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Xbox Reportedly Considers Closing Compulsion Games With Double Fine and Ninja Theory Also at Risk

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Console Gaming Xbox PS5

Microsoft’s Xbox division is reportedly in discussions that could lead to the closure of Compulsion Games, the studio behind “We Happy Few” and the recently released “South of Midnight,” while Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions and Ninja Theory, developer of the “Hellblade” series, are also said to be facing potential shutdowns as part of broader cost-cutting and restructuring efforts.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Compulsion leadership is in “negotiations” with Microsoft over the studio’s fate. The talks come amid reports that several Xbox studios are exploring options to spin off or avoid outright closure as the company seeks to address declining revenue and operational efficiencies following major acquisitions.

The news adds to ongoing uncertainty within Xbox Game Studios, which has seen significant leadership changes in recent months. Craig Duncan, the leader of Xbox Game Studios, departed after 18 months in the role, with his chief of staff Louise O’Connor also leaving less than a year after joining. These exits have fueled speculation about strategic shifts under new leadership.

Compulsion Games Faces Uncertain Future

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Compulsion Games, based in Montreal, gained critical acclaim for “South of Midnight,” which recently won Game of the Year at the Gayming Awards and Best New Intellectual Property at the BAFTA Awards 2026. The studio also received a Peabody Award for storytelling that “carries the weight of beauty and the truth of scars.” Despite these honors, the studio’s future appears precarious as Microsoft evaluates its portfolio.

Industry sources indicate that negotiations are focused on the studio’s viability within Xbox’s broader strategy. While no official confirmation has been issued, the discussions reflect a pattern of cost optimization across Microsoft’s gaming division, which has spent over $20 billion on Xbox-related investments in the last five years excluding Activision Blizzard, according to a recent blog post by CEO Asha Sharma. Revenue in the games arm has reportedly dropped by around $500 million per year, prompting tighter financial scrutiny.

Double Fine and Ninja Theory Also Reportedly Vulnerable

Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions, known for beloved titles like the “Psychonauts” series, and Ninja Theory, the studio behind the acclaimed “Hellblade” games, are similarly said to be at risk. Bloomberg reported that multiple Xbox studios are in crisis talks, with management exploring spin-off options to preserve operations outside Microsoft’s direct control.

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Ninja Theory staff were reportedly informed during a Monday call that the studio faces potential closure, with efforts underway to find a buyer, according to The Verge. The studio has built a strong reputation for narrative-driven action games, but the current environment of financial pressure appears to be testing even well-regarded teams.

These reports come as Xbox continues to adjust its studio structure following large-scale acquisitions. The integration of Activision Blizzard has been complex, and the company is reportedly planning additional layoffs while considering whether to spin off Xbox as a separate entity or restructure it as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Context of Xbox’s Recent Challenges

Microsoft’s gaming division has faced headwinds despite significant investments. The company has poured resources into first-party studios, cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass, and hardware, but revenue trends have prompted a more cautious approach to studio operations.

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The departure of key executives like Craig Duncan signals a period of transition. Under new leadership, Xbox is said to be prioritizing profitability and sustainable growth over rapid expansion. This shift has raised concerns among developers and fans about the future of creative risk-taking within the division.

Compulsion Games, Double Fine and Ninja Theory represent different facets of Xbox’s portfolio — from narrative-driven indie-style games to ambitious action titles. Their potential closure or spin-off would mark a notable contraction in Microsoft’s first-party ambitions, though the company has not confirmed any decisions.

Industry-Wide Pressures on Game Development

The situation at Xbox mirrors broader challenges across the video game industry. Rising development costs, shifting player preferences toward live-service models, and economic pressures have led to widespread studio closures and layoffs in recent years. Even successful studios are not immune when parent companies prioritize financial metrics.

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For Compulsion Games, the closure risk comes shortly after “South of Midnight” received multiple awards, highlighting the disconnect between critical acclaim and commercial sustainability in some cases. The studio’s focus on unique, story-rich experiences may not align perfectly with current industry trends favoring scalable, monetizable titles.

Double Fine has cultivated a loyal following through quirky, creative games, while Ninja Theory has delivered emotionally resonant narratives with high production values. The potential loss of these studios would represent a cultural shift for Xbox, moving away from diverse, auteur-driven projects toward more standardized blockbusters.

Potential Outcomes and Next Steps

If negotiations result in closure, affected employees could face layoffs, though Microsoft has historically offered support packages and transition assistance in similar situations. Spin-offs or acquisitions by other publishers remain possibilities, allowing the studios to continue operations under new ownership.

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Fans and industry observers have expressed disappointment at the reports, with many highlighting the awards and cultural impact of the studios’ games. Social media discussions have called for Microsoft to preserve creative teams that have contributed significantly to Xbox’s identity.

Xbox has not commented publicly on the specific reports. The company has previously emphasized its commitment to a diverse portfolio while acknowledging the need for financial discipline in a competitive market.

Broader Implications for Microsoft Gaming

The situation underscores the challenges Microsoft faces in integrating and managing its expansive gaming division. Following the Activision Blizzard acquisition, the company has been under pressure to demonstrate returns on its massive investment while navigating regulatory scrutiny and shifting market dynamics.

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Asha Sharma’s recent comments on Xbox investments and revenue trends highlight the tension between long-term vision and short-term financial performance. How Microsoft handles its first-party studios in the coming months could signal its overall strategy for the division — whether it prioritizes scale and profitability or continues supporting a wide range of creative endeavors.

For developers and fans, the reports serve as a reminder of the precarious nature of game development, even under major publishers. Studios with strong critical reception and dedicated followings can still face existential threats when business priorities shift.

As negotiations continue, the fate of Compulsion Games, Double Fine and Ninja Theory remains uncertain. The outcome will likely influence how the industry perceives Microsoft’s commitment to creative diversity and its approach to managing first-party development in an increasingly competitive landscape.

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Form 13D/A Royalty Pharma plc For: 16 June

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Form 13D/A Royalty Pharma plc For: 16 June

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Astronics Corporation (ATRO) Presents at Truist Securities Industrials and Services Conference 2026 – Slideshow

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Astronics Corporation (ATRO) Presents at Truist Securities Industrials and Services Conference 2026 – Slideshow

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McDonald’s brings back fried apple pie after more than 30 years off menu

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McDonald's brings back fried apple pie after more than 30 years off menu

McDonald’s announced Tuesday that it is bringing back its fried apple pie to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

The fried apple pies will be available at participating U.S. restaurants for a limited time starting June 23, marking their first broad U.S. rollout in more than 30 years.

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“Summer tends to move fast – but the moments worth remembering don’t. And with America’s 250th birthday around the corner, we’re bringing back a fan-favorite and bona fide national treasure made for slowing down and savoring the season: the Fried Apple Pie,” the company said in a press release.

MCDONALD’S TESTING AI DRIVE-THRU ORDER-TAKING SYSTEM CALLED ARCHIQ AT FIVE LOCATIONS ACROSS COUNTRY

McDonald's fried apple pie

The fried apple pies will be available at most of the chain’s U.S. restaurants for a limited time starting June 23. (McDonald’s)

“The all-day menu item features our signature filling made with 100% American-grown apples, wrapped in the same golden crunch and flaky fried crust fans remember – or soon won’t forget,” it added.

McDonald’s said the dessert item started as a family recipe in the 1960s, when East Tennessee Owner/Operator Litton Cochran created a fried apple hand pie. 

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The treat became a local fan favorite and later a McDonald’s classic.

“There are certain things that just take you back – and the Fried Apple Pie is one of them. It’s something that people love and remember from growing up,” Eric Cochran, McDonald’s Owner/Operator, said in a statement.

McDonald's

McDonald’s said its fried apple pie will return for a limited time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“When Ray Kroc was trying to come up with a dessert for McDonald’s, my Grandad, Litton Cochran, suggested a Fried Apple Pie as a classic that people would love. My Grandmom, Jo Cochran, spent months perfecting the recipe. Bringing the Fried Apple Pie back for fans this summer to celebrate America’s 250th just feels right,” he continued.

McDonald’s replaced the fried apple pie in 1992 with a baked pie in most of the U.S. in response to growing consumer awareness about fat and cholesterol consumption.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture also published its food guide pyramid that same year.

MCDONALD’S IS QUIETLY DITCHING A POPULAR IN-STORE FEATURE NATIONWIDE

An exterior view of a McDonald's fast food restaurant.

McDonald’s replaced the fried apple pie in 1992 with a baked pie in most of the U.S. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images)

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Fried apple pies remained on McDonald’s menus in Hawaii and are still sold in other regions around the world, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Greece, Australia and China.

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In addition to the return of the classic dessert, McDonald’s is installing a 35-foot Fried Apple Pie on Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, near the company’s Chicago headquarters. The giant pie will remain standing through July 4.

A kickoff event will also be held to debut McDonald’s Largest Fried Apple Pie in Chicagoland. The event will feature live music, ice-cold Coca-Cola and complimentary Arch Cards.

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Mukesh Ambani’s Jio set to file for India IPO within days, FT reports

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Mukesh Ambani's Jio set to file for India IPO within days, FT reports
Reliance Jio Infocomm could file draft papers for ‌its ⁠expected $4 ⁠billion IPO within days and just before billionaire Mukesh ⁠Ambani‘s closely ‌watched annual speech ⁠on Friday to Reliance Industries‘ shareholders, the Financial Times reported on ‌Wednesday, citing sources.

Reuters could not immediately ⁠verify the report.

At last year’s AGM, Ambani had committed to listing Jio, India’s largest wireless operator, in the first half of 2026, making the upcoming filing a key milestone in that roadmap.
Jio now appears set to miss that timeline following a challenging year for Reliance Industries.
The conglomerate’s shares have declined about 15% in 2026, while net profit for the quarter ended March fell 13% year-on-year, weighed down by disruptions in its core refining business amid turbulence in the Gulf region.

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Hancock to chip $20m in St George Mining’s raise

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Hancock to chip $20m in St George Mining’s raise

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting is investing $20 million into St George Mining’s $60 million placement, as the iron ore magnate expands her exposure to rare earths.

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City of South Perth council votes to extend monitor Gail McGowan’s term

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City of South Perth council votes to extend monitor Gail McGowan’s term

The City of South Perth council has backed a two-month extension to a local government monitor’s term, a day before her appointment ended.

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Leapfrog Engineering Services IPO: Check GMP, price band, subscription and other details

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Leapfrog Engineering Services IPO: Check GMP, price band, subscription and other details
The Rs 88.5 crore IPO of Leapfrog Engineering Services will open for subscription on Wednesday and will close on June 19. The company is expected to list on the BSE SME platform on June 24. Ahead of the issue opening, the grey market premium (GMP) stood at zero, indicating no expected listing gains based on unofficial market activity.

The IPO comprises a fresh issue of 3.46 crore shares aggregating Rs 79.6 crore and an offer for sale of 38.76 lakh shares worth Rs 8.91 crore. The company has fixed a price band of Rs 21-23 per share.

Investors can bid for a minimum of 12,000 shares and in multiples of 6,000 shares thereafter. At the upper end of the price band, the minimum investment for retail investors is Rs 2.76 lakh. High-net-worth investors are required to invest at least Rs 4.14 lakh for three lots.

The issue size totals 3.85 crore shares, of which the net offer to the public stands at 3.66 crore shares after accounting for the market maker portion. Retail investors have been allocated 60.07% of the net issue, while non-institutional investors have been allotted 38.9%. Qualified institutional buyers account for just over 1% of the net offer.

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Incorporated in 2005, Leapfrog Engineering Services provides integrated engineering procurement, procurement and construction (EPCC) solutions across sectors such as oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, food processing and metals.


The company offers services spanning electrical engineering solutions, industrial automation, instrumentation, fire protection systems and building automation. It executes turnkey EPC projects and provides installation, commissioning and maintenance services.
Leapfrog Engineering plans to utilise the IPO proceeds primarily for expansion and working capital requirements. Around Rs 27 crore will be used to set up an assembling unit, while Rs 36.05 crore has been earmarked for working capital needs. The remaining funds will be used for general corporate purposes.Financially, the company reported revenue of Rs 137.37 crore and profit after tax of Rs 16.22 crore in FY25. For the nine months ended December 2025, it posted revenue of Rs 105.05 crore and profit after tax of Rs 14.18 crore.

The company cited its experienced management team, diversified project portfolio, global presence and strong order book as key strengths.

Finshore Management Services is the book-running lead manager to the issue, while Integrated Registry Management Services is the registrar. Anant Securities will act as the market maker.

The allotment is expected to be finalised on June 22, with refunds and credit of shares likely on June 23. The stock is scheduled to make its market debut on June 24.

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(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)

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Vishal Mega Mart shares in focus as IPO lock-in expiry frees up shares worth Rs 10,813 crore for trade

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Vishal Mega Mart shares in focus as IPO lock-in expiry frees up shares worth Rs 10,813 crore for trade
The shares of Vishal Mega Mart will remain in focus on Wednesday after nearly 92.3 crore shares worth Rs 10,813 crore become eligible for trade as the IPO lock-in period expires today, according to Nuvama Institutional Equities.

However, it is important to note that the lock-in expiry does not imply that all these shares will be offloaded in the market immediately. It simply means that these shares can now be traded by the shareholders. At the previous closing price of Rs 117.15 apiece on BSE, the said number of shares that will free up for trade today is worth nearly Rs 10,812.95 crore.


Also read:
JAL shares to delist from BSE and NSE on Thursday. What happens to its 6 lakh shareholders?

Vishal Mega Mart share price

Vishal Mega Mart shares made a strong market debut, listing with a 41% premium over the IPO price at Rs 110 on BSE in December 2024. Although the offer was entirely an OFS, Vishal Mega Mart’s maiden public issue received healthy demand from all sets of investors, especially from the QIB category, which bid more than 85 times its allotted portion.

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The stock then fell over 10% to a record low of Rs 98.7 apiece in February 2025, before soaring 60% to a 52-week high of Rs 157.75 apiece in August 2025. The stock has since fallen nearly 26% from that level, closing at Rs 117.15 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday.

Also read: Elon Musk just made Warren Buffett’s entire net worth in a single day

Vishal Mega Mart Q4 Results

Vishal Mega Mart in May reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 167.92 crore for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2026, marking a nearly 46% year-on-year (YoY) jump from the Rs 115 crore net profit reported in the year-ago period. The firm’s revenue from operations meanwhile rose over 22% YoY to Rs 3,114 crore during the quarter under review.

“We look ahead at FY27 with excitement. We wish to be a strong contributor to India’s growing consumption story. India’s emerging retail landscape offers exciting and evolving opportunities across offline and digital commerce. With our extensive network and strong fundamentals, we are well-positioned to participate in these,” said Gunender Kapur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vishal Mega Mart.
Also read: Vedanta to be removed from MSCI Global Standard Indexes from June 22

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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Why Edelman’s Top Strategist Is Optimistic on Stocks Despite a ‘Tricky’ Macro Environment

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Why Edelman’s Top Strategist Is Optimistic on Stocks Despite a ‘Tricky’ Macro Environment

Why Edelman’s Top Strategist Is Optimistic on Stocks Despite a ‘Tricky’ Macro Environment

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Dollar on the defensive ahead of first Fed decision under Warsh

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Dollar on the defensive ahead of first Fed decision under Warsh
The dollar eased on Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve‘s first policy decision under Chair Kevin Warsh, with lingering optimism over an interim U.S.-Iran peace deal underpinning risk appetite and dampening demand for the U.S. currency.

The yen found little respite against a weaker greenback and teetered further into intervention territory, after a well-telegraphed Bank of Japan (BOJ) rate hike delivered few surprises.

Moves in currencies were largely subdued in the early Asian session, with investors hesitant to take ‌on large positions ahead ⁠of ⁠the Fed’s rate outcome later in the day.

The euro steadied at $1.1611 while sterling was little changed at $1.3430.

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The New Zealand dollar edged slightly higher to $0.5833.


The Fed is widely expected to stand pat on rates at Warsh’s debut meeting. The statement, economic projections and news conference, however, will be scrutinised for any signals of the Fed dropping its easing bias as officials grow more hawkish on inflation risks.
“The Fed is…likely to signal a neutral bias for monetary policy going forward,” said Erik Weisman, chief economist and portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management. “(Warsh) will ⁠face a ‌barrage of questions about how he expects to steer the Fed in the direction he has indicated over the years. It is early days yet. The new Fed Chair may still ⁠be gauging the mood of the committee that he has to carry to deliver successful policy. He may not want to make any statements without first forging consensus within the Fed.”

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar eased slightly to 99.53, unwinding some of its safe-haven gains made as details emerged of the U.S. and Iran’s interim agreement to end the war in the Middle East.

YEN ON TENTERHOOKS

The yen last stood at 160.43 per dollar, leaving traders on alert for any potential intervention from Japanese authorities to shore up the ailing currency.

The BOJ on Tuesday raised interest ‌rates to a 31-year high in a landmark step in its policy normalisation, signalling readiness to tighten further as it focuses on taming price pressures from the Iran-war-induced energy shock.

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Policymakers offered few clues on the timing of ⁠the next rate hike, however.

“While the press conference…contained some optimistic signals regarding the outlook for the Japanese economy, it failed to move the needle much regarding market expectations around the timing of the next BOJ policy move,” said Jane Foley, senior FX strategist at Rabobank.

“Despite the significance of the BOJ’s decision to take its policy rate back to 1% today, the meeting was still overshadowed by that of the Fed.”

Elsewhere, the Australian dollar was flat at $0.7066.

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The Reserve Bank of Australia held its cash rate steady at 4.35% on Tuesday, saying the economy was slowing in the face of tighter financial conditions but warning it might yet raise rates again if needed to control inflation.

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