Indie studio Die Gute Fabrik halts production amid ‘tough’ publishing and investment scene

Die Gute Fabrik, the indie studio behind adventure game Saltsea Chronicles, exploration title Mutazione, and more, has announced that it’s halted production as a result of the current “tough” publishing and investment scene. 

In a statement shared on social media today (February 26), Die Gute Fabrik shared that production was paused on February 19. While the length of this pause is indefinite, the developer confirmed that it hopes to resume later down the line should it be able to secure funding. 

“The publishing and investment scene is so tough for companies and projects of our scale right now it’s made it extremely difficult for Die Gute Fabrik to secure funding for our next project without a gap in income,” the statement reads. 

We’re sad to share that we're halting production at @gutefabrik due to the challenging funding & investment scene in games right now. We downed tools earlier this month & have been doing our best to support the team who'll be looking for work from mid-March.Full statement: pic.twitter.com/iQgXUHDxYjFebruary 26, 2024

See more

After halting production last week, the studio used its “remaining runway to give the current team a month of paid time to catch their breaths.” It continued:  “We will still try and seek funding to resume production, but wanted to announce this publicly in order that [sic] the team can share that they’re looking for new roles.” The leadership team of Nils Deneken and Hannah Nicklin are also amongst those who are looking for work.

Furthermore, it was added that Die Gute Fabrik ApS will continue to be operational in order to service the studio’s previous IPs. 

“Production may resume again under Nils Deneken as CEO should the company find funding in future years, and if so, we hope to welcome back our excellent collaborators where possible.”

Many game development studios have been struggling recently under the current industry conditions. Just today, The Quarry and Dark Pictures Anthology developer Supermassive Games announced that it’s entering a period of consultation, which it expects will result in staff layoffs. 

Looking for more excellent indie games to play? Be sure to check out our roundups of the best indie games and best indie horror games for some top choices.