"We are the best allies to game devs": Skyrim modder shows solidarity with laid off Bethesda workers by draping union logos across Tamriel

You've heard about Microsoft's mass layoffs by now. The last few days have been filled with stories of how these cuts are affecting different studios both still and formerly owned by Xbox, with even Elder Scrolls 6 developers Bethesda not being spared, regardless of that series being one their corporate overlords are determined to squeeze more out of going forwards. Thankfully, those overlords are reciving some pushback, with unionised Bethesda staff planning protest rallies and a modder using their talents to offer players a way of showing solidarity.

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After years of Nintendo lawsuits and many millions of sales, Pokémon baiter Palworld is out in 1.0 today

Creature-catching game Palworld - the cheerfully macabre survival game that came out of nowhere in 2024 and has sold 40 million copies despite being roundly berated and, indeed, taken to court by Uncle Nintendo for riffing rather flagrantly on Pokémon - launches out of early access today. It's been a journey! Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the industrial exploitation of Kingpacas.

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Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis shutting down means its Japan only, prequel phone game will remain unplayable

It was not particularly surprising to hear that Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, the other remake of Final Fantasy 7 that opts for a more faithful approach to the original game (if being filled with gacha rolls counts as faithful), is ending service. Square Enix have been ceasing development on pretty much every mobile game they have out at the moment, so why would this one be any different? It's a shame, though, not just because of the fact that it'll be completely inaccessible when it goes down, but because of its inclusion of Before Crisis.

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Stardew Valley enters the third dimension thanks to this in-development mod that even comes with VR functionality

I don't need to tell you that Stardew Valley is not a 3D game, and if I do, your understanding of dimensions is unsettling to me. However, where there's a will, there's a way, as a modder has done the unthinkable by adding an extra dimension to the beloved farming sim, turning it into something else entirely.

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Hooded Horse’s new strategy game Rogue Carrier has you captaining a research ship on a planet where the seas boil with violent squid

There are two cultural artifacts that buzz about my brain without ever truly settling: 2001's action game RTS hybrid Hostile Waters and Wes Anderson's film The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. It may be an unfair lens to apply to newly announced roguelite colony builder Rogue Carrier, but it has enough of both of them to have me ready to dive into its ocean.

In Rogue Carrier, you are the captain of a science ship that is stranded on a strange world. More than a schooner, this vessel is a mega carrier – the largest vessel humanity's ever built. The Bohemoth is able to support whole buildings and production lines on its back. It falls to you to pilot the ship across an ocean that is bubbling with alien sea life – some of it friendly, much of it not – surviving attacks, learning more about the world, and finding your way off the planet.

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Former Marathon director settles lawsuit against Sony and Bungie, following his firing over alleged inappropriate messages to female staff

Former Marathon director Christopher Barrett has settled his lawsuit against Sony and Bungie. He filed the lawsuit against the studio after a quiet departure which was confirmed in March 2024.

Bloomberg reported in August 2024 that Barrett had been fired after he was accused by several female Bungie staff of inappropriate behaviour. Barrett subsequently sued Sony and Bungie for breach of contract and defamation, claiming that the real reason he was fired was to prevent him being paid a bonus of over $45 million, with the suit seeing Sony reveal some of the inappropriate text messages Barret allegedly sent to staff.

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New Vegas devs Obsidian are reportedly working on a new Fallout game, and only Microsoft could make news I've waited half my life for taste this bitter

I rather like Fallout: New Vegas. It's one of my favourite games of all time, if not number one. Ever since I first played it as an impressionable teenager, I've been dying to see its developers Obsidian offered more chances to turn their well-honed talents for building deep RPGs with compelling worlds on the series about life after the bombs drop.

That's what makes the fact I'm now getting to write the words 'Obsidian are reportedly set to begin work on a new Fallout game helmed by New Vegas director Josh Sawyer' with thoroughly mixed feelings as utterly galling as it is.

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