The Pixel Pivot: Bold Leaps & Office Sweeps
Pocket-sized shootouts, office chair mayhem, and walking away from the AAA machine.
Welcome to the Dev and Play Media newsletter! We’ve got a weird mix of news this week. From Ubisoft trying to make a massive loot-shooter work on a touchscreen, to an industry veteran who finally got fed up with the AAA machine and decided to go indie. We’re also reviewing a game about shotgunning your coworkers from an office chair. Let’s get into it.
Top News
The Division Resurgence: Big Apple, Tiny Screen
Cramming a massive cover shooter onto a phone usually means terrible controls and cramped thumbs. But Ubisoft actually went and did it with The Division Resurgence. It bridges the story gap between the 2016 original and the D.C. sequel, and honestly? As long-time fans, we’re surprised by how well it actually works.
A Costly Hope: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Expansion Sparks Faction Warfare
GSC Game World just announced the first premium add-on for their survival shooter. Dropping in Summer 2026, “Cost of Hope” isn’t just a quick epilogue—it’s kicking off a massive three-part story arc that’s going to significantly expand the core experience of the Zone.
Review Spotlight
Last Man Sitting
Sooner or later, we all have one of those days where we want to take a twelve-gauge to a Monday morning all-hands meeting. Last Man Sitting actually lets you do it. You slide around a survival arena propelled entirely by weapon recoil while strapped to an ergonomic mesh chair. It’s loud, undeniably stupid, and yet it is easily the most fun office meeting you’ll ever survive.
Interview of the Week
“I needed a change of scenery from the towering monoliths of the gaming industry... Station Command is an incredibly personal project born out of a desire to rediscover the simple joy of game creation.”
Context: Daniel Baumann spent his career in the trenches of EA, Blizzard, and Tencent. We sat down with him to talk about his transition from AAA burnout to founding his own indie studio, Respite Games.
Until Next Time...
That’s all for today’s round-up! I’m genuinely curious to hear if any of you are actually going to try playing a massive shooter like The Division on your phones, or if you’re just here for the office chair mayhem. Drop a comment and let me know.
Have a great week, and I’ll catch you in the next one.
I'll definitely try The Division but only if it works with a Bluetooth controller. If not, I'll pass on touch controls.