Polyarc Closes After Nearly 12 Years in VR Game Development
- Polyarc, based in Seattle, has officially closed its doors after close to 12 years.
- The studio’s last release was July’s ‘Moss: The Forgotten Relic,’ bringing its games to flatscreen.
- As it winds down, Polyarc has shared a reverse recruiting spreadsheet for affected staff.
Polyarc, the Seattle-based studio known for the popular VR series Moss, has announced its closure following nearly 12 years of operation. This news was disclosed through a LinkedIn post from the studio.
In the post, Polyarc stated, “After nearly 12 years riding the joyous rollercoaster of emotions that is making video games, our time together has come to an end. As we wind down active development, we are saying our farewells to each other.”
The announcement also highlighted the team’s commitment to their audience, with a message reading, “Working together over all of these years has been an honour. Bringing surprise and delight to those who played our games has been a privilege. Thank you to everyone at Polyarc, our work is now finished.”
Alongside the closure announcement, Polyarc shared a reverse recruiting spreadsheet, providing contact details for affected staff and encouraging outreach from other studios. According to data from the studio’s LinkedIn profile, Polyarc employed between 11 to 50 individuals. In March, the studio had already undergone a round of layoffs following an inability to secure funding for a cancelled project.
‘Moss: The Forgotten Relic,’ released in July, served as Polyarc’s final title, marking the first time that both mainline Moss games were available on flatscreen.
The closure of Polyarc adds to a challenging year for the VR development sector. Meta recently cut approximately 1,500 jobs from its Reality Labs division and shut down three of its studios: Armature, Sanzaru, and Twisted Pixel, in addition to previously downsizing Camouflaj. Furthermore, nDreams made headlines by laying off 78 employees and closing two studios in March.
Just a few years prior, Polyarc had ambitious plans, including a VR competitive multiplayer game that had been desired since the studio’s founding in 2015. Despite the closure, the studio’s back catalogue, featuring both Moss games and The Forgotten Relic, remains available for purchase.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
