We do think that adding Pokémon content to Palworld is a very cool idea and we understand why people would want such a thing. However, we're not comfortable hosting this content.– Community Lead, Nexus Mods

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🎉 But we have so much more:

A new wave of layoffs is hitting the market, but there are also studios that are hiring.

Blizzard's survival game, codenamed Odyssey, has been canceled after six years of development, and Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is coming to PC in March.

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Welcome to The Power-Up #63

Game-Up

🗡️ Nier Reincarnation, a celebrated mobile RPG part of the Nier universe, will terminate its services in April despite a successful run marked by its deep storylines, engaging combat, and notable crossovers.

🌤️ PS Plus leaker Billbil-kun suggests that Until Dawn is poised for a PS5 and PC release, amid speculation of a remake and a movie adaptation.

🔫 Palworld is set for some updates, including PvP arenas, raid bosses, and crossplay. Pocketpair's roadmap promises enhancements ranging from AI improvements to new content.

🔫 Epic is set to reintroduce Fortnite to iPhones and launch its Epic Games Store on iOS, marking a significant change in Apple's app ecosystem.

🏹 Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is set to break PlayStation exclusivity by launching on PC this March, bundling the base game with the Burning Shores expansion.

⚔️ THQ Nordic unveils a new trailer for "Outcast – A New Beginning," inviting players to the alien world of Adelpha and its native Talans, threatened by invaders. Pre-orders are now available. The game, set for a March 2024 release, offers an open-world adventure with guerilla warfare tactics.

Round-Up

👾 Nexus Mods has decided against hosting Pokémon-themed mods for Palworld due to the high risk of legal actions from Nintendo, reflecting the company's protective stance on its intellectual property. 

🎶 Koji Kondo, the celebrated composer behind the iconic Mario and Zelda soundtracks, will be honored with an induction into the AIAS Hall of Fame at the 2024 DICE Awards.

😈 The Pokemon Company has announced an investigation into Palworld for potential IP infringement, responding to numerous inquiries about the game's use of Pokemon-related assets without permission. This marks the company's first public acknowledgment of Palworld since its launch. 

🤦‍♂️ Fntastic, the developer behind The Day Before, attributes the game's failure not to its own shortcomings but to "bloggers" and "content creators," accusing them of inciting a profitable hate campaign against the game. 

🏆 Baldur's Gate 3 clinches the Game of the Year title at the New York Video Game Critics Circle Awards, adding to its accolades alongside other winners like Neil Druckmann and the standout DLC from Cyberpunk 2077. 

🤡 The Florida Joker has shifted from threatening to sue Rockstar Games for allegedly using his likeness in GTA 6, to offering his voice for the character, seeking involvement in the game's development and a royalty deal.

👎Blizzard's survival game, codenamed Odyssey, has been scrapped amid substantial layoffs at Microsoft. The game had been in development for six years and was aiming for a 2026 release.

🥽 Meta Quest significantly outsold PSVR 2 during the 2023 holiday season, with sales data indicating that for every PSVR 2 unit sold, over 30 Quest units were moved.

Biz-Up

📈 Netflix's venture into gaming saw a significant boost with monthly game downloads soaring to 28 million in December, largely thanks to the introduction of Grand Theft Auto titles. Over 18 million downloads for GTA classics like San Andreas, Vice City, and GTA 3. 

🤑 Owlcat Games alumni Dmitrii Filatov and Grigory Bortnik have initiated Narwhal Accelerator, aimed at bolstering new game studios in Europe, MENA, and Latin America with investments and publishing support. The program promises up to $100,000 in funding and essential business assistance, asking for a small equity share in return.

💰 Twitch introduces enhancements to its streamer compensation structure, including expanding the Partner Plus Program and removing the $100,000 cap for a 70/30 revenue split.

📈 Games industry deals hit a record $86 billion last year, according to the Drake Star Global Gaming Report Q4 2023.

Industry Level-Up

🤯 3 month after Microsoft closed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the company has announced a significant reduction in its gaming workforce, impacting nearly 2,000 positions across Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Xbox teams, as part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and maintain a sustainable cost structure. 

👋 In the wake of this layoffs, Mike Ybarra, President of Blizzard Entertainment, has announced his departure from the company. Also, chief design officer Allen Adham have left the company. 

😔 People Can Fly is set to lay off over 30 employees, including 20 developers from the Project Gemini team, due to budget constraints and project downsizing.

😔 Black Forest Games, known for the Destroy All Humans! remakes and the upcoming TMNT: The Last Ronin game, faces significant layoffs, with approximately 50% of its workforce, or about 50 employees, being cut.

😌 Striking Distance Studios (Callisto Protocol), is gearing up for a new project by hiring for an 'unannounced UE5 title,' despite facing challenges with their previous release, undergoing staff layoffs and the departure of studio founder Glen Schofield.

😥 Post-layoff, Bungie maintains a workforce of approximately 1,350 employees, a slight increase from previous reports, amidst a hiring freeze without plans for mass employee replacements.

😔 Reikon Games, known for the cyberpunk shooter Ruiner, reportedly laid off 80% of its workforce, amounting to 60-70 employees. The future of their teased project, codenamed Final Form, now hangs in uncertainty. 

🚀 True Gamers, a Dubai-based e-sports brand, has inked a $45 million franchise agreement with Falak investment firm's CEO Nawaf Albishri to launch 150 e-sports clubs across Saudi Arabia.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Stay powered-up until next time.

Bobby & Andrei