Electronic Arts’ $55 billion buyout by a private consortium - led in part by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund - might sound like a chance for creative rebirth. No more quarterly shareholder pressure. No more short-term thinking. But in reality, the structure and incentives behind this deal point toward even less innovation, and more of what’s already been draining the life out of AAA game development for years...
The news that RuneScape developer Jagex has laid off an unspecified number of employees - just weeks after launching its new open-world survival title RuneScape: Dragonwilds - is yet another reminder of the gaming industry's turbulent restructuring phase in 2025. While the studio was quick to assure fans that ongoing game development will remain unaffected, the layoffs underscore deeper shifts in how studios are adapting to economic pressure, evolving development models, and shifting player expectations...
Electronic Arts has announced another round of sweeping changes to its development roadmap - this time cancelling the highly anticipated Black Panther game and closing the studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games...
