The creators behind the beloved Moss franchise, Polyarc, posted on their official LinkedIn that they are shutting down. Polyarc was founded in 2015 with their first self-published game being Moss VR in 2018. The game received various nominations from 2017 to 2019 for it’s animation, sound design, and immersive quality. It was also the Fan Favorite VR Game nominee at the Gamers’ Choice Award in 2018.
Then in October 2022, Polyarc released Moss II VR, which was received positively from its player base. The game won a total of seventeen awards ranging from VR Game of the Year to Editor’s Choice. This second installment in the Moss franchise proved Polyarc’s dedication to creating a captivating world for their players.
This heavy hearted news was posed on Saturday, September 12th. Nearly two months after the release of their most recent title Moss: The Forgotten Relic, a game that has received positive reviews since it’s release. The title participated in this years Steam’s Wholesome Games Celebration back in August and even received a recent local co-op update on September 3rd.
Polyarc had been developing and self-publishing their games for nearly twelve years, but have stated that they will “wind down active development” and the team will be saying “farewells to each other.” The company have left a final message to their players and team.
Bringing surprise and delight to those who played our games has been a privilege. Thank you to everyone at Polyarc, our work is now finished.
The publisher’s team was based in Seattle, Washington and consisted of developers that worked on renowned games. Those titles were Destiny, Halo, Red Dead Redemption, and Guild Wars. There goal was to created games that would resonate with players even long after they were over. The Moss franchise is certainly one that accomplishes that goal. Although their chapter has come to an end, their story will remain in the library of player’s hearts.