Another Tough Week For Games: Ubisoft + Meta Layoffs | Kurt & Lucy Gotcha Covered

Quick Overview

The hosts discuss recent industry layoffs, specifically Meta shutting down Twisted Pixel Games and Ubisoft making cuts at Massive Entertainment and closing Ubisoft Halifax, while also expressing cautious optimism for the future of VR, largely contingent on open platforms like Steam potentially succeeding where Meta's walled garden has created inaccessibility.

Key Points: Meta shut down Twisted Pixel Games, which developed titles like 'Asgard's Wrath' and 'Resident Evil 4 VR', highlighting ongoing industry contraction. Ubisoft conducted layoffs at Massive Entertainment, affecting 'The Division' and 'Avatar' studio work, and completely shut down Ubisoft Halifax. The hosts believe Meta is both the best and worst thing for VR, praising its accessibility for getting hardware into homes but criticizing its 'chokehold' on content. The success of VR in 2026 hinges on open platforms, with the upcoming 'Steam Frame' potentially opening gates to the Steam library, unlike current fragmented ecosystems. Kurt expressed severe motion sickness with full-motion VR, contrasting with Lucy who trained herself to overcome it, though ultimately finding the experience only 'a little different' but not fundamentally better. The hosts recommended several detective games during the Steam Detective Fest, including 'The Golden Idol' sequel, 'Death at Fleming Mana', 'Desktop Explorer', 'Obsidian Moon', 'Her Story', 'Paradise Killer', 'Contradiction', and 'Disco Elysium'. The speakers predict Ubisoft's future involves continued 'death by a thousand cuts' as they struggle with untenable size and narrow margins, despite successful titles like 'Shadows' and 'Siege'.

Context: This episode of 'Kurt & Lucy Got You Covered' focuses on recent negative developments in the gaming industry, namely layoffs and studio closures at Meta and Ubisoft, while also dedicating significant time to discussing the prospects and challenges facing Virtual Reality (VR) technology leading up to 2026. The discussion is structured around viewer letters covering these major news items and a themed segment about detective games coinciding with the Steam Detective Fest.