In a tragic announcement from the creators that most recently brought us Hyper Light Breaker in 2025, the founder of Heart Machine, Alx Preston, shared on LinkedIn that the studio is in a state of crisis after a previously unannounced publisher deal fell through.
As noted by Wario64 on X not long after the post was made, the lack of a reliable income stream from a publisher or other prospect resulted in “nearly everyone at the studio” being laid off, with the founder stating they are “not sure yet how or if Heart Machine survives.”
This Isn’t The First Time Machine Heart Has Faced Layoffs
Despite releasing several games like the still-beloved Hyper Light Drifter and several other well-received titles like Solar Ash and Possessor(s), the Heart Machine team is unfortunately not a stranger when it comes to mandatory staff cuts, as the studio was faced with a similarly tragic layoff situation back in 2025 paired with the cancellation of Hyper Light Breaker’s development.
Although the exact details behind the unannounced game and the publisher involved with the project are somewhat up to speculation, the studio has had to change publishers for each of its releases so far after Hyper Light Drifter as a result of what its founder describes as “an increasingly challenging industry.”
While the announcement is an incredibly somber reminder of just how volatile the gaming industry can be these days, Preston did end the statement by saying “we’ll keep pushing to build a path,” which still leaves some hope for the iconic studio to make a comeback in the future.
Machine Heart’s Closure Would Be Another Tragic Loss For The Industry
Even with Machine Heart having faced plenty of criticism over the years for their unorthodox Hyper Light Drifter sequel Hyper Light Breaker, which was abandoned during early access after being slammed by critics, the studio has proven that its team is still more than capable of delivering standout experiences with their other releases.
If it wasn’t tragic enough that the studio had to let go of several talented developers, the fact that Heart Machine’s last title was a project they couldn’t even share publicly makes the situation feel far worse, especially considering this might be the last we see of the studio unless a new publisher decides to partner with the indie studio, or they start another crowdfunding project like Possessor(s).
- Released
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March 31, 2016
- ESRB
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T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Heart Machine
- Publisher(s)
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Heart Machine
- Engine
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GameMaker
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
