This Week in Videogames

thisweekinvideogames.com

21 October 2026 23:31

EA has announced the closure of BioWare, the cancellation of the next Mass Effect and a mobile Sims title, and layoffs on the Skate team. 400 people will be affected. The news follows the completion of its private acquisition by a consortium led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

This Week in Videogames

thisweekinvideogames.com

21 October 2026 01:30

Former Sony Computer Entertainment chairman and CEO Ken Kutaragi has commented on the decision to end physical disc production for new PlayStation games. “I really understand [the upset] […] maybe it’s a mentality issue,” he said, adding that disc production may not be “economically reasonable."

This Week in Videogames

thisweekinvideogames.com

21 October 2026 00:30

A senior Microsoft business strategist has deactivated his Twitter account after making a series of posts encouraging AI adoption and declaring "we use AI, just as all companies do in 2026." "I’m happy to take the hit if it means hundreds at Xbox can stop pretending that they’re not using AI"

This Week in Videogames

thisweekinvideogames.com

20 October 2026 23:31

European age rating agency PEGI has begun updating the ratings of digital-only titles containing "paid random item" mechanics. Games like Overwatch, League of Legends, and Fallout Shelter are now rated PEGI 16 in accordance with the new criteria − the baseline for any title loot box-like mechanics.

This Week in Videogames

thisweekinvideogames.com

20 October 2026 00:32

Two indie developers have announced plans to scale back previously scheduled public playtests, and remove public demos of their upcoming games, due to fears of clone games developed using genAI. ReVamp developer Digital Sun called for platforms to "keep strengthening protections for original work."