The Midweek Memo #026

'Ello 👋

It's been another eventful week in the video game industry! Millions have been raised for charity, a major MMO is reportedly heading to mobile, a new studio has risen from the ashes of Embracer's "restructuring", and EA has been making some rather questionable decisions.

To start on the most positive of positive notes; Summer Games Done Quick wrapped up over the weekend, with the 24-hour, week-long speedrunning event raising an incredible $2.6 million for Doctors Without Borders! 🙌

Elsewhere, Sony has announced that it will be an exhibitor at the Tokyo Game Show, and Tencent is reportedly bringing Final Fantasy XIV to mobile.

And, last but by no means least, the leaders of Piranha Bytes—closed by Embracer Group in June—have established a new studio called Pithead.

Let's get into everything, then, starting with our usual list of piping-hot jobs!

Hot Jobs 🔥

Nine out of ten roles on this week's list are either entry or junior-level! 💪

[1] Level Design Intern

🏢 Socialpoint 🇪🇸 Barcelona 📄 Internship 🎚️ 0+ years exp

[2] Player Support Specialist

🏢 Jagex 🇬🇧 Remote UK 📄 Contract 🎚️ 1+ year exp

[3] Social Media Producer

🏢 PWR 🗺️ Remote Anywhere 📄 Part Time 🎚️ 1+ year exp

[4] Stream Team Member

🏢 Esports Ohio 🗺️ Remote Anywhere 📄 Part Time 🎚️ 2+ years exp

[5] Baseball Test Analyst

🏢 PlayStation 🇺🇸 San Diego, CA 📄 Temp 🎚️ 0+ years exp

[6] Associate Game Designer

🏢 Capital Games 🇷🇴 Remote Romania 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 1+ year exp

[7] Mobile Game Tester

🏢 Yodo1 🗺️ Remote Anywhere 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 1+ year exp

[8] User Research Assistant

🏢 WB Games 🇬🇧 Knutsford 📄 Contract🎚️ 0+ years exp

[9] Junior Level Designer

🏢 Moon Active 🇬🇧 London 📄 Full Time 🎚️ 1+ year exp

[10] Quality Assurance Technician

🏢 Glowmade 🇬🇧 Guildford 📄 Contract🎚️ 0+ years exp

Over 160 new opportunities have been posted since our last newsletter, but outside of the ones above the vast majority are asking for at least five years of experience. 😅

Big News 📰

👏 Charity speedrunning event Summer Games Done Quick 2024 raises over $2.5 million

• The annual speedrunning event, Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ), took place from June 30 to July 6, raising $2.57 million for Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), a figure that continues to rise. SGDQ was broadcast 24 hours a day on Twitch, with an in-person event held in Minnesota.

• Some standout moments include Bubzia's impressive blindfolded Super Mario 64 run and Peanut Butter the dog (yes, an actual dog) playing through a SNES baseball game. Throughout the event, viewers were given incentives for their donations, such as the ability to make a game more difficult or forcing runners to complete unique in-game challenges.

• With the conclusion of this year's SGDQ, organizer GDQ and its viewers have raised more than $51.6 million for a number of charities, including Doctors Without Borders, the AbleGamers Foundation, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the Organization for Autism Research, and The Trevor Project. Its other major event, Awesome Games Done Quick, takes place every January. 🤩

Other News 🗞️

To add to the good news, PlayStation will be exhibiting at the Tokyo Game Show for the first time since 2019. It is unknown what will be shown at the event, but fans are hoping for a PS5 Pro reveal, as no major titles are set to release before March 2025.

There's also a big update for Final Fantasy XIV fans: Tencent is reportedly collaborating with Square to bring the MMO to mobile devices. There isn't much known about the port, but the two companies partnered in 2018 and confirmed they were working on several projects.

Piranha Bytes, the developer behind Gothic and Risen, sadly closed after finding itself in a difficult situation as a result of Embracer Group's recent "restructuring". However, its leaders have already established a brand-new studio, Pithead, sharing updates through its YouTube channel. 😊

Finally, EA has once again made enemies of its players by announcing that Apex Legends will now offer two smaller battle passes per season instead of one, with each still priced at $10. They will also only be available for purchase with real-world money, making it impossible to complete a battle pass and then buy the next one for free with the Apex Coins earned.

📆 PlayStation set to exhibit at Tokyo Game Show 2024

📲 Tencent is working on Final Fantasy XIV mobile, report claims

🐟 Gothic developer Piranha Bytes closes under Embracer Group, leaders open new studio

🤑 Apex Legends will have two $10 battle passes next season

Getting Social 📲

Here are a couple of our most-viewed posts from the last seven days, with neither containing a cursed Nintendo character! 😄

We're back with another thread of 23 new remote jobs ranging from development to community management and art!

DECA Games, PWR, and Jagex are currently hiring for junior-level customer service, management, and social media roles, while EA and Ubisoft are searching for marketing and HR experts.

Unknown Worlds is also looking for international artists to work on Subnautica 2. 🤿 

We are always posting remote jobs on Hitmarker, but they are also among the most popular, so check back frequently to avoid missing out as they tend to close quickly.

We've helped Primal Game Studio's upcoming 2.5D side-scroller action RPG title, "Mandragora" land on a ton of wishlists this week! 🤝

Players must reclaim the world from vicious monsters in this Metroidvania-style indie, which features a variety of classes, weapons, abilities, locations, and challenging bosses.

Mandragora also offers a New Game Plus mode, which allows you to return to the game with an upgraded character, more knowledge of the world, and tougher enemies if you're looking for extra monster-slaying action.

The game has yet to receive a release date, but it is currently available for wishlisting on Steam, where its developer frequently shares updates!

Cool Resources 🧱

We thought it would be beneficial to put some cool non-profits on your radar that could help you advance your career! 🎮

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is a US-based organization made up of multiple groups and individuals involved in all aspects of game development around the world.

Those who join the IGDA through one of its many paid memberships will have access to a variety of high-quality resources, including special interest groups and the organization's "Expert Resource Library," as well as discounted rates for various industry events, software and hardware, and the opportunity to connect with mentors and peers through its mentorship program.

For those in the UK, Into Games provides similar training and resources—for free(!)—that cover the skills that employers frequently look for in the industry, with a focus on assisting those with low incomes. Into Games also collaborates with a number of UK-based studios to help its community find their place, including Sea of Thieves developer Rare.

Ta-ra ✌️

Aside from the belated confirmation of the closure of Piranha Bytes and EA's usual monetization shenanigans, this week has been a pretty good one overall! We're especially interested in learning more about that rumored FFXIV mobile port. 👀

We won't mention the dreaded "L-word," but let's just hope our positive newsletter streak lasts longer than a single week this time!

Catch you all again next Wednesday,

Danny and the gang at Hitmarker 🧡