News
Episode
170

Tensions flare between SUBNAUTICA 2 devs and their parent company Krafton

Plus SAG-AFTRA secures protection for voice actors against AI and Microsoft’s players get hacked through Call of Duty

NEWS THIS WEEK

RELEASE RADAR

  • ARASHI GAIDEN - 14 July 2025 - PC
  • DAWN APART - 15 July 2025 - PC
  • SUPER LOCO WORLD - 15 July 2025 - PC
  • ERIKSHOLM: THE STOLEN DREAM - 15 July 2025 - PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
  • THE DRIFTER - 17 July 2025 - PC
  • DONKEY KONG BANANZA - 17 July 2025 - Switch 2

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SIFTER is produced by Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Courtney Smith, Adam Christou, Chris Button and Naomi Jackson. Cat Jahne is Social Producer, Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Audio Technica Australia and Apple for their support of SIFTER.

TRANSCRIPT

KYLE: Hi I’m Kyle Pauletto

NOM: and I’m Naomi Jackson

KYLE: Welcome to Walkthrough, SIFTER’s weekly recap on the biggest news in video games and welcome to Nom!

NOM: This week performers union SAG-AFTRA secures a deal with game companies in the US, publisher Krafton and Subnautica 2 developers clash after game is delayed to next year, and of course a new Sims 4 expansion breaks the game but us sickos will just say yes please.

Here is the news for Sunday 13th of July. Let’s go!

— 

PROMO: Join the SIFTER community on Discord at sifter.com.au/discord

KYLE: After 11 months, the video game voice actor strike has ended as a new agreement has been reached between union SAG-AFTRA and various gaming companies including Activision, Insomniac, and EA.

The terms of the Interactive Media Agreement include increased performer compensation, including overtime rates, better health and safety measures, and protections against AI, which was a big focus of the strike.

These protections will include consent and disclosure requirements for A.I. digital replica use, ensuring performers receive payments for use of digital replicas made from their performances, higher compensation from the use of chatbots, and payments when their performances are used in future projects.

NOM: The contract was approved ‘effective immediately’ with 95% of participating union members voting in favour.

Interestingly they also specify what happens when performers pass away.

So if a performer gave consent when they were alive, that consent will continue to be valid after death unless specified otherwise at the time of the initial consent. If the performer has passed at the time the employer seeks consent they have to go to their estate or authorized representative, and if the authorized representative can’t be found, then consent can be provided by the Union.

This seems like a direct response to James Earl Jones and the virtual Darth Vader from Fortnite, which the union responded to during the strike.

It’s exciting to see many people celebrate this agreement, it’s a massive win for the video game industry.

— 

NOM: Ok Kyle get ready for this because it’s about to get dramatic. 

Krafton, the publisher who acquired Subnautica 2 developers Unknown Worlds has pushed back the game until 2026 with some alleging that this was done just to avoid a massive US$250million bonus and it’s all played out on Reddit. 

Subnautica co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire and CEO Ted Gill were fired by Krafton with Cleveland calling the events of the week “quite a shock” and saying that Subnautica 2 was ready to go into early access. 

Krafton responded with a Post in r/Games, they list some allegations opening with the line ‘Inevitable Leadership Change Driven by Project Abandonment–Despite Holding 90% of Earnout for Themselves’. 

The statement alleges that when they bought the Unknown Worlds studio, on top of the purchase price they allocated approximately 90% of the up to $250 million earn-out compensation to the three former executives, with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2. 

Krafton alleges this didn’t happen as that leadership team abandoned their responsibilities such as working on other film projects, and delays in the project from its originally planned launch of early 2024.

KYLE: Because all good stories need a kicker Cleveland jumped back onto r/subnautica to confirm that they will be suing Krafton, disputing the claims made by the company and that their plan was always to share the bonus with their staff as they did when the company was acquired in 2021.

As it hits the court all the details will become public, and I’m sure it’s going to be a messy one. 

Subnautica fans are already up in arms about what has happened, I wonder if this will settle before it gets too out of hand, so it doesn’t impact Subnautica 2 before release.

There is a lot to take in so make sure you check out all the shownotes. 

KYLE: Call of Duty: WWII was quickly taken off the Microsoft Store last week after PC players were hacked after playing the game.

Users have shared clips on social media of people taking control of their computer, with one clip posted by Streamer Wrioh showing the game freezing, the command line and text box window appears, and desktop wallpaper changes.

The text box warns Wrioh that they had been “RCEd,” which refers to remote code execution vulnerabilities, where a hacker plants malware that allows them to run malicious code and take control of a device.

NOM: Call of Duty posted on social media that the game was taken offline while they investigated reports of an issue but they haven’t confirmed why or what has happened.

However, TechCrunch has reported that apparently different versions of the game were added to Microsoft’s store and Game Pass which has an old flaw that has been patched on other versions of the game.

The game is still playable on Steam, Xbox and other platforms, right now only those who accessed the game through Microsoft’s storefront or Gamepass have been impacted.

NOM: The long awaited ‘Enchanted by Nature’ expansion pack for The Sims 4, which returns fairies to the franchise, has caused some problems with the associated surprise update. 

Players who loaded up the game hoping for the promised glass walls and plant roofs were thrust down a rabbit hole of broken gameplay - the worst of which, the ability to drag trash and dirty dishes into a sink or bin was completely broken. 

Now, anyone who has played the sims knows, those absolute monsters are not going to clean up after themselves, leading to some real stinky lots! 

KYLE: Other bugs included items from the most recent expansion pack becoming unplaceable, gnomes moving around on their own, and removal of the ‘take a pregnancy test’ option for a potentially knocked up sim. 

The Sims team put a message out on discord to let players know the bugs were being investigated, and had the bugs fixed by July 10th for the release of the new pack. 

NOM: Honestly I’m really unsurprised by this, the sims 4 is well known for major bug problems. 

I have like…800 hours or so logged in the game and I reckon at least 300 of those have been loading screens and error messages.

KYLE: So what, 10 out of 10, 100% would recommend? 

NOM: Absolutely

—  

NOM: That’s it for the headlines, here are the games coming out this week.

KYLE: Out Monday is Arashi Gaidan, a turn based action game with a great throwback pixel art style. If you like old school beat-em-up arcade games this could be the one for you.  That’s out on PC on the 14th. 

NOM: Dawn Apart is releasing in early access on the 15th. It’s an isometric space colony sim,where you build massive factories across voxel landscapes with some corporate rebellion in the mix. Grab it on PC on Tuesday.

KYLE: Also out Tuesday is the cozy train automation sim Super Loco World. It’s got a great cartoony art style and looks super chill. Out on PC on the 15th.

NOM: Next up is Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream. It’s a beautifully animated isometric narrative stealth game. Seriously this game looks stunning, check it out when it releases on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation this Tuesday.

KYLE: Out on the 17th is one our executive producer Gianni got early access to and has been absolutely loving, The Drifter, by Aussie indie studio Powerhoof. It’s a modern point and click adventure with a fantastic retro style. Keep an eye out for Lightmap, our interview show. We've got a new interview this week with Dave Lloyd from Powerhoof which will drop before you grab The Drifter on PC on the 17th.

NOM: And finally, the main attraction, the big release of the week. Hell the month. It’s Donkey Kong Bananza. This ape needs no introduction, and is basically the reason Kyle might finally go in on the Switch two. That’s out this Thursday. 

— 

PROMO: Articles to read, videos to watch and podcasts to listen to on sifter.com.au

— 

NOM: This has been Walkthrough by SIFTER, my name is Naomi Jackson.

KYLE: And my name is Kyle Pauletto, thank you so much for listening. 

NOM: We know you love our podcasts, so why not become a monthly backer on Ko-Fi? Your support lets us keep making our shows  and it's easy to do, head to sifter.com.au/support where support starts from just $1 a month that link again is sifter.com.au/support or check the shownotes.

KYLE: SIFTER is produced by myself, Cat Jahne, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Adam Christou, Naomi Jackson, Courtney Smith and Chris Button. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and video editor, and Gianni Di Giovanni is SIFTER’s Executive Producer, and script editor.

NOM: Thanks to Brian Fairbanks from Salty Dog Sounds for composing the Walkthrough theme tune, and Audio Technica Australia and Apple for their support of SIFTER’s podcasts.

KYLE: We’ll be back with more news next Sunday, see you then.

Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo
Pros:
Cons:
No items found.
No items found.

Donkey Kong Bananza

SWITCH 2
Developer:
Nintendo
Publisher:
Nintendo
Release Date:
July 17, 2025
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