Multiple reports have come out detailing Google Stadia's troubles that include everything from internal struggles on the development team to "tens of millions" of dollars spent on AAA games like Red Dead Redemption 2 to  development roadblocks created by Google itself. Bloomberg reported that, despite all the hype built up by Google for Stadia's reveal, gamers around the world were disappointed. This led to a lackluster launch and Stadia is said to have "missed its targets for sales of controllers and monthly active users by hundreds of thousands." Not even games from some of the best publishers like Ubisoft and Take-Two Interactive Software could help turn the tide for Stadia. Those games didn't come cheap either, as sources from Bloomberg say it cost "tens of millions" of dollars to bring games like Red Dead Redemption 2 to the platform. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/22/google-stadia-review"] Wired also share some of the struggles at Stadia that ultimately led to the closure of Google Stadia's internal studios. Many of these issues stemmed from Google creating roadblocks for these employees who were trying to staff up to build AAA games. Google is known for its long and involved hiring process that can take anywhere from six to nine months. On top of that, Google had to change its hiring standards as it was looking to bring in game developers and hadn't traditionally hired for those positions. While there were around 150 employees impacted by the closure of Stadia's internal studios, two sources had said the goal was to bring in over 2,000 over five years. Above and beyond hiring concerns, sources discuss that "Stadia's game development process felt stapled on." Many of the developers felt that "Google wasn't funding games to sell games; it was funding games to sell Stadia." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/google-stadia-gm-says-microsofts-bethesda-acquisition-partly-responsible-for-stadia-studio-closures-ign-news"] Instead of giving the devs the freedom to truly create what they wished, they were told to "design prototypes that showcased Stadia technology like Google’s cloud computing capacity or State Share." These issues were undoubtedly frustrating, but many felt secure in their positions at Google, with high paychecks and what felt like little fear of being laid off, which can be a rampant problem at other studios. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began. Following the start of the pandemic, Google implemented a hiring freeze for all departments except a "small number of strategic areas where users and businesses rely on Google for ongoing support, and where our growth is critical to their success.” Gaming was not one of these areas. “If the company was OK putting us on a hiring freeze, they were also OK with damaging our ability to build content,” says one source. “The studio was not yet fully formed and ready to produce games. That put on the brakes, and was a statement. We interpreted it as a lack of commitment from Google to make content.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/08/the-unexpected-reason-terraria-on-stadia-is-canceled-ign-now"] In late January, Google's vice president of Stadia and GM Phil Harrison e-mailed employees and praised the platform's technology, and said that "Stadia Games and Entertainment had made 'great progress building a diverse and talented team and establishing a strong line up of Stadia exclusive games.'" Five days later, Harrison gathered the employees and let them know the internal studios were shutting down. VGC reported on a few of Stadia's possible cancelled projects and proposals, and one of them was allegedly an episodic horror game from Kojima Productions. That particular proposal was said to have been "blocked by Stadia GM Phil Harrison last year." Another was said to be from Shenmue's Yu Suzuki. A sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet was also said to be in the works by the team formerly known as Typhoon, and a multiplayer action game codenamed Frontier was being developed and was led by former Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate producer Francois Pelland. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] A Google Stadia spokesperson responded to VGC's story, saying that it does not "have anything, nor have announced anything, with Kojima or Yu Suzuki." "We talk to partners all the time in situations that don’t result in a project or even a proposal," The spokesperson said of the alleged Kojima project." This is very common. Speculating that two parties that speak regularly in this industry leads to proposals or otherwise, is inaccurate.” Even though Stadia's internal studios have been closed, Google has reassured those that own Stadia that the platform will get "more than 100 games" in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Multiple reports have come out detailing Google Stadia's troubles that include everything from internal struggles on the development team to "tens of millions" of dollars spent on AAA games like Red Dead Redemption 2 to  development roadblocks created by Google itself. Bloomberg reported that, despite all the hype built up by Google for Stadia's reveal, gamers around the world were disappointed. This led to a lackluster launch and Stadia is said to have "missed its targets for sales of controllers and monthly active users by hundreds of thousands." Not even games from some of the best publishers like Ubisoft and Take-Two Interactive Software could help turn the tide for Stadia. Those games didn't come cheap either, as sources from Bloomberg say it cost "tens of millions" of dollars to bring games like Red Dead Redemption 2 to the platform. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/22/google-stadia-review"] Wired also share some of the struggles at Stadia that ultimately led to the closure of Google Stadia's internal studios. Many of these issues stemmed from Google creating roadblocks for these employees who were trying to staff up to build AAA games. Google is known for its long and involved hiring process that can take anywhere from six to nine months. On top of that, Google had to change its hiring standards as it was looking to bring in game developers and hadn't traditionally hired for those positions. While there were around 150 employees impacted by the closure of Stadia's internal studios, two sources had said the goal was to bring in over 2,000 over five years. Above and beyond hiring concerns, sources discuss that "Stadia's game development process felt stapled on." Many of the developers felt that "Google wasn't funding games to sell games; it was funding games to sell Stadia." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/google-stadia-gm-says-microsofts-bethesda-acquisition-partly-responsible-for-stadia-studio-closures-ign-news"] Instead of giving the devs the freedom to truly create what they wished, they were told to "design prototypes that showcased Stadia technology like Google’s cloud computing capacity or State Share." These issues were undoubtedly frustrating, but many felt secure in their positions at Google, with high paychecks and what felt like little fear of being laid off, which can be a rampant problem at other studios. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began. Following the start of the pandemic, Google implemented a hiring freeze for all departments except a "small number of strategic areas where users and businesses rely on Google for ongoing support, and where our growth is critical to their success.” Gaming was not one of these areas. “If the company was OK putting us on a hiring freeze, they were also OK with damaging our ability to build content,” says one source. “The studio was not yet fully formed and ready to produce games. That put on the brakes, and was a statement. We interpreted it as a lack of commitment from Google to make content.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/08/the-unexpected-reason-terraria-on-stadia-is-canceled-ign-now"] In late January, Google's vice president of Stadia and GM Phil Harrison e-mailed employees and praised the platform's technology, and said that "Stadia Games and Entertainment had made 'great progress building a diverse and talented team and establishing a strong line up of Stadia exclusive games.'" Five days later, Harrison gathered the employees and let them know the internal studios were shutting down. VGC reported on a few of Stadia's possible cancelled projects and proposals, and one of them was allegedly an episodic horror game from Kojima Productions. That particular proposal was said to have been "blocked by Stadia GM Phil Harrison last year." Another was said to be from Shenmue's Yu Suzuki. A sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet was also said to be in the works by the team formerly known as Typhoon, and a multiplayer action game codenamed Frontier was being developed and was led by former Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate producer Francois Pelland. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] A Google Stadia spokesperson responded to VGC's story, saying that it does not "have anything, nor have announced anything, with Kojima or Yu Suzuki." "We talk to partners all the time in situations that don’t result in a project or even a proposal," The spokesperson said of the alleged Kojima project." This is very common. Speculating that two parties that speak regularly in this industry leads to proposals or otherwise, is inaccurate.” Even though Stadia's internal studios have been closed, Google has reassured those that own Stadia that the platform will get "more than 100 games" in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

According to Los Angeles city documents, E3 2021's physical event has officially been cancelled. As spotted by VGC, a new report published by the Board of Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Commission states that the E3 2021 live event is cancelled and that the city is "working with the production team on broadcast options at LA Live/LACC." Furthermore, its working with the ESA on licenses for both 2022 and 2023. This follows ESA's confirmation that E3 2021 would still be happening and that the ESA would be "transforming the E3 experience for 2021." "We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together." A spokesperson from the ESA previously said. "We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board, and we look forward to sharing details about their involvement soon." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] While many assumed this meant E3 would be going digital amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ESA never explicitly said the live event was cancelled. A report from VGC also detailed some E3 2021 pitch documents that revealed this revamped show would include "multiple two-hour keynote sessions from game partners, an awards show, a June 14 preview night and other smaller streams from game publishers, influencers and media partners." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/heres-every-game-we-reviewed-last-month-in-one-video"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

According to Los Angeles city documents, E3 2021's physical event has officially been cancelled. As spotted by VGC, a new report published by the Board of Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Commission states that the E3 2021 live event is cancelled and that the city is "working with the production team on broadcast options at LA Live/LACC." Furthermore, it its working with the ESA on licenses for both 2022 and 2023. This follows ESA's confirmation that E3 2021 would still be happening and that the ESA would be "transforming the E3 experience for 2021." "We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together." A spokesperson from the ESA previously said. "We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board, and we look forward to sharing details about their involvement soon." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-2021-games-with-confirmed-release-dates&captions=true"] While many assumed this meant E3 would be going digital amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ESA never explicitly said the live event was cancelled. A report from VGC also detailed some E3 2021 pitch documents that revealed this revamped show would include "multiple two-hour keynote sessions from game partners, an awards show, a June 14 preview night and other smaller streams from game publishers, influencers and media partners." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/heres-every-game-we-reviewed-last-month-in-one-video"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Update: Frogwares has accused former The Sinking City licensee and currently-listed Steam publisher Nacon of pirating a version of the game from another licensee, making changes to it, and then listing it for sale on Steam without the developer's permission.

In a blog post today, Frogwares says that the new version of The Sinking City uploaded to Steam in late February by Nacon was not one given to the publisher by them, but rather a version licensed to online distributor Gamesplanet. Frogwares accuses Nacon of buying the game on Gamesplanet, hacking into it to remove certain identifiers like Gamesplanet logos and add the Nacon logo on certain splash screens, and then republishing the altered version of the game to Steam. Additionally, Frogwares notes that the version on Steam is the "Deluxe" version of the game -- with extra content added that Nacon never had the license to distribute in the first place.

Frogwares specifically calls out Neopica, a Belgian studio behind games like the Hunting Simulator titles and Euro Truck Racing Championship that was acquired by Nacon late last year, as having a hand in the alteration of The Sinking City. Meanwhile, the studio says it does not believe either Gamesplanet or Steam were aware of the situation, saying that Nacon likely purchased the game legally from Gamesplanet and that Steam did not know the version uploaded to its servers was hacked.

The two companies remain in a legal battle in French courts over contract breaches, missed payments, intellectual property ownership, and more -- with Frogwares saying it will now be adding pirachy and theft of intellectual property to the list of charges.

IGN has reached out to Nacon for comment.

Original story: The Sinking City has returned to Steam following its removal across multiple digital platforms, but developer Frogwares has said it did not create this version and that it does not recommend that anyone purchase it. Frogwares took to Twitter to share this update, promising that more news was on the way soon regarding their warning. "Frogwares has not created the version of @TheSinkingCity that is today on sale on @Steam. We do not recommend the purchase of this version. More news soon." The developer wrote. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/25/the-sinking-city-review"] The Sinking City was removed from Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the digital storefronts of Xbox One and PS4 on August 25, 2020, following Frogwares' legal disputes with publisher BigBen Interactive and Nacon. Frogwares accused these companies of repeatedly breaching contract, withholding at least €1 million in royalties, falsely implying ownership of the IP, and more. During development of The Sinking City, Frogware alleged that BigBen and Nacon would pay for production milestones around 40 days later that agreed upon. Furthermore, these companies demanded that they be given the source code for The Sinking City despite their agreement saying that they could only sell the game and that they did not own the IP. When Frogwares declined, they said BigBen and Nacon stopped providing payments for four months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/22/the-sinking-city-playstation-5-release-trailer"] Frogwares began a legal battle with BigBen and Nacon in August 2019 over these issues and many more, including concerns over Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes games. The Sinking City, which is inspired by the works of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, was released in 2019. In our review, we said, "The Sinking City’s creation of a new Lovecraftian vision paired with compelling stories, exciting environments, and memorable characters make for one of the better Cthulhu lore games I’ve played. Its commitment to tastefully updating the storytelling methods, while preserving the setting and tone of Lovecraft shines through the tedium and frustration." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Update: Frogwares has accused former The Sinking City licensee and currently-listed Steam publisher Nacon of pirating a version of the game from another licensee, making changes to it, and then listing it for sale on Steam without the developer's permission.

In a blog post today, Frogwares says that the new version of The Sinking City uploaded to Steam in late February by Nacon was not one given to the publisher by them, but rather a version licensed to online distributor Gamesplanet. Frogwares accuses Nacon of buying the game on Gamesplanet, hacking into it to remove certain identifiers like Gamesplanet logos and add the Nacon logo on certain splash screens, and then republishing the altered version of the game to Steam. Additionally, Frogwares notes that the version on Steam is the "Deluxe" version of the game -- with extra content added that Nacon never had the license to distribute in the first place.

Frogwares specifically calls out Neopica, a Belgian studio behind games like the Hunting Simulator titles and Euro Truck Racing Championship that was acquired by Nacon late last year, as having a hand in the alteration of The Sinking City. Meanwhile, the studio says it does not believe either Gamesplanet or Steam were aware of the situation, saying that Nacon likely purchased the game legally from Gamesplanet and that Steam did not know the version uploaded to its servers was hacked.

The two companies remain in a legal battle in French courts over contract breaches, missed payments, intellectual property ownership, and more -- with Frogwares saying it will now be adding pirachy and theft of intellectual property to the list of charges.

IGN has reached out to Nacon for comment.

Original story: The Sinking City has returned to Steam following its removal across multiple digital platforms, but developer Frogwares has said it did not create this version and that it does not recommend that anyone purchase it. Frogwares took to Twitter to share this update, promising that more news was on the way soon regarding their warning. "Frogwares has not created the version of @TheSinkingCity that is today on sale on @Steam. We do not recommend the purchase of this version. More news soon." The developer wrote. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/25/the-sinking-city-review"] The Sinking City was removed from Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the digital storefronts of Xbox One and PS4 on August 25, 2020, following Frogwares' legal disputes with publisher BigBen Interactive and Nacon. Frogwares accused these companies of repeatedly breaching contract, withholding at least €1 million in royalties, falsely implying ownership of the IP, and more. During development of The Sinking City, Frogware alleged that BigBen and Nacon would pay for production milestones around 40 days later that agreed upon. Furthermore, these companies demanded that they be given the source code for The Sinking City despite their agreement saying that they could only sell the game and that they did not own the IP. When Frogwares declined, they said BigBen and Nacon stopped providing payments for four months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/22/the-sinking-city-playstation-5-release-trailer"] Frogwares began a legal battle with BigBen and Nacon in August 2019 over these issues and many more, including concerns over Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes games. The Sinking City, which is inspired by the works of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, was released in 2019. In our review, we said, "The Sinking City’s creation of a new Lovecraftian vision paired with compelling stories, exciting environments, and memorable characters make for one of the better Cthulhu lore games I’ve played. Its commitment to tastefully updating the storytelling methods, while preserving the setting and tone of Lovecraft shines through the tedium and frustration." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Pokemon Company has announced that Pokemon 25: The Album will be released in Fall 2021 and will feature Katy Perry, J Balvin, Post Malone, and more. This new album is part of the celebration of Pokemon's 25th anniversary, and J Balvin was confirmed to be joining the project following the global virtual Pokemon music concert starring Post Malone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/11/pokemon-pokemon-day-virtual-concert-with-post-malone-announce-trailer"] During the concert, Post Malone performed a cover of Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie & the Blowfish that was remixed with the Ecruteak City theme from Pokemon Gold and Silver. Katy Perry, J Balvin, Post Malone, and one more surprise guest will each release a song that is inspired by the Pokemon franchise, and each song's release will be joined by a music video and "an exclusive merchandise collection celebrating each artist and Pokemon." There will also be other songs from some of the "buzziest new artists from around the world," and these songs will be released in "very 'Pokemon' ways." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/25-years-of-pokemon-celebration"] Pokemon 25: The Album will be released by Universal Music Group's Capitol Records later this year and will features a total of 14 songs. This new album is one of the many ways The Pokemon Company is celebrating this 25th anniversary, and follows the reveals of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/pokemon-brilliant-diamond-shining-pearl-official-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Pokemon Company has announced that Pokemon 25: The Album will be released in Fall 2021 and will feature Katy Perry, J Balvin, Post Malone, and more. This new album is part of the celebration of Pokemon's 25th anniversary, and J Balvin was confirmed to be joining the project following the global virtual Pokemon music concert starring Post Malone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/11/pokemon-pokemon-day-virtual-concert-with-post-malone-announce-trailer"] During the concert, Post Malone performed a cover of Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie & the Blowfish that was remixed with the Ecruteak City theme from Pokemon Gold and Silver. Katy Perry, J Balvin, Post Malone, and one more surprise guest will each release a song that is inspired by the Pokemon franchise, and each song's release will be joined by a music video and "an exclusive merchandise collection celebrating each artist and Pokemon." There will also be other songs from some of the "buzziest new artists from around the world," and these songs will be released in "very 'Pokemon' ways." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/25-years-of-pokemon-celebration"] Pokemon 25: The Album will be released by Universal Music Group's Capitol Records later this year and will features a total of 14 songs. This new album is one of the many ways The Pokemon Company is celebrating this 25th anniversary, and follows the reveals of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/pokemon-brilliant-diamond-shining-pearl-official-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Zack Snyder confirmed during IGN Fan Fest 2021 that the Snyder Cut edit of Justice League is locked, and HBO Max confirmed the film will be 4 hours and 2 minutes. This was only one of the 27 things we learned from Zack Snyder in our in-depth conversation about his version of the Justice League, which is set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on March 18, 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/zack-snyders-justice-league-the-mother-box-origins-exclusive-clip-ign-fan-fest-2021"] Snyder also released a brand new Mother Box origins clip that is packed with Easter Eggs for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash. He also revealed how the Snyder Cut will have a "massive cliffhanger" ending, what his thoughts are on Joker's redesign, and how this new version will flesh out Ben Affleck's Batman's full character arc. Zack Snyder's Justice League will include two-and-a-half hours of never-before-seen footage, with "four or five minutes of additional photography," original footage from the theatrical release, and elements the ended up on the cutting room floor. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/justice-league-inside-the-snyder-cut-with-zack-snyder-ign-fan-fest-2021"] For more on IGN Fan Fest 2021, check out the exclusive premiere of The Flash season 7 premiere episode, the first Shadow and Bone trailer, and director Adam Wingard's comments on how Godzilla vs. Kong will have a definitive champion. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Zack Snyder confirmed during IGN Fan Fest 2021 that the Snyder Cut edit of Justice League is locked, and HBO Max confirmed the film will be 4 hours and 2 minutes. This was only one of the 27 things we learned from Zack Snyder in our in-depth conversation about his version of the Justice League, which is set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on March 18, 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/zack-snyders-justice-league-the-mother-box-origins-exclusive-clip-ign-fan-fest-2021"] Snyder also released a brand new Mother Box origins clip that is packed with Easter Eggs for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash. He also revealed how the Snyder Cut will have a "massive cliffhanger" ending, what his thoughts are on Joker's redesign, and how this new version will flesh out Ben Affleck's Batman's full character arc. Zack Snyder's Justice League will include two-and-a-half hours of never-before-seen footage, with "four or five minutes of additional photography," original footage from the theatrical release, and elements the ended up on the cutting room floor. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/justice-league-inside-the-snyder-cut-with-zack-snyder-ign-fan-fest-2021"] For more on IGN Fan Fest 2021, check out the exclusive premiere of The Flash season 7 premiere episode, the first Shadow and Bone trailer, and director Adam Wingard's comments on how Godzilla vs. Kong will have a definitive champion. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.