Stores and publishing

According to estimates by data company Aliena Analytics, Steam's revenue reached $11.1 billion in the first half of the year, representing a 14.5% increase compared to the same period last year. This figure marks the platform’s highest recorded revenue for a half-year period.

Employees who are part of a union at Bethesda Game Studios plan to initiate a strike next week as a reaction to widespread layoffs at Xbox

In the first half of 2026, Steam generated $11.1 billion, according to data from the analytics company Alinea Analytics. Its semi-annual revenue has never been this high before

On the evening of July 9, Ubisoft released the remake of Assassin's Creed Black Flag. The game received mixed reviews on Steam

GameDiscoverCo analysts tried to find out what Steam users think about games created using artificial intelligence. To do this, they surveyed 3,800 people

Hiroki Totoki, the President and CEO of Sony, suddenly decided to dispose of a significant portion of his shares in the corporation. He sold 225,000 securities, which is 56% of his holdings

Analysts from Alinea Analytics believe that the upcoming Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has every chance of becoming a highly anticipated hit for Ubisoft. In their assessment, the game has already performed excellently even before its release.

This week, several hundred members of the Communication Workers of America experienced job cuts at Xbox as part of a large-scale layoff initiative.

Next month, Nexon will assume the publishing responsibilities for Overwatch on PC in South Korea, a role previously held by Blizzard.

IO Interactive is set to shut down its Istanbul studio after losing funding for its online fantasy role-playing game, known by its codename, Project Fantasy.

Yesterday, July 6, Microsoft officially confirmed rumors about restructuring its gaming division. Head of Xbox, Asha Sharma, published a letter to employees detailing what lies ahead for the team.

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service reportedly boasts approximately 30 million users.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has provided more information about the restructuring plan revealed yesterday, which will lead to 3,200 job cuts

As a result, the game ranked 593rd in the list of the most anticipated projects on the platform

The wave of layoffs in Microsoft's gaming division could have almost bypassed Blizzard Entertainment. This was reported by journalist Jez Corden from Windows Central.

Bethesda is adopting a "franchise-centric" planning approach to concentrate resources more effectively on long-term growth and stability

In the announcement about the large-scale restructuring of XBOX, Microsoft did not specify the names of the particular studios where layoffs will occur. However, some information has leaked to the media

Yesterday, on July 6, Microsoft officially confirmed the rumors about the restructuring of its gaming division. XBOX head Asha Sharma published a letter to employees, detailing what the team can expect.

Compulsion Games and Double Fine, previously part of Microsoft's Xbox-owned developers, have been separated from the Xbox family of studios amid Microsoft's significant wave of cuts and divestitures. Both companies have issued statements regarding these changes

As of July 9, 2026, a WARN notice submitted in Maryland reveals that ZeniMax Online Studios has laid off 213 employees, with 166 of those affected positions at ZeniMax Media.

Xbox has revealed significant layoffs as part of a broader restructuring initiative it had previously disclosed. A total of 3,200 employees, accounting for 20% of the Xbox workforce, are set to lose their jobs. Of those, 1,600 positions are being cut today, as detailed in an internal email from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma that was also shared on X

This figure was mentioned by the co-owner of the publishing house, Yaroslav Shalashov, in his Telegram channel

Sony has informed developers and publishers that they will have the ability to re-order current PlayStation discs even after the production halts in January 2028.

A game created in just a few months by two Japanese developers has become one of the major hits of the first half of the year. Today, we'll take an in-depth look at the reasons behind the success of Meccha Chameleon and analyze its position both among "friend-sim" games and in the market overall

The journalist Christopher Dring from The Game Business has learned about the current state of affairs in Microsoft's gaming division. According to his information, with the arrival of Asha Sharma, the management style at Xbox has changed significantly, and not everyone is pleased with it.

Kepler Interactive, the company that released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sifu, and a host of other games, has expanded its portfolio. It has acquired a stake in another publisher — Oro Interactive

Kepler Interactive has taken a stake in the Belgian indie publisher Oro Interactive, though the financial details of the deal have not been disclosed

Sony has decided to shut down the PlayStation Store on the PS3 and PS Vita.

A recent report indicates that Xbox, similar to PlayStation, plans to eliminate the disc drive.

Beginning in January 2028, Sony will cease the production of physical discs for new games launched on PlayStation consoles

The end of the era of physical game editions is drawing closer. Sony announced that starting from January 2028, it will no longer release discs for new titles on PlayStation consoles.

The end of the era of physical game editions is drawing nearer. Sony announced that starting in January 2028, it will no longer release discs for new titles on PlayStation consoles.

Xbox has withdrawn from an agreement to finance and distribute IO Interactive's online fantasy role-playing game, known by the codename Project Fantasy. This decision could potentially result in job cuts.

Rokky, a prominent key distribution platform, has introduced a complimentary browser plugin aimed at helping publishers and developers track the usage of distributed Steam keys. The company outlined that the tool serves as an aid for "partner reconciliation and sales forecasting" as well as providing "safe post-bundle verification"

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union has expressed its backing for members working at Xbox amid ongoing reports suggesting impending mass layoffs.

It has been reported that another studio may cease to exist as a result of the upcoming restructuring of XBOX. According to the portal GamesBeat, this is Undead Labs — the team behind the State of Decay series

Sony PlayStation has notified users that StudioCanal films they previously bought will be removed from their libraries starting September 1

Hideaki Nishino, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, expressed his intention to "revitalize" live-service projects by integrating both first-party and third-party content.

The corporation did not specify how many times console owners pre-ordered the game

A year and a half ago, the Russian-speaking team Studio Rassvet announced their debut game, "No Small Change," about a night kiosk vendor who engages in philosophical conversations with customers on New Year's Eve. Since then, the project has managed to make its way into several hundred wishlists on Steam

According to Circana, sales of the PlayStation 5 in the United States declined by 58% in May compared to the same month last year, marking the smallest number of units sold in May since 2000. Conversely, Xbox sales experienced a 12% year-on-year decrease, resulting in the lowest May sales figures ever recorded for the console.

A group of 48 Chinese developers was dissatisfied with the commission in the App Store. They filed a complaint against Apple with the State Administration for Market Regulation of China

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney gave an extensive interview to PC Gamer. During the conversation, he shared his opinion on Steam's requirement to label games created using artificial intelligence, among other topics.

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, criticized Valve's decision to implement disclosure labels for projects utilizing AI on Steam, describing it as "really irresponsible".

Microsoft revealed that starting August 2, there will be a worldwide price hike for the Xbox, citing rising expenses related to console storage and memory. The price for the 512 GB models will rise by $100, while the 1TB models will see a $150 increase. Meanwhile, the 2TB version will be discontinued. Pricing details for international markets have not yet been confirmed by the company.

Google Corporation has confirmed that it still plans to reduce the commission rate in its app store. It first announced its intentions back in March ahead of the conclusion of its long-standing legal battles with Epic Games.

The organizers of the Game Republic New Horizons conference have revealed the initial lineup of speakers set to appear in its Investor Zone.

This was announced by the Brazilian publisher and developer Afil Games.

Recently, the media reported that in July, Microsoft's gaming division is planning to implement mass layoffs. Ahead of this, several former XBOX employees told the Game Developer portal that it is highly likely senior management will use the layoffs as a means of "revenge" against the workers

Google Corporation confirmed that it still plans to reduce the commission size in its app store. It first announced its intentions back in March in anticipation of concluding years-long legal disputes with Epic Games