This is the combo edition. From the gaming newsletter sheet. Want to receive it in your email every Tuesday? Sign up below.
Rockstar Games, the developer of major titles such as the “GTA” series and the “Red Dead Redemption” series, was founded in December 1998. The company, which is almost 27 years old, seems to be living in an astral hell due to recent events.
First, a new delay was announced for GTA 6, the most anticipated game of all time, currently scheduled for release in November 2026. The previous release date was May next year. Protests have since erupted over the dismissal of nearly 40 employees, who say they were fired for trying to form a union within the company.
The two events shed light on developers managed by Take-Two Interactive, a multinational company in the gaming industry. These are times when there is widespread distrust in the development of what is expected to be the biggest game of this generation.
Last Thursday (6th), Rockstar posted on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the expected release date of the new game and apologizing for the delay. These additional months will “enable us to deliver games at the level of quality our customers expect and deserve.”
As predicted with the original date change, the impact should have a significant impact on console sales and consumer spending on games and additional content. As video game companies wait to release games in hopes of boosting sales of their devices, developers are planning release dates to ensure their titles don’t overshadow GTA.
The positive side of this postponement is that it frees up space for better releases later in the year and increases visibility for producers. However, Rockstar itself is losing momentum as it seeks to profit not only from the R600 game price, but also from the purchase of items for online play.
Producers say it’s better to postpone and waste time than to deliver a game unfinished. And that’s no surprise. Look what happened in Cyberpunk 2077. It was released amidst high expectations from players and was riddled with bugs and issues, leaving it rife with criticism.
Despite internet memes that the game will never be released, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in a meeting with investors that while the date change may be painful, he has no regrets when it comes to the Rockstar Games project.
Additionally, in an interview with The Game Business, Zelnick said, “We’re very happy with the new launch date. It’s in the same fiscal year, so it’s a good launch time.” He emphasized that players are not playing GTA Online empty-handed and are still active and delivering great results for the company.
In addition to delays for the most anticipated game in history, producers are facing a crisis along with their employees. The latest edition of Combo reported that Rockstar is accused of firing 34 employees in the UK and Canada for interfering with the establishment of a union within the company.
British trade union IWGB claims the sacked professionals were part of a private discussion channel for union organizing, while Take-Two claims the dismissals were due to gross misconduct, without explaining what that means.
In fact, the situation escalated even further, with British newspaper The Independent reporting that on the same day as the postponement, both fired employees and the team still working on GTA staged a protest outside Rockstar’s headquarters in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.
They are stepping up accusations that developers tried to block union organizing and seek rehiring of those affected. Employees at Rockstar North, which develops “GTA 6,” said on a forum that the terminations occurred without any notice or evidence of accusations of wrongdoing.
He said he fears further layoffs, highlighted the damage to the developer’s reputation among those who work there, and concluded that the internal crisis could further hinder the game’s completion process.
There’s still time, but the company currently has a year to get the title into players’ hands. This crisis has shown the gaming community that the turmoil within Rockstar has the potential to be explosive and could further reduce the integrity and quality of GTA 6. Let’s take a look.
play
Tips for games you can try, new or old
just dance 2026
(Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
For gamers, the release of “Just Dance” certainly signals the end of the year more than Mariah Carey’s classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” This year’s title, which launched last month, continues to be more of an update than a new game. The structure is familiar, the experience is simple, and it’s made for laughing and playing with friends. The game features 40 new songs, including recent hits and classics. The new Party mode splits songs into short snippets, making it suitable for smaller games. However, the most annoying thing is that using streaming for choreography can cause crashes and ruin the atmosphere of the game. Either way, it’s sure to be fun, especially if you’re in a group.
update
News, launches, business and what matters most
- Nintendo has raised its sales forecast for the Switch 2 for the fiscal year ending March 2026 from 15 million units to 19 million units. The Japanese giant also raised its operating profit forecast by 16% (without tax or interest discounts and after deducting company costs) to 370 billion yen (about 12.8 billion reais at current prices). By the end of September, the console had sold 10.3 million units.
- Square Enix announced last Thursday (6th) that it will implement mass layoffs across its European and North American operations. Areas such as information technology, marketing, quality control, planning, sales, and publishing will be affected. The company says some of these areas will be automated through artificial intelligence, and will require more face-to-face work for those who remain at the development company. The company’s president, Takashi Kiryu, said in an interview on the VGC website that the company aims to make its business operations outside Japan leaner and more agile after the results. The first wave of layoffs occurred at Square Enix in 2023.
- Last Wednesday (5th), Discord announced updates to ensure the safety of children and teenagers on its platform amid a series of restrictions on the use of virtual spaces by minors. The application’s Family Center was launched in 2023 to monitor digital activity by parents and now includes features such as filtering sensitive media and controlling friend requests. Parents can also see the time spent on purchases and calls made on the platform over the past seven days.
- Boeing announced the launch of its VAPT platform (Virtual Aircraft Procedures Trainer), powered by the resources of its cloud computing platform, Microsoft Azure, and its airplane simulator game, Microsoft Flight Simulator. The company says it will use the game to facilitate team training as a complementary step in pilot and aircraft commander training. According to the company, this game will serve as a gateway to new professionals.
download
Games coming out in the next few days and the promotions they deserve
November 10th
“Go Kart Island” (PC)
“Into the Grid” (PC)
“Surviving Mars: Relaunched” (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
VORON: Raven’s Story (PC)
November 11th
“Audio Trip” (PS5, PSVR2)
“Luminace Arise” (PC, PS5)
“Nascar 25” (PC)
“Possessor” (PC, PS5)
“Lou Valley” (Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
“Sacred 2 Fallen Angels Remastered” (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
“Wall World 2” (PC)
November 12th
“Winter Burrow” (Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
November 13th
Anno 117: Pax Romana (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
“Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration – The Namco Legendary Pack” (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
“Inazuma Eleven Victory Road” (PC, Switch 1, 2, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S)
“PUBG Battlegrounds” (PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
“Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami 1 and 2” (Switch2)
November 14th
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Dark Atlas: Infernum (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
“Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero” (Switch1/2)
“Videoverse” (Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
“Where the Wind Meets” (PC, PS5)
November 15th
“Escape from Tarkov” (PC)
November 16th
“Shell Diver” (PC)
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