Top Stories

Weak job security risks an industry brain drain | Opinion (7 min read)

A Skillsearch survey found 44% of games industry professionals are considering leaving the sector due to ongoing layoffs, with 60–80% open to job-hunting outside games. Experienced programmers and business ops staff are most at risk of attrition. (GamesIndustry.biz)

The creative software industry has declared war on Adobe - The Verge (5 min read)

Maxon's Autograph (After Effects rival) and Canva's Cavalry motion graphics tool both went free this week, joining Affinity and DaVinci Resolve 21 in a growing wave of no-cost Adobe alternatives relevant to game art and VFX pipelines. (Game Developer AI Tools)

Studios & People

Iron Galaxy Studios lays off 'a number' of workers as it reduces company size (3 min read)

Iron Galaxy Studios has laid off an undisclosed number of employees as part of a deliberate reduction in company size. No specific headcount or project impact was shared. (Game Developer)

Games & Releases

Portal 2: Community Edition promises to take the game's modding potential to new heights, and it's out in open beta now (6 min read)

Portal 2: Community Edition entered open beta, bringing a new lighting engine, volumetric fog, expanded scripting, and an overhauled Hammer editor to the 14-year-old title. Built on Strata Source, a CS:GO engine fork, it's a community-maintained build aimed at mod creators. (PC Gamer)

Despite a few "rough edges", Replaced developer Sad Cat Studios is celebrating the sci-fi platformer's "strong debut success" (5 min read)

Sad Cat Studios called Replaced a "strong debut success" following its long-delayed launch, while acknowledging camera glitches and cutscene bugs. A QoL patch roadmap is promised. (Eurogamer)

Fortnite Welcomes Jazz-Pop Artist Laufey as Season 14 Headliner (3 min read) [영상] 포트나이트, 재즈 팝 아티스트 레이베이 합류

Fortnite Festival Season 14 launches April 16 with jazz-pop artist Laufey as headliner, introducing new Mic Vocals singing, Pro Drums MIDI kit support, and a Quick Mix UI for real-time track remixing. (게임뷰 GameVu)

Culture & Community

'I was ignored:' BAFTA criticised after pulling indie game trailer from awards ceremony (4 min read)

BAFTA is facing criticism after pulling an indie game's trailer from its awards ceremony without notifying the developer. The incident has sparked broader discussion about how major awards bodies treat smaller indie studios. (Game Developer)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dispatch lead at BAFTA Awards 2026 (2 min read)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took Best Game and Debut Game at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards, while Dispatch won Animation, Audio Achievement, and Supporting Performer. Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen received the BAFTA Fellowship. (GamesIndustry.biz)

CS2 player MAUschine receives 10-year ban for hitting opponent on stage during live tournament (6 min read)

CS2 player MAUschine received a 10-year ban from DACH CS Masters after punching opponent Spidergum on stage at the CAGGTUS Leipzig awards ceremony. The case was also referred to ESIC, and Spidergum's org is pursuing legal action. (Dot Esports)

gg! see you in game!

— james