Even the director of Mass Effect can't survive in the games industry right now, as both his own studio and a “brand new” sci-fi game are shut down

No matter who you are, the gaming industry is a tough place right now, as the Mass Effect director's new studio, Humanoid Origin, is closing.

It feels like every week for the past year has had some sort of announcement of layoffs, closures, or otherwise, and this week is unfortunately no different. Back in 2021, Casey Hudson, the director of the original Mass Effect trilogy (and director of the earlier and less popular Anthem) announced that he had formed a new studio, Humanoid Origin, and would Develop a “new IP”. Well, that's no longer the case, as yesterday Humanoid Origin's official LinkedIn page shared a post announcing that it would be shutting down due to a lack of funding. “Earlier today, we informed employees that Humanoid Origin would be shutting down,” the post read. “While we work hard to protect the studio from broader challenges in the industry, an unexpected funding shortfall has left us unable to sustain operations.

“We are heartbroken that we will not be able to complete the new sci-fi universe. However, our main concern at this time is our team, and we are committed to supporting them in their transition to their new work. During our time together, the team has achieved incredible results Incredible progress and proof that amazing work can be done while fostering a culture of fun and creativity, and we are grateful for their talent, courage and friendship.”

This is obviously a disturbing incident, and what's worse is that it's not uncommon. In addition to more than 14,000 job losses in 2024 alone, funding issues have been another growing issue over the past year. Pray that everyone in the studio will stand up.