Behind-the-scenes looks at the gaming world, including studio acquisitions, layoffs, sales charts, and legal disputes.
PEGI is finally treating loot boxes and other modern monetisation hooks like the real consumer-risk flashpoints they’ve become, not just a footnote slapped on the back of the box. Starting in June 2026, newly submitted games with paid random items will default to a PEGI 16 rating, while a wider set…
Jeff Kaplan — the longtime Overwatch director and co-creator who became the public face of Blizzard’s hero shooter — has finally put words to the moment that pushed him out the door in 2021. In a new interview on the Lex Fridman podcast, Kaplan says a meeting with Activision Blizzard’s then-CFO…
The Pokémon Company and Nintendo have confirmed that Pokémon Pokopia has sold more than 2.2 million copies worldwide in its first four days, including around 1 million units in Japan alone. It’s an explosive opening for a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive that, until recently, felt like a left-field…
Valve has finally gone on the record in its escalating legal fight with New York Attorney General Letitia James over mystery boxes (loot boxes) in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2. In a rare public statement posted on Steam, the company flatly rejects the claim that its crates, cases,…
Ben Diskin, the voice actor who played Mega Man in 2018’s Mega Man 11, says he won’t reprise the role in Capcom’s upcoming Mega Man: Dual Override—despite being asked to return—because he was only offered the job without “the protections of a union contract.” The decision lands as SAG-AFTRA has…
Epic Games is changing how much V-Bucks you get for your money in Fortnite, saying “the cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot” and that it’s raising prices “to help pay the bills.” Starting March 19, 2026, V-Bucks bundle dollar prices stay the same, but most packs will grant fewer V-Bucks,…
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reaffirmed that the company will “always” invest in video games, following a major leadership change at Xbox that saw Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond depart and Asha Sharma step into the top role. The comments, delivered during an internal Q&A alongside Sharma (as…
Electronic Arts (EA) has laid off an unspecified number of employees across Battlefield Studios—the multi-studio group behind Battlefield 6—despite the shooter’s record-setting commercial performance. Reports say the cuts affect staff at EA DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studio, with EA…
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reportedly reassured staff that the company is “long” on gaming and will “always” continue investing in it, following a turbulent stretch for Xbox that included major leadership changes and the early reveal of next-gen hardware work under Project Helix. The…
Kick streamer Asmongold (Zack Hoyt) has mutually parted ways with Mythic Talent, the streamer talent agency he co-founded in 2023. The agency confirmed the split in a public statement that emphasized an “environment grounded in respect and responsibility,” but did not provide specific reasons. The…
