Bad news for Heart Machine, the American indie studio behind the excellent Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash.
In a message sent to Game Developer, the company announced some layoffs that will result in the permanent halt of development on Hyper Light Breaker. The game has been available in early access on PC since January 14, 2025, and sadly, version 1.0 won’t ever see the light of day.
“As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part ways with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances.
While this path will include a conclusion on the project, it reflects broader forces beyond our control, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.”
