Bottom line: Although you may not be familiar with indie game developer Humanoid Origin, you've undoubtedly heard of its founder, Casey Hudson, former Bioware general manager. Opening a studio is challenging. Keeping one open in a time of industry consolidation is even more difficult.
Canadian game development studio Humanoid Origin announced it is shutting down. The company posted to its LinkedIn account that, in addition to the general decline of the industry, it has run out of funding to continue operations.
"Earlier today, we informed our staff that Humanoid Origin will be shutting down," the post reads. "Despite efforts to shield the studio from broader challenges in the industry, an unexpected shortfall of funding left us unable to sustain operations."
The news is disheartening as Humanoid Origin showed promise when Mass Effect Director Casey Hudson announced the studio in 2021. He said its first project would be an "all-new" AAA narrative-driven sci-fi adventure. It was an exciting prospect for gamers who have been getting primarily remakes of old games lately.
Unfortunately, making original AAA-quality titles is daunting and expensive, especially in the current economic climate. It's likely a factor of why we're seeing so many developers pump out content we have already played in years past. As an independent developer, shooting for the stars without the backing of a large publisher is nearly impossible right now. So, in that respect, the closure is not all that surprising.
What is surprising is how fast Humanoid Origin's fall came. According to IGN, the studio's most recent job postings were in May. So, in six months, the developer went from hiring to going out of business. However, the company said it won't leave its employees hung out to dry. It wants to help the team find work in other studios or companies that could use their talents.
"We're heartbroken that we will not be able to bring our new science-fiction universe to completion," the studio wrote. "Our main concern at this time, however, is for our team, and we are committed to supporting them in their transition to new employment."
It is unclear what will happen to Human Origin's unfinished project. The studio did not reveal how far along the effort was, but if there are enough assets, even if they are in the early stages, the studio could conceivably sell them to another studio. However, without at least some of the crew who created it, it's not likely to live up to Hudson's vision.
Interestingly, the studio's website is still up as if nothing is amiss. It's relatively barebones but has a few pieces of concept art presumably related to the now-canceled game. We've included them here for posterity because the company will ultimately shutter the website soon.
Former Mass Effect creative director reluctantly shutters his visionary indie studio
