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A screengrab from Final Fantasy VII Remake (image source: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy developer Square Enix plans to automate 70% of its QA with AI even as it continues layoffs in the West

The Japanese publisher continues to seek greater profitability through efficiency in an industry already reeling from multiple layoffs, amid the threat and promise of generative AI.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 07 Nov 2025 04:14

A screengrab of Tavern Keeper running on PC (image source: Steamdb)

Game Dev Tycoon’s studio is back after 12 years with a new management simulator game and an Early Access discount

Greenheart Games' most recent title was released in early access over 12 years after their first title was a huge hit. Its newest game, Tavern Keeper, just got a large Early Access discount at launch.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 07 Nov 2025 03:48

Roblox continues to reward game content creators as payouts cross $1 billion

The company has reported beats on revenue and earnings while exhibiting an incredible increase in daily active users and hours played on the platform.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 07 Nov 2025 03:15

A screengrab from The Witcher 3 (image source: Steam)

The Witcher author says CDPR rarely consults him about lore when it comes to The Witcher 4

During a recent public event, Andrzej Sapkowski discussed his involvement in the development of the 4th Witcher game and his disapproval of certain aspects of its lore.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 07 Nov 2025 02:18

A screengrab of Sonic Rumble's in-game storefront (image source: r/gaming)

Sega’s Sonic Rumble faces backlash for "aggressive" monetization in post-launch reviews

Sega’s long-awaited Sonic Rumble launched globally on November 5, 2025, for iOS, Android, and PC (Steam/Steam Deck) with cross-play and over 10 million pre-registrations, offering 32-player, Fall Guys–style arena races starring mi...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 06 Nov 2025 21:14

A screengrab from Persona 5 Royal (image source: Steam)

Sega confirms Persona 5 Royal pushes series past 13 million copies sold as franchise sales surpass 23M

Sega Sammy's 2025 Integrated Report shows the Persona 5 series has topped 13 million copies worldwide, led by Persona 5 Royal's rise to 7.25 million, and the broader Persona franchise has surpassed 23.5 million units following Per...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 06 Nov 2025 20:10

Sword of Justice secured first place in the “Free and Trending” category even before its release. (Image source: Steam)

NPCs that remember – free-to-play MMO hits #1 on Steam ahead of release

The free-to-play MMORPG Sword of Justice launches on Steam on November 7 and has already climbed to the top of the “Free and Trending” charts ahead of its official release. Featuring a unique NPC system – where characters remember...

Marius Müller, 06 Nov 2025 15:51

A screengrab from Deltarune (image source: SteamDB)

Toby Fox lets friends playtest Deltarune chapter 5 as fans celebrate chapter 3 and 4 launch: “I’m still thinking about it”

Toby Fox said in a Bluesky post that he’s begun private playtests of Deltarune Chapter 5, sharing a friend’s positive reaction even as he acknowledges personal doubts about whether the chapter will meet expectations even as the Oc...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 06 Nov 2025 07:28

A screengrab from The Outer Worlds 2 (image source: Steam Community)

The Outer Worlds 2 director calls for a return to meaningful choices in RPGs

After The Outer Worlds 2’s launch, director Brandon Adler urged a return to risk-and-reward RPG design, arguing the genre has long “coddled” players by ensuring every build and choice leads to a safe outcome.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 06 Nov 2025 07:14

A screengrab from Concord (image source: SteamDB)

UK Parliament addresses outrage over publishers disabling purchased games: “Gamers deserve clarity”

UK MPs held a Westminster Hall debate on November 3 in response to an e-petition calling for publishers to be prohibited from permanently disabling games they have already sold, with members urging clearer ownership rights and man...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 06 Nov 2025 06:57

A screengrab from Dispatch on PC (image source: Steam Community)

Ex-Telltale devs’ AdHoc Studio revives episodic gaming with Dispatch selling 1 million units in 10 days

AdHoc Studio, founded by ex‑Telltale veterans including co‑founder and CCO Pierre Shorette, has rapidly revived episodic, choice‑driven games with Dispatch, a superhero comedy that launched on PS5 and PC on October 22 and sold one...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 06 Nov 2025 06:40

A picture of Hideo Kojima at Death Stranding World Tour 2 (image source: Lucca Comics and Games YT)

Hideo Kojima reveals his true motivation for making games: “I want players to find joy in life through my stories”

At Lucca Comics & Games’ Death Stranding World Tour 2 panel, Hideo Kojima outlined the pandemic-driven production hurdles behind Death Stranding 2, including remote green‑screen shoots with actors Luca Marinelli and Alissa Jung, a...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 05 Nov 2025 20:38

Fallout meets S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: MMO shooter PIONER launches open beta on Steam

The post-apocalyptic MMO PIONER has entered open beta on Steam. Developed by Serbian studio GFA Games – founded by former developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Atomic Heart – the ambitious shooter now opens its doors to a wider audienc...

Marius Müller, 05 Nov 2025 15:56

A screengrab from The Sims 4 (image source: Steam Community)

Creators continue to leave The Sims as a platform in response to EA’s controversial buyout

Electronic Arts' planned $55 billion all-cash buyout by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and partners, slated to close in Q1 2027, has triggered a wave of protests from prominent The Sims creators, including LilSimsie, Plumbe...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 05 Nov 2025 06:26

The age restriction requirements on Steam and how they are implemented are strictly specific to the UK for now, but could se a more global rollout if governments abroad enforce similar laws (image source: Steam)

Steam: People have already found a way to bypass the UK's age restriction requirement

A sneaky, completely legal way to get past the credit card requirement on the popular gaming platform Steam.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 05 Nov 2025 04:51

The showrunner for Netflix’s Witcher series defends it against critics amid ratings slump

Showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich claims there are different kinds of fans, and the show brought in fans who, otherwise, would not have been introduced to the world.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 23:33

A picture listing 500 Raider Tokens for purchase on the Epic Game Store (image source: Epic Games)

Arc Raiders update: Embark Studios to distribute 150 million tokens across 300,000 players after server issues

Embark Studios’ sci‑fi extraction shooter Arc Raiders rocketed to 1.5 million sales in three days and a Steam peak of roughly 355,000 concurrent players, but the surge overwhelmed servers, causing hour‑long queues, matchmaking err...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 19:50

A picture of Greg Street on social media (image source: Linkedin)

Fantastic Pixel Castle closure confirmed as NetEase ends support for “ghost” MMO ahead of November 17 shutdown

Fantastic Pixel Castle confirmed it will close on November 17, 2025, after NetEase cut funding and first‑party support for its in‑development fantasy MMO codenamed Ghost, studio head Greg Street announced on LinkedIn.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 19:34

A screengrab from Just Cause 4 (image source: Steam Community)

Just Cause 5 a “no-go” as Avalanche Studios faces talent drain amid Contraband’s cancellation

Avalanche Studios’ prospects for Just Cause 5 look bleak after co‑creator Christofer Sundberg called the project a “no‑go,” citing a sustained talent drain worsened by the cancellation of Contraband, major layoffs, and office clos...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 18:51

Evil Egg launched on Steam as a free-to-play title on October 30. (Image source: Steam)

Straight from the arcade: Free-to-play game launches with 100% positive reviews on Steam

Evil Egg marks the digital return of a long-forgotten arcade classic. The fast-paced twin-stick shooter launched on Steam on October 30 and has already earned a 100% positive rating just days after release. Even better, it’s compl...

Marius Müller, 04 Nov 2025 15:11

Dan Houser reveals why Rockstar’s canceled spy game Agent never worked despite five revisions

Former Rockstar co‑founder Dan Houser told the Lex Fridman Podcast that Agent, the studio’s long‑teased Cold War spy game, underwent five major iterations but never came together because the spy genre’s beat‑driven, time‑sensitive...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 08:06

A banner for Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection (image source: Steam)

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection faces backlash over input lag, audio, and online issues as devs promises fixes

Digital Eclipse's Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, released on Steam, Xbox Series S|X and Nintendo Switch for $50, has drawn mixed reviews, with only 45% of them being positive on Steam, after players reported high input lag, res...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 07:14

A screengrab of Arc Raiders running on PC (image source: Steam Community)

Arc Raiders surpasses 350,000 players on Steam even as users face major server queue and matchmaking issues

Arc Raiders has emerged as Embark Studios’ breakout extraction shooter, peaking at 354,836 concurrent Steam players shortly after launch. However, the flood of users has strained servers, resulting in long login and matchmaking qu...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 06:50

The Fortnite x Simpsons crossover event is one way for gamers to get their fill of The Simpsons in-game (image source: Epic Games)

Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover transforms the map into Springfield Island with a weekly 4 episode miniseries

Epic Games' Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover converts the Battle Royale map into a compact, nostalgia-packed "Springfield Island" with nine themed POIs, a Simpsons-themed Battle Pass, Sidekicks, Victory Cup tournaments, timed Twi...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 04 Nov 2025 06:16

A screengrab of Red Dead Redemption 2 running on PC (image source: Steam Community)

Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says leaving GTA was ‘sad,’ but Red Dead Redemption meant more

Former Rockstar lead writer as well as co‑founder Dan Houser has told Lex Fridman he feels a greater sense of loss at the prospect of Red Dead Redemption continuing without him than he does about Grand Theft Auto VI, citing the Re...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 03 Nov 2025 15:41

The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles gained extra attention from a hilarious translation error. (Image source: Steam)

"Marketing at its best": Funny translation mishap helps indie game succeed

An Italian indie developer may have pulled off one of the funniest marketing surprises of the year in Japan. A mistranslated game title sparked plenty of laughs – and sent the game’s wishlist numbers soaring.

Marius Müller, 03 Nov 2025 15:12

A poll has determined the future of microtransactions in RuneScape. Gameplay screenshot pictured. (image source: Steam)

Runescape: Players may have successfully united to defend Gielinor against the evil forces of microtransactions

The developers put the fate of the much-hated monetization approach to a vote; if the players could hit 100k, the system would be taken down. The community did it well ahead of the poll's stated deadline.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 03 Nov 2025 08:05

RV There Yet? leverages proximity voice chat to offer a more immersive experience (image source: SteamDB)

This new party game costing only $8 with proximity-based voice chat is blowing up on Steam

RV There Yet? is a fun little game that uses proximity-based voice chat, and players are loving it, with as many as 86% of its reviews being positive.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 03 Nov 2025 04:36

A screengrab from Saints Row (image source: Steam Community)

Former Volition dev confirms a pitch for Saints Row prequel ‘Saints Row 0’ is in the works

Former Volition design director Chris Stockman, best known for 2006’s Saints Row and a vocal critic of the 2022 reboot, says Embracer Group has requested a formal pitch for a prequel tentatively called "Saints Row 0," which he en...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 03 Nov 2025 01:38

A screengrab of GTA V's art portraying Lester Crest (image source GTA Fandom Wiki)

GTA V's Lester VA says $100 price tag is justified for Grand Theft Auto VI: "You're buying multiple games for one"

In an interview with The Escapist, Jay Klaitz, the voice of GTA V’s Lester Crest defended reports that Grand Theft Auto VI will carry a $100 price tag, arguing Rockstar’s years-long development, intensive motion-capture work and o...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 03 Nov 2025 01:19

A screengrab from Deus EX Remastered (image source: PlayStation YT)

Deus Ex Remastered faces massive backlash as original art director criticizes Aspyr's Take: "Oh, what the f**k"

Aspyr’s Deus Ex Remastered, revealed during Sony’s State of Play, has provoked widespread backlash over updated textures and reportedly “blocky” character models, a reaction amplified by original art director Jerry O’Flaherty’s bl...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 03 Nov 2025 00:28

An in-game screenshot of Arc Raiders running on PC (image source: Steam Community)

As Arc Raiders guns towards an impressive start devs unveil a 10 year update roadmap for the title

Embark’s new extraction shooter Arc Raiders launched to a strong reception, hitting 100,000 concurrent players within 30 minutes and peaking at 264,673 on day one while holding a 90% Steam user rating even as the developer claims ...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 01 Nov 2025 20:18

A screengrab of Middle earth Shadow of War on pc (image source: Steam Community)

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO canceled after layoffs as former developer laments "you all would have loved it"

Amazon Games has quietly canceled its long-gestating Lord of the Rings MMO amid large-scale corporate layoffs that heavily impacted its gaming division, a move confirmed by a now-deleted LinkedIn post from senior gameplay engineer...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 01 Nov 2025 20:05

A screengrab from Arc Raiders (image source: Steam Community)

Arc Raiders maintains strong post-launch numbers with a peak of over 250,000 concurrent players on Steam

The numbers on Steam only tell part of the story for the title; however, it was released on PlayStation and Xbox at the same time as PC.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 01 Nov 2025 06:18

An in-game screenshot from Horizon Zero Dawn (image source: Steam Community)

Tencent defends Light of Motiram legally by citing Disney’s Mickey Mouse in response to Sony’s Horizon copyright claims

Tecent seems to be channelling a different kind of legal defense when it comes to its upcoming title, Light of Motiram in response to Sony's claims that it has 'ripped off' on its Horizon franchise

Rahim Amir Noorali, 01 Nov 2025 05:58

A stock picture of Delibird (image source: PokemonDB)

Pokemon Legends: Z-A players voice annoyance at a hard-to-capture Delibird on social media

Delibird in Wild Zone 12 in Legends ZA has low spawns and a high flee rate, which turns a simple capture into an endurance test, one that not all gamers appreciate in 2025. Here's how you can potentially make the process easier fo...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 01 Nov 2025 03:37

A mammoth spike in the number of users having issues tracked by Downdetector earlier this week (image source: Downdetector)

Microsoft restores Xbox services to ‘pre-incident state’ after Azure-linked crash

An Azure-related outage knocked out Xbox Live sign-ins, matchmaking, and the Microsoft Store earlier this week, Microsoft says fixes have been rolled out, and services should be back to their ‘pre-incident state’.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 01 Nov 2025 03:26

Escape the Backrooms continues to pull impressive numbers as we head into the spooky season (image source: Steam)

Deal | This horror game just got a large update, has 90% positive reviews, and is 10% off on Steam

Escape the Backrooms’ 1.0 launch has sent players streaming into an eerie maze, and co-op fans are already raving, calling it a must-try for jump scares and chaotic teamwork.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 31 Oct 2025 09:18

A screengrab from the New World Aeternum website (image source: New World)

Amazon ends active development on New World while promising servers stay live till 2026

Amazon has confirmed that New World will receive no further content updates beyond Season 10, but the game will remain playable through 2026 even as it offers refunds to recent purchasers of the title.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 31 Oct 2025 08:56

A statue of Sonic discovered after the closure of Segaworld London. The statue has since been restored and was visible during Gamescom 2023 (image source: Sega Driven)

Sega Forever creator confirms departure from Sega after seven years

Danny Russell, the former Senior Global Community Manager for Sega of America and the architect of the Sega Forever initiative, confirmed on LinkedIn that he left Sega after 7 years. He was a key figure in Sega's launch of the 201...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 31 Oct 2025 03:47

Artwork for FBC Firebreak (image source: Remedy Entertainment)

FBC: Firebreak flop results in Remedy Entertainment reporting a major loss in Q3 2025

The failure of FBC: Firebreak to meet expectations despite repeated patches and a new content update titled 'Breakpoint' has heavily eaten into Remedy Entertainment's bottom line for the quarter, even as management remains optimis...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 31 Oct 2025 03:30

John Romero at Comic Con Malaga (image source: Theromero on Instagram)

Doom creator in talks to revive his unannounced FPS project after Microsoft pulls funding

Doom and Quake co-creator John Romero said Romero Games is in talks with multiple publishers to revive an unannounced AAA FPS after Microsoft abruptly withdrew funding in July, leaving the project in limbo.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 31 Oct 2025 03:05

Spartan Survivors was released as a free-to-play title on Steam on October 28. (Image source: Steam)

Free-to-play fan project combines Vampire Survivors with Halo – 91% positive reviews shortly after release

An unofficial fan project that blends the gameplay of Vampire Survivors with the world of Halo has taken off quickly – just two days after launch, Spartan Survivors has already earned a 91% positive rating on Steam. The game is co...

Marius Müller, 30 Oct 2025 14:56

Gamers might have to wait a little longer for those extra frames on current-gen consoles (image source: Rockstar)

Red Dead Redemption 2's rumored next-gen port still awaits official confirmation, leaving fans in the lurch

Amid increasingly heated debates on Reddit, rumours of a next‑gen or Switch 2 port for Red Dead Redemption 2 have failed to materialize around the game's seventh anniversary, with Rockstar issuing no official confirmation on the m...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 30 Oct 2025 07:25

Donald Trump wearing Master Chief's Mjolnir armor (image source: The White House on X)

Halo developers have mixed reactions to the Trump administration’s ICE post comparing immigrants to the Flood

The Trump administration’s social post repurposing Halo imagery, which used an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump in Master Chief armor and a DHS/ICE recruitment graphic urging “Destroy The Flood,” has elicited different...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 30 Oct 2025 05:56

A picture of Nintendo's Pokéball Plus accessory (image Source: Nintendo)

Nintendo’s Pokémon-centric monster-capturing patent gets rejected by Japan's PTO, lending unexpected strength to Palworld's legal battle

Japan’s Patent Office provisionally rejected Nintendo’s patent application for “monster‑capturing” mechanics, finding the claim lacked novelty in light of prior art from older games and mods. This is a ruling that bolsters Palworl...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 30 Oct 2025 04:05

Ye Guild Clerk! was released on Steam on October 28. (Image source: Steam)

A guild secretary, not a hero: Free cozy game launches on Steam with 100% positive reviews

In Ye Guild Clerk!, players don’t take on the role of a hero but that of a guild secretary in a fantasy world. Instead of slaying monsters, you chat with animal adventurers and assign quests from the comfort of your desk. The free...

Marius Müller, 29 Oct 2025 15:55

A screengrab of Masters of Albion (image source: SteamDB)

Peter Molyneux of Dungeon Keeper fame is working on his last title: A new city builder game

Peter Molyneux, the famed designer behind Black and White, Fable, and Dungeon Keeper, says his upcoming game, Masters of Albion, is his final redemption story.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 29 Oct 2025 11:46

The Free-to-play Battle Royal version of Battlefield 6, also known as RedSec is finally available to download and play (image source: Battlefield on X)

Battlefield 6's free-to-play RedSec battle royale is live; here's how to get started

The free-to-play Battle Royale mode is available across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. Here's how to jump in and where to download it.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 28 Oct 2025 18:23

Game Releases

Final Fantasy developer Square Enix plans to automate 70% of its QA with AI even as it continues layoffs in the West

Game Dev Tycoon’s studio is back after 12 years with a new management simulator game and an Early Access discount

Roblox continues to reward game content creators as payouts cross $1 billion

The Witcher author says CDPR rarely consults him about lore when it comes to The Witcher 4

Sega’s Sonic Rumble faces backlash for "aggressive" monetization in post-launch reviews

Sega confirms Persona 5 Royal pushes series past 13 million copies sold as franchise sales surpass 23M

NPCs that remember – free-to-play MMO hits #1 on Steam ahead of release

Toby Fox lets friends playtest Deltarune chapter 5 as fans celebrate chapter 3 and 4 launch: “I’m still thinking about it”

The Outer Worlds 2 director calls for a return to meaningful choices in RPGs

UK Parliament addresses outrage over publishers disabling purchased games: “Gamers deserve clarity”

Ex-Telltale devs’ AdHoc Studio revives episodic gaming with Dispatch selling 1 million units in 10 days

Hideo Kojima reveals his true motivation for making games: “I want players to find joy in life through my stories”

Fallout meets S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: MMO shooter PIONER launches open beta on Steam

Creators continue to leave The Sims as a platform in response to EA’s controversial buyout

Steam: People have already found a way to bypass the UK's age restriction requirement

The showrunner for Netflix’s Witcher series defends it against critics amid ratings slump

Arc Raiders update: Embark Studios to distribute 150 million tokens across 300,000 players after server issues

Fantastic Pixel Castle closure confirmed as NetEase ends support for “ghost” MMO ahead of November 17 shutdown

Just Cause 5 a “no-go” as Avalanche Studios faces talent drain amid Contraband’s cancellation

Straight from the arcade: Free-to-play game launches with 100% positive reviews on Steam

Dan Houser reveals why Rockstar’s canceled spy game Agent never worked despite five revisions

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection faces backlash over input lag, audio, and online issues as devs promises fixes

Arc Raiders surpasses 350,000 players on Steam even as users face major server queue and matchmaking issues

Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover transforms the map into Springfield Island with a weekly 4 episode miniseries

Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says leaving GTA was ‘sad,’ but Red Dead Redemption meant more

"Marketing at its best": Funny translation mishap helps indie game succeed

Runescape: Players may have successfully united to defend Gielinor against the evil forces of microtransactions

This new party game costing only $8 with proximity-based voice chat is blowing up on Steam

Former Volition dev confirms a pitch for Saints Row prequel ‘Saints Row 0’ is in the works

GTA V's Lester VA says $100 price tag is justified for Grand Theft Auto VI: "You're buying multiple games for one"

Deus Ex Remastered faces massive backlash as original art director criticizes Aspyr's Take: "Oh, what the f**k"

As Arc Raiders guns towards an impressive start devs unveil a 10 year update roadmap for the title

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO canceled after layoffs as former developer laments "you all would have loved it"

Arc Raiders maintains strong post-launch numbers with a peak of over 250,000 concurrent players on Steam

Tencent defends Light of Motiram legally by citing Disney’s Mickey Mouse in response to Sony’s Horizon copyright claims

Pokemon Legends: Z-A players voice annoyance at a hard-to-capture Delibird on social media

Microsoft restores Xbox services to ‘pre-incident state’ after Azure-linked crash

Deal | This horror game just got a large update, has 90% positive reviews, and is 10% off on Steam

Amazon ends active development on New World while promising servers stay live till 2026

Sega Forever creator confirms departure from Sega after seven years

FBC: Firebreak flop results in Remedy Entertainment reporting a major loss in Q3 2025

Doom creator in talks to revive his unannounced FPS project after Microsoft pulls funding

Free-to-play fan project combines Vampire Survivors with Halo – 91% positive reviews shortly after release

Red Dead Redemption 2's rumored next-gen port still awaits official confirmation, leaving fans in the lurch

Halo developers have mixed reactions to the Trump administration’s ICE post comparing immigrants to the Flood

Nintendo’s Pokémon-centric monster-capturing patent gets rejected by Japan's PTO, lending unexpected strength to Palworld's legal battle

A guild secretary, not a hero: Free cozy game launches on Steam with 100% positive reviews

Peter Molyneux of Dungeon Keeper fame is working on his last title: A new city builder game

Battlefield 6's free-to-play RedSec battle royale is live; here's how to get started

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