For too long, we’ve waited and watched as The Gloom expands to swallow more innocent star systems. For too long, we’ve let the Terminds wreak havoc on our colonies, our cities, our homes. The Terminids have pushed into our territory for long enough. Now, with new recruits trained and ready, it’s time to push into unknown territory. Into the Unjust comes to Helldivers 2 on September 2. Play Video Enter the Gloom It’s finally time to discover what lies behind the Gloom shroud enveloping these planets we call Hive Worlds. Prepare your squad to disappear into the fog and discover new dangers, from towering structures built by Terminids to what horrors lurk beneath the planet surfaces.  Into the heart of darkness Deep underground lies a labyrinth of cave tunnels that twist and turn, infested with the Hive Lung that seems to be the force that produces the thickening fog that makes up the Gloom. Because of the nature of the caves, your Super Destroyer won’t be able to give you full support. It’ll be your team alone against the horror. Terrors above and below What little intelligence we have on the Gloom contains information about a new subterranean species of Terminid Warriors, Bile Spewers, and Chargers that, when they detect a threat, will burrow underground and begin moving toward prey. Once close enough, they erupt from the ground and attack. It doesn’t stop there. The Gloom has mutated the Terminids even further, into grotesque monsters like the Dragonroach: a menace in the sky that dives unsuspecting Helldivers and rains down burning bile. Our reports indicate that there are even greater, more terrifying creatures lying in wait on Hive Worlds, Helldiver. You must find them and take them out. Taking back Hive Worlds The Helldivers will also face brand new challenges while liberating Hive Worlds, like escorting a mobile oil rig. Helldivers must defend the rig from attacks while it traverses the treacherous Hive World terrain to the next drill site, where it will extract oil. Meanwhile in the underground, you’ll be forced to locate and destroy the Hive Lung in an effort to stem the spread of the Gloom. There are also new optional and sub-objectives available, too. It’s going to take all your determination and teamwork to stop the infestation from spreading any further and liberate the Hive Worlds. Get ready to dive Into the Unjust1 on September 2, Helldivers. Introducing the Dust Devils Premium Warbond We’re not sending you to a Hive World without the best gear we have to offer, Helldiver. The Ministry of Defense has fast-tracked the deployment of the Dust Devils Warbond2, which will ensure survival in the harshest conditions these worlds can throw your way. Weapons and Stratagems Dust Devils comes with a hefty offering of one primary weapon, a new throwable, and three unique stratagems that will aid in clearing the air–and all the bugs–on Hive Worlds. AR-2 CoyoteYou can hunt in packs or go by your lonesome with this assault rifle that features incendiary ammunition. But be warned: this coyote is wild. G-7 PineappleThis cluster frag grenade might look like a cute and unassuming fruit, but it’ll have the bugs in absolute pieces. S-11 SpeargunA true big game hunter’s companion. The S-11 fires heavy-duty projectiles that release a cloud of gas on impact. EAT-700 Expendable NapalmHeat up the planet with this single-use missile that contains napalm cluster bombs. MS-11 Solo SiloThe long-range power of a missile in a new convenient package. Calls down a Hellpod-sized missile silo with a single, ultra-powerful missile and a handheld targeting remote. Armors, Capes, and more Whether you’re crouched behind craggy boulders, waiting for your moment to spring a trap on unsuspecting Terminids or marching in formation with your squad to intimidate them, they’ll look the part. Both feature the Desert Stormer passive, which grants resistance to fire, gas, acid, and arc, as well as providing a throw range increase to the bearer. You’ll also receive capes, player cards, an emote and player title, and a new pattern for your vehicles and Hellpods. DS-42 Federation’s BladeCaptures the essence of armies marching through the desert sands. Wear with the Rightful occupier cape and player card for a polished look. DS-191 ScorpionLook like a true nomadic warrior in this desert-proof draped set, pairs perfectly with the Windswept Wayfinder cape and player card. Title: Burier of Heads Emote: Raider’s Cheer Pattern: “Rattlesnake” for vehicles and Hellpods Arm your fighters against the perils that await them on Hive Worlds and beyond! The Dust Devils Premium Warbond launches on September 4. 1Gameplay requires internet access and paid for PlayStation® Plus membership (sold separately) on PS5. PlayStation Plus membership subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age Restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms. 2 Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock.

IntroductionHi everyone! My name is Oleh Yakushev, and I'm a 3D Artist from Ukraine. My journey into 3D began just three years ago, when I was working as a mobile phone salesperson at a shopping mall. In 2022, during one slow day at work, I noticed a colleague learning Python. We started talking about life goals. I told him I wanted to switch careers, to do something creative, but programming wasn't really my thing.He asked me a simple question: "Well, what do you actually enjoy doing?"I said, "Video games. I love video games. But I don't have time to learn how to make them, I've got a job, a family, and a kid."Then he hit me with something that really shifted my whole perspective."Oleh, do you play games on your PlayStation?"I said, "Of course."He replied, "Then why not take the time you spend playing and use it to learn how to make games?"That moment flipped a switch in my mind. I realized that I did have time, it was just a matter of how I used it. If I really wanted to learn, I could find a way. At the time, I didn't even own a computer. But where there's a will, there's a way: I borrowed my sister's laptop for a month and started following beginner 3D tutorials on YouTube. Every night after work, once my family went to sleep, I'd sit in the kitchen and study. I stayed up until 2 or 3 AM, learning Blender basics. Then I'd sleep for a few hours before waking up at 6 AM to go back to work. That's how I spent my first few months in 3D, studying every single night.3D completely took over my life. During lunch breaks, I watched 3D videos, on the bus, I scrolled through 3D TikToks, at home, I took 3D courses, and the word "3D" just became a constant in my vocabulary.After a few months of learning the basics, I started building my portfolio, which looks pretty funny to me now. But at the time, it was a real sign of how committed I was. Eventually, someone reached out to me through Behance, offering my first freelance opportunity. And thatэs how my journey began, from mall clerk to 3D artist. It's been a tough road, full of burnout, doubts, and late nights... but also full of curiosity, growth, and hope. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.The Stitch ProjectI've loved Stitch since I was a kid. I used to watch the cartoons, play the video games, and he always felt like such a warm, funny, chill, and at the same time, strong character. So once I reached a certain level in 3D, I decided to recreate Stitch.Back then, my skills only allowed me to make him in a stylized cartoonish style, no fur, no complex detailing, no advanced texturing, I just didn't have the experience. Surprisingly, the result turned out pretty decent. Even now, I sometimes get comments that my old Stitch still looks quite cute. Though honestly, I wouldn't say that myself anymore. Two years have passed since I made that first Stitch, it was back in 2023. And in 2025, I decided it was time to challenge myself.At that point, I had just completed an intense grooming course. Grooming always intimidated me, it felt really complex. I avoided it on commercial projects, made a few failed attempts for my portfolio, and overall tried to steer clear of any tasks where grooming was required. But eventually, I found the strength to face it.I pushed myself to learn how to make great fur, and I did. I finally understood how the grooming system works, grasped the logic, the tools, and the workflow. And after finishing the course, I wanted to lock in all that knowledge by creating a full personal project from scratch.So my goal was to make a character from the ground up, where the final stage would be grooming. And without thinking too long, I chose Stitch.First, because I truly love the character. Second, I wanted to clearly see my own progress over the past two years. Third, I needed to put my new skills to the test and find out whether my training had really paid off.ModelingI had a few ideas for how to approach the base mesh for this project. First, to model everything completely from scratch, starting with a sphere. Second, to reuse my old Stitch model and upgrade it.But then an idea struck me: why not test how well AI could handle a base mesh? I gathered some references and tried generating a base mesh using AI, uploading Stitch visuals as a guide. As you can see from the screenshot, the result was far from usable. So I basically ended up doing everything from scratch anyway.So, I went back to basics: digging through ArtStation and Pinterest, collecting references. Since over the last two years, I had not only learned grooming but also completely changed my overall approach to character creation, it was important for me to make a more detailed model, even if much of it would be hidden under fur.The first Stitch was sculpted in Blender, with all the limitations that come with sculpting in it. But since then, I've leveled up significantly and switched to more advanced tools. So this second version of Stitch was born in ZBrush. By the time I started working on this Stitch, ZBrush had already become my second main workspace. I've used it to deliver tons of commercial projects, I work in it almost daily, and most of my portfolio was created using this tool. I found some great reference images showing Stitch's body structure. Among them were official movie references and a stunning high-poly model created by Juan Hernández, a version of Stitch without fur. That model became my primary reference for sculpting.Truth is, Stitch's base form is quite simple, so blocking out the shape didn't take too long. When blocking, I use Blender in combination with ZBrush:I work with primary forms in ZBrushThen check proportions in BlenderFix mistakes, tweak volumes, and refine the silhouetteSince Stitch's shape isn't overly complex, I broke him down into three main sculpting parts:The body: arms, legs, head, and earsThe nose, eyes, and mouth cavityWhile planning the sculpt, I already knew I'd be rigging Stitch, both body and facial rig. So I started sculpting with his mouth open (to later close it and have more flexibility when it comes to rigging and deformation).While studying various references, I noticed something interesting. Stitch from promotional posters, Stitch from the movie, and Stitch as recreated by different artists on ArtStation all look very different from one another. What surprised me the most was how different the promo version of Stitch is compared to the one in the actual movie. They are essentially two separate models:Different proportionsDifferent shapesDifferent texturesEven different fur and overall designThis presented a creative challenge, I had to develop my own take on Stitch's design. Sometimes I liked the way the teeth were done in one version, in another, the eye placement, in another, the fur shape, or the claw design on hands and feet.At first, considering that Stitch is completely covered in fur from head to toe, sculpting his underlying anatomy seemed pointless. I kept asking myself: "Why sculpt muscles and skin detail if everything will be hidden under fur anyway?"But eventually, I found a few solid answers for myself. First, having a defined muscle structure actually makes the fur grooming process easier. That's because fur often follows the flow of muscle lines, so having those muscles helps guide fur direction more accurately across the character's body.Second, it's great anatomy practice, and practice is never a waste. So, I found a solid anatomical reference of Stitch with clearly visible muscle groups and tried to recreate that structure as closely as possible in my own sculpt.In the end, I had to develop a full visual concept by combining elements from multiple versions of Stitch. Through careful reference work and constantly switching between Blender and ZBrush, I gradually, but intentionally, built up the body and overall look of our favorite fluffy alien.Topology & UVsThroughout the sculpting process, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about topology. I was looking for the most balanced solution between quality and production time. Normally, I do manual retopology for my characters, but this time, I knew it would take too much time, and honestly, I didn't have that luxury.So I decided to generate the topology using ZBrush's tools. I split the model into separate parts using Polygroups, assigning individual groups for the ears, the head, the torso, the arms, the legs, and each of Stitch's fingers.With the Polygroups in place, I used ZRemesher with Keep Groups enabled and smoothing on group borders. This gave me a clean and optimized mesh that was perfect for UV unwrapping.Of course, this kind of auto-retopology isn't a full substitute for manual work, but it saved me a huge amount of time, and the quality was still high enough for what I needed. However, there was one tricky issue. Although Stitch looks symmetrical at first glance, his ears are actually asymmetrical. The right ear has a scar on the top, while the left has a scar on the bottomBecause of that, I couldn't just mirror one side in ZBrush without losing those unique features. Here's what I ended up doing: I created a symmetrical model with the right ear, then another symmetrical model with the left ear. I brought both into Blender, detached the left ear from one model, and attached it to the body of the other one. This way, I got a clean, symmetrical base mesh with asymmetrical ears, preserving both topology and detail. And thanks to the clean polygroup-based layout, I was able to unwrap the UVs with nice, even seams and clean islands.When it came to UV mapping, I divided Stitch into two UDIM tiles:The first UDIM includes the head with ears, torso, arms, and legs.The second UDIM contains all the additional parts: teeth, tongue, gums, claws, and nose (For the claws, I used overlapping UVs to preserve texel density for the other parts)Since the nose is one of the most important details, I allocated the largest space to it, which helped me to better capture its intricate details.As for the eyes, I used procedural eyes, so there was no need to assign UV space or create a separate UDIM for texturing them. To achieve this, I used the Tiny Eye add-on by tinynocky for Blender, which allows full control over procedural eyes and their parameters.This approach gave me high-quality eyes with customizable elements tailored exactly to my needs. As a result of all these steps, Stitch ended up with a symmetrical, optimized mesh, asymmetrical ears, and the body split across two UDIMs, one for the main body and one for the additional parts.TexturingWhen planning Stitch's texturing, I understood that the main body texture would be fairly simple, with much of the visual detail enhanced by the fur. However, there were some areas that required much more attention than the rest of the body. The textures for Stitch can be roughly divided into several main parts:The base body, which includes the primary color of his fur, along with additional shading like a lighter tone on the front (belly) and a darker tone on the back and napeThe nose and ears, these zones, demanded separate focusAt the initial texturing/blocking stage, the ears looked too cartoony, which didn’t fit the style I wanted. So, I decided to push them towards a more realistic look. This involved removing bright colors, adding more variation in the roughness map, introducing variation in the base color, and making the ears visually more natural, layered, and textured on the surface. By combining smart materials and masks, I achieved the effect of "living" ears, slightly dirty and looking as natural as possible.The nose was a separate story. It occupies a significant part of the face and thus draws a lot of attention. While studying references, I noticed that the shape and texture of the nose vary a lot between different artists. Initially, I made it dog-like, with some wear and tear around the nostrils and base.For a long time, I thought this version was acceptable. But during test renders, I realized the nose needed improvement. So I reworked its texturing, aiming to make it more detailed. I divided the nose texture into four main layers:Base detail: Baked from the high-poly model. Over this, I applied a smart skin material that added characteristic bumps.Lighter layer: Applied via a mask using the AO channel. This darkened the crevices and brightened the bumps, creating a multi-layered effect.Organic detail (capillaries): In animal references, I noticed slight redness in the nose area. I created another AO-masked layer with reddish capillaries visible through the bumps, adding depth and realism.Softness: To make the nose visually softer, like in references, I added a fill layer with only height enabled, used a paper texture as grayscale, and applied a blurred mask. This created subtle dents and wrinkles that softened the look.All textures were created in 4K resolution to achieve maximum detail. After finishing the main texturing stage, I add an Ambient Occlusion map on the final texture layer, activating only the Color channel, setting the blend mode to Multiply, and reducing opacity to about 35%. This adds volume and greatly improves the overall perception of the model.That covers the texturing of Stitch’s body. I also created a separate texture for the fur. This was simpler, I disabled unnecessary layers like ears and eyelids, and left only the base ones corresponding to the body’s color tones.During grooming (which I'll cover in detail later), I also created textures for the fur's clamps and roughness. In Substance 3D Painter, I additionally painted masks for better fur detail.FurAnd finally, I moved on to the part that was most important to me, the very reason I started this project in the first place. Fur. This entire process was essentially a test of my fur grooming skills. After overcoming self-doubt, I trusted the process and relied on everything I had learned so far. Before diving into the grooming itself, I made sure to gather strong references. I searched for the highest quality and most inspiring examples I could find and analyzed them thoroughly. My goal was to clearly understand the direction of fur growth, its density and volume, the intensity of roughness, and the strength of clumping in different areas of Stitch's body.To create the fur, I used Blender and its Hair Particle System. The overall approach is similar to sculpting a high-detail model: work from broad strokes to finer details. So, the first step was blocking out the main flow and placement of the hair strands.At this point, I ran into a challenge: symmetry. Since the model was purposefully asymmetrical (because of the ears and skin folds), the fur couldn't be mirrored cleanly. To solve this, I created a base fur blocking using Hair Guides with just two segments. After that, I split the fur into separate parts. I duplicated the main Particle System and created individual hair systems for each area where needed.In total, I broke Stitch's body into key sections: head, left ear, right ear, front torso, back torso, arms, hands, upper and lower legs, toes, and additional detailing layers. The final fur setup included 25 separate particle systems.To control fur growth, I used Weight Paint to fine-tune the influence on each body part individually. This separation gave me much more precision and allowed full control over every parameter of the fur on a per-section basis.The most challenging aspect of working with fur is staying patient and focused. Detail is absolutely critical because the overall picture is built entirely from tiny, subtle elements. Once the base layer was complete, I moved on to refining the fur based on my references.The most complex areas turned out to be the front of the torso and the face. When working on the torso, my goal was to create a smooth gradient, from thick, clumped fur on the chest to shorter, softer fur on the stomach.Step by step, I adjusted the transitions, directions, clumps, and volumes to achieve that look. Additionally, I used the fur itself to subtly enhance Stitch's silhouette, making his overall shape feel sharper, more expressive, and visually engaging.During fur development, I used texture maps to control the intensity of the Roughness and Clump parameters. This gave me a high degree of flexibility, textures drove these attributes across the entire model. In areas where stronger clumping or roughness was needed, I used brighter values; in zones requiring a softer look, darker values. This approach allowed for fine-tuned micro-level control of the fur shader and helped achieve a highly realistic appearance in renders.The face required special attention: the fur had to be neat, evenly distributed, and still visually appealing. The biggest challenge here was working around the eye area. Even with properly adjusted Weight Paint, interpolation sometimes caused strands to creep into the eyes.I spent a lot of time cleaning up this region to get an optimal result. I also had to revisit certain patches that looked bald, even though interpolation and weight painting were set correctly, because the fur didn't render properly there. These areas needed manual fixing.As part of the detailing stage, I also increased the number of segments in the Hair Guides.While the blocking phase only used two segments, I went up to three, and in some cases even five, for more complex regions. This gave me much more control over fur shape and flow.The tiniest details really matter, so I added extra fur layers with thinner, more chaotic strands extending slightly beyond the main silhouette. These micro-layers significantly improved the texture depth and boosted the overall realism.Aside from the grooming itself, I paid special attention to the fur material setup, as the shader plays a critical role in the final visual quality of the render. It's not enough to simply plug a color texture into a Principled BSDF node and call it done.I built a more complex shader, giving me precise control over various attributes. For example, I implemented subtle color variation across individual strands, along with darkening near the roots and a gradual brightening toward the tips. This helped add visual depth and made the fur look significantly more natural and lifelike.Working on the fur took up nearly half of the total time I spent on the entire model. And I'm genuinely happy with the result, this stage confirmed that the training I've gone through was solid and that I’m heading in the right direction with my artistic development.Rigging, Posing & SceneOnce I finished working on the fur, I rendered several 4K test shots from different angles to make sure every detail looked the way I intended. When I was fully satisfied with the results, it was time to move on to rigging.I divided the rigging process into three main parts:Body rig, for posing and positioning the characterFacial rig, for expressions and emotionsEar rig, for dynamic ear controlRigging isn't something I consider my strongest skill, but as a 3D generalist, I had to dive into many technical aspects of it. For the ears, I set up a relatively simple system with several bones connected using inverse kinematics (IK). This gave me flexible and intuitive control during posing and allowed for the addition of dynamic movement in animation.For facial rigging, I used the FaceIt add-on, which generates a complete facial control system for mouth, eyes, and tongue. It sped up the process significantly and gave me more precision. For the body, I used the ActorCore Rig by NVIDIA, then converted it to Rigify, which gave me a familiar interface and flexible control over poses.Posing is one of my favorite stages, it's when the character really comes to life. As usual, it started with gathering references. Honestly, it was hard to pick the final poses, Stitch is so expressive and full of personality that I wanted to try hundreds of them. But I focused on those that best conveyed the spirit and mood of the character. Some poses I reworked to fit my style rather than copying directly. For example, in the pose where Stitch licks his nose, I added drool and a bit of "green slime" for comedic effect. To capture motion, I tilted his head back and made the ears fly upward, creating a vivid, emotional snapshot.Just like in sculpting or grooming, minor details make a big difference in posing. Examples include: a slight asymmetry in the facial expression, a raised corner of the mouth, one eye squinting a little more than the other, and ears set at slightly different angles.These are subtle things that might not be noticed immediately, but they’re the key to making the character feel alive and believable.For each pose, I created a separate scene and collection in Blender, including the character, specific lighting setup, and a simple background or environment. This made it easy to return to any scene later, to adjust lighting, reposition the character, or tweak the background.In one of the renders, which I used as the cover image, Stitch is holding a little frog.I want to clearly note that the 3D model of the frog is not mine, full credit goes to the original author of the asset.At first, I wanted to build a full environment around Stitch, to create a scene that would feel like a frame from a film. But after carefully evaluating my skills and priorities, I decided that a weak environment would only detract from the strength of the character. So I opted for a simple, neutral backdrop, designed to keep all the focus on Stitch himself.Rendering, Lighting & Post-ProcessingWhen the character is complete, posed expressively, and integrated into the scene, there's one final step: lighting. Lighting isn't just a technical element of the scene — it’s a full-fledged stage of the 3D pipeline. It doesn't just illuminate; it paints. Proper lighting can highlight the personality of the character, emphasize forms, and create atmosphere.For all my renders, I rely on the classic three-point lighting setup: Key Light, Fill Light, and Rim Light.While this setup is well-known, it remains highly effective. When done thoughtfully, with the right intensity, direction, and color temperature, it creates a strong light-shadow composition that brings the model to life. In addition to the three main lights, I also use an HDRI map, but with very low intensity, around 0.3, just enough to subtly enrich the ambient light without overpowering the scene.Once everything is set, it's time to hit Render and wait for the result. Due to hardware limitations, I wasn’t able to produce full animated shots with fur. Rendering a single 4K image with fur took over an hour, so I limited myself to a 360° turnaround and several static renders.I don't spend too much time on post-processing, just basic refinements in Photoshop. Slight enhancement of the composition, gentle shadow adjustments, color balance tweaks, and adding a logo. Everything is done subtly, nothing overprocessed. The goal is simply to support and enhance what’s already there.Final ThoughtsThis project has been an incredible experience. Although it was my second time creating Stitch (the first was back in 2023), this time the process felt completely different at every stage. And honestly, it wasn't easy.But that was exactly the point: to challenge myself. To reimagine something familiar, to try things I'd never done before, and to walk the full journey from start to finish. The fur, the heart of this project, was especially meaningful to me. It’s what started it all. I poured a lot into this model: time, effort, emotion, and even doubts. But at the same time, I brought all my knowledge, skills, and experience into it.This work became a mirror of my progress from 2023 to 2025. I can clearly see how far I've come, and that gives me the motivation to keep going. Every hour of learning and practice paid off, the results speak for themselves. This model was created for my portfolio. I don't plan to use it commercially, unless, of course, a studio actually wants to license it for a new film (in that case, I'd be more than happy!)It's been a long road: challenging, sometimes exhausting, but above all inspiring and exciting. I know there's still a lot to learn. Many things to study, improve, and polish to perfection. But I'm already on that path, and I'm not stopping.Oleh Yakushev, 3D Character ArtistInterview conducted by Gloria Levine

Trump Says He Wants Musk To ‘Thrive’ Amid Epstein Scrutiny Pushed By Tesla CEO

It shouldn't be so hard for developers to receive credit for their work. Industry activists have been campaigning for years to create standardized crediting practices but the problem persists. Many developers still aren't being recognized for their contributions and it is a debilitating issue. It's not just a case of someone not seeing their name in lights. It's a practice that can hamper careers—especially those of industry newcomers who might be asked to prove they've worked on a shipped game.Localization and translation specialist Tamara Morales recently told Game Developer that freelancers, too, rely heavily on credits to bring in more work and show their experience. It's like a resume. Proper crediting is crucial for game workers that have been pushed to the margins, like contract workers or external teams.Unions could help standardize the crediting process and guarantee compliance.The struggle for developers to get proper recognition for their work in the industry has been well-documented. Often, individuals working for external support teams, like localization or quality assurance, will be omitted. Sometimes, studios will leave out the names of people who departed ahead of launch. Improper crediting doesn't always mean a person can't list a project on their resume, but it's—at best—unfair to the developers who worked on the game and aren't credited and, at worst, actively hampering careers. The impact varies from person to person and studio to studio—there’s a ton of inconsistency—but the problem remains pervasive.Related:Union contracts can deliver 'tangible, positive change across the industry'Nazih Fares, the vice chair of the International Game Developers Association's (IGDA) game credits special interest group, told Game Developer that while working as a public relations contractor for major game companies, they'd been left out of the credits for more than 50 games they supported. Their first game credit for Metal Gear Solid 5 was a 'special thanks' at the end of the roll call—something that didn't accurately represent the scope of their contributions.When they began specifically asking for credits, they were told the studio that had solicited their services didn't include external developers in their credits. "It was frustrating to be in that situation, and I knew that I wasn't the only one," Fares said. "It wasn't just me."The IGDA's game credits group published a lengthy paper on the best practices for game crediting in 2023, which includes standards that define an "inclusive" crediting philosophy. The group even built tools in Unreal Engine to streamline the task of importing credits into a game.Related:Industry consultant Tarja Porkka-Kontturi told us several studios have adopted those IGDA guidelines, but that "widespace implementation is still absolutely lacking."The problem is that the IGDA can't force companies to implement a standardized process—but contracts can. "I firmly believe that if unions and developers collaborated to embed fair crediting practices—such as the ones we've outlined in the IGDA Game Credits Guidelines—into collective agreements, it would bring tangible, positive change across the industry, globally," Porkka-Kontturi said. "As mentioned, this kind of inclusion in union contracts would not only strengthen the position of workers but also give studios a clear, standardized process to follow."Freelance writer and narrative designer Anna C. Webster also suggested unions can provide a pathway to standardization. "[Credits] are critical," she said. "Being properly credited on a title is essential to our individual careers as workers, and also just general fairness. Being able to say, 'Hey, I worked on this,' is important to show the work you did and not undercut labor in any way."Related:Webster is a member of the United Video Game Workers-Communications Workers of America's (UVW-CWA) organizing committee and the interim chair of the freelancing and contractors issues' committee. She said the standardization of video game credits is something the freelancing committee is particularly interested in. Hollywood unions, like the Writers Guild of America or the Producers Guild, have built out and enforced crediting rules. The video game industry doesn't have any overarching bodies to do that—so companies are still able to follow their own whims.Sega and ZeniMax unions successfully bargained for standardized crediting practices The Communications Workers of America told Game Developer that several video game industry unions, like Sega of America and ZeniMax Workers United, have already bargained for standardized credits in their contracts. Sega of America's contract, for instance, requires the company to credit all workers that contribute to its games—including "early QA testers."ZeniMax Workers United has two pages dedicated to crediting practices in its signed contract agreement. It sets out the following attribution guidelines:a) The Employer will credit all bargaining unit employees who are assigned (or ancillary) to the title and are employed 90 calendar days before a project’s full public release date. Anyone not employed 90 days minimum before the projected full release date will appear in “Special Thanks”, “Additional Credits” or some other equitable designation.b) Bargaining unit employees must work on the title for at least 30 calendar days before the credit lock date. Contributors below this threshold will appear in “Special Thanks”, “Additional Credits” or some other equitable designation.c) Bargaining unit employees will be credited by their lived name (first and last) and their role or nature of work at the time credits are created. In the event a bargaining unit employee updates their lived name with Human Resources, the Employer shall then update the publicly accessible list of credits, if available. Changes or updates to in-game credits will be at Management’s discretion.d) Credits shall be updated with credit given to those who meet these criteria for additional major releases related to the game (large updates, DLC, etc).The contract also has a section that lays out the visibility of credits, too. The credits have to be made available to anyone who plays the game, regardless of whether or not they've completed it. There's even a process that outlines how the company must be informed if mistakes are made, and if they want to change how their name appears. (The contract doesn't have any process—aside from being "at the employer’s discretion"—on how people who no longer work there can have theirs changed).Unions, then, have both collective worker power and legal strength to push back on a multitude of issues, including crediting problems. The union has resources that an individual may not, meaning workers don't simply have to trust an internal policy. They can also garner widespread cross-industry support. UVW-CWA, unlike the unions under Sega of America and ZeniMax, is a direct-join union. That means any game worker can join its ranks, regardless of where they work or whether they’re a freelance or contract worker.UVW-CWA currently has more than 500 members across the industry in North America and Canada. It works differently in that there isn't a contract between the union and specific companies. Instead, its power comes from the collective voice of members.The freelancing group under UVW-CWA is looking to create contract standards to help individual workers negotiate crediting terms into their contracts with companies. Webster said the union hasn't nailed down exact language just yet, but explained it could be useful, for instance, to ensure anybody who worked on a game for more than 30 days must be included in the credits."Game developers and publishers could work with unions in drafting a clause in the contract stating that all external collaborators are credited no matter how big or small that collaboration is," Morales added. Crucially, those clauses could be used to hold companies accountable if people are not properly credited. Morales said organizations like ATRAE are working to help people receive proper credits. That includes helping developers contact studios to make them aware of crediting issues in the hopes of delivering a fix.Studios don't always comply, but with contracts in hand—or a mass of worker support—that could change.