🔥🔥🔥 GameOver: Ubi Tencent Deal, China 996, VC Jackpot Bust
1. Ubisoft's Tencent Deal, 2. Western Devs Getting Killed by China 996, and 3. VC Jackpot Bust
How many GDC takes are too many? Lol. Well, if you missed ours, make sure you check it anyway!
The Great Gaming Reset: GDC 2025 Signals a Fundamental Industry Realignment
The annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) has long served as the industry's temperature check, and this year's event painted a complex picture of an industry navigating significant headwinds.
This week’s hot takes:
Ubisoft’s Tencent Deal is a Meme Goldmine—Who’s Crying Now?
Western Devs Are Burned-Out Has-Beens While China’s 996 Builds Empires
VCs Chase Gaming’s Shiny Toys—Until the Jackpot Busts\
👇👇👇
Ubisoft’s Tencent Deal is a Meme Goldmine—Who’s Crying Now?
Ubisoft just pawned off Assassin’s Creed and friends to Tencent for $1.25 billion, and I’m cackling. The same clowns who cried “harassment” when Japan roasted Shadows are now bending the knee to a Chinese tech overlord. Hypocrisy level: maxed out. Gamers are mad, devs are sweating, and I’m just here for the chaos—watch Tencent slap loot boxes on Ezio and call it “innovation.” Bet you $5 the next AC has a battle pass and a WeChat login. Popcorn’s ready, let’s see who cancels who first.
Western Devs Are Burned-Out Has-Beens While China’s 996 Builds Empires
Look at Blizzard—once kings of Warcraft, now a ghost town of layoffs and Overwatch 2 flops. Sony’s Concord? Dead in two weeks. Western devs aren’t lazy; they’re just fried—decades of crunch left them shells, while China’s 996 crews churn out Black Myth: Wukong with half the staff and twice the hunger. I’ve seen it firsthand: we used to innovate, now we recycle. China’s cheaper labor and grind ethic aren’t just winning—they’re humiliating us. Time to admit it: the West’s golden age is a tombstone, and Tencent’s laughing all the way to the bank.
VCs Chase Gaming’s Shiny Toys—Until the Jackpot Busts
VCs want to be in games (because it’s cool & fun) but they also don’t want to be in games (because it’s
a lottery/entertainment/hits-driven)So they invest in any
fadstory that sounds scalable/techy and game-tangential, e.g., cloud gaming, AR/VR/MR (that’s come around multiple times now on a several-year cycle, lol), Web3/crypto, and now AI …Founders also play the same game. For example, they know they can’t get funded unless they say they are cloud / AR/VR/MR / web3 / AI / etc.
It’s all fun & games until someone gets hurt.
Top 5 Gaming News
Ubisoft Forms New Subsidiary with €1.16 Billion Investment from Tencent (Ubisoft Press Release) – Ubisoft announced the creation of a new subsidiary focusing on its Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchises, following a €1.16 billion minority stake investment from Tencent. This move aims to develop evergreen, multi-platform game ecosystems with enhanced narrative experiences and expanded multiplayer offerings.
Dreamhaven's Secret Door to Launch 'Sunderfolk' on April 23 (Dreamhaven) – Dreamhaven's studio, Secret Door, announced that 'Sunderfolk', a tactical RPG inspired by tabletop games, will release on April 23 for PC and consoles. The game emphasizes cooperative play and integrates smart devices for gameplay control.
Major Publishers Consider Delaying Releases Due to 'GTA 6' Launch (The Game Business) – Several major video game publishers are contemplating postponing their game releases to avoid clashing with the anticipated launch of 'Grand Theft Auto 6' later this year, aiming to sidestep competition with the highly awaited title.
Game Informer Returns Under Gunzilla Games Ownership (The Verge) – After its closure in August, Game Informer has been revived by Gunzilla Games. The publication resumes its independent editorial operations, including its website and plans to relaunch the print magazine, offering news, reviews, and event coverage.
Skystone Games Takes Over U.S. Publishing for 'Mobile Legends' Amid TikTok Ban Pressure (PocketGamer.biz) – Skystone Games has acquired the U.S. publishing rights for Mobile Legends as ByteDance prepares to divest U.S. assets due to mounting regulatory pressure over TikTok, ensuring the game remains accessible to American players.
Top 5 AI x Gaming News
Korean Shooter Features Situational Awareness AI (PC Gamer) – EVR Studio's upcoming tactical shooter 'Project TH' features 'situational awareness AI,' enabling enemies to dynamically navigate environments and tactically outmaneuver players, reminiscent of the intelligent adversaries in 'FEAR.'
AI Worlds Fuses Classic Gaming with Advanced AI (X Post via AIWORLDSGAMES) - AI Worlds is blending traditional gaming with AI, creating dynamic scenes that feel cinematic, as per an X post. This fusion aims to elevate player immersion and engagement.
'Ark: Survival Evolved' Fans Criticize AI-Generated Aquatica DLC Trailer (Polygon) – The 'Ark: Survival Evolved' community has reacted negatively to the AI-generated trailer for the upcoming Aquatica DLC, citing unnatural animations and distorted visuals, leading to criticism of the developers' use of AI in content creation.
AI Ethics Panels Dominate GDC 2025 (Bisect Hosting) - GDC 2025 features multiple panels on AI ethics, addressing developer concerns about job displacement and creative control. These discussions reflect AI’s polarizing impact on the industry.
AI Testing Streamlines 2025 Game Releases (GameSpot) - AI is increasingly used for automated testing in 2025 game releases, improving efficiency, as noted in GameSpot’s schedule. This trend impacts development timelines and quality.
Candy Crush Saga launched a tournament with a $1M prize pool. Announcement: here.
What are the results so far? On March 22, the game generated its highest daily revenue in over three years: $4.5M in a single day!
The event runs from March 20 to April 27.
Lol, this isn’t me:
All I can say about this is Yikes!!!
A friend at Riot once told me that toxicity is one of the top reasons players leave games.
It's a good thing there are companies out there like GGWP!