Top Stories

Embark Studios rushes to fix Arc Raiders Discord integration bug as "serious privacy and security violations" may have exposed private Discord DMs, friends data, more (6 min read)

A security researcher found Arc Raiders' Discord SDK writing private DMs and auth tokens to plaintext local log files. Embark Studios is issuing a hotfix and auditing further, but the incident highlights the risks of improper third-party SDK data handling. (Eurogamer)

How Steam changes and a China strategy helped TinyBuild's The King is Watching hit 500k sales (5 min read)

TinyBuild's The King is Watching hit 500k sales after a roguelite pivot and a heavy China localization push — over 30% of sales came from China. CEO Alex Nichiporchik credits Steam's improved tag-based recommendation system for surfacing the game to its niche audience. (Gamesindustry)

Business & Finance

The logic of platform exclusivity remains undefeated | Opinion (6 min read)

Sony is reportedly scrapping PC port plans for major first-party titles like Ghost of Yotei, signaling a return to exclusivity after PC ports underperformed — Newzoo data shows just 6% of God of War Ragnarök's lifetime players were on PC. (Gamesindustry)

Resident Evil Requiem has topped 5 million sales worldwide (3 min read)

Resident Evil Requiem has crossed 5 million units sold worldwide. The milestone signals strong commercial performance for Capcom's latest entry in the long-running survival horror franchise. (Game Developer)

Studios & People

Build a Rocket Boy confirms more layoffs amid further claims of "organized espionage and corporate sabotage" (3 min read)

Build a Rocket Boy has confirmed another round of layoffs following MindsEye's troubled launch, citing "organized espionage and corporate sabotage" now moving toward prosecution. The studio previously cut around 300 staff in June 2024. (Gamesindustry)

Former Ubisoft vet says the Assassin's Creed developer is "hated" by the public and "many of their own" devs, but it's "far from impossible" for it to make great games after restructure (5 min read)

An anonymous veteran Ubisoft dev told Game File the company is "hated" by the public, the market, and many of its own developers due to years of mismanagement — but called a comeback "far from impossible" given restructuring efforts and remaining talent. (GamesRadar)

Games & Releases

Robocop: Rogue City's Developers May Have Accidentally Revealed A Reboot Of Hunter: The Reckoning (3 min read)

Teyon accidentally replaced Robocop: Rogue City's Steam files with an early build of an unannounced Hunter: The Reckoning reboot before quickly reverting the change. Screenshots captured by users show placeholder assets and quest objectives, suggesting the game builds on Rogue City's foundation. (The Gamer)

The Division 2 is getting a limited-time Realism Mode - making it more grounded and brutal - but there's a catch (5 min read)

The Division 2's 10th anniversary season adds a limited-time Realism Mode, replacing bullet-sponge enemies with lethal, grounded combat. The mode runs for four weeks and may become permanent based on player response. (Eurogamer)

Policy & Labor

Fortnite leaker actually worked for Epic Games, according to new lawsuit (4 min read)

Epic Games has filed a lawsuit alleging a Fortnite leaker was actually an employee, not an outside hacker. The case highlights insider threat risks and the legal exposure studios face from staff who leak unreleased content. (Game Developer)

Culture & Community

Don Daglow and Rebecca Ann Heineman to be honored at 2026 Game Developers Choice Awards (3 min read)

Don Daglow and Rebecca Ann Heineman will receive honors at the 2026 Game Developers Choice Awards. Both are pioneering figures in game development history, recognized for their lasting contributions to the industry. (Game Developer)

The craft of voice acting with Jennifer Hale (3 min read)

Jennifer Hale discusses the craft of voice acting in games, covering performance technique and collaboration with developers. Useful context for any dev working with voice talent on narrative or character-driven projects. (Game Developer)

Blue Prince's somber tone was inspired by Myst, says creator (5 min read)

Blue Prince creator cited Myst as the primary inspiration for the game's somber, contemplative tone. The insight offers a rare look at how classic adventure game atmosphere continues to influence modern indie design. (Game Developer)

Marvel Rivals warns players of ‘incentivized throwing’ and threatens permanent bans (3 min read)

NetEase is threatening permanent bans in Marvel Rivals after a third-party site began offering cash bounties to players who deliberately sabotage matches. The studio is rolling out a specialized investigation protocol to detect and penalize gameplay tied to external bounty systems. (Dot Esports)

National Videogame Museum acquires ‘Nintendo PlayStation’ development system prototype (5 min read)

The National Videogame Museum acquired the Sony MSF-1, the oldest known hardware artifact from the failed Nintendo-Sony CD-ROM partnership of the early '90s. The one-of-a-kind development prototype is now on display in Frisco, Texas. (Dot Esports)

Twisters star joins movie adaptation of bestselling novel about two game devs founding their own studio (4 min read)

Daisy Edgar-Jones is set to star in Paramount's adaptation of Gabrielle Zevin's novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which follows two friends who co-found a game studio. CODA director Siân Heder will direct; no release date yet. (GamesRadar)

gg! see you in game!

-james