"I think that we are really focusing on the learning – the curriculum, if you want – and really bringing people on and empowering them to be professionals."–Roblox Studio head Stefano Corazza

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Palia developer Singularity 6 has laid off 35 percent of its workforce less than a month after the multiplayer community sim launched on Steam.The LA studio confirmed the news in a statement to IGN and said the layoffs were the result of an internal evaluation designed to assess what resources it needed to "deliver the highest-quality gameplay service for long-term stability.""Following Palia's release on Steam, we evaluated the support needed to deliver the highest-quality gameplay service for long-term stability. We made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce, which impacted around 35 percent of our talented and hardworking team members," explained the studio."We value their contributions and are committed to supporting them throughout this process, …

Crossfire and Lost Ark developer Smilegate has closed its Barcelona studio.News of the closure has spread on Linkedin (thanks VGC) after multiple former employees explained the studio has been laid to rest."Well our journey at Smilegate Barcelona has come to an end," wrote Edouard Albert, formerly a producer at the Spanish studio."Today marked the last day of Smilegate Barcelona, as the studio is closing its doors," added former lead level designer Myles Kerwin. "And as the Battleship metaphor implies, 2023-2024 has been shaky, and every new batch of layoffs, or studio closures, no matter how big or small, has been felt by all of us in the industry, leading to a climate of nervousness and uncertainty. And so I am joining this group who has been affected directly.&q…

Crumbling conglomerate Embracer Group has sold key Gearbox Software assets to Take-Two Interactive Software in a deal worth $460 million.The divested assets include studios like Gearbox Software, Gearbox Montreal, Gearbox Studio Quebec. Take-Two will also acquire major franchises such as Borderlands, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Brothers in Arms, and Duke Nukem.Embracer will retain ownership of Gearbox Publishing San Francisco (formerly known as Perfect World Entertainment), including the publishing rights to the Remnant franchise, Hyper Light Breaker, and other "notable" unannounced releases. Lost Boys Interactive, Captured Dimensions, and Cryptic Studios, including projects such as Neverwinter Online and Star Trek Online, will also be staying put.The d…

Ubisoft's shooter xDefiant has allegedly been undermined by a toxic team culture that's lasted for years.According to a new Insider Gaming report, a "Boys Club" of executives and directors have caused problems throughout the shooter's creation. Beyond crunch and several departures, it's resulted in missed deadlines for an already troubled project.The club's effect is so strong, several sources claimed it's added years onto xDefiant's development cycle. One source cited these individuals' unprofessionalism and bad work ethic, and one club member is said to have "more HR reports than I’ve ever seen."Allegations of toxic behavior have followed Ubisoft for years across various offices. A second source admitted they heard it was &quo…

Obsidian Entertainment's 2010 game Alpha Protocol has returned from the dead. As of today, the RPG is available on GOG after being delisted five years ago.GOG's announcement notes the game has returned in full form: not only is it playable on modern PCs, it has a licensed soundtrack and full controller support.What's more, the game is on sale for $18 (or the regional equivalent) from now until April 3.Alpha Protocol saw mixed reviews on release and became a cult classic in the years since. Obsidian had plans for a sequel, but publisher Sega nixed those plans due to its poor sales.Expired music licenses led to its delisting in June 2019. As it stands, GOG is the only way to play the game currently, and it's unclear if this means the game will release on digital console s…

According to Reuters, Tencent is changing up its development strategy. Rather than devote its time into making mobile games for "foreign franchises," it'll focus on its own, original titles.Sources told the outlet "hundreds" of staff that spent years working on Assassin's Creed Jade for Ubisoft have now been transferred to Tencent's just-launched DreamStar. As a result, Jade is now expected to launch in 2025.Previously, Tencent was making phone spinoffs for Elden Ring and Nier. The latter was eventually scrapped, in part because it wanted to pay 10 percent in licensing fees to Square Enix rather than the standard 15-20 percent.In the past year, the company has faced several "setbacks" with its licensed lineup. Along with shuttering Apex Legends …

The Epic Games Store is heading to iOS and Android so developers can choose how to bring their games to those platforms.The company broke the news during its annual State of Unreal showcase at GDC 2024, and in a follow-up interview told Game Developer the work-in-progress storefront will allow it to once again bring Fortnite to mobile platforms (on its own terms) while also "giving developers a choice" about how they ship."We make multiple games that are really good on mobile. Fortnite is fantastic on mobile. The minute we get the opportunity to do so, we want to [launch it]," said Epic EVP Saxs Persson. "We want to give developers a choice. Fundamentally we believe that every platform should be an open platform and should allow open competition."The Epic Game…