In The News
CD Projekt intends to “create around 250 new positions … despite a fall in revenue and profits last year,” GI.biz’s Haydn Taylor reports. “CFO Piotr Nielubowicz confirmed that CD Projekt acquired a plot of land late last year, which gives the possibility of developing 3,000 square metres of office space.”
Monolith Soft is working on another Zelda game, GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain reports. “The studio’s website is putting the call out for developers to join the project, and recruiting for programmers, designers, and artists, among other roles.” Monolith previously worked on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Investment:
Players’ Lounge has raised “$3 million to build out its platform for players to play games for cash prizes,” VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi writes. “The money comes from entertainer Drake, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Comcast, Macro Ventures, Canaan, RRE, and Courtside.”
Wormhole Labs raised “an $8M USD seed round to further develop and launch its Wormhole social app. The Wormhole platform lets gaming and esports fans connect in social rooms based on real-world events and locations, and quickly “wormhole” to other rooms,” TEO’s Andrew Hayward writes.
Twitch’s latest update brings in Squad Stream, a feature that “lets up to four creators livestream together in the same window. Viewers will be able to jump in from a creator’s page on desktop and mobile, enlarge the broadcast they want to focus on, while keeping an eye on the others, and chat to each creator’s community at the same time,” Engadget’s Saqib Shah reports.
Minecraft has yanked references to its original creator, Markus “Notch” Persson, from things like its loading screen. “Persson is still listed within the game’s accessible credits as the game’s creator, however. While we have reached out to Microsoft, which owns, maintains, and develops Minecraft after purchasing it in 2014, there has been no answer by time of writing,” Game Informer’s Imran Khan writes.
Niantic announced its second annual Pokémon GO Earth Day event April 22.
Microsoft will not be pranky on April Fools’ Day.
IN: Creative Assembly hired David Bowman.
Stadia General Manager Phil Harrison was appointed to The Game Awards advisory board.
OUT: Marvelous Entertainment’s Kenichiro Takaki is leaving for Cygames.
Sony’s Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai announced he is retiring and will leave his role as chairman June 18.
Interviews: Insomniac Games’ Ted Price (IGN).
Extra Esports News:
Franchising incoming for Rainbow Six Siege? “Conversations surrounding this potential franchising system for Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege stem from a job posting on popular esports job board Hitmarker Jobs. The job’s description includes the development of a ‘strategic business plan for franchise esports programs,’” Unikrn’s Dustin Steiner writes.
Team Ninja announced “a world championship series for its fighting game DEAD OR ALIVE 6. The tournament series will include a qualification process across events in the United States, Europe, and Asia,” TEO’s Max Miceli reports.
Partnerships & Sponsorships:
Twitch and MVPindex are partnering, TEO’s Ben Fischer reports. “As part of the deal, the Dallas-based social analytics company will give Twitch and key clients software that delivers valuation and stream performance data in nearly real time.”
ShelS and Lazarus are partnering, Esports Insider’s Adam Fitch writes. “The players will become athlete ambassadors for the collective.”
Thunder Insurance is sponsoring Kanga Esports, TEO’s Seamus Byrne reports.
IN: Yao “Yao” Zhengzheng joined LGD Gaming as a coach.
John Costas joined Team Secret as vice chairman.
Interviews: Custom Esports’ Adam Stevens (Esports Insider).
Happy birthday Adam “Armada” Lindgren!