A Sad Farewell to Bad Brain Game Studios
In yet another twist of fate in the gaming realm, a third studio has decided to hang up its proverbial boots, less than a month after whispers of financial woe filled the air like unwanted party balloons. This time, Bad Brain Game Studios, a lively bunch of developers hailing from Toronto, has announced its impending demise. Apparently, the quest for a new publisher was trickier than herding cats during a laser pointer convention.
The Heart-Wrenching Announcement
On an otherwise normal Wednesday, the studio—crafted by the brilliant minds formerly from the illustrious Ubisoft and creators of the *Watch Dogs: Legion*—delivered the sad news through a video showcasing their in-the-works game, ‘Midnight Riders’. It’s as if they asked, “Can someone, anyone, please save us?” as they flailed about looking for a lifebuoy in a sea of budget cuts.
The studio head, Sean Crooks, known for his producer wizardry on *Watch Dogs: Legion*, expressed, “It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Bad Brain Game Studios will be closing its doors. Our last official day of operation will be on November 17th.” It’s almost poetic, if one squints at it through a tear-soaked lens. “Despite our continuing efforts to seek a new partner for the project, a path forward has yet to materialize.” Which, in non-spooky terms, means “nobody wants to give us money.”
A Love Letter to Creativity
In a remarkable act of optimism, Crooks praised the support from NetEase Games, noting the generous “runway” provided. A runway that unfortunately led to a cliff, but hey, details. “Our team poured everything into this journey,” Crooks continued, “pushing creative and technical boundaries every day with passion, imagination, and craft.” One can almost picture them crafting their game with rainbows and unicorns, only for reality to stomp in wearing heavy boots.
The melodrama continued as he added, “The enthusiastic response our project has received is a direct reflection of that creativity and dedication.” Clearly, players loved what they saw, even if no dollar bills were heading their way. A round of applause for those supportive souls would definitely be in order. “To those who supported the game, shared encouragement, and championed our vision — thank you.” Because what’s better than excellent feedback when cash flow is cratering?
Oops, We All Did It Again
In a twist of fate that some might find suspicious, Bad Brain is closing on the same exact day as another NetEase studio: Fantastic Pixel Castle, headed by none other than World of Warcraft designer Greg Street. Coincidence? Conspiracy? Who really knows? It’s like a grim game of musical chairs, and suddenly, all the chairs are gone.
Fantastic Pixel Castle announced its own shutdown plans, why not join the party, right? They cited a lack of funding, because who doesn’t love a good budget crisis? Earlier, T-Minus Zero Studios joined the exodus, but a miracle of sorts allowed a handful of folks to rescue the studio name. Lucky them!
The Great Networking Event
Of course, it’s not just Bad Brain and its peers. Earlier this year, rumors swirled faster than a caffeinated squirrel about NetEase scaling back operations. They outright denied shopping their non-Chinese studios around, but the evidence from this series of unfortunate closures could suggest otherwise. In addition to the earlier studio exits, there was the separation from Worlds Untold—which was founded with *Mass Effect* writer Mac Walters—and Jar of Sparks, born from the ashes of Xbox experience. One has to wonder, is this some covert operation or just a sad game of musical chairs?
As anticipation mounts and the dust settles, the gaming world waits with bated breath to see if there’s any hope for ‘Midnight Riders’ to find a new home, or if it will merely become another “what could have been” in the annals of gaming history. Stay tuned, folks!
