Top Stories

Roblox announces AI-driven upscaler, which it claims will convert Roblox titles to photorealistic graphics (2 min read)

Roblox announced Roblox Reality, an AI-driven upscaler that generates photorealistic visuals by enhancing lighting, textures, and motion. The tool aims to significantly reduce development time, cost, and compute requirements. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Report: VR specialist Survios has laid off the majority of its development team (3 min read)

VR specialist Survios laid off most of its development team, signaling financial strain in the VR sector. The company had previously raised $50M in 2021 but faces ongoing market challenges. (Game Developer)

Indie Developer Says Valve Is Blocking Its Game On Steam For…Infringing On Its Own IP (3 min read)

Valve blocked an indie developer's Steam demo, claiming IP infringement on intellectual property the developer owns. The case highlights opacity in Steam's content review process for creators. (Kotaku)

Games & Releases

Hit cowboy co-op shooter's servers are struggling, developer says its service provider 'is currently drinking mojitos instead of helping' (6 min read)

Far Far West's developer blamed its service provider for ongoing server struggles, publicly stating the vendor 'is currently drinking mojitos instead of helping.' The incident highlights live-service infrastructure risks developers face. (PC Gamer)

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 developer won't confirm whether it's working on a Lord of the Rings game, but has said whatever comes next, it will be "an RPG true to our colours" (5 min read)

Warhorse Studios won't confirm Lord of the Rings game rumors but pledged its next project will be 'an RPG true to our colours.' The studio is focused on maintaining its identity with future releases. (Eurogamer)

AI/Tech & Tools

Valve’s hardware graduates from side-quest to full-blown ambition (8 min read)

Valve's redesigned Steam Controller received strong reviews ahead of 2026 hardware launches including a home console and VR headset. Supply-chain delays pushed timelines from early 2026 to later in the year. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Policy & Labor

Union claims Nacon's decision to shutter Spiders was a "premeditated and deliberate choice" (3 min read)

French union STJV called Nacon's closure of Spiders a "premeditated and deliberate choice" and launched a boycott. Spiders was shuttered after Nacon filed for insolvency and began court-supervised reorganization. (GamesIndustry.biz)

The Oscars bans generative AI in acting and writing categories (6 min read)

The Academy banned generative AI in acting and writing categories for the Oscars. The policy signals growing regulatory scrutiny of AI in creative work across entertainment industries. (PC Gamer)

gg! see you in game!

— james