Garriott reclaims Ultima? 🏰 AI game dev ROI doubts 🤖 PlayerUnknown funding woes 💸
2026-06-22 · 9 stories · 29 min read
Top Stories
Richard Garriott Wants To Take Ultima Back From EA Using Obscure Legal Quirks (4 min read)
Richard Garriott intends to retake control of Ultima, the RPG series he sold to EA in 1992, as soon as next year without purchasing it outright. He plans to exploit a copyright law allowing original creators to reclaim works 35 years after sale, though EA would retain the trademark. Garriott expressed frustration with EA's stewardship, citing repeated failed revival attempts and abandoned talks over decades. He sold Origin Systems to EA for $30 million. (Kotaku)
As subsidized AI compute costs rise, game developers who have worked with AI tools report limited and inconsistent productivity gains that will be difficult to justify at higher prices. The article cites emerging consensus that AI productivity improvements are real but task-specific and heavily dependent on skilled human supervision. Early industry experience suggests the dream of major gains at minimal cost is unlikely to materialize. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene announced PlayerUnknown Productions is reducing headcount and moving forward with a smaller team after struggling to secure additional funding. Greene said he personally funded the studio's operations but could only sustain that "for so long." He thanked the team for professionalism and noted Prologue: Go Wayback! is now free-to-play. Greene acknowledged the broader industry funding challenges, stating the studio must now find the right partners while continuing development. (Eurogamer)
Business & Finance
Newzoo: Global games market made over $200bn in 2025 (2 min read)
Global games market generated $201.6 billion in 2025, a 9.1% year-on-year increase and the first time revenue exceeded $200 billion. Mobile accounted for 56% ($113.3 billion), while PC and console each took 22%. China and the US combined for over half of global spending. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Studios & People
Kabam laid off an unknown number of employees as part of a consolidation of its Los Angeles office. The company cited a strategic priorities review and streamlined operations. This marks the third round of layoffs at the Marvel Contest of Champions studio in recent years. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Games & Releases
CD Projekt joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski acknowledged the studio lost audience trust after Cyberpunk 2077's troubled 2020 launch, saying redemption is incomplete. He expressed hope to rebuild faith with The Witcher 4 and future projects, and discussed the studio's shift to Unreal Engine 5 for better storytelling flexibility. (GamesIndustry.biz)
AI/Tech & Tools
Epic is working on a 'ground-up rebuild' of its launcher that will be 5x faster (1 min read)
Epic is rebuilding the Epic Games Store Launcher from the ground up, targeting 5x faster cold starts and 6.5x faster app restoration. Launcher V2 will enter private beta before public release, with improvements planned for summer 2026. Epic also plans to add in-store patch notes, player reviews, and personalized homepages. (Engadget)
Culture & Community
Doom, Duke Nukem Composer And Overall MIDI Maestro Bobby Prince Dies At 81 (4 min read)
Bobby Prince, legendary composer for Doom, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, and Commander Keen, died at 81. Originally a lawyer, Prince became a MIDI pioneer after connecting with Apogee founder Scott Miller on Prodigy forums. His Doom soundtrack was selected for Library of Congress preservation last year. (Kotaku)
Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash (1 min read)
Claude Guillemot, co-founder of Ubisoft and chairman of Thrustmaster, died in a plane crash in Brittany on June 19 at age 69. He was one of two passengers in a twin-engine Cessna 421. (GamesIndustry.biz)
gg! see you in game!
— [james](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrjennings/)