GDC 2026: Day 1 | It's not all up in Flames
Day 1 summary on the floor, reporting on what the buzz is.
Game Dev Unchained
Our podcast breaks the mold of don't ask don't tell about the video game industry. We give everyone the real inside look at what its like to be a professional game developer, Every week we'll interview pro and indie developers, we'll talk jobs, studios, salaries and of course crunch horror stories. Tune in! Hosted by Brandon Pham
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0370: Roundtable News | High Guard's Downfall, Marathon's Release, Xbox's Future
Starting with Wildlight’s HighGuard, which drew heavy criticism for inconsistent art direction, weak gameplay choices, lack of public playtesting, poor performance, and rapidly shrinking player counts, leading to major layoffs and a much smaller remaining team. We argue modern live-service shooters face intense competition and need earlier public feedback, noting broader post-COVID overfunding has…
0369: Roundtable News | EA Goes Private and Playstation State of Play Review
In this episode, we discuss EA going private and potentially some major layoffs before end of Year. Before deep diving in the state of play from the PlayStation conference. Connect with us:• 🖥 http://gamedevunchained.com • 🎞️ https://www.youtube.com/c/GameDevUnch... • ✉️ info@gamedevunchained.com• 💰 https://anchor.fm/gamedevunchained/su...…
0368: Small Teams Turn Passion into Project Grail with Malte and Rufino
https://www.project-grail.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/iammalte/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ta-roy/ Malte and Roy to discuss their journey developing "Project Grail," a retro-inspired first-person shooter. The conversation covers their backgrounds in AAA studios, the influence of classic games like Doom and Wolfenstein, the challenges of balancing side projects with full-time jobs, and the…
0367: Games Recap | Crunch Deaths, Mass Layoffs, Political Firings, and Global Shifts
In this solo episode, I address three significant topics in the game development industry: backlash from social media posts following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the tragic death of Microsoft engineer Pratik Pandey linked to crunch culture, and the broader industry shakeout leading to significant job losses. The discussion covers the impacts of public comments by game…
0366: Alien: Rogue Incursion | Bridging VR and Flat Screen Experience with Ross DeVito
Alien: Rogue Incursion - Evolved Edition | Coming Soon to PS5, PS5 Pro, Steam, Xbox, and Epic Ross De Vito | LinkedIn In this episode we have Ross DeVito, a gameplay programmer at Survios, a VR studio. Ross shares his journey from studying mechanical engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to finding fulfillment in virtual reality game development. He discusses the development of 'Alien: Rogue…
0365: Roundtable News | AI, Remote Work and Industry Layoffs
In this episode, we discuss the recent layoffs in the game industry and the economic challenges faced by game studios, focusing on the long development cycles and mismanagement in AAA studios like Cloud Chamber's BioShock project. We examine the role of AI in game development, highlighting its potential to assist with asset creation and coding while noting its current limitations. The conversation…
0364: The Challenges of Finishing a Game with Drew Smith
In this episode we sit down with longtime friend and industry veteran Drew Smith for a candid conversation about the evolving landscape of game development. Drew shares his journey from hustling his way into Take-Two, producing at 2K, and working on iconic titles like Bioshock and Destiny, to navigating the challenges of remote work, starting his own studio, and adapting to a rapidly changing…
0363: Roundtable News | Marathon, Mayhem, and the State of AAA
In this roundtable episode, the crew dives into Bungie’s upcoming "Marathon," dissecting its art style, gameplay, and what it signals about the state of AAA game development. We discuss industry layoffs, the decline of Western studios, and the challenges facing big-budget games, while reflecting on the future of game development and the rise of smaller, more agile teams. Connect with us:• 🖥…
0362: Gaming Today with Studio GM Chris Stone
About this episode:hristopher Stone is a dynamic Studio General Manager who has played a key role in some of the industry's most notable AAA titles. Currently, he's leading work on Ready or Not, while his impressive portfolio also includes high-profile projects such as Callisto Protocol, Days Gone, Call of Duty, and Dead Space. In this episode, Christopher shares his journey through groundbreaking…