Hi everyone! This week in the gaming world had some real disheartening moments with layoffs dominating the news cycle, but we hope you'll enjoy some glimmers of hope and artistry in this week's news roundup as well. In our own sphere of VGG, there are some exciting things happening both in public (our PAX coverage is starting to wrap up) and behind the scenes (VGG Campout 24-hour stream prep has begun 👀).

We hope this week treats you well, and we welcome you to share your feedback and discuss these headlines with us and our community in the VGG Discord!

Take care!

Fern and Nate

October 1 - October 8 | VGG Gaming News Roundup

Xbox announced a new partnership with the Special Olympics, highlighted by the opportunity to make donations through Microsoft Rewards points and a series of inclusive eSports tournaments that will start in November. This is the latest collaboration since Xbox first teamed up with the organization in 2014.

Mail Time, a game that Fern called "a two- to three-hour quest for joy and neighborly connection," is coming to consoles (PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch) on October 19. Watch the fun animated trailer and get wrapped up in the cozy vibes!

Nintendo officially announced that, as of April 2024 — or earlier if "it becomes difficult to continue services" — all online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will be shut down. This includes any form of online play for games on those systems and services like SpotPass.

PokéTsume, a new live-action Pokémon Japanese drama, got a debut trailer. The show centers around a young woman named Madoka Akagi who rediscovers her passion for the Pokémon games right in the middle of a chaotic moment in her work life.

Castlevania Nocturne, the spinoff series to the wildly popular Castlevania Netflix series, has already been renewed for season 2 at Netflix. The show debuted on September 28 and was immediately met with critical and popular acclaim. It focuses on the story of the sorceress Annette and Richter Belmont.

The Last of Us 2 remaster rumors were given new life when a Naughty Dog developer accidentally listed the title on his LinkedIn. Reports about the game started in 2020 and it sure looks like it's happening. While initially seeming unnecessary, it will likely come with a PC release, which grows the potential audience and honestly only makes sense as season 2 of the show approaches.

Pikmin does not necessarily take place on Earth, according to Pikmin 4 planning director Yutaka Hiramuki. Despite the appearance of Earth-like things, including Game Boys and pool balls, Hirakumi says, "I want to clarify we have never actually referred to it as 'Earth.'"

LEGO has officially started to reveal their teased Animal Crossing set. The first reveal is comprised of minifigs of Rosie, Bunnie, Marshal, Kappa, Fauna, Julian, Isabelle, and Tom Nook. The reveal also teases fruit trees and flowers.

Redfall finally has a proper 60 FPS mode added on consoles through its latest update. The update also seems to cover a great many issues that this buggy release was initially panned for.

SEGA has cancelled Hyenas, reported to be the company's most expensive game production ever. With the company projected to lose almost $100 million in this fiscal year, the cancellation comes amidst "structural reforms" at developer Creative Assembly.

And in layoff news... we wanted to start this news roundup on a positive note, but of course, layoff reports at gaming companies big and small have been dominating the news, including:

• Team17, developer of the Worms series and publisher of games like Dredge, is laying off 50 staff and their CEO is stepping down.

• DANG!, the studio behind Boomerang X, is closing down after being unable to find funding for their next project.

• Naughty Dog, developer of the Jak and Daxter and Uncharted franchises, is cutting at least 25 contractors. Full-time staff was not affected, but the multiplayer Last of Us game is "on ice."

• Telltale 2.0 has seemingly cut "most of its staff" due to "market conditions." The Wolf Among Us 2 somehow remains in production.

• In litigation layoff news, seven laid-off BioWare employees, with an average of 14 years at the company, have teamed up to sue the company for better severance. Bungie is also being sued for wrongful termination on the basis of racial discrimination.

• And in at least a little bit of hopeful news: CD Projekt Red's developers have unionized after facing their third round of layoffs in three months.

If you need a little pick-me-up after that: ConcernedApe has announced a few exciting things. First, dogs and cats can wear hats now in Stardew Valley. Delightful. He's also revealed a few new screenshots for his next highly anticipated game, Haunted Chocolatier.

New Game Releases

Events

Ludum Dare 54 took place September 29 - October 2 with the theme "Limited Space." There are so many fun and innovative games that come out of these game jams in a 72-hour period. We highly recommend playing some and even rating them if you'd like. We've had a blast with Introvertigo, created by our friend Rincs (2D art, UI art) and the rest of the Different Folks team! It's a game where you have to try to escape awkward and unnecessary conversations with a few brazen folks trying to impose on your personal space. It'll make you want to chuckle... and then curl up in bed for a moment of blissful solitude.

Steam Next Fest is here from October 9 - 16 with hundreds of free demos to play. Need a few recs? Several unreleased games we covered during the summer Next Fest will have demos again. We're expecting to mostly miss this one, so let us know what demos you're enjoying!

Gayming Live Indie Festival is going on now through October 14, showcasing 60 LGBTQIA+ games in a Steam sale.

New On VGG This Week

» PAX West demo impressions and interview: Fight Crab 2
» Review: Bilkins' Folly