Indie Studio Black Flag shuts down following “communication breakdown” with publisher

French indie Studio Black Flag has shut down, declaring chapter.

In a press release posted to Steam, the studio stated that following a dispute with its writer, it had been “exploring smaller, secondary tasks,” however the previous couple of months have “dried up all of [its] funding,” resulting in the “imminent closure” of the studio, as instructed by French legislation.

The group stated that while it couldn’t “get into the specifics of our contract with our writer,” it didn’t personal the Orphan Age IP “in a approach that may enable us to buy it to a different writer,” and “the market can be closely dried up for indie publishing.”

“In the end, we seem like one other casualty of the present downturn within the online game trade,” the studio stated.

“Even when we may re-secure publishing rights, it might be an extremely troublesome, prolonged course of to seek out somebody open to supporting our undertaking.

“It’s attainable that growth will proceed beneath our writer, however right now, that’s completely out of our fingers.”

Black Flag stated that as the cash contributed by means of crowdfunding campaigns “had lengthy since been spent,” it couldn’t return monies to backers, however did hope to finally launch an unfinished construct of Orphan Age to the neighborhood.

“Immediately marks the tip of Black Flag in a reasonably brutal approach and in gradual movement on the similar time. I am undecided if it signifies the tip of Orphan Age because the undertaking might find yourself in different fingers, however it’s my hope that it lastly sees a launch,” stated studio founder and recreation director, Adrien Forestier.

“I am alternating between shock and numbness, and it is simply too early for me to deal with what’s subsequent and why we’re on this state of affairs.

“It is heartbreaking to finish this journey on these phrases and to consider all our supporters we’re letting down. As I stated earlier, whereas it is the tip for Black Flag, I will do no matter I can so it isn’t the tip for Orphan Age.”