GYGO: Some Games Done Quick, Some Games Done Less Quick

Howdy everyone, how are we doing this week? Holding up alright? I spent a lot of time watching Awesome Games Done Quick last week, which raised a record-breaking $3.13 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. My favorite event was Regole’s Dark Souls Any% run, which he completed in just over 34 minutes. Aside from that, I’ve been playing Kentucky Route Zero lately, and all of the Witcher hype inspired me to pick up the Blood and Wine expansion again. Speaking of Kentucky Route Zero, here’s this week’s news…

Communications Workers of America Have Launched an Effort to Unionize Games

The games industry is no stranger to crunch. Communications Workers of America, one of the country’s largest unions, launched a national campaign to unionize game and tech workers. CWA represents more than 700,000 workers across the tech, telecom, and media industries. The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE) aims to change a number of issues in the gaming industry, including “sexual assault and harassment, ageism, unequal pay, “crunch time,” poor treatment of contract workers, inadequate racial and gender diversity,” and more.

Kentucky Route Zero Will Return With Episode 5

On Tuesday, January 7, developer Cardboard Computer announced that Act 5, the final installment in their point-and-click game Kentucky Route Zero, will be released on January 28, seven years after its initial release. Cardboard Computer has been releasing the game episodically since January 2013, with interludes between each act. Act 4 was released in 2016, but if you need a refresher, the first four acts are available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game, which tells the story of a group of people traveling a mysterious, subterranean highway in Kentucky, has been widely praised for its narrative and won spots on Game of the Decade lists at Polygon and Paste.

Fantasy Flight Interactive is Shutting Down

Tim Gerritsen, studio head at Fantasy Flight Interactive, announced the studio will be closing in February. Fantasy Flight Interactive was established in 2017 to create video game adaptations of sister company Fantasy Flight Games’ tabletop products. Fantasy Flight Interactive’s first game, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game, was released last year. Gerritsen did not specify how many people are expected to lose their jobs, though a source told Gamasutra that more than 10 people have already been let go.

Square Enix Delays Two Upcoming Releases

On Tuesday, January 14, Square Enix announced it will delay the release of the long-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake to give the development team “a few extra weeks to apply final polish.” The game was originally scheduled for release on March 3, and the new release date is only a little more than a month later, on April 10—hardly a setback when you remember Square Enix first announced it in 2015. The company also announced the upcoming Avengers game would be pushed back from its original May release to September 4.

ICYMI

• Pokémon Sword and Shield are getting DLC
• A gamer in Texas heard her friend having a medical emergency in the UK and sent help
• Now you can visit Hogwarts in Minecraft
• Not sure what to play yet in 2020? Check out this list of the year’s most anticipated games.
• A modder gave joycons a functional GameCube makeover
• A Final Fantasy XV mobile MMO will allow players to explore new regions of Eos

Madison Butler

Madison Butler is Sidequest’s self-proclaimed jock editor. She co-founded the blog Critsumption and once got really into powerlifting via Fitness Boxing for the Nintendo Switch. She tweets at @_maddilo.