Panic refunds tariff fees, 1047 Games pivots from Splitgate, and Gamescom Dev grows - Patch Notes #67

Watching this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation was particularly exhausting. The two-hour long show was, once again, an onslaught of trailers structured with little rhyme or reason. There was barely any room in between announcements, with tonally distinct games being shown back to back at breakneck speed. If you've watched any event hosted by Geoff Keighley in the past couple of years, you know that the structure is hardly a surprise. Yet, this week's stood out over the sheer volume of blatant display of generative AI (genAI) games. As pointed out by Kotaku and this handy Bluesky thread, over a dozen studios who showed their work have used genAI at some point, either during development or for marketing materials. The tech has garnered a largely negative reception from developers in recent years, with many arguing that it is having a corrosive effect on the industry. This is a phrase I've been including in dozens upon dozens of genAI-related articles, usually followed by a plethora of examples. It's everywhere, and it's admittedly making me paranoid about every game I'm interested in, especially in cases where developers don't disclose having used genAI until players find assets or copy with watermarks after release. It's unfortunate, yet not at all surprising that a show as massive as Gamescom Opening Night Live seemed unable to take a stance around it. This would have meant missing out on multiple advertisement deals that reportedly range around $120,000 for 60 seconds of the audience's time. At the heart of it all, knowing that a considerable number of games were, at some point, filtered through a machine built from plagiarism rather than pure, human artistic intent isn't just a devaluation of the whole sentiment of "celebrating" the industry. It is an insult. Playdate maker Panic is refunding tariff fees to customers via Game Developer // Good news is getting increasingly rare, so it's worth highlighting when we get some. Panic, the company behind the crank-driven handheld Playdate, is passing along the tariff refunds from the United States to its customers. Anyone who purchased the handheld during the period in which the tariffs were charged will automatically get a refund. Meanwhile, companies like Nintendo, which received $300 million in tariff refunds, doesn't appear to be following suit anytime soon. Rockstar Games 'heartbroken' by Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks via Rockstar Games // After the days-long spree of Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, Rockstar Games broke silence on social media saying it was "heartbroken" over the footage going around. It also apologized for how long "everything" has taken, from sharing details and official game to getting the game finished, which is, as of yet, still not done. 1047 Games ends development on Empulse and Splitgate Arena Reloaded via 1047 Games on Steam// A month after 1047 Games reportedly laid off staff, the studio announced that it's ending development on Splitgate Arena Reloaded and Empulse, the latter of which launched back in June of this year. Both games are being moved to peer-to-peer hosting with a server browser to allow players to revisit them rather than shutting them down completely. As for what comes next, 1047 says that, after ten years of focusing on live service shooters, its focus is "changing." What this means, however, remains a mystery for now. CAA Launches Indie Game Acceleration Fund Frame1Games via Variety // CAA has launched Frame1Games, a venture to "fund, accelerate, and market" independent video games. Games included in the program will be showcased within a curated marketplace. Starting in 2027, the fund will support their respective studios at video game industry events, as well as providing mentorship from industry veterans and CAA executives paired with "direct access" to the partners and vendors. Obituary: Actor Tim Curry, celebrated for his work in games, has passed at age 80 via Game Developer // The grim reaper is working overtime this week. Amid multiple celebrity and artist deaths is actor Tim Curry, who passed at the age of 80. He had a longstanding career in theater, film, and television, and he also lent his voice and likenesses for multiple video games, including Brütal Legend, Dragon Age: Origins, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. After Curry and Dolly Parton departed our realm in the same week, please make sure to check on your gay friends. It's rough out there. Gamescom Dev 2026 grows 15 percent after rebrand via Gamescom // Gamescom Dev ran its 2026 edition this week, which had over 6,200 unique registered participants. This represents 15 percent growth compared to 2025, and there were 397 speakers and 238 sessions held. Surprising no one, genAI was one of the most pressing topics being discussed. The event is set to continue with a leadership summit in Lisbon in March of next year. No More Room in Hell 2 surpasses 1 million players via Torn Banner Studios // No More Room in Hell 2 had a tough early access launch in late 2024. An array of bugs as well as optimization woes and odd design choices led to a "Mostly Negative" rating on Steam. Shortly after, developer Torn Banner Studios laid off an undisclosed number of staff, but claimed that it was still committed to the sequel. Now, just over two weeks since its 1.0 release, the game has a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam, and surpassed 1 million players. Considering how short-lived support for multiplayer games can be nowadays, No More Room in Hell 2 stands as an oddity.