Top Stories

Microsoft announces Shader Model 6.10 preview, bringing neural rendering into the mainstream and just maybe making the games industry a bit less reliant on Nvidia (5 min read)

Microsoft unveiled Shader Model 6.10 preview, introducing neural rendering capabilities to DirectX. The update aims to reduce GPU vendor lock-in and broaden hardware compatibility for game developers adopting advanced rendering techniques. (PC Gamer)

Dead By Daylight Studio ‘Emphatically Refutes’ Rumor That Layoffs Were Related To Union Activity (5 min read)

Behaviour Interactive denied claims that recent layoffs were retaliation for union organizing by Game Workers Unite Montreal, stating cuts were tied to decreased demand for mobile projects and shifting priorities. (Kotaku)

Sabotage, Crunch Culture, And Spying: Meet The MindsEye Developer Speaking Out About The Chaos (12 min read)

Build a Rocket Boy animator Chris Wilson spoke publicly about workplace chaos at the studio, including alleged undisclosed employee surveillance via Teramind software and unlawful blacklisting. The studio faces a collective grievance from 40 workers and multiple layoff rounds. (Kotaku)

Business & Finance

Capcom raises FY25 outlook following boost from Resident Evil: Requiem (2 min read)

Capcom raised FY25 net sales forecast to ¥195.3 billion (+2.8%) and net income to ¥54.5 billion (+6.9%), citing Resident Evil: Requiem's stronger-than-expected performance and catalogue title strength. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Take-Two CEO Addresses Grand Theft Auto 6 Price, and the Possibility for More L.A. Noire (2 min read)

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick declined to confirm GTA 6's price but signaled against super-premium pricing, emphasizing value-for-money over inflated costs. He also hinted L.A. Noire sequels remain under consideration. (IGN)

505 Games Acquires WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers IP from Leenzee Games (7 min read) 505게임즈, 린지 게임즈의 ‘명말: 공허의 깃털’ IP 인수

505 Games acquired the WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers IP from Leenzee Games. The soulslike action RPG has sold over 1 million copies since July 2025 and peaked at 130,000 concurrent Steam players. (Ruliweb (Console))

How Evil Empire makes one of the most effect indie showcase events – while juggling Castlevania, live ops, and building its own IP (8 min read)

Evil Empire's Triple-I Initiative indie showcase charges a flat $15k per minute and has become one of the most effective digital showcases, with 16 of 40 games hitting Steam's top trending in 2026. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Sony to increase PlayStation hardware prices in Southeast Asia (4 min read)

Sony is increasing PlayStation hardware prices in Southeast Asia, reflecting regional market adjustments and inflation pressures. (Game Developer)

Studios & People

Studio Behind Unique RPGs Steelrising And GreedFall Reportedly Shutting Down After 18 Years (4 min read)

Spiders, the 18-year-old French studio behind GreedFall and Steelrising, is shutting down after failing to find a buyer amid parent company Nacon's insolvency. Court proceedings are reportedly a formality as staff seek new positions. (Kotaku)

'We've been a little bit too romantic:' Ustwo CEO says lowering development costs is now paramount (6 min read)

Ustwo CEO says the studio must prioritize lowering development costs, moving away from what he calls a 'romantic' approach to game production. (Game Developer)

Games & Releases

Garry’s Mod Successor s&box Releases To Mixed Steam Reviews And An Influx Of AI Slop (6 min read)

Facepunch's s&box, a Source 2-based game creation platform, launched to mixed Steam reviews with complaints about unfinished features and AI-generated content flooding the platform. Founder Garry Newman confirmed the team is working to promote human creativity and demote low-effort AI slop. (Kotaku)

'Wow, that was quick': Resident Evil Requiem devs thought it would take 2 weeks to crack the Final Puzzle, but players did it in 4 days (6 min read)

Resident Evil Requiem devs expected players to solve the Final Puzzle in 2 weeks; the community cracked it in 4 days. The team is releasing a new minigame mode next month. (PC Gamer)

'Please have faith in us once again' says Windrose dev, revealing its first big content update won't arrive for 'at least 6 months' (6 min read)

Windrose developer commits to major content update arriving in at least six months, asking players for continued faith. The survival-crafting title is managing expectations around post-launch support cadence. (PC Gamer)

AI/Tech & Tools

Amazon pilots playable game demos on Twitch (2 min read)

Amazon is testing playable game demos on Twitch using cloud-based access, allowing viewers to launch titles directly without downloading. A 20-minute demo of Tarsier Studios' Reanimal was the first test. (GamesIndustry.biz)

GitHub Copilot is pivoting to usage-based billing after becoming unsustainable (5 min read)

GitHub Copilot is shifting from flat-rate to usage-based billing after its current model proved unsustainable, affecting developers relying on the AI coding assistant. (Game Developer)

Policy & Labor

Confusion Over New PlayStation DRM Has Exploded Into A Full-Blown Mess (6 min read)

Sony rolled out a new DRM system requiring PS4/PS5 digital games to verify licenses online every 30 days or become inaccessible. PlayStation Support has issued conflicting guidance, and Sony has yet to issue an official statement clarifying the policy. (Kotaku)

Culture & Community

Why Recent Games Are Adopting Parry Systems: A Game Designer's Analysis of Rationality and History (49 min read) 近年のゲームに「パリィ」採用例が増えている理由。ゲームデザイナーが「合理性」と「歴史」の文脈で考えてみる

A game designer analyzes why parry systems have become ubiquitous in recent action games, from DOOM: The Dark Ages to indie hits like Sifu and Nine Sols. The column deconstructs parry mechanics and explores how they differ from deflect, counter, and stance-break systems. (Automaton)

"There was that period in time, pre-Sonic, where it was, 'You're so lucky that Hollywood is even looking at you'" (10 min read)

Story Kitchen co-founder Dmitri M. Johnson discusses the shift in Hollywood's attitude toward game adaptations, noting a bidding war erupted over Split Fiction film rights—a contrast to the pre-Sonic era when studios treated game properties as lucky opportunities. (GamesIndustry.biz)

gg! see you in game!

— james