Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft wants all employees to work in-office five days per week, but unions in Milan and Montreal have mobilised in defiance.
House House isn't releasing Big Walk on Xbox in solidarity with Palestine
The studio is boycotting Microsoft's video game platform over the company's ties to the Israeli military, which the United Nations states is committing genocide in Gaza.
Australian studio House House will not release Big Walk on Xbox platforms until the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has ended its call to boycott Microsoft.
The studio has brought the chill multiplayer stroller to PC, PlaySTation 5, and Switch 2, but in response to growing questions about a potential Xbox launch, has reiterated it will not support Microsoft's video game platform until the tech giant has been removed as a BDS boycott target.
"It has always been our intention for Big Walk to be played by groups of friends, and we know that keeping the game off Xbox runs counter to those intentions. This decision means that some people will miss out on playing Big Walk with their friends, and we understand the disappointment we’re causing. We are disappointed too," wrote the studio in a statement shared on social media.
"We would love for people to be able to play the game on Xbox, but not until Microsoft and/or Xbox have been removed as BDS boycott targets. We’ve made this decision with the belief that meaningful change can be made in the world, that coordinated collective action can confront even the most powerful interests, and that one day, Palestine will be free."
The movement is calling on people to pressure the company to sever ties with Israel and its military forces by abstaining from Microsoft products, including Xbox hardware, software, and services.
Last year, an investigation published by The Guardian alongside Israeli-Palestinian paper +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call revealed Microsoft's Azure cloud technology was being used by Israeli military forces to surveil Palestinians.
Notably, it was reported that Azure cloud technology had facilitated the preparation of airstrikes and other military action in Gaza and the West Bank.
Amid growing pressure, Microsoft reviewed those allegations and eventually ceased and disabled a "set of services" being used by a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense. The company said it "found evidence that supports elements of The Guardian’s reporting."
BDS, however, claims that Microsoft "continues to equip the Israeli military, government and prisons with the technology used to commit war crimes."
Chris is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience covering the video game industry. He was formerly news editor at Game Developer and is currently the founder and editor of this resplendent website.