Robots around the world are about to get a lot smarter as physical AI developers plug in NVIDIA Jetson Thor modules — new robotics computers that can serve as the brains for robotic systems across research and industry. Robots demand rich sensor data and low-latency AI processing. Running real-time robotic applications requires significant AI compute and memory to handle concurrent data streams from multiple sensors. Jetson Thor, now in general availability, delivers 7.5x more AI compute, 3.1x more CPU performance and 2x more memory than its predecessor, the NVIDIA Jetson Orin, to make this possible on device. This performance leap will enable roboticists to process high-speed sensor data and perform visual reasoning at the edge — workflows that were previously too slow to run in dynamic real-world environments. This opens new possibilities for multimodal AI applications such as humanoid robotics. Agility Robotics, a leader in humanoid robotics, has integrated NVIDIA Jetson into the fifth generation of its robot, Digit — and plans to adopt Jetson Thor as the onboard compute platform for the sixth generation of Digit. This transition will enhance Digit’s real-time perception and decision-making capabilities, supporting increasingly complex AI skills and behaviors. Digit is commercially deployed and performs logistics tasks such as stacking, loading and palletizing in warehouse and manufacturing environments. “The powerful edge processing offered by Jetson Thor will take Digit to the next level — enhancing its real-time responsiveness and expanding its abilities to a broader, more complex set of skills,” said Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics. “With Jetson Thor, we can deliver the latest physical AI advancements to optimize operations across our customers’ warehouses and factories.” Boston Dynamics — which has been building some of the industry’s most advanced robots for over 30 years — is integrating Jetson Thor into its humanoid robot Atlas, enabling Atlas to harness formerly server-level compute, AI workload acceleration, high-bandwidth data processing and significant memory on device. Beyond humanoids, Jetson Thor will accelerate various robotic applications — such as surgical assistants, smart tractors, delivery robots, industrial manipulators and visual AI agents — with real-time inference on device for larger, more complex AI models. A Giant Leap for Real-Time Robot Reasoning Jetson Thor is built for generative reasoning models. It enables the next generation of physical AI agents — powered by large transformer models, vision language models and vision language action models — to run in real time at the edge while minimizing cloud dependency. Optimized with the Jetson software stack to enable the low latency and high performance required in real-world applications, Jetson Thor supports all popular generative AI frameworks and AI reasoning models with unmatched real-time performance. These include Cosmos Reason, DeepSeek, Llama, Gemini and Qwen models, as well as domain-specific models for robotics like Isaac GR00T N1.5, enabling any developer to easily experiment and run inference locally. NVIDIA Jetson Thor opens new capabilities for real-time reasoning with multi-sensor input. Further performance improvement is expected with FP4 and speculative decoding optimization. With NVIDIA CUDA ecosystem support through its lifecycle, Jetson Thor is expected to deliver even better throughput and faster responses with future software releases. Jetson Thor modules also run the full NVIDIA AI software stack to accelerate virtually every physical AI workflow with platforms including NVIDIA Isaac for robotics, NVIDIA Metropolis for video analytics AI agents and NVIDIA Holoscan for sensor processing. With these software tools, developers can easily build and deploy applications, such as visual AI agents that can analyze live camera streams to monitor worker safety, humanoid robots capable of manipulation tasks in unstructured environments and smart operating rooms that guide surgeons based on data from multi-camera streams. Jetson Thor Set to Advance Research Innovation  Research labs at Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Zurich are tapping Jetson Thor to push the boundaries of perception, planning and navigation models for a host of potential applications. At Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute, a research team uses NVIDIA Jetson to power autonomous robots that can navigate complex, unstructured environments to conduct medical triage as well as search and rescue. “We can only do as much as the compute available allows,” said Sebastian Scherer, an associate research professor at the university and head of the AirLab. “Years ago, there was a big disconnect between computer vision and robotics because computer vision workloads were too slow for real-time decision-making — but now, models and computing have gotten fast enough so robots can handle much more nuanced tasks.” Scherer anticipates that by upgrading from his team’s existing NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin systems to Jetson AGX Thor developer kit, they’ll improve the performance of AI models including their award-winning MAC-VO model for robot perception at the edge, boost their sensor-fusion capabilities and be able to experiment with robot fleets. Wield the Strength of Jetson Thor The Jetson Thor family includes a developer kit and production modules. The developer kit includes a Jetson T5000 module, a reference carrier board with abundant connectivity, an active heatsink with a fan and a power supply. NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor Developer Kit The Jetson ecosystem supports a variety of application requirements, high-speed industrial automation protocols and sensor interfaces, accelerating time to market for enterprise developers. Hardware partners including Advantech, Aetina, ConnectTech, MiiVii and TZTEK are building production-ready Jetson Thor systems with flexible I/O and custom configurations in various form factors. Sensor and Actuator companies including Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), e-con Systems,  Infineon, Leopard Imaging, RealSense and Sensing are using NVIDIA Holoscan Sensor Bridge — a platform that simplifies sensor fusion and data streaming — to connect sensor data from cameras, radar, lidar and more directly to GPU memory on Jetson Thor with ultralow latency. Thousands of software companies can now elevate their traditional vision AI and robotics applications with multi-AI agent workflows running on Jetson Thor. Leading adopters include Openzeka, Rebotnix, Solomon and Vaidio. More than 2 million developers use NVIDIA technologies to accelerate robotics workflows. Get started with Jetson Thor by reading the NVIDIA Technical Blog and watching the developer kit walkthrough. To get hands-on experience with Jetson Thor, sign up to participate in upcoming hackathons with Seeed Studio and LeRobot by Hugging Face. The NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor developer kit is available now starting at $3,499. NVIDIA Jetson T5000 modules are available starting at $2,999 for 1,000 units. Buy now from authorized NVIDIA partners. NVIDIA today also announced that the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor developer kit, which provides a platform for developing autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions, is available for preorder. Deliveries are slated to start in September.

Developers large and small are reportedly having a hard time getting their hands on development kits for the Nintendo Switch 2. That news comes from the newly-independent Digital Foundry, which discussed the topic on this week's DF Directly Weekly livestream. During the stream, senior staff writer and video editor John Linneman explained that during the team's visit to Gamescom, they spoke with "a lot of developers" that said they're unable to get Switch 2 development kits."So many of them said the same thing," Linneman said in response to a question from the livestream chat. "They want to ship on the Switch 2. They would love to do Switch 2 versions [of their games], but they can't get the hardware." Some of these developers told Digital Foundry that they were told to ship their games on the original Nintendo Switch and rely on the Switch 2's backward compatibility features to be accessible on the new console. As of June 5 2025, the vast majority of Nintendo Switch games are playable on the Nintendo Switch 2 (the major exceptions being the ones relying on custom hardware). However, developing natively for the Switch 2 would help developers optimize their game for the new console's beefier hardware.Writer and video producer Oliver Mackenzie affirmed Linneman's report, saying that there have been "some weird exclusions with some big developers struggling to get kits for games."Related:"There were some weird inclusions as well," he added, explaining that while it's "nice" to see some independent developers have received kits, some triple-A developers aren't "necessarily in the pipeline." (he cited Campfire and No Man's Sky developer Hello Games as an example).Game Developer has reached out to Nintendo for comment and will update this story when a response is issued.

After a long, busy day, you boot up your gaming device but don’t quite feel like diving into an intense session. Instead, you open a broadcast of one of your favorite streamers and spend the evening laughing at commentary, reacting to unexpected moments, and just enjoying your time with fellow gamers. Sounds familiar?This everyday scenario perfectly captures the way live streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, or Kick have transformed the gaming experience — turning gameplay into shared moments where gamers broadcast in real-time while viewers watch, chat, learn, and discover new titles.What started as friends sharing gameplay clips has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem where streamers are popular creators, viewers build communities around shared experiences, and watching games has become as popular as playing them. But how did streaming become such a powerful force in gaming – and what does it mean for players, creators, and the industry alike? Let’s find out!Why Do Gamers Love Streaming?So why are millions of gamers spending hours every week watching others play instead of jumping into a game themselves? The answer isn’t just one thing – it’s a mix of entertainment, learning, connection, and discovery that makes live streaming uniquely compelling. Let’s break it down.Entertainment at Your Own PaceSometimes, you just want to relax. Maybe you’re too mentally drained to queue up for ranked matches or start that complex RPG quest. Streaming offers the perfect low-effort alternative – the fun of gaming without needing to press a single button. Whether it's high-stakes gameplay, hilarious commentary, or unpredictable in-game chaos, streams let you enjoy all the excitement while kicking back on the couch, grabbing a snack, or chatting in the background.Learning and Skill DevelopmentStreaming isn’t just for laughs – it’s also one of the best ways to level up your own gameplay. Watching a skilled streamer handle a tricky boss fight, execute high-level strategies, or master a game’s mechanics can teach you far more than a dry tutorial ever could. Many gamers tune in specifically to study routes, tactics, builds, or even to understand if a game suits their playstyle before buying it. Think of it as education, but way more fun.Social Connection and CommunityOne of the most powerful draws of live streaming is the sense of community. Jumping into a stream isn’t like watching TV – it’s like entering a room full of people who love the same games you do. Chatting with fellow viewers, sharing reactions in real-time, tossing emotes into the chaos, and getting shoutouts from the streamer – it all creates a sense of belonging. For many, it’s a go-to social space where friendships, inside jokes, and even fandoms grow.Discovery of New Games and TrendsEver found a game you now love just because you saw a streamer play it? You’re not alone. Streaming has become a major discovery engine in gaming. Watching creators try new releases, revisit cult classics, or spotlight lesser-known indies helps players find titles they might never encounter on their own. Sometimes, entire genres or games blow up because of a few well-timed streams (Among Us, Vampire Survivors, Only Up! – all made big by streamers).Together, these draws have sparked a whole new kind of culture – gaming communities with their own languages, celebrities, and shared rituals.Inside Streaming CultureStreaming has created something unique in gaming: genuine relationships between creators and audiences who've never met. When Asmongold reacts to the latest releases or penguinz0 delivers his signature deadpan commentary, millions of viewers don't just watch – they feel like they're hanging out with a friend. These streamers have become trusted voices whose opinions carry real weight, making gaming fame more accessible than ever. Anyone with personality and dedication can build a loyal following and become a cultural influencer.If you've ever watched a Twitch stream, you've witnessed chat culture in action – a chaotic river of emotes, inside jokes, and reactions that somehow make perfect sense to regulars. "KEKW" expresses laughter, "Poggers" shows excitement, and memes spread like wildfire across communities. The chat itself becomes entertainment, with viewers competing to land the perfect reaction at just the right moment. These expressions often escape their stream origins, becoming part of the broader gaming vocabulary.For many viewers, streams have become part of their daily routine – tuning in at the same time, celebrating milestones, or witnessing historic gaming moments together. When a streamer finally beats that impossible boss, the entire community shares in the victory. These aren't just individual entertainment experiences — they're collective memories where thousands can say "I was there when it happened," creating communities that extend far beyond gaming itself.How Streamers Are Reshaping the Gaming IndustryWhile players tune in for fun and connection, behind the scenes, streaming is quietly reshaping how the gaming industry approaches everything from marketing to game design. What started as casual gameplay broadcasts is now influencing major decisions across studios and publishers.The New Marketing Powerhouse. Traditional game reviews and advertising have taken a backseat to streamer influence. A single popular creator playing your game can generate millions of views and drive massive sales overnight – just look at how Among Us exploded after a few key streamers discovered it, or how Fall Guys became a phenomenon through streaming momentum. Publishers now prioritize getting their games into the hands of influential streamers on launch day, knowing that authentic gameplay footage and reactions carry more weight than any trailer or review. Day-one streaming success has become make-or-break for many titles.Designing for the Stream. Developers are now creating games with streaming in mind. Modern titles include built-in streaming tools, spectator-friendly interfaces, and features that encourage viewer interaction like chat integration and voting systems. Games are designed to be visually clear and exciting to watch, not just play. Some developers even create "streamer modes" that remove copyrighted music or add special features for streamers. The rise of streaming has birthed entirely new genres — party games, reaction-heavy horror titles, and social deduction games all thrive because they're inherently entertaining to watch.The Creator Economy Boom. Streaming has created entirely new career paths and revenue streams within gaming. Successful streamers earn through donations, subscriptions, brand partnerships, and revenue sharing from platform-specific features like Twitch bits or YouTube Super Chat. This has spawned a massive creator economy where top streamers command six-figure sponsorship deals, while publishers allocate significant budgets to influencer partnerships rather than traditional advertising. The rise of streaming has also fueled the growth of esports, where pro players double as entertainers – drawing massive online audiences and blurring the line between competition and content.Video Game Streaming in NumbersWhile it’s easy to feel the impact of streaming in daily gaming life, the numbers behind the trend tell an even more powerful story. From billions in revenue to global shifts in viewer behavior, game streaming has grown into a massive industry reshaping how we play, watch, and connect. Here’s a look at the data driving the movement.Market Size & GrowthIn 2025, the global Games Live Streaming market is projected to generate $15.32 billion in revenue. By 2030, that figure is expected to reach $18.92 billion, growing at an annual rate of 4.32%.The average revenue per user (ARPU) in 2025 stands at $10.51, showing consistent monetization across platforms.China remains the single largest market, expected to bring in $2.92 billion this year alone.Source: Statista Market Insights, 2025Viewership & Daily HabitsThe number of users in the live game streaming market is forecast to hit 1.8 billion by 2030, with user penetration rising from 18.6% in 2025 to 22.6% by the end of the decade.In 2023, average daily time spent watching game streams rose to 2.5 hours per user, up 12% year-over-year — a clear sign of streaming becoming part of gamers’ daily routines.Sources: Statista Market Insights, 2025; SNS Insider, 2024What People Are WatchingThe most-watched games on Twitch include League of Legends, GTA V, and Counter-Strike — all regularly topping charts for both viewers and streamers.When it comes to creators, the most-streamed games are Fortnite, Valorant, and Call of Duty: Warzone, showing a strong overlap between what streamers love to broadcast and what audiences enjoy watching.In Q1 2024, Twitch users spent over 249 million hours watching new game releases, while total gaming-related content reached around 3.3 billion hours.Sources: SullyGnome, 2025; Statista, 2025Global Trends & Regional PlatformsChina’s local platforms like Huya (31M MAU) and Douyu (26.6M MAU) remain key players in the domestic market.In South Korea, following Twitch’s 2023 exit, local services like AfreecaTV and newcomer Chzzk have positioned themselves as alternatives.Meanwhile, Japan and Europe continue to see steady engagement driven by strong gaming scenes and dedicated fan communities.Source: Statista, 2025Event Livestreaming Hits New HighsNintendo Direct was the most-watched gaming showcase in 2024, with an average minute audience of 2.6 million.The 2024 Streamer Awards drew over 645,000 peak viewers, highlighting how creator-focused events now rival traditional game showcases.Source: Statista, 2025As game streaming continues to evolve, its role in the broader gaming ecosystem is becoming clearer. It hasn’t replaced traditional gameplay – instead, it’s added a new dimension to how people engage with games, offering a space for connection, discovery, and commentary. For players, creators, and industry leaders alike, streaming now sits alongside playing as a core part of the modern gaming experience – one that continues to grow and shift with the industry itself.

One of the most impactful applications of MCP is its ability to connect AI coding assistants directly to developer tools.

Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of connecting with talented game developers from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through the PlayStation MENA Hero Project. This initiative was launched with a simple goal: to identify and support original voices and empower creators from emerging regions to tell their stories through games. Today, we’re thrilled to announce the first cohort of titles supported under the MENA Hero Project, each one a unique reflection of the creativity, and spirit of developers in the region. The First Cohort of MENA Hero Project Games Red Bandits | Developer: Team Agenda | Country: Saudi Arabia Red Bandits is a fast-paced robbery action game set in a hyper-capitalist age where one company rules the world through complete monopoly. In this world, a newly formed thieves organization known as the Red Bandits, emerges to challenge the system and spark a rebellion. You play as Stutt, a seasoned old thief with a stuttering condition and a mysterious past he can’t fully remember. Break into the company’s fortified floors, take down the powerful board of directors, and bring back a de-monopolized world order. With a dynamic cover system, evolving heists, and a vibrant comrades’ hideout, Red Bandits blends fast, stylish action with a deeply personal story of rebellion. Robbing its way to PS5 and PC. Enci’s Solution | Developer: Dark Emerald | Country: United Arab Emirates Exiled by humans centuries ago, the Aeons are confined to the desolate underground. Their village is safe, but beyond the gates, danger lurks at every corner, and not everyone can be trusted. No one has left the village before, except for Ji’we. Inspired by techno-dystopian aesthetics, Enci’s Solution is a hand-painted, 2.5D narrative platformer following the story of Ji’we, a young Aeon venturing out into the unknown in an attempt to save his dearest friend. Stumbling upon Enci, a lost encyclopedic robot who finds himself far from home, the two form an unusual bond and set out together to the surface of planet Regalia.  Play through 40+ levels with increasing difficulty and explore uncharted territories. Find collectibles and uncover the secrets they carry about the world and its odd inhabitants. Keep an eye out for hidden levels and challenge yourself to think outside the box. Will you find your solution on PS5 and PC? Play Video The Perfect Run | Developer: Lanterns Studios | Country: Tunisia Save the world or blow it up yourself, one loop at a time! The Perfect Run is an action-adventure RPG game where the player controls Quicksave, a time-traveling hero caught in an epic struggle between supervillain gangs, marketed superheroes, and a powerful mega corporation for the control of the city of New Rome. With three days to decide the city’s fate, the player can go back in time to decide their perfect ending… if they have the skill to do so! Interact with NPCs and unlock new dialogue options thanks to information collected in earlier loops, join a faction in one route and fight them the next, bend time itself in epic battle against superpowered bosses, collect the best upgrades before the reset, and unlock the city’s secrets in this memorable superhero adventure. Find the perfect run on PS5 and PC. A Cat’s Manor | Developer: Happiest Dark Corner | Country: Bahrain You awaken trapped in a house infested with spiders and inhabited by an eccentric family. At the end of your tail, you discover a crudely stitched hand. With no memory of who you are or how you got here, you let curiosity guide you forward. A Cat’s Manor is an atmospheric adventure that blends puzzles, combat, crafting, and rhythm-based music challenges. Use your wits to escape the manor. Investigate your surroundings, solve puzzles, fight your way through deadly encounters, or outsmart your foes and avoid trouble. Inspect, observe, listen, and feel your surroundings for clues and cues, immersing yourself with 3D audio and PS5 DualSense controller features. Uncover the secrets of the manor and unravel what the family is hiding. Creeping its way to PS5 and PC near you.  About the MENA Hero Project The MENA Hero Project is the newest chapter in SIE’s global Hero Project family, joining India and China in our mission to discover and nurture the next generation of original game creators. We believe that great games can come from anywhere. Through the MENA Hero Project, we’re committed to unlocking the region’s creative potential, supporting locally inspired experiences with the power to captivate players around the world.

Chris Kerr, Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comAugust 22, 20252 Min ReadImage via Tencent Tencent debuted a new AI creation tool called VISVISE at Gamescom 2025 that it claims will accelerate video game art production by automating repetitive tasks. The Chinese conglomerate billed VISVISE as an end-to-end AI game creation suit that will "dramatically cut down game art design time from days or even months, down to minutes." "With capabilities spanning animation and modeling to the creation of intelligent NPCs, or managing digital assets, VISVISE provides game developers and designers with a complete AIGC-powered toolset to accelerate workflows," it added. Tencent said the tool will specifically allow developers to rapidly skin and animate characters in a matter of minutes—a process it claims usually takes up to three-and-a-half days. In addition, the company claimed skeletal animations can be produced in just 10 seconds with VISVISE. Tencent said that process usually takes between three and seven days. "This results in an eightfold improvement in character skinning throughput and transforms animation into a fully automated process of 'keyframe generation + intelligent in-betweening,'" it continued. Tencent claims it doesn't want VISVISE to replace 'human ingenuity'Tencent Games VISVISE expert Zijiao Zeng delivered a keynote at Devcom (soon to be rebranded as Gamescom Dev) and shared more details on VISVISE's two key core technologies: VISVISE GoSkinning and VISVISE MotionBlink. Related:GoSkinning works by leveraging a universal AI model to automatically adapt to different skeletal structures. Tencent told Game Developer the tool is based on an AI model developed in-house. The company explained GoSkinning achieves around 85 percent automation and uses a two-step process of bone chain prediction and weight refinement, while its proprietary 'Skirt AI' addresses "complex garment deformation issues." MotionBlink, meanwhile, uses a self-regressive diffusion architecture to rapidly generate keyframes combined with pre-trained CVAE and contrastive learning to produce smooth motion transitions that Tencent claims will rival optimal motion capture and eliminate common issues such as foot sliding and jitter. VISVISE tools have already been integrated into the development of over 90 titles, including PUBG Mobile. Addressing the widespread concerns surrounding AI technology and automation, Tencent said it doesn't envision a future in which VISVIE replaces workers and instead explained it views the technology as a "supporting tool." "VISVISE is designed to automate repetitive tasks with human oversight, enabling creative teams to focus on core artistic and design elements that define a great game," a Tencent spokesperson told Game Developer. "Human ingenuity, intuition and connection continue to be pillars of our industry's success, and the keys to developing engaging, emotionally resonant games. With AI, we hope to accelerate creativity, building a collaborative environment where we can continue to create, play and sell quality games."Related:Game Developer attended Gamescom 2025 via the Gamescom Media Ambassador Program, which covered flights and accommodation.Read more about:GamescomAbout the AuthorChris KerrSenior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, launching August 28 on PlayStation 5, is a remake of the 2004 PlayStation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I had a conversation with the developers during a Tokyo press event to discuss the upcoming remake and its development process.  ​​ Faithfully replicating the thrill and impact of the original PlayStation Blog: How important was it to your team to create a game that stayed true to the original? Noriaki Okamura (Metal Gear Series Producer): We began this project with the intention of bringing a 20-year-old game to the present day. While we updated the graphics and certain game mechanics to ensure today’s players could fully enjoy the experience, we wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible. What challenges did your team face during development, and what specific adjustments were implemented? Okamura: I had no intention of altering the original story, so I insisted that we can just update the game graphics. Korekado disagreed and warned me that that approach will not work, but I initially had the team re-create the game just with new character models. Although the graphics improved, they appeared doll-like and unrealistic, so I finally realized that my plan was inadequate. Yuji Korekado (Creative Producer): We began by reworking the animation and game mechanics. We implemented animation programming that didn’t exist two decades ago to make the game more realistic, but that also meant we couldn’t reproduce the original game mechanics. Metal Gear is a stealth game, so it’s crucial for players to be able to make precise movements. We put in a lot of effort to replicate the same feel as the original, while maintaining realism. Are there any areas of the game that you wanted to recreate as faithfully as possible? Korekado: We made sure that the jungle looked as realistic as possible. We devoted a lot of time modeling every fine detail like leaves, grass, and moss covering the ground. Since the perspective shifts along with the character’s movements, players will get a closer look at the ground when they’re crouching or crawling. To make sure the environment was immersive from every angle, we carefully crafted every element with great precision. ​​ Have any enhancements been made compared to the original PS2 version? Korekado: We enhanced the visuals to be more intuitive. Thanks to increased memory and much faster speeds the user experience has improved significantly, including faster transitions to the Survival Viewer or having a quick menu to swap uniforms. On top of that, the audio improvements are remarkable. Sound absorption rates vary depending on the materials of the walls and floors, which allows players to detect enemies behind walls or nearby animals intuitively. In areas like caves and long corridors, unique echo parameters help distinguish different environments, which I think is a major advancement for stealth gameplay. Extra content for players to enjoy diverse gameplay The remake features Fox Hunt, a new online multiplayer mode. Why did you include this in the game instead of Metal Gear Online (MGO)? Yu Sahara (Fox Hunt Director): The remake features significantly enhanced graphics, so we explored various online modes that aligned with these improvements. We decided to focus on stealth, sneaking, and survival, since those are also the key pillars of the main game. We landed on a concept that is based on hide-and-seek, that is classic Metal Gear, while also being reminiscent of the stealth missions featured in the earlier MGO. Can players earn rewards by playing the Fox Hunt mode? Sahara: While there are no items that can be transferred to the main game, players can unlock rewards like new camouflage options by playing Fox Hunt multiple times. Were there any challenges or specific areas of focus while remaking Snake vs Monkey mode? Taiga Ishigami (Planner): Our main goal was to make Pipo Monkey even more charming, cute, and entertaining. We developed new character actions, including the “Gotcha!” motion, and each animation and sound effect were carefully reviewed to ensure it captured Pipo Monkey’s personality. If anything felt off, we made changes right away. I heard the new Snake vs Monkey mode features an Astro Bot collab. Ishigami: Yes, a couple of bots from the Astro Bot game will make an appearance, and you can capture them just like the Pipo Monkeys. Capturing these bots isn’t required to finish the levels, but you’ll receive unique rewards if you do. Depending on the level, either a standard bot or a Pipo Monkey bot will be hidden away, so be sure to keep an eye out for them. ​​ Do you have any final words for new players as well as longtime fans of the original game? Okamura: I rarely cry when playing games, but I remember bawling my eyes out while playing the original Metal Gear Solid 3. The development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was driven by our goal to faithfully capture the impact and thrill that players felt two decades ago. Metal Gear Solid 3 is the ultimate example of storytelling in games, and having dreamed of making a game like this, I now feel a sense of fulfillment. I hope everyone enjoys the story as much as I do. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater arrives on PS5 on August 28.  Read a new hands-on report with the game.

Chris Kerr, Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comAugust 22, 20254 Min ReadVia Evil Empire/UbisoftThe Rogue Prince of Persia developer Evil Empire doesn't believe it's worth entering early access in the current climate unless your project is at least 90 percent complete. Speaking to Game Developer at Gamescom 2025, studio marketing manager Matthew Houghton and art director Dylan Eurlings shared their thoughts on the state of contemporary early access campaigns and suggested the system is becoming increasingly risky. You might recognize Evil Empire as the studio that has spent years helping Dead Cells developer Motion Twin expand the franchise with DLC and free updates. Since May 2024, however, the studio has also been shepherding The Rogue Prince of Persia through an Steam Early Access campaign that culminated in an official launch on August 20.Yet, due to a variety of factors including shifting player expectations, the team had to tweak their pre-release strategy in a bid to lure in players. As a result, the studio has become more wary of early access in general. "To be honest, the way I see it now is that unless you're coming into early access with a 90 percent complete game, don't do it. Because players, they don't see it as early access, they see it a game to play," says Houghton. He adds that players are entitled to express their views because they're often paying money to play early access titles, but he feels that sifting viewpoint means consumers are less willing to follow games on an early access journey that will often result in significant changes. Related:Eurlings echoes that point and suggests that a perceived lack of polish and content can now be a "huge issue" during early access campaigns. He explains that Evil Empire was even forced to rethink their original roadmap after the earliest versions of Rogue Prince of Persia failed to meet internal expectations."Initially we wanted to do quick updates. Very fast. In the end, we took a bit more time to ensure that each update would be a bit more chunky," he adds, noting that pivot resulted in a steady cadence of monthly updates that each packed a fair bit of clout. That shift came after the team conceded that early access numbers "weren't great." Houghton explains the project initially attracted just under 1,000 peak concurrent users (CCU). After they flipped the script, the title started to pull in around 4,000 CCU. "That's why we wanted to prioritize chunky content—there would be an impact every time," says Houghton, before acknowledging the title still hadn't quite met the team's CCU expectations even after that switch-up. Related:"Of course you listen to the feedback and take the ideas [on board], but you have to feed them through a filter."It underlines the risks that come with early access, and Houghton specifically wonders whether some developers who can't hit that 90 percent completion benchmark before launching into early access might instead be better off conducting beta tests through Steam instead. If you're curious as to where Rogue Prince of Persia was when it entered Early Access, Houghton suggests the project was roughly 60 percent complete. Eurlings, was slightly more conservative, and claimed it was more like 50 percent. We suggested they meet in the middle. "Steam has evolved now. You can do beta tests and playtests through Steam. I think that's become more like Early Access. People aren't paying for it and your project might be a bit janky [...] but that's okay because they're still going to give feedback and it's not going to be a disaster if it's not great yet," continues Houghton. When asked whether Evil Empire would consider revisiting Early Access in the future, Houghton isn't so certain."I don't know. I'm going to be honest. I've been put off by it, because especially now people are so used to games coming out and then doing live ops for three, four, and five years—so why go with early access and have to deal with the stigma that's around it? I think I would do playtests and then just release," he explains. Related:Houghton adds that teams who are still convinced early access is right for them must have complete conviction in their creative vision—otherwise they might risk being derailed. "Of course you listen to the feedback and take the ideas [on board], but you have to feed them through a filter, otherwise you'll have too many cooks. [...] You'll have people who are super enthusiastic who think you can't do anything wrong, and then you get the people who are just super negative and people who are just throwing ideas at you that you know won't work in the game." It's a situation that can feel overwhelming, with Houghton explaining that Rogue Prince of Persia's game director found the onslaught "too much" at times. "You have to stick to your vision," says Houghton. "Listen, but just cherry pick [your feedback] carefully."Game Developer attended Gamescom 2025 via the Gamescom Media Ambassador Program, which covered flights and accommodation.Read more about:GamescomTop StoriesInterviewsAbout the AuthorChris KerrSenior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

It’s been over two decades since Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was first released on PlayStation 2. The game was praised for its story, characters, and possibly one of the greatest themes in video game history. After some brumation, it sheds its skin and emerges as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on August 28, aiming to recapture the spirit that made the original a beloved classic. After about eight hours of playing the game on PS5 Pro, I’m thrilled to share how it captures and modernizes the original’s spirit, and then some. Play Video Delta is a true from-the-ground-up remake that is extremely faithful to the original work in most aspects of the game, but what was immediately apparent was the level of detail the updated visuals and textures add to the experience.  A new level of visual fidelity View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image This updated version of Snake Eater is a visual feast on PS5 Pro, especially in the lush details. For example, rain droplets trickle realistically down a poncho, and Snake’s camouflage and uniforms become dirty with mud or forest debris. This filth even carries over into cutscenes, adding an appreciated level of realism. The Metal Gear series showcases a range of grizzled warriors, many with scars that tell a tale. If you’re familiar with Snake Eater, you understand that scars hold a lot of importance throughout, and the devs took great care to make them stand out. One of the most notable examples is Colonel Volgin’s harrowingly scarred face. The believable tissue and its deformation when he speaks create a tragically beautiful portrait.  Speaking of portraits, a new photo mode has been added with all the latest bells and whistles. Like most Metal Gear games, Delta definitely has its fair share of silly moments, and you can capture them all. With plenty of filters and settings, create a masterpiece on the mountainside, or dress up in a crocodile head and let antics ensue. Photo Mode is the perfect way to capture all the little details hiding within. Game controls – New Style vs. Legacy A new control scheme has been introduced to bring Snake Eater to the modern gaming era, dubbed New Style. Before starting a new game, players can choose between the New Style and Legacy, which retains the controls mapped after the original PS2 release. You can switch between styles, but be warned, this will reload the level/map and take you back to the beginning of the section. New Style is geared for people who have never played the game before, or who might prefer a more modern playstyle. The control option provides a free-moving camera that lets you view your environment in 360 degrees, making it easier to avoid getting lost or having enemies catch you unprepared. Combat and shooting feel reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid V, with a third-person over-the-shoulder camera. By default, aim assist is turned on, but can be toggled off. Even in New Style, you can still switch to a classic first-person view and still fully move around as if playing a FPS title. First-person view is especially valuable when lining up the perfect shot through a chainlink fence, which I couldn’t pull off in third-person. The biggest saving grace in the updated control scheme is the remapped directional buttons. Holding left brings up your non-combat inventory, and holding right brings up your currently equipped weapons. Up brings up the quick-change camouflage menu, while down brings up your radio —a hugely welcome shortcut. No more digging through menus to change outfits based on your environment. Snake sneaks through a range of environments in Snake Eater, each suited to different camouflage options The quick change menu conveniently shows the optimal face and body combo from your collection based on the current environmentIn one instance, I managed to seamlessly transition from a green texture to a stone grey-black getup, then to a rust-colored camouflage, all along the same crawl route. This new quality-of-life option keeps the action flowing. Another great accessibility feature is the ability to fine-tune game hints. From always-on to none at all. I had it set to show helpful hints when they were relevant, like swimming controls appearing by a body of water and hanging controls on the cliffside. This is particularly helpful in rare gameplay situations, as it kept me from panicking in high-stress situations.  What a thrill The voice cast still delivers, and The Cobra Unit is just as compelling, with big moments still having the right impact. The ladder scene took me right back to playing the original on my grandmother’s floor all those years ago.  Paradoxes, easter eggs, and all the details I’d expect are still in place. I didn’t encounter any moments that felt off or deviated too far in any way from the script. The opening theme and intro movie have been remixed, and while it will come down to personal taste, every note still hits for me.  Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater launches on August 28 for PS5, and is a day to mark on your calendar whether you’re a longtime fan or series newcomer interested in discovering the celebrated origins of the storyline.   Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater developers discuss the game in length in a new interview.

An anonymous Arkane developer is alleging that Microsoft—the studio's parent company—has yet to issue any response to an August 12 open letter signed by workers calling for an end to its alleged relationship with the Israeli military. That relationship was uncovered by news outlets The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call in a joint investigation that alleged the Israeli spy agency Unit 8200 has used Microsoft's Azure cloud platform to surveil phone calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reportedly used information from those calls to coordinate airstrikes and "shape operations" of military forces in both regions. Arkane employees unionized under Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) joined other Microsoft employees in protesting these contracts—but the only answer they've received is silence.This information comes from Stephen Totilo at Game File, who spoke with an anonymous Arkane developer who went by the pseudonym "Manon." "No one has responded directly to our open letter, neither Microsoft, nor Bethesda, nor Arkane leadership," Manon told Game File. He said that the only acknowledgement came after the subject was brought up on the studio's internal chat system. "Arkane leadership invited everyone to be considerate when expressing their opinion, to maintain a peaceful exchange on the subject. They did not address the letter itself and remained neutral."Related:That silence has persisted over the past 10 days. Manon said that Microsoft was given a few hours' advance notice that workers were going public with their concerns. Despite that extra time, it's issued no internal response.Xbox has kept quiet on Microsoft's military contractsOn April 15, Microsoft announced it was undertaking a "formal review" of its contracts with the IDF. But even as more game developers join the ranks of employees protesting its role in the Gaza invasion, Xbox Game Studios has stayed strictly silent on the matter. The company only replied to our repeated quests for comment after Game Developer senior news editor Chris Kerr raised the topic during during our interview with Grounded 2 game director Chris Parker and Eidos Montreal creative director Justin Vazquez at Gamescom this week.During that conversation, PR representatives did not allow Vazquez and Parker to answer the question, later referring us back to Microsoft's April 15 blog.Said representatives also discouraged questions about Microsoft's decision to lay off over 9,000 employees on July 2, many of them employees of Xbox Game Studios subsidiaries like King and Zenimax. These layoffs also impacted the timing of the open letter published by the STJV workers at Arkane. Manon told Game File that the group was concerned the letter would be "muted" by the layoff news.Related:"Since then, it has been very difficult to find the correct timing, knowing that the situation in Gaza was deteriorating rapidly."Game Developer has reached out to Microsoft for comment on this story and will issue an update after the company responds.

AI reasoning, inference and networking will be top of mind for attendees of next week’s Hot Chips conference. A key forum for processor and system architects from industry and academia, Hot Chips — running Aug. 24-26 at Stanford University — showcases the latest innovations poised to advance AI factories and drive revenue for the trillion-dollar data center computing market. At the conference, NVIDIA will join industry leaders including Google and Microsoft in a “tutorial” session — taking place on Sunday, Aug. 24 — that discusses designing rack-scale architecture for data centers. In addition, NVIDIA experts will present at four sessions and one tutorial detailing how: NVIDIA networking, including the NVIDIA ConnectX-8 SuperNIC, delivers AI reasoning at rack- and data-center scale. (Featuring Idan Burstein, principal architect of network adapters and systems-on-a-chip at NVIDIA) Neural rendering advancements and massive leaps in inference — powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU — provide next-level graphics and simulation capabilities. (Featuring Marc Blackstein, senior director of architecture at NVIDIA) Co-packaged optics (CPO) switches with integrated silicon photonics — built with light-speed fiber rather than copper wiring to send information quicker and using less power — enable efficient, high-performance, gigawatt-scale AI factories. The talk will also highlight NVIDIA Spectrum-XGS Ethernet, a new scale-across technology for unifying distributed data centers into AI super-factories. (Featuring Gilad Shainer, senior vice president of networking at NVIDIA) The NVIDIA GB10 Superchip serves as the engine within the NVIDIA DGX Spark desktop supercomputer. (Featuring Andi Skende, senior distinguished engineer at NVIDIA) It’s all part of how NVIDIA’s latest technologies are accelerating inference to drive AI innovation everywhere, at every scale. NVIDIA Networking Fosters AI Innovation at Scale AI reasoning — when artificial intelligence systems can analyze and solve complex problems through multiple AI inference passes — requires rack-scale performance to deliver optimal user experiences efficiently. In data centers powering today’s AI workloads, networking acts as the central nervous system, connecting all the components — servers, storage devices and other hardware — into a single, cohesive, powerful computing unit. NVIDIA ConnectX-8 SuperNIC Burstein’s Hot Chips session will dive into how NVIDIA networking technologies — particularly NVIDIA ConnectX-8 SuperNICs — enable high-speed, low-latency, multi-GPU communication to deliver market-leading AI reasoning performance at scale. As part of the NVIDIA networking platform, NVIDIA NVLink, NVLink Switch and NVLink Fusion deliver scale-up connectivity — linking GPUs and compute elements within and across servers for ultra low-latency, high-bandwidth data exchange. NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet provides the scale-out fabric to connect entire clusters, rapidly streaming massive datasets into AI models and orchestrating GPU-to-GPU communication across the data center. Spectrum-XGS Ethernet scale-across technology extends the extreme performance and scale of Spectrum-X Ethernet to interconnect multiple, distributed data centers to form AI super-factories capable of giga-scale intelligence. Connecting distributed AI data centers with NVIDIA Spectrum-XGS Ethernet. At the heart of Spectrum-X Ethernet, CPO switches push the limits of performance and efficiency for AI infrastructure at scale, and will be covered in detail by Shainer in his talk. NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 — an exascale computer in a single rack — features 36 NVIDIA GB200 Superchips, each containing two NVIDIA B200 GPUs and an NVIDIA Grace CPU, interconnected by the largest NVLink domain ever offered, with NVLink Switch providing 130 terabytes per second of low-latency GPU communications for AI and high-performance computing workloads. An NVIDIA rack-scale system. Built with the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, GB200 NVL72 systems deliver massive leaps in reasoning inference performance. NVIDIA Blackwell and CUDA Bring AI to Millions of Developers The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU — also powered by Blackwell and to be covered in Blackstein’s talk — doubles performance in today’s games with NVIDIA DLSS 4 technology. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU It can also add neural rendering features for games to deliver up to 10x performance, 10x footprint amplification and a 10x reduction in design cycles,  helping enhance realism in computer graphics and simulation. This offers smooth, responsive visual experiences at low energy consumption and improves the lifelike simulation of characters and effects. NVIDIA CUDA, the world’s most widely available computing infrastructure, lets users deploy and run AI models using NVIDIA Blackwell anywhere. Hundreds of millions of GPUs run CUDA across the globe, from NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack-scale systems to GeForce RTX– and NVIDIA RTX PRO-powered PCs and workstations, with NVIDIA DGX Spark powered by NVIDIA GB10 — discussed in Skende’s session — coming soon. From Algorithms to AI Supercomputers — Optimized for LLMs NVIDIA DGX Spark Delivering powerful performance and capabilities in a compact package, DGX Spark lets developers, researchers, data scientists and students push the boundaries of generative AI right at their desktops, and accelerate workloads across industries. As part of the NVIDIA Blackwell platform, DGX Spark brings support for NVFP4, a low-precision numerical format to enable efficient agentic AI inference, particularly of large language models (LLMs). Learn more about NVFP4 in this NVIDIA Technical Blog. Open-Source Collaborations Propel Inference Innovation NVIDIA accelerates several open-source libraries and frameworks to accelerate and optimize AI workloads for LLMs and distributed inference. These include NVIDIA TensorRT-LLM, NVIDIA Dynamo, TileIR, Cutlass, the NVIDIA Collective Communication Library and NIX — which are integrated into millions of workflows. Allowing developers to build with their framework of choice, NVIDIA has collaborated with top open framework providers to offer model optimizations for FlashInfer, PyTorch, SGLang, vLLM and others. Plus, NVIDIA NIM microservices are available for popular open models like OpenAI’s gpt-oss and Llama 4,  making it easy for developers to operate managed application programming interfaces with the flexibility and security of self-hosting models on their preferred infrastructure. Learn more about the latest advancements in inference and accelerated computing by joining NVIDIA at Hot Chips.  

System Era Softworks design director Liz England never set out to become an industry-wide name—but she did in 2014 when she published a blog called “The Door Problem.” She penned it to help people outside the game industry understand exactly what a game designer does…and it turns out, to motivate herself to get her personal website online.Years later "The Door Problem" is now required reading for young designers everywhere, largely for reasons beyond what England dreamed of when she jotted down that post. In the 11 years since she wrote that post, Liz has evolved from being a game designer to design director, and her perspective on “The Door Problem” has shifted. Today she’s not thinking as much about doors—more about how to help other designers pitch and build doors that fit the scope and vision for their game.What does good leadership look like in game design?England said she didn’t think there was any more to be added to “The Door Problem” even after 11 years. She’s been thinking more about how game design leadership can help developers solve their own “door problems” to make games in a more effective manner. That's not only meant improving her language for designing game design challenges—but looking back at leaders she looked up to earlier in her career.Related:About The Game Developer PodcastThe Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling the triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between of game development, sharing lessons and strategies fellow developers can use to hone their craft. The Game Developer Podcast is hosted by Bryant Francis, edited by Pierre Landriau, and features music by Mike Meehan.Follow Game Developer on Bluesky or on LinkedIn.Follow Liz England on Bluesky.