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Candy Crush developers are planning a strike artwork

Candy Crush developers are planning a strike

Engadget News + Next

September 21, 2026

King's staff want to get negotiations back on track after years of bargaining.

Speakers Imran Shaikh

TopicsTechnologyNewsTech News

Imran Shaikh (0:00)

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Imran Shaikh (1:57)

Candy Crush developers are planning a strike for next week. We'll talk all about it in moments, but first. The Galaxy S26 FE is the latest edition of Samsung's fan edition phone series, which attempts to strike a middle ground between its flagship S phones and its cheaper entry level A series. Maintaining that balance is difficult. What features and specs do you try to match? What compromises need to be made? Some of us will be taking a more considered look at this year's FE phone, as the RAM crisis nudges prices upwards not only for flagship phones, but also for the middle ground occupied by the $700 S26 FE. What constitutes value for money in a new smartphone in 2026? Head over to engadget.com for Matt Smith's full review of the Galaxy S26 FE.

Controversial new features dominated the conversation around the Apple Watch Series 12 launch last week. While the company's latest smart watch had worthwhile updates, like a redesigned health sensing array, new gesture support, a revived ceramic case, and improved battery performance, it felt like they were quickly forgotten. In the aftermath of the keynote presentation, people seemed lost in the controversy around two new Apple Watch features, Siri Recaps and Live Rewind. Engadget's own Sherilyn Lowe takes the deep dive with her full review of the Apple Watch Series 12

And Waymo has announced that it's coming to Singapore, thereby expanding its presence in Asia and in regions outside of the US as a whole. Over the coming months, its first Jaguar I-Pace vehicles will be arriving on the island nation as the company prepares for future operations. Throughout 2027, Waymo's specialists will manually drive its vehicles on Singapore's streets to map them, and the company will make changes to its system to account for the country's road, geometry, and weather patterns. Waymo expects to start offering rides to the Singaporean public in 2028 through its own app. The company started testing its driverless cars in Tokyo in 2025, making the sprawling Japanese metropolis its first international location. A few days ago, it announced that it was already preparing for the commercial availability of its autonomous vehicles in Tokyo in 2027 Waymo will offer rides in Tokyo through its own app and through the GoTaxi app that's widely used in the city. You can always find the latest Gadget News reviews, price drops, and more right now at engadget.com.

Staff at Candy Crush Saga developer King could go on strike next week, according to statements from Swedish labor unions Unionen and Sverige Unionenjör. King's developers have been attempting to negotiate a union contract for years, but have now issued a strike notice after their proposed collective bargaining agreement, CBA, was shot down by studio leadership in August, Kotaku reports. Our members at King are entitled to secure conditions, a say in their workplace, and clear rules that apply to everyone. Unionen posted on LinkedIn, continuing, That is why Unionen is giving notice of strike action. Suerige and Jönjörg shared a similar sentiment in its own statement, noting that unless union members and King leadership can come to an agreement with a mediator, the strike will go into effect on September 25th. King set the union on this path when it declined to accept its proposed CBA, claiming that its existing benefits were better for all of its global employees, including those in Sweden. Issuing a strike notice doesn't necessarily mean the union will have to follow through, though. The threat of a work stoppage is often enough to get management back to the bargaining table. Microsoft acquired King as part of its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in 2023 Workers at Blizzard Entertainment ratified their first union contracts earlier this week, winning wage increases, a hybrid work schedule, and just cause protections, among other benefits. That success, and King's role as one of Microsoft's guaranteed video game earners, King's Candy Crush saga earned $875 million in 2025 alone, Bloomberg reports, likely adds even more pressure to the contract negotiations.

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