Top Stories

'It's going to be extremely hard to repair the relationship:' The Subnautica 2 legal dispute is far from over (7 min read)

A legal dispute over Subnautica 2's early access release continues between developer and publisher, with relationship damage described as "extremely hard to repair." The conflict centers on early access strategy disagreements. (Game Developer)

Gen AI Is Being Used By All Major Game Studios, According To Google (3 min read)

Google reports that roughly 9 in 10 major game studios use generative AI in development, though many don't publicly disclose it. Capcom is cited as a heavy user of Google Cloud's AI tools. (The Gamer)

Releasing PlayStation games day one on PC isn't "a good strategy" for its AAA titles, former Sony head says, but he hasn't seen proof its abandoning the platform altogether (5 min read)

Former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida says day-one PC releases aren't optimal for PlayStation AAA titles, but hasn't seen proof Sony is abandoning the platform. The comment reflects ongoing debate over multi-platform strategy. (GamesRadar)

Business & Finance

Marathon Was One Of March’s Best-Selling Games But That Probably Won’t Stop The Obsession Over Steam Charts (6 min read)

Marathon ranked fourth in U.S. March sales despite competition from MLB The Show 26 and Resident Evil Requiem, validating Bungie's multiplayer shooter launch amid industry skepticism. (Kotaku)

Studios & People

Vampire Survivors Studio Is Developing And Planning Over 15 Projects (6 min read)

Poncle is opening studios in Japan and Italy while developing 15+ projects including spin-offs, new IP, and licensed collaborations like Warhammer Survivors. The studio created a reusable engine template to accelerate licensed adaptations. (Kotaku)

Games & Releases

Steam blocked this Factorio homage's early access release 5 times, so its developer threw caution to the wind with a full release instead - and now he's sold 2 million copies (7 min read)

An indie Factorio-like game sold 2 million copies after launching in full release on Steam, bypassing five early-access rejections. The developer's pivot strategy proved commercially successful. (GamesRadar)

Tarkov Creator Nikita Buyanov Insists New Title Fragmentary Order Is "Not a Casual-Focused Game Like ARC Raiders"—Details Revealed in Overseas Interview (13 min read) 『タルコフ』ニキータ氏、新作『Fragmentary Order』は「『ARC Raiders』のようなカジュアル向けではない」と断言。海外インタビューで詳細語る

Escape from Tarkov creator Nikita Buyanov detailed his new extraction-shooter Fragmentary Order, developed by newly-formed Rant Gaming Studios (130 staff, 98% new hires) using Unreal Engine. Set in 2251, the game emphasizes hardcore realism over casual appeal, with maps 4-5x larger than Tarkov and features like vehicles and variable gravity. (GameSpark)

AI/Tech & Tools

Cloud Gaming Platform TapFun Launches Virtual Pad for Smartphones, Rolling Out New and Existing Titles—Koei Tecmo Games Now Mobile Compatible (10 min read) クラウドゲーム「TapFun」、スマホ向けバーチャルパッド実装で新作・既存タイトルを一挙展開——コーエーテクモ作品もモバイル対応

TapFun launched a virtual pad feature enabling smartphone-only play of PC games via cloud streaming, with support for precise-control genres. Koei Tecmo titles and new indie games now available; Android support coming later. (GameBusiness.jp)

Culture & Community

The Ivors Academy launches Ivors Composer Awards, video game music to be among categories (2 min read)

The Ivors Academy launched the Ivors Composer Awards, recognizing music contributions from video games alongside film, television, and commercial recordings by British, Irish, and UK resident composers. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Super Mario Galaxy Movie surpasses $755m globally, becomes highest-grossing film of 2026 (2 min read)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie surpassed $755 million globally, becoming 2026's highest-grossing film. The Mario animated franchise has now exceeded $2 billion at the global box office. (GamesIndustry.biz)

gg! see you in game!

— james