Summary
- Embracer Group quietly shuts down Campfire Cabal, a short-lived studio, as part of a major restructuring process.
- Embracer Group owns notable developers and popular video game IPs, but recent studio closures and layoffs have resulted from a failed $2 billion deal.
- Campfire Cabal, founded by Jonas Wæver and tasked with developing future sequels for the Expeditions franchise, never got the chance to produce any software.
Embracer Group has quietly shut down Campfire Cabal, which was open for less than a year. It was one of the many studios under Embracer Group's ownership and is part of a massive restructuring announced in June.
Based in Karlstad, Sweden and founded by Lars Wingefors, Embracer Group has become a rising star among gaming companies, owning several notable and acclaimed video game developers including Gearbox Studios, THQ Nordic, and Eidos Montreal. As a result, it also makes millions off of popular video game IPs such as the recent Marvel games, Lord of the Rings, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain. The company has even branched into multimedia thanks to its purchase of Dark Horse Comics. Recently, the company attempted a $2 billion deal that ultimately fell through, resulting in several studio closures, game cancelations, and employee layoffs.
As first reported by LinkedIn user Bruno-Christian Belibou, a former Executive Producer at Campfire Cabal. The studio, a subsidiary of THQ Nordic, was shut down as part of the massive restructuring process. It's not the first time Embracer Group has made a major cut like this, following its shutdown of various mobile games that came with its multiple industry conquests, but it should prove devastating for anyone involved in the closure, especially given how quietly it occurred and Embracer Group's hesitation to release any statements on the matter.
Campfire Cabal was a very short-lived studio that only opened its doors in September 2022 and never got to produce any software. It was founded by Jonas Wæver, who previously created and developed the tactical RPG Expeditions: Rome at Logic Artists, also owned by THQ Nordic. Wæver also acted as the creative director for Campfire Cabal, which was tasked with future Expeditions sequels following the acquisition by Embracer Group, but ultimately and unfortunately, no such sequels came to be, leaving the franchise trapped in limbo for the moment.
It's always disappointing to see game studios get shut down, especially before they get a chance to show the world their true potential. It hurts the workers, it hurts the franchises, and it hurts the gaming community who are now robbed of said franchises. One can only hope that Campfire Cabal's former employees can find success in the industry moving forward.