Top Stories

Report: US government may compel Tencent to divest gaming investments (2 min read)

The Trump administration is weighing whether to force Tencent to divest its gaming stakes, per a Financial Times report. Tencent owns Riot, Turtle Rock, and stakes in Epic, Ubisoft, Remedy, Krafton, and others — making the outcome significant for a large portion of the industry. (Gamesindustry)

Sony reportedly scaling back PC ports for PlayStation exclusives (1 min read)

Sony is pulling back PC ports of PS5 exclusives after sources say the titles underperformed on the platform and risk diluting the PlayStation brand. Online games like Marathon are still planned for multiplatform release. (Gamesindustry)

Highguard is permanently shutting down barely a month after its debut (4 min read)

Highguard is shutting down permanently less than a month after its debut. The rapid closure serves as a stark reminder of the risks facing live-service games that fail to build a player base at launch. 🚨 (Game Developer)

Business & Finance

Nacon postpones game showcase after filing for insolvency (2 min read)

French publisher Nacon filed for insolvency after majority shareholder Bigben Interactive failed to repay a €43M loan, and has postponed its annual Connect showcase to May 2026. The company is pursuing court-supervised restructuring to renegotiate debts and protect jobs. (Gamesindustry)

Paramount makes no reference to game studios in first WB call to investors (3 min read)

Paramount's first post-acquisition investor call made zero mention of Warner Bros. Games, despite WB's studios segment revenue dropping 14% YoY. With $16B in cuts expected, the games division's future under Paramount remains unclear. ⚠️ (Gamesindustry)

PlayStation and Xbox veteran launches talent agency to support small studios (3 min read)

A PlayStation and Xbox veteran has launched Rocket Game Talent, a new talent agency focused on helping small studios find and hire experienced developers. The agency aims to address hiring challenges faced by indie and smaller teams. (Game Developer)

Studios & People

"We now have a clear vision for how Sumo fits into the new world" – inside the slimmed-down Sumo Digital (8 min read)

After layoffs, divestitures, and a leadership overhaul, Sumo Digital is refocusing entirely on co-development and work-for-hire. Co-CEOs say the studio will now leverage Tencent market data and offer co-funding to attract publisher partnerships. (Gamesindustry)

Games & Releases

EA announces UGC marketplace for The Sims 4 (2 min read)

EA's Sims Maker Program launches March 17 on PC/Mac, letting creators sell custom content packs in-game for a 30% revenue share — notably lower than Roblox's 50–70% cut. Console support follows later. (Gamesindustry)

Culture & Community

Gamescom 2026: Registered exhibitors up 15%, more than 40 countries taking part (2 min read)

Gamescom 2026 has set an exhibitor record for the third consecutive year, with companies from 40+ countries registered — a 15% increase over 2025. Gamescom Dev runs August 24–25, with the main show August 26–30; early-bird tickets are available through March 31. (Gamesindustry)

gg! see you in game!

-james