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Gaming is becoming increasingly digital. But that doesn’t mean consumer choice is disappearing with the disc. If anything, as digital becomes the default, players are becoming more demanding about how, where and on what terms they buy.

Fireshine Games announced today it has added Danish indie studio Fair Games and its survival-crafting title Necesse to its growing portfolio. With plans to add key long-tail support to the PC title and its millions of players, the label also confirms plans to develop Necesse for additional platforms. Necesse, originally launched in December 2019, has amassed approximately 2.5 million players and a Very Positive user rating of 93% on Steam 

A free two-week Game Testing Bootcamp in Liverpool is the first step of the new programme, giving ten local aspiring testers hands-on industry training.

Cormac Moylan, CMO at Loaded, argues that GTA VI could become the release that finally makes gaming’s shift away from physical discs impossible to ignore.

Latin America is one of the fastest-growing video game markets in the world, yet millions of its players have long faced barriers to purchasing content because of how they pay. EBANX, a global technology company specialising in cross-border payments for emerging markets, and NetEase Games Club, the official top-up destination for NetEase Games titles, today announced a partnership to expand payment access for players across the region.

Steel City Interactive, developer of the critically and commercially successful Undisputed video game franchise, today announces that industry leader Murray Pannell has joined the company as Head of Publishing. The newly created position, which will report directly to VP of Studio Tim Coupe, will see Pannell lead publishing for Steel City Interactive as it plans for the launch of Undisputed 2.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 MCV/DEVELOP "30 Under 30", which will be given the spotlight as part of MCV/DEVELOP #1012, appearing Jan 2027.

KONAMI has announced a multi-year partnership extension with the French Football Federation (FFF). Continuing this successful partnership since 2022, various commercial, imagery and activation rights remain, as KONAMI maintains its affiliation as the ‘Official Football Video Game Partner of the French National Team’.

The Danish publicly traded computer game company Trophy Games is acquiring the French game developer Playrion from Paradox Interactive. This is the largest acquisition in Trophy Games' history and will form the foundation for a new series of simulation games. At the same time, the company is raising its revenue expectations for the year to €22.8-€24.1 million . With the acquisition of French Playrion, Trophy Games gains 30 new employees and a new foundation for future growth.

Gamescom 2026 landed at an odd moment for the industry; money is starting to move again, and the industry's biggest bet in years is about to decide who benefits from it. Behind the demos, the market itself was quietly changing shape.