Adored indie studio Heart Machine has made the painful decision to lay off almost every developer who works there, 10 years after its stunning adventure game Hyper Light Drifter hypnotized players with rich colors and a deep world.
Studio founder Alx Preston writes in an announcement on LinkedIn, “I have very difficult news today.” He explains Heart Machine’s publisher has suddenly dropped out of funding its next unannounced title, and, “without this key income for the studio, any other immediate prospects or other funds, nearly everyone at the studio had to be laid off.”
“It’s devastating,” Preston says. Without the bulk of its developers, Heart Machine is closer to dead than alive. Preston can’t guarantee it isn’t on the road toward a complete studio shutdown, saying honestly, “Right now, I’m not sure yet how or if Heart Machine survives. Navigating an increasingly challenging industry has been extremely difficult. However, we’ll keep pushing to build a path.”
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Likewise, what’s left of Heart Machine promises to give laid-off devs “as much support as possible, including assisting with placement.”
“If you know of any roles for extraordinarily talented, kind people,” Preston pleads, “please reach out and we will coordinate.”
While Heart Machine found enormous success in Hyper Light Drifter and made an indie pearl out of its slick follow-up Solar Ash, its true Drifter sequel Hyper Light Breaker never truly made it out of early access. It’s recent Steam reviews are Very Negative, and the game seems to have had a hand in 2025 layoffs at Heart Machine; at the time, a spokesperson said, “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.”
Heart Machine’s last game, 2025’s Possessor(s), failed to make the developer steady again. Our GamesRadar+ Possessor(s) review explains the overly difficult side-scrolling Metroidvania has “moments of desolate beauty, but when you’re lost for literal hours at a time, it does get depressing.”
That leads us here, to Heart Machine’s latest round of severe layoffs.
“Thank you so so much to all of the incredible people who contributed their efforts and talents to making amazing things at the studio,” Preston says. “Thank you to our amazing community and fans.”
