
   • Eurogamer has asked Microsoft to say whether the letter is about AI. [13]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Xbox's letter means AI will do work that staff do now.

     Asha Sharma never named AI, and Eurogamer has asked Microsoft what she meant. [13]

2. 03

   Wolfenstein 3 is in production

   What happened

   • Wolfenstein 3 is in production at MachineGames, Xbox's boss Asha Sharma said on 12 November. [24]
   • MachineGames, the Swedish studio behind Wolfenstein II, will make it again. [25]
   • The reveal was a photo of a script page, and a photo from a motion-capture session. [24]

   Who is involved

   Actors Brian Bloom and Debra Wilson are back in their old roles. [27]

   • MachineGames Swedish studio
   • Brian Bloom plays B.J. Blazkowicz
   • Debra Wilson plays Grace Walker

   How it unfolded

   Its two most recent Wolfenstein games came out in 2014 and 2017. [26]

   The last game was set in a made-up 1960s in which Nazi Germany won the Second World War. [27]

   It is the studio's first Wolfenstein since Microsoft bought its parent company, ZeniMax, in March 2021. [26]

   1. 2014 The New Order
   2. 2017 The New Colossus

   Why it matters

   Xbox's boss wants to focus on the company's biggest series, Kotaku reports. [28]

   How it works

   Management scholars call this exploitation: spending on products that already work, instead of exploring new ones.

   Wolfenstein began in 1981 and now has more than a dozen games, a name players already know. [26]

   Seen it before

   A cafe that bakes more of its best-selling cake instead of trying a risky new one is doing the same.

   What comes next

   Sharma said only that she is "looking forward to sharing more". [24]

1. 04

   id Software starts its next game

   What happened

   • id Software, the studio that makes Doom, said on 12 November that it is working on a new game. [28]
   • Hugo Martin, who directed the last two Doom games, will direct it. [28]
   • It is being made by id's teams in Texas and Frankfurt. [29]

   Who is involved

   • Hugo Martin director of Doom Eternal and The Dark Ages

   How it unfolded

   In July, Xbox cut more than 90 people at id, many from the team behind its game engine. [28]

   GameSpot says the cuts took away half the studio's staff. [12]

   Why it matters

   Kotaku's sources said no game was approved when the cuts came, so this one is very early. [28]

   How it works

   Programmers call a game engine the base software that draws, moves and runs every game built on it.

   id builds Doom on its own engine, id Tech, and many of that team were cut in July. [28]

   Seen it before

   A band that loses its sound engineer can still play, but the records come out slower.

   Why a game studio cannot write down everything its people know

   Management scholars call it tacit knowledge: the know-how people build by doing the work, which leaves with them when they are laid off.

   The twist

   After a layoff, a studio still owns its code, its tools and its games. Much of the skill to use them has gone home with the people it let go.

   The picture

   34%Laid off in 2 years

   ↓→

   54% of themStill out of work

   ↓→

   9%Rehired, left games

   Step by step

   1. 1 A team learns by doing the work, year after year
   2. 2 Much of what it learns is never written down
   3. 3 It lives in people's habits and judgement
   4. 4 Lay the people off and that know-how leaves with them
   5. 5 The company relearns it slowly, or hires it back

   The same force, elsewhere today

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

   • Humble Bundle's redesign drops account checks

     Workers say only 2 engineers were left after the summer layoffs, and the next redesign shipped without basic account checks.

   • id Software starts its next game

     id cut much of the team behind its own engine in July, and now starts a new game with the people who stayed.

   • The Witcher's online game hires a Baldur's Gate 3 writer

     CD Projekt gets the know-how of writing a hit's story the way it travels: by hiring a person who did that work.

   • BioWare's people move to new games

     BioWare closed, but its writers and directors carried what they learned there into more than a dozen new projects.

   Where you've seen this

   Hospitals

   a new nurse learns a ward's habits from the nurses already there, not from the manual

   Restaurants

   a recipe card cannot teach how the head chef judges when a sauce is ready

   Factories

   when the last mechanic who knows an old machine retires, it breaks down more often

   The catch

   Some know-how is written down well enough to survive a layoff, and nobody outside a studio can measure how much was lost.

   And the whole of it

   A developer on a hundredth job application, a Humble Bundle buyer with a weaker account and a boss cutting costs are all part of the same chain. Each of them sees only the link in front of them.

   The truth

   • Some claimed only one person was left on id Tech; Microsoft says "dozens" still work on it. [28]

   What comes next

   id says it will be "some time" before it can show anything. [28]

1. 05

   21 more first-Xbox games reach PC

   What happened

   • Xbox made 21 more games from its first console playable on Windows PCs on 12 November. [17]
   • That makes 25 in all, after the first 4 arrived in July. [17]
   • 11 of the 21 new games are Star Wars games. [30]
   • Players need a digital copy; discs from the original Xbox do not count. [17]
   • 4 of the games now give achievements, the first ever on original Xbox games. [17]

   Why it matters

   Microsoft calls it game preservation, and players must buy each game to play it. [17]

   How it works

   Computer scientists call this emulation: software on a new machine pretends to be the old one, so old games run.

   GamesRadar expects these to run by emulation, which it says plays worse than the PC versions already sold. [31]

   Seen it before

   An adapter lets an old plug fit a new socket, but the plug is still the old one.

   The truth

   • Many of the new games, like Knights of the Old Republic, already had PC versions on sale. [31]

   Good news

   • Microsoft made 21 more games from the first Xbox playable on PCs, and 4 of them gained achievements for the first time.
2. 06

   Humble Bundle's redesign drops account checks

   What happened

   • Humble Bundle, a shop for game bundles, launched a redesign without its setting for two-factor login. [32]
   • Two-factor login asks for a code as well as a password, so a stolen password is not enough. [33]
   • Kotaku found a password could be changed without typing the old one. [34]
   • A change of email sent its check only to the new address, not the old one. [34]

   How it unfolded

   Its owner, Ziff Davis, laid off a number of Humble's engineers in the summer. [11]

   Workers told Aftermath in June that only 2 engineers were left. [11]

   Why it matters

   Accounts can hold saved card details, so weaker checks put buyers' money at risk. [33]

   How it works

   Security engineers call this defence in depth: several locks, so one broken lock does not open everything.

   With two-factor gone, a thief with a leaked password needs nothing else to get in. [33]

   Seen it before

   A front door with a lock and a chain stays shut even if someone copies the key.

   Workers say only 2 engineers were left after the summer layoffs, and the next redesign shipped without basic account checks.

   The idea, in story 04: Why a game studio cannot write down everything its people know →

   The truth

   • Some users say two-factor has since come back for them. [11] Its owners did not immediately reply to The Verge. [32]
   • Who pays Humble Bundle buyers — Their accounts can hold saved cards, now behind weaker checks. [33]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Humble Bundle's missing checks were a mistake, and whether they are fixed.

     Some users say two-factor has come back, while The Verge got no reply from the owners. [11][32]

3. 07

   GTA 6 nearly refused a rating in Korea

   What happened

   • South Korea's game rating board nearly refused GTA 6 a rating, which would have blocked its sale there. [35]
   • Its first vote, on 10 September, was a 3 to 3 tie. [36]
   • The board waited for a playable copy, which arrived on 28 September. [36]
   • On 16 October it voted 8 to 1 for an adults-only rating. [36]
   • Members objected to frequent male nudity shown with no sexual context, not to the violence. [36]

   How it unfolded

   Korea's rules were loosened in September 2025, and GTA 6 was the first big game judged under them. [36]

   1. 10 Sep a tied vote
   2. 28 Sep a playable copy arrives
   3. 16 Oct rated adults only
   4. 19 Nov on sale

   Why it matters

   Members noted that 10 other countries' boards had already given it adult ratings. [36]

   How it works

   Lawyers call this the rule of law: a public body may block something only on written legal grounds.

   Members said a ban needs clear legal grounds, and the nudity handbook has no legal force. [36]

   Seen it before

   A referee can only send a player off for breaking a rule that is actually in the rulebook.

   The truth

   • The minutes, obtained by the Korean outlet Inven, do not say whether Rockstar changed the game. [36]
   • Who gains Adult players in South Korea — The board's final vote lets GTA 6 go on sale to them there. [36]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Rockstar changed GTA 6 for Korea.

     The rating board's minutes do not say how its first request for changes was handled. [36]

   What comes next

   GTA 6 goes on sale on 19 November. [21]

4. 08

   Take-Two's boss says discs will be like vinyl

   What happened

   • Take-Two's boss, Strauss Zelnick, said game discs will become like vinyl records in music. [37]
   • "It's going to be a very small part of the business," he told The Game Business. [37]
   • Zelnick says 98% of Take-Two's business is already digital. [15]
   • GTA 6 has no disc: shops sell a box with a download code inside. [15]
   • US shops sold $1.5 billion of boxed games last year, a 30-year low, Circana says. [37]

   Who is involved

   • Strauss Zelnick boss of Take-Two, owner of Rockstar

   How it unfolded

   Sony plans to stop making PlayStation game discs in 2028. [15]

   Why it matters

   That is about 2.5% of US game spending, while physical music is just over 10% of music sales. [37]

   How it works

   Economists call this a niche market: a small group that still pays for a product most people have left.

   GameSpot says publishers like digital sales mainly because they make them more money. [15]

   Seen it before

   Most people stream songs, but some still buy records to own and display.

   The truth

   • Who gains Take-Two — Selling GTA 6 with no disc keeps more of each sale for the publisher, which GameSpot says is the main reason for going digital. [15]
   • Who pays Players who want discs — GTA 6 comes only as a code in a box, and Sony ends PlayStation discs in 2028. [15]
5. 09

   Zelda remake sells mostly boxed in Japan

   What happened

   • Nintendo's Ocarina of Time remake sold 537,041 boxed copies in Japanese shops, Famitsu counted. [16]
   • Nintendo said 810,000 copies sold in Japan in the first 4 days, out of 5.2 million worldwide. [16]
   • That leaves about 272,959 digital copies, roughly a third of Japan's sales, GamesRadar works out. [16]

   Who is involved

   Famitsu is a Japanese games magazine that publishes sales charts. [16]

   Why it matters

   GamesRadar says it shows a market for boxed games remains, even as it shrinks. [16]

   The truth

   • GamesRadar says the special boxed edition may have helped boxed sales. [16]
6. 10

   Palworld's maker gives staff GTA 6 off

   What happened

   • Pocketpair, the studio behind the hit game Palworld, gave its staff a 5-day holiday for GTA 6's launch. [20]
   • The leave runs from 19 to 23 November and includes a weekend, so it is 3 working days. [20]
   • Its post called the leave an "urgent business trip to Vice City", the game's made-up city. [20]
   • It said work on Palworld's updates will stay on schedule. [38]

   How it unfolded

   It did the same for a Capcom Monster Hunter launch in February 2025. [20]

   1. Feb 2025 a day off for Monster Hunter
   2. 19 Nov 5 days off for GTA 6

   Why it matters

   PC Gamer jokes about the many holiday requests and sick notes aimed at 19 November. [38]

   How it works

   Marketers call this earned media: news coverage a company gets without paying for an advert.

   Pocketpair posted its staff notice on Palworld's public account on X, not only inside the company. [20]

   Seen it before

   A shop that hands out free cake on opening day gets its name passed around town.

7. 11

   GTA 6's Burger Shot opens in Florida

   What happened

   • Burger Shot, the burger chain inside GTA 6, opens for real in Skinny Louie restaurants across Florida from 13 November. [21]
   • The stores will use Burger Shot signs, uniforms and a game-themed menu until 31 December. [21]
   • Analysts estimate GTA 6 has brought in $1 billion before launch, IGN reports. [21]

   How it unfolded

   Last month the brand appeared at the Miami Heat's basketball arena. [21]

   1. 13 Nov Burger Shot opens
   2. 31 Dec it ends

   Why it matters

   GTA 6 is set in a made-up version of Florida, so fans meet the game in the state it copies. [39]

   How it works

   Marketers call this a brand tie-in: two companies lend each other their names to reach each other's customers.

   IGN says few game series could take over a restaurant chain's look like this. [21]

   Seen it before

   A cereal box with film characters on it sells both the cereal and the film.

8. 12

   The Game Awards come to Disney+

   What happened

   • The Game Awards will stream on Disney+ for the first time, on 10 December. [40]
   • The show also streams free on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, TikTok and other sites. [41]
   • Last year's show drew 171 million livestreams, up 11% from 154 million in 2024. [41]

   How it unfolded

   Its first show, in 2014, drew 1.9 million. [41]

   Amazon's Prime Video carried the show for the first time last year. [41]

   Why it matters

   Disney promises "major announcements and surprises" for its own games during the show. [42]

   How it works

   Media economists call this cross-promotion: a company uses one of its outlets to sell its other products.

   Disney streams the awards on its service and plans news about its own games inside them. [42]

   Seen it before

   A school play's programme that advertises the school's own bake sale.

   The truth

   • Who gains Disney — It puts news about its own games inside what Variety calls the games industry's biggest night. [41]
9. 13

   Resident Evil Requiem wins the Golden Joysticks

   What happened

   • Capcom's horror game Resident Evil Requiem won 4 Golden Joystick Awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year. [43]
   • Capcom won 7 awards in all, including Studio of the Year. [43]
   • Crimson Desert won PC Game of the Year, and Big Walk won the Critics' Choice award. [43]
   • Meccha Chameleon, a self-published indie game, won 4 awards, including Developers' Choice. [43]

   Who is involved

   The Golden Joysticks, first given in 1983, pick their winners by public vote. [44]

   Why it matters

   Crimson Desert's prize comes as its maker, Pearl Abyss, reports sales from it fell 70.2% in the latest quarter. [45]

10. 14

    Paradox names a new boss

    What happened

    • Paradox Interactive, a Swedish maker of strategy games like Stellaris, named a new boss on 11 November. [46]
    • Deputy boss Mattias Lilja takes over from Fredrik Wester on 4 January 2027. [46]
    • Wester moves to the board and stays the company's largest shareholder. [46]

    Who is involved

    • Fredrik Wester leaving as boss
    • Mattias Lilja taking over

    How it unfolded

    Wester was boss from 2009 to 2018, and again from 2021. [47]

    Ebba Ljungerud, who ran Paradox in between, quit in 2021 over the company's strategy. [48]

    Eurogamer reports a 162% fall in Paradox's operating profit after Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 failed. [47]

    1. 2009 first spell
    2. 2021 back again

    Why it matters

    Players of Cities: Skylines, Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris get a boss who oversaw their launch. [46]

    How it works

    Management scholars call this succession planning: preparing a deputy for years so a handover brings no shock.

    Lilja has run day-to-day work since 2021, Paradox says, calling the change "a natural evolution". [46]

    Seen it before

    A team captain hands the armband to the vice-captain who has led the warm-ups for years.

11. 15

    Germany's games lobby attacks the EU fairness law

    What happened

    • Game, the German games industry group, criticised the EU's draft Digital Fairness Act. [49]
    • The act would set rules for in-game buying, including loot boxes and coins bought with real money. [49]
    • Fines could reach 6% of a company's yearly sales worldwide. [49]
    • Its managing director, Felix Falk, said the plan risks "the competitiveness of European games companies". [49]
    • Falk said every game rated under 18 would count as a service made for children. [49]

    Why it matters

    Free-to-play games, which earn from optional purchases, would be hit hardest, the group argues. [49]

    How it works

    Game calls it "double regulation": two sets of rules covering the same thing. [49]

    Games already carry PEGI and USK age labels, and the act would add its own test for children. [49]

    Seen it before

    Two teachers marking one essay by different rules leave the student unsure which grade counts.

    The truth

    • Who pays Free-to-play makers in Europe — Game, the German industry group, says the EU act's limits on in-game buying would hit their main income. [49]
12. 16

    Eve Online's maker shares a lighting trick

    What happened

    • Fenris Creations, the maker of Eve Online, added a new shading technique to its game engine. [50]
    • It made that engine, Carbon, open source this year, so anyone can read and use its code. [50]
    • The technique, CORTAO, works out how much light reaches each point on screen. [50]
    • It sends up to 32 rays from each pixel to test what blocks the light. [50]
    • Its maker, Daniel Isheden, says it has about a quarter of the error of the usual method. [50]

    Why it matters

    Isheden says it is "both faster and cheaper". [50]

    How it works

    Programmers call this ambient occlusion: darkening corners and creases where less light can reach. [50]

    Older methods judged light from horizon angles and went wrong on slopes; CORTAO tests rays instead. [50]

    Seen it before

    The corners of a room look darker than the middle of a wall because less light bounces into them.

    Good news

    • Fenris is giving the technique away inside an engine anyone may use. [50]
13. 17

    Crimson Desert's boost fades for Pearl Abyss

    What happened

    • Pearl Abyss, the South Korean maker of Crimson Desert, saw operating profit fall 70% from the quarter before. [45] It made 20.7 billion won. [45]
    • Crimson Desert sold about 680,000 copies from July to September. [45]
    • Money from Crimson Desert fell 70.2% from the quarter before, to 40.6 billion won. [45]
    • Its older online game, Black Desert, rose 10.9% to 61.0 billion won. [45]

    Why it matters

    The company is counting on add-ons and a Switch 2 version in early 2027. [45]

    How it works

    Analysts call a game's sales front-loaded when most of them come in its first weeks.

    Black Desert, an online game players keep paying into, rose while Crimson Desert's sales fell. [45]

    Seen it before

    A new phone sells in huge numbers in its first week, then much more slowly.

    The truth

    • Pearl Abyss says a strong won may make it miss its plan for October to December. [45]
14. 18

    Romancing SaGa 3 moves earlier, Switch orders cancelled

    What happened

    • Square Enix moved its Romancing SaGa 3 remake 12 days earlier, to 4 February 2027. [19]
    • The change cancelled every digital pre-order on Nintendo's Switch consoles. [19]
    • Pre-orders on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam stay in place. [19]

    How it unfolded

    It remakes a 1995 role-playing game that sold a million copies in Japan. [19]

    1. Was 16 Feb old date
    2. Now 4 Feb new date

    Why it matters

    Buyers who order before the old date, 16 February, still get the bonus pack. [51]

    How it works

    Shops call an order taken before launch a pre-order: a promise to deliver on a set date.

    On Nintendo's store the pre-orders were cancelled because the date changed, Square Enix said. [19]

    Seen it before

    Moving a party to an earlier day means everyone has to be invited again.

    The truth

    • Square Enix gave no reason for moving the date. [51]
    • Who pays Switch buyers of Romancing SaGa 3 — Their digital pre-orders were cancelled and must be placed again. [19]
    • Nobody knows yet

      When Switch buyers can pre-order Romancing SaGa 3 again.

      Inven Global says around 26 November, while Siliconera says Nintendo's store opens orders on 19 November. [19][51]

15. 19

    Nintendo cuts $20 off its own games

    What happened

    • Nintendo will cut $20 off several of its own Switch 2 games from 22 November, for Black Friday. [52]
    • They include Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4 and Kirby Air Riders. [52]
    • Nintendo rarely discounts its own games, Kotaku notes. [52]
    • A Switch 2 bundle with Mario Kart World drops from $549.99 to $499.99 from 22 November. [53]

    How it unfolded

    The Switch 2's price rose $50 after its June 2025 launch, which Kotaku blames on chip costs and US tariffs. [52]

    Why it matters

    For players, the bundle is back to its launch price of $500, with the game included. [52]

    How it works

    Economists call this price discrimination: charging less only when the most price-sensitive buyers shop.

    A Donkey Kong game drops from $70 to $50, but only from 22 to 29 November. [52]

    Seen it before

    A cinema that charges less on Tuesday mornings fills seats without cutting Saturday prices.

16. 20

    Naughty Dog's Intergalactic nears the end

    What happened

    • Neil Druckmann, head of Naughty Dog, said its sci-fi game Intergalactic is in its "last stage of production". [54]
    • He said it mixes the sci-fi of Jak and Daxter with Uncharted's action and The Last of Us's drama. [54]

    Who is involved

    Naughty Dog is the studio behind The Last of Us and Uncharted. [54]

    • Naughty Dog makes The Last of Us and Uncharted

    How it unfolded

    Its motion-capture filming finished in August. [55]

    It was announced in late 2024, and reports point to a 2027 release. [55]

    1. Late 2024 announced
    2. 2027 reported release

    Why it matters

    For players, it means the studio's next game is playable and being finished. [54]

    How it works

    Game makers call this stage polish: the game is complete, and the team fixes and smooths it. [54]

    "We can play it, and we're refining and polishing it," Druckmann said. [54]

    Seen it before

    Polishing is sanding and painting a chair that already stands.

    The truth

    • Kotaku cites reports that Naughty Dog staff have again been made to crunch, working very long hours. [55]
17. 21

    The Witcher's online game hires a Baldur's Gate 3 writer

    What happened

    • CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher, hired Baudelaire Welch, a writer from Baldur's Gate 3. [56]
    • Welch wrote the Dark Urge story in Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios' hit role-playing game. [56]
    • Welch will be a senior writer on Project Sirius, a Witcher game played with others online. [56]

    Who is involved

    • CD Projekt Red makes The Witcher
    • Baudelaire Welch writer

    How it unfolded

    CD Projekt restarted Project Sirius from scratch in 2023, with layoffs the following week. [56]

    It cut more staff from the project earlier this year. [56]

    1. 2023 restarted, then layoffs
    2. This year more layoffs

    Why it matters

    GamesRadar calls the hire a hopeful sign for a project that has struggled. [56]

    How it works

    Economists call skill learned on the job human capital: it belongs to the worker and moves with them.

    Welch wrote story paths for a hit at Larian, and now brings that work to CD Projekt. [56]

    Seen it before

    When a school's best coach moves to another school, the coaching moves too.

    CD Projekt gets the know-how of writing a hit's story the way it travels: by hiring a person who did that work.

    The idea, in story 04: Why a game studio cannot write down everything its people know →

    What comes next

    Welch says only: "Can't talk about the game yet". [56]

18. 22

    Umamusume buys into Formula 1 in Japan

    What happened

    • Cygames' horse-racing game Umamusume: Pretty Derby is the first founding partner of the 2027 Japanese Grand Prix. [57]
    • The Formula 1 race runs at Suzuka Circuit from 9 to 11 April 2027. [57]
    • Cygames also bought the name of Suzuka's 130R corner, which becomes "Umamusume 130R" for about a year. [57]
    • The race draws more than 300,000 spectators a year. [57]

    How it unfolded

    1. 9 Apr 2027 the race starts
    2. 11 Apr the race ends

    Why it matters

    A game whose racehorses are drawn as girls now puts its name in front of F1 fans. [57]

    How it works

    Marketers call this sponsorship: paying to put a brand where a big crowd is already looking.

    Founding partners are the race's top tier of supporters, with a booth in its fan zone. [57]

    Seen it before

    A team shirt with a sponsor's name is seen by every fan in the stadium.

    The truth

    • One catch: the corner's new name will not be shown during the F1 race itself. [57]
19. 23

    Comiket's ticket site blocks fans abroad

    What happened

    • Ticketpay, the Japanese site that sells Comiket tickets, has blocked users outside Japan to guard against cyberattacks. [58]
    • The block stops overseas fans entering the ticket draw for Comiket 109, from 29 to 31 December. [58]
    • The last fair, in August, drew 260,000 people. [58]

    Who is involved

    Comiket is a fair in Tokyo for doujinshi, comics that fans make and sell themselves. [58]

    How it unfolded

    Comiket was free to enter until 2019 and now sells tickets. [58]

    1. Until 2019 free entry
    2. Now tickets

    Why it matters

    Fans who travel to Tokyo for the fair may now have no way to buy a ticket. [58]

    How it works

    Security teams call this geo-blocking: refusing visitors by the country their connection comes from.

    Blocking every address outside Japan stops foreign attackers and foreign fans alike. [58]

    Seen it before

    Locking the school gate to keep strangers out also keeps visiting parents out.

    The truth

    • Who pays Comiket fans outside Japan — They cannot enter the ticket draw for December's fair. [58]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether Comiket can sell tickets to fans abroad this year.

      Organisers are looking for another way, but the fair opens on 29 December. [58]

    What comes next

    Organisers are looking for another way to sell overseas tickets, but say time is short. [58]

20. 24

    Kakao opens a BL comics site in Japan

    What happened

    • Kakao Piccoma, which runs the Piccoma comics app in Japan, launched Lulumiru, a site for boys' love (BL) romance comics. [59]
    • It works in web browsers on phones, tablets and computers. [59]
    • Joining is free, and readers pay chapter by chapter. [59]

    How it unfolded

    Kakao said less than two months ago that it will close Tapas, its North American comics app. [59]

    It paid about 1.1 trillion won, roughly $780 million, for Tapas and Radish five years ago. [59]

    Why it matters

    Kakao is ending a big part of its North American plan while adding a narrower site in Japan. [59]

    How it works

    Business strategists call this a niche strategy: serving one group of readers very well instead of everyone.

    Lulumiru serves only BL readers, with searches built for them, like hiding tags they dislike. [59]

    Seen it before

    A shop that sells only football boots can stock more kinds than a general sports shop.

    What comes next

    Tapas closes on 31 March 2027. [59]

21. 25

    Laika's Wildwood passes $60 million

    What happened

    • Laika's stop-motion film Wildwood has passed $60 million at the world box office. [60]
    • It has taken $41.86 million in the US and Canada, and $19.06 million in 49 other markets. [60]
    • Its third weekend in North America made $7.21 million, down only 20%. [60]

    Why it matters

    It is the biggest release yet for Fathom Entertainment, its US distributor. [60]

    How it works

    Film distributors say a film has legs when it keeps selling tickets week after week.

    Wildwood fell only 20% in its third weekend, while showing in 13% fewer cinemas. [60]

    Seen it before

    A song that friends keep sharing climbs the chart slowly, long after it comes out.

    The truth

    • It is still well short of its reported $100 million budget. [60]
    • Who gains Fathom Entertainment — Wildwood beat its record, which a Coraline re-release set in 2024. [60]

    Good news

    • Wildwood, a stop-motion film from the studio Laika, has passed $60 million around the world, the biggest release ever for its US distributor.
22. 26

    Actors' union boss: 10-15% want AI blocked

    What happened

    • The head of SAG-AFTRA, the US union for actors, estimates 10% to 15% of members want AI blocked. [14]
    • Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, its chief executive, spoke at the Web Summit in Lisbon on Thursday. [14]
    • The union has about 160,000 members. [14]
    • "No one can stop it, no one can block it," he said. [14]
    • He said AI use needs three things: consent, control and payment. [14]

    Who is involved

    • Duncan Crabtree-Ireland head of SAG-AFTRA

    Why it matters

    He spoke about the NO FAKES Act, a US bill to protect a person's voice and face from AI copies. [14]

    How it works

    Labour scholars call this collective bargaining: a union agrees rules for all its members at once.

    A union that says it cannot block AI bargains over its terms instead, like consent and pay. [14]

    Seen it before

    A class that cannot cancel a test can still ask for more time to prepare.

    The truth

    • The 10% to 15% is his own estimate, not a vote of members. [14]
23. 27

    Avatar: Seven Havens gets its Book 2 date

    What happened

    • Paramount+ set 21 May 2027 for Book 2 of Avatar: Seven Havens, its animated series. [61]
    • The 13 episodes come out in 4 weekly batches, starting with 3. [61]
    • Book 3 follows later in 2027, and Book 4 ends the series. [62]

    Who is involved

    It comes from Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who created Avatar: The Last Airbender. [61]

    • Michael Dante DiMartino co-creator
    • Bryan Konietzko co-creator

    How it unfolded

    The two final seasons were confirmed at New York Comic Con. [62]

    1. 2027 Books 2 and 3
    2. Later Book 4 ends it

    Why it matters

    Fans now know the series will run 4 books and when the second starts. [62]

    How it works

    TV executives call this a batch release: a few episodes at a time, spread over weeks.

    Book 2 runs from 21 May to 11 June, so viewers come back to Paramount+ for 4 weeks. [61]

    Seen it before

    A magazine that prints a story in parts keeps readers buying each issue.

24. 28

    GKIDS takes Cartoon Saloon's Julian to the US

    What happened

    • GKIDS bought all US rights to Julian, an animated film from the studio Cartoon Saloon. [63]
    • GKIDS will open it in US cinemas on 26 March 2027. [63]
    • Over 150 artists in Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark and Canada drew it by hand, at 12 frames a second. [63]

    How it unfolded

    It is based on the picture book Julian Is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love. [63]

    The deal follows showings at the Annecy and Toronto film festivals. [63]

    Why it matters

    US audiences can see the hand-drawn film in cinemas from next March. [63]

    How it works

    Film sellers split a film's rights by country, called territories, and sell each one separately.

    Julian has a different distributor in each place: GKIDS in the US, Elevation in Canada, Anime Ltd in the UK. [63]

    Seen it before

    A band can sign with one record label in Europe and another in Asia.

25. 29

    My.Games' bosses buy their company

    What happened

    • My.Games, maker of the games War Robots and Rush Royale, announced a management buyout on 11 November. [64]
    • Its chief executive, Elena Grigorian, and its chief operating officer are buying it from its only owner, Alexander Chachava. [64]
    • The deal is expected to close in 2026. [64]

    Who is involved

    Georgy Nurislamov, a private investor based in the UAE, is backing the deal. [64]

    • Elena Grigorian and the COO buyers
    • Alexander Chachava seller
    • Georgy Nurislamov backer

    How it unfolded

    Chachava said the managers' offer was the strongest after a year-long sale process. [64]

    1. Now deal agreed
    2. 2026 deal closes

    Why it matters

    Staff keep the same leaders, and the company says it will run as usual. [64]

    How it works

    Finance teachers call this a management buyout: a company's own bosses buy it, often with an investor's money.

    The managers know the business best, Chachava said, and Nurislamov supplies the money. [64]

    Seen it before

    Shop workers who club together to buy the shop from a retiring owner are doing the same.

    The truth

    • Who gains My.Games' managers — Elena Grigorian's team will own the company it already runs, with an investor's money behind it. [64]
26. 30

    Resident Evil's film studio waits on its parent's loan

    What happened

    • Constantin Film, the German studio that holds the film rights to Resident Evil, faces a risk from its parent's debt. [65]
    • Its new Resident Evil film has taken $410 million worldwide on a reported $75 million budget. [65]
    • Its Swiss parent, Highlight Communications, has a 74.5 million Swiss franc bank loan due on 30 November. [65]
    • Highlight has pledged its Constantin shares as security for the loan. [65]

    How it unfolded

    Highlight made an operating loss of 131.8 million francs in 2025, almost all from its sports arm. [65]

    Why it matters

    If Highlight cannot repay or refinance, the banks could take those shares, putting Constantin's ownership in play. [65]

    How it works

    Bankers call this collateral: something a borrower promises to hand over if a loan is not repaid.

    Constantin makes money, but its shares back its parent's loan, so the parent's losses could cost it its owner. [65]

    Seen it before

    Lending your bike as a promise for a friend's loan means losing the bike if the friend cannot pay.

    The truth

    • Highlight says it has not ruled out selling Constantin. [65]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Who will own Constantin Film after 30 November.

      Its parent must repay or refinance a loan secured on Constantin's shares, and is still reviewing its options. [65]

27. 31

    Claude refuses to build a Pokemon fan game

    What happened

    • A fan making an unofficial Pokemon game with AI says Claude, Anthropic's AI tool, now refuses to help. [66]
    • The maker, who posts as Big Kid Nation, says he spends over $2,000 a month on the AI. [66]
    • The game, Pokemon Arena 2D, uses sprites, small pictures taken from Pokemon games. [66]
    • Claude now declines to build games from those sprites and suggests original fighters instead. [66]

    How it unfolded

    Anthropic added the limits after users used AI to rebuild other companies' games. [66]

    Why it matters

    The limits close one route for fan games that copy other companies' characters. [66]

    How it works

    Lawyers call copying someone else's characters without permission infringing their intellectual property. [66]

    Even a free fan game can break the law if it uses another firm's characters, and Kotaku expects a takedown. [66]

    Seen it before

    Printing a famous cartoon on free shirts for a whole town still needs its owner's permission.

28. 32

    Barbie Rewind saves 16 old Barbie games

    What happened

    • Barbie Rewind collects 16 Barbie games released from 1991 to 2007. [18]
    • It includes Barbie: Vacation Adventure, a game made for Nintendo's SNES that was never released. [67]
    • The games sit inside a DreamHouse that players can decorate. [67]

    Who is involved

    It comes from Digital Eclipse, a studio known for game collections like Atari 50. [67]

    • Digital Eclipse makes game collections

    Why it matters

    Barbie games were played by millions of children but rarely treated as history, Aftermath writes. [18]

    How it works

    Historians call this preservation: keeping old works usable so later people can study and enjoy them.

    Barbie Rewind gathers games made for the NES, SNES, PlayStation and Game Boy in one place. [18]

    Seen it before

    A library keeps old newspapers so people can read what happened years ago.

    Good news

    • A Barbie game that was made but never released can now be played. [67]
29. 33

    BioWare's people move to new games

    What happened

    • Three weeks after EA closed BioWare, many of its former staff are working on new games, Kotaku reports. [68]
    • Archetype Entertainment, founded by ex-BioWare staff, is making Exodus, due out on 7 April. [68]
    • Casey Hudson, who directed the first Mass Effect games, works on a Star Wars game at Arcanaut Studios. [68]
    • David Gaider, Dragon Age's first lead writer, has helped Owlcat Studios on its Expanse game. [68]

    Who is involved

    • Casey Hudson now at Arcanaut Studios
    • David Gaider helping Owlcat Studios

    How it unfolded

    BioWare made role-playing games such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age over 31 years. [68]

    Why it matters

    BioWare's skills did not close with it: Kotaku lists more than a dozen projects by its former staff. [68]

    How it works

    Economists call this a knowledge spillover: when a firm closes, its people carry its know-how to new firms.

    Ex-BioWare developers James Ohlen, Chad Robertson and Drew Karpyshyn set up Archetype to make their own role-playing game. [68]

    Seen it before

    When a famous restaurant closes, its cooks open their own places around town.

    BioWare closed, but its writers and directors carried what they learned there into more than a dozen new projects.

    The idea, in story 04: Why a game studio cannot write down everything its people know →
30. 34

    Slay the Spire 2 tests its biggest update

    What happened

    • Mega Crit put its biggest update yet for Slay the Spire 2 into a test version. [69]
    • Slay the Spire 2 is a deck-building game still in early access, sold while it is being finished. [69]
    • The update adds a sixth playable character, the Fool, and 2 new modes, Blitz and Dread. [70]
    • Only players who opt into the beta branch on Steam can play it for now. [69]

    How it unfolded

    Mega Crit said months ago it would update less often, to make bigger additions. [69]

    Why it matters

    Mega Crit expects many changes before the Fool reaches the main game, so players are its testers. [71]

    How it works

    Software makers call this beta testing: releasing an unfinished version so users find the problems first.

    Mega Crit puts new content on a beta branch first, and tunes it from players' games before release. [71]

    Seen it before

    A cook lets friends taste a new dish before putting it on the menu.