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EA reportedly closes BioWare and cancels Mass Effect as cuts spread across studios

EA’s roughly 400 reported job cuts include BioWare’s closure and cancellation of the next Mass Effect, while further layoffs are reportedly planned at Xbox. Platform security also came under pressure, with a Capcom ID breach exposing millions of accounts and several online games suffering outages.

Key developments

EA cuts reach multiple studios

EA is reportedly closing BioWare and canceling the next Mass Effect as part of roughly 400 job cuts, including around 50 at BioWare. Respawn, Maxis, Full Circle and Motive are also affected; EA says it will continue investing in sports games, Apex Legends, Battlefield and selected action-adventure projects.

The restructuring ends BioWare’s remaining development work and concentrates EA’s investment on a narrower set of franchises.

Oct 21–22 · GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed · Game Developer · Eurogamer

Capcom ID breach exposes millions

Capcom confirmed that a breach exposed 11,774,247 email addresses and account activity data, plus additional personal information for 43 accounts. Attackers changed passwords on 196 accounts, which Capcom reset; payment information was unaffected, and affected users are being notified.

Exposed email addresses and activity records could help attackers target Capcom users with convincing phishing messages.

Oct 22 · VGC · 机核

Loot-box games move to PEGI 16

PEGI has begun raising existing digital-only games containing paid random items from PEGI 3, 7 or 12 to PEGI 16. The re-rating rollout is expected to continue throughout October.

Games already sold with lower age ratings will now carry a classification unsuitable for children under 16.

Oct 20 · GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed · Eurogamer · Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

Arkane Lyon faces sale deadline

Arkane Lyon reportedly has until November to find a buyer or face closure. The Dishonored and Deathloop studio announced Blade in 2023.

The deadline puts the studio’s continued operation at risk unless a buyer emerges.

Oct 23 · VGC · Eurogamer

Xbox faces further staffing upheaval

Xbox reportedly plans further layoffs this month, in November and in January 2027 as CEO Asha Sharma resets the business. Its first chief operating officer, Helen Chiang, is also leaving Microsoft just three months after taking the role.

Repeated cuts and an early senior departure prolong uncertainty over Xbox’s staffing and leadership.

Oct 21–24 · Eurogamer · Eurogamer

GTA 6 advance spending tops estimates

GTA 6 preorders reportedly exceed 5.75 million, with most buyers choosing the $100 Ultimate Edition. Tracking estimates put revenue above $560 million more than a month before release.

Premium-edition demand is generating substantial revenue before the game reaches players.

Oct 19 · 触乐

Supercell takes full control of Metacore

Supercell completed its acquisition of 100% of Metacore. The acquired team will continue working on Merge Mansion with support from Supercell colleagues, aiming to return it to the top of the charts.

Merge Mansion’s recovery now has direct support from its new parent company.

Oct 19 · Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

Xbox prices subscription-free cloud play

Xbox Insiders without Game Pass can test buying cloud playtime, with a broader rollout planned for November. Pricing starts at $3.99 for 10 hours, while a 50-hour ad-free option has an introductory price of $11.99.

Players can pay for a limited amount of streaming rather than maintain a Game Pass subscription.

Oct 21–22 · XBOX Wire · GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed · Eurogamer

Fortnite returns to Australian iOS

Fortnite returned to the Australian App Store after a court found Apple had violated competition law. Apple will be required to open iOS to third-party app stores from March 2027.

Australian iOS players regain access to Fortnite, with alternative storefront distribution set to follow.

Oct 22 · GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed · Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

Evil Geniuses sets shutdown date

Evil Geniuses will end competitive activities and daily operations on November 2, 2026, citing insufficient sponsorship funding and rising competition costs. Players can negotiate with other organizations immediately, and the club says it will help players, coaches and staff transition.

Its players and coaches must find new organizations as the club’s operations end.

Oct 21 · 机核

Also this week

Business and labor

  • Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA members authorized a potential strike, alleging a failure to bargain in good faith during first-contract negotiations. GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed

  • Liquid Swords filed for bankruptcy, with employees reportedly unpaid for two months. GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed

  • Wizards of the Coast declined voluntary recognition of a union for its Dungeons & Dragons and Studio X teams, sending recognition to a secret-ballot election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed

  • Stillfront appointed former King executive and Stillfront board member Marcus Jacobs president and Group CEO, effective November 1, 2026. Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

Production and licensing

  • Griffin Gaming Partners and Entertainment 360 launched HITpoint Entertainment to develop and produce film and television adaptations of game properties. GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed · Game Developer · Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

  • Research based on 101 confidential interviews with senior studio leaders found that 94% of studios use AI, but more than half said it is not deeply embedded in production. VGC

  • Digital Sun delayed ReVamp’s public Steam playtest and restricted early testing to its Discord community over fears that the game could be cloned before launch. Game Developer · VGC · Eurogamer

  • Research found that indies and original IP account for a much higher proportion of 2026’s biggest PC and console games than in 2025. GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed

  • Xbox–Netflix adaptation talks reportedly collapsed after Netflix offered $500 million and Xbox sought $800 million for seven years of character rights, with Xbox now said to be pursuing smaller deals. VGC · Eurogamer

  • Planned Mass Effect crossover items appear to have been removed from Battlefield 6 following BioWare’s reported closure. Eurogamer

Security and outages

  • Pokémon Home, Pokémon Champions and Pokémon Sleep went offline following a cybersecurity alert. Nintendo Everything

  • Switch 2 reportedly received its first software-only jailbreak through an eShop game, with coverage identifying AI assistance including OpenAI Codex in its development. The Verge · My Nintendo News · HotHardware

  • Final Fantasy 14, Umamusume: Pretty Derby and other games experienced outages and related issues following discovery of a serious PHP vulnerability. Eurogamer

  • Switch 2 ROMs reportedly appeared online for the first time. GoNintendo

Hardware and tools

Sales and audiences

  • Clash of Critters exceeded $50 million in gross App Store and Google Play spending in just under five months after its May 21 Western launch. Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

  • Marvel’s Wolverine led September US game sales with the highest monthly dollar sales for a Sony-published title since Helldivers 2, while PS5 revenue rose 43% and Xbox fell to an all-time low. GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed · VGC · Eurogamer

  • PEAK launched on Xbox Series X|S as Landfall CBO Rebecca Lautner said sales had exceeded 23 million units and the developer was keen to move on to another project. XBOX Wire · GamesIndustry.biz Latest Articles Feed

  • Phantom Blade Zero reportedly sold 500,000 Steam copies with days remaining before release. Eurogamer

  • Arc Raiders reached a six-month player high after Embark Studios paired its Frozen Trails update with a free weekend. Eurogamer

  • Subway Surfers surpassed 4.5 billion lifetime downloads and remains the most-downloaded mobile game. Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

  • Rotate Rings reached more than 11.1 million downloads and climbed from September’s 199th most-downloaded game to sixth in October with 11 days remaining. Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

  • Invokyr reached approximately 250,000 copies sold. The GameDiscoverCo newsletter

Releases and catalogues

  • AdHoc Studio will bring Dispatch to iOS and Android on December 9, 2026, with touch controls, vertical play, four free episodes and the full eight-episode game priced at $19.99 after reaching more than five million players. Latest Updates | PocketGamer.biz

  • Xbox announced Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and The Séance of Blake Manor for Game Pass, alongside Sandustry’s PC Game Preview joining Game Pass Premium on October 21. XBOX Wire

  • Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios announced an urban supernatural open-world RPG from H.STUDIO, also called COSMICPUP STUDIO, with a 22-minute gameplay video. 触乐

What to watch

  • Watch for a buyer or closure decision at Arkane Lyon against its reported November deadline.

  • Watch for Xbox’s broader paid cloud-play rollout in November and the reported layoff rounds in November and January 2027.

  • Evil Geniuses is scheduled to end operations on November 2, when its remaining player and coach transitions come into focus.

  • Dispatch’s mobile launch is scheduled for December 9, with four free episodes leading into the $19.99 full game.

  • GameMaker’s removal of the Professional licence requirement for commercial GMRT use takes effect January 1, 2027.

How this was made: Waper follows this topic across 16 sources every day. This week had 44 stories; the most important are picked out, each with links to the original reporting. How we pick sources and stories