GreedFall, Steelrising Developer Spiders Shuts Down

Parisian development studio Spiders is officially closing its doors after nearly two decades in the business, even as the team celebrates the launch of GreedFall: The Dying World. While the arrival of GreedFall: The Dying World is a great success for the developers, the wider situation surrounding their parent company has created a very difficult environment for the staff. According to reports, the legal process to end the studio's operations is expected to move forward this week.

Spindlar first hit the scene back in 2008 and quickly made a name for themselves by creating ambitious action RPGs that punched well above their weight class. Titles like Mars War Logs and The Technomancer established the studio as a veteran of the European AA gaming space. Spiders' most important breakthrough came with the original GreedFallwhich gained a cult following for its unique setting and choice-driven story. In 2019, the group was acquired by Bigben Interactive, which later became Nacon, with the hope that the studio would become a flagship for their new publishing ventures. However, recent months have been defined by financial instability throughout the organization, which has led to Nacon's insolvency filings for several of its major divisions.

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The end of an 18-year legacy for spiders

According to a report by French outlet Origami, the situation reached a breaking point when Nacon failed to find a suitable buyer for the subsidiary before the mid-April deadline. Since no takeover bids have been submitted, the court-appointed administrator is now requesting a full liquidation from the commercial court. This move is described by sources close to the matter as a “mere formality” at this point, effectively ending the studio. Statistics from France Stratégie indicate that approximately 67% of companies that enter this type of bankruptcy are eventually liquidated. French law usually requires the liquidator to issue termination notices to staff within 15 days of the court's final ruling, marking a swift end to the company's operations.

The approximately 70 employees currently at the studio have reportedly spent the past few days preparing for life after Spiders. Instead of working on patches or new content, staff are focused on updating their resumes and participating in tutorials. The works council is even coordinating an effort to allow employees to buy back their own office equipment when the studio closes. On April 28, the team plans to gather for one last drink each week, turning the routine social event into a formal celebration of their 18 years of creativity. This grim milestone highlights the human cost of the corporate restructuring that has also dragged down other Nacon subsidiaries, such as KT Racing and Cyanide.

The closure has also highlighted serious concerns about the internal management of Spiders and its parent company, Nacon, over the past few years. The STJV union recently released a scathing statement blaming “years of mismanagement and strategic nothing” for the ongoing disaster. According to the union, Nacon executives prioritized quick profits over a sustainable long-term strategy, effectively sabotaging studios that were otherwise viable. There are also claims that the deterioration of working conditions and the cancellation of a code-named project Dark added to the team's stress. The union is calling for a full overhaul of executive leadership, arguing that the focus on “snake oil solutions” such as AI failed to meet the actual needs of developers or the modern gaming market.

Find all 10 pairs

Fans of GreedFall series is left with a sequel that recently launched in a weak state on Steam, leaving its ultimate fate in doubt. As the Lesquin liquidation process reaches its final stage, the industry is losing one of its most distinctive voices in the RPG genre.