AJSN WK8A- AngryJoe Eye Surgery, HIGHGUARD Laysoff 80%, Riot Laysoff 2XKO Devs, Sony State of Play!

Quick Overview

The host, AngryJoe, discussed recovering from a successful, though not miraculous, 30% vision correction surgery for keratoconus in his left eye, while also reporting major industry news including Riot Games laying off 80 developers from the poorly performing fighting game 2XKO and Highguard confirming an 80% team layoff after rapid player drop-off, alongside news of a potential PlayStation launch delay into 2028 or 2029 due to massive AI-driven memory demand.

Key Points: AngryJoe underwent successful surgery on his left eye to correct keratoconus, achieving about 30% correction, with plans for the right eye in April followed by cross-linking procedures. Riot Games laid off 80 people from the development team of its fighting game 2XKO because the game had not reached the level needed to support such a large team long-term. Highguard confirmed laying off 80% of its team, with a core group remaining, following a massive player count drop-off from nearly 100,000 players down to 1,240 concurrent players. A deleted essay by an ex-Highguard developer blamed content creators and gamers for the failure, but industry vets roasted him for ignoring core issues like poor optimization and lack of features, such as no scoreboard. PlayStation is reportedly considering pushing back the launch of the next console until 2028 or 2029 due to rampant AI demand straining memory supply and driving up prices. The State of Play revealed a new Silent Hill game that is first-person survival horror with significant combat, a John Wick video game, and a remake of the original God of War games. The hosts expressed excitement for Crimson Desert, confirmed to launch without non-pre-order microtransactions, calling it a premium, single-player RPG experience.

Context: This AJS News segment features host AngryJoe providing personal updates alongside breaking industry news. The segment begins with a sponsor read for Rocket Money before AngryJoe details his recent eye surgery for keratoconus, explaining the long-term treatment plan involving multiple procedures. The discussion then pivots sharply to major layoffs in the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Riot Games' 2XKO and the struggling title Highguard, analyzing the reasons behind their respective failures and subsequent staff reductions.