Undead Labs closure 💀 Rockstar union push 🤝 DRAM antitrust suit ⚖️
2026-06-30 · 10 stories · 29 min read
Top Stories
State Of Decay 3 Developer Undead Labs Facing Closure (3 min read)
Xbox is seeking a buyer for Undead Labs, developer of State of Decay 3; if unsuccessful, the studio will close and the game—scheduled for 2027—will be cancelled. Double Fine, Compulsion Games, and Ninja Theory face similar pressure to find external buyers or go independent as part of CEO Asha Sharma's restructuring. Recent game announcements, including State of Decay 3 at an Xbox Showcase, may not reflect the studios' actual status behind the scenes. (The Gamer)
Grand Theft Auto developers seek union recognition at Rockstar (3 min read)
UK-based Grand Theft Auto VI developers at Rockstar Games have requested voluntary union recognition through the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU), established under the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). Rockstar has 10 working days to respond. The union intends to bargain over pay transparency, flexible working, and crunch. The move comes amid an ongoing legal dispute in which the IWGB accuses Rockstar of firing 31 employees in retaliation for union activity; Rockstar denies the allegations and claims those workers leaked confidential information. If successful, Rockstar would become the second UK studio with a recognized union, after ZA/UM. (Game Developer)
SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron face a class action lawsuit alleging they coordinated to exit DDR3 and DDR4 production, shifted to high-bandwidth memory for data centres, and fixed DRAM supply and prices since 2022. Lawyers claim the trio cut consumer DRAM supply despite economic logic, citing Micron's 2025 shutdown of its Crucial consumer business and a 700% price rise over four years. The filing notes the three companies were previously found in a criminal price-fixing conspiracy from 1998–2002. High capital barriers ($15–$20 billion per fab) limit new market entrants. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Business & Finance
Xbox reportedly stops signing third-party Game Pass deals (5 min read)
Microsoft has paused signing new third-party Game Pass deals while restructuring Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma. Developers with deals in advanced negotiations were told agreements are on hold, though sources suggest this is temporary while leadership aligns on strategy. (Eurogamer)
A workshop at Madeira Games Summit revealed a funding gap: when given $1 million to invest, participants designing investment funds allocated less than half to traditional game content, favoring tools and infrastructure instead. Developers and investors operate from different mental models, with developers leading pitches on creative vision while investors demand financial returns. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Japan's Ministry of Economy awarded DeNA 1.5 billion yen (~$92.7 million USD) in subsidies for mobile game development via the IP360 program. The investment in the profitable Pokémon TCG Pocket developer sparked debate among Japanese game workers about fund allocation and support for smaller studios. (Eurogamer)
Griffin Gaming Partners invests in TinyBuild (1 min read)
Griffin Gaming Partners acquired a 3.24% equity stake in TinyBuild, the indie developer and publisher behind Hello Neighbor and Speed Runners. TinyBuild's stock rose 5% on the news. The firm cited the indie gaming space as a compelling investment area with enduring franchise potential. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Studios & People
Ubisoft Barcelona staff go on strike over 51 staff being laid off (1 min read)
Ubisoft Barcelona staff are striking over planned layoffs affecting 51 workers. The Spanish union CGT organized strikes for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons through July 17, demanding job protection for five years, work-from-home flexibility, and salary review. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Supermassive Games CEO steps down following launch of Directive 8020 (3 min read)
Robert Henrysson stepped down as CEO of Supermassive Games after less than three years in the role, also ending his tenure at parent company Nordisk Games. His departure comes six weeks after the launch of Directive 8020, which followed studio layoffs and a game delay. (Game Developer)
Games & Releases
Baldur's Gate 4 Was Offered To The Developers Of Baldur's Gate 2 (4 min read)
Baldur's Gate 2 co-designers James Ohlen and Kevin Martens, now at Hasbro-owned Archetype Entertainment, declined Hasbro's offer to develop Baldur's Gate 4. Ohlen stated competing against Baldur's Gate 3's success would be "insanity" and cited the engine alone requiring years to build. (The Gamer)
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