KeokeN Interactive, the developers of Deliver Us Mars has laid off all of its staff after the studio failed to secure enough funding.
It’s no secret that KeokeN Interactive has been struggling for a while. Just over a month ago, the team released a video, detailing five of their games in need of urgent funding. Additionally, they revealed that “over the past 2 years, we’ve pitched 5 games to 40 publishers in over 200 pitch meetings” and were still unable to land a deal.
Deliver Us Mars studio layoffs add another one to the tally
In a statement released via KeokeN Interactive on X, the team reveal that they are “heartbroken, we’ve had to lay off our team at KeokeN because of nothing substantial materializing directly after our visit to GDC. We’ve unfortunately exhausted all our possible options for publishing, work for hire, and co-development.”
The GDC is a Game Developer Conference which brings game developers from all over the globe together. During that time, KeokeN failed to find an investor or publisher which they were desperately looking for to keep their projects afloat.
With “nothing substantial” coming from their efforts, fans are thanked for “show[ing] up consistently in both the good and the bad times.”
As for the future, a Kickstarter is being prepared “for our much-anticipated Deliver Us Home. This is one small step for KeokeN, one giant leap for Delivering Us Home. A game we will build for you and with you.”
Details are scarce on what Deliver Us Home could entail, but previous entries, Deliver Us Moon and Deliver Us Mars are both highly acclaimed sci-fi adventure titles.
Sadly, KeokeN Interactive join a long list of studios to undergo layoffs just this year alone. The industry is cruel, and it’s always a shame to see talented, hardworking, and passionate people face the axe.
Consider checking out more of the latest news:
Fallout 76 patch notes make Cremator adjustments and bug fixes | Xbox Games Showcase and “Redacted” Direct confirmed for June 9, 2024 |
