Heart Machine lays off nearly everyone after publisher withdraws funding for unannounced game
Studio founder Alx Preston says the loss of publisher funding forced mass layoffs and leaves the studio's future uncertain
Heart Machine laid off nearly everyone at the studio after a publisher pulled funding for an unannounced project, studio founder Alx Preston said in a LinkedIn post.
In the announcement Preston opened, "I have very difficult news today," and explained that the publisher backing its next title abandoned the project. "Without this key income for the studio, any other immediate prospects or other funds, nearly everyone at the studio had to be laid off," he wrote.
Preston called the situation "devastating" and said the studio's survival is unclear. "Right now, I'm not sure yet how or if Heart Machine survives. Navigating an increasingly challenging industry has been extremely difficult. However, we'll keep pushing to build a path," he added.
The post says the reduced team will provide laid-off staff "as much support as possible, including assisting with placement." Preston also asked readers to reach out if they know of roles, writing, "If you know of any roles for extraordinarily talented, kind people, please reach out and we will coordinate."
