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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This week on the M2 Podcast, we break down a turbulent stretch for the games industry, starting with Ubisoft employees publicly calling for CEO Yves Guillemot’s resignation amid layoffs, studio closures, and a growing trust crisis inside the company. We also shift to the fun side of gaming with new details on Star Wars: Galactic Racer, including the confirmed return of high-speed podracing and a mix of classic and new vehicles. On the blockbuster front, Take-Two says Grand Theft Auto VI is finally locked into its third release date, with full marketing set to ramp up ahead of launch. Finally, we dive into Epic Games’ candid admission that its launcher “sucks” and the company’s plan to overhaul the Epic Games Store with major speed, social, and community upgrades over the next year.

0:00 Intro

0:57 Updates

25:37 Ubisoft union representatives call for resignation of CEO https://tinyurl.com/4e667sw3

44:10 Star Wars: Galactic Racer presents "multiple expressions of speed" https://tinyurl.com/25exwufe

52:37 ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Finally Seems Real https://tinyurl.com/58nzrvz5

1:06:22 Epic Game promising a year of big improvements https://tinyurl.com/2nnjwuan

1:30:41 Outro

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On this episode of M2 Podcast, we dig into the shifting power dynamics shaping the video game industry in 2026. We break down U.S. lawmakers urging federal regulators to closely examine the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts amid growing labor concerns, alongside new data revealing that nearly one-third of U.S. game industry workers have faced layoffs in the past two years. We also look at the brighter side of the industry with fresh hype around Microsoft’s Fable reboot and its ambitious “Living Population” system, before closing with Valve facing a major lawsuit over Steam’s commission structure. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, consolidation, and what the future may hold for developers and players alike.

0:00 Intro

1:02 Updates

17:01 US lawmakers ask FTC to review $55bn EA deal https://tinyurl.com/mpd5ay9z

25:26 1/3 of U.S. Game Industry Workers Were Laid Off in the Last Two Years https://tinyurl.com/2s3a6yvt

35:38 Fable Reboot Is "Just Mind-Blowing" https://tinyurl.com/569cxmp7

47:17 Valve faces lawsuit over dev commissions on Steam https://tinyurl.com/3yctytcp

1:01:06 Outro

Leave a LIKE and a comment, thanks for watching/listening!

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