# AJSN WK8A- AngryJoe Eye Surgery, HIGHGUARD Laysoff 80%, Riot Laysoff 2XKO Devs, Sony State of Play! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPJqkewZP5I Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/RPJqkewZP5I Generated: 2026-02-17T01:34:12.25+00:00 --- ## 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. ## Detailed Analysis The broadcast opened with a plug for Rocket Money before AngryJoe provided an update on his vision correction surgery for keratoconus, noting the first eye achieved 30% correction and outlining a multi-step process extending over several months. Transitioning to news, Riot Games laid off 80 staff members from its fighting game 2XKO, citing that the game, which was in development for nearly seven years, did not reach the necessary player engagement levels to sustain the team size, despite announcing two new characters developed by the now-fired staff. Similarly, the game Highguard confirmed an 80% team layoff, leading to an inferred cancellation of its roadmap, following a rapid 90% drop in player counts shortly after launch; the hosts heavily criticized the studio for cutting and running so quickly rather than supporting the game, suggesting poor microtransaction appeal contributed to the failure. An ex-Highguard developer publicly blamed fans, but faced backlash for ignoring fundamental game flaws like poor optimization, lack of features (no scoreboard, no ranked), and issues like mandatory mouse acceleration on PC. Further industry news included a Bloomberg report suggesting Sony might delay the next PlayStation console until 2028 or 2029 because AI demand is causing memory prices to skyrocket. Sony's State of Play revealed a new non-Silent Hill Silent Hill game, a John Wick game, and a God of War remake collection, while Marathon is scheduled for a server slam just before its March 5th paid launch, potentially pulling players away from Highguard. Finally, the hosts praised Crimson Desert for confirming it will launch as a premium single-player RPG without a cosmetic cash shop, contrasting sharply with the state of other recent releases. ### Personal Health Update - AngryJoe underwent surgery for keratoconus in his left eye achieving 30% correction - The full journey involves operating on the right eye around April, followed by cross-linking procedures to freeze improvements. ### Riot Games 2XKO Layoffs - Riot laid off 80 developers because the game's momentum did not support the team size - The hosts criticize the poor marketing and genre shift, noting new characters were announced just as layoffs occurred. ### Highguard Massive Staff Reduction - Highguard laid off 80% of its team after player counts evaporated by 90% shortly after launch - Hosts blame the studio for cutting support quickly, suggesting low microtransaction attachment rates were a major factor. ### Ex-Dev Controversy - A former Highguard developer blamed critics for the game's failure in a deleted essay - Industry veterans roasted the dev for ignoring core issues like unoptimized performance and missing basic features like a functional scoreboard. ### PlayStation Hardware News - Bloomberg sources claim rampant AI demand for memory is forcing Sony to consider delaying the next PlayStation until 2028 or 2029 - This potential delay significantly disrupts Sony's planned console strategy. ### State of Play Reveals - Sony announced a new first-person survival horror Silent Hill game and a John Wick video game - God of War received a remake announcement, while Marathon's server slam runs Feb 26 to March 2nd before its paid March 5th launch. ### Crimson Desert Excitement - Crimson Desert confirmed no non-pre-order microtransactions at launch, positioning it as a true premium single-player RPG - The hosts expressed high anticipation for its traversal, environments, and combat, contrasting it with poorly received titles. ### AI Slop Dominance and Backlash - The host complained about the flood of low-quality AI-generated content (Cance 2.0) on feeds - Hollywood studios are beginning to issue copyright strikes against unauthorized content, sparking a war over IP usage.