Tech article
'Nearly Everyone' Laid Off As Hyper Light Drifter Studio Risks Closing: 'I'm Not Sure Yet How Or If Heart Machine Survives' - Kotaku
Publisher description: The team's recent projects didn't quite pan out
NewsAPI | Sep 16, 2026 | Ethan Gach
Automated excerpt
The studio behind the critically acclaimed Zelda-like Hyper Light Drifter is at risk of shutting down after a recent publishing deal fell through. Without this key income for the studio, any other immediate prospects or other funds, nearly everyone at the studio had to be laid off. However, we’ll keep pushing to build a path. 2016’s Hyper Light Drifter won fans with its retro pixel art, moody, top-down environmental storytelling, and incredible soundtrack.
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