In The News
IGN editor-in-chief Steve Butts is out at the company over alleged “misconduct,” Kotaku’s Jason Schreier reports.
“‘IGN initiated an investigation into alleged misconduct involving Steve Butts. As a result of the investigation, the Company has appropriately determined to part ways with Mr. Butts,’ said IGN general manager Mitch Galbraith in a statement to Kotaku this afternoon.”
Chief content officer Peer Schneider is now interim editor-in-chief.
Tyler Barriss, the man arrested in the fatal swatting incident, will be held without bail. He has been “charged with a felony count of false alarm,” Game Informer’s Imran Khan reports. “He stood in court in Los Angeles today where he confirmed that he was the man being charged in Kansas and would not fight extradition to Kansas.”
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds won Steam’s “Mom’s Spaghetti” award and Rocket League won “Suspension of Disbelief.” Check out the rest of the winners here.
The Independent Game Festival announced its “finalists for its 2018 awards,” Engadget’s Jon Fingas reports.
Ten companies are stepping up to defend Take-Two Interactive as the New York Court of Appeals considers “Lindsay Lohan’s and Karen Gravano’s appeal in the Grand Theft Auto V lawsuit,” Glixel’s Brian Crecente reports.
Shaun Escayg left Naughty Dog.
Blame it on the PUBG. That’s where Nexon, the publisher behind LawBreakers, points the blame for the game’s failure. “‘The timing of its launch turned out to be unfortunate, specifically the blockbuster PC online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds came out right about the same time,’” Eurogamer’s Tom Phillips reports Nexon’s Shiro Uemura as saying.
Collegiate esports is imperiled at Western Kentucky University, ESPN’s Riley Beggin reports. “The university isn’t able to fund the esports team beyond providing the room and the machines, media relations director Bob Skipper said in an email.”
Star Citizen “claim[s] to have raised $34.9 million from additional crowdfunding in 2017 alone,” GamesIndustry.biz’s Haydn Taylor reports. “The total amount raised now exceeds $175 million.”
Indie developers in Spain have €2 million less to work with after a portion of European Union funding was blocked. “Spain’s minister of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, Álvaro Nadal, canceled the planned grant, which was planned to be sent to 20 different developers,” Polygon’s Colin Campbell writes.
Meta, Ultrahaptics and ZeroLight are partnering to incorporate “haptic feedback” into augmented reality, VentureBeat’s Stephanie Chan reports. “It will be showing off a demo of the new technology at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.”
Rocket League passed 40 million players, Psyonix tweeted Tuesday.
Call of Duty news:
ERa Eternit’s new roster includes Steve “Mochila” Canle, Adam “GodRx” Brown, Casey “Pandur” Romano and Marcus “MiRx” Carter, Dot Esports’ Preston Byers reports.
CWL New Orleans Open’s 16 teams are finalized, according to Byers.