Spec Ops and Blacklight developer Zombie Studios shuts down
Zombie Studios, the development team behind Daylight, Spec Ops, and Blacklight: Retribution, is to shut down.
A post on the developers' website suggests a peaceful closure of the company, with some developers moving on to a new studio Builder Box – who have been handed the reins to Blacklight.
"The owners of Zombie Studios are retiring," read their statement. "It has been awesome working with all the various technology over the years, both hardware and software, growing with the industry and our fans, and producing fun games and technology of our own."
Their first game Ice & Fire released in 1995. In 1998 they released Spec Ops: Rangers Lead the Way, a tactical shooter on PC that started the long-running series. Over the next six years they would make a further eight games and expansion packs.
Yager Development and 2K Games brought back the IP in 2012 with the critically acclaimed Spec Ops: The Line.
Zombie Studios also developed the Covert Operations Essentials expansion pack for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear.
Their statement in full:
So long, and thanks for all the fish,
It has been over 20 years since it all started. Zombie was formed in the same year that Forrest Gump was released, Sony's PlayStation launched, and Justin Bieber was born. It was also four years before Google was founded, and four years before Half-life was released. Since then we have published our own and been a part of over 30 titles, worked on every major console, partnered with nearly every publisher, and even did a bit of work for the US Army. Now it is time for us to part ways and close our doors.
The owners of Zombie Studios are retiring and wish to thank you, our fans, for years of support you have provided us. It has been awesome working with all the various technology over the years, both hardware and software, growing with the industry and out fans, and producing fun games and technology of our own. We also wish to thank our employees, both present and past. Your dedication and passion to gaming is what Zombie was all about.
Lastly, we want to congratulate and wish nothing but success to Builder Box, the new studio starting up that has acquired some of the work Zombie is parting with, including all rights to Blacklight: Retribution. The new studio is comprised of past Zombie employees that put their hearts into Blacklight and we have no doubts will continue to do so.
Thank you, and game on.
Zombie Studios
1994 – 2015
Their last major release – survival horror Daylight – was sadly panned by critics upon its release. It's not known whether the studio's closure was brought about by financial dire straits, or whether co-CEO's Mark Long and Joanna Alexander simply wanted to move on.
Blacklight aside, the studio has yet to make clear what will happen to their other IPs.
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