The main events of the weekend (December 21-22)

According to an insider, Cloud Imperium Games has dismissed at least three executives, researchers have discovered that open-world games help combat stress, and total sales of the Octopath Traveler duology have exceeded 5 million copies — here are the main events in the gaming industry from the past weekend.

Star Citizen

• There have been significant leadership changes at Cloud Imperium Games, reports sources close to journalist and insider Tom Henderson. They claim the studio has let go of at least three experienced managers, while others have been reassigned. In a letter to staff, Cloud Imperium Games CEO Chris Roberts explained the reshuffle was necessary to accelerate work on Star Citizen and Squadron 42, although some of Henderson's sources believe it was more about cost-cutting. There are also rumors within the studio that Chris Roberts' wife, Sandi Gardiner, will soon fully return to the leadership team; she stepped down in May 2019 but remains on the board of directors. Cloud Imperium Games' official representatives have not commented on Henderson’s information.
• A group of researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Graz explored the impact of games like The Legend of Zelda, The Elder Scrolls, Ghost of Tsushima, and Red Dead Redemption on mental health. Scientists concluded that such titles offer “unique opportunities for cognitive escapism,” allowing players to temporarily escape real-life problems. Unlike other games, open-world projects provide users with more freedom. The ability to explore without restrictions, combined with non-linear gameplay, helps relax, improve mood, and reduce stress levels, the researchers concluded.
• In 2024, Twitch users watched streams for a total of 18.5 billion hours, calculated analysts from StreamElement. This is approximately 400 million hours less than in 2023. The most popular game remained GTA V, with its streams garnering 1.3 billion hours of views. The gaming top also included League of Legends, Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Dota 2, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty: Warzone. Notably, the top 9 most-watched games on Twitch have remained virtually unchanged over the past five years. According to StreamElement, the only thing that changes is the order of games.
• The creators of Octopath Traveler announced that more than 5 million copies of the duology have been sold worldwide. This milestone was reached six and a half years after its debut: the first Octopath Traveler launched in July 2018. It is unspecified how the sales are distributed. It is worth noting that in September 2022, 3 million copies of the original Octopath Traveler had been sold, and by June 2023, 1 million copies of Octopath Traveler II.
• Bandai Namco Entertainment and CyberConnect2 also shared new sales data. They boasted that the combined sales of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series have exceeded 30 million copies. The first installment of the series with the same name was released more than 20 years ago in October 2003.