Among the employees that have been affected by these lay-offs include Myriame Lachapelle, who was serving as producer on Possessor(s), 3D animator Jordan Campbell, VFX artist Ivan Phu, and senior gameplay manager Justin Beales. All three confirmed that they were affected by the lay-offs through posts on social media platform Bluesky.

While Lachapelle will continue to work with the studio until the development of Possessor(s) is done, Phu, Campbell and Beales were seemingly let go on a more immediate basis.

“My heart is heavy & I might have more to say on that later, but I’ve got news today that my time at Heart Machine will come to an end after Possessor(s) ships,” wrote Lachapelle in a post. “I’m honestly too busy… literally shipping the game to start actively looking for work, but I’ll be looking for my next gig in December.”

“My time at Heart Machine has sadly come to a rather abrupt end,” wrote Campbell. “I was there for almost 6 years, & had been working on Breaker since summer 2020. It was a pleasure working with them! Now, a new chapter begins.”

“I just wanted to post, I’m laid off,” wrote Beales. “Just shouting into the void of the internet! It was a beautiful and wonderful team of people to work with at [Heart Machine].”

“Unfortunately my time with the lovely teams of Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s) is coming to an end tomorrow,” wrote Phu. “It was a great time working with such passionate and talented individuals on this team and I’m wishing everybody a whole lot of luck and perseverance with job hunting in these hard times”

Heart Machine had announced lay-offs earlier this month, noting that the decision was made due to “broader forces beyond our control.” In its statement, a spokesperson for the studio noted that, after the lay-offs, the studio would still maintain a “smaller core team” while still making sure that those affected would be supported.

The studio had announced its next game, Possessor(s), all the way back in June 2024. The title is being developed for PC and is set for release later this year. However, with this latest round of lay-offs, the current state of the game is currently unknown. Possessor(s) has been described by Heart Machine as a side-scroller that takes place in a mega-city that has been hit by an “interdimensional catastrophe”. The story revolves around two characters – Luca and Rehm – who will both cope with the events of the game in their own distinct ways.

In the meantime, check out our review of Hyper Light Breaker, which came out as an Early Access game earlier this year on PC.

https://bsky.app/profile/mllepilgrim.bsky.social/post/3m4c2kazjfk2n

My time at Heart Machine has sadly come to a rather abrupt end. I was there for almost 6 years, & had been working on Breaker since summer 2020. It was a pleasure working with them!Now, a new chapter begins.

— Virum (@virum.bsky.social) 2025-10-29T14:05:31.448Z

I just wanted to post, I'm laid off. Just shouting into the void of the internet! It was a beautiful and wonderful team of people to work with at HM.

— Burnrate (@burnrate.bsky.social) 2025-10-28T20:06:11.352Z

Unfortunately my time with the lovely teams of Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s) is coming to an end tomorrow. It was a great time working with such passionate and talented individuals on this team and i'm wishing everybody a whole lot of luck and perseverance with job hunting in these hard times

— Kuro on Blue~ (@kurothemoop.bsky.social) 2025-10-30T22:36:49.257Z

In a statement to Game Developer, a studio spokesperson said, “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.”

The developer will continue working on titles as a “smaller core team” while supporting those affected. The number of layoffs has not been specified.

Released into Steam Early Access this past January, Hyper Light Breaker is a fully 3D co-op rogue-like – check out our thoughts on the launch version. It currently sits at a “Mixed” rating with 64 percent of the 3,133 user reviews giving it a thumbs-up, despite multiple updates and content drops over the past several months.

Heart Machine hasn’t specified when development will wrap or the extent of the game’s final update, so stay tuned for more details. The studio’s next title, Possessor(s), launches on November 11th for PS5 and PC. It’s a side-scrolling action title where players control Luca, possessed by a demon Rhem, as the duo seeks to survive in Sanzu City. Head here for more details.

The developer also outlined future updates for Spring, including a new Assassin, enemies, Blades, Holobytes, and affixes in March. It will also offer more updates to performance and combat/gear balance. April sees the arrival of “Buried Below”, which adds a new Crown to battle and an additional character. Players will also have more areas to explore while tussling with a new Assassin and enemies.

The onboarding experience will also improve, ideally easing one into the experience. Heart Machine promises new bosses, story content, gear, progression, end-game difficulty, etc., along with the eventual Version 1.0 launch. Stay tuned for details including a new roadmap that will outline upcoming content from May through July, so stay tuned for updates.

Hyper Light Breaker isn’t that. The fully 3D visuals, open-world landscape, and gliding may draw a slight twinge of comparison to your Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdoms. The trippy sci-fi aesthetic and fusion of close-range hack-and-slash combat with long-range shooting will remind you of Hyper Light Drifter. However, the gameplay loop and world design are several steps below its predecessor.

"Even if you can excuse the lack of narrative elements at this stage, things only slightly improve with Breaker’s gameplay loop."

Recently launched into Steam Early Access, the title focuses on the Breakers, who venture to the mysterious Overgrowth to defeat the Abyss King. To what end is unknown, but doing so requires defeating three bosses known as Crowns. Reaching them is another task, as players must collect Prisms to open their gates. It’s all simple enough to take in, presented wordlessly with layers of complexity upon further analysis, right? Well, no – problems emerge beyond the initially dry way you’re tossed into the fray.

What are the Breakers? Why are they called this? What has the Abyss King done to warrant such a steadfast quest to eliminate him? What will killing the Abyss King solve? How does the Overgrowth completely morph after a cycle? All these questions and more are pretty much unknown. And even if you believe that early access could omit the more important narrative details, having the absolute bare minimum to constitute the set-up doesn’t cut it.

It’s made all the worse when you’re exploring Overgrowth. Mysterious ruins, mercenary-like soldiers, alien creatures, and the remains of what seem to be bygone civilizations drive you to want to know more. Unfortunately, Hyper Light Breaker doesn’t feature much deeper lore to familiarize you with the place. It doesn’t present any intriguing mysteries to pursue beyond some buildings that evoke Drifter deja vu, and that’s a shame. When you’re first roaming the neon-swathed landscape, moody synth setting the tone as you’re beset on all sides, the sheer atmosphere is easy to get lost in.

Even if you can excuse the lack of narrative elements at this stage, things only slightly improve with Breaker’s gameplay loop. After starting at base and squaring away your loadout, you teleport into Overgrowth and begin a “run.” There are three Crowns to fight, with Prisms scattered all over the map. Each requires a different amount, so while it makes sense to challenge the two-Prism boss first, you could easily take on the three-Prism threat if desired.

"Of course, with your measly grey-quality sword and gun, alongside the lack of passive abilities and healing items, a quick death is more or less assured. "

As for the Prisms, these can be found in locked underground rooms or obtained from defeating Elite enemies. However, slaying enemies in Overgrowth will attract the Abyss King’s attention. He’ll send reinforcements after you while raising the Danger Level – as it gets higher, more powerful mini-bosses, like the Engineer, may spawn to take you down.

Of course, with your measly grey-quality sword and gun, alongside the lack of passive abilities and healing items, a quick death is more or less assured. The kicker is that you get four “rezzes” – one is consumed on death and allows for respawning back at base. Any equipment, from weapons to gear, loses durability in the process. Die enough times, and even that spiffy Orange-tier weapon that synergizes well with your loadout will be gone soon enough.

What happens when all four rezzes are consumed? You gain the ability to reset the world and effectively start a new cycle. And like the most annoying consolation prize ever, your “ranks” increase, earning items like Gold Rations. Those can unlock passive upgrades for your character, including increased gliding and hoverboard time, or the ability to use healing items (more accurately, to convert the Gems discovered in the Overgrowth into healing charges).

So while Hyper Light Breaker is a rogue-like game, as advertised, there are also elements of an extraction title. You can extract from Overgrowth at any time, though earlier is better – that’s because the extraction process requires slaying enemies and Elites to complete. And the last thing you want is to be trapped in an enclosed space with an Engineer, unleashing all manner of explosive shots and mines.

Extraction won’t consume any rezzes, but on the flip side, not consuming rezzes won’t complete cycles and provide Golden Rations on leveling up. You could also complete a cycle by defeating all the Crowns but the chances of that happening, especially with this current level of balance, are astronomically low.

"However, there are occasions where shifting from melee to ranged combat can feel awkward, never mind trying to slash at flying enemies."

The overall gameplay loop thus devolves into the following: Teleport into Overgrowth. Find the nearest point of interests with weapons, guns, whatever. Loot them and then extract before things get too dangerous. Build a decent arsenal and maybe refresh the vendors’ stocks for additional options, either with currency earned from each run or by waiting. Once you feel confident enough, gather some Prisms, and when you’re extra confident, take on the bosses.

If it sounds tedious, that’s because it is. All the extra steps and twists to what should be a rogue-like where you explore a barren yet beautifully realized world feel unnecessary. And even if you do get into a groove of preparation, slowly but surely assembling the best weapons and passives available, the fact that some can be lost in one or two deaths makes it feel like a waste.

Mind you, this is before we get to all the other problems with Hyper Light Breaker, specifically its combat. Anyone who’s played Drifter, let alone any hack-and-slash title in the past few years, will expect a certain level of fluidity. You’ll get that for the most part – two-handed weapons carry a heftier feel; dual blades feel nice and speedy; and they each have innate talents that come in handy.

However, there are occasions where shifting from melee to ranged combat can feel awkward, never mind trying to slash at flying enemies. Some abilities also have a painfully long recovery, which is enough time to get smacked down. Dashing feels decent, though the stamina recovery and only two dashes (with more pips obtained via gear) don’t help when you’re getting battered by a mini-boss. You can parry attacks but that feels awkward more often than not.

"The lack of random events, beyond whatever the Abyss King throws at you or notable figures to meet beyond a vendor that sells some underwhelming loot, also doesn’t help."

Enemies can also feel astoundingly punishing. Before you obtain any armor, a few hits are enough to kill, and the Overgrowth generously tosses several ranged foes to go with melee enemies that can charge from miles off. Then you have the flying enemies which shield their comrades and unleash sweeping lasers.

Things become more manageable with armor, but you’ll still have to deal with annoyances like leaping enemies perfectly predicting where to land in your path. As for bosses, I’ve only faced one so far, but suffice it to say that some tuning is required. Beyond batteries to refill your ranged weapons, why it needs an excessive amount of constantly respawning smaller enemies is beyond me.

If all of this wasn’t enough, the Overgrowth isn’t all that fun to explore. Any sense of wonder at discovering a new cave or section of the map is quickly diminished since you’re just out to scrounge for resources. The lack of random events, beyond whatever the Abyss King throws at you or notable figures to meet beyond a vendor that sells some underwhelming loot, also doesn’t help.

Some sections become hazardous as the Danger Level rises, and remaining within them will sap your health. These can be intriguing…except when you haven’t collected the loot and must suddenly race through to get it. More time before the health drain begins would be ideal, and in fact, not being immediately bombarded with meteors and reinforcements when I’m trying to check for upgrades would also be swell.

" For now, it’s little more than a rough experiment which confuses progression for tedium."

To say that Hyper Light Breaker isn’t what I expected would be an understatement. Sure, it’s early access, but even the graphical options were downright pitiful. V-Sync wasn’t initially available, which meant forcing it through the Nvidia Panel. Heart Machine has since added it and promised further performance optimization, which is good, given some of the random frame drops that occur.

Even if it receives extensive balance updates, new content, an actual story to go with the setting, and a busier Overgrowth beyond relentlessly throwing enemies at you, Hyper Light Breaker has some serious design issues. I see the potential in the world and combat, and the visuals, coupled with the music, are imbued with this unique otherworldly quality that few other games outside of this universe can replicate. However, for now, it’s little more than a rough experiment which confuses progression for tedium.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Offering open-world and rogue-like elements, the title has received a mixed response on Steam. There are 1,046 user reviews at the time of writing, and only 55 percent are positive, earning it a “Mixed” rating. Complaints range from balance issues and punishing difficulty to optimization issues, clunky movement, and repetitive combat.

Of course, this is only the beginning, with three playable Breakers and two bosses to fight. Heart Machine has committed to more content throughout early access, with a roadmap due in the coming weeks and a date for its first major update. Early access will last about a year, though that may change as it takes on more feedback.

It will outline the release date for the first big content update, which adds Crow as a new playable character. Plans for future updates include new features, additional Breakers and Crowns, secrets, story content, gear, and gameplay improvements. These will arrive through patches and “periodic major updates.”

The team is excited overall and will collect feedback from the community to “balance the experience and bring Breaker to its full potential before it enters 1.0 launch.” The plan is to remain in early access for a year, though that could change.

Hyper Light Breaker’s early access content includes three characters and two Crowns. Players can explore the Overgrowth (with or without hoverboards), collect materials to upgrade their base, unlock new outfits, and partake in a three-player co-op. Head here to check out some more gameplay.

Each Breaker can equip any weapon and ability with Sycoms (the little drones around them) granting unique effects and benefits. The objective is to fight the Crowns and open a path to the Abyss King, who the Breakers must defeat for unknown reasons. It’s easier said than done, as the game’s rogue-like nature means restarting a run after dying.

Fortunately, there are ways to get around, like hoverboards. As you progress, the home base will also evolve, offering more avenues for power. You’ll also learn more about the Overgrowth and its past. Head here to check out some more gameplay.

Hyper Light Breaker enters Steam Early Access on January 14th. Stay tuned for more details on its roadmap and additional updates.

Three smaller teasers showcase each Breaker’s playstyle. While they utilize different weapons, it’s the Sycoms that distinguish them. Each provides unique benefits like increased critical hit rate or boosting core stats on upgrading. Otherwise, players are free to customize other aspects of their loadout.

As for other early access content, you can look forward to online co-op for up to three players, various weapons and upgrades, skins for each character, and more.

Hyper Light Breaker launches on January 14th for PC via Steam Early Access. Before that, Heart Machine will release extensive gameplay footage against each Crown on January 10th to prep fans beforehand. Stay tuned for more details when those go live.

Unlike its predecessor, Hyper Light Drifter, Hyper Light Breaker is an open-world rogue-lite title with full 3D visuals. As players embark on runs, they can customize their characters with different weapons, ride on hoverboards, and defeat bosses known as the Crowns. Early access features all these core players, three-player co-op, a “wide variety” of weapons and upgrades, and various skins.

It’s planned for a year, which could change based on feedback. The final game will feature all loadouts, weapons, upgrades, run modifiers, NPCs with a “full breadth of animations”, the entire story, a fully fleshed-out OST for levels, and performance optimization. The price will increase at launch, though there may also be an increase during early access.

Stay tuned for more details en route. You can also check out Heart Machine’s other title, Possessor(s), launching in 2025.

Following “much evaluation and many conversations” with publisher Arc Games, Heart Machine went with investing more time into polish. “We don’t want to ship a project, even in Early Access, that we’re not satisfied with on a number of fronts. Especially in the current state of the industry, we need to put as good a foot forward as we can.”

It also wants to avoid crunching its team and launching by a specific date at the detriment of their well-being. The other benefit to this approach is “better, more responsive” support for addressing feedback from the early access launch.

Thankfully, there will be several events where attendees can go hands-on with a demo and provide feedback. These include PlayNYC + AnimeNYC in New York City from August 23rd to 25th, XOXO in Oregon from August 22nd to 24th, and Media Indie Exchange (MIX) on August 30th. Subsequent demos will also be available in DreamHack in Atlanta and MAGFest in Maryland.

Stay tuned for more details and updates on the new release date in the coming months. Heart Machine is also working on Possessor(s), a post-apocalyptic side-scrolling action title launching in 2025 for consoles and PC.