Video Games
‘State of Decay 3’ Dev Undead Labs Facing Potential Closure
Overshadowing the announcement of Ninja Theory’s third entry in the Hellblade series earlier this month were reports that the developer was facing possible closure by Microsoft, alongside South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games and Double Fine. Now according to a new story by GamesBeat, another developer under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella is potentially facing closure in Undead Labs, who are currently working on State of Decay 3.
Earlier this month, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma had announced that Microsoft was in the process of ‘resetting’ Xbox. That resulted in a report by Bloomberg during Summer Game Fest that revealed that multiple developers were negotiating with Microsoft to spin off of Xbox to avoid closing down. Now, according to the GamesBeat report, Undead Labs is now part of that group of developers negotiating to be bought to avoid layoffs.
The article states that Undead Labs could lose 110 jobs if it were shut down, while Compulsion could lose 90 jobs, Ninja Theory could lose 135 jobs, and Double Fine Productions could lose 100 jobs.
Other developers and publishers at Microsoft also reportedly face cuts, including Blizzard, id Software and Bethesda.
Undead Labs was acquired by Microsoft back in 2018, with State of Decay 3 being announced in 2020. News on the development of the game was quiet until 2024, when a new trailer was released. Updates on the game again were hard to come by until last January when then-Xbox Game Studios lead Craig Duncan revealed that development was still very much alive. That was followed up this month with an official announcement that State of Decay 3 would be coming next year to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.
Video Games
Souls-like ‘Blasphemous’ Receiving New Physical Limited ‘Martyrs’ Edition’ for PS4, Switch
The Game Kitchen is celebrating their 2D Souls-like Blasphemous reaching 5 million in sales in a big way. Publisher Team 17, together with astragon Entertainment, have announced a new premium physical edition for PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch in Blasphemous: Martyrs’ Edition. Pre-orders for the Martyrs’ Edition are now live via the Team 17 website.
Launching on October 30, the Blasphemous: Martyrs’ Edition delivers the complete Blasphemous experience. Alongside the base game with all released content included on-disc/cartridge, the edition features a 48-page Visual Compendium showcasing previously unreleased artwork, a premium poster featuring an all-new key visual, a developer letter, a game manual, and a digital soundtrack with 38 tracks.
Developed by The Game Kitchen and originally released back in 2019, Blasphemous (read our review) is a brutal action-platformer set in the nightmarish land of Cvstodia, combining challenging hack-and-slash combat, exploration, stunning pixel art and a deeply atmospheric gothic world. Players take on the role of The Penitent One, battling fearsome enemies and towering bosses in a quest to break the endless cycle of death and rebirth.
In addition to being available for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, you can also grab Blasphemous on the Xbox One, and PC via Steam and GOG.
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