Crunch culture in the video game industry rarely works, if even at all. Burning out your developers, designers, coders, artists, quality assurance, and others will only make them eventually hate the video game industry and jump ship to another profession.
For every company that practises great management and paces out its development cycle like Supergiant Games, there are many other big game studios that feel crunch hours can help speed up game development and make their products hit deadlines.
No, good management, proper project planning, and sound decision-making – to avoid feature creep and other pipeline issues – are what ensure a product hits its intended deadline.
The latest company to go through alleged accusations of crunch and workplace abuse is MercurySteam, a Western company that only had one great game under its wing – Metroid Dread. Their Castlevania reboots got their foot in the door, but subsequent projects were lacking. It’s easy to see that Nintendo had a hand in keeping MercurySteam in line to make their only good game in their portfolio.
No amount of crunch in the world that the company has enforced upon its workers will make their work any better. So why keep at it when management could have treated their employees better and more humanely?
Short beats
Pokémon Legends: Z-A sales have topped 5.8 million within a week, with nearly half of those units played on Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.
Bethesda has announced the following during its Fallout Day broadcast:
- Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition will be released on Nov 10.
- A physical Anniversary Bundle for Fallout: New Vegas to celebrate its 15th anniversary is now available for pre-order on the Bethesda Gear Store.
- Fallout 76’s Burning Springs expansion will be released on Dec 2, 2025.
HoYoverse will start its closed beta session for the cosmic life sim title Petit Planet on Nov 7.
PUBG publisher Krafton has announced that the company will transform into an “AI-first” company.
Kirby Air Riders director Masahiro Sakurai said the upcoming racing title will not be getting any DLC (downloadable content) and won’t be followed by a sequel. Sakurai added: “Everything is here. Also, I’m not planning on making this an ongoing series. I’ve thrown everything I have into this game from the start. So I hope you don’t miss this opportunity.”
Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame DLC will launch for the base action RPG title on Oct 31, in time for Halloween.
Op-Ed
We recap Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show 2025 on this latest Kakuchopurei video, and whether it’s the best step forward for Asian video game expos.
Games out this week
Ninja Gaiden 4: The long-awaited sequel to the third-person, challenge-laden, action-heavy series for PC and consoles. Play as newcomer Yakumo as he fights off superninjas and demons using his ninja skills, awesome weaponry, and Bloodraven power-up.
Dispatch: A new adventure game featuring superheroes and workplace comedy, as well as the voicework of Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, and Laura Bailey. The game balances cinematic, choose-your-adventure-style gameplay with branching dialogue choices and a simulation where you send out superheroes on missions while managing their temperament and skills.
Powerwash Simulator 2: The sequel to the washing simulator of the same name, out for PC and consoles. This time, you get new washing equipment, new locations, and tiered stages that open up as you clean new objects and spots one by one – plus a new office space.
Once Upon A Katamari: The newest entry in the weird-as-heck Katamari Damacy series. Roll a ball to collect objects and people to create new stars for your father, the King of the Cosmos, while enjoying the quirky atmosphere and esoteric music. Out for PC and consoles.
Godbreakers: A new Early Access third-person roguelite action title from To The Sky and Thunderful Publishing. Take control of every fight with fluid combat as you chain combos, cancel moves mid-swing, and steal enemy powers to turn them against their masters. Play solo or in up to four-player co-op to craft the perfect team setup and topple brutal bosses across different worlds.
Full Metal Schoolgirls: A 3D action roguelite title from D3 Publishing and Yukes, for PC and PlayStation 5 consoles. You play as one of two cyborg schoolgirls climbing a tower while gunning down psychotic, workaholic cyborg salarymen and other robotic monstrosities.
Stella Sora: A new free-to-play role-playing game from YoStar, out for PC and mobile phones. Set in the fantasy world of Nova, players awaken from a long slumber as the “Tyrant”, forming bonds with a cast of unique “Trekkers” while uncovering the secrets of the mysterious Monoliths. With vibrant, moe-style visuals and a lighthearted road-trip anime aesthetic, Stella Sora delivers a heartfelt story of love, hope, and adventure.
Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit: A new action platformer retro-tailored title based on the Angry Video Game Nerd YouTube video series. Battle through frantic platforming levels, defeat classic AVGN bosses, and save all of gaming from a corrupted monstrosity. For PC and consoles.
