This Week in Videogames
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Concept Artists Say Generative AI References Only Make Their Jobs Harder
“The ‘early ideation stages’, when worlds are being fleshed out by writers and artists, are literally crucial to the development of a game’s vision,” said one artist.
thisweekinvideogames.com
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and contributors to share their favourite game experiences of the year.
Managing Editor @edmondtran.bsky.social went for the typical gamer picks: football, cars, RPGs about teenagers... hey wait these are all small-scale indie games
Managing Editor @edmondtran.bsky.social went for the typical gamer picks: football, cars, RPGs about teenagers... hey wait these are all small-scale indie games
Edmond Tran's Top 5 Games of 2025
Soccer, cars, roguelites, an RPG about teenagers – Edmond Tran's Top 5 videogames of 2025 are real Gamer picks... if gamers loved heartfelt and small-scale indies.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and contributors to share their favourite game experiences of the year.
Managing Editor @edmondtran.bsky.social went for the typical gamer picks: football, cars, RPGs about teenagers... hey wait these are all small-scale indie games
Managing Editor @edmondtran.bsky.social went for the typical gamer picks: football, cars, RPGs about teenagers... hey wait these are all small-scale indie games
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and contributors to share their favourite game experiences of the year.
Parallax: Japan columnist @nomoredaniels.bsky.social leaned on his frequent travels to share his favourite indie game conventions in Asia for 2025.
Parallax: Japan columnist @nomoredaniels.bsky.social leaned on his frequent travels to share his favourite indie game conventions in Asia for 2025.
Daniel Robson's Top 5 Indie Events in Asia 2025
Parallax: Japan columnist Daniel Robson leans on his frequent travels in 2025 to share his favourite indie game conventions across Asia.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:32 PM
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and contributors to share their favourite game experiences of the year.
Parallax: Japan columnist @nomoredaniels.bsky.social leaned on his frequent travels to share his favourite indie game conventions in Asia for 2025.
Parallax: Japan columnist @nomoredaniels.bsky.social leaned on his frequent travels to share his favourite indie game conventions in Asia for 2025.
Reposted by This Week in Videogames
Patrick Dane's final piece for This Week in Videogames was his 2025 Game of the Year list, which he tackled with great enthusiasm and excitement.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
Patrick Dane's Top 5 Games of the Year
News editor and live-service die-hard Patrick Dane shares his favourite games from 2025, not all of which have been "officially" released.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Patrick Dane's final piece for This Week in Videogames was his 2025 Game of the Year list, which he tackled with great enthusiasm and excitement.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
Patrick Dane's final piece for This Week in Videogames was his 2025 Game of the Year list, which he tackled with great enthusiasm and excitement.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
Patrick Dane's Top 5 Games of the Year
News editor and live-service die-hard Patrick Dane shares his favourite games from 2025, not all of which have been "officially" released.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Patrick Dane's final piece for This Week in Videogames was his 2025 Game of the Year list, which he tackled with great enthusiasm and excitement.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
As an avid follower of live-service games, he was eager to make sure the standout titles in the space this year received their due.
Thank you, Patrick.
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked staff to share their favourite game experiences of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new).
@superdonk.bsky.social, who’s always playing something unexpected, shares the games that both made new memories and evoked those of days gone by.
@superdonk.bsky.social, who’s always playing something unexpected, shares the games that both made new memories and evoked those of days gone by.
Stu Kimball's Top 3 Memory-Making Games of 2025
Stu Kimball, who's always playing something unexpected, shares his Top 3 games that evoked the best memories of days gone by.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:01 PM
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked staff to share their favourite game experiences of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new).
@superdonk.bsky.social, who’s always playing something unexpected, shares the games that both made new memories and evoked those of days gone by.
@superdonk.bsky.social, who’s always playing something unexpected, shares the games that both made new memories and evoked those of days gone by.
Patrick Dane, longtime games and entertainment journalist and News Editor at This Week in Videogames, has died in a motor vehicle accident. He was 34 years old.
Patrick Dane, This Week in Videogames News Editor, Dies
Patrick will be remembered for his passion and enthusiasm for his work and the games industry, and as a cherished colleague and friend.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Patrick Dane, longtime games and entertainment journalist and News Editor at This Week in Videogames, has died in a motor vehicle accident. He was 34 years old.
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked staff and columnists to share their personal favourites of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new for 2025).
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social juggled an exceptionally busy 2025, so it makes sense that her highlights were all about unwinding.
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social juggled an exceptionally busy 2025, so it makes sense that her highlights were all about unwinding.
Maddie Agne's Top 3 Games of 2025
Maddie Agne juggled a lot this year, but still somehow found some time to sink into a couple of good, cozy life simulators.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked staff and columnists to share their personal favourites of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new for 2025).
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social juggled an exceptionally busy 2025, so it makes sense that her highlights were all about unwinding.
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social juggled an exceptionally busy 2025, so it makes sense that her highlights were all about unwinding.
Reposted by This Week in Videogames
What's actually involved in getting a human voice actor to record lines for a game, and how does that compare to an AI replacement?
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
How the Cost and Effort of Human Voice Actors Compares to Generative AI
“A well-trained actor will save production in the end because you know the better trained you are, the quicker you can do the job and get what you need”
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:03 PM
What's actually involved in getting a human voice actor to record lines for a game, and how does that compare to an AI replacement?
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and columnists to share their favourite videogame-related things of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new for 2025).
MMORPG and roguelite die-hard @austinup.bsky.social shares some expected and unexpected titles that shaped his year.
MMORPG and roguelite die-hard @austinup.bsky.social shares some expected and unexpected titles that shaped his year.
Austin Bolliger's Top 4 Games of 2025
MMORPG and roguelite die-hard Austin Bolliger shares some expected and unexpected picks for his top games for 2025.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:00 PM
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and columnists to share their favourite videogame-related things of the year (and they didn’t necessarily need to be new for 2025).
MMORPG and roguelite die-hard @austinup.bsky.social shares some expected and unexpected titles that shaped his year.
MMORPG and roguelite die-hard @austinup.bsky.social shares some expected and unexpected titles that shaped his year.
What's actually involved in getting a human voice actor to record lines for a game, and how does that compare to an AI replacement?
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
How the Cost and Effort of Human Voice Actors Compares to Generative AI
“A well-trained actor will save production in the end because you know the better trained you are, the quicker you can do the job and get what you need”
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:03 PM
What's actually involved in getting a human voice actor to record lines for a game, and how does that compare to an AI replacement?
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
@maddie-b-a.bsky.social speaks to actors and audio engineers like @selmaleh.bsky.social and @jeffvandyck.com to try and demystify what goes into giving games a voice.
Reposted by This Week in Videogames
Wondering why everyone is suddenly talking about RAM? What's the big deal?
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
The Insatiable Appetite for RAM is Threatening to Consume the Gaming Market
RAM provider Micron recently decided to leave the consumer space. Experts tell us about the effect this will have on gaming.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Wondering why everyone is suddenly talking about RAM? What's the big deal?
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
Wondering why everyone is suddenly talking about RAM? What's the big deal?
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
The Insatiable Appetite for RAM is Threatening to Consume the Gaming Market
RAM provider Micron recently decided to leave the consumer space. Experts tell us about the effect this will have on gaming.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Wondering why everyone is suddenly talking about RAM? What's the big deal?
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
@patrickdane.bsky.social speaks to analysts and hardware experts like @matpiscatella.bsky.social, @superhys.bsky.social, and Daniel Owen to outline why RAM prices are skyrocketing, and what this means for videogames.
The primary organiser of The Indie Game Awards, Six One Indie, has confirmed to This Week in Videogames that a recently resurfaced article from Spanish newspaper El País, where Sandfall Interactive clarified its use of genAI, was the catalyst for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's reconsideration.
The low-cost creative revolution: How technology is making art accessible to everyone
Low-budget films like ‘Flow’ and ‘The Brutalist’ and video games like Clair Obscur are competing with major productions thanks to accessible tools like AI and free software
english.elpais.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:46 AM
The primary organiser of The Indie Game Awards, Six One Indie, has confirmed to This Week in Videogames that a recently resurfaced article from Spanish newspaper El País, where Sandfall Interactive clarified its use of genAI, was the catalyst for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's reconsideration.
Vince Zampella, Call of Duty co-creator and head of Battlefield, Respawn Entertainment and Ripple Effect Studios, has died.
NBC4 reports that Zampella was killed in a single-car crash in Southern California.
He was 55 years old.
NBC4 reports that Zampella was killed in a single-car crash in Southern California.
He was 55 years old.
Call of Duty Co-Creator and Battlefield Head Vince Zampella Dies in Car Crash
The head of Respawn Entertainment was killed on 21 December 2025 in a single car crash on Southern California's Angeles Crest Highway
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Vince Zampella, Call of Duty co-creator and head of Battlefield, Respawn Entertainment and Ripple Effect Studios, has died.
NBC4 reports that Zampella was killed in a single-car crash in Southern California.
He was 55 years old.
NBC4 reports that Zampella was killed in a single-car crash in Southern California.
He was 55 years old.
Blizzard president Johanna Faries says that the company is looking to establish a launch cadence of “one to two” major releases each year.
Faries told Bloomberg that due to the company’s forward-thinking restructure, she believes each franchise team knows where their games will be in three years.
Faries told Bloomberg that due to the company’s forward-thinking restructure, she believes each franchise team knows where their games will be in three years.
Blizzard Aims to Launch "at Least One to Two" Major Releases Each Year, says President
“Where I want us to be is where the teams not only believe that they can go and get after big things, but that they can achieve them in a realistic amount of time.”
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Blizzard president Johanna Faries says that the company is looking to establish a launch cadence of “one to two” major releases each year.
Faries told Bloomberg that due to the company’s forward-thinking restructure, she believes each franchise team knows where their games will be in three years.
Faries told Bloomberg that due to the company’s forward-thinking restructure, she believes each franchise team knows where their games will be in three years.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has had two awards it previously won at The Indie Game Awards revoked, including Game of the Year.
The event organiser says that “Sandfall Interactive did in fact confirm that GenAI was used in the making of Expedition 33,“ which goes against eligibility criteria.
The event organiser says that “Sandfall Interactive did in fact confirm that GenAI was used in the making of Expedition 33,“ which goes against eligibility criteria.
Clair Obsur: Expedition 33 Has Indie Game Awards Revoked Due To Generative AI Use
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had initially won both Game of the Year and Debut Game categories at The Indie Game Awards 2025.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has had two awards it previously won at The Indie Game Awards revoked, including Game of the Year.
The event organiser says that “Sandfall Interactive did in fact confirm that GenAI was used in the making of Expedition 33,“ which goes against eligibility criteria.
The event organiser says that “Sandfall Interactive did in fact confirm that GenAI was used in the making of Expedition 33,“ which goes against eligibility criteria.
Reposted by This Week in Videogames
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Concept Artists Say Generative AI References Only Make Their Jobs Harder
“The ‘early ideation stages’, when worlds are being fleshed out by writers and artists, are literally crucial to the development of a game’s vision,” said one artist.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Joanna Dark actor Alix Wilton Regan says was "as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else" when the Perfect Dark reboot was cancelled, and developer The Initiative shuttered.
"To my knowledge, we were pretty far along. I’d done entire chapters of this universe," she said.
"To my knowledge, we were pretty far along. I’d done entire chapters of this universe," she said.
Perfect Dark Actor Had "Done Entire Chapters of This Universe" Before Cancellation
Joanna Dark actor Alix Wilton Regan was "as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else" when developer The Initiative was shuttered
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Joanna Dark actor Alix Wilton Regan says was "as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else" when the Perfect Dark reboot was cancelled, and developer The Initiative shuttered.
"To my knowledge, we were pretty far along. I’d done entire chapters of this universe," she said.
"To my knowledge, we were pretty far along. I’d done entire chapters of this universe," she said.
Larian Studios will host an Ask Me Anything (AMA) in 2026 about its upcoming title, Divinity.
It comes after the studio received backlash over its reported use of generative AI in its process.
“We’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments… you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions"
It comes after the studio received backlash over its reported use of generative AI in its process.
“We’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments… you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions"
Larian to Host Divinity AMA After Generative AI Backlash
Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke wrote that it would be "irresponsible" for the studio "not to evaluate new technologies"
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 21, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Larian Studios will host an Ask Me Anything (AMA) in 2026 about its upcoming title, Divinity.
It comes after the studio received backlash over its reported use of generative AI in its process.
“We’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments… you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions"
It comes after the studio received backlash over its reported use of generative AI in its process.
“We’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments… you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions"
Riot Games has announced that it’s working on a major overhaul of League of Legends, set to launch in 2027.
A report from Bloomberg, which noted that the update is being referred to internally as League Next, expedited the official announcement of the project.
A report from Bloomberg, which noted that the update is being referred to internally as League Next, expedited the official announcement of the project.
Riot Games Working on Major League of Legends Overhaul Set for 2027
League of Legends is set to receive a substantial overhaul in 2027, including a game client and a visual update.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Riot Games has announced that it’s working on a major overhaul of League of Legends, set to launch in 2027.
A report from Bloomberg, which noted that the update is being referred to internally as League Next, expedited the official announcement of the project.
A report from Bloomberg, which noted that the update is being referred to internally as League Next, expedited the official announcement of the project.
Bloomberg has reported that workers at Naughty Dog recently underwent a seven week, mandatory overtime period.
The directive was made to complete an internal demo of its upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, for review by Sony after the production missed multiple deadlines.
The directive was made to complete an internal demo of its upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, for review by Sony after the production missed multiple deadlines.
Naughty Dog Mandates Developer Overtime for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Demo — Report
The developer had mandated a minimum of eight extra hours of work each week, as well as a return to office five days a week
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Bloomberg has reported that workers at Naughty Dog recently underwent a seven week, mandatory overtime period.
The directive was made to complete an internal demo of its upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, for review by Sony after the production missed multiple deadlines.
The directive was made to complete an internal demo of its upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, for review by Sony after the production missed multiple deadlines.
Marathon's art director, Joseph Cross, has confirmed that he’s left Bungie. He told Kotaku that it was his decision to leave.
The departure follows news of Marathon's release window in March 2026, as well as the resolution of art plagiarism accusations that occurred in May 2025.
The departure follows news of Marathon's release window in March 2026, as well as the resolution of art plagiarism accusations that occurred in May 2025.
Marathon Art Director Joseph Cross Leaves Bungie
Franchise Art Director on Marathon Joseph Cross has announced that he's leaving Bungie three months before the game's launch.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Marathon's art director, Joseph Cross, has confirmed that he’s left Bungie. He told Kotaku that it was his decision to leave.
The departure follows news of Marathon's release window in March 2026, as well as the resolution of art plagiarism accusations that occurred in May 2025.
The departure follows news of Marathon's release window in March 2026, as well as the resolution of art plagiarism accusations that occurred in May 2025.
Indie horror game Horses has sold over 18,000 copies and made approximately US $65,000 in net revenue.
Developer Santa Ragione says it's enough to pay back royalties and loans, but not enough to fund a new project, and “does not erase the impact of what happened.”
Developer Santa Ragione says it's enough to pay back royalties and loans, but not enough to fund a new project, and “does not erase the impact of what happened.”
Horses Sells Over 18,000 Copies, Repays Loans Despite Steam Ban
The indie horror title has made approximately US $65,000 in net revenue, but not enough to fund the studio's next project
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 19, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Indie horror game Horses has sold over 18,000 copies and made approximately US $65,000 in net revenue.
Developer Santa Ragione says it's enough to pay back royalties and loans, but not enough to fund a new project, and “does not erase the impact of what happened.”
Developer Santa Ragione says it's enough to pay back royalties and loans, but not enough to fund a new project, and “does not erase the impact of what happened.”
The lawsuit between Sony and Tencent over Tencent’s Light of Motiram has ended in a confidential settlement for an undisclosed amount.
Described as a “slavish clone” of Sony’s Horizon series, the game no longer has store pages on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
Described as a “slavish clone” of Sony’s Horizon series, the game no longer has store pages on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
Sony and Tencent Horizon Lawsuit Ends In Confidential Settlement
Originally filed in July 2025, the lawsuit has now been dismissed with prejudice and cannot be brought to the court again
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM
The lawsuit between Sony and Tencent over Tencent’s Light of Motiram has ended in a confidential settlement for an undisclosed amount.
Described as a “slavish clone” of Sony’s Horizon series, the game no longer has store pages on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
Described as a “slavish clone” of Sony’s Horizon series, the game no longer has store pages on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
Storied Bioware designer James Ohlen has left his position as studio head of Archetype Entertainment, which is set to ship its debut game, Exodus, in early 2027.
Bloomberg reports that Ohlen, who founded the company in 2019, has stepped down as part of a wider reshuffle at Wizards of the Coast.
Bloomberg reports that Ohlen, who founded the company in 2019, has stepped down as part of a wider reshuffle at Wizards of the Coast.
Studio Head James Ohlen Leaves Exodus Developer Archetype Entertainment
A Hasbro representative said, “At this stage, James felt his work on the game was complete and that the polishing and tuning were in great hands with the team.”
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Storied Bioware designer James Ohlen has left his position as studio head of Archetype Entertainment, which is set to ship its debut game, Exodus, in early 2027.
Bloomberg reports that Ohlen, who founded the company in 2019, has stepped down as part of a wider reshuffle at Wizards of the Coast.
Bloomberg reports that Ohlen, who founded the company in 2019, has stepped down as part of a wider reshuffle at Wizards of the Coast.