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JRPGfan on 16 June 2026
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SvennoJ said:

Spin off or closure?

https://www.eurogamer.net/compulsion-double-fine-ninja-theory-xbox-studio-closures-report

Microsoft reportedly negotiating closures of multiple Xbox studios, including Psychonauts' Double Fine, South of Midnight's Compulsion and Hellblade's Ninja Theory

According to Bloomberg, South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games, Psychonauts and Keeper developer Double Fine, and Hellblade developer Ninja Theory have each started negotiations with Microsoft to buy back their independence from Xbox Studios, in a bid to avert full studio closures. Reports of Compulsion's potential closure were also corroborated by Kotaku.

Other threatened Xbox studios were not named in Bloomberg's report, but apparently "several" others are also at risk of being closed. While nothing has been confirmed, Insider Gaming's Mike Straw claims staff at Blade studio Arkane are "scared".

In a separate report by The Verge, sources claimed that staff at Ninja Theory were informed of the impending closure on Monday, though the team is hopeful the studio will find a buyer. Ninja Theory only announced its next game - Senua - at the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month. Senua is due out at some point next year, on PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series S/X, and Game Pass.

Writing on Bluesky, Bloomberg's Jason Schrier said: "Safe to say that the Xbox of July will look drastically different than the Xbox of June."

Great environment to work in :(

I really don't think Ninja Theory has a chance.
Its really reliant on graphics and sound design, that were developed at microsoft/xbox. The mocap stuff ect.... they will want to keep that.
So even if they get to keep the IP (senua/hellblade) and maybe get to finish the game (that's like half a year - 1year out).

What do you do with the studio afterwards?  What is Ninja theory without the mocap/sound design stuff? what will their next game look like?
Do you want to gamble on that as a investor?


Compulsion games is just dead. 17years+ and 3 games that just did not sell well, and only 1 that really was critically well received.
Its dead jim.... it's probably not worth anything, nor the IP of its games.

Double Fine, IP are worth something, and the studio is too.  Give them some direction, and lets start pumping out some Psychonauts (platformers) or some of their older Action-Adventure games.  I think Double Fine should survive, or at least deserves too. Hopefully some investors step in.