This week on the M2 Podcast, we unpack mounting pressure across the gaming industry from multiple angles. Over 1,200 Ubisoft developers have gone on strike in Paris and Milan, protesting sweeping layoffs, studio closures, stalled pay growth, and new restrictions on remote work—raising serious questions about leadership and long-term stability at one of gaming’s biggest publishers. We also examine Discord’s updated approach to teen safety and age assurance, including privacy-focused verification measures designed to protect younger users without requiring universal ID checks. On the business side, new data shows that 38% of game industry leaders are feeling the financial strain of recent U.S. tariffs, impacting hardware costs, revenue projections, and strategic planning. Finally, we touch on creative momentum in the industry as Hazelight, the studio behind Split Fiction and It Takes Two, confirms its next motion-capture-driven project is already in development. It’s a week defined by labor unrest, platform accountability, economic pressure, and the future of game development.

0:00 Intro

1:20 Update

14:58 1200 Ubisoft staff go on strike https://tinyurl.com/3ebhcc3s

25:51 Discord Identification Policy Update https://tinyurl.com/4rex74m2

45:56 38 percent of game industry feels impact of tariffs https://tinyurl.com/mr2x23zt

59:01 Split Fiction Studio on Next Game https://tinyurl.com/2wzk4txp

1:06:36 Outro

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