Top Stories

Xbox confirms console exclusivity will be decided on "case by case basis" (2 min read)

Xbox confirmed exclusivity decisions will be made on a "case by case basis." Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will remain Xbox and PC exclusive; Hellblade 2 and State of Decay 3 will launch on PS5 in 2027, as will Fable on February 27. CCO Matt Booty said Xbox wants to offer exclusives to drive console adoption while rewarding longtime players, and live-service games will remain fully multiplatform. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Merge Mansion dev Metacore lays off 159 employees, closes studios in Germany and Sweden (1 min read)

Metacore laid off 159 employees in Finland and closed operations in Germany and Sweden following a restructuring announced last month. The mobile studio cited Merge Mansion's plateau in performance and failed new-game launches. Supercell is acquiring Metacore and adding Merge Mansion to its live-games portfolio. CEO Mika Tammenkoski said the company is offering affected employees severance, extended healthcare, and transition support. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Platinum is making a triple-A Ninja Turtles game because they're "huge fans" of the IP (2 min read)

PlatinumGames will develop Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin for Paramount Games Studio, the newly restructured games division formed after Paramount and Skydance's August 2025 merger. Dan Prigg, now EVP of games for Paramount, said Platinum expressed interest in the IP pre-merger and both teams were enthusiastic supporters. Paramount Games Studio, which absorbed Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media, will also continue Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra and an untitled Star Wars game while partnering with external studios on Paramount IP adaptations. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Business & Finance

June's PlayStation State of Play breaks records, is reportedly the most-watched ever (3 min read)

June's PlayStation State of Play drew a record 3+ million peak live viewers across platforms, accumulating 4.4 million hours watched. YouTube generated double Twitch's watch time, and co-streams hit a new high. (Eurogamer)

AI/Tech & Tools

Steam Machine and Steam Frame both shipping "this summer", Valve affirms (4 min read)

Valve confirmed Steam Machine and Steam Frame will ship this summer 2026. Both devices join the company's Verified program, which will ensure games meet performance standards for the new hardware. (Eurogamer)

"We have secured our components for this year" – Nex Playground hopes to avoid any further AI-related price rises (7 min read)

Nex Playground's UK launch is set for late June at £269.99 after a $50 US price increase driven by AI infrastructure costs. CEO David Lee and President Thomas Kang confirmed component supplies are secured for 2026, with demand still outpacing supply despite two consecutive December sellouts. (GamesIndustry.biz)

gg! see you in game!

— james