Jon Hicks

Editorial Director

Jon has been covering the games business for almost 25 years, including seven years running the official Xbox magazine and a decade at Gamer Network, where he oversaw consumer publications including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and Digital Foundry and contributed to events including PAX, EGX, Rezzed and MCM Comic-Con. He joined GamesIndustry.biz as Editorial Director in 2025.

Feature

"It's a nice story to tell": How DICE bounced back from Battlefield 2042's disastrous launch to release the blockbuster Battlefield 6

Rebecka Coutaz, VP and GM for Battlefield Studios Europe, details the changes in thinking that led to the latest entry selling 7m units in three days

Sept. 28, 2026 Alex Forbes-Calvin

News

Here is the full line-up for the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit 2026

The event will take place at The Royal Institution in London on October 1, and will be followed by the Best Places to Work Awards

Sept. 25, 2026 Lewis Packwood

News

Xbox transfers Rare and Halo franchise to Activision, proposes closure of Ninja Theory, and confirms another 268 roles cut amid studio restructure

Major staff cuts at former 343 Industries and other teams; consultation begins at Ninja Theory; Obsidian transferred to Bethesda, buyer found for Undead Labs

Sept. 22, 2026 Jon Hicks

Feature

"There is no easy answer anymore, there's no kind of playbook" – Secret Mode is hedging its bets with two very different pillars

The UK publisher is embracing both high-budget, IP-led games like Star Wars: Galactic Racer and low-budget experimental indies

Sept. 22, 2026 Lewis Packwood

News

Sessions on managing AI impact, neurodivergent teams and personal resilience confirmed for GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit

Dedicated working sessions, hosted by experts, will give practical steps on addressing leading issues in games studios

Sept. 18, 2026 Jon Hicks

Nex Playground. A family enjoys playing a dancing video game in their living room, with two children actively dancing in front of a large TV screen and two adults watching from a couch.

Feature

"Every major publisher has approached us to review their old Kinect and Wii catalogue" – Nex Playground is spoilt for choice as its international rollout continues

The makers of the hit family device on hitting its first discovery problems, making motion-controlled Pac-Man, and absorbing hardware price increases

Sept. 17, 2026 Jon Hicks

News

Here are the first finalists for the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK

The winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Royal Institution in London on October 1

Sept. 16, 2026 Jon Hicks

Feature

"I really want Criterion to be considered the best studio in the UK" – why the home of Burnout has a future with Battlefield

Criterion's top brass talks about its increasing contribution to EA's shooter franchise, and the studio's huge growth over the last decade

Sept. 16, 2026 Alex Forbes-Calvin

Feature

Why the publisher of Nintendo Life is launching a new PC gaming site

Steam Hype is dedicated to "what's hot and what's next" on Valve's platform, with a focus on "human-led curation and recommendation"

Sept. 16, 2026 Jon Hicks

Feature

No More Robots' nine-year journey to releasing its first self-developed IP – "This sounds so naive and stupid, but somehow it's working"

Founder Mike Rose on tiny game budgets, development pivots, wishlist prognostication, and why Descenders could have been a Roblox game

Sept. 10, 2026 Alex Forbes-Calvin

Feature

"It's not sexy, but it's one of the most successful genres on Steam" – Stronghold developer Firefly launches publishing label to serve the vast strategy market

The Devolver-owned studio on signing its first third-party game, Fool King, and how it builds and maintains an audience

Sept. 7, 2026 Jon Hicks

Feature

Inside Tencent's long-term strategy: live service, AI tools, and evergreen titles

"I think people should just not be afraid of AI"

Sept. 4, 2026 Lewis Packwood

News

Voting extended for special categories in the Best Places To Work Awards

There's still time to enter the Special Awards categories for excellence in education, training, environmental sustainability and more

Sept. 3, 2026 Jon Hicks

Feature

"We've got a great team, money in the bank, and financial independence": Glowmade comes out swinging after Amazon pulled the plug on King of Meat

Studio head and co-founder Jonny Hopper talks about why the studio has gone smaller with its next project and why limitations aren't such a bad thing

Sept. 3, 2026 Jon Hicks

Screenshot from Grand Theft Auto 6. Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos stand together in front of palm trees and a modern cityscape. Lucia wears a cropped rust-colored jacket and glasses, with her hair in braids. Jason, wearing sunglasses and a tropical-print shirt, stands slightly behind and to her right.

News

Newzoo: 2026 console revenue would be flat year-on-year without Grand Theft Auto 6

The research firm recently said that the platform's revenue was set to increase 5.1% to hit $46.9 billion; GTA 6 is set to increase full-game spending on console by 17.5%

Aug. 27, 2026 Alex Forbes-Calvin

News

Executives from EA and Tencent to speak alongside Netflix, Sony, and Disney at FT Business of Entertainment summit

Leadership summit takes place in West Hollywood in September, with discount for GamesIndustry.biz readers

Aug. 26, 2026 Jon Hicks

News

IGN Entertainment brings Women In Gaming networking event to Gamescom

Breakfast gathering on Wednesday 26th is supported by GamesIndustry.biz

Aug. 21, 2026 Jon Hicks

A panel at the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit 2025

News

GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit reveals new People and Workplace focus, dedicated to shaping the future of games workplaces

Topics include effective strategies for handling the use of AI, working with trade unions, and working effectively with business leaders

Aug. 20, 2026 Jon Hicks

Feature

"As more people play games, even the tiniest niches find a bigger audience" – Why Matt Webster is convinced people want Star Wars: Galactic Racer

The Fuse Games CEO on reinventing racing games, young talent beating veterans, and an overdue move away from the "bullshit" idea of a "single creative visionary"

Aug. 19, 2026 Lewis Packwood