Bad Brain Game Studios, the developer behind the popular Watch Dogs series, has announced its closure

Founded by former Ubisoft developers, including those who worked on Watch Dogs: Legion, the studio will be shutting down on November 17th. The closure comes after the studio was unable to secure necessary funding, with NetEase pulling the plug on their partnership.

Studio head and former Ubisoft developer, Sean Crooks, expressed his sadness at the closure, stating that the team had been working on an ambitious, story-driven open-world action-adventure game using Unreal Engine 5. The game, codenamed The Midnight Riders, was set to blend adventure and horror themes inspired by cult films from the 1980s.

Despite their best efforts to find a new partner for the game, Bad Brain Game Studios was ultimately forced to close its doors, becoming the latest casualty in a string of studio closures by NetEase. The closure marks the end of a promising venture that brought together industry veterans with experience on major franchises such as Watch Dogs, Far Cry, and Splinter Cell.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, the closure of Bad Brain Game Studios serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by developers in an increasingly competitive market. Fans of the studio’s work can only hope that the talented team behind The Midnight Riders will find new opportunities to showcase their creativity and passion for game development.