Kyiv-based developer GSC Game World has shared two updates on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. First, it changed the game’s subtitle in accordance with Ukrainian language rules. Second, the studio decided to prohibit sales of the upcoming title in Russia.

Riot Games has strengthened its partnership with Fortiche Production by making a new equity investment in the animation studio behind Arcane.

Steam has been increasing its user base with each year, leaving all its rivals behind. As of 2021, it has the highest MAU among other video games platforms, including the ones of Sony, Microsoft, and Epic Games.

Winners of the Video Game Accessibility Awards 2021 have been announced. Halo Infinite took home two awards, with the remaining ones going to Guardians of the Galaxy, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, and some other titles.

Game companies across the world continue to help Ukrainian citizens and their employees in the country. Playrix and Bandai Namco have now joined the efforts by making donations to humanitarian efforts.

The regulation of tech companies in China is getting tougher as Tencent is now facing a potential fine for breaching the central bank’s compliances. It is suspected of allowing money-laundering schemes using WeChat.

David Polfeldt, who has been on a sabbatical since last June, has decided to not return to Ubisoft. He led Massive Entertainment for more than a decade and contributed to the studio’s key games, including The Division.

In February 2022, the video game industry consumer spend in the US saw a slight decline year-over-year, the NPD Group reported. Overall sales were $4.4 billion, which is down 6% compared to a year ago.

Google and Meta are now under investigation by the EU and UK. According to the European Commission, a deal that the two corporations made in 2018 endangers competition and is used to push smaller companies from the online ad market.

Following Meta’s decision to allow hate speech towards the Russian military on its platforms, the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office has called for a ban on Instagram, with the company being recognized as an “extremist organization.”

Ubisoft has shared a new update on last week’s “cyber security incident.” The company is now investigating the issue, which affected some of its games.

Ben Lee has announced that he is stepping down from his role of the Hearthstone game director. Instead, he will now be working on another secret title, which Blizzard has in the making.

Activision continues its expansion into mobile by formally announcing a version of Call of Duty: Warzone for iOS and Android. No trailers and big reveals — just a short message and the list of open positions.

The exodus of game companies from Russia and / or Belarus continues as Humble Bundle, Niantic, Plarium, and SEGA remove their titles from these countries.

Phil Shenk and Peter Hu, who are known as one of the lead developers of Diablo II, have reunited to start new studio Moon Beast Productions. The duo is now working on an original ARPG.

Metacritic has shared its list of top game publishers of 2021, with Microsoft leaping to the first place. The company has outperformed other big companies, including Sony, Activision Blizzard, and EA.

The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) has published a new annual UK Games Industry Census, studying how the pandemic has affected working attitudes and workplace diversity in the country.

Makers Fund has closed its largest fund, raising $500 million for innovations in interactive entertainment. This time the company will focus on early-stage investment, with the median check between $5 million and $10 million.

Amid global support for Ukraine, more companies are suspending their business operations in Russia. Sony, Nintendo, WarnerMedia, and some other studios have joined the ongoing exodus.