CipSoft's new MMO: Benjamin Zuckerer on Persist Online Marcel Kleffmann September 19, 2024 – 5 min read Share this post Benjamin Zuckerer (Lead Product Manager, Managing Director) and Thomas Brünger (Product Manager Development) © CipSoft State of Play June 2026 © Sony Interactive Entertainment Products State of Play June 2026: All Announcements In yesterday's episode of State of Play, Sony Interactive Entertainment unveiled both God of War Laufey and Until Dawn 2. Release dates were also announced for Control: Resonant; Onimusha: Way of the Sword; Silent Hill: Downfall and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. By Marcel Kleffmann • 8 min read Wreckfest 2 - This is how THQ Nordic is making its mark © THQ Nordic Business G+ THQ Nordic: The Austrian Heavyweight in the AA Market 2026 is a crucial year for THQ Nordic. With Reanimal, they released a strong title in February, and the major remake of Gothic 1 is set to launch in June — a game that, like Titan Quest II, is pushing towards AAA status. But how else is the publisher positioned? By Marcel Kleffmann • 9 min read Chop Chop Inc. © NullRef Entertainment & rokaplay Business Rokaplay Signed Chop Chop Inc. From NullRef Entertainment The German studio NullRef Entertainment has partnered with rokaplay ahead of the upcoming release of Chop Chop Inc. NullRef is made up of former Gentlymad developers — the studio behind Endzone, which closed down in 2025. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read Products Covic and Assemble Reveal Voice-Controlled Coop Game Caaahr! As a successor to Paddle Paddle Paddle, Mateo Covic alias ZoroArts has revealed Caaahr!, another coop friendslop title, again published by Assemble Entertainment. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Products Irox Publishes Nightwater by Studio Ashty Irox Games from Munich has taken on Nightwater from Bosnian and Herzegovinan Studio Ashty as publisher. It is set to release in Q3 2026. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Business Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory and Other Xbox Studios Are at Risk Several Xbox studios are reportedly facing closure or potential sale, according to multiple media reports. This includes Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions and Ninja Theory, although other Xbox studios are also reportedly at risk. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read (Photo: Institut für Ludologie / Jens Junge) Campus Survey Looks for Public Value of Archiving Analogue Games A survey of Sabine Fürst at the BFI Wien is looking for the Public Value of Archiving Analogue Games. It is endorsed by several board game associations and archives from around Germany. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Echo Generation 2 © Cococucumber Products Echo Generation 2 In Echo Generation 2, six playable characters, each with their own story, face a cosmic threat. This sci-fi, Stranger Things-inspired deck-building RPG from Cococucumber is fully inspired by the '80s and '90s. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read (photo: Duncan / Xbox) People Head of Xbox Game Studies Craig Duncan Steps Down According to media reports citing internal emails, Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan and Chief of Staff Louise O’Connor, both originally from Rare, have stepped down. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
State of Play June 2026 © Sony Interactive Entertainment Products State of Play June 2026: All Announcements In yesterday's episode of State of Play, Sony Interactive Entertainment unveiled both God of War Laufey and Until Dawn 2. Release dates were also announced for Control: Resonant; Onimusha: Way of the Sword; Silent Hill: Downfall and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. By Marcel Kleffmann • 8 min read
Wreckfest 2 - This is how THQ Nordic is making its mark © THQ Nordic Business G+ THQ Nordic: The Austrian Heavyweight in the AA Market 2026 is a crucial year for THQ Nordic. With Reanimal, they released a strong title in February, and the major remake of Gothic 1 is set to launch in June — a game that, like Titan Quest II, is pushing towards AAA status. But how else is the publisher positioned? By Marcel Kleffmann • 9 min read
Chop Chop Inc. © NullRef Entertainment & rokaplay Business Rokaplay Signed Chop Chop Inc. From NullRef Entertainment The German studio NullRef Entertainment has partnered with rokaplay ahead of the upcoming release of Chop Chop Inc. NullRef is made up of former Gentlymad developers — the studio behind Endzone, which closed down in 2025. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
Products Covic and Assemble Reveal Voice-Controlled Coop Game Caaahr! As a successor to Paddle Paddle Paddle, Mateo Covic alias ZoroArts has revealed Caaahr!, another coop friendslop title, again published by Assemble Entertainment. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Products Irox Publishes Nightwater by Studio Ashty Irox Games from Munich has taken on Nightwater from Bosnian and Herzegovinan Studio Ashty as publisher. It is set to release in Q3 2026. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Business Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory and Other Xbox Studios Are at Risk Several Xbox studios are reportedly facing closure or potential sale, according to multiple media reports. This includes Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions and Ninja Theory, although other Xbox studios are also reportedly at risk. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
(Photo: Institut für Ludologie / Jens Junge) Campus Survey Looks for Public Value of Archiving Analogue Games A survey of Sabine Fürst at the BFI Wien is looking for the Public Value of Archiving Analogue Games. It is endorsed by several board game associations and archives from around Germany. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Echo Generation 2 © Cococucumber Products Echo Generation 2 In Echo Generation 2, six playable characters, each with their own story, face a cosmic threat. This sci-fi, Stranger Things-inspired deck-building RPG from Cococucumber is fully inspired by the '80s and '90s. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
(photo: Duncan / Xbox) People Head of Xbox Game Studies Craig Duncan Steps Down According to media reports citing internal emails, Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan and Chief of Staff Louise O’Connor, both originally from Rare, have stepped down. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
