Four years ago, Zynga acquired Echtra Games, which was in the process of developing an ARPG since the acquisition. Unfortunately, it seems the parent company’s taking a page from EA’s book and killing the studio before it can release its game.
As reported by IGN, the studio will be shuttered by the end of the month an the decision was made to better align with its “strategic realignment of the company’s resources and priorities.”
Zynga has made the difficult decision to cease operations at its Echtra studio, ending development on future titles and reducing roles. This decision is part of a strategic realignment of the company’s resources and priorities. We will work closely with impacted employees so they are treated with the utmost respect and consideration as we navigate this difficult process.
Echtra is quite a notable studio, having been founded by Diablo co-creator Max Schaefer, with the studio moving onto develop the Torchlight MMO, leading to sequels, with its latest being 2020’s Torchlight 3, which following the acquisition was left in the hands of Perfect World.
It’s unclear why Zynga’s shuttering the studio, but this does follow some pretty bitter news all around for the publisher. NaturalMotion’s Star Wars: Hunters was closed down only nine months after launch, for example. Moreover, it’s a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which gutted its Private Division publishing label. It also canned multiple projects and wiped away 5% of its workforce.
