Humanoid Origin, the studio started by ex-BioWare staffer Casey Hudson, has closed down, citing "an unexpected shortfall of funding" that left the studio "unable to sustain operations".
In a LinkedIn post, Humanoid Origin says that the closure happened despite its "efforts to shield the studio from broader challenges in the industry", and that the company is "heartbroken" it won't be able to complete its debut project.
The project in question was set to take place in a "new science-fiction universe", and while Hudson and Humanoid Origin never revealed what kind of game it would be, the studio's official website describes it as a "multi-platform AAA title focused on character-driven narrative". Sounds very familiar indeed.
Humanoid Origin says that it's "committed to supporting [its team] in their transition to new employment", and that during the team's time together, it "achieved incredible progress", fostering "a culture of fun and creativity".
The studio is right when it points to the current time as one of tumult and difficulty for the gaming industry (or certain sections of it, at the very least).
Major studios like Microsoft, Sony, and Take-Two have laid off hundreds of staff members in recent times, and some studios, like Saints Row developer Volition and Gothic outfit Piranha Bytes, have been outright shut down.
Many game projects are being canceled as well; in recent months, we've seen the likes of Dead by Daylight spinoff Project T, online action RPG Blue Protocol, and an unannounced Star Wars FPS canceled (at least in the West, in Blue Protocol's case), among others.
As for Casey Hudson, we're not sure what's next for him, but considering that he's an old hand with several critically-acclaimed games under his belt, I'm hoping he'll give the whole starting-a-new-studio thing another try. We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.
