Studio Heart Machine, known for Hyper Light Drifter, cut almost its entire team after a publishing deal for an unannounced project fell through.Studio founder Alx Preston said the company lost critical funding after losing the deal.
The problem arose before the announcement of the new game
We are not talking about a project that had a bad start after release, but about a work that was in production.The publisher had to finance the next stage of development, and after the deal was cancelled, the studio was unable to retain the same lineup.
Preston admitted that he does not yet understand which path will allow Heart Machine to continue operating.The team is helping laid-off employees find new jobs, but the future of the studio itself remains uncertain.
Heart Machine has already experienced painful contractions
Recent years have been difficult for the studio.Hyper Light Breaker completed development ahead of original plans, and Possessor(s) was released amid previous cuts.A new blow is more dangerous because it affects the basis of the next project.
Similar pressure on small teams has already led to closures: we recently wrote how the creators of Moss closed Polyarc after almost 12 years of work.In the case of Heart Machine, there is no final announcement of closure yet.
Sign in or create an account to leave a comment.
Be the first to share your thoughts.