Byte Action - Issue 86
Byte Action is a newsletter for game developers and fans
Hello, and welcome to the 86th edition of Byte Action newsletter!
Last week Epic Games rolled out self-publishing tool for developers on the Epic Games Store. Games creators can now self-publish their titles on the Epic Games Store.
In other news - Gamesindustry.biz reported that Canadian developer Dynasty Loop has been accused by staff of missing months of paychecks, with uncertainty around whether the affected workers are still employed.
Lastly, a studio that was formed in April 2022 has just raised $55m and it’s called “The Believer Company”. It was founded by Riot Games veterans. They’re currently working on a "next-generation open-world game" built around an original IP.
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The Byte
The Action
Retro Byte
Studio Byte
Embark Studios is a AAA developer based in Stockholm. It was founded in 2018 by Patrick Söderlund with a mission to create a new world of ongoing, compelling, revolutionary play. They’re currently working on 2 multiplayer shooter IPs - ARC Raiders and The Finals that are due to come out sometime this year.
Legal Stuff
Microsoft proposes new remedies to appease UK regulator’s concerns over Activision acquisition
Austrian court rules that FIFA loot boxes violate gambling laws
Acquisitions/Investments
New Game Corner
Become the iconic part man, part machine, all cop hero as you attempt to bring justice to the dangerous, crime-ridden streets of Old Detroit.
Resource Byte
This week in this section we’ve got a Teamtailor. There are plenty Recruitment ATS’ to choose from, and all provide somewhat similar features, but for me personally this one offers the fullest package you could expect: from applicant tracking to employer branding, to agency collab, and they have a number gamedev studios as their clients so the onboarding should be a piece of cake.
Who’s Hiring?
Systems Designer - Liquid Swords - Stockholm, Sweden
Lead Game Designer - Carry1st - Remote
Animation Technical Director - DONTNOD - Montréal, Canada (Remote)
Graphics Programmer - Supermassive Games - Guildford, UK
Senior Backend Engineer - Embark Studios - Stockholm, Sweden
Creative Director - Avalanche Studios - Stockholm, Sweden
Lead Audio Programmer - Playground Games - Royal Leamington Spa, UK
Audio Director - Smilegate Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain
Senior Game Designer - Haven Studios - Montréal, Canada
Lead Concept Artist - Unbroken Studios - El Segundo, CA (Remote)
Online Game Director - Techland - Warsaw, Poland
Senior Engine Programmer - Keen Games - Frankfurt, Germany (Remote)
Rumours
Dev Talks
Ayesha Khan - Lead Narrative Designer @ Deep Silver Dambuster studio
Ayesha Khan: “I would say that every game has its own flavor of baggage, just to mix my metaphors. We've been working on this for a little over four years now, and that's a fairly normal dev cycle. We're all feeling that rush as we approach the launch and that excitement. It's kind of nice to know that any other development wasn't in a way associated with us, so we don't feel like we have a lot to apologize for as a studio. We get to feel like a fairy godmother, like 'at last your wish is granted!' It's been really exciting to be able to fulfill people's wishes, and watch and share that excitement with them.”
Events
GDC is almost here, and this year it feels like it’s going to be bigger than ever. Certainly a lot of people are going, though if you haven’t got that ticket yet - there’s still time.