This Week in Videogames
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This Week in Videogames
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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...
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
GameStop will close over 470 stores in the US during January 2026, while the company’s Oceanic subsidiary proposes an exit from New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the company's Board of Directors has set a new incentive program worth US $35 billion for CEO Ryan Cohen to achieve "extraordinary growth."
GameStop Announces US $35 Billion Incentive for CEO As Hundreds of Stores Close
"Under the award, Mr. Cohen receives no guaranteed pay... he will only be paid if the Company achieves significant market and operational goals."
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:01 AM
May of us try to tighten our belts in the new year, but former Edge editor Nathan Brown of @hitpoints.bsky.social thinks that when it comes to gaming hardware, now's not the time to try and save money -- it'll only cost you more in the long run.

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/bonu... [Paywalled]
In the Market for Gaming Hardware? You Should Probably Act Now
Nathan Brown thinks you should probably buy that fancy gaming hardware thing you want, because it isn’t getting any cheaper.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:09 AM
ICYMI: Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege suffered two major hacks over the holiday period, which the developer has since resolved.

The first hack saw players receiving two billion credits each, resulting in Ubisoft shutting down the game completely, while the second saw players get banned for 67 days.
Two Major Rainbow Six Siege Hacks Have Been Resolved
The hacks, occurring one week apart, saw billions of credits and rare skins distributed to players while thousands were banned and unbanned
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:46 AM
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain has been denied interim pay and work visas for fired Rockstar Games workers at a preliminary employment tribunal hearing.

The union had requested relief for the workers while waiting for the case to go to full trial.
Fired Rockstar Staff Denied Interim Pay at Employment Tribunal Hearing
The Judge determined that workers had not exhibited a "pretty good chance of success" at persuading the court that the dismissals were for union activity.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:30 PM
The Sims team has asserted that they remain committed to the game's “values of inclusivity, choice, creativity, community, and play."

Their post follows EA's acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the departure of several Sims 4 content creators from the EA Creator Network.
The Sims Team Says Its Values Are "Unchanged" After Saudi Buyout
The team detailed values including inclusivity, choice, and creativity, and stated that its creative control "has not changed"
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei have received eight nominations apiece at the 2026 D.I.C.E. Awards, run by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

They join Arc Raiders, Dispatch, and Blue Prince as Game of the Year finalists.
D.I.C.E. Awards 2026 - All The Finalists and Categories
Over 30,000 Academy members are eligible to vote for the winners.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Ubisoft has closed Ubisoft Halifax, the mobile developer behind Assassin’s Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile.

Workers at Ubisoft Halifax voted to unionise in December 2025, but Ubisoft claims the decision to close was made “well before” the union was formed.
Ubisoft Halifax Closes Weeks After Unionising
The mobile developer has been shuttered due to cost-cutting measures after becoming the first North American Ubisoft union in December 2025
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Finalists for the 2026 Independent Game Festival Awards have been announced, with Baby Steps picking up the most nominations at five.

Grand Prize nominees include Baby Steps, Blippo+, HORSES, Angeline Era, Perfect Tides: Station to Station, and the newly announced Titanium Court.
IGF Awards 2026 - All the Finalists and Categories
Finalists for the IGF Awards are determined by a selection of 250-300 judges chosen by the IGF, which includes game developers, journalists, and other individuals.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:00 AM
For our Best of 2025 series, we asked our staff and contributors to share their favourite videogame-related experiences of the year.

As expected, @victoriatran.bsky.social pushed the assignment to the extreme — here are her Top 5 unhinged crushes from some of 2025's best games.
Victoria Tran's Top 5 "Hear Me Out" Video Game Characters of 2025
Innersloth's Victoria Tran shares her Top 5 niche, unusual, and unhinged crushes from some of 2025's best videogames. Apologies in advance.
thisweekinvideogames.com
January 11, 2026 at 9:00 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
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.

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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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 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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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...
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