CES 2022 brought with it a ton of exciting reveals for the games industry, including new graphics cards for PC gamers, as well as PlayStation announcing the new PSVR. Game Rant has compiled some of the biggest gaming news stories from this past week together into a concise post for fans and enthusiasts to stay up to date on the most important events in the industry per week. Highlighting the most relevant stories, this list is not inherently and totally objective, and will not contain every news story this week. Rather, this is intended for gaming fans who want a quick rundown on the largest/most impactful stories that occurred in the last week in games.
In this week’s recap ofgaming news, this year’s CES convention had several gaming-related reveals from various companies like Nvidia, Intel, AMD, and more.Ghost of Tsushimacelebrated eight million units sold, though not without controversy surrounding another PS4 exclusive,Days Gone. A report detailing Ghost Story Games gives an insight to the development issues surrounding Ken Levine’s upcoming project. Riot Games recently revealed the latest agent coming toValorantwith the new Episode, this time adding a new duelist to the Agent pool. All that and more in this week’s rundown of the biggest news from the gaming industry.
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CES 2022: Biggest Gaming Highlights
Like every year, this January brought CES 2022, showcasing all sorts of new developments and innovations in the various subsects of the tech industry. Among all the other new products and projects in progress among various companies, all the gaming-centric announcements were pretty significant as well. Here are thehighlights of gaming news from this year’s CES:
Days Gone Director Criticizes PlayStation Over Ghost Of Tsushima Sales
With the recent celebration ofGhost of Tsushimarecently selling 8 million total units, it hasn’t all been positive news, especially for Bend Studio former director Jeff Ross. Taking to Twitter in response to the recent news of Sucker Punch’s success, Ross commented on howDays Goneseemingly received unfair treatment from “local studio management” regarding the game’s reception. Ross stated on Twitter thatDays Gonesold a similar number of units toGhost of Tsushimadespite the difference in reception.
However, additional reports seemed to indicate that the similar “over 8 million copies” number that Ross floated may not be necessarily true. Ross based these numbers off of the discontinued Gamestat website, which tracked PlayStation trophies and estimates player counts from there. Various other factors, like used game sales and its PS Plus release, likely contributed to the eight million number, but thatdoesn’t necessarily meanDays Gonesold that many units.
Report Details BioShock Creator’s ‘Development Hell’ At Studio
Ghost Story Games, Ken Levine’s independent studio formed eight years ago, is reportedly experiencing a struggling development cycle. According to a report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the untitled project atLevine’s studio has reportedly entered a degree of “development hell,“with 15 current and former Ghost Story Games employees detailing high turnover and creative differences.
After Irrational Games shut down and Levine started his own studio, several ex-Irrational developers ended up leaving Ghost Story Games in response to Levine’s problematic leadership. According to ex-Irrational developer Mike Snight, Levine is a difficult boss who is constantly at odds with other developers when it comes to creative decisions. Many employees cited constant rotation andaddition of features or ideas from Levinethat would often clash with previous development plans.
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Riot Games Unveils New Valorant Agent
As part ofValorant’s upcoming new Episode,Riot Games revealed the new Filipina agent known as “Neon,“a new duelist. Focused inherently on speed and lightning, all of Neon’s abilities allow her to clear a sight quickly and with oppressive force. Her signature ability (High Gear) allows her to sprint and slide at high speeds, while her purchaseable abilities are a concussive shock grenade that stuns, while her static wall enacts two vertical walls that function similarly to Phoenix’s damaging wall.
BioWare Issues Public Update On Studio’s Status, Future
General Manager of BioWare, Gary McKay, issued an honest letter on theBioWare blog reflecting on a tough last year for the studio. McKay mentioned that the studio is focused on “building back the trust of our fans and community,” referencing the development team’s ongoing work and dedication to the nextMass Effectgame andDragon Age 4. Unfortunately for fans ofAnthem, McKay made no mention of the canceled action RPG, or any plans regarding the franchise.
Konami Celebrates 35th Anniversary With NFTs
Surprising nobody,Konami is celebratingCastlevania’s 35th anniversary with a “Memorial NFT” program, with auctions beginning on January 12. Pixel art depicting iconic scenes from the series, as well as “newly drawn” NFT artworks, will be available on the OpenSea marketplace. Konami president Kimihiko Higashio has previously praised NFT and blockchain design, citing the “inventive new ways to enjoy games.” Konami has also stated additional NFT works are planned for sale in the future.
Activision Sues Known Call of Duty Cheat Distributor
Activision has filed suit against popular cheat distributor EngineOwning, the site that was selling all sorts of cheat software forCall of Duty: Warzone. The cheating issue withCall of Duty: Warzonehas been a persistent issue, even with the introduction of the Ricochet anti-cheat system late last year. EngineOwning has distributed cheats for recentCall of Dutygames, as well as other titles likeHalo InfiniteandBattlefield 2042. Additionally, the officialCall of Dutysocial media account also announced the banning of 48,000 cheaters inWarzoneandCall of Duty: Vanguardas well.
