Game Control: ‘Kingdom Hearts’ Ending, Game Leaks, Mass Layoffs Across The Industry
Subnautica 2 was announced at the Xbox Partner preview. The sequel to the hit action-adventure survival game will be available on PC and Xbox Series X and S in 2025 via the Xbox Game Preview program. Players with Xbox Game Pass will also receive the game upon release. Subnautica 2 will be set on a new planet with an entirely new ecosystem. Additionally, players can co-op up to four players, previously unavailable in the franchise’s previous installment.
Kingdom Hearts 4 will allegedly move the franchise towards its end. After twenty-two years and eighteen installments, co-director, co-writer, and lead artist on the game Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 will act as a jumping point for new players after Kingdom Hearts 3, but that it will also shift the series’ narrative towards an ending. Famous for having a convoluted plot spread across a plethora of games for specific consoles, having an installment that ties a bow on Kingdom Hearts’ extensive plot is quite the undertaking, despite it being beneficial for longtime fans and new players. Nomura gave no additional details about Kingdom Hearts 4 or its plot despite his statement.
Alleged prototype images of the Nintendo Switch 2 leaked in mid-September. The images supposedly originated from a Chinese website before being posted on Reddit. Video Games Chronicle (VGA) covered the story, a source saying the leaked images “match what the company has told partners to expect from its design.”
The Xbox Ambassadors Program will end after over 13 years of promoting “a healthy gaming community [made up of] inclusivity, safety, and fun.” The program was shuttered as it no longer fits in with Microsoft and Xbox’s branding.
Logitech announced a series of RS and Momo sim racing steering wheels to act as successors for the G Pro sim racing wheel base. Announced at Logitech’s “Logi Play” event, a wide variety of wheels and accessories for the new remotes were also displayed.
Sony has announced limited edition PlayStations as part of their 30th Anniversary Collection. These exclusive consoles include a PlayStation 5 and a PS5 Pro in a classic PlayStation style. Additional exclusive consoles are a limited edition DualSense, DualSense Edge, and PlayStation Portal. Preorders for the products began on September 26 with an official release scheduled for November 21. The PS5 Pro bundle only has 12,3000 units available internationally and includes a PS5 Pro, a vertical stand, a charging station, and the DualSense Edge controller and case, all in the style of the PSOne.
Disney announced a new Tron game coming to PC and consoles in 2025. Disney Tron: Catalyst is a “thrilling, story-driven isometric action game”. Yet another collaboration between Devolver Digital’s Big Fan Games, Bithell Games, and Disney Games, this installment will continue the plot of Bithell Games’ 2023 release Tron: Identity.
Phasmophobia will be released on console on October 29. The game was previously only available for PC gamers, but will now be released in Early Access for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. As a horror game, Phasmophobia’s October 29 release date makes perfect sense and could potentially see an influx of profit as a result.
Phasmophobia will be released on console on October 29. The game was previously only available for PC gamers, but will now be released in Early Access for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. As a horror game, Phasmophobia’s October 29 release date makes perfect sense and could potentially see an influx of profit as a result.
New hit action-adventure platformer The Plucky Squire received a new update for Nintendo Switch. Despite being released last month, The Plucky Squire has received generally positive reviews with frequent downloads. Another update for the Switch is supposedly on its way.
Showrunner and executive producer Rafe Judkins along with executive producers Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus have left Amazon and PlayStation’s TV adaptation of God of War. The production is still in the works, with Amazon and PlayStation currently searching for a new showrunner and creative direction for the adaptation.
Insider Gaming alleges that Hogwarts Legacy DLC and a Definitive Edition are on their way. No confirmation has come from Warner Bros. Discovery or Avalanche Software. This supposed DLC will include 10-15 hours of bonus content for the game “with a new story quest, side quests, activities, and outfits.” Additionally, the DLC will allegedly be between $20 to $30.
Mobile: NetEase announced a mobile game based on Destiny 2. Titled Destiny: Rising, this mobile installment will act as an alternate history prequel to the current Destiny. Additionally, the game’s announcement puts Bungie Games on the back burner, a move that makes sense after Bungie laid off at least 220 developers in July. Destiny: Rising is “developed and published by NetEase Games, and officially licensed by Bungie” per the game’s press release.
A listing for The Sims Labs: Town Stories appeared, then disappeared, from the Google Play Store. No official announcement has come from EA or Maxis about The Sims’ latest mobile installment. Supposedly, players will be able to control and customize the town of Plumbrook while hosting its many in-game residents (likely a spin-off The Sims franchise’s Townies).
The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube collaborated with Nørdlight Games to create a mobile game. A standard match-three puzzle game, Rubik’s Match is now available to download on the App Store and Google Play. The release of Rubik’s Match also marks fifty years since Ernő Rubik invented the first working prototype of the Rubik’s cube.
Originating as a PC and console title, a new Age of Empires mobile game just launched and is available internationally. The game was co-developed by TiMi Studio Group and World’s Edge. This is the third Age of Empires installment to hit mobile. However, its predecessors Age of Empires: World Domination and Age of Empires: Castle Siege went defunct over five years ago.
Marvel announced a new team-based tactical RPG called Marvel Mystic Mayhem. This new mobile installment was developed by NetEase Games. Pre-registration is currently available for the game, though no release date has been announced yet.
A mobile version of Overwatch is in development. Jason Schreier alleges in his new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment, that Blizzard is supposedly working on Overwatch Mobile alongside updates to the existing Overwatch 2. The book also alleges that Overwatch General Manager Walter Kong is in charge of overseeing the development of the mobile installment.
Starting November 1, Microsoft will bring more Xbox games to Android devices thanks to a court ruling. Since 2020, subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate have been able to play titles on Android and iOS-compatible mobile devices thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming. After a judge ruled in favor of Epic Games during a lawsuit with the developer against Google and Samsung, Microsoft has taken this ruling as a means to update and expand its Xbox Android mobile app. This allows Microsoft to add more games to its mobile roster.
PC: Tenz officially announced that he is leaving Sentinels and retiring from professional Valorant gameplay. The announcement comes after Sentinels won the 2024 VCT Masters Madrid, earning their second international trophy.
EA and Maxis have announced a wide variety of updates for The Sims franchise. The Sims 5 has been canceled, with EA and Maxis treating the mysterious Project Rene as the next major installment for The Sims. First announced in 2022, Project Rene is a multiplayer cross-platform version of The Sims currently in development.
EA has also announced a new program for creators that focuses on The Sims content. “The Sims Creator Program” gives creators access to the EA Creator Network, a private Discord with communication to The Sims team, two free game codes at new launches, 48-hour early access to new packs, and much more. Creators can apply to The Sims Creator Program if they are over the age of 18, actively make The Sims content (art, cosplay, videos, etc), have The Sims content posted on their main platform within the last 30 days, have 5,000+ followers or 40+ average concurrent viewers in the last 30 days or 2,000+ average downloads for the majority of their custom created content, are not associated with any “websites that harm the community”, do not engage in leaks, and if their content abides by the EA Creator Network guidelines.
The Sims movie will occur under Amazon MGM Studios with Kate Herron slated to co-write and direct the feature. Briony Redman has also been hired on as co-writer. In addition to The Sims team producing the flick, LuckyChap, and Vertigo Entertainment will also produce.
The Sims 4 base game saw a major update featuring 650 new swatches to pre-existing items in the game like furniture, archways, doors, and terrain paint.
A new Minecraft mob and biome will be included in the game’s Bundles and Bravery update. The new biome is called the pale garden and is part of the overworld. Animal mobs do not spawn in this biome, but it features a new variety of trees called pale oak, lots of new moss, and a new mob specifically for the biome called the creaking. Similar to J. R. R. Tolkien’s Ents, the creaking disguises itself as a tree. It remains motionless until spotted by a player and can only be killed if its creaking heart is destroyed.
Hades 2 received a massive update titled the Olympic Update. In addition to returning characters like Athena, Dionysus, and the new villain Prometheus, a whole new region, new familiars, and a new weapon were added to the game. Current features were also cut and updated as Supergiant Games saw fit.
Castlevania Dominus Collection, a five-game bundle of Castlevania titles, received an update. The update adds new artwork and fixes many bugs across the multiple games in the collection. New user interface features have been added like a feature that allows players to save their screen mode preference in the collection’s Steam version.
Virtual Reality: Wordle now has a native app for Meta Quest and is available for Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro. The New York Times confirmed that VR editions of Connections and Strands are not currently in the works.
Sandbox VR announced a new installment into the Deadwood zombie franchise. Deadwood PHOBIA acts as a direct sequel to Deadwood Valley. Acting as Sandbox VR’s “first psychological horror experience, Deadwood PHOBIA takes [players] on a journey through [their] fears, where you can’t trust everything you see.”
Minecraft will stop supporting virtual reality headset PlayStation VR after March 2025. Mojang Studios gave no reasoning behind the move, though Sony itself has moved on from PlayStation VR to the PlayStation VR2 which was released in February 2023. Players who update Minecraft past March 2025 on the console will no longer be able to support PSVR. Later updates will not be supported on the device.
HTC Vive announced a new headset called the HTC Vive Focus Vision. The device promises gamers built-in eye-tracking, improved cameras, and better hand-tracking at a price tag of $999. The new headset is currently available for pre-order.
Just Dance VR was released on October 15 to a lackluster reception. The latest installment into the Just Dance franchise is available on Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, and Meta Quest 2. The game also supports an online multiplayer mode.
DIG VR has been delayed to avoid competition from Batman: Arkham Shadow’s release. Originally slated to launch on October 24, DIG VR is now delayed till November 14. In comparison, Arkham Shadow will be released on October 22, just two days before DIG VR’s original release date.
Alongside its console release, Phasmophobia will also be available on PlayStation VR2 thanks to early access. Like its console release, the game will be released for the device on October 29.
Industry: Riot Games laid off twenty-seven League of Legends PC developers and five of its publishing sector workers as part of the company’s long-term strategy to maintain its catalog’s quality. Riot Games previously announced layoffs in January 2024, cutting 11% of its staff.
At EA’s annual Investor Day, the company showcased its existing AI tech and new AI technology that it would implement. CEO Andrew Wilson described AI as “the very core of our business” which received pushback from the gaming community. Wilson confirmed that AI was used for College Football 25, saying the game could not have included 150 different stadiums and over 11,000 player likenesses without using AI technology.
Developer Annapurna Interactive saw a mass resignation following failed negotiations with Annapurna Pictures. The team at Annapurna Interactive wanted to spin off the company into an independent entity due to Annapurna Pictures’ shift in strategy for its video game titles. Bloomberg reports that the heads of Annapurna Interactive and “two dozen other staff” walked out of the meeting, though the exact number of staff is unknown and varies from publication to publication. Annapurna Pictures is scrambling to fill roles in its marketing department, localization, QA, public relations, and platform relations.
Nintendo and the Pokemon Company filed a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair on September 18. Nintendo and Pokemon claim that Pocketpair is infringing upon their patents. The Pokemon Company previously won $15 million in a copyright lawsuit against a Chinese company that copied the game. This sets a precedent for the current Palworld lawsuit. Nintendo released a statement in January stating that they would “investigate and take appropriate measures” against Palworld for potentially infringing content.
Nexon America laid off a “small number” of staff while reorganizing the company. This follows the newly established Western Development Group in Los Angeles, led by Nexon America’s Hanbyeol Oh. Despite the layoffs, Nexon America is currently hiring new positions in development roles such as engineers and designers. The exact number of staff affected by these layoffs has yet to be announced.
Co-development Studio Kokku laid off seven members of its Portugal office after an operational review of the branch. These members of staff were laid off after Kokku found that aspects of its Portugal studio did not follow the company’s new growth and global operational strategy.
Glowup Games shut down after five years of operation. The company garnered their shutdown to the tough environment of the gaming industry currently, saying “we have not been able to continue weathering the challenges we fought so hard to overcome for all these years, especially in this current environment that has seen countless established game studios close their doors.” Glowup Games is most well known for their mobile title Insecure: The Come Up Game.
About seven hundred members of Ubisoft’s French staff have been on strike since October 15 with reports suggesting the strike has spread to Italy. The disagreement comes after Ubisoft ordered that employees be in the office at least three days a week, with staff already discontent over pay. The strike is also taking place during uncertainty over Ubisoft’s future. Shareholders in the company are trying to make it private, with a potential buyout also on the horizon.
Steam took down content in Russia following complaints from the country’s government. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to the banning of multiple platforms like Discord, though Steam seems to currently be safe. Neither Russian officials nor Steam have confirmed what materials were removed from the platform.
An antitrust lawsuit between the public versus Microsoft and Activision Blizzard has been settled. Gamers were concerned that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard would lead to monopolization, with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the US Federal Trade Commission also challenging the deal.
Bandai Namco is reducing its staff and canceling several of its upcoming titles due to low demand. The company has been rearranging members of its staff since April. Over a hundred employees have already left the company with another hundred potentially resigning in the next few months. The announcement comes despite their latest release, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, selling over three million copies in its first day.
