PC Gaming: "Nearly everyone" laid off at Hyper Light Drifter devs Heart Machine after publisher drops unannounced game
Published 17 Sept 2026· Updated 18 Sept 2026· 14h ago
BloxBoys summary
- •Heart Machine laid off almost all employees.
- •Publisher cancelled funding for an unannounced video game.
- •The studio entity still exists despite financial uncertainty.
- •Affected staff are receiving help with career placement.
Heart Machine, the US-based makers of Hyper Light Drifter , its multiplayer spinoff Hyper Light Breaker , and last year’s Possessor(s) , have laid off "nearly everyone" on staff after an unnamed publisher pulled funding for their next
Overview
Game development studio Heart Machine has laid off almost all of its staff following the cancellation of an unannounced project. An unnamed publisher pulled funding for the secret game, leaving the team without the necessary income to sustain its workforce. Founder Alx Preston confirmed that while the studio itself remains intact, its future is currently uncertain.
What's New
- ▸Heart Machine lost crucial publisher funding for a secret, unannounced video game project.
- ▸Nearly the entire workforce at Heart Machine has been laid off following the budget cut.
- ▸Studio leadership is attempting to figure out a future path for the company to survive.
What Players Should Know
- ▸Heart Machine will be severely limited in its capacity to create or update games for the foreseeable future.
- ▸The secret project the team was creating has been officially cancelled before ever being revealed.
Release Information
The news regarding the studio layoffs was announced on September 17, 2026.
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why were the developers at Heart Machine laid off?
- An unnamed publishing partner decided to stop funding the studio's upcoming unannounced game, leaving Heart Machine without immediate operational money.
- Has Heart Machine completely closed down?
- No, studio founder Alx Preston stated that Heart Machine still exists as an entity, though its future survival remains uncertain.
- What assistance is being offered to the affected workers?
- Heart Machine is offering as much support as possible to laid-off employees, including helping them find new career placements.
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Official source
This article is based on the official update information published for this game. We rewrote and organised the details in our own words — no text is copied from the source.
Read the original announcementPublished 17 Sept 2026 · Last updated 18 Sept 2026