Top Stories

UK Politicians Say GTA 6 Developer Rockstar 'Refused to Properly Engage' With Appeal Processes After Firing Staff Last Year (4 min read)

UK politicians criticized Rockstar for refusing to engage with appeal processes after firing 34 workers in October. The IWGB Game Worker's Union alleges union busting; Rockstar claims gross misconduct and confidentiality breaches. An employment tribunal rejected interim relief, but the union-busting allegation remains under investigation. (IGN)

Metroid Dread developer MercurySteam conducts layoffs (3 min read)

MercurySteam, developer of Metroid Dread, conducted layoffs affecting an unspecified portion of its workforce. The cuts reflect ongoing industry consolidation and studio restructuring. (Game Developer)

Video codecs are a nightmare for game developers, but there's no solution in sight (12 min read)

Video codec licensing and compatibility create operational headaches for game developers across platforms and distribution channels. Fragmented standards and royalty structures complicate implementation with no industry consensus solution emerging. (Game Developer)

Business & Finance

Indika dev Odd Meter raises $5m to fund next project (2 min read)

Odd Meter, developer of Indika, raised $5 million led by Gem Capital and Autotelic Ventures. The funding will support team expansion and development of the studio's next project while maintaining creative independence. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Capcom secures ninth consecutive year of profit boosted by Resident Evil Requiem (3 min read)

Capcom posted its ninth consecutive year of profit, with digital contents sales up 15.3% to $1.2 billion, driven by Resident Evil Requiem and strong franchise catalogue performance. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Former NetEase exec's new investment group is funding Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic because 'everyone wins' if you 'give the best creator the opportunity to work on a dream project' (6 min read)

A new investment group led by former NetEase executives is funding Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, betting that backing top-tier creators on dream projects drives mutual success. The backing signals continued venture interest in premium licensed IP. (PC Gamer)

Studios & People

Gang of Dragon studio website disappears without notice as NetEase funding dries up (22 min read)

Gang of Dragon's studio website vanished without notice as NetEase withdrew funding. The incident signals another casualty of shifting investment priorities in the games industry, affecting the studio's workforce and ongoing projects. (PC Gamer)

SNK announces new studio lead by Tekken veteran Katsuhiro Harada (3 min read)

SNK announced investment in VS Studio, a new venture led by Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada. The studio will collaborate with SNK on game development to strengthen the publisher's development capabilities. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Games & Releases

Call of Duty legend returns after losing NetEase funding with plans for a new FPS game that isn't a CoD "killer," but more like "if David Lynch made shooters" (5 min read)

A Call of Duty veteran is developing a new experimental FPS after losing NetEase backing. The project aims for a distinctive artistic vision rather than competing directly with CoD. (GamesRadar)

gg! see you in game!

— james