Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Looks like besides oil price increase PS5 will have another price increase. This is probably inline with RAM shortages. Xbox had an interesting Partner preview looking forward to Stranger than Heaven and Super Mario Galaxy on track to make millions.

🎮 Game News - PS5 Price Increase

🎮 Game News – Xbox Patner Preview - Stranger than Heaven

📱 Social Post – Super Mario Galaxy on track to make millions

🔎 Interesting Finds – Deliver Us Home / The One Astronaut

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Playstation Price Increase South East Asia

While this sounds like bad news I am not surprsed with the RAM Shortages and Such. I do feel that going into PS6 or XBOX Helix its trending to be in the $1000 range meaning I might just get a PC Upgrade instead of a console.

Lets see what Gabe Cube (Steam Machines) have to offer…

🔗 Link:

IGN SEA: https://sea.ign.com/playstation-5-3/240599/news/sony-announces-price-rises-for-ps5-ps5-pro-and-playstation-portal-blames-continued-pressures-in-the

Playstation Blog post

Xbox Patner Preview - Stranger than Heaven

I really enjoyed the Stranger than Heaven really give me the vibes of the 1915 Jazz Club era of that time period.

Xbox Partner Preview just brought us a new look at Stranger Than Heaven, the upcoming new title from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Even more excitingly, it was also revealed that Xbox and RGG Studio are teaming up to dedicate an entirely new broadcast to the game on May 6: stay tuned for “Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven”.

We caught up with RGG Studio Representative & Executive Producer, Masayoshi Yokoyama to ask a few questions about what was revealed today, and what’s coming in the next broadcast: “We have so much to show and I promise it will be worth your time,” he explained. “Today was just a taste of what’s to come.”

🔗 Link:

Rest of the Xbox partner Preview:

🔗 Link:

Xbox Wire Partner Preview March 2026 Recap

Xbox Youtube Partner Preview 2026 Link

📱Social Post

Super Mario Galaxy on track to make millions

Saw this on my linkedin and realised that the new Super Mario Galaxy Movie is dropping where I live. On the US SIde it looks like it is already making millions over the Easter Sunday Weekend.

🔗Links: Youtube

🔎 Interesting Finds

The One Astronaut Deliver Us Home

Saw this post on IndieGameJoe about the creators of this Space game on their hard journey to make this game. While it cannot

Rejection is real making a game and its hard.

The Game is still In Progress

🔗Links:

🔗 Creator X : Koen Deetman / TheOneAstronaut

🎮 Wishlist on Steam Store Page

That’s it thanks for reading this far!

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Been away on a short holiday so there was no Newsletter but reading the news There were some things from GDC and of course Nvidia DLSS 5 Memes. I do think DLSS 5 can be a game changer but I am skeptical about it until I see it myself. But it does changes the whole workflow of Game Dev if it can be done easily.

🎮 Game News - DLSS 5 Memes and Backlash

🎮 Game News – Project Helix Next Xbox Ecosystem play

🎮 Game News – Clair Obscur uses unreal Blueprints for systems

📱 Social Post – Ex Oculus Palmer Lucky Comments on Games Industry lacks innovation

🔎 Interesting Finds – Tiny Shop A Cozy Shop Game

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

DLSS 5 Memes and Backlash

NVIDIA DLSS 5 Announced and Gamers are Memeing (Mezha, Pcgamer) and not happy about it

My personal take is that Nvidia is probably going to build AI Models based on this though its conspiracy. But I feel its a wait and see when its ready AI is probably here for next gen consoles too.

But interestingly some tweet and rumors that Capcom had no idea about this new tech being unveiled with Resident Evil.

🔗 Link: https://sea.ign.com/resident-evil-9-1/240041/feature/nvidias-dlss-5-is-a-slap-in-the-face-to-the-art-of-video-game-design

https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/the-dlss-5-memes-are-in-full-swing-so-here-are-the-ones-that-tickled-me-the-most/

Next Xbox Project Helix GDC Ecosystem

The Project Helix from Xbox was announced at this year GDC and it looks like they are going for an ecosystem play while Sony retreats from PC.

But me thinks Steam already is doing this well and beat Microsoft to it. Now if Xbox had exclusives to their ecosystem I wonder how it might play out.

🔗 Link:

X Link

Claire Obscura Uses Blueprint

Did not have time to read all the GDC news but thought this was interesting that Clair OBscur used Unreal Blueprints instead of C++. Which can be a timesaver.

🔗 Link:

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/clair-obscur-expedition-33-was-built-95-percent-with-unreal-blueprints

📱Social Post

Palmer Lucky talks about the games industry now is cooked and worse than before. Right now everyone is trying to extract more dollars than innovate.

““The gaming industry, like many industries, figured out what actually worked a long time ago. They figured out how to make fun games. They figured out how to make things that make people keep coming back. But it’s moved from innovation to extraction.”

@techno.optimist.prime

Techno Optimist on Instagram: "🕹️ Palmer Luckey on what went w…

🔗Links: Instagram Reel Link

🔎 Interesting Finds

Tiny Shop

With all the news I managed to find a new cozy shop simulator game Tiny Shop. Check it on on their steam page lots of cozy vibes

🔗Links:

🔗 Threads Link

🎮 Steam Store Page

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Its all about Xbox in this post since the departure of Phil Spencer and Asha Sharma steps in we might see new things coming.

🎮 Game News – Project Helix Next Xbox Codename plays PC and Xbox,

🎮 Game News – XBOX Welcomes new CEO on Campus,

🎮 Game News - XBOX CEO Interview with Windows Central

📱 Social Post – XBOX at GDC

🔎 Interesting Finds – Seamus Blackley Xbox will be sunset ?

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Next Xbox Project Helix

Well looks like the next Xbox is going back to its roots and its noted that it will be more PC Like. Running both PC and Xbox titles.

Now pricing wise online its going to be premium PC prices not the ususal console like price. Targeting a release window in 2027. Perhaps more at GDC and down the year.

I do hope Xbox will invest more in Asia as we have a big PC presence here and I would like to get an Xbox again.

🔗 Link:

https://x.com/xonebros/status/2029681527198781456

https://x.com/klobrille/status/2030057390935007491

https://x.com/asha_shar/status/2029645713962156149?s=20

https://x.com/tomwarren/status/2029841199377293407

https://playday.one/2026/03/05/project-helix-is-the-next-gen-xbox-hardware-will-play-your-xbox-and-pc-games/

Xbox CEO Welcome on Campus, Interview with Jez Windows Central

A couple of days back Xbox welcome the new CEO Asha Sharma to the campus and Windows Central has a nice interview with Asha on her new role and direction of Xbox for the next 25 years

Key takeaways: Xbox is doubling down on Game Pass as the core strategy, expanding beyond traditional console boundaries to reach players wherever they are (PC, cloud, mobile). Sharma emphasized player choice and accessibility, while Booty highlighted their commitment to first-party studios and quality over rushed releases. They acknowledge the gaming landscape is shifting—Xbox isn't just competing with PlayStation anymore, but with every platform vying for players' time. The message is clear: Xbox is playing the long game, prioritizing ecosystem growth over hardware sales wars.

Even “Major Nelson” got to take some photo ops with the new CEO not sure if he will be heading back there as a consultant and build community.

Not sure if Larry “Major Nelson” will get a job soon with Xbox he was intrumental in bridging the community to the team.

🔗 Link: https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-talking-to-new-xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-and-cco-matt-booty

🔗 Link:

📱Social Post

XBOX at GDC

Microsoft is hosting a series of talks at GDC some to talk about ML and Character designs of Diablo but the one to watch probably is this talk on the next plans of the xbox business from Game Pass to hardware possibly.

Developers will learn:
- How Xbox’s 25-year evolution—from console to cloud—shapes its future platform vision
- How innovations like Game Pass, Cloud Gaming, and ASUS ROG Xbox Ally enable play across devices
- How Xbox is empowering creators with a more flexible, connected ecosystem.

Building for the Future with Xbox (Presented by Microsoft Xbox)

https://x.com/MSFTGameDev/status/2029238115618177129

🔗Links:

https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/building-for-the-future-with-xbox-presented-by-microsoft-xbox/917994

Microsoft at GDC: Build for What's Next

🔎 Interesting Finds

Ex XBOX Founder Seamus Blackley will be sunsetted

My thoughs Seamus Blackley is spot on on some things espicially how challenging it is to run a games busienss, but I still feel its a wait and see.

Some of his quotes from Gamesbeat Article

Seamus Blackley: “Xbox (…) is being sunsetted”

Adding fuel to the debate, Seamus Blackley, one of the original designers behind the Xbox, has publicly described the leadership change as a transition towards the end.

Blackley stated, “Xbox, like a lot of businesses that aren’t the core AI business, is being sunsetted. They don’t say that, but that’s what’s happening. I expect that the new CEO, Asha Sharma, her job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night.”

He continued, “Imagine asking somebody if it made sense to put a major motion picture studio into the hands of somebody who didn’t like movies, or a major record label into the hands of somebody who’d never seen a live show. Why would you do that? You only do that if you’re looking at the problem in a more abstract way.

The natural consequence of the focus on AI is that AI abstracts every problem from the minds of the executives who believe in it. We’re abstracting the problem of games as well. There’s a core belief–and you can see it in what Satya said–that AI will subsume games like it will subsume everything.”

🔗Links:

🔗 GamesBeat: https://gamesbeat.com/what-an-xbox-founder-thinks-of-the-new-xbox-ceo-seamus-blackley-interview/

🔗 https://www.gosugamers.net/entertainment/news/78028-xbox-creator-seamus-blackley-suggests-the-company-is-sunsetting-after-major-management-changes

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Waking Up to surprising Xbox News

Woke up on Saturday Morning to a bomshell news on X / Twitter and Substack that Phil Spencer of Xbox is retiring and Sarah Bond is Leaving Microsoft early.

This really feels like the close of a defining chapter for Xbox. After years of Phil being the steady, approachable face of the brand, this shake-up lands heavy for longtime players.

It’s an end to an era. Xbox Series is transitioning in a tumultuous time of industry shifts and AI trends. As a gamer xbox fan I am both feeling uncertainty to invest in the platform but I am also waiting to see what is going to change.

Why Phil Spencer Mattered to the Gamer

Phil Spencer stood out as one of the most accessible gaming leaders out there, with the longest run steering a major platform like Xbox. From the Xbox One struggles to the turnaround with Game Pass and Acquisition of studios like Bethesda and Activision, his time shaped what Xbox became for a generation of fans for better or worse.

I really enjoy playing my Xbox from Xbox 1 in 2000 Xbox 360 and Xbox One, like Halo Gears and Forza Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden and some indie and JRPGs yes even those found their way from japan.

During Lockdown days turned Xbox into a real lifeline—powering through classics on Xbox One, then losing hours in Game Pass and titles like Final Fantasy XV and Metal Gear Solid V. And Xbox had Mixer a Twitch alternative that got me streaming online, something Xbox was able to pull off tech wise. Despite negatives about the platform Those experiences showed how much the platform could carry people when everything else felt uncertain.

The best moment was watching Xbox during the last E3 2019 announcing Keanu Reeves as a character Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077

(YouTube link)

I really enjoy playing my Xbox from Xbox 1 in 2000 Xbox 360 and Xbox One, like Halo Gears and Forza Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden and some indie and JRPGs yes even those found their way from japan.

During Lockdown days turned Xbox into a real lifeline—powering through classics on Xbox One, then losing hours in Game Pass and titles like Final Fantasy XV and Metal Gear Solid V. And Xbox had Mixer a Twitch alternative that got me streaming online, something Xbox was able to pull off tech wise. Despite negatives about the platform Those experiences showed how much the platform could carry people when everything else felt uncertain.

The best moment was watching Xbox during the last E3 2019 announcing Keanu Reeves as a character Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077

(YouTube link)

Then there was the promise of Backwards compatability. I sold my xbox 360 off…maybe it was a mistake. I am glad there was some form of way to play the old games and relive the nostalgia.

Phil Spencer really had a hard time of taking over the ailing Xbox one turning it around. Despite the challenged he did push Xbox and the industry forward in some form for better some for worth.

At the heart Phil was a gamer and it showed but I guess it was not enough to make it work at Microsoft.

3 Generations of Xbox CEOS from IGN 201 : Podcast Unlocked

Link to Episode : https://sea.ign.com/xbox-series-x/239004/news/phil-spencer-retiring-sarah-bond-out-matt-booty-promoted-as-microsoft-ai-exec-asha-sharma-named-new

Sarah Bond Departs – The Unexpected Twist

I am guess the successor revealed was not expected. Sarah Bond has been following in Phil Spencer steps working operations and the Xbox business while some did not like her interviews it seem she was being prepped to take over.

We see her in photos on trip to Japan like the recent photo with Phil and FFVII director Naoki Hamaguchi at Square they have been building a lot of relationship with Japan a Sony dominated stronghold.

Sarah Bond seemed like the clear next step even though you might disagree with some of her plans but there was continuity in the multi platform and PC hardware merging with Xbox.

These things are going to be uncertain now and the developers relationships forged I am not so sure now.

New CEO Incoming: Asha Sharma Steps In

Now Asha Sharma steps in as CEO of Microsoft Gaming, coming from the CoreAI side rather than deep gaming roots.

Matt Booty moves up to Chief Content Officer to support the games side. On paper it doesn’t seem like a good fit she does not have that experience in gaming which is a different beast of scaling e-commerce and AI products.

I can only think the board selected her due to her growth success of Instacart which maybe can translate to help grow Game Pass further, weaving in AI where it makes sense, and driving fresh innovation.

As a gamer this does not make sense to me but I want to see what happens I feel that it is now that Microsoft just taking what Phil Spencer did in the past and just replace all the existing plans.

The official letters seem too vague at this point and she will have to convince the core Xbox gamer their future of play or return of Xbox is worth it.

I am also sensing the belt will be tightened and cost checks on Game Pass.

What I’m Grateful For FFVII: Those Japan Ties and One-Console Reality

One bright spot from the Phil/Sarah era that I’m really grateful for: those strong relationships with Japanese developers. Remember the photos of Phil and Sarah in Japan with the Final Fantasy VII team and director Naoki Hamaguchi?

Xbox has been trying to chip away at Sony's stronghold there, and as someone who can really only afford one console in this era of rising prices, getting Final Fantasy VII (and hopefully more JRPGs and big titles) on Xbox means a lot. Though I am not sure going forward they will still look at the Asia Market. Even though PC Xbox app has gained some ground over there.

As a dev I have been to an Xbox briefing in Asia for their plans for pc and Xbox, which was what Sarah Bond and Phil Spencer were doing for next Gen but not I am not so sure if they will follow through and it’s yet to be seen.

My Hopes and Worries Moving Forward

I really hope the games keep flowing to Xbox. Will third-party devs (and especially Japanese studios) still prioritize or support the platform? I hope so.

Looking ahead, I’m cautiously optimistic but also a bit nervous. My biggest hopes for the Asha Sharma era boil down to two things:

1. Great games — Strong first-party titles, continued support for exclusives (or at least timed ones), and keeping that pipeline healthy so Xbox feels exciting again.

2. Xbox hardware — Commitment to consoles, not just cloud/PC. A solid next-gen Xbox that feels like a priority for core players.

What Do You Think?

Is this the start of something fresh for Xbox, or the end of Xbox?

The Original Post was written on CG BOSS Blog: https://cg-boss.com/2026/02/23/waking-up-to-xboxs-new-chapter-goodbye-phil-spencer-sarah-bond-hello-asha-sharma/

Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Been a while as I been some interesting things I came across this week 3 things.

🎮 Game News – 2XKO Layoffs and Horizon criticism

📱 Social Post – State of play MGS4, Silent Hill, God of War

🔎 Interesting Finds – Bonfire announcement PvP Arkheron

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Riot Games 2XKO Layoffs and Horizon Hunters Gathering Monster hunter Live Service

So over at and Riot games is reportedly laying off some of the staff after the game launch to a lackluster response despite a passionate fanbase.

I do like Fighting games but the genre is too niche already within gaming and not as mainstream like FPS Call of Duty or Valorant.

What do you feel about fighting games?

Gamedev Relay

🎮 Riot Fighting Game Is Not Doing Well, Xbox Plans For Next Gen and Nexon Allegedly Working On StarCraft Shooter...

Read more

2 months ago · 13 likes · 5 comments · Alex Stasenko

🔗 Link: riot-games-downsizes-2xko-team-about-80-employees-affected

🔗 Link: Official RIOT Blog Post: https://www.riotgames.com/en/news/an-update-on-2xko

🔗 Reddit riot_lays_off_2xko_developers_less_than_three weeks after lauch ‘Overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size’

Horizon Hunters Gathering

Came across some critic of The new Horizon Hunters Gathering my take is it’s nice but the game might not be for the core Horizon fan audience.

I do like the designs and you can watch Sungrand Studio Breakdown about it but as someone liking the original Horizon designs the Tencent Cooy might not be so bad.

🔗Link: CG BOSS Blog : Horizon Hunters Gathering: A Deep Dive into Character Design 🎨🎮

📱Social Post

State of play Metal Gear, Silent Hill God of War and More

I was excited to watch MGS4 is getting a remaster, been a long time since I played it on the PS3.

Some of titles annoucned that I am interested are: Dead or Alive, John Wick and Star Wars Galctic Racer.

Other interesting ones: Resident Evil Requiem, and more Silent Hill and a God of War 2D Side scroller.

Which one was a favorite? Watch the State of Play Replay.

0:00 Welcome to the February 2026 State of Play!
0:12 Kena: Scars of Kosmora
4:09 Ghost of Yotei Legends
5:29 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach PC
6:30 4:LOOP
9:48 Pragmata
11:26 Resident Evil Requiem
14:02 Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered
15:19 Brigandine Abyss
16:20 Dead or Alive 6 Last Round
17:42 Dead or Alive 30th Anniversary Project Announcement
18:34 Control Resonant
21:51 Crimson Moon
23:24 Beast of Reincarnation
25:20 Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition
26:22 Mina the Hollower
27:00 Neva: Prologue
27:44 Yakoh Shinobi Ops
29:21 Project Windless
32:11 Star Wars: Galactic Racer
33:45 007 First Light
36:35 Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.2
41:02 Darwin’s Paradox
42:34 Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
45:21 Silent Hill: Townfall
47:48 Rev. NOiR
51:00 Untitled John Wick Game
52:58 Marathon
56:46 Coming Soon to PlayStation Plus
58:53 Saros
01:02:28 Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
01:06:09 God of War Trilogy Remake
01:08:51 God of War Sons of Sparta
01:10:37 Thanks for Watching!

🔗Links:

https://blog.playstation.com/2026/02/12/state-of-play-february-2026-all-announcements-trailers/

🔎 Interesting Finds

Bonfire announcement PvP Arkheron

Bonfire Games finally came out of stealth mode and announced their new PvP Diablo like game. The lead or FOunder of Bonfire games Rob Pardo (2016) long ago came out of Blizzard to start his own studio but remainded quiet till now.

I hope that they find success and it looks like Diablo x Tower Climbing Game from PS3 I can’t remember… but its fast paced. Looking at the video weapons and skills play an important role in the gameplay.

In this fast-paced, dynamic PvP action game, teams of three battle to ascend a mysterious Tower where items are the heroes - all imbued with powerful abilities that shape your strategy. Loot, build, and adapt your playstyle on the fly. Every choice you make redefines how you fight and who you can become.

🔗Links:

🔗 Official Site https://arkheron.com/

🔗 Steam Page https://store.steampowered.com/app/3333850/Arkheron/

🔗 Gamespot: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/everything-to-know-about-arkheron/1100-6534802/

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Been a while as I been some interesting things I came across this week 3 things.

🎮 Game News – Google Genie Tanks Gaming Stocks

📱 Social Post – Highguard Player count is down its not Apex Marketing

🔎 Interesting Finds – FF7 Part 3 will use Unreal Engine 4

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Google Genie Tanks Gaming Stocks

OK over a couple of days back found this on X / Twitter about Google Genie was released and it showed that that they are able to generate a video game.

Well I look at it’s still video with some controls using the frame serving method of diffusion models, but it is not context aware about the world and position of things. But still impressive.

I am not sure how useful it can be but I feel its more of a helper tool and not full game dev factory. Not sure what the investors are thinking pulling out of game stocks.

🔗 Link: Google Genie from Google Labs

📱Social Post

High Guard Marketing Its not Apex Legends

Does the Apex Marketing style work? I am not so sure while Highguard is doing its best to listen to the community and they have updated it with 5v5 I am not sure if it will last long. The marketing this time I am not sure if they do do the same thing like Apex as they had EA helping them. This round was just TGA and Jeff which may have blown it out.

The Highguard Devs were interviewed on The Game Business show to showcase and disccus their game and the new gameplay of a Raid Shooter, but I am not sure if what was discussed on the show can help with the criticism.

I am hoping for a comeback story, the game looks interesting less so for design choices and I hope it won’t go like the Concord.

The Game Business

The Highguard developers on dealing with the hostile reception to its ambitious shooter

Listen now on Apple, Spotify or YouTube…

Listen now

2 months ago · 18 likes · 1 comment · Christopher Dring

🔗Links:

https://www.thegamer.com/highguard-failure-flop-live-service-dead-game-why/

Why Highuard Launch Failure Might work

Why is everybody confused by the Marketing strategy of Highguard ?

🔎 Interesting Finds

Final Fantasy 7 to keep using Unreal 4

Best to stick with what you know? I feel like its a case of it it an’t broke don’t fix it. I feel Unreal 5 still has bugs at the larger level and might take a while to stabilise.

🔗Links:

🔗 Officia Site https://ffvii.square-enix-games.com/en-us/games/remake

🔗 Steam Page https://store.steampowered.com/app/2909400/FINAL_FANTASY_VII_REBIRTH/

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 things.

🎮 Game News – Ubisoft New Restructure HQ and Game Cancellations

📱 Social Post – Xbox Dev Direct Its Good 25 Years of Xbox

🔎 Interesting Finds – Dead Lock updates 6 New characters and Game Modes

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Ubisoft New Restructure and Game Cancellations

Ubisoft just announced a major reorganization affecting 17,000 employees, with six games cancelled—including the Prince of Persia Remake. The company is consolidating into new "creative houses" while keeping four unannounced IPs in development. Their goal? Profitability within three years.

My Take: I am not sure if the reset will transform to growth in the next few years I do hope they can stabilise. Where I live in Asia there is a Ubisoft Studio, I am not sure if they will close or just restructure.

Here is the breakdown of the new creative houses via games beat

🔗 Link: Games Beat Article: Ubisoft Reorganises with Cancellation of 6 Games

📱Social Post

Xbox Dev Direct Everything Announced

Everyone is discussing fable but did you see Game Freak’s new game Beast of Reincarnation? I find that when the devs break out of pokemon they can do something incredible.

I did read that they had to get outside help for the title so as not to interupt their pokemon dev cycle. But its good to see them doing something else other than pokemon.

I feel Xbox is getting better publishing interesting titles for their platform.

Announced Games:

• Fable - The long-awaited return

• Forza - Racing continues

• Beast of Reincarnation - Game Freak’s bold departure from Pokémon

• Klin - New IP worth watching

Recap:

Full Dev Direct from Xbox

🔗Links:

Fable Details Xbox Wire

Game Freak Beast of Reincarnation

🔎 Interesting Finds

Deadlock’s six new heroes: Silver, REM, Graves, Apollo, Venator, and Celeste

It has been a while since I checked out Deadlock as Valve is still I shared in a post about the lore and like the setting of Noir Fantasy and magic.

However the game is still in early development and no release date. Here are the updates of the new Game Mode and Characters

The all-new 4v4 game mode Street Brawl

For those looking for a shorter Deadlock experience, look no further. Valve has finally added a new 4v4 game mode to Deadlock entitled Street Brawl, allowing players to finally engage in faster-paced battles using the game’s existing roster. This mode comes with a few changes to Deadlock’s regular gameplay loop.

First off, the mode will allow players to battle it out in a best-of-five match, with each round taking only a couple of minutes to complete. With this faster pace, Valve has opted to also streamline the shopping system. Now, players will choose from a random set of items, adding three items to their inventory per round.

Each round will see players begin with equal resources at their disposal, discouraging farming. Enhanced or Legendary items may also appear during the match.

Completely redesigned Patrons

Deadlock’s final objectives, the Patrons, are getting a complete makeover. Each of the two Patrons now boasts an incredibly compelling visual design, a new moniker, and some lore to go with the redesign. On one end of the map, players will find the Hidden King, described as such:

“The stretching shadow of a skyscraper... a boarded-up apartment in Hell’s Kitchen... The Hidden King exists in the cracks of the city, waiting for his followers to usher him into the light.”

On the other end, players will find the Archmother, described as such:

“Glass, steel and stone... Order and power where once there was none… The Archmother has always guided the founders’ hands, and now it is time for them to welcome her home.”

More changes in Deadlock’s new update

This update goes well beyond a few new heroes and Patron redesigns. Other changes include UI improvements for the HUD, in-game chat, and overall visibility, along with a revamped postgame with an MVP scoring system and match summary. The settings have also been reworked, with an FOV slider and more reticle options.

🔗Links:

🔗

🔗 Officia Site https://www.playdeadlock.com/oldgods

🔗 Steam Page https://store.steampowered.com/app/1422450/Deadlock/

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/deadlock-just-received-a-huge-update-with-6-new-heroes-overhauled-patrons-and-a-new-game-mode-and-it-was-all-predicted-with-dominos-pizza/

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Happy New year,

On with this week 3 things.

🎮 Game News – Xbox Dev Direct 26 In a few days,

Layoffs, Ubisoft, Meta, Major Nelson at Unity.

📱 Social Post – Rumor StarCraft Ghost Shooter Might return

🔎 Interesting Finds – Shift Up using AI to Compete

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

XBOX Dev Direct ‘26

Xbox Dev Direct is happening next week and its going to kick of with these confirmed games

Confirmed Games

• Forza

• Fable

• Beast of Reincarnation

Rumored Games

• Gears of War: E-Day — Update or teaser, leveraging Unreal Engine 5.

• State of Decay 3 — New survival gameplay footage.

• Less likely mentions: Clockwork Revolution, a new Halo project from Certain Affinity, or other first-party updates.

Link:

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/01/08/xbox-developer-direct-2026/

More Layoffs

Wrote on the blog some notes of the latest round of Layoffs. Sad to see another round this year at the start of 2026.

The gaming and tech industries kicked off 2026 with more tough news on the layoffs front. Longtime Xbox icon Larry Hryb (Major Nelson) was laid off from Unity after just 18 months, where he rebuilt their community and advocacy efforts—he shared the update gracefully, expressing pride in his team’s achievements and excitement for what’s next. Ubisoft announced another round of cuts, eliminating around 55 roles at Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm amid ongoing cost reductions, even as work continues on The Division franchise. Meanwhile, Meta is slashing roughly 1,500 positions (about 10% of its Reality Labs division), closing studios like Twisted Pixel, Sanzaru, and Armature, as it pivots away from heavy metaverse focus toward AI and wearables. These changes highlight the persistent challenges in gaming and immersive tech—heartfelt sympathy to everyone impacted; here’s hoping for brighter, more stable days ahead in the year.

🔗 Links:

Blog: https://wp.me/pjAJM-3Cg

📱Social Post

Starcraft Ghost Shooter

Ryan Ward over at Linkedin discuss in a post that this year Blizzcon Might see a Starcraft Ghost Reveal. If that is true Its about time they try it again. Previously When Blizzard Was under Activision Executives were afraid it might compete internally with Call of Duty thus Shelved. Now Microsoft owns BLizzard so maybe this time they might ry again?

🔗Links:

Ryan Ward Linkedin

🔎 Interesting Finds

Shift Up using AI to compete with China 🇨🇳 vast manpower

Stellar Blade director and Shift Up CEO Hyung-tae Kim says AI is essential to combat SK’s manpower crunch and rival China’s 1,000-2,000 devs per game (vs. their 150), ensuring quality/volume competitiveness—especially with 80% revenue overseas and birth rates shrinking future talent. At a gov’t economic conference, he noted AI lets “1 person do the work of 100.”

🔗Links:

🔗 ign

🔗 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/stellar-blade-director-says-using-ai-will-be-essential-for-competing-with-overwhelming-manpower-of-china-and-us-developers/

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Happy New year,

On with this week 3 things.

Game News some predictions by Deconstructor of Fun I do thing some are interesting for the year ahead.

AI in Game Dev but reactions of it are varied. Level 5 CEO already came out discussing use of the technology in games. Time Saver maybe Artistic Creativity and Innovation? Yet to be seen. Cygames started an AI Studio and Hooded Horse CEO hates AI.

🎮 Game News – 12 predictions 2026

📱 Social Post – No Ai from Hooded Horse Publisher, Level 5 CEO defends AI, CyGames AI studio backlash

🔎 Interesting Finds – kingdom Hearts Like Fan Game ‘Luminous Nights’

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Deconstructor of Fun prefictions

I do think the trends of inide Rising and Mayybe the AI Bubble Pop might be plausible? Steam Machines might be a dud but it could be due to high ram prices its a neat concept but price trends might not make it as successful. GTA6 eveyone is waiting for that game it sure will be phenomenal and super succesful when it launches.

Here are the 12 Predictions just for fun from Deconstructor of Fun.

1. The AI Bubble Pops and Resets Everything

2. VCs Are Out, Publishers Are In

3. PC Indie Accelerates as Mobile Funding Dries Up

4. Business-Minded Developers Flee to Apps

5. Chinese Developers Eat Turkish Puzzle’s Lunch

6. Mobile Growth Stalls at 2-4% as Maturity Sets In

7. UA Finance Gets Commoditized: Winners Emerge

8. First $100M+ Roblox Studio Acquisition

9. (First) Steam Machine Launches with a Thud

10. Xbox Announces Another Major Restructuring

11. Sony Unveils a Handheld and Continues Dominating

12. GTA 6 Drives Console Double-Digit Growth

🔗 Links:

https://www.deconstructoroffun.com/blog/2025/12/31/12-gaming-predictions-for-2026

📱Social Post

Hooded Horse CEO Hates AI

Well looks like someone disliked AI in games. I do think the issue with AI is that its currently trained on copyrighted material.

I am not sure if there are existing contracts can enforce the Ban for their games affected but going forward this AI is already a divisive issue in development.

Tim Bender, the CEO of Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse, says generative AI is "cancerous" and he doesn't want to deal with it.

🔗Links:

https://kotaku.com/hooded-horse-gen-ai-art-ban-4x-strategy-steam-2000658179

Level 5 CEO defends AI and ask to stop demonizing AI

AI is being used by game companies just we don’t know. Based on Level 5 CEO Quote Game companies will be inclined to use AI this year in their development.

On December 26, Hino posted a lengthy response to the online “commotion surrounding AI” and the spreading of a past interview on social media that followed in the wake of Clair Obscur losing an award over its usage of the tech. According to Hino, “many game companies” are using AI these days, but not all of them are making it public. He also dismissed the claims that Level-5 is using genAI to write 80 percent or more of the code in the company’s games.

🔗Links:

https://kotaku.com/professor-layton-boss-wants-people-to-stop-demonizing-generative-ai-2000655721

https://cg-boss.com/2026/01/11/level-5-and-ai-usage-in-game-development/

CyGames AI Studio

Another compnay starts using Gen AI for thie Anime Style Games. Already on the Manga side an AI Manga has won some awards. But fans already are questioning if AI and Creativity can go together.

Cygames announced Cygames AI Studio on January 9, 2026, a Tokyo-based subsidiary launched in December 2025 to develop safe AI tools that enhance creators' work using the company's game expertise. Fans reacted with anger, fearing job losses for artists and soulless art from stolen data training, especially after a rival producer criticized low-quality AI output. While some defend it as supportive tools rather than replacements, the uproar highlights tensions in a community that prizes human-crafted visuals.

🔗Links: https://x.com/i/trending/2009501888060748153?s=20

https://cygames.ai/en/

🔎 Interesting Finds

Kingdom Hearts Like Game Luminous Nights

Saw this on X after seeing a technical video on how the PS2 renders the Kingdom hearts graphics there is something about the shading and style of the PS2 Era that makes these cartoon like games fun to watch.

The creator YahyaDanboos has been making a Kingdom Hearts Inspired Game for 3 yeras and it captures the feel of the games of that era.

🔗Links:

🔗 Wishlist on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/1949610/Luminous_Nights/

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@YahyaDanboos/videos

X: https://x.com/YahyaDanboos/

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Christmas Holiday Break soon and Happy Holidays, On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across .

The Game Awards gets D based on Geoff Polls. I did not watch the awards just read through the announcements.

Some interesting games did show up like Star Wars FATES and a Street Fighter Movie.

On with this week 3 things.

🎮 Game News – The Game Awards gets a D

📱 Social Post – Street Fighter Movie and Star Wars Fates in 2030?

🔎 Interesting Finds – Is your Game Idea Good?

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

The Game Awards gets a D

Geoff Keighly did a poll for the game awards and the results show it was a D and Below. Not sure what happened but is it the muppets or the Concord like game High Guard? What do you think was it too long or just too many filler content?

Personally I wait to see the clips and announcements. I know Geoff has to pay off the stage used but still I wonder if they could make it 2.5 Hours?

What do you think of this year game awards?

🔗 Links:

https://80.lv/articles/the-game-awards-2025-leaves-a-bad-taste-in-viewers-mouths

📱Social Post

Star Wars Fates and Street Fighter Movie

Street Fighter Movie (Kick Sound)

Not sure it looks worse than the Van Damme one But I am liking the corniess of the movie. Its decent I guess for live action but I am not sure if they can do as well as Sonic or Mario oh well we will see. Not expecting it to win awards and its most likely something for the fans of Fighting Games to celebrate.

X Link to Trailer and Comments:

https://x.com/Street_Fighter/status/1999301174953144813

🔗Links: IGN: https://www.ign.com/videos/street-fighter-official-sneak-peek-2026-movie-the-game-awards-2025

Star Wars FATE of the Old Republic

So a new star wars game was announced at the game awards but here’s the thing its not really in development full on and will according to online speculation come out in 2030. Hoefully.

I remembered playing KOTOR on the old orginal Xbox but I can’t remember much of the story or world I do look forward to something other than the skywalker saga.

I am hoping that it can be done before 2030 that I am not getting any younger and it will probably be on the PS6 or Xbox *Whaterver* if they MS gets to make another console.

🔗Links:

• https://www.fanthatracks.com/news/gaming/star-wars-fate-of-the-old-republic-will-arrive-before-2030-hopefully/

🔎 Interesting Finds

How to know your game idea works

Thought this video was a good reminder that Idea do matter. But the truth is even with marketing data on what works you can’t really know.

Some ideas mention were to use social media to test game ideas maybe make some mock trailers to see responses?

The video is from Codecks a JIRA Trello like software for game project management and tracking projects.

Return to Game Frameworks

🔗Links:

🔗 Codecks Website

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across .

I have relaunched old gaming blog and plan to share via substack, since substack is going the social media route, thought better have some exit strategy in case it changes too much. I am still going to be here for now.

I still am waiting for the video games catergory to be added to

On with this week 3 things.

🎮 Game News – Steam Machines is back valve can count to 3 new hardware announcements and won.

📱 Social Post – Cuff Busted the 100K Wishlist Wasted

🔎 Interesting Finds – Will Follow the Light A Realistic Sailing Game

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Valve counted to 3 and won with the Steam Machine, Steam Frame and Steam Controller

Gabecube wins.

A lot has been said on substack and else where about the steam machine and hardware announcement.

One thing that has me excited and intrigued is for develoeprs that means you could build your game app once and deploy to Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame (If you have a VR mode). Publish once and play anywhere.

Read more at the blog:

https://cg-boss.com/2025/11/18/rise-of-steam-machines-why-devs-should-take-notice/

🔗 Links:

Wishlist Steam Hardware

📱Social Post

Cuff Busted the 100K Wishlist

I came across the report from CodeMoney about CUFFBUST a game made by Choo Choo Charles Create did not do so well despite having 100K Wishlist. I guess its a cautionary tale of having enough content to launch.

Here is a very interesting story, a cautionary tale, of a game that had everything going for it but ended up being a massive flop.

This is the story of CUFFBUST, a game that got a very valuable free slot during Summer Game Fest, it gathered 100k wishlists before release, it had a lot of hype with tons of streamers dying to play it, it’s by the same developer that did the massively successful Choo Choo Charles ($7 million). And last week it came out to Very Negative reviews.

…

With 100k wishlists you have basically guaranteed success, but look at this game for a cautionary tale to remember how you still need to deliver and not to let the hype get to your head and become overly greedy with pricing and DLC. This game had everything going for it to make millions and millions of dollars, and perhaps it will still find success but it makes me wonder what could have been.

The excellent Jonas Tyroller has an interview with the dev behind Cuffbust that was published a few months ago. It’s a very interesting video and even more interesting now in hindsight. What he mentions at 1:05:00 might explain everything that happened with this launch.

via GameDev Report

🔗 Links:

Game Dev Report How to Waste 100K wishlist

https://gamedevreport.beehiiv.com/p/how-to-waste-100k-wishlists-and-billions-wiped-out-by-steam

🔎 Interesting Finds

Will Follow the Light

This came up in X Ads, Got to be the most realistic sailing game made for Steam. I like the realism presented of this “Walking Simulator x Sailing” with Story Driven elements and Adventure Puzzles by Tomorrow Head Studios.

Game Description:

WILL: Follow The Light is a story-driven, first-person adventure puzzle game about a perilous personal journey through the harsh northern latitudes. To find peace and reunite with his family, Will must sail across endless waters, face numerous challenges, and ultimately discover himself.

X

🔗Links:

🔗 Wishlist on Steam

🔗X Official

[ https://x.com/WILL_TheGame ]

All Link Developer

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Got this info through Facebook of all places and there was a cryptic messaged from the Creator. Tomonbu Itagaki passed away at age 58.

The elegaic Facebook post was written by Itagaki to be shared in the event of his death. An English translation was later shared by his compatriot and rival Katsuhiro Harada:

Words I Leave Behind

The flame of my life is finally about to go out.

If this message has been posted, it means that the time has come. I am no longer in this world.

(This final post has been entrusted to someone dear to me.)

My life was a series of battles. And I kept on winning.

I know I caused trouble for many along the way.

But I followed my convictions and fought to the very end.

I have no regrets.

Only one thing weighs on me — I’m deeply sorry to all my fans that I couldn’t bring you a new work. I truly am.

That’s just how it is.

So it goes.

Banobu Itagaki

I am sad to see him go had a lot of fun playing his games on Xbox. I read he was trying to restart development on another game with his new company Itagaki Games but that was shut down. He is sorry to his fans that he could not publish another work.

Remembering DOA and Ninja Gaiden

I remembered playing Dead or Alive Ultimate on my Xbox (The Duke) and later Ninja Gaiden. It was such an action ride Itagaki san brought us on. I felt that his games were hard and it made me want to try and beat it. He never made it easy but he believed the player can.

While he is controversial and has very strong views on action games I appreciate the gameplay and hard difficulty. He also managed to port the same difficulty of Ninja Gaiden to the Ninja Gaiden DS Game.

The Games he made

I remembered Ninja Gaiden you need to coordinate and time the attacks on the enemies, plus the eenemies in NG2 were not stagnant they attacked you even after being severed..

Dead or Alive was great to easy to get in but hard to master. I know he had some arguments with then Tekken Game Design and Characters. But somehow DOA had a strong following when he helmed the series.

Unfortunately I did not play Devil’s Third his Wii U Game which has been taken down.

He was also the one of the few Japanese that supported an American Company during Xbox and XBOX 360 Era. Which is unusual give how popular SONY Playstation was at that time.

I am not sure if these old games can still be played or bought

Final Farewell

He is probably up there in Valhalla right now enjoying a drink and smoke. I bid him farewell and thank you for those good memories through your games.

Here are the series of trailers from his games:

Ninja Gaiden 2 Xbox 360 and 2002 E3 Trailer

Dead or Alive

Funny Times

IGN: https://sea.ign.com/dead-or-alive-6/234215/news/dead-or-alive-and-ninja-gaiden-2004-creator-tomonobu-itagaki-dies-aged-58-fans-react-to-final-messag

Itagaki Games shutdown

https://medium.com/@gameeelsofficial/itagaki-games-shut-down-43a1345a479e

Games Industry:

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/legendary-developer-tomonobu-itagaki-creator-of-dead-or-alive-and-ninja-gaiden-2004-has-died

Gematsu

https://www.gematsu.com/2025/10/tomonobu-itagaki-dies-at-age-58

Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across . I am also in the process of restarting my old gaming blog to share via substack.

🎮 Game News – EA Goes Private for $55 Billion with Investors

📱 Social Post – Nintendo patent Game Dev lose rights to make monster catching games?

🔎 Interesting Finds – Prey 2 Demo Leaks

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

EA SOLD

EA gets sold for 55 Billion while less than the Activision x Blizzard Deal (~$69 Billion). My hope is through change it might result in better game design since it’s going private and not reporting to shareholders.

There is a lot of professional analysts talking about this deal but one 1️⃣ thing they miss is how EA went from software artists to factory 🏭 makers of software.

I do recommend Joseph Kim podcast and Substack that delves into the game making part of the deal and how it’s affected.

I like his analysis of both the buyer and seller side of things and one important thing he mentioned is that gaming today is one of the big mediums in the attention economy (VOD, Social Media, Games). So for Saudi their option left is to get into gaming to transform their economy from oil, as a viable medium for culture.

Key Takeaways via Bloomberg

• Electronic Arts Inc. has agreed to sell itself to a group of investors that includes a firm managed by Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in the largest leveraged buyout on record.

• The deal values the video-game company at about $55 billion, with the investors agreeing to pay $210 per share in cash, a 25% premium to where EA traded before the talks leaked.

• The sale will be funded with cash from the consortium partners, and Saudi Arabia’s PIF will roll over its existing 9.9% stake in the company, bringing the total equity investment of about $36 billion.

Other Analysts on this

The Game Business

About that EA deal…

Listen now on Apple, Spotify or YouTube…

Listen now

6 months ago · 14 likes · Christopher Dring

Deconstructor of Fun #351

Youtubers:

EA Buyout explained

Bloomberg

🔗 Links:

Reddit EA Goes Private

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/ea-goes-private-in-55b-megadeal-6627476/

Jason Schrier Article

Bloomberg Article

📱Social Post

Nintendo Patent Law on Monster Catching Games

The internet was a buzz last week with the Nintendo patent, on the kinds of games you can make based on popular Pokemon Catching Games and Riding Games.

I do believe this is a response to Palworld Lawsuit to keep things in Nintendo land.

I am not an expert but I tried to find on YT what other analyst think.

My own thought is just make the game but not make it too close to Nintendo style.

🔗Links:

• MinnMax New Show + WB Games Patent

🔎 Interesting Finds

Prey 2 Demo leak again Oh What it could have been

Via Game Dev Relay

I saw that Prey 2 the orignal game idea by Human head and not Arkane got another set of leaks. This time with some of the first game play levels of the Space Bounty Hunter game

I do think its an interesting concept to continue the story but some of the design and gameplay choices were dated back to 2013. So it might not work with this era style of modern gameplay.

Wish it came out.

Gamedev Relay

🎮 Cancelled Prey 2 Gameplay, Ubisoft On The Future of Rayman and Call of Duty Movie is Now Official...

Hello friends…

Read more

7 months ago · 24 likes · 10 comments · Alex Stasenko

Old Game Demos

Links:

🔗 PC Gamer Article

[ https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/leaked-prey-2-development-footage-shows-scifi-bounty-hunter-gameplay-that-our-cold-and-uncaring-universe-continues-to-deny-us/ ]

🔗 Reddit

[ https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1n6zcc8/prey_2_development_videos_leaked/ ]

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across

🎮 Game News – LEGO Batman, Halo ODST in Helldivers 2

📱 Social Post – 10 Habits Making Better Games (Andrew Chambers Design)

🔎 Interesting Finds – Spielberg Call of duty

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Some interesting gaming news from games com I see online the LEGO Batman has been popular online and its an open world adventure game taking cues from Rocksteady Batman Arkham games. Quite strange that a game set in LEGO theme is popular these days. I do enjoy playing LEGO Games it has such a fun appeal,

Halo is having a collab with Helldivers this is one cross over that needs to happen long ago with Xbox version selling well too I see it as a way to promote future halo games.

LEGO Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight Trailer (Gamescom)

Halo ODST x Helldivers 2

The Shortcut

Halo is finally coming to PS5 – but not how you think

Read more

8 months ago · 4 likes · Reece Bithrey

🔗 Links:

🕹️ Steam

• LEGO Batman https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215200/LEGO_Batman_Legacy_of_the_Dark_Knight/

📱Social Post

10 Easy Habits to Be A Better Game Developer

Andrew Chambers Design came with another video this time on some tips to make better games. I do like np. 2 to chop down the biggest feature first.

When videos have a list of topics, I always want a list of the timecodes. So I made one!

0:50 1. Know why you're doing it

1:58 2. Chop down the biggest tree first

3:52 3. Take intentional breaks

4:46 4. Identify your core mechanic

5:55 5. Dedicate focused time

6:48 6. Make it modular

8:24 7. Don't stop prototyping

9:31 8. Spreadsheets rule

10:41 9. Steal ideas (really)

12:02 10. Keep daily lists

🔗Links:

• [ https://www.youtube.com/@AndrewChambersDesign ]

🔎 Interesting Finds

A Spielberg Call of Duty?

Sounds like a missed opportunity but maybe its all about who gets creative control. Looks like Activision gave a pass to Spielberg to direct a Call of Duty Movie and going with the studio that made the Halo Movie

"Imagine turning down the guy who made Saving Private Ryan to go with the studio responsible for the Halo show," reads the top comment on the CoD subreddit's post about the decision. That's probably a little unfair on Paramount, not least because Spielberg is credited as an executive producer on the Halo show.

https://x.com/culturecrave/status/1963853344101085411?s=46

🔗Links:

🕹️

[ https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/steven-spielberg-reportedly-wanted-to-direct-the-call-of-duty-movie-but-activision-didnt-want-to-give-up-creative-control-imagine-turning-down-the-guy-who-made-saving-private-ryan/ ]

[ https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/steven-spielberg-call-of-duty-film-report ]

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

A bit late this one due to work On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across

🎮 Game News – Tencent changes light of Motiram steam page

📱 Social Post – Gabe Newell Start using AI like 19 year olds

🔎 Interesting Finds – Battlefield 6 uses Godot to make Mods levels

📢 Shoutout - King Kong PSP

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

So Light of motiram steam page gets some changes There is a penguin now. Not surprise that with the Sony lawsuit incoming they probably are just bidding time on this. I do think that there is some interesting elements in the gameplay but I am not sure if sony will give them a license deal on this.

Recap: SONY PlayStation to Sue Tencent for Horizon Plagarism

Similar to Palworld looks like Tencent one of their studios will get letters from Sony on the game Light of Motiram looking too similar or a copy of Horizon Forbidden Dawn.

I am not surprised by this looking at the game has everything from camera angles, costumes and setting just the same as Horizon. I did watch on sacred symbols podcast that Tencent wanted to make a horizon game but did not get the license approved from SONY.

Trailer : Light of Motiram

Sacred Symbols Podcast :

1:03:52 - Sony sues Tecent over Horizon clone

🔗 Links:

🕹️ Steam

• https://store.steampowered.com/app/3319630/LIGHT_OF_MOTIRAM/

📱Social Post

Gabe Newell Start using AI like 19 year olds, Don’t follow passion

AI Tools a Cheat Code for Devs. Found this interesting interview with Valve founder and his thoughts about AI. he has not given much interviews but its still interesting to hear his viewpoints on AI.

AI for better or worse is here and we might as well learn to leverage it or figure out what it might have on society as we won’t know yet.

Other things that came up in the interview, Don’t Follow your passion but have a great team on board.

PC Gamer Video Source: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/nEaJlAo4

🔗Links:

• [ PC Gamer Video Source: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/nEaJlAo4 ]

• gabe-newell-says-ai-is-a-significant-technology-transition-on-a-par-with-the-emergence-of-computers-or-the-internet-and-will-be-a-cheat-code-for-people-who-want-to-take-advantage-of-it

• gabe-newell-says-young-people-need-to-use-ai-tools-to-get-off-to-the-races-rather-than-reading-articles-on-variety-to-try-to-understand-what-its-impact-is-going-to-be

• valve-ceo-gabe-newell-says-success-isnt-about-following-your-passion-sounds-like-a-great-idea-but-lots-of-people-follow-their-passions-right-into-a-crater-you-know/

🔎 Interesting Finds

Battlefield 6 and Godot for Map editing and UGC

Godot to be used as a Map Editor for Battlefield 6 UGCs I do think this is due to the Open source nature as revealed in the multiplayer video. This can be hude for godot to gain traction if Battlefield 6 becomes popular

I have been looking at Godot as an alternative to unity for my dev needs its lightweight and small with its own built in code editor. If Battlefield succeeds it will bring in more users to Godot.

Links:

🕹️Battlefield 6

• Steam Page Battlefield 6

🔗 Godot

[ https://godotengine.org/ ]

This Week Shoutout

Came across The Video Storyteller Post on a lost game King Kong for PSP. I remembered playing this game on PS2 and PSP its been a while but what I remembered it was very short.

The Video Game Storyteller

King Kong is one of the PSP’s Best Survival Horror Games

Hey, readers…

Read more

8 months ago · 10 likes · 2 comments · The Video Game Storyteller

Video Walkthrough

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across its about Fallout and Battlefield 6.

🎮 Game News – Battlefield 6 return to form?

📱 Social Post – Luminous Engine Wasted / Bethesda Never understood Fallout

🔎 Interesting Finds – Fallout 1 remade in Doom Engine

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Battlefield 6 a return to form?

So it’s Battlefield 6 showcase if you sixth of return to the original form that it was about big large battle skills war it also showcases a trailer with a single player campaign with a multiplayer campaign showcasing a lot of the destruction and large battles. it looks like you know the game is going back to the roots. Hopefully I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I’ve only played the early battlefield games I think 1942 and later went to call of duty. But I did enjoy Battlefield with its large battles in multiplayer. Its been a while since these reveals showcase Single player mode rather than those battle royale style maps.

🔗 Links:

🕹️ Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2807960/Battlefield_6/

• Yahoo / IGN : https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/battlefield-6-campaign-teaser-shows-163803885.html

• GameSpot : https://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-6-release-date-trailer-news/1100-6526583/

📱Social Post

Luminous Engine Wasted / Bethesda Never understood fallout

Luminous Engine

Luminous Engine (Now Abandoned) had a lot of potential but sadly it only has 2 games and got shut down. I do feel that the industry will just run on Unity and Unreal. Since so many hobbyist and students get to learn how the engine works.

Square-Enix is a game maker so they probably don’t want to keep maintaing tech that hinders production. Some of the major titles like Final Fantasy and Kingdom hears already use Unreal.

I do wish I can try out some of the tech or it gets opened to try. But with so much copyright and effort to maintain an engine it might not be worth it for them. Unless they want to teach others to use the engine.

Bethesda and Fallout

Video Essay from Youtube about the new direction ever since Bethesda took over, but something is lost in the translation as it went 3D and the gameplay changed. This long video that Youtube Recommended me, details about maybe after Fallout went to Bethesda it did not quite get the charm and dark humor of the first 2 ones. The other thing was the tone where the 50s were kind of still preserved post nuclear war and not a society that evolved around the effects of nuclear war.

I do think Obsidian game in the Fallout Series may have captured some of the old feel of the post war apocalyptic tone of the game.

Interesting watch:

🔗Links:

• [ ]

🔎 Interesting Finds

Fallout Remake Bakersfield, Fan Game in Doom Style

Came across thsi video online a mod made in GZDoom Engine based on Fallout 1. Not sure if it will be released it looks more like a fan project. But it definatly retains the feel of Fallout 1 in 3D.

Links:

🕹️ Developer Channel @saurx1116

[ https://www.youtube.com/@saurx1116 ]

Dev Artstation : https://www.artstation.com/red888guns

🔗 Reddit

[ https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/1m5egil/fallout_bakersfield_is_an_entire_remake_built_in/ ]

That’s it thanks for reading this far!

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

Just got back last week from Osaka and managed to see the Gundam there live size. It was a cool experience to see Japan and other parts of the world expo.

Culturally it was interesting to see there are many game and hobby stores 🏬 catering to different game types.

Thankfully it rain during my time there and it was not so hot.

So the newsletter is taking a bit longer this month.

On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across:

🎮 Game News – Anthem Game Shutdown

📱 Social Post – Thronefall indie game being copied by KingShot?

🔎 Interesting Finds – What happened to Crisis?

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Anthem will shutdown in 2026

Anthem Game servers will shutdown in janurary 2026 that is what happens to live service games going offline I don’t think you can play offline and it will be taken off the EA Stores and Digital Library. I only payed the game briefly on EA Play subscription but probably will try it out again one last time.

Its a shame it had such an interesting world except for the live service component. I do think Bioware is better at Single player narrative games.

🔗 Links:

• IGN Article Anthem Shutdown: https://www.ign.com/articles/ea-will-shut-down-anthem-in-january

📱Social Post

Thronefall gets copied by Kingshot

Thronefall a game made by indies is suspiciously being copied in 3 months to revenue of 35 Million on Mobile. The post is on linkedin by Jakob Remier.

I remembered something similar to Vampire Survivors where it got copied furiously on mobile after having breakout success on PC. The difference is scale in workforce what 2 person teams can do and large 300 plus size teams with large spend on ads for user acquisition.

Can’t say much on this but there is a fine line between inspiration and direct copying.

🔗Links:

• 🕹️ Thronefall on Steam

  🔗 [ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1715130/Crysis_Remastered/ ]

• Steam Discussion
  🔗https://steamcommunity.com/app/2239150/discussions/0/4631482382562683801/

• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KingShot/comments/1kcjgl6/isnt_kingshot_a_direct_copy_of_thronefall/

🔎 Interesting Finds

What the Hell Happened to Crysis?

used to be a big fan of the game Cyrsis. It was something of a badge of honor to be able to run it on your PC. Sadly this game franchise seems to be going down or forgotten and cancelled. The video is an interesting watch detailing the innovations of the game at that time and its push of graphical fidelity that we see today.

Crytek has also been going through restructuring and delayed the next Crysis maybe indefinately this time.

Wishlist on Steam:

🕹️ Crysis Remastered

🔗 [ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1715130/Crysis_Remastered/ ]

That’s it thanks for reading this far!

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 Things newsletter that I came across:

🎮 Game News – GTA VI Trailer hits 100 Millions Views and Gets Delayed

📱 Social Post – Epic Wins Apple

🔎 Interesting Finds – Solo Dev 16 years how one Dev persevered to make a game with No Fans No Followers and Budget

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

GTA VI Trailer hits 100 Millions Views and Gets Delayed

Looks like GTA VI is being rescheduled for a 2026 Release as mentioned by of .

The trailer dropped 6 Days ago (6 May ‘25) and hit about 100 Million views at the time of this wrting and man it looks like the ultimate graphics rendition of a real life simulator.

My last GTA Game was on PS2 GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas. I did not really followed up with the other newer GTAs but looks like there will be a lot of mini games to play and romance….

With the delay I wonder if GTA will push game prices to $100 when released.

GTA6 is set to return to Vice City.

Links:

• GTA VI Rockstar Games (Official)

  Gamedev Relay

  🎮 GTA 6 Delayed, Layoffs at EA and Respawn and The Wheel of Time Game...

  Hello friends…

  Read more

  a year ago · 9 likes · 2 comments · Alex Stasenko

📱Social Post

Epic Wins Apple

Looks like Tim Sweeney will be able to get Fortnite back on the apple App store. An you have the option to have your own web store.

Xsolla a payments and webshopt provider is already showing what you can do with a web store outside apple ecosystem with their Buy Button for Game Devs to integrate into their mobile apps.

Will this mean more games will bypass the apple payment processor? Will Xbox launch their own store on the mobile app store?

We will see how it goes for those Fortnite skins when Fortnite returns to mobile.

For Devs making mobile app games this might be time to go in on the app store with the reduced fees.

Links:

• Games From Scratch Video [ https://gamefromscratch.com/apple-suffers-major-app-store-lawsuit-loss/ ]

• Game Industry Article

• Epic v. Apple Contempt order | DocumentCloud

• Xsolla Article on Epic vs Apple

🔎 Interesting Finds

Solo Dev 16 years how one Dev persevered to make a game with No Fans No Followers and Budget

This video came into my feed about a solo dev working on his game project for 16 years. started off as a Novel or book but it was released recently on steam.

An encouragement to other devs out there still chipping away at their game.

Wishlist on Steam:

🕹️ Neverspring Chronicles

🔗 [ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1747220/Neverspring_Chronicles/ ]

That’s it thanks for reading this far!

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

This week my Newsletter Shout Out to (by Shannon Studstill)

Shannon Studstill, co-founder of Santa Monica Studio (God of War), shares a journey in transformational leadership, creativity, and transformative trust—guiding leaders and teams through change with clarity, courage, and care.

Read her first Article here:

https://substack.com/home/post/p-162472604

On with this week 3 Things newsletter.

🎮 Game News – Xbox Prices Climb

📱 Social Post – Tim Sweeney Interview with Lex Friedman

🔎 Interesting Finds – Easy Deliver Co. and Starting a company or business in Japan

Lets Go!

🎮Game News

Xbox price Hike in May 2025

Seems to be in USA, UK, Australia and Europe. But I believe it will come to Asia too. Guess the Tariffs are in effect. Soon PlaysStation 5 will start raising prices in Asia too.

Nintendo is already going to charge more for this next round of next gen games and I believe newer AAA Games will be $90-$100 someday.

The Game Business

Xbox raises prices on consoles, games and controllers worldwide

Microsoft has raised the prices of Xbox consoles and controllers globally, while some new Xbox games will increase in price to $79.99 from this Holiday season…

Read more

a year ago · 18 likes · 1 comment · Christopher Dring

https://x.com/ZhugeEX/status/1917949474825290015

IGN

https://x.com/AkiraToriyama/status/1917952902003388627

X: https://x.com/mcquack306/status/1917993137970266619

Links:

• Xbox Pricing Updates : https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/hardware-network/console/may-2025-pricing-updates

• Geek Culture Article https://geekculture.co/microsoft-increases-prices-for-xbox-hardware-games-hit-usd80/

📱Social Post

Tim Sweeney interview Lex Friedman, Epic Games and Unreal 6

A rather long episode that goes into the creator and founder of Unreal Engine, Fortnite and Epic games. A wild time to be in the 90s. Making games solo is so much different than now with hyper competition in every gaming niche.

Advice for Indie Developers

Make something unique for a smaller audience due to intense competition and saturation.

Unreal Engine 6 : 2-3 years away

Based on 80 Lvl Unreal is coming soon and will bring the best of Unreal 5 and Fortnite together

"The aim for UE6 is to bring the best of both worlds together," Sweeney stated. "Much easier gameplay programming for the Fortnite community and for licensees, more scalability to large-scale simulations of all sorts, greater ease of use, meaning it will be easier to hire programmers who are familiar with and experienced with the thing, but also ensure that every game developer has the full deployment capabilities so they can build a game once and ship it anywhere.

The ultimate version of this enables a game developer to build a game of any sort, either or simultaneously both ship it into Fortnite as a Fortnite island that players can go into, bring their Fortnite items and cosmetics, and interoperate properly, or ship as a standalone game, or both. And if they ship as a standalone game, they shouldn't be missing out on the open economy either, because in this time frame, we'll have opened up the Fortnite item economy to third-party developers."

https://80.lv/articles/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-addresses-unreal-engine-6-at-lex-fridman-podcast/

X Takeaways:

https://x.com/ImmatureGamerX/status/1917661439642497055

Links:

• Lex X: https://x.com/lexfridman/status/1882843826361942241

🔎 Interesting Finds

Easy Deliver Co

Came across this rather chill relaxing delivery driving game with PS1 Retro graphics. You navigate the snowy mountains in the dark sometimes to deliver packages to residents.

Brings back nostalgia when I played my friend’s PS1 Console.

Wishlist on Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3293010/Easy_Delivery_Co/

Creating Games in Japan

This was an interesting talk by Indie Game Business about a US citizen how he started a company in japan. Its a long webinair but it a good primer on starting a game business without borders and hiring remote workers.

That’s it thanks for reading this far!

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Hi There Gamers and Devs,

On with this week 3 Things newsletter.

Just learned about the Black Space Engine for the game Crismsom Desert, from Pearl Abyss looks impressive. Unfortunately Respawn has a a round of layoffs and cancelled projects relating to Titanfall.

Some interesting Game Dev Advice from Fast Forward Games, Time Traps to Avoid.

🎮 Game News – Black Space Engine - Cimson Desert

📱 Social Post – Respawn Entertainment Cancels incubation EA Layoffs, Learning from Layoffs - Laura Fryer

🔎 Interesting Finds – Game Dev Advice - Time Traps to Avoid

Lets Go!

-

🎮Game News: Black Space Engine

Pearl Abyss Developers Show off Engine at GDC

GDC, developers for Pearl Abyss showed off the BlackSpace Engine for the upcoming open world action-adventure game Crimson Desert. Here you can see cloth and hair simulations.

What was impressive was the system requirements for the game from steam to be able to run on older hardware.

The Pearl Abyss team emphasized the power of proprietary technology. While using Unity or Unreal Engines is common and has produced excellent results, this example demonstrates that a clear vision can achieve substantial progress without excessive overhead. The demo was likely presented on a high-performance PC, but the minimum system requirements include a GTX 1060, with recommended specifications indicating a GTX 2080. This suggests that Crimson Desert will be accessible to many gamers upon its release.

Quote: Trunrd : https://trunrd.com/crimson-desert-and-the-blackspace-engine-at-gdc/

Sadly this is proprietory so no chance to use this. Maybe as a mod?

Highlighted Features of the BlackSpace Engine

Pearl Abyss has long been committed to developing its proprietary engine to create immersive, high-fidelity gaming experiences. The BlackSpace Engine integrates features that define Crimson Desert’s realistic and detailed world:

• Seamless Open-World Exploration

• Detailed Physics and Environmental Interactions

• Dynamic and Realistic Combat

• Real-Time Lighting and Atmospheric Effects

• Realistic Water and Fluid Simulation

Youtube Videos

Spawn on [29:00]

Steam Page PC requirements:

Links:

• Wishlist on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/3321460/Crimson_Desert/

• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CrimsonDesert/comments/1jirzb3/pearl_abyss_unveils_graphics_power_of_the/

• https://venturebeat.com/games/pearl-abyss-shows-a-new-look-at-crimson-desert/

📱Social Post : Respawn Entertainment Cancels Titanfall Games

Respawn Entertainment is going under some layoffs as part of EA wider restructuring it’s sad that some of the layoffs affecting games made. Sad to know a new Titanfall game was cancelled.

Here is what was cancelled according to Bloomberg.

The Bloomberg report says one of the cancelled projects, code named R7, was an extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe. The other game was apparently cancelled earlier this year.

Respawn made a point of noting that while the news is bad, everything is also fine, because "our commitment to player-first experiences remains unchanged."

X

https://x.com/hypermystx/status/1917359146997014782?s=46

https://x.com/aaronwstump/status/1917280835587211615?s=46

Learning from Layoffs

From Laura Fryer ex Microsoft talking about the recent layoff trends.

• Layoffs as a trend: Layoffs are becoming more frequent in the game industry, causing significant disruption and human cost [00:12].

• Phases of game development: The video explains the three phases of game production: pre-production, production, and shipping [00:36]. Each phase requires different team sizes, leading to potential layoffs after the production phase.

• Alternatives to layoffs:

  • Working on downloadable content [02:45].

  • Moving artists to other games [03:16].

  • Taking on work from other studios [03:34].

  • Hiring contractors [04:05].

  • Outsourcing [04:22].

  • Hiring generalists [04:49].

  • Investing in team skills [05:13].

• Managing people: Studio leaders need to address toxic or underperforming employees to retain talent [05:50]. Regular check-ins, feedback, and performance reviews are essential [07:28].

• Managing costs: Studios should prioritize essential needs and avoid unnecessary expenses [08:40].

• The risky nature of entertainment: Game development is inherently risky, and even successful games may not guarantee financial stability [11:26].

• Call to action: Game leaders need to focus on making great games, building trust with their teams, and making tough choices to avoid layoffs [11:53].

• The cycle of layoffs: The video criticizes the industry's focus on quarterly profits, leading to repeated cycles of layoffs and rehiring [13:20]. It urges studios to prioritize their people and institutional knowledge.

Links:

• Laura Fryer Youtube

• IGN Articles

https://www.ign.com/articles/ea-cuts-around-300-roles-including-roughly-100-at-respawn

https://www.ign.com/articles/apex-legends-and-star-wars-jedi-dev-respawn-cancels-another-incubation-project-around-100-employees-impacted

Bloomberg Article

PC Gamer: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/electronic-arts-lays-off-hundreds-of-employees-and-cancels-2-incubation-projects-including-a-new-titanfall-game/?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=referral

🔎 Interesting Finds : Game Dev Time Traps to Avoid

One thing I learned is to avoid the hyperfixation on details and focus on one task at a time.

Here's a summary of the video:

• Have a clear endpoint: Define the scope of your game to avoid over-scoping and wasted time [00:30].

• Prototype efficiently: Focus on core mechanics first, and leave art and polish for later [02:28].

• Avoid hyperfixation on details: Don't get bogged down in minor details during the early stages of development [03:46].

• Prioritize tasks: Tackle boring but necessary tasks to avoid dependencies that block progress [07:32].

• Focus on one task at a time: Avoid jumping between tasks to maintain focus and efficiency [08:48].

• Learn to say no: Avoid over-committing to non-essential activities [10:56].

• Focus on one project at a time: Avoid spreading yourself too thin by working on multiple projects simultaneously [12:18].

• Playtest early: Get feedback on your game's mechanics early in development to avoid wasted effort [13:31].

• Utilize small pockets of time: Take advantage of short periods of free time to make progress [14:39].

• Address roadblocks: Don't avoid boring or difficult tasks, as they are often essential for progress [16:25].

• Manage music effectively: If listening to music while working, use looping or shuffling playlists to avoid distractions [17:19].

• Be selective with feedback: Not all feedback is useful or relevant to your game's vision [18:54].

• Create a schedule: Establish a routine to build momentum and consistency [19:53].

• Limit content consumption: Be mindful of how much time you spend watching videos or browsing social media [21:25].

• Watch videos at 2x speed: To consume content faster [22:53].

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FastForwardMyGame

Wishlist his Game:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2086270/DodgeKing/

That’s it thanks for reading this far!

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