Mass Effect Director’s New Sci-Fi Game and Studio Shut Down Amid Gaming Industry Challenges

These days, it seems like the gaming industry is an increasingly challenging landscape, and the closure of Humanoid Origin, a new venture from the mind behind Mass Effect, only underscores that difficulty.

In the past year, we’ve grown accustomed to hearing about layoffs and studio closures almost on a weekly basis, and sadly, this week brings more of the same. Casey Hudson, renowned for directing the original Mass Effect trilogy and other major projects like Anthem, announced back in 2021 that he had established a new studio, Humanoid Origin, which aimed to create an entirely new intellectual property. Unfortunately, this plan is no longer moving forward. Yesterday, a post on Humanoid Origin’s official LinkedIn page revealed the studio’s impending closure due to financial struggles. The announcement read, “Earlier today, we informed our staff that Humanoid Origin will be shutting down. Despite efforts to shield the studio from broader challenges in the industry, an unexpected shortfall of funding left us unable to sustain operations.”

As you might imagine, the team is devastated not to see their sci-fi universe come to fruition. Their foremost concern, however, is supporting their staff through this challenging time as they transition to new opportunities. The statement also highlighted the impressive strides the team made and the vibrant culture of creativity and enjoyment they cultivated. They took the opportunity to express gratitude to their team for their talent and camaraderie, and to all who supported their vision along the way.

This type of news is always hard to hear, and unfortunately, it’s becoming all too common in the current climate. Concerns over funding are growing, with more than 14,000 layoffs already hitting the industry in 2024. Let’s hope that everyone affected at Humanoid Origin quickly finds new paths in their careers.