scandals and controversies Latest news (10)
Former President of EA Sports: „Lootboxes Aren't Gambling”
Bart Swiatek, 08 January 2021, 16:05
Peter Moore - former president of EA Sports - recently gave an interview in which he referred to the issue of lootboxes, among other topics. In his opinion, those and similar mechanics are very far from gambling.
Controversial Attempt to Censor Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story; Publisher Denies
Milosz Szubert, 04 January 2021, 21:39
The representatives of Top Hat Studios informed that in the past months they have received a lot of unpleasant messages criticizing Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story. They stressed, however, that they didn't give in and on January 7 the title will be released, uncensored, on Nintendo Switch.
Chinese Police Investigates Poisoning of Local Video Game Developer
Jacob Blazewicz, 30 December 2020, 19:31
The Chinese police are investigating the death of the head of Yoozoo Games. The services have arrested one of the Chinese developer's associates, suspected of poisoning the man.
Data of 65,000 Players Leaked After Koei Tecmo Servers Hacking
Jacob Blazewicz, 30 December 2020, 18:59
Hackers have attacked another game publisher. This time they hacked the servers of the European branch of Koei Tecmo and stole the data of 65 thousand users of the company's official forum.
Several Companies File Class Actions Against CD Projekt Over Cyberpunk 2077
Bart Swiatek, 28 December 2020, 17:30
The poor technical condition of Cyberpunk 2077 on last-gen consoles, as well as the concealment of the truth about it by the management of CD Project resulted in several class actions filed by several companies.
Epic Games Store Launcher Sends Out Suspiciously Large Amounts of Data
Bart Swiatek, 28 December 2020, 13:11
Reports that have emerged online suggest that Epic Games Store's digital client is sending out very large amounts of data somewhere - even over 514 KB per hour. One user also claims that the app's behavior negatively affects his Ryzen 7 5800X.
Cyberpunk 2077 Devs May Face a Lawsuit
Aleksandra Dziwinska, 20 December 2020, 15:46
Cyberpunk 2077 problems continue. A law firm became interested in the fate of investors who bought CD Projekt Red's shares and lost money.
CDP's Angry Employees Attack Management Over CP2077
Paul Musiolik, 20 December 2020, 11:37
CD Projekt RED's board has called a meeting with the employees, the topic of which was the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Angry developers have flooded their bosses with questions, pointing out hypocrisy and misconduct.
CD Projekt Red Offers New Refund Options for Cyberpunk 2077
Arkadiusz Strzala, 19 December 2020, 18:06
CD Projekt Red announced a new possibility to refund the controversial Cyberpunk 2077. Now you can also talk to the developers directly, and they don't rule out a cash back from their own pocket.
CD Projekt Stocks Plunge After Cyberpunk 2077 is Pulled From PS Store
Bart Swiatek, 18 December 2020, 14:29
The decision to remove Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store had a negative impact on CD Projekt's stock price. The Polish publisher lost nearly 20% at the opening of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
Cyberpunk 2077 Pulled From PlayStation Store; CD Projekt Comments
Bart Swiatek, 18 December 2020, 10:34
Sony Interactive Entertainment removed Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store's offer until further notice. The move was made after talking to CD Projekt about the refunds for disappointed players.
Cyberpunk 2077 x Death Stranding Review Bombed on Metacritic
Christian Pieniazek, 17 December 2020, 21:20
Death Stranding has received an update on PC, introducing content related to Cyberpunk 2077. Although the update is free and introduces a lot of interesting novelties, it has frustrated players dissatisfied with CD Projekt RED's latest work.
Disney Doesn't Want Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean
Karol Laska, 17 December 2020, 12:26
Johnny Depp is unlikely to return to the role of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. Great reluctance to hire the actor is shown quite bluntly by Disney.
Censored Edition of Devotion was Scheduled to Hit GOG.com; It Won't
Jacob Blazewicz, 16 December 2020, 22:20
Taiwanese horror game Devotion was about to return to the West with GOG.com. At least that's what the devs at Red Candle Games claimed, because a few hours later the Polish store resigned from offering the game that sparked fury among Chinese players last year.
Sony Refunds Cyberpunk 2077 [Updated]
Arkadiusz Strzala, 15 December 2020, 13:21
The PlayStation Store does not have such a friendly returns policy as Steam, but in the case of Cyberpunk 2077, at least in some cases, Sony refunds money, even after the user has downloaded and played the game.
CD Projekt RED Apologizes for Cyberpunk 2077 and Plans Patches
Adrian Werner, 14 December 2020, 12:12
CD Projekt RED apologized for the poor technical condition of Cyberpunk 2077, especially on consoles. The developers promise to fix the most serious problems on PS4 and Xbox One by the end of February, but at the same time will assist in refunds for those who are not willing to wait that long.
Dune Director Enraged by Having His Movie Released on HBO Max
Karol Laska, 11 December 2020, 21:00
Dennis Villeneuve, director of Dune and Blade Runner 2049, is dissatisfied with the decision to move Warner Bros.'s film premieres to HBO Max. He blames the AT&T telecommunications company.
Cyberpunk 2077 Triggers Seizures, But CDPR Will Fix It
Karol Laska, 08 December 2020, 21:25
One of the players who received a pre-release access to Cyberpunk 2077 wrote a text warning epileptics against selected scenes in the game that could trigger seizures.
Samsung Mocked Apple; Now It Wants to Sell Smartphones Without Chargers
Bart Swiatek, 08 December 2020, 15:51
A certain Brazilian tech website reports that Samsung intends to sell Galaxy S21 smartphones without chargers - just like Apple. As you may remember, the Koreans had previously mocked the idea.
Monster Hunter Filmmakers Apologize and Remove the Controversial Scene
Karol Laska, 07 December 2020, 13:19
The filmmakers of Monster Hunter's movie adaptation responded to the accusations of China's finding a scene offensive to their culture and removed it to alleviate the situation.
Monster Hunter: World Review Bombed on Steam Due to the Movie
Paul Musiolik, 06 December 2020, 20:09
One sentence in the Monster Hunter movie enraged Chinese players, who launched a carpet review bombing campaign of Monster Hunter: World on Steam.
Nintendo Hack Perpetrator Will be Jailed for 3 Years
Jacob Blazewicz, 02 December 2020, 22:18
There was a judgment in the case of Ryan Hernandez, a hacker who stole Switch's data and other confidential information from Nintendo's servers. The 21-year-old will spend three years in prison and has to pay the company a huge compensation.
iPhone Not So Waterproof After All? $12M Fine for Apple in Italy
Bart Swiatek, 01 December 2020, 14:39
The Italian consumer protection authority, AGCM, found that Apple was misleading customers about the waterproofness of its smartphones and imposed a fine of $12 million on the company.
Football Agents Tried to Bribe Football Manager Devs
Adrian Werner, 30 November 2020, 12:49
Miles Jacobson of Sports Interactive revealed that he was offered bribes in exchange for raising the statistics of players in Football Manager games.
eBay Battles Offers Selling PS5 Photos
Krzysztof Kaluzinski, 29 November 2020, 19:19
Continuation of the story about PlayStation 5 shortages. This time, unfair users are auctioning console's photos. They hope that those looking for the device will not read the description and make a impulsive purchase. eBay decided to tackle the problem.
Warcraft 3: Reforged Still Without Promised Features
Jacob Blazewicz, 28 November 2020, 18:26
Ten months after the release of Warcraft III: Reforged, Reddit user Angzt once again summarized the game's development so far. Unfortunately, despite the promises, many elements from the original Warcraft 3 are still missing, despite Blizzard's promises.
EA Responds to Footballers' Accusations Aimed at FIFA 21
Jacob Blazewicz, 25 November 2020, 21:36
Electronic Arts has referred to allegations of illegal use of the image of certain players in FIFA 21. EA Sports representatives have assured that the presence of virtual image of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale, etc. is completely legal based on agreements signed by the publisher.
Scalpers are Buying Up PS5s; Their Stocks Are Bigger Than in Stores
Tom Borys, 24 November 2020, 19:09
There have been reports of organized groups buying up PS5 consoles to sell them later for profit.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Angry, Footballers Sue EA for FIFA 21
Mikolaj Laszkiewicz, 24 November 2020, 13:36
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes that EA Sports has used his image in FIFA 21 illegally and wants to look into the matter. The Swede is joined by other players.
Unboxing of Pokemon Booster Packs Becomes a Hit on Twitch
Paul Wozniak, 23 November 2020, 16:08
Popular streamer Sodappopin said that the latest hot trend on Twitch - opening Pokemon card booster packs - is pretty much gambling and a bad example for the younger audience.
YouTube Will Display Ads in All Videos
Bart Swiatek, 23 November 2020, 13:44
YouTube has made changes to the terms and conditions of the platform, as a result of which ads will be displayed in all videos, regardless of the choice of the content creator and participation, or lack of thereof, in the YouTube Partner program.
Leaks Reveal Resident Evil Battle Royale Game From Capcom
Adrian Werner, 16 November 2020, 19:10
A number of Capcom's internal documents have leaked as a result of a hacker attack. According to them, PC ports of Monster Hunter: Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2, among others, are being prepared. In addition, the publisher was to receive $10 million for adding several Resident Evil games to Google Stadia.
Possible Terrorist Attack on Ubisoft Montreal HQ [Updated]
Michael Kulakowski, 13 November 2020, 22:18
The Canadian branch of Ubisoft in Montreal was attacked by unknown perpetrators. Some of the employees barricaded themselves in the office rooms and on the roof of the building. The police have surrounded the area.
EA Sued Again, This Time Concerning Changes in FUT's Difficulty
Jacob Blazewicz, 12 November 2020, 20:58
There have been reports of another suit against Electronic Arts in connection with the Ultimate Team mode. This time the company has been accused of not informing players about the Dynamic Difficulty Level Adjustment system, which is supposed to encourage the use of microtransactions in FIFA, Madden NFL and NHL games.
Watch Dogs Legion's Source Code Has Gone Public
Karol Laska, 03 November 2020, 22:30
560 GB of data from Watch Dogs: Legion was releases by the hacker group Egregor. This is a consequence of not yielding to the demands issued by the group a few weeks ago.
Kicinski Apologizes to CD Projekt Red Employees
Jacob Blazewicz, 30 October 2020, 16:51
Jason Schreier revealed the content of an email sent by Adam Kicinski to the staff of CD Projekt RED. The CEO of the Polish company apologized for the words uttered during the Tuesday conference, de facto underplaying crunch in the company.
Fan-made Crysis Remaster Shot Down by Crytek
Arkadiusz Strzala, 29 October 2020, 21:03
The creator of a Crysis mod got a cease and desist letter from Crytek. A fan-made, alternative version of Crysis Remastered was being created, but the creators of the original apparently did not like it.
Penalty of Up to 500,000 Euros a Week for Lootboxes in FIFA
Paul Wozniak, 29 October 2020, 18:18
The Dutch Gaming Authority has ordered Electronic Arts to withdraw lootboxes (i.e. packs of player cards) from FIFA Ultimate Team within next three weeks. If the company does not comply, it will have to pay a weekly financial penalty of €500,000. EA intends to appeal.
90% of Cyberpunk 2077 Team Didn't Know About the Delay
Jacob Blazewicz, 29 October 2020, 14:14
Further information on the recent delay pf Cyberpunk 2077 appears to be coming to light. As it turns out, most developers only learned about it after the public announcement, which is allegedly due to local legal regulations.
Streamers Forced to Remove Streams and Clips Due to Copyright
Paul Wozniak, 26 October 2020, 20:28
Last week, most of the streamers operating on Twitch.tv deleted all their stream recordings and clips. Such moves were caused by problems with copyrights for musical works used by the creators.
Google's Ex-CEO on Social Media: „Amplifiers for Idiots”
Bart Swiatek, 23 October 2020, 16:08
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and member of Alphabet holding's board of directors, currently one of its shareholders, said during a conversation that social media serve as amplifiers for idiots and crazy people. In his opinion, this was not the original idea of their creators and unless something changes, new regulations will appear.
Rune 2 Publisher Accuses Bethesda of Sabotage
Adrian Werner, 22 October 2020, 11:14
Ragnarok Game's lawsuit against former Human Head studio was expanded to include Bethesda and Zenimax, who are sait to have deliberately sabotaged Rune 2, fearing that it might compete with The Elder Scrolls series.
Referee who Revealed CS:GO Scandal: „I Opened Pandora's Box”
Paul Wozniak, 16 October 2020, 21:29
Esports referee Michal „Michau” Slowinski spoke about the scandal on the professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene, which concerns the use of a glitch to the team's advantage. The Pole was responsible for bringing the case to light and said it was like „opening Pandora's box”.
Hackers Threaten to Publish Source Code of Watch Dogs Legion
Adrian Werner, 16 October 2020, 15:27
Hackers from a group called Egregor reported that they stole data from Ubisoft and Crytek. The source code of Watch Dogs: Legion is said to be among them.
PS4 Firmware 8.0 Eavesdrops on Players? Sony Explains
Jacob Blazewicz, 15 October 2020, 18:33
The internet became abuzz after a new firmware update for PlayStation 4 introduced a warning message to informing of the possibility of our calls from being recorded. Sony commented on the matter.
Alleged Ex-Cyberpunk 2077 Dev on Crunch
Jacob Blazewicz, 15 October 2020, 16:00
There were further reports of crunch among the developers of Cyberpunk 2077. This time, an alleged former employee of CD Projekt RED took the floor, claiming that some developers have been working 16 hours a day since mid-2019.
Blizzard's French Branch Plans to Strike
Michael Kulakowski, 14 October 2020, 23:03
Employees of Blizzard's French branch, responsible for marketing, event organization and localization of the studio's games across Europe, are preparing for a strike. The protest is the result of Activision's announcement of planned complete shutdown of the French branch.
We've Learned Epic's Losses From the Feud With Apple
Paul Musiolik, 11 October 2020, 20:01
Thanks to Epic Games' war with Apple we learned some interesting information. 116 million people played Fortnite on iOS devices and they were more willing to spend money on microtransactions than Android users.
MSI Scalped Its Own RTX 3090 GPUs on eBay
Michael Kulakowski, 07 October 2020, 21:57
Gamers discovered that MSI scalped its own GeForce RTX 3090 and 3080 models, selling them at increased price on eBay. The highly sought-after GPUs were offered by one of the company's sales divisions.
Adrian Chmielarz Comments on Crunch in CD Projekt RED
Milosz Szubert, 05 October 2020, 18:33
Adrian Chmielarz, well-known Polish game developer, currently working at The Astronauts, decided to comment on the crunch at CD Projekt RED. Among other things, he criticized people who are too eager to criticize the devs of The Witcher and Cyberpunk.