Anti-Capitalist Game Studio Shut Down in Peak Irony Moment
Image Credit: Naughty Dog
In a move that feels a little too on-brand, the developers of Say No! More and Reignbreaker—both games with anti-establishment themes—are being shut down by their publisher two weeks before their latest game even comes out.
Studio Fizbin, known for poking fun at corporate nonsense, is now dealing with some real-life corporate nonsense. Their parent company, Thunderful, has been slashing jobs and shifting away from in-house game development. Unfortunately, that includes Fizbin, who—despite pitching new projects—didn’t get the green light for anything beyond their final game, Reignbreaker.
A Sudden End
According to Studio Fizbin’s founder, Alexander Pieper, the layoffs are part of Thunderful’s decision to “drastically reduce internal development” back in late 2024. Since then, the team has been scrambling to line up new work—only to get the final “no” themselves.
"This means that Reignbreaker will be Studio Fizbin’s final game."
Talk about a bittersweet launch.
What Is Reignbreaker?
If you like the idea of chucking spears at a tyrannical queen, you might want to check out Reignbreaker. It’s a roguelike action game with fast-paced combat, upgrade choices, and a rebellious theme inspired by, well… real-life authoritarianism and class struggles.
One of the devs even called it a response to “the rise in right-wing authoritarianism, the growing class divide, and exploitation.”
It also looks very, very much like Hades—something reviewers have been quick to point out.
Still, if you want to support the team in their final release, the game drops on March 18th, and there’s a demo available on Steam now.
Studio Fizbin’s Legacy
Before making Reignbreaker, Fizbin was behind well-liked indie games like:
The Inner World (point-and-click adventure)
Minute of Islands (hand-drawn puzzle platformer)
Say No! More (comedic anti-capitalist game about refusing ridiculous workplace demands)
The last one was described as “short but immensely satisfying”—which is ironic, because their career in game development now shares that same description.
What’s Next?
For now, Studio Fizbin will focus on shipping Reignbreaker and offering post-launch support while also helping their team find new jobs. It’s not the ending they wanted, but at least they’re going out with a game that fits their rebellious spirit.
If nothing else, the situation proves that sometimes, capitalism doesn’t even wait for the credits to roll before pulling the plug.
Recommended
