Episode 204: Ubisoft's Hail Mary (News Show)

Ubisoft employees are prepared to strike over a recent return-to-office mandate and extreme cost-cutting. Also: Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2025 and full year 2025, That's No Moon at odds with former founder, Amazon Games suffers another blow, and Ashes of Creation dev Intrepid implodes.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:01:04] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for December 2025 and Full-Year 2025
• [00:12:00] - That's No Moon Co-Founder Causes $1M Problem
• [00:21:09] - Valve Faces Down Another Class Action Suit
• [00:29:41] - Ubisoft in Disarray
• [00:52:38] - Investment Interlude
• [00:57:23] - Quick Hits
• [01:02:13] - Labor Report

SOURCES

• That's No Moon Ex-CEO Hijacked Domain And Caused A $1M Problem, Cofounders Say In Lawsuit | Aftermath
• Valve Fails To Get $900m Class Action Lawsuit Over Pricing Thrown Out | Kotaku
• UBISOFT ANNOUNCES A MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL, OPERATIONAL AND PORTFOLIO RESET TO RECLAIM CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND RESTORE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH | Ubisoft
• Ubisoft Employee Claims He's Placed on Unpaid Suspension for Criticising Return-to-Office Policy | Insider Gaming
• Ubisoft Fires Team Lead For Criticising Stupid Return-To-Office Mandate | Aftermath
• Ex-Assassin's Creed boss Marc-Alexis Côté sues Ubisoft after his surprise and "disguised dismissal" | Eurogamer
• We are shutting it down:' Ubisoft unions call for international strike | Game Developer

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• Industry networking platform MeetToMatch acquired by 1SP Agency | GamesIndustry
• Indie publisher Pixel Doors launches with a 'developer-first' mindset | Game Developer

LABOR REPORT

• Update on our organization | Amazon
• Christoph Hartmann Out at Amazon | Jason Schreier on Bluesky
• Report: ProbablyMonsters lays off devs while unveiling Nazi hunting game | Game Developer
• Wildgate maker Moonshot laying off unspecified number of staff | GamesIndustry
• Update: Payday developer Starbreeze pushes ahead with 'new wave' of layoffs | Game Developer
• Report: NetEase Games is cutting jobs in Montreal | Game Developer
• Studio that developed the infamous Mighty No.9 has shut down for good | Eurogamer
• Anime action RPG studio Pahdo Labs shuts down despite accruing $17.5M in funding: 'We believed making a demo of a familiar but new game would be our best shot' | PCGamer
• Tencent subsidiary Sumo Digital is making layoffs | Game Developer
• MMORPG Ashes of Creation Suddenly Implodes 52 Days After Steam Early Access Launch | WCCFTech
• Ashes Of Creation Dev Details $3.2 Million Kickstarter Studio's Shocking Collapse: 'None Of Us Are Receiving Our Final Paychecks' | Kotaku
• Blizzard QA Workers' Newly Ratified Union Contract Locks In Pay Increases, Better Benefits | Aftermath