game development Archives

AppWizard

May 23, 2026

Last Flag studio lays off half its employees as it puts ‘the future of the game in the hands of our players’

The CTF shooter game Last Flag was co-founded by Mac and Dan Reynolds, members of the band Imagine Dragons. In 2025, Tyler Wilde from PC Gamer reviewed the game positively. Despite its gameplay, Last Flag struggled to build a player base, leading Night Street Games to announce a free weekend initiative in April, which was later retracted due to low player numbers. The studio's CEO, Mac Reynolds, confirmed a workforce reduction, with about a dozen employees leaving, leaving only 13 team members. Night Street Games plans to support laid-off employees and will continue to release new content for Last Flag, including characters, maps, and custom lobbies. The remaining developers are looking forward to new projects.

AppWizard

May 22, 2026

Dying Light’s former director believes devs are obligated ‘to focus and listen to the players’ because as soon as a game’s released ‘it stops being only your game’

Tymon Smektała, who spent 13 years directing the game Dying Light, recently stepped down from his role. At the Digital Dragons Conference, he discussed the importance of player feedback, stating that a game evolves into a shared experience with numerous stakeholders after its release. He emphasized the need for developers to engage with their community and build relationships, while also cautioning that player feedback should not be viewed as absolute truth. Smektała acknowledged that while players may not always have the right solutions, their feelings are crucial indicators of a game's direction. He highlighted the importance of understanding player sentiment and maintaining a balance between creator intent and player experience.

AppWizard

May 22, 2026

Destiny 2 hasn’t been the game I’d loved in years, but it still sucks to know it’s ending

Bungie announced that the live service development for Destiny 2 will conclude on June 9, 2026, after nearly nine years, ten expansions, three episodic narratives, and 30 seasons. The game initially gained popularity for its shooting mechanics and immersive worlds but began to shift in essence around 2022, with changes like power level disadvantages and a focus on challenge introduced by former game director Joe Blackburn in February 2023. Players experienced frustrations with microtransactions and item economies, and beloved worlds were vaulted, leading to alienation among long-time fans. The final expansion, Final Shape, aims to conclude the decade of storytelling amidst internal turmoil at Bungie.

AppWizard

May 21, 2026

A trio of former BioWare devs are making ‘a neon-noir supernatural mystery game set in a stylized Canadian cityscape’

A trio of former BioWare developers, Kaelin Lavallée, Kris Schoneberg, and Francis Lacuna, has founded Studio Reset. The studio's debut project is a neon-noir supernatural mystery game set in a stylized Canadian cityscape. The founders aim for a "smaller, more intentional" approach to game development, focusing on original ideas and sustainable practices. They hope to explore unconventional Canadian locales for their narrative. Details about the project's release timeline are currently undisclosed, but updates will be shared in the coming months, with more information available on their website, studioreset.io.

AppWizard

May 21, 2026

The rumours were true: Kingdom Come 2 studio is working on an RPG set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth

Warhorse Studios is developing another installment in the Kingdom Come series and an open-world RPG set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The studio's recent success with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which won PC Gamer's 2025 Game of the Year, has generated excitement. Speculative ideas for the Middle-earth game include settings in Beleriand during the First Age or a Fourth Age adventure. Concerns have arisen regarding the replacement of a translator with AI, raising questions about the quality of future English-language games. Warhorse plans to share more information in the future.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

Paralives is the very definition of early access, but it’s already a promising Sims rival

Paralives Studio is set to launch its life simulation game in early access on May 25, after nearly seven years of development. The game is still a work in progress, featuring various bugs, an incomplete feature set, and a cluttered user interface. Players may experience unresponsive menus and character issues, such as stuck personality development loops. The autonomy of the game's characters, known as Parafolks, is limited, requiring more direct management than other life simulation games. However, character interactions are engaging, and players can complete townie requests that encourage exploration. Despite its current imperfections, the game shows potential for growth and may appeal to fans of interior decorating and character creation.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

Another live service game is dead just a few months after launch

Quantic Dream has announced the discontinuation of its multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), Spellcasters Chronicles, just three months after its launch due to insufficient audience engagement for long-term sustainability. The game peaked at 888 concurrent players at launch, which quickly declined to very few active users. The studio will halt development, likely leading to layoffs, but will continue work on Star Wars Eclipse. Players can access Spellcasters Chronicles until June 19, after which the servers will shut down, and all expenditures during early access will be eligible for refunds upon request.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

This indie dev’s dungeon crawling ‘descent into madness’ was inspired by motherly love

Indie developer Christopher Yabsley is developing a dark fantasy dungeon crawler titled Heathen as a tribute to his mother. The game promises an immersive experience, inviting players to confront "an ancient horror never meant for mortal eyes." Yabsley shared a devlog video on YouTube, stating it was primarily created "for my mum." His journey into game development began with a nostalgic moment from his childhood when he played Diablo 1 on PlayStation in 1998. Heathen is now available on Steam.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

PC Gamers React to Sony Making Its Narrative Single-Player Games PlayStation Exclusive

Sony is committing to keeping narrative single-player games exclusive to the PlayStation 5, with titles like Saros, Ghost of Yotei, Marvel’s Wolverine, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet confirmed for the platform. Multiplayer titles will still be available on both PC and PlayStation. The PC gaming community has reacted with disappointment, with many gamers expressing indifference toward purchasing a PS5 for a few exclusive titles. Industry analysts speculate that disappointing sales of PlayStation titles on PC and the emergence of the next Xbox may have influenced Sony's decision. Historically, Sony has taken a staggered release approach for its games, while Microsoft has favored simultaneous launches. The rising costs of the PS5 and its games are raising questions about the sustainability of Sony's exclusivity strategy.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

Lords of the Fallen 2 set to potentially release on Steam as developer CI Games and Epic terminate PC exclusivity deal

Lords of the Fallen 2, the third installment in the series, is progressing towards a tentative launch in 2026 after a gameplay showcase at The Game Awards 2025. CI Games has concluded its multi-year exclusivity agreement with Epic Games, allowing the game to potentially launch on Steam while maintaining collaboration with Epic for Unreal Engine and other services. The exclusivity termination is described as "conditional in nature." The console versions will remain unaffected by these changes. The game has sparked discussions due to comments from CI Games' CEO about "political correctness" and the introduction of more revealing armor sets for female characters. Eurogamer's review of the rebooted Lords of the Fallen rated it two stars, noting it as "a perfectly acceptable Soulslike" but critiquing it for "Soulslike clichés and performance woes."