QA and Support

NetEase seems to have reduced its workforce at its Montréal studio.

The UK Video Games Council has urged the government to increase its support for the industry, contending that the country possesses significant talent yet receives less backing compared to other global regions.

Spilt Milk Studios, an independent game developer in the UK, has initiated a crowdfunding effort to establish a permanent merchandise store. The initial product line is set to feature items from its forthcoming game, Trash Goblin, scheduled for release in 2025. According to co-owner Nicholas Lovell, the aim is "to generate revenue for the studio to assist in prototyping new ideas and to provide delightful goodies to our fans."

The UK National Video Game Council, comprising representatives from various gaming companies, is dissatisfied with the level of government support in the United Kingdom. In their opinion, the government pays very little attention to the game development sector.

Industry expert Jude Ower is leading a new Tencent-supported podcast titled Good Game Club, which debuted at the Davos conference

Sony has secured a patent for a novel AI system designed to help players who encounter difficulties in games.

Gordon Van Dyke, a co-founder of the successful Swedish indie publisher Raw Fury, has revealed the revival of developer Stumpysquid, the original creator of the popular strategy game Kingdom: Two Crowns. Although Stumpysquid had been acquired by Raw Fury, which published the game, Van Dyke maintained ownership of the studio following Raw Fury's acquisition by Altor. He parted ways with the publisher in March

Tencent has decided to cease all promotional activities and testing for Light of Motiram in anticipation of a significant court case scheduled for the coming year

Ron Gilbert, a veteran in the gaming industry, has halted the development of his unnamed RPG project, which had been characterized as a blend of "classic Zelda, Diablo, and Thimbleweed Park."

The Japanese company announced such plans in a presentation dedicated to its medium-term business strategy.

Italian indie game developer Stormind Games, known for the Remothered series and their contribution to Mafia: The Old Country's Sicilian location alongside 2K Games and Hangar 13, has successfully secured new funding to support the creation of upcoming titles.

In the fall of 2023, NetEase launched the studio Fantastic Pixel Castle, appointing veteran Riot Games producer Greg Street to lead it. After two years, the company decided to terminate this relationship.

Ubisoft has officially launched Vantage Studios, its subsidiary created in collaboration with Tencent.

Valve is set to discontinue Steam support for 32-bit versions of the Windows 10 operating system starting January 1, 2026.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has distributed more than $375,000 (£277,000) in grants to support 86 "emerging creatives" across the United Kingdom and North America

Salix Games, a studio based in the UK, is collaborating with creative agency Liquid Crimson for a unique, one-night-only live tabletop RPG event called Overdue Exorcism. The performance aims to raise funds for the charity SpecialEffect.

The SunStrike team shared with App2Top's editorial board a case study on implementing AI in the testing pipeline of gaming projects.

Silver Lining Interactive, known for publishing indie games, has introduced the Silver Bullet Programme. This new initiative seeks to "support and highlight independent game developers who are crafting the next generation of unforgettable gaming experiences"

Members of the Arkane Studios STJV union have released an open letter directed at the studio's leadership, along with Zenimax, Microsoft, and Microsoft Gaming. The letter calls for Microsoft to end its support of Israel in the context of the ongoing conflict in Gaza

Microsoft has reassured Forza enthusiasts that Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games will "persist in supporting Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5," even after last month's reductions affecting the former.

Employees of Raven Studio, a subsidiary of Microsoft, have voted to ratify the contract between their union and Microsoft itself

The UK authorities announced that they will continue to fund budding game developers. Over the next three years, they will allocate £10 million (equivalent to $13.44 million) annually to support British gaming startups.

Starting this month, PlayStation 4 and 5 users will no longer receive updates for the VR rhythm game Beat Saber, and multiplayer support will be discontinued on both platforms.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to offer features such as live subtitling and text-to-speech capabilities.

Gun Interactive, the developer of the asymmetric multiplayer horror game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, is set to conclude its work on the title. The game will cease receiving any new content or support beyond May 2025

Reports indicate that the Russian government has taken control of Lesta Studios, a former Wargaming studio.

Testronic, a Quality Assurance company, has launched a new advanced testing facility in Manila, Philippines.

TestFly, identifying itself as a "leading provider of strategic and innovative quality assurance testing solutions" for the gaming sector, has completed the acquisition of Brazilian testing company Red Cerberus from tinyBuild

Tilting Point has announced a $150 million initiative focused on User Acquisition to support developers in expanding their games and apps.

Anton Tatarinov and Ilya Zakharov, specialists from SunStrike, shared their experience of setting up external testing with App2Top

The European Investment Fund (EIF) has committed $21 million to support game development in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

A recent study conducted by Modl.ai reveals that 30% of game developers view artificial intelligence as playing an "extremely important" role in quality assurance processes.

NetEase Games has verified that layoffs have taken place at a U.S. support studio responsible for Marvel Rivals.

Square Enix has revealed plans to discontinue Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered on iOS.

The Pokémon Company International, along with Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go, has committed $1 million in donations to aid relief efforts for wildfires in Los Angeles.

Three-quarters of students in the UK support the inclusion of esports in the school curriculum, while 64% are already participating in esports-related educational activities

A large number of employees from ZeniMax Studios are staging a strike today due to dissatisfaction with the company's policy on remote work and the outsourcing of quality assurance tasks.

Nintendo has announced that its next-generation console, which will succeed the Switch, will feature backward compatibility. Additionally, Nintendo Online services will transition to the upcoming console.

Following the departure of CEO and co-founder Andy Robson, Kudos QA has introduced a new leadership team

The Minister of State for Culture and the Media in Germany is calling on local developers to present their "brilliant game ideas" and seek financial support through the Press Start: Games Startup Grant fund.

Microsoft is said to be considering an expansion of its cloud streaming service, allowing players to access owned titles from their Xbox game libraries.

Support for PSVR in Minecraft will conclude starting March of the upcoming year

We continue to publish the results of the salary survey, conducted by us from April to May 2023, chapter by chapter. This current publication focuses on the income levels of Russian-speaking QA specialists

We continue to publish transcripts of presentations from the "Gaming Industry" conference. Next up is a talk by Alena Karaseva, head of the testing department at GostTeam. She discussed the most common issues encountered during the testing of gaming products

Toadman Interactive, a studio known for both original and work-for-hire projects, has revealed plans to shut down its offices in Stockholm, Visby, and Oslo. Additionally, some employees at the Immortal Unchained developer's Berlin location may face layoffs. The studio explained in a LinkedIn statement, "Like many other game companies, we have gone through a tough period over the last 12 months, and, unfortunately, that means that we are shutting down our offices in Stockholm, Visby, and Oslo, as well as having some redundancies in our Berlin studio"

Tencent, a leader in the global gaming industry, is enhancing its support for fledgling developers via its Venture Lab program. This division aids nascent studios in launching their inaugural game by offering investment, publishing and marketing assistance, consulting services, access to technology, as well as business planning and budgeting guidance. Juno Shin, with a 12-year background in business development and investment at Tencent, heads the initiative. Shin has assembled a group of industry specialists, with approximately 20 members currently engaged with Venture Lab, to broaden the range of services offered.

The new version of the open-source engine Godot has been released. Let’s take a look at some of the hundreds of changes and key features.

Sony is apparently working on a major overhaul of the PS Store’s review system, testing a feature familiar to Steam users.

Hybe Interactive Media has secured $80 million through a strategic investment to broaden its gaming publishing efforts. Hybe, the South Korean entertainment powerhouse behind the immensely popular boy band BTS, also manages multiple music labels across different regions. Hybe IM, the entity's video games division, was established in April 2022. The $80 million funding round was spearheaded by Makers Fund, with IMM Investment and Hybe also participating. The proceeds will be directed towards enhancing both its publishing and development operations

Outersloth has been a "really bad open secret" since 2022, according to Innersloth's communications director Victoria Tran. She shared this insight during a discussion about the new indie fund from Among Us creator Innersloth. Launched in June, the fund is designed to support small studios, with beneficiaries already including Outerloop Games, Strange Scaffold, and Visai Games. The first indication of Outersloth came when the venture signed its inaugural title, Mars First Logistics, from Australian studio Shape Shop