It has been a hard couple of years for the video game industry. While major titles have come out to large scale success, behind the scenes has been a sadder story. Mass layoffs or whole studio closures have been the new normal for a while. When Wildermyth, the 2021 tactical RPG by Worldwalker Studios announced it would be ending this week, it seemed like another in a long list of similar closures. Luckily Worldwalker Studios co-owner Nate Austin wants everyone to know that isn’t happening in this case.
In a statement released on the Worldwalker Studios X page, Austin said that Wildermyth would be ending active development, with the game remaining up but no new content being released. He also stated that Worldwalker Studios would be entering hibernation. The studio, completely independent as Austin reminds, isn’t closing but is instead taking a hiatus as members leave to pursue different projects now that Wildermyth is finished. With five of the six full-time employees moving on to different pursuits now, it’s an emotional time. The bittersweet conclusion of a game and moving on to different projects. The decision to bring the company into hibernation means there’s room for it to return if an idea strikes that the company wants to get behind.
For those who’ve loved Wildermyth, and considering its 86 on Metacritic there are a number of you, the game will still be available and running, just without new content. The soundtrack is also still on release after its successful Kickstarter earlier this year. Overall, Wildermyth and Worldwalker Studios are a much kinder picture of the gaming industry than the mass layoffs that have been a constant recently, as the bubble created by the lockdown pops. Wildermyth will remain for all who care to enjoy it, and hopefully, Worldwalker will return with a new project for fans of the first.