Pontus Hallén
@pontushallen.bsky.social
Quality Designer at Frostbite (EA). Witticisms are not guaranteed. Thoughts and statements are my own. He/him. pfp: Simón Ochsenius.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
The amount of people I know who have been laid off from games industry jobs and are deciding to leave games entirely as a result is not only extremely saddening (of course), but also genuinely scary. We have lost legitimately thousands of years of knowledge and experience in the last four years.
November 21, 2025 at 2:13 AM
The amount of people I know who have been laid off from games industry jobs and are deciding to leave games entirely as a result is not only extremely saddening (of course), but also genuinely scary. We have lost legitimately thousands of years of knowledge and experience in the last four years.
Some hopefully wise words from the QA trenches: if your placeholder assets aren't making everyone on the project say "oh my god this asset is so bad, we can't possibly ship the game with this in there!" they aren't placeholder assets, that shit will slip through.
Ubisoft admits AI-generated loading screen "slipped through" into final build of Anno 117: Pax Romana
www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-admi...
www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-admi...
November 17, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Some hopefully wise words from the QA trenches: if your placeholder assets aren't making everyone on the project say "oh my god this asset is so bad, we can't possibly ship the game with this in there!" they aren't placeholder assets, that shit will slip through.
Labor should be organized by the people providing it, and rather than being a valid career where you can jump from company to company to extract maximum value from them, C-suite roles should be elected positions where you answer to the people who make up the company's work force.
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 14, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Labor should be organized by the people providing it, and rather than being a valid career where you can jump from company to company to extract maximum value from them, C-suite roles should be elected positions where you answer to the people who make up the company's work force.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
Wouldn't you like to WIN this @patstaresat.bsky.social shirt? Enter our GIVEAWAY! 🥳
The shirt is only available for the next 48 hours then, POOF it's gone!
To enter simply:
✅ Follow us
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Winners will be chosen 24 hours from now so don't miss out!
The shirt is only available for the next 48 hours then, POOF it's gone!
To enter simply:
✅ Follow us
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✅ Repost this
Winners will be chosen 24 hours from now so don't miss out!
November 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Wouldn't you like to WIN this @patstaresat.bsky.social shirt? Enter our GIVEAWAY! 🥳
The shirt is only available for the next 48 hours then, POOF it's gone!
To enter simply:
✅ Follow us
✅ Follow Pat
✅ Repost this
Winners will be chosen 24 hours from now so don't miss out!
The shirt is only available for the next 48 hours then, POOF it's gone!
To enter simply:
✅ Follow us
✅ Follow Pat
✅ Repost this
Winners will be chosen 24 hours from now so don't miss out!
That's one way to get the union busting out of the news cycle I guess.
Grand Theft Auto VI delayed (again) to November 2026
Grand Theft Auto VI delayed (again) to November 2026
Do you hear that? It's the sound of a thousand game publishers rushing to change their release dates.
www.gamedeveloper.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:15 AM
That's one way to get the union busting out of the news cycle I guess.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
Just to be 100% clear: do not *trust* your employers - that's super silly. The relationship is economical, not based in loyalty, trust, or kindness. There's no judgement in forming a union, just understanding that capitalism requires a risk of financial loss to get companies to do the right thing.
"Unionisation efforts just signal to employers you don’t trust them"
"Just profit share"
Have you been in the industry these past three years? Some ppl just wanna marry the boot
"Just profit share"
Have you been in the industry these past three years? Some ppl just wanna marry the boot
November 1, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Just to be 100% clear: do not *trust* your employers - that's super silly. The relationship is economical, not based in loyalty, trust, or kindness. There's no judgement in forming a union, just understanding that capitalism requires a risk of financial loss to get companies to do the right thing.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
EA employees and UVW-CWA slam Saudi-led EA buyout, call for regulatory scrutiny
EA employees and UVW-CWA slam Saudi-led EA buyout, call for regulatory scrutiny
"If jobs are lost or studios are closed due to this deal, that would be a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors' pockets—not to strengthen the company."
www.gamedeveloper.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:11 PM
EA employees and UVW-CWA slam Saudi-led EA buyout, call for regulatory scrutiny
Sometimes I question what I'm even doing with my life for various reasons, but today I will just allow myself to be greatful. BF6 is out and the manifestation of everyone's effort (however ephemeral mine may be in this case) is meeting players.
If you've been waiting, I hope you enjoy it. PTFO!
If you've been waiting, I hope you enjoy it. PTFO!
October 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Sometimes I question what I'm even doing with my life for various reasons, but today I will just allow myself to be greatful. BF6 is out and the manifestation of everyone's effort (however ephemeral mine may be in this case) is meeting players.
If you've been waiting, I hope you enjoy it. PTFO!
If you've been waiting, I hope you enjoy it. PTFO!
Dude really, really, really wants to do some war crimes huh?
Hegseth: "We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement."
September 30, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Dude really, really, really wants to do some war crimes huh?
I'm not about to do anything rash, but if recent reports are indeed true I may need to keep my eyes open a bit more than usual and be ready to rip the cord.
September 26, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I'm not about to do anything rash, but if recent reports are indeed true I may need to keep my eyes open a bit more than usual and be ready to rip the cord.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
the political policy cure for “male loneliness” is
- more time to hang with the fellas (4 day work week)
- more money to spend with the fellas (higher wages)
- more things to do with the fellas (taxing the rich and building 3rd spaces)
- more time to hang with the fellas (4 day work week)
- more money to spend with the fellas (higher wages)
- more things to do with the fellas (taxing the rich and building 3rd spaces)
September 26, 2025 at 3:32 PM
the political policy cure for “male loneliness” is
- more time to hang with the fellas (4 day work week)
- more money to spend with the fellas (higher wages)
- more things to do with the fellas (taxing the rich and building 3rd spaces)
- more time to hang with the fellas (4 day work week)
- more money to spend with the fellas (higher wages)
- more things to do with the fellas (taxing the rich and building 3rd spaces)
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
parts of skate are magnificent
September 23, 2025 at 7:35 AM
parts of skate are magnificent
A common misconception! The petard is the bomb, you are what's way up there.
September 10, 2025 at 11:15 PM
A common misconception! The petard is the bomb, you are what's way up there.
The fridge gave out today so I had to take care of that. That's what I get for thinking I was being proactive and did good with some other outstanding chores over the weekend I guess.
Ah well, at least the freezer section is still working fine.
*knocks furiously on wood*
Ah well, at least the freezer section is still working fine.
*knocks furiously on wood*
September 8, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The fridge gave out today so I had to take care of that. That's what I get for thinking I was being proactive and did good with some other outstanding chores over the weekend I guess.
Ah well, at least the freezer section is still working fine.
*knocks furiously on wood*
Ah well, at least the freezer section is still working fine.
*knocks furiously on wood*
I am now officially of the age and persuasion where I excitedly send my friends pictures of my new storage solutions for all the games, films and other crap I have in my cabinets.
It bought me basically an entire shelf of space! Fantastic! Now, I only need to get three boxes more...
It bought me basically an entire shelf of space! Fantastic! Now, I only need to get three boxes more...
August 29, 2025 at 3:33 AM
I am now officially of the age and persuasion where I excitedly send my friends pictures of my new storage solutions for all the games, films and other crap I have in my cabinets.
It bought me basically an entire shelf of space! Fantastic! Now, I only need to get three boxes more...
It bought me basically an entire shelf of space! Fantastic! Now, I only need to get three boxes more...
I've only seen episode 1 so far, but I think that Alien: Earth may potentially have the sauce. Not that I was doubting Noah Hawley overmuch.
I also want to say that "The Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath was an inspired choice as the outro for the episode.
I also want to say that "The Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath was an inspired choice as the outro for the episode.
August 13, 2025 at 3:22 AM
I've only seen episode 1 so far, but I think that Alien: Earth may potentially have the sauce. Not that I was doubting Noah Hawley overmuch.
I also want to say that "The Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath was an inspired choice as the outro for the episode.
I also want to say that "The Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath was an inspired choice as the outro for the episode.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
"We understand as Black people that our fight - is the Irish fight - the Irish fight is the Palestinians’ fight" - Punk duo Bob Vylan make their first appearance in Ireland since their much talked about Glastonbury set back in June.
August 5, 2025 at 12:57 PM
"We understand as Black people that our fight - is the Irish fight - the Irish fight is the Palestinians’ fight" - Punk duo Bob Vylan make their first appearance in Ireland since their much talked about Glastonbury set back in June.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
A list of only the confirmed children massacred by Israel's pure evil and relentless genocide in Gaza. Many estimations are that the actual amount of adults and children murdered by Israel could be double, or even triple. They will likely remain unnamed.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...
60,000 Gazans have been killed. 18,500 were children. These are their names.
Palestinian children have been killed at a rate of more than one per hour since the war began.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 5, 2025 at 3:04 AM
A list of only the confirmed children massacred by Israel's pure evil and relentless genocide in Gaza. Many estimations are that the actual amount of adults and children murdered by Israel could be double, or even triple. They will likely remain unnamed.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
If IGN has layoffs, nobody in games press is safe. If Microsoft has layoffs, nobody in platforms is safe. If Ubisoft and Bungie and NetEase have layoffs, nobody in game development is safe. If the Romeros get their funding pulled, no studio is safe.
It's rough out there, right now.
It's rough out there, right now.
August 5, 2025 at 3:34 AM
If IGN has layoffs, nobody in games press is safe. If Microsoft has layoffs, nobody in platforms is safe. If Ubisoft and Bungie and NetEase have layoffs, nobody in game development is safe. If the Romeros get their funding pulled, no studio is safe.
It's rough out there, right now.
It's rough out there, right now.
Reposted by Pontus Hallén
Raven Software's union has ratified their first contract, three years after forming. Wins include a guaranteed 10-percent wage increase over two years, on top of merit-based raises
August 4, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Raven Software's union has ratified their first contract, three years after forming. Wins include a guaranteed 10-percent wage increase over two years, on top of merit-based raises