Entertainment
.png?width=1280&auto=webp&quality=80&format=jpg&disable=upscale)
Image via Seeker Entertainment
Seeker Entertainment, the studio behind creature-collector action RPG Kinforge, has paused production and furloughed its staff due to the “devastating fundraising environment” of the last few years.
The developer shared the news via LinkedIn this past weekend. Seeker says the decision was made despite a “fantastic vertical slice, incredible ratings from playtesters, millions of views on our videos, and tens of thousands of wishlists” on Steam.
“We managed to extend our initial seed runway by over a year, but are finally at the point where we can’t extend further,” the studio says.
Seeker will continue to explore fundraising opportunities. That being said, given the industry landscape, it has “encouraged everyone to be aggressive with their job hunts.”
The core team is made up of eight employees. The LinkedIn post has information about six of the crew. “Not the news I wanted to share, but here we are,” wrote head of design Scott Shicoff in a separate post.
Related:GameStop tables $55.5 billion takeover bid for eBay
Seeker released the reveal trailer for Kingforge merely five months ago. While the studio remains hopeful about the title’s future and is exploring “every possible path forward,” it is also being “realistic” and putting its people first.
“We are grateful for the support from our community and peers during this time. If you are hiring for positions that would be a good fit, or know someone who is, please reach out to make connections,” the studio says.
Seeker turned three on April 1 of this year. In a celebratory post published on Steam that day, the team mentioned being on active lookout for a publishing partner, and noted there was excitement about a vertical slice shown at DICE and GDC Festival of Gaming, respectively.
Entertainment About the Author
Contributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com
Diego Nicolás Argüello is a freelance journalist and critic from Argentina. Video games helped him to learn English, so now he covers them for places like The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and more. He also runs Into the Spine, a site dedicated to fostering and supporting new writers, and co-hosted Turnabout Breakdown, a podcast about the Ace Attorney series. He’s most likely playing a rhythm game as you read this.
Read More
Diego Argüello

