Empathy – приключенческая игра от первого лица, действие которой разворачивается в опустошенном мире. Игрокам предстоит исследовать локации, наполненные отголосками прошлых событий и эмоций исчезнувших жителей. Ключевая механика – способность взаимодействовать с этими эмоциональными слепками, чтобы восстанавливать картину произошедшего и продвигаться дальше. Игроки должны решать головоломки, основанные на манипулировании эмоциями и изменении окружающей среды, чтобы открыть новые области и раскрыть тайну трагедии, постигшей этот мир. Исследование мира и понимание истории через призму эмоциональных переживаний – основа игрового процесса.
"Players want to feel like they're powerful and can do something cool."
While the female horror-game protagonist fends off demons and other predators, she is also serving looks . This is the rose-covered cross women are made to bear: We must inspire others with our appearance even while covered in gore. Within the broader scope of patriarchal society, this expectation, which then bleeds into fashionable horror games like Silent Hill 3 and the Fatal Frame series, is unfair. Jessica Riley, Until Dawn (2015) Until Dawn is one of the best horror games of the PS4 generation, though its middling 2024 remake and unpopular 2025 movie adaptation has since rusted its reputation.
Publisher Activision has responded to criticism over using a devastating tragedy in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 , saying that the incident will be removed from the military shooter in a November 12 update. The Seoul Halloween crowd crush occurred in October 2022 in Itaewon. Approximately 100,000 people gathered in a narrow alleyway in Seoul, resulting in 160 casualties as people were suffocated. Given the game's setting and the events on screen, the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens' Countermeasures Meeting--two organizations formed after the 2022 tragedy in Seoul--were "appalled" at the calamity's inclusion and demanded that Activision remove it from the game.
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news. On October 29, 2022, a crowd crush happened in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea during Halloween festivities which drew over 100,000 people to the area. The bereaved families issued a statement earlier this week (via BBC News), saying, "We cannot help but be appalled that the chaotic and desperate scene, in which many citizens at the site performed CPR to save one another and victims lay on the freezing street, was used as it was to create a scene in a game." It adds, "Using such an event as material for a game made for entertainment is in itself highly inappropriate and senseless," and continues, "If the game developer has even a minimum of courtesy and empathy towards the victims, it should take corrective action without delay." In a statement to BBC News, Activision confirms the use of the real-life footage, saying it was used "to establish the game's fictional narrative" but insists that the inclusion was "not intended to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy in any way, shape or form." Activision offers condolences to the families and victims of the incident and confirms the footage will be removed from Modern Warfare 4.
Activision has apologized after footage from the real-life Itaewon crowd crush in South Korea was used in Modern Warfare 4, confirming that the clip will be removed from the game. Modern Warfare 4 launched on October 23, with its campaign following a fictional conflict that begins with an attack on South Korea by North Korea. However, one of its early sequences has faced criticism for featuring footage recorded in the aftermath of the Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul in October 2022. Related “If the game developer has even the slightest respect and empathy for the victims, they must take immediate corrective action.” For now, the footage remains visible in the Modern Warfare 4 campaign, but the patch coming on November 12 will automatically remove it for all players.
To anyone listening closely to what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been saying over the past couple of years, this week felt like the clearest sign yet that AI is about to fundamentally change the size of Microsoft’s workforce. Microsoft is now offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees across the US, UK, Canada, and India. Microsoft now employs around 223,000 people as of June 30th, 5,000 fewer than the 228,000 people it employed in 2025. Xbox hardware and content and services were also down, but a whole third of Microsoft’s revenue came from Azure ($33.17 billion of the $92.3 billion).
Modern Warfare 4 faces backlash after real footage of South Korean crowd crush tragedy was discovered in game's opening moments Bereaved families demand the removal of these clips. Activision has come under fire due to the inclusion of real-world footage of the tragic Itaewon Disaster in Modern Warfare 4. The bereaved families association and the Citizens Countermeasure Meeting are asking for the footage to be removed. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (2026) Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Debra Wilson’s voice, one of the most recognizable in video games, carries a singular authority. It’s a sound that’s propped up special agents, presidents, military commanders, dragons, demons, and Jedi masters. But despite her incredible range--Wolfenstein cutscene director Tom Keegan calls her "his muse" because he loves to work with her so much--she’s also one of gaming's most recognizable faces. But he didn't speak English." Wilson as Doctor in Death Stranding 2 Death Stranding 2 is a game in which all the complicated lore is already established, but Wilson didn’t know her BBs from her chiralium.
In 2019, Infinity Ward rebooted Call of Duty's Modern Warfare series, delivering a gritty and polished campaign featuring Captain Price and the assembly of the iconic Task Force 141. Despite the strong start, the series' sequels stumbled a bit, with Modern Warfare 3 in particular standing out as having a weak story and open-world missions that missed the mark. But with Modern Warfare 4, Infinity Ward returns the series' campaign to strength with a satisfying narrative and well-crafted missions for an epic conclusion to the rebooted series. Modern Warfare 4 Modern Warfare 4 also keeps the optional dialogue prompts introduced in Modern Warfare 2, which allow you to ask your fellow soldiers questions or make small talk.
Like tears in the rain… Blade Runner: Black Lotus (Anime Series) – 2021-22 Blade Runner 2039 (Comic) – 2022-24 Blade Runner: Black Lotus: Leaving L.A. & Las Vegas (Comic) – 2022-26 Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus (Comic) – 2024-ongoing Blade Runner 2099 (TV Show) – 2026 Blade Runner Timeline: Chronological Order 2009 – Blade Runner Origins (Comic) Release date: 2021-22 As the title implies, Blade Runner: Origins tells the story of the very first Blade Runner, AKA the guys who hunt down rogue replicants – replicants being bioengineered humans, indistinguishable from normal people except they can be extremely strong and intelligent. 2022 – Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (Anime Short) Release date: 2017 Released shortly before Blade Runner 2049 as a way to tee up the long-awaited sequel, Black Out 2022 is a 15-minute anime directed by Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe. Find out more about Blade Runner 2099 during the New York Comic Con panel on Saturday, October 10 at 6:45pm ET (3.45pm PT and 11:45pm BST).
"Quite often it's given me more to do" – Why AI might be creating more work for games companies, rather than saving time At the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, attendees explained how any efficiency gains from generative AI are countered by employee anxiety, potential data leaks, and legal headaches The GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit took place on October 1, and one topic that came up again and again at sessions throughout the day was generative AI and the impact it's having on the workplace. Attitudes towards the technology were mixed. Some pointed to how AI has been able to speed up some aspects of the game creation process, such as coding, or automate drudge work. But the general view was that generative AI falls far short of the miracle cure that some AI enthusiasts pitch it as, and that in addition it has been causing all sorts of workplace problems as firms figure out how best to use and account for it – including worries about the privacy of sensitive company data, an increase in employee anxiety, and a higher workload for HR professionals as a result of lengthy AI-written grievance letters.
Winners of the UK Best Places To Work Awards 2026 revealed Twenty-five UK companies were recognised for their excellence in supporting staff The UK Best Places to Work Awards 2026 took place at the Royal Institution in London on October 1, with special awards going to Dink, Hangar 13, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, NaturalMotion Games, Rare, and Snap Finger Click. The awards ceremony took place after the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, which was attended by 79 representatives from 41 companies, including AAA, AA, and indie studios, as well as consultancy firms, training providers, and educational institutes. These awards are judged on the basis of an employee survey (worth 80% of the score) and a company survey (worth 20%). Small company winners - Fireshine Games - Lively - MLC Studio - Playstack - Silent Games - Snap Finger Click - Stellar Entertainment Software - Swipe Right - Tanglewood Games - Uplift Games Mid-sized company winners (presented by Playground Games) - Behaviour Interactive UK - Electric Square - Expression Games - Fenris Creations - Hangar 13 - HundredStar Games - Kinetic Games - Maverick Games - Rare - Studio Gobo - Wushu Studios Large company winners - Frontier Developments - Jagex: The RuneScape Company - Playground Games - TT Games G Into Gaming Award (presented by Amiqus) - Jo Haslam, Snap Finger Click Corporate Social Responsibility Award (Presented by Special Effect) - Jagex: The Runescape Company (winner) - NaturalMotion Games - Playground Games - Rocksteady Studios - Wushu Studios Diversity Award - Maverick Games - NaturalMotion Games - Rare - Snap Finger Click (winner) Education Award (Presented by IO Interactive) - Dink (winner) - Electric Square - Jagex: The Runescape Company - Rocksteady Studios - Two Point Studios Environmental Award (Presented by Games London) - NaturalMotion Games - Playground Games - Rare (winner) - Rocksteady Studios Health and Wellbeing Award - Behaviour Interactive UK - Hangar 13 (winner) - NaturalMotion Games - Rare - Rocksteady Studios Training and Development Award - Behaviour Interactive UK - Jagex: The Runescape Company - NaturalMotion Games (winner) - Playground Games HR Hero Award - Yvonne Dawes, Frontier Developments - Tuoya Joe, HundredStar Games - Gary Martin, Jagex: The Runescape Company - Carmen Martino, Playstack - Anna Stone, Playground Games - Leah Wilson, IO Interactive (winner)
"They've watched so many people lose their jobs, that has an impact" – Managing morale in the wake of layoffs HR experts discuss how to care for staff, and for themselves, as widespread layoffs and closures continue in the games industry With tens of thousands of jobs lost across industry in the past few years, to say this is a demoralising time to be working in video games would be something of an understatement. It's impossible to truly calculate how many lives have been affected by the studio closures and waves of layoffs we've seen, which have an impact not only on those who have lost their livelihood, but also on those who remain employed. Much of the burden for handling both redundancies and staff morale during such situations falls to HR departments – something we will be discussing at the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit on Thursday, October 1. Emma Smith, who spent 15 years handling HR at Creative Assembly before forming her own consultancy Hestia Talent Partners, suggests that not enough attention is being paid to those whose jobs have (for now) remained safe.
Singapore has launched a nationwide campaign that rewards people for reading for at least 15 minutes each day. Participants can record their daily reading on a government website, where they earn virtual coins they can exchange for cash. According to The Straits Times, every 1,000 coins is worth S$1 (around $0.80), while readers will also be able to collect bonus rewards such as limited-edition library charms It’s hoped the five-year campaign will make reading part of everyday life by turning it into a trackable challenge with personal goals, reading streaks, and rewards. On the bus, before bed or over lunch.” The initiative aims to attract 150,000 participants by September 2027, while reading logged during the Read for Good charity drive will count toward its target of raising S$150,000 for disadvantaged communities.
Gamescom issues apology for initial response to hardware thefts: "It did not show the people affected the empathy they deserve" "We understand what this has cost you, and we should have said so from the very first moment" Gamescom has apologised for its initial response to theft reports at this year's event, acknowledging it "did not strike the right tone" or "show the people affected the empathy they deserve." "We have received a great deal of criticism for the way we communicated about the theft of hardware belonging to several indie developers," the organisers wrote on social media. "That criticism is justified." "A theft like this is far more than a material loss. It can ruin an entire Gamescom for the people it happens to, and it can destroy work that took months or years to build – work that, for a small studio, can be almost everything. "We are therefore committed to jointly reviewing and further improving security." Iam8bit was also affected, with two laptops used for game demos stolen "despite the presence of Koelnmesse security." "This is hugely disappointing for us and our development teams at Nano Park Studios and Coin Crew Games, who worked tirelessly to prepare for this show," the company said.
Gamescom apologises for how it initially responded to indie developer hardware thefts "Our first response did not strike the right tone, and it did not show the people affected the empathy they deserved." Gamescom has apologised for the way it "communicated about the theft of hardware belonging to several indie developers" last week, admitting, "our first response did not strike the right tone, and it did not show the people affected the empathy they deserved". Multiple exhibitors at Gamescom reported thefts of laptops and other equipment from their booths in Cologne last week, with one indie developer, Ryan Laley, saying the loss has effectively ended his show early. Iam8bit also reported two of its laptops were taken overnight from the same business area, as did Tessera Studios. — gamescom (@gamescom) September 4, 2026 Now, in a new statement posted yesterday (4th September), Gamescom posted a follow-up statement on social media, saying the organisers "understand what this has cost you, and we should have said so from the very first moment".
gamescom has provided a second response regarding the theft of developers’ equipment during its event, offering an apology for its initial reaction to the ordeal. On August 28, 2026, indie developer Ryan Laley uploaded a video to X/Twitter claiming that all of his laptops had been stolen at gamescom. He wasn’t the only one affected; several other developers spoke out with similar stories, saying their equipment had also been pilfered at the event. gamescom responded to the ordeal on August 29, writing that while it was "very sad" about the situation, it "would like to inform [attendees] about general security regulations." My #gamescom cut short.
'That criticism is justified': Gamescom apologizes for its callous response to developer hardware thefts Gamescom said it is "committed to jointly reviewing and further improving security," but doesn't mention any compensation for affected exhibitors. Last week, in the wake of a rash of developer hardware thefts at this year's Gamescom, the event's organizers provoked a wave of outcry by publishing a statement that many perceived as callously placing the blame on exhibitors who hadn't adequately insured their equipment. "That is exactly what we will do here." 2026 games: All the upcoming games Best PC games: Our all-time favorites Free PC games: Freebie fest Best FPS games: Finest gunplay Best RPGs: Grand adventures Best co-op games: Better together Lincoln has been writing about games for 12 years—unless you include the essays about procedural storytelling in Dwarf Fortress he convinced his college professors to accept. Leveraging the brainworms from a youth spent in World of Warcraft to write for sites like Waypoint, Polygon, and Fanbyte, Lincoln spent three years freelancing for PC Gamer before joining on as a full-time News Writer in 2024, bringing an expertise in Caves of Qud bird diplomacy, getting sons killed in Crusader Kings, and hitting dinosaurs with hammers in Monster Hunter.
The people of video games on what gives them cause for hope "Forget trodden down, I think our future sees a beautiful revolution." Hello and welcome to one of our final pieces for Optimism Week here on Eurogamer. This time, we've turned to the industry itself for some answers, and as such I'm going to do my best to get out of the way as quickly as possible. "The bundle ended this morning, as of this writing, and we managed to raise more than $250,000 in two weeks. Look at this year's breakthrough hits… Mewgenics, 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, Pragmata, Subnautica 2, Forza Horizon 6, Meccha Chameleon, Pokemon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, Slay The Spire 2… the variety is incredible.
This past week, the world lost Hayden Panettiere. Only 36 years old, the former child actress established herself as a household name in numerous iconic roles in film and television. From Claire, the super-powered cheerleader from Heroes, to Kirby Reed, the horror know-it-all from the Scream franchise, Panettiere proved herself to be a highly versatile actress in an ever-evolving industry. Panettiere also lent her voice to Xion in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, a spin-off that focused on the villainous organization from the sequel and Chain of Memories.