Episode 196: We Have Horizon: Zero Dawn at Home (News Show)

Aug 6, 2025

INT. POSH HOTEL SUITE - DAY

TENCENT: Hey, Sony. Can we make a Horizon game?

SONY: Nah. We good.

TENCENT: Oh okay. Bummer.

<ONE YEAR LATER>

SONY: WHAT THE F—-

<fin>

So yeah… Sony is suing Tencent for what it calls a “slavish clone” of Horizon: Zero Dawn. Bold move! Also: EA, Microsoft, Capcom earnings, an update on the Mastercard/Visa censorship of legal game content, and more.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:00:30] - Some News From Us!
• [00:05:21] - An Update on the Conservative Assault on Steam and Itch.io
• [00:15:34] - EA Q1 FY26 Earnings
• [00:20:25] - Microsoft Q4 FY25 Earnings
• [00:30:00] - Capcom Q1 FY26 Earnings
• [00:35:48] - Sony Sues Tencent Over Horizon: Zero Dawn Clone
• [00:41:59] - Investment Interlude
• [00:50:23] - Quick Hits
• [00:50:44] - Labor Report

SOURCES

• Mastercard Denies Pressuring Steam To Censor ‘NSFW’ Games [Update: Valve Responds] | Kotaku
• Vile is Banned | DreadXP
• Freedom to Buy Games | GOG
• Electronic Arts Reports Q1 FY26 Results | EA
• Earnings Release FY25 Q4 | Microsoft
• Consolidated financial results for the 1st Quarter of FY2025 | Capcom
• Sony’s PlayStation Sues Tencent Over Its ‘Slavish Clone’ of ‘Horizon’ Video Game Franchise | Variety
• Complaint for Copyright and Trademark Infringement | United States District Court, Northern District of California

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• Atari enters into an agreement to invest in Thunderful Group AB | Atari
• Puzzle & Dragons studio considers shareholder group request for a vote to dismiss its president | VGC
• Lyrical Media Launches Indie Video Game Publisher Led by UTA, Take Two Vet Blake Rochkind; Three Titles in Development | Variety

LABOR REPORT

• Supermassive Layoffs | Supermassive on LinkedIn
• Indie Publisher Firestoke Games is Shutting Down | Paul Farley on LinkedIn
• The studio behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed brings in union after facing closure | GamesIndustry
• Raven Software Workers Secure First Contract at Microsoft | CODE-CWA