In 2021, Casey Hudson, the former director of Mass Effect, announced the establishment of a new game development studio, Humanoid Origin. The studio aimed to create a compelling science-fiction narrative in the vein of Hudson’s previous work. However, the company has recently announced its closure, citing financial challenges that left it unable to sustain operations.
The announcement was made through a LinkedIn post, where the studio expressed its heartbreak over being unable to complete its debut project and emphasized its commitment to supporting staff during their transition.
Humanoid Origin’s closure was attributed to an “unexpected shortfall of funding,” a challenge the company described as unavoidable despite efforts to mitigate industry-wide difficulties. The studio was in the process of creating a multi-platform AAA game focused on character-driven storytelling within an original science-fiction universe. Unfortunately, this ambitious project never progressed beyond concept art and remained largely undisclosed to the public.
The vision for Humanoid Origin’s project resonated with fans of Hudson’s past work, particularly those familiar with Mass Effect’s rich storytelling and world-building. Yet the studio’s untimely end adds to the growing list of ambitious endeavors in the gaming industry that have struggled with funding and sustainability. This serves as a stark reminder of the financial risks involved in game development, particularly for independent studios aiming for AAA production quality.
The gaming industry has seen a wave of new studios formed by veterans from BioWare and other major companies, attempting to capture the creative spirit behind classics like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. For instance, Archetype Entertainment is working on Exodus, while Nightingale, a survival game with BioWare roots, entered early access this year. However, even these projects face challenges, as seen with Nightingale developer Inflexion Games, which underwent layoffs due to insufficient commercial success.
Ultimately, the closure of Humanoid Origin highlights the difficulties faced by smaller, ambitious studios in a competitive and resource-intensive industry. While the promise of a new science-fiction universe from Casey Hudson sparked interest, the reality of financial constraints underscores the precarious nature of independent game development, leaving the fate of similar ventures uncertain.
