Welcome to WarBulletin - your new best friend in the world of gaming. We're all about bringing you the hottest updates and juicy insights from across the gaming universe. Are you into epic RPG adventures or fast-paced eSports? We've got you covered with the latest scoop on everything from next-level PC gaming rigs to the coolest game releases. But hey, we're more than just news! Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite games? We're talking exclusive interviews with the brains behind the games, fresh off-the-press photos and videos straight from gaming conventions, and, of course, breaking news that you just can't miss. We know you love gaming 24/7, and that's why we're here round the clock, updating you on all things gaming. Whether it's the lowdown on a new patch or the buzz about the next big gaming celeb, we're on it.
Embracer, the embattled gaming company that went through a massive restructuring over the past year, just announced that it will split up into three different companies: Asmodee, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends.
Apex Legends developer Respawn has told fans it will not change the game to block certain characters and cosmetics from being played during the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia this summer, despite concerns over how the country might censor the battle royale's diverse character roster.
There is probably no company more emblematic of the workplace chaos that's gripped the videogame industry than Embracer. After rapidly expanding into a gaming behemoth, the studio went off a cliff in 2023 after the collapse of a planned $2 billion investment deal with Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group. But Matthew Karch, CEO of the newly spun-off Saber Interactive, believes Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors «gets a bad rap» for all the layoffs and studio closures that followed, saying in an interview with GamesIndustry that in reality, «nobody has been guided by more of a sense of fairness and reasonableness.»
One of the big stories of the past year has been the collapse of Embracer Group, as the failure to secure a major $2 billion investment resulted in the company cutting loose several major studios, either by selling or shuttering them, and laying off 1,400 employees. One of the studios Embracer let go of was Saber Interactive, which was sold to new company Beacon Interactive for a relatively meager $247 million (Embracer originally paid $525 million for them). You’d think the head of Saber might be bitter about this, but instead the company’s founder Matthew Karch is still singing Embracer’s praises in a new GamesIndustry.biz interview.
Following its highly anticipated release, The Outlast Trials has officially been banned in Saudi Arabia. As the newest installment in the popular Outlast franchise, The Outlast Trials promises more intense scares than ever. However, players in the Saudi Arabia region are currently unable to play.
The past five years have been great for anime and gaming fans when it comes to theme parks. First, in March 2021, the Nintendo World part of Universal Studios Japan opened, welcoming fans of Mario and more into a fun playground. Then, in November 2022, the Studio Ghibli theme park opened, letting fans of the beautiful movies step inside of them and experience them firsthand. Nintendo World is in Osaka, Japan, while the Studio Ghibli park in Aichi, Japan.
More major changes are afoot on the business side of the video game world, as a notable name is changing hands once again. Take-Two Interactive (the parent company of Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar and others) has agreed to buy Gearbox Entertainment from the embattled Embracer Group. The deal is worth $460 million in stock and is expected to close by June 30. It had been rumored for several months that Embracer was planning to sell off Gearbox.
Swedish games behemoth Embracer Group bought Gearbox for $1.3 billion back in 2021. Just over three years later, Embracer Group is divesting Gearbox Entertainment to 2K Games and Rockstar parent company Take-Two Entertainment for $460 million. The acquisition is expected to finalize by the end of June.