End of an Era: Hothead Games Closes Its Doors After Two Decades
The Canadian gaming studio Hothead Games has shut its operations.
Ian Wilkinson, the president and CEO of Hothead, announced the news on LinkedIn, stating that the company “had a commendable journey,” but has now filed for financial issues. It remains uncertain how many individuals were employed by the studio at the time of its closure.
Founded in 2006 in Vancouver by former Radical Entertainment employees Steve Bocska, James Ceraldi, and Joel DeYoung, Hothead initially focused on creating and publishing digital console and PC games. However, it eventually shifted its focus to developing free-to-play mobile games (with varying success).
“We experimented with various small, low-cost games to see which would succeed. Surprise surprise, nothing succeeded,” remarked Wilkinson, reflecting on that time.
“Thus, we returned to our origins, producing sports games under the Big Win label and shooter games under the Rivals at War (RAW) label, and eventually the Kill Shot brand. These game series were exceptionally successful—we finally found our breakthrough. Those were the peak years for Hothead.”
In the past year, Hothead had been working on a playable prototype for a triple-A title. Wilkinson mentioned that the studio aimed to secure contracts with various publishers to develop mobile, PC, and console versions of the game, but noted that the project took longer than anticipated.
“Sadly, it took considerably longer than we anticipated to secure contracts for these game versions,” he stated. “They were both ready to finalize two weeks ago, but then the mobile publisher withdrew due to a change in strategy. Two weeks later, the console publisher also backed out. At that juncture, our only viable option was bankruptcy.”
Reflecting on Hothead’s legacy, Wilkinson pointed out that it wasn’t merely the games that defined the studio, but its people. “Hothead was filled with incredibly smart, talented, loyal, hardworking, and above all, genuinely kind individuals. People who supported each other at work and beyond. Many of us forged lifelong friendships at Hothead,” he continued.
“We grew together, shared laughter and tears, celebrated, mourned, found our partners, and started families. I had the honor of working alongside so many remarkable individuals at Hothead over the years.
“Hopefully, this won’t be the last you hear from us. We still believe that we are destined to collaborate again and continue achieving remarkable things. But even if that doesn’t come to pass, I consider myself a better person for having worked at Hothead, and I feel fortunate to have spent 16 years alongside my fellow Hotheads.”