The Midweek Memo #058

Hello ??

It's been yet another week of ups and downs in the industry. While we've covered the exciting news about Sony's new studio, details, and rumors about The Elder Scrolls and Rainbow Six, and crazy acquisitions, we've also had to write about another studio closure.

The week's biggest news is that mobile publisher Scopely has paid a whopping $3.5 billion for Niantic's third-party gaming business, which includes Pokémon Go. While the high price tag of the popular apps is unsurprising, it has sparked controversy due to Saudi Arabia's state ownership of Scopely.

In regards to upcoming games, Ubisoft has officially unveiled Siege X, an overhaul of Rainbow Six Siege that includes impressive visual, audio, and gameplay upgrades.

Rumors have also returned, with reports suggesting that a remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be announced in April and released shortly after.

Unfortunately, the studio closures continue, with Mountaintop Studios, the developer of the Shroud-backed tactical shooter Spectre Divide, confirming it will close later this month due to financial issues. As a result, the game will be taken offline shortly.

Sony, on the other hand, has decided to put a hold on its spree of layoffs and cancellations by forming a new studio led by former Treyarch co-studio head Jason Blundell. ??

We've got plenty to get into, but first,?let's take a look at our most recent batch of hot jobs...

Hot Jobs ??

Check out this fresh list. It's got some unique positions, including global game design roles and the opportunity to build up a university's esports program!

[1]?Associate Director of Esports, Woodbury Campus

?? University of Redlands ???? Los Angeles, CA ?? Full Time ??? 2+ years exp

[2] Mid-Lead Game Designers

?? Keywords ?????Remote UK ?? Full Time ??? 2+ years exp

[3] Associate Camera Designer

?? Crystal Dynamics ???????? Remote US/Canada ?? Full Time ??? 0+ years exp

[4] Game Growth SDR

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

[5] Associate Designer (NST)

?? Nintendo ???? Redmond, WA ?? Contract ??? 1+ year exp

[6] Concept Artist

?? Kojima Productions ???? Tokyo ?? Contract ??? 2+ years exp

[7] Junior QA Tester

?? Amber Studio ???? Boto?ani ?? Full Time ??? 0+ years exp

[8] QA Tester

?? Bohemia Interactive ???? Brno ?? Contract ??? 1+ year exp

[9]?User Research Intern

?? Activision ???? Sherman Oaks, CA ?? Internship ??? 0+ years exp

[10] Supply Chain Agent I

?? Nintendo ???? North Bend, WA ?? Full Time ??? 0+ years exp

210+ new jobs?have been posted over the past week and things are picking up now we're out of that awkward 'start of the new year' phase! ??

Big News ??

???Niantic is selling Pokémon Go and its other third-party games to Monopoly Go developer Scopely for $3.5 billion

• Niantic has announced that it has sold its popular library of games based on third-party IPs to mobile gaming giant Scopely for $3.5 billion. The deal includes popular games like Pokémon Go, Monster Hunter Now, and Pikmin Bloom, as well as companion apps Campfire and Wayfarer. Scopely also recruited former Niantic employees, such as studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu.
• Niantic will retain ownership of its original game, Ingress, as well as the experimental app Peridot, which are now part of its new spin-off, Niantic Spatial. The spin-off, led by Niantic founder John Hanke, will focus on geospatial AI.
• With the deal, Scopely now owns two of the world's most successful apps, including the chart-topping?Monopoly Go. However, the acquisition?has sparked controversy as it marks the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's second major expansion into the gaming industry, following the PIF-backed Savvy Games Group's purchase of Scopely for $4.9 billion in 2023.

Other News ???

While mobile gaming has been shaken up by increasingly larger deals, console, and PC players have instead received new information and rumors about some rather exciting games.

To kick things off, Ubisoft has finally revealed Rainbow Six Siege X, an update to the decade-old shooter that includes significant changes such as new visuals and audio, as well as gameplay features such as environmental hazards. It also features a new 6v6 mode which looks quite tasty.

If you are still waiting patiently for The Elder Scrolls VI, it appears that a remake of Oblivion will be coming soon to help keep you occupied. According to a reliable leaker, an announcement will be made in April, followed by a release before June. It has been claimed that it might even be a shadow drop.

Sony has finally brought us some good news with the opening?of a new PlayStation studio, Dark Outlaw Games. Led by former Call of Duty Zombies director Jason Blundell, not much is known about its first project just yet, but the studio head has stated that it is currently "staffing up."

Unfortunately, we haven't completely avoided layoffs, as Mountaintop Studios has announced its closure due to a lack of funding. Due to the weak response to Spectre Divide, which was promoted by former Counter-Strike pro and streamer Shroud, the game will be shut down within the next month. ??

6???Rainbow Six Siege X release date, free-to-play, new mode, and more revealed

???Rumored The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake could be announced in a few weeks

???PlayStation opens new studio Dark Outlaw Games, led by former Call of Duty Zombies director

???Free-to-play shooter Spectre Divide is shutting down as studio closes due to financial issues

Indie Spotlight ??

Scandinavian indie developer Haenir Studio is?currently working on Blight: Survival, a medieval four-player?co-operative PvE game that combines extraction and rogue-lite elements.

Set in an alternate 14th century, players must travel into a no man's land between two warring kingdoms where the bodies of the fallen have spread a new strain of Blight, transforming them into monsters.?

Pushing deeper into the area?will result in increasingly dangerous enemies, but also larger rewards, hidden treasures, and more. However, you will be given the option of leaving with any goodies at certain points, so it is up to your team to make the right call.?

Blight: Survival also features?a fluid directional combat system, as well as RPG elements like finding new gear, upgrading your skills, and further customization to help you earn those?better rewards over time.

The game has no release date as of yet, but you can?wishlist it on Steam right now. However, if you're interested, Haenir Studio and Behaviour Interactive are?currently looking for playtesters. ??

Getting Social ??

Here are two of our top LinkedIn threads from the past week, including exciting entry-level opportunities, and some rare game dev and design positions.

We're back with?another entry-level job roundup, including a very rare esports internship opportunity!

Nintendo is looking for eagle-eyed?QC staff?in both North Bend and Redmond to inspect the quality of its products before they're?shipped. It has also opened up?a few new exciting roles in?its logistics, QA, and localization teams across the?US?and Germany.

Aside from Nintendo, Keywords is looking to grow its Poland-based support team with multilingual speakers, Activision and Riot are both hiring in Ireland, and HEROIC is offering a unique global internship on its social media team!

Many?more entry-level roles?can be found on our platform. They are some of the most popular positions out there, so be sure to check back often to avoid missing out.

Our latest?game design and development thread?is jam-packed with incredible opportunities all over the world!

CD Projekt Red is still looking for paid summer interns, especially?those who want to learn more?about level design and the tools used to create The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2077.

Meanwhile, Nintendo, Rockstar, and PlayStation are looking for designers based?in the US and Canada, while Yodo1, Keywords, and VOID Interactive are hiring from every?part of the globe.

As always, you can?find more jobs on Hitmarker, where new design and dev jobs are posted daily.

Farewell ??

While we're seemingly unable to escape at least one studio closure per week, it was a fairly positive seven days overall for gaming, though the Scopely deal does raise some eyebrows.

We're very excited about the rumored Oblivion remake, especially if it retains the original's wacky charm. We'll be rather disappointed if it has more than ten voice actors for its entire in-game population! ??

See you again next time,

Danny and the gang at Hitmarker ??