Ballistic Moon, the studio behind the 2024 remake of Until Dawn, has announced its effective closure after failing to find a publisher for its next project. According to a report from Insider Gaming, only the founders and a few employees remain active in the company, while the rest of the team has been laid off in recent months.
A study under risk even before the game’s launch
Founded in 2020 by industry veterans from studios like EA and Supermassive Games, Ballistic Moon has faced significant challenges in its efforts to secure funding. Despite having worked on a remake that modernized the beloved horror adventure game on PS4 using Unreal Engine 5, its reception was lukewarm compared to the original version. The remake featured a new soundtrack, a shift to a third-person perspective, and a post-credits scene that hinted at a possible sequel. However, this effort does not seem to have been enough to keep the studio afloat.
Additionally, the study did not receive support from Sony for future work related to the Until Dawn franchise, which has further limited its development capacity. Although it is unclear if a sequel to Until Dawn is in development, it seems that Ballistic Moon is not involved in that possible continuation. However, it is rumored that interest in the franchise could be revived with the upcoming release of a movie based on Until Dawn, scheduled for next month.
The disappearance of Ballistic Moon highlights the challenges faced by many independent development studios today, especially in such a competitive and ever-changing market as that of video games. Meanwhile, players can still enjoy the remake of Until Dawn on PC and PS5, although the future of the title and its franchise seems uncertain, even with its movie already in progress.
