The Midweek Memo #054

Hola ??

This week has been a mixed bag; while PlayStation's latest State of Play revealed some exciting new details about upcoming titles, the industry has continued to suffer from?layoffs.

To kick things off, State of Play was a huge success, with new release dates and trailers for major releases like Borderlands 4, Lost Soul Aside, and Days Gone Remastered. Still no Bloodborne, though.

Ubisoft has also announced "Siege X," a much-needed overhaul of Rainbow Six Siege to upgrade the decade-old shooter with new graphics, sound, and gameplay systems.

Meanwhile, new?rumors have surfaced that Grand Theft Auto VI could include user-generated content similar to Fortnite, with Rockstar reportedly in talks with creators.?

Unfortunately, the seemingly endless barrage of layoffs continues, with Crytek, Unity, NetEase, and 10:10 Games all making cuts this week, resulting in at least 100+ job losses.

The heartbreaking news does not stop there as legendary Half-Life 2 and Dishonored art director Viktor Antonov has passed away at the age of 52.

Anyway, let's keep our heads up and focus on the latest batch of hot jobs, which is looking pretty good this week!

Hot Jobs ??

This week's list is a solid mix of remote and early-career opportunities!

[1] Marvel Rivals Coaching Content Creator

?? Valor Esports ??? Remote Anywhere ?? Part Time ??? 1+ year exp

[2] Associate Producer, Content

?? thatgamecompany ???????? Remote US/Canada ?? Full Time ??? 1+ year exp

[3]?Associate Level Designer

?? Rovio ???????? Helsinki/Barcelona ?? Full Time ??? 0+ years exp

[4] Tester II

?? Epic Games ???? Bellevue, WA ?? Full Time ??? 1+ year exp

[5] Business Development Manager, IP Licensing, Global IPs

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

[6] 3D Character and Weapons Artist

?? Bladework Games ???? Remote US ?? Full Time ??? 2+ years exp

[7] Full Stack QA Engineer (Mobile)

?? Playrix ??? Remote Anywhere ?? Full Time ??? 3+ years exp

[8] Narrative Realization Designer

?? That's No Moon ???? Remote US ?? Temp ??? 2+ years exp

[9]?Gameplay Programmer

?? Digital Extremes ???? Remote Canada ?? Full Time ??? 3+ years exp

[10] Associate Designer: Missions

?? Rockstar Games ???? Carlsbad, CA ?? Full Time ??? 1+ year exp

185+ new jobs?have been posted over the past week. It's down from last week, but still solid overall!

Big News ??

???The biggest announcements and reveals at PlayStation's February State of Play

• Sony's latest State of Play event featured plenty of new announcements from both first and third-party studios. In terms of big reveals, 2019's open-world zombie title Days Gone is getting a remaster, and Eclipse Glow Studio has announced the impressive Tides of Annihilation, which features a mythical spin on modern London and players receiving assistance from none other than the Knights of the Round Table.
• Also, Borderlands 4, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and Lost Soul Aside will be released on September 23, August 28, and May 30, respectively. Even more release dates were shared during the show, which you can find in our recap.
• There were also plenty of new reveals, such as the unique non-destructive shooter Dreams of Another, Housemarque's Saros, and the much-anticipated Lies of P DLC.

Other News ???

The big announcements don't stop with PlayStation, as Ubisoft has confirmed that Rainbow Six Siege is getting an overhaul dubbed Siege X. The overhaul has been dubbed the "biggest transformation in the game's history," with the upgrades intended to lay the groundwork for Siege's future. Luckily, the full reveal is currently scheduled for March 13, so it's not too far away.

While not official, a new report claims that Rockstar is toying with the idea of custom content for GTA 6. It's said that it will allow players to not only modify the game's sandbox with official assets but also import their own IPs into the game.?

However, we have received more devastating news this week, with layoffs at Crytek, Unity, 10:10 Games, and Marvel Rivals studio NetEase California. Crytek has also confirmed that Crysis 4 development has been paused, with the studio now focusing on support for Hunt: Showdown as it reduces its 400-person workforce by 15%.

It doesn't stop there as influential artist Viktor Antonov has sadly passed away at the age of 52. The artist is best known as the art director for Half-Life 2, where he notably crafted the iconic City 17. He later joined Arkane Studios and was responsible for the stunning visual design of Dishonored's Dunwall.

If you need a pick-me-up after hearing such depressing news, Epic has made an example out of a Fortnite player attempting to game the system. The cheater shared their account with another player to qualify for the game's biggest tournament but was later caught, sued, and forced to publicly apologize and forfeit their earnings, which have since been donated to charity. It's quite amusing. ??

???Ubisoft announces Siege X, a major overhaul of Rainbow Six Siege

???Grand Theft Auto VI could feature user-generated content similar to Fortnite and Roblox, report claims

???Crysis 4 "on hold" as Crytek lays off 15% of its workforce

????Half-Life 2 art director Viktor Antonov has passed away at 52

???Epic sues Fortnite cheater, forces them to donate their "undeserved" winnings and publicly apologize

Indie Spotlight ??

Have?you ever wanted?to be an egg? No? The game in this week's indie spotlight may change your mind!

Egobounds'?Egging On?is a challenging physics-based platformer in which players take on the role of a fragile egg that must navigate difficult levels as it climbs toward the sky.

However, just like a real egg, one incorrect move can cause the egg to crack, so players must time jumps and other moves to take advantage of its uneven shape. Everything in the environment is a huge danger, including ice, narrow?ledges, and chainsaws.

As you progress through this eggcellent adventure, you'll be able to customize your egg with new colors, patterns, and more?by collecting stamps.

Egging On has no release date as of yet, but you can request access to its upcoming?playtest on Steam?right now if you want to check it out.

Getting Social ??

Here are some of our top LinkedIn threads from the past seven days, including some unique remote jobs and a great mix of QA roles!

This week's remote jobs thread?features fewer global opportunities than our other recent hauls, but it's still looking pretty good!?

Vanta and Valor Esports have announced some exciting early-career coaching gigs?in the United States and around the globe, with the latter focusing on Marvel Rivals.?

Meanwhile, Bungie, That's No Moon, and Radical Forge have opened up some new positions in marketing, design, and development, while Digital Extremes is looking to expand its Soulframe team.

As always, you can find many?more remote opportunities?on our platform. They're added every weekday, and we've been treated to some great roles recently!

Our latest QA thread?includes a diverse range of opportunities for people of all skill levels, as well as some rare ones.

Rockstar and EA are hiring in Lincoln and Madrid, respectively, with an emphasis on localizing upcoming titles.?

For those with a bit more experience, Epic, Santa Monica Studio, and Raven Software are searching for QA staff in various management and analyst roles based in the US.

More QA jobs?can be found on Hitmarker. They are always in high demand, so make sure to check back frequently to avoid missing out!

Adios ??

This week has been a bit up and down again, but we hope that some new announcements have given you something to be excited about. We're still waiting on a Bloodborne remaster though...

However, we can't ignore the layoffs, and it is disheartening to see even more talented people lose their jobs each week. Unfortunately, it looks unlikely to slow down anytime soon, but we can keep hoping.

Take care of yourselves and we'll see you again next week,

Danny and the gang at Hitmarker ??