Revenant Hill, the formerly upcoming game from Night in the Woods creators and indie studio The Glory Society has been canceled. Narrative designer and artist Scott Benson revealed on his Twitter/X that over the past 12 months, he had an illness he could not get rid of. It was eventually found to be severe heart failure and is forcing him to step away from the project, as it seriously impacted his ability to work. His wife, Bethany Hockenberry, has also left the project to support him.
The Glory Society posted a statement on their Twitter/X as well, explaining that by losing two irreplaceable workers with such vital roles in a small studio, Revenant Hill cannot be sustained. They reached an amicable agreement that it is in the best interest of all involved to close the doors on the studio for now. They are unsure if those doors will ever be reopened, but they are confident in their decision.
In 2017, Night in the Woods became an unexpected hit. Brought to life by writers Benson and Hockenberry, and the late designer Alec Holowka, the game told the story of 20-year-old college dropout Mae Borowski as she returns to her hometown of lively zoomorphic humans. Mae is forced to confront her inner struggles as she reunites with old friends and family. It received praise for its narrative, visual design, as well as soundtrack and dialogue. From its success, Benson and Hockenberry worked with musician and artist Wren Farren to form The Glory Society in 2019.
Revenant Hill was announced just this past May during a PlayStation Showcase. Set in the year 1919, gamers would play as Twigs, a cat training to be a witch’s familiar. Unfortunately for Twigs, their barn house would burn down, forcing them to reside in a wet log near a graveyard. Even more unfortunate would be the fact that an owl demands Twigs to pay rent. And so would Twigs’ grand adventure of being a money-making cat who is also learning witchcraft would begin.
Although The Glory Society had to sadly close a chapter on its life and sacrifice the work on Revenant Hill, health is what ultimately matters. As their post states the closure was “the clear path to take for the well-being of the team, which is frankly more important than games.”