Things aren’t looking good for Xbox’s studios, as Xbox is reportedly looking to close Ninja Theory, the studio behind the Hellblade games.
In a report by The Verge, it was revealed that Xbox is closing down the studio that developed the Hellblade games. The report cited an anonymous source, who mentioned that Ninja Theory staff were told about the impending closure on Monday. While Xbox is looking to close down the studio, there’s a chance that the studio will survive, at least if they are able to find a buyer.
Along with this report, another report, this time by Bloomberg, stated that other studios under Xbox are in danger of being shut down, including the likes of Compulsion Games and Double Fine. As is the case with Ninja Theory, there are talks about looking for a potential buyer, and in these other cases, there are negotiations so that the studios can become independent instead of being fully shut down.
Ninja Theory closing down is unexpected, especially considering that the studio’s next game, Senua, was recently revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase. While the trajectory over at Xbox seemed to be quite positive after that showcase, these new reports of studios potentially closing show that things might not be going well over at Microsoft’s gaming arm.
For now, Xbox has not shared an official statement regarding these potential closures. If Xbox is indeed letting go of some of its studios, the hope is that they can continue independently or get bought out (as was the case with Tango Gameworks).