NetEase Games has announced they’re shutting down Bad Brain Game Studios, the 2023-launched developer led by former Far Cry, Child of Light, and Army of Two veterans.
The news of its shutdown was confirmed by studio head Sean Crooks in a new LinkedIn update. The team was working on a game codenamed The Midnight Riders, which appeared to be a retro action-adventure game.
The game and its related intellectual property are still up for acquisition or a new partnership, with NetEase willing to discuss handing the team and game over to a new publisher.
Here’s the full message on the studio’s closure:
An Update on Bad Brain Game Studios
It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Bad Brain Game Studios will be closing its doors. Our last official day of operation will be on November 17th.
Despite our continuing efforts to seek a new partner for the project, a path forward has yet to materialize. We are deeply grateful to NetEase Games for their support and for giving us runway to explore every possible opportunity. Our team poured everything into this journey — pushing creative and technical boundaries every day with passion, imagination, and craft. What we achieved together stands as lasting proof of this team’s extraordinary talent.
The enthusiastic response our project has received is a direct reflection of that creativity and dedication. While the outcome may not be what we had hoped for, I’ve seen firsthand that we succeeded in reaching players and peers who believed in what we were building. To those who supported the game, shared encouragement, and championed our vision — thank you.
As we close this chapter, the game and its underlying IP is still available for acquisition or partnership, and we/NetEase are open to discussions with publishers or studios who see potential in continuing its development. We believe strongly in what was created, and would love to see this world find its way to players.
To help support our people as they take their next steps, we’ll also be releasing a sizzle reel from the project publicly, giving everyone the chance to showcase their incredible work and open doors to new opportunities.
If you’re looking for world-class developers, artists, and storytellers, please reach out — we would be proud to connect you with them.
Finally, I want to extend my deepest gratitude once again to everyone who supported us along the way. Your encouragement and belief in what we were building meant the world to us. While this chapter is ending sooner than we had hoped, the spirit of what we created at Bad Brain will live on through the incredible people who made it possible.
Sean Crooks
Studio Head
