Funcom, the developer behind Dune: Awakening, is restructuring its teams, leading to layoffs and the shutdown of The Outsiders studio, despite the game's initial success and potential for long-term growth.
Romero Games has not shut down despite losing its funding and most of its staff; the studio remains operational and is exploring new publishing opportunities to complete its canceled game.
The Forza Motorsport development team at Turn 10 has reportedly been shut down following significant layoffs at Microsoft, with nearly 50% of staff let go, and remaining employees likely shifting focus to support roles for Forza Horizon and ForzaTech.
Electronic Arts has canceled the development of a Black Panther game and shut down Cliffhanger Games, a studio formed by ex-Monolith Productions leaders, as part of broader cost-cutting measures focusing on core franchises like The Sims and EA Sports FC. The Black Panther project, announced in 2023, was intended to offer a rich, story-driven experience set in Wakanda, but no further details or release timeline were provided. The layoffs follow recent cuts at EA, including Respawn Entertainment, and reflect a strategic shift away from new projects like a Titanfall game, while ongoing projects such as an Iron Man game and the third Star Wars Jedi game remain in development.
Prytania Media's Possibility Space studio has shut down, following the closure of its Crop Circle Games studio. Former employees confirmed the news, with layoffs reported weeks after Crop Circle's formal shutdown. The status of Prytania's remaining studios, Dawon Entertainment and Fang & Claw, is currently unknown. The company's founders, Annie Delisi Strain and Jeff Strain, are best known for co-founding Undead Labs and ArenaNet.
Free Radical Design, the studio behind the popular video game series TimeSplitters, has officially shut down. The closure of the studio marks the end of an era for fans of the franchise and highlights the challenges faced by smaller game development studios in the competitive gaming industry.