Less than a day after publisher Paradox Interactive canceled Life by You, the company announced that the game’s developer Paradox Tectonic is shutting down.
The news was delivered earlier this morning by the publisher. Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox, called the move, which affects 24 people, “difficult and drastic,” and shutting down the studio was a “tough decision.”
“This is difficult and drastic news for our colleagues at Tectonic, who’ve worked hard on Life by You’s Early Access release,” Wester said. “Sadly, with cancellation of their sole project we have to take the tough decision to close down the studio. We are deeply grateful for their hard work in trying to take Paradox into a new genre.”
Paradox Tectonic is shutting down after Life by You cancellation
Paradox announced the cancellation of Life by You yesterday. In a quote, Wester said the game would not meet expectations: “A version that we’d be satisfied with is too far away, and therefore we are taking the difficult decision to cancel the release.” The decision resulted in an estimated $19.8 million write-down for the company, which has seen other trouble as of late. Last year, the company announced it would write down The Lamplighters League for approximately $23 million a week after the game launched.
It has been troubling all around. Paradox Tectonic’s shuttering feels like another stone in the road for an industry that has already experienced a lot of job loss in 2024 — and we’re only halfway through the year. Just yesterday, before the news of the Life by You cancellation, Embracer Group announced the closure of Alone in the Dark (2024) developer Pieces Interactive. Microsoft closed down the Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin (along with Alpha Dog Games) ahead of its big June showcase. Needless to say, the move dampened the excitement before the show.
