Puny Human, a video game development company founded in 2007 and gradually grew its staff strength to 20 announced through a press release on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, that the company was near-total shutdown. The news was disclosed by the CEO and studio manager Mike Sanders.
Puny Human is a PC and console game developer. Following the announcement, the company has kicked off the process of laying off staff, eliminating the remaining full-time positions, and liquidating assets and intellectual property. The process is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Two employees left the company in the Summer of 2023. Consequently, Puny Human eliminated 14 more full-time positions. The remaining 2 positions will be terminated by the end of the year. Some of the company’s intellectual property will be made open source.
ALSO READ: Massive Layoff Wind Blows Through Naughty Dog, Epic Games, Others
“After several months of necessary silence on the topic, I am announcing unplanned layoffs from earlier this year, and that will continue as we seek to minimize all our future video game development efforts,” said Sanders. “Taking Puny Human from a full-time staff of twenty hardworking individuals in 2023 to zero is heartbreaking and difficult to reveal to our communities, advocates, and friends.”
Puny Human has three key titles to their name
Soon after its launch, Puny Human stamped their feet on the video game industry with the release of Dystopia, a team-based, objective-driven, first-person shooter. It was developed as a total conversion modification on the Valve’s proprietary Source engine. Puny Human continued to support the game until early this year.
The game enjoyed a positive reception with a 9/10 rating on Steam. In particular, gamers praised the quality of the graphics, cyberspace representation, and the game’s overall polish. The criticism of the game centered on the learning curve. It went on to win several awards.
ALSO READ: 2 Ways To Play PS5 In Tesla Exposed
In 2013, Puny Human launched Blade Symphony, a multiplayer action game that was available on PCs including Linux and macOS. The sword-based dueling game played a lot like Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Instead of an authentic representation of swordplay, Blade Symphony features flashy animations and acrobatic fantastical combat.
Two years later, Puny Human launched Galacide where players had to command destructive spaceships to destroy hordes of enemy vessels. The game also involved puzzle-solving. It combined the frenzied action of classic space shooters with the focused, fast-thinking tactics of puzzlers. It launched on multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Besides the in-studio developments, Puny Human has also contributed to the development of popular video game titles including contributing engineering, art, and production skills to the Callisto Protocol for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. You can see other big project contributions by the studio here.
The real reason why Puny Human is shutting down
Since 2016, Puny Human has played the role of an outside development vendor, lending a hand to studios on various high-profile titles, especially in an engineering capacity. Formed in 2007 as a continuation of the modding group Team Dystopia, Puny Human CEO blamed funding shortfall for the studio’s sudden shutdown.
“Unfortunately, a client refused previously agreed-upon payments, which deprived us of the cash flow to fully pitch our in-progress title and triggered successive failures in our operating income,” Sanders said. “I take full responsibility for not sufficiently preparing for this outcome.”
ALSO READ: 9 Of The Biggest Video Game Titles Releasing October 2023
It happened that in 2018, Puny Human began the development of a spiritual successor to Dystopia which was to be called Zero Day. The company hoped to secure venture capital funding by Q2 of 2023. Apparently, that didn’t go as planned.
Throughout its long run, Puny Human has released multiple code-based plugins on Unreal Engine Marketplace including Arc Plugins and Arc Inventory. Even though Puny Human is shutting its doors, the company promised to continue supporting its plugin development and current clients.
Remember to share and bookmark this website to stay up to date on all the hottest news in the gaming industry.
