Kojima Disputes Physint Reports, WoW Forever Surges
Kojima Productions is disputing reports that Sony’s decision to leave Physint was driven by missed deadlines, budget concerns, and profitability worries. Hideo Kojima says he still loves Sony despite the publishing deal’s collapse.
Blizzard, meanwhile, says the World of Warcraft: Forever beta is attracting far more players than expected.
Kojima Productions Pushes Back on Sony Physint Reports
Sony has stepped away from Physint, Kojima Productions’ previously PlayStation-exclusive action-espionage game, with Xbox taking over publishing duties. Reports link the decision to concerns over the project’s budget, potential profitability, timed exclusivity, and missed deadlines.
Kojima Productions says the claims did not come from an official or on-the-record source and asks readers to approach the reporting with “a dose of scepticism.” Kojima’s latest interviews address the fallout directly, while he remains unsure whether Physint will ever reach PS6 and has not decided whether to use Guerrilla’s Decima Engine.
World of Warcraft Forever Beta Exceeds Blizzard’s Expectations
World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard’s vanilla-style spin-off created by the WoW Classic team, is drawing substantially more beta players than the studio expected. A Blizzard developer calls the numbers the “craziest” he has seen during 17 years at the company.
Activision Claims Call of Duty Cheating Is an $8.5 Billion Industry
Activision claims cheating in its games generates around $8.5 billion, or £6.3 billion, each year. The publisher’s estimate includes account sales, boosting services, and spoofing services connected to games such as Call of Duty.
Poppy Playtime Spinoff Escape from Playtime Gets October Early Access Date
Escape from Playtime, the co-op survival horror extraction spinoff of the Poppy Playtime series, enters Steam Early Access on October 21. The multiplayer project was announced at Gamescom last month and expands the episodic horror franchise into an extraction-focused format.
Stellar Blade Gets Switch 2 Demo and Bayonetta Collaboration Trailer
Stellar Blade now has a playable demo on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop, and SHIFT UP has released a trailer for the game’s free Bayonetta collaboration. The collaboration includes Bayonetta-inspired outfits when Stellar Blade launches on Switch 2.