Time
Company
Documents about Time
Top 10 Most-Watched LoL Esports Tournaments: All-Time Records
League of Legends esports continues to demonstrate unprecedented growth in global viewership, cementing its status as a premier competitive gaming title.
- The 2024 League of Legends World Championship set all-time industry records with 190.1 million total hours watched and a peak concurrent viewership of 6.85 million.
- Riot Games’ integration of community co-streaming has been a primary driver in expanding the reach and accessibility of major broadcast events.
- The LCK 2025 season achieved a top-three position in all-time viewership rankings following structural format changes and increased airtime.
First Stand 2026: 82% Watch Time Growth and New Bo5 Format Impact
The 2026 edition of First Stand marks a pivotal evolution in competitive gaming viewership, characterized by an 82% surge in total hours watched compared to the tournament’s inaugural year.
- First Stand 2026 achieved an 82% increase in total hours watched compared to its inaugural year, driven largely by the adoption of a best-of-five match format.
- The shift to a best-of-five format successfully increased viewer retention and extended the duration of high-stakes competition throughout the event.
- Viewership growth was geographically uneven, with significant spikes in Brazil and Vietnam contrasting with a 20% decline in the Korean market.
Epic is Having a Tougher Time Than Expected Breaking Apple and Google’s Store Duopoly
Epic Games is encountering significant challenges in its efforts to dismantle the mobile app store duopoly held by Apple and Google.
- Epic Games Store on mobile has reached approximately 30 million total installs, falling significantly short of its initial target of 100 million by the end of 2024.
- The Epic Games Store currently hosts about 60 games on iOS and nearly 200 games on Android.
- Developer adoption remains slow due to significant trepidation regarding alternative app stores and the complexity of current rules and regulations.
What’s Gone Wrong at Ubisoft
Ubisoft is currently facing a significant decline in productivity and output, marking a stark departure from its historical reputation as a prolific publisher of major console and PC titles.
- Ubisoft is suffering from systemic mismanagement and operational inefficiencies across its global studio network, leading to a significant decline in productivity and output.
- The company has experienced a series of high-profile failures and cancellations between 2020 and 2026, including the decade-long development of Skull & Bones and the termination of The Division Heartland and Ghost Recon Frontline.
- Development instability is evidenced by the indefinite delay or disappearance of major projects such as the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake and the Splinter Cell remake.
Circana: The US Gaming Market Could Hit an All-Time High in 2026
The United States video game market is projected to reach a nominal all-time high of $62.8 billion in 2026, representing a 3% year-over-year increase.
- The US video game market is projected to reach a nominal record of $62.8 billion in 2026, a 3% year-over-year increase following a $60.7 billion performance in 2025.
- Despite nominal growth, the market remains below its 2021 real-terms peak when adjusted for inflation.
- Market growth in 2026 is expected to be driven by the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, alongside major titles like Marvel’s Wolverine and new entries in the Resident Evil and Pokémon franchises.
Staffing Strategy for Game Studios: Full-Time vs. Contractors
Effective staffing strategy for independent game studios requires aligning team composition with specific development phases to manage burn rate and maintain creative agility.
- Founders should treat team composition as a strategic risk factor, as over-hiring full-time staff early can double burn rates and erode creative independence by forcing payroll to drive product decisions.
- Core leadership and discipline leads should remain internal for cultural and decision-making continuity, while asset-heavy and specialized tasks—such as environment art, QA bursts, or technical audits—are better suited for contractors or outsourcing.
- To extend runway, studios should leverage global talent in lower-cost regions rather than exclusively hiring in high-cost hubs like San Francisco or London, provided the focus remains on value per dollar rather than just the lowest rate.
Les incompétents
Ubisoft is currently facing a severe corporate crisis characterized by declining market confidence, operational instability, and a failure to adapt to shifting industry trends.
- Ubisoft's share price dropped 40% following an announcement of a major restructuring that includes the cancellation of six games and the delay of seven others.
- The restructuring involves closing studios in Stockholm and Halifax, implementing a global return-to-office mandate, and laying off staff at Massive, RedLynx, and its Abu Dhabi studio.
- Ubisoft's stock value has declined by over 90% since its 2018 peak, with recent investor dissatisfaction stemming from the sale of franchise rights to Tencent.
Ubisoft Announces a Major Organizational, Operational and Portfolio Reset
Ubisoft has announced a comprehensive organizational and portfolio reset aimed at reclaiming creative leadership and restoring sustainable growth.
- Ubisoft is restructuring into five specialized Creative Houses—Vantage Studios, competitive shooters, live-service, immersive fantasy, and casual/family—to grant units full financial and creative ownership over their genres.
- The company is targeting a total fixed cost reduction of €500 million since FY2023, aiming for a run-rate of €1.25 billion in total fixed costs by March 2028.
- Financial outlooks for FY2026 project net bookings of approximately €1.5 billion and a non-IFRS EBIT loss of roughly €1 billion, driven by a €650 million one-off accelerated depreciation.
Ubisoft Semi-Annual Financial Report
The Ubisoft semi-annual financial report for the period of April 1 to September 30, 2025, outlines a period of significant corporate restructuring and financial stabilization.
- Ubisoft’s net debt reached €1.15 billion as of September 30, 2025, with plans to settle the balance following the completion of the Vantage Studios deal with Tencent.
- The company reduced its headcount by 1,500 employees over the past year, leaving a total of 17,097 staff members as of September 30, 2025.
- Net losses narrowed to €161.4 million for the period of April 1 to September 30, 2025, down from €246.5 million in the same period the previous year.
Speculation around Ubisoft Earnings Delay Proves Unfounded
Ubisoft recently addressed market speculation regarding a six-day delay in its earnings release, clarifying that the postponement was strictly an accounting matter rather than a sign of corporate instability or a breakdown in investor relations.
- Ubisoft's recent six-day earnings delay was caused by an accounting restatement involving new auditors and the revenue recognition of two specific partnerships, rather than corporate instability or a split with investor Tencent.
- The company's partnership with Tencent remains on track, with a €1.16 billion ($1.25 billion) investment into the new subsidiary Vantage expected to close in the coming days.
- Ubisoft’s total headcount has decreased to 17,097 employees as of September 2025, down from 17,782 in March 2025 and nearly 21,000 in 2022.
Second Time Lucky: Rise of the Steam Machines?
The recent announcement of new hardware from Valve—specifically a second-generation Steam Machine, a new Steam controller, and the Steam Frame VR device—marks a significant evolution in the company’s strategy to expand its PC-centric ecosystem into the living room.
- Valve is launching a second-generation Steam Machine, a new controller, and the Steam Frame VR device to extend its PC ecosystem into the living room.
- Unlike the 2013 launch, the new hardware leverages the maturity of Proton to solve previous Linux emulation issues and build on the success of the Steam Deck.
- Valve projects sales of 7–10 million units for the new Steam Machines over the next five years, targeting its existing base of 170–200 million monthly active Steam users.
October's Top PlayStation Games by Copies Sold
The October 2025 PlayStation sales analysis highlights a robust period for both new AAA releases and established evergreen titles.
- EA's FC 26 sold 3 million copies on PlayStation in October, bringing its total to over 8 million units on the platform and maintaining its position as a primary revenue anchor.
- Sony's Ghost of Yotei launched with 2.7 million copies sold, establishing itself as a major single-player success despite selling at a slower pace than its predecessor due to the smaller PS5 install base.
- Battlefield 6 experienced a significant surge in daily active users on PS5 following the launch of its free-to-play REDSEC mode and season 1, effectively reversing a post-launch engagement decline.