The Midweek Memo #050

Ahoy ??

Nintendo finally did it, just in time for our 50th Midweek Memo! ???

Yes, the Japanese gaming giant has officially unveiled the Switch 2, giving us our first look at the system's brand new hardware. Not only is more information coming relatively soon, it has been confirmed that it will launch later this year, but a new global event may allow you to play it sooner. Also, a new Mario Kart is coming!

Sadly, aside from Nintendo's much-anticipated reveal, it's been a week filled with negatives like lawsuits and cancellations, with Google accused of failing to remove fake apps from its Play Store, Sony scrapping multiple live service games, and NCSoft reportedly pulling the plug on its Horizon MMO. ???

That can all wait a little while, though, let's check out this week's selection of hot jobs to get started...

Hot Jobs ??

Half of the jobs in this week's list are entry-level opportunities!

[1] Entry-Level 3D Artist

?? Studio Drydock ?? Remote North America/Oceania ?? Contract ??? 0+ years exp

[2]?Brand Partnerships Specialist

?? MANA Talent Group ???? Remote US ?? Full Time ??? 0+ years exp

[3] QA Tester (French) (m/f/d)

?? Nintendo ???? Frankfurt ?? Temp ??? 0+ years exp

[4] Asset Artist (Geology Environment)

?? CD PROJEKT RED ?? Remote EMEA ?? Contract ??? 3+ years exp

[5] Capture Artist

?? Bungie ???? Remote US ?? Contract ??? 2+ years exp

[6] Manual QA

?? Gameloft ???? Remote Ukraine ?? Full Time ??? 1+ year exp

[7]?Corporate Travel Manager

?? Playrix ??? Remote Anywhere ?? Full Time ??? 1+ year exp

[8] Developer Engagement Team

?? Roblox ???? Remote US ?? Contract ??? 0+ years exp

[9]?Intern: Data Analytics / Data Science (Summer 2025)

?? Rockstar Games ???? Manhattan, NY ?? Internship ??? 0+ years exp

[10] Game Growth SDR

?? Yodo1 ??? Remote Anywhere ?? Full Time ??? 2+ years exp

Almost 200 jobs?have been posted since our last newsletter. Things are slowly picking back up in 2025, we'll hopefully be over the 200 mark next week. ??

Big News ??

2???Nintendo has officially revealed the Switch 2, new Mario Kart confirmed

• After years of leaks and rumors, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially revealed. As expected, the console is essentially an updated Switch, complete with a larger screen, magnetic Joy-Con controllers, and other improvements such as a better kickstand and a relocated charging port at the top.
• Details about its hardware and software remain scarce, but Nintendo has confirmed that a Switch 2-focused Direct presentation is set for April 2. During the presentation, we will?likely?learn more about the features of the?new Joy-Cons, backwards compatibility with original Switch software, a release date, price tag, and possibly a glimpse at new games.
• And during the brief reveal video, we also got an early look at what appears to be the next Mario Kart game. The video shows Mario and his crew driving down a large desert highway near a gas station with 24 marked starting positions, suggesting that there could be 24-player races and some form of open-world gameplay.

Other News ???

For those eager to get their hands on the Switch 2 for the first time, Nintendo is touring the world ahead of its release, allowing the general public to experience the console out early. The event tour runs from April to June, and registrations are now open for the free-to-enter draw that determines who can buy tickets.

Moving away from the exciting world of Nintendo, things aren't going so well at Sony. The company announced late last week that it had canceled not one, but two more live service projects at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. Not much is known about the unannounced games, but Bluepoint, the developer of the Demon's Souls remake, was?said to be working on a new God of War title.?

Sony's partner, NCSoft, appears to be struggling as the South Korean developer has reportedly scrapped its MMO set in the Horizon universe. The project was rumored to be?in the works back?in 2022, and the companies confirmed their partnership the following year. According to reports, some employees have left NCSoft, while others have been transferred to other projects as a result of the cancellation.

Meanwhile, Google has continued to find itself in legal trouble over its Play Store. This time, Mob Entertainment, the studio behind hit horror series Poppy Playtime, has accused the tech giant of failing to act on DMCA takedown requests for copycat games and profiting financially from in-app purchases as a result. Yikes.

???Nintendo announces global event tour allowing fans to play the Switch 2 before its launch

??Sony cancels two unannounced live service titles, including a new God of War game

???Unannounced Horizon MMORPG reportedly cancelled at NCSoft

???Google sued by Poppy Playtime developer for failing to remove fake clones from the Play Store

?Cool Resources ??

This week's resource is ideal for those interested in learning the fundamentals of game design, programming, art, marketing, production, and everything else gaming!

Edugametion?is a platform that teaches those with little to no experience through high-quality courses crafted by teachers who have worked for companies such as EA, Ubisoft, Rovio, and Remedy.?

Users can access 14 different courses that cover the creative side of the industry, such as art, design, and programming, as well as the business side and how to actually land a job with your skill set. Each course consists of multiple university-level modules and lasts 135 hours. Luckily, there are no deadlines, so you can complete them at your own pace.

After completing each course, you will also receive a certificate confirming your newfound knowledge. Many of users who have completed the courses go on to work at well-known studios, so feel free to show off your certificate!?

Edugametion is currently available as a monthly or yearly subscription, with the option of subscribing to a single course or all 14 at a discount. The platform is also working on allowing users to purchase courses outright for those who prefer one-time payments.

You can check out Edugametion?here?and you'll receive a nice 10% discount on the "all courses" subscription! ??

Getting Social ??

Check out some of this week's LinkedIn highlights including another great remote thread and a new WarioWare-inspired indie gem!

Another week, another banger?remote jobs thread! ??

This week's list features positions spread across the globe from the likes of CD Projekt Red, Keywords, EA's Full Circle, and Studio Drydock.?

Meanwhile, for those in the US, Bungie, Studio Wildcard, and Cloud Chamber have come through with some exciting opportunities to work on some of their brand new games, such as ARK 2 and the next BioShock!

You can check out another?220+ remote jobs?on our platform right now, with more being added every weekday.

This week,?we're mainly obsessed?with HoloHammer's upcoming WarioWare-inspired indie game,?MINDWAVE. ??

The narrative-driven game puts players in the shoes of Pandora, a young girl competing in a tournament at Mindscape Tower, where she must rise to the top by playing a series of unusual rapid-fire minigames in the cognitive reality game "MINDWAVE."

MINDWAVE has some fantastic visuals and music that put a twist on the WarioWare style, and its plot takes place in between rounds, allowing you to chat with other contestants and learn more about them and the situation you've found yourself in.?

A free 25-minute demo of the game's story mode is now available on?Steam, but HoloHammer has also included an endless mode for those who want to try out its crazy collection of minigames. On top of that, 99% of its reviews are positive so far, which we've never seen before!

Toodle-oo ??

2025 continues to be a wild ride, and it will only get better once we get our hands on the Switch 2. Given the undeniable accuracy of some of the leaks leading up to the reveal, we're curious about what we'll hear next.?

Perhaps it is Microsoft's or Sony's turn, assuming the latter does not decide to focus on more doomed live service projects... ??

See you again next week,

Danny and the gang at Hitmarker ??