Good afternoon! This week's Patch Notes is coming in HOT and for that I apologize. It's been a hectic few days.

I'm preparing to head to Bangkok for Gamescom Asia on Tuesday and juggling some rather last-minute admin (yes, that includes securing gallons of Factor 50) with the usual deluge of news has proven rather tricky. I'm going to be loading my Steam Deck with a bunch of contemporary indie delights for the flight over (I'm coming for you, Consume Me) because I remain embarrassingly inept at playing video games the year they come out. I'm also well aware our beloved end-of-year roundups are looking large.

After I touch down in Thailand, I'll be doing my best to chat with industry bigwigs and local developers to ensure we can keep bringing you the stories that matter. Speaking of which, there were a few of those doing the rounds this week. Take a look.

Heart Machine making layoffs and ending development on Hyper Light Breaker

via Game Developer // Heart Machine this week announced its second round of job cuts in less than a year and confirmed it's winding down development on its early access title, Hyper Light Breaker. It's unclear what shape the project, which only debuted in January, will be left in, but the studio said it will attempt to deliver "something meaningful and as polished and complete as we can."

Related:Xbox hardware now costs a lot more in the UK and Europe

Deviant Legal just released an in-depth guide to publishing agreements

via Game Developer // On the hunt for a publishing deal? Then you'll want to check out Deviant Legal's tremendous Game Developer's Guide to Publishing Agreements. The game-focused law firm published the free resource to explain the ins and outs of those jargon-heavy contracts and help developers understand precisely what they're signing up for. It's a fantastic resource that, in the words of Deviant Legal founder Rene Otto, will help "democratize access to legal knowledge."

343 Industries art director Glenn Israel departs and shares cryptic message

via LinkedIn // Veteran Halo artist, Glenn Israel, confirmed his departure from 343 Industries this week and posted a rather cryptic message on Linkedin that indicates his exit came under tense circumstances. Israel had been serving as art director and is credited with working on titles like Halo: Reach and Halo: Infinite. Writing on Linkedin, he pledged to share his story when the time is right and told his peers to stand strong in the face of adversity. "No illusion of security nor promise of wealth or fame or power is worth trading away your health, your dignity, your ethics or values—and no one can force you to," he wrote. "Stay strong, take evidence when necessary, and find where you belong."

Related:PlayStation 5 sales have topped 95 million units worldwide

Sustainable Games Alliance launches emissions reporting framework for developers

via Game Developer // How can you make video games without immolating planet earth? The Sustainable Games Alliance has a few ideas and has just published a global emissions reporting framework called the Sustainable Games Standard to help companies measure, benchmark, and reduce emissions. "Our ambition is to make gaming the most sustainable entertainment medium, and industry wide strategic action based on easily accessible and comparable data is the only way well get there," said SGA managing director Maria Wagner. If you like the cut of her jib, be sure to check out the SGS.

Funcom is closing Metal: Hellsinger developer The Outsiders

via Game Developer // Last week, Funcom confirmed it was making layoffs shortly after releasing the 'biggest release' in its history in Dune: Awakening. Now, we know those redundancies will results in Metal: Hellsinger developer The Outsiders being shut down. Studio founder David Goldfarb confirmed the news and explained every worker at the Stockholm subsidiary will lose their jobs as a result of the closure.

Related:EA clears US regulatory approvals in take-private deal

Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassins Creed last year

via Game File // In what is an utterly depressing scoop, Game File reported that Ubisoft recently cancelled an Assassin's Creed title set in the United States during the Reconstruction era that would have featured a black protagonist fighting for justice against nefarious groups including the Ku Klux Klan. Ubisoft allegedly pumped the breaks because, according to one anonymous source, the pitch was "too political in a country too unstable." Utter, contemptible, lunacy.

'Gaming is the new oil:' How the EA buyout 'diverges from the traditional playbook'

via Game Developer // You've heard a lot about the shape and structure of the earth-shaking $55 billion EA buyout, but what happens next? Seasoned reporter and regular Game Developer columnist Nicole Carpenter sought to answer that question by speaking with a range of business analysts and experts to lay out how the take-private deal will impact EA workers, its products, and the video game industry at large. If you have any lingering questions about what lies ahead for the one of the industry's biggest publishers, this one is an absolute must read.