Inflexion Games shuts down UK subsidiary, lays off audio team

Inflexion Games has shut down its UK division which impacted some employees, including the audio team and several artists, working on the development of the studio’s first title Nightingale.

The studio’s shutdown follows four years of development on the game, despite the team’s efforts to build something special for players. On LinkedIn, Jon Newman, the Audio Director, also revealed the same information, expressing his worries for the team workers who are now jobless.

The shutdown of the UK office follows a difficult year for the game industry, as Nightingale struggles to maintain its initial player base, although it had an initially strong reception. Although the team was busy developing an offline mode to keep up with the changing trends of a live-service game, the closure of the subsidiary has left many skilled developers and artists seeking new ventures.

Nightingale developers face job loss as UK studio shuts down

The announcement of Inflexion’s UK studio closure comes as a huge disappointment for the team members most of whom were working remotely. Jon Newman, the head of the audio team, applauded them for their efforts, saying that they had gone above and beyond and were dedicated to crafting something exceptional.

The closure had a wider impact as it affected the UK-based audio department and a lot of key artists who were most important in the development of Nightingale’s sound and visual elements. In addition, the closing of this facility effectively puts an end to most of the support structure which had been instrumental in developing the game over the last four years.

Newman seized the moment to endorse his side to be considered for future positions and remarked, “Any team would be lucky to have them.” He then extended his appreciation to individual team members and partner companies such as Formosa Interactive and SIDE Global who were involved in developing Nightingale’s audio design and composition.

Tencent’s acquisition fails to prevent Inflexion’s ongoing struggles

Tencent acquired Inflexion Games in the year 2022 intending to reinforce their status in the market. Nonetheless, the studio faced challenges despite the financial support and the growth potential. Notably, Tencent cancelled a mobile game project, which may have contributed to the pressure on the company.

Nightingale, Inflexion Games’ first notable release, initially attracted interest with its unique combination of survival and fantasy genres. Once the game came out, however, keeping active players proved to be a challenge. This year, the studio tried to address the engagement drop issues reported in the previous year by incorporating an offline mode, as other developers, including Rocksteady, have done. Nonetheless, these attempts were inadequate to prevent 

the eventual shutdown of the UK subsidiary.

Inflexion Games developers scramble for new opportunities after Layoffs

With the uncertain future of the Nightingale team, Newman has taken matters into his own hands, helping his colleagues find new positions. In one of his posts on LinkedIn, he urged the potential interested companies to consider the laid-off members, emphasizing how dedicated and talented they are. He also pointed out the individual difficulties of dealing with the situation remotely, admitting that coping with the closure from afar made things more challenging.

Although additional information about what lies ahead for Inflexion Games and Nightingale has not been provided, the effect on the UK team is evident. For the time being, other Inflexion teams will probably take over the further development of the game, however, the closure of the UK subsidiary creates a void in the assistance that helped turn Nightingale into a reality.