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A Gamescom Dev speaker survey reveals 83% expect AI to impact game dev, with nearly half seeing it as the top trend for three years. Developers foresee AI changing roles over reducing team sizes, though economic hurdles like discoverability persist. Premium games still lead in monetization, but live service and F2P are close.
Robert Bowling, ex-Infinity Ward strategist, has launched //18.bravo, aiming for a "radically different approach" to game development. The studio plans to share profits with employees and contractors, reject the live service model, and design games for "forever play" with open-source contingency if they close.
Bungie's extraction shooter *Marathon* gets a massive update (1.0.5.2) mid-season, aiming to make the game 'less mean.' New features like the CyberAcme Initiative and Mercy Kits incentivize cooperation, while beginner maps are now solo-only for new players. Balance changes, including a Recon buff and thermal scope nerfs, alongside a new balanced-kit match type, aim to refresh the experience. The update arrives as the game faces questions about its long-term momentum.
The Division 2, initially slated to conclude support in 2020, has defied expectations, not only continuing but actively growing its player base seven years post-launch. Driven by player-centric development, ambitious new content like the Battle for Brooklyn expansion, and a steadfast commitment to its premium model, the game recently hit new concurrent player records. Massive Entertainment attributes this success to valuing its core audience and investing in a sustainable live service.
EA has announced layoffs across its Battlefield studios (Criterion, Dice, Ripple Effect, Motive) despite Battlefield 6 achieving record-breaking sales of 7 million copies in three days and being the best-selling game of 2025 in the US. The cuts are part of a "realignment" for live service support, following significant player criticism over monetization, AI cosmetics, and content updates, which led to a sharp drop in concurrent players and Steam review scores.
