10 Worst Things Gaming Did In 2024
2. Multiple Studio Closures
It’s fair to say that 2024 may’ve been the worst year in video games history in terms of routine studio closures. In fact, by June, it seemed like there was a new announcement about another developer shutting down every week.
Embracer Group alone closed the doors to numerous subsidiaries to help alleviate the debt they incurred after a $2 billion investment deal fell through in 2023. Among their biggest and/or most upsetting casualties were Pieces Interactive (who made the recent Alone in the Dark reboot) and Piranha Byes (who made the Gothic, Risen, and ELEX series).
Elsewhere, PlayStation’s London Studio – known for the EyeToy and SingStar franchises – closed in May. Likewise, AAA developer Deviation Games (which began in 2020) finished its run before it even got to ship its new IP made in conjunction with PlayStation.
Similarly, Xbox pulled the plug on multiple Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within creator Tango Gameworks and Redfall, Deathloop, and Dishonored creator Arkane Austin. (Thankfully, Tango Gameworks was bought by Krafton this past August.)
Of course, there’s also the end of Firewalk Studios following the failure of Concord, and in general, these closures likely mean the termination of multiple IPs, too.