Today’s Summary
A new GDC survey describes layoffs among game-industry respondents, while Resident Evil Requiem takes the Golden Joystick Awards’ top prize. MachineGames confirms Wolfenstein 3 and id Software says its next game is in development.
Xbox expands its original Xbox PC library to 25 games, and Playground Games explains new Fable footage. Helsinki mobile studio Playnest has shut down after around four years.
Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds is headed to PS5 in May 2027, DERELIKT launches with retro sci-fi horror, and Little Corners adds a small expansion for players who prefer decorating to fighting.
Editor’s Viewpoint
The GDC survey gives the industry a way to hear from thousands of professionals, but its headline figure needs its qualifier: 34% is the share of respondents who reported layoffs, not a measure of every game worker. The organizers also note that affected workers participated at a higher rate. Those caveats do not erase the hardship described by respondents; they make the finding more useful.
The week’s announcements also put different stages of a game’s life alongside one another. Wolfenstein 3 and id Software’s next project have been confirmed without release windows, while Xbox is bringing older games to PC. Elsewhere, smaller releases such as DERELIKT and Little Shops are already available. A report can cover all of these while being clear about what players can actually play today and what remains a promise for later.
GDC survey finds one-third of respondents faced layoffs
GDC’s November 2026 State of the Game Industry survey found that 34% of respondents said they had been laid off during the previous two years. The share was 39% among US respondents. The survey covers more than 2,600 game professionals, according to the organizers.
These are survey responses, not a count or representative estimate of every game worker. GDC notes higher participation by people affected by layoffs, particularly in the United States. The report also says 49% of respondents reported layoffs at their companies over the previous year. Those distinctions matter when interpreting a survey that captures a difficult employment climate but does not measure the entire workforce.
Key Points
- 34% of respondents reported layoffs
- US respondent figure was 39%
- Survey included over 2,600 professionals
- GDC notes participation may skew toward affected workers
Resident Evil Requiem wins Golden Joystick ultimate award
Resident Evil Requiem won Ultimate Game of the Year at the 44th Golden Joystick Awards in London on November 11. The organizers say it also received Console Game of the Year, Best Game Trailer and Best Lead Performer for Angela Sant’Albano’s role as Grace Ashcroft.
The ceremony recognized a wide range of games: Meccha Chameleon won four awards, Dispatch won Best Storytelling and Best Soundtrack, and Crimson Desert took PC Game of the Year. Most categories were decided by public voting, while the organizers identify three as critically chosen. These are Golden Joystick results, not the results of the separate Game Awards ceremony in December.
Key Points
- Ultimate award: Resident Evil Requiem
- Meccha Chameleon won four awards
- Crimson Desert won PC Game of the Year
- Ceremony held November 11 in London
MachineGames confirms Wolfenstein 3 is in production
MachineGames is developing Wolfenstein 3, Xbox announced during its 25th anniversary celebrations. Bethesda says Brian Bloom and Debra Wilson are returning to their roles as BJ Blazkowicz and Grace Walker for the next entry in the series.
The announcement confirms production and returning performers, but does not provide a release date or a detailed description of the game. It arrives alongside separate news about id Software’s next project and new content for Doom: The Dark Ages. Players should treat the announcement as an early confirmation of development, rather than assume that a launch window or platforms have been finalized.
Key Points
- Wolfenstein 3 is in production
- MachineGames is developing it
- Brian Bloom returns as BJ Blazkowicz
- No release date announced
id Software confirms a new game without revealing its title
id Software says its teams in Texas and Frankfurt are working on a new game, with Hugo Martin returning as game director. Xbox chief Asha Sharma mentioned the project during the anniversary announcements, and the studio confirmed it will be some time before it can share more.
The studio has not named the project or confirmed its release window. Separately, Doom: The Dark Ages is getting Slaughter Mode on November 16 for owners of qualifying Revelations or premium editions. The two announcements should not be conflated: the mode is an update to an existing game, while id’s next project remains largely undisclosed.
Key Points
- New game in development
- Texas and Frankfurt teams involved
- Hugo Martin returns as director
- Title and release window undisclosed
Xbox expands original Xbox PC library to 25 games
Xbox has added 21 original Xbox games to its PC backward-compatibility program, bringing the total to 25. The launch selection includes Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Xbox says achievements have also been added to selected original Xbox titles, including Knights of the Old Republic.
The release extends access to older games through Microsoft’s PC ecosystem rather than announcing a remaster of each title. Compatibility, purchasing and ownership conditions can differ by game, so players should check the relevant listing. The announcement is part of Xbox’s 25th anniversary program and offers a preservation-focused counterpoint to the week’s new-game reveals.
Key Points
- PC library reaches 25 original Xbox games
- Knights of the Old Republic included
- Morrowind included
- Selected games receive achievements
Playground Games explains Fable’s new Deepwood footage
Playground Games’ Ralph Fulton discussed new Fable footage in an Xbox podcast, showing combat and a previously unseen part of Deepwood. He said the sequence takes place around the end of the game’s third act, approaching the midpoint of the story.
The footage includes Arden, played by Susan Wokoma, and hints at the story surrounding Isabel. Fulton said the team chose the sequence to show an environment and combat while holding back major story details. Xbox lists Fable for February 23, 2027. The conversation describes the developers’ intended experience; the final game and release timing remain subject to change.
Key Points
- Deepwood footage shown
- Sequence is near the story midpoint
- Arden appears in the clip
- Scheduled for February 23, 2027
Helsinki mobile studio Playnest shuts down
Playnest, a Helsinki mobile game studio founded in late 2022 as Wonder Hive, has shut down after about four years of development, PocketGamer.biz reports. The closure adds another small studio to a difficult year for game-industry employment.
The report establishes the closure and the company’s background, but does not provide a verified total of jobs lost in the headline details. This report should not be used to infer a larger company-wide layoff figure or the fate of individual employees. Small studios face different funding and release pressures from large publishers, even as their staff encounter the same need to find new work.
Key Points
- Helsinki mobile studio closed
- Founded in late 2022
- Originally named Wonder Hive
- Specific job-loss total not stated here
Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds is coming to PS5 in May 2027
Ocelot Technologies has announced a May 2027 PlayStation 5 release window for Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds, accompanied by a new trailer. The tactical RPG takes a party across the Respite Archipelago after an unexpected shipwreck, with exploration, quests and turn-based battles.
The developer describes a flexible character system with skills across ten disciplines and environmental combinations involving weather and surfaces. Companions have personal stories and customizable equipment and abilities. The announcement gives a month rather than a specific day, which the studio says it will share closer to release. These details describe the planned PS5 version rather than an update available now.
Key Points
- PS5 release planned for May 2027
- Exact day not announced
- Turn-based tactical battles
- Skills span ten disciplines
Retro sci-fi horror game DERELIKT launches on PC and consoles
Solo developer Visuwyg and publisher Hyperstrange say DERELIKT is now available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The survival-horror game uses a visual style inspired by early PlayStation games and takes players to a remote space outpost to investigate a missing team.
The publisher describes scarce ammunition and inventory space, a mix of conventional and alien weapons, and more than a dozen characters with their own agendas. The launch announcement lists a $19.99 US price before a launch discount; actual storefront prices can vary. Its retro presentation is a design choice, while the game uses modern controls and quality-of-life features according to its creators.
Key Points
- Available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series
- Developed by Visuwyg
- Set on a remote space outpost
- US price listed at $19.99
Little Corners adds three shop scenes in Little Shops DLC
Meteor Pixel and Weekend Games have released Little Shops, downloadable content for the sticker-decorating game Little Corners, on Steam. The expansion adds a book shop, haberdashery and plant shop, plus more than 250 stickers to arrange within those spaces.
The creators say hidden stickers can also be discovered in each new scene. Little Shops joins the base game’s eight existing corners and is listed at $2.99 in the US before its launch discount. The expansion requires the base game; its small, self-contained creative activities offer a different pace from the large franchise announcements elsewhere in this report.
Key Points
- Three shop-themed scenes
- More than 250 new stickers
- Released on Steam
- US list price $2.99