🎮 Xbox Drops Prices, Capcom Absolutely On Fire With Pragmata And Metro 2039 Isn’t Just “A Game”
Also Ubisoft Asks For Gen AI Experience, Troy Baker Wants To Make His Own Video Game, MindsEye Company Sued By Their Own Staff and Original The Last of Us Plans Had More Immunes!
Hello friends,
Today is April 30th 2026 and I hope you’ve had a great week 🙌
In today’s news:
🎮 Xbox Drops Prices On Game Pass
🎮 Capcom Absolutely On Fire With Pragmata
🎮 Metro 2039 Isn’t Just “A Game”
🎮 Ubisoft Asks For Gen AI Experience
🎮 Troy Baker Wants To Make His Own Video Game
🎮 MindsEye Company Sued By Their Own Staff, Again
🎮 Original The Last of Us Plans Had More Immunes
🫡 True Tribute!
😄 Personal Update
All of this is brought to you in a 5 min format ⏲️
Let’s dig in!
🎮 Xbox Drops Prices On Game Pass
The new Xbox CEO has been saying for quite some time that Game Pass was too expensive, and she finally decided to do something about it.
For the first time in the history of the service since its launch in 2017 (if I remember correctly), the prices are going down instead of up. The company announced this monumental occasion in an official blog post and stated that starting from April 21st, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is dropping from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, and PC Game Pass is dropping from $16.49 to $13.99 per month, effective immediately, with regional variations, of course. The only downside to all this is that Call of Duty games are no longer going to be a part of any Game Pass option at launch; instead, they will be added approximately a year after the original release.
And all that is a big deal. First of all, it shows us that the company finally listened to people. Game Pass was one of those purchases that was really hard to justify, as it didn’t have too much value. They could’ve added more perks, but I guess lowering the price works just as well. And again, while the price reduction is not huge, at least it’s not yet another increase 😅
Secondly, there are a few mixed signals with the Call of Duty removal. Initially, I think, the idea was that by releasing a big title like this on day one, it would drive people toward the subscription service, but it looks like this strategy is not working out for them. At least that’s the only reason why Xbox would want to exclude a driver like this from the equation. My guess is that somebody did the math and determined that people would rather buy a full-priced game than deal with subscription service shenanigans. Which is honestly absolutely possible and usually my personal preference.
At least now we know for sure that Microsoft is no longer treating Game Pass as its main monetisation channel, and who knows, maybe this price change could even turn things around for this service to a degree, even without a premium franchise like Call of Duty leading the charge.
What do you think?
🎮 Capcom Absolutely On Fire With Pragmata
It looks like Capcom can’t do anything wrong, even with a game like Pragmata, as it reaches 1 million copies sold just 2 days after release.
According to the official press release, the game is absolutely killing it. And that’s despite all the scepticism the game received when it was first announced. Which is absolutely mind-blowing, considering that this is a brand-new IP with zero preexisting fan base. The company attributed this early momentum to two main factors. First, the game has had a playable demo for a while now. So, anyone could check out this new fusion of action and puzzle gameplay as well as the exciting new setting. And the second was a big multiplatform release. This is not something new, except for the fact that the Switch 2 version was released as well (the only exception was Japan and parts of Asia). Usually, developers only port games to Switch well after the initial release and after a game either fails or succeeds to justify additional investment.
The year looks absolutely amazing for the publisher. First Resident Evil Requiem and now Pragmata, both solid games, both sold very well. And besides huge sales numbers, people are absolutely loving it. The game reached Overwhelmingly Positive reviews in no time and earned very high praise on Metacritic.
And honestly, I’m a bit surprised. I was one of the people who was sceptical about this puzzle combat and how it could be repetitive at times. But according to everyone who played it so far, it doesn’t. Mostly because it was designed so well and the developers made it so customizable that it merges with the rest of the game in a very unique and fun way. Also, again, this is a pure single-player action game. No microtransactions, no live-service elements, no battle pass, just pure good old-fashioned video game.
I mean, how many more titles need to launch before other big publishers see that they don’t need live-service games to make money?
🎮 Metro 2039 Isn’t Just “A Game”
At least according to the creator of the Metro franchise, Dmitry Glukhovsky.
The author of the original books and one of the people who worked very closely on the project is eager to promote the new game. In a recent post on X, he shared that at this point, Metro 2039 should transcend the status of being “just a game” and should be called “an experience”. And Glukhovsky is also stressing that this new entry to the franchise is the most “grown-up story” in the history of the series.
On one hand, this is probably nothing new, right? As a game developer, I understand the desire to promote and uplift the game you are working on. Honestly, almost every game developer thinks their game is a work of art and should be treated as such, no matter if it’s a mobile match-3 or a big AAA franchise. And there is nothing wrong with that; it’s just something that everyone says.
On the other hand, not a lot of people have the same life experience as the team that developed this game. The game is about war, and these people are actually living in a country which is at war at this very moment. And since the game deliberately emphasises the tighter storytelling, deliberate and structured approach, their perspectives bring a unique advantage that could make this title more than just a game. But these expectations could be dangerous. By overpromoting the game like this, they are deliberately raising the bar, and if the game’s quality is nothing short of incredible, it might backfire.
The good news in all this is that it looks like 4A Games are confident in what they made, which definitely raises my hopes. But honestly, I was already sold even before Glukhovsky started promoting it 😅
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🎮 Ubisoft Asks For Gen AI Experience
It looks like proficiency with AI is becoming an increasingly desired qualification among game developers. At least that’s the case for Ubisoft.
According to a recent job posting for a Technical Art Director on an unspecified AAA project, among other things, the company wants a candidate to be adept with generative AI tools such as ComfyUI, MidJourney, NanoBanana, and/or others. And there is also a separate listing for a so-called Prompt Specialist that will be focused on a single question: among all the possibilities offered by generative AI, which ones are truly interesting and fun for gameplay?
Of course, it doesn’t mean that all new hires now have to know how to use AI tools, but it does set an interesting and somewhat divisive precedent, especially for positions such as an Art Director. This is not a support or an R&D role; this is as close to game production as it gets. And this qualification is not even a nice-to-have; it’s required. Which means that for Ubisoft, AI is officially a part of the game development pipeline.
And it wouldn’t be troubling if Ubisoft hadn’t been downsizing their teams left and right, as well as shutting down studios. Don’t get me wrong, I think AI could be a great tool, and it could improve efficiencies in certain areas, but this almost feels like they are laying people off and asking other people to make up for that with AI. And this is one of the big reasons why there is so much stigma against this technology. Even if two things are completely unrelated, the optics are definitely telling a different story.
So, what do you think, is it possible that in a couple of years, AI proficiency will be required for everyone who wants to work in game development?
🎮 Troy Baker Wants To Make His Own Video Game
If ever worked with video games or you enjoy playing them, chances are you want to make your own video games someday. If so, then you have something in common with Troy Baker.
You might be unfamiliar with this actor, but he is the one who voiced Talion from Shadow of War, Booker from Bioshock: Infinite, Samuel Drake from Uncharted, Joel from The Last of Us and a lot of other familiar characters. He is pretty much synonymous with video games at this point and is a big-time gamer himself.
And according to a recent interview with Eurogamer, he already started talking with various companies about creating his own game. But instead of rushing into it, the actor said that he is going to take his time with this endeavour. Right now, he is still deciding on a story he wants to tell and who he wants to tell it with. Among other things, Baker wants to make sure that when he finally tells this story, it’s one of just as high a calibre as those that he is trying to emulate while playing those big-time characters in AAA franchises.
While this is not new, as big influencers make video games all the time or at least try to. Like Shroud did with Spectre Divide or Dr Disrespect with Deadrop. This actor is in a very advantageous position, as he works with video game companies all the time. I’m sure that after everything he has done for them, none of them will turn him away from the get-go. But what happens after he is done pitching whatever he is thinking about is a whole other story. Most big companies are very hesitant to jump into new IPs these days, even when it’s attached to a big name like this.
While game creation is a noble pursuit, there are a lot fewer people who succeed in it than people who fail, regardless of who is associated with a project. But I can say this. Making a video game is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, so if he wants to do this, I wish him all the luck in the world!
🎮 MindsEye Company Sued By Their Own Staff, Again
Build A Rocket Boy Studio is in the spotlight again, and this time, they are being sued by their own employees.
Earlier this year, we talked about how the company's co-CEO identified some of the people responsible for the alleged sabotage of the game by installing mysterious cybersecurity updates that monitored employee activity. And it looks like the people in the company didn’t appreciate this pursuit. So much so that they went ahead and sued the company. Shocker, right? 😅
According to IGN, the matter is being handled by the IWGB Game Workers Union. And they are saying that Teramind software, used in monitoring, violated data protection laws and staff’s basic dignity by recording individuals in their homes and without their consent. Build A Rocket Boy tried to smooth things over by uninstalling the software, but it doesn’t look like this is going to cut it for them. The union also added that the toxic culture in the company is one of the worst they’ve ever seen. This secretive behaviour created an atmosphere of unease, and it’s definitely not something that leads to great video game production.
Also, this is now the second legal action currently pending against the company as the same union also sued them for mishandling one of the rounds of mass layoffs last summer, alleging unlawful blacklisting, detriment, and failure to engage in collective consultations.
There is an old saying that the fish rots from the head, and that’s the only thing I can think about when I hear about this studio. Their leadership is working so hard to prove to the world that they made a good game, but were deliberately sabotaged, that they are willing to break every rule not only of labour law, but basic human decency as well. And I have to ask, was it worth it? I mean, I hope so, as this meaningless witch hunt cost them their reputation on the world stage, their employees, any residual respect from other industry professionals and now probably hefty settlement fees in both cases. And the punchline is that they still haven’t produced a single shred of evidence.
I shouldn’t laugh about it, but I keep seeing this image in my head where the CEO scratches his head after being served with the lawsuit and saying, “Looks like I miscalculated…But where?” 🤣
🎮 Original The Last of Us Plans Had More Immunes
You know how the story of The Last of Us is centred on Ellie because she is the only person immune to the Cordyceps virus? Well, that wasn’t the case when the first game was in development.
According to an ex-Naughty Dog Lightning Artist who recently sat down on the Kiwi Talkz podcast, the original idea of Neil Druckmann was that in this world, more people are immune. In fact, when the first game was still in development, he said that there is a place, a whole congregation of that kind of person. And what he wants to do is to tell a more sophisticated story with multiple characters and kind of expand on that in future games.
Of course, this was the thinking more than a decade ago, and since then, Naughty Dog might’ve changed their minds 10 times already.
Still, it’s a very interesting, but somewhat risky notion. One of the big reasons why the story of the original game is so compelling is because of the gravity of the situation. Joel is basically sacrificing the future of humanity to save his surrogate daughter. So, if Naughty Dog were to introduce this change, it could change the entire perception of the series and dilute the logic we’ve been living with for years. And at least for right now, Ellie is still a 1 in 7 billion unique phenomenon, despite what the TV show was telling us.
Honestly, I think it’s a fun bit of information, but nothing more. Certainly not evidence that any potential sequels will move in this direction.
🫡 True Tribute!
Today I wanted to salute Dylan Cornelius and Nintendo is Great !
Great movie review! Honestly, I still remember watching the 1993 movie and thinking about how the only things about Mario games were the names of the characters 😅 Granted, I wasn’t a big fan, but it looks like I wasn’t that far off with my initial assessment. With this movie not reaching the expected heights, I’m now wondering what it would be like with a Zelda adaptation. So, when it comes out, it would be great to hear your thoughts on the matter as a Nintendo expert 😁
😄 Personal Update
Well, I have to say, based on my brief experience with the new update for Diablo 4, it really didn’t disappoint.
So far, it looks like Blizzard really listened to the feedback people were telling them for the last few years, and this big revamp of the endgame activities definitely makes this game more enjoyable, at least so far. I mean, it’s still largely the same activities, but it feels a little fresher now that you kind of move with purpose instead of just grinding for the next gear piece until you lose your mind 😅
Also, the new class is very fun to play, and since the big skill rework, I now want to try all the existing classes again. So, all in all, if you are a fan of Diablo, but you got sick and tired of previous endgame activities, now is probably the best time to get back into it 😁
This is all the news I have for you folks today.
Thanks for making it this far! 🙌
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Have a great week!
Alex from Gamedev Relay.
You’ll be happy to know that I’m back on the d4 train! I haven’t gotten the expansion yet but they did redo the skill tree which is soooo much more intuitive. I gotta finish my first run haha. Theeeeen I’ll get the expansion and try the new class
Well AI skills will be needed but more like using tools but I feel it’s more like a search engine and spelling checker now it does not do code well or Art, the 3d AI modelling still is bad with bad topography. Still I am learning it just not using it fully exploding its capabilities . Who knows maybe Beyond Good and Evil 2 might release if they use AI.