Following yesterday's Xbox showcase, Phil Spencer touched on the layoffs that occurred in May across Bethesda subsidiaries such as Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin.Talking to IGN's Ryan McCaffrey, the Microsoft Gaming head acknowledged those reductions and closures as "very hard" on those affected. At the same time, he stressed that he must "run a sustainable business inside the company and grow," and made a tough call."Sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love," he explained, "but decisions that somebody needs to go make."Spencer went on to explain that he's kept silent on the matter out of respect for those now laid off staff. While ensuring the "right thing" is being done with those emp…
Rolling Stone is expanding its coverage of the video game industry with the launch of a dedicated gaming vertical.The new section has been launched in partnership with ESL FACEIT Group and will be helmed by senior gaming editor Christopher Cruz. The media company said it will report on the world of video games with a "hyperfocus on art, technology, and cultural impact.""Gaming isn't informed by pop culture; it is pop culture," said Cruz in a press release. "As video games have evolved to meet movies, television, and literature on their own ground, it's important for us to explore how everyone is experiencing gaming culture."Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner added that "expanding into gaming is a thrill that allows us to embrace a vibrant cultural fro…
You won't find many video game industry executives defending Embracer Group or its CEO Lars Wingefors. After a massive business deal (allegedly with Saudi-owned Savvy Game Group) fell through in 2023, the company executed a brutal string of cuts and studio closures that resulted in 4,500 cut jobs and 80 cancelled projects.Whatever you think of Embracer's business moves, there's no denying the amount of pain it's inflicted on former employees, and the economic impact on the game industry as a whole. But while even many friends of Embracer keep quiet, one former chief operating officer and board member hasn't: Saber Interactive chief executive officer Matthew Karch.In April, Karch jumped on LinkedIn to defend Lars from the spree of critical comments that dominated th…
Hitman and Project 007 developer IO Interactive has appointed Ulas Karademir as its new chief technology officer.Karademir will report to IOI CEO Hakan Abrak and has been tasked with overseeing technical operations at the Danish studio. That includes supporting the development of IOI's proprietary in-house Glacier engine and working with the production team on current projects.IOI's new CTO is a familiar face. Karademir had a seven year stint at the studio between 2007 and 2014 and has over 20 years of experience in engineering and leadership roles, including a spell as Unity's VP of core engineering, graphics, operations, and productions.He most recently served as general manager and CPO at RealityOS, but says he's looking forward to returning to IOI to help propel the…
Lightforge Games is laying off the majority of its team and pausing development on Project ORCS.The fully-remote studio was formed in 2021 by a group of Blizzard and Epic Games veterans and quickly secured $15 million to finance its debut project.Project ORCS was billed as a cross-platform social experience that would let players "create worlds and tell stories with unprecedented freedom." The studio claimed it would combine the creative elements of Minecraft with the open-ended storytelling of tabletop RPGs.Although Lightforge is cutting jobs across the board, the studio intends to regroup as a "skeleton team" to carve out a viable future.
NetEase is partnering with Marvel Games to develop Marvel Rivals, a shooter that effectively serves as the comic publisher's answer to Overwatch and Valorant.Like those games, two teams go against each other, with each player taking on the role of a different Marvel hero (or villain). While the characters don't appear to have specific class roles, Valorant's influence is clear in Rivals' visual aesthetic.In recent years, NetEase has largely been setting up Western studios headed up by veterans from BioWare and Ubisoft. By partnering with NetEase, Marvel gets a publisher with a foot into the Chinese game market.NetEase previously worked with Marvel before on a pair of mobile games, but Rivals is being made for PC.Marvel Games head Jay Ong called Marvel Rivals "one o…
NetEase is partnering with Marvel Games to develop Marvel Rivals, a shooter that effectively serves as the comic publisher's answer to Overwatch and Valorant.Like those games, two teams go against each other, with each player taking on the role of a different Marvel hero (or villain). While the characters don't appear to have specific class roles, Valorant's influence is clear in Rivals' visual aesthetic.In recent years, NetEase has largely been setting up Western studios headed up by veterans from BioWare and Ubisoft. By partnering with NetEase, Marvel gets a publisher with a foot into the Chinese game market.NetEase previously worked with Marvel before on a pair of mobile games, but Rivals is being made for PC.Marvel Games head Jay Ong called Marvel Rivals "one o…