Gaming

Rockstar workers hit back, PlayStation ditches physical discs, and chipmakers accused of price fixing - Patch Notes #59

Jul 03, 2026 | 5 min read

Plus: Union creates hardship fund to support laid off developers and Xbox testing disc-to-digital feature.

There appears to be a near 1:1 overlap between supporting England during a major football tournament and working in games. Both require a delusional sense of optimism in the face of historic disappointment and disaster. An almost unshakable ability to dream of the impossible during periods of bleak, unrelenting crisis. Despair to euphoria and then back again.

As the industry collectively holds its breath ahead of what is widely expected to be another brutal round of layoffs at Xbox next week, it's worth remembering why I suspect many of you reading this ventured into video games in the first place. To craft something truly special and imbue the world with meaning. To leave your mark on those players who genuinely adore the artform. To find your community and build lifelong friendships.

I suspect those words will feel hollow in a week's time—perhaps they already do—but I implore anybody reading this to cling on to what you love about this space. Rally together. Support your peers. Dare to hope. Maybe one day, video games will come home again.

via Game Developer // Direct-join union UVW-CWA has launched the Game Worker Hardship Fund to provide financial aid to developers struggling in the wake of mass layoffs. It will be possible to request up to $5,000 through the initiative, which aims to help with everything from medical bills and groceries to rent and work expenses.

via Game Developer // Ubisoft continues to make notable hires at the top of its revamped studio ecosystem—or, at least, what's left of it following massive cuts. This time, the French publisher has recruited former 2K president and Amazon Games boss Christoph Hartmann to lead 'Creative House 2,' a new(ish) division that will oversee franchises such as The Division, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell.

via Game Developer // Hold your discs close, because they aren't long for this world. Yes, as you might have heard, Sony is preparing to completely ditch physical media on PlayStation in January 2028 in response to shifting "consumer trends." That move has gone down as well as you'd expect.

via Law360 // A federal lawsuit filed in California has accused Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron of coordinating an exit from the "conventional" RAM market to focus on producing high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for data centers, driving up the price of components in the process. Coordinated price fixing or simply a sign of the times? We're about to find out.

via Bloomberg // Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League designer Johnny Armstrong and director Axel Rydby have spoken candidly about their experience attempting to drag the ill-fated live service shooter out of a gruelling seven-year production cycle. "I was following a spreadsheet, some elusive marketing-analysis spreadsheet that no one could present clearly. I kind of felt like this isn’t the gaming industry I wanted to work in," said Rydby. It's hard to imagine anybody dreams of becoming a game developer to acquaint themselves with Excel. Dire stuff.

via Game Developer // Grand Theft Auto VI is poised to become one of the biggest entertainment products in history when it arrives in November, but how is developer Rockstar treating those responsible for crafting the hotly anticipated title? According to multiple employees based in the UK, their reward has been a struggle against pay inequity, bonuses that can be withheld without obvious cause, and in some instances relentless crunch.

via The Verge // Microsoft is reportedly about to follow in the footsteps of Sony and drop support for physical software on Xbox. To soften the blow, the company is purportedly working on a disc-to-digital feature that will allow Xbox owners to digitize their physical video game collection. It's claimed, however, that the feature will only be compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S releases.

via Bloomberg // A protracted legal dispute between the founders of Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton has been laid to rest. Krafton has agreed to pay bonuses to the entire Unknown Worlds team after reaching a settlement with studio leaders that will also result in the departure of CEO Ted Gill. The bonuses will be paid in three annual instalments and result in the Subnautica 2 team receiving "significantly more" compensation than first agreed.

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.

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Source: Chris Kerr · https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/rockstar-workers-hit-back-playstation-ditches-physical-discs-and-chipmakers-accused-of-price-fixing-patch-notes-58