All articles tagged with #game development
Epic Games teased Unreal Engine 6 with Rocket League migrating to the new engine, signaling a next-gen toolset for the Xbox Project Helix era; a full UE6 reveal and additional UE6-powered titles are expected in the near future.
Good Feel has been confirmed as the developer of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, per in-game credits and review scores; the studio is known for Yoshi’s Woolly World and Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn.
Bungie unveiled a roadmap for Marathon that suggests the revival will undergo a complete overhaul this year, signaling a major reworking of scope and design beyond incremental updates.
Amazon reportedly canceled its long-running Lord of the Rings MMO, while saying it’s still exploring a new game experience in Middle-earth. The project, announced in 2019, was scrapped in 2021, briefly revived in 2023, but mass layoffs last year suggest it’s dead; Amazon insists it remains committed to the IP and is pursuing a different concept, with rumors of ties to Rings of Power and potential involvement from studios like Crystal Dynamics or Warhorse.
Amazon reportedly canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO after October layoffs, with the company saying it’s pursuing a 'new game experience' in Middle-earth; the project began in 2019 with Leyou and later Embracer, and about 1,000 developers reportedly moved from New World to LOTR before the cuts, while New World is scheduled to go offline in January 2027. Some reports linked an AI mandate to the layoffs, which Amazon denies.
In Oct 2025, Amazon Games Studios laid off a large portion of its staff as part of a company-wide 14,000-job reduction, with Project Trident—the Nordic-inspired, AI-powered game—one of the titles affected. The project had been dramatically reworked to incorporate generative AI for NPC interactions and combat, shifting from an initial Shadow of the Colossus‑style concept to a Helldivers‑like design before changing course again to a single-player linear narrative. An internal AI mandate preceded the layoffs, though Amazon says the role reductions were due to a strategic shift rather than AI itself. The broader context includes New World’s end-of-life and ongoing questions about the Lord of the Rings MMO, which Amazon says remains in development in some form.
SNK unveiled VS Studio, a new game development subsidiary led by Katsuhiro Harada after his departure from Bandai Namco, based in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The studio will collaborate with SNK on software development to strengthen their capabilities, guided by Harada’s philosophy “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection.”
Nintendo says more Switch 2 titles are in the works for the second half of FY2026; president Shuntaro Furukawa notes longer development cycles but promises a variety of new titles (not just “major” ones) with details to come later, and an aim to maintain a steady cadence of about one game per month.
Neowiz is under scrutiny for a job listing seeking an AI creator/artist to use generative AI (e.g., Stable Diffusion, Midjourney) to craft textures and assets for a Lies of P sequel and train unique AI models, highlighting a broader debate about AI’s role in game development and its impact on artists—productive tools versus potential outsourcing of creativity.
A Nintendo UI/UX designer explains creating Mario Kart World's expansive map by prioritizing immediate track recognition (tracks → roads → land), using palm-sized dioramas for icons, and integrating the map with navigation and loading screens to enhance immersion and help players orient themselves in the connected world.
A Dutch game-industry veteran is pursuing the Immense Engine—a fully European-hosted, AI-assisted general-purpose engine intended to rival Unreal Engine by enabling the creation of usable 3D worlds beyond gaming, with a focus on European rules and potentially AI models to speed development.
A Forbes analysis argues Bungie is juggling two major efforts—Destiny 2’s ongoing live-service operation and the development of Marathon—by sharing talent, leadership, and resources in ways that may dilute focus and threaten timelines for both projects as the studio tries to keep Destiny stable while Marathon moves forward.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says GTA 6 could be one of the most expensive games and the company is exploring AI to boost development efficiency and potentially reduce costs, though AI-driven savings aren’t proven yet. The goal is to avoid compromising quality as costs rise, with GTA 6 set to launch November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and no PC release on day one.
Sony says AI tools will speed up development and broaden the slate of games by automating workflows like QA and animation, enabling faster production and smarter discovery, while insisting AI is an enhancer—not a replacement—for human designers and creators; NPCs with AI personalities could be a future possibility.
Sony and Bandai Namco announced a collaborative pilot centered on generative AI and future technologies to speed up game development, boost productivity, and personalize player experiences. Sony executives emphasized AI as an amplifier for human creativity rather than a replacement for creators, highlighting tools like Mockingbird for faster facial animation and AI-driven workflows. The move accompanies broader AI initiatives at Sony, including potential changes to business models amid memory shortages and an undecided PS6 timeline, signaling a deeper AI push across PlayStation’s strategy.