⚠️Heads up, PlayFab game developers: Insights Management and GetPlayerInSegment APIs are retiring starting March 31. For more information and to learn more about the PlayFab Data Connections feature, see our latest blog: msft.it/63327tMKrv

The October 2025 GDK has arrived! 🎉 Tons of exciting updates from a new GameInput API to unify Xbox and PC devices, PlayFab Game Saves for cross progression, unified packaging and upload management, and more: msft.it/63321tJuix

Material merging is a useful tool to reduce draw calls. This is especially important for mobile and VR games. Here we'll showcase how to do it with Simplygon's #Blender3d plugin. youtu.be/kB7Esq5RL80 #gamedev

From solo dev to small team success, Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) talks with @seattleindies.bsky.social about motivation, creative process, and the unique pressures that come following a smash hit like Stardew Valley. msft.it/63325tDrS1

Today, we’re taking a closer look at Simplygon’s newest #gamedev feature. Discover how the clustered meshlet optimizer enables continuous LOD for modern mesh shader pipelines. simplygon.com/posts/9886e4...

Kickstart your #GameDev journey with @godotengine.org! 🎮 Beginner-friendly videos to help you learn fast and create your next project. Start watching now: msft.it/63329sCFMz

Hey #GameDev - we know optimizing for mobile games can be complicated, but @simplygon.com has tools to help you streamline your development process! 🛠️Read more in our latest blog: msft.it/63325sCLsV

Got your hands on an ROG Xbox Ally or ROG Xbox Ally X yet? Planning on developing for handheld? 🔖 Don't forget to bookmark our Handheld Development hub, your one-stop shop for tips, tricks, and resources for your next project: msft.it/63328sfFj0

Billboard clouds can be a lifesaver for #gamedev assets where neither reduction nor remeshing works. In this blog we will have a look at how to fine tune the optimization settings for them. simplygon.com/posts/a2ea9a...

Need some #indiedev content to watch this weekend? @seattleindies.bsky.social has plenty of videos of this year's inaugural SLICE 2025 event going up now! Subscribe to hear from experienced developers from across the industry and learn what SLICE is all about: msft.it/63324sF2SY

Simplygon can use #UnrealEngine 's Nav Mesh for visibility culling. This is an useful way to remove triangles never visible from the player's point of view. Let us look at how to use us it when creating standins. youtu.be/SjXuVgWEPGg #gamedev

Want to stay on top of all our latest news and tools? 👀 Take a look at our new Tools & Services Hub! Inside you'll find all the latest info for handheld development, GDK and PlayFab updates, news from our middleware partners, and more: msft.it/63320sFV78

Material merging in #Unity can help you reduce draw calls, great for optimizing assets for lower end platforms or virtual reality. 💡Learn more from Simplygon: msft.it/63325svzP9#Unity

Clever reuse of textures can net you valuable optimization. In @simplygon.com's latest blog, they demonstrate how to create a cross billboard to do just that! 📖Read more: msft.it/63322svO2p

Thoughtful environmental design can really breathe life into a game. 🪴 What's the smallest little detail you've put into a project you think no one noticed? #AskADev

Optimization can be time-consuming, but is well worth the effort with the right tools! With these four fundamental tools, @simplygon.com can help you build an automated character optimization pipeline in no time: msft.it/63329svPmZ

The latest PlayFab Digest for September is now live! 🎉 September brings a few new updates and an upcoming deprecation for GetPlayersInSegment APIs. Check out the full blog for more info: msft.it/63321svKkt

A big congratulations to our sister studio, MachineGames, on the launch of Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants! We are proud that Simplygon technology has helped to optimize the ancient streets of Rome and all the hidden, forgotten catacombs. indianajones.bethesda.net/en-EU/buy-no...

Indie devs and games are a vital part of our business and strategy. We're helping our partners find their audiences, and programs like @idatxbox.bsky.social and Game Pass allow us to invest in their success. Read more on our efforts at Eurogamer:

Since our initial release of Simplygon 10.4, we have added several new features, improvements, and fixes. ⭐ New clustered meshlet optimizer ⭐ Improvement to high-density reducer ⭐ Improvements to UE plugin And much more, read all about it here. simplygon.com/posts/999239...

Attention: The latest PlayFab Digest is now available! From creating engaging community events to controlling real-time data flow, there’s something for development teams of every size in August’s updates: msft.it/63328sYbvu

In our latest Office Hours Recap, we talk to Stacey Haffner and learn about her journey in the game industry as both a program manager and an independent #gamedev! Read about Stacey here: 🔗: developer.microsoft.com/games/articl...

As developers, we want our games to look great. When it comes to handhelds, you have to be careful balancing power with performance. 🤔 Our latest blog series digs into this: msft.it/63326sYbNA

🚨 Indie Selects has a new home! 🚨 You'll be able to find our Weekly & Monthly Collections on Xbox as always, but now you may find everything on our new site: Xbox.com/IndieSelects

To optimize geometry and draw calls distant objects can be optimized into simple billboards. Let us look at how to use impostor from single view in #unity3d. youtube.com/watch?v=9Vul... #gamedev

🚨 Indie Selects Demo Fest is LIVE! 🚨 Jump into upcoming games early. Find something you love. Provide feedback to the devs! 💚 View the Full List of Demos: xbx.social/63322siPiK

Every week, we invite a #gamedev to join us on Discord to chat about their area of expertise. Missed it? Don't fret—we've started recapping those stories! Let's start with Zach Hooper, a Principal Product Manager at Xbox: msft.it/63326s54fy

Let's hear it for sound design! 👂 Is there a game you've played where the sound design totally blew you away? #gamedev

The latest edition of PlayFab Digest is here! Check out the Feature Updates for August including BattleNet login support, community statistics, telemetry integrations for leaderboards and stats, and more ➡️ msft.it/63322s5Z10

Looking to spruce up your in-game vegetation? @simplygon.com's latest blog has the tips you need!

If you're an indie developer, you should hang this screenshot on your wall and use it as inspiration to never give up

Congratulations, Team Cherry! What an incredibly inspiring development journey you've had. 😲 Happy Silksong Day!

Hanki Games didn’t just slide smoothly into the release of their game, Sledders. It took perseverance, dedication, and a commitment to care that shows in every snowflake of the final product. ❄️ Read more in this week’s Inside Indie Selects: msft.it/63320sXD94

#gamedev optimization tip: By reserving a small part in the original texture our remeshed proxy model can reuse the same texture. Let us show you how! simplygon.com/posts/453ceb...

Don't forget, in just 30 minutes, day 2 of the @xbox.com live broadcast from #Gamescom2025 begins! Tune in on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/live/lu6R8W9...

Interested in getting your game ready to publish on handheld for @xbox.com, but don't know where to start? 🤔 Just a reminder that we have plenty to get you started at our Handheld Development Hub: msft.it/63322sV7QO

Heads up on our next MSGD Office Hours sessions! 8/22/25 - Clint W. and Brandy C. will be available to answer your questions about game dev news coming out of gamescom 8/29/25 - No Office Hours session as our hosts are out of office Join us on Discord to participate: discord.gg/msftgamedev

Did you miss yesterday's Opening Night Live at #gamescom2025? Catch up on everything @xbox.com - from first looks to a Fallout Season 2 teaser: msft.it/63320sVtMQ

IT'S OFFICIAL. The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X drop on October 16! Get ready to take your gaming everywhere: xbx.lv/4mJDFoe

Great games should play great, no matter where you are. 🎮 With the Handheld Compatibility Program designed by Xbox, we’re giving you the tools to make more games ready to play on supported Windows handhelds. Learn the in and outs of this new initiative now: developer.microsoft.com/en-us/games/...

When darkness falls, hope is all you’ll have left. 🧌 New Allied Race & Demon Hunter Spec 🏞️ 4 New & Re-imagined Zones 🏡 New Feature: Housing ⚔️ New Feature: PREY The battle begins when World of Warcraft: Midnight arrives in 2026. Watch now: blizz.ly/45LHpi5 #MidnightReveal

When your enemy weaponizes fear, sometimes the only way out... is through. Conquer fear itself with the most mindbending Campaign experience the team has ever shipped. Brand new intel available NOW 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CIW...

Gamescom approaches! 🙌 What games are you hoping to hear more about this week?

Sometimes we all need a little break between sprints. 🏃‍♂️💨 What do you do to unwind and recharge between projects or work sessions? #AskADev

Join us for Office Hours on our Discord tomorrow at 11 AM PT to chat with James Lewis! James is director of our Developer Acceleration Program (DAP), part of ID@Xbox. Learn more about his 12+ year career empowering underrepresented creators on Xbox: discord.gg/msftgamedev

Xbox returns to gamescom with over 20 titles to play (including Hollow Knight: Silksong), a first public hands-on with the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, huge broadcasts, and much more: news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/0...

Two new samples are now available for those of you looking to publish your next game on Windows gaming handhelds! 🙌 💾 Download and learn more handheld best practices by using these Native C++ and Unity Managed C# samples, now available on GitHub: developer.microsoft.com/games/articl...

Did you take any classes when becoming a #gamedev? 🧑‍🎓 What have you found most helpful on your journey? #AskADev

Every Friday, we host open Office Hours, inviting experts from across Xbox to share their insights with the greater game dev community. Join us July 18 at 11AM PT to chat with Zach Hooper about QA, Engineering, Production and how best to use the GDK with Unity and Unreal. discord.gg/msftgamedev

♿🎮 Accessibility in games takes a leap forward with the recently launched Accessible Games Initiative (AGI)! Read more about these tools and how your projects will benefit from their inclusion: https://msft.it/63329s6UHW