Firstpoint VC launches with €50m fund to invest in AI-driven games and entertainment startups
New venture capital firm Firstpoint VC has launched with a €50 million fund to invest in AI-driven gaming and entertainment startups.
Games Industry
Microsoft cuts Game Pass pricing and removes Call of Duty as day-one launch title in response to "a lot of feedback"
Xbox has confirmed it is reducing the price of its top-end Game Pass subscription and will no longer include new Call of Duty releases on day of release, following internal communication from Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma stating that the service had "become too expensive for players". Sharma repeated the observation in a post on X anouncing the change.
"This is not a sustainable business model" – Why Google Cloud's Jack Buser thinks AI can save the games industry
Union takes legal action against Build a Rocket Boy over alleged data privacy violations
The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has initiated legal action against Mindseye developer Build a Rocket Boy over alleged data privacy violations.
Sanrio establishes in-house gaming brand Sanrio Games
Toei Company launches publishing label Toei Games
Japanese entertainment company Toei has established Toei Games, an in-house publishing label.
Sony begins rolling out age verification for PlayStation in UK and Ireland
Sony is starting to introduce age verification for PlayStation users in the UK and Ireland to meet the requirements of the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA).
Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly pre-sold 500,000 copies on Steam a month before launch | News-in-brief
BAFTA calls last-minute decision to pull indie trailer from 2026 BAFTA Games Awards "a compliance decision"
BAFTA said the reason it pulled an indie game trailer from last weekend's 2026 BAFTA Games Awards was a "compliance decision."
Kotaku hires Rebekah Valentine as Senior Reporter as site expands under new ownership
Venerable games media site Kotaku has announced the appointment of Rebekah Valentine as Senior Reporter, the brand's first significant hire since it was purchased from G/O Media by Swiss firm Keleops Media in July 2025. Valentine's arrival is the first of several planned by the site, which Keleops says has grown rapidly post-acquisition. Valentine previously worked at IGN and before that GamesIndustry.biz.
Pirate adventure Windrose tops 1 million copies sold in 6 days | News-in-brief
Nordic Game 2026 announces speakers for Masterclass Friday programme
Organisers for Nordic Game 2026 have revealed the speakers for this year's Masterclass Friday programme.
GamesIndustry.biz to host The Games Investment Panel at MCM Comic Con's Indie Game Summit
GamesIndustry.biz will host The Games Investment Panel at Game Republic's Indie Games Summit during MCM London Comic Con next month.
Iron Galaxy Studios announces further layoffs, unknown number of staff affected
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 developer Iron Galaxy Studios has cut an unknown number of roles in response to "current market conditions."
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dispatch lead at BAFTA Awards 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dispatch were the standout titles at last week's BAFTA Awards, with both taking home three awards.
Podcast: Roblox, Hollywood, and London Games Week
I am delighted to announce the return of the GamesIndustry.biz podcast, in response to popular demand. The previous incarnation of the show, anchored by James Batchelor and Chris Dring, became an industry staple, and we've had many, many requests for its return.
Weak job security risks an industry brain drain | Opinion
We talk a lot about the major challenges that the games business currently faces due to external economic factors, from fears of a consumer-spending-led recession through to price rises driven by component scarcity. That focus can sometimes overshadow other looming challenges – none of which, I would argue, is more potentially damaging and destabilising than the long-term impacts on industry staffing as a result of the past few years of massive layoffs.
"You can't buy a BAFTA." Why commercial influence is a red line for the BAFTA Games Awards
Ahead of today's BAFTA Games Awards, GamesIndustry.biz sat down with BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip to discuss what's new this year and what might change in the future.
Roblox releases agentic AI tools for creators, promising ability to "build a game with a single prompt"
Roblox has released an agentic AI feature for its Roblox Studio tool for game creators, which it claims will turn text prompts into a game design document which the tool can then implement and test. "Creators can just describe what they want and Planning Mode will break down every step to make it, take feedback to refine the details, and implement the plan," the company said in a press release.
Alternative app store Aptoide files antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleges "anticompetitive chokehold"
Alternative app store Aptoide has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that it maintains an "anticompetitive chokehold" over third-party app stores.
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