Firewall Ultra developer is shutting down

First Contact Entertainment is a studio specializing in VR games, and it is behind titles like Firewall: Zero Hour and Firewall Ultra. It has announced that it will be shutting down by the end of the year.

According to the announcement from the studio, a “lack of support for VR within the industry has eventually taken its toll.” Though the company wishes it could continue with its AAA VR projects, it has become impossible to justify the expenses.

This is notable news for the VR community, as Firewall: Zero Hour was a popular PS VR title that had earned itself good reviews. Firewall Ultra was released for the PS VR2, though it failed to impress players as much as its predecessor.

Employees have commented on the imminent closure on social media, celebrating their time with the studio while announcing their availability for new opportunities. They join the ranks of thousands of other gaming industry employees who have found themselves in a similar position this year. It has been estimated that in 2023 alone, around 9,000 video game jobs were lost.

First Contact Entertainment isn’t the only company struggling to master the VR space, with Sony also calling it a “challenging category.” PS VR2 players looking for first-person shooters aren’t out of luck, however. The PlayStation VR2 has a few FPS titles available, with Pavlov being an unmissable standout.