{"rewrite":{"id":"r_ded593a49be94b06937364c8","clusterId":"c_e7485f2316bb5bd0f95eea96","slug":"luna-abyss-developer-kwalee-labs-closes-one-month-after-release","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Luna Abyss Developer Kwalee Labs Closes One Month After Release","summary":"Kwalee Labs, the developer of the well-received sci-fi FPS 'Luna Abyss', has laid off all staff and closed its doors just one month after the game's launch. CEO Hollie Emery announced the closure on LinkedIn, stating the decision was 'completely outside of our control.' The game had earned a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam.","whyItMatters":"The closure of Kwalee Labs one month after releasing a critically praised debut title shows that strong reviews do not guarantee financial survival in the current game industry.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eKwalee Labs, the internal studio behind the sci-fi FPS \u0026#39;Luna Abyss\u0026#39;, has shut down just over a month after the game\u0026#39;s release. CEO Hollie Emery announced on June 17 that all staff had been laid off and the studio closed. Emery said on LinkedIn that the decision was \u0026#39;completely outside of our control,\u0026#39; suggesting Kwalee\u0026#39;s management made the call without the studio\u0026#39;s input. \u0026#39;Luna Abyss\u0026#39; launched on May 21 for Steam and May 22 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and was also available on Game Pass. The game earned a \u0026#39;Very Positive\u0026#39; rating on Steam, with 86% of roughly 600 user reviews positive. The studio had been developing the title for about seven years, dating back to its predecessor Bonsai Collective, and had secured a $3.5 million investment. The reason for the closure has not been clarified, but the game reportedly did not generate enough sales to cover losses or meet Kwalee\u0026#39;s expectations.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Kwalee Labs, developer of the acclaimed FPS 'Luna Abyss', has laid off all staff and closed just one month after the game's release. CEO says the decision was 'completely outside of our control.'","twitterPost":"Kwalee Labs, the studio behind the well-reviewed FPS 'Luna Abyss', has closed one month after launch. All staff laid off. CEO says the decision was 'completely outside of our control.'","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Kwalee Labs, the developer of the sci-fi FPS 'Luna Abyss', has closed just one month after the game's release. CEO Hollie Emery announced the layoffs on LinkedIn, stating the decision was outside the studio's control. Despite a 'Very Positive' Steam rating, the game reportedly did not generate enough sales to sustain the studio.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/luna-abyss-20260617-450069/\",\"title\":\"Well-Received Sci-Fi Ruins FPS 'Luna Abyss' Developer Closes Studio 'Just One Month' After Release; Masterpiece Developed Over 7 Years Shut Down Right After High Praise\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4177,"outputTokens":656,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1781662199,"createdAt":"2026-06-17T02:00:33.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-17T02:04:57.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-17T02:04:57.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_e7485f2316bb5bd0f95eea96","canonicalTitle":"好評SF廃墟FPS『Luna Abyss』開発元、「発売からわずか1か月」でスタジオ閉鎖。7年も開発に取り組んだ力作が高評価を得た矢先に","representativeArticleId":"a_b9501e17b5633dc58632f917","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Luna Abyss\"],\"studios\":[\"Kwalee Labs\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-17T01:22:07.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-17T01:22:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-17T02:04:57.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/luna-abyss-20260617-450069/","title":"好評SF廃墟FPS『Luna Abyss』開発元、「発売からわずか1か月」でスタジオ閉鎖。7年も開発に取り組んだ力作が高評価を得た矢先に"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Luna Abyss"],"studios":["Kwalee Labs"],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Kwalee Labs, the developer of 'Luna Abyss,' laid off all staff and closed on June 17, 2025, just over a month after the game's release.","CEO Hollie Emery announced the closure on LinkedIn, stating the decision was 'completely outside of our control.'","'Luna Abyss' launched on May 21 for Steam and May 22 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and was also available on Game Pass.","The game earned a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam, with 86% of roughly 600 user reviews positive."]}