12/26/2025
International Gaming News — Week-in-Review: Awards Aftershock, Switch 2 Pricing Talk, and a Major Industry Loss
Friday, December 26, 2025
The holiday week is usually quiet on major announcements, but 2025 is ending with three narratives dominating the conversation: (1) the post–Game Awards ripple effect (winners, discourse, and what it signals about player taste), (2) Nintendo Switch 2 physical-media cost and pricing pressure, and (3) a sobering reminder of how human this industry remains, with the death of Call of Duty co-creator and Respawn founder Vince Zampella.
Below is a structured recap of the most consequential developments and what they likely mean heading into early 2026.
1) The Game Awards 2025: Big wins, bigger signals
The Game Awards remain the largest single “attention spike” of the year for core gaming audiences, and the results matter not just for trophies, but for what they imply about momentum, market appetite, and publisher positioning.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the night’s dominant winner (including Game of the Year).
The Game Awards
+2
The Game Awards
+2
The broader winner list is now the cleanest way to track which projects are likely to see a measurable uplift in discoverability and sales through year-end and into Q1.
The Game Awards
What it means:
Awards don’t “create” quality, but they do create visibility. Expect:
Increased storefront featuring and algorithmic lift for major winners (especially on platforms that key off cultural moments).
Publisher marketing refreshes that reframe trailers and key art around award wins.
A predictable second-wave discourse cycle as players return to backlogs during the holiday break.
If you want the short operational takeaway: the winners list is effectively a holiday shopping map for players and a positioning map for studios.
The Game Awards
+1
2) Nintendo Switch 2: Bundle end, cartridge cost pressure, and the $80 conversation
Switch 2 chatter is shifting from “what is it?” to “how will it be sold, and at what margins?”
A) The Mario Kart World bundle appears to be ending
GamesRadar reported that GameStop confirmed Nintendo had discontinued a Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle, framing it as a limited-time offer that softened criticism of the game’s $80 standalone pricing.
GamesRadar+
B) Physical media economics are back in the spotlight
The Verge highlighted a publisher slip-up suggesting potential additional cartridge sizes—then a retraction clarifying there’s no official Nintendo confirmation. The larger point stands: physical manufacturing options and costs are a strategic issue for third-party support and consumer pricing perception.
The Verge
C) Nintendo’s official line remains: Switch 2 releases in 2025
Nintendo’s own announcement continues to anchor the timeline: Switch 2 is planned for 2025.
Nintendo
What it means:
If the bundle truly sunsets broadly, the “$80-or-bust” framing becomes more visible to mainstream buyers, which can influence attach rates and sentiment.
GamesRadar+
Cartridge cost and capacity decisions can shape whether publishers choose full physical, “key card” approaches, or larger day-one downloads—each with consumer trust implications.
The Verge
This is the exact window where rumor discipline matters: treat anything beyond official Nintendo statements as provisional, and watch for formal retail communications rather than social chatter.
3) Industry: Vince Zampella’s death and why it hits so hard
Multiple reputable outlets reported that Vince Zampella, a pivotal figure in modern shooter design and one of the co-creators behind Call of Duty (and later a leader behind Respawn’s work), has died at age 55.
AP News
+2
The Guardian
+2
Respawn also posted a public statement mourning his passing.
X (formerly Twitter)
Why this matters beyond headlines:
Zampella’s influence spans the DNA of multiple blockbuster franchises and the studio cultures behind them. In the short term, expect:
An extended tribute cycle across studios and creators (already underway).
Increased scrutiny on how EA/Respawn and related teams communicate continuity for active projects.
A deeper public conversation about leadership, studio stewardship, and creative legacy.
This is not the kind of story that fits neatly into “news,” but it will shape discourse—and likely internal planning—well into 2026.
4) PlayStation: State of Play remains a steady drumbeat, not a single “megaton” moment
Sony’s State of Play hub continues to serve as the canonical landing page for announcements and updates, even when individual presentations vary in impact.
PlayStation
For recap-style coverage, outlets like VGC compiled the November 2025 Japan-focused presentation’s announcements and structure.
VGC
What it means:
Sony’s format increasingly favors consistent cadence and broad portfolio coverage (including regional spotlights) versus putting everything into one massive show.
For players: it’s a reliable “what’s next” channel. For studios: it’s a predictable marketing runway.
5) End-of-year culture note: “Alternative GOTY” content is peaking
Year-end “personal GOTY” lists and “alternative awards” content are part of the seasonal ecosystem now—less about formal canon and more about surfacing weird favorites and underplayed gems. The Guardian’s alternative awards piece is a good example of the tone and format audiences are engaging with right now.
The Guardian
What it means:
This is a discoverability window for indies and mid-tier titles that didn’t dominate headline cycles—especially as players return to backlogs during the holiday break.