To this growing community of industry leaders, The last few days reminded us what this industry is truly about. So many of you shared that this event felt different — more intimate, more authentic, more real. Thank you for being part of it. — GamesBeat

EXCLUSIVE: 94% of game studios are using AI, but more than half have yet to deeply integrate it into their production pipelines, according to a new report from Vivrato CEO Adam Boyes, revealing the gap between AI adoption and its practical implementation across the gaming industry. The findings come from confidential, one-to-one interviews with 101 game industry leaders conducted over six months, examining how studios are using AI across nine stages of game production. While 97% of respondents had used AI in some form, 52% rated its integration into their overall production pipeline at just three out of 10 or lower. The research also highlights a growing disconnect between private industry practices and public conversations around AI. Studio leaders are experimenting with tools to accelerate prototyping, refine concepts, and automate workflows, while concerns about job losses, employee sentiment, player trust, and the quality of AI-generated content continue to shape adoption. Interestingly, the report found that European studios are moving into AI faster than their North American counterparts, while the use of generative AI for storytelling and world-building remains low. Most respondents did not want AI-generated creations to appear in the final game. The findings suggest the conversation is moving beyond whether studios are using AI at all. The bigger questions are where it delivers real value, how teams are responding, and how developers can adopt the technology without compromising creativity or trust. @deantak spoke with Adam Boyes about Vivrato’s new VAIA Report 2026, the reality of AI adoption behind closed doors, and why the industry needs more open conversations about how these tools are being used. “The interesting question isn’t around which game studios are using AI anymore. Most of the 101 leaders we spoke with declared that they have adopted some form of AI within their development pipelines. The focus is now where they’re using it, what is changing, what’s actually helping, and where teams are still running into challenges,” Boyes said. Read the full story at @GamesBeat: gamesbeat.com/adam-boyes-viv… hashtag#Gaming hashtag#GameDevelopment hashtag#GameIndustry hashtag#ArtificialIntelligence hashtag#AI hashtag#Technology

EXCLUSIVE: @Bungie cofounder Alexander Seropian is bringing his next game to @Roblox with Drifters, an extraction shooter that turns players’ nightmares into a fight for survival. The game marks the first Roblox release from @looknorthworld, Seropian’s studio previously focused on creating games for Fortnite. Built by a small team in around five months, Drifters combines squad-based combat, monster hunting, loot extraction, and deep progression in a creepy, dreamlike world. Set in the nightmare-infested town of Paleview, the free-to-play game supports squads of up to four players battling supernatural creatures, completing contracts, and collecting resources to upgrade their characters. The move also highlights Roblox’s push to attract experienced AAA developers and expand beyond its traditional audience, giving studios new opportunities to experiment with genres and more sophisticated gameplay. @deantak spoke with Seropian about the studio’s move to Roblox, building a game for an older audience, and why the platform offered an opportunity to try something different. “That conversation with Jim Greer (Roblox Senior Director for Game Solutions) made me feel like he gave me permission to make a game for me, and that’s how we approached the design of it,” Seropian said. Read the full story at @GamesBeat: gamesbeat.com/bungie-cofound… hashtag#Gaming hashtag#GameDevelopment hashtag#Roblox hashtag#GameIndustry hashtag#GameDesign hashtag#Technology

EXCLUSIVE: @InfinityWard's new DMZ extraction shooter in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 delivers a dangerous, unpredictable open world where every mission is a gamble and greed can cost you everything. Set in the fictional Hajin exclusion zone, the mode combines squad-based combat, enemy AI, rival players, hidden loot, and dynamic missions. With shifting weather, escalating enemy threats, and persistent progression, no two deployments play out quite the same way. Players can extract after just 15 minutes or risk staying for more than 40, hunting valuable gear, tackling difficult bosses, and exploring a world full of hidden rewards. But die before extraction, and you could lose your weapons, armor, and loot. The result is a more accessible take on extraction shooters that retains the tension of risking everything, while giving players room to explore, progress and develop their own strategies. @deantak went hands-on with DMZ at Infinity Ward’s headquarters, exploring why the mode could give @CallofDuty's multiplayer a fresh lease on life. “You want the tension and fear of loss, but you don’t want it to be too punishing. You want people to come back. They’re playing for that feeling,” Joe Cecot, Infinity Ward’s multiplayer creative director, said. Read the full story at @GamesBeat: gamesbeat.com/how-infinity-w… hashtag#Gaming hashtag#GameDevelopment hashtag#CallOfDuty hashtag#ModernWarfare4 hashtag#GameIndustry hashtag#Technology

EXCLUSIVE: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is rethinking how its campaign balances cinematic storytelling with player freedom. @InfinityWard has introduced more open-ended missions alongside the franchise’s familiar linear action, giving players greater freedom in how they approach combat without losing the narrative momentum @CallofDuty is known for. The challenge is making those different styles work together while keeping the story, characters and pacing cohesive, a balance that could shape how blockbuster shooters approach single-player campaigns. @deantak spoke to Brian Bloom, narrative director and lead writer on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, about weaving open-world elements into the campaign while maintaining its cinematic identity. Read the full interview at @GamesBeat: gamesbeat.com/how-call-of-du… #CallOfDuty #GameDevelopment #GameNarrative #Gaming

GamesBeat has revealed the judging committee for its inaugural Mobile Mogul Awards, recognizing leaders shaping the future of mobile gaming and the wider interactive economy. The seven-person panel brings together executives from @embracergroup, @Mattel, @discord, @Google, @zynga, and @PlayFortisGames, alongside digital entertainment and sports veteran Jeff Karp. Their combined expertise spans game development, product, monetization, strategic partnerships, advertising and entertainment IP, reflecting how mobile gaming now connects with brands, technology and culture. Winners across four categories will be recognized at GamesBeat Next in San Francisco on November 2-3. The judging committee includes Careen Yapp, Erika Winterholler, Jeff Karp, Jules Shumaker, Moonlit Beshimov, Scott Koenigsberg and Steven Chiang, alongside GamesBeat judges Dean Takahashi, Alex Lee, Rachel Kaser, and Gina Joseph. Read the full announcement at @GamesBeat: gamesbeat.com/announcing-the… #MobileGaming #Gaming #GameIndustry #GamesBeatNext

Another antitrust win for Epic

New session announced — Exclusively at GamesBeat NEXT 2026 Speaker Lineup @ArinGoldsmith @Blizzard_Ent Godavari Hughes @_GLITCHED_ @Dnbc32 @dames4games Amir Satvat @1UpFund Sign up for GB MAX → go.gamesbeat.com/gb-max/ 12 days remain with less than 50 tickets left → events.gamesbeat.com/next26/…

Our community partners play an essential role in strengthening the connections that move our industry forward.  We’re proud to recognize the organizations that help make this community stronger: @Official_AIAS · ASGC · @BlackGirlGamers · @BlackinGaming · Collegiate Games Challenge · @FirstboardI · @G4C · @GamesForLove · @iab · @IGDAFoundation · @LatinxInGaming · @midwestgamesco · @MilitaryELeague · Moms in Gaming · @PGConnects · GEMA · @GlobalGamingGGL · @VideoGameBar · @getWIGI · WiTH · Women X AI · Women-led Games · @ZebraPartners GB Next Registration → events.gamesbeat.com/next26/…

New session announced — Exclusively at GamesBeat NEXT 2026 Speaker Lineup Conor McLaughlin Aghanim Oliver Bulloss @MTGAB Moderated by @deantak. November 2–3. San Francisco Sign up for GB MAX → go.gamesbeat.com/gb-max/ 12 days remain with less than 50 tickets left → events.gamesbeat.com/next26/…

New session announced — Exclusively at GamesBeat NEXT 2026 Speaker Lineup Brian Tanner, Co-founder, @ArtificialAgncy @gregcanessa, COO, @ArtificialAgncy  November 2–3. San Francisco Sign up for GB MAX → go.gamesbeat.com/gb-max/ 12 days remain with less than 50 tickets left → events.gamesbeat.com/next26/…