This Week in Videogames has reached its first full year of operation. Thank you to our paid subscribers for helping us sustain an independent, commercial-free, AI-free, and no-nonsense approach to games coverage for everyone. Here's a brief rundown of what we've managed to achieve in Year One:

I chatted about filmic cuts --

After years of videogames trying to recreate the one-shot take, 007 First Light and Mixtape are bringing back the art of the jump cut in 2026. But though they’re quick in execution, they’re not exactly easy to implement. We speak to Beethoven & Dinosaur + @blendogames.bsky.social to understand why.

New feature! A quick history of James Bond videogame songs turned into a quiet rumination on the folly of chasing fan expectations, the importance of music in pop culture works, and a passive-aggressive pass at 007 First Light's need to be liked.

Very much recommend The Incident at Galley House for all the deduction game sickos out there. Type Help still has unique charms, but even if you’re cool enough to have played it already there are some great surprises in the Galley House reimagining. store.steampowered.com/app/3641000/...

rip sam. here is a story about farts and Princess di he told. what a legend.

Something that often goes unsaid: We're against using genAI in our work, and we've also blocked AI crawlers from finding and stealing our work. Even Google. We're not traffic-driven, but in 2026 this has a big impact on how people find us. So, simply following us and sharing our work means a lot 🙏

The first half of Xbox’s 3,200 layoffs has immediately been dished out, impacting teams and studios right across Microsoft’s gaming division. From 37-year Microsoft veterans, to key figures at celebrated studios, here is a comprehensive look at who has been hit by the cuts, studio by studio:

ATTENTION: The person responsible for helping me understand gacha games @rinoaskyes.bsky.social is here to comprehensively explain the shitstorm that's been happening with this Love and Deepspace game almost every woman I know plays (this piece is SFW) thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/love...

Beloved Call of Duty Zombies director Jason Blundell has weathered two failed studios and PlayStation deals since leaving Treyarch. Now, he's trying a third time, and the enthusiasm behind him doesn't seem to be waning. @shutterpaw.bsky.social speaks to those close to Blundell to understand why.

Do I know any freelance game journos based in Texas or going to Quakecon?

we laid off the people who develop the games, we laid off the journalists who cover the games, everyone is freelance and there’s no freelance budget. It’s probably fine though

This was a good little read. I learned something!

I had to learn how to use Discord to make this… please join us I have no friends 😰 If I don’t see you there I’ll cry 😭🔫

Hey! Do you enjoy and/or appreciate the work we’re doing at @thisweekinvideogames.com? We’re after some testimonials to help celebrate our upcoming one-year anniversary, whether you work in games or just like reading about them. Video, audio, or just writing. If you’d like to contribute, DM me!

I had to learn how to use Discord to make this… please join us I have no friends 😰 If I don’t see you there I’ll cry 😭🔫

Watched the first ep of The Ghost in the Shell. Absolutely in love with these dumb goofballs.

FYI for anyone who doesn't want to do the internet digging, the suggestion that id Software will be moving to Unreal seems to largely be based on this (seemingly speculative) comment from an affected id VFX artist: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

when layoffs suddenly make recent developer interviews ten times more salient

Despite a significant number of id Software coders being laid off as part of Xbox's sweeping cuts this week, id Software’s proprietary engine, id Tech, will still reportedly have a future. thisweekinvideogames.com/news/id-tech...

Really fantastic and fascinating read here from Edward Lee (not the celebrity chef), who cold-called into the TWIV contact form with a pitch that made me go "I would love to learn more about all that."

poetic justice in action

The game industry is so fucking back

We now cross live to the World Cup match in Dallas

happy embargoed layoff announcement day i guess

i don't think england should allowed to be play soccer anymore

I love how they expanded on the story in this game.

In honor of America’s birthday, I wrote about how the plot of every Call Of Duty game hinges on the idea that America is incompetent, evil, or both. 🇺🇸

Oh thank god

Ahhh a lovely morning for children’s soccer

Tremendous save

Up at 4am for the Socceroos again. All I ask is no own goals this time.

new byline! for the longest thing i’ve ever written, I tried to capture 12 years of Destiny a memory at a time.

With Destiny now having truly come to an end, @platanoranger.bsky.social finds the time to revisit its course over the last 12 years and reflect on the memories it helped make.

holy shit football

Show me an uncool physical game

I have played through Rhythm Heaven Groove. For the first few hours I was like "wow this is kinda bland? Where is the sauce? This is no Bits & Bops." But it does the Nintendo thing of holding your hand until the credits (and then some) and going: "oh you're still here? ok let's fucking go 😈😈😈"

FYI they trialed staggered PS Plus game catalogue releases in Australia and Singapore about a year ago and I believe it's since gone back to being one big blast

Home building and decorating games continue to become more and more popular as the housing crisis gets worse and worse. @maddie-b-a.bsky.social thinks the two things are clearly connected – we pull these games closer as the dream of IRL housing slips further away.

🇪🇨 Good luck to Ecuador's soccer team in tonight's game against Mexico—a rivalry that happened before in 2002, as depicted in the game despelote (on sale on Steam right now.) ¡Sí se puede! ⚽️ despelote.game

We already have live-action Persona and it’s Ingmar Bergman’s seminal avant-garde drama from 1966

I kinda assumed Lorelei and the Laser Eyes was as ubiquitous as the games it often gets compared to (Return of the Obra Dinn, Outer Wilds, Blue Prince), but seeing that it is only sitting at 2k reviews on Steam actually hurts me. buy it. this is not a request. store.steampowered.com/app/2008920/...

GIRL GAME COVERAGE

i changed my mind this is boring

As someone who fought to even create a story bible/internal narrative wiki at Bungie, I'm grateful for all of these lore preservation efforts.

Over a dozen developers at South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games have posted job seeking posts on LinkedIn, following reports that Xbox was looking to spin off or close several first-party studios. thisweekinvideogames.com/news/over-a-...

Casual Warren Spector interview nbd thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/warr...

@lawoftd.bsky.social you okay buddy

wow this brazil team is really good at footbal