In a post on their personal LinkedIn, Bad Brain Game Studios head Sean Crooks has announced the company will be shutting their doors on November 17.
Crooks posted the following message:
An Update on Bad Brain Game Studios
It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Bad Brain Game Studios will be closing its doors. Our last official day of operation will be on November 17.
Despite our continuing efforts to seek a new partner for the project, a path forward has yet to materialize. We are deeply grateful to NetEase Games for their support and for giving us runway to explore every possible opportunity. Our team poured everything into this journey—pushing creative and technical boundaries every day with passion, imagination, and craft. What we achieved together stands as lasting proof of this team’s extraordinary talent.
The enthusiastic response our project has received is a direct reflection of that creativity and dedication. While the outcome may not be what we had hoped for, I’ve seen firsthand that we succeeded in reaching players and peers who believed in what we were building. To those who supported the game, shared encouragement, and championed our vision—thank you.
As we close this chapter, the game and its underlying [intellectual property] is still available for acquisition or partnership, and we / NetEase are open to discussions with publishers or studios who see potential in continuing its development. We believe strongly in what was created, and would love to see this world find its way to players.
To help support our people as they take their next steps, we’ll also be releasing a sizzle reel from the project publicly, giving everyone the chan
ce to showcase their incredible work and open doors to new opportunities.
If you’re looking for world-class developers, artists, and storytellers, please reach out—we would be proud to connect you with them.
Finally, I want to extend my deepest gratitude once again to everyone who supported us along the way. Your encouragement and belief in what we were building meant the world to us. While this chapter is ending sooner than we had hoped, the spirit of what we created at Bad Brain will live on through the incredible people who made it possible.
Sean Crooks
Studio Head
Big Brain Game Studio launched back in 2023 under the ownership of NetEase with three studios across Canada and Quebec. The company had been working on a 1980s-themed action adventure title under the codename The Midnight Riders.
The studio has said that both the project and IP are still available for acquisition or partnership with NetEase open to having discussions with interested parties.
