Key Takeaways
1. NetEase has closed its Canadian branch, Bad Brain Games Studios, marking the second studio shutdown in a week under the publisher.
2. Bad Brain Games was founded in 2023 by former Ubisoft developers and failed to secure funding for its project, The Midnight Riders.
3. The Midnight Riders was a praised retro-style action-adventure game featuring teenagers battling eldritch horrors on bicycles.
4. Nearly twenty employees are now left jobless due to the closure, amidst a wave of layoffs in the gaming industry.
5. The project’s intellectual property is still available for acquisition or partnership, as the studio head remains optimistic about its future.
In a disappointing turn of events for the gaming world, NetEase has closed its Canadian branch, Bad Brain Games Studios. This marks the second studio to shut down this week under the publisher, following the closure of Fantastic Pixel Castle.
About Bad Brain Games
Founded in 2023 in Toronto, Bad Brain Games was formed by previous developers from Ubisoft, especially those who worked on the Watch Dogs series. The studio announced it will cease operations on November 17, 2025, after failing to secure funding for its project, known as The Midnight Riders.
Sean Crooks, the head of the studio, shared the news on LinkedIn, expressing, “It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Bad Brain Game Studios will be closing its doors.” He noted that the team had explored every possible option for investment but was unsuccessful. He commended his team’s “creativity and commitment” as they “pushed creative and technical boundaries every day with passion, imagination, and craft.”
The Midnight Riders Project
The Midnight Riders was designed to be a retro-style action-adventure game showcasing a group of teenagers who navigate mysterious realms on bicycles, combatting eldritch horrors with common items like slingshots and baseball bats.
The studio had even released a brief sizzle reel that received significant acclaim for its artistic direction and captivating gameplay.
Despite the abrupt stop in the development of The Midnight Riders, Crooks mentioned that the project and its intellectual property are still “available with acquisition or partnership.” He remains optimistic, saying, “We believe strongly in what was created, and would love to see this world find its way to players.”
Impact on Employees
Bad Brain Games Studios employed nearly twenty individuals, many of whom had come from established studios. Sadly, staff are now searching for new jobs amid a harsh wave of layoffs in the gaming sector, which has left tens of thousands of developers without employment.
Crooks concluded his post by saying, “Your encouragement and belief in what we were building meant the world to us. While this chapter is ending sooner than we had hoped, the spirit of what we created at Bad Brain will live on through the incredible people who made it possible.”
This closure represents the third significant studio shutdown linked to NetEase in recent months. The first was T-Minus Zero Entertainment, although they succeeded in striking a deal with a group of veteran directors and founders for the studio’s name and assets.
Now, Bad Brain Games’ The Midnight Riders remains in limbo, waiting for any potential buyer interested in reviving the title.
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