Jobs Roundup: January 2026 | Chris Leggett joins Microsoft as Xbox senior communications manager
It can be difficult keeping track of the various comings and goings in the games industry, which is why we compile them in semi-regular round-ups.
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ZeniMax Online founder confirms he quit after Microsoft shut down Project Blackbird, "the game I had waited my entire career to create"
ZeniMax Online founder Matt Firor has confirmed he chose to walk away from the studio after parent company Microsoft canceled Project Blackbird, "the game [he] had waited [his] entire career to create."
Arc Raiders hits 12 million copies sold as it tops 3.2 million DAUs | News-in-Brief
Ubisoft was forced to "intentionally" take Rainbow Six Siege offline during holiday hack
Ubisoft's tentpole shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, is still struggling after a hacker group forced the publisher to take it offline over the holidays.
Square Enix artist and character designer Toshiyuki Itahana leaves Square Enix after 25+ years
Final Fantasy designer Toshiyuki Itahana is leaving Square Enix after over 25 years at the company.
Embark boss insists studio isn't using AI to replace people in Arc Raiders development
The CEO and founder of Swedish developer Embark Studios, Patrick Söderlund, has said that the company is not using AI as a means of reducing its investment in people.
"Nobody wants AI slop" – Joost van Dreunen on the future of AI and the shifting economics of the games industry
"The macroeconomics are shifting," says Joost van Dreunen, as we discuss the seismic changes the games industry has seen over the past few years. "There's a lot of big problems for both consumers and for people working in the industry."
Boosting Steam reviews post-release leads to increased conversion rates, says Gamesight
Higher review scores on Steam can lead to stronger ad performance, particularly when developers listen to community feedback on premium titles.
Ubisoft Halifax staff officially form union
London Games Festival's Michael French awarded MBE
Games industry veteran Michael French has been awarded an MBE as part of the New Year Honours List 2026.
Xbox veteran Albert Penello has passed away
Hollow Knight: Silksong wins Game of the Year at 2025 Steam Awards
The winners of 2025’s Steam Awards have been announced, with Hollow Knight: Silksong winning Game of the Year.
Games industry legal trends to watch in 2026: AI, child safety, loot boxes and more
In December last year, we fetched our crystal ball and made some predictions on the legal trends that would impact the games industry in 2025.
The best games of 2025 | Year in Review
As we enter the final hours of 2025, we're resurrecting an erratically-followed tradition: picking out the best games that the team played this year. It's been another twelve months filled with thousands of new games, and we make no claim to have played all of them: these are simply the ones that we played the most, and enjoyed the most. Here's to another round of winners in 2026.
CD Projekt RED sells GOG platform to co-founder for $25 million
Developer and publisher CD Projekt RED (CDPR) has sold the GOG distribution platform to one of its founders for 90.7 million Polish zlotys (around $25 million/£18.6 million).
How game storytelling needs to be done differently in VR
Engaging with VR feels wholly different to traditional gaming. Even when playing a conventional first-person game, the interface, voice-over (VO) and occasional camera-grab all remind you that you’re portraying Booker DeWitt or Adam Jensen or Indiana Jones. But crucially, the space between you and the screen reinforces that separation. Booker’s over there, in Columbia, while I’m in my living room, seeing the world from his perspective.
Happy Holidays from GamesIndustry.biz
A programming note: we are now signing off until 2026. Some new articles will appear on the site over the festive period along with a few repeats, and there will be a couple of newsletters to highlight those – but otherwise the GamesIndustry.biz team has downed tools for 2025.
Our pick of the best GamesIndustry.biz features of 2025 | Year in Review
NCsoft makes majority investment in Singapore mobile publisher Indygo
Korean games giant NCsoft has made a majority investment in Singapore mobile publisher Indygo Group.
EA shareholders back $55bn acquisition
Investors in US publishing giant Electronic Arts have backed the company's acquisition by a consortium that includes the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
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