Owners of the Expansion Pass will still be able to access the DLC on the upgraded version of the game.

The studio filed for insolvency last November.

Senior HR Generalist (Temporary) - BlizzardBlizzard EntertainmentAustin Texas 78717 United States of America40 minutes agoApplyTeam Name:Human ResourcesJob Title:Senior HR Generalist (Temporary) - BlizzardRequisition ID:R025233Job Description:Your MissionActivision Blizzard has an immediate opening for a Human Resources Generalist. As an HR Generalist you’re an extraordinary human resource professional. Your skills, curiosity, and motivation are a perfect fit for any HR department in nearly every industry. Every company has employee relations issues, benefits, and the usual slew of HR functions, so why come to Activision Blizzard? We offer one of the most fast-paced, dynamic, and progressive environments for HR professionals to ply their craft. Our HR staff ranks among the most hardworking and professional in any industry, but they also place a high value on creative thinking and unique approaches. For those of you with an adventurous spirit and a desire for knowledge-sharing and growing, we want to add you to our team!The ideal candidate is highly responsible, organized, flexible and has the ability to maintain a strict code of confidentiality. You have a proven skill for working well with people, and the desire to jump in and contribute to an agile, fun, and fast-paced environment. You will be responsible for assisting in all functional areas of human resources.Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following accountabilities:Answer day-to-day queries from employees and managers regarding benefits, payroll, policies, and procedures, and leave of absence.Respond and facilitate employee relations issues as they arise.Provide coaching to employees, supervisors, and managers to resolve conflicts, enhance team effectiveness, and ensure support of organization changes and business plans.Partner with employees and management to interpret and administer various human resources policies, procedures, laws, and state and federal legislation.Coordinate performance reviews, merit increases, performance / potential matrices, and leadership planning.Take ownership of onboarding for technology organization new hires and offboarding for departing employees.Provide HR Partners and respective client groups with reporting and special projects as required.Support the Tech Org HR team with administrative tasks including creating team meeting agendas, planning team events, filing, and other administrative tasks as they arise.Player ProfileMinimum Requirements:A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a human resources role or related roleBachelor’s degree or equivalent experienceExperience with labor relationsSelf-motivation; can work independently with an understanding of when to call out issuesExcellent organizational and analytical skillsProfessional and maintain utmost confidentialityStrong self / time management skillsSolid understanding of employee attraction, engagement, and retention strategiesOutstanding interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)Able to work well in a dynamic and constantly evolving environmentExtra Points:Human resources experience in an entertainment, production or technology companyProven proficiency in Excel and PowerPointSolid understanding of California employment lawPHR / SPHR certificationOur WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $72,720.00 - $134,460.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & PlanningBlizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America40 minutes agoApplyTeam Name:MarketingJob Title:Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & PlanningRequisition ID:R025219Job Description:YOUR MISSIONBlizzard Entertainment is seeking a Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & Planning to strengthen our global marketing efforts across legendary franchises like Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. This leader will be responsible for defining Blizzard’s short-to-long-term marketing frameworks, ensuring our campaigns and live service marketing are insight-driven, audience-focused, and built for sustained franchise growth.Reporting to the VP of Product Marketing & Strategy, this role will collaborate closely with product marketing, brand & creative marketing, social & content marketing, international, growth, analytics, finance, product, and development teams to establish strategic frameworks and rituals, optimize marketing investments, and improve campaign effectiveness.RESPONSIBILITIESLead global marketing strategic planning across Blizzard’s portfolio, ensuring alignment with business goals and franchise priorities.Define and implement multi-year marketing strategies, identifying opportunities for innovation, audience expansion, and competitive differentiation.Establish clear marketing frameworks that guide annual planning, campaign execution, and performance optimization.Collaborate with analytics to establish marketing KPIs and measurement frameworks, ensuring campaigns are data-driven and performance-oriented.Collaborate with analytics, finance, and business operations to optimize marketing investment strategies across Blizzard’s portfolio.Drive strategic insights, executive marketing reviews, and reporting to inform decision-making and continuously refine marketing effectiveness.Leverage industry trends, competitive positioning, and player insights to identify new opportunities for marketing impact.Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing marketing strategy & planning team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.Serve as a thought leader within Blizzard Leadership, influencing senior leadership on marketing priorities, budget allocation, and strategic bets.PLAYER PROFILEThe ideal candidate will have deep consumer marketing experience in the gaming, entertainment or tech industries. They have demonstrated strategic prowess, as well as business acumen. This position requires an expert in marketing who is a proactive self-starter constantly looking to push the envelope with innovative and clever ideas to grow and delight global player communities.REQUIREMENTS15+ years of experience in strategy, planning, strategy consulting, or FP&A within gaming, entertainment, or consumer tech.Expertise in portfolio management, multi-channel marketing execution, and audience segmentation.Strong analytical mindset, with experience using data-driven insights to optimize marketing investments and performance.Deep understanding of the gaming landscape, including player behaviors, industry trends, and competitor strategies.Exceptional leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills, with a track record of influencing stakeholders across complex organizations.Experience with live-service game marketing.Expertise in global marketing planning across key international markets.Passion for Blizzard games and a deep appreciation for player-first marketing.OUR WORLDAt Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we’ve been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We’re on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Hard work, iteration and polish go into the Blizzard “secret recipe,” but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us.The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $164,800.00 - $304,800.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Start SlideshowStart SlideshowImage: Compulsion Games The Great Tapestry, according to South of Midnight, wraps around the entire world, a place where every person’s story is just one tiny thread, and it’s up to weavers like our dear trackstar heroine Hazel to smooth out the knots when they happen. But while South of Midnight presents us with a half-dozen lurid tales of the tiny town of Prospero, and the American South in general, pop culture doesn’t exactly do our own home-grown myths justice, at least not with the very unique tone and timbre Compulsion Games’ crafted into South of Midnight, and especially not when brown folks are involved. There are at least a few movies that get close, though, and if you’re not in a hurry to leave Prospero just yet after Hazel’s adventures tracking down her mom, we’ve got a few captivating little stories that’ll at least get you close to feeling like you’re weaving again. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesBeasts of the Southern WildList slidesBeasts of the Southern WildScreenshot: Fox Searchlight Pictures Probably the straightest of straight lines can be drawn from South of Midnight to Beasts of the Southern Wild. Despite Hushpuppy being much much younger than Hazel, this is one set of crochet hooks away from being the South of Midnight film you want. It’s a genuinely beautiful love letter to a world that still holds magic, even when Mother Nature regularly wipes the slate clean, and poverty strands its inhabitants in whatever hope, horror, or despair they had before. But more importantly, it’s a film told by people who’ve lived through it. They may be completely untrained as actors, but these are faces of people who’ve survived the worst. That sense of perseverance can’t be taught. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesWendell and WildList slidesWendell and WildScreenshot: Monkeypaw ProductionsIf you’re looking for something to match up to South of Midnight’s stop-motion aesthetic visually, who better to come running to than Henry Selick, the man behind Nightmare Before Christmas–no, Tim Burton didn’t actually direct it, and don’t you forget it—and Coraline. It’s a wild little death trip of stop-motion characters trekking back and forth between Earth and the Underworld, while a pair of demon brothers tries to hustle their way up the demonic food chain. At the heart of it, though, is Kat, an orphaned black girl who grows up with a massive chip on her shoulder, and a hell of a lot of black rock/punk/metal artists screaming in her ears. There’s nobody quite like her in all cinema, let alone in what’s ostensibly a kids’ film. You’re gonna love her.Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesEve’s BayouList slidesEve’s BayouScreenshot: ChubbCo FilmThere is no shortage of stories about how deeply dysfunctional black families can be in the Deep South, but much, much there are fewer that manage to mix in some good old southern superstition and witchcraft into the mix. Eve’s Bayou has plenty of both, playing out like a sweatier, dirtier, black variant of Pan’s Labyrinth than, say, your average Toni Morrison adaptation. Come for Samuel L. Jackson playing a unique kind of complex, severely fucked-up father figure; stay for a black girl’s beautifully executed coming-of-age story. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesTales from the Crypt: Demon KnightList slidesTales from the Crypt: Demon KnightScreenshot: Crypt Keeper ProductionsNow, technically, Demon Knight takes place in New Mexico over the course of one dark and stormy night, but there’s still this air about it It tells the story of a battle between ancient forces of good and evil converging to fight on the unlikeliest stage imaginable, surrounded by dirt poor locals just barely getting by in their little nowhere town. It feels like trashy southern gothic pulp even though it’s more southwestern, is the point. But also, it absolutely rules, with some wild bespoke biblical mythology, truly gnarly monster designs. Special focus on Jada Pinkett as one of the best take-no-shit final girls in horror history, but especially Billy Zane putting in an all-timer performance as The Collector. It’s also directed by Ernest Dickerson, who was the cinematographer behind everything Spike Lee did up through Malcolm X. We weren’t getting a lot of horror helmed by black folks in the ‘90s, so this is a major stand out in that regard too.Oh, and you don’t get to hear much of it in the film, but the soundtrack rips. Pantera? Ministry? Machine Head? Sepultura? After the Cryptkeeper intro, the proper movie starts with Filter’s Hey Man Nice Shot. They so don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesBig FishList slidesBig FishScreenshot: Columbia PicturesNo, I swear this isn’t just because there’s also a giant fish in South of Midnight. Big Fish’s big fish doesn’t talk, anyway. No, mostly this one’s maybe the most traditional of films to go seek out, just on the strength of some undeniably captivating tall tales, and some really wonderful performances backing them up. It helps that this is Tim Burton still on his A-game, still not giving into his worst instincts, but imbuing all the magical elements with a distinct brand of weirdness. Where it most links up with South of Midnight, though, is in the town of Spectre, a seemingly perfect Southern purgatory where sunshine, flowers and lemonade are all you need, despite also giving our dear hero William Bloom the tiniest glimpse to the other side of reality. That material is the strongest in the film by far, but it’s a small part of a genuinely wonderful whole. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesThe Gift (2000)List slidesThe Gift (2000)Screenshot: Lakeshore EntertainmentOn the other side of the coin, you have Sam Raimi’s The Gift, a harrowing slice of small-town Southern life, barely hanging together on the strength of Cate Blanchett’s Annie Wilson, a psychic medium whose visions land her right in the middle of her tiny town’s worst drama. Some of the best supernatural stories involve putting one occult element in the middle of stark reality, and treating it seriously, much like one of the major threads in South of Midnight involves Bunny Flood looking for supernatural solutions to her unending grief. Not only is The Gift a prime example of that—a genuine hidden gem in Sam Raimi’s filmography—but also, even with an absurdly stacked cast, there is one major jaw-dropper of a performance: Keanu Reeves bringing his A-game playing a complete monster of an abusive redneck husband to Hilary Swank. He’s utterly–and believably–terrifying in the role, and probably for obvious reasons, he’s never played anything like it since.Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesCandyman (2021)List slidesCandyman (2021)Screenshot: Universal PicturesSure, we could’ve picked the original just for the synergy–there’s more of Daniel Robitaille’s NOLA past explored in it for sure. However, we’re gonna run with the 2021 remake, because above all else, like South of Midnight, it’s a story about stories, the ones that don’t just travel through communities, scaring them shitless into acting right, but also the ones that promise that the wrongs of this world will be avenged, and the dead have a say in that, no matter how the 21st century might try to bury them. That’s a hell of an angle for what’s ultimately the third sequel to only one good movie, and it’s a powerful one in practice. Also, not for nothing, but the shadow play performance during the credits isoutstanding grace note to the whole thing. Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesSinnersList slidesSinnersScreenshot: Warner Bros. Pictures / Proximity MediaCoincidentally, maybe the best recommendation is the one that’s in theaters right this second. Sinners and South of Midnight feel like they’re in perfect dialogue together, with a few elements (hoodou, haints, music connecting to the ancestors) shared between them but approaching from different standpoints. For South of Midnight, it’s through the lens of healing and community and forgiveness for hurt people hurting people. For Sinners, though, it’s through a lens of survival, of the power the marginalized have even in times of powerlessness, and the ways that power reverberates through generations. As brilliant as South of Midnight is, as wonderfully as it uses music, Sinners one-ups it with its best, most beautiful sequence, where a virtuoso blues player’s music conjures the spirit of communal joy from our African ancestors all the way up to modern hip hop and metal. Of course, that’s not to sidestep the fact that it also functions as a big, brutal period piece vampire movie that plays like a sexier, southern-fried From Dusk Till Dawn. It’s got something for literally everybody, but the broadest wavelength of this flick is speaking directly to BIPOC folks.

Season 2 of Marvel Rivals is here, and there are quite a few balance changes and additions to mark its arrival. A new battle pass, the Flower of Krakoa, is here alongside an incredible new character, Emma Frost. Let’s go over what’s changed in the meta for this wildly popular superhero shooter.Suggested ReadingDiablo IV - Bear Bender Build Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingDiablo IV - Bear Bender Build Share SubtitlesOffEnglishThe development team made a few changes to help characters out and give them places where they would become strong, or remain strong, without being too dominant (but there are some exceptions). Screenshot: Marvel Games / KotakuWith the addition of Emma, who counters dive, the dive meta starting with the end of Season 1.5 has already kind of come to an end. While you can certainly still play dive-heavy comps, you’ll need team coordination; it’s not the dominant force the community anticipated. So what else is leading the pack? Either the classic “2/2/2” or the new Triple Vanguard, one Duelist, and two Strategist line-up.[Rocket Raccoon] is in the running for ‘best Strategist’ in the game.Other notable balance changes include new team-ups for Emma/Magneto/Psylocke, Bucky and Cap, Namor and Hulk, Dr. Strange and Scarlet Witch, and the removal of team-ups for Bucky and Rocket, Namor and Luna, Storm and Thor, Magneto and Scarlet Witch, and Magik and Psylocke.Rocket has always been great, but with vastly improved single-target healing and a two-for-one Ultimate that both boosts damage and negates several ‘one-shot’ combos that kill through other support ults, he is a borderline must-play character now and, for my money, in the running for “best Strategist” in the game.Screenshot: Marvel Games / KotakuScarlet Witch is also stronger with her team-up with Dr. Strange, although he has fallen from grace a bit with his lowered damage and increased survivability (his high damage set him further apart from Magneto previously). Moon Knight is also in a better spot, as his projectiles and grappling hook are faster, and he gains bonus health from his secondary fire. Peni Parker and Mr. Fantastic are also better in this patch, shoring up the weaknesses in Peni’s health pool and Reed’s ultimate, respectively. Although I always knew he was good, the recent Human Torch buffs have also turned him into a meta pick, countering powerful new characters like Emma even if he still has the same ‘cheaper townhome’ problems the rest of us do with the new and improved Iron Fist. Hulk got some love, too, which is nice, but it doesn’t bring him back into ‘hard meta’ just yet, partially because he has well-known and easy counterplay, and there are simpler or more robust, ‘just-as-powerful’ options in Thing and Emma.Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Human Torch have also been buffed, and Hela got some tweaks to reduce her survivability slightly, which amounts to a slap on the wrist for the always-meta character. Winter Soldier also got some slight nerfs to his ultimate, and with the Rocket team-up removed he is weaker, but don’t let that fool you. Expert players will still run circles around opponents with his kit. Overall, the meta is in a good spot, with opportunities for all kinds of characters, and counterplay for almost everyone. Get out there, pick your favorite character, and make some plays.

It’s not a secret that as mobile games have become increasingly hybridized, both in terms of their monetization and gameplay, retention has become the new golden KPI. In order to effectively monetize in this new hybrid ecosystem, publishers and studios need players who will stay and play for longer. And so, creating a positive user ad experience for players has become increasingly urgent.One approach that has gained traction is the implementation of rewarded ads.WTF are rewarded adsRewarded ads offer players the option to engage in exchange for in-game rewards. These ad units have proven to be a powerful tool for revenue generation and player engagement, offering developers and players a win-win scenario. Developers are able to monetize their games with ads and players are given an opt-in ad experience that doesn’t disturb gameplay.Most players want to engage with rewarded ads. According to the 2023 Unity Gaming Report, while only 3% of players convert to paying for in-app purchases (IAP)* in successful free to play mobile titles, over 60% are interested in engaging with rewarded ad placements**. These two groups are also non-exclusive, as an IAP purchasing player may also engage with rewarded ads too.Are rewarded ads right for your game?While there’s clear benefits to rewarded ad units, before jumping into implementation it’s important to consider if a game can support a rewarded ad system.Some important questions to ask include:Does the game have a form of in-app currency and economy?Does the game offer power-ups, boosters, or consumables that players would want to access?Does the game have an in-game store where players can spend their earned in-game currency for boosters or cosmetics?If the answer to all three of these questions is yes, then your game can support rewarded ad units.What you need to implement rewarded ads1. The right ad partners and infrastructure:A lot of the success of your rewarded ad strategy will depend on finding the right ad partners and infrastructure for your game that offer both scalability and ease of integration. Partners like Unity Ads and mediation solutions like Unity LevelPlay can provide the flexibility of supporting both ads and IAPs to maximize revenue potential.2. Strategic placements to ensure optimal player engagement:Properly placing ads is crucial for maintaining player engagement. Utilize data insights, like engagement rates by placement location (for example, such as after or between levels), to determine the most effective spots. Timing is also key; rewarded ad placements should be when players are most incentivized to engage, like when a player has run out of in-game currency or retries and is otherwise unable to continue playing.Source: Unity Mobile Growth Monetization Report 2024, Chart 3.43. Clear communication of the value proposition:Players need to understand what they gain by watching a rewarded ad. Clear signposting and messaging should be used to effectively convey the benefits to the player, increasing the likelihood of player engagement. For example, if a rewarded ad is offering a player a boost or a retry in exchange for watching an ad, the player needs to understand that this will help them extend their game session or or speed up their progression.Source: Unity Mobile Growth Monetization Report 2024, Chart 3.6How to measure your rewarded ads’ performanceAfter implementing rewarded ad units, monitor the performance of them using A/B testing tools like Unity Analytics. You should be looking out for KPIs like Average Revenue Per Daily Active User (ARPDAU) from IAP, the retention rate, and the engagement rate. It’s important to establish a control group to allow for accurate comparison against a baseline. If players enjoy the new feature, you should see an increase in engagement first, followed by an increase in playtime and retention, and ultimately a boost in player LTV.A win-winRewarded ads offer a balanced approach that respects player choice while improving revenue generation, creating a cycle that benefits both developers and players. As the mobile gaming industry evolves, rewarded ads will likely play a pivotal role in creating both engaging and profitable gaming experiences in the near and long term.*Source: Unity IAP Plug-in, Games that made over $10k USD in 2023, players that installed in 2023**Source: Unity Gaming Report 2023, chart 4.4

In the world of mobile app advertising, your ability to convert users is as strong as the ads you produce. And creating high-quality ads requires winning creatives. But producing quality creatives at scale can be a huge challenge. This is where AI comes into play.Let’s break down how AI has improved Unity’s ad design studio’s efficiency at every stage of the creative process, resulting in impactful, high-quality ads.Developing quality creative concepts with easeEven from the ideation stage, AI has been a game changer for our creative studio. By instructing AI to “create creative concepts based on X,” we can quickly generate a list of ideas far wider and more unique than we could have developed ourselves. This not only helps to widen our imagination, but also provides more options for concept testing.In fact, if we want to make some tweaks on a concept, we can simply ask AI to make a few changes and get new concepts in seconds. With endless creative possibilities, we can make sure every concept fits our vision. Building creatives from concepts in no timeOnce we determine our creative concept, AI helps us bring it to life. Let’s say the winner of one of our concept tests is an image of a basketball. Then a designer decides the best way to showcase it. Animated creatives are most engaging, but usually require hours of work - but not with AI.Instead of searching through endless stock videos, we can use AI to bring any creative to life. Within minutes, AI will generate new frames, turning a static image of a basketball into a basketball GIF/video jumping through the waves. Next, all we’d need to do is request any tweaks, and we’ve made our very own high-quality creative in record time.It’s important to note: though AI is a very practical tool, it cannot magically solve every design problem. As a creative studio, we still need to focus on the big picture: curating each creative and ensuring each asset aligns with our business goals. But knowing which situations we can use AI in helps maximize efficiency, streamline production, and produce top creatives.Quickly updating creative elementsAI doesn’t just help us create new concepts and creatives - we can use it to optimize the creatives we already have. Here’s a common example: Halloween is approaching and a studio would like to add some spooky elements to their creatives.Modifying design elements is a manageable project for any designer, but developing and adding the spooky graphics might take a few days. With AI, you can see a new creative in minutes and make as many iterations as you need to develop the most eye-catching Halloween creative possible. And, of course, you can repeat this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other festive occasion.Not to mention, the valuable time your team can save with AI gives your designer time to work on other essential projects, like developing new creatives, or working on more complex, time-consuming projects. It’s a win-win situation - your studio gets a greater creative output and more options to test, which in turn allows you to find the highest quality creative options.Elevating ads beyond visuals elementsFinally, AI allows us to expand beyond the abilities of traditional creative studios. Imagine a studio manager wants to add musical elements or a voiceover to a creative asset. Assuming there’s no sound designer on the team, the studio would typically need to search a stock music website to find something similar to their desired result. The same goes for voice overs - to get quality voice overs for their creatives, studios often need to pay external actors. This means the studio’s creatives are limited by options or budget, and in many cases both.With AI, creative studios can quickly solve both of these problems. All we need to do is describe the music/voiceover we’d like to pair with a creative, and we’ll quickly get a high-quality result. Even if it takes a few iterations to achieve our vision, we can quickly and easily boost our creatives’ quality at no extra cost.Ultimately, time is money, so maximizing what you can do with your time will optimize your creative production. And with better ads comes boosted conversions - increasing your UA budget and fueling a continual cycle of UA growth.Unity’s Ad Design Studio is a one-stop-shop for developing top-tier creatives, with complementary services for Unity clients.

Anysphere, maker of AI coding assistant Cursor, is growing so quickly that it’s not in the market to be sold, even to OpenAI, a source close to the company tells TechCrunch. It’s been a hot target. Cursor is one of the most popular AI-powered coding tools, and its revenue has been growing astronomically – doubling on average every two months, according to another source. Anysphere’s current average annual recurring revenue is about $300 million, according to two people.  The company previously walked away from early acquisition discussions with OpenAI, after the ChatGPT maker approached Cursor, two sources close to the company confirmed, and CNBC previously reported. Anysphere has also received other acquisition offers that the company didn’t consider, according to one of these sources.  Cursor turned down the offers because the startup wants to stay independent, said two people close to the company. Instead, Anysphere has been in talks to raise capital at about a $10 billion valuation, Bloomberg reported last month.  Although it didn’t nab Anysphere, OpenAI didn’t give up on buying an established AI coding tool startup. OpenAI talked with more than 20 others, CNBC reported. And then it got serious over the next fastest-growing AI coding startup, Windsurf, with a $3 billion acquisition offer, Bloomberg reported last week. While Windsurf is a comparatively smaller company, its ARR is about $100 million, up from $40 million in ARR in February, according to a source.  Windsurf has been gaining popularity with the developer community, too, and its coding product is designed to work with legacy enterprise systems. Windsurf did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. OpenAI declined to comment on its acquisition talks.  OpenAI is likely shopping because it’s looking for its next growth areas as competitors such as Google’s Gemini and China’s DeepSeek put pricing pressure on access to foundational models.  Moreover, Anthropic and Google have recently released AI models that outperform OpenAI’s models on coding benchmarks, increasingly making them a preferred choice for developers. While OpenAI could build its own AI coding assistant, buying a product that is already popular with developers means the ChatGPT-maker wouldn’t have to start from scratch to build this business. VCs who invest in developer tool startups are certainly watching. Speculating about OpenAI’s strategy, Chris Farmer, partner and CEO at SignalFire, told TechCrunch of the company, “They’ll be acquisitive at the app layer. It’s existential for them.”

In Brief Posted: 3:11 PM PDT · April 22, 2025 Image Credits:SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP / Getty Images ChatGPT’s responses will now include Washington Post articles OpenAI and The Washington Post just announced a new content partnership that will see ChatGPT summarize and link to the Post’s original reporting in its answers. This is OpenAI’s latest media partnership, with the AI giant inking deals with over 20 news publishers so far, including outlets like The Guardian and Axios. The Washington Post says it will benefit from ChatGPT’s vast audience, with the chatbot now counting more than 500 million users. Meanwhile, OpenAI will benefit from higher-quality answers based on the Post’s “timely, well-sourced reporting” per its press release. Financial terms of the deal are undisclosed and The Washington Post declined to share when asked. OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. OpenAI has been embraced by some newsrooms, but not all: The New York Times, for example, is suing OpenAI for allegedly using its copyrighted work, a charge OpenAI denies. Topics