No Fakes Act debate 🎭 Ubisoft studio closures 🔒 EA acquisition is unusual 💰
2026-06-11 · 11 stories · 44 min read
Top Stories
The Entertainment Software Association warned the US Senate Judiciary Committee that the proposed No Fakes Act fails to distinguish between deepfakes and digital replicas used in games, threatening existing titles and future development. ESA president Stanley Pierre-Louis said the bill's definition of digital replicas could expose studios to frivolous lawsuits from people resembling game characters and create liability for legitimate multi-purpose tools used in game creation. The bill was scheduled for Senate markup on June 11. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Ubisoft closing Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and making further layoffs (3 min read)
Ubisoft is closing its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and proposing further layoffs across Barcelona and global publishing, potentially eliminating up to 380 roles pending consultation. Winnipeg primarily developed the company's Anvil and Snowdrop engines used on Rainbow Six Siege and Immortals Fenyx Rising. Belgrade, established in 2016, worked on Ghost Recon Wildlands, Steep, The Crew 2, and Skull & Bones. Barcelona will remain open but restructure to focus solely on Rainbow Six. (Game Developer)
Why the $55bn acquisition of Electronic Arts isn't your usual leveraged buyout (8 min read)
A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners acquired Electronic Arts for $55 billion, with over $20 billion in debt financing from JPMorgan—the largest leveraged buyout in history. The deal closes by June 30, 2026. EA's existing $1.49 billion debt will grow to over $20 billion post-acquisition. Industry experts debate whether the debt structure will force the company to prioritize cash flow and shareholder returns over creative risk-taking, despite EA's assurances that its mission and creative freedom remain unchanged. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Business & Finance
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the industry should prioritize cost-efficient console designs and new business models rather than premium hardware, citing difficulty in asking consumers to spend thousands per generation. Xbox is reintroducing exclusive titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution to drive platform growth. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Global gaming content revenue grew 3.6% to $54.14 billion in Q1 2026, marking seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth. Capcom's revenue jumped 89.8% on Resident Evil Requiem, while Pearl Abyss surged 468.6% with Crimson Desert selling over five million copies. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Jin Universe Studios launches with investor backing to fund debut title Aether Dawn (1 min read)
Singapore-based Jin Universe Studios launched with undisclosed backing from Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Bitkraft Ventures to develop Aether Dawn, an anime-inspired hack-and-slash RPG. The team includes veterans from Tencent, Hypergryph, and Kuro Games. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Independent game publications including Aftermath, Rascal News, and Mothership are reviving subscription bundles to pool resources and compete against traditional corporate media outlets. The move reflects industry consolidation and layoffs across mainstream gaming press. (Game Developer)
Studios & People
Ubisoft's San Francisco office impacted by current round of cuts (1 min read)
Ubisoft San Francisco laid off between 50–100 staff as part of its broader restructuring, announced the same day as the Winnipeg and Belgrade studio closures. The San Francisco team developed XDefiant, the publisher's online shooter. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Naughty Dog founder Jason Rubin described the studio's partnership with Universal Interactive as 'abysmal,' citing hostile working conditions including extreme heat on high floors and a threatening incident by a Universal employee. Rubin stated Universal added no value beyond owning the license. (Eurogamer)
Games & Releases
The Coalition stated Gears of War: E-Day was never in development for PS5, despite a PEGI rating appearing online and Xbox needing to remove a video showing the PS5 logo. The game is an Xbox console exclusive with no plans for PlayStation release. (Eurogamer)
AI/Tech & Tools
Take-Two's former head of AI, Dr. Luke Dicken, warns that generative AI hype is damaging the broader field of AI in game development. Dicken's team at Zynga (acquired by Take-Two in 2022) focused on non-generative AI research, exploring how AI could enhance game design—a vision he compares to the dungeon master role in tabletop RPGs. (GamesIndustry.biz)
gg! see you in game!
— [james](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrjennings/)