Grand Theft Auto VI is coming Fall 2025, but layoffs continue to plague the industry | The Midweek Memo #019

Hello 👋

We haven't quite escaped the avalanche of layoffs in the industry yet, as Phoenix Labs has laid off approximately 140 employees this week and canceled several projects. 😧 

PlayStation London Studio has also closed its doors as part of Sony Interactive Entertainment's company-wide layoffs in February after 22 years of operations.

In more positive news, we now have a more precise release window of “Fall 2025” for Grand Theft Auto VI, while Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser is working on a new third-person open-world game with his new studio.

Finally, Nintendo has purchased 100% of Shiver Entertainment, the studio behind Hogwarts Legacy's Switch port, in an interesting and unusual move for the company.

Hot Jobs 🔥

This week's list includes openings at both the low and high ends of the experience scale. There’s also plenty of variety in hiring sector, which is nice to see! 💪

[1] Content Manager
🏢 Infernozilla 🗺️ Remote Anywhere 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 0+ years exp

[2] Influencer Campaign Manager
🏢 Disobey 🇬🇧 Remote UK 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 2+ years exp

[3] Senior Influencer Manager
🏢 Disobey 🇬🇧 Remote UK 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 5+ years exp

[4] Runner
🏢 Rockstar Games 🇬🇧 Lincoln 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 0+ years exp

[5] Lead Platform Product Manager
🏢 Yodo1 🗺️ Remote Anywhere 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 5+ years exp

[6] Gameplay Programmer Intern
🏢 Ubisoft 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi 📄 Internship 🎚️ 0+ years exp

[7] Associate QA Analyst
🏢 Jam City 🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA 📄 Contract 🎚️ 0+ years exp

[8] Associate Quality Designer
🏢 Respawn Entertainment 🇺🇸 Remote USA 📄 Contract 🎚️ 3+ years exp

[9] Quality Assurance Analyst
🏢 NetherRealm Studios 🇺🇸 Chicago, IL 📄 Temp 🎚️ 1+ year exp

[10] 3D Art Intern
🏢 Ubisoft 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi 📄 Internship 🎚️ 0+ years exp

230+ new opportunities have been posted in the last seven days, we really hope there’s at least one for you to go after! 🤝 

Big News 📰

🙌 Grand Theft Auto VI will arrive in Fall 2025, Take-Two confirms

• Take-Two Interactive has confirmed in its recent Q4 2024 financial report that GTA VI is now scheduled to launch in Fall 2025.
  

• The title was previously given a window of 2025 in its reveal trailer, fueling speculation that the publisher may release the game before the end of the fiscal year, which ends in March 2025.
  

• Take-Two also stated that it is "highly confident that Rockstar Games will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience," with big expectations for its commercial performance over the next three years.

Other News 🗞️

Speaking of Rockstar, co-founder Dan Houser's new studio, Absurd Ventures, is working on a third-person open-world action-adventure game. According to recent job listings, it’s seemingly being developed with Unreal Engine 5.

Nintendo is also making moves, having acquired Shiver Entertainment from Embracer Group, its first acquisition since 2022. The developer is best known for creating the Switch ports of Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1.

Unfortunately, it's time for our weekly dose of bad news… Fae Farm developer Phoenix Labs has announced another round of layoffs, affecting approximately 140 employees. Several projects have also been canceled, including one that was set to be revealed next month.

It doesn’t end there, either. PlayStation London Studio has closed entirely, following Sony's announcement earlier this year that it was shutting down as part of a restructuring. The studio created numerous Singstar, EyeToy, and PS VR games, as well as The Getaway in its 22-year run. 😞 

👀 Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser's studio is working on an "open-world action-adventure" game

🧙 Nintendo acquires developer of Hogwarts Legacy's Switch port

😞 Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs announces layoffs and project cancellations

😢 PlayStation London Studio officially closes its doors

Getting Social 📲

Take a look at two of our most-viewed LinkedIn posts from the last seven days and recoil in horror at the result of another brutal Mushroom Kingdom slumber party:

Hairless Luigi has compiled a list of the best entry-level jobs for you this week! (Sorry for the jumpscare).

Nintendo of Europe is looking for a Japanese-English translator in Hamburg, as well as a new social media and content intern in Utrecht. There is also an assortment of remote roles covering the US, Europe, and the rest of the planet from Infernozilla, EA, and Mojiworks!

As always, if nothing here is your thing, many more entry-level roles are being added daily over on our platform.

Talented Blender artist "Crzyzhaa" created a lovely stylized waterfall scene and a full tutorial to back it up, which over 1,000 of you seemed to love!

The shader, created with Geometry Nodes, is available for free as part of Crzyzha's anime pack, which also includes other Ghibli-inspired food, water, and grass assets.

You can find the rest of their handy Blender tutorials on YouTube, and if you are looking for some pre-made add-ons, check out their Gumroad page.

Cool Resources 🧱

This week’s handy resource is OccaSoftware, a platform that equips game creators with a wide range of Unity tools, shaders, effects, models, plug-ins, and other assets under a single subscription. It’s a brilliant service perfect for smaller developers and studios, whether you’re working on a personal project or aiming for a full-sized release.

For those interested in trying out the platform, OccaSoftware offers a free tier where you can download PBR textures, graphic elements, shaders, visual effects, models, and plug-ins in addition to generating game ideas and using AI-powered image tools. All assets on the platform can also be used for personal or commercial projects, with a helpful community offering support for any issues. 💪

The “Pro” tier is available for either $8 per month if paying monthly or $60 per year if paying annually. It provides unlimited access to downloadable assets and tools, and it increases the usage caps for web-based tools. With the “Pro” tier, you also get a public Devpage, where you can showcase your games, and official email support if you need a hand with anything more technical.

The OccaSoftware website also has numerous free guides and templates for creators of all skill levels, covering both technical and business-related topics. Some of the most useful articles include a beginner-friendly Game Design Document, a detailed toon shading tutorial, and a marketing checklist to help understand the steps involved in a successful launch.

We’ll have some Discord servers to share with you next week, recommended by subscribers. We’re still taking submissions, too, so if you’ve found anything useful for your job search or career to date, please drop us a reply to let us know! 🤝

Farewell ✌️

This wasn’t entirely the newsletter we wanted to write this week, but it seems there’s no end in sight for layoffs and closures.

As always, if you've been affected by job cuts or know someone who has, we wish you nothing but the best in your search for another position.

To end on the slightest of positives… now that we have a more specific release window, at least we can all look forward to GTA VI together.

Danny and the gang at Hitmarker 🧡