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Disafter News
Today’s edition · Monday, November 2, 2026
Video Games
Oct 22 – Nov 2, 2026
Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi's studio is dissolved
Nagoshi Studio, the Tokyo developer founded in 2021 by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi with backing from NetEase, has been dissolved by a shareholder vote on October 31, according to a notice in Japan's official gazette. NetEase was reported in March to be ending its funding in May, and the studio never found a way to stand on its own. There is no word on the fate of Gang of Dragon, its Kabukicho-set action game starring Ma Dong-seok that was announced last December.
League of Legends Worlds quarterfinals are set as Hanwha Life goes out
The Swiss stage of the 2026 League of Legends World Championship finished Saturday in Allen, Texas, with Karmine Corp, LYON and Bilibili Gaming winning their deciding matches to take the last three knockout spots. Their wins knocked out Movistar KOI, LOS and Korea's Hanwha Life Esports. The quarterfinals run November 3 to 8, pairing Gen.G with LYON, Dplus KIA with Bilibili Gaming, T1 with Karmine Corp, and Top Esports with Invictus Gaming, ahead of the November 14 final at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
Claude Code now declines to recreate specific existing games
Anthropic has added a rule to its Claude Code assistant telling it not to build recreations of specific existing video games, even when a clone is renamed or described as original. Anthropic's Addy Osmani confirmed the change and said original games and games in an established genre are still fine. The move follows growing worry among developers about AI-made clones, including Digital Sun canceling a ReVamp playtest over copying concerns.
The next Elder Scrolls is reportedly titled Sentinel
The Verge reports that Bethesda's next mainline Elder Scrolls game is called The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel, named for the largest city in Hammerfell, where it is reportedly set. Bethesda hasn't confirmed it, but an official reveal is expected in November, possibly on November 11 for Skyrim's 15th anniversary. There is still no release date, and it may not arrive until the next console generation.
Valve says it won't police AI clones of Steam games
Developers say AI tools are being used to copy promising new Steam games and release the knockoffs first, and Moonlighter studio Digital Sun even delayed a public playtest over the fear. Speaking at a developer conference in South Korea, Valve's Tom Giardino and Marc Wilkinson acknowledged the problem but said Valve doesn't want to be a gatekeeper on which tools developers use. They called cloning a matter for law enforcement and advised studios to make their games harder to copy and build loyal communities.
Rockstar workers will vote on a union during GTA VI's launch
Rockstar Games employees will vote from November 12 to 26 on recognizing the IWGB Rockstar Game Workers Union, a window that includes Grand Theft Auto VI's November 19 release. Workers cite pay, overtime, layoffs and generative AI policies among their concerns. Rockstar's head of publishing said that if the team wants a union, "they will have a union." The vote comes as a tribunal hears the case of more than 30 staff Rockstar fired in 2025, which the union calls union busting.
Golden Joystick Awards name 12 contenders for Ultimate Game of the Year
The Golden Joystick Awards have opened public voting for their top prize, Ultimate Game of the Year. The 12 nominees include Resident Evil Requiem, 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, Forza Horizon 6, Pragmata, Phantom Blade Zero, Control Resonant, Pokémon Pokopia and The Blood of Dawnwalker. Voting closes October 30, and the winner will be announced at the ceremony in London on November 11.
Xbox Game Pass is coming to T-Mobile plans
Microsoft says eligible T-Mobile customers in the US will be able to get Xbox Game Pass, choosing either the Ultimate or Premium tier, starting in November. It is the first time Game Pass has been offered through a US wireless plan, and subscribers can play on Xbox consoles, PCs and smart TVs they already own. Microsoft hasn't said which plans qualify or what it will cost; T-Mobile is expected to share those details.
An official Knightmare game is coming for the show's 40th anniversary
A free, officially licensed game based on Knightmare, the classic British children's fantasy show, is in development with the blessing of creator Tim Child. Led by writer and designer Ewen Watson, it is a short hand-drawn point-and-click adventure for PC, with original cast members including Hugo Myatt as Treguard returning to voice their roles. It is due in 2027, the show's 40th anniversary.
Sega pulls the Shogun 2 remaster after a backlash over AI art
Sega has temporarily pulled Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale after players criticized its quality and the generative AI artwork made by Mataboo, the outside studio that produced it. Total War VP Roger Collum said Creative Assembly does not use generative AI to make game assets, expects its partners to meet the same standard, and is investigating. The original Shogun 2 is still on sale.
Trailer for the canceled Mass Effect game leaks after BioWare's closure
A trailer for Mass Effect: Universe, the fifth Mass Effect game that died with BioWare this week, has leaked online, showing players a glimpse of the project EA shut down along with the studio. It surfaced shortly after EA announced the closure and roughly 400 layoffs, and coverage suggests former BioWare developers wanted fans to see the work they never got to finish.
EA closes BioWare and ends work on the next Mass Effect
Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, with about 400 employees laid off according to Bloomberg. BioWare's own statement said early development on the next Mass Effect game is ending along with the studio. Its last release was Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024, and the closure ends one of the most storied names in role-playing games after more than 30 years.