The main thing for the weekend (May 9-12)

Hi-Fi Rush

• Sources from Bloomberg and The Verge shared details about the closure of four Bethesda studios. According to media reports, the developers did not expect the dissolution. For example, before the closure of Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush 2 was pitched, and Arkane Austin was considering creating a new Dishonored. Xbox employees are afraid of further cuts. The Game Pass subscription is growing more slowly than expected, and this situation does not please Microsoft management, which, after the expensive purchase of Activision Blizzard, began to pay more attention to the gaming division. Microsoft is currently discussing another increase in the cost of the Game Pass Ultimate, but has not yet made a decision. The corporation has also not decided whether or not to release Call of Duty in the Game Pass — it worries that adding Call of Duty to the subscription will reduce revenue from the franchise.
• Xbox President Sarah Bond explained in an interview with Bloomberg that the closure of Bethesda—owned studios is a consequence of stagnation in the gaming industry. Microsoft had to do this so that the Xbox business could stay afloat in the long run. In response to a question about why Microsoft decided to close Tango Gameworks, which released the successful Hi-Fi Rush, Bond said that the corporation considers all games and teams separately and takes into account many factors. What exactly did not suit Microsoft in the work of Tango Gameworks, she did not specify.
• During the same interview, Bond revealed that Microsoft is going to launch its mobile games store in July. At the start, it will feature only the corporation's own games, including Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft, and later partner games will appear. According to Bond, at first the store will work in the format of a web version, not an application. This way it will be available in all countries and to all users, despite the restrictions imposed by platform holders like Apple.
• Ghost of Tsushima has stopped selling on PC in 181 countries, according to SteamDB data. Sales were stopped, for example, in Kazakhstan, Armenia, Serbia, Georgia, Egypt, the Vatican and the Philippines. Most likely, the game was withdrawn from sales in regions where there is no official PlayStation Network. It is noteworthy that a PSN account is not required to complete the Ghost of Tsushima single-player campaign, but it is needed for multiplayer mode.
• The list of countries where the PC version of Helldivers 2 is no longer sold has grown by three lines. According to SteamDB, sales of the game were turned off in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Earlier, Helldivers 2 was withdrawn from sale on Steam in 177 countries. The head of Arrowhead studio, Johan Pilestedt, said that this came as a surprise to his team. Arrowhead is currently in talks with Sony and Valve to resume sales.
• Supergiant Games has lowered the price of Hades II on Polish Steam after complaints from players. Initially, the game was sold in Poland for 139 zlotys ($35) — this is one of the highest regional price tags, even higher than in the United States. Against the background of mass outrage, the developers decided to take a step towards the community. They lowered the price tag to 117 zlotys ($30), and returned the difference in price to the buyers.
• Unity has released a report for the first quarter of 2024, in which it announced the completion of the "reboot" of the company. She said that she had reviewed the portfolio and optimized costs. As for finances, Unity's revenue fell by 8% to $460 million in the quarter, while net loss increased by 15% to $291.47 million.
• Capcom has announced a new financial record. In the year ended March 31, 2024, she earned $978 million. This is 21% more than a year earlier. The company's operating profit also increased by 12.3% to $366 million. During the year, Capcom sold 45.89 million copies of the games. Of these, 2.6 million copies went to Dragon's Dogma 2.