Studio Fizbin Bids Farewell Following Reignbreaker’s Upcoming Free Release in March

Image by job of Studio Fizbin/Thunderful.

Developer Studio Fizbin has announced that its forthcoming game, Reignbreaker, is set to be its last. Following the game’s launch on March 18, the developer will close its operations.

In a release, founder and CEO Alexander Pieper explained that Fizbin was affected by Thunderful’s disappointing 2024 decision to “significantly reduce internal development.” Since that moment, he stated the team explored various options to avoid pursuing Reignbreaker’s release, but concluded that “none of those endeavors would advance us, leading to this tough choice.”

This announcement marks the first wave of layoffs for March that we have encountered. A number of developers dismissed staff throughout February, and Warner Bros. Discovery-associated studios Monolith Productions, WB San Diego, and Player First Games were already shut down just before the month ended.

Established in 2011, the Berlin-based Studio Fizbin launched its first project, The Inner World, two years later. Over the years, it created The Inner World: The Last Wind Monk in 2017, followed by 2021’s Say No! More, Minute of Islands and Lost at Sea. It was acquired by Thunderful in 2023 through the latter’s Headup branch, which published the two Inner World titles.

Looking ahead, Pieper stated that Fizbin’s final moments would focus on ensuring Reignbreaker is prepared for release, providing post-launch support, and “assisting our exceptionally skilled team in discovering new opportunities within the industry.” He candidly acknowledged that communicating about the studio’s final game was a challenge in itself, and invited hiring managers to reach out to him for “incredible talent across various disciplines.”

“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to each of our supporters for your purchases, your fan art, your feedback, your reviews, your enthusiasm, and your seemingly boundless support,” he concluded. “We’d also like to extend the largest thanks to our team – those who are here until the end, and to the many others who have chosen different paths along the way. Fizbin and its games are characterized by its team members, and you all made this the most motivating environment to perform the world’s most challenging magic: creating games. Thank you.”

In 2021, Game Developer had a conversation with Studio Fizbin’s game director Marius Cool weather, composer Julie Buchanan, and lead designer Slash Maierhöfer about Say No! More’s audio design and humor, which you can read here.

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