Over the past few years, the triple-A games industry has been, to put it lightly, a mess. Ironically, it all came to a head in what many considered the best year for video games—2023. Even with so many big-name titles and successes, from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Bros. Wonder to Baldur's Gate 3 and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the year saw over 9,000 layoffs. This would roll into 2024 when almost 15,000 layoffs occurred.
It was also a year that saw multiple studios shuttered. Even after acquiring Activision Blizzard and becoming one of the biggest game publishers in the world, commanding a venerable army of IPs, Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and Alpha Dog Games. Sony wasn't too far behind, shuttering its London Studio, Deviation Games, and – most infamously – Firewalk Studios in the wake of one of the biggest first-party failures of all time – Concord.
It was also a year that saw multiple studios shuttered. Even after acquiring Activision Blizzard and becoming one of the biggest game publishers in the world, commanding a venerable army of IPs, Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and Alpha Dog Games. Sony wasn't too far behind, shuttering its London Studio, Deviation Games, and – most infamously – Firewalk Studios in the wake of one of the biggest first-party failures of all time – Concord.
- Category
- Games
- Tags
- aaa games, aaa games industry, studio closures
Comments