Reigns developer Nerial enters ‘hibernation mode,’ lays off staff
Nerial, the British independent game studio known for creating innovative titles like Reigns, Card Shark, and The Crush House, has announced it is entering “hibernation mode” and closing operations after 13 years of development. The studio’s co-founders, François and Tamara Alliot, revealed the news through a social media post, marking the end of their journey producing 11 published games.
The closure comes as a result of significant financial losses, with the studio reporting losses exceeding £800,000 in 2025 and nearly £1 million in 2024. The decision follows a 40% staff reduction implemented in the previous year as the studio attempted to address issues surrounding recent releases and prepare for future projects.
Nerial was acquired by parent company Devolver Digital in 2021. While the studio is shuttering operations and laying off its remaining staff, Devolver will retain the intellectual property rights to all existing games, ensuring that titles like Reigns will remain available to players. The closure adds to an ongoing wave of layoffs and studio shutdowns that has affected the video game industry since late 2022, with publishers and independent developers alike facing mounting financial pressures.