BioWare Closes, Mass Effect Petition Grows, GTA VI Trailer Drops
EA’s closure of BioWare and cancellation of its next Mass Effect game dominated a week marked by studio cuts and restructuring. Meanwhile, Phantom Blade Zero launched on PC and PS5 with more than 430,000 concurrent Steam players, and a petition asking EA to save Mass Effect grew past 223,000 signatures +3.
EA Closes BioWare and Cancels the Next Mass Effect Game
EA has closed BioWare and canceled its next Mass Effect project, amid 400 layoffs across the company and the dismissal of most of the studio’s roughly 50 remaining staff . A leaked internal trailer identifies the canceled project as Mass Effect: Universe, while other leaked details describe a story that would have incorporated choices from Commander Shepard’s trilogy
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The petition calling on EA to save Mass Effect climbed from 75,000 to more than 223,000 signatures over the week . It calls for EA to restart development internally or license the franchise to another studio
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Microsoft Cuts, Arkane Lyon Sale Deadline and Studio Restructuring
Microsoft offered voluntary exits to 60,000 employees—roughly a quarter of its workforce—as Xbox cuts continued; the company’s latest results show Xbox hardware revenue down 14% and content and services revenue down 2% year over year . Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says console sales remain constrained by supply despite demand exceeding the number of available consoles
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Arkane Lyon’s reported deadline to find a buyer was extended by a month, to December 13, while Microsoft explores partner support for the studio and its ongoing Marvel’s Blade project . The studio’s 217 jobs remain at stake if no buyer or other solution is found
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Reports put Sucker Punch’s layoffs at 24 employees in one account and at least 26 in another, while Auroch Digital plans to cut around a quarter of its staff +1. Life Is Strange developer Don’t Nod is also restructuring amid insolvency risk, as employees accuse management of illegal practices
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Phantom Blade Zero Launches as FromSoftware Delays The Duskbloods
S-Game’s Phantom Blade Zero launches on PC and PS5 and draws more than 430,000 concurrent players on Steam in its first hours . Its day-one update includes performance improvements and a warning for Nvidia drivers
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FromSoftware has delayed The Duskbloods, its Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, from 2026 to 2027 to make final adjustments to its rules and balancing; the studio has not announced a specific release date .
Grand Theft Auto VI Gets a Launch Trailer as Rockstar Union Vote Nears
Rockstar has released the official Grand Theft Auto VI launch trailer ahead of the game’s November 19 arrival . UK Rockstar employees are scheduled to vote on union recognition from November 12 to November 26, a period that overlaps with the game’s launch window
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