Gearbox Publishing and Rogue Snail have "parted ways," and the latter now has full control of its 2023 shooter Relic Hunters Legend effective immediately.The mutual split, in the words of Rogue Snail CEO Mark Venturelli, "sucks." He went on to thank Gearbox Publishing's Austin team for working with the studio, calling it "the best publishing partner I’ve had in my 16 years in this industry."To date, this appears to be the only split between Gearbox and developers working its former publishing umbrella.As for Relic Hunters, Rogue Snail said it'll pursue "viable solutions" to find new partnerships and keep the Early Access game (and itself) alive. This has also resulted in a number of unspecified layoffs.
Japanese mobile and web3 game developer Gumi wants around 80 employees to accept voluntary redundancy so it can downsize to "achieve sustainable growth."The company broke the news in a press release (via Google Translate) spotted by Game World Observer and said it reported a net loss of 5.9 billion yen ($37.8 million) during the last fiscal year. It appeared to blame that loss on the performance of Aster Tatarics, which delivered "significantly" lower than expected sales."In order to ensure the soundness of management and achieve sustainable growth in a difficult environment including market conditions, it is necessary to revamp our existing development policies and systems. We are aware that there is," reads the translated press release."Specifically, fo…
Japanese mobile and web3 game developer Gumi wants around 80 employees to accept voluntary redundancy so it can downsize to "achieve sustainable growth."The company broke the news in a press release (via Google Translate) spotted by Game World Observer and said it reported a net loss of 5.9 billion yen ($37.8 million) during the last fiscal year. It appeared to blame that loss on the performance of Aster Tatarics, which delivered "significantly" lower than expected sales."In order to ensure the soundness of management and achieve sustainable growth in a difficult environment including market conditions, it is necessary to revamp our existing development policies and systems. We are aware that there is," reads the translated press release."Specifically, fo…
Gearbox Entertainment is no longer an Embracer studio. The Swedish conglomerate has confirmed its deal to sell the bulk of Gearbox to Take-Two Interactive has been completed."On 28 March 2024, Embracer Group AB (“Embracer”) entered into an agreement to divest Gearbox Entertainment to Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. All conditions for the transaction have now been fulfilled, and the transaction has been closed today," reads a brief press release.The closing of the deal has seen Embracer issue 8.32 million B shares at a subscription price of SEK 98.78 per share to settle certain earnout obligations related to the transaction. An additional 2.08 million B shares have been issued at a subscription price of SEK 79.30 to cover earnout obligations related to Lost Boys Interactiv…
Netflix Games is reshuffling its leadership team. The company's current VP of Games, Mike Verdu, is taking on a new role within the company that will involve "innovation in game development."As reported by GI.biz, it's unclear what his new position will be, although he will continue to lead the company's video game business until his successor has been found."I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished, and excited to start a new team at Netflix on the cutting edge of game innovation," said Verdu."New technologies have always been key to creativity in games development and, as an entrepreneur at heart, this initiative is right in my happy place."Former Facebook and EA exec Verdu joined Netflix in 2021 to help the streaming giant break into the vi…
John Hight, a longtime employee at Blizzard Entertainment, revealed he's departing the studio.On Twitter, Hight said he's "decided to step away and start a new quest." While vague, he expressed a desire to "explore new opportunities and challenges in the industry, and to continue making great games with talented people."Hight's career dates back to 1991, where he served as a producer on CD-i titles like Connect Four and Battleship. In the 90s and 2000s, he was an executive producer or design lead on titles like Command & Conquer 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, and God of War 3.Come 2012, he joined Blizzard as a senior producer on World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. Over the years, he worked his way up to becoming general manager for the entire franchise, w…
Bungie isn't the only developer winning against cheatmakers this week. As spotted by VentureBeat, Activision won its lawsuit against companies EngineOwning UG and Garnatz Enterprise Ltd, plus 11 individuals, and will be awarded $14.465 million in damages and around $293,000 in attorney fees.Along with the money, EngineOwning is required to give Activision its domain name.The suit was first filed in early 2022, with Activision alleging the defendants profited off cheats for Call of Duty games that gave them an edge over players. It also claimed that specific software was designed to avoid detection by its anti-cheat tech.Based in Germany, EngineOwning's cheats included showing players' in-game locations, and assistance with auto-aiming and firing. Along with Call of Duty, its…
Microsoft's previously established Labor Neutrality Agreement for unionized Activision Blizzard workers now includes those at ZeniMax Workers United.Per the CWA, this now means workers at the Fallout publisher can "organize and decide to form unions without interference and intimidation from management." During these efforts, the Xbox maker will stay neutral and not interfere."As our numbers grow at ZeniMax, at Microsoft, and in the video game industry, we will gain the respect we deserve and raise the standards of working conditions for everyone across the video gaming industry."
A short history of Micr…
Twitch has terminated all current members of its Safety Advisory Council to replace the majority of them with Twitch Ambassadors.CNBC broke the news after viewing an internal email sent to council members by Twitch and speaking to sources familiar with the matter.The email was reportedly sent on May 6 and told the council that all existing contracts would be ending on May 31, 2024. It explained they wouldn't be receiving payments for the second half of the year and stated that "looking ahead, the Safety Advisory Council will primarily be made up of individuals who serve as Twitch Ambassadors."A formal notice included in the email described the correspondence as a "notice of termination," and clarified "this means that the second 2024 payment won't be issu…
Sony Interactive Entertainment's new CEOs have pitched their vision of the future and claim employees must prepare to evolve and adapt in a market increasingly driven by "digital transformation."It's a period of significant change at SIE. Former president Jim Ryan has been replaced by two CEOs in the form of Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino.The double appointment was part of a broader plan to implement a new, multi-pronged business structure that will see Nishino take charge of SIE Platform Business Group while Hulst oversees SIE Studios Business Group.In their new roles, Hulst will be responsible for first-party content development and publishing, while Nishino will lead the teams tasked with creating the experiences and technology within PlayStation products. Third-pa…
Shift Up has big plans going forward, including further support for its newest release Stellar Blade.In a recent filing on Korea's Composite Stock Price Index (thanks, KAMI), it claimed the title "exceeded expectations," though it didn't give any hard numbers. Still, it's apparently done so well both a PC port and sequel are being actively considered.Stellar Blade released in late April as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. With solid reviews and weeks spent at the told of sales charts in various countries, the studio aims to continue that alleged success with DLC and different IP crossovers.Citing God of War and Final Fantasy, Shift Up noted "several precedents for triple-A titles evolving into IP franchises by extending their lifespan and maintaining a long-term rev…