Heart Machine has made the tough announcement that it will cease development on its early access game Hyper Light Breaker, alongside laying off an unknown number of staff. The studio shared in a statement, “As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part ways with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances.”

Despite several updates since its launch, the game failed to capture players’ interest and was criticized for performance issues and difficulty. The studio assesses the shutting down of the project as a reflection of broader industry challenges, stating, “While this path will include a conclusion on the project, it reflects broader forces beyond our control, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.” The future of their upcoming title, Possessors, remains unclear as the studio emphasizes its commitment to continuing game development with a smaller team.