In a surprising and unfortunate twist of events, the game development studio League Of Geeks has had to indefinitely suspend the development of their much-anticipated title, Jumplight Odyssey. This decision comes as a heavy blow, not only to fans eagerly awaiting the game but also to the studio's employees, with mass redundancies hitting over 50% of the staff. The layoffs impacted not just the Jumplight Odyssey team but also portions of their publishing and operations divisions.
The reason behind this suspension and the ensuing layoffs are multifaceted. The studio cited "rapidly rising operation costs, a weakening Australian dollar (AUD), poor Early Access sales, and the unprecedented withdrawal of funding opportunities across the industry" as the chief causes for this tough call. Such conditions, they said, have made it financially unsustainable to continue funding the development of the game.
Despite this setback, the directors of the studio—Trent Kusters, Blake Mizzi, and Ty Carey—assured that this will not affect the launch or the quality of their other project in the works, Solium Infernum, which is expected to release without delay. Furthermore, they committed to the continued support for Armello, another of their established titles.
Expanding on the announcement, League Of Geeks provided additional insights through a blog post and a detailed FAQ on Jumplight Odyssey's Steam page. They explained the additional struggles they've faced due to the economic climate, including significant increases in the costs of wages, software, and rent. The developers did not anticipate such a sharp rise in these expenses when the game's production was greenlit in early 2021. Moreover, the funding and investment landscape for the video game industry over the past six months has turned dire, with many sources of capital drying up.
During an interview with GamesIndustry.Biz, Kusters highlighted the harsh reality of the situation. The depreciation of the Australian dollar and inflation had caused a dramatic cost escalation across all fronts. Tech salaries in Melbourne had spiked by 40% the previous year, burdening the project's financial resources further. Kusters revealed that even with a contingency built into their budget, the combined effect of these economic factors was "just wild."
The deep remorse felt by League Of Geeks over their inability to continue supporting Jumplight Odyssey is palpable. Still, they've committed to releasing one final patch for the game to bring it as close to completion as possible under the circumstances. Notably, the studio announced that half of the profits from every copy of Jumplight Odyssey sold would be distributed to their team, including those who have been laid off as a result of these developments. They expressed cautious optimism for the future, noting that if investment in the project becomes possible again and financial conditions allow it, they would enthusiastically resume development.
Jumplight Odyssey, with its captivating anime-inspired visuals and engaging premise of spaceship management and survival, had generated significant excitement following its demo release. Fans had high hopes for this adventure, eager to navigate the space odyssey that League Of Geeks had in store. Now, the journey to the game's "Forever Star" may be significantly delayed or even lost among the stars.
During these difficult times, the gaming community's thoughts go out to all League Of Geeks' staff affected by these unfortunate circumstances. The studio's experience serves as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of the gaming industry and the broader economic challenges that can sharply shift a company's trajectory. It's a moment that not only demands resilience but also compels the community to lend support to those finding their paths disrupted by such sudden industry changes.
You must be logged in to post a comment!
