What a year it has been for workers in the video game industry with a rollercoaster of layoffs and studio closures. The latest studio to announce it is closing shop is Humanoid Origin, the indie studio founded by former BioWare general manager Casey Hudson.
“Earlier today, we informed our staff that Humanoid Origin will be shutting down,” the studio published on LinkedIn. “Despite efforts to shield the studio from broader challenges in the industry, an unexpected shortfall of funding left us unable to sustain operations.”
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“We’re heartbroken that we will not be able to bring our new science-fiction universe to completion. Our main concern at this time however is for our team, and we are committed to supporting them in their transition to new employment.
“In our time together, the team achieved incredible progress and demonstrated that it’s possible to do amazing work while fostering a culture of fun and creativity. We thank them for their talent, courage, and friendship.”
Humanoid Origin was founded in 2021 by Hudson and a team of industry veterans. The Canadian game studio had offices in Edmonton, Alberta and Kelowna, British Columbia. While the studio lasted, they offered a flexible work environment that combined in-office and remote.
Their debut project is a multi-platform AAA title that leaned heavily toward character-driven narrative in an all-new science fiction universe. Sadly, that project will not see the light of day. It is not particularly clear the number of employees impacted by the studio closure. However, we found 72 LinkedIn accounts associated with the company.
Employees react to the shuttering of Humanoid Origin
Several Humanoid Origin employees whose roles have been made redundant have posted about the studio closure and how it has impacted them. Some included images of concept art from their unreleased game in their posts.
“Extremely saddened to receive the news that Humanoid Origin will be shutting down its operations,” wrote junior concept artist Emily An. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to work and grow alongside the lovely talented folks at Humanoid for the last 2.5 years! Thank you for fueling my passion for both gaming and creating, I truly couldn’t have asked for a better team!”
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Quoting the official statement published by the studio, principal artist Josh Van Zuylen wrote, “So it’s official… I’m looking for a new adventure. Devastated this project didn’t move forward, I think we were creating something pretty special that players would have talked about for years.”
Cinematics designer Matthew Slattery described the closure of Humanoid as “the worst kind of news”. He mentioned that he recently moved to Canada and was open to relocation once again if need be.
“Unfortunately, we just got news that the studio will be shutting down in near future,” wrote art and outsourcing manager Christina Qi. “Humanoid Origin is a truly special place, and it’s deeply frustrating we won’t be able to share the crazy amazing project we’ve been working on. I’m honored to have been a part of this phenomenal team, I’m going to miss you guys so much.”
Senior environment artist Matthew Smith, environment artist Rhea Kozak, and principal sound designer Andrew Kalmbach all wrote about the layoff and the next phase of their career.
