The Embracer Group financing catastrophe and failed Saudi investment are continuing to have ripple effects in the MMO and multiplayer genres as now, the megacorp is closing a pseudo-MMO from Flying Wild Hog, the Polish studio behind Space Punks. Embracer bought the studio for $135.2M back in 2020, and then it was MMO company Jagex that actually brought the game to market, or more specifically, exclusively to the Epic Games Store as an open beta. Soon, that’ll all be over.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share this news regarding Space Punks. Flying Wild Hog and Jagex regretfully announce the discontinuation of support for Space Punks. This decision follows careful consideration of market conditions and our goals, and while tough, it was deemed necessary. Our mission is to craft games that stay close to gamers’ hearts for years. We would like to express our deep gratitude to all of you who joined us on this journey, from early access to Open Beta. Your feedback has been invaluable. A special thank you to the Space Punks Team – for your dedication, hard work and energy. Live services for Space Punks will conclude on November 6th, 2023. The in-game store and Epic storefront access will cease starting September 5th, 2023.”
Players are entitled to what sounds like full refunds for anything purchased during the beta, but you’ll need to initiate it yourselves, and there won’t be any sunset events. RIP.
We just checked in on the game back in June, noting at the time that it hadn’t seen an update since February and was effectively malingering in open beta while ticking off its playerbase with matchmaking messes.
— Flying Wild Hog (@Flying_Wild_Hog) September 5, 2023
