Today is a good day for indie devs. During the second day of WN Tel Aviv`22 winners of the WN Dev Contest were revealed. Let’s take a look at projects that gain traction.

miHoYo has ceased the development of its unannounced game codenamed Project SH, which was led by the company’s founder. Some people on the team may be laid off as a result.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) considers challenging Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard by filing an antitrust lawsuit. This might potentially lead to the companies renegotiating or even abandoning the deal.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the latest installments in the long-running video game series, have sold over 10 million copies globally in just three days of launch. It is a new record for Nintendo.

The latest installment in the God of War series launched to huge commercial success. Ragnarök has already become the fastest-selling first-party game in PlayStation history.

China is one of the countries that should investigate the $68.7 billion deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. The local regulator also wants to review the issues that other governments have with the acquisition.

While Netflix’s mobile expansion continues, the company has started exploring new opportunities in other areas. It seems the streaming giant is now building a team for its first in-house AAA game.

The drama around Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM is getting even more twisted. It has been reported that the studio was taken over through a fraud scheme involving the dubious sale of game-related sketches.

Rebel Wolves, an independent studio co-founded by The Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, has secured a strategic investment from Chinese tech giant NetEase. The team is now working on an untitled AAA RPG.

Sony has finally addressed the problem with shovelware games. The company will ban developer accounts and delist products that copy assets and are designed only for easy trophy hunting.

Microsoft still needs to get approval from more than 10 regulators across the globe to close the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The company is now also trying to reach an agreement with PlayStation regarding the future of Call of Duty.

Most players haven’t probably heard of NetEase-developed battle royale Knives Out. However, the game has already topped $2 billion in lifetime revenue, thanks to its huge popularity in Japan.

Game developers sometimes hide funny messages or find creative solutions to certain problems with their projects. All these things usually remain hidden from the player’s sight, but perhaps it is time to make confessions and reveal some secrets.

Issues with video game licensing in China remain relevant. According to a new report, it has been over 500 days since any foreign game was approved for distribution in the country.

Tim Cain, who needs no introduction to any die-hard RPG fan, has recalled the development of the first Fallout, its RPG system, and the importance of creating reactive worlds. He also discussed how the games industry has changed since the 90s.

The mobile environment is never calm, as Epic Games has now come up with new allegations against Google. It accused the company of making multi-million dollar deals with big publishers, including Activision Blizzard, to block potential competition.

Obsidian Entertainment veteran Josh Sawyer has opened up about the development of Pentiment, a small narrative-driven RPG he recently directed. He explained why this game wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Game Pass.

A group of former Wargaming developers, together with renowned video game art director Viktor Antonov, have formed the new studio Eschatology Entertainment. They have now raised $4 million to create their debut AAA game.

Blizzard and NetEase have ended their long-lasting partnership for publishing games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch in China. The companies failed to agree on new terms, so the operation of these titles in the country will be temporarily suspended next year.