> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.verticalslice.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Headliner - EA kills BioWare, Miyamoto honoured, and a Mass Effect trailer that almost made me weep - URL: https://www.verticalslice.news/headliner-23-10-26-ea-kills-bioware-miyamoto-honoured-and-a-mass-effect-trailer-that-almost-made-me-weep/ - Published: 2026-10-23T10:31:01.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T14:08:59.000Z - Description: The biggest headlines, straight to your inbox. - Author: Chris Kerr - Tags: Originals Hello hello! Welcome to the first edition of Headliner. If you're reading this sentence, then you've become a foundational part of what I hope will be a long and storied history. Here we have a debutant digest bound for eternity—as long as the video game industry can pull its shit together. When I say the phrase 'video game industry,' I obviously mean the synthezoid suits who have been running the place into the ground by making more bad decisions than a stag do in Vegas. I had hoped this rundown would be filled with a little more optimism, but then [back-to-back 'Worst Company in America' winner](https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/04/09/ea-voted-worst-company-in-america-again/?ref=verticalslice.news) EA went and bulldozed BioWare on Wednesday and it feels the internet is still in a state of utter disbelief. Let's start at the top then. 📝 ****Editor's note:** The first two editions of Headliner will be free, but newsletters will be made exclusive to paid subscribers from November onwards. Stay in the loop by taking advantage of our [limited-time launch sale](https://www.verticalslice.news/limited-time-launch-sale-now-on/) and continue supporting fearless, independent journalism. --- **Saudi-owned EA torches BioWare //** In what must surely be perceived as an act of cultural vandalism, EA shuttered decades-old Mass Effect developer BioWare on Thursday while cutting 400 other jobs in the process. A tone-deaf internal email obtained by Vertical Slice saw execs announce those layoffs while proclaiming that EA is still the "number one Western HD publisher." Nice of them to kick staff while they're down. [EA shutters BioWare and carves through other teams months after after Saudi-led buyoutThe Edmonton studio had been making early progress on a new Mass Effect.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/VerticalSlice_Transparent_LogoOnly-446ed9fe-45d0-42ff-a3a4-401d661115e8.png)Vertical SliceChris Kerr![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/EA-Header-70e53c92-7266-4734-885f-51e688f600aa.png)](https://www.verticalslice.news/ea-shutters-bioware-and-carves-through-other-teams-months-after-after-saudi-led-buyout/) --- **The bigger picture comes into focus //** BioWare took the headlines, but EA's layoff round was deep and unrelenting. LinkedIn posts from employees—including studio veterans and senior staffers—all but confirm that Maxis, Full Circle, Motive, Respawn, and Ripple Effect were targeted. That's despite the company insisting franchises overseen by many of those teams, including The Sims, Battlefield, and Apex Legends, remain a priority. [Report: Maxis, Full Circle, Motive, Respawn and Ripple Effect targeted by EA during sweeping layoffsThe studios worked on key franchises including The Sims, Skate, and Battlefield.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/VerticalSlice_Transparent_LogoOnly-0cdabf8c-d20a-4e4e-a064-6f0d7c56c960.png)Vertical SliceChris Kerr![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/2-EA-Header-ad9b9bed-aa18-40dd-9c1d-bbc12110b795.png)](https://www.verticalslice.news/maxis-full-circle-and-ripple-effect-targeted-by-ea-during-sweeping-layoffs/) --- **The trailer you can't unsee //** After EA presumably left every single person at BioWare reeling, a killer trailer for a new Mass Effect project dubbed 'Mass Effect: Universe' *somehow* made its way online. The two-minute reel features in-engine footage but fully sells the vision of a proper sequel to the main trilogy (Liara returns!) that's a full-blown spy thriller. The promise of that Spectre life made real? It's enough to make a grown man weep. [Oh, and Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed the trailer is legit](https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3myi6wo57ns2f?ref=verticalslice.news). [A Convincing Trailer For What May Have Been Mass Effect 5 Has Leaked \[UPDATE: It's Real\] - KotakuThe trailer has surfaced a day after EA shut down developer BioWare![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/favicon-024175a8-471a-420f-94c2-6ab56bd42e9e.png)KotakuKenneth Shepard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/image-32-d3c160d5-ef3a-43e2-ac89-342a07212c39.jpg)](https://kotaku.com/mass-effect-5-universe-leaked-trailer-liara-bioware-2000748858?ref=verticalslice.news) --- **Every dog has its day //** "Sometimes when I'm sad, I think about dogs I've pet," writes Aftermath co-founder Riley Macleod. Sentences like that are worth reprinting, especially during a week like this. The news cycle is an utter bastard at the moment, so let's take a second to remember that video games are properly bonzo in the best possible ways. Yes, someone made a FMV dog game. [There's An FMV Dog GameLook, a dog![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/favicon4-0e2b2608-48ec-43eb-99a7-3744ff58dd78.png)AftermathRiley MacLeod![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/doghe-d6c5f25f-1616-472a-baf0-d02e5910391d.jpg)](https://aftermath.site/golden-retriever-fmv-game-demo/?ref=verticalslice.news) --- **What does a bursting bubble sound like? //** If I had to guess, I'd suggest it might sound similar to Claude developer Anthropic—a generative AI company purportedly valued at $2 trillion—losing $80 billion in six months while generating $16.3 billion in revenue. I'm not a maths guy, but those numerals are not looking too hot. Oh well. It's not like the game industry has hitched itself to a wagon heading straight for a cliff. [The company behind Claude, the AI tool reportedly favoured by some major game firms, just lost $80 billion in six monthsIs that good?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/VerticalSlice_Transparent_LogoOnly-7091383e-2d2b-4abe-b5fd-64b2fa1cff05.png)Vertical SliceChris Kerr![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/Claude-Header-fbc5049d-4b71-458c-8003-362a1234e54b.png)](https://www.verticalslice.news/the-company-behind-claude-the-ai-tool-reportedly-favoured-by-some-game-publishers-just-lost-80-billion-in-six-months/) --- **It's-a-him! //** Nintendo stalwart Shigeru Miyamoto, the forefather of franchises like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, will become the first video game developer to receive Japan's 'Order of Culture' medal. As noted by local outlet Nippon, the award is bestowed upon those who have contributed to the advancement and enrichment of Japanese culture. It would be fair to say Miyamoto fits the bill and then some. [Mario Creator Miyamoto, 7 Others to Receive Japan's Culture MedalTokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)--Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo Co. executive fellow who created a famous video ga…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-abee43d0-a71f-4a01-bad7-850402a195dd.png)nippon.com![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/3092916-d3f8c6cf-dc08-4912-91cc-d030145e39ec.jpg)](https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026102300273/?ref=verticalslice.news) --- **Is there anything genAI can't ruin? //** In the spirit of halloween, LLMs are doing a solid Freddy Krueger impression by haunting the dreams of developers like Digital Sun, which this week scrapped a public playtest for its upcoming title *ReVamp* over fears it would be immediately reverse-engineered and cloned. The team stressed that showing projects early is how indies become visible and secure vital feedback, and said platforms must do more to protect developers from the insatiable plagiarism machine. [AI Cloning Threatens To End Public Playtests For Video GamesMoonlighter dev Digital Sun has cancelled plans for a public playtest of its next game, for fears of Claude clones![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/favicon-2a6dab1a-7676-4d49-b8b0-524298195837.png)KotakuJohn Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/revamp1-ee7e7e56-decd-40aa-b10d-3580df8d77c8.jpg)](https://kotaku.com/revamp-public-playtest-cancelled-digital-sun-claude-ai-clones-2000747558?ref=verticalslice.news) --- **A sobering perspective //** UK newsletter VGIM has published a long read to highlight the human and cultural cost of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, where a game development lab used to educate hundreds of people was recently hit by a Russian drone strike. The attack saw 140 drones bombard the city of Kropyvnytskyi on October 14, resulting in civilian deaths and major damage to critical infrastructure. [Ukrainian game dev lab damaged by Russian drone attack, 22/10/2026Kropyvnytskyi game hub forced to temporarily close after attack on 14th October![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F3f9e4e12-aa02-4640-aaf7-2bef2431e750-2Ffavicon-48x48-7d476514-d897-4d64-984b-60539a21e55f.jpg)Video Games Industry MemoGeorge E. Osborn![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/83/ae/83ae1391-311e-4ba5-a8ec-7a0ea72ef568/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F36061b3e-0c8b-44ab-8bdd-96712a2d313f_960x944-5401ea1b-44ec-4bae-b334-13f7afc79f96.jpg)](https://www.videogamesindustrymemo.com/p/ukrainian-game-dev-lab-damaged-by?r=2b8ob2&utm%5Fcampaign=post&utm%5Fmedium=web&ref=verticalslice.news) ---