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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 13h

"Hades II isn’t as experimental as some of Supergiant's other works, and its weak ending is perhaps a casualty of playing things a touch too safe. But in its scope, its cohesion, and its visual flair, never has Supergiant pushed itself further."

Hades II Review

Hades II is a worthy successor to one of the best roguelites ever made.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 18h

Microsoft will seemingly not pass on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hikes in select regions for users already on auto-renewing plans, in order to adhere to local laws.

Regions include Germany, Italy, Poland, Ireland, and South Korea.

Microsoft Pauses Xbox Game Pass Price Hikes for Select Regions and Users

Some Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have received emails stating the price increase “will only affect new purchases” for the time being.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 21h

Reporting from Game File has revealed that in 2024, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set in the post-Civil War US, starring a former slave.

Reasons for the cancellation included the current US political climate, as well as the controversy surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Ubisoft Cancelled Assassin’s Creed Game Due to US Political Climate – Report

Sources told Game File that the new Assassin's Creed project would have featured a former slave who takes on the KKK, among other things.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

The pulpy point and click adventure thriller The Drifter has been awarded Game of the Year at the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards.

It also took out awards for Excellence in Art, Narrative, and Sound Design.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/austral...

The Drifter Wins Game of the Year at Australian Game Developer Awards 2025

The pulpy point-and-click thriller from Powerhoof took out four awards total, with Tempopo and Mars First Logistics also notable winners.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 1d

Bloomberg reports that Microsoft gave up more than US $300 million in sales by putting the Call of Duty series on Xbox Game Pass.

The report coincides with a price hike for the Ultimate tier of the service, and the removal of a DLC discount perk.

Xbox Reportedly Lost US $300 Million Putting Black Ops 6 on Game Pass

Microsoft employees reportedly told Bloomberg of huge losses for the company, due to Call of Duty becoming a feature of Xbox Game Pass.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 3d

Funcom has closed The Outsiders, the studio behind the heavy metal FPS, Metal: Hellsinger. It comes as part of previously announced layoffs.

Funcom acquired the developer, led by Payday 2 director and Bad Company 2 lead designer David Goldfarb, in 2021.

Funcom Closes 'Metal: Hellsinger' Developer, The Outsiders

Funcom acquired the developer in 2021, following the announcement of its award-winning heavy metal first-person shooter.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 5d

Worried about the private acquisition of EA? Nathan Brown of @hitpoints.bsky.social is struggling to get too upset, given what the company has become.

With enough awful things happening in games and the world, maybe we can have a little apathy, as a treat.

Spare Some Apathy For EA - Bonus Hit Points

Nathan Brown has been thinking a lot about the EA acquisition deal. His advice? Forget about it. Give yourself a little apathy, as a treat.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 4d

With E3 no longer in the picture, Tokyo Game Show has defaulted to being one of the world's biggest global game expos. But is it ready for that status?

@nomoredaniels.bsky.social returns from TGS 2025 with some thoughts.

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/para...

Is Tokyo Game Show Ready For The Big Time? - Parallax: Japan

The death of E3 means that Tokyo Game Show has defaulted to being one of the world's biggest global game expos. But is it ready for that status?

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 4d

With E3 no longer in the picture, Tokyo Game Show has defaulted to being one of the world's biggest global game expos. But is it ready for that status?

@nomoredaniels.bsky.social returns from TGS 2025 with some thoughts.

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/para...

Is Tokyo Game Show Ready For The Big Time? - Parallax: Japan

The death of E3 means that Tokyo Game Show has defaulted to being one of the world's biggest global game expos. But is it ready for that status?

thisweekinvideogames.com

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Reposted by This Week in Videogames

Hit Points by Nathan Brown @hitpoints.bsky.social · 5d

A rare sojourn outside the paywall to explain why it's okay not to care about the EA buyout. Go! It's free!

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 5d

Worried about the private acquisition of EA? Nathan Brown of @hitpoints.bsky.social is struggling to get too upset, given what the company has become.

With enough awful things happening in games and the world, maybe we can have a little apathy, as a treat.

Spare Some Apathy For EA - Bonus Hit Points

Nathan Brown has been thinking a lot about the EA acquisition deal. His advice? Forget about it. Give yourself a little apathy, as a treat.

thisweekinvideogames.com

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 5d

Current developers at Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM have unionised.

The union marks the first recognised workplace union in the UK games industry.

Workers at Disco Elysium Developer ZA/UM Have Unionised

The group of developers at Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM is the first recognised workplace union in the UK games industry.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 6d

Funcom is laying off an undisclosed number of staff, despite Dune: Awakening being “the biggest release we’ve had in our 32-year long history of making great games” with “incredible potential.”

Dune: Awakening Studio Laying Off Staff After “Biggest Release” in Developer History

Despite surpassing 1 million Dune: Awakening players just months ago, Funcom is now laying off an unknown number of staff

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 6d

Payday developer Starbreeze has cancelled its Dungeons & Dragons project, codenamed Project Baxter, which it first announced in 2023.

The studio is also laying off 44 employees and contractors. It'll focus more heavily on Payday moving forward.

Starbreeze Lays Off Staff, Cancels D&D Project

Payday developer Starbreeze has laid off 44 staff and cancelled Project Baxter, a Dungons and Dragons project, to focus on Payday.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 7d

Ubisoft has launched Vantage Studios, the first subsidiary in its 'creative houses' restructure. It'll look after Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.

It's led by Ubisoft Montreal co-founder Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot, son of CEO Yves.

Ubisoft Launches New Subsidiary Vantage Studios

The new subsidiary is backed by an investment from Tencent and is the first “creative house” in Ubisoft’s reorganisation.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 7d

Microsoft has restructured its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, with price increases for the Ultimate and PC-only tiers.

The company previously increased the cost of Game Pass Ultimate in July 2024.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Cost Increased by 50% in Subscription Shakeup

Microsoft has restructured Xbox Game Pass and enacted price increases, saying it is adding more value and benefits to its lucrative service.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 8d

Bloober has told investors that Cronos: The New Dawn sold 200k at launch, with console versions making up 75% of sales. No DLC or sequel is planned.

The team behind it has moved on to a new project, while another works on the Silent Hill remake for Konami.

Bloober's 'Cronos' Team Already on New Project, Separate From Silent Hill 1 Remake

Bloober Team told investors it was happy with the performance of Cronos: The New Dawn, but has no plans to follow it up immediately.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 8d

The Financial Times reports that EA's new investors will look to AI to help cut costs following the US $55 billion private acquisition.

FT sources are also confident about the deal passing regulatory approval, given the connection between Affinity Partners and the current US administration.

New EA Investors Will Reportedly Look to AI for Cost-Cutting, Profit Boosts

Sources are confident the $55 billion acquisition of EA will go through, with investors hopeful about “AI-based” profit boosts, per reports.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 8d

Following the cancellation of its open-world game Contraband, Avalanche has flagged plans to close its UK-based studio and make further layoffs at its Swedish branches.

It's the latest occurrence in the wake of Microsoft's July layoffs and cancellations.

Just Cause Developer Avalanche to Close UK Studio, Make Layoffs

After cancelling its Xbox-exclusive title Contraband, Avalanche will close its Liverpool studio and begin layoffs at its Swedish studios.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 9d

EA CEO Andrew Wilson has assured employees that the company’s values will “remain unchanged” following its US $55 billion private acquisition.

The involvement of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund has raised concerns regarding its potential influence.

EA CEO Assures Values Will "Remain Unchanged" Following Buyout Involving Saudi PIF

There have been concerns that the involvement of Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund will affect future creative decisions at EA.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10d

EA has officially announced a private acquisition worth US $55 billion.

The investors include the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, and firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.

The deal is expected to close by Q1 2027. Andrew Wilson will remain CEO.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/ea-priv...

EA Announces Private Acquisition Worth US $55 Billion

EA has announced the private acquisition will close by Q1 2027. The investor group includes the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10d

Silent Hill f uses the franchise's thematic pillars of shame and guilt to create refreshed, fertile ground on which it builds its unique take on the series.

thisweekinvideogames.com/review/silen...

Silent Hill f Review

Silent Hill f dares us to imagine that, perhaps, the best days of Silent Hill lie ahead of us rather than behind us.

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 10d

Capcom has announced a pay-per-view model for the finals of two of its upcoming, in-house, international Street Fighter 6 tournaments.

The response from the fighting game community has not been a positive one.

Capcom Pay-per-View Model for Street Fighter 6 Tournaments Proves Unpopular

Capcom has announced a pay-per-view model for two upcoming Street Fighter 6 tournaments, resulting in vocal displeasure from its community.

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The Game Bakers @thegamebakers.com · 10d

“You understand eventually why [Aava] does this… that’s also the big question that people ask mountaineers: ‘Why do you climb mountains where you do?’ ... And that’s what the story is about.” - Emeric

Thanks TWIV for the great interview with our creative director @emericthoa.bsky.social!!!

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This Week in Videogames @thisweekinvideogames.com · 11d

Brazil has passed a law that will ban loot boxes in videogames aimed at children or teens.

The move comes as part of a wider act aimed at protecting young people in the digital world.

Brazil Bans Loot Boxes for Under 18s

The videogame loot box ban comes as part of a wider digital protection law aimed at children and adolescents.

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