Indie dev Threshold Games shuts down this week

Image via Jenny Yu/Threshold Games.

Queer indie developer Threshold Games will officially close later this week on February 9. It’s the newest indie studio after Threaks in January to shut down, and February’s first overall.

As revealed by lead producer Astra Ebonwing, the studio was in the midst of officially revealing itself. Its grand debut to the press was previously set for March.

“Our team is extremely saddened by this very sudden and very unexpected turn of events,” wrote Ebonwing. “Myself and the rest of the group are now looking for jobs.”

Threshold was founded in 2019 by June Saphry, who led it with creative co-lead Jessica Bean. Its 11-person team featured veterans from Sucker Punch, WB Games, and animation studio Titmouse.

The studio was fully remote and “supported genuine work-life balance for all [staff].” Its overall goal was making games that “inspire players to build more just, sustainable futures.”

“While this door has sadly closed, we look forward to the many doors that shall open in the future,” concluded Ebonwing.

Just yesterday, layoffs reportedly hit Crop Circle Games. Like Threshold, the indie studio is working on its debut project, whose status is presently unclear after these reductions.

About the Author(s)

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s had, because the answer will be more than he’s willing to admit.